one step further // haikyuu x OC

mind vs. body // 22

Silent anxiety took over my warm up as I became acutely aware of my ankle. Stretching with my teammates I lifted Sudou off the ground to stretch her back, my leg trembled and the pain slowly began to increase. Nerves exploded in my chest.

I have to find Tsukishima. But I don't wanna talk to him! But I need the brace back. Shit... How did that one little incident hurt it again? I never should've taken it off. Why do I have to be so stubborn?! Why does he have to be such a jerk??

When I had a chance to sneak away I searched the nearby hallways, soon realizing that what I feared was a reality. The boys had already gone back to their seats upstairs... And our game was about to start. In the precious seconds before lining up, I ripped through the stuff in my gym bag and found my wrapping tape and quickly dressed my ankle and popped a couple ibuprofens in my mouth. Then, I fumbled with my phone to send someone a text - I was in such a hurry that I couldn't find me and Kei's text thread. So instead I sent a panicked text to Yamaguchi.

As I jogged back into the gym I could tell that my wrapping was too rushed and wasn't going to offer me great support for long. My brain was begging for the pain pills to kick in. Then I had to sooth my panicking captain who had no idea where I went off to. I used the 'last minute bathroom break' excuse. Still, my brain couldn't focus on the game that was moments away; instead I was scanning the crowd, searching for the location of the boys volleyball club.

Shouyou's bright hair and loud voice helped me locate them. Tsukishima's attention was loosely turned to Yamaguchi; who was talking casually and observing the court.

Did he not see my text?!

I urgently waved my hand - not even bothering to feel embarrassed - and caught Tadashi's attention. He waved back with a confused smile. Desperation was making me frustrated, the seconds ticked by like an unstoppable force. I shook my head and pointed to my side discreetly, signaling to him that I needed Tsukishima's attention. The other team was preparing to serve.

To my relief, he understood my signals and nudged Tsukishima's shoulder, pointing to me and saying something. The blond turned to look at me with a condescending and irritated look on his face. And to my dismay he then turned in the opposite direction from me and leaned back on the railing with his elbows, ignoring me. Panic set in as my heart dropped to my stomach.

So after all that he has the audacity to ignore ME?

Confused, Yamaguchi looked at his friend then back to me. In my last desperate attempt to get my message across, I made a phone gesture with my slightly shaking hand, pointing to it with my other and mouthing the words 'Cellphone! Cellphone!'

The whistle blew. The serve rocketed over the net and started to drop right in front of me. I whipped my head around and had to kickstart myself into action, diving to the floor to get the ball. I missed. Frustration from being targeted made my gut hot, especially since I caught her and few others on the team snickering at me.

First point for the opponents. Apologizing to my team and receiving encouragement, I shook my head. Thoughts were racing by rapidly.

My ankle hurts.

I need the brace.

I have to play.

Don't get distracted.

I didn't get to focus myself on the game.

Focus...

I adjusted my stance and stood closer, ready for another short-falling serve. However this time when she aimed at me again, I could tell the ball was going to fly further. She baited me to stand closer. I stumbled back, adjusting as the ball flew to me. My clumsy movements made my face twist in pain from my ankle.

"C'mon. Connect...!" My arms raised to my head, knowing a normal underhand pass would've sent the ball off the court. As I began to fall backwards I tried to receive it with my palms, however I was off balance - my hands were not in the right spot at my head. The serve slammed into the side of my face and I fell to the floor. Luck was on my side in the moment, the volleyball lofted into the middle of the court, easy enough for our setter to get while I recovered from my fall. My cheek began throbbing as my vision blurred from watering in my left eye, yet I still stood my ground in athletic position and watched our setter give the ball to our ace. Regardless of the pain, regardless of my racing mind, I stood there ready to keep playing. Aihara got the hit past them and the ref's whistle blew. Our point. I brought my hand to my face.

"Toshiko! Are you alright??" Aihara must've watched the pass, her question made my team approach to look at my face.

"Your cheek! It's all red and swollen!" Sudou had her hands up to her face in worry, she tended to be a bit of a hypochondriac. Yui was ready to call for a time out when I stopped her.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! Captain, don't call a time out." I looked to the referee, who was ready to blow the whistle and told him I was okay. He nodded and let us continue. As I rotated to the front row, my tongue swirled around in my mouth to feel the internal damages.

Tastes like blood... that might bruise. First my ankle, now this?

"Toshi!" Yui called me from her defensive position on the back line, and I whipped around to face her.

Can she tell I'm being thinky...?

My upperclassmen gave me a wide smile and shouted. "You can do this!"

From what Yui said, I couldn't tell if she noticed my lack of focus, but her words made me realize that my teammates were looking up to me. My captain, my team... they were counting on me. It was there I decided I had no time to dwell on my ankle. A new level of focus took over, and the adrenaline that followed made me forget my ankle and any pain I was feeling. Instilling an intense meaning to 'mind over matter'.

If we wanna win, we all have to be playing our best. That includes me. I have to do this... for them!

For a moment I thought to myself that maybe what I was doing was too risky, that I needed to be more responsible athlete like Kageyama. Then again, most of how I tried to win in volleyball was about taking risks and hoping luck was on my side. It kept my ankle fine before - after a week - so I was going to risk it again. Against my better judgment, I began to play with no worry of my ankle in mind; my muscles looser - less tense, mind focused and calculating like in the first game, with my team at my side and behind me to back me up.

Just how far can my determination push my physical limits...?

~Notes From author~
Yahoooo~ this chapter took so long to finish! I was struggling all week to find a good enough ending. Sometimes it's hard to write a normal chapter when I have such ~spicy~ events coming up! Also, I've started school... so that kinda adds to the time it took me as well. Chapter releases might be more spread out, but I'm gonna do my best to put as much care as always into every chapter. Look forward to the next part, and I think a perspective chapter from Yamaguchi is on the way as well :0
See Ya!