sugawara x reader || never alone

Chapter 18: One-on-One Training!

This title... im so dirty-minded please douse me in asahi's holy water

You smiled at Suga. He volunteered to help you with some one-on-one setter training (since poor bb Kags isn't very good with words).

"Your technique is nearly flawless," He said with wide eyes. "But you still need to work on the physical application of it all. Your motions aren't as smooth. I don't blame you, everything could look right in your head, but it's hard to carry through with it in the end. You just need some practice."

You nodded and tried again. You knew the exact way to hit the ball, the place to receive it, where it should go, but your stamina was low and your physical strength was as well.

You took a sip of your water and rushed back onto the court to continue your one-on-one.

You felt your feet kick off of the ground. It started to feel natural after the first practice. You felt your hand meet the ball. It felt like you had been doing this forever.

Bam!

The sweet symphony of the ball thudding against the ground across the court greeted your ears, it was the sound of success.

"Great job, (Y/n)!" Suga cheered.

You smiled cheekily. "B-But how would we use this in-game?"

He smiled softly and looked down. "I... I don't know. But I know you can do it."

You beamed with pride again and paused as a thought came to your mind.

"The starting lineup for the Spring Tournament hasn't been finalized yet, Suga," You said encouragingly. "Don't lose hope, you got this!"
He smiled to himself and nodded at your thumbs-up.

"And I'll try my best to help you get on the starting lineup, even if I'm not sure if I'm on it," You spoke again, softer this time. "Because we're partners. We can make ourselves stand out."

You looked at the bus excitedly, weaving through the volleyball team to get to the front of the line with the other third-years. Your first training camp!! Your dad had conveniently left on another "business trip" the day before and didn't give a shit when you packed your bags and left for school.

You took a seat next to Suga and grinned. You only really felt comfortable talking to him nowadays. Pressing your face against the window, you watched the school fade off into the distance, your heart racing at the mere thought of getting to play with others. Picking up your phone, you texted your best friend absentmindedly before remembering that he had somewhat ghosted you for the past month.

Sighing, you put the device in your pocket. You started to make small talk with the setter beside you and discussed different plays and hand signals when-

"TOBE FLYYYYYYY-" You yelped and picked up the phone, embarrassed by your ringtone. You apologized sheepishly and glanced at it again.

The words, 'Unknown Caller' flashed on screen before you decided to answer.

"H-Hello?" You said, catching Sugawara's attention. The voice on the other side could've brought tears to your eyes. "Jiji?"

Suga loved seeing you like this, like when you were starting one-on-one training. (BTW you'll continue that after training camp~). Your eyes shone like they hadn't before and your excitement was visible as you beamed through the darkest times. He thought your determination, despite not being athletic, was admirable. You'd get into volleyball as much as Hinata and Kageyama, and that's saying a lot. Not to mention the immense amount of talent you harbored and the high level of intelligence you possessed. In Sugawara's mind, you looked... beautiful when you found something to look forward to. But he felt different when he heard that it was another guy on the end of the line.