crown [t. oikawa]

[eight]

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"SHIRATORIZAWA!"

the name of the dominating school in royal purple is declared proudly across the volleyball stadium, followed by loud thuds from drums, cheers and claps made by the large cheer squad. 

[ 'large' is an understatement. it's enormous, bigger than any high school cheer squad should be. it makes seijoh's cheer squad look pitiful, and everyone knows that. ]

so this is the school that people wanted oikawa to go to, i muse silently, remembering what hajime had told me before the match. in particular, that number one.

the captain and ace of shiratorizawa, ushijima wakatoshi. the skilled individual that had lead oikawa to defeat again and again and again. 

i watch as he spikes, using both his power and unusual dominant hand to his advantage. not even using a clever strategy to evade the blockers. just confronting the tallest members of seijoh, knowing that he will prevail. and he does, through sheer strength. 

i can practically feel seijoh's frustration. 

and it's not just ushijima. the rest of the shiratorizawa members are highly skilled, more so than the average player.

[ and maybe, more so than seijoh. ]

i try not to think about that, but it's hard not to when they're scoring point after point until the first set belongs to them. 

seijoh loses by three points, spiraling into a tunnel of doom with shiratorizawa's cheer dimly pounding inside their head. 

then the second set comes and although fatigue should start becoming a factor, they seem to fight even harder, knowing too well that this may be their last set. 

and subconsciously, my hands become clenched fists as i begin to feel their determination. their desperation not to lose, not after all those late night training sessions and sacrifices. 

i hope that seijoh wins. 

i don't want oikawa and hajime to experience the same loss they're so familiar with. i don't want to see my dauntless cousin break down into tears. i don't want to see the unknown caller on the verge of a panic attack yet again. 

and while they seem like the protagonists of a story to me, they are not the team that wins.

[ it's hopeless. ]

as ushijima spikes and scores one last time, the second set closes and belongs to shiratorizawa. 

the whole match does.

shiratorizawa remains triumphant and seijoh remains defeated. 

and for some reason, i start disliking shiratorizawa. it's absolutely irrational. i am obviously biased, but shiratorizawa were merely playing the game. what am i so angry at them for?