Choosing

t w o

I have no idea why we agreed to this. The sheer height difference is one thing, but the range of skill is another. The guys team is better than the girls. Plain and simple. Sara would never admit it, but it doesn't make it any less true. Even if you take out Ushijima's incredible spikes, his stamina is still impeccable. And don't even get me started on Tendou's ability to guess the opponents moves. The team is fatal, almost unbeatable.

"This is going to be a disaster." I mumble to no one in particular as I watch the two teams stretch.

"You have little faith in your own gender." I hear from behind me. I spin around and see Ushijima standing there. He towers over me with a stoic expression. His brick wall body popping out of his uniform. My heart rate races but I feign calmness.

"I didn't say it was going to be a disaster for us." I shoot back, my heart still going a million miles per hour. He stares at me and tries to decipher what I'm thinking. I hope he can't, although I wouldn't put it past him to be able to. "We learned from the best."

It's true. Sara and I spent countless hours watching Shiratorizawa's boys volleyball games. That's how I know Ushijima is scary on the court, usually leaving his opponent crying afterward.

Ushijima watches me for a moment and I start getting uncomfortable under his gaze. Until he just turns around and walks away. I'm starting to think he does that a lot — walking away without even finishing a conversation.

The game starts shortly after and I have to say it's... embarrassing. Utterly humiliating. The guys win 25 to 3 the first round. The second round they win 25 to 7. The third round they win 25 to 10.

"Another game!" Sara shouts. Her adrenaline is through the roof. I can almost feel it radiating off her.

"Are you sure little Sato?" Tendou teases. "We'll just beat you again."

Now I understand why they wanted to play this match when they never have before. When they could easily have gotten a college team to play with them. I'm not even sure I've ever been in the same room as all of them — other than they're games that I attend from the stands. Sara on the other hand talks to them all the time, but that's only because Tendou and a few guys on the team are obsessed with her. But they knew they could beat us. They just wanted to boost their precious egos.

"Get them! Don't boost their egos anymore!" I shout from the sidelines. The girls look to me shocked. I don't usually talk to them or hype them up, but they are in dire need. The team can't be embarrassed by these guys.

Sara is the first to wipe the shocked look off her face and replace it with pride and determination. And I suddenly understand how her fans get excited when she shows them attention. She makes you feel important, she makes you feel good about yourself. I can't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. "You heard Y/N! Let's kill those boys!"

The boys glance between eachother, laughing. They think the girls weak, but I know they're strong. Strong enough to beat them at least once.

They end up beating us again. And again. And two more games after that. But we do end up winning the last game of the night.

"Another one!" One of the boys yell. I don't care to look. Sara is too busy hugging me with joy.

"Yeah, right!" Sara laughs and turns her head. "We won fair and square!"

"We still won five times today." Tendou points a finger at us. He doesn't take to losing too well and apparently neither does Ushijima who is currently sitting on the bench with his head down.

I untangle myself from Sara and leave her to whatever it is she's doing with Tendou.

"Losing new for you?" I ask Ushijima handing him a towel.

"I accept my defeat. You guys played well." He nods taking the towel from me.

"The team did." I correct him with a shrug.

He looks at me for a moment. "You gave them the motivation to play. It's your win."

I want to argue, but something in his eyes makes me keep my mouth shut. Maybe it's his intimidating features or his gorgeous eyes. I groan internally at my mini crush on him.

"Y/N! Let's go! It's ten already!" Sara calls from the door. I nod quickly and when I turn around to thank Ushijima... he's gone. As usual.

"What was that?" Sara asks slinging an arm around me once we're out the door.

"What was what?"

"With Ushijima."

"Nothing," I lie. "Just rubbing in his face that they lost."

"That's my girl." She bumps my hip with hers and gives me her famous smile. She spends the rest of the walk home going on and on about the game. She tells me she was about to give up when I called out to them.

Flatterer indeed.

Once we get to my house she embraces me in a tight hug. "Thank you for everything!"

I stumble backwards and roll my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." I smile and pat her back.

She lets go and walks off. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

I laugh and watch her disappear in her house across the street. I look up at the sky. No stars tonight, just clouds. Too bad, I like looking at the stars.

"Hey you, I thought you'd never get back." I hear someone say.