His Warrior Queen: A Haikyuu!! Novel (Tsukishima x OC)

Chapter 91: New Year's Day

Takeda Ittetsu was staring at his student coach, a small frown on his face.  It was Friday, exactly one week before the team would be climbing aboard a bus, headed for the Spring Nationals.  Nakano was watching the boys play a practice match together, walking around and making notes and staring at them intently.  Occasionally, she'd heave a sigh, and then shake her head and make more notes.  Takeda watched her, the concern on his face a mirror of the girl's own.

"Hey Specs, everything alright?" Ukai asked, noting the beginnings of a furrow between the teacher's brows.  He followed the shorter man's gaze, seeing their student coach sigh again and change her observing position.  "Are you worried about Ogawa?  Is something wrong?"

"Nothing you should worry about, Coach Ukai," Takeda said, startling out of his thoughts and bowing to the younger man.  "I'm sure everything is going to be just fine."  Ukai stared at the man as he briskly made his way over to the young woman who was now biting on the end of the pencil she was writing with.  He came to stand next to her, arms folded across his chest, gaze trained on the players even as hers was.  "You've done everything you can for them, you know.  Now it's up to them."

Nakano yelped, almost jumping out of her skin.  She turned wide, startled eyes towards her teacher.  "Goodness, Takeda-sensei, you scared me!"  She chuckled, taking a couple of deep breaths.  "I'm sorry, sensei, did you need something?"

"I need you to stop worrying, Ogawa-chan.  You've done so much for these boys.  Now it's time to let them take what you've given them and run with it."

"There's still a week left, Takeda-sensei.  I know I can help them a little with..."

"Nakano," Takeda said softly, making the girl suddenly stare at him, "A good coach also has to know when enough is enough.  Pushing these boys too hard will only increase their anxiety at this point.  They need a little time before the tournament to settle into themselves, don't you think?  To become comfortable with what they are.  To make sure their moves are as natural as breathing."

Nakano let out an explosive sigh.  "Yes, I suppose you're right.  I just...I want to do everything I can.  They are so amazing, they've given me so much.  I want to make sure I've given them everything I possibly can."

Takeda smiled.  "As a good coach should."

A rather unlovely snort came from Nakano.  "Takeda-sensei, tell me the truth.  I mean, this whole 'student coach' thing...it was just a way to justify my being more involved with the physical aspect of training the team, right?  You...you don't really think of me as a coach, do you?"

Takeda's brown eyes trained themselves on the girl's face, his gaze as intense as she'd ever seen from him.  "Nakano, do you really think I'd go through the effort I did to arrange for you to have this position if I didn't take it seriously?  If I didn't expect you to take it seriously?"

The girl gaped at him.  "So you...you really think I'm doing a good job as a student coach?"

"I think you're doing a marvelous job.  You've got a natural talent for this kind of thing.  But right now, you're on the edge of pushing too hard.  Let me guess, you're feeling a little worked up - like if you sit still, you might explode."

A small giggle escaped the girl.  "That's not a bad description, sensei."

"That feeling is to be expected.  We're a week away from the biggest event in high school volleyball.  The thing we've been working and training for - fighting for - all year long.  You feel like you have to cram as much preparation as you can into this final week, don't you?"  He grinned at the girl as she nodded.  "Tell me, Nakano, how do you prepare for a test?"