Snapshot (Haikyuu Fanfiction Series!!!)

16. Improvement

Sakura POV

I help wash the boys' towels with Shimizu after filling their water bottles. It's only the morning, and they start off practice with a long distance run. The crazy part is that besides Tsukishima, everyone wants to jog for fun....What's wrong with this team....?

What really surprises me is Natsuki. She decides to join them with the excuse of observing their stamina. She acts lazy and uncaring, but once you get to know her better, you see a different side of her.

But seriously though, she's a really athletic person to be able to keep up with Hinata and Kageyama at the front. Compared to her, I can't run anywhere close to that kind of pace. I'm too slow to run with them. Knowing that I'll drag them behind, I stay with Shimizu to assist her in any way possible.

"Thanks for helping me," Shimizu thanks me as she folds the towels.

"Anytime," I smile. "I can't really take pictures while they're running, so I might as well help you out."

I stand outside of the gym to help clean the towels. It's a perfect day for them to be training. I check my phone for any messages from Mihane...There was still no reply. I exhale. Oh well, at least I still got to enjoy the fresh morning air.

"Sakura, what time is it?" Shimizu asks me when she sees me take my phone out. I check the time.

"It's 9am," I reply back as I take a quick glance at my phone. They should be coming back from their long run by now.

"Okay then. I'm going to go help set up in the gym. Just stay here and finish cleaning the towels," Shimizu says and goes inside the gym.

I watch her head inside the gym. She's so devoted as manager for this team. If it was me from the past, I would have thought of her as strange for trying so hard to help others, but now I'm doing just the same.

I scrub the towels faster than before. Being in the photography club and helping the boys' volleyball team really did change me for the better.

A few minutes later, I hear the boys coming back from their morning run. That's good. They finally finished their warm-up, but they soon have to start practicing their receives and serves. Now that I think about it, I can never imagine myself being on a sports team. I try imagining myself as a volleyball player, but it doesn't seem realistic.

"Sakura, can you pass me a towel?" I hear someone say. Without looking at who the person was, I grab a towel and gape as I turn around to see that the person asking me was Nishinoya.

He grabs a water bottle and takes a long drink. I pass him a towel, and without realizing my eyes follow his body. You would think that because of his height he would be a scrawny boy.... But nope, he's really muscular. Just yesterday Nishinoya was hugging me... His tight grip around me with his surprisingly nice muscles. He probably has firm abs too....

Crap! What am I thinking!? I don't want to be those types of girls! Get these dirty thoughts out of my head! I lightly slap my cheeks.

"Is something wrong?" Nishinoya asks as he takes notice of my staring and slapped cheeks.

"N-No!" I nervously shake my head and try to keep my composure. "How was running?" I try to change the subject, but it probably sounded like a lame question.

Nishinoya doesn't ask any other questions and answers. "Not bad. For me, running isn't that hard. I have pretty good stamina," he praises himself and continues drinking his water. Even though he acts like he isn't exhausted, I can see he's already drank a lot of water. He must be tired. I stop asking him questions and let him relax.