𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 | 𝐤.𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐨

forty-six

(disclaimer: slight manga spoilers)

ALL-JAPAN TRACK&FIELD SPRING HIGH: FINALS

ayako miyazaki swore to herself after her junior high spring meet that she'd never do competitive track again, not after all that it'd caused her.

being forced to meet everyone's insanely high expectations, being shunned by her own teammates and given attention only when she did well.

stopping track meant losing the spotlight, breaking a childhood promise, and disappointing everyone around her.

but she didn't care. because she'd spent enough years being their golden girl.

enrolling into karasuno high school-a neighborhood, non-prominent high school, was what confirmed her decision.

but how the tables turned.

when she first got introduced to the boys' volleyball team, and was offered to be their photographer, she thought she'd finally got over track, and was now going to start afresh doing the only other thing she loved-photography.

but then came the brunette, ecstatic track team vice-captain, who incessantly pestered at her, trying her very best to get the ayako miyazaki to join karasuno's track team,

and the raven-haired, childhood friend of hers, who pushed her to overcome her fears, and go back to do what she loved.

who made her realize defeat wasn't as scary as she pictured it to be, it was just a part of life.

on top of all that, he'd even stolen her heart in the process.

which was why she was here, in the tokyo national stadium, legs feeling like jelly and panting profusely, after clearing her 800m national finals race-in third.

yes. the first-year track prodigy had effortlessly stole one of the top three spots and set herself yet another new personal best.

there it was, on the big screen, her name next to #3.

ayako miyazaki    karasuno high school   2.04.15

her eyes met with the raven-haired setter's blueberry ones the moment she climbed back up to the stands to return to her team.

that smile-the one that never failed to make kageyama's heart bloom, even up till now-stretched across her face.

he could already tell what she was saying from her eyes.

"i did it, tobio."

before he knew it, ayako was running up to him, leaping into his arms, despite her just finishing a full two rounds around the track at full speed, and her legs feeling like complete jelly.

he caught her in his arms, giving her a small spin around.

"i'm so proud of you."

"i had to-for the whole volleyball team."

the setter squeezes her even tighter, upon recalling the promise she'd made to him-along with the rest of the volleyball team, two days before. after karasuno's defeat.

(two days back: karasuno high school, defeated in the quarter-finals)

there was no crying. unlike their defeat against seijoh at the inter-high.

instead, they were still smiling. because an underdog, unheard of, team like karasuno, made it to the top eight in nationals.

yes, the defeat was bitter, but they knew, it wasn't a proof of their weakness.