𝐆𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐄 (𝐓.𝐊𝐄𝐈 𝐗 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑)

[.𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟗.]

"hey, who are you rooting for? are you a karasuno fan?"

she pondered on the question for a bit. well, you actually weren't sure if she was thinking or if she was trying to suppress a smile. 

"umm, well, as the karasuno manager, aren't i obligated to say 'karasuno'?" she said softly, giving a small grin. 

"oh! oh my god, you're the manager! hi, i'm shoyo hinata's friend? and um-" you were in a hurry to introduce yourself. you didn't know if you were suddenly feeling a bit anxious because she was actually really pretty, or if it was because you were scared to leave a rude impression. 

"ah, i think i know you... you're the girl that tsukishima tutors, right?" she said, pausing as if she was trying to recall all the things he said about you. you prayed that she wasn't around to hear all of the crappy stuff he said when he first met you. 

"mhm," you sighed. 

"if i recall correctly... he really seems to like you. it's my job to watch the team closely, and that includes both plays and mood. uh, believe it or not, but he seems to light up very slightly when he talks about you! you should feel quite lucky, it's not every day he seems to find something he's interesting in," the manager explained, a fond smile gracing her lips. 

everybody on the team seemed to tell you this, and to be honest, you were ecstatic! maybe now because your feelings seemed to be quite set in stone about tsukki, you could take these comments with ease, knowing that maybe deep inside he seemed to be fond of you too. maybe you could even tease at the idea of him having a crush on you now, or at the very least now willing to be your friend. 

"oh, where are my manners... sorry; i'm kiyoko," the manager introduced, before checking a watch on her wrist. "oh my, i'm a bit late. sorry, i'll be seeing you!" 

and with that, she rushed into the gym. 

slightly disappointed that you couldn't return the introduction, you walked into the gym in her wake and took your seat in the stands. 

---

karasuno took the first set with ease, and they hadn't had a break yet, so shoyo didn't have a chance to see you yet. 

luckily, after the first set, there was a short break. shoyo seemed to be scanning the crowd for you, and the sight of your familiar figure, he gave a big wave. you waved back, giggling a bit at his childish giddiness. but soon, your short burst of joy was turned into a mix of your own giddiness at the sight of shoyo motioning to tsukki. 

the tall blonde's annoyance was clear, but once he saw you in the stands his hard stare seemed to soften the slightest bit. you gave a small wave, a lot smaller than the one you had previously given to shoyo. and to your surprise, a small wave was returned to you from tsukishima. 

shoyo gave you a bright smile as the game resumed and the rest of the players shuffled back on to the court. 

but for some reason, amidst all of the volleyball players, short and tall, the only figure your eyes remained glued onto was tsukishima's. 

---

the game was finally over, with karasuno earning their rightful victory. the team, decked out in orange and black, was huddled on the court, radiating energy and ecstasy. the blue and white team, on the other hand, was sprawled out on the court in defeat and fatigue.