The Devil Who Can Stop Time: Haikyuu x Reader

Ch 13: Observation of the Ace

"Hey, nice hit, spitfire!" You laughed, rubbing Hinata's head harshly.

"Thanks!" Hinata grinned proudly back up at you.

"Come on, it's your serve," you smirked and shoved him forward a bit.

Hinata sent the ball over, and it just barely hit the top of the net, forcing one of the association members to dive for it.  Your sharp eyes landed on Hidenori, who was getting ready for a make-shift set, raking over his form to determine where the ball would be going next.  Most setters didn't give much away when they set the ball up, but when other players were forced to cover, they often couldn't help but allow their form to give themselves away.  "It's to Asahi!" You shouted before the second pass even went up.

Keishin raised a brow in shock as all three on the front line followed your words and moved to cover Asahi. They certainly put a lot of trust into what you say. You seemed to be right, too, so maybe this wasn't just a guess or a one-time fluke. It almost reminded him of how Nekoma played, prioritizing defense and analytics over incredible attack power. He found himself laughing under his breath. No doubt that old cat would be pretty jealous once he saw you.

As the imposing third year approached the ball, getting ready to slam his hand against it, Noya's words suddenly flashed through your mind.

That big baby's all worked up because he couldn't get past a few walls.

The three covering Asahi jumped, completely shutting down the spike with a triple block. Your eyes widened in delight when you realized that Noya had managed to dig a hand under it, a large grin spreading over your face. You hadn't realized quite how good the libero was.

"Nice receive, Noya-senpai!" You screamed. "Suga-senpai, you have to send it to Asahi! Keep going until he scores!" This was the only way. The only chance that Asahi had to get over this slump was if he broke through this wall. He had to keep going!

Your heart pounded in your chest as you watched the set falling towards Suga, your breath catching in anticipation.  You could clearly see the hesitation in him.  There was no doubt in your mind that he wanted nothing more than to send it to his friend, but it wasn't like he could force Asahi to hit a ball he wasn't ready for.  It all depended on whether or not the team's ace would be willing to go toe to toe with the wall in front of him.

"SUGAAAAA!" Asahi screamed at the top of his lungs, sending shockwaves of excitement throughout your entire body. "Over here!"

The ball was sent, and the long-haired boy approached slowly. "You three better block!" You shouted. "It doesn't count if you don't put up a wall!"

You doubted the three actually needed the reminder as they jumped together, creating a tall, imposing wall before the ace.  Still, even with that sheer, unwavering height, that wall seemed to mean practically nothing. Asahi broke through it like it was made of paper.

Your eyes widened, almost sparkling with excitement as you watched the strong ball smack loudly against the floor. This was just the power you were hoping for. This was the exact ingredient your team had been missing!

You laughed and ran forward, jumping onto Tsukki's back. "That was an awesome block, Tsukki!" You cheered, hanging onto him like a child.

"Would you get off of me?!" Tsukki grunted, though he made no move to follow up on his words. "I didn't even stop the ball!"

"No, you didn't," you hummed, your sharp eyes lifting to land on the ace standing across the net from you. "But that wasn't because you didn't put up a great block. It's more a testimony to how strong of a player we're up against." You hopped off his back, your eyes still sparkling as you met Asahi's somewhat uncomfortable gaze. "Now, it's time to go have some fun."