Haikyuu!! Tobio's Girl. Timeskip

Tobio's Girl. Timeskip 1

Giana saw that some random guy, stranded in the bar, had decided to take up the challenge. He moved closer to Reina to chat her up. "Oh man, what is this blocker even doing? You see that guy jumping with his hands over the net?" he asked Reina directly. She looked at him with her indifferent, ice-cold eyes. She didn't say anything, but it encouraged the man enough to keep on talking. "That's a middle blocker, he's supposed to block those hits and slam them down, but they keep on hitting around him. His stats are terrible. You'd think someone playing pro at the highest level should do a better job."

"Hmm... I don't know." Reina graced him with a reluctant response. "He indeed didn't get many kills, but if you analyze the stats of those two attackers he's been pitted against—they should show those stats on the screen at some point—you'll see their success rate has decreased significantly since the last set. So, I guess he must be doing something right."

Giana thought it was typical for Reina to summon knowledge in an obscure subject to roast a guy. She wasn't just a pretty face. As a daughter of a world-famous physics professor, she was basically STEM royalty. And although she wasn't at the top of their class, that claim would probably go to Dino, she was good enough to be in the elite of this already elite program—a group of students that got invited to conferences and were chosen to continue Institute's innovative research after graduation.

And she did all that with effortless confidence and grace. As if nothing could shake up her nonchalant demeanor. Reina was that perfect girl you love... to hate.

And Giana was subconsciously hostile toward Reina when she first met her. So it was even more surprising that now, a year later, Reina was one of her most favorite people in the whole world. Their friendship started when Giana was going through a long and painful breakup; the relationship with her long-term boyfriend went to shit when she managed to get into this MSc program, and he didn't. It was reassuring to have someone like Reina by her side when she was tackling that whole concept of being single again after following a guy for so long. Also, it turned out that Reina, an ice queen at first glance, was actually laid-back and fun to be around once you got to know her better. Not only girls but even their male colleagues, after realizing they had no chance to hook up with her, were becoming friends fast.

Now, when Reina, apparently done with that random guy, looked around and waved at her friend, her eyes turned from cold to warm, which suited much more their lovely hazel tint. Giana came over to her.

"Wow, Reina, I didn't know you were into sports. Who would have thought you're a volleyball fan." Giana realized that she didn't know much about Reina's likes and dislikes. Thus far, their conversations revolved around studies and Giana's problems. I need to fix that. Reina was an enigma not just for the guys.

"A fan? Actually, I kind of hate it." An unusual, painful grimace showed up on Reina's face. But she shrugged it off and smiled at Giana. "Anyway, are you ready to party? Dino texted me the address."

Following Dino's instructions, they landed in one of the less touristy suburbs of Rome. On a street with no ancient architecture but instead loaded with fun bars and clubs. After wandering about for a while, the girls found their friends in a place with a carefree atmosphere, artisan cocktails, and local rock bands playing on a small scene. Dino knew his stuff, as always.

Because they didn't yet match up to the merriment of their group, which had been partying for over an hour, the girls decided to sit on the side for now. Giana noticed that Reina turned some heads again while carrying their cocktails from the bar. She fell a slight sting of envy. It wasn't that she wanted to be like Reina. They were quite different, both in character and in looks. And since the breakup, Giana realized that she was, in fact, a much cuter girl than her ex led her to believe. It was just that...