"Haikyuu: A Twin's Choice"

21- The Guardian and The Ace

Nishinoya briskly walked towards Sora, piquing the curiosity of those around.

Coming to a halt, Nishinoya faced Sora and pointed at him. "I heard from Daichi-San that your libero skills are on par with mine!"

Sora arched a brow. "He did? I'm glad!" he responded with a smile.

Nishinoya blushed slightly at Sora's smile. 'Man, he's cute.'

Nishinoya shook his head, internally reminding himself, 'Ah, wait, I must not get distracted!'

"If what Daichi-San said is true, then I consider you my rival! I won't give up my libero position!" he declared, determination gleaming in his eyes.

Sora maintained a neutral expression. "Okay."

Nishinoya was undeterred. "And we'll have a competition later on who can receive the most balls!"

Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and Sora exchanged glances, then turned their attention back to Nishinoya.

"Sorry to ruin your moment, but I can't," Sora interjected, pointing at his left knee. "I'm injured."

A moment of silence hung among them.

"Oh..." Nishinoya uttered, realizing the impact of Sora's injury on their anticipated competition.

A mischievous smirk played on Sora's lips. He was ready to tease Nishinoya.

"You know, it's kind of rude of you to slam the door open and declare war against me," Sora said, shrugging casually with a smirk. "Kids these days lack manners."

Tsukishima couldn't contain a chuckle, and Yamaguchi wore a soft smile in response to Sora's teasing.

Nishinoya, however, sported a visible vein bulging on his forehead. "I'm not a kid! As a matter of fact, I'm your senpai!" he retorted defensively.

Sora pretended to be surprised. "Oh really?" he asked.

With deliberate slowness, Sora stood up, gracefully advancing toward Nishinoya. Leaning in, he whispered into Nishinoya's ear, "Then, I will call you Senpai~" with a hint of seduction in his voice.

Nishinoya blushed, feeling a bit flustered, and took a slight step back, caught off guard by Sora's teasing.

Sora couldn't help but burst into laughter at Nishinoya's response. "Hahaha! I didn't know you were this easy to tease, Senpai!" he exclaimed, thoroughly enjoying the playful banter.

Tsukishima, on the other hand, felt a twinge of jealousy. 'I thought I was the only one Sora likes to flirt with,' he thought, his competitive side emerging.

Yamaguchi noticed Tsukishima's reaction and sweatdropped, sensing the subtle tension in the air.

Nishinoya cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "That's... right! I'm your senpai!" he affirmed, emphasizing the seniority with renewed confidence.

"Yeah, you are," Sora softly smiled.

Playfully, Sora reached over and ruffled Nishinoya's hair.

Nishinoya's eyes widened, caught off guard by the gesture. "H-Hey, stop that!" he protested, his initial surprise turning into a mix of embarrassment and amusement.

"Sorry about that, Senpai. I can't help it since you're cute," Sora said with a mischievous smile, enjoying the playful banter.

Nishinoya blushed once again, a mix of embarrassment and a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

Sora stopped ruffling Nishinoya's hair, and his hair was now down.

This time, it was Sora's turn to blush. 'Shit, I know he's cute when his hair is down in the anime, but seeing it in real life is even cuter,' he thought, feeling a bit flustered by the unexpected charm.