Chapter 1: Second Best

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The final match. The 3rd set. The tiebreaker. If the team won this game, Karasuno's would be the number one high school volleyball team in all of Japan. They would no longer deemed the 'Flightless Crows'. The score was set at 23:24, in favour of the opposing team. It was match point for them, but the crows could definitely make it if they tried.

Two more points. Only two more. Two spikes away from number one. The one thing the players of Karasuno had hoped for, the 3rd years dreaming of something like this to happen before they graduated from their beloved school, club, and friends.

And yet, they couldn't do it.

"We have to use quicks, there's no other way we can win. They're taller and stronger than you, but not faster." Kageyama had advised Hinata before the final set.

"No! Wait, I can-" Hinata protested, but was cut off by the king's stricted orders.

"Just do it!"

During the other team's match point, Noya had saved countless balls, Tanaka and Asahi had spiked countless times, but nothing was getting through. When it finally came down to it, Kageyama put his final ounce of trust into the short, orange haired boy.

Hinata jumped with all his might, getting to the highest point in the air and preparing to swing. As his arm moved and his eyes widened, a stray thought appeared in his mind that was rare to ever show itself during a game.

What if I mess up?

At the speed of light, millions of doubts followed the one before.

The third years would leave with nothing, Kageyama would be mad, Karasuno would be dragged through the dirt again-

Hinata's swing was short.

He had let the ball move too far past his swing, and the blockers on the other side of the net began to cover his opening. When his hand hit the ball, it didn't feel right. Not the way it usually did.

His spike was slow, and the ball fell to the floor, almost as if in slow motion. Noya dived, but he didn't make it in time.

The sound of the ball hitting the court rang through their ears. Karasuno had lost, 23:25. They were now the second best in Japan, but that was somewhat unsatisfactory. No, very unsatisfying. Now, they were only number two. So close, but so far. So good, but not good enough.

A strong, fast, matured flock of crows who just couldn't fly high enough.

The whistle was blown signaling the other team's point, and cheers were heard from the stands and across the court. Not to the players of Karasuno, though. They could hear nothing, everything seemed to blur at the time. It didn't feel right, let alone real.

The team lifelessly shook the hands of the other team, not saying a word to them. They gathered their things and left the court, a few players never to return again.

Nothing was heard from Karasuno but the quiet, dragging footsteps of their shoes on the squeaky floor. Once their long, silent walk reached it's end on the outside of the huge building near the busses that would soon bring them back to their school, sadness turned worse, or to rage.

"Dammit!" Noya yelled, throwing his bag to the ground, and falling to his knees. Tanaka did similar to him, and Asahi did his best to comfort them despite his own disappointment.

Sugawara finally let a few tears fall, his heart aching as he turned to Daichi who was in a similar state. Daichi was a little better at putting on a brave face for the sake of his team, though. After another long second of silence between them, Suga collapsed onto Daichi. His tears flowed more freely now. He felt a little more at ease in the arms of the team's supportive captain.

Yamaguchi was just as saddened as the rest, tears threatening at the corners of his eyes, but wouldn't allow them to fall quite yet. He turned and looked up to his best friend Tsukishima to see what his reaction was. To his surprise, Tsukishima's expression looked much more pained than it ever had before. Yamaguchi didn't like that look on him.

"Hey, Tsukki?" Yamaguchi asked, trying to pull the taller blonde's distant attention to him. Tsukishima looked at Yamaguchi's bad attempt at a smile, and it only made him feel worse. To Yamaguchi, this was painfully obvious, so he wrapped his small frame around Tsukishima to let him know he was there for him.

The team's Coach, advisor, and managers shared pained expressions as they boarded the bus, leaving the group alone for a few minutes. They needed a breather, they all knew.

"Hinata," Kageyama finally approached the short boy, and calmly spoke. "Why didn't you do what I told you?"

"I did! I promise I did, but I guess I'm just not fast enough to beat everyone." Hinata avoided eye contact with the taller raven haired boy standing over him.

"Liar!" The King yelled, eyes widening in the beginning of a rage. "You are fast enough to beat anyone. But that was anything but a quick. Your hand didn't even hit the ball until it was a good foot passed you!"

"That's not true!" Hinata began to stand up and yell back, gaining the attention of most of the team. "I tried, I really did! We can't beat everyone you know! There will always, ALWAYS, be someone better than you. Even if you're called the 'king' or the 'grand king', there will always be people who're better than you!"

"You little..." Hinata's choice in words were making Kageyama begin to snap.

"You always expect the best and nothing less out of everyone around you, your teammates, and your friends! That's something I really hate about you Kageyama. I really... hate you."Hinata calmed his yelling, but Kageyama had only begun.

Kageyama began to move towards him, but Hinata's ridiculous reflexes told him to run. Eventually they were on the road, and were in their second physical fight of the season.

"You guys! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Tanaka yelled into the street, chasing after the crazed duo. He tried to rip them apart by force, but they almost worked together to shove him away as if to say 'this is our fight'.

Tanaka got shoved into Noya, who was standing just behind him in an attempt to help. They were lying on the curb, struggling to get up and chase the two once more.

They didn't see it in time, and there was no way in hell Hinata or Kageyama saw it.

In the busyness of the parking lot, and team after team leaving the massive stadium, a huge bus on it's way into the parking lot was driving a little too fast at the wrong time.


A/N: I hope you liked the first chapter of this little story I'm writing! By little I mean it probably won't be much longer than 5 chapters, but I don't have the time or creativity to keep a long story going along side my Mikayuu one >.< Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy this. My chapters tend to be pretty long, so idk, that might make it feel longer.

See you in Chapter 2 *^* 

Heather: Also hi from Heather :P I got to read this before any of you. Screw you allllllll

Lauryn: If you didn't know, Heather is the other owner of this joint account with me (Lauryn) :) Ok, for real this time, see you in a week or maybe less if I'm lucky :P

~Lauryn

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