How to fly with clipped wings (English ver.) HAIKYUU!! FAN FICTION

Chapter 47: The First Match

Amanai Kanoka, a second-year on the Niiyama volleyball team, was exactly six feet tall and a wing spiker. Mikaela had analyzed her playing style while she was trying out for the Niiyama team because she had been one of the contenders for the open spot on the starting line. From what Mikaela had gathered, she'd gotten it. "How've you been?" Amanai said, offering her a small smile.

Mikaela couldn't even bring the words to her mouth. "Um- Ah- Good! You?" she stammered.

The Niiyama player was about to reply when Tanaka jumped into their conversation. "Hey! Kanoka! Dude, it's been forever!" Tanaka easily jumped into the conversation with Amanai- apparently he'd known her since he was a kid, from what Mikaela could gather- and eventually he sighed, pausing in his rant and staring at her. "You're..." he said slowly, but whatever he was going to say died on his lips.

Mikaela's eyes caught movement- specifically, a head of short blonde hair- and she desperately threw herself behind the closest person. I know who that is.

"Amanai. Time to line up," she heard the Niiyama captain say, and Mikaela shrunk down.

"Oh! Sorry, I was just talking to..." Amanai trailed off. "Never mind. Good luck, Ryu-chan."

Mikaela watched them walk away, and sighed with relief. Nothing to be scared of, just an old team. Why am I still so freaked out about them? Mikaela shook her head. I don't want to deal with that right now anyways.

"Um, you okay there, Mikaela?"

She jerked her head up. The person she'd ducked behind was none other than Motoya Komori, one of the players she'd met at the youth camp. "M- Motoya-san!" Mikaela exclaimed in surprise, backing up. "Sorry! Yeah, I'm okay."

"You seem a bit jumpy," he said with a small smirk. "Should I ask?"

"Definitely not," she replied immediately, rolling her eyes. "How've you been?"

"Good," Motoya said, shrugging casually. "How's the Internet fame?"

Mikaela groaned. "If I had one hundred yen every time someone mentioned that, I'd be rich." They both laughed, and Mikaela sighed. "It could be worse. The whole team's been pretty nice about it, and I haven't been approached yet since I've been here. It's only a matter of time, though."

Motoya crossed his arms. "Could be worse. You could've been humiliated."

"I basically was, Motoya-san. I-"

"Just Motoya's fine, we're friends here."

She scowled, but her scowl faded to a smirk. "Fine, Motoya, I essentially was humiliated. I literally exposed my prosthetic to the world. Guaranteed, if I showed it off right now, everyone would stare."

"Everyone would stare because it's a fake leg," Motoya said with roll of his eyes, "not because you're Internet famous. Don't go getting a big head on us here."

"I'm not," Mikaela protested, but she backed down. "Wait, who's us?"

He sighed. "I'd like to say it's me and Sakusa, but..." he gestured behind him, and Mikaela nearly laughed; the number one ace in all of Japan was hiding in the corner of the room, glaring at anyone who came remotely near. "He hates crowds," Motoya finished with a shrug.

Mikaela laughed. "Doesn't surprise me."

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"Who's Mikaela talking to?" Daichi asked, cocking his head.

Sugawara and Nishinoya both turned to look at their manager, who was talking with a volleyball player wearing an Itachiyama jersey. He was a bit taller than Mikaela (though not by much) and had light hair and broad shoulders. "I think that's Motoya Komori, the number one libero in Japan."