one step further // haikyuu x OC

inter-high: game two // 25

Take a deep breath...

Stay focused...

Watch where the toss is going and...

WHAM!

Sudou and I stopped another big attack from across the net. We shouted and cheered in the middle of the court with our team. Looking over my shoulder I shuddered from glares that were watching us from the other team. Their loud and overbearing cheer squad was jeering at me as I walked to the serving line. Despite their efforts, I wasn't going to let them get to me or distract me. The other team already got the first set from us; we weren't ready for such an aggressive crowd, but I was going to take advantage of the tied score we had at that moment. Before the sound of the whistle, I bounced the ball and shut my eyes. Effectively drowning out the sounds of the crowd. All I could hear was my steady breathing. I focused on the weight of the ball as it met my fingertips, then dropped back to the hardwood floor. A debate rattled off in my head. I hadn't tried it yet - my jump serve. No moment in the last set felt right. Like I would screw it up. I wasn't sure of myself, but something told me to look up.

The boys were all watching me closely, except for Tsukishima and Yamaguchi who were still gone. I met eyes with Tobio, almost as if to get validation from him. A second opinion to try the jump serve. When his lips formed to an approving smile and he nodded his head, a new motivation set in just as the whistle blew. I took a few steps back and got ready for the approach.

This should throw them off a little...

With a flick of my wrist I tossed the ball to just the right spot and took a big approach with my highest jump, trying to be as on top of the ball as possible. The tension in the air was so great it was as if I was slicing through it with the swing of my arm. A grunt escaped my throat as I snapped my arm through and tightened my core muscles to bring in as much power to the serve as I could. The weight of the rubber orb, the weight that I was so accustomed to, heaved in my palm as it rocketed from my hit. It shot forward spinning aggressively, barely skimming the top of the net and slamming against the floor on the other side. My feet hit the ground shakily, almost unsure that I had just succeeded in the serve. Sharp, hot pain still wrapped around my ankle and lower calf as if just to say 'Don't forget, I'm still here.'

For a fleeting moment everything on the court and in the crowd was still. Like time had slowed for a fraction of a second to process the chain of events, before the ref's whistle started an uproar of incredulous cheers from my team and the crowd supporting Karasuno. I shouted happily as my team formed something akin to a mosh pit around me, rubbing the top of my head and slapping my back and shoulders in celebration. I couldn't stop the giddiness I felt when I saw the boys club celebrating too while returning to the back line once again. Besides the glee from my group, there was an ever-present irritation rising from the team we were facing. And their crowd with it. In the seconds before tuning them out, I heard some of their rude comments.

"Gaijin! Tricking us with that lousy serve from the first set!"

"Surely that was a fluke. No way she'll do that again!" That one made me scoff with a smirk.

Do they train their crowd to be insulting or something? And what's with 'gaijin'? I swear I recognize that from somewhere...

"You can do it, Toshi!" Yui's encouragement broke me out of my small train of thought.

"Toshikooo, nice serve!" That was Watabe and the other non-starters in the sub box, it's like they were trying to overpower the comments of the opponents team. I smiled, the support flooding in from my comrades surged a well of determination in my gut. Another jump serve was heading their way. All I had to do was get us just a little bit ahead in score, just enough for us to hook onto the momentum of the game. And I banked on the hope that the other team was still shocked by my serve enough to pull a couple more points out of them. The whistle started me off again.

With a jump and a grunt the ball fired from my hand, still not used to the movements of a jump serve. This time, there was less power in my serve, and it lofted over the net and dropped before the hitting line, throwing the receivers off balance again. They had adjusted backwards for a more powerful attack. With that lucky strike another point was won for Karasuno.

6-4 in the second set... I have to thrust us into a forward momentum!

My ankle ached and groaned under my weight. Instead of taking that as a warning to slow down, I let my stubbornness get the best of me. My inconsistency and luck in my jump serves was going to get us more points. It had to. As many as it took. I couldn't see past the veil of wanting to win, so I revved up to jump. The ball connected with my hand, it soared over the net, and as gravity pulled me back to the hardwood, my ankle finally gave up. It rolled on impact to the ground, sending me to my hands and knees for a brief moment. But when I saw that the opponents received the ball, I forced myself to my feet. My stance was wobbly and uneven, ligaments in my ankle twitched and sent shock waves of hurt up my calf in protest to my activities.

The hitters across the net called for the toss, and the ball was set up for the hitter on the outside. My focus was hazy, my breathing was heavy, the room grew hotter than before while I strained to stay in the game. Picking up on this their ace performed a feint, lofting the ball over our blockers and aiming for the space in front of me. I gritted my teeth and dove forward, straining and stretching as far as I could to close the space. A puff of air blew over my fingertips as they failed to break the contact between the ball and the ground. The shrill of the whistle harmonized with the sinking wrench in my gut, I struggled to catch my breath as I rose to a sitting position.

"Don't mind, Toshi!" Michimiya said as she walked over to my slouching form. Her outstretched hand broke my contact with the floor. "You'll get the next one for sure!" I shakily took her hand.

Maybe I'm okay... maybe it's not as bad as I think.

When she pulled me to my feet, the pang in my ankle immediately made me fall back to my knees. My captain crouched down right away, holding me up by the shoulders and looking into my eyes - going into care-taker mode.

"Toshiko? What's wrong?" Her voice was serious and concerned.

"It's-" My voice strained through my breathlessness, the constant pulsating throbs rising from my extremity made talking difficult. "My ankle. Michi- I can't-" Her eyes grew wide as saucepans and she had no hesitation in calling over Takeda and putting a halt to the entire game.