THE BALL BEGAN TO PROPEL. It first hit the floor, and then it ricocheted forwards at brisk speed. The gym doors then flung open revealing two people.
"WATCH OUT!"
One of the players loudly warned. Kageyama looked at the hurling ball just in time for him to evade it, ducking quickly. However, the person behind him only saw it once the latter dodged, he was too late to actually do something.
The ball then hit him right above the stomach. His body curling forwards in pain from its force.
"K-Kageyama—teme—why did you duck?" He questioned the person before him, he then touched the sore spot where the ball struck.
Kageyama looked at him impassively, but there was a subtle smugness on his face—which then irritated him.
"Oh?" The setter began to ask. "I did not know you were there." Came his short reply, he turned around and left him alone.
The person then gave him a disdainful look, internally cursing him. The other players then came rushing towards him, asking how he was. "Is this not obvious enough?" The latter bluntly told them, still holding his stomach. The hit was actually pretty hard. Whoever spiked that ball?
"Hey—you. Will you be fine?" He heard his coach asked. Ukai proceeded to point at the two second years who were near him. "Nishinoya, Tanaka—the two of you—take him to the clinic now."
Both then nodded. "Yes, sensei!"
They hurriedly helped him up and walked him out. "Hey—take it easy."
"Don't complain! Do you want to get treated or not?"
"Yeah. But you're making it worse because you're rushing me." He retorted back, gritting his teeth. He could not believe why these two knuckleheads were chosen to take him instead.
"Coach." Ukai looked behind and saw one of his players. "Do you think he'll be alright? We all still need to practice, especially him. He's been lagging lately."
Ukai understood what he had meant. "Well, we will see about that." He then turned and walked, stopping beside him. "But the thing is—we all need to have more faith in our players." The coach then began to say, tapping his shoulder.
"Especially you—captain."
The Karasuno players finally arrived at the school's infirmary. They then tried to knock on the door. But no one was answering.
"You should open it." Tanaka instructed the libero.
"Me—?" Nishinoya pointed at himself. "Why? Isn't it trespassing?"
"So what do you want to do?" Tanaka asked him in a sarcastic manner. "You want to wait here instead?"
"No—" Nishinoya replied right away. "You should do it. Why should I?"
"What's even the difference?" The wing spiker told him.
"Since you were the one who told me first—you should open it."
"Both of you—shut up—and just open the door." The person between them muttered in a derisive tone. He already had enough of their loudness all throughout their journey here. He just wanted to be left alone.
Nishinoya then opened the door albeit in a reluctant way.
There was no one there. The school nurse was out of sight.
"What should we do now?" The libero asked.
"Just leave me there, and I'll be alright." He pointed to the vacant cushion. The two then followed his instruction, and placed him on the sofa.
"Do you need anything else?" Tanaka crossed his arms, looking at him as if expecting something.
"No." He replied. "You can all go now." Gesturing at the door.
"Tsk." Tanaka turned to the door disapprovingly, his hands shoved in his pocket. "As expected from you." Nishinoya then looked over his shoulder. "Ya know a simple 'thank you' would be enough—teme." The libero stuck out his tongue while proceeding to slam the door shut.
"Thank you!" The person said against the closed door, he knew that they could still hear him.
He was then left by himself, alone in the four-walled room of there school clinic. At last—silence. He proceeded to close his eyes, making himself comfortable against the soft cushion. The pain in his abdomen was now tolerable, but he could still feel the ache from the impact.
It would be nice to listen to some music though. Thinking about it, he should have asked them to get his phone and headphones.
Well, this isn't too bad nonetheless. At least he was away from the noisy, obsessive, hot-blooded volleyball freaks. I mean what's there to it? It's all just a club anyway. No big deal.
The person then removed his eyeglasses. Cleaning it with his shirt. He should ask for a new pair. He could not use this as a middle blocker, especially with their vigorous training and practice. What if the ball hit his face instead? Like what happened a little while back. It was only a good thing it didn't. This just wouldn't do.
He then put them back on, looking at the clock plastered above the wall in front of him. The nurse was coming late this morning. I still wanted to attend class.
The latter then further leaned on the sofa, yawning. What I will give to find something amusing. He noticed how he was now thinking out loud. It must have been due to boredom from waiting in an extended period of time.
If only that Kageyama did not avoid that ball—I wouldn't be here.
He really despised his guts, betting that the setter did it on purpose. The King wanted to stop him from announcing to the whole team what their royal highness had been doing all along.
Just he wait. He would tell all of their teammates once he got out of here. The latter then smirked in a complacent manner. He had the trump card after all—and he would use it to his advantage.
A soft knock on the door resounded in the room. It then came again a moment later. Whoever that is? He wondered. It would not be the person in-charge here. Must be one of the students. What would he do? Should he say something?
The handle then rotated, revealing an individual behind the door. His eyes widened upon realizing who it was.
"You—?"
"You?!"
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