THE PLACE WAS CROWDED. It was flocked with the neighborhood kids watching the volleyball game.
"Nao-nee-chan!"
Nao saw her little brother waving his arms, calling for her. He was watching their match with his friends, cheering on their favorite players. She then gave a small wave back.
The girl began to look around for Coach Ukai. She wanted to drop off the basket to him and then go home.
She saw him sitting on a bench. He was busy giving overviews about the players to his grandfather, who then nodded in agreement.
"E-excuse me..."
Nao started to approach them, carrying the basket with her hands. They did not seem to notice her though, because the crowd then cheered for another point made by the rookie players.
"Kageyama—nice one!"
An upperclassman praised the talented setter. The latter only tilted his head. "T-thanks."
"Hey—what about me? I was the one who spiked the ball!"
Hinata bouyantly bounced, wanting to be noticed also by his senpai to which annoyed Kageyama for trying to steal his spotlight.
"It's not always about you—baka!" Kageyama proceeded to easily grasp his collar, nudging the middle blocker.
"Oh yeah—?! Why you—"
"That's enough, you two." Keishin separated them like what he usually have done many times before. Seriously, this was getting old already.
"Let's call it a break, we'll get something to—Nao-chan!"
The players then followed where their coach was looking at and saw the Fuji matriarch's granddaughter.
Great. Nao thought.
"Hi—uhm—I'm just giving this." She gestured to the basket she was holding. "Obaasan asked me to deliver the muffins to all of you, so here you go." Nao then handed the basket to the nearest person. It was Daichi. The captain then took it, surprised.
"Uh—thanks?" He held the container with his two arms. They appeared to be delicious as he got the whiff of their aroma.
Nishinoya and Tanaka were the first ones to approach for the basket. "Wow~ they look and smell pretty good." The two began to reach for the muffins, but they were immediately stopped when Daichi slapped both of their hands.
"Hey, you two—where are your manners?" Daichi chastised. Both then caressed the back of their hands from the slap.
"That was not necessary, Daichi-san..." Nishinoya uttered with feign tears cascading on his face. The wing spiker beside him then nodded in agreement.
Ukai pinched his nose for the nth time. He was not sure if whether he was babysitting children or teaching grown young adults. He was now more leaning into the former than the latter.
Seeing how they were now busy and that they had shifted their attention elsewhere, Nao then backed away in careful steps. She turned around, making sure that no one had noticed.
"Ne, ne—you're going already without saying anything? That's not a queenly thing to do, your highness."
Nao abruptly halted. She knew that voice. Cursing her luck. The girl then pivoted and saw Tsukishima with that annoying smirk. The other players were still occupied, he appeared to be the only one who had noticed her retreat.
Nao proceeded to fake a smile.
"Oh I never thought that you'd be a snitch."
She crossed her arms in annoyance. The tall middle blocker then smiled in an ingratiating manner, imitating the gesture.
"You still have a lot to learn about me." He began to go near, towering over her from their huge height difference. "Joōsama."
Nao looked up, not shaken from the difference at all. "I'm not interested." She flashed a brilliant smile.
"Nao." The girl then looked away from Tsukishima to the person who was calling her. "There you are."
Sugawara was approaching her. Nao then gazed at him in question.
"Suga-san?"
The setter gave her a smile. "I was looking for you. I thought that you had already left."
He then took her hand in his, which surprised both Tsukishima and her.
"Ano—Su—"
A blush was visible on her cheeks.
Tsukishima then raised an eyebrow from her obvious change when she was with his upperclassman. Sugawara-san, eh?
Tsukishima turned around and walked back to his teammates. He did not want to delve in to their business.
Because—he did not care.
No.
Not even the slightest.
But no matter what he was trying to say—what he felt inside was saying otherwise.
The team was gathered on the engawa, taking shelter for their break. They were eating the muffins Nao had delivered.
"Oishii!"
Nishinoya was the first one to react as he took a bite from the treat. Some of the players then followed suit, getting a bite also.
"They're delicious." Sugawara complimented when he took a bite in his. "Who made this, Nao?"
He looked at the girl who was sitting beside him. The people there also had the same question.
"It's none other than Nao of course." Ikkei replied as he got back from getting a drink in the kitchen.
"Really? That's amazing." Daichi told, giving her his praise. Nao's cheeks tinted in a pinkish hue from the captain's words.
"Oh—t-that's nothing." She chuckled, tucking a stray hair behind. "The recipe was from Obaasan. It was not that hard to follow."
The neighborhood kids were now playing their own mini volleyball game. She saw her brother practicing on his receives.
Hinata was there teaching them the basics of the sport.
Her gaze softened. The decoy was really natural when it came to children. All of them already liked his positive and upbeat personality.
"Hinata's a natural people person. People tend to gravitate towards him, especially young kids." Sugawara began.
Nao then looked at him in a curious manner, wanting him to further elaborate. "That's nice."
"Yeah, he doesn't even need to try." Sugawara laughed. "He just comes up to a stranger and their friends—instantly." He proceeded to flick his fingers.
Nao then chuckled, looking at the orange-haired middle blocker. He was now giving an execution on how to make a spike. The children were in awe afterwards, clapping and cheering.
"So he's like the sun." Nao gently started to describe the latter. The setter then peered. His full attention now on her. "Bright and clear." A soft smile graced her very features.
"All beings are easily pulled in its light and gravity. And in return, it gives them warmth."
Sugawara, for a reason, was left speechless in her metaphorical language relating to their very own decoy. No one had described Hinata Shōyō in that kind of way.
He looked at Nao. It was clear that she was starting to appreciate the latter—his kōhai.
She gazed back at him only for a second, then she returned her eyes back to Hinata who was tossing the ball to her brother. A big smile on her face.
Sugawara then evaded his stare. An unfathomable ache in his chest. He began to look up at the sky—somehow wishing that he was the reason for that smile instead.
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