♚ CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE ♚
YANAGI WAS AT A LOSS FOR WHAT to do after warming up when he noticed the youngest in Karasuno sitting alone busy with his hands while leaning against the wall. When he approached him, he noticed that Kageyama was actually filing his nails. Very focused, like when he's playing.
"Filing your nails?" Yanagi decided to start a conversation. Seeing the ravenette glancing up at him for a split second before returning to file his nails.
"Yes..." He put down the filer and focused his attention on his fingernails. "My nails were too long and my hands were too dry, so I'm taking care of it."
The older raised an eyebrow at the remark, and sat in front of him, watching Kageyama busy again, this time taking a bottle from his pouch. "What's that?"
"Lotion," he answered, placing the clear liquid in his palm and rubbing it even.
"Who taught you?" Yanagi inquired once more. He was intrigued because he had never seen anyone take such good care of his hands before.
"My grandfather told me that I needed to take care of my hands because I'm a setter, but this routine was taught to me by my sister," Kageyama explained.
Yanagi hummed, remembering Kageyama's older sister in the picture frame when he was in his house. "Can you do mine?"
Kageyama looked up in surprise but nodded slowly. He gently held Yanagi's outstretched finger while picking up his nail clippings. Kageyama grimaced at the touch, feeling the dry palms. The older could immediately feel Kageyama's soft hand, most likely from the lotion; despite there being some calluses, he still has the softest skin.
"So rough," Kageyama grumbled as he got right to work at his usual pace, nagged a few times about how he should take better care of his hands.
"Because I'm... a spiker?"
"I touch the ball more than Yanagi-san, and I do a few jump serves," he grumbled as he pouted. "Yanagi-san can't give excuses."
Kageyama was still fiddling with his palms, and Yanagi simply fell silent upon hearing his scolding. He's still can't understand why he needs to take care of his hands when he's constantly practicing volleyball.
He lifted up Yanagi's right hand, smoothing his thumb over the small calluses on his hand. He stared at the hand for a while, spreading Yanagi's fingers and then closes them again. "Yanagi-san's hands are really big," he muttered.
"Really?"
Kageyama nodded and hummed, placing his hand next to him to compare. "What does Yanagi-san eat every day? Any extra training besides volleyball? Yanagi-san drinks protein shakes or something?"
"I eat like a normal person. Sometimes I go to the gym in the morning. Yes, I drink protein shakes," he answered one by one.
"It's actually quite the same as mine. It's just that I run in the morning, do I have to go to the gym too? I want to be tall and big like Yanagi-san," he muttered. Yanagi raised an eyebrow.
"You're tall enough."
"But not as tall as Yanagi-san," he said firmly. "Yanagi-san also has a good body. I'm trying to build muscle in my body, but my waist is very narrow, so it's looking more like a girl's waist," He explained this by pulling his jersey back, allowing his clothes to clearly print his body.
"You have a good body with your body type. You can't follow people who even have a different body type from you," he said.
Kageyama frowned as he mumbles. "I know... But at least I want to be taller."
On the other hand, Suga was crying with a handkerchief to wipe his tears. "Why are they so cute!!"
Asahi smiled with flowers surrounding him. "So wholesome."
Daichi smiled. "Sorry to break your wholesome moment but, we have to get to the court now!"
They quickly got ready, took off their jackets and placed them in the bags they were carrying, and then followed the others to the court. Aoba Johsai is already present, and they can begin warming up right away.
"Aw, maaan!!! Those are so cool!!" Hinata shouted, seeing Tsukishima change into his sports glasses. "Tsukishima's new glasses!!"
"Hinata, you've been saying that every day for the past few weeks," Yamaguchi commented.
"Your standard of 'coolness' makes me uneasy, so I'd prefer you'd stop that," remarked Tsukishima.
"The heck!!"
From the corner of his eyes, Kageyama was silently watching them. So, his eyes don't look like the number '3' when he takes off his glasses...
"Kageyama!"
"Yes!"
Kageyama had already given his team a warm-up toss and was about to pick up a new ball when he dropped it and rolled over the net. Kageyama came to a halt, about to grab the ball he was chasing, when a hand grabbed it as well.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Tobio-chan, who suffered a crushing defeat at my hands last time?" Oikawa taunted, they were both attempting to grab the ball, which clearly belonged to Karasuno.
"This time, we're here to win...!" Kageyama said, gritting his teeth.
"You were completely and utterly trampled last time, you know!" he continued to taunt him.
"My my, weren't last year you were the one who was completely and utterly trampled?" From behind Kageyama, Yanagi came over with a cold face as usual. And from his heterochromia eyes, he could see Oikawa's face turned sour quickly.
"Nao-chan," Oikawa couldn't deny that he was enraged. He was in a bad mood quickly after seeing his face and he let go of the ball, knocking Kageyama down. "Even though you're hot as fuck, you're still an asshole as usual. Aoba Johsai will win this time."
"Iwaizumi-san! Oikawa-san is acting up again!!" Someone shouted from Aoba Johsai's direction, causing Aoba Johsai's ace to scowl and walk straight to Oikawa.
He pushed Oikawa's head down with him. "Sorry about him, Kageyama, Yanagi," he said, pulling Oikawa away from there, but he glanced back at the two Karasuno players. "But, he's right. Aoba Johsai will win this time."
"I'll be waiting."
ｔｗｅｅｔ！！！
"Let's have a good game!"
"Go out there and overcome that defeat," according to Coach Ukai's orders, the first players to play were regular players with Yanagi again on the side court. Deliberately so that they can release all the bitterness from their defeat yesterday.
"So, most of Aoba Johsai's players are alumnus from Kageyama's middle school?" Yanagi suddenly asked Suga who was next to him.
Suga nodded. "Yes. Kageyama said it was Oikawa, Aoba Johsai's ace, number 12, and number 13."
Yanagi hummed. He knew about the King of the Court, but he didn't know much about the middle school. "What would happen if Kageyama come to Ryugu?"
Tsukishima shuddered at the thought. Alumnus Ryugu from Yanagi and whom he once led is the strongest player in Japan. He couldn't imagine it if Kageyama entered there. Maybe Yanagi can shape Kageyama deeper. And it's possible that his nickname King of the Court will change its meaning.
Aoba Johsai changed players. Number 13 is replaced with Number 16.
"Who is he? We've played with him before?" Suga frowned, seeing how he played so rudely.
"I don't think I saw him last year," Ennoshita replied. "What about the previous year, Yanagi-san?"
Yanagi shook his head. "No. Perhaps a first year?"
The set has changed. And player number 16 is back to playing rough. Taking someone else's toss or his attacks that sometimes miss. A truly double-edged sword.
"What would Yanagi-san do if you had a player like him?" Kinoshita asked suddenly.
"I wouldn't have let him on the team in the first place," he replied casually. "The way he plays is very risky and he can harm other people with that brash attitude."
"Naoto-kun, Takeda-sensei called you," Suga whispered, pointing at the Coaches and Kiyoko who was sitting on the bench.
The substitute whistle has been blown. Tanaka and Yanagi swapped places. Yanagi leaned down slightly and whispered as they passed each other. "Keep your cool. I know you were pressured by the number 16."
Tanaka stiffened. "Yes."
Yanagi entered the court and stood directly in front of number 16. His much larger frame towered over him. And number 16 frowned, scowled at him.
"Hinata, Kageyama," Yanagi called out quietly, instructing them to approach him. "Kageyama and I will try to block from the same direction when Number 16 spikes. So, Hinata, play the decoy and run towards the other net. There is a possibility that he will cross spike."
The game goes on. Yanagi, who was focused on number 16, was able to block his spike and earn points for his team making the blonde-haired teen scoff in irritation.
"Yanagi-san," called Kageyama and Yanagi prepared to spike. His spike went straight to the line smoothly, bypassing number 16 and Oikawa's block.
Oikawa let out an irritated click on his teeth at the same time as MadDog, that Yanagi could tell he was getting angrier.
The brunette threw a toss at MadDog, who was running from the other side of the net. The three of them prepared to block in accordance with Yanagi's prediction and orders, with Hinata immediately jumping down and running towards the other net and blocking his attack.
Karasuno is still in the lead halfway through the set. Oikawa is becoming increasingly irritated with Karasuno number 1. Yanagi Naoto. He is the biggest obstacle after Ushiwaka or perhaps the most difficult to overcome. When he first started high school, he thought the most powerful people were himself and Ushiwaka. But that changed two years ago at the Miyagi Prefecture Spring Interhigh Qualifier. He suddenly appears with a school that used to be the champion two years ago, and he easily defeats himself and Ushiwaka, advancing to the nationals, even reaching the Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals.
Of course, he was already aware of the well-known school, Ryugu, let alone its captain. But he didn't think that he would move, to this prefecture, to a different school, and play against him. Blocking his way to the National. Oh, how sick and upset he used to be. He remembers being angry and crying loudly in the gym late at night after he lost to Karasuno two years ago.
Oikawa clicked his teeth again when neither Yanagi nor Asahi scored. The second spiker after Yanagi is quite reliable and powerful. Coupled with new quick attacks from Tobio-chan and Chibi-chan.
Realizing what Kageyama was about to do, the brown-haired man dashed towards the net. Setter Dump. He enjoys doing it, but he doesn't enjoy being a victim of it. His hand was unable to reach the ball, and it landed on the court.
He was so preoccupied with Nao-chan that he forgot about Tobio-chan. When did his junior high school classmate become so great? Enough about his genius and how he was, but why did he feel like he was growing? His earlier serves were much scarier than the last time he saw him. Quick attacks and synchronization are also highly unpredictable. And some very elegant graceful impossible sets...
Of course, there is only one answer: it must be because of Yanagi Naoto. That annoying but very attractive teen can easily bring out their best and improve their skills.
The proof is in the first year, whose abilities getting greater. Chibi-chan, who is becoming more capable of serving or receiving, a block that is ideal for his fast and high jumps, as well as his spiking. The glasses one who is blocking are more difficult, such as Dateko's iron walls, read blocking, serves, and receives that are becoming more controlled and reliable. Finally, there is the jump float boy, whose serves are more precise and difficult to parry, his gaze and the way he plays are also more precise and confident.
Really annoying.
Oikawa pointed at Iwaizumi before sprinting to save the ball, delivering a super long and fast toss from the sidelines, and sending him crashing into the table with a loud crash. Iwaizumi spiked the ball, thinking it would go in, but Yanagi came in and saved it, sending it to Asahi, who hit it from the back zone. Watari saved the ball, but it bounced into the net, causing it to fall, and luckily it was saved by Kyotani's quick reflexes.
The ball bounced up, and Kageyama hit it, causing it to bounce off Kindaichi's block and bounce back to Yanagi, who passed it to Kageyama.
Oikawa tched again, his eyes focused on the direction of the ball and where Chibi-chan hit. He shifted, his hand already moved to save the ball, but it bounced hard off his hand and out of the court. Ending this match.
2:0
Karasuno won.
ｔｗｅｅｔ！！！
Everyone was silenced by the noise. Oikawa's head felt empty, his heart too, and he felt his dreams fade away in an instant. He stood there with a blank expression on his face, his teammates looked down sadly at the loss, but the greatest feeling they had was the fact that the third year couldn't play any longer.
Karasuno, on the other hand, especially in the first and second years, cheered with joy. With the third year watching them with relieved smiles.
"As expected that if Yanagi-san plays, it feels much faster."
"Tsukishima, don't be like that!"