The day started as chaotic as I can possibly imagine.
Eating breakfast with Shiratorizawa while the boys from my team kept on looking at us really drove me bit by bit to the edge.
It didn't help that Johzenji and Fukurodani kept on glaring at my team.
Those boys really painted themselves with red.
"Neko-chan! Will you be training with us later on?" Kuroo asked as he stood at the end of the table.
Everyone looked towards Kuroo with raised brows then looked at me.
"Kuroo-san-"
"No. She'll be with us." Ushijima cut her off, surprising everyone with what he said.
"Yep. Chibi-chan is ours for the whole day! Right, chibi-chan?" Tendo said with a wide grin on his face.
Huh? I don't mind... Just not what I expected.
"Well, if you'll have me, of course." Hideko said with a smile.
"I'll train with you guys tomorrow." She added as she faced Kuroo who has his hands on his waist as he looks over everyone at Shiratorizawa.
Hmm. What happened this time? He thought to himself as he turned around to look at Karasuno, seeing them all staring back.
"She'll be with us tomorrow as well." Ushijima said surprising everyone even more.
Hideko gasped as she looked at Ushijima with her mouth slightly opened.
"What do you think Hideko-chan? We wouldn't want to force you into anything, after all." Reon asked after a long period of silence that engulfed their whole table.
Hideko stuttered nonsense as she tries to find the right words to say.
"Chibi-chan is so cute. Isn't she?" Tendo asked as he drapes his arm over her shoulder, avoiding her right arm looking at Kuroo with a smirk.
Kuroo looked at him with a tick mark on his forehead.
Freaking idiots. Can they even do that? Kuroo thought as he looked back again towards Karasuno seeing them glare at Shiratorizawa.
Kuroo cleared his throat and smirked back at Tendo.
"She is. Neko-chan is cuter when she plays. She's fast and light on her feet. She seems to have good stamina as well. She's a natural." He winked at Hideko who blushed from the sudden chorus of compliments he said.
"Besides, there's a problem with your plan." Kuroo said as he looked at Ushijima.
"She's not your manager. You can't have her for the whole day. Much more for two days."
"We don't plan on having her for two days." Shirabu interjected with one brow raised.
Yamagata looked at Shirabu with one brow raised.
What now? What are you planning this time Shirabu?
"We plan on having her for as long as we can." Shirabu added, confusing the other teams who were sitting close to them, Inarizaki and Aoba Johsai.
What is going on?
Is she transferring teams? The other teams thought, stopping them from eating.
"Yeah! What he said!" Goshiki yelled as he nods his head.
•••
Tsukishima dropped his spoon, surprising himself. He looked up towards his friends to see that none of them noticed, too focused on the table where Hideko is.
"Tsukki, will she actually leave? For real this time?" Yamaguchi whispered beside him.
He looked at him and shrugged his shoulders.
"It's her decision to make." Tsukishima nonchalantly said, internally bothered by the question.
She wouldn't. I know she wouldn't. Tsukishima repeated the words over and over in his head.
Hinata balled his fists over the table and stood up, surprising Noya and Ennoshita who were sitting beside him.
"Hey. Hey. Sit down!" Noya pulled Hinata's arm to make him sit but he wouldn't budge.
"Don't do anything reckless, Hinata. Calm down-" Ennoshita grabbed his other arm to pull him down.
"She's leaving?!" Hinata yelled, red faced, dozens of thoughts running in his mind in great speed, dimming his surroundings.
The other teams looked at Hinata with furrowed brows as they try to come up with an explanation on what is happening.
What the hell is going on?
•••
Hideko played with her fingers as she tried to sneakily look at her team, noticing the glares they were all wearing towards the table she's at.
Hinata doesn't look good. She thought with concern as she looks at his red and scrunched up face.
He must be feeling bad from what happened awhile ago. I should probably talk to him. To all of them. She sighed to herself.
"Kuroo-san, I'll help out in one of your practice matches today. If that's alright with you?" Hideko said with a smile.
"Of course neko-chan. If that is what you want." Kuroo smirked at her.
Kuroo walked around their table and pat Hideko's head as he raised his brows towards the Shiratorizawa's team, and smirked.
"The whole day you say?" Kuroo mouthed towards the boys, out of view of Hideko.
Prick.
Bastard.
Shiratorizawa members glared at the uninvited guest at their table.
"See you later, neko-chan." Kuroo said as he walked back to his team's table.
•••
"What the fck was that?"
"Language, Lev." Yaku scolded the boy.
"You all noticed that right? What is going on? Are they trying to keep her to themselves?" Yamamoto asked with furrowed brows.
"Keep her?!" Inouka asked wide eyed as he looked around his friends.
"We need to save her!" Lev said with determination.
"She's not being held captive, Lev!" Yaku smacked him at his back.
"How are you sure?!"
"She's right there!" Yaku pointed at her, laughing with Kawanishi.
"She could be faking it." Inouka grumbled under his breath.
Idiots. Kenma thought as he looked at Karasuno and Shiratorizawa.
I'll have to talk to Hinata, soon.
•••
"So guys, you're adopting me for another day?" Hideko asked as she laughed.
"We can make it longer, if you want."
"I'm flattered. Damn it, guys. But I can't. Karasuno's my team after all." Hideko, playfully glares at all of them and pout.
"What's with the face chibi-chan?" Tendo grinned.
"I thought you guys will be more, I don't know... intimidating?"
"Intimidating?" Yamagata and Ushijima said at the same time with one of their brows raised and their arms crossed at their chest.
"Yeah... More like that." Hideko giggled as she points at both of them.
"You guys are too accepting. Not what I expected, at all. Seriously, you let someone in your room... I could have been a killer for all you know!"
"Are you saying you expected us to be jerks?" Kawanishi asked.
"And kick you out, in the middle of the night?" Goshiki said.
"Crows are known to be dangerous." Semi mumbled to himself.
"Well... Maybe? I don't know. Besides, I have a room-"
"You're too trustworthy." Shirabu cut her off.
"You literally slept in a room full of boys. We could have been killers for all you know." Shirabu added as he smirked at Hideko, catching her off guard.
Is he... teasing me?
"Well then. I guess it's even. None of us are killers. Case closed." Hideko giggled as she resumed eating her breakfast.
The boys sighed and chuckled as they watch her eat happily and talk to them.
•••
"Something is happening... and I don't like it one bit." Iwaizumi grumbled to himself.
"Neither do I." Hanamaki added under his breath.
"Stop with the whispering. Today's weird as it is. Don't add on to the list." Matsukawa said to the two boys sitting in front of him.
"Hey. Hey. Let the kids be, Mattsun." Oikawa said with a tight smile.
Did I hear that right? She slept in their room? With that damn Ushijima. He thought bitterly as he slaps the back of Matsukawa.
"I'll go talk to chibi-chan, later. Do you want to come with?" Yahaba asked Kindaichi who was sitting beside him.
"Huh? Hah! Wait. What are you-" Kindaichi stuttered out a response.
Kyotani looked up from his food and glared at Yahaba while chewing.
Not if I get to her first.
•••
Hideko walked back to gym 2 to see the boys playing against Date Tech.
3-6
Karasuno vs. Date Tech
She arranged the water bottles in each of the boys respective seats. And then sat beside her brother.
"It's the third match today. They haven't won a single set in each of the matches." Keishin said without taking his eyes off of the game.
"They live up to their name, the Iron Wall. We just need to keep on attacking to break that down." Hideko said as she keeps her eyes on one side of the court, Date Tech.
"I've wrote down a few things that might help." Hideko said as she hands over a notebook.
Keishin looked down and flipped through the pages.
"It's not much, just a few notes here and there. I still need to gather more data to work with. I don't even have the basics yet."
"I can see that. Alright, we'll work on that as soon as possible. How about later today?"
"Um.. I was thinking on their rest day.. or something." Hideko said nervously as she plays with her fingers on her lap.
Keishin looked at her with raised brows.
"What's wrong?"
"What? Nothing's wrong. What are you talking about oniisan?"
Keishin hummed as he brushed his fingers through his hair.
"Anyway, I think the best course of action is creating new weapons. Our current one is not enough to bring us to victory. We need more. Something unpredictable. Something that pushes their limits. I know we haven't reached their limits yet." Hideko said as she tries to bring their conversation away from her.
Alright, kid. I'll bite. We'll talk about this next time. Keishin thought.
"Something crazy?" Keishin asked with a smirk.
"Exactly. Something that will make their opponents lose their minds. Something that will throw them off."
"That's something we do best. Don't we, kid?" Keishin said as he drapes his arm over her shoulder, accidentally hitting her bruised arm.
Hideko flinched which didn't go unnoticed by her brother.
Hideko realized her mistake and looked up to her brother.
"Is there something you need to be telling me?" Keishin whispered under his breath as he stares at his sister's eyes.
Hideko shook her head side to side.
"Hideko-" Keishin whispered her name with such care and concern that it was almost enough to make her spill out everything that has been happening for the past few days.
It's not even a week into this camp! Besides, everything was an accident. Well...more or less. These boys can be really overprotective, over reacting about everything.
Hideko smiles up to his brother and hugged him tight, burying her face to his chest.
"I know oniisan. I'll tell you if I can't handle things. You told me thousands of times, by now." She said as she grins remembering all the times her brother came to her aid.
Keishin pats her head as he sighs, looking at the rest of the boys sitting on the bench, noticing how Ennoshita, Kinoshita, Narita, Yamaguchi, Suga and Noya had shadows covering their eyes.
Hideko looked up to his brothers face and grinned.
"I trust that you'll cause havoc when I need you to. Will you trust me as well oniisan?"
Fine, kid. I've got your back either way.
"Havoc is our middle name." He smirked as he pats her head one last time, before holding her left hand as they both watch the match once more.
"This Sunday is their first rest day. I'll tell them of the plan, if that is what you want."
•••
"Princess! Over here!" Terushima yelled as he spots the red haired girl looking for a place to sit.
Hideko walked over and greeted everyone with a smile.
"How's your day been going?"
"Painful."
"Tiring."
"My body feels broken."
The boys answered all at the same time.
"Well. Well. Well. Looks like you boys need a little treat for all the hard work you've been doing." Hideko winked at the boys of Johzenji as she takes a seat next to Tsuchiyo, the team's libero.
"Right! But, alas. We don't have anyone who will be kind enough to treat us to something. Right, boys?" Bobata asked his friends with a playful smirk.
Everyone at the table agreed and laughed with one another.
Hideko looked beside her to notice Tsuchiyo fidgeting in his seat.
"Is everything alright?"
The boys stuttered out a response.
"Ahh, let him be. He's being shy because a pretty girl is sitting beside him." Terushima said as he ruffles the boy's hair.
"Ohh. What's this? Did you just call me pretty?" Hideko teased Terushima.
"Do I have to spell it out for you princess?" Terushima smirked.
Hideko's cheeks turned flush as everyone at the table started complimenting her.
"Yeah! You have really nice eyes!"
"You're pretty and cute!"
"Princess, suits you."
"Stop harassing the girl." Numajiri shook his head side to side as he laughs with his friends.
"Alright. Alright. Geez. There's no need to say all that. You could have just asked. I don't mind making something for the team." Hideko waved her hands in front of her face.
"Aw, is princess feeling shy all of a sudden?" Terushima teased her.
Hideko playfully glared at the boy and pouted as everyone at the table chat while finishing their lunch.
"Say, Terushima. Are you okay? You know... after last night?" Terushima looked around the table before laughing.
"Why wouldn't I be, princess?"
The Johzenji boys turned at a group, a few tables away from them and gave them all a look as if challenging them to do something.
Your move.
•••
Hideko walked back to gym 2, fumbling around the bag she's holding when she accidentally bumped into someone.
She lost balance and readied herself for impact as she closed her eyes.
"Hideko-chan, are you alright?" She opened her eyes to see Yamaguchi holding her up and staring at her with concern.
She scrambled up to her feet and dusted her clothes, avoiding his eyes as she nods her head.
"Use your eyes, they might help." Tsukishima said as he hands over the bag she dropped to the floor.
"Thanks, Yamaguchi and Tsukishima." Hideko said in a small voice, looking at the ground.
Hideko walked leaving the 2 behind and made her way to the bleachers where she placed the bag at.
"What's in the bag, Hideko-chan?" Yamaguchi asked as he takes his seat.
"Just some snacks for the team." Hideko said a she takes out clean face towels from the other bag that was left earlier in the gym.
"Here, let me help." Yamaguchi stood up and reached towards her when she stepped back, surprising him.
Please, don't be afraid of me Hideko-chan. I won't hurt you. I never will.
His hand froze mid air as he watch Hideko turn away and place 2 towels on each seat, ignoring him.
"Sit down, Yamaguchi." Tsukishima huffed as he fixed his glasses, stealing glances at their manager.
Is she mad? Angry? Is she afraid of us? Does she hate us now?
The rest of the team filled in the gym including Date Tech.
"Hideko-chan, do you need help with anything?" Kinoshita asked as he nears her.
She shook her head side to side while mumbling no, thanks under her breath.
The boys looked at each other trying to think about what they should do.
She won't talk to us.
We messed up, big time.
Hinata kept on glancing at her, playing with his fingers.