Chapter 10:
After resting for a couple of days, Mizuki finally recovered and attended school by the end of the school week. She wasn't going to miss the boys play against Aoba Johsai, especially after she heard the rumors of an extremely talented captain on their team. Even if she didn't play volleyball, it didn't mean that she had to stop following news about volleyball.
During the week, her friends came by to check up on her which made her very happy and warm inside. Kei and Kageyama even accidentally visited her at the same time! It didn't look like she missed much in class, or with her group of her friends. Mina did mention that a very tall girl had joined the girls' volleyball club, which intrigued her.
"Hinata, are you alright?" Mizuki calmly patted his head, as he seemed to be vibrating strangely.
"I need to go to the restroom!" He panted wildly, dashing inside the school.
The bus that was taking the team to Aoba Johsai was waiting for them. On the other hand, Mina, Rina, and Mizuki were waiting for the twins' chauffeur so that they could get driven to Aoba Johsai. They didn't want to disrupt the team as they prepared for their first official practice game.
"Are you nervous?" Mizuki asked Kei, who was adjusting his headphones around his neck.
"No..." He replied as he grabbed his gym bag, "We'll probably lose to those elites anyway."
She frowned as she slapped his arm which caused him to wince in pain.
"Stop thinking like that!" She sighed exasperatedly, "It is just a practice game, but this is Karasuno's chance to show them that we are not to be messed with!"
"I really want you to join the girls volleyball club just so I don't have to get slapped by you." Kei grumbled, rubbing his arm.
Mizuki rolled her eyes and walked towards Kageyama, who had his arms crossed.
"Are you nervous, Kageyama?" She asked him.
After his confession to her on Monday, she realized that the majority of the students in Aoba Johsai were from his junior high. This couldn't be easy for him.
"A little," He shrugged, shaking his head, "It should be Suga-san that's playing the setter position, not me."
"You're the reason they want to play against Karasuno, remember that!" She reassured him, patting his head affectionately.
Kageyama felt a little embarrassed but at the same time, thankful for what she had done. It made him feel calmer.
Kei grimaced at the sight of the two so close to one another.
"What's wrong, Tsukishima-kun?" Rina nudged his side teasingly, "Seeing something you don't like?"
"Yes," He stared directly into her eyes, "You."
Rina's left eye twitched in anger as her sister had to pull her back from attacking Kei.
"Alright, let's go!" Sawamura called out, "Hinata's back! We can't be late for the practice game!"
"Good luck! We'll be cheering for you guys!" Mizuki grinned, giving them a thumbs-up as they watched the boys climb aboard the bus.
Hinata looked like he was going to puke but hopefully, he doesn't. The bus left as the three of them waited for their ride.
"So, Mizuki-chan..." Rina giggled, putting her arm around her friend.
"What?" She laughed softly.
"What do you think about going on a date with Kageyama, after the game?" Rina suggested, winking.
"A date?" Mizuki raised an eyebrow, "Where is this coming from?"
"Rina's been planning for you and Kageyama to go on a date for the last two weeks." Mina chimed in as she continued reading her book.
"Really?" Mizuki stared at Rina who had the most amused expression on her face.
"Yeah!" She exclaimed, sitting down on the bench beside Mina, "It is exhausting being the matchmaker."
"You know, I don't think I really see me and Kageyama going on a date any time soon." Mizuki admitted sheepishly, earning an exaggerated gasp from her friend.
"How could you say that?" Rina pouted, "Kageyama is like, the total package! He's cute, funny, and more importantly, he's an amazing volleyball player! That's like, all the criteria that's required!"
Mina raised an eyebrow suspiciously - the only person her sister had ever praised like that was Sugawara.
"If I'm being honest," Mizuki giggled, "I thought you liked Kageyama." She hugged her friend tightly.
"Me?" Rina scoffed, crossing her arms, "As if!"
Soon after, the twins' chauffeur arrived to drop them off at Aoba Johsai. The school looked grand and prestigious, which explained their strong sports teams. The brick walls were covered with luscious vines and it looked like they had recently renovated.
"Excuse me," Rina asked a student, "Could you tell us where the gyms are?"
"Sure," A boy with dark hair that resembled an onion said, "It's to the left, then just go straight."
"Thanks." She grinned, before whisking them away to the gym.
The boys' uniforms were teal and white which was a cool combination.
"Did you see the guy beside the onion-head?" Rina giggled softly, "He was cute." Her friend must be referring to the boy beside him that had slightly parted, black hair who also seemed to be tired.
As they peeked inside the various gyms in Aoba Johsai, they finally made it to the correct gym because they recognized the shouting of Hinata and Kageyama. They entered the gym slowly and waved to the boys. The boys noticed them and waved back. The girls didn't want to disrupt their practice game so they immediately went upstairs to the seating area to observe. A few minutes later, the rest of the Aoba Johsai team had arrived, including the onion head and his friend who they bumped into earlier.
"Hey, it's them!" Rina pointed at the two loudly, which caused the other spectators to look at them.
Mizuki observed Kageyama and noticed that he was feeling apprehensive but focused. She felt awful that he was feeling so lousy but she knew that he was going to do great. She looked at Kei, who seemed to be searching for her in the stands. As soon as they made eye contact, she grinned at him, which made him feel a lot less nervous.
The game had finally started, and it wasn't looking good for the Karasuno boys for the first set. Rina couldn't even bear to look at them and covered her eyes with her hands. Mina shook her head disappointingly as Mizuki tried to cheer them on. Hinata was really nervous which stopped them from doing their quick attack as well as their other plays. It was set point for Aoba Johsai and Hinata was the one serving. He took a deep breath and served... towards Kageyama's head. This caused the other team, as well as Kei, to laugh excessively.
"Did you see that?" Rina snorted, pointing at Hinata, "Shoyo's dead!"
Mizuki sighed deeply - maybe the boys weren't ready to face such an elite team even with a powerful quick attack. As the second set commenced, they seemed to be playing better as Hinata wasn't as skittish. Mizuki noticed that Kei seemed tired or maybe he wasn't even trying. She sometimes wished that he had the same passion that she had for volleyball.
The second set ended with Karasuno winning. The three cheered for the boys which caused the other spectators to shush them.
"Wait a minute, aren't they the ones that we bumped into earlier?" The onion head pointed at them.
"Yes!" Rina called out, "Focus on the game, onion head!"
This caused one of his teammates to laugh to himself. It was the boy that was with him earlier.
"The cute one laughed at my joke." She smirked triumphantly.
Suddenly, screams filled the gymnasium which piqued everyone's interest. Someone who was very popular with the girls had just arrived.
"Oikawa-san!"
"Don't get hurt!"
"We love you!"
Mizuki looked around and noticed someone they hadn't seen before join the Aoba Johsai team. Was that their captain?
"It's Oikawa Toru!" Rina squealed, leaning over to get a better view of him.
"I heard he's an amazing setter..." Mina added, wanting to get a closer look at him.
Oikawa stood confidently amidst his teammates. He had light brown hair and a dazzling smile that made girls weak in the knees. Even Mizuki had to admit that he was good-looking. Although the three couldn't hear the conversations that were going on, she could tell that the Karasuno boys were intimidated.
As the third set commenced, the Karasuno team was ahead by a few points. As they approached the setpoint, Oikawa finally joined his teammates. He seemed overconfident but that was because he had the necessary skills to show off. His jump serve was one of the most powerful and precise serves Mizuki had ever seen, not including professional volleyball.
"Did you see that?" Rina gasped, turning to her, "Can you do that?"
"No, but I want to try-" Mizuki caught herself off guard as she realized that she didn't need to try that because she wasn't part of the girls volleyball club.
"His serves are nearly perfect." Mina agreed, writing something down on her notebook.
"He's got strength and precision," Rina nodded, "The boys need a ridiculously gifted libero if they're serious about taking on Oikawa and his team."
"I believe in them." Mizuki murmured, pushing the thoughts of joining the girls' volleyball club out of her mind.
After several consecutive ace serves by Oikawa, it seemed that the Karasuno boys became more agitated. Mizuki and her friends, on the other hand, were fascinated by him. Finally, Hinata and Kageyama scored the last point using their quick attack which signaled the end of the game. They still won the third set most likely because Oikawa was late in joining his team.
The three girls quickly dashed to join the Karasuno boys and congratulate them.
"Great job, guys! You were amazing!" Rina beamed, clapping her hands excitedly.
"Did you see the Great King?" Hinata shuddered, "He was really scary!"
"I'll buy you guys some drinks from the vending machine," Mizuki offered them as a treat but before she could leave the gym entirely, she was stopped by Oikawa.
"Oikawa-san!" Mizuki gasped, trying to hide the excitement in her voice.
"Oh! I knew I recognized you!" He grinned, giving her a thumbs up, "You're Toma Mizuki!"
"Y-yes, I am." She stammered, unable to look at him. Why was she seriously acting like this?
"I'm sorry to hear about your father," He placed an arm on her shoulder to comfort her, "He was one of my idols when it came to volleyball."
"Thank you, that means a lot." She smiled softly, "You were amazing out there!"
"Right?" Oikawa laughed loudly, earning a few death glares from his own team and Karasuno's team.
"Hey, come here!" He motioned for two boys to come closer to him.
It was the two that she and her friends bumped into earlier when they were trying to find the gym.
"You're a first-year right?" Oikawa asked her while simultaneously grabbing onto the two boys' jerseys.
"Yes..." Mizuki replied, wondering what he was doing.
"Kindaichi, Kunimi," He began, clearing his throat, "This is Toma Mizuki. She's the daughter of Toma-san, the number 23 of the Brazil team a couple of years back."
"I know your dad! I've seen him on TV." Kindaichi exclaimed, his eyes twinkling.
Mizuki realized that this might be the Kindaichi that Kageyama had talked about on Monday. Were Kindaichi and Kunimi his previous teammates that abandoned him?
"It's nice to meet you." She politely greeted them.
"What's this about Oikawa-san?" Kunimi sighed as if he was used to their captain's antics.
"I'm introducing you both to her, in case you want to ask her out on a date." Oikawa announced proudly.
"E-eh?" Kindaichi sputtered nervously, "Date?"
"No thanks," Kunimi shrugged, "No offense."
"None taken." Mizuki smiled slightly, noticing how Kunimi seemed to be looking at Rina every now and then.
"Anyways, Toma-chan," Oikawa pouted, "You should've come to Seijoh instead of Karasuno! Both our teams could've gone to nationals this year!"
He was that confident that Aoba Johsai was going to nationals?
"Sorry, Oikawa-san." She replied sheepishly.
What was she apologizing for? And why was it so difficult to look at him directly in the face? Is there some sort of Oikawa effect rendering all girls (and boys) speechless?
After talking to Oikawa, Kindaichi, and Kunimi for a few minutes, she left to buy drinks for the Karasuno team. She caught up with them and Rina expressed her jealousy and frustration about Oikawa recognizing and talking to Mizuki.
"Oikawa-san seems really nice..." Mizuki admitted shyly, which didn't impress the rest of the team.
"He's evil." Kageyama shook his head disapprovingly.
"I agree with him, for once." Kei muttered, removing his glasses to clean them.
"What did that guy want with you, Toma-san?" Tanaka huffed angrily, glaring at the opposing team as they cleaned up the gym.
"He wanted to introduce himself because he recognized me. And..." She laughed softly, reluctant to say what Oikawa had suggested.
"What?" Sugawara asked curiously.
"If I wanted to go on a date with Kindaichi or Kunimi, the first years on their team." She admitted hesitantly.
Rina nearly started crying when she heard that.
Kei stared at her, an uneasy, familiar feeling bubbling in his stomach. He did not like that feeling.
"You said no right?" Kei questioned her.
"Of course I said no," Mizuki rolled her eyes, smirking slightly, "Besides, I'd rather go on a date with Oikawa-san."
Kei's eyes widened, appalled by what he had just heard. He looked at her with an irritated expression that expressed his thoughts - Are you serious?
"TRAITOR!" Tanaka shouted at Mizuki, "I vote to shun her from this team!"
"I would totally date Oikawa-san, too." Rina sighed dreamily, before turning to look at Sugawara.
"I mean... I'm only loyal to you, Suga-senpai!" She nodded furiously which caused him to laugh.
"I would date Oikawa-san, too." Mina quietly piped in, which surprised the whole team. It was rare for her to voice her opinions but when she did, it was iconic.
"I can't believe I'm surrounded by traitors!" Tanaka whined, facing their manager, "Kiyoko-san, you would never date that tool, right?"
Shimizu simply looked at Tanaka before walking away with no response.
"The world no longer makes sense." Tanaka slumped over, which caused the other second years to kick him back to his normal self.
The team laughed at the whole situation, which helped lighten the tense mood that they felt when they faced Aoba Johsai. It seemed to work on everyone, except for Kei. She trailed behind him as he left to refill his water bottle.
"What's wrong?" Mizuki asked him softly.
"Nothing." He responded to her as they waited for the bottle to be refilled.
"Yeah right," She crossed her arms, "You can't lie to me, Kei."
He frowned and shook his head. "I don't know. I don't feel good."
"Are you alright?" She bit her lip, moving closer to him to feel his temperature, "Maybe I got you sick? Oh no-"
He interrupted her with a frustrated tone, "That's not it."
"Then what is it about?" Mizuki looked up at his bothered expression.
"How come you told Kageyama about your ex-boyfriend and not me?" He grimaced, not meeting her gaze.
"What?" She repeated once more.
"You know what," He grabbed the bottle and glared at her one last time, "It doesn't matter."
"Kei!" She called out as he went back inside the gym, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
How did Kei even know about her ex-boyfriend? Did Kageyama tell him? He didn't seem like the type to reveal other people's secrets.
"Trouble in paradise?" A boy who was wearing a number 4 jersey claimed. She recognized him as Aoba Johsai's ace, Iwaizumi Hajime.
"Yeah..." Mizuki mumbled and began walking towards the gym.
She felt guilty for not telling Kei about her ex-boyfriend. She didn't even know why she didn't want to tell him.
"Kei-" She approached him to apologize but he gave her the cold shoulder.
Mizuki felt like crying but she didn't want to have everyone staring at her. She should have told him about her ex-boyfriend but she didn't want to change anything between them. She liked the friendship that she and Kei have. She didn't want to ruin that.
Mizuki and her friends watched as the boys piled up on their bus. Kei gazed at her briefly, a hint of sorrow evident in his eyes. She had to fix this, for him and for her.