Interhigh-Preliminaries, Tokyo's Central Gym
1th June
«I think I'm going to throw up my breakfast» Moto says coming out of the bus. Ana pats her back to reassure her.
«Don't worry, Niki-chan!» she hands her the bag that the first year forgot on the bus «Everyone feels like this the first time! When you'll enter the court everything disappears, I swear!»
«Bullshit, you puke in my hood the first time we participate in an Interhigh!» Mina decides to bring back this indelible memory right now. Sanada karate chopped the back of her head.
«Hey! Why did you hit me?» she massages the spot and looks at Sanada with fake teary eyes. Risa sighed and hit the both of them with her notebook.
«Shut up! Did that seem the time to fight?»
A hyena laugh makes me suddenly cringe. Oh, for the love of God.
«You should really use this temper on the court, don't you think, pretty girls?» Kuroo's voice gains everyone's attention. All the Nekoma team is looking at us, someone waving and the other one doesn't really understand what's going on.
They're probably first year, I think looking at my little one, who has the same confused expression written on their face.
«You sure know how to make an entrance, Kuroo» I get closer to him «but you still don't know how to use a brush» I extend my fist and he does the same, smashing it against mine.
«Where's Bro-kuto?» is the first thing he asks me.
«Oh yes, I'm fine, thanks for your concern!»
He does one of his stupid smiles and hugs me «C'mon, don't be like this! You know that I love you, right?»
I free myself from the embrace «We don't see each other for months and the first thing you ask me is where's Kō, that's not polite»
I spot Kenma playing on his phone «Kenma, hi!»
I only receive a look from his cat-looking like eyes and a little smile. Usual. Then I greet all the other members I know and also the new ones. My girls are doing the same thing.
Kuroo brings me back to his side and put an arm around my shoulders «Sooo, how are things going with Bokuto?» he asks, lowering his head so my eyes are right in front of his.
I try to push him off but I fail «Don't ask such a question here, please» then I flick his forehead «and take your face at least six inches from mine»
«HEY HEY HEY, ALL MY FRIENDS ARE HERE!» and with this, I don't need to answer Kuroo's previous question. Kuroo makes me turn and a smiling Bokuto comes to us.
When he notices Kuroo's arm around me he grabs my bag and takes me beside him «You're too touchy, Ku-bro»
Really? Bro-kuto and Ku-bro?
«Sorry man but we were actually talking about you, right Isabelle?» Kuroo send me a look that I don't really like.
«Yes Kō, he was more interested in you than in me» then he let me go and go hug his friend. These men will make me go crazy.
«WHAT'S THAT? A FAMILY REUNION OR ELSE?» the other most loudest voice I have ever listen in my entire life starts speaking. Toraki's girls are right behind Fukurodani's boys. They split into two lines and now I fully see the third member of the Golden Girls.
The Golden Girls are the four most strongest volleyball teams, girl, in all of Japan. Based on the ranking: #1 Shumizen Academy, #2 Juzen High-School, 3# Tokai High-School and #4 Ameban High-School. And we're all really good friends.
«HI, BABY!» Sasaki Yuka, the captain of Tokai's team run to me with open arms. She's twenty centimeters taller than me and we seem like mother and child when we're together. She crashes her body on mine and we stay on our feet just because Bokuto helps me to not fall.
«I miss you so much, I'm soooo emotional!» she wipes her tear from her eyes and shakes my shoulders. I try to calm down my friend but when my team jumped into the arms of Tokai's girls everything became useless.
If my team is chaotic they're worse.
«We have to go! C'mon, you need to warm up!» my mom and also the other coaches call us.
«Well, we can talk when we will kick your ass at the National Tournament!» I smirk at my rivals. Sasaki smiles.
«You will see, my friend! You better pass this Preliminaries!» I laugh and start heading to the gym entrance with everyone.
«Girls in the first court and boys in the second one» Akaashi reads on the board that's hanging on the wall «we're in the wrong gym, Bokuto-san»
«What?! We're not with the girls? This is soooo sad» Bokuto pouted and turn his head to me «Belle-chan, you'll wait for me at the end of the day, right?»
I nod, preparing myself for a very long day «Of course, now go! And good luck boys!»
We send flying kisses and wave our hands at the boys and some of them do the same. What crackheads.
«See you soon, dragon»
«Have a nice day, Sasaki»
And now we can go kick some asses.
The first day is gone and we win all the matches without struggling too much. I'm exhausted but Fukurodani is on his third and last set of the day and I told Bokuto that I will wait.
«Are you sure, Isabelle?» my mom asks for the fifth time. I shove in my pocket the wallet, the phone, and the keys and give her my bag.
«Yes mom, you all can go home, Fukurodani give me a ride, don't worry!»
And finally, she let go and hug me «You had done great today»
I hug her back as tight as I can «That's all thanks to you, coach»
I rarely call her coach but when I do she lights up and is all smiling. Then she enters the bus and I wave at her and the girls, watching them leave.
I jog into the other gym and immediately the smell of sweat hit me. Twisting my nose I direct myself to the bench of Fukurodani to see the last minute of Bokuto's match.
They need just one more point but they look very tired. The other team must be really strong.
A powerful spike breaks our wall and makes the opponent reach 23 points.
The thing that worries me the most is Bokuto's face. Is emo mood is about to come out and this cannot happen now.
Akaashi is faster than me and before I can scream something to encourage Bokuto I see our friend point a finger at me.
Bokuto's eyes fall on me and I simply smile and wave.
«Just one more point, Kō-chan!» I shout, gaining some strange look from the other people on the bench.
His face changes a bit and he whispers some words to Akaashi that I can't hear from up there. Then he flashes me a peace sign and I respond with a thumbs up.
Akaashi bows his head and the game can move on.
The other team serves right on our libero who sends the ball to Akaashi.
Akaashi's movements are fast and very precise. He knows that this is the right moment for the ace to do his last attack. So he tosses it to Bokuto. His figure jumps parallel to the net and with an incredibly strong he spikes a perfect diagonal that makes the bench explode in joy.
I start clapping my hands and jump from one foot to the other. When the whistling signals the end of the game I run down the stairs and wait at the exit of the court, impatiently to congratulate the boys.
They thank for the game and shake various hands, some words with the opposite coach for both of the teams and then they're free to go.
«Kōtarō, Akaashi, everyone, you were amazing out there!» I can't stop moving from the exiting that I feel before and this makes the boys laugh.
«DID YOU SEE MY LAST SPIKE? IT WAS INCREDIBLE, RIGHT?» Bokuto put his sweaty body against my clean one.
«Yeah, really incredible!» I pat his back «but you stink so you better go shower now»
All the boys start laughing at Bokuto's sad face.
«Same thing for you, well except Akaashi» I turn to him «you smell like a flower as always»
Everyone started smelling the poor boy and I feel a little guilty but in the end, I only said the truth.
«How can you always smell nice, Akaashi-san?»
Akaashi only sigh «I just shower every day»
After that, the conversation is stopped by the coach who sends the team to the changing room, and me on the bus.
I sit behind Yukie and Kaori, the two managers and we start chatting a bit. They're always so lovely and funny to talk to.
«I saw your new manager today! He's cute!» Yukie says to me, jiggling.
Kaori pushes her a little «Stop it! You pervert!» and that makes us laugh.
«Whatcha talking about?» Bokuto's voice scares me. I don't even see him enter.
«Sorry, it's top-secret,» I say «that was a girl talk!»
He looks at me with puppy eyes «So I can't know?»
«No Kō, you can't» I pat the seat beside mine «but you can sit here with me if you want»
He's looking even sadder now «I promised Akaashi to sit with him»
The boy we were talking about put a hand on Bokuto's shoulder «Don't worry, Bokuto-san, sit with Isabelle-san, I don't mind»
«Akaaaaaashi, are you serious? You won't get mad at me, right?» Bokuto asks.
«I said I don't mind, Bokuto-san» and then he smile at me and start heading to the end of the bus.
Bokuto plopped next to me «He is such a good friend, y'know?»
I know that Bokuto is tired when he starts speaking like this. In fact, in less than a minute his head falls on my shoulder and little snoring escapes from his mouth. I chuckle and put my head above his, feeling his soft hair on my cheek.
You made me wait and then you fall asleep, you really are a kid, Kōtarō.
«Isabelle-san, wake up»
I open just one eye and Akaashi's beauty hit me like a truck. How can a boy be so pretty, explain this to me?
«We're at Fukurodani» he announces «wake up Bokuto-san and go home, tell him that I will talk about the meeting tomorrow»
I nod and move my head. Then I look at the still sleeping Bokuto and shake his shoulder.
«Kō-chan, wake up, we need to go home» my voice comes out in a whisper but Bokuto hears me. He starts stretching his arms and lets out a big yawn.
«C'mon, Akaashi said that he will talk about the meeting tomorrow» I recalled my friend's words.
«That's AMAZING! So I can walk you home! LET'S GO!» he grab my hand and take me out of the bus.
«What is all that energy?» I ask, still half asleep.
«I'm always like this when I'm with my best girl!»
I try to stay beside him but he is too fast and I am too tired.
«Kōtarō, slow down, I'm tired» I complain.
He suddenly stops and turns to me «Jump on my back»
I tilt my head «Why?»
He kneels in front of me «So you can rest! C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!»
Not in the mood to tell him "no" I jump on his back and in a blink of an eye I'm already asleep on Bokuto.