Searching for every single opportunity to insert an Ushiwaka picture.
The former champions walked into the Tokyo gymnasium with a confident smirk on their faces. The man in the mask emanating a deadly, unwelcoming aura making people move as far away as possible from his path.
"Tch, how bad is it that we don't have a good competition?" Sakusa Kiyoomi, one of the top three spikers in Japan had a disappointing scowl on his face. "Things have gotten so plain"
"We might have good competition this time. Don't mind" Kimori's failed attempt to cheer him up only made Sakusa feel worse.
"Even Shiratorizawa has only Ushiwaka. Why isn't there a good team??!" He scoffed and he bumped into someone since he wasn't paying attention to where he was going.
"Suminasen" he heard the very striking feminine voice and before he could catch a glimpse of her face she was gone.
"Who-"
"Don't worry about that. Here's your disinfectant spray" Komori gave it to him but it was the first time Sakusa didn't pay attention to the germs. He looked at the spray and realised that he came in contact with another person in the crowded arena and swiftly took it from him.
"Sakusa! Inarizaki is doing incredibly well this time. They're against Ushiwaka's team for the quarterfinals let's go watch!" Komori said Sakusa was stunned "Inarizaki??" He knew they were a strong team but when they were out the very first round last time and against Ushiwaka he didn't bother paying attention to them.
"What's up with Inarizaki's gameplay? They're constantly strategising." Komori leaned to get a closer look. "Look at Atsumu's tosses! Damn nice. He's so unreadable"
"His Team is synchronising well too..." Sakusa admitted.
"How did they improve so much in a year. They look so different from last year" Komori was snacking on his fruit restlessly. He choked on it when Ren, Osamu and Kita managed to partially block Ushiwaka's spike.
"WHAT'S GOING ON?!"
"They couldn't even touch his spikes last year"
"They're were in an embarrassing bind last time"
"They're really playing like a powerhouse school this year"
"Look at that cheering squad. Their band is enormously grand!"
"MIYA SENPAIIII!!!!"
"Well, you know how the most invisible people make the most perfect strike sometimes." Their manager says beside Komori.
"Mikoshi Senpai, are you talking about their #10, the middle blocker?" He asked "He really looks sneaky-"
"I'm not talking about him. I'm talking about Inarizaki's biggest weapon" she said.
"Miya brothers? But they're nothing close to invisible" Komori narrowed his eyes.
"Look closer" she pointed at the bench and they looked at the extra players.
Sakusa's eyes widened when he saw the same female on the bench. "Who is that girl??" He butted in.
"You have sharp eyes" she said. "Their manager is their strategist. And that's what I'd call a fail proof plan, you can't shut it down. Gah, I'm so envious of her brain. She's very pretty too" Mikoshi quietly eyed her own boobs.
"I've seen her somewhere." Komori said.
"Haaah?? She was in your class!" She snarled and the two jumped in their seats "NANI?" They squinted their eyes to focus on her face.
"HARUKA???!!" Komori recognised her first, Kiyoomi couldn't get himself to talk even if he wanted to.
"I haven't seen her in so long. Especially after the complaint Suzuki made to the management. I still can't believe she did something like that." Komori scoffed. "But she's their manager?? Why would she want to be the manager?? She's Nemesis!"
Sakusa had a weird feeling of discomfort running through his veins. He looked at her tensed face, but she still looked so soft. He hadn't believed Suzuki even though he was friends with him. He was rather shocked when the most cheerful girl in class who was almost God at volleyball was accused of trying to blackmail him like that.
"That's Ushiwaka's sister. Now that she's the manager there's nothing stopping her eyes" He looked at her with a flash of amber in his eyes "She can see better because sits outside the court. I might not want to face her on court but I would never want to go against her when she's outside those lines."
"How do you know so much about her?" Their manager asked and he scoffed "She's just really good at volleyball"
"Her weakness is also her mind. She relies on it regardless of what her eyes see" he said.
"Did you write a thesis on her or something?" Komori asked "How did you get yourself to stalk someone so much!? A girl!"
"Urusai!" Sakusa shut him up.
Inarizaki's team was all fired up. Wakatoshi couldn't understand how his spikes weren't going through. They always picked it up because they knew they'd never be able to fully shut him down.
Haruka was so well versed with her brother's simple style that it didn't take much for her to decipher their exit strategy. But what troubled her the most was their 'Guess Monster', she let her faith rest on the team for that one because he changed his mind much faster than Kim changed her husbands.
Her hawk eyes watched their every movement, how they reacted when the pressure got to them, what their next move would be. She was equally vexed with Tendou, he was unpredictable even at the last minute and she was confused if he wanted them to think like that or if he really was.
Their rotation changed in the next set after Inarizaki won the first. Haruka was still testing the waters and that cost them the second set.
"Sumimasen" she profusely apologised.
"Haruka chan... now we know what we shouldn't do. Keep strategising for us" Kita smiled.
Atsumu, who had a towel on his head was thinking too much already. "They're such a pain in the ass" his heart rate normalised when he felt her hand hold his "You were amazing" she smiled and the hope her eyes carried was enough to get him back in shape.
"Make sure you serve at my brother. Double tosses have a 50% chance since we're against the Guess monster. I'm sorry about that but I'm sure even he doesn't know what he decides and how he decides on it" she said "Switch to total defence so my brother breaks first. Once the ace is down everything will fall into place. You know the wind is in your favour when they call their pinch server. Don't let them change it's direction"
"We'll stick to the first formation" the coach was rather calm since he let Haruka take over. "Ah I've never seen a match with so much ease before" he sighed as they walked back into the court.
When Inarizaki won against Shiratorizawa, Atsumu could finally raise his head to look up. It suddenly wasn't so embarrassing anymore. He took a deep breath and for the first time in a year, he didn't feel his lungs constrict, save all the times he made love to his girlfriend, but that aside, the fury in his eyes had grown. His hunger for the championship had increased tenfold and he was certain that the others felt it too.
"Haruka..." She heard her brother's voice when she walked out of the doors with her team. He was standing on the side with Tendou talking to Sakusa, Komori was there too.
"I'll be right back" she said silently asking Atsumu to stay with her and he told the team that they'd catch up soon.
"Yeah?" She walked towards him, a little uncomfortable to see her former schoolmates.
"Haru chan! That was really evil!" Tendou intervened "But I like it"
"Ah, Gomen" she said.
"Oh, looks like a cute little reunion here"
Haruka realised how they were the only ones in the corridor and shuddered for a moment.
"Suzuki, brave of you to show up" Atsumu said and Ushiwaka glared holes on his face.
Sakusa's eyes widened in shock and Komori had the same reaction but in a bigger scale.
"Ushiwaka, how disappointing must it be to have your own sweet sister stab you that harsh" he laughed and Sakusa swore that wasn't the same Suzuki he knew from school.
"Haru, so decided to come to Tokyo." His smile fell "Do you want me to show you around in case you forget the place?"
"You got lucky last time but you better leave" Atsumu said in a low, intimidating tone. He was calmer this time but all the more angry.
"And why are you hanging around with this pathetic whore? She'll sink your whole career like she did with her brother. He was smart, he went to Shiratorizawa to get away from her but how dumb are you?" He said and they gasped. Tendou wasn't one to take things seriously but even he couldn't bear to listen to that. Especially about Ushiwaka's sister whom he'd known for so long.
"I know my sister is weak" Ushiwaka spoke and she couldn't believe her own brother bailed on her. "She even stoned my career and I'm only merely floating. She's losing at every single thing she's doing and she's very disappointing. You don't have to say something I already know"
She looked at the wall in front of her in shock. Atsumu didn't understand whom to punch first.
"Haru, you see, this is what happens when you are a-" a blow landed on his face. Atsumu was so livid that if he didn't pull his arm back he'd have hit Haruka.
It was Haruka who punched his face. She kneed his groin before turning around to expertly swing her leg at his face making him fall flat on the ground.
She looked back at Ushiwaka with so much anger she wished he wasn't her brother. The 'Say that again, I dare you' look she bore on her face scared even Atsumu. The wind slightly blew her hair away from her face and they were stunned with how similar to Ushiwaka she looked. Especially with her dead, stoic eyes reflecting her burning rage.
She was so demented she just walked away before she said something she'd regret and as soon as she left, a huge dark, malicious smirk appeared on her brother's face as he overlooked Suzuki's fallen figure.
"She might be all that but my when my sweet little sister gets angry not even the gods can save you." He wasn't as nice and quiet anymore
"She's Nemesis for a reason. It's because I called her that."