Akaashi Keiji [赤葦 京治]
Before warming up, one of the team managers handed him his volleyball uniform and his jacket. "Hello! I am Yukie Shirofuku but you might hear Bokuto and the others call me Yukippe. I'm one of their team managers here and a second-year already. If you need anything, just ask me or Kaori over there." Yukie said with a smile.
"Oh, and I apologize for Bokuto's behavior earlier. He's just really like that, an energetic owl boy. But I'm sure you'll enjoy playing with him! That's like his charm or something." Yukie added and he nodded.
"It's okay, Yukie-san. I've seen him play in a match two months ago when I visited. He's actually the reason why I chose Fukurōdani." He muttered.
Yukie looked like she wanted to ask more but grinned to him. "That's good to hear then! If ever you have problems within the team, just tell me and Kaori and we'll beat them up." Yukie said that made him smile genuinely.
"Thank you, Yukie-san. I guess they are not.... dangerous, if I may say it in an inoffensive way." He said as he eyed his new teammates, happily chatting with each other. He heard Yukie laughed loudly that caught the attention of the other team manager and some of his teammates.
"Don't worry, they don't bite. But I might as well give you a heads up on Bokuto there." He looked at Bokuto who's doing some spiking in the air as he was talking one of his teammates. He still doesn't know some of their names anyway. He frowned at Yukie's words.
"Why? Is there something wrong with Bokuto-san?" He asked.
'He looks fine, like very fine. I mean in physical matters, at least.' He thought and noticed that one of his teammates, Konoha, went beside Yukie.
"There's nothing wrong with him, he just got this 'mood swings' at times to the point that he gets dejected and ruin the flow of his game at times." Konoha filled in.
"My name's Konoha Akinori, by the way. A second-year like Yukie-chan and Bokuto. A wing spiker." He bowed towards the dirty-blonde guy in front of him and heard Konoha laughed. "No need to be so formal Akaashi!"
He nodded and looked back at Bokuto who's talking animatedly with their libero. "When he's in this 'mood swings' of his, you bench him out?" He asked. Konoha shook his head. "Nah, we just cheer him up when he's on his 'emo mode'. But we don't want to repeat what happened last season. That was hellish."
He frowned. "What happened last season?" He asked but before he could receive an answer, the captain called their attention and he hurriedly went to the lockers and changed to his new jersey.
---
He was instructed to watch his teammates first and he could say that they are good, too good that he became nervous when the coach called him to set for his teammates.
"Don't worry 'Kaashi! I know you'll do great!" He heard Bokuto beside him and the owl boy grinned at him. And somehow, he stopped fiddling with his fingers and nodded. "Thank you, Bokuto-san." The owl boy grinned widely and gave him a pat on his shoulder.
His teammates lined up and he started setting for them. And he received praise and thanks from his teammates and words of encouragement that made his nervousness dissipate more.
"Hey hey hey!! I never felt so good in spiking with that set 'Kaashi! Set me more! Set me more!" Bokuto shouted that made some of their teammates laugh at Bokuto's action. He could say Bokuto resembles a rowdy child and he thinks it's kinda cute.
'Wait, what.' He shook his head mentally.
Despite all the praises he received from their other teammates, he felt flustered inside after Bokuto's words and he doesn't know why. But he remained calm and nodded politely to Bokuto. He might have just felt overwhelmed since he was able to set for good players like them, especially Bokuto.
The practice continued until the coach dismissed them. Some of his teammates introduced themselves to him afterward and he realized he was the only first year in the team. He didn't mind and he didn't feel inferior because of his teammates' warm welcome to him.
But his mind couldn't forget Konoha's words earlier and it ticked him, to say the least. He wanted to ask Konoha but he went home earlier than others. He wanted to know how hellish that thing could be. He could ask Bokuto but he could say that hellish thing is connected with their ace and he didn't want to trigger him.
"AGHAASHE!! Where do you go home?" He was baffled as he heard the owl boy in the locker room but gave him a curt nod as a greeting. "I take the bus heading to the east, Bokuto-san." He said as he zipped up his jacket and slung his bag.
"Really? That's where I ride too! Finally, a bus buddy!" Bokuto cheered. He frowned in confusion and Bokuto noticed that. "Our teammates usually ride the train, ride the bus to the west, or walk to the north. I was the only one who rides the bus to the east until you arrived!" He nodded and kind of felt bad that Bokuto has to go home alone since then. Not like he has some friends to walk home with before.
"Do you want to go home together or you have other plans to attend to? I mean as much as I want to go home with a teammate of mine, I don't want to interfere with your plans." Bokuto said and he wasn't expecting Bokuto to be this considerate. He thought Bokuto was the kind of guy who gets what he wants no matter what.
"I don't have any other plans, Bokuto-san. We can go home together starting today if you want unless you have prior plans as well." He said and Bokuto cheered once again.
"Yay! As a mini welcome celebration, I'll treat you to the nearest convenience store at the terminal! I won't take no for an answer!" Bokuto said and before he could say any words, Bokuto started skipping outside the gym. He sighed but smiled as he started walking outside as well.
---
"'Kaashi, tell me more about yourself," Bokuto said after biting on his dorayaki he bought at the convenience store earlier. They are currently waiting on the terminal since they were unable to catch the bus earlier.
He took the last bite on his onigiri Bokuto bought for him earlier. "There's nothing much about me, really." He muttered. "I just used to be a setter in my previous school, Mori Middle School. Fukurodani and Suzumeoka gave me a recommendation letter and here I am now."
"Ehhh? Sorry, I haven't heard the school's name before. But it means you're really good if the school gave you a recommendation letter!" Bokuto said. "Good thing Nekoma didn't give you a recommendation letter or else you won't be studying here! Speaking about that, I should introduce you to Kuroo!"
Bokuto continued talking about the Kuroo guy who is his friend and is studying in Nekoma. He suddenly remembered an acquaintance of his from his summer classes that has plans on studying in Nekoma.
"Are you sure you are friends with this so-called Kuroo?" He managed to ask that made Bokuto laugh. Bokuto had just told his story about their summer camp training last year where Kuroo pushed him by the pond as a prank.
Bokuto laughed. "Of course! Don't worry, I dumped a bucket of ice on his bed head on our last day of training as revenge. That's just usual of him but he's really good and reliable! He's really good at volleyball too! You should meet him soon!" Bokuto said as he listened.
"I couldn't wait to meet this pain-in-the-ass Kuroo-san." He muttered sarcastically to which Bokuto laughed. He was about to apologize at the rude remark but it seems like Bokuto agreed to him which made him smile.
The bus arrived and Bokuto continued talking, telling more stories of their past games and just random things that made him feel like he was filled with last year's information and happenings. He also learned that they have the same stop. And that Bokuto just healed from a wrist sprain.
But he didn't hear anything related to the hellish thing Konoha mentioned earlier. And decided just to ignore it and wait until Bokuto is comfortable enough to tell him that.
"See ya' tomorrow 'Kaashi! It's nice going home with you!" Bokuto bid goodbye after they walked down to their stop. "See you tomorrow as well, Bokuto-san." He said.
Bokuto gave him a wide smile before walking to the opposite side of the street. He clutched the strap of his bag and walked to the other direction with a small smile playing on his face.