「 Spring Interhigh National Tournament 」
Day 1 – First Round
"Riseki-kun, you look like yer about to throw up." Y/N deadpans as she stops to look at him. Once the opening ceremony closed, Coach Kurosu and Coach Oomi decided to take the team back to the gym to get some extra practise while the first matches began, since the teams that most of the players wanted to watch were later in the day.
"I- I'm not gonna throw up!" Riseki declares as he shakes uncontrollably, causing Y/N to sweat drop.
"Right... You can take a break if you want, we're gonna pack up soon anyway so we can go watch some matches." Y/N says as Riseki nods along, listening to her every word. "...I think you should take a break."
"If you think I should, then I will!"
Y/N smiles as Riseki stiffly starts to walk away, before halting in his steps and turning to her sheepishly.
"...What do I do now?"
"You can help me out if you wanna." Y/N says as he brightens up.
"Alright!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Arriving at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium once again, the Inarizaki team enters the building with an air of confidence, easily gaining everyone's attention. Coach Kurosu turns to the team as he gets their attention.
"Yer all free to do whatever you want, whether it be spending the whole time in the food court or checkin' out the stalls. Oomi and I'll be watchin' some matches so we'll be on call if ya need us." He says as they all nod along. "And don't cause any trouble."
"Coach, do we ever-aCK!" Atsumu gets elbowed by Osamu as Y/N facepalms.
"I'll keep an eye on Atsumu I guess..." Y/N mutters as the coaches sigh in relief.
"Thanks Y/N, we knew we could count on you."
"Yep, later~" Suna chimes as he and Osamu quickly run away from her, leaving Y/N to stare at them with dead eyes before slowly turning to Ginjima who laughs sheepishly.
"...It's not that I don't wanna help you..." Ginjima starts as Y/N continues staring at him, unimpressed. "...But someone has to look after those two, so haha bye!"
Y/N and Atsumu watch as Ginjima runs off in the same direction as Suna and Osamu, leaving them behind as the first years also start to disperse and the third years remain talking amongst themselves. Turning to Atsumu, Y/N scowls at him.
"This is your fault."
"How??"
Ignoring him, Y/N sighs to herself as she takes the booklet to look through the current matches and the timetable. Atsumu quickly shuts up as he looks over her shoulder to read as well, tilting his head slightly before gasping slightly and pointing to the page.
"Karasuno! That's the team Tobio-kun's playin' on! Their game's goin' on now so let's check 'em out!" Atsumu says as Y/N chuckles slightly.
"Alright, sounds like a plan. Let's go see how Tobio's team is~"
"Karasuno puts it away!! Their lethal weapon is back! Hinata and Kageyama! The first year duo unleashes their Quick Attack!"
"We were finally able to witness it."
"The middle blocker who scored just now, Hinata Shouyou, stands at a mere 164cm. Normally, the middle blocker position is only played by the tallest of athletes, and yet... In this year's tournament, 164cm is the shortest height amongst all the attackers!"
"It seemed as if Tsubakihara Academy was also wary of the Hinata-Kageyama Quick, however... As one might expect, knowing it's coming and stopping it are two entirely different things."
"Whoa... That orange kid looks so tiny on the court... Especially near that tall blond guy that's servin'." Y/N says as she looks over the railing, already interested.
"Hmm..." Atsumu mumbles to himself as he continues watching, scrutinising the players.
"And from the other side, the wing spiker wearing #1 Maruyama, finishes it off with a fierce spike of his own! Tsubakihara Academy bounces back without missing a beat!"
"Ohh that must have been tough to receive, but the blond boy didn't really move much." Y/N observes as Atsumu nods slightly, still deep in thought.
They continue watching the match in interest as Maruyama serves and Karasuno's captain receives it. Y/N perks up as Hinata starts moving ahead of his teammates before they all follow along in synchronisation.
Coolly, Kageyama jumps up to set the ball as Y/N leans over the rail to try and see better.
And he dumps the ball.
"Pfft-!" Y/N snorts as Atsumu blinks in surprise. "Atsumu didja see that?? Didja see Tobio just then??"
Y/N smiles widely as she starts hitting Atsumu's arm repeatedly, pointing to the court. "Tobio really just dumped the ball right there! That's such a bastard move! That's totally something you'd try to do!"
Atsumu remains speechless as he continues watching, not saying anything as Kageyama spins the ball in his hands to serve. Tossing it up in the air and jumping, sending a powerful spike serve with an amazing course over the net.
"Whoa." Y/N breathes in amazement as Tsubakihara's ace manages to get it up, keeping the ball in play, but it goes over the net to Karasuno's side.
Karasuno's libero gets an overhand on the ball, managing to get it up as Y/N and Atsumu continue watching in silence, waiting to see what they do.
From his serve position, Kageyama smoothly runs across the court and gets into a setting position, sending it to Hinata as he spikes it down instantly before anyone can react.
"It's Hinata Shouyou! Number 10 is at it again! Setter Kageyama comes through with a brilliant setup! I could've sworn he was floating just now!"
"Not a single wasted movement from Kageyama."
"I didn't even have time to be surprised!"
"Damn... Tobio's brilliant." Y/N says after a moment as Kageyama starts arguing with Hinata on the court. "His movements are so refined... Kinda reminds me of you but not really? I guess the fightin' on court is like you though..." Y/N trails off before turning to Atsumu, who's finally snapped out of his trance.
"What?! He's completely different than he was back at camp! How frightening..." Atsumu mutters as Y/N looks at him curiously.
"Hm?"
Atsumu shakes his head as his eyes narrow at Hinata. 'And also... Who is that?'
The game continues as Y/N and Atsumu find seats a little closer to the match, regularly making comments as they analyse the players. It's quickly becoming more intense, and before they know it, the tiny middle blocker gets rotated to the back row.
"One touch!"
"Such skilful blocks! First year middle blocker Tsukishima Kei is doing everything in his power to make sure the other team does not get any clean and satisfying spikes!"
"Oh wow, he's... really cool." Y/N mutters as Atsumu scowls.
"Focus on the match, not the players." He says as she rolls her eyes.
"The players are part of the match."
The rally continues as both teams find their rhythm and perform exceptionally. Y/N watches as Tsubakihara's captain and setter tosses to their ace, Karasuno's blockers instantly lining up to block the cross shot.
He hits an incredible straight.
But Hinata's there, and receives the ball with his body.
"He stepped a bit too far ahead, seems like his receives aren't that good." Atsumu comments as he watches Hinata with critical eyes. "Maybe he's just good at attacking, but is a scrub when it comes to everythin' else."
"What a jerk." Y/N mutters as she rolls her eyes. "Still though, his positionin' was good."
"He's gonna need more than positionin' if he wants to be good at receives."
The match continues as Hinata receives the ball with his body again, stepping too far ahead just like before. Y/N facepalms at this.
"...Yeah, he's gonna need more than just positionin'..."
"Setter Kageyama pulls off a fast-touch! With the setter out, this has effectively put a lid on any elaborate offensive set up options."
Kageyama scowls at this, having gotten the first touch so he can't touch the ball anymore.
"Tsukishima!"
"Got it!"
Tsukishima smoothly gets into position to set the ball, jumping up and beautifully tossing with a high arc.
Karasuno's ace easily smashes the ball into Tsubakihara's blocker's hands as he gets a wipe out.
"Number 3 Azumane blasts the ball through the wall of blockers! Karasuno scores back to back points!!"
"That set... that was honestly really good." Y/N breathes out as her eyes follow Tsukishima. "He's honestly really really cool... What's his name?"
"Focus on the match, N/N." Atsumu deadpans as she rolls her eyes.
"First year Tsukishima-kun with a very fluid, easy-to-hit toss. When a feat like that can really be pulled off so nonchalantly, it really speaks volumes about the overall cohesiveness of that team."
"Tsukishima huh? Damn, I should've paid attention earlier when they said his first name." Y/N mutters as Atsumu groans.
"Are'ya really that impressed by him??"
"Relax, I just wanna know if his first name starts with K." Y/N rolls her eyes.
The game continues as Karasuno gets to set point for Kageyama's serve, but unfortunately it gets caught in the net.
"Number 9 Kageyama tried to end things right there but it got caught on the net! But it's still Karasuno's set point! Tsubakihara Academy goes with a member change here at this crucial moment!"
"Tsubakihara Academy's first year pinch server, Himekawa Aoi is being subbed in. Eh... I could be mistaken but this seems to be Himekawa's very first official game debut..."
"Coming in on their opponent's set point is about as pressure-packed as it gets... Hopefully he can maintain his focus and not let the nerves get the better of him."
Y/N grimaces as she holds her head in her hands, sighing tiredly before peeking through her fingers. '...He looks like he's about to puke.'
Himekawa trembles under the pressure as he grips the ball in his hand, staring over the net at Karasuno in fear. He does not look good.
Finally tossing the ball up, Himekawa goes to serve the ball.
'An underhand serve...?' Y/N and Atsumu think as they tilt their heads to the side, they didn't expect to see such a basic serve at nationals.
And as Himekawa hits the ball, it smashes into the back of their ace's head.
FWEET!
"Ohh... I felt that..." Y/N mutters as Atsumu snorts.
"Pfft- that was so good. Maybe I should try aim for 'Samu's head next time!" Atsumu snickers as Y/N elbows him.
"Don't be rude, the poor kid's probs gonna be traumatised by this for the rest of his life..."
"Eh whatever." Atsumu shrugs in disinterest. "Who even does underhand serves these days? Thought only scrubs did 'em."
"Stop bein' rude, overhand serves are hard if yer not used to 'em." Y/N deadpans as Atsumu rolls his eyes.
"Then just get used to 'em~"
"Wow what a genius. I could have never thought of that."
"Coach Oosado has decided to sub Himekawa in again early at the start of the second set. Rather than serving, Himekawa may have originally specialised in defensive play. For all we know he may be a pillar of defence for his team."
"Hmm... I wonder about that." Y/N mutters as she watches Himekawa go for an underhand serve again, smashing it to the ceiling as her eyes follow the ball.
"He hit it extremely high!! This appears to be what they call a ceiling serve, doesn't it Imai-san?!"
"Looks like it."
"Argh, my neck hurts just watchin'." Y/N mutters as Atsumu scoffs.
The ball rockets down to Karasuno's captain who unfortunately doesn't get it up.
"Welp." Y/N shrugs. "That one couldn't be helped."
"NICE SERVE! HIMEKAWA!! NICE SERVE! HIMEKAWA!! GIVE US ONE MORE!!"
The Tsubakihara cheer squad excitedly cheers for Himekawa while his teammates run over to ruffle his hair as he beams brightly. Without a moments delay, Karasuno calls their first timeout.
"D'ya think you can get that one, N/N?" Atsumu asks as he turns to her.
"Eh, probably." Y/N shrugs. "If I can be bothered goin' after it. Honestly, your serves are a lot harder to get up, this one's just hard to predict."
"True true~" Atsumu chimes as the timeout ends.
Himekawa goes for his second serve, managing to get it between Karasuno's captain and ace as they both fail to get it up, causing Himekawa to gasp in delight.
"Aww he's so cute..." Y/N sighs as Himekawa starts celebrating with his teammates. "Why can't any of you guys be that cute..."
"What? You want me to be like that?" Atsumu deadpans as Y/N nods.
"Admit it Atsumu, a cute personality is wayyy better than a trashy personality."
"Tch. Maybe you'll get yer cute first year in a few months." Atsumu mutters as Y/N perks up.
"Ohh that's a possibility, I wonder what kind of first years we're gonna get..."
"Hopefully good players. It's not gonna be easy replacin' Aran-kun, Oomimi and Akagi." Atsumu shrugs as he slumps in his seat. "...and Kita-san."
"Oh? They're bringin' in their third year at match point." Y/N comments as she watches Karasuno's third year setter hold up the substitution paddle. "The booklet says he's a setter."
"Oh really?" Atsumu asks as he watches him. "He'll probably be pretty good then, just not as good as Tobio-kun."
"Mmhm." Y/N agrees as she nods. "...He is quite pretty though."
"When I suggested we go here to check out Tobio-kun's team, I meant check out their play style." Atsumu deadpans as he turns to her. "I think we had different kinds of 'checking out' in mind."
"Oh please, it just doesn't make sense that someone like you would have fangirls but not him." Y/N rolls her eyes, before turning back to the match.
With Sugawara in position to cover the ball, he easily sets it over to Tanaka.
"That was perfect...!" Atsumu mutters in excitement, leaning closer to the court. "That was such a good toss...!"
"And suddenly a fanboy appeared..." Y/N chuckles as she continues watching the match.
The intense rally continues with powerful attacks from both sides as Y/N and Atsumu watch the players carefully. And as Tsubakihara pulls off another powerful spike, it flings off of Karasuno's blocker's hands.
"And the ball goes flying through after ricocheting off the blockers! But lookie here!! Sugawara is right there to cover!!"
"Nice... that's amazin' positioning..." Y/N mutters in awe as Atsumu nods. Karasuno's ace smashes the ball down, gaining Karasuno their victory in the first round. "Looks like Tobio's team won."
"Yeah, that was a pretty good match." Atsumu admits as he nods, both of them getting up to go somewhere else. "So that's what Karasuno's like, huh?"
"Yep~ And we're gonna verse 'em tomorrow." Y/N chimes as Atsumu smirks.
"Can't wait."
"Karasuno's first years a really good though... Tobio, the short kid, and the Tsukishima guy. They're really good." Y/N says as Atsumu nods along. "Their libero is amazin' too... he's like what I aspire to be... or at least used to aspire to be."
"...He is pretty cool." Atsumu admits and averts his eyes as Y/N smirks.
"Heh, so you admit it."
"Shut it."
Rolling her eyes, Y/N chuckles. "And that Sugawara guy as super good too. Damn, I'm really excited for the match tomorrow."
"I'll bet~" Atsumu chuckles. "Anyway, where d'ya wanna go?"
"Hmm... I was thinkin' of checkin' out Fukurodani's match with Eiwa." Y/N says as she opens the booklet again. "They're playin' on Court E at the moment."
"Oh I see. I was gonna go get some food actually, I'm pretty sure 'Samu and the rest are there." Atsumu says. "D'ya want me to come with you to the match or...?"
"Nah s'fine." Y/N waves off. "I'll just go there then go to the food court to find you. Sound good?"
"Yep~ Later N/N!" Atsumu calls as he waves her off.
Opening the map part of the pamphlet, Y/N sighs to herself as she gazes down the hallway. Hopefully she won't be stopped on the way.
"Bokuto-san!"
'Ah yes, the iconic line.' Y/N thinks to herself as she watches Akaashi set to Bokuto. Unfortunately for Fukurodani, Eiwa gets the point instead.
Looking around the area, Y/N tries to find a good place to sit without too many people. Spotting a good area, Y/N's about to go over until someone calls her name.
"Oh? L/N-chan!"
Turning around, Y/N blinks in surprise as she sees Komori cheerfully wave at her, Sakusa nodding behind him. "Sakusa, Komori-kun."
"Hey~ You're here to watch the match too?" Komori asks as they approach her.
"I mean, what other reason would I come to a match for?" Y/N chuckles as Komori laughs.
"True true~ Let's sit together!"
"Sure, if yer okay with that, Sakusa?" Y/N asks as she turns to him, causing Sakusa to shrug.
"I don't mind."
"Then it's settled!" Komori cheers as they go over to the seats Y/N was planning to go to earlier, the other people in the crowd do their best to get out of their way, intimidated and acutely aware of their presence. Seeing the uniforms of two powerhouse schools together is very intimidating.
Sitting on the far edge, Y/N blinks in surprise as Sakusa sits beside her and Komori beside him, she expected him to sit on the side again. Sensing her curious gaze, Sakusa glances at her and averts his eyes back to the court.
"It's just so that no one else sits next to me. I don't want to be next to a stranger." Sakusa mutters as Y/N and Komori sweat drop.
"Right..." 'I don't think anyone even has the guts to try and sit next to you...' Y/N mentally deadpans as she turns back to the court.
Once Fukurodani's timeout ends, their team starts consistently scoring against Eiwa as the members find their rhythm. Although Bokuto hasn't been doing much.
"Fukurodani Academy, slowly but surely closing the gap! However, their absolute ace, Bokuto Koutarou hasn't been delivering as per usual today. Eiwa High School, having clearly marked Bokuto out as the player to be most cautious of, may find themselves feeling conflicted over these set of developments today."
"Bokuto must be in one of his moods today." Komori comments as Y/N nods.
"Strange though, it's not like much has happened so it's kinda weird that he'd already been playin' like this." Y/N shrugs as Eiwa calls their first timeout. "Maybe he's just havin' an off day?"
"As a player, he shouldn't let things like this affect him. He'll become a liability to his teammates." Sakusa says as Y/N chuckles.
"Don't be like that Sakusa~ That's mean." Y/N smiles before turning back to the court, noticing Akaashi talk to Bokuto and point over to the stands. "Oh, seems like Akaashi-san has a solution."
As the timeout ends, the match resumes as before until Akaashi tosses to Bokuto.
"Bokuto-san!"
"I get so many flashbacks every time he tosses to Bokuto." Komori laughs as Eiwa's blockers jump up to try and stop Bokuto.
Jumping up, Bokuto smashes the ball down with a magnificent straight, painting the line as everyone gasps in surprise.
"Hey hey hey!!"
"That totally painted the line...!" Y/N mutters in surprise, instinctively reaching to hit Sakusa's shoulder before realising and pulling away. "That's insane..."
"I guess Bokuto does some good plays every now and then." Sakusa shrugs as Y/N and Komori nod.
"Guess he's in the zone again. Man, Akaashi's amazing~" Komori chimes as the match continues.
With Bokuto on a roll, Fukurodani quickly starts racking up the points against Eiwa and easily wins the game in straight sets, advancing to the second round. Once the match is over, Y/N, Sakusa and Komori start getting ready to leave.
"That was a good match, Fukurodani was really in top form there." Komori comments as Y/N nods.
"Yeah, even though Bokuto-senpai stands out the most, all of Fukurodani's players are exceptionally brilliant. They're truly a powerhouse school." Y/N says as she takes out the booklet to see what games are playing now. "Oh, Kamomedai's playin' soon. That's the team with Hoshiumi-san, right?"
"Yeah, Sakusa and I were planning on going over to watch them after Fukurodani." Komori informs as he smiles. "Do you want to come?"
"Ah, I would but I told Atsumu that I'd meet him at the food court after Fukurodani's match." Y/N smiles sheepishly. "So I guess not, soz'."
"Nah that's fine!" Komori laughs as he waves her off. "Just thought I'd ask!"
"Do you want us to go with you?" Sakusa asks as she turns to him. "Kamomedai's match hasn't started yet and it probably won't matter if we miss the beginning."
"Oh if yer fine with that then that'd be nice." Y/N smiles before pausing momentarily in her step. "...Although I needa warn ya and say my teammates are... a little strange."
"Not surprised." Sakusa mutters as Komori chuckles.
"I think I'd be more surprised if they were normal~"
"Inarizaki? Normal? Sounds like a nightmare." Y/N sighs as they start heading over to the food court. "Besides, I like the team the way it is."
"Do my eyes deceive me...? Am I hallucinating...?"
"Stop bein' dramatic, Rintarou." Y/N deadpans as Suna gasps dramatically in slow motion.
"Osamu, is this... a traitor? Our own manager... hanging around our sworn rivals... I should have known that her loyalties didn't lie with us..." Suna mutters as he collapses into his chair, looking stricken. "So this is heartbreak..."
"I didn't break yer heart, Rintarou, stop actin' like I did." Y/N rolls her eyes as she sits down beside Ginjima. "Why is Hitoshi the only normal one..."
"Hey, I'm pretty normal too." Osamu protests as Y/N facepalms.
"Your genetics say otherwise."
"Wait, what's that s'pose to mean??" The twins ask in unison as Sakusa and Komori watch the Inarizaki second years silently, choosing not to say anything.
"Are you sayin' I'm similar to 'Tsumu? The guy with the personality of sewage water?"
"What was that 'Samu?!"
"Guys stop fightin', we're in public." Ginjima groans as he grabs Atsumu's arm to make sure he doesn't jump up and tackle Osamu. "And Suna, stop spoutin' weird nonsense."
"No."
Ginjima blinks in surprise as he tries to think of something to say in response to Suna, before giving up and sighing. He turns to Y/N instead. "...What do I do now? He said no..."
"Just ignore him, Hitoshi." Y/N deadpans as she sighs, turning to Sakusa and Komori as she smiles apologetically. "Sorry 'bout them..."
"It's fine! You guys are pretty funny." Komori laughs as Suna smirks. "Hey Suna, nice to see that you're doing well."
"You too~" Suna chimes as he lazily turns his gaze to Sakusa. "Hello to you too, Sakusa."
Sakusa remains silent as he nods, watching them all carefully as Komori chuckles.
"Sorry about that! Sakusa's not much of a talker." He says sheepishly. "Anyway, we're going to go over to watch Kamomedai's match, so we'll see you later!"
"See ya." They all chime as they wave the two Itachiyama students away, turning back to each other as they leave.
After a few moments of silence, Atsumu decides that he can't keep quiet and needs to start talking.
"I'm so bored! Should we go watch Kamomedai too?" He asks as they all sigh.
"But I just got here..." Y/N mumbles as she sighs tiredly. "...I'm hungry."
"Guess we're stayin' then." Osamu shrugs as he gets up and grabs his bag. "I'll go get you a bento, N/N."
"Thanks Osamu." Y/N calls as she waves him goodbye, turning to Atsumu. "You can go watch Kamomedai if you wanna, I think I'm just gonna stay here and wait until Coach Kuorsu tells us that we needa go."
"I'm staying too." Suna chimes as Ginjima nods.
"Same."
Atsumu scowls silently as he slumps in his seat. "...Guess I'll stay too."
'He's such a child...' They all mentally deadpan as they sigh. Thinking for a moment, Suna turns to Y/N.
"So Y/N, what's your ideal type?"
"My what?" Y/N asks, raising her eyebrow. "What prompted this question?"
"I'm just curious is all." Suna shrugs. "Of course you're secretly thinking of someone, but is there anyone on the team that matches your ideals?"
"Huh, this question went in a different direction than I expected." Y/N mutters as she thinks to herself. "Hmm... ideal type on the team huh?"
"Ohh I wanna know too!" Atsumu chimes as he looks at her in interest. "Anyone come to mind, N/N?"
"Well, I'm pretty sure almost every girl would consider Kita-senpai an ideal guy." Y/N says after a moment, tilting her head to the side in thought. "So Kita-senpai I guess?"
"N/N, that's totally not fair..." Atsumu deadpans as he sighs. "You can't compare ordinary people to Mr Perfect Kita Shinsuke."
Suna nods in agreement. "Excluding Kita-san, does anyone else on the team come to mind?"
"Hmm... I'd have to think about that..." Y/N says before turning to them. "What about you guys?"
"What?"
"What's yer ideal type?" Y/N asks. "...Doesn't hafta be someone on the team unless you want it to be-"
"Shut it." Atsumu groans as Y/N smirks.
"Just jokin'~ So have you met anyone that meets yer ideals?" Y/N asks as Atsumu shrugs.
"Nah, too busy with volleyball."
"Ball is life huh?" Ginjima asks as he sweat drops.
"Yep~" Atsumu chimes as Osamu comes back with a bento box for Y/N. "What about you 'Samu?"
"What are we talkin' about?" Osamu asks as he sits down, sliding the box over to Y/N as she smiles in thanks.
"Have ya met anyone yer interested in?" Atsumu asks curiously as Osamu thinks for a moment.
"Hmm... I guess Fukurodani's manager's pretty cute." He says after a moment. "The shorter one with the reddish hair."
"Shirofuku-senpai?" Y/N asks.
"Ya."
"Oh?? Why didn'tcha tell me 'Samu??" Atsumu asks as Osamu rolls his eyes.
"I just said she's pretty cute, I didn't say I was interested." He deadpans as they all sigh in disappointment.
"Boring." Suna mutters.
"Oh yeah? Then what about you, Suna?" Osamu asks as Suna shrugs.
"Sorry, phone is life."
"Boring."
"Gin?" Atsumu asks as they all turn to Ginjima, who sweat drops at their curiosity.
"Eh, to be honest, I think I spend most of my time lookin' after you guys. So I haven't really noticed anyone else." Ginjima says as Suna smirks.
"Oh? So what you're saying is, you've been too busy looking at me to notice anyone~" Suna teases as Ginjima blushes. "Aww Gin~ I see your hidden feelings~ Sorry though, I'm devoted to my phone."
"Wha- Shut up!" Ginjima groans as Suna snickers.
"Why don't you shut me up?"
"This conversation is over." Ginjima deadpans, scooting away from Suna. "I needa get away from here... It's not too late to transfer for third year..."
"Wait, N/N never properly answered!" Atsumu cuts in.
"What?"
"Does anyone on the team fit your ideals?" Suna asks once more.
"Hmm... I dunno~" Y/N shrugs as she smirks. "None of yer names start with K."
And as the first day of Spring Interhigh came to an end, 40 teams were eliminated.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Watching the tape carefully, the Inarizaki team stays eerily silent as they meticulously analyse the plays, it's totally different from their usual boisterous energy. The Karasuno and Shiratorizawa match glows brightly on the screen.
Arranging her notes, Y/N tries to order them as she watches, having seen the match multiple times already. Making small adjustments to her notes and adding extra information, she wordlessly shows the coaches who nod silently in approval, wanting the team to watch the full match first before breaking it down.
No matter how strong the team, no one's victory is assured. So it's imperative that they are prepared for tomorrow.
Relaxing on her bed, Y/N absentmindedly plays with her phone as Kagawa silently studies at the desk. After a few moments, Inoue hesitantly enters the room as they glance up at her, noticing her apprehension.
"Chika-chan? What's wrong?" Kagawa asks as she puts her pencil down, getting Y/N to put her phone down as well.
"Oh, ah- It's nothin'..." Inoue mumbles sheepishly. "Just a bit anxious for tomorrow I guess..."
"Well, that's understandable." Kagawa nods as Inoue fiddles with her fingers. "We can't really predict how matches will turn out, so it's normal to be a little nervous."
"Is there a reason why yer extra apprehensive though?" Y/N asks. "You look like yer deep in thought."
"Oh it's nothin'..." Inoue mumbles again, still playing with her fingers. "It's just... I walked past the third year's room... And they were talkin' about how this is their last tournament."
Glancing at each other, Y/N and Kagawa sigh silently as they swivel around to face Inoue properly.
"Chika-chan... It's gonna be alright." Kagawa says after a moment, smiling at Inoue as she approaches her and pats her shoulder. "There's no need to be worried, we're the second seed and a well-known powerhouse school. We'll be fine."
"I know... It's stupid..." Inoue sighs as she smiles sheepishly. "Soz' about that...
"It's not stupid. If it bothers you, then it's not stupid." Y/N says simply, looking at her teammates blankly. "The truth is, this is their last tournament, it's the last tournament for a lot of the players. No one's victory is certain, tomorrow... might be our last day together with this team."
"L-L/N-chan, yer gonna make her cry..." Kagawa hesitantly interrupts, rubbing Inoue's back as she sadly stares at the floor.
"But y'know, it's okay." Y/N shrugs. "Nothin' lasts forever, we'll all say goodbye one day and go our separate ways, and that's okay. Let's just enjoy the time we've still got together, 'kay?"
"'Kay...!" Inoue nods vigorously as she starts tearing up. "I've... enjoyed all my time with this team...! I'll be sure to keep workin' hard and keep havin' fun with everyone...!"
'She actually started crying...' Y/N thinks in distraught as she jumps up and tries to console the crying girl with Kagawa. "I-Inoue-chan! Please don't cry, I didn't mean to make you cry!"
"It's okay Chika-chan! Deep breaths!" Kagawa says as Inoue starts trying to wipe away her tears, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly.
"I'm okay...! I just got a bit emotional!" Inoue declares as the two second years flinch away.
"Ehh if you wanna lie down for a bit it's fine, Chika-chan..." Kagawa says slowly as Inoue shakes her head.
"No! I'm fine! Sorry to make you worry!" Inoue says as they hesitantly glance at each other. "The third years were talkin' about tomorrow and I got nervous and emotional, I should've listened and paid attention to what Kita-senpai said instead of lettin' the rest of the conversation get to me!"
Blinking in surprise, Y/N asks hesitantly. "...What did Kita-senpai say?"
Inoue smiles slightly as she turns to Y/N.
"I have complete faith in my teammates."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
「 Spring Interhigh National Tournament 」
Day 2 – Second Round
Arriving at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium early, the cameras surround Inarizaki as they silently make their way through the crowds, their school banners being carried behind them as they pay no mind to the sea of people around them.
Side eyeing the camera, Y/N glances away as she faces forwards, adjusting her facemask and stuffing her hands back in her pockets. They don't have time to appease the fans, they're here for warmups.
Only inexperienced teams would make the unfortunate mistake and waste this valuable time. And thanks to the large number of people helping the team, it won't be too difficult to get ready, and the players can focus completely on warmups.
Arriving at the court before Karasuno, Inarizaki quickly gets straight into warming up and their regular practise drills as Karasuno starts filing in.
Having no time to properly look at them, Y/N focuses on assisting the players with their warmups, running around to get any stray balls or tossing up new ones for the players, it's only when Coach Oomi decides to head over the net to Karasuno's side does she pause slightly to glance over.
"We can start on spikes next, right?" Coach Oomi asks as he smiles down on Karasuno's coach who flinches and starts sweating in fear.
"Uhhmmmm-!!"
Karasuno's other coach quickly runs over. "We'd like to spend more time serving if that's alright!"
Y/N rolls her eyes at this as she gets back to assisting her teammates. "Rintarou, yer movements are so sloppy."
"Thanks, that's what I was going for." Suna deadpans as stretches a little more. "I'm so tired..."
"I am too, but we have a game to win." Y/N sighs as she grabs his arm and pulls him off the floor. "C'mon, the twins are already pullin' ahead and sweatin' more than everyone."
"That's because they're mentally unstable."
Y/N sighs as she facepalms, opening her mouth to retort until someone on Karasuno's side yells.
"THERE ARE TWO 'MIYA ATSUMUS'?!"
Sweat dropping, Y/N glances to the side as she sees the short kid staring at the twins in awe, Kageyama scowling behind him.
If they heard his outburst, the twins chose to ignore him as Atsumu smirks and makes his usual declaration.
"This is the last time we're lettin' those Tokyo jerks get ahead of themselves. Let's destroy 'em all."
Osamu remains silent as Y/N sighs tiredly, running a hand down her face as she takes a few deep breaths. "Does he need to say that every time...?"
"I'm pretty sure he's just jinxing us at this point, we lose every time he says it." Suna deadpans as Y/N sighs again.
"Don't say that, Rintarou."
"Today marks Inarizaki's first day of the playoffs, so..." The interview trails off as she looks at Kita. "How is the overall condition of your team right now?"
"Yes. I think the first match in any tournament can be rather scary and nerve-racking, no matter which team." Kita says calmly as he stares into the camera, smiling slightly. "Everyone is calm, we're in top shape so I think the atmosphere is quite good, I'm confident that we'll be fine."
"What exactly is your goal for this tournament?" She asks.
"To be the last team standing of course."
At the Sub Arena, both Inarizaki and Karasuno continue with warmups as their match grows nearer. Glancing over at Karasuno's side, Atsumu smiles as he spots Kageyama.
"N/N, I'm just gonna go over and say hi to Tobio-kun~"
"Wait, don't cause any trouble- Argh he's totally gonna cause trouble." Y/N groans as she finishes up with her tasks and prepares to go over and make sure Atsumu doesn't insult too many people.
"Hinata dumbass!" Kageyama yells as Y/N pauses slightly and sweat drops. What a perfect time for Atsumu to show up.
"Yer really into it are'tcha!" Atsumu chimes as both Kageyama and Hinata stop to look at him.
"Hey." Kageyama greets as Atsumu smiles.
"Ya been well, Tobio-kun?"
"Yes."
"Give it yer all today, ya hear me?" Atsumu asks, still smiling. "Coz' I hate playin' matches against people who suck at the actual game."
'Yikes...' Tsukishima thinks to himself as Hinata points at himself in disbelief.
'Powerhouses sure are scary...' Ennoshita mentally deadpans.
"Well... I'm sorry to hear that." Kageyama says.
"Why are you apologising?? Kageyama you bastard!" Hinata screeches as Atsumu smirks.
"I don't suck at the game though." Kageyama says simply as Atsumu laughs.
"I know I know~"
"I can't say the same for him though."
"How could you say that?!" Hinata yells at Kageyama.
"But... He's definitely not a pushover either. So don't worry, you'll have your hands full." Kageyama says as Atsumu smirks down on him.
Quickly running over, Y/N pushes Atsumu away slightly as she sheepishly smiles at Kageyama. "I'm so sorry 'bout him, Atsumu's a big fat jerk so don't let anythin' he says get to you."
"Ah, Y/N-san, it's fine." Kageyama nods as Hinata and Tsukishima blink in surprise, watching the exchange in interest.
"Argh... I can't let him out of my sight even for a few seconds..." Y/N sighs as she turns back to Kageyama. "How've you been, Tobio?"
'First name basis??' Hinata and Tsukishima think in shock as they glance back and forth.
"I've been well." Kageyama responds as she smiles.
"That's good." Y/N says before noticing Hinata's curious gaze and turning to him. "Hinata Shouyou, right? I look forward to the match, I'll be watching you all carefully."
"Ah- Yes! I mean, thank you!" Hinata sputters out as she smiles.
"We'll be on our way then, see ya on the court." Y/N says as she grabs Atsumu's arm and drags him back to Inarizaki's side. "Later, Tobio."
"Bye."
"Later Tobio~" Tsukishima taunts as he smirks, getting Kageyama to scowl at him.
"Who was the pretty girl you were talking to, Kageyama?" Hinata asks excitedly as Kageyama scowls even more.
"None of your business." Kageyama mutters as Tsukishima's smirk widens.
"Ehhhh~?? What now~??? What's the maaatter Tobiooooo~??" Tsukishima taunts as Kageyama glares at him.
"She's just Inarizaki's manager! I met her at Youth Camp!" Kageyama groans as Hinata gasps in awe.
"That's so cool!!"
"What was she doing at Youth Camp?" Tsukishima asks.
"She was-! Eh, she was..." Kageyama stops in his tracks as he tries to think. "...What was she doing at Youth Camp?"
"Don't try to think too hard, King." Tsukishima rolls his eyes. "You might malfunction."
"HUH?!"
Changing into their black uniforms, the Inarizaki team quietly prepare themselves for the match as they maintain their cool and composed atmosphere. They take their time changing, there's no point rushing.
Hearing the ending whistle for the match before them, Kita gets up and faces his teammates.
"It's time."
Throwing the doors open, the Inarizaki team steps out as they're greeted by the cheers of the whole audience. Paying them no mind, Kita throws his jacket into the basket as they make their way to the court.
"Atsumu!" "ARAN!!!" "Osamu!" "Miya-senpai!!!" "Suna!!"
'So noisy...' Y/N mentally deadpans as the Inarizaki band easily drowns out all other noises in the gymnasium.
"Let's get ready for official warmups." Kita instructs as they all nod.
"Right!"
The official warmups go smoothly as Inarizaki goes through their spiking drills, Y/N notices Karasuno's blonde manager squeak in fear at the power and intensity of Inarizaki's spikes.
"Last one!" Coach Oomi calls as he tosses the ball into the air, only for Atsumu and Osamu to switch places.
"The Soul-Swap Time Difference Attack!" Atsumu calls out as Osamu tosses the ball and Atsumu spikes it down.
"Nice, Miyas!" Someone from the crowd calls as the Osamu holds up his arm and Atsumu waves.
Karasuno starts their spiking drills as the Inarizaki team watches in interest, observing Hinata as he jumps up and spikes.
"Man, that kid can sure jump pretty high, huh?" Ojiro comments as Suna boredly stares at him, not really caring.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Round 2: Inarizaki – Karasuno Match – First Set
Inarizaki [00 – 00] Karasuno
Facing the opposing team, Inarizaki stares at Karasuno as they wait for the match to commence.
FWEET!
"Let's have a good game!"
Smiling at his team, Coach Kurosu nods at them. "We've never played against Karasuno, but I don't think I needa say much. Let's get out there and win this game, show 'em who Inarizaki is."
"Alright!"
Atsumu takes six steps from the end line as the Inarizaki band blasts their theme song, hyping up the crowd. The Karasuno team watches him carefully in anticipation.
FWEET!
The Inarizaki band continues to blast their tunes over the crowd as Atsumu slowly starts to lift his hand.
Keeping his eyes trained on the ground, Atsumu suddenly clenches his fist as the stadium falls into total silence. Everyone holds their breath in anticipation as they all stare at Atsumu.
Taking a deep breath, Atsumu throws the volleyball into the air as he runs up for his spike serve, until he's rudely interrupted.
"Leeeeeet's goooo~!"
"Uh-oh." Osamu mutters as Y/N cringes and facepalms. This will not go well.
Slamming his hand into the ball, Atsumu smashes it between Nishinoya and Tanaka before they can react.
Inarizaki [01 – 00] Karasuno
"NICE SERVE! ATSUMU! NICE SERVE! ATSUMU! LET'S GO! LET'S GO! ATSUMU! GIVE US ANOTHER!"
"Nice serve!" The two girls cheer happily. "Wa! He looked in our direction!"
'Don't interrupt me when I'm serving, you noisy pigs.' Atsumu sneers as they shiver, he turns back to the court for his second serve.
Sighing to herself, Y/N glares at the girls for their stupidity. Who even cheers when the rest of the stadium is obviously silent??
Tossing the ball up for his second serve, Atsumu grins as he smashes it over the net again, aiming between Daichi and Nishinoya.
"Out!!"
The ball bounces just slightly out of bounds as everyone sweats from the power.
Inarizaki [01 – 01] Karasuno
"Damn it!!" Atsumu groans in frustration.
"Boooo." Osamu taunts as Atsumu groans.
"Shut it!" Clicking his tongue, Atsumu scowls at the ground. "My service toss was a lil' bit off."
Karasuno's ace Asahi goes up to serve as he takes a deep breath, trying to compose himself. Before he can get his focus, the Inarizaki cheer squad starts booing him.
Tossing the ball into the air, Asahi jumps up and hits a powerful spike serve, getting it caught in the net.
Inarizaki [02 – 01] Karasuno
"My bad!"
"The two teams have already begun jostling over their dominance of the flow of the game through their powerful serves."
"Well now Habuka-san, for this current match right now I suppose we should all be keeping a close eye on the player who is widely talked about as the Number 1 High School Setter, Inarizaki's Miya Atsumu!"
"Yes, that is correct. Additionally, for this match, I also wish to pay particularly close attention to Karasuno's setter. Karasuno High School's Kageyama Tobio also qualified as a Youth Team Representative and is quite the promising young player. He didn't really stand out during his middle school days. However, I think he is definitely a player who's stock has been steadily on the rise."
"This is truly an East-West Setter Showdown!!"
Taking a big step, Hinata jumps up as everyone gets shocked by the height of his jump, but Suna instantly lines up and jumps to block him.
However, Hinata forgets to hit the ball.
The ball bounces down onto the court as Suna stares at it with dead eyes, looking tired as he realises that he jumped for nothing.
"I forgot... to spike it...!!" Hinata declares in shame as he holds his head in his hands, causing Y/N to inwardly die as she also holds her head in her hands.
"If you can't do both at the same time then don't bother doing it dumbass!" Kageyama yells as Y/N continues to inwardly die from second-hand embarrassment.
"Did he just say... he forgot to spike the ball?" Ojiro asks as Suna nods.
"Yes, he did say that."
'That jump... just now...' Atsumu thinks as Y/N slowly regains her composure and takes a deep breath, analysing Hinata just like Atsumu. 'Are you saying the jumps we've seen so far aren't the highest he can go?'
"Are you saying, he just tried experimentin' with something... while playing against us?" Osamu asks as he looks at Hinata. "One of the favourites to win the tournament?"
"And here I thought Tobio-kun was the type of guy who did as he pleased..." Atsumu mutters. "But it seems like this kid is just as bad."
~~~~~
THIS CHAPTER IS SO LONG BUT THE MATCH IS FINALLY SET IN MOTION 🤩🤩🤩 CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HOW THE MATCH TURNS OUT HAHA 🤩🤩🤩 MUCH FUN 🤩🤩🤩
So what do you all think? So much happening in this chapter huh :)
Fun author fact: My Haikyuu kin is Tsukishima! All my friends that are familiar with Haikyuu know that I'm super similar to Tsukishima... our personalities... :D It's actually to the point that I have friends that call me "Tsukki" O3O and one of my friends says she can't take Tsukishima seriously because every line he says, she can imagine me saying it XD Oh well! :D
Anyway! Who watched the live Schweiden Adlers VS MSBY Black Jackals match?? 🤩🤩 I watched the livestream from beginning to end and let me tell you... I swear I was completely fine... and then they showed the two Inarizaki PV's... and I may or may not have gotten emotional... *head in hands* My boys... I love them so much... I can't wait for the match to be animated ;-; 💖
That being said, you guys already know what's in stall for the next chapters... Don't you? :)
Luckily for you though, it'll alllll be from Inarizaki's perspective! :D Haha much fun!
Anyway! Thanks for reading this super long chapter! This is the second longest chapter so far~ Only a few hundred words short of the Itachiyama match chapter~ =w= So I hope you enjoyed it! OuO And I'm sure... you'll enjoy the next ones too... 😏😏