The spiker would toss me a ball and approach the net as i was setting it to them, once they hit it either Daichi or Nishinoya would dig it, trying to get it to the ball cart on their side.
This system worked out pretty well and Daichi was able to help me out a bit with my form and the spikers were able to communicate how they wanted the ball set.
By the end of the practice i could feel a bead of sweat run down my back. Maybe I should start wearing shorter sleeved outfits to practice if I'm going to be moving around.
"You did great Sakai." Daichi said across the net from me.
"Oh, thank you." I bowed with my head and started picking up the stray balls around the court.
"You said you were a wing spiker in middle school, right?" Asahi said, helping put balls in the cart.
I hate to admit it but i was still a bit cautious around Asahi, "Yeah, I was."
"I wanted to practice my sets a little, if you wanted to spike."
I furrowed my eyebrows, "Why do you want to practice sets? You shouldn't have to worry about it much as an ace."
Asahi scratched the back of his head, "Well I know how nice it feels getting to spike and I'm sure you do too, so i thought it might be cool if we switched positions."
"Oh so I get to be the ace of Karasuno?" I smirked.
He furrowed his eyebrows, "We'll just have to see how good you are." He smiled, grabbed a ball off the floor and threw it at me.
I caught it and tilted my head. I noticed the other boys had left already. They must have cleaned up what they needed to.
"Just like we were doing earlier, there's just no one to receive it this time." he explained.
I nodded and tossed him the ball. It's been a while since I've spiked. I can't even remember the way the ball felt on my hand or the steps i have to take to the net.
I watched him set and started my approach, I jumped and closed my eye and swung waiting in anticipation of the ball hitting my hand.
But it never did, however it did hit me on the side of the head.
I caught the ball on my descent back to the floor and looked at it for a second before looking back up at Asahi who looked like he was going to jump out the window.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention to when you were-" I cut him off with a laugh.
His eyebrows raised then he smiled as well.
"Sorry, it's been a long time since I've hit, let's do another." I waved it off and tossed him a ball.
He caught it, still watching me, "I didn't hurt you, did I?"
The attention made my ears red, "Yeah, no worries. I've been hit worse."
He nodded and threw the ball back to me.
This time I watched the ball and made my approach.
Step, step, stop, jump, HIT!
"I HIT IT!" I exclaimed looking at my hand.
"There's some progress!" Asahi cheered with me.
"It was weak, let's do it again." I tossed the ball, watched him set, took my approach and hit it again. It felt the same though.
I frowned a little and looked to him for help, "It still felt weak." I held my hand open, just as it was when I hit the ball.
His eyebrows raised when he noticed that I was basically asking for help, "Oh! Well when you swing you're not swinging through all the way, it looks like you're stopping almost right after you hit it. So when you hit the ball you want it to look like this."
He demonstrated going all the way through with the spike and I copied him, "Like this?"
"Kinda. You're going all the way through but if you move your arm like that you might hurt it," He picked my arm up and swung it, as if he were hitting the ball, "Feel the difference?"
I felt the way my shoulder was moving a bit different and nodded, "Let's try it again then."
Asahi and I practiced for about ten more minutes before I called it a night. The ten minutes of spiking had me sweating harder than thirty minutes of setting.
"Thank you for setting for me. and for helping me with my spikes, I really missed spiking." I smiled, remembering my middle school days.
"No problem. It was fun, plus it was a nice way to cool down." He said taking down the net.
I walked over to the other side and started loosening it up, "I heard you had just come back yesterday. Volleyball has been going on for around a month now, hasn't it?" I spoke up from the other side of the room.
He was quiet for a moment, "I let my team down last year. I was ashamed of it. I wouldn't have come back if it wasn't for those crazy first years."
"The short one and the angry one?" I asked, Taking off a loop.
He chuckled, "Yeah, those two. they've got a lot of energy in them. It made me miss the game. That's why I asked if you wanted to spike. There's something different about spiking, I don't know how to explain it..." he looked at his hand.
"The rush of energy after landing a hit that you watched people try to receive?" I let the net fall on the floor and picked up the nets' spider, "You're right. It's different watching the spike than it is feeling it hit your hand. I'll do what it takes to win though, even if it means just being a cog that pushes the clock to move its hands."
"You sound like Mr. Takeda." He smiled.
I rolled my eyes and put the net and ball cart in the storage room. I looked in the corner and saw a broken mop, I stared at it for a second until Asahi came in with the pole cart. I moved some stuff for him so it would fit easily and walked out.
We didn't say much to each other as we walked to our respective club rooms, and the same when we were walking out to the road.
"I'll see you tomorrow." I said starting to walk towards my house.
"Um yeah... well actually I live the same direction so..." Asahi said, following.
I looked back at him and nodded, expecting him to catch up with me. To my surprise he didn't. He walked behind me and when i looked back again he seemed to be trying his best to look anywhere but me.
"You look like a creep when you follow me like that." I said with a laugh.
Asahi had a pained expression on his face, "Right..." He caught up with me.
"Don't tell Tanaka or Nishinoya but I'm sure you're doing a much better job at intimidation." I grimaced, remembering all the times they would walk me home.
"Oh... do I look that unapproachable?" He sulked.
I shook my head, "No, you just look more mature. Especially with that goatee."
He scratched it, "That makes me feel a little better..."
"This is me." I said, stopping beside the store, "Thank you for setting for me again. And thank you for walking me home, even if you didn't have much of a choice."
Asahi waved it off, "Sorry I made it a little awkward."
I shook my head even though it was a little awkward, "I'll see you tomorrow." I waved and entered through the side door, he waved back.
I closed the door and trudged up the stairs, a bit tired still. My eyes flew open when i remembered my homework. I let out a long groan and threw my stuff down on the couch, the smell of food wafting through the air.
I walked into the kitchen and saw my dad sleeping on the table that had been set. A pan sat on the stovetop still covered with a lid.
I took the plates from the table and served us each some food.
I nudged him awake and sat the plate in front of him, "Thank you for making dinner." I sat beside him.
He smiled and pat my head, "Eat well kiddo."
09/07/20
Wc: 1415
unedited
A/n i start school tomorrow,,, online school. rlly worried but i've got a friend who is gonna facetime me during the classes :D