Finally, the week of the Spring Interhigh Qualifier has arrived. You were anxious, especially since Tsukishima had told you about their loss against Aoba Johsai, or Seijoh, as they call it. Not only that, you were told that Karasuno first had to fight two teams before they could play against Seijoh. The world of sports and volleyball tournaments was a new territory, but it doesn't stop you from supporting your friends and boyfriend.
As usual, you stood with Yachi along the audience side of the court, just right above the players. It was nice to have someone with you to get anxious and excited every time Karasuno scores a point. The first two games were a lot harder than last month's. It shows how the weakest of teams get eliminated and the strongest remain in the same spot and it's damn brutal. Throughout every match, you felt all sorts of emotions: anxiety, nervousness, happiness and excitement. It was a feeling unlike any other. Had you never met Tsukishima, you might not even have an interest in the sport. The most shocked you felt was when Daichi accidentally injured himself. You were worried not only for him but for the team as well. Fortunately, they managed to pull through, which resulted in a long sigh of relief from you and Yachi.
In the afternoon, it was time for the long-awaited game. Hinata and Kageyama have been preparing so hard for this one game. The struggles they had in the training camp proved so, and so did the rest of the team. You jittered, waiting for your boyfriend at the staircase near a secluded area. Tsukishima told you not to arrive early, he stated that you might end up waiting for a while. But, of course, you did the opposite of what he had told you.
"F/n-chan!!" Yachi and Yamaguchi greeted from above the stairs. You turned around and put on the biggest smile on your face. Walking toward them, you gave both of them a hug and laughed. The team greeted you as well, and Tanaka had to jump into your arms to fake his tears. Apparently, he had to lose around two-thousand Yen for making that stupid deal. You could only laugh, provided that it was indeed a stupid deal. He also went on a tangent about how it felt impossible that out of all of them, Tsukishima was the first to have a girlfriend. You shook your head and chuckled, making your way toward Yamaguchi and Yachi.
"You guys nervous?" you questioned. Tsukishima appeared from behind with the same smug smile and crossed his arms.
"Definitely not as nervous as Hinata. Look, dude's all pale and white." His long finger pointed toward the orange-haired boy. Yamaguchi smiled and shook his head.
"Well, we're definitely more prepared than last time. Right, Tsukki?" Yamaguchi asked excitedly. The blonde only shrugged his shoulders and slightly nodded.
"I guess?" he replied. He then looked at you, which the other two took as a cue to leave.
"Well, F/n-chan, if you need anything I'll be here!" Yachi beamed with energy and waved her hand, and then, the freckled boy followed her after.
"Are you nervous?" you teased, emphasizing the word. Tsukishima raised a brow and smirked.
"Nah." For an odd reason, you weren't satisfied with his reply and there was a brief moment where you wanted to tease him for it. Instead, you held his hand and the coldness of his skin was obvious enough that he was indeed nervous.
"We can talk downstairs," you kindly suggested. The boy eyed his team and noticed they were busy so a simple nod from him was a good enough reply. Tsukishima sighed and closed his eyes, even though his face might now show it, he was genuinely nervous and you found that adorable. A smile appeared on your face as you gently grasped his cold hand.
"Look, I don't know how to make you less nervous but I can give you some words of motivation?" you said, raising a brow and a smile.
Tsukishima furrowed his blonde brows and chuckled. "I can assure you. That won't work."
Hearing his words, your lips turned into a frown. "Damn, you are brutal," you confessed. Which was half-true. Tsukishima's bluntness sometimes puts a frown on your face but you understand that it's in his nature. An idea popped into your head, albeit a sly one. You showed him a teasing smile and tapped on your lips.
"I can... give you a kiss," you joked. A chuckle escaped your mouth upon realizing how embarrassing the idea sounded. To your dismay, the idea seemed to have interested your boyfriend.
"You're the one offering so who am I to decline?"
"I was joking," you shyly replied.
Tsukishima raised a brow and pushed the rim of his glasses upward. "Okay. Nevermind then." He shrugged, a condescending smile lit up his face.
You had no choice but to go along with it. Rolling your eyes, you raised your feet off the ground and pressed your pink lips on his cheek-- in an attempt to tease him. The teasing worked against your will, as Tsukishima immediately held your chin and placed his soft limps unto yours. It lasted for two seconds, three seconds, four seconds and more. The sensation of his warmth pressing against your chest was unlike any other. As you pulled apart, the expression on your face caused Tsukishima a laugh or two.
"I have to do everything around here," he teased, paired with a smug look on his face. Your heart pounded extremely fast, who knew Tsukishima had the guts to do it in front of many people? The heat on your face made his effect on you extremely obvious. After a couple more teasing from him, he finally went back to his team with a slight smile on his face.
You arrived at the benches with Yachi. Loud and boisterous cheers could be heard from a mile away. Seijoh was prepared-- really prepared. They even had a cheer team representing them. It was a much different environment compared to the last four games. This was a telltale sign that this match was the real deal and that Karasuno has made it this far into the tournament. Aside from Yachi, three complete strangers arrived beside you. One introduced themself as Tanaka's sister, which honestly, surprised you.
The game began and needless to say, the pressure was heavy. The first serve from the opposing team made you held your breath but luckily, Daichi received it. A sigh of relief was all you could muster up in response to that serve. The first set was intense, like always. You cheered so hard whenever your boyfriend would make successful one touches or commit blocks. However-- like all good things, it came to an abrupt end. You were dumbfounded when Seijoh exchanged one player, and just from afar, you could tell he was trouble. It put a giant stop to the momentum that Karasuno had built.
"B-but they're at 23-24! H-how..." You panicked. Who the hell places a new player when the other team is at a match point? That's like asking to lose, you thought. Yachi gulped and was clearly panicking as well. The two men beside Tanaka's sister sighed in unison.
"Damn. They really want to change their momentum this desperately?" one of them complained. There may be a strategy behind it that you weren't aware of, but you can't help feeling hopeful that Karasuno might take the first set. Luckily, they did. The point of the man who had just entered the game turned out to be out of bounds-- and no amount of 'Thank Goodness' could equate to how nervewracking it was. No matter how many sighs of relief you let out from your mouth, it still didn't make you feel better.
The second set took place and it wasn't any better. You wanted to rip your hair out due to Seijoh's number 16. Seriously, his attacks were reckless and violent but one thing was sure-- he always scored the points. At one point, he had done an attack that you've never seen before and it kind of wrecked your brain a little. Just how do these athletes do it? When all hope was lost, one familiar man with dark-green hair walked toward the court. It was Yamaguchi, and it was his time to shine. You screamed so hard with Yachi when your dearest friend had finally made a service ace, then a two, and a third one. You were happy, extremely happy for him. But unfortunately, Karasuno lost their second set. Much to your dismay.
"Oh, come on!" you exclaimed, letting out an annoyed grunt after Seijoh's first point was made for the third set. The pressure was the heaviest now. All you could do was pray to the Gods that they take the last and final set. Mid-game, your heart was already beating at an extremely fast rate. Your eyes turned to Tsukishima, who then turned to you, and surprisingly a smile appeared on his face. It was enough to comfort your troubled thoughts and have hope. They will win this, you thought. With his confidence in the team, they will.
And they did.
Loud cheers and applause filled up the stadium as Karasuno made their last winning point. You cheered loudly, hugging Yachi as the boys fell into shock. Less than a few seconds later, they all celebrated by knocking each other unto the ground. You released the largest sigh of relief after seeing them happy.
After the game, you ran your way toward Karasuno. With all the pent up energy, you released it unto your boyfriend by giving him the biggest hug you could give. It didn't matter if he was all sweaty and tired, you were too damn happy to care about it. Expecting a word of complaint from him, you moved away and sheepishly smiled. Surprisingly, the gentle smile on his face left the team in awe.
"Damn, I want a hug from my girlfriend too!" Tanaka exclaimed and slammed his chest with a fist, acting pained from the sight. Daichi and Sugawara laughed at the second year and patted his shoulder.
"How about getting one first, Tanaka-san?" teased Tsukishima. To which the upperclassmen immediately rejected.
"Damn you!" You laughed, all you could do was laugh after the intense match. You then went toward Yamaguchi and gave him a hug as well. If it was anyone else, Tsukishima would have already flamed the boy but since it was his best friend, all else was fine.
"Congratulations Yamaguchi! Your service aces were super awesome." You raised your thumb and smiled brightly. Next, you moved unto the infamous duo.
"Hinata, Kageyama, you two were super awesome too!" Hinata blushed at your compliments while Kageyama thanked you for it.
"Tanaka-senpai, Nishinoya-senpai, no one could beat you two!" You grinned and nodded. The two upperclassmen grinned proudly and puffed their chests.
"Of course!" they said in unison. You then moved on to the third years and smiled proudly.
"Asahi-senpai, Sugawara-senpai, and Sawamura-senpai, you were amazing as well!" They smiled and let out shy laughs. No one had ever complimented them this aggressive before but it was greatly appreciated. Of course, you complimented everyone else on the team with bright smiles. Although it wasn't like you to be this positive, you wanted to return the favour by doing so. The team had seriously made a positive impact on your life even for a little.
It was a beautiful sight to see, for Tsukishima at least and he was damn grateful you chose him, though his face never shows it. He has doubts every now and then, but your words of reassurance were the only thing that keeps him sane. You were far from annoying, and he wanted to tell you that.