"Are you excited?" Hoshiko asked. Himura wasn't so sure, remembering what happened yesterday with the volleyball team, she was expecting something weird would happen like before. "Anyways, have you gotten to know some of the members? Maybe Fukunaga-kun?" Emika changed the topic while sipping on her milk box.
Now that she mentioned it, Himura remembered the time with the cats. It caused her to giggle and smile subconsciously, it was not like her other smiles, who were mostly forced, awkward, or a terrifying one. This smile was gentle. "I like that smile of yours, do it more often." Hoshiko and Emika said together with soft voices. "What the fu--"
"You like corny jokes, right?" The blonde asked, she nodded but sort of disagreed with the corny part. "I heard Fukunaga-kun likes jokes, from Kozume."
Himura hummed and rubbed her chin, 'I'll try it.'
"Ehm...can you guys help with something?" Hoshiko suddenly asked.
Both of them perked up and nodded. "Do any of you done the math homework?"
~~~~~~
Looking at herself on the bathroom mirror, Himura was unsure if she was ready to this. She was a second year, wearing the uniform wear students were instructed to wear during their first day on the club. It was a little regret of her to quit the literature club during her first year.
Taking a deep breath, walking to the gym wasn't as hard as she expected. She rarely went there but still remembered the gym was. Usually, she picked up both of her friends from their club at the gym, without any member noticing, it was located on the other side of school.
She peeked inside the gym and saw the boys already practicing. It gave her a hint of nostalgia when she saw some of the members practicing spiking the balls.
Suddenly, everything went dark. "Agh! I messed up!!" Someone yelped. Himura opened her eyes and saw a pair of green eyes looking straight her. "A-are you okay?" He asked worryingly. "Damn it, Lev! You injured our manager!!" Taketora screamed.
Himura stood up and dusted her uniform, looking at the tall boy with silver hair and green eyes called "Lev", who coincidentally the boy she saw cheering the team from the substitutes.
"Himura-chan, you're not hurt are you? Who am I kidding, you get hit by the ball." Taketora ran up to her and checked on her. "Do this again and you'll be dead meat, Lev." The silver haired exclaimed an apology again.
"I'm fine, Tora." Himura spoke up.
Taketora stopped and slowly turned deep red. This was his first time hearing her voice, it sounded like a young boy. 'Shit...'
"Ah, Sara-kun, come in." Naoi called to her.
As she stepped inside and waved at everyone, the boys all had sparkly, pinkish purple aura around them. "Sorry, it's been the first time a girl has entered the gym in a long time." Naoi apologized on the behalf of them and escorted her to Nekomata.
When she saw the expression of the elderly coach, he was chuckling and smiling. "You came. Welcome." He greeted her. "Since it's your first day here, I'll let you watch them practice for the day. Tomorrow you'll start helping." Himura understood and watched the practice close to the coaches.
It's been a few minutes since she arrived at the gym, Himura was growing more interested in it. Nekomata noticed. "So have you had any experience in volleyball before?" Nekomata asked. Hesitantly, Himura admitted she played during her middle school. "Wing spiker, sir." Nekomata wasn't as surprised, he was pleased. "Good, because I have something I'm planning to do with a wing spiker."
"Himurran!" Kuroo called to her.
She went there and saw Kuroo holding two bottles. "Since you're starting as our manager, why don't you try to fill the bottles with water? I bet Yamamoto and Inuoka would love some feminine touch to their drinks." He scornfully giggled, looking at the two members.
Himura did what she was instructed. First, she gave one to Kuroo then she has to introduce herself to the others she haven't met, mostly the first years.
Avoiding some balls, she walked to the direction of some first years talking to each other. When she got there, they were really tall, one was shorter than her a bit. They were blushing too. "Himura-san, right?" One asked and she nodded, giving them they're bottles.
"T-thank you!" The shorter one said, he has jet black hair and blue eyes, looks very delicate too. "I-I'm Shibayama Yuuki..." Himura smiled and ruffled his hair, by instinct. She just thought of Shibayama as a cute boy, whom she wants to be the older sister of.
"H-huh? She touched your hair?" A tall brunet gawked. Himura looked at him and tilted her head, she found him very nice and cheerful too. "Inuoka Sou, thank you for the drink, Sara-san!" Without even thinking of how he knew her name, Himura nodded.
The other one had light grey hair and thick eyebrows. Himura had to admit he looks like a kitten to her. "Thank you, Himura-san. I'm Teshiro Tamahiko, first year.." Both Inuoka and Teshiro were taller than her but that doesn't stop her to be soft on them. She smiled and ruffled both of them, where Inuoka voluntarily bowed down. 'Why are the first years so cute!!' She internally squealed.
"Lev, can you not swing your arms like that?" Kenma asked.
Himura gave his bottle and he silently nodded as a thank you. "Himura, I see you have a soft spot for the first years." Kai asked her. "Maybe you can help Yaku and Kenma with this one." She looked at the first year and it was the tall silver haired, she thought he was a third or at least a second year.
When Yaku noticed the girl walking up to them, he smiled and soon turned a frown. Himura waved at the first year and he immediately got flustered. "H-hello, Himura-san, I'm sorry again for hitting you." She acknowledged it and wondered why Yaku needed help with Lev, he seemed tall and to be a great player.
"Lev, say your name. That's not how you talk to girls." Yaku scowled and crossed his arms.
"Ah, I'm Haiba Lev." The first year bowed at her. "And I'm gonna be Nekoma's ace!"
Suddenly, Taketora appeared behind them and with dark aura and grasped Lev's shoulder. "Wha'choo say about taking my title, bruh?" Lev doesn't seemed to be scared at all.
"Stop it, Tora." Yaku sighed and walked off with Himura. "Sorry, you'll get used to it." Himura doesn't care that much about it and sent her a thumbs-up. Something that Yaku noticed about her was, her hair. It was short. 'Stop, she's your kouhai.'
~~~~~~
While watching them practice, Nekomata told Himura everything she will do as a manager.
"You'll help us with coaching and maybe talking about some strategies with Kuroo, fill up the bottles, get the towels ready, and you can provide food for them too."
Himura nodded and remembered something Emika told her. "Is there any request you like to make?" Naoi ask. She does. "Does the jerseys need cleaning?" Both coaches were surprised by it. Nekomata suddenly chuckled and ordered Naoi to get something for them.
"Himura-san!" Lev ran quickly to her. He quickly leaned to her and smiled foolishly. "Did you know that Inuoka has a crush on you?"
"Lev!!" Inuoka chased him around.
Himura was pleasantly surprised, she was never been confessed to by anybody or has a crush on her. Maybe because she scares anyone she's a stranger to. Inuoka of all people.
"Stop it, you two!!" Kuroo yelled from across the gym.
Kai chuckled beside her, who was still shocked. "Young love." He said while stilling chuckling.
The gym was chaos.
"What is going on here?" Naoi stepped inside to see the boys, in utter chaos. "Go back practicing!"
"Yes sir!"
Finally, he got a box filled with something. Himura was handed the box by him and Nekomata suggested not to smell what was inside. She smelt it anyways and man, they were those stinky jerseys. 'These smell like shit!' Himura went to the corner and took some fresh air. "Hohoho, I told you not to smell them." Nekomata laughed hysterically. Naoi checked up on her and she sent a thumbs-up. "What do you think they smell like, Sara?" Nekomata asked her. Himura frowned and glared at the box, "Shit."
The elderly coach just laughed more.
~~~~~~
The day has ended and Himura was finally accepted into the club.
"Himura, have you played volleyball before?" Yaku asked her. Himura was hesitant to answer again and ended up rubbing her dark brown hair. "Is that a yes?"
"Why don't you give it a try?" The libero suggested but she declined politely.
"Sara-san, I heard you were a wing spiker from Amemori-senpai!" Inuoka chimed in, giving her a sense of regret to tell Emika. Yaku smirked and raised his eyebrow, "See? Wanna give it a try?"
Himura kept declining but Inuoka and Fukunaga dragged her to the court. "C'mon, I wanna see Sara-san play!" Inuoka said cheerfully. 'That's so sweet of him!!' Himura clenched her chest.
"Are you sure you to do this, Himura-chan?" Kenma asked and got one of the balls. Himura gave an OK sign to him and he just sighed.
Kenma tossed the ball and Himura immediately sprinted. She jumped and the jump wasn't high as she expected it would be. In the process she missed the ball.
"Again!" She shouted.
That was unexpected...
Everyone in the club paused and some even have red cheeks from it, it was their first time hearing her voice. It sounded like a child, a boy specifically. "One more." Taketora gave the ball to Kenma, who was creeped out by the ace's sudden change of mood.
He tossed it again, this time it was pretty low. Himura sprinted and jumped...
She hit it!!
Before she can pump her fist like usual, she was scooped up by one of the boys into a hug. Himura turned her copper eyes to him and it was Inuoka. 'He's so precious!!'
"Congratulations, Sara-san!" He said.
"Oi, Inuoka! Don't come for our manager like that!!" Taketora yelled and pulled her down from the hug. Himura just giggled and slapped his back, to his surprise, it was harder than he expected.
Fukunaga let his hand out and high-fived with her like yesterday, "Good job, Ebi-chan." It made here smile by the nickname.
"Oi, you never say that to yourself!" Taketora yelled again.
Kenma just muttered something but no one can hear him.
"Himurran, catch!" Kuroo tossed something to her, it was a jacket. The uniform. It was differs from the girl's, it was red rather than cream and no stripes on the side. The name was in bold letters rather than the kanji too. Perfect. "You're an M, right?" Himura put it on and realized the sleeves were a little too big but she'll grow into it.
"It looks very beautiful on you!" Taketora complimented her.
When she looked back to Fukunaga, he was wearing his own jacket and rolled the sleeves. She made an 'o' shape and rolled her own sleeves. Himura high-five him again and this time she made it repeatedly, she was just so happy she was accepted.
It was a surprise to some that this quiet girl would be similar to Taketora.
Fukunaga was left with red hands by Himura.
"Himurran!! Wait until he marries you!" Kuroo screamed.
"I don't wanna get married."
"You don't know that!"
Taketora suddenly went Fukunaga with wiggling fingers. "So you have her scent, can I high-five you?" Fukunaga shook his head and ran out the gym, with the ace following him.
Himura was confused.
~~~~~~
Walking to the gym, Himura suddenly heard her name being called. It was Inuoka from all people.
"Fukunaga-san is still being chased by Taketora-san." He joked. "I want to ask you,"
"What do you smell like?"
Himura was taken aback. Yesterday was a weird day, now this. What life is she living?
Inuoka tilted his head, still asking the question.
Himura sighed and let him smell the jacket. He sniffed it and came to the conclusion, "You smell like a house cat."
"C'mon! C'mon! Just kill it already, you shitty malware!!" Emika yelled at her own phone, scaring Fumi and Hoshiko.
"Y-y-you must l-like that game, don'tcha, Akabane-chan?" Fumi asked hesitantly and still latched onto Hoshiko who was taller, "Yeah...your screams m-must've been so loud the g-game must've updated...!" Hoshiko nodded in an agreement with Fumi.
Emika stomped her feet repeatedly and glared at her friends, the nasty glare scared the hell out of the two wing spikers. "This player is really getting on my nerves. They've been really adamant to defeat me." They pretended to understand what she was saying, since everytime Emika got pissed off, especially if it's video games, she'll use big words that only one of their teammate could understand (which the girl wasn't even there).
"Riiiiiiight...well I better get going, my sisters are getting their teeth check with the dentist today and I have to pick them up. See ya!" Fumi waved at the two and scurried away.
"Yeah, I should get going too. Sora might be out of school now." Hoshiko excused herself and ran as fast as she could before Emika threw something at her for losing another game.
Losing another game to the anonymous gamer, Emika gritted her teeth and pulled her pigtails. "I almost got the highest score!"
"High...score?"
She flinched and squeaked. Emika knew that voice, that hushed voice. When she turned her eyes to her shoulder, there he was. "Ko-Kozume-kun...!!" The fear she had overwhelmed her and she started to take a few steps back. "Wh-what are you doing here? Aren't y-you supposed to be with Kuroo-san?" Kenma shook his head and hid face with his dyed blonde hair, it gave the fear Emika had since her childhood effected her. 'Sa-Sadako...!!'
"Akabane-chan...what's the high score...?" Emika hummed as a response and walked a few steps closer to Kenma, but sticker kept a distance with him. "Pardon?" Kenma sighed and pointed at her phone. "Are you playing a game?"