Chapter Text
Hitoka stands in front of the Karasuno’s Boys Volleyball Club as a potential manager, brought in by the pretty third year that she absolutely couldn’t say no to. It’s terrifying, honestly, being among so many taller guys that could probably squash her like a bug without even trying should she offend them in any sort of way. (Oh no, oh no, oh no.) But one person in particular catches her eye, not only from the bright, vibrant color of her swishing ponytail, but from the fact that there is another girl. Dressed in shorts and a t-shirt and practicing with the boys. Probably helping them practice, but it makes Hitoka wonder why she herself was asked—oh, maybe the other girl was also really new?
Hopefully, because then they could learn together and Hitoka wouldn’t have a chance of running the club to the ground on accident. (She’d never get into another club again and then all the universities and colleges wouldn’t accept her because of it and then she’d be mucking it through life like some high-school drop out with no prospects for the future. Oh no.)
So, if introductions are made, Hitoka misses them as she meets golden honey-brown eyes with her own, darker, chocolate-brown. And Hitoka isn’t really surprised at all to see such lovely features on the other’s face. The third year was so elegantly gorgeous, after all; it made sense to Hitoka that any other female would be the same level of pretty. (Is the prettiness contagious? … Is it bad if she wants to stay to find out?)
(Or they were of the same type of pretty—though the orange-haired girl was lovely in a different sort of way, both were of the starstruck, breathtaking type of good looks that Hitoka’s mother often worked with.)
And, for a moment, she wonders if the other girl would be jealous or upset or not like her (what if she’s the tough type, to be able to deal with all these boys on a daily basis?!) when a pleasantly pitched voice cuts through her thoughts and reaches her ears: “Hi! Are you the new manager!?” And, she seems excited, which is good. But, oh Kami-sama, it means she just wrongfully judged someone and ooooh, she’s going to get karma for this.
“Not yet, Hina-chan,” the strikingly beautiful third-year interjects and Hitoka takes a deep breath and manages to excuse herself at the very first opportunity that she is given. Fortunately, she was not harmed or threatened or picked on, but it is still a very nerve-wracking experience. But, she really hasn’t joined the club yet and her senpai who probably has a fanclub somewhere out there had asked her to join. (Though, oh gosh, what if they get upset if she says no to the beauty? Hitoka cannot, absolutely not, say no now. Unless she wants some hitman after her! (No, she absolutely does not and she’s terrified, thank you for asking.)
And thus, her very first meeting with the Boy’s Volleyball Club ended with Hitoka running away in almost tears. But, thinking that maybe she’ll stick around and see what it’s all about, to see why her pretty senpai (Kiyoko-senpai!) decides to stay and manage such scary boys. Maybe. Maybe.
In the end, Hinata Shoko and Kageyama Tobio find her in class, during free period and feeling as if she’s been left out in the sun for too long, Hitoka can’t really do anything but agree to help them study. But, it’s not bad. Not at all; in fact, Hitoka starts to look forward to those sessions because she’s learning more and more about not only the two first years but the team because Shou-chan (“You can call me Shou-chan, I don’t mind! I’ll call you Hi-chan, m’kay?”) talks so greatly about Karasuno’s boys volleyball club. Kageyama would sometimes input, but sometimes he’d just stay quiet, copy down notes as his cheeks tint pink. (Ohohohoho.)
And when Hitoka learns that Shou-chan is actually a player and not a manager, she’s in disbelief, highly embarrassed and in awe all at the same time. (She freaked out at first, afraid she’d offended her fellow first year, but Shou-chan laughed it off.) And Shou-chan is so bright that she can’t help the warmth that spreads through her veins like fire, can’t help but smile and laugh and forget of all the bad things that could happen even if only for a little while.
It’s kind of easy, afterwards, wanting to join as the new manager. Wanting to stay and see Shou-chan play, toe to toe, spike for spike, against titans.
(And after watching her first practice session, Hitoka is left in awe of the first year only slightly taller than herself matching the boys, spike for spike and thinks, ‘Shou-chan’s flying’ And Hitoka wants to be brave like that too.)
(Hitoka cried, though, when she realized just how much of a Volleyball-head her new friend was—smart enough to get the answers right but distracted enough to put them in one spot off.)
They lose all their games so far and, as expected as it is, Koushi can’t help but be just a bit frustrated. There is no doubt that Karasuno is, currently, the weakest team at the training camp—they all acknowledge it on a nonverbal level because who needs that said aloud? (Takeda-sensei, apparently.) All the diving drills are tiring but they keep going because what else can they do? Karasuno is strong, in their own right, but still not enough. And this hunger, the drive to keep going and never stop, is something that Karasuno has in spades.
So, while they are weak now, Koushi knows that they’ll only get better. Better and better and Koushi really won’t stand for anything else. (And, as Vice-Captain, he won’t let their Captain stand for anything else. Fortunately for the both of them, Daichi is absolutely on the same page.) Asahi, on the other hand, well. Koushi will deal with that negative goatee when the time comes for it.
It’s only when they’re cooling down from, quite literally, completing their eighth lap of diving drills that the doors burst open and a somewhat familiar blonde steps in. Koushi can’t quite place her, but Nishinoya calls out “Nee-san!” before clarifying that it’s Tanaka’s sister, not his own. And yeah, Koushi can see it. From Nekoma, there’s a startled, choked off cry of “they’re multiplying, damn you Karasuno,” from the mohawk-Tanaka of that team. Koushi closes his eyes and, for the moment, decides to ignore that commentary.
Until Kuroo, unsurprisingly, bring attention to their tardy little first years (despite the fact that Kageyama is indeed, taller than Koushi, he is still a kouhai.) that have finally arrived.
“So the stars are showing up fashionably late? How annoying.”
Kageyama is already out of uniform, dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, already ready, but Hinata is decidedly not. (He doesn’t know which he’d have preferred because while Kageyama is, indeed, a volleyball idiot, he is still a boy. And Koushi would rather not have to kill a kouhai, thank you very much.) Their little first year girl is still in uniform, out of breath from the rush to the gym, but arriving in a skirt in a gym full of stupid, dumbass boys and Koushi wastes no time moving forward with a smile that borders on threatening.
Daichi must have the same feeling of foreboding, because his eyes get shadowed as he looks around the gym where, to their irritation, it seems to have been agreed upon for a pause in the practice matches as Karasuno’s first year duo arrive. They’re being sized up and stared at and not at all equally. Kageyama is being sized up but that’s nothing new: ‘King of the Court’ has always brought that attention to their starting setter. The way eyes widen and the cut off shouts of surprise (why? They already knew Hinata was on Karasuno’s team, dammit.) remind Koushi of irritating little flies meant to be squashed.
“Sumimasen!” Hinata sketches a cute little bow for the interruption and Koushi can’t help but inwardly coo at his adorable little kouhai. Round honey eyes blink, head canted to the side just the slightest and Koushi’s there before anyone else. Good.
“Maa, what took you guys so long?” he teases his kouhai, an easy grin that shifts in the blink of an eye, something vaguely threatening to the players that stare at his kouhai. “Suga-senpaaaaiii!” Hinata cries and Koushi just laughs, ushering her forward towards the rest of the team who have taken up the protective circle for their little #10. (Shimizu looks amused, Yachi vaguely terrified and nervous, but Coach Ukai sighs something about ‘damn brats’ while Takeda-sensei just smiles serenely.) As a team, they gather around to usher Hinata to the restroom to change and get ready, Nishinoya accompanying her to the door before whirling around like a soldier, eyes already set in a glare.
Kageyama just switches his shirt right then and there and Koushi is so glad that he waited for Hinata to leave. (Once, just once, Kageyama did that in the middle of the gym and his precious, little Hinata had just about zero qualms following the setter’s example. Needless to say, everyone practically had a heart attack. Fortunately, Shimizu was close enough and quick enough to stop the shirt from rising even more.)
With their full strength, they win their ninth set—a lot of Karasuno’s offensive strength is from Kageyama and Hinata’s quicks. Not to say Karasuno is weak without their first year duo, but they’re not particularly strong. Better than average (for now) but none of them are genius players. (And, it never ceases to amuse him just how bewildered everyone is after witnessing tiny Hinata executing such an attack.) And so training continues; this time they win more than they lose but Karasuno still has to complete diving drills more than any other team.
Of course, Hinata deals the most damage (emotionally) at the end of the day; heading towards the pudding-head from Nekoma with a little skip in her step that has Koushi automatically honing in with a protective stare. (Daichi shivers, feeling as if something bad were about to happen right then.) “Kenma!” her girly voice sounds loud amongst the players as several stare at the bright, vibrant girl. The shy pudding-head only murmurs a softly spoken “hi, Shoko.”
“Let’s hang out, Kenma! I missed you!” she says aloud, and the stupid pudding-head immediately reddens, phone almost falling out of his grip as it feels like silence begins to descend. Koushi feels the immense need to cart his kouhai away from Nekoma. Immediately. “Eh, I—erm—that is—I’m just…going back…to Nekoma’s…room.” ‘Good choice, pudding head.’ Koushi thinks and feels vindictively satisfied at the shiver that creeps up the other’s spine.
“Nekoma’s room!?” And oh. Oh no, Koushi knows where this is going but before he can cut Hinata off, the words have already escaped. “Can I come?” Kami-sama what is he going to do with his tiny kouhai.
“EEEHHHH!?!?!”
“KENMAAAA, YOU SLY DOG—”
“STAY AWAY FROM OUR PRECIOUS KOUHAI YOU—"
“I wanna hang out with the pretty girl too!” (and Koushi cuts a sharp glare at the lanky, tall newbie of Nekoma who snaps his big mouth shut and automatically takes a step back.)
“Nekoma, you BASTARDS—!!”
And the pudding-head that tempts his precious, little kouhai away has nothing to say, face absolutely flaming red by now, along with several other player’s. ‘Stop thinking such thoughts around my kouhai’ the silvery-haired setter can’t help but think, eyes narrowing even as he steps up towards his clueless, clueless kouhai. Who is still waiting on a response from the, it appears, frozen Nekoma setter. Kageyama hollers from where Karasuno was gathering, “Boke! Hinata Boke!!” Koushi can practically feel the jealous scowls aimed at Nekoma right now by sheer proximity.
“Hina-chan,” he interrupts with a smile that holds the sharpened edge of a blade, “why don’t you go with Yachi-san, since you’ll be sharing a room, after all.”
“Oh, ok! But…can I still hang out with Kenma after?” she asks, toe dragging along the floor and looking up with those puppy eyes of hers and Koushi is weak. He sighs, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Well, not alone and not in Nekoma’s room, ‘k?”
“Mm’k! Kenma, let’s hang out—huh?” Hinata turns back to the red-faced setter who is being fretted over by his team, though Yamamoto has tears streaming down his face and Kuroo is just grinning that sly grin of his. “E-eh? Is Kenma ok? Are you sick? Kenma!?” she joins in the fretting and Koushi almost feels bad when she gets close enough to raise a hand to his forehead. Kuroo guffaws as Kenma.exe officially stops working and Hinata gets even more worried over him.
“It looks like Nekoma might be catching something,” Daichi steps forward, eyes shadowed with a barely non-feral curl to his lips. Hinata steps back as Koushi places a gentle hand on her arm. “So, maybe next time, Hinata, ok?” their Captain says to the decoy in a much softer tone and she follows them back to the rest of the team who are practically steaming with how red-faced they are. Dumbasses.
“Feel better Kenma! See you tomorrow!” Hinata, his sweet little sunshine, calls back with a wave and bright eyes. Yachi grabs her other hand and together, the two first year girls head towards Shimizu, who looks on with amused eyes and leads to two younger girls towards the managers’ room. Koushi snaps his eyes back to Nekoma, narrowed and dark and ‘stupid cats’ he can’t help but think, making an ‘I’m-watching-you’ gesture to the team. Because dammit, if the stupid pudding-head is on that team then Hinata will approach anyone on that team without hesitation.
Even that tall, lanky white-haired beansprout.
The rest of the team split their intimidation towards the other teams as well; but Koushi focuses on the main threat: Nekoma. Damn cats.
Tadashi watches as Hinata and Kageyama ignore each other for the umpteenth time that day, quicks all but disappearing as a result of the fight between the two at the training camp. And, he sort of gets it, where Hinata is coming from because didn’t he ask Shimada-san for help for the same reason? Tadashi wants to be better, to get stronger and if he needs to learn how to do a float serve, then he’ll learn how to do a float serve, dammit.
It's a bit unfair of Kageyama to just brush off Hinata’s desire to improve; to be more than just his partner in a freak quick. (Tadashi gets along well enough with Kageyama, but he is unashamed to admit that he is firmly on Hinata’s side. She’d cried, for a moment, after their fight and Tadashi had been the one to sit by her as a shoulder to cry on—and he’d never been the type to hold a grudge but at that moment, it was incredibly hard not to.)
Hinata’s always been a bit awe-inspiring, he can admit that with little jealousy because Hinata makes him want to keep moving forward. For all his mediocrity and fear and timidity, Tadashi wants to be more. And that is, in part, thanks to the tiny slip of a girl who faces opponents more than 30 cm taller not fearlessly, but regardless of it with such a desire to win. Despite all the obstacles in her way. Tadashi is willing to acknowledge the sheer willpower it must take to have the world tell you no and still be able to do it anyways. Tsukki, who had an odd relationship with volleyball, didn’t seem to be immune to the radiance that their sole female player emits either and, as his best friend, Tadashi can’t help but be thankful. Even if Tsukki snarks and insults and teases, the middle blocker would puff up and whine and sass and insult back but never run. Never scorn his best friend who, for his standoffishness, is an incredibly kind person.
And Hinata seems to at least be able to sense it. (For someone who is so oblivious, she’s incredibly insightful; Tadashi doesn’t understand in the slightest how she does it. But she does.)
Tsukki seems irritated as well, insulting the King of the Court more than usual—and Tadashi is petty enough to snicker and add in his own quips here and there. (The team also practically ambushed the genius setter before their next practice on how to treat a girl. Which Tsukki and Tadashi just sat by and watched, fully amused.)
“Ya-ma-gu-chiiii!” a voice that could only belong the Karasuno’s beloved decoy calls as practice begins to end. Tadashi has taken to going over to Shimada-san’s to practice whenever the opportunity arises because, yes, he wants to play. He wants to have something worthy for the team, for their success, for their wins. But it also meant that he and Tsukki haven’t been quite walking home together either. (It feels a bit like the Hinata-Kageyama fight but also, decidedly not because they weren’t fighting. Not really. But that doesn’t mean Tadashi isn’t worried.) He pauses and Tsukki doesn’t hesitate to pull his headphones over his ears and continue on home, alone, tossing a short wave over his shoulder.
Tadashi watches from the corner of his eye, just for a moment, before vibrant orange hair flounces in his direction. “Yeah, Hina-chan?” he asks instead, lips curling into a smile that his friend returns. “You going to practice with Shimada-san again?” she asks, head canting to the side in tandem with her question and he nods in confirmation. He’s not a genius like Kageyama nor is he incredibly inclined and smart like Tsukki, so Tadashi has to work for his skills. Hinata, for all she seems a natural, does too. She’s incredibly athletic, yes, but most of her skills are rudimentary at best and she practices all the time. Makes everything about volleyball, really. (It’s a gift, truly.)
“And you? Are you going to see Ukai-san again?” She nods, eyes burning bright and features set in determination. “I’m gonna fight with my own strength,” she murmurs and Tadashi nods, understanding and, really, they’re two sides of the same coin, aren’t they? And then, as if with a flick of a switch, her features shift into a sly expression that has Tadashi stepping back in suspicion because he’s learning that Hinata can be a little shit if she wants to. “You wanna walk with me and Hi-chan?”
Tadashi sputters, cheeks flushing pink at her innocuous (not with that sly grin they’re not) words. Dammit. Hinata laughs, light and flowy and Tadashi accepts the embarrassment if only because she’s been so intense lately. In a way that made him worry because what happens when fires burn too fast? They go out. And Tadashi is unwilling to see what Hinata looks like should she burn out. “…I feel like you already know this,” he starts, and yeah, she totally does because the little shit just grins up at him with laughter still in her eyes.
“But Shimada Mart is definitely not in that direction.”
Hinata shrugs, tongue sticking out at him and Tadashi has the sudden urge to just pinch it and have her flounder like a fish on a hook. “Eeeehh,” Tadashi definitely rolls his eyes at her dramatics, “I was just asking, Yamakkun,” and he sighs at the inevitable nickname. Well. Better than Kageyama’s at least. “I know what you’re trying to do,” he starts, trying to keep a serious expression but not quite managing it, as he feels the corner of his lips curl upwards without his consent. Dammit.
(And how the heck does she notice this but not when it comes to her?! Seriously, he’s gonna have his hands full with this one.)
“But please, stop it.” She pouts at him with a little “hmph”, cheeks puffed out and Tadashi really can’t help it when he lifts a finger to poke at it. “Yamakkuuuun!” Small hands flail at his own, trying to push his fingers away from her face and hah, payback.
“…Should I go get a senpai again…?” both of them turn to see Yachi watching with a vaguely amused expression. There’s a warmth in his cheeks that he wills away, dropping his hands from poking at Hinata’s face even more. Tadashi doesn’t know how she does it, but in such a short time, Hinata’s been able to help Yachi be less nervous than she was before. Like she somehow siphons away the anxiety and replaces it with something softer and kinder and easier to deal with. And he knows it is Hinata’s doing because, since the training camp in Tokyo, the two have been seen together far more often.
(Or perhaps Yachi’s been caught in Hinata’s orbit as well, pulled towards the bright warmth that gives them the will to be better.)
“Hi-chan!” “Yachi-san” they both greet and Hinata leaves his side to make her way to the other’s side and grab one hand. With a flickering little grin that Tadashi willfully ignores. Little shit. Sometimes he misses the days when she just joined, where the team was trying to figure out how to deal with a girl player and she was figuring out how to deal with the team. ‘But’ he thinks as he waves at the two girls who begin to head in another direction with calls of their own farewells, ‘I don’t think I’d change it.’
(Even with all the headaches he’ll get in the future when dealing with Hinata. And Kageyama. And Tsukki…and just the team, really. (Now he knows how Suga-senpai feels.))
“Princess!” he shouts, drawing the attention of almost every player down in the parking lot, waving a long arm in greeting. He rushes down the last set of stairs and, ignoring the dark, shadowed eyes that watch his every move (creepy.), Lev makes his way directly to the teeny, tiny, pretty little middle blocker of Karasuno. His princess. Who is not only oh so lovely to look at but also oh so incredibly skilled in volleyball and not only did she meet his challenge head-on the first time they met on court, she challenged him and what more could he ask for? Kenma, though, shoots him a piercing stare that feels like steel against his skin and it’s enough to make him almost trip. His senpai are scary, ok?!
“Hi Lev!” the dainty pitch in a loud tone that matched her vibrant hair greets back and he can’t contain his grin anymore. “Did’ya grow since last time, Princess?” he asks, straightening his back from his slouch and gesturing to himself with a thumb, “I grew 2mm!” Hinata Shoko, his lovely little princess, blinks those honey-eyes of hers, once, twice and Lev could look at her all day. “Eeeeh, really?!” she asks, honey eyes looking up at him, wide and surprised and Lev puffs out his chest in pride. “Lev,” Kenma, unfortunately, interrupts and Lev tries to hide the shiver that runs along his spine, “shut up.” Green eyes look away from cat-like gold and Lev can’t help but pout. He wants to speak to his princess is all, ok!
“Well, c’mon then,” Kuroo takes over as the rest of Karasuno gather together where they are, “the rest of the teams are already here.”
“Yup, I finished all my warmups!” he boasts and Shoko shifts her head to look at him and Lev grins, happy to have her attention. “Oooo~” the saccharine tone of his captain makes Lev falter, turning his gaze from his princess’ radiance to a demon in black and red. “Should I add some more sets then, if it’s too easy for you, Lev?” He shakes his head but before he could verbally answer, Karasuno’s Captain speaks up. And what does he have to do with Lev’s training?!
“Aaah, is Nekoma maybe taking it easy, hmm?” it’s said with a smile that absolutely does not match the aura the captain puts out and Lev doesn’t want to look at his own captain to see how much worse he’s gotten. Kuroo smiles and Lev feels like he’s just signed his life away. “Lev,” and he straightens like a soldier to call though it’s disrupted by a small giggle from his Shoko-hime, honeyed eyes alight with the laughter she tries not to let loose.
He beams, proud to have been the reason for her laughter, before dread fills his entire being and oh yeah, his captain was talking to him. Wasn’t he? “I think you should get to the gym to work on those receives with Yaku,” dear god, please no, “and for every minute you’re not there, well,” Kuroo smiles, sly and wide and yup, Lev’s life is on the line here. “I think I’ll be adding five more sets.”
Lev immediately sets off on a run back to the gym Nekoma is practicing in, despair trailing him at the thought of spending all his time practicing receives. “I’ll see you soon, Princess!” he calls back, shouts of indignation following him from her teammates who’re so possessive of her time, really. They get to practice with her all the time dammit, can’t Lev have some time for himself too?! How unfair. (In Nekoma’s gym, Yamamoto sneezes, feeling the sudden need to curse Karasuno out, once again, for having such stunning managers and a cute teammate to boot.)
“See you later, Lev!” she calls out regardless and he laughs, hurrying to practice with their libero. After all, the quicker he gets it done, the more time he’ll have to practice with his princess!
(Later on, during practice, Lev will absolutely feel as if he’s dying with hardly enough energy to continue and, terrifyingly enough, most of it is from Kenma’s hand.)