𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖

ix - first set

"The practice match between Karasuno High and Aoba Johsai High will now begin," The referee called.

"Let's have a good match!" The two team bowed before getting into their positions.

"That midget's playing middle blocker?" Kindaichi scrutinized at Hinata. "You can't be serious.."

"It really is Kageyama," Iwaizumi squinted with a hand shielding his eyes from the light. "What's he doing at Karasuno?"

"Beats me."

"Pull yourself together, Hinata!" Daichi practically pleaded.

"Hai!" He shrieked. "I'll do my best to pull myself together!"

"The only thing you're doing is regurgitating what's said to you with a petrified face," Crow scowled as he switched in for Tsukishima.

"That's not...Look, just calm down."

"Hey, Hinata!" Kageyama yelled. "You get it, don't you?" He asked as the ginger flipped to face him. "Play like you did during the three on three."

"I-I get it!"

"Do you?" Everyone was doubtful. However, that doubt was put to the side as it was Aoba Johsai's serve.

"Give us a good serve, Matsukawa!" The team called as he served a standing float.

"Okay, I got this," Daichi positioned himself, only for Hinata to come hurtling out of nowhere and send the ball flying.

"Are you retarded? That clearly wasn't yours!" Kageyama gaped at the ginger.

"I'm sorry!"

"I got it," Crow shouted, his hands up. Kageyama's eyes widened as the ravenette sent one of the most beautiful sets he'd seen in his life to Tanaka, only for it to be shut down by a three-man wall.

"Ack, sorry!" Tanaka apologized. "That was a really nice set, Crow."

"No problem," The ravenette replied, not really seeming surprised. "It's not easy going against three guys, but you'll get the next one."

"Right!" The cueball perked right back up.

"Don't worry about it," Daichi tried to calm the very-blue-faced Hinata as he shook in terror. "Hinata, calm down and look around you."

"I'm sorry!" He bowed to Kageyama, which made Crow raise an eyebrow. Why wouldn't he bow to Daichi, the person talking to him? Why specifically the setter? Kageyama seemed just as confused as he gaped at him. By the end of the first set, the deranged ginger had even taken out the referee stand at one point.

The moment he bumped into Crow was the moment Hinata saw Jesus. "Bump into me again and we're gonna have a problem," The ravenette had glared at him, reducing him to a puddle of nerves and apologies. At the very least, though, they'd gotten that point since Crow was not easy to run over.

"Enough with the nerves already, damn it!" Kageyama yelled as he fisted Hinata's shirt angrily, the ginger practically crying.

"I'm sorry!" He cried. "Give me one more chance!"

"Alright," Daichi called, getting the team's attention. "Let's make a comeback, one point at a time!" He glanced back. "Who's serving next?"

Immediately upon discovery, he turned blue. Crow was sitting on the bench as Hinata had the ball in his hands, being the next server. It went as one would expect, somewhat. The ball didn't go over the next. The one thing that made Crow laugh out loud was the fact that the ball hit Kageyama square in the back of the head.

Thus, at 25 to 13, with Crow laughing his ass off on the bench, Aoba Johsai won the first set.

Suga was concerned that Crow wasn't breathing enough. He was turning slightly blue from lack of air as he continued to sort of dry heave a laugh.

"Hey, is your head okay?" Tanaka laughed at Kageyama.

"Boom, headshot!" Tsukishima joined in.

"Quit adding fuel to the fire!" Suga yelled from the sidelines.

"Knock it off, you guys!" Daichi shouted as the other team lined up on the endline. Suddenly, Kageyama turned and started stalking towards the ginger. "Hey, Kageyama..." The captain wasn't sure what to make of this action.

"M-m-m-matte!" Hinata held his hands up in defense, backing up five steps for every one step Kageyama took until he was practically against the wall. "Let's talk this out! Kageyama! Hey..." He saw Jesus for the second time that day in that moment.

"You know.." The setter mumbled once he was standing a few centimeters away from the ginger.

"Hai?"

"What is it that's making you so nervous?" He demanded, leaning closer threateningly. "Is it our opponents' size? Or because it's your very first practice match?"

Hinata was sweating bullets. "There's something you find scarier than hitting a serve into the back of my head," Kageyama raised his hand, his eyes sharp as he smacked the back of his head. "What is it?"

"I can't think of anything," The ginger admitted, looking soulless.

"So," The setter hit the back of his head again, and again, as he spoke. "There's no reason for you to be nervous anymore, is there? I mean, you've already gone and done the worst thing possible. In that case," He pointed at him, then at the court. "Hurry up and go back to normal, dumbass!"

"Huh?" Hinata gaped as the setter made his way to line up. "I got away with that?"

"What are you talking about?" He raised an eyebrow angrily. It was at that moment that Hinata finally realized he could get away with anything, and his nerves went out the window. Thus, the two teams lined up and bowed, and then Hinata got ripped into by Tanaka as Crow was finally done laughing.

"Shouldn't you stop him?" Takeda looked concerned over Tanaka and Hinata, but Suga just smiled.

"Oh, hai. I think we're good," He responded.

"Listen up," Tanaka suddenly sounded smart, causing Crow to glance over at him along with everyone else. "In volleyball, everyone on your side of the court is your ally, without exception!" He exclaimed. "So what if you suck? Go ahead and cause trouble for us! Hold us back! Making up for all those things is our job as your teammates and upperclassmen!" The cueball grinned.

"Ooooh!"

"Now show me some respect!"

"Tanaka-senpai!"

"Do it again!"

"Tanaka-senpai!"

"I bet he just wants to be called senpai," Suga deadpanned as Daichi came to stand next to him.

"Yeah, demo," Daichi smiled. "He's being a huge help. A speech like that is only effective when delivered by someone who always speaks his mind. If Crow told him that, it might terrify Hinata even more."

"Fair," The person in question took a swing of his water bottle. A few moments later, the second set started.

"Hey, teach me how to hit a serve at some's head after the match," Kindaichi whispered to Hinata, who grimaced.

"Me too," Tsukishima smirked from the sidelines.

"Give us a good serve, Asahi," Daichi called as the ace served. They got it up and sent to to Kunimi, whose hit Crow passed easily.

"Take care of it, Kageyama!"

"Hai!" he said as he got under the ball. "Nice pass!"

"Set it to the left!"

"Go right!"

He went to Hinata, but it didn't go straight to his hand. Crow didn't look surprised. Of course the first actual quick they try in the game will fail. "You better spike sets like that, lest you incur the king's wrath," The turnip-head advised with a smirk.

"Hinata," Kageyama called, causing the ginger to flinch.

"Here it comes."

"My bad," Kageyama held his hand up as he apologized, then moved on. "I set that too high."

"Kageyama..." The two starters that had gone to Kitagawa First were stunned. "Apologized?"