𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖

xli - signals

"Suga," Asahi spoke up right before Crow was about to. "Give me the next ball. I'll make it count."

The setter gaped after the ace for a moment, then his face morphed into a bright smile. "Right!" Sure enough, the ace did, in fact, make it count by blasting the ball through the block and getting the point. After that play, a substitution was called with Kageyama holding Suga's number.

Crow was coincidentally close enough to hear what the older setter said to the younger one. "I hate to say it, but.." He trailed off as he took his number out of Kageyama's hand, glancing back at the court. "Hinata looks completely different when he's hitting your sets," Then he smiled. "I'm sure you're already aware of this, but everyone on our team is good at what they do."

"Right," The first year agreed with a nod.

"Okay, then go wi--" Suga paused, then clasped Kageyama's shoulder. "Let's win this." With that, the substitution finished.

"Oh, uh, Crow-san," Kageyama quickly turned to the ravenette, who raised an eyebrow at him. "Coach said to start doing the modified six-two with me."

"Sure thing," He gave him a thumbs up. The two headed over to the others, all of whom were looking at the setter sort of expectantly. Thus, he smiled.

Crow shuddered and facepalmed.

"What are you up to?!" Hinata backtracked all the way to the other side of the court. "I won't let you!"

"Hinata, you're acting too scared!" Tanaka reprimanded.

"Shoyo, he's not up to anything!" Nishinoya contributed.. "He's trying to smile!" Then he added. "I think!"

"I think it's rude, Nishinoya!"

"HINATA YOU'RE DEAD MEAT!"

"Nice try buddy," Crow patted the setter on the back, who flinched as his face morphed from anger at Hinata to processing his upperclassman's words. "Keep working on it, we have all the time in the world. Now go serve it up."

"Uh, okay!" He agreed. A line judge tossed him the ball, to he caught it. "Thank you."

"Did you hear about the signals from Sugawara-san?" Hinata questioned, no longer scared or skittish.

"He told me between sets," The setter replied, then held up his fist.

"All right," The ginger nodded in confirmation that he knew what that meant.

"We're going hard and fast," The first year spoke as he turned, heading to the endline.

"You got it!" Hinata said. Crow glanced back from his position at the net, humming at the sight of Kageyama excitedly looking at the ball in his hands.

"Kageyama, nice serve!" Daichi called from the bench beside Suga.

"Serve up a point!" Tanaka joined in.

"Kageyama-kun, remember to relax!" Takeda hollered, to which the setter nodded. To say he obliterated the ball would be an understatement. The libero shanked it, and it almost flew into the stands but got stopped by the top half of the railing. With that point, the two teams were tied at 17s.

"Yay," Tanaka looked menacing as he raised his hands for a high ten. When Kageyama didn't move to reciprocate, he repeated himself. "Yay!"

"...What?"

"Double high five, you dummy!" Hinata jumped in to save the confused boy. Thus, Tanaka and Kageyama high tenned.

"Yay!"

Everyone on Aoba Johsai looked disturbed by the sight. "Kageyama is doing double high fives."

"Yeah."

"Do you guys not get double high fives at Seijoh?" Crow cocked his head to the side, looking serious. He was totally joking though.

"W-we do," Kindaichi blinked rapidly.

"It's just that Kageyama was never a team player back in middle school, so high fives, let alone double high fives, were out of the question," Kunimi picked up, then added. "Crow-sama."

"Ah, I see."

"Stop messing with them, Crow."

"Fiiine," He held his hands up in surrender. The next serve went up, and it was almost a shank but the libero chased it down and Makki was forced to send it back as a chance ball.

"Chance ball!" Nishinoya called as he passed the ball to Kageyama. Not a single blocker went up as Hinata jumped, and not a single person moved as he hit the ball and scored.

"Oi, Hinata."

"Huh?" The ginger turned to see what Kageyama wanted.

"Good work," He gritted out.

"Who are you, my boss?"

Crow yawned. Man, it's been a while since I've gone to three sets, he thought to himself as Kageyama headed back to serve and Oikawa got everyone on Aoba Johsai resituated and, of course, called Iwaizumi mean. "Okay!" Iwa smirked as he got Kageyama's serve up. The setter tossed the ball to Makki, who hit a line shot that Kageyama missed by a long shot.

"Hey guys," Crow gestured for everyone to come in real quick. "I'm going to start blocking line no matter what."

"Roger that," The second and third years nodded.

"Uh, okay," Kageyama's face held a lot of questions, but he didn't voice any of them.

"I'm confused!" Hinata exclaimed. "Why would you only block line when the spiker is obviously trying to go cross?"

"Because it stops the spiker from going line," Crow told him. "And makes it easier on our backline."

"Oh..." He still looked like he had questions, but withheld them for now. With a tweet of the whistle as a warning, Karasuno's players moved back into position as the ravenette waved at the referee. Kunimi was the one to serve, which Tanaka got up.

"Nice receive!" Suga called. It was then that Hinata jumped sideways, dodged the blockers, and killed the ball. After the point was assigned, Hinata's face morphed as he held his hands up for a high ten.

Kageyama complied. "OW! That hurt!"

"It's for motivation!"

"WHY IS THIS TURNING INTO TSUKISHIMA VERSES KAGEYAMA?!" Tanaka demanded as the beanpole switched in for Noya as Hinata went back to serve. Crow looked confused.

"One point!"

"Hinata, nice serve!" Daichi called as the first year tossed the ball up. It was a tape ball, but ended up falling over to Seijoh's side. Matsukawa got it up, but it was an overpass.

"Chance ball," Crow said, passing the ball to Kageyama, who set Asahi on the outside. He tooled the block and got the point.

"YES!"

"How was that set?" The setter questioned as he moved towards his spiker.

"A little higher, please," The ace responded.

"Hai!"

"Looks like we're getting a break," Crow mumbled as the Aoba Johsai coach called for a time out. It wasn't surprising, considering Karasuno had just broken 20 while Seijoh was trailing at 18. I wonder, his eyes travelled to Kageyama, then narrowed. The ravenette shrugged to himself as he and the others headed off the court for the time out.

I suppose it just hasn't been the right time.