Genius (Kageyama Tobio)

5

The next morning, despite it being a Saturday, the whole volleyball team was at the gym bright and early for the first years three on three. Noriko and Kiyoko each took a spot on one side of the score board as the boys warmed up.

"Kageyama looks really... tense." Noriko commented worriedly.

"His spot as a setter depends on whether he wins this game or not, so it makes sense." Kiyoko replied coolly. Noriko felt a bolt of shock run through her. I hadn't known that. Have I been paying that little attention? I need to do a better job as a manager.

Seeing her expression, Kiyoko explained Kageyama's predicament that he wouldn't play setter as long as Daichi was captain if he didn't win and prove he could play as a team.

"That's... That makes sense, actually, as horrible as it is." Noriko murmured. "I wish I'd been better at helping him last year. I mean, I forced him to show up to team bonding events, but that didn't help much other than making it even clearer how separate he was from his team."

"You can't take the blame for that. This is something Kageyama needs to learn himself."

Noriko nodded, looking over at the boys who were exchanging competitive glares. Just in time to hear Tsukishima say, "Ah... Out of the midget and Tanaka, which one should we target... or keep in check first? Oh, how could I forget? We'd like to see the King on his knees in defeat, too, right?"

Noriko gritted her teeth in anger and Kiyoko had to put grab her arm to stop her from marching over and socking him in the face.

"I sure hope they lose their heads."

"I see you're quite the ass, Tsukishima." Daichi commented, Noriko agreeing whole-heartedly. 

"The lonesome king who lost all of his lackeys, in particular, is a sight for sore eyes." Tsukishima continued, paying little heed to his captain's insult.

"Goodness gracious me! Did you hear that? Can you believe what he just said? Jeez, that Tsukishima. He's so... dead!" Tanaka growled at the end, making Noriko smirk. Oh that annoying bastard would get what was coming to him.

The game began with one of Kageyama's jump serves, and Noriko focused on the game, ignoring Tuskishima's earlier taunts. Damn, he's got a powerful serve. He's definitely stepped it up since last year, his technique is perfect, and you can see his arm muscles– what? 

Noriko shook her thoughts away, her cheeks flushing red as she shifted her gaze away from the boy. Daichi ended up receiving the serve, but Tanaka was too fired up to keep down and he managed to spike right past the asshole's block. "Yes," Noriko muttered under her breath as she gave them a point.

Tanaka hollered in victory, taking his shirt off and waving it around his head. Noriko pointedly looked up at the ceiling, trying to look anywhere but the shirtless boy.

"Put your shirt on!" Ennoshita yelled.

"No one wants to see that!" Suga added, which made Noriko chortle.

The game continued on, Tanaka's shirt having been put back on, and Hinata finally got a chance to spike, only for Tsukishima to shut it down. Again. And again.

"Look at you. Your team keeps getting blocked. What happened to the King's sets? You know, the ones opponents can't keep up with and the ones teammates can't keep up with, either!" Tsukishima taunted. 

"Shut up." Kageyama growled under his breath.

"Oi, Tsukishima, keep in mind these are your future teammates, who basically control whether you play or not, and maybe reconsider how much of an asshole you wanna be." Noriko threatened. 

"Tch."

Kageyama stared at Noriko for a moment before turning away, ready to serve again.

The play continued on, with Tsukishima's team steadily racking points, much to Noriko's dismay.

"Come on, King. Don't you think it's about time you pulled out all the stops?" Noriko really wanted to punch this guy.

"What's your problem, man? You keep trying to pick a fight with him! What the hell is the "King's set"?" Hinata yelled back.

"Don't you know why he's called the King?"

"Well, for some reason, he's really good. The other schools must have gotten scared of his skills and named him that, no?" God, Hinata's adorable. Can I adopt him? Is that weird since we're the same age?

"I'm sure there are a lot of people who think that way. But rumour has it that he was given the nickname of "King of the Court" by the guys from Kitagawa Daiichi, the King's teammates. It means... "Egocentric King", "Oppressive Despot". I only heard rumours about it at first, but I was convinced after watching that match. He got so oppressive that they had to sub him out of the final." On the one end, there's adorable Hinata, and then there's this guy, who makes me want to rip my teeth out. "That's why you stopped making quick sets? Are you chickening out due to what happened in that final?"

Noriko forced herself to calm down. Even if the guy was an asshole, being forced to face his fear was necessary for Kageyama to move past it. Even if I want to punch him.

"If you make sets, but nobody jumps to hit them -"

"That's right." Kageyama said with no shame. "The idea of making a set only to find that there's nobody there... terrifies me."

"But that was back in junior high, right? So long as he sets for me, I don't really care. Breaking through your guard is a far more pressing issue! We're gonna beat Tsukishima and join this team for real! You'll get to play setter with your head held high, and then you'll set for me! Does anything else matter?" Hinata, you're an angel. I literally love you. Someone get me the adoption papers right now.

"That kind of pure and straightforward shtick really gets on my nerves. Your spirit won't make up for your lack of height. If you think hard work trumps all else, then you're sorely mistaken." And your type of bastardry really gets on my nerves, so I guess neither of us are having a good time.

Afterwards, the flow of the game started to change, barely, until Hinata suddenly called for the ball, already in the air, just before Kageyama's fingertips touched the ball. Noriko could tell he'd been planning to pass to Tanaka, but he sent one of his fastest quick to Hinata, who somehow managed to hit it, although it went out. Noriko could feel a smile spreading across her face. Kageyama finally had someone who could keep up with him.