Stolen Heart (Haikyuu!!) 【UNDER REVISION】

The King of the Court

Training ended around 7 in the evening. Everybody helped to clean up, including the two new members, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.

It still somehow bothered Hotaru, that two of her classmates (one of them was even her seatmate) joined the volleyball team. Not that she thought that they're not athletic types of persons but they just did not strike her that way.

It made sense if they're joining volleyball though. The both of them are blessed with height. More than that for Tsukishima, in Hotaru's opinion. However, she thinks that he's not the type to simply get pumped up and play seriously.

The girl sighed, finally finishing up her tasks at the same time that her two classmates did. Hotaru had already changed into her uniform as soon as she finished and went back to the gym to say her farewells.

She was about to go home, but stopped when the captain hollered her name. Hotaru stood near the entrance, her body halfway out the gymnasium with a confused expression on her face.

"Tsukishima, Yamaguchi," Sawamura called out to the two males. They looked at him with the same expression Hotaru had.

"Can you accompany Hoshizawa to her home? It's dangerous for her to go alone, since she's a girl. I hope you don't mind." The captain asked, which surprised Hotaru.

"W-Wait! S-Sawamura-san! It's fine. I can take care of myself. You don't have to go so far--" The girl panicked as she scrambled towards the team's captain. Kiyoko just patted her shoulder, smilig reassuringly.

"I-I can text my parents to see if one of them could pick me up. I might be disturbing Tsukishima-kun and Yamaguchi-kun from going home early!" Her face was now in different shades of red, obviously embarrassed.

"It's fine," Tsukishima finally answered. Boredly, at that. Yamaguchi looked at him, his eyes shining with admiration, muttering a soft 'Tsukki'.

"That's settled then. We'd like to take her home if we could, but we still have to lock up." Hotaru sighed, barely unnoticeable.

"Goodbye, senpai. We'll see you tomorrow." The three bowed respectively and left the gymnasium. Awkward silence washing over them.

"Uhm... Sorry for bothering you like this." Hotaru blurted out as soon as they were a few meters away from the gym. Both males looked at her. Yamaguchi, blinking and wondering why she's apologizing and Tsukishima just stared at her nonchalantly.

"And thank you!" The girl added hastily, earning her weird looks from her classmates. They were not that much of a jerk. Sure, the two of them can be a pain to someone, but not just to anyone they meet.

"You'll have to pay us back somehow, though." The bespectacled, blonde male spoke coolly as he trudged to the direction of the field. He clearly remembered hearing from their captain, that the two first years that they're supposed to play with tomorrow, are practicing outside.

"E-Eh?!" Hotaru lost her composure but followed the two nonetheless. They went to the dark field, a few lamp posts slightly helping to light up the path ahead of them.

"The next will be from behind!" A familiar voice yelled and Hotaru stood on the tip of her toes to see over Tsukishima's shoulder.

There, she saw the duo whom she had watched in the morning, practicing nonstop until they vomitted (although the vomitting part is only for Hinata).

Hinata was about to return the ball using an overhand toss, when Tsukishima stepped up and caught the ball before the shorter boy could.

"Huh, they are really practicing outside~" His voice sounded as if he was singing, but in fact, he was definitely teasing.