𝟭. 𝙃𝙀𝙍 𝙎𝙄𝘿𝙀 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙔 || 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐮 [✔]

Chapter 46: Time To Shine

𝖘𝖚𝖓𝖓𝖞𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖇𝖆𝖇𝖍𝖊'𝖘 𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖑 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖞
#101223
•••

The Karasuno boys' volleyball team celebrated their hard-fought victory, their cheers and laughter echoing through the gym. Amidst the jubilation, Aeris noticed Tobio Kageyama standing alone, his gaze fixed on Aoba Johsai's team as they reveled in their own success.

Quietly, she approached him and patted his back. "You good?" she asked softly.

Tobio nodded, though his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil.

"Should I square them up for being assholes?" Aeris offered with a half-smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Tobio shook his head. "No, it's fine. But how does it feel to see your teammates happy without you being there? What did I do wrong?" His voice wavered, filled with unspoken pain.

Aeris sighed, her heart aching for her cousin. "We really are cousins, no doubt, because I would never know either," she admitted. "But I do know that we're in a good place now. We've found teams that treat us better."

They stood like that for a moment, finding solace in each other's presence. Then, Aeris stepped back. "I need to excuse myself for a moment," she said, smiling reassuringly. "I'll be right back."

The whole Karasuno team went ahead to the girls' gym, before heading to the gym, Aeris and Chizuru decided to freshen up in the bathroom. Engrossed in their conversation. 

Aeris caught sight of Kenma. "Kenma, why are you alone again?" she joked. "Nekoma will file a missing person report for you."

Kenma greeted her with a bow. "Konnichiwa, Kageyama-san," he said politely.

"Just call me Aeris" Aeris said, Kenma nodded in agreement

"By the way, did you guys win?" Aeris asked, curious about Nekoma's latest match.

Kenma nodded, a small smile on his face. "Yeah, we're heading home right now."

Aeris smiled "Congrats! Don't you wanna watch our game?"

"Ka— Aeris-san, you'll play?" Kenma asked, surprise evident in his voice.

An excited gleam sparkled in Aeris' eyes as she replied, "Yeah! Oh, we gotta go. See ya at the gym!"

"Okay," Kenma replied with a soft smile, watching as Aeris and Chizuru sprinted towards the gym, their energy radiating with high creativity.

₊˚⊹ ᰔ

"Kenma! Kenma is here," Lev exclaimed excitedly as soon as he caught sight of Kenma walking towards them.

"Okay! Everyone is here, coach," Kuroo announced, glancing around to confirm everyone's arrival.

"Alright, let's go," Nekomata-san said, leading the group toward their destination.

"Wait, coach, is it okay if we watch Karasuno play?" Kenma asked, curiosity evident in his voice.

"What do you mean? There are no more matches scheduled," Kuroo replied, puzzled by Kenma's request.

"But there is, Aeris-san told me," Kenma insisted, his eyes lighting up with anticipation.

"Aeris-san?" Yaku questioned, intrigued by the unfamiliar name.

"Yeah! She's from the Karasuno Girls' Volleyball Team, Kageyama Aeris," Kenma clarified, unaware of the confusion he had stirred among his teammates.

"You call her 'Aeris-san' and on a first-name basis?" Kuroo inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Kenma nodded. "Yeah! She told me to call her that." 

"How did you guys even meet in the first place? I have so many questions," Yamamoto inquired, his curiosity evident in his tone.

"Same here, since when did you guys become so close?" Kai chimed in with his own set of questions.

Kenma, typically concise, just shrugged, "Are you guys gonna watch or not?" 

Kuroo's curiosity piqued. "Well, if there's a match, I suppose we should watch them play. What do you think, Coach-san?"

Nekomata-san pondered the idea, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Hmmm, why not? Let's go and witness the talent of the Karasuno Girls' Volleyball Team."

₊˚⊹ ᰔ

The air in the gym was tense, filled with numerous players, as the Inter-High Preliminaries Committee announced over the speakers that there would be a delayed match between Shiratorizawa and Karasuno.

Before warming up the Karasuno boys, gathered around them to offer their words of encouragement.

"You guys can do this," Daichi said with a firm nod, instilling confidence.

"Yeah! Give your best!" Nishinoya exclaimed, his enthusiasm contagious.

"Good luck, Aeris-chan," Kiyoko chimed in, her voice gentle but filled with support.

The Karasuno girls, grateful for the encouragement, bowed in gratitude before making their way to the court to begin their warm-up routine. The gymnasium buzzed with excitement, filled with the anticipation of a thrilling volleyball match.

As the players prepared, the sound of the whistle echoed throughout the gymnasium, signaling that it was time to start the game.

The Karasuno team huddled together, their faces a mix of determination and unity.

"Remember, guys, don't stress yourselves out," Aeris, spoke, her voice both calm and motivating. "We're a team, win or lose. And if we lose, no one is to blame. Let's enjoy the game. Hands in."

All the players placed their hands in the center, creating a bond between them. In unison, they shouted, "Fighting!"

Suddenly, the announcer's voice boomed through the speakers, filling the gymnasium with an electric energy. "The Inter-High Preliminaries Committee would like to thank the two teams who have eagerly awaited this match. Despite the technicalities, let's start the game. Now, let us welcome today's exciting high school volleyball matchup between the Shiratorizawa and the Karasuno! Let's meet the teams!"

The Shiratorizawa and Karasuno line up at the edge of the court, facing the crowd and bowed at them.

"First, let's meet the starting lineup for the Shiratorizawa, Nakamura 3; Takahashi 1; Mori 8; Yamamoto 2; Fujimoto 6; Kato 4 " The announcer announced

"And now, the starting lineup for Karasuno Michimiya 1; Sindo 3; Aihara 2; Watabe 1; Aoki 5; Kageyama 10" Another announcer said

« ֪ ׅ ֹ =͟͞ ♡
𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗗.
𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 ♡

— sidenote
• Unless you're very close to this person you can't call them by their first name, because it's disrespectful