Coffee Shop Cliche (Haikyuu!!)

Shiratorizawa VC

Takeru didn't ask for names, or things like that when she had sat in a plastic chair on the sidelines of the volleyball court.

She didn't question anything really. She was sorta busy marvel at how gigantic all of the people on the volleyball team really were. They were all over 20 cm taller than her and to be completely truthful, it was intimidating.

Usually, height didn't mean anything to her, much less scare her out of her wits. This was due to the indisputable fact that she, Sakamichi Takeru, swam with 190 cm giants all the time while she was at swim meets and such. That, however these kids were ridiculously tall and scary looking. They kinda reminded her of the basketball club. Just... more serious.

She cringed as she realized she hadn't the first clue about volleyball.

Yeah, she'd played it in gyms before, and yeah, she'd played beach volleyball but really, competitive volleyball- Why, she hadn't a clue.

"Alright!" Someone yelled, causing the team to lift their heads up as they finished up their stretching. "We're starting with spiking practice. Line up!"

Takeru leaned forward, pressing her chest on her thighs while keeping her up to stare at the first person in line.

"Ah, it's Ushijima-san," She murmured to herself as her eyes gazed over slightly.

As said before, her interest in volleyball was nonexistent, and her enthusiasm to watch the volleyball club practice, so to speak, was even more so.

She saw him run up to the net as the Dip-dye dude (Woah, alliteration) pushed the ball upwards with his fingertips, sending it soaring into the air.

A set, she thought, remembering when her younger brother had left the T.V on the sports channel while an American collage volleyball match was screening, Don't volleyball folks call that a set?

She continued to stare as she saw the ball being rocketed downwards, as if shot from a bazooka, and blinked uncomprehendingly as she saw it hit the opposite wall.

She twitched, unfolding herself to squint at the volleyball on the other side of the gym, laying there innocent as can be. She shot Ushijima a look in which he returned with a blank look. He stared at her a bit longer, as if he was expecting her to say something.

Takeru huffed, folding her legs Indian-style onto the plastic chair as Ushijima's coach yelled, "Go shag the ball and return it to the bin!"

Her morning customer jogged off, giving her a perturbed look as he went to retrieve he volleyball, and Takeri felt the slightest bit of annoyance.

Was she supposed to verbalize her amazement with girly squeals and what-not like that? If that was what was expected of spectators from the Volleyball Club, then they would be sorely disappointed while she was watching. Takeru kept her amazement to herself and always played it down, no matter the situation.

It wasn't like this was any different from anything else she had ever done.

Therefore, she wasn't going to give these land-lovers any hint of admiration or surprise while she was here. All of her thoughts were under careful lock and key.

She displayed a fairly uninterested look as she watched their practice continue, and gave herself a pat on the back when each of them would look back at her after each spike, as if to see if she had reacted to their forceful attacks.

Smack!

The coach huffed as he spiked a volleyball right in the back of one player's head, "Stop ogling at the girl and focus!"

Ouch, that's gotta hurt....

"The girl", shot a concerned look as she saw a particularly care-free looking guy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sorry, sorry~"

"Don't apologize, just focus! Receives next!"

Takeru felt a lump in her throat form as she saw them practice. Everyone was so very... dispassionate. Serious, even.

How should she explain it?

Every player was carefully calm, collected, and took their practices seriously, as if there was absolutely no room for error. No room for fun.

She would never say it out loud, but seeing such calmness made her boil.

Weren't you supposed to get hyped up?

It sorta made her and all her efforts in her own sport look silly. All those practices she forced herself through; all those times where she nearly threw up to make the interval-every since practice she'd gone to when she felt like shit and still went.

Why get excited over something as simple as winning? They all seemed to say. Why look so happy?

It was irritating, certainly, but Takeru wasn't one to judge.

If that was how they wanted to play, then that was how they were going to play. She didn't even the rules, so she really had no right to judge how the volleyball team practiced nor how they lack team spirit.

With a deep breath, she hummed as she saw them send volleyballs flying into the air repeatedly, her eyes focused on the way the spun, arcing back up into the air with a sort of beautiful finesse a perfectionist like herself always admired.

They're so lovely; those receives, she thought to herself.

She cracked a smile and stood as the volleyball coach announced that running was next in the team's schedule.

She bowed from the waist, "Thank you for allowing me to watch your practice. I apologize for being a bother."

The boys and the coach nodded at her blankly, and went about jogging out opened doors, single file, with Takeru following them just until they were outside.

She waved at the boys as they disappeared around a corner, "Well then. I supposed this is goodbye."

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Takeru was smacked repeatedly on the head by her Vice-Captain for being late.

(The auburn haired girl wasn't even going to mention that she had totally forgotten to pick up all the papers she'd dropped.)