ONLY ME || Haikyuu x Male

CHAPTER EIGHT

The interhigh prelims drew nearer and nearer by the day, and the Karasuno volleyball team was training hard to make sure they didn't fall behind. Ren couldn't remember the last time he'd been this exhausted, and he loved it. The soreness of his muscles and the constant practicing, they served as reminders that he was still on the court. Still playing.

But despite all their training, he was still anxious as he stepped off of the bus that'd taken them to the gymnasium where the prelims would take place. And despite the pep talks coach had given them and Kiyoko-san's beautiful banner, he could tell that everyone else was quite nervous as well.

Karasuno entered the building as a clump of black-clad figures. Ren trailed behind Sugawara as they walked in, gripping the strap of his white duffel bag tightly. There were a lot of people hanging around, either waiting for the matches to start or heading into the stands to spectate. Ren had never felt quite comfortable around large crowds. It was bad enough that he had to experience hallucinations. Knowing that if he had one in public, hundreds of others would have to witness him go through it was awful. Even just thinking about it made him queasy.

Ren was snapped out of his thoughts by warm fingers gripping his own, and he looked up to see Sugawara watching him. "I know that look, Hasegawa. Don't be nervous. We're all here as a team, and that means that we're all here for you. Nothing bad is going to happen."

He closed his eyes, nodding slowly and letting out a sigh as an attempt to relax. "I know, I know. Thank you, Suga-san."

The silver-haired male smiled before letting go of Ren's hand, leaving him feeling oddly cold. They continued on their way through the building, and all around them, people were glancing at them, whispering and snickering and occasionally outright laughing. Ren only caught bits and pieces of what they were saying, but most of them were naming them the flightless crows. What was worse was the fact that he caught some people gossiping about him, dubbing him the crow that clipped the others' wings.

It stung, hearing such judgment from all these strangers. It only brought back painful memories of his own family, of his old life, and it made him want to curl up into a ball and simply wither away. He kept his head down as Karasuno walked forward, staring at the heels of Sugawara's shoes. Embarrassment caused his cheeks to flush and he was only glad that with his face pointed towards the floor, none of his friends could see him in this state.

All of a sudden, Sugawara stopped walking, and Ren barely managed to hit the brakes, preventing himself from ramming into the third-year. He looked up, bewildered as to why they'd halted, and by peering over Sugawara's shoulder, he quickly discovered the reason.

It was...a wall. Of bodies. A wall of bodies all wearing white and cyan tracksuits. Date Tech. The Iron Wall.

Ren glanced at Asahi, feeling his tummy turn for the ace. Last year, Asahi had gotten every single one of his spikes shut down by Dateko's Iron Wall, and for the ace, that had been absolutely soul crushing. He'd quit the team over it, and the poor guy had taken a year to recover. From Nishinoya's recounts, Asahi had only rejoined the team because of relentless nagging and dragging from him and the first-years.

And as if things couldn't get any worse, the white-haired middle blocker from Dateko slowly raised his right arm, pointing directly at Asahi. Ren sweatdropped, feeling his own resolve deteriorate. He would have crumbled immediately under that intimidating presence and gesture. How Asahi managed to keep a calm expression was a mystery to him.

Everyone remained still for a moment before a brown-haired player from Dateko lunged forward, desperately trying to pull the white-haired player's arm down. "You must excuse Aone-san. He has a tendency to lock onto the aces of a team. It's how he knows who to target on the court."