𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆, haikyuu

ᖭི༏ᖫྀ 016

୨⎯ ♡ ⎯୧

The end of September in Japan is oddly starting to get warmer. Mornings used to be cool but now are burning hot, so hot that your uniform has started to feel stuffy and uncomfortable. The sun settles down on your face as you walk towards the volleyball gym on campus; it's early in the morning, meaning nobody is out yet from their dorms. Just you, the hot sun, and your volleyball gear.

No, there is no morning practice. Coach Sata would rather die than do that, but you've heard from a little birdie that the gym is available in the morning due to the janitors unlocking the doors to clean early.

The other gyms are occupied, but not the volleyball one, which is why this is a perfect opportunity for you to get some extra practice in.

You need to be on your best behavior for spring nationals, or everything you've worked for in the past year will be useless, and you'll be letting Misora down.

That's far from what you wanted.

When you reach the double doors of the gym, you near the faint noise of some yelling, and then something bounces against the ground. Pushing them open, you peek your head inside - nobody is supposed to be here right now.

What greets you is a volleyball flying straight at your face. On instinct, your hands fly up, and the sleeves of your jacket slide down your arms as you set the ball, getting rid of the spin quickly.

The ball soars across the gym, landing perfectly as if you were setting to a hitter. It lands with a soft bounce, but your hands don't fall as you stare at the person who spiked it at you.

Of course.

What was this? Payback?

Sakusa stands tall on the other side of the court, a yellow shirt clinging to his muscles but falling loosely on his body, where they cross over his shorts.

Curly hair flops across his face messily, and upon seeing you, his face twisted, eyes immediately meeting yours, but from where you stand, you can't tell what he's thinking.

"Haaaa, nice receive!" It's Komori running over to you from where he stands at the end of the court. They were on two different sides; you assume the two of them were practicing against one another.

Komori's a little out of breath, but you assume it's from Sakusa working him down to the bone, "Hi, Komori."

"Hii! Did you come here to practice?" He asks with wide eyes. Seemingly excited at the idea.

You nod, but with one glance at Sakusa again, you see that you regret your decision. "I can just go–"

"Nonsense. You can practice with us. Right, Sakusa?" Komori yells, wiggling his eyes at his friend. There's something in his tone when he talks, a hidden message behind his question, and it causes Sakusa to roll his eyes. There's no response from him, and he just returns to the ball cart to resume whatever he is doing.