Winner [Haikyu!! x OC] (Completed)

Meet the Team

I follow Coach Mizoguchi to a gym I haven't been to yet. Before we step inside, he stops. "Remember, don't feel pressured. You can meet the team and leave if that's all you're ready for. Or you are welcome to stay for the entirety of practice. It's up to you. But if you do stay, just stick around Coach Irihata and I— we'll help you learn how the volleyball club works. There's no need to get too involved with the players. Or any one player. Just ignore them if it's too much for you."

"Uh, okay..." I nod, staring at the bead of sweat rolling down his face. His finger is rapidly tapping the door handle. Is he really that nervous to bring me in there? I'm slightly annoyed that he thinks I can't handle more than meeting the members of the team, but he just met me, so I suppose I can't expect him to have more confidence in me.

But why would he ask me to ignore the players? Won't my job as manager require me to be involved with the players? I side-eye Coach Mizoguchi as he opens the door. I thought he was  cool when he rescued me from Mr. Kakeru's office, but I may have to rethink that first impression. This guy is weird.

I step through the gym doors and see boys spread across the court, setting up a net, putting on their shoes, and wheeling out baskets of volleyballs. I immediately feel better, surrounded by athletes who love sports like I do. I breathe in deeply. I could live the rest of my life in a gym, no problem.

"Come meet the head coach." Coach Mizoguchi gestures for me to continue following him and walks up to a serious-looking man in matching athletic sweats. "Irihata-sensei, meet Kara Lillian. This is the girl Coach Roku told us about. I talked with her, and she said she is willing to try managing our team."

The head coach turns a smile on me. "Kara Lillian. I am Irihata Nobuteru, head coach of the boys volleyball club. We're glad to have you here."

Maybe his serious demeanor is misleading. He seems nice.

I bow. "Thank you for inviting me to join the team." I stand up and add apologetically, "I don't know a lot about volleyball, so I will probably be learning more than helping, at least for the first little while."

"That's perfectly alright. We figured that would be the case with recruiting any new manager. But you're an athlete yourself?" I nod and he continues, "So I expect you'll learn quickly. Would you like to meet the team?"

"Yes, of course." I'm excited to be here, but part of me is nervous about what these boys will think about the new American girl becoming their team manager. Maybe they'll protest and I'll be thrown out to fend for myself in the Puppeteering club.

Coach Mizoguchi calls for the team to gather and they come running to circle around us.

I look them over. They all seem cool. My nerves spike from having all of their eyes on me though.

Coach Irihata is also scanning his team and he gets an irritated look on his face. "Where's Oikawa?" he growls.

"He's meeting with the athletic trainer, sir," a tall guy with spiky hair and intense eyes answers. He looks somewhat familiar, but I have no idea where I would know him from. I probably just saw him in the hall or the courtyard sometime.

The head coach sighs and muses, "I'll have to introduce him later. Boys, meet Kara Lillian. She has expressed interest in becoming our team manager and stopped by today to meet all of you. Please, welcome her."