Rule the Court - Haikyuu x Reader

Chapter 30 - Wildcard

Seijoh High School Gym

Yahaba warily stares at Karasuno. "Hey, does that shrimp do fast attacks?"

From the bench, Kindaichi mutters something under his breath, his expression bordering on murderous. You ignore him to maintain plausible deniability for whatever crime he may commit and instead turn to Yahaba. "I've never seen him do that before! Shou-kun's amazing, isn't he? Super fast-"

Your enthusiasm does not affect him. "You called him an ant, last set."

"Psh. Way to bring up the past."

Kageyama calls out to his team, yelling along the lines of "something-something counterattack". It incites vicious looks from Karasuno.

Before the whistle sounds, you make eye contact with Ryuu who is sporting a particularly malicious expression. You stick out your tongue in response.

The ball is over the net, then over again. Mattsun and Hajime react the instant they realize Kageyama is setting, but when they jump to block Shoyo the ball sails past him and Ryuu spikes instead. A solid ten seconds are spent between a gloating Ryuu and a Mattsun who appears close to popping a blood vessel.

Players migrate into place before the whistle blows for Karasuno's serve. You brace your hands on your knees and think.

It isn't long before you're interrupted. "Oh no," Yahaba sighs, "what're you scheming now?"

Mattsun meanders over. The jerseys are pocketless, so his hands are chilling tucked underneath his waistband. You'd call it gross, but you've done the same. "Y/n thinking? The world is ending."

"Har har." You roll your eyes, "Haters. All of you. I think every day."

"What of?" Hajime has a way of speaking that commands attention. At the net behind him, a few Karasuno players curiously watch the interaction.

Between brains and brawns, you're the brawn. Some very destructive brawn, in Tooru's loving opinion, which you're well aware of. Instead of making the plans, you are often the wrecking ball tearing them down.

Hajime is still waiting for an answer. You feel yourself shrug, "Oh, I think it's time to crush them." The whistle blows.

Words or signals are unnecessary. The brief eye contact with Hajime tells you plenty, and your growing smirk tells your teammates enough.

Hinata Shoyo

Shoyo's chance to holler a victorious 'oh yeah!' in Aoba Johsai's faces hasn't yet come around, but the frustrated scowls and animosity that his and Kageyama's quick introduced onto the court is enough compensation for the time being. 

Thinking of anything currently makes Shoyo giddy. Every heated stare on him, he caused! On purpose!

Shoyo snaps to attention at Kageyama's signature grumpy grunt. He looks peeved. "Why are you staring at me."

Staring? That was Shoyo commemorating all the hard work they did- hard work that paid off! Whatever. Shoyo has more important things to say, and Kageyama basically said "what do you want" in Kageyama-speak. So Shoyo declares, "Give the next ball to me!"

Kageyama spares a glance towards the net. He looks back at Shoyo. "No."

"What?! Asshole!"

The whistle blows and Kageyama is the one turning away, "Focus on the match, dumbass." He says dismissively, as if Shoyo disrupted him first!

"You're the dumbass who asked, dumbass!"

The ball flies over to Aoba Johsai's front row, to their right, where y/n is. Confusion hits as y/n gracefully steps back and the ace-ACE!-slides into place to receive. Why did y/n step aside? Is he ok?? Does his wrist hurt?

"Yahaba!"

Focus, Shoyo! You're a middle blocker! Shoyo mentally slaps himself awake and scans the court. Think of all the hollering in Aoba Johsai's faces you can do when you totally shut out their next spike! Who's going to spike? Their setter lifts the ball and Shoyo scans the front row. Nobody moves. Nobody moves?

Shoyo swears he can feel the gust of wind that the movement in front of him creates. It's y/n, but by the time Shoyo registers the swing there's a resounding slam, and it's over.

Y/n, grinning like a madman, lands staring straight at Shoyo.

He's seen y/n move before, but only in streetlight-lit parks with ratty, old nets and a distant nagging at the back of his head about homework he should be doing. This is different. Just now, Shoyo isn't sure if he even saw y/n move.

"What was that?" Tanaka sounds awed.

The whistle blows, the sharp sound clicks something into place in Shoyo's brain. His jaw drops belatedly, "He stole my quick!"

Sugawara places a hand under his chin, watching with a wide-eyed Shimizu, "I don't think so. It was a normal quick, he-y/n-ran up after the set. Just very quickly." Sugawara's expression is firm. "A blink and you miss it."

Pride bubbles up in Shoyo's chest and he beams. "As expected!"

"As expected??" Tsukishima's mouth hangs wide open. If Shoyo had a camera, he would frame this moment on the clubhouse door. "Aren't you two friends? Next time, warn us beforehand!"

"I didn't know!" Okay, maybe y/n being quick and talented isn't news to Shoyo, but he's been too caught up in the whole y/n's here! to think about anything else! "I've never seen him in an actual game before!"

Kageyama's expression turns confused, "You haven't-?" he suddenly coughs, "M-me neither."

"Maybe it was a fluke," Tsukishima shrugs, "he hasn't done anything special. Besides whatever that was."

"I doubt it." Sugawara looks worried, but his eyes drift to the other side of the court with interest. "Something... shifted in him. His demeanor. Like how the air shifted during Hinata and Kageyama's quick."

Shoyo doesn't get it, but he oo's excitedly anyway.

"So basically, Hinata is useless and can't provide any information on this wild card."

"He plays differently in a team, of course," Wise words from their captain! Shoyo abandons his plan to jump Tsukishima in favor of listening attentively to Daichi. "Their ace received the ball in his stead, that play normally messes up a team, giving their ace limited options. But it was a purposeful move, Aoba Johsai really trusts y/n."

Shoyo nods solemnly, "As they should." He has such great friends.

"It's bad for us, dumbass!"

"It still is just a normal quick. Our shortcoming was not expecting it," Shoyo follows Daichi's stare to where Aoba Johsai is giving y/n high fives as the second year makes his way to the back for his serve. "At least now we know, we'll adapt."

Seeing y/n bounce the ball, twirl it, and take a few steps back, Shoyo remembers.

"Oh." He says, Tsukishima groans, "Uh, y/n kind of-"

A toss and instantaneous jump that flings the ball, spinning it dangerously close to Tanaka's face and springing off of the floor with an arch that tricks Shoyo into thinking it plans to curve back and propel itself at Tanaka again and this time not miss.

...

"...has a monstrous serve..." Shoyo finishes. Kageyama secures his head in a vice grip. "Ow ow ow, Kageyama! Stop stop!! I yield!"