Through the Boundaries ~ Kageyama Tobio

1

It was just another afternoon in Karasuno's gym. The volleyball team had just finished practice, and the usual chaos of packing up filled the air. Kageyama wiped the sweat from his face, feeling unusually irritated. As if the practice hadn't been enough to work off his restlessness, something else had his nerves on edge, though he couldn't put his finger on it.

Then he saw her.

Shin Saerin stood by the entrance, chatting casually with Daichi and Sugawara, who had
stood near the doors, cooling down from practice. She was new—at least to Kageyama—but she didn't seem out of place. Her short, dark hair framed her face perfectly, and her confident posture drew the attention of nearly everyone in the room. Kageyama's eyes lingered on her for a second too long.

"Oi, Kageyama! You good?" Hinata's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"mind your business," Kageyama muttered, trying to act uninterested, though his eyes kept drifting back to her.

Nishinoya, always sharp when it came to girls, noticed Kageyama's gaze and smirked. "Ah, I see what's happening here!" He nudged Tanaka, who quickly caught on.

"Ohhh, no way. Kageyama, you're checking her out?" Tanaka's voice was teasing, loud enough to attract more attention. "That's Saerin, right? She's in your year, isn't she?"

Kageyama's jaw tightened, a faint blush creeping up his neck. "Shut up," he snapped, more defensively than he intended. But it was too late—the trio had already made it their mission to embarrass him.

Hinata, always eager to escalate things, darted forward and waved to Saerin. "Hey, Saerin! Come over here for a sec!"

He shot a glare at Hinata, but there was no stopping the inevitable. Saerin smiled politely, walking over with an air of casual confidence, completely unaware of the chaos she was about to cause.

"Hi," she said simply, her voice calm and pleasant as she approached. Her eyes briefly flickered over Kageyama, though she didn't seem fazed by his cold demeanor.

"This is Kageyama," Hinata said with a grin, clearly enjoying Kageyama's discomfort. "He's the best setter you'll ever meet, but he's a bit grumpy."

Kageyama's fists clenched. "Don't introduce me like that, dumbass."

Saerin tilted her head slightly, her gaze amused. "Grumpy, huh?"

Kageyama scowled, unsure how to respond. He hated how off-balance she made him feel. "I'm not grumpy," he said bluntly, the words coming out harsher than intended. "It's just... you're in the way."

Hinata blinked in shock. Tanaka and Nishinoya stifled laughter, while Saerin raised an eyebrow.

"In the way?" she repeated, her tone still polite but now edged with curiosity.

Kageyama's face grew hot. "I didn't mean—" He stopped, irritated with himself. Why was this so difficult? "Just... whatever." He turned his back on her, walking toward the lockers, feeling both embarrassed and angry.

Saerin didn't seem bothered, shrugging off the coldness. "Nice to meet you too, Kageyama."

As soon as she was out of earshot, Kageyama could feel the eyes of his teammates boring into him. He knew what was coming.

"Dude, that was painful," Tanaka said with a grin. "I think you actually scared her."

"Smooth," added Nishinoya, barely containing his laughter.

Kageyama's temper flared. "Shut up" he barked, whirling on them. "It's your fault for dragging me into that. I didn't ask for it."

"Whoa, whoa, calm down!" Hinata stepped back, throwing up his hands defensively. "We were just helping you out."

"I don't need help," Kageyama snapped, his voice rising. His frustration was starting to boil over, and he took it out on the nearest target: Hinata. "You're just always sticking your nose where it doesn't belong! Focus on yourself for once instead of acting like an idiot."

Hinata winced, but he wasn't about to back down. "I was just trying to be nice! You're the one who can't handle it!"

Kageyama's hands balled into fists, the tension in his body palpable. He wanted to punch something—anything—to release the frustration building inside him. Instead, he turned on his heel, storming off without another word, leaving his confused and amused teammates behind.

As he walked away, his mind was still filled with Saerin's face, her calm, unbothered reaction to his bluntness. He hated how she hadn't been fazed, how he couldn't shake her from his thoughts, and most of all, how he had completely messed up the introduction.

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