Through the Boundaries ~ Kageyama Tobio

3

The day of Karasuno's next game, Kageyama was already on edge. Tanaka and Nishinoya had managed to convince the team—and more importantly, Saerin—that coming to watch the match would be a great way to get involved with school spirit. Of course, Kageyama knew it had nothing to do with school spirit and everything to do with his teammates meddling in his personal life.

As he warmed up, Kageyama caught sight of Saerin entering the gym with a small smile on her face, her shoulder-length hair swaying slightly as she looked around. His heart immediately started to race. She had come, and now he was expected to play with her watching.

Tanaka and Nishinoya, noticing his stiff posture, exchanged knowing grins. Hinata bounded over, his face lighting up. "Yo, Kageyama! Look who's here!"

Kageyama scowled, trying to hide his nerves. "I can see that, dumbass."

Hinata laughed, giving him a playful nudge. "Don't choke, okay?"

Kageyama wanted to snap back, but the match was about to start. He pushed everything else out of his mind, focusing on the game, but it wasn't easy. Every time he glanced toward the stands, he saw Saerin watching—calm, amused, and completely oblivious to the way his heart pounded.

The game itself was a blur. Kageyama set every ball with precision, his hands moving almost mechanically, but he was more aggressive than usual. He pushed his teammates harder, his spikes fiercer, and his tosses sharper. There was something about having Saerin's eyes on him that made him want to prove something—to show her what he was capable of. But the pressure was starting to get to him.

"Kageyama!" Daichi's voice cut through his thoughts. "You're overdoing it! Calm down!"

He gritted his teeth, annoyed that he couldn't focus. The game ended in Karasuno's favor, but Kageyama barely registered the victory. His mind was too wrapped up in the fact that Saerin had seen him play.

After the game, the team crowded around the locker room, buzzing with energy from their win. Tanaka and Nishinoya were already planning the next phase of their scheme.

"Let's all grab food to celebrate!" Tanaka announced loudly, making sure Saerin, who had lingered by the entrance, could hear. "Saerin, you should come with us!"

Saerin blinked in surprise but smiled. "Oh, I don't want to intrude—"

"Nonsense!" Nishinoya cut in, practically dragging her into the group. "You're part of the team now!"

Kageyama felt his stomach drop. He hadn't planned on spending more time around her, especially not with his nosy teammates around. But there was no way out of it now.

The team made their way to a nearby restaurant, taking over a long table. As the food arrived, conversation flowed easily—except for Kageyama, who sat stiffly at one end of the table, silently picking at his food.

Saerin, seated diagonally from him, noticed his quietness but didn't push it. She seemed perfectly at ease, chatting with Hinata and Nishinoya, who were in their usual loud and goofy mode. Every time she laughed, Kageyama felt a strange tension building in his chest.

"She's pretty cool, huh?" Hinata whispered to him, smirking. "You've been acting weird since she showed up."

Kageyama shot him a glare. "Shut up."

Hinata grinned but didn't let up. "What's wrong? Jealous that she's talking to us more than you?"

"Hinata, I swear—" Kageyama's voice was low and dangerous, but before he could say more, Saerin turned toward them.

"Is everything okay over here?" she asked, her tone light but curious. Her eyes lingered on Kageyama for a moment, noticing his tension.

Kageyama froze, feeling his face heat up. "Yeah. Fine," he muttered, avoiding her gaze.

After a while, Kageyama couldn't take it anymore. The noise, the teasing, and the way his chest tightened every time Saerin smiled at someone else—it was too much. He abruptly stood up, muttering something about needing air, and walked out of the restaurant before anyone could stop him.

The cool evening air hit his face as he stepped outside, trying to calm the storm in his mind. Why did being around her make him feel so off-balance? It wasn't supposed to be like this. He was supposed to be focused—on volleyball, on winning. Not on a girl he barely knew.

"Kageyama?"

He jumped slightly at the sound of her voice. Turning, he saw Saerin standing in the doorway, looking at him with a gentle, curious expression. Her short hair framed her face in soft waves, and the dim streetlight cast a warm glow around her.

"Are you okay?" she asked, stepping closer. "You left pretty quickly."

Kageyama stiffened. "I'm fine."

But Saerin didn't look convinced. "You don't seem fine," she said quietly, her gaze searching his face. "Is something bothering you?"

Her calmness only made him more uncomfortable. He didn't know how to handle someone like her—someone who could read him so easily. "I said I'm fine," he snapped, his voice harsher than he intended.

Saerin didn't flinch at his tone, but her eyebrows raised slightly. "Okay. If you say so," she replied, backing off a bit, though her eyes still lingered on him with concern.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The tension in the air was thick, but there was something else underneath it—a quiet understanding, a connection that neither of them could quite explain.

Kageyama wanted to say something, anything, to break the silence. But the words wouldn't come. Instead, he turned his back to her, his fists clenching in frustration.

"I'm... just not good at this," he muttered under his breath.

Saerin tilted her head, her expression softening. "At what?"

"Talking to people," he admitted begrudgingly, still facing away from her. "I'm not... good with this stuff."

There was a brief pause before Saerin smiled faintly. "That's okay. You don't have to be."

Her words caught him off guard, and for the first time, Kageyama felt his walls beginning to crack, just a little.