Through the Boundaries ~ Kageyama Tobio

6

A couple of days later, the team is back in the gym for practice. Kageyama has been avoiding Saerin as much as he can, but she's still coming around, chatting with Sugawara and the others before practice starts.

Kageyama can feel his mood sour the second he sees her. There she is, standing with Sugawara, laughing at something he said, that same smile lighting up her face. And it's driving Kageyama crazy.

He throws the ball with extra force during warm-ups, his frustration clear to everyone around him. Tsukishima raises an eyebrow. "What's got you all worked up, King?"

Kageyama glares at him, not bothering to answer. But as the warm-ups continue, he keeps stealing glances at Saerin. She's standing on the sidelines, leaning against the wall as Sugawara leans in closer, his voice low as he continues to talk to her.

The sight makes something burn inside Kageyama's chest. He's irritated, though he can't figure out if it's at Sugawara for being so close to her, or at himself for caring.

At some point, Nishinoya and Tanaka join Sugawara, and they're clearly flirting with Saerin, trying to outdo each other with their jokes and making her laugh. Every time her smile lights up, Kageyama's mood darkens further. He keeps missing his passes, his sets becoming more and more off, which only frustrates him more.

Daichi finally notices and calls him out, "Kageyama, focus. You're off today."

Kageyama grits his teeth and nods, trying to pull himself together, but his gaze keeps drifting back to Saerin. She's too close. They're all too close. And the worst part is, she seems to enjoy the attention, smiling and laughing with them, completely oblivious to how much she's affecting him.

After practice, the team starts packing up, but Kageyama lingers by the lockers, his mood still simmering. He overhears Saerin chatting with Sugawara and Nishinoya nearby, and before he realizes it, he's eavesdropping.

Nishinoya's voice is loud and playful as he teases Saerin. "So, what's your type, Saerin? I've been trying to figure it out for a while."

Saerin laughs, her voice light and teasing. "Hmm, I don't know. Maybe someone who isn't afraid to smile."

Sugawara chimes in, his tone equally playful. "So, Nishinoya's out then?"

"Hey!" Nishinoya protests, making her laugh even more.

Kageyama's fists clench at his sides. The way she talks to them so easily, the way she's laughing with them—it's like she's completely forgotten he exists. But when he thinks back to their last conversation, the way she told him he didn't have to be tough all the time, something inside him snaps.

Unable to hold back any longer, Kageyama storms out of the locker room and straight up to where Saerin and the others are standing. His expression is dark, and his voice comes out harsher than he means. "Do you ever stop flirting?"

Saerin blinks, caught off guard by his sudden outburst. "Excuse me?"

Nishinoya and Sugawara exchange awkward glances, clearly sensing the tension, but neither of them says anything.

Kageyama doesn't back down. "You've been messing around all practice, distracting everyone."

Her eyes narrow, a flicker of annoyance crossing her face. "I wasn't distracting anyone. You're just upset because you can't focus."

His words hit harder than he intended, and for a moment, Kageyama doesn't know how to respond. He's so used to everyone just backing down when he's angry, but Saerin doesn't. She stands her ground, that same unwavering confidence in her gaze.

Before he can say anything else, she turns away from him, her voice steady but cold. "Maybe you should work on controlling your temper instead of blaming everyone else."

After her words, Saerin walks away, leaving Kageyama standing there, seething. His teammates watch the exchange in stunned silence, not daring to intervene.

Sugawara finally speaks up, his voice careful. "Kageyama, that was... a bit much, don't you think?"

Kageyama's jaw tightens, but he doesn't respond. He knows Sugawara is right, but admitting that only makes him angrier. Instead, he grabs his bag and storms out of the gym without another word, the frustration boiling inside him.

As he walks home, Kageyama's mind races, replaying the scene over and over again. He's never been good at handling his emotions, and Saerin has a way of getting under his skin like no one else. Every time he's near her, he feels out of control, and it scares him.

But even as he tries to convince himself that he's better off keeping his distance, part of him knows he won't be able to. Saerin is too alluring, too different from anyone else he's met. And as much as he tries to push her away, he can't help but be drawn to her.

Meanwhile, Saerin is walking home with a frown on her face. Kageyama's words keep replaying in her head, and for the first time, she feels genuinely annoyed. She's tried to be patient with him, tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but his constant mood swings are exhausting.

She knows he's difficult to read, but that doesn't mean she's going to let him walk all over her. She's not the type to put up with someone's anger just because they can't express themselves properly. As much as she finds him intriguing, she's not going to wait around for him to figure out his feelings.

But even as she tells herself that, she can't deny that something about Kageyama draws her in. He's frustrating, yes, but there's something beneath all that anger—something vulnerable that she's caught glimpses of. And despite herself, she wants to see more of it.

As she walks, Saerin lets out a sigh, determined to set some boundaries the next time she sees him. She's not going to let him keep snapping at her without consequence. If Kageyama wants to keep being difficult, then that's his problem. But she's not going to stick around if he can't start treating her with at least a little respect.