Through the Boundaries ~ Kageyama Tobio

8

The gym was quiet as most of the team packed up for the day. Saerin had been following the practice, casually sitting on the bleachers, watching Kageyama with interest. He was always intense when it came to volleyball—each serve hit with precision, but today she could sense something was off. There was a tension in his movements, like he was frustrated with himself.

Sugawara caught your eye as he passed by, offering her a knowing smile. He was the only one who knew her secret—she was going to be the new manager of the team, and he had recommended her for the position. She hadn't announced it yet, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. For now, she was just observing, getting a feel for the team's dynamics.

She stayed behind, watching Kageyama as he continued to practice alone. His serves hit the wall with increasing force, but each time, his frown deepened.

"Hey," she called out, walking over to him. "You look like you're trying to kill that ball."

Kageyama didn't look at you right away, his jaw tight as he lined up for another serve. "I'm fine."

"Are you?" She asked, her voice teasing. "Because it doesn't look like you're having fun."

He turned to glare at her, but there was something softer in his eyes, like he knew she was just messing with him. "It's not supposed to be fun."

"Well, maybe that's your problem," she said, stepping closer. "If you smiled a little, maybe the ball would listen to you."

He scoffed, shaking his head. "That's not how it works."

She rolled her eyes, crossing your arms. "Okay, then show me."

"What?"

"Show me how you do it. Maybe I'll have better luck."

He stared at her like she'd just said the most ridiculous thing in the world. "You? Serve? You're not serious."

She smirked, picking up a stray volleyball. "Why not? You look like you could use a break."

Kageyama looked like he wanted to argue, but then he sighed, clearly too frustrated to care. "Fine," he muttered. "But don't blame me when you can't hit it."

She lined up in front of the net, trying to mimic Kageyama's stance. She'd  seen him serve a thousand times, how hard could it be? She tossed the ball up, swung your arm back, and... completely missed the ball, her hand swiping through the air.

For a second, there was silence. Then, out of nowhere, Kageyama let out a short, rare laugh—a real laugh, not just a scoff or grunt.

Her heart skipped a beat, not expecting to hear such a sound from him. She glanced at him from the corner of your eye, seeing his expression soften, just for a second. His lips curled into the briefest smile, and she found hers laughing along with him—quietly, almost like she didn't want to disturb the moment.

It wasn't a loud, obvious reaction. She didn't need to say anything. It was just... there. Something that only the two of you would share, and somehow that made it even more meaningful.

Kageyama quickly wiped the smile from his face, his usual stoic expression returning, but she caught it. She'd seen it, felt it—his guard had cracked, if only for a moment.

She held the moment in her heart, not wanting to ruin it by bringing attention to it. Instead, she laughed softly and watched as Kageyama picked up another ball, a little more relaxed now.

In that quiet moment, something shifted between you two. She knew from then on where she wanted things to go with him. The fact that she could make him smile like that... it felt like she'd unlocked something.

Kageyama stood there, watching her for a split second longer than usual, before focusing back on his practice. It was rare to see him like this, and she wasn't going to let that slip away easily.

Without words, he knew it too—he couldn't let her leave his life.