Winner [Haikyu!! x OC] (Completed)

Iron Wall

"Iron wall, huh?" I pull my jacket back onto my arms from where I had draped it over my legs on the bus. Today we got to leave early in the morning, and usually, that would make me tired, but I'm just grateful I don't have to suffer through another day of anxiety-inducing anticipation.

"Yes," Oikawa answers me, even though I was talking to myself more than fishing for a response. "Date Tech uses read blocking, which means their players wait to see where the toss goes before jumping. It's a difficult technique to employ effectively. Especially if you want to get more than one blocker on each spike. You'll see specific players that are good at it, but Date Tech's entire team has been read-blocking effectively for a long time."

"Interesting," I tighten my ponytail on our way to our practice gym. "So, basically, Date Tech is the opposite of Shiratorizawa's Guess Monster."

Oikawa frowns. "That's one way to put it. But it's just as annoying to play against."

"At least they're predictable. And the last time I checked, iron walls don't have brains, so they won't be a match for your genius, Cap," I poke his side.

Then I immediately freeze. I shouldn't have said that. I know how sensitive Oikawa is about the word 'genius'. I quickly try to backtrack. "Ah, I... what I mean is..."

I'm failing miserably, but thankfully Iwaizumi quite literally jumps into our conversation to save me and ruffles Oikawa's hair aggressively.

"Yeah, Genius-kawa. Ready to manipulate your way around the iron wall?"

"I don't manipulate people!" Oikawa insists.

"Yes, you do," Matsukawa and Hanamaki chorus from behind us.

Oikawa spins on them. "Why are you on their side?"

"Hey," I raise my hands in a peaceful gesture upon entering the gym. "I didn't say anything about you manipulating people, so leave me out of this."

The team captain glares at me out of the corner of his eye. "It was implied."

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Was not."

"Whatever," Oikawa sniffs and shoves the water bottle cages at me. "Just go fill these up."

"Please," he adds when I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Sure, Captain!" I jog to the door.

"Lil-chan!"

I stop with one hand on the door and look back at Oikawa, his eyes meeting mine in a flash of brown.

He holds my gaze for a moment, then says with a smirk, "Be careful."

A thump in my chest sends me throwing him a messy salute and hustling out the door.

Straight into Daisuke.

"Whoa! Hey, Lily," he laughs and wraps his arms around me to steady me.

As sweet as the gesture is, it does not help my flustered state.

"Daisuke-san!" I push myself away and do my best to look like a put-together team manager and not like a high school girl who freaks out whenever a pretty boy acts even a tiny bit cute.

"Can I help you with those?" Daisuke gestures at the water bottles in my hands.

"Yes," I smile at him. "Please."