Haikyuu!! - Crows' Shadow

Chapter 8

The days were quickly ticking past as the Karasuno volleyball teams got ready for the prep tournament that was quickly coming.  Kaoru had slowly opened up to the rest of the boys' team, but she was still strained towards the girls' team at times.  However, the teams proved promising as they worked hard to become stronger.

It was a Saturday afternoon practice when Coach Ukai suddenly surprised everyone with the announcement that they were going to have a vacation/training camp the next weekend.

"E-EH?!" everybody was seated on the floor when Coach Ukai gathered them around, but Nishinoya and Tanaka were the first to pop up in surprise.

"Yeah, well, my old man had a time share he never used, so might as well use it to our advantage since there's a gym nearby and the beach," Coach shrugged, but even before his words were finished, people were cheering.

"A training camp, huh?" Kaoru mused more to herself than to anyone else as she brought the waterbottles.

"Yeah, it's lots of fun!" Hinata was bouncing excitedly.  "We do all these things like 'woosh' and 'kapow' and-!"

"That was the only training camp you went to, idiot, so shut up," Kageyama growled a bit, but everyone could notice a somewhat competitive spark in his eyes.  "Might as well train to the extreme to beat everyone."

 "Are you going to come, Kaoru-san?" Hinata bounced over eagerly to the quiet blonde.

She pushed her index fingers against each other.  "Am I allowed to?" she looked up.

"Sure!  Coach, she's coming, right?" Nishinoya and Tanaka were suddenly on their knees.  "Since Kiyoko-san isn't going to be there?!"

Coach Ukai had a growing mark of irritation on his forehead.  "All right, all right," he shrugged.  "But there's just one condition we have to meet for my old man.  He has a cafe there that we'll have to help run while we're there."

"YOSSHHHHAAAA!!!" everyone was cheering excitedly.

Kaoru gave a hint of a smile once again.  She had been doing that lately, and her cousin noted that with pleasure.  "It looks like you're having fun, Kaoru-chan," Koushi smiled, patting her on the head gently.

Kaoru grinned almost shyly.  "Well...yeah."  She quickly looked away, trying to hide her smile.

"-And we should totally eat a lot!" Nishinoya and Hinata were jumping up and down on the side.

"Nishinoya-senpai," Kaoru walked over, tapping him lightly on the shoulder.

Said senpai suddenly had a bright blush on his face - probably of embarrassment since he had treated her unkindly earlier - and whirled around, his arms crossed, trying to appear intimidating to the shorter kouhai.  "Y-Yes?"

"Can you..." the platinum blonde was suddenly bowing before him in a perfect 90 degree angle.  "...please teach me how to become a better libero?"

The Guardian Diety of Karasuno blinked blankly.  "Eh?"

She put her hands together in a praying position.  "Please!  I want to get better!  And you're the only person I can rely on for sage advice on this matter!"

Hinata was impressed.  She must really want to become a really good libero, he thought to himself, but he noticed Daichi making a face.  "Why, what's wrong, Daichi-senpai?"

The captain had a slightly amused look on his face.  "Of course she would have an eye out for the best," he remarked dryly.  "I knew she was very perceptive like her cousin, but I didn't realize her to be that perceptive."

"Hah?  What's that supposed to mean, senpai?"

"Ah, don't worry about it," Daichi waved it off as he watched Nishinoya laugh like an idiot, boasting about how he was going to be a great senpai teaching Kaoru.

---

"Gaaaah, I should have skipped school today..." Yamaguchi yawned, flopping over atop his desk.  "Besides, there's only today before we leave for the camp tomorrow..." he glanced over at his best friend.  "Hey, Tsukki, let me borrow your pencil."

"..."

"Oi, Tsukki!"

"..."

"Tsukki?" Yamaguchi lifted his head and poked his friend.  "Tsu~ Kki~"

"W-What?!" Tsukishima turned around, super startled, his face bright red.

Yamaguchi blinked for a couple of seconds, then grinned.  "Hoho, what were you doing, Tsukki?"

"N-Nothing," the tall blonde averted his gaze from the window.

"Hah?" Yamaguchi pushed him aside and leaned out.

The window showed a view of the tennis courts, and...

"Ah, the girls are having their P.E. classe-  Oh!  There's Sugawara-san!" Yamaguchi pointed out.  Then he paused, grinning.  "Tsukki...do you have a crush?"

"No, I don't!  Shut up, Yamaguchi, you idiot," Tsukishima pushed him over, jamming his hands into his jacket pockets and storming out.

"Haah, well, that's not fair," Yamaguchi rubbed his head, leaning back in his chair as he watched Kaoru.  Then mumbling to himself,

                "I liked her first."