Red Herring

A Toss to the Ace

A/N: What is this? A consistent update? How strange... So yes, I am updating once again, on time in a long time. So, let's hope that I can do this once again next week! If I don't... oops.

🏐🏐🏐

EVEN IF HE TRIED TO PUT ON the facade of disliking volleyball now, Asahi couldn't keep himself away from the gym. It was always pulling him in, much like a wave pulling him further out into the sea. He can't distance himself from the one sport that he had come to enjoy so much during his high school career. Not only that, but it was one of the biggest parts of his life that brought him so many good people into his life. Daichi, Suga, Nishinoya, Joji, just to name a few. So for him to try and distance himself from the team meant distancing himself from his greatest friends. He hated to do it, but he's scared, what can he say.

So now he watched in awe as the new first-year members practiced with each other. He witnessed just what Shōyō had been talking about before. That feeling of getting the ball over the net, hitting a powerful spike, and the sting in the palm of his hand is truly amazing. Asahi missed that feeling...

The short orange-haired boy cheered, "Right on! Our fast attacks are gonna count in the Cat fight too!"

Asahi's eyes widened as he realized what the first-year was talking about. He thought to himself, 'Cat? They have a game with Nekoma?'

"It's a practice game on the last day of Golden Week."

The bearded third-year jumped at the sudden statement "U-ugh!" He turned to find the captain and blonde spiker standing behind him. Daichi was smiling widely at his friend while Endo was smirking. He knew that Asahi couldn't stay away for too long, especially after having met the first-years. Plus, there was no way that Asahi could stay away from him for a long time. Asahi was bound to come back one way or another.

Daichi bristled, "What do you mean, "ugh"?" Though Asahi disregarded him and was trying to escape from the raging captain, in fear for his life. That only caused Daichi to get even more irritated, "Hey, don't run away!"

"But you can be scary when you're mad." Asahi explained with an ashen expression as he tried to climb over the banister and away from his friend.

"I'm not mad this second!" Daichi exclaimed.

Endo chuckled as he pated Daichi on the back, "You look kind of mad."

Though the captain just turned his "not mad" expression at his other smirking friend, "Endo."

"Yessir," He clammed up pretty quickly. Endo is not an idiot, at least not a big one. He knew what to keep his mouth shut. Especially when he was being glared at by one Sawamura Daichi. Endo doesn't have a death wish at the moment.

Daichi huffed in annoyance at his two good friends. One is far too timid and contradictory to his appearance while the other was being a nuisance as usual. He walked up to Asahi, who decided to abandon his plan to run, for now. "To us, Nekoma was like some kind of old folktale at the time. There's no fateful connection between us and them in the current generation." He explained, "But now, it's the Cats VS Crows Dumpster Showdown! Now that we have our first rematch with that Neko team I've heard so much about, I'm feeling kind of psyched."

Asahi looked down sadly, a sight that caused Endo to shift uncomfortably. Endo really hates having to deal with emotions and such, unless they provided him some sort of entertainment. Seeing Asahi in this depressing predicament gives him no joy at all. Asahi sighed, "I'm too ashamed to face Suga and Nishinoya."

The trio was quiet for a moment before Daichi placed a hand on Asahi's shoulder, "I've gotta hand it to you. You sure are timid for such a big guy! You're the polar opposite of Nishinoya!"