effervescent (nishinoya yū)

CHAPTER FIVE / the ace of karasuno

"A-Azumane?"

He turned around, wearing an awkward smile as he wiped his face with a towel. You held a ball between your hands, staring up at him with that same expression that he remembered from the first time you two met. Goddammit, not again! "What can I do for you?" he asked.

You had all just finished another day of hard practice and were in the process of cooling down for the night. The match against Nekoma was in three days, and you could already tell that everyone was making some form of progress.

"You're the ace, aren't you?"

Azumane cocked his head to the side. Next to him, Sawamura and Sugawara paused in their motions as well, and the three third-years turned to face you.

"Y-Yeah," he said. "I thought you knew that already."

"I do." You tightened your grip on the ball and stared at it. "I'm here with all of you because I want to grow stronger as a libero. I don't want to let my team down again. That's why...I want you to spike to me whenever you're able to, even if it's just for a few minutes. I want to know what it's like to face off against a powerful ace so I can be at my best for my own team."

Sawamura laughed. "Well, who would have thought Asahi looked strong to an outsider?" he joked, nudging Sugawara.

"That's true," Sugawara mused, rubbing his chin. "Although, I remember it more as girls running away from Asahi because they thought he was an intimidating delinquent."

Azumane flinched. "H-Hey!" he protested, glaring at them. Sugawara and Sawamura just laughed harder. He turned back to you and smiled again, although this time it seemed more genuine. "Of course. Whenever I'm able to, I'll help you practice."

You grinned. "Thank you, Azumane!"

He waved you off. "Also, you don't have to worry about all the formal, upperclassman stuff. Just call me Asahi, okay?"

"Alright, Asahi!"

True to his word, once everyone began packing up to turn in for the night, you and Asahi stayed back. After a bit of coaxing and shameless begging, both Sawamura and Ukai agreed to let you do some personal practice.

"There'd better be an emphasis on 'some,'" Sawamura warned with a threatening finger pointed in your direction. "Asahi, don't let her get carried away, alright? Be back by dinner."

"Okay, Dad," you joked. Sawamura rolled his eyes, but after one last pointed glare in your direction he turned around and left the gym.

You turned to Asahi and grinned. "Are you ready?"

It didn't take very long for exhaustion to settle in. After clearing the volleyball cart twice over, you both called it quits. 

Asahi swept the floor while you returned the volleyball cart back to the storage room. Inside, you noticed a broken broom pushed off to the side, and you frowned.

"Hey, Asahi?"

Asahi paused and looked up. "What's up?"

"Why is there still a broken broom in here?"

Even with your back turned, you could feel the atmosphere change. Asahi came over to you and replaced the broom he had been using before turning to face the wall as well. You looked at him and saw an odd light in his eyes. He almost looked...guilty.

"Last year, during the Spring Interhigh, we were knocked out during the first round," he explained. "It was us against Date Tech. We lost the game, two sets to zero."

You frowned. "That's the school that has the 'Iron Wall,' right?"

He nodded and crossed his arms. "After we got back to Karasuno, Nishinoya and I had an...argument. We were both putting the blame on ourselves instead of on each other. He didn't understand why I didn't call for the last toss and I couldn't understand why he wasn't blaming me. He pushed me, and I stepped on that broom and broke it."