a chance, an opportunity | haikyuu

Chapter 2 - coffee is evil.

What should've been a 10 minute walk back to the hotel took more than half an hour. His shoes made scraping noises against the road, as he mindlessly kicked at pebbles. By the time he reached his room, he was as tired as he'd been the night of his flight home (which wasn't even that long ago).

This is why he didn't drink highly caffeinated things (really- why did he think drinking coffee was a good idea when he couldn't handle a latte on a good day).

Shun had so many plans. People to call, things to schedule, books to read, volleyball supplies to buy, and a home to go back to. He couldn't bring himself to get out of bed though. He was tired. Tired in a way that left him unable to think. He hated all of this. He hated that he had to leave the country in the first place. He hated having to come back after being settled so well. He hated all of it.

He'd left his dad, his home (that never really felt like a home), his friends, and for god's sake his team (honestly he didn't know what to feel about that). He'd already known about the plan to move since the start of the year. It had only been a suggestion back then. Another of the off-hand things that his dad would mention every once in a while (probably motivated by Shun's problems back then). He remembers that day clearly.

The squeak of volleyball shoes on the smooth floorboard of the court as players jumped, ran, and did all sorts of things for the sake of a single point. Not that Shun could judge. After all, wasn't he the one trying the hardest? He ran for a ball that the rest of his teammates had already given up on. Maybe they were really just unlucky as one of the benchwarmers had so eloquently complained after seeing the lineup for the tournament. His team was good. As they should be, after all the training they'd gone through (all the training he'd gone through). It's just that they're opponent was even better (honestly with how his team was, it wasn't surprising). Still, Shun ran after every spike, dump, and serve. His teammates had obviously already given up. None of them moved as a powerful jump serve hit an ugly spot on their court.

They were on 24-17 in the opposite team's favor. It was already the third set and they hadn't gotten a lead since the first.

They were obviously off their game. So Shun had to do more, call for more tosses, spike harder, receive better, be better. He's able to save the ball. He rushes back into position and feels a sort of satisfaction seeing his teammates tense in preparation to strike back. A wing spiker (a junior who hated practicing receives) goes to follow up on his earlier save and pass to the setter. It's a disgusting pass. He sees it in the wince the wing spiker makes as he yells out an apology.

When the ball reaches the waiting setter, he's already at the net.

"GIVE IT TO ME!" He yells.

The ball heads his way. The toss is sloppy. Too short, too close to the net. He jumps anyway, higher than he would normally, the balls of his feet digging into the ground right before he swings his body up.

There's a smack as his spike hits the opposite court. It hits right outside the line. It's out. A whistle blows, and they should be lining up now. But Shun can't move. He's tired. He's broken limits that he shouldn't have. He's way too angry to face his team right now. So in the end he doesn't. He passes out. Hitting the ground with a thud. The captain and vice captain panic, calling over their coach- and he can hear his (they aren't really a team though... they aren't his) team yelling around him, but he's wiped. The next time he wakes up, it's on a hospital bed with his dad staring at him sadly. And goddamn it, he knew he shouldn't have drank that crappy coffee before sleeping that week. Like hell, it wouldn't affect his energy. Shun had practiced 'til the sun came up just to drain the caffeinated buzz he felt after drinking that... thing. He should really stop depending on his teammate's advice, was his last thought before falling asleep again.