The Newbie ~ Tsukishima Kei

Chapter 17 ~ Wakunan

A/N: I know most people don't read the A/N's at the top, but hear me out here. I'm planning on rewriting this book, this was a childish fantasy and I know this sounds like a child telling people they've grown up when they really haven't, but I swear I've grown a lot since the start of this book. I believe I initially started this two years ago, and we're still here, undone. I'll be finishing this book at the end of the third season, I don't know if I'll write forth season or not. The rewriting will be split into two books (It's going to be very different) and I dunno about you but what I'm thinking right now, it's going to be somewhat messed up (like, fucked up). If you've read this, thank you.

"Ah, Koisumi."

AKIKO SLUNG HER BAG OVER HER SHOULDER, turning to her coach. "Yes, coach Ukai?" She waved a hand at Yamaguchi and Tsukishima, silently telling them to go without her.

They nodded, walking off.

"What do you think about switching positions?"

She furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head. What position was she again? Man, volleyball rules were confusing. She'd taken Hinata's spot to sync up with Sugawara. So.. middle blocker?

Akiko shrugged, "How would that help?"

"You'll get your time on the court. Since we have three Winged Spikers, and Wakunan's defence is high, our team is bound to get tired. You'd be replacing whoever's the most tired by the end of the set to play at the next set." Ukai explained, using hand gestures.

Her eyes lit up, but she thought about it nonetheless. Middleblocker was a position for the fast players or good blockers, although she was fast she couldn't beat Hinata and although her blocks were decent, they were outshined by Tsukishima's. Her defensive skills could match Daichi's, though her motivational skills couldn't, and her attack power was somewhere in between Daichi and Tanaka.

This was an offer to get her in the lineup, and although she felt like it was cheating, she thought those players had way more time and are way better on the court than she is,  the thought of playing was nice.

She'd practiced this much and she hadn't gotten a spot, so to actually play...

"Yes, I'll switch."

The thought of Coach Ukai's words from yesterday still ran around her mind, even with all the cheers from different parts of the bleachers.

She would get to play, but to replace one of them... it felt wrong.

She couldn't help but think back to her elementary school days. Sure, volleyball or sports wasn't a big thing back then, but getting replaced? It still hurt like a bitch.

To these players, it might not feel like getting replaced, it could just feel like taking a break. But to her, it was everything.

Holding the superstar spot on her previous sports team brought up her pride, but to be on the bench in a sport she'd already played before broke it all down.

"Oi, you're in one of those states again."

Akiko snapped her head to Tsukishima, who'd just switched with Nishinoya. She sighed and looked back to the game.