The Newbie ~ Tsukishima Kei

Chapter 22 ~ Farewell, my Paradise

A/N: right now I'm in a sort of rush to finish this book, but either way, I didn't plan on covering much of season 3 cuz it's literally 10 episodes of straight playing. Don't get me wrong, it's tense and all, but I really just want to get this over with. The rewriting might cover more of the season, but this book will not.

They'd done it. They'd won.

5 sets, 2 won by Shiratorizawa and, in the end, 3 won by Karasuno.

The audience was ecstatic, shocked, and cheering.

The favorite of the tournament, the winner for the past two years, the proclaimed 'strongest' school in the volleyball tournament had been beaten by fallen crows, underdogs.

Were they really fallen crows now?

Karasuno's highly offensive arsenal, albeit sometimes reckless, had helped them win. The freak quick, Sugawara's strong observation, Asah and Tanaka's powerful spikes, Daichi and Nishinoya's reliable defense, Hinata's speed, Kageyama's accurate tosses, Tsukishima's blocks, Yamaguchi's jump float, and her jump serve. But most importantly, their teamwork.

It wasn't because Shiratorizawa was full of themselves, they didn't make many mistakes. They were an amazing team, but Karasuno prevailed.

"TSUKISHIMA! No matter what anyone else says, you're the MVP today."

That was.. unexpected. He was the MVP in her eyes, sure, but she didn't think the coach would just, do something like that.

Even with the compliment, Tsukishima looked off. It was clear Yamaguchi could see it too.

Nobody could notice, all except the people closest to the blonde. He looked upset. It was a total contrast from him earlier, when he'd managed to block Ushijima's spike.

He was actually pumped, he was determined to win this. He'd begun to like volleyball.

Kuroo and Bokuto would be proud for sure.

"Tsukishima was in the bathroom." Yamaguchi recollected what him and Tsukishima had told each other to her.

It made her laugh a little; Yamaguchi had always been timid, so far he'd only shouted back during the motivation talk at training camp and now. Character development.

The award ceremony gave her confidence. It brought chills down her spine.

It had all seemed like a day dream until then, despite the sweat dripping down her face, the burning of her legs and the stinging of her forearms.

The award ceremony grounded her into reality. 'This actually happened.'

But winning finals wasn't all, they still had nationals. Who knows how weak they would be against the other prefectures?

No, not weak. Going to nationals proved their strength. Beating the favorite proved their power.

They wouldn't be called weak anymore, they were a powerhouse.

Tsukishima held her hands and gave her a knowing look.

Tears pricked her eyes, it was the same look she'd often see before crying when she told herself she was weak.

"You're not weak."

"I know, I know. I'm strong."

She blinked the tears away, regaining her composure with a deep breath.

She was glad she was over that now. Kei played a big role in recoring her self-confidence. For a seemingly emotionless guy he sure knew how to care for her.

"What do you think is going to happen at nationals?" She asked.

That was a question better left unanswered. "Let's not think about that." Kei replied, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

It brought a blush to her face every time he did anything affectionate.

There was still a long way before nationals, as the tournament was next year.

"What sport are you doing next year?" Next year was also a new school year. She'd told him plenty of times about her middle school days, how she was quite the star and how she took up a new sport each year.

With all the things she's gone through with volleyball this year, she knew she wanted to stick with this sport. Now that she'd remembered elementary school.

"I think.. I'm staying with volleyball."

The statement actaully brought a smile to Tsukishima's face, albeit a small one. "Good."

She huffed out a laugh. Tsukishima looked proud.

"You look proud." She remarked.

"Isn't that a good thing?"