Page 4

"KARASUNO! FIGHT!"

"Ossssssssu!" The entire team yells in response. Eiko, Mei and you giggle while you stood beside Shimizu Kiyoko, the gorgeous manager who two of the second years went plotz over.

"Thanks for helping us out." She says, handing the bottles of ice-cool water.

Eiko's first instinct is to run towards Tsukishima, and you want to slap your face at how obvious she decided to be. But when she hands the first bottle to the greenish-haired boy, you can slightly relax. Maybe she can think a bit when she wants to. Meanwhile, you didn't have to even look to know that Mei would head towards where Sugawara and Sawamura were, chatting about something. Taking the two bottles in hand, you walk towards Kageyama and Hinata, who had decided to take some rest while leaning against the wall.

"Good work today!" You give them a cheer. Both of your friends accept the bottle, hastily gulping down the entire contents of the bottle in one go.

'Are boys always like this?' You could only wonder, as you stare at them wiping their face after they are done. You glance at Kageyama, and his eyes looked duller than usual. 'Was it because volleyball practice was over?'

"I'm so glad you came, Masumi-san!" The orange ball of sunshine says, putting his bottle down. "Since Sugawara-san is going to walk Mei-san home... Can we walk you home?!"

"Oi, quit involving me in everything you want to do, dumbass..." Kageyama hisses, slamming his bottle beside Hinata. The smalley boy grimaces before his expression turns sour.

"Fine! Be an idiot, Bakayama-kun!" Hinata sticks a tongue, standing up. "Masumi-san, I'll take a quick shower and come back, okay?"

"Ah, tha-" Hinata had already run off.

Awkwardly, you reach for the bottle Hinata had used. Feeling too out of place to look at Kageyama, you keep your gaze down while you bend down towards the setter's bottle. Kageyama's hands on the top of the bottle make you freeze.

"Sit."

'So Oikawa isn't the only one who could speak scarily.' You gulp, doing as he told. When you cross your legs and sit in front of him, he let out a sigh.

"Sorry. I didn't mean it in a bad way. Don't be offended."

"Ah, it;s okay... But is something wrong, Tobio?"

With another sigh, he lifts his gaze and looks at you.

Kageyama's eyes look like blueber-

"I want to die."

Your eyes go wide when he says this, and you turn yourself around and cup your hands over your mouth. "GUYS, KAGEYA-"

"You DUMBASS!" Kageyama yells, placing a hand over your mouth. The other members of the team are staring at you two like you both were insane, and you can sense Sugawara and Mei's worried looks boring onto your back when you flip back towards Kageyama. "I'm not dying! Even though it feels like I might- Ugh, I just..." The ravenette fidgets, mumbling something under his breath.

"Tobio, are you sick?"

"I wish I was sick. It would be better than... 'That'."

"That? That what?" You are starting to get very concerned, and you place a hand on his forehead to see if his temperature was rising. At the sudden contact, Kageyama winces, moving at least three feet away.

"I don't want to start dating yet!!" He cries, his widened eyes making you flinch back as well. A few feet away from you, Nishinoya and Tanaka glances at the two of you again. Either they didn't hear what Kageyama had said, or, they were too busy fanboying over the fact that Shimizu was the one who was handing them the bottles. You didn't know which, but the two of them fully ignores the two of you.

Sighing, you turn back to face the blue-eyed boy. Kageyama really wasn't being himself today. "I-i'm sorry, Tobio... But really, why are you panicking?"

"No, "m sorry... Uh just." He stops speaking, clutching two handfuls of his hair in frustration. "I just... I didn't think I would."

"Would what? Tobio will you freaking tell me what's going on?"

"Have... a..."

"Tobio, you're starting to annoy me now."

"Crush." His sentence finally finishes, and your eyes widen. Kageyama was 'in love with someone?'

"Ooooohhhh."

"Stop. It isn't funny! I'd rather die than do all that stuff, you know."

Finally, you are ale to put two and two together. The way he had messed up so many sets with Hinata, the way he snapped at him, the way he was so quiet during the entire practice... "Is that because you're too distracted with thinking about her?"

More silence continues on his part, and you can only wonder if he had said al of what he wished to share. Deciding not to pry any further, you reach for the used water bottle that had now rolled towards the back doorway.

"What am I going to do now? I'm dying."

"Tobioooo, you aren't dying. And also, it isn't a problem to be in love with someone, you know."

"It is when she's all I can think about, especially now that I've realized it!" He groans, using both his fists to hit his thighs in frustration. You wonder what you can do to make him feel better, but really; You weren't an expert in the love and dating department. You let out a similar groan when you recall your own storm that you had to name as love.

"Well... I know it can get annoying. But if it makes you feel any better, you'd be surprised to know I'm in love with Oikawa." Kageyama blinks once. Twice. Three times. You lose count of how many times he blinked before he raises an eyebrow.

"HUH?!"

"Shut up. See? It pisses me off, but it's a fact. You can't change it, you know."

The setter doesn't seem convinced. He continues to glance at you with a doleful expression, one that makes even you yourself feel depressed all of a sudden.

"E-er yeah so." You say, standing up on your feet. "If you're still up for brunch- and I hope you are - then I'll see you on Saturday."

"Tomo."

"Huh?" You turn to face him again, and he is looking up at you in defeat.

"Tomo. Her name is Tomo. She's the tutor of-"

"I brought back the individual study plans!" A feminine voice announces, opening the door wide.

Two things happened at once. One; A girl of about the same height as Hinata's steps in, followed by the faculty advisor, Takeda-sensei. Two; From behind you, Kageyama jolts up straight, before he dashes off outside from the back entrance.

'So it was that bad, huh?' Baffled, you can only look back at the door from where he had made his exit.

Three minutes later, you receive a text notification from the setter.

'That was her. Save me.'

You can only giggle at what a dork Kageyama was. If only a certain captain school called Aoba Johsai was more like Kageyama, instead of being a lousy zero, your life would have been so much easier.