Your brother called him Mad Dog. some called him scary. Iwaizumi-kun called him a challenge to work with. Others called him a lone wolf.

You didn't know what to make of him.

You were visiting Aoba Josai during a break you were on for school. Once you entered that gym, his glare hit you. It sent a cold shiver up your spine. It was unlike anything you've ever felt in the past. It was challenging you and sizing you up all at the same time. You scoured the gym for any gaze matching the one you felt. At first, you thought it maybe could be Iwaizumi, but he would never even lay a finger on you to harm you, let alone send this much hostile energy your way.

Finally, his sharp eyes met yours. You tilt your head at him. What was he glaring at? Why was he glaring at you? Had Toru said something stupid to him? You gave him a raised eyebrow. He seemed to jump back slightly. You dropped your jaw in shock. Was he afraid of you?

"(Name)-chan! Thank goodness you made it here okay! How was the trip?" a familiar airheaded voice rang out. You look over to see your brother, Toru.

"Onii-san. The trip was okay. The train from Tokyo to Miyagi isn't as bad as you think." You smile as you begin to aggressively push him away. He made a pout at you as you did so and attempted to grip onto you harder. You looked for your backup, but Iwaizumi seemed busy.

"(Name)-Chaaaan! Your brother hasn't seen you in forever! Big brother's been heartbroken ever since you decided against going to Aoba Josai! Humor him a little and let him cuddle you~!" You began looking around for help once again. You spotted Kindaichi, but he only gave you a shrug. He never helped you.

"Onii-san, please, you have practice don't you? Won't Hajime-nii-san get mad?" You pled with him.

"Practice is in a few minutes! I'll spend as much time as I can with you right now my precious baby sister!" He rubs his cheek against your own. You sigh as you look around for help again. None gave you a helpful glance.

You did, however, catch the glare of a boy who looked only a year older than you. He seemed wary of both you and your brother. You had no idea as to why.

"Hm? What is it (Name)-nee-chan?" Oikawa peered at your face before following your gaze to the scary boy with a killer leer. "Mad dog-chan! Why are you glaring at my precious little sister?" Iwaizumi suddenly whipped his head around to make sure the mean-looking boy wasn't trying to do you any harm. Some other third years also peer over to the situation.

The boy you now know as 'Mad Dog' clicks his tongue, causing Toru to jump slightly. Did your older brother have no sort of setter/Spiker bond with this boy?

"Kyotani, I don't give a shit what you do Oikawa, but so much as lay a finger on (Name)-chan and I'll beat you into the next dimension." Iwaizumi threatened and the boy flinched. Well, at least Hajime-nii had control.

"She needs to leave." He bites before turning and continuing to spike a ball against a wall. Your brother gawked as his grip loosened on you. You finally felt like you could breathe.

"Huh?! What do you mean Mad Dog-chan!?" he finally lets you go and walks carefully towards the aggressive Spiker.

"It's fine Toru. I'm gonna be in town for a few days." You try to calm him. "I'll see you at home." As you were about to turn, you notice Kyotani turn to look at you, but his face wasn't aggressive this time. It almost looked like he didn't want you to leave. You raised an eyebrow. 'Well, which one is it? Do you want me to stay or go?' you thought as you began to slowly walk out. You could then feel his eyes scan you up and down. 'Do you want me to leave or do you want to check me out?!' Your frustration began to shine through as a scowl lined your face. You shot him one last glare before leaving the gym. You would abide by his request and leave, but you wouldn't stand for his flip-flop opinion on you. Your brother gave you enough flip-flop to deal with. Your gaze, as you left, made him quickly look away as your brother began to lightly scold him. His cheeks looked slightly reddened. Was this his way of flirting with you? What was he? 6?

As the sun set over the spring encased town, you decided to go for a snack at the local store. The smell of fresh rain took hold of the streets and the sky was dark with gray clouds. Not the most ideal weather to go grab a snack, but it'll have to do. Miyagi didn't have as many colorful lights as Tokyo, but it had its own charm in the fact that it was a very homey place. It felt personal. Familiar. Even nostalgic. You breathe deeply through your nose and made your way down the old beaten concrete sidewalks. Your ballet flats skidded as you dragged your feet across the large slabs. Your knee length skirt swayed slightly in the wind, occasionally catching on a dandelion that sprouted from the concrete. You pulled at the long sweater/cardigan that kept your bare skin from being exposed to the cool spring air. It was kind of chilly.

As you arrive at the store, you are greeted by a convenience store attendant. You nod and wave to acknowledge them. You make your way back to the fresh, warm food. You gaze as you begin a debate in your head as to which snack to get. You sway slightly back and forth as you look at the fried food. It was either the fried food or a steamed curry bun. Either treat was fine, but after a quick eenie meenie match, the fried food won.

You reached out for the cutely packaged famima chicken, but as soon as you're about to grab it, a large calloused hand collides with yours.You follow the arm up to the owner's face.

It was Kyotani.

"Oh, it's you." You gave him a wry smile with furrowed brows. He clicked his tongue as he aggressively grabbed the food out from under your touch. "I guess you want that." You put your hand on your hip as you reach for the curry bun. You thought he would run to pay immediately after snatching the food, but he did something surprising.

He waited.

He turned so his back was facing you. There he goes again, acting standoffish, but not fully pushing you away. It's like he didn't know how to deal with you, so he's trying everything at once.

"Is that all you're getting?" he said in a gruff masculine tone.

"Yeah, it's all I came here for." You decide to test your luck and approach him normally. You were about to continue to the front counter to pay, but he aggressively pushes you back and slams money down on the counter, causing the attendant to jump.

"It's for both." He says in a quieter tone. You tilt your head out of surprise. He just paid for your snack for no other reason than he could.

"T-thanks," You blush and smile at him. He stared at you for a few seconds before turning his head and taking his receipt. You could see the tip of his ears were a burning red.

"Let's go," he demanded. What, now he wanted you to come with him?

"Huh?"

"It's getting dark. It's dangerous." he opened the door while still refusing to look at you. You study him slightly before smiling.

"Are you trying to ask if you can walk me home?" The more time you spent with him, the easier he was to read. As you made your way to the door, he held it open with his back to you and let you through. There it was again. He didn't know how to deal with you, so he's trying everything at once.

He's Interesting, to say the least.

Kyotani walked slightly ahead of you so that you couldn't see his face. His ears, however, were still a bright red. He would occasionally glance back at you to make sure you were still there, but he didn't do much else to interact with you. You decide to help him out.

"So your name is Kyotani?" You ask. He nods.

"Kyotani Kentarou."

"Oikawa (Name)" you gave. "You can call me (Name) if you want. Most people do to separate me from my brother." He takes a deep breath through his nose. Was he calming himself? You took a bite of your curry bun. "So you're on my brother's team right? Are you a wing Spiker?"

"You can tell?" he whips his head around to face you. Got him.

"You have a lot of power, and you seem like the type that likes to attack and act alone. A perfect wing Spiker." You took another bite of your curry bun "Maybe even Ace material if you work on it." He widened his eyes at you. His mouth, however, remained in a scowl. He turns again and takes another deep breath through his nose.

"...Come to our next practice."

"Are you giving me permission?" You tilt your head. He clicks his tongue

"Shut up."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The next day you arrive in athletic shorts and your brother's jersey jacket. You loved the look of varsity jackets, so you were constantly "Borrowing" your brother's and Iwaizumi's. The jacket was too large for you, so it scrunched at your wrists.

"Hello! Hope I'm not intruding!" You wave at the entrance to the gym. Your brother immediately whipped his head up and sprinted towards you. The only thing that saved you was Iwaizumi-nii catching his collar and keeping him in place. You take the chance Iwaizumi has given you to go place your things down near the coach. You bowed to him and he smiles

"It's good to see that you're home (Name)-chan. Your brother's morale and mood always get boosted when you're home."

"Thank you for letting me sit in on practice. I'll try and keep Toru in that good mood, but you know how he is." You smile. That's when you felt them again. You felt Kyotani's eyes. He gave you permission yesterday to attend, so he shouldn't be glaring at you. You let him look you up and down for a few seconds before turning your head and smiling at him. He flinches and quickly turns. You see his ears turn red once again. You witness your former classmates, Kindaichi and Kunimi widen scared and surprised eyes at Kyotani's face. He must have glared at them because they quickly scatter. You sigh. 'He must be a giant 8-year-old in disguise.'

You observed your brother's team practice, each like a root or branch of a great tree. Each of their movements keeping the trunk from being toppled over by the wind. They all worked as a unit to move nutrients through the great creature that was their team.

You snapped out of your daze to the sudden sharp sound of a ball being spiked.

And then there was Kyotani. If they were a tree, he was ivy. Binding and constricting the tree as it climbs for its own selfish gains. He chased the thrill that Volleyball gave him, he just happened to hate losing as well. The way he played intrigued you.

"What do you think (Name)-chan? I know your brother isn't the only master of reading people." The coach asks you. You let out a breath through your nose.

"He's like Ivy. To the tree itself, he seems like a weed. He's constricting them and digging into them, but he's also providing strength." You glance over at the coach "in tough times his worth will be more apparent." The coach smiled at you. He must have been thinking something similar.

"It's too bad you didn't come to Aoba Johsai, you would have made a fantastic manager."

"I wouldn't have been able to handle my brother. It's better this way." You smile as you witness another powerful jump serve. This team really did have some characters, didn't it?

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

If he was the king, then you were a princess. That would make him a knight? No, Iwaizumi-senpai was a knight. So what did that make him?

A dog.

Kindaichi and Kunimi could talk to you so easily. They laughed with you as you reminisce about the past. What did that make him?

A monster.

The other upperclassmen could touch your hair or shoulder with minimal whining from Oikawa. You would scold him if he did whine too much however by saying they were being friendly. What did that make him?

A pain.

"(Name)-chan! Who's jacket do you have on? Mine's right here." Your brother called to you. You look up at him and then back down to the sleeves of the jacket. It didn't smell like Iwaizumi, Kindaichi, or Kunimi for that fact. The smell, however, was intoxicating, even if the cuffs of the sleeves were slightly dirty.

"That's a good question... who's is this?" You ask as you try to examine it more and figure it out. You look at the other two third years, they both had their jackets. You then looked over at the second years. Yahaba had his. That's when you felt a strong, firm hand on your shoulder. Your friends jumped, and your brother quickly raised his hands.

"M-Mad Dog-chan! I'm sure it was an accident! (Name)-chan didn't mean anything by it!"

Mad dog?

You turn your head and see Kyotani with his usual scowl. His eyes immediately locked with yours. You blink several times before turning your full body towards him, maintaining eye contact with him the entire time.

"Is this yours, Kyotani?" you ask calmly. You run a hand up the opening of the jacket. He nods. His movements were stiff. You smile and begin to remove the jacket, but he grabs your hand and stops you.

"K-KEEP IT!" he yells before his face becomes engulfed in red. Your eyes widened at his sudden verbalization. Your mouth also slightly opens out of shock.

"Geh?!" your brother choked. The rest of his team stared at Kyotani, trying to process what's happening. Kyotani however quickly lets go of your hand and sprints out the door without his jacket. "M-Mad Dog-chan!? What was that?!" Oikawa yells after him. He then runs to the doors to continue shouting, but he doesn't dare leave his little sister behind. Iwaizumi quickly subdues him, however.

"What was that?" Kindaichi raised an eyebrow and looked back to where you stood. "GEH?!" he also choked. Kunimi and Yahaba also look back at you and make the same noise. You were still gripping the opening to the jacket, right where he gripped your hand, and your face was bright red. You made slight vocalizations, but you had mentally shut down. What did he do to you?! Your brother sprinted over to you and began tugging at the jacket you wore, demanding you remove it, snapping you out of your meltdown.

"No! I want to wear it!" You protested.

"But if you wear his jacket, then it's like you're his girlfriend! You can't date anyone until I'm dead!"

"That's absurd!" you yelled back. You glare at him, and he childishly glares back. Iwaizumi had had just about enough and was about to beat the crap out of Oikawa, but you brought the situation down. "I'll make a deal with you. I'll return it to him tomorrow, if I can wear it for now." you bargain.

"Fine,"

"Also, you can't lay a finger on him or treat him any differently. If you can promise me that, I'll attend the rest of your games for the rest of the year, I'll also visit during the weekends." Oikawa's eyes lit up. You had clearly caught his attention, and de-escalate the situation.

"Deal! This is great (Name)! You'll see just how awesome of a player your big brother is!"

'Oh, she's good...' Iwaizumi rolled down his sleeve. Looks like he didn't have to worry about Oikawa behaving now.

The next day came too quickly for your liking. You had washed the jacket Kyotani lent you, but his scent still lingered slightly. You ended up cuddling with it all night. You didn't know why a jacket soothed you this way, but it did.

Iwaizumi came and picked up Tooru from your house.

"We have morning, lunch and after class practice today. Feel free to come during any of those, okay (Name)?" Toru patted your cheek.

"Okay, do you want me to bring you lunch Toru-nii?" You ask. He suppressed a squeal. "Hajime-nii?" you shifted your gaze towards the ace. Toru was crestfallen that you weren't exclusively asking him. Iwaizumi smiles and nods.

"If it's not too much trouble."

"Okay, I can do that, have a good day!" you wave them off. 3 lunches coming up.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

As the lunch bell rolled around and the gym was filled with sounds of volleyballs smacking the ground and the rubber of shoes skidding against the floor. One after another you heard the loud impacts of serves and spikes. You peek your head in, and the coach spots you. He gives you a wide smile as he beckons you to sit with him. You trot in with a large bag.

"Good to see you (Name)-chan. Glad to see you're keeping your promise with your brother."

"Has he kept his?" You ask quickly.

"The Ivy hasn't been touched." you smiled that he remembered your analogy.

"Good." You sling the bag down onto the floor.

"Take a break, boys. You've done well!" the coach calls out. As soon as he finished his sentence, Toru dashes to where you stood. Hajime-nii calmly walks.

"(Name)! Did you bring me lunch?" He asks sweetly. You couldn't help but smile and nod at him. He was your brother after all, and you truly did love him. As you open your bag, you felt a familiar gaze. It was more tentative than it usually was. You felt relief however that you did feel his gaze, it meant he was there.

"For you, Toru-niichan!" You say cutely to distract him for a little bit. He suppressed a squeal as you handed a lunch to Hajime as well. He smiles as he takes it from you

"Did you hear that Iwa-chan? Did you hear how cute she was? She called me Toru-niichan!" he gushed. Hajime shifted his gaze to you as he saw you walk over with your bag to Kyotani. Kyotani stared at you wide-eyed. After yesterday he debated whether or not he should come to practice, but since he wanted to play in games, he forced himself to come.

As you approach him, he became nervous and awkward. Your smile was nauseating, but not in the way that your brother's smile was. Yours made his stomach do flips, it made him want to tell you to shove off and run. It made him want to grab you and hold you close. You soon reach him, but he seems ready to scream at you and bolt again. He gave you the most menacing glare he could muster. You were unfazed.

"Thank you for letting me borrow your jacket." you began as you removed it from your bag, "I hope you don't mind that I washed it for you. It seemed a little dirty." your (H/L) hair seemed to roll effortlessly off your shoulders. He forced his mouth into a straight line. He did his best to hide his emotions from you. "I also made you a lunch if you want it. I hope you like it." you smile at him. Your brother finally stopped gushing to whoever would listen as he noticed you place a boxed lunch in Kyotani's hands. He was shivering slightly. You then walked back to where your brother observed you calmly.

"(Name)-chan." He says as you place your bag next to the coach. "Do you... like him?" you pause. Tooru's voice didn't seem angry as much as it was curious. He wanted you to be open with him. You then thought deeply about your feelings, and then took Kyotani's into account. You look over at Kyotani as he wore his jacket and devoured the lunch you gave him. You thought back to the time he walked you home, and you thought back to yesterday's incident with his jacket. He was intimidating, but if you looked past that, he seemed to be just focused on the sport he loved. He was dedicated and passionate. It was too complex right now to give such a hard answer as yes or no.

"Tooru-nii, can I discuss with you later?" Tooru nodded and patted your cheek. He then resumed his happy chatter with Iwaizumi about how cute your lunches were. You were glad he seemed to understand.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You ended up having a long chat with your brother. He listened like a mature adult for once. You told him about the time Kyotani walked you home, and you told him about how you could see how Kyotani really was. You told him about the jacket and you told him how he paid for your snack that one time. Tooru laid his hand on yours halfway through to show that he wasn't angry.

"So what you're saying is that it's complicated." He says as he rubs the back of your hand.

"Very. It's like dealing with an 8-year-old who doesn't know what a crush is," you gaze out the window of your room. The night was calm. "But it's not like my own emotions are any better. I feel like... like whenever he does any of those sweet gestures, like my brain's motherboard gets a short circuit. I don't know how to react." Your brother smiles at your nerdy analogy. Maybe you would be a better match for Mad Dog than he thought. You were analytical. You thought carefully about everything, and you had a knack for keeping a cool head.

"It's okay that you don't know right now. You'll figure something out. Whatever you decide to do, I'll support you." He says sweetly. It wasn't his overly saccharine tone either. This was genuine support. You look up at him with your big (E/C) eyes. "I'll let Iwa-chan know. I can't say I'll beat him up if he hurts you, but I can say I'll send Iwa-chan after him!" He laughs, making you smile. Maybe your brother wasn't all that terrible sometimes.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

For the next few weeks, you went back and forth from Tokyo and Miyagi. Kyotani would always be awaiting your arrival, silently waiting for the train to arrive. It always surprised you, and he would always end up late to weekend practice because of it. Tooru always forgave him, however, as he always brought you safely to the gym.

"Who would have thought that Mad Dog would make such a good guard dog?" Tooru laughed boisterously, earning a smile from you, but a glare from Kyotani. Most of his team had mixed feelings about him. They liked you well enough and feared Kyotani enough to where they didn't say anything, however.

"(Name)-chan, do you want a schedule of the games?" the coach asked you as you placed your things next to him.

"Ah, that would be nice. Tooru keeps forgetting to give me one." You admit as you scratch the back of your head. He smiles and nods. He was banking on you keeping your promise and showing up. He hoped that maybe you would boost his entire team's morale.

He begins to flip through his clipboard and finds a spare schedule that he had prepared just for you. As he's unclipping it, he looks up to spy Kyotani staring at you. He seemed to just be realizing that you would be watching him play. He let out a quick breath as he turned around and continued practicing on his own.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Before the first game even began, your brother and Hajime-nii were getting themselves into trouble. You saw them staring down Ushijima, Shiratorizawa's ace, along with Aone, a piece of the Iron wall of Date Tech. You irked. The aura coming from them was intense and almost menacing, but you wanted to hit your brother and Hajime for causing a scene. Did they really have to do this now?! Luckily, they dispersed. You would have to have a talk with your brother later. And he thought Kyotani was the only difficult player. You were about to follow your brother when you notice a small red-headed boy who was probably right in the middle of that. The poor thing. You made your way over to him to check on him. He looked to be the same age as you.

"Hey, are you okay?" You then noticed that Aone had stayed with the boy. He seemed gentle. The boy jumped and began screaming nonsense at you. You raised your hands to calm him, and eventually, he did settle down. He looked familiar but from where?

"Y-yeah! I-I'm okay!"

"You sure? That was a pretty intense aura those guys were putting out." You try and soothe once again. He stopped jittering thankfully.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm okay, thanks for the concern." He smiled widely. "Uh... who are you?" He asks as Aone tilts his head.

"Call me (Name)-chan." You didn't want to admit that the brute that just threatened Ushijima was your brother. "It's nice to meet..." You peer down at his jacket to see in white letters 'Karasuno' "You..." You had heard about them. You heard that they had beaten Seijoh in a practice match once, and you heard that Seijoh got revenge by beating them in the Interhigh tournament. You heard that it was also the school that Tobio went to. You blink at the redhead and stare at his face. He began to turn red

"I-is there something on my face?!"

"No...," you told him and shook your head. "Tell Kageyama (Name) says hi." you then turn to find your brother. You inferred that the redhead had probably not helped in that standoff and instigated some. He was probably Hinata Shoyo.

The first game came and went quickly. Your brother and Hajime-nii both dominated as they tore through the team's defense. Because they had been exempt from the first preliminaries, they jumped straight into harder opponents. You watched as they kept Kyotani in reserves. He seemed anxious to play. He kept glancing up at you. You gave him a sympathetic look as he glared out at the court. He really wanted to play.

The next game was against Date Tech. you choked once you saw their huge setter. He must be at least 190cm! You stare out at the court, and once again, Kyotani was in reserves. He began to wonder why he even came. You gave him a sweet look, which seemed to quell him for the time being. The coach gave you an appreciative look as Kyotani became less aggressive.

"I-It's the princess!" you heard a familiar voice call out. You looked behind you to see a familiar redhead pointing at you. You grimace. Were you the princess? Kageyama then stepped forward.

"Hello, Oikawa-san." You gave him a grimace as well.

"I told you to call me (Name)-chan..." you saw the other Karasuno boys taking seats, but they were very aware of you. A boy with a shaved head and a boy with spiked up hair took particular interest in you.

"I'm guessing you're here to support your brother." He tilts his head forward. You were well aware of the relationship Kageyama and Tooru had. You were about to say something back when you felt a burning glare. You turned around to see Kyotani. You blinked several times at him. Was he jealous? His teammates took notice and refused to go within a meter of him. You blink several more times at him. You glanced at Kageyama

"That I am. You don't even need to ask me." Kyotani's glare was becoming more intense. You had to cool him down before he came up here and decked Kageyama. "I should let you watch this game in peace. If you would excuse me." You hurried out of the stands and made your way to the gym doors. You hoped to god Kyotani hadn't done anything rash.

You found the gym open, and you peered inside. A man was standing by to keep people from running in, but you convinced him to let you stand by the entrance to convey a message. He reluctantly agreed.

As you stood in the entrance, Kyotani noticed you. His gaze was no longer burning. You gave him a quick wave, signaling that you were fine. You also gave him a smile. His expression didn't change much, but by how his eyes looked, you knew his head had cooled. He turned his attention back to the game, waiting for his time to be put in. You decided to stay and watch the rest of the game from the gym entrance.

After the game, Kyotani cornered you.

"Who was that?" His gruff voice almost made you short circuit right then and there.

"Kageyama Tobio. I went to junior high with him. Same goes for Kindaichi and Kunimi. I used to manage some for their team." You explain yourself in a calm voice. He clicked his tongue and glared elsewhere. You looked down to his hands. For a moment, he reaches out, but he retracts them quickly.

"... I was worried. He looked like a creep." he admitted, much to your surprise. You blinked several times. He reaches out once again with his hands, but he uncharacteristically touches your face gently. It's like he didn't want to break you. Your eyes widen. "It hurts when you don't watch me."

"Kyotani..." he quickly rips his hand away. He's said too much.

"Forget it. Forget I said anything" he storms off, leaving you wide-eyed.

Is he finally coming to terms with his feelings? Tooru comes from around a corner to check on you with Iwaizumi. They were keeping an eye on the situation. You look up at them with concerned eyes. They knew your concern was for Kyotani, and not yourself. You take a deep breath to calm yourself. You were coming to terms with your feelings for him. Tooru smiles at you with a gentle sympathetic look. He knew that Kyotani had just stormed off unwittingly with your heart.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The next day, you rush to the stands to witness the game. You were just in time to catch your brother and the Karasuno captain flipping a coin. You had missed warm-ups, but you were there now. You scanned the court for Kyotani. You saw him once again in reserves. You didn't dare call out to him out of fear that he was still upset from yesterday. You gaze longingly at him. You wanted him to look at you, at least once.

As soon as the game starts, it's clear that Karasuno is a much more experienced team than what Tooru described them to be before. Their receives stood up against Tooru's serves.

It was set point, and you heard the whistle blow. You whipped your head to see something you've been waiting for the entire time.

Kyotani was being put in.

But much like ivy, he selfishly reached for the top as the tree he was being supported by suffered. With a powerful spike, the set was over, Karasuno had won the first set. You gawked at Kyotani's aggressive behavior. He had pushed Kindaichi out of the way and stole his spike. Not only did he steal it, but it was hit out. You grimaced as you saw your brother gawk at the boy who had your affections. He must have apologized, as Iwaizumi wasn't beating the living daylights out of him.

"Are you kidding me Kyotani!" You grip your bangs and cover your eyes. How did he do it? How did he have your heart in his hands?

The second set was just as bumpy. A boy with a jump float serves ended up taking 5 points in total from the Seijoh boys. You clicked your tongue as they struggle to keep ahead of each other. Finally, your brother put an end to it with his serves. You stare at Karasuno. They were of an average strength, but together, they became a problem. They really did live up to their crow names.

You attempted to listen to what the coach said, but the chatter of the gym overwhelmed you. You grip the bar of the railing. You wished to be down there. You wanted to help them. You bit your lip. Why did you have to have so much pride? Why did you go to Tokyo? Your stare shifted to Kyotani. He was being difficult.

The third set began poorly for Kyotani. You notice quickly that the shaved head player on Karasuno's team was naturally confrontational, and was constantly challenging Kyotani. To retaliate, his spikes became even more aggressive and even riskier. The smug looking middle blocker quickly denied him his revenge. You slam your hands against the metal bar of the railing, causing some girls next to you to jump. He was getting too hot, and he was refusing to look at you, so you had no way of cooling him down gently. His next spike hits the net. His aggression was rising. You could see Iwaizumi about to intervene, but Kyotani is quickly called to the sidelines to be switched out. Kunimi holds his number bravely as Kyotani jogs over to him. He rips the sign from his hands and enters the reserve box, but not before being told by the coach to cool off. He was furious. You were about to cry. You did your best to compose yourself, but Kyotani had such a great effect on you. Your knuckles were white from how hard you were gripping the railing. Yahaba looked up at you and gave you a nod. You loosened your grip and tilted your head at him. What was he planning?

You saw Yahaba approach Kyotani. You saw that Yahaba was talking to him, and another boy raised his hands as if to de-escalate a situation. The next thing you know, Yahaba has slammed Kyotani against the wall. You gasped and placed your hands over your mouth. Yahaba then looked up at you, and for the first time that day, Kyotani looks at you. His stare was full of mixed emotions, but you soon composed yourself enough to grip the railing once again and lean over.

"You dumbass! You can't just get on the court and expect that the entire game revolves around you! Your selfish plays will get you nowhere!!" You scream at the top of your lungs. This causes most of the boys on the court to jump. Kageyama looks over and shivers. He remembers the last game he played where you smacked him for the way he played. Sometimes he could still feel the sting of it. "I know you're angry, but that anger will only bring down your team! Do you think you're the only one on the court with emotions?! Have you thought about your team at all?! Get your act together and play like what you are! A team!" your voice became hoarse, but your glare held true. You didn't hold back on your feelings. Were you really an Oikawa?

The coach smiles. He was happy that he had people like You and Yahaba on his side to help with Kyotani. He was satisfied with the results and ended up switching Kyotani back in. You smile, and Yahaba sends you a thumbs up. Kyotani is finally looking at you when he can.

Finally, a successful hit. You sighed out of relief. With Yahaba and your scolding, you think it finally got through to him. The team finally celebrate with him. He was no longer ivy that gripped with all it's might against the tree. The ivy finally realized that if the tree topples, so does he. He is now ivy that wraps itself around the tree for strength. He's finally making them stronger.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough.

Seijoh lost. Karasuno won. You heard the sound of sniffling and crying. It took several tears before realizing that they were your own. You watch as the murder of crows rejoice in their victory. You fell to your knees, scraping them in the process. What if you could have been there for them? What if you could have helped them more? What if you had swallowed your stupid pride and joined your brother?

You sat in the stands and attempted to calm yourself. You weren't going anywhere any time soon.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Your eyes were red. Your knees were still visibly scrapped, and the air against them stung. You had gone and gotten a drink of water, which helped calm you. The cold water cooled you too much, as you shiver slightly. You rub your arms in an attempt to warm yourself.

You felt soft fabric drape over your shoulders, and a familiar smell encases you. You turn quickly and see Kyotani. You blink at him with wide eyes.

"Kyotani..."

"I won't lose next time." He tells you with a confident tone. You blink again, and felt tears in your eyes once more. This was a promise he was making to you, but you had nothing to give in return, except...

"Then I'm transferring." you decide right there. Kyotani lifts his shoulders out of surprise and curiosity of what you meant "I'm transferring to Seijoh. I'll take up the mantle of Manager. I don't want to be on the sidelines and do nothing anymore." You confessed. Your eyes were full of determination and tears. Kyotani blushed at your sudden decision. "Maybe, Maybe if I had swallowed my pride from the very beginning, maybe I would have helped you get to nationals, we wouldn't be here, we-"

"Don't you dare blame yourself. If you're going to blame anyone, blame me! You got that!" he screamed at you. He gripped both your arms as he yelled angrily at you. "I'm at fault here!"

"Kyotani..."

"Call me Kentaro!" He demanded. He was still charged from telling you to blame him.

"K-Kentaro!" You blush as you say his name

"Blame me if it makes you feel better. I never want to hear you blame yourself again," he says quieter. he was about to pull away from you, but you caught him in a hug. You held him tight. He froze at first, but he slowly pulled you closer to him. You felt right. He was gentle, as not to hurt you.

"I love you." You admit as you hid your face in his shoulder. His breath got caught in his throat. His fingers trembled as he slid them up your back. They eventually made their way up your neck and to your face. They stayed there for a brief moment.

In an instant, he pulled your face from his shoulder and smashed his lips sloppily against yours. You return his affection quickly as you placed your gentle hands on his shoulders.

He didn't know how to deal with his emotions for you at first, but he quickly threw his hesitation to the side and followed what felt right.

He would do anything for you, so long as you kept your eyes on him.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You ran through the halls of your new school as you rushed to the gym. Kindaichi and Kunimi told you to wait for them, but you told them you only wait for one person, and he was in the gym. They groan as they chase after you.

You change quickly and grab your notes from your bag. You had stuffed your track jacket into your bag and was wearing a much larger one. The smell that wafted from it soothed you. You grabbed the water bottles and walked towards the gym. You open the doors to see your happy, albeit sarcastic team, rolling out baskets full of volleyballs and carrying polls to the net. You smile as you took only one step in before a familiar voice calls to you

"I'll carry that." He demanded. You look up at the scary looking 3rd year. The new first years were all frightened by him and stayed clear of him. They shook. Did you do something wrong? Why did he need to carry them? You smile

"Kentaro, I'm fine, but if you really want to carry-" He didn't let you finish before slinging the bag over his shoulder and marching it over to the bench, leaving you empty-handed. Yahaba laughed.

"There's no point to having a manager if you don't let her do anything Kyotani! Is she just here so you can stare at her?" Kentaro glared at him before mumbling something about not wanting you to strain yourself. He was a man after all. You giggle slightly. You quickly check your phone to see your brother had texted you from Uni and was making sure Kentaro still treated you right.

Oh if he could only see him.