"Ow!" The force of the ball on her bare arms still wasn't exactly a feeling she was used to, "sorry!"

Practice was taking place after school, and the girl was still getting used to getting the ball high enough for the centre

"That's fine, Y/n," a second year, Yukizaki Lilah, ran to the ball, setting it, with it followed up by a third-year wing spiker, her name being Akemi Aki, winning them the point despite the floored receive.

"YEAH!" the two high fived each other, the other teammates praising them as well.

"Well done, Y/n, nice receive." Gently placing her hand on your shoulder the current libero smiled a gentle smile, "it's looking like you'll be a great receiver."

"Ugh, it went bleh over wherever" flailing her hands around she tried to describe the motion of the awkward receive with sound effects.

"But you got it up, you're definitely someone I see as a future defensive specialist. My libero eyes never lie" it was as if a glint sparked with the gentle enthusiastic thumbs up the girl made, her brown doe eyes shimmered with pride at the 11-year-old.

"Thanks, Yuuki."

"That's Yuuki senpai to you" her supposed harsh gaze looked adorable with her slightly scrunched nose

'We're not that far in age. Just a year'

"Okay, Yuuki senpai" the second year smiled, her dark brown hair in a ponytail shaking a bit, with her bangs framing the side of her face. She held a spring like breeze to her. She was a refreshing person to be around.

_____

"Hey, Y/n-chan." Akemi called out to the girl currently mopping, "wanted to say, you've improved a lot. You just gotta work on following through with your arms with your receives"

"Honestly, you could just try a different sport. You've talked about how you like Badminton" Yukizaki, the team's current regular setter for matches joined the conversation.

Though it may have not been intended, the tone and body language she displayed when she said "you could just try a different sport" hit a spot the girl couldn't quite distinguish. Like she was indirectly being told 'you're terrible, please leave the team'

Adding onto that, seeing the other two girls in the conversation flinch at her wording as well added onto the swirling feeling of slight offence and hurt that was felt in that moment.

"You're right, I could. I guess." Immediately brushing off the uneasy feeling in her chest she smiled one of her classic smiles, "But I really need to improve. I want to help a friend of mine." Sharing one last glance, the look from Yukizaki being a little bit indifferent Y/n carried on her job before leaving the gym.

...

"Did you do some research?" Nodding his head, the tangerine started blabbering on about what he saw on tv when cycling past the tv shop.

"I watched and read about the rules and different references all night!"

This was obvious to her throughout the day, especially at lunch with his constant yawning and story about how he got told off for falling asleep.

"You shouldn't stay up so late. If you're tired, how are you supposed to play properly?" She watched him with one eyebrow raised sighing in defeat once she noticed he hadn't heard him at all when he grabbed his volleyball from his locker.

"Let's play near the gate, I want to be able to see when my bus arrives." Immediately aggreeing, shoyo pushed her back from behind, earning him a gentle shove back.

"Let's go!"

"I know how to walk, you know."

.....

"Um, not like that exactly. Lift through with your body, not just your arms"

"I knooooow, I am, I'm trying" he pointed again.

"Hold on a second" positioning herself away from someone she set the ball to him again, "Thats what you're doing wrong. Your knees, you need to move them more. Why are you so rigid?"

"Oh, I didn't realise" his eyebrows raised a tiny bit at the realisation, but despite this he wanted to change things up. "I don't want to practice receiving, teach me how to spike!"

"There's no point in learning how to spike if you can't get the ball up in the air-"

"Spike! Spike! Spike!" He yelled ignoring what she was saying

"Oi, if you act like that I might not want to play with you." His friend's mouth pulled out into a long drawn expression of annoyance, she looked like his teacher when she was tired with the class.

What really intimidated him was her eyes,

'Look, you better stop.'
'I get it.'
'so damn noisy.'
'you want me to leave? I will.'

"Ugh, I'm sorry, don't lecture me with your eyes"

"It's fine. let's practice spiking then."

...

"Y/n, your aim sucks"

"Shut up! I'm not a setter." unbothered with his criticism, Y/n lazily threw the ball into the air giving up on her horrible aim.

"Higher, higher! Y/n-chan"

Unintentionally Y/n put a little too much power into the throw, her jaw dropped a bit in the height the ball soared and her mouth was ready to move to speak out her apology...

Well until he jumped.

Looking at the height he reached her e/c coloured eyes widened at the level he had jumped,

Instantly she remembered his description of the one he was inspired by

__

"It was like he flew"
_

_

That was the only way she could describe the sight before her as it slowed. Almost an eternity later he landed,

Completely missing the ball.

"Huh?" He looked at her

"Huh?" She looked at him

He looked up.

Smack

Only for the ball to land on his face

...

"That...i was expecting something else. I thought I had really cool spike... Not this." Hinata's hands covered his face in distraught, mummbling in embarrassment.

He was absolutely mortified, he thought he had this down, the excitement captured in his eyes, his hair flowing ever so gently, the delighted smile, the absence of gravity in that moment. It was perfect.

Or so he thought

Finally the scene sunk in and out burst the girl's classic obnoxious laughter. Pointing at him, the air above him and the ball repeatedly, her free hand covered her mouth, then left her mouth to hold onto her stomach as she felt the air escape her lungs. "That was hilarious. What an unexpected outcome. You looked lame, especially after all that?!"

"ARGH SHUT UP YOU DAMN HYENA! ALWAYS LAUGHING! LOOK YOUR BUS IS APPROACHING, GO HOME!" Shoyo screeched picking up her school bag and coat that she had discarded off to the side and throwing them to her.

"GO AWAYYYY" he cried his face emitting a bright red hue as he pushed her away from the school gate, leaving her crossing the road while he ran to his bike, dropped the ball into the basket at the front and riding away.

"Bye Shoyo!" Still chuckling to herself she watched him take a quick glance back at her while she boarded the bus.

______

Published: 24 November 2020
Word count: 1180 approx