Lost in her thoughts, (y/n) continued to make her way down the street with her eyes down. She was deep in contemplation, going over the plans for the upcoming match with Karasuno. Normally, the sound of Kenta's paws would shake her concentration, but this time it took bumping into someone's chest and dropping the leash for her to snap out of it.

"Hmm? And who might you be? You lost? I can help if you want," a playful voice cooed, catching (y/n)'s attention. She looked up to see a tall teenager with spiky brown hair and droopy hazel eyes staring down at her. Giving him a deadpan stare, (y/n) huffed and glanced over to see a slightly shorter teen with jet black hair and sharp cut bangs who was also looking at her.

Choosing to ignore their playful banter, (y/n) called out to Kenta, who had run ahead. However, when he didn't come running back, (y/n) poked her head out from around the boys and nearly choked at the sight before her. There was Kenta, circling a pissed-off looking Ushijima, who couldn't seem to take a single step as the pup constantly intervened.

Bursting into laughter, (y/n) just pointed at the flustered third-year, leading to the confusion of the other two. Ushijima caught sight of (y/n) and shot her an unimpressed gaze. "Why won't your dog stop circling me?" he questioned.

"He probably wants to see you face-plant. Frankly, I think I want to see that too," (y/n) jeered playfully. Although barely noticeable, (y/n) still managed to catch sight of the ace's eyebrow twitching at her comment.

'I'm assuming she's still unimpressed with my words towards her friends from the last time we met,' Ushijima thought to himself, trying to get away from Kenta's persistent circling.

The taller boy, Tendou, began howling in laughter with (y/n) at her response. "Hey, Wakatoshi-kun," he chimed in. "You know this girl?"

"She is the assistant coach of Karasuno," Ushijima simply responded.

"You're an assistant coach!? You must be really talented," the black-haired boy, Goshiki, added in.

"Uh, thanks," (y/n) awkwardly replied, not used to such compliments.

"Wait, I remember you now!" Tendou exclaimed. "You're the Conniving Crow of Karasuno!"

"I have a nickname?" (y/n) asked, genuinely surprised.

"No, it's just Tendou-senpai who calls you that," Goshiki explained. "He came up with it when the rumors about the strong assistant coach of Karasuno started. Although, you are known as the conniving assistant coach."

"Woo. Go me," (y/n) sarcastically cheered. "Anyway, I'm assuming you're both on the Shiratorizawa team with Mister Superiority over there."

The two nodded, confirming (y/n)'s assumption. Before they could speak up, however, Kenta scurried over to them, curious and eager to check them out. The older of the two boys watched in amusement as the Shikoku pup sniffed his sneakers and pawed at his shins. The younger one, on the other hand, stood stiff as can be, putting Kenta on edge.

"You really should relax, otherwise, he'll freak out and get upset with you," (y/n) pointed out.

"R-right! I apologize," the boy quickly bowed, realizing his mistake.

"No need to be so serious. I guess I should probably introduce myself since SOMEONE," (y/n) shot a glare at Ushijima, "didn't feel it was necessary. I'm Ukai (y/n), but you can just call me (y/n)."

"Letting me use your first name already? Wow, I didn't think you'd fall for me that fast!" Tendou teased, wearing a mischievous grin. "I'm Tendou Satori, a third-year! You can just call me whatever you like, Cutie. You know, I got this new magazine the other day, and you could totally be in it. You've definitely got the right body for it."

His words made (y/n) raise an eyebrow, realizing Tendou was studying her closely. 'Guess he's got a similar talent like me,' she thought. "Great. Nice to meet you, Asshat," (y/n) replied with a smirk of her own.

"Hey! That's mean," Tendou pouted, feigning offense. "Just call me Tendou."

"Fine," (y/n) agreed, amusement evident in her voice.

"I'm Goshiki Tsutomu. I'm a first-year who's going to be the next ace of Shiratorizawa," the enthusiastic Goshiki introduced himself, hoping for a reaction from Ushijima, but the third-year remained focused on (y/n)'s companion who was back to not letting him move again. Seeing he was being ignored, Goshiki huffed in frustration.

'Well, he's a confident one,' (y/n) thought, observing Goshiki's demeanor.

"Nice to meet you both," (y/n) smiled sweetly at the two as she adjusted her crutches to stand more comfortably.

Ushijima, who had been observing quietly, finally realized that (y/n) was injured. He stomped over to her, curiosity evident in his gaze, and questioned, "You have a bandage on your face, and your ankle is hurt. What did you do?"

(Y/n) tried her best not to laugh at his obvious observations, realizing he genuinely wanted to know what happened to her. "Well, let's just say I have severe trust issues towards all drivers now," she replied, a hint of mischief in her tone.

"I don't get it," the third-year stated bluntly, genuinely puzzled.

With a playful huff, (y/n) glanced around, looking for a place to sit so that she could explain the entire story. Tendou tapped (y/n)'s shoulder and pointed to an ice cream parlor a little ways down the street. "There's a patio, so your dog can sit with us," he suggested.

Nodding her head, (y/n) followed Tendou, and soon they were all comfortably seated at the ice cream parlor, savoring their treats and engrossed in conversation. As (y/n) began recounting her accident, Tendou's enthusiasm became evident. He leaned forward, hanging onto every word, and his facial expressions changed rapidly, mirroring the emotions of the story. It was endearing to (y/n), witnessing Tendou's animated reactions.

Goshiki, on the other hand, maintained a composed posture, his eyes widening in awe at certain parts of the story. He listened intently, admiration evident in his gaze as he observed (y/n) with fascination. The contrasting reactions of the two Shiratorizawa players amused (y/n), appreciating the range of responses her story evoked.

"And yeah, now I'm on crutches for a few weeks, and I've got a giant-ass bandage on my forehead to hide my stitches," (y/n) concluded her tale with a hint of resignation.

"That's unfortunate," Ushijima stated matter-of-factly.

"Thank you, oh so much, for your comforting words," (y/n) deadpanned, her monotone voice causing the other two boys to stifle laughter at her reaction to their captain's comment.

Tendou couldn't contain his amusement, snickering as he patted his friend on the back. He recognized that Ushijima's blunt response lacked the empathy (y/n) expected ''He has no idea that he just sounds like he doesn't even care.'

Glancing at her phone, (y/n) realized the time and stood up, gathering her belongings. She reached for her crutches and prepared to leave.

"Ah crap. Sorry, but I should get going," (y/n) informed the boys, who eyed her curiously. "Onii-chan will probably come searching for me if I don't head home soon."

"Would you like us to walk you there? It could be dangerous," Goshiki offered, concern evident in his voice.

"I swear, everything you say is as cool as your bangs, Goshiki-kun!" Tendou interjected playfully.

"Thank you, senpai!" Goshiki responded with a mix of gratitude and excitement.

"I still don't understand. Did my previous statement upset her?" Ushijima mumbled to himself, his confusion evident.

Giggling, (y/n) interrupted their little conversations, drawing the attention of all three teens.

"That's really sweet of you to offer, but I'll be fine," (y/n) smiled at the first-year. "Thank you, though."

As (y/n) gathered her belongings, she grabbed Kenta's leash and prepared to leave. But before she did, she turned back to the three boys, a mischievous grin dancing on her lips.

"I'll see you three at Spring High. Also, I'm called 'conniving' because I can analyze your skills in any setting, and thanks to today, I've gathered plenty of information on you three," (y/n) purred playfully. "It should make for an interesting match. I hope you boys don't disappoint. You seem quite fascinated, from what I've gathered. Bye~!"

With that, (y/n) sauntered off, winking at the group as she made her way out. The Shiratorizawa boys watched her leave, their faces flushed, even Ushijima.

"She's as fiery as I remember," Ushijima mumbled, his voice tinged with a mix of intrigue and admiration.

"She's incredible. I'll be sure to impress her at Spring High," Goshiki whispered, his eyes wide with determination.

"Wakatoshi-kun, you've met one very interesting girl," Tendou hummed thoughtfully. "I'm looking forward to seeing her again, that's for sure. Cute and dangerous, she'll be a fun one to observe."

'The Conniving Crow certainly is a firecracker,' Tendou thought to himself, a grin forming on his face as he anticipated the excitement that awaited them at the upcoming tournament.