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You and F/N had missed meeting with the team before their next game, so you two just immediately went to their stadium to watch from the sidelines. You look over—at the loud cheer squad cheering for what seems like Karasuno's next opponent...

Dateko.

F/N looked over and noticed the banner that read Date Tech, and her eyes light up. "Hey, look! There's Aone! That guy who was super nice to you! HEEEEEEY, AONE—!!!" Now everyone was staring. You smack your hand over her mouth and tug her head back.

"SORRY." You didn't really yell, but just said loud enough for him to hear, bowing down and giving his team a blank look. You then turned your attention to the girl, voice lowering to a hushed whisper. "Me and you are going to have a long talk later. More specifically, on why you shouldn't yell out and distract people while they're playing."

"Mmm! Mmpf!" Those were the only sounds coming out of her mouth since it was closed tight.

Now, you could just hear muffled sobs.

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"Aren't they those weird girls from before?" Futakuchi asked with a raised eyebrow. "Are they here to watch? What nuisances."

"Hey!" Moniwa pointed at his chest. "They're nice girls. Well... one of them is nice anyway..."

Aone looked to where you started to snap at F/N who was now begging at your feet for forgiveness.

"Yeah, really nice." Futakuchi places his hand on his chin, eyes closed in thought. "Well, nicer than Mai, anyway."

Once again, you note that you hear a sound strangely familiar to a clipboard hitting the back of a head.

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It had started off strong, or at least, it would've if those blockers weren't so damn tall. Aone had managed to block Hinata, the ball smashing down to the floor.

"He's so tall..." F/N said in amazement. "If I was that tall, I'd be unstoppable!"

Kageyama was up to serve, however, once he did, it was perfectly approaching the libero. It was obvious he didn't intend that, the way his face scrunched up was painting the emotion.

Noya had also done a really cool receive, however, it proved to be unneeded as Asahi had just gotten blocked from Date Tech instead. You were biting on your nails at this point, staring the court down intensely.

"Come on, I know you can do it." You whispered to yourself, leaning forward in your chair.

Hinata, just as he was about to spike it down in a different direction, was blocked by a single hand from Aone. He stumbled down, staring at the white-haired boy in disbelief and shock.

Aone then slapped Moniwa's hand in a high-five sort of motion with a blank face (however he may have hit them a little bit too forcefully).

You looked down at Karasuno's distressed faces. It seemed almost impossible. You compared it to Jack and The Beanstalk. They resembled Jack, the small human, while Date Tech was the giant towering over them.

"Hey! Hey! Y/N-sama, why haven't they used that freaky quick attack? They've gotten a ton of chances!" F/N leaned over a little, turning her head towards you.

"I don't think it's the right moment yet." You hummed. "It could boost confidence for Karasuno if it gets by perfectly. The most important thing about that is how it goes by in a flash of an eye, so quickly that some people can't even see it. It's something that could tear down another team. So that's why..."

Hinata hit the ball down, smiling and laughing to himself. His eyes were shining, and at that moment, he looked like he was on top of the world.

"They needed to wait for the right moment, one when they were both in sync." You said knowingly, letting out a little silent chuckle, that sounded more like a heavy breath.

F/N looked over to you wide-eyed, then grinned widely, jumping up and down. "Woohoo! Go Shoyo! You're super cool!" She cheered, cupping her hands around her mouth.

You looked over to the coach of Date Tech. 'He looks like he's on edge. That's exactly what they were hoping for. He did a good job.'

Hinata got switched out for a little bit, but honestly, it felt like it went by in a blur. And soon enough, he was back in the front row.

Futakuchi slammed down a ball, earning Date Tech another point, now one point behind Karasuno.

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

Kageyama had managed to set another quick attack all the way from the back, Hinata getting it perfectly and smashing it down with full force, no mercy. The blockers looked back in disbelief, mouth and eyes wide open from the little ginger.

After that, Date Tech called a time-out, for good reason. You turned to F/N.

"You know, I bet they're thinking that the only thing they need to do to beat Karasuno is tear down Shoyo." You commented, leaning forward ever so slightly.

"But they're wrong! Even without Shoyo, we've still got a ton of really good players!" F/N jumped up and down.

"Yes, but really, they should focus on Kageyama. Without Kageyama, he won't be able to do that quick attack and will probably be subbed out. That's the thing, they should focus on the person who is the reason he can do it, not the person who can actually do it. For example, you might not like a company, so you replace the manager of that specific place. However, to take full control, you have to take down the core, the CEO of the entire company, not just the person who works for them."

"Y-yeah! Instead of just focusing on Shoyo..."

Kageyama set a ball to Hinata, who spiked it down with his eyes squeezed shut.

"They should first worry about Kageyama!"

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

For this specific spike, Aone actually had to jump twice. Usually, if you were shorter, it'd do no good at all. However, since the boy was more than tall enough, he ended up blocking the attack with ease.

"Woah!" F/N jumped over your shoulders, making you scowl and look over at her with an angry expression which she ignored. "Did he just jump twice?! Usually, if you were short like me or Shoyo it wouldn't do anything... but since he's so huge it doesn't matter if it's a small jump!"

"With broad shoulders and long arms and legs... he's perfectly built for blocking..."

"Yeah? You gonna notice if he had abs or not too?" F/N looked over at you with blank eyes. You give her an offended glare.

"W-what?! I'm not that shallow, you little brat."

"You're getting real defensive."

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Asahi spiked the ball down, him smiling and laughing. It seemed he had finally seen exactly what he loved about playing at that moment, the clear view and the amazing stinging of his palms when he hit it.

"Yeah! Wooo!" F/N yelled, grinning widely.

You watched with wide eyes, mouth open slightly in shock. Then, you snorted, laughing to yourself. "He... he looks so happy. Isn't that funny?"

"His view changed so much with just one hit?" F/N looked confused. "How?"

"I think that just reminded him on why he loved this sport," you cross your leg over your other and rest your elbow on your knee.

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

"So they're changing up their rotation because then Aone won't be able to mark Shoyo! That makes so much sense!" F/N smiled widely.

You nodded, too invested to answer properly.

Kageyama set a ball that looked like was going to Shoyo, but it went past him and went to Asahi. Date Tech's blockers weren't able to stop it as they were a few seconds too slow, so Asahi spiked it down with full force.

It fooled Date Tech, hell, it even fooled you.

"That was pretty smart." You murmured.

Date Tech ended up calling another time out.

"Haha, yeah! We totally have them in a chokehold!" F/N pumped her fist up. "Not much longer, and we win this!"

"I don't know. Maybe they'll pull through with something even crazier than Shoyo. Who knows?"

"No way! We're totally winning this! If we don't... I'll... uh... clean the clubroom for a week!"

"I'll take that bet." You lean back in your chair and nod your head.

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

Like many times, Date Tech was fooled by Shoyo, as the ball actually went to Asahi. It was a trick they've pulled many times but it still was one that you still couldn't tell from it actually going to Shoyo or him faking it.

Hinata served, but it went out of bounds from what you could only assume was nerves. He apologized profusely, everyone except Kageyama saying it was fine.

"Kageyama's so mean..." F/N huffed. She pulled her hair down, imitating him. "Geez Hinata, could you be any more dumb? You clumsy little moron." She mimicked his voice, making hers go deeper.

"I HEARD THAT YOU LITTLE BRAT!"

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

"What-" F/N had wide eyes. "Why would he set it high?! Can Asahi even get that?!"

"He can." You mumbled. Your eyes almost glittered when you looked over at them. "He can!"

Nishinoya saved the ball with his foot, a feat that seemed impossible for any normal person, but however, he wasn't a normal person. Exceptionally persistent and stubborn. Something that made him so good at this.

Asahi jumped up, he hit the ball. It deflected off Aone's hands, tipping over to Date Tech's side and hitting the floor with a small thud.

They won.

F/N hugged you tight, hanging around your shoulders. "I knew they could do it! Actually...no I didn't..."

"That's so supportive."

The boys shook hands under the net. The last people to stay were Shoyo and Aone, they looked at each other right in the eye.

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F/N waved her arm around, leaning on the railing. "You all were so cool! I was totally on the edge of my seat!" She jumped up, nearly falling off the railing but you grabbed the back of her shirt.

Still holding F/N in your grip, you smiled lightly. "I'm happy."

"You are?! I KNEW I COULD FINALLY MAKE YOU PROUD, Y/N-CHAN!"

You sighed, then looked over to him. "Sure."

He fell backward, blushing furiously.

You started to pack up your bag, throwing your jacket and notebook in there. "I can't stay in this stadium any longer. I'll die if I do. It's so hot in here." You fanned yourself.

"H-huh? But I wanted to watch more games..." F/N frowned. "Aw, please can we stay, Y/N-sama! Please, Please!"

"Huh...I didn't know you had an interest in volleyball."

"Not really...but I find it super interesting!"

"That's basically the same thing."

Then, a voice called out. "Oh, journal-chan! This one's for you, babe!"

"Huh." You grimaced, scrunching up your face. "That gave me even more of a reason to leave. Goodbye."

"For this time..." F/N glared viciously. She looked like a predator that was out for blood. "I agree."

"Looks like she left you." Iwaizumi snickered.

"H-hey!"

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

You read your book in silence. F/N was leaning on your shoulder, fast asleep and drooling. You turned your page, then shut it quickly, flinching and looking back.

"Hm?" Kiyoko looked over to you. "What is it?"

"It said..." You scowled. "Albeit. I hate that word."

"Huh? Why?"

"It's too annoying. My English teacher made me replace every 'though' with 'albeit'. Now I hate it."

Kiyoko laughed lightly through the silence. "You know... when you're not being embarrassed or quiet... you're fun to be around."

"I..." You felt your face flush up. "Am?"

"Yeah," she replied nonchalantly. "Even though I don't have many friends... I'd like to say we are friends, L/N-san."

"F-friends...?"

"Haha, looks like you're making more friends other than me, Y/N-sama!"

F/N's voice rings through your head, and you remember her words. You really were making more friends. She was right.

"Yeah... oh, do you not consider us that close y-yet?" Her voice stuttered slightly out of confusion. Her cheeks heated up, and she looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry-"

"No!" You cut her off a little bit too quickly, and you coughed, looking away. "I mean... if you think we are friends, then... we are."

You share one last glance with her, and you feel your lips twitching upwards.

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As soon as the bus stopped, F/N shot awake. "We... we're here? Oh, man... I'm totally drained."

"You didn't even do anything."

"I know!" She smiled widely.

You looked to Takeda. "We're going to head home. I'll see you all tomorrow."

He smiled back at you. "Alright! Stay safe."

"Yes, sir." You nodded, F/N holding your hand next to you with a grin. You both walked back to your own street, talking about anything along the way. Or more specifically, she talked about anything while you listened and occasionally piped in.

But then, she brought up a topic. "Hey... Y/N-sama... you don't have to lie to me about this."

You turned your head to her. "About what?"

"Are you scared?"

Those words hit you like a truck. You looked down, shoving your hands into your pockets. "Huh...?" You stopped walking, standing there in silence.

"You don't have to answer if you don't wanna, Y/N-sama."

"No."

You stopped talking, then kept walking. "I don't know."

It had been so long since you had felt any genuine fear for anything. Usually, since you had nobody else to worry about and only were there for yourself, you could get by easily. There was never any fear included in your life. All you had to do was study. Eat. Drink. Sometimes talk and hang out with F/N.

"I've never been scared before."

Until now. Because as much as you denied it, you knew you cared for them and didn't want to see them lose. It felt stupid.

"I don't really feel a lot of fear for myself, or anybody else, because I was only ever there for myself. I cared about nobody and nobody cared about me."

"But now. Are you scared that they're going to get hurt? They're going to lose?"

You looked over to F/N again. She let out a small giggle, eyes squinting with her grin.

"I may be dumb... but it's easy to read people when I'm with somebody who never expresses her emotions half the time. Don't worry. At least, try not to. Because instead of worrying, you should be thinking about them winning!"

She winked at you, lips curved. "Use that time you waste on thinking of the worst to believe in them!"

You rolled your eyes. She was now in a hero-like stance, pumping one fist into the air with another on her hip. "You're making me cringe."

She burst into laughter and grinned widely. She then noticed her house. "Alright! Make sure you think about what I said because I said it to impress you, right?! See you tomorrow morning, Y/N-sama!"

You stared at her a little longer for a few moments... then walked away.

Would it really be that easy to stop worrying? She made it sound so simple. Maybe it was because she was so carefree and narrow-minded that she couldn't care less about most things.

In some ways, you admired and envied her. There really was a difference between when you had first met her and now. Of course, she would always be your most annoying number 1 fangirl.

However, you had now felt she was less of a nuisance,

and more of a friend.

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extra

"I can't believe you won!" F/N jumped up and down, cheering with a large smile. "I totally believed in you all...but they looked so tall and scary!"

"Good job, to you... uh-" You trailed off, staring at Nishinoya with a face deep in thought. "You."

"Wha-" He frowned, face going white in shock. "Do you not remember my name..? After everything we've been through?!"

"Of course I do." You pulled out your notebook and turned to a page. "You're idiot number 1." You then pointed to Tanaka. "You're idiot number 2."

Then you pointed to Hinata and Kageyama. "And you two are the puny pair."

"You're glasses boy. And you're...uh-" You stared at Ennoshita, Kinoshita and Narita. "I don't have nicknames for you. Sorry."

"It-it's okay..."

"You're mole." You pointed at Sugawara. There was an awkward silence for a moment, him staring at you like he was judging you from your core. "Because of uh- your mole...next to your eye..."

Then you pointed at Daichi and Asahi.

"You two are brown head boys."

"And you're Tadashi." You stared at the boy, making him jump back in surprise and turn red.

"He's the only one who doesn't get a mean name?!"

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