YAMAGUCHI FROZE IN PLACE...

"RUN, YAMAGUCHI! WHAT'RE YOU WAITING FOR?!", shiyumi yelled, choking on her saliva, as she had earned herself a kick to the stomach.

"yeah, run, yamaguchi! go tell all your little volleyball friends to come over. we've got a show to display", ryozo mocked.

yachi flinched as washijo held her face in place, eerily grinning.

"DON'T TOUCH HER WITH YOUR NASTY HANDS!", shiyumi demanded, struggling against sashimu's rough grip, as that had earned her another kick to the stomach.

"SHŌYŌ!!", yachi cried out, tears streaming onto washijo's hand, as the oldest male chuckled.

yamaguchi took this opportunity to escape, rushing towards where the rest of the volleyball players were, as he mentally cursed himself for being a coward.

"you're actually pretty cute, now that I look closely at you", washijo complimented.

"what's with you six? holding us hostage just because you all lost a volleyball game? kinda pathetic, don't you think?", shiyumi scoffed, as washijo's attention had finally shifted away from yachi.

     however, that had meant that shiyumi had earned herself a few more beatings.

     'shit...this hurts...this hurts...this hurts!!', shiyumi internally cried.

     "you cocky little brat! let's see how much more you can keep up with that attitude of yours once your friends come to rescue you", ryozo darkly chuckled.

     shiyumi bit the bottom of her lip to stop herself from breaking down.

     'come on, yamaguchi. hurry up!!'

ʚ♡⃛ɞ

     "huh, yamaguchi?? where's yachi—"

     "PLEASE! THE BULLIES ARE HOLDING HINATA AND YACHI HOSTAGE!! PLEASE, WE HAVE TO GO SAVE THEM", yamaguchi cried.

     everybody's eyes widened in shock, as they all stumbled upwards, following after yamaguchi.

     "how did this happen?! how did they get their hands on them?", kuroo asked.

     "y-yachi-san and I were going to buy watermelons, but then we accidentally bumped into them. they started harassing us, but hinata found us and slapped one of the guys that was trying to get yachi-san's number. a-and now they've taken them up to the cliff over there...I-I think they might know that hinata's scared of the ocean", yamaguchi nervously explained.

     kuroo's brows furrowed, as he had sent half of the males to go wait below the cliff, just in case.

     meanwhile the other half had arrived with yamaguchi, the six bullies wickedly smiled.

     "huh? you're back quick...he was just receiving his fourteenth hit", ryozo sadistically laughed.

     "oi...let him go. you're my bullies, not his", tendō muttered.

     "let him go, you bastards...or else..."

     "or else what?", ryozo snorted.

     "IF ANY OF YOU EVEN DARE TAKE A STEP FORWARD, I WILL HIT HIM UNTIL HE'S OUT!", washijo threatened.

     "touch him and we'll send ya to the hospital", atsumu growled.

     "oh yeah?"

     "try us", osamu encouraged.

     the others could only silently watch with guilt, as they saw shiyumi barely able to speak for herself.

     "let...her...go...", shiyumi coughed out, her head hanging so low that she couldn't even see past their calves.

"huh? what was that?", sashimu mocked.

"I SAID LET HER GO! ARE YOU ALL DEAF?!"

"ah, sure~ but only if you're willing to jump into the ocean for us", ryozo bargained.

"I'll do it", shiyumi answered with no hesitation.

"s-shōyō...you can't—"

"it's okay...I'll be fine. just let her go", shiyumi coughed out, as ryozo had looked over at kurame — signaling for him to let yachi go.

"ryo, are you su—"

"DO IT!"

kurame complied, as yachi ran towards yamaguchi and tsukishima, who had checked if she was hurt anywhere.

"I-I'm fine, b-but shōyō..."

"oi, we did what you asked. now it's your turn to complete the other end of the deal", ryozo stated, as washijo had promptly let shiyumi go.

shiyumi nearly dropped onto the ground, if it weren't for her willpower to continue standing.

the girl leisurely wobbled towards the edge of the cliff, noticing half of the captains and a few others huddled around the bottom — near the threatening waves.

the orange-haired girl had then cracked a slight grin before turning back around towards all of them.

"you dumb bitches. I may be afraid of the ocean, but that doesn't mean I can't swim. have fun getting your asses whooped", shiyumi said, not even hesitating to fall backwards, as she heard multiple voices shout her name.

     "SHIT! WE FELL FOR THEIR PLAN! RYOZO, WE HAVE TO LEA—"

     before washijo could even finish his sentence, both of the miya twins had already punched the man in the face from both sides.

     "I warned ya....touch him again, and we're sending ya all to the hospital", atsumu darkly uttered.

     "COME ON! IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?!", tanaka asked, as nishinoya stepped on kurame's back.

     "ah, and by the way, the police is on their way", tsukishima grinned.

     "mm...now let me think of all your crimes so far: kidnapping, sexual harassment of a minor, harming a minor and forcing them to jump off a cliff — could be considered murder if you ask me", the blonde middle blocker feigned innocence.

     meanwhile the bullies were getting tenfold of what shiyumi had received, shiyumi's brain could only process one person's name during her fall.

     "USHIJIMA!! CATCH!!", the girl yelled, using the last of her strength to push out her cracked voice.

     the olive-haired captain was caught off guard, but nonetheless had rushed towards where shiyumi was falling, treading through the water as efficiently as he could.

     kita's breath hitched, as bokuto nearly covered his eyes, hoping that ushijima would make it in time.

     'please...please don't let yumi get any more hurt. I'm begging you, god. please!', yachi prayed, as hirugami and the others had to hold them back once the police and coaches had started arriving.

     ushijima felt his heart clench as he extended his arms out, time seemingly to slow down right before his eyes, as he felt shiyumi's hands wrap around his shoulders.

     shiratorizawa's captain internally sighed a breath of relief, feeling the warmth of her petite body pressed against his.

     shedding off his jacket singlehandedly, he draped his team coat over shiyumi, who had clung onto the male as of he were her life source.

     "that was dangerous. why did you fall backwards? what if I didn't catch you in time?", ushijima asked.

     "but you did, and I knew you would", shiyumi whispered.

     "so thank you...thank you...ushijima-senpai..."

     "rest up. help is coming very soon", the olive-haired male murmured, as shiyumi had trustingly closed her eyes.

     "okay...I will".