A/N: Hello, readers! Welcome to another chapter! Ever wondered how Ushijima and Tadahiro started their "friendly rivalry"? Well, now you get to find out! Enjoy!

edited on january 24th, 2022 @ 3:20am

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CHAPTER FORTY-NINE - OBSESSION

BOTH TEAMS WERE GATHERED AROUND their coaches. "The final set... I'm thinking about starting with Sugawara." Ukai spoke as everyone was sitting on the bench and gulping their water.

"Right!" Sugawara agreed.

"We're counting on you, Sugawara!" Ukai told him.

"Sugawara-kun, give it your all!" Takeda said.

"Suga-chan, give me a whole bunch of tosses!" Tadahiro added on.

Sugawara clasped his hands together before putting his hands close to his face. Kiyoko then put her hands over his as if trying to reassure him, while Sugawara, Yamaguchi, and Ennoshita all had stunned looks.

Sugawara suddenly turned red. "P-Please wait a while to marry me!" He stammered.

"Don't worry. I don't plan on marrying you, Sugawara." Kiyoko informed.

"You don't know that!" Sugawara claimed.

Daichi and Asahi were both covered in intense auras as they appeared behind Sugawara. "I'll hold your hand for you." Daichi said.

"No, I'll do it." Asahi offered.

"No! Stop! Shimizu's scent's gonna go away!" Sugawara shouted.

"Shut up! It's not fair that you're the only one!" Daichi argued.

"Don't touch me!"

"They look like they're going to be just fine." Takeda commented.

TWEEEEEET!

Both Karasuno and Shiratorizawa headed back onto the court for the final set. "Kageyama was getting pretty exhausted. They're probably going to let him rest and put him back in when they need him the most." Iwaizumi stated from up in the stands.

"That's only if they can make it that far. This might be a bit much for Mr. Refreshing, don't you think?" Oikawa questioned. 

"Huh? You're changing your setter?" Tendou spoke, noticing Sugawara. "That's lame."

Sugawara let out a breath. "If you get lost, just toss them to me." Asahi reassured. Sugawara then punched him playfully.

"Well, aren't you reliable! What are you, the ace?" Sugawara questioned with a smile on his face.

"I am the ace!" Asahi replied.

Goshiki was the first one to serve. "We're gonna cut them off at one!" Daichi exclaimed.

"Yeah!"

The whistle blew as Goshiki threw the ball up and did his jump serve. Tadahiro barely dived down to receive it. "Sorry!" He apologized.

"Asahi!" Sugawara shouted, tossing the ball towards Asahi.

Asahi jumped up, spiking the ball past Ushijima and Kawanishi, giving the first point of the final set for Karasuno.

Shirabu then tossed the ball towards Ushijima. Tsukishima and Asahi jumped up to block him, sending the ball flying towards the TV reporters but still getting a point for Shiratorizawa.

"Taichi, nice serve!" Leon shouted.

Kawanishi threw the ball up in the air. "Front!" Nishinoya called out as Daichi rushed forward to receive it.

Sugawara tossed the ball for Tsukishima, who jumped up but was blocked by Tendou. "Sorry!" Sugawara said.

Nishinoya then tossed the ball up as Sugawara tossed towards Asahi, who got blocked by Ushijima and Tendou.

"Out!" Nishinoya called out.

"D'oh." Tendou commented as he looked towards Sugawara. "The middle was blocked, so you went for the safe left the second time. You're so easy to read."

Sugawara turned to him as he grinned. "Well, our left is pretty efficient, so..." He stated.

"I want to break your heart in two!" Tendou claimed in irritation.

TWEEEEET!

Asahi was up next to serve as he bounced the ball. "Asahi, nice serve!" Sugawara encouraged as Asahi threw the ball up in the air and did his jump serve in which Leon receives it.

Shirabu did a one handed toss towards Tendou who spiked the ball. "Got it!" Sugawara reassured, receiving the ball.

"Nishinoya!" Sugawara shouted.

Nishinoya jumped up from the white line. "From a libero setting to a synchronized attack with everyone other than the libero?" Iwaizumi exclaimed with shock.

Nishinoya tossed the ball as Sugawara spiked it, getting a point for Karasuno.

"All right!"

Tadahiro glanced over at the score.

Karasuno

03

Shiratorizawa

01

"Nice kill, Suga!" Daichi complimented.

Tadahiro glanced over at Ushijima as he narrowed his eyes, remembering the first time he met the super ace.

"This is Kagami Tadahiro." The U-19 coach introduced the red head. "He'll be joining the team from now on."

"Welcome!"

Tadahiro took a glance over at Ushijima. Deciding to make a friend, he walked over to him. "Oi!" He shouted, grabbing Ushijima's attention. "You're Ushijima Wakatoshi, right? I'm Kagami Tadahiro."

"I know. The coach said your name." Ushijima replied in a blunt tone.

Tadahiro carried an irked expression, but shook it off. He extended his hand out towards Ushijima. "Your volleyball skills are super cool, man. Let's be friends."

Ushijima took on glance at the red head's outstretched hand. "No thanks." He said.

"Why, you! Do you think you're above me or some shit?!" Tadahiro exclaimed in irritation.

"No."

"Tch!" Tadahiro said. "Ushijima Wakatoshi! If I defeat you in an official match, you and I have to be friends, you hear me?!"

The rest of their U-19 teammates sweat dropped.

"Well, they were either going to be friends or enemies. There was no in between."

"Is he really pissed off  just because Ushijima didn't shake his hand?"

Tadahiro snorted to himself. "Come to think of it, starting a whole rivalry with Ushiwaka just because he didn't accept my handshake that day was completely childish. Even Dai-chan thought so when I told him." He thought.

"Still, I really admired his skills. I wanted him to respect me as his equal. And the only way to do that... is to defeat him in this match!"

Sugawara sent a high five towards Nishinoya. The buzzer sounded, calling for a timeout. "That was fast! Already?" Izuki commented.

"Well, once someone gets the lead in the fifth set, it's over in no time." Taiga explained.

The buzzer went off again, ending the time out as Asahi was next to serve. "Asahi-san, one more!" Nishinoya encouraged.

Asahi threw the ball up before spiking it. It hits the net and lands on the court as Leon was too late to receive it.

The whistle blew as Asahi did his jump serve once more, but this time, Goshiki was able to receive it.

Shirabu tosses the ball towards Ushijima, who spiked past Tadahiro, Tsukishima, and Sugawara, getting a point for Shiratorizawa.

Tadahiro looked up to see Ushijima bouncing the ball as he got ready to serve. "Bring it!" Daichi, Asahi, and Nishinoya shouted in unison.

Ushijima did his jump serve as Asahi crouched down to receive it, but it ended up falling to the ground.

"Nice kill, Ushijima!"

"Sorry!" Asahi apologized.

"We'll get the next one!" Daichi reassured him, giving him a high five.

"Stop them here!" Hyuga stated. "If you don't, it's going to get rough."

TWEEEEET!

Ushijima did another jump serve. "Daichi-san!" Nishinoya shouted as Daichi dived over to receive it. Asahi quickly covered for him, sending the ball towards Sugawara.

Shirabu then received the ball. "Tendou-san!" He shouted.

"Righto!" Tendou said as he jumped up to toss the ball over towards Ushijima.

Ushijima spiked the ball as he got a point for Shiratorizawa. The whistle blew once more as Ushijima did another jump serve.

"Out!" Daichi and Nishinoya shouted.

However, it ended up being counted as Daichi and Nishinoya looked back in shock. Shiratorizawa was now in the lead with five points.

"Shiratorizawa turned it around!" Furihata exclaimed.

TWEEEET!

Ushijima threw the ball up again as the ball hits Asahi in the chest. Daichi quickly covered as he received the ball before it touched the ground. Yamagata received it as Shirabu sent the ball towards Ushijima.

Tsukishima then jumped up to block him. "One touch!" He called out. Nishinoya dived down to save the ball but was too late.

"So annoying..." Shirabu commented, referring to Tsukishima.

"Thanks!" Tsukishima replied as Shirabu and Tendou both looked at him in irritation.

Ushijima did another jump serve. It hits the net as Daichi dived down to receive it. "Chance ball!" Yamagata shouted, receiving the ball.

Tendou jumped up to spike the ball but was blocked by Tsukishima. Yamagata received it as Shirabu sent the toss over to Leon. Tsukishima helped Sugawara in blocking.

"One touch!"

"He's just like Aone from Date Tech!" Tadahiro noted.

"Chance ball!" Nishinoya said as he received the ball.

Sugawara tossed the ball over towards Tadahiro who jumped up to spike but ended up hitting it towards Yamagata, who received it. Tendou then jumped up to spike.

Tsukishima joined Tadahiro in blocking Goshiki. However, the volleyball went over towards Ushijima instead.

"Nice aim..." Goshiki paused as he realized the red flag was raised. "Out?!"

"Sorry." Ushijima apologized.

"D-Don't mind..." Goshiki reassured him.

"He missed? Lucky!" Izuki commented.

"That's not lucky at all!" Riko informed, making Izuki glance at her in confusion. "It just means that his mind was trying to avoid the block that strongly."

"Huh?"

"What? It was overruled?" Taiga questioned.

"What?"

"The ball hit the line just a little bit. It's Shiratorizawa's point." Taiga explained.

"Seriously?!" Koganei exclaimed. "But that was great determination!"

Tadahiro glanced over to see that Tsukishima was holding onto his hand. Ukai and Takeda came onto the court as Tadahiro saw that Tsukishima's pinky finger was bruised and there was a bit of blood.

"It must have been cut when you touched Ushiwaka's spike." Ukai guessed.

"Narita!" Ukai called out.

"Yes!" Narita said, coming onto the court.

"Get him to the infirmary." Ukai informed.

"Oh, dear. He got hurt?" Oikawa pointed out.

"Glasses leaving this late in the game is going to hurt a lot." Iwaizumi commented.

Everyone watched as Tsukishima left the court with Kiyoko. "You'd better buy me some time!" Tsukishima shouted at Hinata, who was taken aback.

"By the time you get back, we'll already be bound for nationals!" Hinata retorted.

Daichi clapped to get everyone's focus back. "All right! Concentrate!" He told his team.

"Right!"

"Kazuhito! You're not alone in your blocks! I'll be right behind you!" Nishinoya reassured.

"Right!" Narita nodded.

"Don't hold back and go for it, just like we practiced." Sugawara added on.

"Right!" Narita replied.

"Looks like he had to go away." Tendou commented. "But we're not gonna hold back."

"Of course not." Ushijima said, walking away from him and Shirabu.

The game resumed as Ushijima threw the ball up into the air. "Bring it!" Daichi, Asahi, and Nishinoya shouted in unison.

Ushijima spiked the ball as Daichi received it. "Nice, Daichi!" Sugawara complimented.

"Center!" Narita called out as he jumped up but was blocked by Tendou.

Sugawara received the ball as Nishinoya jumped up, getting into setting position. "Right!" Sugawara shouted.

"Synchronized attack: all!"

"Go!" All of Seirin shouted in unison.

Nishinoya tossed the ball towards Sugawara, who ended up getting blocked by Tendou. The volleyball landed on the court as everything went silent.

TWEEEEET!

"Good job reading that, Satori." Leon complimented.

"Yeah, it was just a hunch." Tendou responded.

Sugawara looked up at Tendou with irritation as Tendou only sent a grin in reply.

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A/N: Another chapter is finished! Thanks for reading!