#japan's national volleyball team

[tsumiomi]

Kiyoomi: Just be yourself.

Atsumu: */Is himself

Kiyoomi: Not like that.

[spoksstuff]

squad 🧡🖤

all credits to the original artist @hq_yunak on X & ig

[belatinysun]

this new visual collab between haikyuu!! and the VNL (Volleyball Nations League) is absolutely perfect, seeing shoyo and kenma alongside so many others iconic volleyball players makes me feel so proud!!! 😭

the impact haikyuu have worldwide is INSANE, i'm so excited for the VNL 🧡

read more information about this collab here!

[volleyballhqpics]

Iran vs. Japan Volleyball Nations League (©)

[tangerinefluff]

had a thought that if kagehina are 27/28 now, do they retire after Paris 2024 or just before LA 2028, or they will fight to make it to LA 2028..

[astrowaffles]

Deck the Hall

General Audiences | Chaos, attempt at humour

“Christmas is getting pretty big in Japan, though,” Komori pointed out. “We had a Christmas tree last year.”

“That was just Mother’s fad.” Sakusa shook his head. “She thought it was a fashion thing.”

“Whose side are you on?!”

“The side of whoever’s eyebrows don’t move independently.”

“They don’t! You’re just paranoid!”

“I was in a nativity play once,” Bokuto observed, oblivious to the loud smack coming from Hinata and Hoshiumi’s direction. “I played a wise man, obviously.”

“Oh, obviously,” Aran nodded, clearly trying to diffuse the situation. He grabbed Atsumu’s ear, pulling him back from where he was about to trip Kageyama up. “Stop makin’ trouble.”

“Ugh.”

“AS I WAS SAYING,” Iwaizumi yelled. The team froze, Hoshiumi’s hand halfway inside Hinata’s mouth, Sakusa about to provoke Kageyama into picking sides, Aran still holding Atsumu’s ear, Bokuto mid-nativity song (with a vaguely impressed Ushijima as his audience), while Komori and Suna filmed the entire thing with a well-placed rat filter. Yaku had his head in his hands in the corner.

Iwaizumi felt like joining him.

---------

OR: Iwaizumi & the JNT decorate their gym...well, they *try* to.

“Okay!” Iwaizumi clapped, the loud noise echoing around the gym. In the corner, Hinata and Kageyama paused their fighting (flirting?) to circle around their athletic trainer. Sakusa elbowed Atsumu, cackled, and then went to stand on the other side of Ushijima, donning a serious expression (but unable to hide the spark of triumph in his eyes). Hoshiumi leaped onto Kageyama, who caught his legs piggy-back style and let him cling on, oblivious to Hinata’s glare, while Yaku herded the remaining idiots - volleyballs still in hand from where they were bouncing them off the walls - to stand close enough to listen. Iwaizumi nodded in thanks before addressing himself to the team again.

“First, we break for the holidays soon, and I want you all to keep your training routines up over the break. We only have a few months now until the Olympics themselves, so we all have to stay in peak condition. The second thing I wanted to mention was-“

“CHRISTMAS!” Hinata interrupted, using the distraction to surreptitiously overbalance Hoshiumi.

“Don’t be stupid,” Hoshiumi argued, rubbing his tailbone where it had hit the hard gym floor, “Iwaizumi’s an atheist.”

“Atheists can still celebrate Christmas,” Atsumu pointed out, adding fuel to the fire.

“Even some Muslims celebrate Christmas, just not the religious bit,” Sakusa agreed. Atsumu reached behind Ushijima to give Sakusa a high five.

“But that’s more in America, isn’t it?” Yaku mused.

“Christmas is getting pretty big in Japan, though,” Komori pointed out. “We had a Christmas tree last year.”

“That was just Mother’s fad.” Sakusa shook his head. “She thought it was a fashion thing.”

“I thought you were Mr. Muslims-celebrate-Christmas? Whose side are you on?!”

“The side of whoever’s eyebrows don’t move independently.”

“They don’t! You’re just paranoid!”

Suna pulled out his phone to record, side-eyeing Iwaizumi’s unimpressed expression.

“I was in a nativity play once,” Bokuto observed, oblivious to the loud smack coming from Hinata and Hoshiumi’s direction. “I played a wise man, obviously.”

“Oh, obviously,” Aran nodded, clearly trying to diffuse the situation. He grabbed Atsumu’s ear, pulling him back from where he was about to trip Kageyama up. “Stop makin’ trouble.”

“Ugh.”

“AS I WAS SAYING,” Iwaizumi yelled. The team froze, Hoshiumi’s hand halfway inside Hinata’s mouth, Sakusa about to provoke Kageyama into picking sides, Aran still holding Atsumu’s ear, Bokuto mid-nativity song (with a vaguely impressed Ushijima as his audience), while Komori and Suna filmed the entire thing with a well-placed rat filter. Yaku had his head in his hands in the corner; Iwaizumi felt like joining him.

“You were sayin’…?” Aran prompted.

“I was saying,” Iwaizumi began, “that several promotional videos are going to be filmed using the gym and a few of our players. You know if you’ve been chosen-“

“Ooh! Me!” Bokuto exclaimed. “That’s me! I was chosen!”

“Me too!” Hinata nodded. Suna waved his hand as if to say, me three. Atsumu opened his mouth, but was stopped by a heavy sigh from Iwaizumi.

“The gym needs to be decorated and the promotional team thought it might be a good idea for you all to do it. That’s it. That’s all I wanted to say.”

“Why us?” Atsumu asked. “Knowin’ us, we’ll get none of it decorated, but we will burn the gym down.”

Iwaizumi raised his hands in surrender. “I have no idea why, except maybe so they could ask you about it in the interviews.”

“If that’s the case, I’ll head out,” Hyakazawa decided, waving as he started moving towards the gym door. Various other players muttered agreement as they packed their bags, eager to leave before Komori got hold of any sharp objects. Iwaizumi wished desperately he could go home too, but he forced his face to remain passive as he bid goodbye to his last dregs of hope and turned to face the decorating team: nine chaos-fuelled idiots, plus Aran (who was easily influenced), and Yaku, who would probably move to a cupboard to cry after five minutes.

What a way to start the holiday season.

“I wanna be in charge of tinsel,” Hinata announced, imperiously grabbing Kageyama and dragging him forwards.

“I don’t want to be involved in this,” Kageyama grouched, reaching out to grab Hinata’s head.

“Too bad,” was Hinata’s response, turning grabby hands on Iwaizumi. “Can I? Can I be in charge of tinsel?”

“Can we,” Kageyama corrected. “This idiot can’t be left alone to do anything.”

Iwaizumi privately thought that Hinata by himself was ten times better than Hinata with Kageyama, since one braincell only stretched so far between two (athlete-sized) heads, but he said nothing. “Sure. Supplies are in that cupboard,” he added, pointing to the cupboard marked ‘CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS’ in their manager’s bold handwriting.

“I wondered what that cupboard was for,” Bokuto hummed. “Interesting.”

“Well, I guess that means the cupboard marked ‘CLEANING SUPPLIES’ could have anythin’ in it, huh, Bokkun?” Atsumu teased. Bokuto rolled his eyes and pushed Atsumu’s shoulder.

“Don’t be mean. I can’t read it from here.”

“Yeah, don’t be mean, Atsumu,” Sakusa chimed in. “We don’t all have laser eyes and bat ears.”

Atsumu’s hands flew to his ears. “I don’t either!”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Sakusa advised, cuffing Komori over the back of the head as he tried to sneak past, arms piled high with fake snow so only his eyebrows were visible. “Where are you going with that?”

“Over there,” Komori replied, batting his eyes - eyebrows? - innocently. Suna waved from the corner Komori was pointing out.

"That doesn’t look safe,” Aran observed. He took about half of Komori’s snow and started moving towards the doorway he was decorating with Yaku.

Komori sighed in disappointment but didn’t comment, contenting himself with throwing his remaining snow on the ground and making a fake snow angel. Ushijima silently handed Iwaizumi a broom as he went past.

“Thanks,” Iwaizumi muttered. He passed the broom to Atsumu. “You clean it up.”

“What?! Why me?”

“Probably because you’re a bastard~” Suna sing-songed across the gym. Atsumu flipped him off, but took the broom.

“Guess this is my cross to bear,” he sighed. “Bein’ so nice all the time.”

“Sure it is.” Iwaizumi patted his shoulder. “Now get cleaning.”

Meanwhile, Bokuto had had the genius idea of climbing several gymnastics horses in order to reach the ceiling to hang lights. The precarious stack of uneven equipment was shuddering violently every time he moved in his perch on top, although Ushijima had been enlisted to hold everything steady.

“I’m not sure this is working,” Ushijima commented, pushing a stray layer back into place.

“What? It totally is!” Bokuto argued, gesturing wildly. Iwaizumi winced as the tower tipped against Ushijima. “The lights are up and everything!”

“How are ya gettin’ down, Bokkun?” Atsumu enquired, making patterns with the broom in the fake snow on the floor.

“Jump,” Bokuto said simply, pushing the last string into the ceiling.

“I’ll catch you!” Hoshiumi offered, abandoning the tinsel competition he’d started with Hinata.

“Ah, no,” Iwaizumi finally intervened. “We’ll need a ladder or something. Hoshiumi, go clean up…that,” he added, waving vaguely at the pile of shredded, glittering bits Hinata was currently using as confetti. Kageyama started choking as Hinata accidentally threw it in his face, only for tinsel to start coming out his nostrils. Hinata looked delighted.

Iwaizumi went to look for a ladder.

 By the time he returned, all hell had broken loose. Komori had somehow wheedled Aran out of some more fake snow and had buried Suna in it; Suna seemed ecstatic with this arrangement, face peeking out from the heap as he observed everyone else cause problems.

Bokuto was still balanced on his pile of equipment, but Ushijima had gotten distracted by Hoshiumi so now everything was wobbling dangerously; Ushijima had been convinced to become a human Christmas tree and was now draped in tinsel, with baubles hanging from his ears and fingers. Hinata was sat on Kageyama’s lap as Kageyama attempted to get all the glitter out of Hinata’s hair, muttering ‘idiot’ every two seconds. Aran was slumped, despairing, in a doorway now completely bare of decorations, having been raided by Hoshiumi to decorate Ushijima. Atsumu was lying on the floor with his failed attempts at sweeping up the snow lying scattered around him, and Sakusa had retreated to the corner furthest from everyone to stand menacingly, and cackle when Atsumu twitched. The ‘CLEANING SUPPLIES’ cupboard was making sobbing noises, presumably courtesy of poor Yaku.

Fairy lights swung haphazardly from the ceiling. Tinsel lay mixed with Atsumu’s abandoned snow on the floor. Someone had managed to stick some baubles to the walls with double-sided tape, although as Iwaizumi watched, one unstuck itself and fell onto Hinata’s head with a pathetic bump.

“I-“ Iwaizumi stopped himself. “I want the PR team to know, I had nothing to do with this.”

The team nodded, although a few were distracted by Bokuto shrieking “TIMBER!” as his structure finally gave in, throwing him to the ground; he bounced.

Iwaizumi could feel tears forming. “I’m just gonna-“ he pointed to the door.

Ushijima nodded sympathetically. “I’m sure you must be tired. We have done a lot of training today.”

Iwaizumi didn’t honour that with a response; instead, he moved to Yaku’s cupboard and knocked.

“Yaku? You okay in there?”

A sniff. “Yeah. I don’t think I’ll be coming in tomorrow, though.”

Iwaizumi cast a last look at the gym, which looked a bit like an exploded Christmas factory. “Yeah. Me neither.”

As he took his final step out the door, the last thing he heard was Hinata asking, “What’s up with him? Was he upset we made Ushijima festive?”

“Probably,” Atsumu agreed, not moving from his spot on the floor. “I think he looks good, though.”

“You’d think neon pink leopard print looks good,” Sakusa snarked from his corner.

“I do not! And even if I did, what does that have to do with-“

Iwaizumi closed the door.

A03 | Exclusives | Tip Me | Commissions

[volleytimes-com]

VNL 2024 | Quarterfinals | Photogallery of Japan - Canada

🏐| FIVB VOLLEYBALL NATIONS LEAGUE 2024 |Quarterfinals @ Łódź 🇵🇱 | Thursday June 27, 2024 • 17.00 (Local Time) | Japan – Canada 3-0 (26:24, 25:18, 26:24) 👉🏼Read more about the match and all results of the day here👈🏼 • QUARTERFINAL 2 | 20:00 (Local Time) | Poland – Brazil 📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH __________________ — Friday | June 28, 2024 — • QUARTERFINAL 1 | 17:00 (Local Time) | Italy (3) –…

[yulchi]

Bouncing ballbceo with his olympic athlete 🏐

[haikyu-mp4]

An assortment of babysitters

Iwaizumi brings his toddler son to work, for my Parenting event<3

requested by @moochiwoochi. word count; 504 – no reader

Iwaizumi is what many would call a Superdad. When he wore the holster with his toddler strapped to his chest, it looked like he was always meant to carry his son.

He looked no less natural in his dadness when he entered the gym one morning, greeting all the athletes on Japan’s national volleyball team and smirking when his baby made sounds that sounded much like they one day would be the same words he said.

The cooing from the athletes was immediate. “Good morning, tiny Iwa,” Hinata said in a babylike voice, not even greeting the actual trainer, while Bokuto made kissy sounds with his hands clutched together to contain the cuteness aggression.

“You brought backup,” Suna joked, holding the baby’s hand and shaking it, a tiny smile on his face.

“We will be doing circle practice today, let’s get started on setting up the stations!” He instructed, splitting everyone into random groups and making them set up each station for working out a different muscle or volleyball drill.

Usually, they would be in the gym with all the workout equipment, where he would definitely never bring his precious son. However, they would be in the big hall and do mixed practices like this once a week to give the muscles a more varied workout.

The athletes’ jaws fell loose when they saw Iwa put the toddler down on a baby blanket at one station, handing him a toy he liked before looking at them and resting his hands on his hips. “The babysitting station. Every time he cries, I’m adding another round.”

Hoshiumi’s laughter rang through the room and Kageyama’s gulp was practically audible, as he made eye contact with Ushijima who looked just as nervous. Meanwhile, Komori and Suna were grinning at the end of the lineup, already plotting to sabotage this baby’s first words.

They got started on the training, and Iwaizumi did his best to pay attention to all the stations while also keeping a keen eye on his baby. They were doing 2 minutes on each station, and the cute toddler pouted every time his babysitter changed, while the athletes cooed and tried to convince him not to cry.

It was going well until Sakusa and Yaku got there, one of the last groups before they would get a break. While Yaku held the boy and enjoyed trying to get him to walk, Sakusa stayed as far away as possible. Baby Iwa held his hands out for Sakusa, transfixed on his curly hair and begging to be transferred to the more reluctant babysitter. Yaku, a bit insulted that he wasn’t the favourite and also annoyed that Sakusa was so prickly, started yelling at the Jackal. Result? Baby. Crying.

Iwaizumi laughed, jogging over to pick his son up, predicting he’d want some food soon anyway. “That’s another round, guys!”

He could hear the athletes yelling at the last babysitters as he walked over to his bag, fishing out a bottle before turning back to them.

“Get back to it!”

masterlist

for the requester: thank you so much for the fun request<3

[boredbakedbeans]

class divide & struggle in haikyuu

haikyuu twitter has brought up the theme of class struggle in hq and it really got me thinking just how subtle and effective furudate is in portraying class divide throughout the story.

hinata is introduced riding a bike, seeing volleyball through a store TV (not his own like Hoshiumi, Ushijima, Kageyama), and years later he's still riding a bike up and down a mountain every day for an hour to get to school and practice. how the gyms in the public schools like nekoma and karasuno have stages because they're multipurpose, as opposed to the specific volleyball facilities that shiratorizawa and other private schools have. the bond that nekoma and karasuno have as being the public schools in their prefectures, being known as "scavengers", taking what they can get and fighting tooth and nail for it. THE DUMPSTER BATTLE.

Shiratorizawa Academy vs. Karasuno High. almost every other school (aoba johsai, shiratorizawa, kamomedai) having non-volleyball team-specific tracksuits and merch, while karasuno wears the generic "ics" athletic wear. star players like ushijima and hirugami having family that played pro-volleyball and got them started from a young age in professional spaces.

daichi's nightmare about the basketball team overtaking their gym and not letting them practice. kageyama noticing right away that the floors in the all-japan youth camp weren't wooden. takeda working overtime to try to get gyms reserved, practice matches organized, buses rented out. ukai still working at his grocery store his entire first year coaching karasuno (suggesting that karasuno couldn't afford to pay him enough).

karasuno having to adjust to the lights and the height of the ceiling at nationals, when all the other teams were used to it. karasuno renting out that little old inn for nationals, right next to the giant, 25-floor hotel that other teams were staying in. inarizaki intimidating their opponents with their huge student section, affording to literally transfer an entire student BAND from hyogo to tokyo.

it's the reason that there's something specifically annoying about ushijima when we first meet him, something off-putting as we see hinata and kageyama watching shiratorizawa practicing for the first time in their fancy gym at their huge school. something infuriating about hearing ushijima talk down to hinata and basically dismiss karasuno as a threat entirely. when ushijima says aoba johsai is "infertile soil", hinata thinks, if they are infertile soil, then I Am Hinata Shoyo from the Concrete. and our concrete school, despite all odds, despite lack of resources and funding and reputation, will still beat you. i don't have what you have and yet i will still make it to the top!!!!!!!

[tsumiomi]

Kiyoomi: */At Miya's front porch asking for another chance Osamu: Who's more important? Me, your brother who loves you even when you're a mess, or him, that jerk who only loves you when he's available? Atsumu: */Opens the door while looking at Osamu Osamu: And he did not hesitate-

[uumeboshii]

wc: 1, 104

content warnings: breeding? ! reader is referred to as ma'am. feminine pronouns. oral (fem rec)

"Hinata Shoyo, the acclaimed professional volleyball player and part of Japan men's national team, coming up next week!"

The cheerful voice of the show's narrator vibrates through the room, announcing the appearance of your fiancé. He had been thrilled when the show's producers and parents contacted him, wanting him to come on the show and do some activities with the kids. He flew to South Korea within a week of talking and making arrangements, stayed for another to explore the city he was staying at, and would be coming home in a few days.

The screen showed clips of Shoyo smiling at the camera, looking around with a baby in arms, and- oh, taking a nap with the baby on his chest. You couldn't help but smile at the image; thoughts stirring in your mind (are you ovulating soon?) so loud and fast that your phone ringing almost makes you scream.

"Sugar! My flight is booked. I'll be home in three days, do you want me to bring you anything from Korea? They have a ton of varieties of that spicy ramen you like so much..." Shoyo's voice was bright, bouncing off the speaker as he named all the different flavors of ramen "... and curry, wait, there's also one of those self-heating Hot Pot bowls"

"Mmm... bring carbonara and curry ramen, and some rice cakes if you can" Yes, ma'am! He responded, hanging up. He was so sweet to you. Would his babies be as cheerful as him?

Five days later, Shoyo was at home, resting, eating of those spicy curry-flavored ramen while you sat on the couch, waiting for his episode on the show to begin.

"I can't wait for you to watch it, the babies were so cute!" He says, a mouthful of noodles going into his mouth.

Nodding, you try the noodles, hoping the overwhelming heat will overpower the feeling in your lower abdomen.

It all goes well. Shoyo helping the older kid to tie his shoes, calling him endearing names every other sentence. You can't help but picture the kid with orange hair and your partner's big smile. Shoyo taking said kid and his younger sibling to the convenience store right after they expressed their craving for some melona ice cream bars, both of them holding his hand. He was so caring, so protective. Would he prefer to have boys? He seemed so at ease with them. And then, her. After coming home, the father had brought the youngest in the family to meet Shoyo, and it was impossible to miss the way his eyes lit up. She was a year old, hair in two little pigtails at the top of her head, in a yellow onesie.

Everything became a blur after that. He was so sweet to her, so soft. His eyes never left her, a secure hold on her at all times. Such a good father.

Sleep doesn't come easy.

Tossing, turning and groaning, your brain just can't sweep away the image of Shoyo with children of yours. Happily running through your house, their voices filling your ears.

Being pumped full of cum by your perfect, sweet soon-to-be-husband who'll take care of all of you.

You reach your hand out to your partner, tracing lines down his bare back. Poking his ribs, softly scratching the tan, freckled skin. His muscles tense when your nails leave red marks behind, a low mumble coming from your fiancé. "Hm?"

"You okay? Why are you up?" He says, turning around, facing you. His eyelids still open and close with sleep, a pair of fingers going straight to the ends of your hair. You nod. Your hand reaches up to caress his cheek, a leg pulling him closer to you until your lips meet for a kiss. It's soft until it isn't. Hunger takes over quickly, your teeth pulling on his lip as his hands grope your ass, positioning you on top of him. You sit on his hard-on to give the both of you a minute to breathe, moving slowly back and forth.

"I've been so wet all day, Sho— can't do it anymore," you blurt out, the thin fabric of your underwear sticking to your outer lips, making everything so, so uncomfortable. You hear him mumble some prayers before pulling himself up, all his weight on the palms of his hands as he pushes himself to you. Your lips clash, he has you leaning back as he takes your waist in his arms, his big muscles crushing you. Managing to lift your hips, you shimmy out of your shorts and squeal as Shoyo shifts your positions and throws you to the mattress, giggling. He snatches your shorts and dives into you, biting and kissing and sucking your inner thighs. His face gets closer to your heat, inhaling your scent as his arms around your legs, locking you in place.

"I can tell", he says. You try to close your legs around him, but his grip on you is so secure you only feel the tip of his tongue as he gives a kitten lick to your clit. A shiver goes through your body, his tongue licking long strips on your slit. "God, I've missed you."

Whimpering, you run your hand through his hair as he keeps licking and sucking at your clit; his tongue traces shapes along the folds of your pussy, nose bumping you with every move. It's as if he's doing it for himself, for his own pleasure.

Your grip tightens when you feel one of his hands snake and position itself at your entrance. His fingers prod at your hole as he keeps sucking, adding one finger and curling it upwards as his tongue presses flat against you. You grind on his face and he lets you, another finger being enough to have you moaning in a higher pitch, "Shoyo-Sho, mhm, just like that"

It fuels him, burying his face even deeper along with his fingers, pumping and curling just right. Your nails dig into his scalp and that's when he loses it, grinding against the mattress; he's so intoxicated with your scent, your touch, your voice, he just has to have you cumming on his face. Which you do, when he moans right into your core as he keeps fingering you. The burning sensation on your stomach spreading all over your body sends shivers down your spine and legs, which tighten around Shoyo's head as he keeps kissing. Your heart races. Shoyo climbs up your body, his nose breathing in the scent of your lotion.

"I wanna make you mine, no one'll take you from me"

[kimbapisnotsushi]

[KAGEYAMA TOBIO squints at his phone screen, his eyebrows knitted together and mouth pinched in a frown. A stranger would think him irritated, but his friends know he is just uncertain. Flanking either side of him are HOSHIUMI KOURAI and MIYA ATSUMU. Atsumu looks amused, while Hoshiumi pats Kageyama's shoulder comfortingly. This is, after all, their fifth take of what is meant to be the first scene of the video.]

KAGEYAMA: What's wrong with saying, "I'm passing the phone to Miya Atsumu"? Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?

HOSHIUMI: You're not supposed to say their name, Kageyama! You're supposed to describe them in a way that's funny. So, like, if I were passing it to Hinata, I'd say, "I'm passing the phone to someone who ditched us to go play in the sand for two years!"

HINATA, HIS VOICE DISTANT OFF-SCREEN: HEY!

ATSUMU: I guess I’m just so great that there’s nothin’ bad to say about me, huh, Tobio? 

[Kageyama’s gaze goes slack for a minute—it’s obvious he’s thinking about something. Then he looks directly into the camera.]

KAGEYAMA: I’m passing the phone to someone who lost to me in Kuroo-san's JVA-sponsored poll of who the sexiest setter was.

ATSUMU, LUNGING FOR THE PHONE: OI—

[Cut scene to black.]

— excerpt from a fic where japan's national volleyball team tries to make a pr video, but everything goes wrong

[volleyballhqpics]

Japan vs. Serbia Volleyball Nations League (©)

[sirhamburrger]

wins and losses (t. kageyama x f!reader)

in which two wins for him are two wins for you, and a loss for him is also a win for both of you. wc: 1.4k || tags/cw: pre- and post-timeskip reader and kageyama, reader went to kitagawa daiichi and was manager for seijoh vbc, reader is lowkey (highkey) pining over him, msby 4 are the best (worst?) wingmen a/n: "happy birthday i guess... it-it's not like i like you or anything!" (you must know i visibly cringed at that) happy womb eviction date my sweet sweet tobio <3 you are my second favourite dark-haired shonen manga deuteragonist whose birthday falls on dec 22nd :)

when you entered high school as a first-year, you joined the volleyball club as a manager for the boys’ team. for the most part, it was so you could see some familiar faces from kitagawa daiichi - your old classmates kindaichi and kunimi were playing for seijoh now, and so were your upperclassmen oikawa and iwaizumi. 

it was - and still is - a busy job, taking care of about twenty teenage boys who more than not got fired up over the littlest things (or in kunimi’s case, not fired up at all). still, it was fun and rewarding, and makki and mattsun practically became your older brothers after a while. 

but there’s no denying that when you walked into the gym for the first practice session of the school year, you were looking out for one person from the kitagawa daiichi boys’ volleyball team in particular -

tobio kageyama, your ex-classmate and longtime crush.

back in middle school, you’d walk past the gym during lunch break, and he’d looked so cool as he set the ball for his teammates. your friends used to tease you about it, even going so far as to try and set you two up. luckily, you stopped them before they could do anything. suffice it to say he probably didn’t know of your existence at all. you were determined to change that in high school.

but he wasn’t there that day, or any day after that. 

you asked oikawa about it once, and he simply smiled sweetly and said he was glad dear ol’ kageyama hadn’t taken up the offer to come to seijoh - kindaichi and kunimi shared his sentiments. iwaizumi only sighed and looked over at oikawa. 

“it’s probably for kageyama’s own good,” he’d said, not elaborating on his words. 

and you see what he means now, even as karasuno wins their match against seijoh in the 2015 spring interhigh qualifiers. your players are devastated, and rightfully so. they’ve lost to karasuno countless times over the years, and this only seems to be salt rubbed into their gaping wound. 

ex-captains oikawa and yahaba facetime your phone after the game, hoping to say hello to a post-victory team, but their faces fall when they hear the news. you leave the team huddled around your tiny phone courtside, excusing yourself to go to the bathroom.

you lean back against the cold wall of the hallway. karasuno’s going to nationals, and maybe you should feel bitter about it. 

but somehow, all you can seem to think is - kageyama’s going to nationals.

***

not even a year later, when you've already graduated and gone to university, you see him on television representing japan in mens’ volleyball at the olympics. because that's what he is now - a man. so different from the quiet middle schooler or the intense-looking high schooler he once was.

he looks good - better - now. broader. stronger. taller. carries himself with a newfound confidence. he is a machine in action; his form is perfect as he serves the ball. it flies across his teammates’ heads, over the net, and slams itself into an open space on the court.

“aaaaand… number 20, tobio kageyama, again with his no-touch service ace! he’s practically unstoppable!”

the crowd goes absolutely wild for him, and he only nods slightly at his teammates’ praises, humble as usual.

sakusa snorts from beside you on the sofa, and bokuto just laughs. 

“what?” you mumble, only half-listening out to what he’s about to say.

“you’re practically salivating over the guy, y’know,” the itachiyama graduate deadpans. “i’m glad he didn’t come to our uni or you’d practically be following him around like a lovesick puppy.”

“i-”

japan wins the match that day. of course, kageyama is all over the news after that; labelled a genius setter straight out of a newly-revitalised powerhouse high school, and already competing on the world stage. your chest tightens when you see the post-match interviews.

kageyama sits there, his face calm and composed, as reporters throw question after question at him. he answers them with the same quiet determination you remember, though his voice has deepened, more self-assured now.

you feel a strange mix of pride and yearning. it’s ridiculous, really. you haven’t spoken to him in years - if ever - and yet you can’t help but feel connected to his success. like a win for him is also a win for you

later that evening, sakusa teases you again as you scroll through your phone, looking at photos from the match.

“just send him a dm already,” he mutters, leaning his head against the back of the couch.

you blink a couple of times, considering the suggestion. but you quickly put it out of your mind.

“yeah. as if he’d even remember me.”

sakusa raises an eyebrow but says nothing more, leaving you to stew in your thoughts.

***

you’re there for sakusa’s big match - the msby jackals vs the schweiden adlers. it’s one of the most anticipated major league games of the whole season. mainly you’re going to support sakusa and his teammates like the good friend that you are.

… and kageyama being there doesn’t hurt either.

the jackals win. it’s strange seeing kageyama on the losing end, when he’s caused so much grief to seijoh in prefectural qualifiers, when he’s played against the world’s best in a foreign  country. still, he goes to congratulate the other team for a game well-played, and then joins his team’s group huddle, smiling softly.

he’s got a kind of fire in him that warms your heart too.

it makes you think, in a moment of insanity, that maybe you should go and talk to him. reconnect. after all, he’s someone you think you’d life to have in your life.

but you won’t. he’s in a league of his own, and out of yours.

you focus instead on the jackals’ celebratory cheers, and cheer along with the other fans. bokuto has somehow managed to lift a protesting sakusa onto his shoulders, and atsumu and hinata… are nowhere to be found. that’s strange, considering they’re the ones who get the metaphorical victory lap up and running.

“- yeah, right this way, tobio-kun, she’s waiting for you up in the stands -”

“hurry up, bakayama, it’s rude to keep a girl waiting!”

with a jolt, you whip your head around, and you can’t tell if this is your lifelong dream or your worst nightmare come to life, but - 

it’s tobio kageyama, standing in front of you. flanked by two very pleased-looking msby black jackals members.

“thank us when you’re married and living in the suburbs with two beautiful kids!” atsumu yells, already fleeing the scene with a giggling hinata.

you turn to face kageyama, wishing you could disappear from under his piercing gaze.

“uh, hi. sorry about them - they’re just messing with you. you probably don’t remember me, so -” you turn to leave. “i’ll just… go. great match, by the way! you did amazing.”

but he stops you, strong hand encircling your wrist, and you think you’re going to combust on the spot. he quickly removes his hand - though the tingling sensation remains, still - and scratches his head, averting his eyes. 

you stare up at him, and find he’s even more beautiful up close.

“i remember you,” he says finally, his hand coming down to rest by his thigh. “from middle school. we were classmates.”

“yeah,” you murmur, more than a little surprised. “i saw you training in the gym a lot.”

“and you became aoba johsai’s manager, too. you were a good manager to them,” he says plainly. 

it makes you smile. “thanks. i watched your olympic matches, and you absolutely killed it.”

he looks confused for a second. “i don’t remember killing anyone -”

“it’s a, uh. figure of speech,” you explain quickly. “what i mean to say is, you were - are! - really, really good. you’ve come a long way.”

he says your name then, and you find you like the way it sounds on his tongue, even if you didn’t know he knew it. "i'm sorry. i never had the courage to say anything to you back in middle school or high school. i was worried you might not even know who i was."

"are you kidding?" you laugh. "you're tobio kageyama."

he flushes slightly in a way you think is really, really cute.

"so... how do you feel about getting some coffee after this? i'll pack my stuff up, take a quick shower."

he might be a grown man now, but underneath lies the same nervous middle schooler you once knew. you're nervous too, and it makes you want to take you up on his offer.

and so you do.

you smile over at his departing form, and feel a familiar stirring sensation - the one that comes with a win.

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heads up! — NOTHING (26/30)

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“Thanks again for the ice cream.” You let out a chuckle as Kuroo took a seat on the curb beside you. “Even though you really didn’t have to.” 

The boy only smirked, shrugging as he opened his ice cream package. “I’m only being a good host, considering we’re in my city.” 

You scoffed, shaking your head as you took a bite of your own ice cream. The sun had already set, the light from the convenience store illuminating your figures and casting shadows onto the ground in front of you. The city had grown quiet, the store conveniently located on a quieter street in the neighbourhood, away from the loud, metropolitan area. 

“It’s really nice to be back though,” you said, an air of wistfulness in your voice that quickly disappeared as you looked at him in excitement. “I was watching your match earlier! I’m glad you guys made it through.” 

Kuroo looked at you with a teasing glint. “Were you doubting us? I’m hurt, Y/N.” 

You rolled your eyes playfully. “Not for a second,” you answered. “I just know how excited our teams are to face each other again.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Kuroo said with a small chuckle. “The first years have so much energy. I’m jealous, honestly.” 

You nodded, laughing. “Ours too. I have no idea where they get all their energy from. Maybe it’s all the snacks I give them.” 

“Speaking of snacks, what were those cookies you gave us when we first went to Miyagi?” he asked, tilting his head. “I’ve been thinking about them for months. I think they’re the best cookies I’ve ever had.”

A frown made its way onto your face as you thought back, and in that moment, Kuroo’s eyes fixed on you with a soft smile as he studied your focused gaze. The moment your eyes lit up in remembrance, he immediately glanced away. 

“Ah! Those were specialty cookies from a local bakery in our town! The owners were so sweet and gave me a discount because I ordered so many.” You grinned at him. “You should have told me sooner! I could have brought you some.” 

The boy let out a chuckle, taking another bite of his ice cream. “Sorry, that’s on me.” 

“It’s alright,” you said with a smile. “Just let me know if you ever come back to Miyagi. I can show you the bakery.” 

Kuroo smiled at you, his gaze lingering on your figure for just a second too long. He gave a single nod before looking away. 

“Are you planning on staying local for university?” he asked tentatively. 

You opened your mouth to speak, though hesitated for a moment. 

“I…don’t know yet,” you admitted. “I’ve applied to a couple places around the country– even some outside of Japan. I haven’t decided where I’m going yet.” A small sigh escaped your lips. “And honestly, I don’t even want to think about it right now.” 

“I understand,” Kuroo said, nodding. “It’s a lot to think of and decide in a short amount of time.” 

Your lips tightened into a straight line as you nodded. “It feels like time is moving so fast. Like, a part of me still can’t believe that we’re actually here. In Tokyo! At the nationals! The boys have worked so hard for this.”

Kuroo pointed his ice cream cone at you with raised eyebrows, a stern expression on his face.

“What did I say before about selling yourself short?” 

“Sorry, sorry. We worked so hard for this.” You rolled your eyes playfully. “But really, if you told me a year ago that we were going to make it all the way to nationals, I don’t think I would’ve believed you.” 

“How did you end up as a manager anyways?” he asked, glancing sideways. “Some teams don’t even have one manager, let alone two.” 

A small chuckle escaped your lips as you took another bite of ice cream. 

“It’s all thanks to Kiyoko, actually. I wouldn’t have touched volleyball with a 10-foot pole if it wasn’t for her.” You paused for a moment as the memories from years before came flooding back while Kuroo watched you curiously. “I told you before that Daichi and I hated each other in first year, didn’t I?” 

Kuroo nodded, remaining quiet as you continued. 

“I actually had the biggest crush on him at the time, like, embarrassingly so. When he approached Kiyoko and I to ask if we wanted to be managers, I almost said no because it made me so nervous to be near him, but Kiyoko convinced me to join because she thought it would be fun for the both of us. I was so afraid he’d find out I liked him though that I started avoiding him and acting coldly. But Daichi thought that meant I hated him, so he started acting coldly too, and it was this whole back and forth of us being purposefully mean out of spite. We only snapped out of it when the other third years locked us in the equipment room and didn’t let us out until we worked things out.” 

“How did that work out?” Kuroo asked. His voice had quieted slightly, though it went unnoticed by you. 

“We both apologized for how we acted and agreed it was really childish, and we’ve been chill ever since. I’m glad we did- things would’ve been hard if a manager and player hated each other. Plus, he’s a really great person and my life definitely would’ve been missing something if we’d never made up.”

“Did he know that you..?” 

You shook your head. “Nope, though it wouldn’t surprise me if he figured it out at some point.” You turned to the boy, expecting his usual cheeky grin, though confusion spread across your face when you were met with his serious expression, a distant look in his eyes that you’d never seen before. “Kuroo? Is something wrong?” 

“Wha-? No. No, everything’s fine.” Without warning, he brought himself to his feet, quickly brushing himself off. You quickly followed suit, not taking your eyes off him as he pulled his phone out. “Sorry, I just- I forgot there’s something important I had to discuss with my team tonight.”

Although confused, you nodded, slowly following him as he began stepping away. “Oh, that’s ok! Did you wanna walk back tog-”

Kuroo shook his head, not meeting your gaze as he continued to walk away. “Sorry, Y/N. I really need to go,” he said. The boy turned and began sprinting away, leaving you standing in front of the convenience store by yourself. 

“What just happened…” you mumbled to yourself, glancing down when you felt something wet on your hand. 

Your ice cream had begun to melt, dripping down onto the sidewalk as you watched his figure grow smaller with every second that passed. However, there was nothing you could do about that, nor did it seem like there was anything you could do about the ache in your chest as you turned and began to walk back on your own. 

kuroo’s got his priorities straight: make the battle at the garbage dump happen, win nationals, go to university, and maybe win the heart of the rival team’s cute manager along the way.

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a/n: kuroo was supposed to be so much more of a red flag but i couldn't do it. i'm sorry. i physically cannot i love him too much