Chapter Text
July 18th
The sunlight crossed any atmospheric barriers during that radiant morning, permeating itself between buildings and nature that welcomed them all with open arms. A static, dry lawn, sprinkled with a characteristic mist of the night, vibrated in resonance with its greenish saturation, circling the courts and dormitories of that vast retreat, which would host the summer training matches between several competitors from the Kanto region in Japan.
Fukurodani’s bus distantly approached the parking lot with all its glory and eccentricity, decorated in white, black and gold, as the design currently presented in its player’s uniforms, differing only by the small decorative illustrations of owls spread across the vehicle’s length.
Bokuto Koutarou, the team captain, was the first to take a step down and feel the grass caress the sole of his padded and sporty shoes. With both arms raised in celebration and a warm and exaggeratedly big smile, Bokuto took a deep breath and released all the air trapped inside his lungs at once.
"Woohooo!"
The birds that animatedly expressed their singing over the trees took off thanks to the ace, frightened by his sudden presence and exaltation.
“Bro, I can't believe we're finally here! Do you think the cafeteria is already open!? I could eat an entire board of yakiniku right now,” Bokuto brought both hands close to his stomach, which did nothing to hide the obvious sounds of his gluttony.
Before the brunette behind Bokuto could respond, the ace’s bright golden eyes grew rapidly in size, like a child who had just received an unexpected gift
"I had an even better idea. We could go to the sports court now and train a little, what do you think!?" His hands now clung to the brunette's arms behind him, but his eyes searched endlessly for another figure in the distance. “Hey, Oikawa! I demand you to toss for me so I can get my spikes in shape!”
A sigh could be heard from the back of the bus in response to the ace’s demand.
“Bokuto-chan, the only thing I want to toss at the moment is your face on the ground, but I’m afraid my beautiful hands don't deserve this terrible treatment,” Oikawa Tooru, the team's setter, dramatized, caressing his hands as if they were physically hurt.
Bokuto frowned and his lips parted in surprise. "Bro, did you hear what he just said!?" He turned to the brunette. "I don't want him to rub my face in the dirt," murmured the ace while crossing his arms, clearly annoyed by the setter’s choice of words.
The brunette behind Bokuto sighed and smiled weakly at the attitude of his team as a whole. “Let's pack our stuff first, Bokuto. Then, we'll see what this place has to offer us,” Kuroo Tetsurou, the middle blocker, said as he pushed his best friend along the gravel path that would take them to the dorms.
Kuroo and Bokuto were inseparable; from the moment they met their friendship developed instantly, like the press of a switch capable of bringing light into a dark room. Both were similar in many of their attitudes, considered by most to be quite childish, only not when they succumbed to concentration during any kind of match, radically shifting their personalities and characteristics in order to win. In addition, Kuroo seemed to be the owner of an abundant patience, the only one capable of handling Bokuto’s extreme opposite moods; his dejected mode and his typical easy-going way of being. Kuroo could free Bokuto's chaotic mind from any fog that might inebriate his thoughts. A task not always easy to be accomplished.
Before Bokuto and Kuroo could go any further, a female voice among the crowd caught not only their attention, but the rest of the team’s as well.
"Before you start wandering around, I’d like to say a few things to all of you." Kiyoko Shimizu, the team's coach, adjusted the pair of glasses peacefully framing her eyes and waited until everyone got off the bus and politely gathered around her in a half-moon shape.
“Thank you to everyone who worked hard to get here. The matches that will take place in the next three days will put into practice everything we’ve been developing until then,” her posture irradiated seriousness for the tightly-crossed arms around her chest and the overall sturdy expression, broken by a discreet tug on the corners of her lips. “I don't want you to think that these games will be worthless, play like you’ve always did, practice what you’ve been taught and I'm sure everyone will enjoy this experience,” her face softened slightly with each word said. "Feel free to do whatever you wish today, but make sure tomorrow you’ll all be ready for our first match against Ubugawa."
"Now go, you’re all excused," the coach dismissed them with a simple hand gesture.
The team answered her in chorus, proceeding with their belongings to their respective dorms.
Shimizu was overly respected, not only by Fukurodani, but also by all other regional schools. Appreciated by the scouts for her quick and tactical thinking, Shimizu quickly stood out when she was quietly watching matches from the bench as an assistant and it didn't take long before she took charge of the team when the former coach retired. Despite the oftently spoken harsh words, Shimizu didn’t hold herself back on compliments, explicitly directing them at each member of the team, turning her closed and uninviting features into a mirage for the unsuspecting.
As they walked toward their dormitories, Bokuto saw Karasuno’s players approaching them from the other side of the parking lot.
"Hey, hey, Bro!" He closed the distance between him and Kuroo so he could whisper not very quietly in his ear. “Isn't that Karasuno’s number 10? That shortie with the amazingly fast spikes and high jumps?” Bokuto was barely able to contain his enthusiasm, pointing his finger at the redhead now almost in front of him.
Hinata Shouyou's eyes glowed just like the coloring of his bright orange hair when caressed by daylight as he recognized the figures that were loudly talking just ahead. "Kageyama!" The boy shouted without worries of being heard. “Isn't that Fukurodani’s ace!? His hair looks so much cooler live!” Hinata was filled with excitement, repeatedly jumping next to his setter, Kageyama Tobio.
Before Kuroo or Kageyama could answer the questions from their respective teammates, Bokuto proudly filled his chest with nothing but air, crossing his arms in order to show more of his muscles and allowing a smug grin to spread across his face, showing everyone a vision of his white bright teeth.
“You’re correct, Chibi-kun! It's me, Bokuto Koutarou; captain, wing spiker and Fukurodani’s ace!” Bokuto maintained a heroic pose for those two who closely watched him.
"That's so cool!" Hinata exclaimed, raising his arms and jumping high, easily reaching Bokuto's height. “How do you manage to style your hair like this!? Could you teach me to do that too?” Hinata asked, trying his best to arrange his wild strands of hair so that it minimally resembled Bokuto’s spiky hair.
Bokuto laughed in response, bringing one hand up against Hinata's hair and messing it up affectionately. “It's incredible, isn't it!? You can’t imagine how much I need to spend on hair gel for it to look like this every day. I mean, it would be easier if I had a large stock of hair gel for the rest of my life,” for a second, Bokuto interrupted his speech, actions, and forming features, as if someone had just reset his entire system, and slowly turned to Kuroo.
"Bro, I just had a great idea," he waited for Kuroo’s answer to continue. “How about we talk to Shimizu-senpai and convince her to go after one of those hair gel companies and hire them as our sponsor? That way I’d have an infinite supply!”
At the same time that Bokuto and Hinata were excited about Bokuto's supposed brilliant idea, Kuroo and Kageyama sighed almost in despair at the immature thoughts of both teammates.
"I can't believe this guy is considered to be one of the top five aces," Kageyama whispered, his expression unable to hide such discontent.
"Hey, Kageyama!" Kuroo caught the setter's attention. "I heard what you said," Kuroo embraced Bokuto with one of his arms, passing it behind the captain's shoulders and bringing him closer. "This guy here can be a little childish sometimes, but he has a heart of gold," his lips curved in a wide, provocative smirk. "And I bet he’ll beat you all inside the court."
The amount of power overflowing through every pore of Kuroo and Bokuto’s bodies was undeniable, as if they were ten feet above Hinata and Kageyama at that very moment, who could only watch them from the ground. Like observing a pair of owls on the top of a tree. The imposition hidden within their presence was noticeable to any individual, including Hinata and Kageyama. However, instead of moving backward, Karasuno’s players remained unaltered, slowly walking forward in order to reach them.
"I'm going to beat you,” said Hinata with a surprisingly dark expression and a serious tone. "We will beat you and then, you’ll watch us win the Spring Tournament and the Nationals," emphasized Hinata.
Bokuto gave a weak laugh, losing some of his composure. "I really want to see what you're capable of, Chibi-kun," he then smiled again, excited to have found someone who would give him the encouragement needed to show his skills and prove himself worthy of his title as one of the top five aces.
The sun reached its peak at noon. The teams arrived little by little and soon the place, previously deserted, became populous; the sounds of nature, resumed by the chirping of birds and croaking of frogs, were dominated by conversation, laughter, and euphoria from acquaintances during their friendly reunions. Some preferred to enjoy their free time on entertainment or taking a well-deserved rest, others insisted on the idea that each second of wasted training meant a step further from the long-sought golden trophy.
When the sky was tinged with a harmonic mixture of pink and orange, part of Fukurodani’s team was headed to one of the available courts.
"I can't believe I'm being dragged to the court with you two," Oikawa, a few steps behind his captain and middle-blocker, muttered disdainfully, bringing one hand to his forehead. “Did you know that today is Iwa-chan's day off? I could be talking to him now if it weren't for you.”
Bokuto briefly peeked at Oikawa before leaning towards Kuroo. "Bro, who is Iwa-chan again?"
Kuroo whispered in Bokuto's ear, apprehensive that Oikawa would listen and scold him for the words that would be said next. “He's Oikawa's imaginary boyfriend, remember? The doctor who’s always too busy for him.”
Stopping his pace, Bokuto turned around completely and extended his arm, pointing at his setter. "Oikawa!" He exclaimed. “You are the only one with the honor and capability of giving me the best tosses so that I can make the most perfect spikes. Come on, it’ll be fun!” Bokuto offered him one of his simplest smiles, though filled with that usual brightness which was always plastered on his face, no matter how tough the situation seemed to be.
Oikawa was surprised, not expecting such an encouraging response from Bokuto. “Well, that’s fair since I’m the best setter you’ll ever have. Isn't that right, Bokuto-chan?” Oikawa passed by his captain and winked at him before moving on to the court; his mood completely restored thanks to Bokuto’s praise, who nodded happily before following him.
"So, how will we do this?" Kuroo asked as he brought his arm close to his chest, stretching his shoulders and arms. "Me against you two?" He released his arms and cracked his neck as he grinned defiantly.
"Not like that, Kuroo," Bokuto whined. “There’s no fun if you’re the only one blocking, ‘cause I always get through it,” modesty was definitely not one of Bokuto’s strengths. "We need one more person." Bokuto looked around him hopefully, even trying to catch a sound from outside, but to no avail.
Oikawa pressed two fingers to his lips in thought. "I think I saw someone sitting outside when we arrived, could be that blondie from Karasuno."
Kuroo's eyebrows went up and he raced to the door. “I'm going to check with him. Don't you dare start without me!” He waved shortly.
Only then did Kuroo realize it was already dark. The clear night sky provided a mesmerizing view of stars shining thousands of miles away. The sounds were no longer so deafening and uncomfortable, boiling down to nature’s and slippage of sports shoes against the floor along with brief instructions or words of encouragement.
A breeze forced Kuroo's eyes to discreetly close, allowing him to take advantage of the refreshing feeling that greeted his face and shook his already messy hair. When his vision focused again, he saw a blond boy in the distance, sitting on a stone bench with a cell phone on his hands and earphones in his ears.
"Hey, you're from Karasuno, aren't you?" The boy seemed unaffected by Kuroo's words, not even looking up from the small device.
Kuroo removed the left one of his earphones and leaned closer to the boy. "Can you hear me now?" He smirked cynically. “Kuroo Tetsurou, Fukurodani’s middle-blocker, though you might already know that,” he held out his hand in a sympathetic gesture, but in return he received an intensely irritated look.
"I don't give a damn who you are." The boy replied, adjusting the earpiece back to his ear. "Go away."
Supporting both hands on his knees, Kuroo sighed in defeat, but suddenly stood up when he recognized the boy and asked him. “Number 11, isn't it? Tsukishima Kei, Karasuno’s middle-blocker. I vaguely remember watching you play and, man, I could teach you a few things if you want,” he offered. ”I actually just had a great idea, you should come with me and help me block a few spikes from my friends. What do you think?"
"Why should I waste my time training with a bunch of idiots?" Tsukishima replied.
Kuroo's change of mood at that moment was noticeable, his features slowly shifting to show nothing but sheer anger. "You know what? It’s your loss, Tsukishima-san,” Kuroo raised his arms, waving a small goodbye and turned his back to Tsukishima.
After a brief moment of silence, Tsukishima put his earphones in his bag with short, meticulous movements and stood up, following Kuroo's steps towards the court. “You didn't even wait for me before walking away. How rude of you, Kuroo-san,” Tsukishima reached Kuroo and looked at him briefly, not bothering to hide the vicious smirk on his face.
Rather than succumb to Tsukishima's teasing, Kuroo embraced him by the shoulders and brought him closer to his body. "I apologize for my attitude, Tsukki, but the one who needs a few lessons on education is you."
Bokuto and Oikawa curiously turned to observe the new figure who was about to join them for their short practice.
"Tsukki-kun!" Bokuto excitedly greeted him from a distance.
"Look, if it's not Glasses-kun." Oikawa commented as he spun one of the volleyballs between his hands, ready to throw it in the air and serve from behind the white line.
The colored ball went up into the air with a single push from the setter, so strong that it narrowly missed the ceiling.
Oikawa's eyes were fixed on his goal as his legs walked slowly, pushing him forward and allowing the entire palm of his hand to hit the ball squarely. The noise thundered through the walls of the court and the gaze of the small audience that watched him barely managed to follow the course made by the colored sphere.
A perfect serve in terms of technique and execution, worthy of a true king. The ball hit the opponent's side of the court, close to the end line, but still inside it's limits. If they were in a real match, Oikawa would surely have scored an ace.
"Incredible," murmured Kuroo. Although they were always practicing together, Oikawa’s serves never failed to impress him.
Bokuto's eyes were closed due to the wide, typical smile that bloomed across his face. "That's what I'm talking about!" He celebrated. "Nice serve, Oikawa!"
Oikawa wiped away a single drop of sweat that dared to run down his brownish hair with his palm, letting out a convinced laugh.
"Thank you, Bokuto-chan," his expression twitched the moment his hands touched his knees. Brown irises once filled with joy and pride, now darkened in concentration. “Come on, captain. Let’s show them we’re the best attacking duo they’ve ever seen.”
Kuroo snorted and turned to Tsukishima. "Tsukki, it's showtime."
Despite the game being resumed as a friendly match, none of the players treated it as such. The concentration spread through the looks directed at themselves. Bokuto didn’t even need to say what his next spike would be as Oikawa was able to read him like the back of his own hand while pulling out the best from Bokuto. At the same time, even though they didn’t play together, Kuroo and Tsukishima shared an enviable synchrony, expressing their intentions through simple gestures and short words.
With each flow of air being cut, each crash of the ball hitting the floor, each explosion or touch of the block, a point was scored, however, none of the four kept the numbers in mind.
A thin layer of sweat could be seen on their faces, their skins shone and the lack of oxygen previously filling their lungs left them breathless. A burning pain took over those already affected by the exhaustion and fatigue of their tired muscles.
Bokuto was exalted with every successful move, praising and thanking Oikawa for the quality of his tosses. Eventually, his vibrant energy and competitiveness infected those around, who found themselves showing small smiles and sharing celebratory gestures. Even from Tsukishima, who clearly was the quietest among the rest. The captain's effect on the rest of his team was undeniable. Bokuto had a peculiar and essentially pure aura, capable of sharing with everyone in the same environment part of his lively characteristics as if they were volatile, traveling through the air and making its way inside their skins without further restrictions. The Fukurodani’s captain was like the sun, a star that shared part of its innate energy without thinking twice.
Kuroo's hands followed Tsukishima's to create an impenetrable block.
"No!" Bokuto exclaimed, pulling at the strands of his half platinum hair. "I can't believe I missed that one," he hit his own head with the palm of his hands in punishment. With depressed eyes fixed to his shoes, Bokuto turned to his setter. “Oikawa, I’m not worthy of your tosses. I don't want to play anymore today.”
Bokuto's sudden mood swings were nothing new to Kuroo and Oikawa, considering that this was bound to happen at least once in each match.
“Bo, you know that’s not true. You’re the best volleyball player I know.” Kuroo said, attentive to Bokuto’s change of posture, which slowly rose to radiate his natural glow.
"You're right!" With both hands on his hips, the captain looked again at his setter’s brown eyes. “One more time, Oikawa! This time I'm going to get it right for sure!”
As expected, Bokuto's parallel spike went beyond the limits imposed by the blockade and reached its goal on the opposite side of the net.
"Hey, hey, hey!” His clenched fists went to the sky at the same time his dazzling grin crept into his face. "Wow, that was a really great toss, but my spike was even better."
"I could barely see the ball at all." Kuroo murmured in disappointment, letting his warm body meet the cold floor and sinking into that refreshing feeling. "I think I need a hot bath and a soft bed," defeated, Kuroo completely surrendered to tiredness.
“Thank you, Bokuto-chan and Glasses-kun. If you don't mind, I'll leave now and see if I can get some time with my Iwa-chan,” Oikawa quickly said goodbye, barely showing any signs of exhaustion.
"Tomorrow we’ll call you again, Oikawa!" Bokuto waved to his colleague.
Tsukishima gathered his belongings and went to his dormitory as soon as possible. The effort made by him was greater than in some official matches of his team, as he only recently discovered reasons to fight and give his all; Yamaaguchi definitely needed to be thanked for that.
Bokuto and Kuroo were the last ones to leave the court, both excitedly discussing their moves and the parts they needed to improve. For them, every chance to play and demonstrate their skills was unique and special, a time to reflect on their mistakes and successes.
“Bokuto, see if you get some rest. Don’t forget about our match tomorrow, I’m sure Ubugawa won’t be an easy opponent,” Kuroo hugged Bokuto’s shoulders and smiled softly at him, feeling the ache of his muscles vaguely spreading to the rest of his body.
"Leave it to me! Tomorrow I’ll be a brand new man, ready to show them my best spikes,” The captain proudly replied before chasing after his well deserved rest.