Chapter Text
Yachi was excited. This was her first real test. Her debut, if you will, on the manager stage. While the boys would be learning and training with top notch, nationally ranked teams, she would be learning from their managers. And she was going to learn from them like a normal human, and not hyperventilate every ten seconds. But how could she not hyperventilate? How could she not freak out? These were nationally ranked teams. And these were their managers. They were probably being scouted for national manager programs or something. She was just going to be wasting everyone’s time by being there. She couldn’t feel her face anymore. “Yachi?” Kiyoko was holding out a water bottle with a small smile on her face. “You can wait on the bus if that’ll make you feel better.” She offered with an understanding tone that Yachi was starting to grow accustomed to.
She nodded, “that would be helpful,” she said as she quietly shoved her overnight bag under the bus.
She boarded and waited another half hour before Kiyoko joined her when the boys were finally rounded up enough to hear quick lectures from Ukai and Takeda and load their own gear. Another half hour and everyone was situated on the bus, ready for the long drive to Tokyo. Yachi had already started drifting off by then, and in her haze she heard the seat in front of her depress and the leather squeak as two of the boys sat down then shifted in their seats. She heard a deep voice before Kiyoko whispered something back. The deep voice responded, and Yachi was awake enough to recognize Daichi’s baritone, “maybe warn her when she wakes up.”
“Warn me about what?” Her sleep addled mind was enough to allow her to not feel self-conscious about assuming they were talking about her. They could be talking about any other her in the world. Why would they be talking about her? All thoughts that would invade in a few hours. But right now, she only blinked slowly and yawned.
Kiyoko giggled, and Yachi heard Tanaka and Nishinoya gasp from across the aisle. “About the camp. There’s going to be a lot of…” she paused, mulling her words, “intimidating people,” she finally settled on.
Yachi was no longer sleepy. “Uuuh-“ she responded, eloquently, as her heart rate sped up. She remembered first meeting the Karasuno team. A bunch of boys she now appreciated, and some she even called her friends. But a bunch of boys that absolutely terrified her when she first saw them. And now she was going to Tokyo. To play with big name teams. Her brain finally put all the thoughts together. She was about to meet a bunch of tough, distinguished, highly trained, Tokyo volleyball players. Guys with mohawks and- She gasped, “rooster head.” Her eyes shifted to Hinata a few rows back already leaning heavily against Kageyama’s shoulder.
Daichi gave her a pinched look, “what?” His voice was a little louder now, but still quiet.
She flushed, “nothing.” She shook her head and slouched into her seat. Determined to not let her overactive imagination get the better of her. It was too early for that. She could freak out when they got closer. ‘What if they have tattoos?” her mind proved, unhelpfully. She let out a squeak.
Daichi chuckled and Kiyoko smiled as they shared a look. “Look, I can’t speak for the rest of the teams we’re going to meet. But Nekoma’s team is good guys. They have a couple of players that are…” he glanced over to Tanaka and Nishinoya, already soaring loudly. “Loud. But they’re nothing to be afraid of.”
Suga’s head popped up over the seats and Yachi jumped, “and if any of them do give you a hard time,” he jerked his thumb to his chest proudly, “just let your senpais know. We’ll be happy to show off our skills.” He punched the air and winked. Yachi let out an airy laugh despite her thundering heart.
He was right, she had an entire team filled with tough, strong, dedicated volleyball players of her own. If any of the other teams were like them, they wouldn’t be paying much attention to some managers fluttering around the gym. This was going to be fine.
*
It was not fine.
There were so many boys. She thought of some of her friends, who’d all expressed extreme jealousy at her summer plans.
“Surrounded by hot, sweaty boys? All weekend?”
“You’re living the dream!”
Yachi had quietly eaten her sandwich, observing the verbal rally as they went back and forth, debating how often shirts would be taken off to cool down, or how many hidden corners would be occupied by rival teammates… whatever that was supposed to mean.
Her classmates were very fanciful. Yachi was too, technically. But where their fantasies veered toward webtoon material, Yachi was busy imagining all the ways their English teacher might decide to expel her for improper grammar usage. She supposed that active imagination was why they got along so well.
Now that she was here, though, she wished it had been one of the other girls cornered by Kiyoko that afternoon. They probably would love to see a guy with a dyed mohawk crying over their cuteness. And they certainly would have nearly fainted at the loud, barking laugh that came out of the tall boy talking to Daichi. With his hair every which way, and his thick arms, and long legs, and sharp cheekbones, and hazy smirk. He commanded attention. She squinted her eyes and watched him and Daichi talk. She realized this was Nekoma’s captain. “Rooster head.”
“What?” Kiyoko asked with a small chuckle. Yachi had forgotten the older girl was next to her and filled with sudden relief. No one was going to notice tiny Yachi while such a gorgeous creature stood next to her. She wouldn’t have to fear anymore unwanted attention from scary city boys. A theory that was soon proven when Kiyoko started walking in front of her and all the boys’ eyes strayed away to follow. Including the Rooster head.
She wondered why that made her stomach drop to her toes in a very different way than she was used to.
*
The boys were all easily 200 cm, or more, and over 90 kg. Monsters, all capable of breaking her arm off with their spikes and serves. She felt dizzy passing the gym and seeing them all playing their practice matches. But then she met the other managers. And while the majority of them were third years, they were all just as kind, welcoming, and patient as Kiyoko.
They gave Yachi and Kiyoko a quick tour of the relevant places around Nekoma, the only school without their own manager. Yachi was paying close attention so she didn’t mess anything up. She wished she’d taken out a notebook. If she messed up here she could throw the entire team off. Or worse, she could break some unspoken Tokyo camp rule. They’d be punished for her mistakes, and never be asked back to the joint practice camp, they’d never make it to nationals. There would be a curse on the team, and people would call it ‘The Yachi Curse.’ The volleyball team would never be able to play another practice match even in Miyagi. She’d have to quit school, her classmates would chase her out of town. She’d have to live on the street.
“So do you like being a manager, Yachan?” Yachi jumped at the direct question. Kiyoko and one of the Fukurodani managers were staring at her.
When she didn’t answer right away, the other manager’s hands went to her hair. “Is…she okay?” She asked as she readjusted her ponytail.
Kiyoko raised an eyebrow in question and Yachi nodded quickly. Kiyoko smiled at her, “yea, she’s fine.” She let out a breathy chuckle. “Now, what were you saying?”
A bright smile broke across the other girl’s face as they started walking again. Yachi hadn’t even realized she’d stopped, causing them to stop, “Right, so first of all, you can call me Kaori.” She pointed to a room on their right. “You can put your things down in there. Oh-“ Another girl ran up to them, “Yukie. These are the managers from Karasuno. Yachi and Kiyoko. Yukie is the other Fukurodani manager.” She explained.
The newcomer nodded in recognition. Her short, thick hair was pinned back over the top of her head. Her hooded eyes giving her an air of casualness that Yachi could never even dream of. “The first matches are about to start.”
“Perfect timing,” Kaori smiled brightly and pointed to a space on the floor to put their bags. “We’ll have some time after dinner to get more situated.”
As a group they walked back to the gym. The other two girls made their way to their own team, while Kiyoko headed towards Coach Ukai, Yachi following blindly behind. The boys were still getting changed, but Daichi had already finished and was waiting by the sidelines for the rest of them. As he and Kiyoko began chatting, Yachi went through the bag they’d brought to get their notebooks and pens.
If the rest of the managers were as nice as Fukurodani’s, Yachi wouldn’t have anything to fear. Not only that, but it seemed she’d have no reason to even interact with all the scary tall guys that were running around. She could pretend they weren’t even here outside of matches. She felt her anxiety about this weekend melting away as she ran back to Kiyoko. The excitement she’d had about this trip was starting to come back to her now that she’d had time to get used to the situation. She started talking before she was close enough to stop, “oh, and Kiyoko! I got brand new pens, so we won’t have to-'' When she arrived though, she realized Daichi and Kiyoko weren’t alone. Rooster head was on the other side of Daichi. She came up short and stopped talking.
Her eyes bulged as he bent slightly to look at her more squarely, “oh?”
Yachi tucked behind Kiyoko subconsciously. It was the wrong move. He took a step closer, as though trying to get a better look at her. She shimmied further behind Kiyoko, and he took another step towards them. Kiyoko was giggling in an almost nervous manner and Yachi could hear Daichi sigh heavily. The other captain, though, had a curious smirk on his face and seemed to be intent on seeing her face to face. He reminded her of her aunt’s kitten when it was in a new environment.
Daichi’s sigh turned into an indulgent laugh as Yachi continued to hide behind the two third years before he finally let out an exasperated, “Kuroo…”
The other boy stopped his stalking and chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve met your littlest crow. I’m just trying to lighten her up.” He turned his smile to her, and Yachi would swear it was almost predatory. Like a cat watching a bird in a high cage while its owner was present. Waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Yachi gulped.
“Well stop circling her like a vulture and maybe she will.” Daichi sneered with a smirk to match the other captain’s. For a moment, Yachi was grateful to have him protecting her. Then he tilted his chin to gesture to her and said “Yachi, this is Kuroo. He’s the captain of Nekoma.” Betrayer.
Kuroo smiled. “Yachi, huh?” He nodded like he approved, Yachi’s face felt like it would burst into flames, it was so warm. His smile got bigger as her face got warmer and he quirked an eyebrow. He gave her a small salute as he and Daichi walked away. Daichi started telling him something about not teasing her. He turned his head to look at her, a brow quirked and something in his eyes she couldn’t decipher. Almost like a challenge. Something she did not want to be. Something that sent a shiver through her.
“Well it’s a better name than Rooster head,” she heard herself mumble before clamping her hand over her mouth. She peaked at Kuroo. He had turned back around, but his head was thrown back and that loud laugh she’d heard when they first arrived echoed around the room.
She heard one of his teammates cluck his tongue and say something, but she couldn’t make it out so far away. Kuroo shoved the other boy, light enough he barely swayed on his feet. Then in an instant, their demeanor changed and the first match began.
*
After a few hours, Yukie jogged over to her and Kiyoko,“The rest of the girls are in the storage room getting the water bottles ready for the break.”
Karasuno was playing the farthest away from the storage room, which meant they’d have to walk in front of every single team. Yachi had to keep her eyes trained on the floor in front of her. If she looked around, and saw the giant guys around the gym playing games at full strength, she would surely spiral into another panic. A ball landed out of bounds, right in front of her and she shouted in surprise.
“Sorry!” She heard from far too close. She peeked around her shoulder and saw the rooster head jogging to a stop, “sorry-“ he said again, it came out on a huff of air and was low enough she doubted if she’d even actually heard it. He bent down and bounced the ball off the wood floor and caught it in one hand. One huge, monster hand. Her eyes widened as he smirked at her, “you should keep your head up, though,” she felt a blush across her nose, she was already messing things up. “You could get hurt, little crow.” He winked and jogged off. Yachi felt her heart thundering in her chest, hadn’t Kiyoko warned her about strays on her very first day as a manager?
‘Stupid,’ she thought at the same time the captain turned to glance at her again. He stood a little taller, and his challenging smirk shifted slightly as his brow furrowed. It was then she realized she hadn’t looked away when he’d left. “Eep!” she turned and ran to catch up with the other managers who were happily chatting away, not even noticing she’d lagged behind for a second.
She heard some laughing behind her and focused on the conversation the girls were having instead. She wouldn’t let the frustrated tears of being told off by a third year she’d just met, or the mocking laughter she heard, get the better of her.
When they arrived, there was a frazzled nature to the room, “Thank goodness, we could use the extra hands. We can’t find the crates.” Mako, Shinzen’s manager, offered with a roll to her eyes, “and this is why Nekoma needs a manager. Those boys are honestly useless.”
“Well, their match is almost over, so we can ask Kuroo after.” Kaori offered.
At the long whistle, Yukie ran out and Yachi watched her approach the tall captain from the corner of her eye. He had an open smile on his face, and Yachi was starting to sweat at the idea she’d yet again misjudged someone. But then he looked into the storage room and caught her eye. His smile turned decidedly less casual. Instead, she felt like she was about to be stalked in an overgrown forest she’d gotten lost in. He turned his attention back to Yukie, but his eyes kept straying to the room, to her. She couldn’t look away. Afraid that as soon as she did, he would be able to strike her down in a surprise attack.
He shook his head and pointed towards the back corner of the gym and Yukie seemed to understand something before walking back. “He says they’re out by the water fountain.” As a group, the girls all left out the back entrance coming out right by the taps. Sure enough, stacked behind the cement wall were about five or six crates ready to go.
While they methodically filled water bottles and stashed them in crates, the girls chatted and laughed. Waiting for everyone to finish before heading back as a unit. Until finally, Yachi was on the last water bottle. She was leaning against the handle, ready to stop the flow as soon as the water reached the top when someone asked, “Yukie, do you want to deliver Nekoma’s?”
“I got them!” came a loud, male voice. Yachi jumped in surprise, still too on edge. She hissed a breath at the pain she felt in her hand. She held her hand close and glanced up at the unexpected voice. Kuroo was jogging towards them, sweaty, breathing heavily, a shine in his eyes from his recent victory. She looked away from him before his eyes could turn her way and noticed water was spraying unnaturally from the metal washer attached to the tap. That was probably what she’d sliced her hand on when she’d put her weight on it. She gasped louder and tried to reattach the hose more securely.
Kiyoko, noticing the futile effort being made against a strong running current, shot her hand out and turned off the flow of water, then she saw the blood. “Hitoka-chan!” Yachi pulled her injured hand back into herself. It was just a surface abrasion. The kind that bleeds a lot, but isn’t serious. Like a paper cut.
“It’s fine. It’s just bleeding a lot. It’ll stop”
“What happened?” Kuroo was much closer, Yachi clutched her hand even closer. It was bad enough she’d done something careless in front of the other managers. But he should have been gone already!
“Nothing!” she quickly explained, “I just need a bandaid. I’m fine.” At that the rest of the managers are satisfied, but Kiyoko and Kuroo aren’t.
“Let me see,” he put his hand out, waiting for her to do the same so he could inspect it.
She doesn’t.
He sighed, “You have to at least clean it. There’s a first aid kit in the gym, c’mon.” Her eyes bulged at that, even as Kiyoko started walking ahead to follow him.
Oh, god. Then everyone would know what a klutz she was. She stayed put, how could she be a successful manager of an entire team when she couldn’t even fill up a water bottle without injuring herself.
Kiyoko paused and turned around, realizing Yachi wasn't following. Kuroo does the same and something passes over his face. He turns to Kiyoko and nods his head towards the kitchen just behind them, saying something she couldn't hear. Kiyoko changed course and told Yachi to "wait just a second."
Then Kuroo started walking back to her. She thinks he’s going to scold her for being stubborn or finally seize his opportunity to attack. But then he stopped at the crate of water bottles he’d put down at some point. Picks them up like it's nothing and nods to the remaining crate at her feet. “Do you want me to get those?” he asked, not unkindly. Then his smirk returned, “I’d hate for you to break your neck trying to carry them into the gym.”
This time her face is red from something other than embarrassment. “I’m stronger than I look,” she argued with more ferocity than she really meant to.
His smile dropped for a split second, and his eyes widen. Then his whole face lights up and his smile is the biggest she’d seen in the whole few hours she’d known him. “Glad to hear it!” He said with a laugh and walked into the gym.
Kiyoko eventually came back with a first aid kit. Yachi has no idea where it came from. But is quiet while Kiyoko treats and then bandages her hand. It really is just a small cut. That night, after her shower, Kiyoko helps her re-bandage the wound and all the girls talk aimlessly in that way Yachi imagines sleepovers usually go. But all she can think about is that big smile and those glowing eyes. Like he’d finally won something he wanted after a grueling competition.