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“Alright, it looks like it’s a unanimous decision! Congratulations, Yamaguchi Tadashi! You are the Captain of Karasuno next year. I am happy to welcome you to the role.”
Ennoshita’s words rang in Tadashi’s ears as he took the number 1 jersey from the former captain. Eyes wide staring at the big white one staring back at him while Tadashi felt his heartbeat racing and breath catch in his chest.
How was it that the whole team felt that he fit the role of captain? He wasn’t outgoing and inspiring like Daichi, or a more quiet and intense leader like Ennoshita. The biggest difference was both were starters their third year, and Tadashi was the only third year that was left sitting on the bench. Clearly, the only use he had for the team was his jump float serve. How could he ever be a good captain sitting on the bench?
Tadashi sighed as he pushed the jersey into his gym bag, leaving the gym with Kei following behind silently. Kei’s eyes read the subtle change in Tadashi’s mood. It wasn’t hard to pick up on the way that Tadashi slotched, curling into himself as he walked with a hand up to his mouth. Definitely biting his nails…
“You’re going to do fine, Yamaguchi.” Kei chimed in as the started their usual walk home.
Tadashi looked up at Kei as the familiar voice awakened him from his impending anxiety attack.
“You really think so?”
“Have I ever lied to you?”
“No, you haven’t, Tsukki.”
“Then stop biting your nails. Your mother will worry if they start to bleed.”
“Gomen, Tsukki.”
As they reached their coach’s family store, they both picked up a meat bun each as they did after each practice, creatures of habit. Tadashi’s phone pinged with his new messsage sound.
One new message: Himekawa, Aoi
Tadashi flipped his phone open to a selfie of Himekawa holding a jersey with the number one on it smiling from ear to ear. A flood of messages coming in as Tadashi closed the picture message.
Himekawa, Aoi: IS THIS REAL LIFE?
Himekawa, Aoi: I’M A CAPTAIN?!
Himekawa, Aoi: PINCH ME!
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: CONGRATULATIONS!
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: And no, you aren’t dreaming…unless you stole the jersey from teammate :P
Himekawa, Aoi: Fair, fair…
Himekawa, Aoi: So what about you? How was today’s practice for you?
Tadashi sighed as he enter his home and through himself stomach first on his bed. Pulling out the folded jersey, he placed it on his bed and snapped a picture sending it off to Himekawa as well as a separate message to the captain his first year, Daichi. Perhaps, he should ask Suga’s advice on being a bench player during his third year, but Suga was kind of sensitive about this fact Tadashi assumed.
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: My day went something like this…
Himekawa, Aoi: NO WAY! :O
Himekawa, Aoi: YOU TOO?!
Himekawa, Aoi: Who would’ve thought that two pinch servers are going to be captains next year?
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: Yeah, tell me about it..
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: I’m still in shock, but mostly worried about doing a good job.
Himekawa, Aoi: Yeah, me too.
Himekawa, Aoi: But there’s nothing that we cannot do, right? We are team Anxious Pinch Servers after all :)
Tadashi smiled at the nickname that they’d come up with after they had exchanged number during nationals their first year. Much like Shoyo and Kenma had kept in touch. They had still kept in touch since that day and offered each other words of encouragement when either was feeling the stress of serving, especially during a particularly hard game.
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: That’s right! I’m gonna head to bed. Sleep well, Himekawa-kun.
Tadashi rolled over to his back with another sigh as he looked over at the jersey beside him. His phone vibrated. At first, he thought it was just Himekawa saying his good nights, but the notification flashed with a different name.
One new message from Daichi (Karasuno Captain)
Daichi (Karasuno Captain): That’s great news, Yamaguchi! How do you feel about it?
Tadashi stared at the message wondering how to respond. He typed out a “good” but knew that Daichi was perceptive enough to see through that lie. So he deleted it and went with the following.
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: I don’t know…I don’t believe it quite yet. I mean how did you do it, Daichi-san? I don’t think I’m right for this position despite the team voting for me.
Daichi (Karasuno Captain): You think it was easy for me? Not only did I have to keep Suga, Noya, and Tanaka, but I also got all of you as first years thrown into the mix.
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: C’mon we weren’t that bad.
Daichi (Karasuno Captain): Did you miss the whole Kageyama and Hinata bit at the very beginning?
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: Okay, okay. I get it.
Where is the sage advice you are known for? Like perhaps some advice you could give to a Captain who mans the bench?
Daichi (Karasuno Captain): I’m not as experienced in that. Do you mind if I pass your number to a friend I know? I’m pretty sure they will be able to help your situation.
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: Sure…
Daichi (Karasuno Captain): I can’t promise that they’ll agree to it, but I still think it’s worth a try.
Tadashi decided that after one last good night to Daichi, he placed the jersey back in his gym bag and nodded off to sleep.
A few weeks went by with Tadashi receiving only texts from Tsukki, and Himekawa. After one particularly taxing practice where Hinata had riled up the first years and none of them listened to him to get them back on task until both Kageyama and Kei had glared at them from behind Tadashi. Tadashi knew it too.
He flopped himself on his bed and grabbed his pillow and screamed into it. This was a technique he’d started during his first year to cope with the nerves. It was something Akiteru had suggested. Tadashi's phone buzzed beside him.
One new message from Unsaved Contact
Tadashi cocked his head to the side as he opened the message.
???: Hello is this…Tadashi? I, um, hope Daichi isn’t pranking me.
???: Oh I should probably introduce myself. I’m Shinsuke Kita. I was the captain of Inarizaki’s volleyball team the same year Daichi was captain of yours. He said you were worried about becoming captain this year.
Tadashi took this time saving Kita’s number as a new contact while Tadashi thought over how he wished to reply to Kita.
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: Yes, this is Yamaguchi Tadashi. Daichi did not prank you. Though there is maybe a story I’ll need to ask you about later.
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: Thank you for reaching out. Today was exceptionally hard…
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: I still don’t know how I’ll get the respect of the team being on the bench :(
Kita-san: Being a bench captain is hard, but it gives you a chance to observe the team. You may have better insight as to what the team needs than those on the court.
Tadashi blinked while reading the reply. How did this stranger know exactly how he was feeling and what he needed to hear? Tadashi yawned as he began to text his reply.
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: Thank you for reaching out, Kita-san. I really appreciate it. Can I text you more if I have questions as the year goes on?
Kita-san: Sure. It’s why Daichi asked me to reach out. It’s been a few years since I’ve been a captain, but I’ll try to help as much as I can.
Kita-san: Oh, I may not always have my phone on me or reception. I moved to the countryside after graduating. I promise I’m not ignoring you. I’m just not one that feels the need to be tethered to my phone.
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: That’s fine. Sometimes I may just write to you about a particularly hard day. It helps just having someone to listen who understands. You know?
Kita-san: Yeah, it’s something I really didn’t have. I mean I did talk to my grandmother a lot. She had lots of wise advice despite not knowing a thing about volleyball.
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: Understandable. I’m kinda attached to mine…being a captain now ^^;
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: Anyway, if I don’t sleep soon, my mom may take my phone and throw it out the window. Talk to you later, Kita-san.
Kita-san: Yes, my grandmother will take mine as well despite me being an adult.
Tadashi plugged his phone in and for the first time since he became captain, Tadashi Yamaguchi slept soundly the entire night.
Weeks sped by into months and Tadashi texted Kita a lot especially in the first few weeks about the slightest things. Kita would respond, usually many hours later but with sound advice. Tadashi was slowly beginning to feel that he just may be able to become a captain with Kita’s advice.
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: Kita-san, how did you keep the Miyas in line? They seemed much more behaved when you came on the court during that game we played you my first year. I feel like most of my team are versions of Miyas; so full of energy that they rush into things head first and I have to try and redirect the chaos.
Kita-san: That’s a very good question. I honestly don’t have an answer for you. Osamu is the laid back of the two, while Atsumu is the flashy one always playing to the crowd. You just need to know how to cater to each of your players while also giving them guidance. Unfortunately it’s up to them if they listen to you.
Kita-san: Usually if they see that you’ve taken interest in them, they’ll come to respect you because they feel your respect for them. I think where Atsumu began to listen to me after I left him a little get well care package in the locker room when I noticed that he looked a bit unwell.
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: Oh I see. Doing little things to show that I notice them helps them see that I care about them. Then, they, in turn, respect me.
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: I’ll definitely try that and let you know how it goes.
Kita-san: I look forward to your report, Tadashi-san.
Kita-san: Aren’t spring prefecture qualification matches coming up soon?
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: ^^;
Don’t remind me…I believe in my team, but if I cannot get them organized, we’ll be lucky to win a game in the prefecture qualifiers.
Kita-san: You don’t sound like you believe in them with that attitude.
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: Okay, okay. You got me. I’ll try to keep my negativity low.
Just like Kita said as the negativity was stripped away, the team got better, began winning matches. Yes, he was still on the bench, but the team was playing better than ever. They were slowly climbing up the ranks until they were in the regional finals.
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: KITA-SAN! KITA-SAN! WE DID IT! WE ARE GOING TO NATIONALS!
Kita-san: Congratulations! I knew with a strong leader such as yourself that you’d easily make it.
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: Don’t flatter me too much! I could get a big head… ^^;
Kita-san: I doubt it. So when’s your first game?
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: The week after New Year’s. It’s being held in Tokyo again.
Kita-san: Best of luck! I bet you could win it this year.
Yamaguchi, Tadashi: We’ll see. There are some pretty good teams this year. Though I’m sad the team my friend, Himekawa, is captain of didn't make it this year. He said he’ll still come to support me. He’s another bench captain like you and I.
Kita-san: Yeah we are rare. It’s nice that your friend is able to come cheer you on.
Kita-san: Again best of luck, not that you’ll need it.
Tadashi stood under the lights of the Tokyo stadium as the bronze metal was placed around his neck. His team had made it further than any Crow team in recent years. They’d placed third at nationals. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes as he stood there so proud of what his team had accomplished this year. As the lights dimmed and the awards ceremony ended, he turned around to see both Himekawa and whom he could only assume was Kita standing by the door to the gym floor. Tadashi bowed to both of them, grinning from ear to ear.
“Tadashi-kun! That serve at the end of the match…I was sure it was going to be a service ace.” Himekawa chirped happily with an excited nod before pulling his friend into a hug.
Kita was next, stepping forward as he did. Kita reached out to place a hand on Tadashi’s shoulder, before leaning in to whisper, “You did well, Tadashi-san, especially for some such as a bench captain. Congratulations.”
“Thank you for coming, Kita-san. I didn’t expect you at any of these matches .”
“Of course, I’m happy to be here. Bench captains stick together after all.” Kita smiled, holding out a hand for Tadashi. The freckled boy shook Kita’s hand with a grin spreading across his face.
“Thank you…for everything! Really all of it meant a lot.”
The simple remained with hands locked in a shake and eyes staring at each other in mutual respect.