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daichi stands by the sidelines, intently observing his seniors play the first practice match with Nekoma, their rival school in Tokyo. He'd missed the first half of the match, being late from retaking that damn math test. He winced, pushing the thought of his results to later. He watched the way they moved, deft hands and almost constant diving into the ground. Each movement punctuated with grunts and squeaking trainers against the hardwood. His eyes wandered to a shock of bedhair and a very concentrated across the room. He was lean, about the same height as he, eyebrows knit together as he tensed with the rest of his team. Who's that?
Someone elbows his side, and a lilt of a laugh follows. "Quit oggling at boys across the room." Daichi sputters, staring back at the smug smile on Koushi's face.
"I'm just taking note of our rivals," he corrects, turning back to the game. His eyes flit about, looking for the strange boy from before, but he's nowhere to be found. The referee blows the whistle, calling the end of the first set of matches and the start of their 10 minute break. Nekoma won. Daichi purses his lips, thinking he definitely shouldn't underestimate this team. They're sly.
Asahi ushers the three of them to the courtyard, seating himself on the grass. "It's your turn to buy drinks," Koushi tells him, pushing some coins into his hand as he gets comfortable. Asahi smiles sheepishly, offering him some coins of his own. It's a routine.
He pockets them easily, wandering around the corridor behind the gym to where the vending machines were situated. A lanky figure kicks at the metal, and Daichi raises his eyebrows in slight alarm.
"Uh... Everything okay?" he tries, approaching him with caution. He recognizes this boy.
"Dumb old thing, it ate my change," he complains, shaking his mop out of his eyes as he squats to wrestle with it. Daichi resists a laugh as he considered his options. He could help, but he was sure kicking any harder would result in damaged property and still no change.
He extends a hand, a 100 yen coin in his palm, "Here."
The boy looks at him strangely, standing up with his drink in hand. A slow, sly, shiver-inducing smile lights his face as he laughs, and Daichi has to look down at himself to remind himself where he was.
"Well aren't you full of surprises," he takes the coin from him and flips it in his palm. "I'm Kuroo."
Daichi nods, chewing on his lower lip. Now he knows his name. "Sawamura. Nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Kuroo bows his head a little in acknowledgement, opening his mouth to speak further, but his attention deflects behind him. Daichi turns, and a grey-haired boy with a strange owlish expression creeps over to them slowly. He doesn't recognize the jersey. Kuroo clears his throat, swivelling around on his heel to stalk past him, "Maybe I'll see you at lunch, Sawamura."
Daichi exhales, the hairs on the back of his neck pricking at the sound of his name on his tongue. Foreign, exciting. He nods, not quick enough to return a smile. He swallows hard, pushing a hand through his hair as he walks
swiftly back to his friends. He's breathing a little harder than he meant to.
"Daichi... Where are our drinks?" Asahi looks confused.