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After his first week at the MSBY Black Jackals the team takes Atsumu to their regular bar.
“We go there after every home game. They all Know us by now. It is almost a fan pub by now - an inofficial on of course.” Bokuto explains.
“And therefore we also take all our new players there. Sooo you have to come as well.” Bokuto continues “also its the best bar in town, with the newest music and the best crowd.”
“He has to say that… his boyfriend works there” interrupts Inunaki.
“I would also say that if Akaashi wouldnt work there. And you have to admit all the barkeepers Are pretty cool. I mean you have Suna, who never smiles but knows everything about everyone…” Atsumu zooms out a bit while Bokuto continues. It has been a long day of practice and he can't remember these names anyway. He only listens again when Inunaki Bokuto interrupts again.
“Noo I never tried to hook up with any of them. Especially not with Sakusa. Everyone knows flirting with that guy is like pulling teeth and he rejects any advances. I never tried anything.” “That's not what Meian told me.” Bokuto replies with a knowing smile. Judging from the blush on Inunakis cheeks he tried to flirt with this Sakusa guy and got turned down as well.
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The bar is centered at the end of Osaka's entertainment area. Without his team mates Atsumu would have missed the black door in the black wall. Its obvious that you have to know that this place exists to find it. However the bar is already crowed though its only 10 PM.
The interior reminds Atsumu of the dark academia decor. All the walls are painted black. The seating areas are intimate, tucked into shadowed alcoves. Each nook is framed by towering bookshelves filled with leather-bound volumes, their pages yellowed with age. The seats themselves are deep, velvet armchairs in shades of forest green. Heavy, dark wood tables sit between the seats, their surfaces scratched and worn. Small, flickering lanterns or antique candelabras provide just enough light. The walls are adorned with faded portraits and intricate, gold-framed mirrors that distort reflections in the dim light, adding to the ethereal, haunted atmosphere.
Behind a thick velvet curtain the dance floor unfolds like a secret chamber, cloaked in shadows and glimmers of emerald light. The air hums with low, pulsating beats, echoing through the space like a heartbeat beneath stone. Green spotlights cut through the swirling fog, casting spectral patterns across the polished black floor, where reflections of moving figures ripple like ghosts. Towering columns, slick with an illusion of dampness, rise toward a vaulted ceiling lost in darkness. The faint shimmer of serpentine motifs coils along the walls, their scales glinting when caught by a stray beam of light. Gilded mirrors, cracked and tarnished, hang like forgotten relics, distorting the silhouettes of dancers as they twirl and sway, their forms blending into the mist. The music seems to weave through the room like a living thing — a mix of dark and hypnotic beats.
In front of them is the bar. The counter is made of dark, polished wood. Behind the counter, towering dark wooden shelves, rise toward the ceiling. They’re laden with bottles of every shape and size — some clouded with age, others catching the green glow from distant spotlights.
The bartenders move with an almost ethereal grace, dressed in sleek, black clothing. One traces the rim of a glass with absinthe, flame flickering against the green liquid, while another carefully grinds fresh herbs with a mortar and pestle, releasing tendrils of fragrant mist into the air.
Atsumu has to admit that the bar looks really cool and that the bartenders are breathtakingly hot. When they go to the bar Atsumu is so impressed by the skills. Every drink the barkeepers craft feels like a bespoke creation — a potion tailored to the soul, served in delicately etched glasses that seem too fragile for mortal hands. And when they slide a finished drink across the bar, it lands with a quiet finality, as though sealing some unspoken pact between the drinker and whatever magic lingers in the air.
Every team member gets a drink handed that way without even ordering. Atsumu is still trying to get his bearings and take everything in when a deep voice interrupts him.
“A new face. Do you want something specific or should I suprise you?” the man asks.
Fuck that man is hot. He hadn't seen him when they entered.
“Surprise me” Atsumu almost stutters.
The bartender in front of Atsumu is also dressed in black. His shirt is so tight-fitting that Atsumu can see his six-pack. The first three buttons are open, revealing well-trained pectoral muscles adorned with an elaborate snake tattoo. Atsumu's gaze flits to the silver chain at the end of which hangs an amulet.
“Hey Newbie - eyes are up here.” the hot bartender says and Atsumus gaze darts upwards to his face that is equally beautiful.
The guy has dark, curly hair, dark eyes and even, elegant facial features. In combination with his pale skin and the dim lighting, this makes him look almost like a porcelain doll.
I have never seen someone soo beautiful and fascinating, Atsumu thinks.
While Atsumu is still staring at the bartender, he mixes him a drink and pretends not to notice the stares. If Bokuto hadn't slaped him on the shoulder and pushed him to the teams table, Atsumu would probably still be staring at the bartender.
At the table Inunaki awaits him with a knowing grin.
“Seems like someone just met Sakusa.” He says and snaps Atsumu out of his trance.
“Are you also joining the queue of Sakusa worshippers? Believe me its hopeless. You should stop while you still can. Otherwise you end up like Tanaka over there.” He points to a bold guy sitting at a bar and dreamily staring at Sakusa who pointedly ignores the guy.
“Duh, I am not a simp. I have to inform you that I am known to be quite a heartbreaker myself” Atsumu says and takes a sip from his drink.
It's good, really good. A mix of sweet and sour. With sugary vanilla, acidity from blackberries and a hint of spiciness from the gin. This Is probably the best drink Atsumu ever had in his life. It's at that moment that he decides that he will conquer Sakusa. So far, he has never backed down from a challenge. And thanks to his ambition, he has never experienced defeat.
He looks at the bar and then back to his team with a grin. “I will be the first to win Sakusa's heart.” Inunaki and a couple of other teammates laugh.
Meian their captain just signs and says “Well, you do what you got to do. As long as this doesn't affect our game.”
Bokuto is the only one that encourages Atsumu “Go tsumTsum! Everyone also thought I was crazy when I said I would try to convince Akaashi to go out with me. But look at us now - we have been together for almost a year now.”
“We didnt think you were crazy - just that Akaashi was too shy and polite to accept your offer.” Inunaki interfers. “Sakusa on the other hand has rejected all advances so far.”
“WELL - he hasn't met me yet.” Atsumu shouts with a grin. He spends the next hour studying Sakusa. He needs to be prepared for his first move.
After he has finished his drink he approaches Sakusa again.
“Hey thanks for the drink. That was pretty amazing. I loved the mix of flavours. Pardon my manners I never introduced myself. I am Miya Atsumu, the new starting setter of the Jackals. I got signed right after uni because I am such a talented player. I have been awarded the title of MVP for every game for the last two years. Noone has been able to achieve that at the Osaka University since 1988. Ahh you probably don't know what MVP means. So… “
“I know what it means.” Sakusa interrupts.
“Ah ok… cool, cool, cool. So you know that I am a really good Volleyball player.” Atsumu says.
He leans at the bar and gives Sakusa a lazy grin. “Many say I will be the new star in the volleyball circus. I could give you an autograph. That will probably be worth a fortune in a few years. Why don't you come to our next game? I will get you seats in the front row. Just give me your number and everything will be sorted.” He finishes his speech with a wink.
Sakusa crosses her arms in front of her chest and glares at Atsumu.
“You think you're something else, huh? OK, so you're a volleyball player. That don't impress me much.” the bartender says and turns around. Leaving Atsumu behind.
No matter how hard Atsumu tries to get the bartender's attention that night - he does not succeed. Everytime he tries to order a drink from Sakusa one of the other bartenders magically appears and takes the order.
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The following weekend Atsumu comes with a plan. He has just bought himself an old Porsche from his first paycheck. A man like Sakusa should appreciate the value of this car.
He turns up at the bar with his car keys and tries to convince Sakusa to take a ride with him. So he starts talking about his car, even shows the bartender photos and invites him to a road trip.
However, Sakusa just snorts after Atsumu finished his monologue.
“You must be jokin', right? You thought you could swoop me off my feed with your Porsche? OK, so you've got an old timer. So do I. That don't impress me much.” the bartender says and rolls his eyes before he leaves Atsumu.
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The next week Atsumu decides to talk about his new endorsement deal with Calvin Klein. The company hired him for an advertising campaign for their boxer shorts. He had just left the set of a fotoshooting. They had given him tones of samples. He tries to gift Sakusa one of the samples while bragging about the campaign.
“Oh come on. I have sooo many boxers now and most don't even fit me ‘cause my thighs are just too muscular… you wanna see?” He asks and pretends to pulls his pants down.
Sakusa only looks Atsumu up and down with a disgusted look on his face.
“You think you're special huh? OK, so you're the David Beckham of Volleyball. That don't impress me much.” the bartender says and turns around, leaving the packages of Calvin Klein Boxers that Atsumu put on the counter untouched.
Afterwards Sakusa ignores him again for the rest of the evening and refuses to serve him.
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After a couple more fruitless attempts to allure Sakusa. Atsumu tries a different approach the next time. Maybe he can impress Sakusa with his knowledge. He recalls the snake tattoo on Sakusas chest - a Gaboon viper if Atsumu remembers correctly. Atsumu spends all week reading up about vipers and snakes.
Once he is in the bar he finds Sakusa to order his drink and starts flirting with the bartender.
“Hey, love your tattoo by the way. Isn't that the pattern of a Gaboon viper? Did you know that the venomous teeth of the Gaboon viper can grow up to 4.5 cm in size?” Atsumu starts to list all the facts he's learned about Viper. “Also the teeth of vipers can rotate 90 degrees due to the special structure of their jaws.” he finishes.
He was so focused on recalling all the facts that he forgot to pay attention to Sakusa's reaction.
Once he looks up. He is met with a bored look. “So you try to show me that you got the brains. But have you got the touch?” Sakusa says while looking Atsumu up and down “You would probably piss yourself if I introduced you to one of my snakes…” Sakusa says before he rolls his eyes.
“I've known a few guys who thought they were pretty smart. But you think you're a genius, huh? Let me tell you - you're just a regular know-it-all. That don't impress me much.” the bartender says and walks away.
“Hey, my brother has a pet snake. I am not scared of them. You should invite me over and find out.” Atsumu shouts.
But Sakusa does not dignify him with a reaction. In fact he ignores Atsumu for the rest of the evening and refuses to serve him - like every other time.
But this time Atsumu gets lucky and another barkeeper takes his orders. After a couple of drinks, the bar empties and they start talking.
“You said your brother has a snake. Isn't he the owner of Miya Onigiris? How does he have time to take care of a pet snake?” the barkeeper asks.
His name tag reads Suna. That must be the guy that Bokuto talked about - the one that knows everything about everyone.
“Yes but the snake is pretty boring. Samu only has to feed it every couple of days. In the meantime he only has to keep the temperature up. Why do you ask?”
“Just wondering how a chef like him spends his time.” Suna says.
Atsumu has always been able to hold his liquid well, so he is only tipsy. Therefore he realises immediately that this guy tries to get to his brother through him.
He has to hold himself back from laughing out loud. It's always the same. He has to bend over backwards but everything comes easy for Samu… even love.
“Mhh my brother is not seeing anyone right now if that's what you are actually interested in. I could put in a good word for you and give you his number… if you help me as well.” Atsumu says.
That's how he gets a tip from Suna on how to impress Sakusa.
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It has been almost 6 months since he started his quest to win Sakusa over. To shake things up. He decides not to go to the bar for the next weeks.
When he makes his next attempt to seduce Sakusa, it's not in the bar, but in the animal shelter. Suna had told him that Sakusa works there as a volunteer during the week and has a soft spot for animals. Atsumu had spent the last weeks organizing an adoption event with the boss of the shelter.
During the event he only greets Sakusa but doesn't flirt with him at all.
However he spends the next hours speaking to people and motivates them to donate money for the shelter. He really enjoys this. At the end of the day, several animals are adopted, a large sum of money is raised.
But Atsumu’s highlight of the day is that Sakusa voluntarily talks to him when he thanks him for his dedication for the animals.
“See I am more than just a superficial volleyball with a nice car…” Atsumus jokingly answers.
“Yeah who would have thought that you could do anything that isn't just for yourself….” Sakusa says with the hint of a smile that gives Atsumu hope.
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The next weekend when he orders his drinks he tries to convince Sakusa to help him with the organisation of the next charity event for the shelter.
When his attempt isn't met with Sakusas usual reply and the hot bartender even serves him a second drink later on, Atsumu almost feels like winning the MVP Title all over again.