Chapter Text
'My dad is the coolest ever.'
Those are the words Shiki Yokata has been convinced of ever since he first saw his dad playing volleyball on live TV at five years old.
The words Shiki has been convinced of as his dad taught him how to play volleyball in their backyard.
And the words Shiki has been convinced of ever since his dad survived a plane crash four years back with only a paralyzed leg. Even if he had to quit his volleyball career because of it.
„Hah!" And all of that was always in the back of his mind as Shiki set the ball to Danno who spiked it right over their makeshift net with a loud thud! They bumped their fists together.
The two had been practicing like this, in the abandoned skate park, for about two hours now. Just as Shiki jogged off to grab the ball he heard a bike bell ring from behind him.
„Heyyyy, Shiki! Danno!" The familiar voice of a tall, black haired middle blocker calls out to them, Ronin Akabane.
„Hey!" Shiki Yokata called back followed by a short „hi" and nod from Danno Arima.
„Are Katsumi and Takagi not here yet?" Ronin asked.
Danno shook his head. „Not yet."
„Man", the first year pouted. But once his eyes fell on the old volleyball Shiki was holding he cheer right up. „Can I- You wan' me ta block some spikes for ya?"
„Sure-" Shiki began before being interrupted by the sound of a motorcycle engine coming to a halt.
„You're here, great, hi!" Katsumi Egawa, their defense specialist, got off of the motorbike from behind Isamu Takagi, the opposite hitter, after the blond had parked. Katsumi took off his helmet and quickly ran his hands through his brown curls. He smiled at the group. „Sorry for being late. Family stuff."
„Wha' happened?" Ronin called over to him but before he could get an answer Isamu had already pulled Katsumi with him to join the group.
„Three v three again?" Isamu asked.
Shiki nodded. „Of course!"
„Syaoran isn't here yet." Danno noted. His sudden appearance to the right of Ronin made the black haired boy jump, getting a chuckle from both Shiki and Danno.
„Yer quiet as heck!", complained the middle blocker.
„We're scaring Aka'? Count me in!" Just then, Syaoran Imai, the teams Libero and final member, stopped his skateboard next to Ronin, earning another surprised jump and yelp from him. „Hah! Who knew you were so easily spooked!" Syaoran laughed.
„Oh, yer the worst, Ima'!"
Despite Syaoran being a good head and a half shorter than Ronin, the purple haired boy always managed to push just the right buttons to get under Ronin's skin.
Syaoran jabbed his elbow into the other's arm to rile the taller boy up more, who smack at his arm in retaliation. „And yer late!"
„You wanna go? Cause' I'm ready to go!" Syaoran lifted his fists and punched the air with a shit eating grin.
Ronin laughed and raised his fists too. „Wha're ya gonna do? Bite ma ankles?"
„How about you two duel it out on the court, hm?" Katsumi quickly got the two first years attention with that.
„Oh-ho-ho! Yer so on, breve!", said Ronin with his finger already pointed right at Syaoran's chest.
„The loser's team owes the other ramen!" Syaoran stood on his tiptoes to get right into Ronin's face.
„It'll just be you guys eating the ramen anyway." Isamu rolled his eyes. Katsumi laughed.
The two first years were easily fired up, especially when it came to pitting themselves against each other.
So they established their 3v3 teams. On one side: Syaoran, Kastumi, Isamu. On the other: Ronin, Shiki and Danno.
All together they called themselves the Tokyo Pigeons. A makeshift volleyball team that has no actual court, making due with whatever ground they have, be that grass, dirt or concrete. They played wherever they could, whenever they could, as much as they could, it didn't matter that they went to different schools.
The first to serve was Shiki. He quickly adjusted his headband and pushed some loose strands of his rusty red hair out of his face. The ends of the court had been drawn out with chalk earlier that day. He tossed up the ball and hit it full force. Syaoran jumped to the side and got his fist under the ball before it could hit the ground.
„Takagi! Katsumi!" He shouted.
The two were already on it. With Katsumi to the right, he quickly jumped up and tossed the ball towards Isamu who was already in position to spike. But just as he jumped, so did Ronin and Shiki. Even if Shiki wasn't as tall as the first year blocker or spiker, he could fill the gaps Ronin left. However Isamu knew what to expect and tipped the ball just over them. Danno was on it, already positioned behind the two. He save the ball and the moment Shiki's feet met the ground the ball was in place for him to set. Danno had already taken a few steps back. They didn't have to look at each other. They didn't have to make sure that the other had caught onto their plan. They had been playing together for so long, they were fully in sync.
Shiki set the ball. It went farther to the side than he had expected but that was no reason to panic. If he were setting to any other spiker he would be more worried. But no. This was Danno who he had set for. And Danno knew Shiki. He knew how Shiki would not have much time to fully think of where he was setting, he knew how Shiki's hands would have this slight tremble in them. Step, step, step, jump. The ball connected with the palm of Danno's hand for a split second before it hit the ground.
Katsumi had dove after the ball but couldn't save it in time.
Shiki high fived his spiker and then Isamu went to serve. His serves were powerful, really all his spikes were. The blond zeroed in on a spot on the drawn court for just a moment before aiming right for it. It was just to the side of where Shiki stood so he side stepped and attempted to get the ball in play but instead it hit his arm right at the top and flew out of bounds. Shiki's fists clenched.
„Don't mind! Just grab the ball." Danno called to him. So he did.
Isamu served again and this time Danno was the one to save the ball and the game continued.
The teens would play like this for as long as they could. Sometimes someone had to leave early, then they'd go on to play 2 on 2 or did simple drills or peppering. They'd play anything if it had something to do with volleyball.
The practice match went on into the evening. At some point they stopped counting points and just played.
The ball was hit back at forth, against their arms, hands, fists. Spikes upon spikes, blocks upon blocks, countless sets and serves.
Shiki saved a spike from Isamu. It sailed over the top of the net and Katsumi's receive sent the ball over to Isamu again. Ronin jumped to block, Isamu hit a cross shot right past the boy and Shiki was about to step forward when the ball shot past him and hit the ground loudly, bouncing off and rolling past the stone wall separating the skatepark from the streets.
„That's out!", called Shiki.
„Damn," Isamu cussed under his breath followed by a quick „Sorry". Katsumi patted the spiker's shoulder and pressed his lips together to not laugh.
„I'll go grab it." Shiki waved for Danno to follow after him and together they jogged towards where the ball rolled to.
Behind the wall was the street, ever busy with the Friday evening rush. Cars driving back and forth, people coming from work, up from the metros, out of buildings and shops. It was noisy but far from out of the ordinary. But right there, standing about a meter away from Shiki and Danno, stood two boys. They seemed to be around the first pairs age, 16-17 year old high school second year boys. And they wore sports attire. Though one, a boy with wild orange hair was significantly shorter than the other, a guy with very flat dark blue hair and narrowed eyes. And the shorter boy held Shiki's volleyball in his hands.