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❝ Because people don't have wings . . . we look for ways to fly.❞

-Haruichi Furudate

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You shift on your feet nervously, fiddling with the pack of bandages in your hand. It's brand new, so Shoyo shouldn't have an excuse to not change the one he has. Silly boy.

The only thing is, when you went to Sakanoshita earlier to buy them, the store owner wasn't there. Instead, an energetic guy with glasses was at the counter. You also learned the owner's name: Ukai. You hope nothing happened to him. 

You shake your head, looking around your room for anything you might need. Money, possibly? Nah, you don't have much to spend anyways, and you can't imagine spending money on anything from a concession stand or such. 

You take one last glance in the mirror, wondering what people wear to volleyball games. Surely nothing fancy, right? 

Your wardrobe is limited, so you're wearing just a simple, comfy hoodie and some decent looking leggings. Too casual? Is it not casual enough?

"Grandma," you say, stuffing the pack of band-aids in your hoodie pocket, "what do you think? Does it look okay for something like this?"

Your grandma smiles, the action bringing out the wrinkles around her eyes. "Yes, dear, now go. You wouldn't want to be late, now, would you?"

You nod enthusiastically, forgetting your worries from moments before. Even if you are nervous, you feel a sense of pride in leaving the house for something other than groceries. 

You wave her goodbye, leaving through the front door and locking the door. You and your grandma don't have phones, so you feel like it's safer that way.

Of course, you've never needed phones before, because grandma has always been right next to you. 

But now, you're alone. You can do this. You ignore the guilt you feel from leaving her.

You hop on your bike, taking one last glance at your prize-winning sunflower. The cold wind clips at your skin, urging you to go on.

You clench your fist, then head to Karasuno Highschool.

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The determination and confidence you had moments ago are long gone. They've run away just like the cat you had in 5th grade.

Your shaking hands lock your bike to a pole, then retreat to the safety of your hoodie pocket, where you can feel the pack of band-aids.

The school isn't as full as is was when you first visited, and thankfully you remember where the gym is, so you put your head down and walk that way. 

You release a breath you didn't realize you were holding when you reach the doors without any interruptions. 

Unlike your cat from 5th grade, you can feel that sense of pride returning.

You push open the door, the scene making you take that breath back in.

The place is full of people you've never seen before; students, mostly, but some adults cheer for their kids from the stands. Nobody's on the court yet, which is good, since it means you're on time. The teams are gathered around a few benches at the side of the court.

You spot a head of tangerine hair among blue and orange jerseys, so you assume the people dressed in red are the team Shoyo called Nekoma. 

What should you do? Go over to them? Sit in the stands with the rest of the crowd? But who will you sit with?

Instead of making a choice, you stand at the entrance awkwardly, avoiding everyone. 

Until a certain boy with a buzz-cut appears in front of you with a smirk on his face.

"Ooh, you're Hinata's girlfriend!" He says, as if just remembering you. You can't blame him, though; you're not that memorable, and you can't recall his name either.

He crosses him arms and straightens his posture. "You know," he brags, "I'm not that bad a player myself."

What was his name?

"What do you mean?" You ask, not as shy as before. Honestly, his tough demeanor is kind of growing on you, though you can see through it. He's probably talked to every single girl who's walked through this door. 

"What I'm saying is," the boy points to himself, "the shrimp may not need wings to fly, but if you came to just watch him, then you're getting way more than you'll ever expect. He's not the only superstar on the team."

Suddenly, you remember the buzz-cut's name, and in spite of yourself, you shout it out like an epiphany.

"Tanaka!"

At the exact same time he shouts for someone else.

"Kiyoko!"

And just like that, he's gone, running towards a dark haired beauty. Perhaps his eyes shine for only one, after all.

You giggle as the girl ignores him, but Tanaka showers her with compliments anyways. Another shorter boy joins Tanaka, and they join together to try to swoon the girl. 

Then you spot the other boy from the market; tall, dark hair. Was his name Kageyama? He probably knows where Shoyo is.

You walk up to him, tapping him on the shoulder. He swivels around, a glare on his face.

You retreat.

Instead you head to the place where you saw Hinata earlier, in the midst of the group of boys. They all wear matching jerseys and chattering excitedly. You recognize some voices from the gym that day.

You back away, suddenly feeling small compared to the tall and intimidating Karasuno players. One has a bun in his hair, and for a second you think he's an adult, then realize he probably isn't. Why would he be wearing a jersey?

You wander to a rather secluded part of the stands, eager to watch the game start. Soon enough, the players take their places on the court, and you see Shoyo's mop of bright orange hair bounce excitedly. He's in the front row, right in the middle.

The game starts, and Nekoma serves first. You don't really pay attention to the rival team, but rather the Karasuno boys. The rest of the team shouts and cheers when someone in an orange jersey gets the ball in the air.

The dark haired boy, Kageyama, gets it next, sending it flying through the air.

Then--

SLAM.

--Shoyo is in the air, and the ball hits the ground in an instant, slamming against the court floor.

Your eyes widen, and you find yourself cheering with the crowd, standing and clapping.

He was flying.

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