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Suzuki knows he isn’t the best volleyball player – who starts a high school team full of rookies! – but he could at least be sure that he was a good captain. He encouraged his teammates, never gave up until the last point, and made sure everyone got a chance to play. That was mattered, especially when your team loses every other match. He wouldn’t say that he was any Sawamura Daichi, but some of the B-tier teams who appeared in the anime to lose to Karasuno with one touching moment really resonated with him.
Anyway. For the most part, their team dynamics had been smooth sailing. Until their ace, Ida, had started showing signs.
“Signs of what?” Ichii asks. Suzuki heaves a sigh, spinning around to face the other three starters, Ichii, Takechi, and Toyoda.
“Signs of…LOVE!” He declares, pointing a finger across the court. Following his direction, three heads swivel to find one Ida Kousuke, standing on the far side of the court. Thankfully, his attention was caught by something outside the window, eyes tracking it with his usual intensity.
“Doesn’t he look like the cold-hearted protagonist of a romance manga? I’m telling you, a girl has finally caught our Ida’s eye!” Suzuki exclaims. Toyoda, having just taken a sip from his water bottle, chokes.
“Eh?” Takechi says, scratching his head, “That’s a lot to take away from just one expression…”
“He’s been distracted in practice recently. And he hasn’t been eating lunch with us.” Suzuki thinks aloud as Ichii pats Toyoda on the back, the poor boy having choked on his water again. A final piece of evidence rises to the surface. “Last week, he asked me where was a good place to go on a first date!” The last sentence comes out at a higher volume than he expects, and they all jump, immediately looking over at the subject of their discussion.
Thankfully, he hasn’t paid any attention to them. Although…Suzuki squints, pushing his glasses up his nose. Could that be…a lovelorn smile in Ida’s face?
“Captain, I’d never thought I’d agree with you on the topic of romance, but you may be right,” Ichii says, “I’ve never seen Ida look like that. Toyoda, what about you?”
Ida’s childhood friend stutters, backing up a step. “Well…Kousuke has been looking happy recently?” He offers, wincing guiltily. Suzuki understands. Toyoda is probably worried and doesn’t want his friend to get his heart broken, just like every good wingman in an anime. What a great friend you are, Toyoda, he thinks, swiping a tear from his eye.
“Maybe we can all go somewhere fun this weekend?” Toyoda says hastily, “And then we can ask Kousuke more? Or just hang out with him in general, since we haven’t gotten to recently.”
“That’s a good idea, Toyoda!” Ichii cheers, always excited with the prospect of an outing.
“Where should we go? Round One? Cosmo World?” Takechi asks.
“Let’s ask Ida, then decide.”
“Ah, Ida! The four of us were thinking about going out this Saturday. Are you free?”
“Oh…sorry, Captain. I already have plans. Next time?”
Group Chat: ida fanclub (our ace!!)
captsuzuki, ichii23, takechi, Toyoda.K (4 members)
captsuzuki ida said he already has plans :((
ichii23 noooooo
wstakechi awww I really wanted to go to cosmoworld
Toyoda.K We can still go, Takechi?
ichii23 yeah!! idm going since we’re free anyway??? we can always go again with ida another time or do something else
captsuzuki let’s go then! I’ll book the tickets :D
Toyoda.K Actually, I have a bad feeling about this (unsent)
Cosmo World was fun. Unfortunately, it also came with a side of accidentally spotting your teammate holding hands with another guy.
Leaves rustle as the four of them slump behind a tree, having just sprinted over to avoid being seen by the unaware couple. As the pair leave the area, Suzuki exchanges stunned looks with the others, all trying to catch their breath.
“Ida…and…Aoki are…dating!” He whisper-exclaims, shaking the person nearest to him. Ichii bats his hands away weakly, fumbling for the cap of his water bottle as sweat trickles down his forehead. Next to him, Toyoda wheezes, clutching his side. Man, for people on the volleyball team, they had terrible stamina.
“I’m surprised, but they also kind of make sense?” Takechi muses.
Tapping a finger against his lips in agreement, Ichii says, “Didn’t Aoki come to our volleyball match two weeks ago? When he was hiding in the stands?”
“Cheering on your crush at his sports match…that’s the pinnacle of young romance!” Suzuki swoons, pressing a hand to his forehead. “Ida, you lucky bastard!” As the captain, a part of him is also relieved by the others’ easy acceptance that Ida’s love interest hadn’t been a girl. His eyes then land on Toyoda’s neutral face, triggering his suspicions.
“Toyoda,” He says, locking on to his target. Toyoda’s eyes immediately widen, flickering from side to side. “Did you know?”
Toyoda takes a step back, panic flashing across his face. Silently, Ichii and Takechi rise from the ground. At a nod from Suzuki, they launch themselves towards Toyoda, grabbing his arms before he can even take three steps.
“Guys!” Toyoda protests, as he’s dragged back to the tree. Suzuki squats in front of him, pushing up his glasses with a menacing glint. To his left and right, Ichii and Takechi loom over him, cutting off any other escape attempts.
“Tell us what you know.” The three of them say in unison.
“…so I’m really sorry, Kousuke. But you know how bad I am at lying, especially when we’d just seen you guys. I couldn’t deny it at all!” Toyoda bows apologetically at his friend once he finishes his tale, hands clasped in front of him. They’re sitting in Kousuke’s room, Toyoda having asked Kousuke if he could come over to his house the day after…Cosmoworld.
To his relief, Kousuke doesn’t seem angry (though that was pretty rare in itself). With his usual neutral expression, he continues to scratch Mametaro, face shrouded in thought. Toyoda fights the urge to fidget as he gives his friend time to think through everything he’s told him. From childhood, they’d never had a problem with awkward silences, though Toyoda worries that this silence may be a signal to the end of their friendship.
Finally, Kousuke speaks: “Like I said, I’m fine with the team knowing,” Toyoda heaves a silent sigh of relief, but he keeps quiet when he recognises that Kousuke isn’t done speaking.
“Just…” Kousuke says, then suddenly clams up. His lips turn down in a frown, clearly torn on whether to ask the question brewing in his mind.
Toyoda patiently nudges him. “Just what, Kousuke?”
“How did Taniguchi-sensei find out about Aoki and me?”
Mouth falling open, Toyoda yelps, “Taniguchi-sensei knows?!”