Private/Closed Karasu...who? || A Haikyuu!! RP

[Platinum_]

[ sign up; https://pokecharms.com/threads/karasuwho-a-haikyuu-rp-discussion.18202/ ]
[ @kageyama @OmnipotentOnion @Barefoot_Kittens @Zenhu ]

{art by our talented @kageyama ⇧}
≛≛≛≛≛≛≛≛≛≛

It was morning, first day of Spring, the school day right after sports clubs' acceptances across the entire regions were posted. Miyaji, Shiro, Minako, Toba, Charles, and Yoshi had all been individually accepted into the volleyball club, and practices were starting up that day after school. This was the beginning of a very intense series of months to come - the student athletes would only have a short amount of time to get adjusted, as spring break training camp (in which they would have to integrate with other schools for the entirety of the training) would be coming up in just a couple weeks, and then Spring Preliminaries for the National Tournament after that. And to make things more intense, Karasuno High's twin coaches were not taking this season lightly and made it very clear they expected perfection... the same being able to be said for every volleyball club across the country.

It was currently the last class period of the day, and Shiro sat at his desk rapidly tapping his pen on the edge of his desk, but not out of excitement - out of fear. His scarlet eyes lingered under his desk at duffle-bag, filmed to the brim with his practice clothes, sneakers, snacks, towel, water, etc. He had been looking forward to this day so intensely ever since the acceptance letter found its way to his desk one week ago, and he couldn't believe the time was finally here. The 16 year old looked around, noticing Miyaji and Minako, his teammates-to-be, as they also were to join him in the first training day of the season in just a few short minutes.

Shiro couldn't help but feel incompetent. He knew Minako was extremely athletic and had a lot of experience in several sports including volleyball, and Miyaji had shown so much talent in the tryouts, so he figured them two would be totally set during practice. However for himself, he had only just gotten involved with volleyball despite being a 2nd year - but that didn't falter his passion. He wanted so badly to impress the coaches, but was completely aware of how inexperienced he was, and it really messing with the blonde's head. Somehow, he was more nervous for the first practice than he was for the actual tryouts.

No, Shiro thought to himself, his brows furrowing and grip on his pen tightening. You'll only screw up if you convince yourself that you will. It's just a practice, you'll be fine... you'll be fine.

He lifted his head and glanced around the room once more, attempting to flash an eager smile to his teammates, and then glanced at the clock. Only 20 more minutes of class until they were dismissed for practice... oh boy.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Miyaji, in contrast to Shiro's nervous demeanor, had been completely zoned out, deaf to whatever the teacher had been lecturing on. Sneaking a quick glance at the clock, he noticed that practice would be starting in approximately twenty minutes, and despite his inner voice urging him to pack up and get ready to leave immediately, the 2nd-year forced the thought out of his mind, intending to not get embarrassed by the teacher. However, he wasn't zoned out due to anxiety or fear of the first day of practice; sure, he was excited and all, but more than anything else, he was just ready.

Miyaji knew that he had done well in tryouts to earn a position on the team, and now, on the first day of practice, he knew he would do well again. This thought could easily be backed up by his involvement in volleyball since a very young age, so it was not a matter of pride, but a matter of fact. Suddenly, the turning motion of a head caught Miyaji's attention. Glancing over at the source of the movement, he noticed Shiro, flashing a bright smile that seemed to be forced in amidst a tense grip on his pen and a general sense of unease. In response, Miyaji gave his new teammate a thumbs up, as well as a small grin. Afterward, he turned back to the front, watching the clock tick much quicker than the passing seconds felt as he waited for the final bell to ring.

 

[kageyama]

Minako was, quite simply, bored.

The notion of having to wait a drawling twenty minutes for class to end prompted a disinterested expression to seep onto her face as she stared ahead at the teacher, each word uttered going through one ear and out the other. Her chin was resting in her palm while her elbow was propped onto the wooden desk she sat in, and a small yawn was quick to escape her mouth as her eyes darted fervently to the clock for the hundredth time. Shutting her eyes, Minako sighed silently.

When she opened them again, she caught Shiro's weak grin of enthusiasm. Her cold demeanor softened enough to offer back a small smile, reminding her that her teammates were desiring the end of the day just as much as she was. The girl's gaze, appearing less apathetic than before, drifted down at the surface of her desk, where her white-polished nails were quietly tapping. Her mind was completely occupied with thoughts and memories of volleyball -- reminiscing about as many euphoric moments of victorious plays and rallies in an attempt to encourage her patience. Fifteen more minutes and you're back on the court. Fifteen minutes until you can start assisting your hitters again. Fifteen minutes until...

For the painful remainder of the class, Minako reassured herself that she only needed to hold on for a few more minutes.

 

[Barefoot_Kittens]

The ticking of the hand of the clock was the most prevalent sound ringing through Yoshi's ears, he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth in rhythm with the clock as his icy gaze remained focused on an empty container of apple juice which he rolled back an forth across the smooth surface of his desk. The boy's pupil's flick, only for a moment, towards the clock. He couldn't really read the time, but his fleeting glimpse told him enough that he knew they still had a good amount of time left in class- which meant the teacher wasn't gonna stop. Frowning, the boy pushed himself up until he felt the back of the chair before melting down into the seat and groaning from boredom. In just 10 more minutes school would be let out, the hallways would come alive with chatter as teacher desperately try to summarize the homework. And after that... volleyball. Yoshi hadn't practiced much over the summer- much to his parent's dismay. So, honestly, he was a little worried. Not that he doubted his own ability, but everyone had been telling him recently that he was going to be destroyed in highschool. That he wouldn't last a minute on a court with the third years. Least to say, Yoshi had a lot of people that didn't like him. It hadn't bothered the boy up until about halfway through the school year- what if he was rusty? What if he messed up? What if they kick him off the team? Yoshi's mellow gaze traced the teacher's lips but he didn't hear a word that the adult was saying, the boy eventually just shrugged. He'd be fine... hopefully.

Charles was intently scribbling away at notes as the teacher spoke. He only understood about 75% of what they were saying, so he tried to write it all down so he could understand it later. The last thing he needed to do was already fall behind. The young man squinted his eyes at the clock before huffing. It was almost done, they were almost free. He couldn't wait to leave. Not that he disliked school, of course! But, it was a lot of pressure. He wanted to work hard so that his parents didn't have to stress about his grades, they were stressed about enough as it was. But, his hand was starting to hurt and his head began to ache during the last quarter of the school day. 5 more minutes. Once the bell rang, he'd be off to volleyball practice. He'd never played volleyball before- it seemed exciting, though. He just hoped everyone would be nice.

 

[Zenhu]

Toba was bouncing up and down on his now-creaky chair, waiting for the driveling lecture to end.

His peers sitting next to him shot annoyed looks his way, though he was too jumpy to notice. Ishimoto wanted to use this chance to prove himself a superior attacker, and show how much he improved since Junior High. In the past he always came out on top when against other teams, only losing a handful of times. So naturally he's used to winning, and when he doesn't, it causes him to spiral out of control. Though before he saw it as a weakness, he changed his outlook, and rather thinks of it as a sign of his unwavering spirit and determination. His gaze shifted to the clock above the filing cabinet, and excitement washed over his face.
One minute!!
Toba eagerly watched the time tick closer to freedom, his eyes following each and every movement of the hand. Finally, the long awaited bell rung, and before the teacher could even utter a word of their dismissal he was already out of the classroom. The hasty wing spiker rushed to grab his gym bag and shoes, then darted off towards the gymnasium. Ishimoto stopped at the closed entrance, then let out a groan of frustration. "It's closed!?" He shouted seemingly to himself. Though it made sense, since he got there before any of the upperclassmen. He waited impatiently at the door, anticipating his teammates arrival.

 

[Platinum_]

Finally, the end of the day had arrived.

The ringing of the aggressive school bell had never sound so glorious Shiro's ears before. Just as hastily as the other students, he dashed upwards, turning in his assignments before practically zooming out of the sliding double doors of the classroom. He had created an unannounced, mini race between himself and the others in his class who were on the team to see who could get to the gym first. His dufflebag bounced along as he jogged through the halls into the nearest bathroom, quickly changing into regular practice clothes and throwing on his knee pads, he made way for the gym. Excitement ran through his head as he went down the halls and outside of the building, eyes transfixed on the giant gymnasium before him.

By the time he had made it outside, it seemed others on the volleyball team had been just as ready, since he noticed a handful of 3rd Years, three of which were female, were slightly ahead of him. As he drew closer, he noticed one of the first years he had seen from try outs - the one who had excelled in offensive attacks like himself. Aside from the game logistics Shiro studied over the summer, he didn't know too much about how the sport was ran, but he did know that not many first years made it on to the team as of late... but after recalling what he witnessed this particular 1st Year could do, he wasn't surprised to see him eagerly waiting first in line for the gym to open for practice. Come to think of it, this guy seemed to be quite similar to Shiro in a handful of ways, especially physical, since it seemed the boy's were of similar height, but Shiro hadn't the chance to introduce himself.

"Ah, the coaches aren't here yet?" Shiro spoke as he stood near Toba, reading the DO NOT ENTER sign on the doors. "I thought practice was scheduled to start any minute now." He finished, checking his phone. The sandy blonde spoke very nonchalant, but inside he was dying. However, there was no way he was going to allow himself to show it, especially around the upperclassmen.

He assumed there was nothing else to do but wait. As the few 3rd Years grouped up and commenced small talk about random topics, Shiro dropped his gym bag to the floor, looking to Toba.

"I'm assuming you're one of the first years? I'm Shiro - Shiro Miyamaki." He introduced, offering a slight bow.

 

[Barefoot_Kittens]

Yoshi smiled as the bell rang, but seeing as he was in such a comfortable position in his seat he didn't jump up like some of his classmates. He watched a few race out like their feet were on fire, the boy let out a long breath of air before pushing himself upright and slowly stepping out of the chair. The boy pulled the a single strap of his bag over one shoulder before picking the carton of apple juice up off his desk and flinging it towards the trashcan on the other side of the room. It seemed that both Yoshi and the teacher's eyes followed the empty jug as it hit the rim of the trash can and bounced onto the floor- perhaps the boy would've slunk away if not for the teacher's glare. After Yoshi had properly thrown away the carton, he entered the hallway with a sigh. Well- off to practice. It was all rather exciting... sort of. Surprisingly, the boy hadn't taken that much longer than those who upped and sprinted. The young male changed into his practice stuff, with kneepads at his ankles while he held his shoes in his hand and his gym bag was slung across his chest. Yoshi's mellow gaze drifted from person to person who was already at the door- to be honest he didn't remember any of them. He wasn't sure which ones were his age and which ones were his supposed seniors, didn't know their positions either. The boy shrugged as he approached the others, he had pretty much figured out it was locked as soon as he saw the group outside of the door. Yoshi promptly walked over to one of the walls of the gym and slunk down with his back against the wall, taking out his phone and scrolling through lazily.

Charles let out a sigh of relief when the ringing of the bell filled the classroom, as a few kids dashed out of the room the boy jumped up excitedly. He didn't know where they were going, but he wanted to join them- it seemed like fun whatever they were doing. Charles neatly packed everything into his backpack and waved at the teacher, giving a 'thank you' as he walked out of the room, ducking his head in order to get out of the door without injuries. The tall boy walked through the halls with a timid smile as he thought of what would come next in his day. Charles' sports bag was nothing more than a second backpack, which he literally just doubled up over his other backpack already on his shoulders. After getting changed, Charles sighed as he attempted to pull down the shorts, his long legs protruding from the fabric like giraffe legs- only accentuating his disproportionate body. The boy slipped his kneepads on before practically skipping towards the gym. When he noticed a crowd outside the door, Charles offered a small wave- which went unnoticed for the most part- before joining the group. Then, the boy just stood there awkwardly. He didn't know what to do, or who to talk to, but the few conversations he picked up on didn't seem important. To his left, one boy was introducing himself- it seemed like a good place to start. Charles spun on his heels to face the pair and offered a friendly smile, "Hello." Charles said simply. His parents claim that he spoke better Japanese when he was in France than he does now, so he'd been working really hard on perfecting his accent rather than learning new words.
@Platinum_ @Zenhu

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

"A first year? Looks like some of you made the cut, after all."

Miyaji had promptly left the classroom upon the ring of the bell, and after changing into his practice clothes, he now walked up to the group that had gathered at the front of the gym--aside from the one who had taken a seat against the wall away from everyone else. Leaving the 3rd years to talk among themselves, he chose to join Shiro, who had been speaking with the aforementioned first year. With a small nod of greeting, he introduced himself briefly. "Miyaji Kojiro."

Looking around, Miyaji noticed that.. a lot of people had met at the front; knowing that Shiro (especially Shiro) had a near unparalleled passion for volleyball but seemingly chose to stay outside helped Miyaji infer that the doors were likely locked. With this in mind, the second year reached into his athletic bag and pulled out a volleyball, turning his gaze to Shiro and the first year. "I always have one on me; maybe we can pass it around to kill time."

As he waited for a response, he also noted that one of his other classmates, as well as new teammate, was nowhere to be seen yet. However, Miyaji quickly disregarded the thought, assuring himself that Minako was most likely on her way.

 

[Zenhu]

Toba watched as the other members approached the door, his sharp gaze narrowed in on the blonde one near the back of the group. He didn't recall ever speaking to him at tryouts, though he did remember he had some of the better offensive abilities shown there. He had made some casual conversation with some of the others, but otherwise his focus was put towards displaying his skills and nothing else.
They seemed to be almost the exact same height, as Toba was eye-to-eye with him. The friendly blonde introduced himself as Shiro Miyamaki, subsequently bowing politely. Ishimoto smiled and pointed enthusiastically to himself with his thumb. "Toba Ishimo-" his introduction was cut short when another guy approached them. He was surprised that he didn't notice him, considering how towering he was. Toba squinted and looked up at Charles, "Man you're tall! You must be a great blocker with such a long reach." He'd admire. "The names Toba Ishimoto, it's a pleasure." He smiled widely at both of them.

The ones he spoke to seemed pretty promising, he had a hunch that it was going to be an extremely talented team. He adjusted his gym bag that was still around his shoulder, then shifted his weight onto his other foot. Yet another student came and introduced himself as Miyaji Kojiro, a name that sounded familiar, possibly from his brother. He bowed to the upperclassmen, showing his respect. Miyaji revealed a volleyball, promptly asking if they wanted to toss around. Toba's face lit up with joy--"ALRIGHT! I've been waiting all day to play!" He ran off to the open grass next to the shaded walkway, the sun shining off his silver hair.

 

[kageyama]

When the bell signaled the end of the day, Minako took her time collecting her things and stuffing them into her school-bag instead of bursting out the door in a frenzy. Though her heart rate was sporadically picking up speed with excitement, she let a composed frown occupy her expression as she slipped her bags on either arm.

She exited the classroom with an exhale, making haste to get to the girl's locker room. There seemed to be a pretty uneven ratio of male to female players on the team this year, so she had taken a different route than her male counterparts.

It had taken only a few minutes for Minako to strip from the girly uniform she'd been adorning all day and throw on her Karasuno pullover and tiny tempo shorts. When she sauntered up to the gym, kneepads around her ankles, she took note that many of her teammates had been waiting outside the locked doors with extreme enthusiasm -- well... most of them waited with extreme enthusiasm. As she nonchalantly pulled her hair back into a ponytail with an elastic, Minako examined the faces before her -- familiar and unfamiliar alike. She wasn't surprised to see Miyaji out in the grass, already tugging out the ball he constantly carried, or Shiro nearby him. The new silver-haired figure caught her eye for a moment, though, and she concluded he was a first-year after watching his fiery excitement to pepper.

Minako tucked a few long strands of her side-swept bangs behind her ear, then catching sight of the lofty male who was hovering near the doors looking a bit hesitant. Her gaze lingered on him for a moment before she finished scanning over the rest of the faces. With a compelled "hm," Minako wrapped up her inspection and leaned against one of the beams in front of the door.

 

[Platinum_]

Shiro listened on as Toba went on to introduce himself enthusiastically - well, he had only gotten through a third of his name before the two boys were caught off guard by a towering presence. His eyes solitarily turned to his left where that presence had appeared from, but his head quickly followed as Shiro was shocking only eye-to-eye with a collarbone. The teen's scarlet eyes then shot up to see the newer transfer kid who offered a greeting that sounded accurate, but rehearsed. The scruffy blonde had a good 9-inches over Shiro, and being slightly intimidated, he jumped back slightly.

He offered a slight bow to Charles as well, goofily mistaking him for a 3rd Year due to him being even taller than the rest of the upperclassmen. He had no idea why Charles had taken the time to come over and greet the slightly younger students, as the rest of the seniors had been grouped off conversing elsewhere.

Shiro noticed Miyaji approached them as well, and pulled out a spare ball from his bag, offering to hit it around - in which Toba didn't miss a beat in complying. And out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Minako approaching as well, resting on one of the poles and examining the slowly growing crowd. The sandy blonde offered a distant wave to his usually serious classmate, before turning his attention back to Charles, still a bit intimidated.

"I'm Shiro Miyamaki. You're one of the third years from try-outs, right?" He shyly asked. If Shiro had been more observant, he would've noticed the french transfer student shared his final class of the day, but his mind had been all over the place during class he never picked up on it.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

As he followed Toba to the grass, Miyaji couldn't help but notice the tower of a student who had been there before he arrived; noting that he was much taller than him, Miyaji decided that he would look out for him during scrimmages and games. He definitely looked tall enough to be a third year, which Shiro seemed to think as well. However, Miyaji had remembered seeing him and having already marveled at his height during his last period before the school day ended. As for Toba, there was no ignoring him with his distinct silver hair, and he had shown quite a lot of talent during tryouts last week.

From the corner of his periphery, he also saw Minako arrive at the gym and lean against a column near the front doors. After acknowledging the last of the newcomers, Miyaji finally returned his attention to Toba, who had been waiting quite a while. With a curt "sorry for the wait", he held the ball with both hands in front of him, spinning it a few times on his left palm before tossing it up and softly spiking it down on a solid course toward Toba's knees.

 

[Barefoot_Kittens]

Charles' chinks flushed sheepishly at Toba's assumptive compliments, he just nodded with a smile. He hoped he was good at blocking- it was all he was really prepared for. Before the tryouts he had practiced very hard to at least somewhat be able to serve and receive, but in the end try outs proved that blocking was the only thing he had any sort of skill in- for now, at least. When another male came, Miyaji, he promptly brought a ball from his bag. Charles chuckled softly at the fact that he was so prepared, though he didn't dare join the pair on the grass. They seemed like an easy going group- he was glad he approached them rather than the older players. "Third years?" Charles blinked at Shiro- he wasn't a third year. Why was the boy bringing up third years? Charles' brows furrowed as he was clearly confused, but the expression quickly fled his features as he deciphered the other male's words. "Oh, no. Uh, second year." Charles said as he gestured to himself with a grin, "But, It is my first year playing." Charles added timidly, he figured it would be good to get that out there. When Miyaji spiked the ball, Charles turned and watched in wonder- clearly excited to see whether or not the other boy would be able to receive it.

Yoshi had already put his head phones in his ears- not in order to listen to music, but in order to hear his memes- by the time the crowd had gotten louder. The boy scrolled through his phone with drowsy eyes, a mix feed of volleyball, memes, and puppies. When a shadow was as cast over him for a moment the boy looked up, it seemed on female had a similar idea to him as she leaned, parallel to him, against the door. He stared at her for a moment, trying to put a name to the face, until eventually just shrugging and returning to his media. The boy had never played on a team with girls before, though this team had a lot of them. He had always just assumed girls weren't as athletic as boys. The fleeting thought went through Yoshi's head before he let out an impatient huff, how long were they expected to wait outside for. The boy moved his bag into his lap and dug through it for a moment. First Yoshi took out a thin, black head band which he used to sloppily push his bangs away from his forehead. Then, going back into the bag, he took out a granola bar which he opened and took a rather large bite out of. He was practically a walking vending machine. Eating was Yoshi's second favorite thing to do after sleeping.

 

[Zenhu]

Toba excitedly ran a few feet away from Miyaji, bent his knees and stretched his arms out. He thought back to the basics of receiving, repeating them in his head ten times. His eyes followed the ball as it was lifted gently into the air, then he locked onto it when Miyaji gave a steady spike his way. Toba leaned forward and lifted upward with his palms up and thumbs together. With a satisfying thud the volleyball bounced off his forearms, making him pivot backwards a little. The receive was quite sloppy, but it still was on course for Miyaji. "S-sorry! That was terrible." The 1st-year cursed to himself, he hated when he messed up, especially when it's in front of his new team. Since Toba spent nearly all his time practicing spiking--mostly cut and line shots, he completely forgot about receives. Though he got better since Junior High, he still had a lot to learn, especially when it came to defense.

He shook his head disappointingly to himself, then looked back at his second-year acquaintance. He was eager to spike it himself, as his eyes were glued to the ball and his hand was twitching uncontrollably.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

The receive was shaky, sure, but Miyaji had no problems continuing the rally; the ball had gone high enough to allow him to comfortably get into position. "No worries; good receive," He reassured, noticing as Toba shook his head and muttered something under his breath with a disappointed demeanor. However, Miyaji had taken notes, having realized that receives might not be his forte. I can help him improve with that. He also noticed the first year watching the ball with a hawk-like gaze, as his hand shook excitedly.

"You like spiking?" Miyaji called out, watching Toba with a challenging glint in his amber eyes. He recalled spectating the first years for a bit during tryouts, and he had noted that the silver haired boy was rather quick on his feet and had a solid jump. Eager to evaluate Toba’s abilities on offense, Miyaji tossed the ball with both hands, sending it smoothly on a high arc to the first year. Of course, he was no Minako Hikawa, who had a natural talent for setting to her hitters, but before tryouts, tossing had been one of his most worked-on aspects in order to build up his supportive capabilities on the court. As the ball sailed toward Toba, Miyaji called out as he slowly got into receiving position. “Have at it; hit as hard as you want.”

 

[Zenhu]

Toba was pleased to hear Miyaji reassure him on his receive, even though it was probably only easy to react to because of his adept defensive skills. Still, he decided not to beat himself up about it. Miyaji offered him a chance to spike, to which Toba responded with a delighted grin, and an excited nod.

Miyaji gave a two handed toss towards him, one that seemed dead on in his direction. He took a few stutter steps, his eye stuck on the ball gliding through the soft breeze. He threw his arms back and took a large leap, then launched off his left foot, his body shooting upwards. His hair flourished in the motion; shimmering in the bright sunlight. Toba had one arm reeled back, and the other extended, almost like a catapult ready to spring at any moment. It seemed as if he was floating for split second, and all that was moving was the ball falling into place. His jump was perfect, and the toss was even more so. His right arm sprung forward and his wrist flicked clashing into the ball, making it feel like a water balloon upon impact. With a grunt he sent it whirling back to Miyaji, almost perfectly aimed for his arms. He landed with a thud; his hand pulsating with a slight sting from the hit.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

As the ball hurtled toward him, Miyaji let out an impressed whistle. That's a nasty hit. However, once he was in position, the second year brought his hands together and crouched down the slightest bit, watching the ball carefully. It was fast, though Miyaji preferred not to admit that he was rather taken aback by the force of Toba's spike out loud. Nevertheless, as a smug smirk had already begun creeping up on his face, Miyaji waited.. and waited.. until the ball was just shy of his forearms. With a slight shrug upward of his shoulders, he received the spike, nonchalantly bumping the ball back to where Toba stood. The spin and momentum, both were almost immediately killed as the ball cruised without deviation in its course, making a perfect arc toward the first year's location. "Nice hit," Miyaji remarked, watching as the ball sailed through the air.

 

[Platinum_]

Shiro's eyes widened in disbelief as the tall student before him seemed to find the words to mention that he was only a second year, and was clearly confused by Shiro's question. He also mentioned that this year would be his first time officially playing volleyball. Absolutely dumbfounded, the sandy blonde teen clasped both sides of his head with his hands.

"Second year?? Like me??" He questioned allowed. "Y-You're pretty big to be my age!" He continued to his built classmate. He couldn't believe the two were practically in the same boat in terms of experience. "It's my first year too! Good luck, I hope we both do well today." He told the foreigner, hoping his rambling hadn't become too much for him to understand all at once.

Just as he had said his finishing statement with Charles, Shiro's attention was quickly grasped by the sound of a solid thud... the all-too-familiar sound of a spike. Sharply turning his head, he saw Toba and Miyaji's time-killer turn into a quick display of skill, and Shiro had to admit he was impressed. He had only caught Toba finishing the kill and then landing back on the ground, but he had to admit he was impressed with his form.

So the 1st Year had turned out to be an offensive player as well, one who knew what he was doing. Excitement and nervousness simultaneously began to rise throughout Shiro's body, tingling emitting from his toes and quickly rising to his fingers. He took a step forward, beginning to go enthusiastically compliment Toba on the powerful hit, but as if it was on cue, the doors to the gym quickly slammed wide open.

Revealed standing in the doorway were two young adults, one male and female, with striking maroon hair. The girl, whose hair was curly and short, adorned glasses and held a clipboard. The male had spikier hair, and was of equal height to the woman. They were clearly siblings - twins.

"HELLOOOOO ATHLETES!" The male called out, a bright, yet mischievous grin growing on his face. "Welcome to the first official season practice of Karasuno High's Volleyball Club! Everyone quickly round up inside and we will get started." As he finished, he and his sister had stepped aside, allowing an opening for the students to walk through to finally enter the gym.

Shiro remembered them as Coaches Touza and Mira Yukiwashi, as they introduced themselves during try-outs. Shiro was excited, as this was finally it - but he couldn't help but notice that Coach Mira's composer was always slightly more serious than Touza's - she wasn't mean, but she definitely came off as one he did not want to piss off. Eventually, Shiro would wait for others to start entering the gym before filing in line behind them.

 

[Zenhu]

Toba wasn't shocked that he returned it with such ease, he had great form. The ball sailed through the air in the direction of Toba, thumping into his grasp. He was ecstatic to finally be apart of an actual team that had experienced players and semi-professional coaches; his old team wasn't exactly in tip top condition. Toba figured that the coaches should be arriving any moment--and right on cue, the two twin-coaches had appeared. The male coach with spiky hair directed them to head inside with a bombastic introduction. "Alrightttt!" Toba exclaimed, quickly handing the volleyball back to Miyaji, then hastily darting inside once the door was open.

He'd looked around at the fairly sized gymnasium, excited to see what they would be doing. He wasn't expecting much on the first day, but the sooner he started learning the better. Toba instinctively started to do some stretches; bringing his arm over his head, then got on the hard wooden floor and stretched his quads fruitfully. He was seemingly rushing the exercises, eager to start playing more than anything else. It probably wasn't the safest, but that was the least of his concerns.

 

[Barefoot_Kittens]

Yoshi was taken by surprise when the doors slammed open, he jumped to his feet, heart beating rapidly and stared wide-eyed at the pair of coaches. He took his ear buds out slowly, shoving them back into his bag while the male coach was talking. He sure had a lot of energy, Yoshi quickly shoved the rest of his bar into his mouth- nearly choking as he was rushed into the gym by the people behind him. When the boy was finally inside the hollow building, his eyes grew wide. With his mouth slightly agape, Yoshi spun in a circle in order to take in the whole facility, this place was a major upgrade from his middle school.

Charles just nodded as the other male rambled. So they were in the same class, the boy's mellow smile as he listened to Shiro quickly grew when the doors were slammed open. He stood on his tip-toes, for no particular reason, and looked even taller as he excitedly listened to the coaches. He sort of understood the man, but knew when to get excited based off when the other's did. Charles watched a few people file into the building, shortly following suit. Of course, Charles was used to be the tallest one in the room- but he had to admit he was very pleased with the amount of attention he had gotten so far because of his height. He sincerely hoped he would live up to the other's expectations.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Relieved to hear the resounding voice of the head coach, Miyaji turned to watch as the doors of the gym swung open, and he listened intently to Coach Touza's instructions. Taking the ball from Toba with a small nod of gratitude, he then stuffed it back into his athletic bag before slinging the bag over his shoulder and falling into the single file line of players. As he stepped into the gym, Miyaji looked around, taking in the view of his new home away from home. Toba had already sprung into action, eagerly stretching his legs upon entering. After setting his things down in the corner, he did a couple of stretches of his own before waiting for further instructions from the coaches.

A brief look around the gym at his new teammates told Miyaji that this year was shaping up to be a rather successful one; he already knew Minako was a natural at setting, and Shiro was quick on his feet and a strong hitter. Toba had more than enough energy to run around the court for a long time, and he definitely had the skills to put it to good use, thanks to his spiking power. Yoshiro seemed to have good reflexes, and Charles... well, his height spoke for himself. As he glanced at everyone, a thought began to itch at the back of his mind. We could go to Nationals this year.

 

[kageyama]

When the doors burst open and created a frenzy among the fairly large group of high schoolers, Minako raised her gaze from the pavement up to the set of twins speaking. Her heart rate was now quick and steady, hidden excitement growing in her as she began to stride into the gym behind her fellow team members.

Standing in the gym felt different. It felt right.

Minako took a deep inhale, letting the building flood her mind with memories of practices and scrimmages on the very court ahead of her. Sure, she had spent the majority of her break inside of as many recreation centers she could find, but the Karasuno gym felt safe and familiar. A small smile couldn't help but tug onto her face as she set her water down near the wall, crouching down to pull her kneepads up from her ankles. She glanced upwards for a moment before standing up straight and wiping her hands on her shirt, then beginning to stretch her own limbs. Her eyes scanned her peers once more. Most notable to the girl were the faces she had spotted before, and she had a strong feeling she was going to be setting up a lot of kills for the specific colleagues.

 

[Platinum_]

As all 13 students filled the gym, the sound of bags being dropped along the walls and squeaking of sneakers commenced, the majority of the team began stretching on their own. The twin Coaches were slightly surprised at the students taking initiative, as this would be their first year the reputable pair would be coaching at Karasuno. They allowed everyone to get their stretches out of the way for while as they reviewed their individual clipboards, making sure the day's practice was all in order.

After a few short minutes, Shiro's head popped up as a whistle was blown. His legs were stretched horizontally and low to the ground while he rested on his elbows, and he had promptly sprung out of it, lining up with some of the others infront of the two coaches as they motioned with their hands. Soon after giving everyone enough time to line up shoulder-to-shoulder, Touza had spoken up first once more.

"Coach Mira and I are both happy to see you all here today, and extremely eager to get this season started. The lot of you here are here for a reason - you have each shown us you have some commendable abilities in your arsenal." Touza started out in a very light tone, however his way of speaking started to grow more ruminative. "When we were both requested to take this position here at Karasuno, we initially were not going to accept. As some of you may know, this club has its tendencies to have lulls in its reputation - ranking from kings of the court to has-beens. However, after scouting out what the student body looked like this year, we decided there would be plenty to work with this year. That being said, there is also plenty that each of you need to work on. By our agreeing to coach this team, we are vowing to refrain Karasuno High's credibility from dropping ever again."

The usually silent Mira then chimed in.

"We told you all this at the tryouts, but we are striving for perfection this year. My brother and I have taught and built a plethora of highly esteemed players within several japanese prefectures - it's up to you all if you wish to be one of them. Looking at our team, others might question our thought process in selecting who to bring aboard for this season." She pointed out, Shiro knowing exactly what she meant. One glance around the room and the biggest thing that stood out was that there was hardly anyone over the height of 6 feet on the team; the only exception being Charles, and a couple 3rd Years who came just below him... the second tallest actually being a female standing at 6'2. Mira continued with her speech. "You are all going to have to work very hard to improve in your area of weaknesses, and we intend to guide you in the best way possible to achieve that."

Touza spoke up again, trying to light the heavy load his sister had dropped. "This is going to be a great year, though! We have so much in store and are looking forward to finding out more about how you all function and thrive in matches. Speaking of, lets start our first practice off with warm-ups!"

With that, he clapped his hands, instructing students to line up on both sides of the net near the antennae.

"Alright, we're starting off with simple rallies. A pair of two will set the ball to each other a couple times before setting it over the net, where another pair will be waiting to receive it. They will do the same, send it back over the net to the next pair, etc etc... Begin!"

Shiro joined in with the rest of the team as a uniformed 'Aye!' was responded to Touza. Looking around, he noticed he had ended up on the same side as Toba, whom he had just met minutes prior.

"Hey," Shiro spoke, moving closer to the silver haired freshman. "Wanna be my partner for this?"

 

[Barefoot_Kittens]

Yoshi took a bit before he started stretching, first sitting in order to pull his knee pads up to cover his knees and then putting on his shoes. The young male let out a sigh as he looked around the room, the more he thought about it the more he realized how poorly he did during the try-outs. He wasn't much a fan of looking at past mistakes, but as he recognized each person and remembered their strengths from try-outs he resented the fact he hadn't shown out more. The boy stretched his legs while sitting before standing up and stretching his arms. When the whistle blew, Yoshi had one arm cross over the other and looked up to the coaches as he continued stretching. Yoshi's eyes wandered while the coaches spoke- they sure seemed passionate. He wasn't sure what the big deal was with Karasuno's unstable reputation, it's not something they could control anyway. When Touza gave instructions for warm ups Yoshi looked around a bit, it was just warm ups- they would be setting. As a defensive player, setting was not exactly Yoshi's strong suit; he was just fairly average at it, typically the libero acts a s a backup setter but it just never interested him enough to really practice. Still, he wanted to pick a strong partner- he never much was a fan of playing with teammates who weren't as skilled as him. By the time Yoshi had looked to his left and right, it appeared that most of the people of the court were already partnered up. One particular figure caught his attention of the limited players left- then it suddenly clicked. The girl he was staring at earlier- she was the setter! He recalled her during tryouts, she was really something. The boy smirked to himself before offering a wave in her direction, "What's up?" Yoshi introduced himself, "I'm Yoshiro. You can call me Yoshi, wanna team up for warm ups?" he asked casually.

Charles looked about the room as the students around him began stretching- his smile didn't fade although he looked a little lost. He wasn't sure exactly where to start with stretches, it seemed that everyone was doing it a little different. The boy ended up just copying those around him, hoping nobody noticed. In the end, he felt good and loose so he assumed he did it correctly. When the coaches blew a whistle, he looked up with bright eyes. Of course, when the started talking again he just blinked. They said a lot... a lot that he didn't pick up on. Something about why they were coaching and how everyone was going to have to get better. The parts that Charles did understand he nodded intently. When people began pairing up, Charles looked around. At first he intended to find Shiro- the only person he really knew, but it appeared Shiro had already teamed up with the only other person Charles was introduced to. "Oh..." Charles' warm gaze continued to scan the few who lingered on the court. His gaze lit up and he smiled when he noticed a familiar face- it was the boy who was playing with Toba. He seemed really good. And nice too! Charles made up his mind as he walked up to Miyaji and smiled, he recalled the boy introducing himself but didn't remember his name- hoepfully he'd reintorduce himself so Charles didn't have to ask. As he looked down at the other male he took a minute to gather his thoughts before gesturing to between himself and Miyaji "Can you pass with me?" Charles asked before quickly adding a soft "please."

 

[kageyama]

Minako turned her head over her shoulder slightly, following the direction that the introduction had come from. The girl fully turned to face the figure who had spoken -- the boy from before who had been comfortably sitting against the wall. Her eyes had narrowed for a second at his offer, considering his words. She nodded shortly before whipping around to go and grab a ball from the ball cart that was sitting near the net.

As she walked along to a spot a few meters away from Yoshiro, the pads of her fingers thumbed at the surface of the ball with a sense of eagerness. The feeling of the ball in her hands sent a wave of confidence through her, knowing full well that the drill they were doing was her specialty. A tranquil expression on her face, Minako tossed the ball above her, eyes watching with alertness. Her feet shifted a bit as she brought her arms up, her hands hovering above her face. A second later, the ball fell into her fingertips, and with a delicate push, it was soaring in the direction of Yoshiro. Not too high, but just enough for him to pass it back. "You're a first-year, right?" Minako directed at him, eyes following the pass she had sent. "I'm Minako." She added.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

The feeling of a towering presence behind him caught his attention before its words did. Miyaji turned to look behind him and up as the figure--revealed to be Charles--asked if he would be his partner. Although his height was definitely something to marvel at, a stoic expression remained on the second year's face, and he nodded before turning to take his position on the other side of the net, falling into the line of pairs on the side of the net opposite from Minako and Yoshiro, as it was assumed they would be beginning the drill. Once Charles had joined him in line, Miyaji decided to start some conversation with his fellow classmate, though it was rather strange to be looking up so constantly while talking to someone.

"I don't think I've introduced myself to you yet, have I? I'm Miyaji; second year." As he stretched his fingers outward and popped his neck with a few sharp tilts to the left and right, the second year watched as the drill began with Minako delicately pushing it to Yoshiro's location. "I'm assuming you've heard a lot of comments about your height since you got here." Miyaji had remembered a few months ago when Charles had transferred in; the two hadn't spoken until now, but he certainly remembered being surprised at how tall he was.

 

[Barefoot_Kittens]

Yoshi watched as Minako took the ball, he could already feel the sweat in the palms of his closed hands. The world seemed to slow as Minako tossed the ball into the air, Yoshi's eyes stayed focused as the ball was cushioned by Minako's hands until she sent it gracefully though the air and in his direction. Yoshi prepared himself, bending his knees slightly as he positioned himself under the ball, "Uh huh." Yoshi responded to Minako as the ball made contact with his palms and he set it back towards the girl- the path his ball took wasn't exactly as perfect as his partners, but it got to where it needed to be. "Nice set, how long have you been playing for?" Yoshi added without his eyes leaving the ball.

Charles nodded at Miyaji, "Charles; second year." the boy responded in the same format that Miyaji had introduced himself, "Good to meet you." Charles smiled as his gaze drifted between the boy he spoke to and the drill as it was beginning. "Oh yes." Charles responded to Miyaji's comment, "Lots" he chuckled as his eyes grew wide and he recalled every time someone mentioned his height since arriving at the school. "But it's good. I'm glad for it." Charles added with a nod as he clapped his hands together excitedly- he couldn't wait to step onto the court.

 

[Zenhu]

Toba was just finished stretching when he heard a familiar voice call out to him; it was the one and only Shiro. He looked over curiously, then leapt with excitement when he asked to be his partner. "LET'S DO IT!" He boomed, his voice extending out to the entire gym. He quickly got into position after grabbing a ball from the mesh. His eyes were determined, but his playful demeanor suggested otherwise. He sent him a solid pass that had quite the height to it, following the ball with his eyes, ready to send it back. Toba thought back to what the coaches had laid down on them, sending chills up his back. He wanted to live up to the Karasuno team expectations more than anything, which sometimes made it feel like a massive boulder crushing him, depriving him of air. Though, he had his team to help lift the boulder now, it wasn't just him struggling alone. He could breathe now.

His focus went back to sending the ball back, waiting for him to react.

 

[Platinum_]

Some heads turned as the 1st Year loudly accepted the request of partnership, Toba's voice echoing faintly through the gym. Shiro couldn't help but chuckle from entertainment and excitement, Toba's burst of energy mirroring almost exactly how Shiro felt throughout most of each day, and he somehow gained a slight rush of adrenaline knowing the two of them had briefly caught the attention of the others who were waiting their turn to begin the exercise. The sandy blonde had a feeling he was really going to get along with this guy.

Shiro enthusiastically followed Toba to the court, standing on the opposite side of the net as Minako and Miyaji. However, he was taken by slight surprise when Toba had grabbed a ball and set it to him without missing a beat. Instead of receiving the incoming ball, he caught it with his hands, quickly placing it on the ground and nudging it away back towards the mesh before either of the coaches noticed. Shiro laughed once more, pointing towards his classmates on the other side who were already tossing the sphere between each other.

"Sadly, I think we're supposed to wait for them to send it over to us, then its our turn. But I'm just as pumped as you are!!" He called to Toba with both fists tight by his side as the hype factor began to rise within him.

Alas, Shiro's tendencies to grow exhilarated over something as simple as a warm up have yet to fail. He looked on to his friends who were maneuvering the ball as cool as cucumbers. Albeit a very simple warm up, he was impressed with the ease they were able to precisely control the ball and make it follow their every command. Although he was decent at receiving as expected from an average volleyball player, H]he hoped to improve and gain that kind of subtle control and balance.

 

[kageyama]

Minako watched intently as the ball was set back to her, a bit shaky but fine nevertheless. She figured that they could set a few more times between each other before sending it to the next group. Once again, her hands were poised above her head in preparation for her next pass. As she sent it back in an arched path, she responded to Yoshiro's question flatly. "Some time back in elementary school," she said, giving her attention to the ball that was heading towards the boy. "A long time, basically," Minako added after a second of hesitation. Going back to the drill, she said, "We'll set it a couple more times before getting it to the next pair."

The ball was sent upwards to each of the pair a few more times before Minako decided to send it over. For the set, she took a firmer step than the previous, hands pressing with the slightest increase of force. Her eyes trailed the now soaring ball as she carried herself off of the court.

 

[Barefoot_Kittens]

Yoshi watched his ball make it to the girl, it wasn't perfect- that he knew- but she didn't seem bothered by it. She was definitely a setter, you could tell in how effortlessly she moved the ball into an elegant arch. Yoshiro nodded as Minako spoke, giving a little whistle towards his answer, "Yea, that's a long time." he repeated. He had a couple friends who were really into volleyball when they were little, mostly because they had older siblings who played. Yoshi found the sport quite boring up until middle school, he couldn't imagine a child taking interest in such an activity. The boy set the ball back to Minako, it was much smoother this time- clearly he was getting more used to being on the court with each set. Yoshi wasn't particularly enjoying himself, he was just itching to do some receiving drills and show what he was really good at. Also, Minako wasn't exactly lightening the mood- granted, at least the girl wasn't ugly, but her overall expression pretty much just said 'I don't have time for you'. Yoshi assumed she had such an attitude because she was a third year, either that or she was just a jerk. When the ball was finally sent over the net, Yoshi followed the older girl off of the court.

Charles was mesmerized as the ball moved back and forth, he only pried his eyes away once in order to examine his own large hand before placing them above his forehead and practicing while in line. The taller male narrowed his eyes on Minako before trying to copy her movements with the air, before he knew it the other pair had already moved off the court. Suddenly realizing that him and Miyaji were in the front of the line, Charles panicked and raced onto the court before recalling that the other pair was going to pass back and forth for a bit. Charles didn't even want to look back at the line, afraid people were judging him for making such haste onto the court. "Sorry if it goes bad." Charles whispered to his partner as his eyes remained on the other side of the court, where he watched Toba and Shiro, before offering a slight smile, "I'll try not to let it."

 

[Zenhu]

Toba was too oblivious to know when he was supposed to set it, which was clear from his clueless expression. Shiro told him that they weren't supposed to start until the other pair sent the ball over, which made sense when he thought about it. In an attempt to cover his mistake up, he laughed nervously, "Of course I knew that! I was just testing to see if you were paying attention to the coaches." His face went beet red, though he kept his goofy demeanor. He waited for the pair across the net, his gaze narrowed intently. Once they passed it among themselves a few times, Minako sent it over. It was perfectly headed for him, which was unfortunate since he had the receiving skills of an armless turtle. He focused so hard on watching the ball glide towards him, his palms were already sweaty in anticipation and his brain started to hurt. He bent his knees and extended his arms, then lifted upward as soon as the ball made contact. It was an alright receive, though still shaky, it made its coarse towards Shiro.

"GHAAAA! Sorry!" He shouted disappointingly to his partner. Toba knew he was terrible at receives, but he felt even worse than he usually does since it was sent over so cleanly by the setter. His shook his head dismissively, his hair plumping down to match his attitude. Though he was bummed out, he could always redeem himself. He looked back at the ball and got into position once more.

 

[Platinum_]

"It's alright, got it!" Shiro happily called back, taking a step foward as he extended his arms and formed his hands tightly tucked within eachother.

He couldn't help but notice it seems Toba's nerves seemed to attack him all at once when Minako's effortless set of the volleyball made way towards him. Regardless of how slightly unstable it was, Toba's receive had gotten the job done. Bending his knees, Shiro allowed the ball to make impact with his forearms, sending it right back in the air. The volleyball then began to curve rainbow style back towards the ground as gravity did its thing, gently descending to Toba once more.

"You should've seen my receives a couple months ago." He commented as he flashed a comical, yet embarrassed grin on his face. "I used to actually ram my fists into the ball thinking that was how people sent it back with force."

Although receiving had eventually became more effortless for Shiro, his kryptonite was blocking. Anyone had played against thus far were usually able to easily force the ball through his arms, as he struggled to keep them in tight position while leaping in the air. So he definitely understood Toba's apologies, because although not a big deal, facing your own weakness in front of the team seemed like a terrifying experience... and Shiro had no doubt in his mind that he himself would have to do the same sooner or later.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

"Don't worry about it," Miyaji reassured the quiet Charles, a small but encouraging smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I'll try and make it as easy as possible for you to toss it back." He had planned to do so by tossing the ball higher than he usually did, in order to give Charles more time to get situated and receive the set. Keeping this in mind, Miyaji returned his attention to Toba and Shiro, waiting for one of them the toss the ball over the net. If he was being completely honest, however, he wasn't particularly fond of exercises like this; Miyaji preferred spiking drills, scrimmages, activities that got his blood pumping. In his opinion, nothing gave him quite as much bliss as shutting down or perfectly bumping up an opponent's hardest spike. As he continued to watch, he couldn't help but hope they would be scrimmaging for a little while, even on the first day of practice.

 

[Zenhu]

After Shiro reassured Toba on his receive, he relaxed his shoulders and his face returned to the usual pale color-- a grin painted over his before-mopey face.
He prepared to launch it over, bending his knees slightly and positioning towards the duo across the net. The ball curved wonderfully towards him, almost like it was surfing on an invisible wave directly to him. He extended his hands above his head and pointed his elbows to the side, the bright gymnasium light making him squint slightly. As soon as the ball made contact he pushed upward, his feet lifting off the ground with his powerful movement. The ball made a straight trajectory for Miyaji, just as he intended. No matter what Toba did he knew that Miyaji would probably be able to receive it, so sending it to him first would be the best bet. The ball flew over the net, thankfully not touching it. He was eager to play a practice match with good players, though he wasn't sure if the coaches had it in mind.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

After a few more tosses back and forth, the ball finally sailed over to Miyaji, who quickly got into position to send it to Charles. "Alright, here we go," He called out to his partner, eyes sharply watching the ball. "Just take it easy and toss it up; you'll do fine." Once the ball was close enough, Miyaji brought his arms up and felt his fingertips make contact with it before sending it upward, making sure to add a little bit more force than usual. The ball was tossed a little higher than it had normally been, though it wasn't to a noticeable degree. The course was perfect, making a high but straight arc to the waiting Charles. As he watched the ball cruise on its path, Miyaji couldn't help but feel a bit of pride for the visible improvement in his tosses. Obviously, he didn't quite match up with Minako--the woman was inhuman--but since he had started practicing his setting skills a little while after last year's Spring Tournament, they had certainly gotten better.

 

[Barefoot_Kittens]

Charles watched Shiro and Toba tossed the ball back and forth, his gaze was trained on the floating orb, mouth dropped slightly open as he put forth his full concentration. After a few reps, the ball was spiraling it's way towards Charles' side of the net, fortunately it was heading in Miyaji's direction. The boy nodded briefly at Miyaji's instructions, keeping the boy's words in mind as well as the images of all those who set before him. So long as he did it just like they did, it should be fine, right? Charles took a deep breath as Miyaji passed the ball in his direction, but the close it got he began to panic. Oh god, oh god, oh god. He couldn't mess this up, not while everyone was watching- Miyaji was nice enough to be his partner, so he had to do well for Miyaji. The boy's tongue poked out slightly from his parted lips, as he positioned his hands above his head. Charles's body was perfectly still as he tensed up, cushioning the ball as it made contact with his finger tips before sending it back towards Miyaji. Being naturally taller, his set was the slightest bit off course- Miyaji would have to take a step or two back to meet the ball, but it was surprisingly smooth though a little fast. It was by no standard a perfect set, but Charles seemed very please with himself, clenched fists excitedly bouncing as a smile lit his expression and he watched in wonder at what he had just sent across the court.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

"That's fine," Miyaji murmured quietly as he watched Charles toss the ball, satisfied with the course despite it being a bit past where he stood. Swiftly stepping back into a comfortable location to receive, he sent it back to Charles once again with a quick "nice toss" as the ball was once again pushed into a high arc aimed perfectly at his partner's location. The rally went on for a few more minutes before the ball once again came to Miyaji, and he caught one of the players on the waiting pair in the corner of his periphery as he brought his arms up. Exerting a bit more strength than usual, he then tossed the ball to the side, clear over the net and cruising toward the next pair. Once their turn had been completed, Miyaji took his leave off the court and joined the rest of his new teammates, waiting for the exercise to end.

 

[Platinum_]

After the first round of warm ups were completed, the twin coaches continued on putting the team through other simple warm ups before moving on to more rigorous hitting, serving, blocking, and receiving drills - occasionally breaking to yet more motivational speeches or tips to those who were struggling with different skills.

Within the passing of 30 minutes, the coaches stood promptly before the gathered athletes. Shiro was chugging a bottle of water he had packed in his duffle as he turned his attention to Touza.

"Alright! Good work so far today guys. We have an hour left, and although this only our first practice, Mira and myself would like to see who truly has what it takes to stand out and represent Karasuno this year. Obviously, there are many talents in this room, and you're all very eager - so I don't see the point in waiting to see what you are all capable of. Scrimmages! Three on three. Lets see what you got!"

Shiro almost choked up his water. Practice matches already? Three v. three nonetheless? Despite being extremely sudden, a fire seemed to ignite in Shiro's energetic eyes. This was it, he supposed... the chance and opportunity to make his mark on the team. Being a 2nd Year with no experience, he felt slightly at a disadvantage, since this was a new setting and some of the members on this team have played together in the past. The only people he had grown pretty close to were Miyaji and Minako, and although he had just met a couple new faces, everyone else had no idea who Shiro was. Now was the time to make his abilities known. Albeit excited, his legs stiffened - because he believed that one screw up and he could kiss a starting position goodbye.

He watched on as the first practice match was held between all of the four 3rd years and a couple underclassmen. It was more intense than Shiro had expected, and nearly flawless. He couldn't help but be impressed by the Seniors - he noticed how intentional every movement of the ball was and how much technique was implemented. In terms of the attackers, whom his eyes were glued to most of the time - they were powerful, and could jump... however he saw that some of them weren't quite... passionate. Shiro was impressed by their skill but they remained stagnant throughout the match, and for his own sake Shiro hoped the coaches had noticed as well.

Suddenly before he knew it, he was pointed at.

"Okay, you six, on the court." Coach Touza commanded nonchalantly, pointing to Charles, Minako, and Shiro, then to Yoshiro, Miyaji, and Yoshi.

Shiro's face lit up. He looked to those who were mentioned on his side, noticing Minako first. Oh thank God. He was relieved, not only because she was a friendlier face, but she had set to him a couple times before during try-outs, and practically flawlessly everytime. He then saw Charles, and his scarlet gaze seemed to adorn literal sparkles. He was excited to see how strong the largest guy on the team would be, and what skills he could bring to the table. Composing himself, Shiro dried his mildly sweaty palms on his gym shorts, jogging on to the left side of the court and awaiting the remainder of the group.

 

[Barefoot_Kittens]

Yoshi groaned as he slumped against the wall with his legs spread out. He was tired. Over the summer he had messed around with the volleyball a bit, but never done s full practice and don't even ask about conditioning. His legs hurt, his arms hurt, and his lungs hurt from panting too hard. The boy dragged his bag to his side with a foot and dug around until he found his water bottle, taking only a little bit before lowering it. Yoshi's worn out gaze scanned the room, he had gotten to know all his team mates a little bit better over the course of the practice. He felt like he had been hit by a track, and it wasn't even halfway over yet.
Suddenly, Touza spoke again. Yoshi slowly brought his attention to the male coach, and at the keyword his eyes grew wide: Scrimmages. The boy suddenly seemed to regain his energy as he jolted to an upright sitting position and smiled subtly. Scrimmages meant he could actually do some receiving, it seemed like there were some good hitters on the team so he'd really be able to show off. Yoshi got to his feet and looked about excitedly, but it seemed he'd have to wait even longer. First, the third years had a scrimmage- one he wasn't really interested in. He watched a bit, but nearly fell asleep twice- mostly he was just thinking about when it would be his turn. 3 on 3 would make it tough, it meant the team had to be more versatile. Yoshi was a back-row player in every way imaginable, his height made blocking a mere dream and his noodle arms made hitting a joke. Lost in thought, Yoshi jumped slightly when he was addressed. Yoshiro dragged his feet slightly as he walked onto the court, he looking down at his trembling hands before clenching them into fists and nodding to himself.
This was it! Yoshi looked at his teammates and narrowed his eyes. Miyaji was serious about the game, he'd likely be the setter, while Toba was as excitable as a first year can be, he had a good arm on him, so long as those two could take care of the front row everything would be fine. His gaze drifted towards the competition, they had the sassy girl, Minako, her sets were something else ,as well as the giant, granted he didn't seem all that coordinated, and Shiro- another first year that acted like a puppy. Honestly, Yoshi felt fairly confident in his team.

Charles' expressions very much varied throughout the practice. Whether he was embarrassed about a bad serve, excited about a new drill, proud of a strong block, or nervous about something he didn't know how to do- it was all on his face. He felt all the highs and lows of an entire season during the first 30 minutes of practice. When the team took a short break, the tall male sighed of relief and stretched his arms before following the others as he drank some water from a rather large bottle. When the coach spoke up again, Charles looked up and blinked. Scrimmages? What did that mean? The boy's eyes darted from person to person as he tried to figure out what was happening, eventually deducing that it was a practice match with three players on each side.
Charles' watched the older players closely. His head was already full of all the pointers he had gotten, he attempted to memorize each one but the list just got longer and longer. The occasional gasp would escape his lips as he watched, as if he was watching some sort of action packed movie. The third-year that was close to his height was a very efficient blocker, granted she wasn't very strong, he hoped he too would be able to provide that sort of support to his team. Throughout the practice, Charles had shown to be much stronger than the tall girl, but his reaction time was slow and he was still getting used to reading his opponents- fortunately his arms were long enough to make up for the extra duration of time it takes him to realize he needed to change his blocking direction. Eventually, Touza selected the next group to scrimmage- and he was in it. Charles' eyes grew wide. No! He wasn't ready- he wanted to watch more.
The more nervously looked about before sighing and jogging to the left side of the court where his teammate already was. The boy's heart beat rapidly and his body tightened up slightly, but upon watching Shiro- equally nervous but doing his best to seem brave- Charles let out a sigh. It would be alright. he had good teammates who would have his back, and they wouldn't yell at him if he messed up, right? "Hi, Shiro." Charles gave a wave to his teammate, not completely sure what else to say.