XXV

February 12th, 2021

So... guess who just found out that 'Yuto' is actually Yuto's first name :D So from now on, he's going to be referred to as Kosaku. Also, we do not tolerate Ginjima slander so no bullying my bro😌

"Their... libero?" Akagi asked, confused. But Kita understood immediately. "Michinari, go. You're going in."

"What about their libero, though?" Akagi asked. "Isuma can explain it better than I can," Kita replied, looking over at her. She was talking with their coach rapidly, gesturing to the court. As Akagi ran to the bench, Kita thought, 'When did we become so weak? When did we have to depend on someone else to solve our problems? When did we have trouble countering a team, a team that hasn't been to Nationals in years, at that? What's going on with us?'

His mind was racing; everything around him faded into the background. The shouts and voices around him sounded far away... and then, for the briefest second, his body seemed to shut down. Kita's hand flew to his forehead as Kosaku grabbed his arm. "Senpai!!"

"Sorry... I just got distracted for a second there." Kita straightened as Kosaku cautiously let his arm go. "Okay..."

What had happened- first Isuma, and now him? What-

And then it hit him. The one thing he and Isuma had in similar. So that was why Isuma hadn't mentioned it earlier. He wouldn't want anyone to know either if it was true.

"Senpai..." Kosaku hesitantly touched his shoulder. "Akagi-san's in."

Kita looked up as Suna joined them. "Akagi Senpai said something to me about their libero...?"

"Didn't you notice how he's always right behind their #5?" Kita asked. Suna paused. "Well, yeah, but how... oh."

It dawned on him what Kita meant. "You're saying their libero is letting him know whether to set or spike?"

"Yeah." Kita looked at Suna to see his reaction. "What the heck? What's going on with this team? They haven't made it to the semi-finals in years, and yet we're having trouble countering them? We're the second-best team in all of Japan! So how-" Kosaku stopped him. "Suna! Calm down."

"I know what you mean. But also..." Kita paused. "These aren't the same teams from a year ago. Or even a few months ago. Neither are we. People change constantly, Suna. They just changed for the better... a lot better."

Suna didn't say anything for a few moments. "So, what do we do?"

"Give me a second-" Before he could finish, Osamu spiked through Kamino's two-person block, taking the first set. Everyone in the gym jumped to their feet, shouting and cheering. Suna and Kita looked slightly relieved, which didn't reassure Kosaku. The players began running off the court and to the bench. Isuma handed them all water bottles and towels; at the same time, she, Kita, and the coach turned towards Ginjima, who was startled. "What's up?"

Everyone watched as Kita asked, "How's your foot?"

"...my foot?" Ginjima looked down, puzzled. "Fine, I guess?"

"Touch this part of your right foot." Isuma touched her own ankle, and Ginjima copied her. He immediately winced and stumbled, grabbing Osamu's shoulder to hold himself up. "That hurts."

Isuma glanced at Kita and Kurosu Sensei, both of whom looked concerned. Ginjima's eyes narrowed. "Hold on! Coach, I'm fine! Captain, there's nothing wrong with me; I didn't even know until Isuma pointed it out!"

The coaches began talking in low voices as Ginjima kicked at the ground, frustrated. "Gin. It's for your own good. We're just looking out for you." Kita said. Ginjima murmured, "Doesn't mean I have to like it. I'm fine, why did you have to bring that up?"

"Hitoshi-" Isuma touched his arm, but he threw off her hand. "I'm okay! You didn't need to tell him!!"

Isuma didn't bother arguing. "I was worried for you! But if you don't want me to, I won't. Go and play to your heart's content, and when you get hurt, I won't care!!"

"Isuma-"

She brushed past him and headed over to the coaches, said something to them, and started to walk out. After a few seconds, she paused and looked back. They all looked too stunned to speak, especially Ginjima. "I only did it because I care for you, Hitoshi."

With that, she left. "Isuma...."

"Great job, Hitoshi," Atsumu murmured. Ginjima sat down on the bench, not looking at any of them. "I really don't need one of my best friends mad at me right now."

Akagi answered, "She's not mad, just..."

"Hurt."

"Sad."

"A little upset."

Osamu snapped, "Stop that, you're just making it worse. Listen, Hitoshi, just talk to her later. Atsumu and I do that a lot, usually if she gets too hard on us for overworking ourselves or something. She's... persistent about it, I guess, but she really just cares for you. Plus, she's almost always right."

Before Ginjima could answer, the coaches came over. "You can stay in for this set, but if you get worse, then we're taking you back out. Understand?"

Ginjima felt even worse after that; he'd gone off on Isuma for no reason. Their coach looked at him curiously for a second before Atsumu asked, "Where did Suma go?"

"Restroom. We only have a few minutes; let's discuss their libero..."

When Isuma returned, they only had thirty seconds left. Ginjima immediately looked down when he saw her; the air was thick with tension for a moment before Kita saved them. "Let's go, we only have a few seconds."

Isuma turned towards the coach. "You're letting Ginjima play?"

"Is his condition any worse?" He asked. "No." Isuma conceded, looking at Ginjima; she couldn't help but feel concerned for him. 'Hitoshi...' she thought. 'I know you don't want me to be worried but... please, please don't hurt yourself!'

"He'll be fine, Isuma." Kosaku put his hand on her shoulder. "You don't know that, Yuto," Isuma murmured. "What if he gets hurt? I know he doesn't want me to care but... I do anyway."

"Isuma, he doesn't want that," Kosaku told her. "He was just frustrated; he didn't mean that. He knows you're only looking out for him."

She didn't reply, but her expression relaxed slightly. Kosaku briefly smiled before walking over to the other players; Kita lowered his voice and asked, "What did you tell her?"

"What you told me to. Why couldn't you have told her?" Kosaku questioned. Kita didn't say anything for a few moments. "...it's complicated."

"How?" Kosaku asked, raising his eyebrows. "...coming from me and coming from you are two entirely different things to Isuma. If I told her that, she wouldn't have taken it as well as she just did now," Kita explained. Kosaku blinked. "That makes no sense."

"I told you. Humans are complicated." Kita smiled, looking over at Kosaku. "And Isuma... is even more so."

Kosaku almost asked why, but he let it go. "They're starting."

It was Atsumu's serve; Kosaku asked, "He hasn't scored many service aces today, has he?"

"Three. Not that many for him for a single set, but still good, considering Kamino's defense." Kita watched as Atsumu threw the ball high into the air, and then ran up and jumped. His spike serve was aimed right at their libero, who, caught off-guard by being targeted right away, messed up his receive terribly. "-he screwed up?" Kita murmured. Kosaku glanced at him. "It's Atsumu's spike serve. I try to receive that every day and only manage to do it half the time. It's not surprising. When he spikes at full power... it just flies at you."

"That wasn't at full power."

<<Flashback to them talking about Kamino's libero, fifteen minutes ago>>

"Atsumu, next time you're serving, aim for their libero." Kita turned to look at him; he and Osamu were drinking water. Atsumu wiped his mouth. "Their libero? Why, to put pressure on them?"

"No. It's because I think he isn't a good libero." Kita answered simply. Everyone looked at him. Osamu repeated, "'Not good?' Didn't Suma-chan say he's the one we need to watch out for?"

"No, she's right about that. But he hasn't really shown his skills so far. He's good at something else... something that isn't receiving." Kita answered. Their coach almost spoke up, but he decided to step back and watch Kita handle it. "Then why is he a libero?"

"Because a libero can be switched in and out easily, and is usually less noticeable because they don't serve or spike. All he has to do to fade into the background is just not do anything spectacular." Kita explained. Kosaku asked, "Why would he want to stay in the background?"

Kita glanced at Akagi. "You want to explain? You're a libero."

"Well... I understand what Isuma means; I might not be able to explain it, though." Akagi looked at the Kamino Academy players briefly. "...the libero is just a front. The other reason he's a libero is so he can watch the whole court without being expected to serve or attack. He's their main defense- not as a libero. Just by strategizing."

"...so how do we counter him?" Osamu asked. "First, we target their libero. We need to make sure we're right first." Kita glanced at Atsumu, who nodded. "Then what?"

"Then, if we're right, we keep on pressing the libero. We don't give him any chances to watch the court and tell his team anything. We tire him out." As usual, Kita's tone was devout of emotion, but this time, there was the tiniest trace of determination in his voice. Osamu and Atsumu exchanged glances. "Are you worried, Kita-san?"

"If we don't stop their libero... then yes, I will be." Kita grimly answered. "And this isn't Nationals. We don't have our band here to put pressure on the other team's servers."

One of the first-years asked, "Why don't they come?"

"They're important, but they have other things to do and other teams to cheer for. We don't usually need them until Nationals." Aran replied. Suna nodded. "Target. Pressure. Got it."

<<End of Flashback>>

"You were right, Senpai."

"Let's hope they can target the libero now. He's staying still way too much; even a few seconds is enough for him to let his team know of what to do." Kita answered. Kosaku said, "They probably have signals so he can sign to the others of what to do. Shouldn't we have tried to figure that out?"

"It would take too much time. Plus, I can't see any of their signs in the first place." Kita shook his head. "Let's make this work first."

"You think it might not?" Kosaku asked, concerned. Kita paused and looked at him. "What I want to say is, 'This will work,' but that makes me sound overconfident. But it will. I know it."

Kosaku remembered what he'd told Isuma: how she and Kita never doubted the future and were always certain of the outcome, as long as the variables didn't change. 'I could never be as sure as them.' Yuto thought, looking back at the court. 'Kita-san and Isuma-chan see everything. They take every little detail into measure and analyze everything. They don't miss anything. That's why they're so certain.'

'They're amazing.' Kosaku looked over at them both. 'I wish I was like them.'

Thanks for 36K! :D!