LV

January 17th, 2022

No update for the next two weeks!

<<Flashback: 5 months>>

Hinata could be a hard person to find.

It was strange: he had such a strong presence in a room, yet actually FINDING him could take a while. He never checked his phone and often forgot he had it; there was no telling where he'd decided to be any particular day.

But today, Isuma had double- and triple-checked with four different people and established that he'd be training today from 6 to 3, with another event an hour after. She found him just as he was exiting, eating a steamed bun. His mouth full, he greeted, "Hey, Isuma-chan!!! What's up?"

"Hi, Shoyo-kun. I had a question for you." Isuma said. Hinata swallowed the massive chunk he'd been chewing. "Okay!"

"Do you know about any good sports science internships?" Isuma questioned. Hinata's face screwed up in confusion. "Why are you asking ME, Isuma-chan??"

"You know everyone, Shoyo-kun. You even knew me when we first met." Isuma answered, smiling. Hinata grinned brightly. "I do, don't I? Thing is, I don't know much about interns."

He was still smiling eagerly. Isuma blinked, more perplexed than disappointed. "...okay?"

"But I know someone who does! Kageyama!" Hinata exclaimed. "Well, I'm not sure he does. But he should. He's- what's the word? Ah, right- well-connected in the volleyball world. You want to talk to him?"

"No, I don't even know him that well." Isuma shook her head; she lowered her voice. "And, well," Kageyama-san's a little..."

She trailed off. Hinata prompted, "Scary? Terrifying? Frightening? He's not terrible when you get to know him."

Isuma still looked unsure. Hinata leaned forward. "Isuma-chan, you want to find an internship, right?"

"...right." She nodded. Hinata exclaimed, " Then you can't stop now! At least meet him!!"

"...I'll think about it."

***

Isuma had heard about Kageyama for years, and the first time she'd met him, he'd lived up to her expectations. He was much taller than her and carelessly attractive, with dark blue eyes and hair. His skills as a setter rivaled her brother's and was well-renowned.

And... he intimidated her. Just a little.

Hinata had already asked her thrice when she wanted to meet Kageyama, and she'd made an excuse each time. As much as she wanted to find an internship, she wanted to avoid Kageyama more.

That only worked for a week.

She lived in an apartment with Atsumu, but he was rarely home. He sometimes stayed over at a friend's if he didn't want to take the train home, which was the source of many arguments. Isuma spent entire nights fruitlessly calling him when he didn't text her or show up; when he did, the arguments that followed shook the room.

Seven days after her conversation with Hinata, Isuma arrived at their apartment building after her last class, thinking about what she'd have for dinner. To her surprise, voices were filtering through the main door. She tapped her keychain to the black pad on the door and entered the apartment.

Atsumu was seated on the couch, on his phone. "'Tsumu? What're you doing here?"

"...I live here." He replied, smiling. Isuma shrugged off her coat, still looking at him. "Well, yes, but you're never home this early. Did something happen?"

"We have the rest of the day off." He answered; she noticed his duffel bag near the door. Atsumu set down his phone. "How were your classes today? Did you get your lab grade back?"

"They were okay. My Professor said he'll return them next class." Isuma sat down beside him and brushed some lint off his jacket. Atsumu asked, "Have you already eaten?"

"Not yet. I'm going to my room first." Isuma stood up; Atsumu said, "Hinata and a friend of mine are here. He's in the restroom and Shoyo-kun's at the balcony I think."

"Okay." She assumed it was Bokuto; Hinata came over at least once a week, bringing with him enough enthusiasm for ten people. Atsumu added, "I'll go get dinner."

Isuma rose and disappeared into the hallway; she opened her door just as the restroom's door swung open.

She almost screamed but caught herself just in time, clapping her hand over her mouth. Kageyama was standing less than three feet away from her, his hair wet from precipitation. He raised his eyebrows in surprise when he saw her. "...hello?"

***

This was uncomfortable.

Kageyama's eyes flicked from Hinata, who was beaming on the floor of the living room, to Isuma, who still looked anxious.

He REALLY didn't understand what people found terrifying about him. Well, he sort of understood, but he was quite sure he hadn't seemed too intimidating the few times he'd met Isuma. Yet here she was, flinching under his gaze.

Kageyama had never spoken to her other than a simple greeting, nor had he ever observed her. She looked similar to her brothers; her eyes were slightly smaller and her features more feminine and beautiful. He could tell she played volleyball- or used to. Hinata had briefed him earlier- Isuma studied sports science and was searching for an internship- but that was all he knew.

"...Hinata told me you were looking for interns." Kageyama finally broke the awkward silence. Isuma glanced at Hinata, who shrugged, as if saying, 'Yeah, I told him. What of it?'

"I was. I mean, I am." Isuma answered. Hinata asked, "Did you find any?"

"I only know a few," Kageyama replied, suddenly eager to get it over with. "The first one is in Miyagi, where we're from. A former senpai of ours went there. It's a gym; middle and high school teams practice there all the time."

Isuma glanced at the door and lowered her voice. "I haven't told my brothers, and I'd like to keep it that way for now. I think they'd be more likely to agree if someone they're acquainted with goes there with me."

"Okay. The second one is in Tokyo, but no one I'm familiar with interns there currently." Kageyama scanned his brain. "The rest are the same. I'm sorry, most of the places I know are from people who interned there years ago."

"Wait, what about Iwaizumi-san?" Hinata interjected. "Doesn't he intern somewhere?"

"Who's Iwaizumi?" Isuma questioned. Kageyama replied, "A former teammate. I didn't count that one because Iwaizumi-san is in California."

She didn't reply. Kageyama cleared his throat. "That's all I have. Think it over and... just tell Hinata once you've decided."

Isuma reminded him of Yachi, their manager back in high school. Hinata was good with people of that personality, but Kageyama made them flinch and avoid him.

It was depressing, quite honestly.

<<Present>>

"Okay, so this is how things work." Iwaizumi swallowed his bite of toast. "Utsui-san will explain everything to you when you meet him today, but I'll lay it out for you. The training center is open every day, and we're supposed to arrive by 7. Closing time varies, but it's usually around 8. I usually get Tuesdays off, so I'll assume it's the same for you.

"Utsui-san's the training coach for a volleyball team, the Irvine Polar Bears. His teaching style is... complicated. He plugs in random teaching moments while helping a trainee. His idea of homework is planning a diet for one of the trainees or writing up an at-home exercising chart for them. Things like that. He sometimes uses a trainee as an example for us."

Takahiro nodded. "He's cool. And he's the only person here- besides each other, of course- whom we can speak to in Japanese."

"Ah, right. I guess the trainees are all American, then?" Isuma asked, stirring her orange juice. Iwaizumi paused. "I think there's a Canadian, but yes. They're American. Speaking of which..."

He lowered his voice until it was surprisingly gentle. "I won't sugar-coat it for you. People here can be rude to us. Even the trainees. It WILL be hard adjusting, especially since we're not in the most welcoming environment."

"I assumed it would be so." Isuma swallowed. Takahiro said, "I'm starting to get the hang of English, but it's still hard ordering food."

"Which leads us to something else- language. Utsui-san is usually around, and he's always glad to translate. I'm not perfect," here Iwaizumi shrugged, "but I took English all the way through college, and those four years are paying off. But just in case, have a translation app on your phone."

"The trainees aren't the nicest people. I try to avoid them if I can." Takahiro added. Iwaizumi scolded, "Takahiro, don't say that."

"I'm being honest." Takahiro looked away, disgruntled. His attitude was surprising: Takahiro never spoke ill about anyone- they had to be terrible for him to frown in their direction. Isuma could only imagine how bad the trainees were.

Iwaizumi broke the long silence. "If you all are ready, we can go."

"Alright."

"Okay."