#LMAO YUA AIN'T PLAYIN'

[makomori]

SEVEN | GROUND RULES

USHIJIMA WAKATOSHI x OC

Nishimura Yua has to take her nephew to his first rep practice with the Tohoku Tigers at Shiratorizawa Academy. Ushijima Wakatoshi is filling in for the assistant coach on said team.

She’s recovering from a nasty breakup and he’s reeling from a stunning finals loss against the Jackals.

Yua’s drawn to his composure and honesty.

Wakatoshi finds her warmth and tenacity intriguing.

It’s the start of a Brand New Story; can they heal from past hurts and endure new challenges in order to help each other trust and love again?

CHAPTERS

ONE | NEW TERRITORY

TWO | FAMILIARITY

THREE | INTRODUCTIONS

FOUR | OBSERVATIONS

FIVE | THE OFFER

SIX | CONSIDERATIONS

Length: 3.9k words

Wakatoshi's eager to spend some time with his new manger, but she's busy getting to know the team. When they do finally talk, it's not the conversation he was expecting.

Is that a challenge? [Mufasa | The Lion King]

Saturday arrived faster than Wakatoshi expected. He was excited to help the team improve from last practice. And he wanted to see Yua-san. He still couldn’t believe that he managed to convince her to be their manager. From their brief interactions, she showed herself to be the type of woman that couldn’t be forced to do something against her will. It seemed that stubbornness was another trait that ran in her family. Thankfully, his explanation had appealed to her logical side.

When Wakatoshi arrived at the gym, he half expected to see Yua-san halfway done setting up the net. But the gym was dark. He pushed aside his disappointment by reminding himself that she would be here soon; arriving an hour early last week was an exception. Besides, he wanted to do some drills on his own again before the team arrived.

Kageyama-kun called him early in the week and they ended up peppering and doing spiking drills at Kamei Area for a few hours. It was good to see him; they spoke at length about everything that went wrong during the finals match against the Jackals. In the end, they concluded the opposing team managed to impose their will on the flow of the game and the Adlers’ mistakes were a result of that.

Regardless, they were annoyed that Hinata-kun had beat the two of them at the same time.

No matter. They would redeem themselves next season and bring the championship back to Oita where it belonged. He also told Kageyama-kun that he was welcome to drop by practice any time to check out the Tigers. The look of glee that crossed the setter’s face caused Wakatoshi to chuckle.

He was a super volleyball idiot like him, after all.

Practice would be held twice a week. 4:30 PM on Thursdays and 1:00 PM on Saturdays, for two hours at a time. However, Wakatoshi could see that extending especially if games were involved. The team’s collective energy was everything a coach could hope for. They had a full roster of twelve, and each player was capable of being in the starting lineup.

Rui-kun would be one of them.

He had incredible natural talent but was still willing to outwork anyone in the same room as him. Wakatoshi noticed in their first practice that the teen was hard on himself when he messed up during a drill or botched a play. However, he didn’t let that keep him taking instruction and trying again. And again. And again. He was stubborn and resilient and bent on improving. His tenacity would inspire his teammates to do great things throughout the season.

He reminded Wakatoshi of himself when he was that age.

Wakatoshi didn’t realize he had been practicing on his own for nearly an hour until he heard a familiar voice call his name. He caught the ball and looked toward the door. It was Rui-kun. He was energetic as ever and rushing to change out of his tracksuit. His stomach flipped. If he was here, that meant Yua-san was also—

He scowled at the tall man who entered the gym after Rui-kun. That wasn’t his manager. Was he wrong in assuming they would arrive together? Or was that his impatience? After a quick assessment, he realized that the man in question was the teen’s father. Their bearing and likeness were almost uncanny, from their curled black hair to their almost too-observant eyes.

By the time Wakatoshi consoled himself with the fact that his manager would be here soon, Rui-kun’s father bore a subtle look of displeasure like his. Luckily, he didn’t notice the two men sizing each other up. Wakatoshi’s irritation wasn’t directed at him, but the challenge had already been issued.

Rui-kun would most likely inherit his father’s height and broad shoulders; assets that would make him an intimidating ace. The older man’s stance was guarded, and the russet eyes that held warmth and affection for his son moments ago were now hard and almost cold.

The scowl Wakatoshi gave him wasn’t appreciated. So, he bowed in greeting and apology.

“Sensei, this is my dad!” Rui-kun said excitedly, still unaware of the tension between the two of them. “Yua-chan’s not here yet because she had a top-secret errand to do.”

“Please excuse me,” Wakatoshi murmured. “I was expecting Yua-san to bring Rui-kun today.”

The older man was silent for another breath before he bowed. “I’m Tetsuya, Yua-chan’s cousin.” His expression and posture eased when he flashed a dimpled smile. “You must be Ushijima-sensei. Rui-kun’s been talking about you ever since he got home from practice last week.”

Wakatoshi looked down at his student and grinned. “I’m flattered. But Rui-kun was the one who did all the work. He’ll be a powerful wing spiker one day.”

“You really think so, sensei??” The teen could barely contain his excitement at the compliment. “I’m not as good as you yet, but I’ll work hard to get there!”

“That’s what I like to hear,” Wakatoshi affirmed with a nod.

Tetsuya-san ruffled his son’s hair playfully. “It won’t be easy, but it’s hard to discourage this kid once he’s got his heart set on something.”

“Sounds like somebody I know.”

All three of them turned toward the laughing voice. Wakatoshi held his breath.

Yua.

His eyes slipped over her automatically. Her ink-black hair was pulled into a neat bun at the top of her head and her face was flushed a soft pink. Her freckles stood out more than usual as a result. This time, she was dressed head to toe in black. A track jacket and tapered joggers hung comfortably on her curves. He thought her legs went on for miles. When his wandering gaze snapped up to her face, it was his turn to flush.

The knowing look in her eyes told him that he had been caught staring. Again. She returned his appraisal and he tried not to preen.

“I finished earlier than expected,” she said cryptically, a smile curving her lips. Her gaze lingered on Wakatoshi for long seconds before she faced her nephew. She tucked a small brown package behind her back. When Rui-kun tried to lunge for it, she side-stepped him easily.

“Yua-chan! What is that??”

His aunt shook her head. “It’s not ready yet, sweetheart,” she scolded. “But I promise to tell you about it soon. It’s for the whole team, remember?”

Rui-kun huffed in frustration. “She won’t tell me no matter how many times I ask her.”

“You mean whine at her,” his father corrected wryly. “You know she’s not saying anything until she’s good and ready.

“Sensei, can’t you make her tell you what she’s hiding?”

Rui-kun’s wide eyes were certainly convincing. Wakatoshi tried to eye the package tucked neatly behind her back, but she quirked a brow at him and shook her head.

“I don’t think it’s wise to challenge our manager,” he said gravely. “She’ll make us pay for it later.”

Tetsuya-san scoffed. “Good thinking. You don’t want to piss her off.”

Yua-san stuck her tongue out at her cousin while Rui-kun turned silent and grumbled under his breath. Wakatoshi watched their family dynamic raptly. It was so different from the formality he had experienced growing up.

“C’mon,” she chuckled, nudging the teen gently. “Everyone’s gonna be here soon. Let’s set up the net.”

When they started to move to the back of the gym, Tetsuya-san’s voice rang out. “Hold on, Yua-chan. I need to ask you something before I go.”

She looked at her cousin and then glanced at her assistant coach apologetically.

Wakatoshi shook his head. “We’ll take care of it.”

With Rui-kun working silently alongside him, they had the net set up in minutes. Wakatoshi glanced over at the Nishimura cousins. They were probably speaking about family matters, but he was still curious. Tetsuya-san’s back was facing him, so he couldn’t gauge his reactions, but Yua-san’s expressions ranged from disbelief, exasperation, and then understanding. He nearly froze when her sharp gaze settled on him; were they speaking about him after all?

“Oh, no!” Rui-kun’s groan cut through his worried thoughts. “I forgot my kneepads!”

Wakatoshi cranked the line one more time before walking over to him. “Don’t worry about it. I haven’t worn kneepads since I was in high school.” He stopped wearing them after his first year because he felt they restricted him during his approach and take-off. And his playing style revolved around attacking. Most, if not all the defense was handled by his more capable teammates.

The teen looked relieved at his words. After checking that the net was even, he trotted to the gym’s entrance to say goodbye to his father. He said something that caused the older man to smile and nod approvingly. Faint tendrils of envy wound through Wakatoshi’s chest. Rui-kun was fortunate to have that support readily available to him.

Saitou-sensei had also arrived along with several of the other players. Yua-san was busy with introductions. Her smile was warm and bright as she spoke enthusiastically with the boys. Whatever she was talking about had them hanging off of her every word. Commanding a handful of teenagers was laughably easy compared to the strong and demanding personalities she had to deal with at her job. Wakatoshi sighed. Looks like he had to wait his turn for some alone time with her.

Practice started off with stretches, and then a few rounds of serves. Since all the boys were already playing with their respective school teams, they could skip some of the basic drills and focus on more complicated plays and rotations. From the list he received last week, Wakatoshi would observe and guide the rest of the team while sensei worked with the two setters, Ashida-kun and Yoshito-kun. It was essential to know their limitations early on, as they would be handling the ball the most.

Wakatoshi would split more duties with the other assistant coach when he was available, but he didn’t mind taking on all the responsibility for now. It forced him to re-examine the basics that had been drilled into him since he was a young player, which was always a good practice. When things became frantic and complicated in a game, his first instinct was to focus on the basics.

Each player was exceptionally skilled, and they had an excellent sense of their positions. But this wasn’t surprising because the rep selection process was comprehensive. The tryouts were more rigorous, but each team only wanted the best players to represent their individual wards. The schedule would be fast and difficult as well, with multiple tournaments and seeding games in addition to their middle school team schedule. This would be their first step in discovering if they wanted to play professionally in the future.

An hour went by, and Wakatoshi still hadn’t spoken to Yua-san. At the start of practice, she was preoccupied with taking attendance and learning everyone’s name. And once the drills started, she was busy collecting the balls and ensuring they were available for sensei or the next player. And he was focused on trying to help they players if they had questions or became frustrated

But that didn’t stop him from sneaking looks at her whenever he could. He admired her dedication. When she wasn’t chasing after a stray ball, she closely observed whatever drill was in play or made sure that each of the boys were hydrated. Her position was vital for the team’s well-being.

Depending on the player, she would get to know them on another level than sensei or himself. Since she was noting the practice stats and watching the team as whole, she could pick up on any changes in their overall energy and attitude. Her knowledge would be invaluable during games and later in the season if they made it to the playoffs.

Right now, her brows were knitted in concentration. She was standing beside sensei and rapidly writing in a bright orange notebook. It looked like he was explaining to Ashida-kun the nuances of timing a second tempo set with Rui-kun. Wakatoshi decided to take a break with the boys, as they would be setting up for a game to end the practice.

As he continued his quiet observation of her, Yua-san’s head lifted as she glanced around the gym. She nibbled her full lower lip in worry. He had just raised his bottle to take a drink when her honey brown eyes found him, and nearly choked on a generous gulp of water when she flashed that appealing smile in his direction. She bit back a laugh as he coughed and wiped his mouth quickly.

When Oyama-kun asked if everything was all right, all he could do was nod densely. He looked at his manager in disbelief, but her nose was buried in the bright orange notebook once again. The only proof of their exchange was his damp sweater and the grin on her face. Not wanting to embarrass himself any further, he quickly instructed the boys to get ready for the practice game. Several minutes after explaining the rotation, he heard someone clear their throat to get his attention.

“Sensei, do you have a minute?”

Wakatoshi sucked in a quiet breath. The lilt in Yua-san’s voice was pleasing to his ears. She stood in the setter’s position on the court, while he was in his usual position on the right, behind the attack line. She had taken her jacket off, which revealed a matching black tank top. He took note of the toned muscles in her shoulders and arms. He had been anticipating and dreading this moment all practice.

“Of course.”

“Where are your kneepads?” A stern look fell across her features as she waited for his reply.

He frowned, not expecting the accusatory tone in her question. “I don’t use them.”

“Why not?” A ball was wedged between her hand and left hip, and he noticed when her fingers tightened.

“I’m an ace,” he said simply. Why was she asking him this?

Her brows shot up in skepticism. “That’s your reasoning?”

“It’s how I’ve played since high school.” His frown deepened. No one had ever given him a hard time about it before.

“What if you need to dig the ball?” She countered. Her voice was hard now, and he almost took a step back.

Wakatoshi shook his head. “I try not to put myself in vulnerable positions. My teammates will always cover what I can’t pick up.” When the words left his mouth, he realized that his logic wasn’t completely sound. In the finals, he missed a few crucial points because he couldn’t dig the ball in time.

Yua-san’s lips pursed into a tight line as she held the ball up high in her left hand. His body instinctively crouched just before the ball dropped. But he was a step too far back to dig with his right arm; a pancake was his only option. No kneepads meant he needed to be cautious about how he landed. He had promised no injuries to his mom and himself. Shit, if he were wearing kneepads, he’d be able to slide to the ball with no issue. It was too late now; his feet and legs hurled him forward and he had no choice but to commit to the dig.

The ball landed with a hollow thud an inch in front of his outstretched fingers.

Wakatoshi’s chest took the brunt of his rough landing, so he was out of breath when he watched the ball roll away. Silence rang in his ears. Everyone in the gym had stopped to watch their intense exchange. He was sprawled on the ground, not quite sure about what had just occurred.

He looked up at Yua-san, expecting a smug look and fitting retort. Instead, she looked disappointed, as if she were hoping that he would prove her wrong. She offered a hand to him, and he took it carefully. He couldn’t ignore the strength in her grip as she helped him to his feet. He stood before her, ready to accept her lecture.

“You would’ve been able to dig that if you had kneepads,” she chided. Her voice wasn’t raised, but everyone could hear her because it was still quiet.

Wakatoshi shook his head. She was right, but his pride just took a beating, so he wasn’t ready to admit that to her yet. “Maybe. Nothing is guaranteed.”

“That’s true,” Yua-san said with a shrug. “But you had to think twice. There wasn’t enough time for a flying receive. So, you were thinking about the best way to dig the ball without hurting your knees because you weren’t wearing kneepads.”

Wakatoshi stared in disbelief and awe. She was able to pick up on his hesitation in a few seconds. Her next words struck him right in the chest.

“What if you were injured from that attempt? In a real game, you could’ve been sidelined. And you’d be even more pissed off because that injury could’ve been avoided.”

That was one of his greatest fears. Yes, injuries meant that he couldn’t play, but it also had the potential to cause long-term problems. He knew he was one of the lucky ones that had managed to avoid any major injuries, but he knew that his luck could change at any time.

“And think of the example that you’re setting for our team. You can do no wrong in their eyes. They’ll notice the things you do and the things you don’t do. You’re saying that it’s fine not to wear kneepads because,” she held up three fingers before counting them down. “One: it’s how you’ve played since high school and you’re not willing to change that. Two: aces are exempt because they focus on attacking and scoring points. And three: everyone else is expected to cover when you can’t dig.”

Wakatoshi felt like he was a novice again. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had laid into him this hard. But she was right and confirmed most of the frustrations from his disappointing finals performance.

“That’s selfish. And arrogant.” She paused to consider her words. “But that’s just my opinion. Of course, nothing is guaranteed. The ball is round. Any player can change the flow of the game. But preparation is the difference between winning a championship and losing it.”

His eyes flicked over to sensei, who was watching the two of them with a mix of interest and amusement. He clearly enjoyed seeing his best student being lectured by a woman who barely reached his collarbones. He shot him an imploring look, but sensei shook his head and shrugged.

Damn. That meant he agreed with Yua-san.

“Yes, you’re an ace. One of the best, in fact. But you can’t expect your team to follow you into hell if you’re not willing to do whatever it takes to keep the ball in play. That includes digging.” She paused again, then crossed her arms. “You know what? I don’t care if you wear kneepads or not. I care about the tone you’re setting for this team. It’s a safety concern; we can’t afford any injuries.”

She picked up the ball and thrust it into his hands. Her chin tipped up at him in a final show of defiance. “I did say that I wasn’t going to go easy on you. While I’m here, I’m going to do everything I can to give us the best chance of winning. I hope you can do the same.”

Everyone, Wakatoshi included, gaped when Yua-san turned on her heel and marched to stand beside the scorecard. She then directed a bow to sensei on the other side of the court. “Please excuse me for holding up practice.”

The older man smiled and waved her apology off. He then raised his voice to ensure that everyone could hear him. “Anyone not wearing kneepads won’t be playing in this practice game.” Immediately, several boys rushed to their bags and hastily put on their kneepads.

Wakatoshi took his place beside sensei as the boys positioned themselves on the court. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was soundly told off in front of the whole team by his manager. And the best part; he’s the one who insisted that she take the position. A grin crept along his lips as he considered her boldness. Though she wasn’t glaring daggers at him anymore, he could still feel the heat of her gaze from the across the court.

“Wakatoshi-kun?” Sensei’s voice was light. He wasn’t sure how his former student was processing that sound thrashing.

He turned to his sensei. “We were right to pick Yua-san as our manager. She’ll make us stronger.”

Sensei laughed this time. “I still don’t know how she didn’t end up playing volleyball. She would’ve made a terrifying opponent.”

Wakatoshi nodded. She had all the qualities of a fearless captain. He wanted to see what she was like in her element as an event director. “Her brother must be a monster of a player.”

“He is.” Sensei climbed the official’s stand adjacent to the pole. “He’s a mix of Tendou-kun and Tsukishima-kun.”

Wakatoshi’s nostrils flared. He was always secretly thankful that he never had to face Tendou-kun in an official match. The Guess Monster made a name for himself by breaking the hearts of wing spikers. And he could never forget the time Karasuno’s Tsukishima won a crucial third set in the Miyagi qualifier by blocking one of his spikes. A player with Tendou’s intuition and Tsukishima’s intelligence would be a worthwhile opponent. “I hope I get to play against him one day.”

Sensei blew the whistle to indicate the start of the game. “I’m sure you will. He’s always had his eyes set on the V.League.”

Wakatoshi was mostly silent during the first set of the game. Sensei did most of the coaching, but he occasionally stepped in to offer advice to the spikers.

When the teams switched sides, sensei chuckled and Wakatoshi gave him a curious look. “The more I think about it, I don’t remember anyone scolding you like that except Washijou-sensei.”

The tops of Wakatoshi’s ears turned red while he rubbed the back of his neck. He sighed. “Yua-san’s right. In the finals last month— I hesitated on a few crucial plays because I’m not used to digging. My playing style has been perfected for attacking.”

Sensei blew the whistle again. “Most of the teams you’ve played for have been built around your playing style. Especially at Shiratorizawa. But our manager made a key point. Everyone needs to be prepared to do anything to keep the ball alive. The teams we’ll be facing are just as good as we are, if not, better.”

Wakatoshi shot Yua-san an irritated look and she returned it. He half expected her to stick her tongue out at him. He looked away first. “Sensei, do you have an extra pair of kneepads? I’ll buy my own after practice.”

This time, his sensei’s smile was smug. “You’re lucky I’m always prepared.”

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