"Ano..." Mr. Takeda started "Are you guys...all right?"

Nishinoya and Tanaka were staring outside by the window with a creepy expression.

Ennoshita, Narita, and Kinoshita stared at the two second years and looked at each other in confusion.

Daichi couldn't stop pacing back and forth with a dark aura around him.

Sugawara is practicing tosses but his tosses are getting higher and higher.

Asahi is getting nervous while watching Daichi give off a dark aura.

Kageyama is practicing spikes using a wall and he kept adding power every time he hits it.

Hinata joined Tanaka and Nishinoya in staring outside but he is more like a puppy looking forward to go outside.

Tsukishima is calm as usual while wiping his face with a towel.

Yamaguchi is anxiously looking outside while practicing the jump float serve and missing a serve more than once.

"They're definitely not all right..." Ennoshita said, looking at Nishinoya and Tanaka.

"Daichi's scary..." the ace said, inching farther from the captain.

"Coach, why can't we go outside? It's boring in here" Hinata asked the coach, who only shook his head.

"Sorry. You guys can't go outside yet" he replied "Stay inside for now"

"Eh~" was the shorter teen's reply before he continued staring at the window.

"Uh...Ukai-kun, is it really necessary to lock them in here?" Mr. Takeda worriedly asked.

"Sensei, you remember what happened before the match against Seijoh, right?" Coach Ukai asked him.

"You mean, the deal? Ah, I remember now! Ayame must go out on a date with Oikawa-kun, right?" the teacher asked and he nodded.

"Yeah, if we let these guys go outside, it will be trouble" the coach said "They need to calm down, sheesh...she'll be fine"

"Hmm...Yamaguchi-kun seems more anxious than usual. He missed another serve again" the teacher noted. Coach Ukai looked at the freckled teen, who missed another serve again.

"Yeah. He's not concentrating with the jump float serve. I understand Nishinoya, Tanaka and Sawamura's anxiousness but it sure is strange for Yamaguchi to act that way" Coach Ukai said "Hey, Yamaguchi! That's enough serves for today! Rest up!"

Yamaguchi sighed and nodded and sat next to Tsukishima. He drank some water and checked his phone for her reply. Sure enough, she replied to him a minute ago.

Oikawa-san apologized to me. I forgave him now so you don't have to worry about it, Tadashi-kun. Sorry if I have to go out instead of practicing with you guys. I'll make it up to you guys.

"You didn't tell her yet?" Tsukishima suddenly asked him after he saw Ayame's message on the teen's phone. He put down his phone and tilted his head in confusion.

"Tell her what, Tsukki?" he asked. The tall blonde sighed and stared at him.

"About how you feel about her" he bluntly stated. Yamaguchi's confused at first but he realized what he meant and his face turned red. He nervously looked at the others to see if they heard it and was relieved no one bothered to listen.

"Tsukki, not so loud please" he pleaded, clearly embarrassed "H-how did you know my feelings for her?"

"It's pretty obvious to me. Well, you did a good job in hiding it in front of the others, though. I guessed that it started in the first day of school. After the practice match against Seijoh, when the Great King cupped her cheeks, I noticed that you're being...jealous" he smirked.

"And during the training camp, you kept stroking her hair when she's asleep. And also, after the match against Nekoma, their libero told you to "take care of her", right? It wasn't hard to figure it out since the only girl you had your eye on is-"

"Okay, okay, Tsukki! I know...I-I admit...I like her..." he sighed "T-true, I-I would get jealous every time someone would try to hit on her, especially the Great King..." he looked down "I just didn't know the right time to tell her...Or worse, I didn't have the guts to tell her yet..."

"Because you think that she might reject you because you think you're not the right guy for her, right?" Tsukishima said, pushing his glasses. Yamaguchi looked at him in surprise and nodded.

"I kept thinking like that but...every time I look at her, somehow, I know there is some hope for me but it's kinda unreachable. Weird, isn't it?" he said, laughing a little.

"Dunno" he replied before taking off his glasses and wiped them.

"Dunno? What kind of answer is that?" the freckled teen thought, sighing "I'm not even sure that she likes me but...I guess that's impossible for a girl like her to like me back...after all, I'm just a scrawny, freckled-face bench player..."

"And the chance is pretty slim. I'm not like Tsukki or the Great King..."

"Giving up before even knowing it...how lame..." Tsukishima said.

"I'm not giving her up, Tsukki" he corrected him "I'm just a coward who can't tell my feelings to her. I'm not giving her up but I just can't tell her yet"

"Good" Tsukishima said "Because, she's not like any girl, Yamaguchi. It would be a waste if you give her up"

"I know that" Yamaguchi thought "But for Tsukki to say things like these...could it be...?"

"Tsukki, do you..." he gulped "Do you like her? Please answer me honestly"

"So what if Tsukki likes her? But if she also likes him...No..." the freckled teen shook his head.

Tsukishima stopped and looked at him. He knew what the freckled teen thought and smirked at him "Yeah, I like her"

Yamaguchi felt that a brick hit his head after hearing his friend's words. He felt his blood turn cold and he resisted the urge to choke after hearing what his friend said because...

There's no way he'll have a chance against the cool and smart Tsukishima.

The megane laughed after noticing his expression "I'm not done yet. Yes, I like her...but as a friend, not like what you're feeling to her"

"Eh? F-Friend?" he stuttered "Friend...I'm not hearing things, right?"

"Yeah, she's only a friend to me. That's my honest answer" he replied "What made you think that I like her in the first place?"

"N-nothing...I just thought that you...may also like her..." Yamaguchi muttered "Of course, who wouldn't like her that way?"

"No, I don't. I don't hold the same feelings to her like you do"

"Thank you, Tsukki!!" he bowed, making the megane jump back in surprise. He felt a spark of hope inside him but for only a moment. He forgot other people who are even better than him.

Like the Great King...Oikawa Tooru...

"Will I have the chance...?"

"What are you two talking about?" Sugawara appeared, grabbing the two by the head.

"Nothing, Sugawara-san" Tsukishima said. The grey haired setter looked at him with a questioning look.

"Oh~? I'm pretty sure I heard things like "her", "like", and stuff. Don't tell me you guys are discussing your girl problems, eh~? " the third year grinningly asked.

"I-It was nothing, Sugawara-san!" Yamaguchi stuttered, silently praying that he didn't hear the whole conversation.

"Hmm~?" Sugawara wondered, placing a finger on his chin "Is this about her?"

"W-who?" the freckled teen asked, pretending not to know who he meant. The setter shook his head and patted the first year's shoulder.

"Yamaguchi, don't play dumb on me" Sugawara told him "It's about Ayame, isn't it?"

*Somewhere in the park*

Ayame sneezed and quickly covered her nose with her handkerchief.

"Are you all right? Are you sick?" Oikawa worriedly asked her.

"I'm fine, Oikawa-san"

***

Yamaguchi's face turned red and he sulked in defeat. The third year grinned and Tsukishima pushed his glasses.

"Told you, you're way too obvious" the megane shrugged. The freckled teen breathed a heavy sigh and thought "Am I that obvious? Just how many people knew my feelings for her?"

"That line where Yaku-kun said that "Take care of her" gave me a hint. I had doubts at first but after he said that made me confirm it" Sugawara grinned. The freckled teen sulked even more.

"Don't worry, Daichi and the others didn't know it yet. Nishinoya and Tanaka may take the hint but they weren't serious about it" the third year told him "But seriously, you like her, right?"

Before he could answer, their coach suddenly said "All right! Practice! You guys had your break, so get back to practice!"

"Yes..." they gloomily answered. Yamaguchi was thankful for the interruption. The players slowly walked with lifeless energy like a zombie towards the court, particularly Nishinoya and Tanaka.

"Oh dear...did they even have a proper rest?" Mr. Takeda thought.

"Damn, they're gloomy...did the deal affect them that bad?" Coach Ukai thought. He sighed and clapped his hands "Oi! What's with the long faces?! Where are those energized spirits you guys used to have?!"

"Ukai-san! Please let us out!! Our kohai needs protection from that pretty boy!!" Nishinoya and Tanaka begged on their knees in front of their coach.

"Sorry but like I said, you still can't go out" he sighed. The duo went to the window and continued to glare outside "Hey!! Get back here! Nishinoya! Tanaka!"

"My little sister needs protection...she needs to stay away from him...he'll taint her innocence..." Daichi muttered while emitting a dark aura.

"Crap...the captain lost it..." the second years thought, inching away from him.

"It's pointless, they badly need to go out" Ennoshita said. Shimizu walked forward and opened her phone "Everyone, Ayame-chan sent us a video message a little while ago"

Nishinoya and Tanaka quickly sat down in front their manager after they heard that their kohai sent them a message. The players huddled closer as Shimizu played the video. On the screen, Ayame is still wearing her teal dress and she cleared her throat.

"Ahem...Everyone, I read your messages earlier. Don't worry. I'm fine here, so don't worry about me. Think about your practice. I'll make it up to you guys. Keep practicing for Karasuno, okay? If you guys kept worrying about me in my date, you can't focus and that will make me feel bad. Please promise me that you'll keep practicing even though I'm not there. Because we're going to have our revenge in the Spring Tournament" she grinned "Well, see you!"

The screen faded to black and Shimizu pocketed her phone. The players were silent as they registered the message left to them. Coach Ukai clapped his hands to get their attention.

"You heard Ayame! Now get up and start practicing-"

"I'M FIRED UP!!" Nishinoya and Tanaka yelled, with a fiery background "BRING IT!!"

"WE'RE GETTING OUR REVENGE!!" Daichi told them with determined eyes.

"OSU!!"

The coach, teacher, and manager looked at them in amusement while the players continued practicing intensely. Nishinoya and Tanaka were more fired up than ever. Yamaguchi's focus returned normal and Daichi was back to normal.

"That worked" Coach Ukai grinned "As expected from Ayame"