The Third Miya: Isuma

XXVII

They glanced at each other and Isuma immediately looked down. No one said anything for a few seconds. "What do you mean?" Suna finally asked. Kita looked at him as if sending him a silent message: 'Thanks for that.'

"That's his strength. His official title may be a setter, but when you think about it, both their #5 and their libero have set so far to the setter. The others set to him. Especially the libero. They trust each other." Isuma glanced at Tamiko and Hinosa. Kita lowered his voice. "What the hell is going on with this team? They're so complicated."

Just then, Aran looked back at them, clearly asking whether on not it was a fluke. Kita shook his head and Aran frowned before speaking to the rest of the team. One of the first-years asked, "Can a libero set often?"

"There's nothing wrong with it," Suna answered. "Most just don't, because it's the setter who's technically supposed to set."

Kosaku glanced at Isuma and Kita, who were still watching Tamiko and Hinosa intently. "So... neither of you have an idea? Or anything?"

"They can handle it." Kita glanced at Isuma. "Go back."

"-what?" She looked up. "To the bench. Go back. You still aren't well." Isuma didn't know whether to be grateful or annoyed about his care. After a second, Suna added, "He's right. Go, Isuma-chan."

"...fine." She walked back to the bench and sat down. "That was... cold, Senpai."

"I know. But she really needs to take it easy. If something happens to her again..." Kita didn't finish his thought. Suna motioned for Kosaku to let it go. Kita looked up. "...they can handle it. I have faith in them."

Suna was keeping his frustration inside, but the more they learned, the more frustrated he was. 'Come on! Let's get a lead so I don't have to try so hard!'

Kita seemed to read his mind. "This might actually be good for you, Suna."

"How?" he asked. Kita smiled. "You won't slack off anymore. You tend to do that when we're winning."

Suna winced, slightly surprised that Kita had managed to tell. Kita didn't force him to reply. 

"...anyway, let's see how they approach this. I want to see Atsumu's decision-making skills."

"What if they're not good?" Kosaku asked hesitantly. "...then I'm probably not recommending him for captain next year. It shouldn't be a problem though."

Suna's expression must've shown surprise because Kita glanced at him and raised his eyebrows. "Why? Did you want to be captain?"

"Oh, hell no," Suna answered. "I was just wondering... won't Osamu get even more competitive, then?"

"That's not necessarily a bad thing, is it?" Kita smiled. "Those two need each other. If it weren't for the other, they both would've given up volleyball long ago."

"True." None of them said anything as they watched Kamino score another point. Atsumu walked up to Osamu and whispered something in his ear. Osamu nodded and said something under his breath. Atsumu walked back to his position as Osamu stared after him. 'Wow. That's a first. He's actually thinking. Usually, in a game, his mind is like a middle schooler's.'

Osamu looked back at Kita, as if silently asked whether or not he should listen to Atsumu. Kita nodded slightly, and Osamu turned back. Suna asked, "Are you sure Atsumu's got this? Aran Senpai could do it too."

"Aran doesn't need the training." Kita shook his head. "If Atsumu seriously can't handle it, then I can always go in."

"Don't you ever..." Suna seemed to think better of it and stopped. Kita glanced at him just as Kamino's #5 served. "What is it?"

"Well... you're the captain, aren't you? Don't you ever wish you could play more? You haven't played all year... or last year." Suna murmured, tugging on his fingers uncomfortably. To his surprise, Kita laughed. "Suna, I'm relieved that I have a number at all. In middle school..." Kita's smile faded slightly. "I never got our jersey. Ever. So when I became Captain... it felt incredible."

Suna remembered how emotional Kita had been when he'd been named Captain and gotten his jersey. Up 'til that point, Kita had always struck him as an emotional person who never showed any weaknesses. Before he could change the subject, Akagi saved him by executing a perfect receive. "Yes, Senpai!" Kosaku exclaimed. Osamu managed to set the ball to Ginjima, who hit it perfectly over the set. Atsumu high-fived his brother. "Nice set, Samu!! You're almost as good as me!"

Osamu kicked him in the shin. "Shut up, idiot."

Tamiko was watching them from the other side, and in the back of his mind, he was wondering whether or not they could beat them in the first place... 'No. We make it to Finals almost every year. We won't be taken down so easily- not like the last few years.'

In the past two or three years, somehow, Kamino had been eliminated during or before the Semi-finals. Tamiko's mind traveled to Hinosa, who was right behind him. 'They're depending on me. More importantly... Hino-nii is depending on me. He's trusting me. This is the last year we can play together in high school... I can't let him down.'

"Yoshi." Tamiko's voice was incredibly calm and strong despite the situation. "Yeah?"

"I'm counting on you for distractions. Hino-san will be setting to me and the others. You need to cover him." Tamiko glanced back at Hinosa briefly, who nodded slightly. Yoshi replied, "You got it. But... what if it doesn't work?"

To his surprise- and everyone else's- Tamiko smiled. "It doesn't need to. If we've tried our best... then there's nothing else we can do, is there? Like Hino-san said..."

They were all listening to him now, amazed that he was talking so much. "If we've done all we can and tried our hardest, and they still find a way to counter us, then they deserve to beat us. But that's not decided yet, is it?"

None of them knew what to say. Sato, one of the third-years, slapped his back. "You're gonna be a great captain. Come on!!"

"Let's do it!!" Hinosa briefly came up beside Tamiko and whispered in his ear, "Great job, Tami-chan."

"...I just repeated what you said."

"You did so much more than that. But anyway... go. Lead." Hinosa squeezed his shoulder tightly before stepping back.

'...he reminds me of myself.' Isuma thought. 'Just a few minutes ago, he was overwhelmed and scared. How did his mindset change so fast? I wish... I wish I could do that.'

She didn't say anything for the next few minutes and just watched the game in silence. The score was 17:12... 'If we win, won't their setter- Tamiko-kun- lose his confidence again? No... he won't. He can't. He has to be stronger than that.'

Because she related to him on so many levels, it made the pain of winning worse. Why? How did people win and celebrate without thinking about the other team? She'd been with her brothers dozens of times after games and she'd always been happy for them... but she'd only ever seen their reactions. Isuma had never thought about everyone else's hopes and dreams. If Inarizaki made it to Nationals every year... how couldn't they think about the teams they'd defeated to get there? Her brothers weren't the type of people to ignore others... how did they overlook them then?

Kita's eyes briefly went to her and then flicked back to the court. 'Isuma's been like that recently. Could it be... she's thinking of the other team?' he shook his head. 'No. Even she can't be that compassionate... but then, this is Isuma.' Kita smiled slightly. 'She's... different. Special. Her compassion makes her unique.'

When translated, 'Kageyama' means 'Shadow Mountain.' Fitting XD TY for 42K