Staring out the window, Yana's eyes were practically sparkling. The scenery was a surreal mix of "I've seen this in 1080p" and "Oh my god, I'm actually breathing this air." Karasuno High. She was really here.
Her excitement was hitting the ceiling. She couldn't stop fidgeting in her seat, her gaze constantly snapping back to a certain shock of orange hair a few rows away. She buried her face in her arms on the desk, grinning like a maniac. If this were an anime, there would be pink flowers and floating hearts radiating off her in waves.
On the other side of the room, Shoyo was fighting for his life.
He didn't know who was watching him, but he felt the "burning passion" hitting the back of his head like a physical weight. What is this? Why do I feel like a prey animal? he wondered, shivering as he looked around for the source of the heat.
"Hinata-kun."
"Ekk!" Shoyo yelped, nearly jumping out of his skin when Minaho-sensei called his name.
"Do you have something you'd like to share with the class?" she asked, her eyebrow twitching.
"N-nothing, Sensei! Sorry!" he squeaked, sending the rest of the class into a fit of giggles.
Yana giggled right along with them, her eyes still locked on him. So. Freaking. Cute. She was basically a golden retriever staring at a tennis ball, metaphorically wagging her tail at his sheer radiance.
Shoyo slumped back into his seat, exhausted, but that prickly feeling on the back of his neck wouldn't go away. He scanned the room sharply, his eyes finally colliding with Yana's intense, heart-eyed stare. She didn't look away; instead, she gave him a beam so bright it was practically blinding.
Shoyo scrambled to look away, his face turning a deep shade of red. Why... why is she looking at me like I'm a snack?!
I need to ruffle that hair, Yana proclaimed in the sanctuary of her mind, her fingers motioned like she was caressing a dog's head or a fluffy coat. I need to know if it's as soft as it looks. Is it fluffy? Is it bouncy? I have to know.
Shoyo risked a second glance back at her. When their eyes met again, a literal shiver went down his spine. Her eyes weren't just glowing—they were scheming.
WHAT DOES SHE WANT FROM ME?! He screamed internally.
The second the bell rang, Yana moved. She didn't walk; she teleported. Before Hinata could even tuck his notebook away, she was standing over his desk, beaming down at him.
"Hi!" she chirped, looming over him.
Hinata gave a shy, confused smile. "Uh, hello!"
"Can I touch your hair?"
The silence that followed was deafening. Hinata blinked twice, his brain short-circuiting. "...Sorry?"
Yana immediately slapped both hands over her mouth, her soul nearly leaving her body. Crap! The intrusive thoughts won!
"No! Sorry! I mean—" she let out a chaotic, awkward laugh, trying to play it cool. "Nice to meet you! I'm Yanase." She shoved her hand forward, offering a handshake like a peace treaty.
"I-I'm Hinata Shoyo. Nice to meet you too," he said, tentatively shaking her hand.
ACK! I'm actually touching him! The Greatest Decoy! The tiny giant in the making!
"Shoyo-kun? Is it okay if I call you that?" She tilted her head and gave him her most "innocent" smile.
Hinata's face heated up again, but he gave a vigorous nod. "Yeah! That's fine!"
HE IS SO PRECIOUS!
She immediately launched into a conversation about random school stuff, desperately trying to bury her hardcore fangirl energy under a layer of "normal student" small talk. She had to play it safe, at least until she found her Guardian Deity.
"So, you're a volleyball player, huh?" Yana asked, leaning against his desk and trying to look casual, even though she was internally screaming.
Hinata's entire face lit up, his eyes turning into literal stars. "Yeah! I practiced a ton in middle school with some seniors, and now I'm finally here! This is the Small Giant's school, you know? I'm going to be the new Ace!"
He's freakishly adorable! I can't handle this level of pure energy!
She gave him a wide, encouraging smile, feeding off his "sunshine boy" vibes. "That's amazing. Have you signed up for try-outs yet?"
"Heck yeah! A few weeks ago," he chirped, puffing out his chest.
Yana's eyes glimmered. Jackpot! That means I landed in the timeline right when he and Kageyama are at each other's throats over the club applications.
"I see. You're honestly so charming, Shoyo-kun," she said, her voice dripping with genuine affection. And your hair looks like a soft cloud of Cheeto dust, I love it.
Hinata's brain seemingly short-circuited at the compliment. He turned a bright shade of pink and started fumbling over his own tongue. "T-thank—fank you! I mean, thanks!"
She laughed softly and extended a hand toward him. "Wanna be friends?" So I have a VIP pass to every practice session for the rest of the year.
He grinned, that iconic, blindingly sweet smile that Yana had only ever seen through a phone or laptop screen. Seeing it in 4K was almost enough to make her pass out.
"I'm totally okay with that!" he chirped, shaking her hand enthusiastically.
"Awesome! Then... wanna grab lunch with Kageyama later?"
"You know Kageyama?"
Yana's heart did a literal backflip into her stomach. Her smile stayed on her face, but it felt like it had been glued there. Crap. I slipped up. I'm a dead woman.
"Hahaha! What? Did I say Kageyama?" she let out a forced, nervous chuckle, her brain scrambling for a save. "No, I said kakiage! The tempura! You must've misheard me because I'm hungry." Nice save, Yana. He'd have to be a total airhead to fall for—
"THEY'RE SERVING KAKIAGE TODAY?!" Hinata gasped, his eyes sparkling with pure, unadulterated excitement.
Yana felt a single drop of sweat roll down her neck. He actually fell for it. Bless this boy and his one-track mind.
"Yeah! Totally," she said, leaning into the lie. "So, let's eat together later? Even if you have to drag Kageyama along," she added, murmuring the last part under her breath.
"I'd love to!" Hinata exclaimed, his tone turning suddenly competitive. "But I gotta hit the gym first. I have to get to practice so I can kick Kageyama's butt, even if were in the same team!"
How is he this cute when he's being aggressive? Yana wondered, her heart melting into a puddle. Karasuno is going to be the death of me.
"Oh, totally fine! Do you mind if I tag along, though?" Yana asked, tilting her head with a look of pure, concentrated innocence.
On the inside, however, she was basically chanting a ritual: Say yes. Say yes. Say yes. Don't let my dreams be dreams.
Hinata's face broke into a massive, slightly shy grin as he nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! The more the merrier, right?"
BINGO!! Yana screamed internally, her soul doing a victory lap. Mission: Get Into The Gym is officially a go.
The two of them headed toward the gym, Yana providing a constant stream of chatter to keep the vibes high. But when she glanced over at Hinata, the words died in her throat.
He was staring straight ahead, his expression blank but his eyes absolutely burning with that classic protagonist intensity. It was the look of a boy about to risk it all for a volleyball. Yana couldn't help the soft, "proud mom" smile that crept onto her face. She decided to cut the small talk, letting the silence settle between them as they approached the gym doors.
This is it, she thought, her heart racing. The calm before the storm.
They stood before the massive gym doors—the same ones Yana had seen in every transition shot and pivotal scene on her phone. Now, they were right there, solid and real, just inches from her fingertips.
Hinata took a sharp, shaky breath, his shoulders squaring as he shoved the doors open.
The heavy thud of the doors echoed through the high ceilings of the gym, and there, standing dead-center like he owned the place, was the "King of the Court" himself: Kageyama Tobio.
He snapped his head toward them, his face instantly twisting into that signature look of pure, unadulterated disdain.
"What took you so long, Hinata-boke?!" he barked, his voice echoing off the polished floorboards.
Yana nearly choked on air, her hands flying up to cover her mouth to muffle a literal shriek. Oh my god, oh my god! Her brain was short-circuiting. Seeing him in 2D was one thing, but in 4K? The sharp jawline, the intense glare, the pure "main character" aura—he was dangerously handsome in person.
It's actually him!, she screamed internally, her heart doing backflips. The King is in the building, and he's even more of a menace than I imagined!
Kageyama's sharp gaze slid away from Hinata and landed squarely on Yana. One of his eyebrows arched in a silent question. "And you are?"
His tone was blunt, almost icy, but it carried that heavy, respectable athlete aura that made her knees feel like jelly.
Ekk!! He's looking at me! The King is actually perceiving me!
"Hi! I'm Hikarari Yanase. I'm a transfer student," she chirped, forcing her voice to stay steady as she gave him a cheerful little wave.
Kageyama didn't offer a smile—honestly, Yana wasn't sure his face was even capable of one yet. He just gave a stiff, slightly awkward nod. "Kageyama Tobio," he grunted, the introduction short and straight to the point.
Then, like a light switch flipping, his eyes snapped back to Hinata. The "calm" was gone, replaced instantly by his signature scowl.
"Hinata-boke! Did you actually get permission to bring a guest into the gym, or are you just being a total moron again?" he barked, causing Hinata to let out a strangled, silent shriek beside her.
"I—I'll be right back! Stay here, Yana-chan!" Hinata scrambled, dropping his bag in a heap before bolted out of the gym to find a teacher or the captain.
Suddenly, the gym felt massive and quiet. It was just Yana and the King of the Court. Kageyama didn't spare her another glance, already turning back to his ball cart as if she were just part of the scenery. Not wanting to be a nuisance, Yana scuttled over to a spot near the door and plopped down on the waxed floor, her eyes wide as she watched him work.
Total silence with Kageyama Tobio... she thought, her heart still racing. If this is a dream, I am never waking up.
Yana let out a low, slightly unhinged giggle, her gaze absolutely drilling into the back of Kageyama's neck.
Kageyama froze mid-motion, a sudden, violent chill racing down his spine. It was pure survival instinct, the kind of primitive "danger" signal a prey animal gets when it realizes a predator is tracking its every move.