3 Nekoma High - Volleyball Club (1)

The next day, as usual, I woke up at 4 and did my daily 5km run. After that I quickly returned home and made breakfast for myself, my sister, and my mom.

"Aki, what do we have today?" My mom yawned tiredly as she came out of her bedroom.

"I've made some omelet, salmon, and miso soup." I answered as a prepared the dishes on the table.

"Oh what would mom do without you." She said in slightly embarrassed tone as she lazily rested her head on the table.

"Haha, sometimes I wonder that myself." I said with a smile. My mom was woman in her 40s, she has raised me alone since birth. After my scumbag of a father left her for another woman, her family told her to abort me, yet, even under so much pressure, she decided to keep and raised me. Since then, she was, in a way, push aside and became an outcast to her family. However, she once told us that as long as she is with us, then, she's happy. Words can not describe how much we loved her. "Oi! Chiaki-Neesan, wake up! You're going to be late for work, damn it!!"

"Oh shit!!!" A loud voice suddenly resounded from another part of the house.

"Language, young lady!" My mom said firmly through the tiredness.

My older sister, Chiaki, burst out from her room, her eyes speaks of overwhelming drowse, her hair disheveled beyond recognition. "Sorry, sorry, I forgot I have an important meeting today, I don't think I can have br-"

"I've already packed your breakfast for you, go get ready or else you really would miss your meeting." Predicting this situation, I have already prepared a counter measure.

"Uaahhhh!! Aki-chan!!!" Chiaki burst into tears as she leap forward and squeezed me tight.

"Get off me and got get ready, damn it! You got drool on your face!" I tried to push her away and urged her to go get ready.

"Ehehe- uahh! Right, I really am going to be late at this point!!" She vanished quickly into the bathroom.

"What a hopeless girl." My mom sighed with a smile. "I hope she's not overworking herself."

"Can't lie about that." I chuckled. Chiaki-neesan always worked hard to support our family. Sometime she would even return at midnight in order to finish up a project at work. This trait of her is probably responsible for why she is often quite hopeless at home. But, I find it admirable. She is my one and only role model, and I'll do anything to support her.

"And I'm talking about you, too, young man."

"R-Right…"

I quickly finished my breakfast and went out to my backyard with a volleyball in hand. Then, I began my routine of training the fundamental skills, receiving, setting, blocking, and spiking.

Many have talked about my mastery of the fundamental skills being perfect. However, perfection is not what I seek, it's something beyond that. Despite being considered an all-rounder, I am the middle blocker of Nekoma, believe it or not. I was not forced into it, I found it much easier for me to take control of my opponents' movement by being so.

Engrossing myself into the training that I have repeated for god knows how long, rotating between the skills and perform them at least 200 times or so, each time in perfect form. I lost my sense of time to the calmness of the morning while sinking every so deeper into my passion. People may call it madness, but that madness was the very thing that brought me serenity and allowed myself detach from this imperfect, cruel world we live in.

"Oi, Aki…" as I heard a deep voice echoed behind me. Chills ran down my spine as the sense of dread engulfed me. "I told you to be ready by 7, didn't I…"

"Ahaha, well Kuroo-san… you see… um- AHHHHH…" unable to find a way to retort, I ran for my life.

"Get back here, you little shit!" The rooster head chased after me at high speed.

—-

"Have fun now, you two." My mom waved us goodbye. "Tetsurou-chan, please take care of him!"

"You can count on me, Izaya-san." He bowed and we ran for the station.

"I told you to get ready by 7, didn't I! Now all the first year are going to think the volleyball club is a bunch of lazy bum who couldn't get to orientation on time!" Kuro shouted.

"My bad, damn it!"

"And Akane is also going to be mad agai- speak of the fucking devil!"

In the distance, a lone figure of a girl was standing menacingly. Her arms crossed, her eyes glaring at us from top to bottom.

"Sorry, Akane! I lost tr- WOAH SHIT!" I exclaimed in surprise as Akane grabbed my shoulder and flung herself behind me and burst forward to latched onto my back tightly in a piggyback position.

"Go, we don't have time for this, this is a part of your punishment, I'll scold you to my heart's content later."

"Not right after leg day, damn!" I shouted. My muscles tightened and I burst forward at an intense speed.

"Jeez, you still can run that fast with a person on your back? Can you carry me as well?" Kuro asked with an excited smile as he point towards himself.

"Fuck off, you shitty rooster." I flipped him off before increasing my speed at an alarming rate.

"My god, what a nasty speed." Akane uttered in surprised as she tightened her grip, being careful not to fall off. "If you join the track te- hmph, I'm still mad." She stopped herself and pouted.

"I said I'm sorry already! Damn!"

"I don't care, that's not enough." She said firmly. "You have to take out and treat me something on Sunday."

"But that's my active rest day!"

"No excuses! You can do your light workout in the afternoon."

"Hey, hey! Me too! I'm calling we should get some BBQ!" Kuro jumped into the conversation.

"Haa… fine, BBQ it is," I heaved a defeating sigh.

"Hehe, let's go, I love BBQ!" Akane tightened her embrace around me in excitement.

"How sly." I sighed with a helpless smile.

"Ehehe~"

We soon arrived at the subway station and quickly hopped onto a train.

—-

"Hah… we're just on time… we still have 20 minutes to set up out club's stall" Kuroo said with a smile relief.

"I was surprised we got here this quick despite the fact that we started quite late." Akane nodded in amazement, her entire weight, still resting on my back.

"You.... fuckers... haa... haa..." I cursed, barely being able to catch my breath. "Now I'm sweaty as shit! Ugh, I have to change into my spare uniform now, that's extra laundry time for fuck's sake!"

"Good, less training time for you. Anyways let's go check our class arrangement, quick!" Akane hopped down and excited led us by the arms into the school.

"How troublesome."

---

"Oh! I guess we're all in the same class." Kuro said as he pointed at one of the board displaying the name of those in class 3-2.

"Yes!" Akane exclaimed in excitement.

"Fuck..." I muttered in dejection.

"Hah?" Kuro and Akane looked at me with killing intent.

"I meant- fuck yeah!!" I quickly corrected myself.

"Look here, Izaya-kun..." Kuro wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Your mom specifically told me to look after you, so you better be thankful for the convenient this fate has brought us."

"Hey, don't bring my mom into this." I said in annoyance.

"We have to go set up our stall now. Idiots." Akane reminded.

"Right..."

---

"Uwah... that's much better." I slumped down comfortable on the chair behind the stall promoting our Volleyball Club.

"Why don't you use that willpower and hard work trait of yours to start promoting our team, Aki..." Kuro, who was also lazily relaxing on his chair, yawned.

"That's my line, captain, ain't it supposed to be your duty?" I retort in a monotoned voice.

"..."

"..."

"Haa...." we both heaved a tired sigh.

"Izaya-kun?" I suddenly heard a voice called out to me at the stall next. "Oh, it really is you. Have you seen? We're in the same class again."

I glance over and noticed the girl with white hair and deep blue eyes before greeting her. Her name was Ishizaki Miyu. "Oh, good morning, class pre-I mean, Ishizaki-san."

"Good morning. I'm still going to run for the position of class president again, you know? So you can still call me 'class prez', of course, that is only until I lose the election." She said.

"Well, to be honest, I hope fate treat you poorly, which would ultimately lead to you losing miserably in the election." I said with a beaming smile, contradicting the words coming out of my mouth.

"Hah…?" Kuro, who sat next to me, had his jaw wide open in surprise.

"Still so merciless with your words, huh?" Her deep blue eyes gaze at me sharply. She took no offense to my words, rather, she had a unwavering smile on her face. "Well, I'm glad you're in my class again. Your help last year with the cultural festival and sports day was much appreciated. I'll be looking forward to working together with you again."

"Please, last year, you literally force me into helping you and nominated me to serve in the committee. I had to work hard to get over with, or else, I would have less time for training." I sighed as I remember those days where I was practically counting the amount of training time I have lost because of this demo- I mean… this woman. It was at least 10

"Well, that's certainly what's likable about you, Izaya-kun. Anyways, just keep in mind, I'll be expecting a lot." She said before going back to helping out her club's stall

"How annoying…" I sighed.

"What was that?" Kuro questioned.

"I don't like her. She always find a way to annoy me whenever we meet, and I can't really retort against her because she's always unbothered by the things I've said."

"That's… kind of adorable."

"It really isn't," I said in deadpanned voice.

"Uhm… excuse me? Is this the voll- AH! It's you!" Kuro and I both turned to the source of the voice. There stand a first year with spiky brown hair. He had a lean build, and was quite tall for a first year, only a little bit shorter than Kuro and I. "You're Izaya Aki and Kuroo Tetsurou, yes?" The kid excitedly shouted.

"That's right." I answered. "Are you here to sign up?"

"Yes, my name is Inouka So!" The first-year introduced himself. "I saw Nekoma on National last year! You guys were so cool! You had even Ushiwaka cornered on the second round, and Izaya-san here even shut down one of his spike!"

"We lost that round…" Kuro muttered embarrassingly to the kid's praises.

"2-0 at that…" I added

"But still! It was such a good match!" Inouka passionately shouted.

"Just sign here to join, um… Inouka." I passed him the club registration paper.

"Oh, right, thank you!" He cheerfully received the paper and signed it. "Well then, I'll be in your care." Inouka bowed before waving us goodbye.

"He's seem like a good kid." I commented.

"Yeah, and quite passionate as well." Kuro agreed

We both let out a peaceful sigh at the boy's wholesomeness. For the whole event, luckily enough, we did manage to gather a few first-years that join the club.

Then, it was time for the true school entrance ceremony.

All the student gather in the gymnasium. You know, just the typical school tradition that I see each years. The principle giving the same speech he gives in any other years, encouraging the first-years, classes and the homeroom teachers and formally introduce. The third years representative makes a speech. Me fighting my urge to fall a asle- I meant being a formal role model for my adorable kouhais.

After that, came the class orientation.

"Just a few more hours until I can do some training…" I muttered in agonizing anticipation.