The Conniving Crow

Chapter 97: Infirmary Time

"What happened?!" Keishin joined (y/n) as she fussed over Daichi "What'd you hit?!"

As Daichi groggily stood up, he clutched the side of his face "My... my face...?"

Takeda instantly started asking questions, making sure that Daichi didn't have a concussion. Daichi insisted he was fine.

"You did hit your head, Daichi-senpai." (y/n) said firmly "We're going to the infirmary to make sure you're really alright."

Daichi looked troubled; it was clear that he wanted to continue playing.

"That is the fastest way to get back on the court." (y/n) sighed "I understand how you feel, but we can't allow you to play until we're certain you're alright."

As Daichi spit out a loose tooth from his mouth, Tanaka made his way over.

"Daichi-san, I'm so---" Tanaka started.

But he got cut off by Daichi "Ah, Tanaka, I'm sorry. I saw you coming in to cover, but my body moved on its own. But look, with that last point you scored for us, we hit the 20-point mark first."

As (y/n) watched the two before her, she couldn't help but sigh contently; even when he's injured, Daichi is an amazing captain. As she glanced at Tanaka, she knew he must be struggling internally, blaming himself for what happened.

As Daichi went to talk with Asahi, (y/n) walked over to Tanaka and placed a hand on his shoulder "This is not your fault, Tanaka-senpai. None of us are blaming you, so don't you dare blame yourself."

Tanaka looked surprised, but he quickly got a gentle smile on his face "Thanks, (y/n)-san, really."

As (y/n) started walking away from the court with Daichi to head to the infirmary, she noticed the worried look on his face.

"What's with that expression?" (y/n) chuckled, gently teasing Daichi. "You know Ennoshita-senpai will do just fine; you've always set the best example for him. There's no need to worry."

"I know... But still..." Daichi sighed, trying to calm himself down. "It's just hard to sit on the sidelines and watch. I feel like I should be out there with the team."

"I understand, Daichi-senpai," (y/n) said empathetically, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "But sometimes, being a captain also means knowing when to trust your teammates and let them shine on their own. You've trained them well, and they won't let you down."

As they walked out of the gymnasium and into the corridor, they were joined by Yachi.

Yachi approached them, looking concerned. "Is Daichi-san okay?"

"He'll be fine," (y/n) reassured her. "We're taking him to the infirmary to get checked out."

As they reached the infirmary, the school nurse took a look at Daichi's injury. Fortunately, there was no sign of a concussion, but he had a significant cut inside his mouth that was causing the bleeding and pain. The nurse advised Daichi to rest for a while and avoid putting any strain on his jaw.

(Y/n) stayed with Daichi in the infirmary for a while, making sure he was comfortable and reassuring him that the team would be okay without him for the time being.

"You're in good hands, Daichi-senpai," she said, trying to lighten the mood. "Yachi is there to help, and the rest of the team is fired up and ready to go. They won't let you down."

Daichi smiled gratefully at her. "Thanks, (y/n). I know I can count on you to take care of things here."

As (y/n) made her way back to the court, she saw Yachi chatting with Daichi, keeping him company. Yachi was nervous, but she wanted to do her best to support the team in any way she could.

With Yachi staying by Daichi's side, he told (y/n) to go back and help the team. She reluctantly agreed, making her way back to the court.

As (y/n) returned to the gymnasium, she could feel her heart racing with a mix of worry and determination. She had faith in her team, but playing without their captain wouldn't be easy.

As she walked towards the court, she was stopped in her tracks by a sudden voice calling out to her.

"(Y/n)-chan!!" Oikawa shouted as he ran towards her, followed by Iwaizumi.

"Hey, (y/n)-san, how's your captain doing?" Iwaizumi questioned.

"He's fine, just needs to rest right now." (y/n) offered a soft smile "Thanks for asking."

"So, who's the replacement guy?" Oikawa questioned "We thought Karasuno might go for a 2-setter strategy."

"Oh, that's Ennoshita-senpai, he's the next captain of Karasuno." (y/n) said with pride in her voice "He was the obvious choice to replace Daichi-senpai."

"The next captain, huh?" Oikawa mused "We've played against him during a practice match once, can't say I really remember him."

"You'll just have to watch the match and see for yourself." (y/n) chuckled "Anyway, good luck with your next match! Date Tech is a formidable team... I'm not sure who to root for in this one, to be honest... I've got friends in Date Tech as well..."

"We're better than them!" Oikawa whined "Right, Iwa-chan? We'll beat them!"

"They're a tough opponent, but so are we." Iwaizumi confirmed "We'll give you a good match to watch, (y/n)-san!"

"I'm looking forward to it!" (y/n) smiled "But I have to go help my team first!"

With that, (y/n) waved goodbye to the Aoba Johsai players and continued her journey back to the court to support Karasuno.

As she arrived, she could see that Ennoshita was doing well, as expected. He kept the team in check and helped calm Yamaguchi's nerves as he had to serve.

His serve barely made it over the net as it hit the top and rolled over, but it was enough to score a point. The nervousness seemed to return as he decided to do a normal, no-jump serve now.

Ennoshita watched with concern, but it all worked out, and Karasuno scored their final point, winning the first set. However, (y/n) was not pleased.

"Yamaguchi!!" She shouted as she started to make her way over to him.

But before she could start her rant on not chickening out and fighting till the end, Ennoshita blocked her way, saying that Yamaguchi already knew.

Sighing, (y/n) nodded and turned her attention to Ennoshita instead. "You did well, as expected, Ennoshita-senpai. You truly are worthy of being Daichi-senpai's successor."

"T-thanks, (y/n)-san!" Ennoshita blushed "That means a lot to me."

"And, Yamaguchi." (y/n) turned to him, much calmer this time "Next time, go all out; you've got nothing to be afraid of."

Shocked by the words of encouragement, Yamaguchi couldn't help but nod as a few tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

"(Y/n)-san..." Tanaka called out "How's Daichi-san?"

"He's fine, just needs to rest for now." (y/n) clarified "So, let's win the second set and get another match lined up for Daichi-senpai!"

With renewed determination, the team went back onto the court, ready to give their all and secure the victory. They were playing for their captain, for Daichi, who had always been there for them, leading and inspiring the team.