Fate Is a Tricksy Cousin (Ushiwaka x Reader) [Haikyuu]

*ೃ༄ Chapter 2˚◞♡ ⃗

The same day you went to try out the sewing club. It's not like you were interested in or good at sewing, it just looked like the most useful one while you glanced at the list of clubs. You didn't really care for anything besides volleyball, but you weren't about to play catch with tigers, venom dripping from their fangs, even if it would have shaken off the toil of tedious sitting. You didn't mind the thinking aspect of school, because it kept you on track towards your future instead of teleporting you back to the past.

Sewing club try-outs didn't exactly go as you had hoped ...if you even had hoped for a certain outcome. You failed to thread a needle before letting the roll of thread fall to the floor and dropped the needle while you were trying to stop the thread from decorating the floor with white lines.

"Oh, don't worry about it," an ashy brunette said while hovering a magnet over the floorboards.

You pressed the sewing machine pedal too hard the machine jammed...

"Let me handle it. It happens to everyone."

...and you used the fabric scissors to cut paper.

"Oh, no, not these!" Her brows furrowing and teeth showing in agitation.

Needless [lmao I'm so clever] to say you weren't welcome back after causing so much trouble.

A part of you was relieved that you realised you weren't cut out for something so early on, but another part of you was extremely frustrated. You power walked to your gym locker and traded your bag for a volleyball – the only thing in there on your first day. The boys slammed the ball so hard anyway, no one would hear you if you also slammed yours against the gym wall.

You could hit the ball against a wall for hours. It was an equal trade: the opportunity to relive your past in exchange for the present moment. You set the ball in motion. Against your will thoughts popped into your head like in whac-a-mole, but you slammed them down with your trusty volleyball.

"Don't you think she's a total volleyball-maniac?"

Your jacket was limiting your movement, but now that you were in it you couldn't do anything about it.

"I think it'd be best if we let someone else take over."

You could feel your left arm getting tired. This is what you got for only tossing balls like a coward.

"We're all moving for the year. Maybe for longer or forever, if we like it there."

Despite your hand tingling from continuous hard impacts your trance remained unbroken.

"Excuse me, you're in my seat."

Eyes slightly prickling, you thought to yourself it's because of the physical exertion.

"You have a great arm," a familiar voice spoke to you.

You immediately turn your head to see Wakatoshi standing only a few metres from you. Because of the distraction you forgot about the rebounding ball coming your way. You gracefully received it with your head instead.

"Sorry," he apologised while you crouched to pick up the ball and suddenly felt the weight of exhaustion hit your body. You took a few breaths to compose yourself before rising and facing him. Probably feeling guilty for interrupting you, he cut to the chase.

"You look awfully similar to Satori, but I'm guessing you're not his sister."

You studied his appearance before deciding on a tone to answer him. He had clearly been practicing because his otherwise light skin was glowing, and his two-toned brown hair was a bit messy. But he must not have liked volleyball that much because he looked as unmoved as ever. He didn't seem to be in a mood for jokes.

"We're cousins," you choose to reply with equal seriousness.

All he said was, "Is that so," before bowing and walking off. You were left to stand there alone and rack your brain trying to figure him out (before giving up and going home).

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

The next day Satori invited you to sit with him at lunch.

"This is my super-awesome-totally-not-sister Y/n," Satori announced to everyone sitting at the table occupied by what must have been the entire volleyball team.

Everyone introduced themselves back and you quietly said "hi" and waved to everyone while you were panicking how am I going to remember all their names?? Satori later told you how the topic of your adorableness was discussed before practice that day. This happened right before you made the ugliest disgusted face ever. "Why would you tell me that?"

Back at lunch, Semi asked, "What year are you?" and you made him guess, assuming that if he were your senpai, his kind appearance wouldn't turn out to be a mask. It was a trick question, and you didn't want to make the boys suffer too long and admitted being a third year almost immediately. Moments later you learned of the other members' years and positions on the team as well.

On Friday the volleyball team held a practice match against a college team and invited you to go watch. Considering how you had nothing better to do after school besides going home and studying, you decided to accept. To your surprise, you were the only audience member besides the coaches and extra teammates. You observed the powerful plays and silently fangirled over your cousin's crazy guess-blocks, but there was no impressive strategy to figure out to keep your brain occupied. It was all just getting Ushiwaka to slam the ball, and the opponents struggling to deal with him. Well it's a viable strategy if it works for them long-term.

You closed your eyes, focusing on and quickly feeling comforted by the familiar ambience. The ball being bounced, the sound the ball makes when it's hit, shoes squeaking, people shouting, blockers jumping, the whistle being blown – the sounds blended into a perfect rustle to fall asleep to. And you did.

You woke up, still sitting on your chair and hugging your bag. Everyone had left but Wakatoshi – he was still practising his serves. It was 8 p.m., one hour before closing.

You thought to yourself oh, whatever! and approached him. He noticed and waited for you.

"Would you like me to set for you?" you finally asked before just standing in front of him for a few moments. Unable to read his expression, you added, "Although I wasn't a huge fan of it, I was the official setter for my last high school team."

"I'd like that, thank you," his words echoed through the whole gymnasium. You took off your jacket for better movement this time.

He threw the ball and began his approach, and you set it taking his left-handedness into account. With every toss your accuracy became better and better.

After a couple of spikes, it seemed as though the boy had something he wanted to say. You, assuming that he wouldn't bring it up himself, decided to ask him.

"Is something wrong with my sets? You can tell me if you'd like me to change something." You could tell that he was studying you by the way his eyes moved. You instinctively grabbed your left wrist.

"I have a different proposal."