A/N: Hello, readers! Welcome to another chapter! Enjoy!

edited on february 12th, 2022 @ 7:19am

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CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE - THE CHEMICAL CHANGE OF ENCOUNTERS

TSUKISHIMA WAS UP TO SERVE. The whistle blew as Tsukishima hits the ball. Leon spiked past Hinata and Tanaka. The game resumed as both teams were tied with 20 points. Asahi jumped up to spike but was blocked.

"Chance ball!" Leon shouted, receiving the ball.

"Goshiki!" Shirabu shouted, tossing the ball towards Goshiki.

Hinata went up to block as Kageyama dived down to save the ball. Rei jumped up. "Leave it to me!" He reassured, tossing the ball in which Asahi jumped up to spike it and got a point for Karasuno.

"Nice kill, Asahi!" Daichi complimented.

"I can't lose to Hinata or Tanaka." Asahi claimed.

"Kageyama, you got a great receive, too." Daichi told him.

"Thanks." Kageyama replied.

The game resumed as Kawamura jumped up to spike the ball, gaining a point for Shiratorizawa and making them tied with Karasuno once more.

The buzzer sounded as Semi had switched in with Shirabu. "Their serve is strong! We're gonna cut it off at one!" Daichi announced.

"Right!" Rei and Asahi replied in unison.

TWEEEET!

Semi threw the ball up in the air as he did his jump serve. "Shiro!" Daichi called out as Rei received the ball.

"Sorry! It's long!" Rei apologized.

Kageyama jumped up to get the ball as he sent a one handed toss to Hinata, who spiked it down and gained a point for Karasuno.

"All right!"

"We're counting on you!" Rei told Tsukishima, slapping his hand as he was switched out with him.

"Tsukki! Don't lose to Hinata!" Rei heard Yamaguchi call out.

"Huh?!" Tsukishima commented, turning around as Yamaguchi flinched at his look.

"It's not like we're competing." Tsukishima said to himself. The buzzer went off as Tsukishima turned to Kageyama. "Hey."

"Huh?"

"We're counting on you!" Hinata informs Yamaguchi before taking the number plate.

"Right!" Yamaguchi replied.

"I can do it, but can you?" Kageyama challenged.

"Well... I practiced with Akaashi-san, so..." Tsukishima responded bluntly, making Kageyama be taken aback.

"This guy's practicing with Fukurodani's setter?" He thought in irritation. "I'm super jealous!"

Yamaguchi caught the ball that was tossed to him. The whistle blew as Yamaguchi did his jump floater serve, aiming it right at Ushijima, but Leon received it on time.

"Goshiki!" Ushijima shouted.

"Right!" Goshiki replied.

"Three blockers!"

Daichi, Tsukishima, and Asahi jumped up to block. "One touch!" Tsukishima and Daichi shouted in unison.

"Why, you..." Tanaka commented, diving down to receive the ball.

"Nice cover!"

Tsukishima then ran forward as Kawamura jumped up to block, but Tsuskishima didn't spike right away. Once Kawamura's block was low, Tsukishima jumped up to spike, earning a point for Karasuno.

"All right!"

Rei glanced over at the scoreboard.

Karasuno

23

Shiratorizawa

21

The game resumed once the time out was over. "Yamaguchi, one more!" Tanaka encouraged as Yamaguchi bounced the ball.

The whistle blew as Yamaguchi did his jump floater serve as it ended up hitting the net. "It's in! Towards the front!" Shirabu called out.

"Got it!" Yamagata reassured as he saved the ball.

Shirabu then tossed the ball as Ushijima jumped up to spike. He spiked past Tsukishima and Daichi, scoring a point for Shiratorizawa.

"Damn it..." Yamaguchi mumbled.

Karasuno was at 23 points while Shiratorizawa was at 22. "Go, Asahi-san!" Hinata cheered from his spot next to Ukai as Asahi jumped up to spike in which Ushijima and Kawamura jumped up to block him.

"Got it!" Rei reassured, tossing the ball up in the air.

Kageyama gets into setting position as Tsukishima jumps up to spike. However, it didn't line up. But Tsukishima extended his hand out and saved the ball before it touched the court. It goes over Shiratorizawa's side of the court and lands as Yamagata was late on receiving it.

"Sorry." Kageyama apologized.

"You apologizing is creepy, so please don't." Tsukishima told him.

"What?!" Kageyama said in irritation as he glanced at the tall middle blocker.

"See? You're fine." Tsukishima said.

TWEEEET!

"Daichi-san, nice serve!" Tanaka encouraged his captain as Daichi served the ball in which Leon received it.

"Ushijima-san!" Shirabu shouted, tossing the ball towards Ushijima.

Ushijima jumped up as Tsukishima and Asahi tried to block him. Shiratorizawa gains a point as Rei was late on receiving it.

"Damn it!" Rei cursed.

The buzzer sounded as Kawamura was switched out with Yunohama. The whistle blew as Yunohama performed a jump float serve.

Rei dived over to receive it but it was off. "Sorry!" He apologized.

"Azumane-san!" Kageyama called out, sending the ball over to Asahi.

Asahi hits the ball in which he got blocked. Yamagata dived down to save the ball on time. "Wakatoshi!" Leon called out, receiving the ball over to Ushijima.

"Here we go. Ready, and..." Tsukishima trailed off as him, Kageyama, and Asahi jumped up to block Ushijima.

Ushijima swung his arm. However, he does a feint instead. "Damn!" Tanaka commented. The ball fell onto the court as Rei, Tanaka, and Daichi tried to dive down to save it.

TWEEEEET!

"Nice kill, Ushijima!"

Both teams were now tied with 24 points. "Is the exhausted setter going to have the face the deuce of despair?" Rei heard Tendou ask Kageyama.

"The only time I will ever feel despair is when I won't be able to play volleyball anymore." Kageyama replied.

"All of you guys are monsters." Tendou commented.

Karasuno was currently sitting on the benches, trying to relax their bodies. "The position of defense is fine as it is right now, you were able to follow up with a one touch." Ukai spoke.

"Right!"

"Can you go on, Kageyama?" Ukai then asked.

"Of course." Kageyama responded.

"If you're exhausted, I can switch with you at any time." Sugawara spoke up, jumping up and down as he did so.

"I won't get exhausted!" Kageyama exclaimed.

The buzzer concluded the time out as both teams headed back onto the court. Yunohama performed another jump float serve.

"Daichi-san!" Rei called out.

Daichi saved the ball on time as Kageyama tossed the ball over to Asahi, who jumped up and spiked the ball, earning a point for Karasuno and making them at set point.

Tendou sent the ball over to Karasuno's side of the court as Tsukishima tried to block him, making Shiratorizawa get another point. Ushijima was up to serve as he bounced the ball as the whistle blew.

"Bring it!" Daichi, Asahi, and Rei shouted in unison.

Ushijima threw the ball up in the air as he did his jump serve. It hits the net as everyone looks in nerves. The ball slowly falls to the ground, but lands on the court.

"Miracle boy, Wakatoshi!" Tendou exclaimed.

"One more point! One more point!"

Ushijima bounced the ball as he readied another jump serve as Ushijima had another look of determination as Karasuno looked back with the same look.

TWEEEET!

Ushijima threw the ball up in the air as he slammed the ball against his palm. "Shiro!" Daichi shouted as Rei quickly used his misdirection to save the ball on time.

"Damn demon serve..." Rei thinks to himself.

"Chance ball!"

Yamagata received the ball as Shirabu tossed the ball as Leon jumped up to spike it. Kageyama and Tsukishima jumped up to block him as the ball bounced off of Shirabu's arms and out of the court, making Karasuno get a point as the crowd cheered.

"Hey, could you not just run into me?" Tsukishima told Kageyama as he held an irritated aura. "You're not Hinata. Jump up. Up."

"What?! This wouldn't be considered bumping into you!" Kageyama defended. "You just lack training!"

"You two!" Tanaka exclaimed, grabbing their heads in irritation.

"I'm counting on you, Karasuno!"

The sudden shout shocked both Karasuno and Shiratorizawa's cheering squad. Asahi and Daichi had a look of determination on their faces. Hinata was then switched back in.

"Go, go, Karasuno! Push it, push it, Karasuno!"

"Hey, Tiredyama-kun." Hinata said as Kageyama looked at him. Hinata gave him a thumbs up. "I can hit any kind of toss, no matter how sucky!"

Kageyama lifted Hinata in the air. "I never suck!" He claimed.

"Right!" Hinata saluted to him.

The buzzer sounded as Sugawara was switched in for Tsukishima, who grabbed his name plate.

TWEEEET!

"Suga! Get a nice serve in!" Daichi shouted at him as Sugawara bounced the ball. He serves the ball up in the air as Leon receives it. Shirabu tossed the ball towards Tendou as Hinata jumped up to block him.

Sugawara easily received the ball. "Nice receive!" Kageyama complimented as he got into setting position. He tosses the ball towards Hinata as Goshiki and Tendou jumped up to block him.

"Out!" Sugawara called out as the ball turned out to be an out.

Karasuno now had 27 points with Shiratorizawa having 26 points. Kageyama was up to serve as he spun the ball in his hands.

"Bring it!"

The whistle blew as Kageyama threw the ball up in the air, doing his jump serve. "Front!" Yamagata shouted as he received the ball.

"Chance ball!" Rei called out as he received the ball.

Hinata then raced up towards the net and jumped up. Kageyama sent the volleyball towards him, however it was short.

He ended up getting the ball past Tendou and Goshiki, who jumped up to block, making the ball fall to the ground.

TWEEEEET!

Karasuno had won the fourth set with 29 points. "Nice, Hinata! Good reaction." Tanaka complimented, ruffling his juniors hair.

"Thanks!"

Hinata was walking around Kageyama when he was suddenly grabbed by the collar. "Nice cover." Kageyama said with a dark and intense look.

"Then at least say it with a nice face!" Hinata told him. "More importantly, Kageyama..."

Kageyama then released him. "We get to play one more set!" Hinata finished.

"Yeah!" Kageyama nodded.

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A/N: Another chapter is completed! Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 1665 words.