It wasn’t rocket science, he was the ace of his team, and you were the pretty team manager. His initial curiosity turned into a crush, then him asking you out and now a committed one year relationship with him coming straight to you after each set.

He’d tell you that if it wasn’t without you, he wouldn’t make it to prefectural qualifiers, but you knew better. Either way, he’d seemed distant as of late. If he didn’t make it after all the effort he put into this, he could kiss nationals goodbye. Without it, he had no other way to prove himself and his worthless pride. Everyone knew the entire team was nothing without him, including him.

Hugs after sets became quick glances and blank looks — he’d almost looked drained. It wasn’t until you found him alone at the gym after school had already ended, harsh spikes crashing against the floor hard enough to leave a dent that you couldn’t take not talking about it anymore.