Tanaka flopped dramatically onto the floor of the volleyball gym, hands behind his head and sweat glistening on his forehead. “Man, I’ve been thinkin’…” he began, glancing toward Nishinoya with a smirk.
“Uh oh,” Daichi muttered under his breath.
Nishinoya leaned in like it was a conspiracy meeting. “Alright, boys. Let’s talk types. Crushes. Secret girlfriends.” He grinned. “Come on. Fess up!”
Tanaka sat up abruptly, pointing into the group like a detective mid-interrogation. “Okay, who is it? Fess up! I know one of you is hiding something!”
Everyone blinked. Crickets.
Then— Click.
The sharp, almost surgical sound of a water bottle being placed on the bench echoed like thunder through the gym.
Every head whipped around.
Kageyama stood there, deadpan as usual, toweling off his neck. “I do,” he mumbled. “What about it?”
Silence.
Then chaos.
“EXCUSE ME—WHAT?!” Tanaka screamed, eyes wide as frying pans.
“YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND?!” Nishinoya gasped like he was being betrayed in a soap opera.
Hinata’s jaw hit the metaphorical floor. “KAGEYAMA?! WITH A—A REAL GIRLFRIEND?!”
“I’m not making it up,” Kageyama grumbled, clearly regretting ever speaking.
“WHO IS SHE?! SHOW US A PICTURE!!”
“Does she even exist?!” Nishinoya accused dramatically. “Is she in this room right now?”
“She’s training in America,” Kageyama replied.
Everyone paused.
“…Whaaaaat?!” Hinata squeaked.
“You’re telling me…” Asahi leaned forward, “your girlfriend is overseas training for volleyball?”
“…Yeah.”
Tanaka blinked. “Wait a sec. I’ve heard of that chick—someone called the Queen of the Court. Freakish jump serves, no-look spikes. Isn’t that—”
“That’s her,” Kageyama said, very matter-of-factly.
“DUUUUUUDE.” Nishinoya launched into the air. “You’re dating your parallel?! She’s literally the you of America!”
“She beat a college team with a no-look dump set,” Kageyama added. “The middle blockers cried.”
“Middle blockers?! CRIED?!” Hinata gasped, hands on his cheeks.
“You guys probably think I’m bossy?” Kageyama looked away. “She benched a captain once. He was yelling too much.”
Tanaka clutched his heart. “I’m in love with her already.”
“BACK OFF,” Kageyama growled.
“She exists… and she's terrifying,” Yamaguchi whispered in awe.
“Power couple of the decade,” Sugawara declared.
Tsukishima just shook his head. “How is he the one in a relationship?”
Kageyama looked smug for exactly 0.2 seconds before getting flustered again.
“So, like…” Hinata blinked. “Is she gonna visit sometime?”
“Next month,” Kageyama said cooly.