A relationship was something Nishinoya had always struggled to find.
Not because he was hard to love or anything—quite the opposite.
He had endless energy, loyalty down to his core, would support just about any crazy idea you came up with, and would treat you like the most amazing person on the planet.
Practically boyfriend material.
The problem was that nobody seemed to understand his spark.
Most people got tired of it pretty quickly.
Too intense.
Too loud.
Too emotional.
Too much Nishinoya Yū.
It wasn't that he wanted to date an exact copy of himself—if that were the case, he would've started dating Hinata Shōyō or Ryūnosuke Tanaka years ago—but he did want someone who could match that intensity. Someone who understood that when Nishinoya got excited, he wasn't being dramatic.
He was simply being himself.
Someone who wouldn't disappear after three days of making him feel special.
Was that really so much to ask?
Probably.
Today was Karasuno's match against Aoba Johsai.
The atmosphere inside the gym was thick with tension.
It was impossible not to be nervous.
Aoba Johsai was a monster of a team.
And at the center of it all stood Oikawa Tōru.
Even Nishinoya could admit the guy was ridiculously good.
But admitting it didn't mean he was afraid of him.
As the match continued, Nishinoya kept doing what he did best.
Receiving.
Defending.
Throwing himself across the court as if gravity were merely a suggestion.
"Come on! Is that all you've got?!"
he shouted after an especially difficult receive.
"Send me something better!"
Of course, he was provoking them.
Because if there was one thing Nishinoya loved, it was proving that no ball was touching the floor as long as he was there.
Then it happened.
"Come on, Karasuno no Shugoshin!"
Your voice cut through the noise of the gym.
Loud.
Clear.
Impossible to ignore.
Nishinoya's eyes immediately snapped toward the stands.
And then he saw you.
Your cocky grin.
The challenging spark in your eyes.
The slight tilt of your head as you held his gaze.
And then...
The gesture.
You repeatedly pushed the middle fingers of both hands forward.
Not as an insult.
No.
It was worse.
A provocation.
An invitation.
A challenge.
As if you were saying:
"Is that all? Come on, impress me."
For one full second, Nishinoya forgot how to breathe.
Because nobody.
Absolutely nobody.
Ever responded to him like that.
Most people got intimidated.
Or exhausted.
Or simply ignored him.
But you...
You looked like you were feeding the fire.
From the opposite side of the court, Iwaizumi let out a long sigh through his nose.
He knew that look.
He knew that grin.
And he definitely knew that gesture.
"He's flirting with the opposition again."
Matsukawa muttered.
As casually as if he were commenting on the weather.
Because honestly, this was starting to become a routine.
Meanwhile, Nishinoya kept staring at you.
And little by little, a smile spread across his face.
Small at first.
Then bigger.
Then absolutely huge.
Bright.
Dangerous.
Exactly the kind of smile that appeared whenever he found something that genuinely excited him.
Because wow.
Just...
Wow.
For the first time in a very long while, someone wasn't running from his intensity.
They were giving it right back.
And that was probably the most attractive thing he'd seen all season.
What terrible luck.
What wonderfully terrible luck.
Because it looked like he'd just found his soulmate.
On the opposing team.
Life really did have a sense of irony.