Hearing the answers of the two, Saori was thunderstruck.
"How did you guys know?! Did you leave me out of the loop?" Saori wanted to run toward Akari to seek answers, but the latter simply evaded her bulldozing running approach.
A tick mark appeared on Saori's forehead and another chase ensued but this time only in the gym.
Akari coolly jogs a few meters away all the time, the epitome of untouchable.
Mai and Kiyo just sighed in exasperation at this easily riled over-the-top captain of theirs. No one was ever able to one-up Akari as long as she didn't let you do so, but this redhead doesn't seem to learn her lesson and always gets the short end of the stick.
Maybe, secretly, Saori actually enjoys such treatment. Who knows?
"They'll be a while, right?" Mai asked and thought that while waiting, she'll do her tasks for the morning. "Do something, vice-captain."
Kiyo just shrugs, "the task isn't within my scope of responsibilities so I'm going to politely decline. I recommend speaking to the manager for clarification." she answers, not really interested in the outcome.
Mai rolls her eyes since she is the team's manager so what was the point of passing the task that she asked back to her? "You know I find that such a hassle so I'll pass too."
They each went to do what they wanted instead.
Mai went to take the balls out of the storage and took out a mop to wipe a certain questionably clean area near the entrance due to the stunts of a certain someone while Kiyo got interested in Hinata's spiking approach practice and went to him to exchange information while also demonstrating her own version of the approach which further enlightened the orange head with another example but this time from this senior who turned out to be a leftie!
They did, however, laughed along and enjoyed the show when Akari had the gall to even find the time to pick up something from an open box and took a container out of it as she ran around and handed Kiyo, Mai, and Hinata each a big steamed bun wrapped in oilpaper while ignoring Saori who was still intent on catching her.
Saori, again, was incensed and went berserk at not having her share. "Where's mine?!"
"What's yours?" Akari stuck her tongue out languidly which really triggered Saori.
"Fix yourselves, lads. The rest are here."
Mai's sudden announcement from the entrance made Saori abruptly stop, backtrack to her gym bag, and took a towel to wipe her face. She also fixed her messy hair as she went to the balls to get one in her arm. Her serious expression was like she has been practicing all this time instead of playing around.
Her performance was so hilarious to everyone that the rest of the girls there had to stop themselves from laughing aloud. Hinata on the side was shivering on his own for reasons unknown.
"Shut it, you a*holes!" Saori hissed with a flushed face.
"Yes, Captain!" the three girls answered though they all appear nonchalant about it clearly enjoying the moment of Saori's embarrassment.
Saori wanted to lash out but the rest of the team comes through the door and she no longer had the time to do so.
"Line up!" shouted the second-year representative (who won't have a name until further notice) while trying to hide her excitement at seeing Akari, the one they knew who led the team during that overwhelming victory before.
Akari munched on her bun while giving Hinata another piece as they both moved to the side and watched on. Hinata happily accepts it while Mai and Kiyo come over to snatch another piece each.
Seeing their acts, Saori is really irked and secretly thought that if those people don't leave her share, someone will pay the price!
Seeing the rest of the members starting to become restless, Saori began to address them."Before anything else, we have a truant who finally decided to come back. Let's all welcome, Arisugawa Akari-san."
In reaction to this kind of introduction, Akari's answer came as a bun.
Saori received the full brunt of it upon her face though she still caught it after before it falls on the ground. She throws a glare at the approaching Akari but did not say anything, after all, she finally has her own share of the bun that she has been smelling all this time.
'D*mn it, this monster even learned how to make such a nice-smelling food?! Does she have to have every skill there is? I can even burn rice with a rice cooker yet she has the audacity to one-up me again?'
Everyone who saw how Saori glared fiercely at the bun was weirded out and unanimously thought that there is truly something wrong with this captain of theirs but Akari just paid it no heed and went in front of the crowd.
"Hey, guys. So as of this moment, I'll be this team's de facto coach as Sensei (also sadly unnamed as of yet) already gave permission for me to do so beginning last year. Don't call me coach, Akari-neesan will do." Akari announced and the cacophony in the gym increased.
"I did not hear about this!" Saori complained but no one dared look at her when she was looking a bit silly with those puffy cheeks after having too much bun in her mouth.
It is just an 'in-case'. In case late embarrassment sets in and this redhead remembers those who gawked at her. She is not the infamously called red calamity if she fails at exacting revenge.
Akari did what she do best with Saori, she just ignored her as she clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "Now, everyone. I don't want to see downed flyers so start with stretches before we proceed with the training."
"Hai, nee-san!"
Akari blinked unsure why she get the feeling that this sounded like she was nurturing underlings. She brushes off the thought.
—
Hinata did not expect that he'd be spending the morning with the girls' club. He was still doing the drill that Akari taught him but then suddenly, he was accompanied by a few first-years who also were given the same training. At first, he feels shy and embarrassed but then after seeing that Akari is seriously doing what she said she would as the coach of the volleyball team, he managed to muster enough courage to push through.
After zoning himself out, he realized that he was not even thinking of the steps but was doing the jump in the same manner as was taught and somehow he got what Akari was saying about making it an instinctual move instead.
"So what do you think?" After cleaning up and resting for a bit before classes start, Akari approaches Hinata who was helping with packing the emptied containers into the box they brought with them. It turned out it was filled with buns which Akari shared with the entire team.
"It was nerve-wracking! Rii-chan, I did not think I would be training with anyone today at all!" Hinata replied while looking truly flustered.
Akari grins cheekily. "You'll get used to it soon."
Hinata looked shocked. He thought this was only a one-time thing but it turns out it's just the beginning!
"Why, Rii-chan? Can't we do it like you used to do? I can just join you there." Hinata wondered especially after psyching himself up about officially joining Akari during her training.
Akari shook her head and said. "I told you I will be the coach for the volleyball team."
Hinata looked on blankly, clearly still not understanding what Akari was trying to say.
Akari grins before she lunges at Hinata and hugs him from the back while she messes with his hair. Hinata doesn't mind her doing so but still feels overwhelmed by how Akari tended to initiate physical contact these days because he doesn't know to react properly to them.
He'll just take them by stride, for now. Besides, he does enjoy it when Akari acts intimately with him since he no longer feels like there's a wall separating her from him and his family.
"Don't you get it?" Akari gives the last ruffling of Hinata's hair before standing back up. "When I say volleyball team, I meant for both the girls' and the boys' team."
"Really?!"