Kuroyaku nation what’s up!!!! This is part of my school/shameless au where I decided to make them exes. What you’re seeing is their first kiss in their first or second year on high school
This was written for the Can I Speak to the Manager? Haikyuu!! collab event. Make sure you head over and check out the other fics posted there, as well, and give the collab creator, @momochimo, a follow as well!
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Genre: Fluff, slice of life
Word Count: 2,064
Pairing: Reader x Yaku
World: Haikyuu
Notes:I’m not sure how I feel about this one. I like it, but I wonder if I could have gone in a different direction and made it better lol Hopefully you enjoy it and I hope it’s worthy of this collab. Thank you so much for allowing me to participate!
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You frowned at the application form sitting on your desk, filled in and ready to be handed over. The problem was that you were unsure if you actually wanted to turn it in. What you were sure of was that such an action would completely throw you off of your current path, derailing you onto a more hectic one. You knew nothing about sports either, but you did know one thing – everyone that played volleyball is certainly clinically insane. Even so, you had promised your childhood friend that you’d at least try and be social at your new school, and maybe this was the way to do just that. Maybe you could even come to understand your best friend more.
You had grown up watching Tanaka Ryuunosuke playing volleyball. He was obsessed with the sport but you just never got it. What was so fun about hitting a ball over a net? He had tried relentlessly to get you into it, too, but sports just wasn’t your thing. Still, you tried every single time because you wanted to make him happy. He was the only one who tried to befriend you as kids and continued hanging out with you despite your introverted nature. In a way, it felt as if you owed him.
When class came to an end, you gathered your things and slowly made your way to the gym where Nekoma’s volleyball team was getting set up for practice. You still hadn’t decided to join the team, but you at least wanted to check them out and get a feel for their members. You settled down at the top of the bleachers, pulling out a notepad so you could jot down your thoughts.
Your eyes scanned each member of the team as they entered the gym, beginning their warmups. Ryuu had given you the basic rundown on the Nekoma players already, describing them so you’d already know their names if you decided to join the team – which he encouraged you to do on more than one occasion.
The captain, Kuroo, was rumored to be a big flirt and Ryuu had told you to avoid him. Kai, the vice-captain, was often complimented for his kindness. He’s the only one you had interacted with thus far and that’s because he was assigned to show you around when you first transferred. Kozume was a close friend of Hinata and an introvert like you. You were sure you had more in common with him than with anyone else, but two introverts trying to become friends spelled disaster in your mind. It honestly sounded painful to you. Yamamoto was, from Hinata’s explanation, the Nekoma version of Ryuu, meaning he’s a total idiot who goes crazy over girls way out of his league. Then there’s Lev, that ridiculously tall first year. And…
Your eyes fell on the short libero, Yaku. To you, he was easily the most gorgeous member of the team and your heart started to pick up speed as you watched him. Why hadn’t Ryuu mentioned how cute he is? You had never been interested in relationships or dating, you’ve never even had a crush on anyone before, but it felt as if all that changed when your eyes fell on him. If you had to describe how it felt, you’d compare it to one of those shoujou anime that Ryuu’s older sister made you watch as a kid. You could just hear that cliche music playing, upbeat and romantic, the teen being surrounded by sparkles and flowers, shining so much brighter than the rest of the team. It was like you were seeing him through rose-tinted glasses.
You suddenly slapped yourself across the face. “What the hell is wrong with me? Get a hold of yourself.” You silently cursed Ryuu’s sister, wanting anyone else to blame other than your racing heart or your overworked mind. ‘There is no way in hell I’m going to sign up to be a manager just because of a boy. No way, no how!’ And yet… you didn’t stand up and leave like you wanted to. You continued sitting there, your eyes following his every move. He was graceful yet powerful, returning balls you didn’t think could be returned. You had this overwhelming urge to protect him, to protect that beautiful smile of his.
You were sure you were going to regret it, but you had finally made your decision.
You were going to become Nekoma’s manager.
━━━━━━༻1 Year Later༺━━━━━━
Today was an exciting day.
The volleyball team was excited to be taking on Karasuno and you were excited to see your best friend again. You had kept in contact, of course, but talking on the phone just wasn’t the same as seeing him in person. When you stepped on the bus, your eyes immediately fell to Yaku who sat at the very back of the bus. When he noticed you approaching, he offered you a soft smile.
“Good morning, Y/N.”
You smiled brightly at the sound of his voice, settling down beside him so that he was between you and the window. “Good morning, Yaku-senpai~”
“You seem happy this morning.”
“Is it that obvious?” you rubbed the back of your neck, a sheepish grin on your lips. “It’s just that I haven’t been back home since I transferred. I’ve missed it.”
He bit his lip, turning his face away from you. You still consider Miyagi to be your home and not Tokyo? What if you decided you wanted to stay instead of returning with Nekoma? He shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts. No, there’s no way you would do that.
“Is something wrong?” you inquired softly, leaning forward to see his face but he just smiled.
“No, nothing.”
“Are you sure? If something’s bothering you, please let me know, senpai.”
“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” he reassured you with a gentle pat on your head.
You smiled, relishing the warmth of his hand.
“Y/N!” Yamamoto rushed to the back of the bus, a determined look on his face.
You quirked a brow at him, the smile wiped from your face. “Yes?”
“Don’t you dare go falling for any of those country boys!” he demanded, shaking his finger at you.
“That won’t be happening,” you scoffed, folding your arms over your chest. “Yaku-senpai is the only one for me.”
Yaku’s cheeks burned at the statement and he sent you a look. “You shouldn’t joke around like that, Y/N. People might get the wrong idea.”
“Hai, hai~” you chuckled in reply.
Crocodile tears fell from Yamamoto’s eyes as he fell to his hands and knees. “Yaku is so lucky!”
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When the bus finally pulled up in front of Karasuno high, the other team was waiting outside to greet you, the morning sun bearing down on them like a blanket of warmth. You were the first one off the bus, shoving Yamamoto out of the way in your haste. Your eyes scanned the students but you didn’t see your best friend. A blur of black and gray streaked in front of you before you felt arms wrap tightly around your boy.
“Y/N!” Ryuu screamed in your ear, spinning you around while you laughed.
Yaku frowned when he stepped off the bus, his eyes falling to the arms around you. You had always been a bit more on the reserved side but he liked to believe that you had opened up in the year since you became Nekoma’s manager. Yet he had never seen you laugh like that. What made this guy so special?
Yamamoto fell to his knees, more crocodile tears streaming down his cheeks. “It’s too late! Y/N has fallen for their country charms already!”
Kuroo snickered. “Did you forget that Y/N transferred from Karasuno?”
“Ah…” his tears stopped suddenly and he blinked a couple of times before jumping up, a grin on his lips. “That means that these country bumpkins were so boring that Y/N came to us!”
Ryuu’s eye twitched as he set you down. “Oi, what’d you just say?”
“You heard me! Y/N loves us more!” A streak of lightning sparked between the two males as they stared each other down.
You chose to ignore them, approaching the older students. “It’s good to see you again, Suga-senpai. Sawamura-senpai.”
“You, too,” Daichi smiled, ruffling your hair.
“Have you settled in okay?” Suga fussed, hands on his hips as he scanned your body. “No one is bullying you, are they?”
“As if we’d let that happen!” Yamamoto snapped back.
“You better not!” Ryuu replied, just as loudly despite being right in front of him.
Daichi sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “One is bad enough, now there’s two.”
You and Suga just laughed, completely unsympathetic to the captain’s plight.
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You sat beneath the large tree behind the gym, the breeze ruffling your hair. Birds were chirping somewhere above you, not at all bothered by the loud ruckus taking place inside the gymnasium. As Nekoma’s manager, you shouldbe inside cheering them on and taking notes about their performance, but you started to feel more overwhelmed than you had been expecting so you needed a moment to calm down and gather your thoughts.
“What are you doing out here?”
The voice instantly brought a smile to your face which you directed toward the short male standing over you. “I just needed some fresh air.”
Yaku put his hand on his hip, brow furrowed. “You’ve been gone for nearly fifteen minutes.”
“Has it really been that long?” you questioned in surprise, pulling yourself to your feet and giving him a bow. “I apologize, senpai. I’ll return to the gym now.”
You tried to step past him but he took hold of your wrist, his grip gentle but firm. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”
The corner of your lips twitched up. “Hm, so you do care about me, Yaku-senpai?”
Pink dusted his cheeks and he quickly looked away. “O-Of course, I do. It’s my job as your senpai!”
You hummed softly, tilting your head back to look at the sky filtered through the leaves above. “The truth is… I really miss this place. I didn’t realize just how much until I came back.”
Yaku frowned, taking note of the sadness in your eyes – a stark contrast to the smile on your lips. He didn’t like seeing you upset but he was especially concerned over this piece of information. Were you not happy back in Tokyo? Did you want to transfer back to Karasuno? His heart ached at the thought and he realized he didn’t want to lose you. You had become not only a core member of the team, but an important person to him as well.
“Tell me what’s bothering you.”
His eyes met yours. “Don’t use that line on me. It only works if you’re the senpai.”
“I may not be your senpai, but -” you stepped toward him and he swallowed hard when you rested your hand against his warm cheek. “You’re going to be my husband one day, so it’s my job to look after you. I suppose the manager position entitles me to that, as well.”
He sputtered at your declaration, his eyes wide. “T-That’s not funny, Y/N.”
“Good thing it’s not because I’m not joking.” You removed your hand so you could press a soft kiss to his cheek. “I’m gonna head back inside. Don’t stay out here too long, okay? Nekoma needs their amazing libero.” You gave him a smile before turning around and heading toward the gym, but you paused before turning the corner, looking back at him. “If you’re worried about me moving back here, you have nothing to worry about. As much as I miss Miyagi and Karasuno, I found someone much more important back in Tokyo that I’m not willing to give up.”
Yaku knew you were talking about him. His face burned and, just like he had no control over his heart hammering against his ribs, he also had no control over the bright smile that came to his lips or the warmth that filled his body. To say he was relieved about this news was an understatement and though he may not yet be ready to admit his feelings for you, he was happy knowing just how much you cared for him and that you had no intention of leaving him behind.
WHAT YOUR FAVOURITE HAIKYUU CHARACTER SAYS ABOUT YOU AND YOUR MENTAL STABILITY
cw:mental illness i guess.
“I have more than three favourite characters!” — okay, I get it, you have no set aesthetic and are unable to make any decisions in your real life. stop lying to yourself and choose.
“You’re not right though?” — yes I am, perceive yourself better. open your eyes. consult your charts.
“My favourite character isn’t here!!” — then you have self projection issues and that’s not on me, that’s on you! just say you over romanticize people in your head and then feel let down when they’re not exactly how you imagined them to be and go.
SIX OF CROWS HAIKYUU!! VERSION just slammed into my brain at top speed and refused to leave.
First version that came into my head was this: Kuroo as Kaz, scheming and always thinking several steps ahead and manipulating others, friends and enemies. Bokuto as Jesper, powerful and has a presence, loves the adrenaline of a fight (or facing a wall of three blockers, whatever), and loud and cheerful (most of the time). Oikawa and Iwaizumi as Nina and Matthias. I probably don’t need to explain to you who is who and why. Matthiwaizumi, of course, lives to a ripe old age, happy and in love with Ninoikawa. That’s what happens, yep.
I ran into an issue with Inej and Wylan. Because to me, Akaashi is quite similar to Inej, quiet but calculating and dangerous and threatening when they want to be. Independent and supportive and unfalteringly loyal, but also keeping their counterpart honest/humble/etc. And Kenma reminds me of Wylan in that he’s not super dedicated to and in love with volleyball in the same way as the others are, like Wylan was not used to the life that the others led before Kaz pulled him in. Also, Kenma is very smart and good at thinking strategically. Wylan was very good at engineering and math, and I feel like Kenma’s video game prowess would lend itself well to learning about technology systems. And Kenma is the least physically threatening out of these six, like Wylan was among the crows. But the way the ships work, Kenma should be Inej and Akaashi should be Wylan… well, it’s an AU, anyway. Akaashinej can be pining after Bokutojesper. And after pulling him in, Kazuroo falls for Wylenma.
Terushima is Kuwei. Smart and flirtatious. Makes Kenma extremely angry by flirting with Kuroo excessively. Tried on Bokuto at first, but Akaashi and his knives put an end to that very quickly. Daishou would probably also work, plus, it would be hilarious to have him flirting incessantly with Kuroo.
Second cast of Crows (maybe they’re rivals with the first cast… ):
Well, the image of sakuatsu as helnik (matthias helvar x nina zenik? I think?) wouldn’t leave my head. Hate each other at first, warm up to each other, Sakusa/Matthias lets their guard down for the first time with Atsumu/Nina, who break their trust to save them, and when they meet again, Sakusa/Matthias absolutely hate Atsumu/Nina and hate that they still have feelings for them. Atsumu/Nina had been longing to see them again but when provoked, physically or otherwise, absolutely refuse to take that lying down and immediately fight back. Classic enemies to lovers to enemies to allied enemies to lovers. The basic staple of sakuatsu, really.
Now that I’m attached to sakuatsu helnik, might as well make it a national team (+friends) party. Hinata strikes me as the perfect Wylan, except maybe that Wylan was never that exuberant. But Hinata is so nice and friendly (unless you insult him) that he would be horrified by the cruelty and death that the Crows live with on a daily basis. But then, once he got used to it and started to really love and care for his friends/teammates, he would be the fiercest and most protective of all. Also, can you just imagine the national team looking at Hinata after he casually suggests murder a la Wylan, like, “oh my god, we’ve corrupted him,” and then having a miniature crisis? Also, he starts with natural talent, albeit with an uncontrollable disadvantage that he then turns to his advantage, becoming better than anyone hoped he could be. Hinata had extreme athletic gifts, but the disadvantage of his small height. Wylan had dyslexia but also extreme intelligence and knowledge. Plus, everyone wants to be Hinata’s dad, like how Kaz adopted Wylan.
That would make Kageyama Jesper. They both have fantastic, utterly precise, superhuman (literally in Jesper’s case) aim. Kageyama is definitely impulsive at times, but although I can totally see him gambling away all his money, I feel like that would be more because he had no idea what was going on and someone conned him into it, rather than Jesper’s addiction. Their personalities are almost complete opposites, but they both come alive the most during high pressure situations (fights/games) and perform at their best in them. They can both be offensive, although Kageyama is mainly just blunt, while if Jesper is insulting, he’s probably doing it on purpose. They both encouraged their counterparts in their own ways, and convinced them that they were valuable despite their perceived disadvantages. Kageyama was the first to treat Hinata as a serious opponent and rival, and to take him seriously. Jesper was one of the first to make Wylan feel like he was more than his inability to read and that he was, regardless of the disadvantage, incredibly smart and special. They both were condescending at first to Hinata/Wylan but grew to respect them and care for them.
I’m not sure who would be Kaz… no one on the national team really strikes me as scheming and manipulative enough to be him… Maybe Suna, but I like the idea of him as Inej. Inconspicuous at first, especially compared to their colleagues, underestimated, but very skilled. Plus, the whole Thief of Secrets thing really suits Suna’s tendency for collecting blackmail. If anyone on the national team is collecting information to use against people to gain an advantage over them, it would probably be Suna. Ship-wise, that would make Osamu Kaz but… Osamu is not like Kaz in the slightest. He’s all impulse and Kaz is all calculation. Personality wise, if we spread the candidate pool to be Japanese-born volleyball players at the Olympics, Oikawa would definitely be Kaz. Scheming, strategically turning his weaknesses into strengths, manipulating, thinking ahead, bringing out the strengths of his team, and very powerful and frightening in his own right. Ship wise though, I feel like Oikawa and Suna wouldn’t last a day. They would probably destroy each other. Maybe Iwaizumi and Osamu are two of the Dregs that come along with the group, but don’t participate in the actual heist, staying on the ship instead. There were a few of those in the book; I think Rotty and Dirix were supposed to go but one of them died when their decoy ship was attacked by Pekka Rollins. There were others but I forget who.
Komori can be Kuwei. I don’t know how smart he is, but he doesn’t have a prominent partner he’s shipped with, and I can see him flirting with everyone for the fun of it and making everyone else really mad. He and Sakusa are probably not cousins in this AU.
I left out Hoshiumi, Ushijima, Hakuba, Yaku, Hyakuzawa, and Aran, which makes me sad, but I couldn’t think of a role that would fit them well. Ushijima is (I think) their captain but he is way too himbo to be Kaz (@ him and Kageyama discussing gravity in South America). Hoshiumi would be a good Jesper but Hirugami Sachirou is too experienced and calm to be Wylan. Hyakuzawa could be Wylan, but he doesn’t have an obvious partner, I don’t remember very much about Hakuba except that he’s huge, and Aran isn’t calculating enough to be Kaz, stoic enough to be Matthias, outgoing and purposefully charming enough to be Nina or Jesper, or innocently inexperienced enough to be Wylan. I included Bokuto in the previous set of Crow volleyboy musings, so I won’t count him here. Yaku is probably waiting at the Crow Club/Slat to take care of everyone when they get back and yell at them for being stupid and reckless.
Or, using a similar cast of characters, Atsumu and Osamu split up Kaz’s character (Atsumu is the schemer and manipulator, Osamu handles the logistics of being a leader - he has his own business, he’s used to records and numbers, plus it would probably have been very useful for Kaz to have a doppelganger to use as an alibi), Sakusa and Komori split up Kuwei’s character (Komori is the chaos, Sakusa, the university graduate, is Kuwei’s scientific prowess; they can be cousins here), Suna, Hinata, and Kageyama as Inej, Wylan, and Jesper, and Ushijima as Matthias. We’ll bring Tendou on to be Nina: he is very out there and not afraid to be himself, and I can totally see him sacrificing his relationship with Ushijima to keep them both safe, and Ushijima being so hurt and confused by Tendou’s betrayal that he keeps a distance when they’re reunited and accidentally comes across as aggressive.
Anyway, if you’ve reached the end of my Six of Crows/Haikyuu!! rant, thank you for sticking around! A gold star for you! ⭐ I love the volleyboys and the Crows (the Dregs ones not the Karasuno ones, although I love them too) very much and they take up much of my mental real estate.
Furudate-sensei’s little one-liners / Q&As from the final Haikyuu guidebook! Of course I must collect them all! LET’S GO!!!
*AS ALWAYS I’m still learning the language and cannot guarantee complete accuracy!
Character Comments
Kozume Kenma: A character created during fairly early days. It was fun to draw him as a completely different being by the end.
Kuroo Tetsuro: This person was also created in the early days, yet after 30 volumes, I drew his childhood arc and suddenly felt “Oh, so that’s who this guy is.”
Yaku Morisuke: When he talks about his current concern[getting charged the children’s discount when going out], the responses are pretty off the mark, and in the end people just recommend doing some muscle training.
Kai Nobuyuki: I drew him as someone who seems to give off negative ions. [I adore this, negative ions have a calming effect and are found around moving water… like by the seaside… as in Kai’s family name, 海 “ocean”!]
Yamamoto Taketora: At first he was created as someone along the same lines / in the same category as Tanaka, but he gradually became much different.
Fukunaga Shouhei: I think he could also be a mangaka for a gag manga…
Haiba Lev: If he keeps chasing that feeling of “I want to stand out!” he has prospects of doing a Hollywood movie or something.
Inuoka Sou: From a middle blocker to an opposite who can defend. The guy who was always one step ahead of Hinata.
Shibayama Yuuki: A guy who thinks about other people’s feelings a little more than necessary.
Given Name Origins
Note: This is kind of from the perspectives of the parents, since given names are like a wish for the child’s future. Will make more sense if you know what their names mean.
Kozume Kenma: To be a person who endlessly improves himself. [the second Kanji of his name 磨 is used here in the verb “to improve / polish”]
Kuroo Tetsuro: To become a strong, yet cheerful person. [the second Kanji of his name 朗 is used here in “cheerful”]
Yaku Morisuke: To be able to protect what is important. [Instead of the more common ways of writing “to protect,” the first Kanji of his name 衛 is used. While it reads the same way, it seems to refer to more active forms of defense—as in scouts, sentinels, or an advance guard, rather than a general protector]
Kai Nobuyuki: He took one character from his father.
Yamamoto Taketora: To become a brave / gallant person. Given to him by his grandpa.
Fukunaga Shouhei: He inherited one character from his grandpa.
Haiba Lev: To become a strong person.
Inuoka Sou: To become a person who can put in every effort for the sake of others. [the Kanji of his name 走 appears in the word for “making an effort / working hard”]
Shibayama Yuuki: To live kindly. [both Kanji in his name appear in this sentence, 優 the root of “kindly” and 生 the root of “to live”]
Teshiro Tamahiko: He inherited one character from his grandpa.
Tiny Q&A
Q: Which character did you most enjoy drawing?
Kozume. Because he’s the person who’s least attached to volleyball (there aren’t many other people like that in this story).
Q: Did a girl manager ever join the club after Kuroo and gang (the third-years) graduated?
Yes, I think someone who watched the Spring Tournament eventually joined.
Q: Which character’s post-graduation path did you have the most trouble with?
Yamamoto. Whether or not he should continue with volleyball. Looking back on the match with Sarukawa, I thought, “Yeah, it looks like he can do it.”
