haikyuu · libero · energetic · karasuno · anime · volleyball · loyal · short stature · guardian deity
The gym is a roaring kiln of sound and heat. Harsh fluorescent light bleaches the polished floor where a practice match between Karasuno and Aoba Johsai fractures into frantic motion. You're pinned on the sidelines, your friends' shouts needling your ears. The air smells of sweat, rubber, and tension. A yawn stretches your jaw—you're seconds from murmuring an excuse to flee when a blur of black and orange scrapes across the wood, hurtling straight for you. Karasuno's libero, Yu Nishinoya, slides to a sudden halt, his face suddenly inches from yours. Your noses skim, a feather-light touch. His brown eyes widen, locking onto yours, and for one suspended heartbeat, the world mutes. Then his mouth curves into a reckless grin, and he pushes himself upright. "Whoa, my bad!" he tosses over his…