#manager matchups

school: aoba johsai year: 2nd

you got roped into the whole manager business by yahaba. you met him early on in your first year, and you became friendly acquaintances – but you wouldn’t necessarily consider you guys particularly close. so, you’re a little confused when he walks up to you one day, asking you if you’d like to be the manager of the volleyball team. it’s before class, and at the tail-end of your first year – which, honestly, makes it even more confusing.

you’re not quite sure why he’s asking you to be the manager. but, you do remember that you’d certainly stepped into the role of leader on that last group assignment the two of you were part of. maybe that was why? either way, you agreed. it might be fun, and seijoh’s one of the top schools in the prefecture, right?

you settle into the team almost astoundingly well; you hit it off with the second years easily, and your fellow first years are nice enough. you stepped into the role of manager quite naturally, and it genuinely became quite enjoyable. it became even more pleasant as you moved into your second years, and there were a new influx of first years on the team (even though you joked about the idea of oikawa being captain – you knew he was quite capable of it, but you didn’t want him to think he could get away with bragging).

about mid-way through your second year, you ask yahaba why he asked you to take on the role. he tells you, “yeah i asked you because i wanted our team to have a female manager and everyone else turned me down.” suffice to say you were ready to kill him--

your team ♡

✧ you know how we don’t talk about the fact that you’re 5’3 ½”? yeah, well, oikawa definitely does. doesn’t let you forget the fact that he’s exactly nine of inches taller than you. you insist that it’s really not that many, but he elects to ignore that fact.

✧ he flirted with you a ton when you first joined the team, thinking you were one of his fangirls (until iwa knocked some sense into him because look she’s going to be our manager for the next year and a half show some respect--)

✧ okay, but once you two become friends? obnoxiously loud. there’s no-one on the team who quite meets oikawa’s level of melodramatic flair, but you’re more than capable of handling it. he actually enjoys having someone around who can riff off his personality quite easily; it’s a different kind of fun, you know?

✧ he actually gets jealous when the team lets you off the hook for being so loud. he’s like “hey, you guys never cut me any slack!” to which the response is, “yeah, because you’re not a cute girl.” almost always followed up with, “but i am cute!”

✧ you two have,,, the chattiest friendship. you always find something to talk about, and the two of you can talk any topic to death. The rest of the team is impressed by just how much you two have to say on things; it’s a talent within itself.  

✧ okay, so you’re into astronomy, and that’s close enough to aliens for oikawa. expect to be constantly bombarded with his alien conspiracy theories; he’s convinced that there’s life out there, and he tries to get you to go along with him by trying to tap into your knowledge base. iwaizumi begs you not to encourage him.  

✧ have you seen that picture of him just going for it at karaoke? oh yeah. finding out that you enjoy singing meant that he started arranging a ton of karaoke nights. the reason? because he’s constantly trying to out-sing you. of course, it never works – the rest of the team is adamant about that – but oh boy, does he try.

✧ there’s a lot of snark traded between the two of you, and you’re always (playfully) bickering with one another. you’ve just got one of those friendships that’s constantly sarcastic, you know? and honestly, the rest of the team just likes watching oikawa get roasted from time to time lsdkj

✧ oh, he’d be so easy to scare. you’re constantly finding ways to frighten him because he’s definitely a scaredy cat. often tries to hide behind iwaizumi in an attempt to protect himself. it rarely works.

✧ but, on a sweeter note, you’re definitely the sort who’s always trying to look after him. you’re a mum friend, and oikawa has the tendency to be a human disaster (especially when he gets stuck in his own head and that spiral of insecurity). you’re rarely overt about it (mainly because he’ll insist that he’s fine), but you’ve always got an eye on him. just in case.  

✧ he’s convinced he’s the best wingman on earth. he’s actually the worst – but we’ll get to that later. you’d constantly tell him that he was just making things worse, but he simply couldn’t be convinced that he was anything other than a stand-up friend. honestly, it’s a miracle things worked out as well as they did.

✧ truth be told, he’d developed some feelings for you, too. they’re weren’t very loud, but they were certainly present. but, he keeps them to himself, because he values his friendship with both you and iwa too much to interfere. for once in his life, he’s content with ‘losing’, if it means the two of you will be happy.

iwaizumi hajime

✧ your personalities contrast so well, you hear me? he’s such a,,, straight-forward, grounded person, and i that’s such a fun contrast against your full-out theatre kid energy.

✧ he’s a polite dude, so he wanted to make sure that you were okay and comfortable when you first joined as manager. that’s how you two ended up being pretty good friends, even in the early days! he does his best to make polite small talk (since you’re quiet at first), but honestly you end up getting quite close. he turns into your anchor in the team more or less on accident, but he’s happy to oblige.  

✧ iwaizumi, even though he’s more lowkey himself, is more than fine with how loud you can be – he’s been close friends with oikawa for almost his entire life, after all. it’s a nice contrast, and it means you often fill the silence between the two of you. but, he’s a good listener, and he always finds something insightful to say.  

✧ he’s pretty responsible, so he does his best to try and help you with your tendency to procrastinate. it doesn’t always work, but he checks in with you often to see if you’re doing your work. on that same note, he’s a godsend when it comes to dealing with the team – he might be the only other responsible person there, and he’s always lending you a hand with your managerial duties.

✧ he really appreciates how responsible you can be, and the fact that you’re willing to tell things as they are to the boys, while still looking after them. he thinks that’s invaluable, and just the sort of presence they need in their life.

✧ but, he’s endlessly entertained when you direct your sarcasm towards oikawa or one of the other third years. he likes that spunk; sure, you might be younger than them, but you can certainly hold your own, and they can certainly take it.

✧ okay, but iwaizumi’s very aware of when people aren’t looking after themselves (see: oikawa) so i think he’d be tuned in to when you were hit by seasonal depression, too. he’d research ways to help you out with it (and, of course, he’d check with you to make sure what’s actually helpful), and it’s just so earnest and thoughtful of him?

✧ you two are mum and dad of the team, without a doubt. that’s kind of a running joke amongst the team, although nobody actually says that to you guys. they learnt their lesson after iwaizumi sent oikawa a very icy glare one time (and, of course, followed up with the threat of a headbutt).

✧ but, the fact of the matter is that they’re not wrong. about half a year in, and there’s definitely something brewing between you and iwaizumi. he finds your presence comforting, and your personality is just very endearing to him. he finds you easy to be around, and he always catches himself smiling more whenever he’s with you. and come on, who isn’t at least a little attracted to iwa?

✧ your feelings for each other develop slowly, based in the sense of comfort you feel with each other, and how well you complement each other. and trust me, the team knows. that, plus your roles as parents of the team, means they’re big supporters of the two of you getting together. even though the two of you seem determined to keep your (obviously) blossoming feelings to yourselves.

✧ and oikawa, perceptive and sneaky as he is, gets you to accidentally confess to him (oikawa, that is). it’s all a blur, but you’re just hanging out, getting boba one afternoon, and the next thing you know oikawa is whooping to the sky, yelling “called it!” he has his suspicions about iwaizumi, but he knows that the boy’ll be obtuse. so, he’s like “okay, i’ve got a plan” (cue you groaning, because of course he does)

✧ fucking oikawa’s like “okay okay so i can’t get iwa to tell me about his feelings for you so we’re gonna drag them out of him” and you’re like “honest to god, what are you talking about?” and oikawa’s like “we’re gonna make him jealous”

✧ and you’re like “tooru this is the worst idea you’ve ever had. i literally don’t think it’s possible to get dumber than this. this is both cruel and stupid.” and oikawa’s like “it’ll be fine just jealous enough that he. you know. says something!” and you’re like no

✧ but oikawa’s a man with a one-track mind. over the next few practices, he makes an extra effort to flirt with you; brushing your hair out of your face, telling you that you “look cute today!”, and just being a general sleaze (and he does it so effortlessly that you kind of want to slap him in the face for it). and you, personally, want to d i e. and the rest of the team is honestly confused? because they’re like “weren’t we,,, weren’t we rooting for iwaizumi?” kindaichi in particular had a crisis of allegiance, poor boy.

✧ and poor iwa. poor iwa. he’s genuinely mad at himself for not telling oikawa the truth. and he actually starts overthinking things? which he never really does. and he gets mad at himself for feeling like maybe something was happening between you and him, when of course the reality was that you were interested in his best friend. after all, it always seems to pan out like this.

✧ so, the two of you are walking you home, as they usually do. it’s more tense than usual (mostly because you’re Anxious about oikawa’s tomfoolery, and because iwaizumi is Going Through it). but then oikawa’s like “gotta bounce iwa you walk her home yourself!” and iwa’s like “i’d rather die” in his head. you’re like “i’d rather die” in your head. you both know this is going to be an excruciatingly awkward walk. but, it’s dark, and gentleman that he is, iwa’s not going to see you walk home alone.

✧ and you’re right – it’s awkward as hell. and you’re completely silent for once and iwa can’t take it. he’s used to you chatting his ear off. so, he decides to just. instigate the conversation because he might as well get it over with.

✧ and he’s like “if you’re into oikawa, you should’ve just told me.” and you’re like “what—” and he takes a deep breath, knowing he could very well come to regret what he’s about to say, but he’s used to ignoring his own feelings; and he just can’t do that tonight. so, he goes, “i thought maybe something was happening between the two of us. i’m not mad about it, because it’s my fault for misunderstanding. i’m just hurt you weren’t straightforward with me.” he’s not quite sure what’s compelled him to say it, or to say it like that, but he figures it’s his best chance of getting back to normal.

✧ and you freak out because 1) iwaizumi haijime might’ve just confessed to you? kind of? and 2) it sounds like he’s already breaking up with you. and you’re like “no no no no hajime i like you i’m not interested in oikawa like that he’s just being a piece of shit—” and iwaizumi’s like wait. what? what?

✧ and you’re like “yeah he knows i like you so he wanted to make you jealous.” whoops. iwaizumi’s like “w h a t” and you know you’ve just sentenced oikawa to death. but then you’re like !!! hold up we’re not discussing the most important thing here

✧ iwa’s like ????? because he’s so rageful in that moment. so, you say “you just told me you liked me.” and he goes “o h,,, you just told me you like me.” and you two just sort of stare at each other and iwaizumi realises that he still has no idea how to talk to girls. and he just goes “are we… dating now?” and you’re like “i… guess?”

✧ and iwa’s berates himself, thinking “you idiot you were supposed to confess better than that i can’t believe this is how you’re confessing i’m—” but you reach forward and take his hands in yours and he’s !!!!! and you’re dlkjdfkldjf but you’re resolute. so, you go “friday?” “friday,” he replies. and with some surge of courage he brings your hands up to his lips and he presses a gentle kiss to them. in your head you’re like aaaaaaaaa but you muster a smile. he can’t help but marvel at how you’re even prettier when you blush.

✧ thankfully, it’s much smoother sailing after that, and the two of you transition to a relationship quite comfortably. the only real difference is that iwaizumi’s more overtly affectionate with you (mostly when you’re alone, but he allows little acts of pda – mostly handholding – to slip through the cracks)

✧ loves your voice? finds it so soothing? after you start dating, he makes a habit of calling you so you can sing him to sleep. nothing helps him relax quite like feeling your fingers in his hair while listening to you sing.

✧ i mentioned it earlier, but you make him smile so easily? whether it’s your potty mouth, your loud, bright personality, or your sarcastic side, iwa just,,, gets overwhelmed by fondness. honestly, just the way he looks at you betrays just how much he cares about you.

✧ the team adores you two together. like,,, they think you guys are so sweet, and nobody has the heart to tease you guys about it. well, too much (also they’re just grateful because they thought for a second there that you guys wouldn’t happen and that’d be a travesty). oikawa tries to take credit for the two of you finally getting together, but that usually nets him a ball to the face.

✧ you’ve just got a very sweet, loving relationship, and he helps ground you while you bring him some levity. we love to see it.

matsukawa issei

✧ you two have quite the entertaining friendship, let me tell you. he often teases you about the fact that you’re just a second year (even though you blend in with seijoh’s third years so seamlessly), but honestly it’s because he’s secretly a little miffed that he only gets one year with you as the manager. not that he’s going to say that point blank.

✧ like oikawa, he’s always teasing you for being short. and somehow, he’s even more ruthless. he also teases you about being loud. and about being an astronomy nerd. the short of it is that he likes to tease you. but, it all comes from a place of love (and he wouldn’t want you to be any other way).

✧ you two are constantly sassing back and forth (this is,,, a running theme fslksdfj), and he’s delighted that you can dish it back. It keeps things interesting, you know?

✧ okay, but you two have terrible potty mouths together, and iwa gets sflkjflkjf when the first years are around. you guys even point to yahaba as being just as bad, but iwa’s still the responsible parent in this equation. not even a kiss on the cheek can convince him to let you guys go buckwild. although, it does give matsukawa an opportunity to tease him for blushing so hard.

✧ you guys tease oikawa all the time,,, it’s so easy to y’know,,, y’know,,, oikawa tries to fight back, but nothing can defeat the power that is you, matsukawa and hanamaki with a target in mind.

✧ but at the same time, he appreciates you being able to flip the switch and step into the role of a responsible manager. He’s glad that you can look after the first and second years so well, and he knows that they’ll be left in good hands by the time the third years graduate.

hanamaki takahiro

✧ so, (in my head) makki is a notorious procrastinator. so, you two are always hitting each other up when you’re trying to avoid your schoolwork. and you always find just,,, the most bizarre ways to waste your time.

✧ “wanna go see this german arthouse film about a death cult?” “makki how,,, how did you even find out about this?” “dunno. are you in or not?”

✧ oh, but he always gets so miffed when you do well on exams and he doesn’t— he usually just calls you a nerd. doesn’t mean he’s actually going to study, tho dslkfj

✧ the banter in this friendship. you, makki and matsukawa form something of a trio, and if the three of you are feeling particularly goblinish one day, oikawa is in for it (as i pointed out earlier). on the more wholesome side of things, it means that the three of you are always laughing whenever you’re together? no matter what, you always find something to be amused by, and that adds some much needed levity to things.

✧ him and matsukawa definitely team up to tease you and iwa. like, they love you guys as a couple, but seeing iwa soft is such a contrast that they just. can’t help themselves. you’re iwa’s last defence, but the fact that the quips are coming from two directions makes it harder for you to protect him ldfjlklj

yahaba shigeru

✧ you two are best friends. sometimes it doesn’t seem like it, but you are.

✧ you’re constantly roasting each other (of course), and you’re always teasing each other for something. You tease him about his hair, he teases you for zoning out. You tease him for having terrible luck with girls, he teases you for being a procrastinator. Your conversations tend to turn into a battlefield fdslkj.  

✧ you also have the worst potty mouths when you’re together. you always have to remind yourselves to reign it in when you’re around the team sdlkjd and seijoh’s no angels when it comes to language! even matsukawa’s like !?!?!?! mainly because nobody expects that to come out of yahaba, for some reason. which gives you yet another reason to tease him.

✧ you’re always trying to frighten him, and it works well during the first few months of your friendship. after a while, though he tries to steel himself; it works for the most part, but sometimes you manage to land a hit. the team went to a haunted house on halloween, and let’s just say that him and oikawa would not shut up.

✧ honestly, yahaba seems like the type of person who’s quite straightforward. he’s not the best at comfort, but he’s a good person to talk to about your problems because he’ll be honest with you. and, if you need someone beat up, he’s ready to go.

✧ yahaba has no problem with confrontation lmao he would literally get into a fight for you if you needed him to.

✧ okay but like,,, self-care days. he’s like LoOk MuM I’m TaKiNg CaRe Of MySeLf and you’re like “shigeru doing a face mask doesn’t count.” he ignores you, instead asking you if you’d prefer camomile or green tea.

✧ but he’s always looking out for you, you know? for example, he supports you and iwaizumi, and he has a lot of respect for him as his upperclassmen, but oh boy those first few months were full of side eyes. also, he knows when you’re down in an instant, and pulls you along for one of your infamous self-care day.

✧ you also cheer each other on, as good best friends do. your support is invaluable in his transition to captain, and he’s grateful to have you involved with the team. he knows that you, as manager, will cover the bases he can’t as captain. he’s honestly just relieved to know you’re there, supporting him and the team at large.

✧ tries to get you to start a band with him in third year. you’re like “okay!” until you find out the reason is because he wants to impress girls lfjdfskljdsjl also he wanted to be the vocalist while you played instruments, but he can’t sing for the life of him.

✧ you just have a lot of fun together, you know? while still providing each other with the support you’d expect from a pair of best friends. bless you guys!  

kyoutani kentarou

✧ okay so, there may be a little tension here – especially at first. I get the feeling kyoutani doesn’t like loud people very much, nor is he a fan of anyone too enthusiastic. Your theatre kid vibe might rub him the wrong way.

✧ it’s going to be quite difficult for the two of you to connect (but, that’s kyoutani with everyone). blah he’s abrasive, and your loud, energetic personality is just so foreign to him. and he’s not afraid to be mean, you know? he’s confrontational and i feel like that might not sit well with you.

✧ honestly, he starts showing you a bit more respect when you start dating iwaizumi. because iwa obviously likes you, he sees you as worthy of at least an iota of respect. i think your relationship would smooth out over the next year, but dating iwaizumi definitely gave you an edge!

kindaichi yutaro

✧ oh, this boy is so fond of you. him and yahaba form a bit of a ‘protection squad’ whenever you’re at games. if they so much as catch someone from another team just looking at you, they’re ready to glare them down (so the tanaka & noya to your kiyoko, i guess?)

✧ first of all, the fact that this first year towers over you is both funny and upsetting. he doesn’t try and bring attention to it though, bless his soul. no, it’s all oikawa; he likes to point out how funny it looks when you two stand next to each other. you make him pay for that one--

✧ he looks up (but down sdffjk) at you as an older sister figure? he takes you advice very seriously, and he does his best to make you proud. honestly, he just likes being taken care of, and he really appreciates that you look out for him.

✧ always trying to try and cheer you up whenever he catches whiff of your seasonal depression. he’s not necessarily super perceptive, nor if he a master at talking about feelings (i mean,,, the whole kageyama issue dfkdj), but he doesn’t like seeing you sad. so, he tries to life your spirits by doing stuff like bringing you hot drinks in the morning before practice, and giving you other little gifts. his earnestness is honestly quite touching.  

✧ he just treats you with a lot of affection and respect, and he gets genuinely surprised when kunimi sasses you because he cannot comprehend it? why would one of your underclassmen talk to you like that?

✧ another big fan of you and iwa as a couple. he holds a lot of respect for the both of you, and he’s honestly delighted to see you guys make each other happy! definitely the member of the team who’s most archetypally your ‘son’.

kunimi akira

✧ okay, but the contrast? exquisite

✧ it takes the two of you a while to acclimatise to each other, but i think you’d vibe eventually? he rails in the face of energy and enthusiasm, but he does appreciate that you can rope some of the other team members in by your “harsh parent” persona.

✧ once you’re friends, you two are so sarcastic with each other; there’s always a quip or two, and you also have a lot of fun sassing people together. he likes seeing how you can pull the third years into line too, even though you’re a year younger than them.

✧ i don’t see you guys being particularly close, but at the end of the day, you get along quite well, and you have a sense of mutual respect (well, in a very kunimi way).

some other interactions ♡

tsukishima kei

✧ alright, so you’ve never really,,, spoken much. but, tsukki ends up with a tiny little crush on you anyway. not strong enough to really try and do anything about it (especially given the obstacles in the way), but strong enough to be noticeable.

✧ it’s the preliminaries, and he saw you ragging out oikawa one time while you were in the hallway and tsukki’s like.,,, “hehe”

✧ tadashi notices immediately, and goes “what are you laughing at?”

✧ tsukki goes “i’m not laughing what are you talking about?” but he very hurriedly walks towards the rest of the team in an attempt to shake the slew of questions about to come his way.

✧ anyway, karasuno’s game is finished, and they’re watching aoba johsai verse another team, and they’re shit-scared. but, tsukki’s eyes kept wandering to the bench.  

✧ and he’s just like “what the f u c k is happening to me, i’m—” tadashi’s sat next to him, and he goes “tsukki, are you blushing?” and tsukki’s like “i—”

✧ this is tsukki, you know? he’s not going to admit that he has a crush on a girl. especially one he hasn’t spoken to properly. how dare you assume he likes someone—

✧ but tadashi’s like !!!!!!!!!! oh my god oh my god oh my god – and tsukki’s like “w h a t are you on about?”

✧ tadashi’s all “!!!!!!!! you like a girl!! we’ve got to get you to speak to this girl!! this is the romeo and juliet of the modern era!!” tsukki just goes “that’s not a good thing—”  

✧ but somehow tadashi manages to drag the two of you into a conversation while you’re in the hallway. he told tsukki that they absolutely needed to go to the toilet right now, and when tsukki tried to refuse he just grabbed his sleeve and dragged him down the hallway. tsukki was too shocked by his insistence to stop it from happening.

✧ you’re minding your business, checking your phone for something when suddenly there’s a very nervous freckled boy introducing himself and his exceedingly tall blond friend to you. you’re like ????? but you don’t want to be impolite, so you play along

✧ when you and tsukki finally speak, it’s,,, the world’s most awkward conversation. tadashi pushes him towards you and he’s like, “so,,, you’re seijoh’s manager.” and you’re like, “yeah,,, i guess i am?” because you know nothing about this guy and you have no idea why he’s talking to you. you just know he’s a middle blocker from karasuno.

✧ and you, bless your soul, try to keep the conversation going. it’s a little awkward, because you have no idea what to even talk about, and tsukishima’s,,, struggling. part of him really wants to talk to you, but another part of him is just frozen in confusion and a little bit of fear.

✧ it’s at that point yahaba and kindaichi round the corner. and in typical fashion, they whisk you away from the conversation before you even know what’s happening, shooting tsukki glares that say, “how dare you speak to our manager.”

✧ after that, tsukki stuck to admiring you from afar (even though he would never admit to such a thing), and he certainly didn’t make any more attempts to introduce himself – nor did he let tadashi pressure him into doing so fdskljdf

tendou satori

✧ this boy is,,, genuinely sad that seijoh and shiratorizawa have such an intense rivalry because he would be friends with you in a heartbeat. and he can tell this just by seeing how you interact with your team, and the scant conversations he’s managed to have with you.

✧ he can glean some of your personality just by watching how you interact with your team, you know? and your banter with the third years? immaculate, in his eyes. essentially, he really likes what he sees.

✧ semi’s like, “dude, if you think she’s cute just ask for her number—” and tendou’s goes, “it’s not like that (it is a little bit) she just seems cool, okay?” and semi’s like, “whatever you say, man.”

✧ also, that number 4 who’s near-constantly at your side is a little intimidating, you know? he certainly doesn’t have the gall to approach you all bold-faced, so he’s content to just stay on the other side of the court.  

✧ he did bump into you in the hallway one time, and it was a disaster; he wasn’t ready for it, and that number four was standing right next to you. some part of him wanted to try and introduce himself, but his brain shortcircuited. tendou just kind of,,, looked between the two of you and gave you a thumbs up before basically sprinting down the hallway. semi never let him forget it.