Chapter I

The King and the Star

The only reason Tobio entered Karasuno High was that he failed to get into Shiratorizawa Academy.

"Is that true Hirose Akari is going to the same school as us?"

"Hirose Akari? You mean Akari-chan? The center of Pink Panthers? What in the world! Why would someone as famous as her enroll in a school like Karasuno?"

He could care less about others' reasons for admission—let alone an idol group member. He never paid attention to any idol groups in general, needless to say.

Nevertheless, the Pink Panthers was the hottest girl group in Japan right now. Their latest song was a huge hit. Everyone on the streets was humming to it. Their music videos were played regularly on every display of electronic stores. Gagmen loved to parody them on their shows because the mentions of their name would bring in high ratings. Children were never tired of covering their songs on the school talent shows.

Some people believed the success the five ladies of Pink Panthers achieved was backed by the hard work of their center. But, what does the center of an idol group exactly do? As the name suggests, the center is a member who is always positioned in the middle during the promotions or even photoshoots. Hence, the public recognizes them the most, opportunities coming to them first as often as not.

As much as Tobio had seen Akari and the other girls appeared on TV, it didn't move his icy heart a bit. He was a resolute man. Once he disliked something, he wouldn't bother giving it another chance.

The vice-principal was confidently fixing his wig at the side of the stage, indicating the opening ceremony would be starting soon. Yet, a couple of male students behind him refused to seal their mouths.

"Have you seen her yet? She couldn't be absent on the first day of school, right?"

"Oh, look! There she is! Surrounded by girls." The other student pointed at a girl with long golden-brown hair. Even if she was amid the crowd and wearing the same school uniform as everyone else, there was still something about her that made her stand out.

"We are so blessed… To be able to breathe in the same air as her… and to watch her beauty at a distance this close…"

The vice-principal tapped the microphone before delivering the speech nobody would hear again in their spare time.

As soon as the opening ceremony had come to an end, the freshmen were sent to their respective classes to attend the homeroom. Coincidentally or not, Tobio was placed in the same class as the most talked-about female student of his batch. Should he be excited about it? Nah.

The other reason Tobio went into Karasuno High was because of the legendary Coach Ukai. Coach Ukai wasn't just your ordinary loud geezer. He was the man who brought the unknown Karasuno's volleyball team to the nationals. However, Karasuno was named as 'the Fallen Champion' as soon as Coach Ukai retired. Having said that, Tobio heard somewhere that Coach Ukai had come back from his retirement last year, hence he registered for Karasuno High.

Although he didn't pass Shiratorizawa's entrance exams, applying for Aoba Johsai was a form of the last resort he wouldn't consider. Why so? Because a few of his former teammates from Kitagawa Daiichi also went there. The teammates he used to put his trust in, and the very same teammates who had broken his trust.

"I want you to introduce yourselves to your new classmates. State your name, middle school, and motives." Their homeroom teacher came up with the most overused method to break the ice. "Okay, we'll start with the sweet-looking girl on the left!"

Halfway through the introduction, Akari's turn almost arrived and everybody else in the room seemed to look forward to it. For someone who had spent a long time under the limelight, she seemed to have not been fed up with being at the center of attention as she took a seat in the middle row on purpose.

Everyone didn't make a sound when it was finally her turn to speak, gazes directed at her, anticipating. "My name is Hirose Akari. I was homeschooled due to my hectic schedules. My older sister and brother used to go to Karasuno High as well, so they kinda lured me into it." Her voice was soft enough to put you to sleep but clear enough to draw your attention. "It's nice to meet you, everyone! I hope we all can get along well."

"Oh, seems like it's true that she used to live here in Miyagi before moving to Tokyo." A student who sat in front of Tobio whispered to his friend. "I just googled her."

"She'll be staying here at least until she graduates, right?" The other student wondered. "Wait, does that mean she'll be taking a break from the showbiz?"

After a long wait, Tobio's turn had eventually come. He couldn't wait to present himself formally to the class so that they all could get over with the silly introduction part and move forward to the next session.

He stood up tall, eyes set to the front. "Kageyama Tobio. Kitagawa Daiichi Middle School. Volleyball."

"Hey, it's him! The King of the Court." One of his classmates muttered a nickname he was sensitive to. "What?" The guy turned to Tobio as his glare pierced through the airs and graces.

He doesn't seem to know. Tobio heaved a sigh.

People would think 'the King of the Court' was an honorable title. But no, it was not. It was a nickname given by his previous teammates as a result of his dictator demeanor.

The only thing that the title had brought to him was a disgrace, after all.

"No fighting, okay, guys?" The teacher gazed around. "Shall we continue?"

The homeroom resumed.

It was the first time he ever saw Akari in person. No one would have guessed it could also be the last of her attendance.

"Akari-chan isn't coming to school again, huh?"

"Beats me," his friend shrugged. "I see her on TV more often than I see her at school."

"And I thought she would start focusing on her education…. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if she called it quits one of these days."

"What did you expect from a celebrity?" He complained, letting out a sigh. "It must be nice to be as famous as her… while we will be stuck in this rotten place for the upcoming years."

The next class was English, a subject Tobio took no interest in at all. He currently resides in Japan and did not have any plans to move abroad, so he didn't regard English as of importance. At the end of the class, Minaho-sensei, the English teacher told the students to form a group of two so that she could assign them a group project that would be due next week.

Tobio hated it when a group project was announced. Everyone would exchange hopeful glances with their partners, leaving him all alone since he didn't have anyone he socialized with on a daily basis, apart from the volleyball club's members.

"Has anyone paired up with Akari-chan yet?" Asked one of his classmates.

"Um, I'm afraid no. Didn't you agree to team up with Watanabe? I saw him approach you earlier."

"Yes, that's why I'm asking. Come on, guys! A chance like this won't come by twice in life! You don't get to be in the same class as an idol and work together with her every day!"

"Not to break this to you, but Akari-chan goes overseas a lot. You'll end up doing the whole group project alone. Are you sure you still want it?"

"You've… got a point." The other guy admitted defeat. "Then the smart guys should take her in! Since Akari-chan deserves the best."

"You just don't get it, do you?" His friend hit him in the head. "Smart students rather work alone than work together with someone who will not benefit them."

The class representative moved to the front of the class, "Is there any of you who still hasn't found a partner? I noticed the number of attendees today is odd numbers."

Tobio raised his hand, "Excuse me, I haven't found a partner yet."

"Kageyama, isn't it? You'll be teaming up with Hirose-san then. Are you okay with that?"

He was left with no option but to agree. He nodded, "Fine by me."

"That lucky bastard… Of course, he'll be okay!"

"We're not okay, though."

The following day, the news about one of the Pink Panthers' members parting ways due to personal issues was dropped and it had been the talk of the town since then.

"Have you heard? Yua-chan left the Pink Panthers!" Exclaimed one of the girls in Tobio's class as she stepped into the classroom in the morning. "I can't believe it! Their music only started to grow on me recently and I already have to experience a member leaving! Isn't the Pink Panthers doing so well these days?"

"Good for her. She's better off without them anyway. After all, she's the only one in the group who can actually sing! Unlike a particular member who only relies on her looks. Ooops."

But then, another girl jumped in. "Well, I can't deny that. She's pretty and all, but that's all she got, you know? She's been caught lip-syncing too many times, her dance is also mediocre, and her acting… don't get me started with her acting! It's just so… cringe-worthy. I wonder how she still manages to get all the gigs by herself?"

"I heard from an insider that her boss made her sleep her way to the top… so, you know the answer already."

"What? Isn't she still a minor? Ew, gross!"

"Not only that, but I also heard the other members of the Pink Panthers are not on good terms with her because she's just too greedy for the spotlight. It must be the reason why Yua decided to leave the group…"

The first girl gave a confused look, "Um, guys? Who are we talking about right now? I'm a bit lost."

"It's Akari, of course!" The other girl shouted, attracting the entire class's attention. "What? It's not like she's going to appear any minute now—"

As if she'd been cued in, Akari entered the class at the wrong time. A faint smile rolled over her lips, "Good morning." She greeted cheerfully.

"Akari-chan…" the girl who spread rumors earlier paused, at a loss for words. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She went to her seat and placed her bag on the desk. "I just talked to Yua-san this morning. She's in good hands. So, please keep supporting her, too."

All of a sudden, the school bell rang, saving the awkward tension for later. Tobio sighed heavily. They only became classmates for roughly two weeks, yet drama already aroused… He turned his focus to the idol, feeling pity for her.

Come to think of it, Tobio hadn't informed her about the group project yet.

Then again, now wasn't the best time.

He would spend his lunch break in the same way as the other students. Except that he took his time alone most of the time. As soon as the bell rang, he wasted no time in climbing down the stairs to get one or two yakisoba bread before it sold out. On his way back to the class, he developed a routine to stop by the vending machine to purchase some milk. If he didn't bump into familiar faces and get provoked by either Hinata or Tsukishima, he would usually head straight back to the class.

Just when he was looking through the window peacefully from his seat, someone stood by his desk.

"Are you Kageyama-kun?"

It was Akari. Hirose Akari.

"I heard that we would be working for a group project together. So…" She hesitated for a second. "Let's do our best?"

"Yeah. Let's do our best." He repeated. He noticed her eyeballs were moving in a circular motion.

"Are you available after school?" She inquired. "I'm planning to search for some references in the library. Do you want to come along?"

"I have practice after school. Do you mind waiting for me?"

"It's alright. I can start first."

The school bell rang. To his pleasure, it always rang at the right time.

"I'll be going then." She spun her body around and returned to her seat.

After school, Tobio and Hinata were practicing hard for the upcoming 3-on-3 match that would be held this Saturday. Despite that, they only gained access to the gym once the seniors had called it a day. As one by one of the seniors exited the court, they took the initiative to set up the net so that they could continue polishing the quick sets they invented this morning. Without realizing it, the sky had turned dark. Tanaka, the second-year who would be helping them in the match had also gone home sooner, reminding the two freshmen to clean up and lock up the gym once they were done.

A sudden realization came, Tobio made a promise to help with the group project once the practice was over! How could he forget that!

"Hey, Dumbass. I'm going back ahead!" He told Hinata before leaving him behind.

"Kageyama, you bastard!" The redhead cursed from a distance.

Tobio traveled through the empty corridor in great haste. Just when he arrived at the front of the library, the door opened, revealing a girl with golden-brown hair.

Her hazel eyes widened in surprise. As she was conscious of his quick breaths, she took a step back to give him room. "Kageyama-kun? Have you been running?"

Yet, he ignored her last question, his breath still erratic. "You done already?"

"I've completed the essay. Your part as well." She handed him a piece of paper. "Do you want to take a look?"

"Sure." He took the paper and ran his eye over it. The one-page essay was, by all means, written in English. The language whose basic he could barely grasp. The only thing he could perceive was her neat handwriting.

"You can bring it home if you want. But don't forget to submit it later." She suggested. "By the way, do you want to walk home together? If we're heading toward the same direction, of course."

First, she had done the group project all by herself, which had led him to feel guilty for not making any contributions. Moreover, it was late already. One thing his father had taught him was to never let a girl walk alone in the evening, notwithstanding the fact that the crime rate in Sendai City was considered very low compared to the rest of the world.

It was the least he could do to express his gratitude.

He stepped ahead without a word, leaving her confused. "Come on, let's go."

Author's note: Happy new year, guys! This is my first Haikyuu fanfic, I hope you enjoy it ^^