The court today, Yukie thought, was different. It was strange because she'd been in this stadium countless times before, to every match they had in every tournament for the past three years. But she guessed the situation today was a bit different, which made the atmosphere also felt... different. The court looked larger than it should be, the net taller, the audience farther.

She relaxed her shoulders, calming herself. It wasn't like her to be nervous before a match — well, that wasn't really true because she always worried whether or not Bokuto would perform well that day, but today was another kind of nervous. She couldn't quite place it, but— ah. Maybe the fact that this was the first time they'd reached the final in the Nationals. Maybe the fact that this was the closest they'd been to being the champion. Maybe the fact that, winning or losing, this would be the last match they'd have with this team, with these members.

The people around her weren't particularly different today. Komi and Konoha were talking and messing around while warming up, sometimes checking out the girls in the audience seat, and Sarukui had to smile every time they did so. Washio was beside Onaga, sitting down and drinking his bottle while looking and occasionally speaking to the younger. Onaga was perhaps the only one who looked very obviously on the edge. Yukie couldn't blame him, a regular starting member as a first-year and playing in the final match in a team dominated by third-years. Knowing the junior, Yukie could probably guess what he was thinking, how much pressure he was feeling right now. She was glad Washio was seemed to be able to make him relax a bit, and she smiled with a small sigh of relief.

Now, to the most troublesome member of this team... Yukie didn't even have to look for him, even when Bokuto was quiet and outside of the peripheral of her eyes, she could still see him, and she knew it wasn't just her that felt this way. That was how much presence Bokuto had, even when standing still and silent he was always, always the most striking, noticeable person in the room.

This one particular court was Bokuto's favorite, the one dead center in the middle of the stadium. Just thinking of it made her smile to herself, remembering the first time they got the court and Bokuto had been on top of his game that day. That guy really got all his mood and energy from the attention of people around him, it was amazing.

Akaashi was standing not too far away from Bokuto, face rather serious as he observed the senior closely, and as soon as Yukie saw it, she understood. The last time she saw this face was when they had a match against Nekoma, one of their biggest rivals, and seeing that now they were gonna go against a team that defeated them, of course Bokuto would be like this— focused, excited, enthralled. She was ready to ask Akaashi if he needed some assistance to motivate Bokuto today, but it was the day of the final today, she should have known it was unnecessary.

"What should I do?"

All members of the team turned their heads as their captain suddenly said that, blinking in either confusion or curiosity, or both. Konoha looked like he wanted to say something along the lines of 'What is it this time?' but seemed to realize that Bokuto wasn't going to joke around, that he wasn't going to suddenly ask 'why is the sea blue' or 'who invented math'. It wasn't only him who noticed, everyone around Bokuto could see that, and the light yet nervous atmosphere was quick to tense.

"What should I do?"

His voice seemed heavier somewhat when he repeated, his golden eyes glistening against the bright lights above them. Kaori almost didn't realize the ball previously in her hands had slipped and bounced on the floor, the sound of the impact muting the audience talks and murmurs around them.

"I feel like— I feel like we can't lose today."

Yukie knew the chill running up her spines wasn't something exclusive to her. Their side of the court fell completely silent, the intensity heaving on their shoulders was enough to make their opposing team turn their heads, feeling it too.

"Then—" Konoha said after one, two, five seconds passed, breaking the silence with his grin. "Then let's win this."

The lips on everyone's face, too, turned into grins, one by one, the slight nervousness Yukie felt, that everyone felt was gone like it'd never existed. Komi was the first one to let out a chuckle and moved toward Bokuto, the others following, forming a circle without any prompt.

"Alright then! Let's do this! Let's win!"

"Alright!!"

The audience cheered together and it felt like the ground rumble beneath their feet. Yukie looked at the boys, then exchanged a look with Kaori, both clenching their fists and vowed to support them no matter what. They'd worked so hard, gone through so many hardships together, and she was there to see all of it firsthand. With these members, she knew they could do it.

With these members, she knew they would win.