When Oikawa committed to the play, there was no taking it back, he only had time to watch the ball soft arc through the air and land in Shirogane Jin's waiting hands.
That helpless feeling made Oikawa think of the few times he'd been made to look powerless, like facing Ushijima. The ball hung in the air, and Jin slapped it down into the backcourt. Aoba's libero, Watari lunged, barely grazing it with one hand the ball still flew toward the baseline.
Oikawa's face went tight. He threw himself forward, chasing the ball, cursing, "Damn that first-year brat!"
But the ball had flown too far. No matter how fast he ran, it was impossible to reach it before it landed. Everyone saw it, especially Oikawa.
All that wild sprint burned energy he couldn't afford. Oikawa's normally steady composure unraveled for the first time, and he couldn't fully calm himself after being hit by Jin several times in a row.
Something snapped.
A crunch sounded in Oikawa's ankle. His stride faltered. He pitched forward and slid across the floor, clutching his ankle.
"Oikawa!" the crowd shouted.
"Oikawa-senpai!"
Aoba's team swarmed to him. Coach Irihata and the assistant rushed over to check. He'd only just recovered from a sprain—chasing that ball without a full warm-up had re-opened the injury.
Karasuno froze. No one expected Oikawa to be hurt again so soon.
Oikawa's face unreadable for a second, then a slight grin slipped across his lips. Under his breath. "Damn this timing."
Iwaizumi barked at Oikawa, sharp and panicked. "Quit joking around man, get to the infirmary!"
They helped Oikawa up, he leaned on Yahaba's shoulder, grimacing. Yahaba's voice was firm. "You go on. We'll handle this."
"I'll take him to infirmary." Everyone saw Jin, who they didn't know when, already standing in their side.
Iwaizumi and Oikawa exchanged one look. "I'll be fine. Keep the game going, let me go to infirmary, and let that first-year brat come with me."
Oikawa hooked his arm over Jin's shoulders and walked off the court. Jin guided him toward the infirmary with steady steps.
"If my ankle hadn't given out... I'd have taught you a lesson." Oikawa said through gritted teeth as they left the gym doors.
Jin's expression slid from dead serious to a grin that was half teasing, half cold. "What do you think I'm here for? To laugh while you take a spill and eat dirt?"
"Idiot!" Oikawa spat. "You're worse than Ushijima, darn near impossible to read."
They reached the infirmary. Staff came out and took Oikawa in. Jin shrugged and started to go back to the court.
"Don't give up now," Jin suddenly turned his head with a smirk. " At Inter-High qualifiers, don't make me hang you again."
A prompt suddenly appeared in Jin's head.
*Ding!*
"Successfully obtained hate value for Aoba Johsai's player 'Oikawa Tōru'. Next time you beat them you'll receive a reward."
Jin's eyes gleamed. 'Hate value, huh? Get rewards… not bad.' He already began thinking in half-jest about how to farm those grudges, getting famous bullies riled up might be profitable.
Back in the gym the atmosphere shifted. Aoba Johsai's player reorganized and steadied themselves. Karasuno's player reset their energy, they are sharper now that the spark had come from the injury and the heat of the match.
Jin walked back to his spot, stretching his shoulders and thinking through the next plays how to get hate value. The match continued with a new edge, Oikawa only play for seconds and was out again, but both teams felt the change.