Chapter 12

                                    

                                          
The cheers of the crowd were still echoing in the distance as Y/N and her bandmates made their way backstage. The adrenaline was still coursing through her veins, and despite the exhaustion settling into her muscles, she couldn't stop smiling. The performance had been a success, and the energy from the audience had been nothing short of exhilarating.

"That was amazing!" Haru exclaimed as he collapsed onto a nearby chair, grinning ear to ear. "You killed it, Y/N!"

Kenji nodded vigorously, still spinning a drumstick in his fingers. "Seriously, your voice was on point! The crowd loved us."

"Especially a certain someone," Kenta teased with a playful smirk, nudging Y/N's arm. "You know, the guy sitting front and center, giving you heart eyes the entire time."

Y/N's face instantly flushed, and she groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Oh, stop! I was just singing, okay?"

But her bandmates weren't about to let it go. "Come on, Y/N," Haru teased. "You practically made eye contact with Iwaizumi the whole time during that last song. Don't think we didn't notice."

"Totally," Kenji added. "It was like a scene out of a romance movie. You could feel the tension in the air."

Y/N's blush deepened as her bandmates laughed, clearly enjoying her embarrassment. She had to admit, though—there was some truth to what they were saying. Throughout that final song, her focus had been entirely on Iwaizumi. She couldn't help it; it was like he had this gravitational pull that she couldn't resist.

"Alright, alright," Y/N said, holding her hands up in surrender. "You guys are ridiculous."

"But we're right," Mei shot back with a grin. "You should totally confess."

"Stop," Y/N whined, though her heart skipped a beat at the idea.

Their teasing continued until they all heard a familiar voice calling from the other side of the room.

"Y/N! There you are!"

Y/N turned to see Aiko rushing toward her with a huge smile, followed closely by Oikawa and the rest of the volleyball team—including Iwaizumi. Her heart did a little flip in her chest as her eyes found his, and for a moment, the noise of the bustling backstage area faded into the background.

"You were incredible out there!" Aiko gushed as she pulled Y/N into a hug. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks, Aiko," Y/N laughed, hugging her friend back. "I'm just glad I didn't mess up."

"Mess up?" Oikawa scoffed, draping an arm over Iwaizumi's shoulder. "Are you kidding? That performance was flawless. Iwa-chan was practically speechless watching you!"

Y/N's eyes flickered to Iwaizumi, who looked a little flustered at Oikawa's comment. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly but gave her a small smile.

"You were really great, Y/N," Iwaizumi said, his voice softer than usual. "You did amazing."

Y/N felt her cheeks heat up again, but she couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. "Thanks, Iwaizumi. It means a lot coming from you."

There was a brief moment of silence between them before Oikawa cleared his throat loudly, clearly enjoying the tension. "Well, looks like someone's got something to talk about later, huh?"

Aiko elbowed him sharply, giving him a look that said, "Not now."

"Anyway!" Aiko said, quickly changing the subject. "We reserved a spot for a little celebration, so you better come and join us, Y/N. We've got to celebrate your big night!"

Y/N smiled, grateful for the distraction. "Sure! Let me just grab my stuff, and I'll meet you guys out front."

As the group dispersed to head outside, Iwaizumi lingered for a moment, his eyes locking with Y/N's again. He hesitated before speaking, his voice low enough that only she could hear.

"Hey, Y/N," he started, his expression serious but soft. "You... you really were amazing up there."

Y/N's heart fluttered at his words, and for a second, she thought she saw something more in his eyes—something that made her feel warm all over.

"Thanks," she whispered back, her voice barely above a breath.

Iwaizumi looked like he wanted to say something more, but before he could, Aiko popped her head back in, interrupting the moment.

"Y/N! Iwaizumi! Hurry up, we're waiting!" she called, waving them over.

Iwaizumi straightened up and nodded toward the door. "We should go," he said, his voice returning to its usual tone.

Y/N nodded, grabbing her bag and following him outside. As they joined the rest of their friends, she couldn't help but glance at him out of the corner of her eye. Something was different between them now—something unspoken but undeniable.

And as they headed out together to celebrate, Y/N couldn't shake the feeling that the night wasn't quite over yet. There was still something lingering in the air between her and Iwaizumi—something waiting to be said.And maybe, just maybe, the performance wasn't the only thing worth celebrating tonight.