He stiffens at the words "noodle arms". They bite at him like an insect, enough to make him turn around again and smile at Bokuto condescendingly. (He skips over Bokuto's positive comment; he knows he's not nearly that good.)

"You should be careful not to tire yourself out. You're older than me, so you should make sure to conserve your energy ~ "

The involuntary, irritated chirring in his voice box kind of spoils the effect, though, and his sarcastic smile shifts into a cold glance.

"Fine. I'll play a little longer, but on one condition. If I successfully block one of your spikes, then we stop for the night."

He's being a dumbass, letting his feathers get ruffled over a bit of teasing and doing exactly what Bokuto wants him to. You'd think he'd have learnt his lesson by now after Kuroo.

He's probably going to regret this bravado later. Bokuto is obviously out of his league. And if Bokuto is chasing after him to block, it probably means that Kuroo has left or is busy with something else. It had been much easier to block Bokuto's spikes with the other middle blocker's guidance. But for now he can at least have the satisfaction of acting like he's in a position to challenge him, even if Bokuto will most likely end up rubbing his nose in the dirt again.