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Chapter Text

Spring High-Fukushima Prefecture Representative Tournament, One Year Ago

Ryuuzawa Academy were the reigning kings of Fukushima Prefecture, known for their overwhelming defense and bone-shaking serves they had always been considered to be one of the favorites for the Spring Interhigh, one of the most important tournaments for High School Volleyball Teams. The score was 24-10 in favor of Ryuuzawa, this was their last match for the qualifiers in order to decide who would be their prefectures representatives. Their opponents were known to be fearsome tigers, relentless with their attacks and had a reputation for being capable of scoring against any defensive team. However, just like no shield would ever be impenetrable there was also no sword that could be capable of cutting through anything. Toraseki High was down by 14 points and the team itself were already down on their last legs.

Yukishiro Akira looked over their opponents, not a trace of fear in their bones as she was called to give the last serve. She would have to give credit where it is due, they deserve every amount of respect that she could muster at that very moment. Normally, their opponents would quiver whenever Ryuuzawa had the serve, they were known for their monstrous serving strength, but not Toraseki she could still see the fire in their eyes even if the situation was dire. Their libero still glared at her defiantly, in fact she could see the hunger reflected against those garnet eyes, it demanded for Akira to send the serve towards her way.

“Very well, I’ll send it your way…”

Akira gave one last glance towards their opponents, especially that of their ace. They had broken her throughout the course of the match, whenever the ball would fly towards the girl Ryuuzawa would make sure that it would never reach the other side of the net. In mid-air their blockers reigned supreme, a tall wall that had stopped the best spikers around the country. Akira would be lying if she told herself that she wasn’t disappointed by the girl’s performance. She knew that Maya was strong, they were teammates during middle school and now they stood on opposite ends of the court as rivals. She couldn’t accept that this was all Maya had to show for her, last year they managed to fight almost on even ground and the score had been so close but now? Now, Ryuuzawa led with a massive lead with no hope in sight for the fallen tigers.

Disappointment was etched on her face, she wished this could have gone another way but alas on the court there would always be winners and losers. Akira couldn’t exactly wait for Maya to get over this slump, she needed to move forward along with her team for there could only be one representative for Fukushima Prefecture and it would be them. 

The whistle blew and Akira tossed the ball high up. She had a good feeling about it, she knew this was going to be the last set there was no way that the other team’s libero would be capable of receiving another serve from her. The moment her feet left the ground as she jumped, she knew without fail that it would go in. She had a clear view of the court, this sacred view that one could only see when they jump on the court was truly one of the most beautiful things that one could see during the game. Akira’s hand connected with the ball and the sound from the sudden contact had been deafening, similar to that of a thunderclap. The ball itself descended like lightning towards the blonde libero, there was absolutely no way that the girl had enough stamina to receive it but much to Akira’s surprise the blonde girl gritted her teeth and met the challenge head on.

The ball flew over her head and for a moment Akira had hoped for the other team to score, perhaps if they turned the tides this game would become far more interesting. However, Akira knew that wouldn’t happen not when their frontline was a force to be reckoned with. Yumeoji Fumi wasn’t a middle blocker but her over-all skills when it came towards defensive measures was nothing to scoff at. She was in the same year level as Akira and was known to be almost on par with the girl. Even though Akira’s serve had been exceptionally received by the other team’s libero she remained calm and focused on where they should set out their wall. The other team’s setter had already moved and Fumi kept a close eye on her movements, as she watched her there wasn’t a shred of doubt within her mind as to who would receive it.

“Mei Fan, Yachiyo, stick with me to the right. We jump on three.”

Fumi knew there was only one girl who the setter would toss too. Whenever a team is in jeopardy the one they’d entrust the ball with would always be towards their respective aces. Maya was already in the middle of her run-up when Mahiru tossed the ball towards her direction. The most important thing for a blocker was their timing, they had to make sure that they would be in-sync with the enemy spiker. They needed to double down on their timing, jump at the right moment where they could disrupt the spiker’s field of vision and have enough airtime to hit the ball. Fumi counted down, she knew her two juniors would be capable of keeping  up with her instructions. 

On the count of three they jumped in perfect sync, though they varied in height what was important was at that very moment they made sure Maya would be a split-second too late in hitting the ball. They were like a wall as they held their arms up, not a gap in sight. The only thing Maya could have done was to send the ball towards the side of the court instead but alas, they knew Maya rarely did that kind of technique and when one is pushed to the brink they would always revert towards their usual routine. Maya tried to force the ball through them with her own brutish strength but that won’t be enough. Mei Fan’s hand managed to hit the ball and deflected it back. Fumi saw everything in slow motion as they descended; the shock on Maya’s face as she was once again denied, the desperation that the other team felt as they tried to scramble for the ball, and the disappointed look on everyone’s faces when the ball had bounced along the court.

“If you can’t even get past this wall, then just quit.” Fumi haughtily said before she turned her back on Maya. Suffice to say that she was disappointed, this was the girl that had given her middle school team a relatively hard time. Now, she was nothing more than another spiker that met their end by the dragon’s jaws. 

“Fumi-senpai is as mean as ever~” Yachiyo playfully smiled before she looked towards her fellow freshman. “Nice block right there Mei Fan, I guess you’re really going to try and outclass Akira-senpai aren’t you?”

“Of course! We play the same position and right now I may have been just a sub but come next year I’ll definitely be a regular on the court!” Mei Fan had a certain hunger in her eyes, that absolute desire to remain on the court for as long as possible. Fumi was quite amused and scared of such a thing, if she wasn’t careful maybe they’d make her a spiker instead and she’ll lose her spot on the starting line-up. That won’t do, she wasn’t going to let anyone easily get her spot.

Fumi draped her arms around Mei Fan and Yachiyo’s shoulders and pulled them close. “Good job you two! You really pulled your weight throughout the tournament. Keep this up and maybe that bothersome coach would let the both of you join the starting line-up.”

After all, this would be the last tournament for the third years. Surely, during Nationals their coach would consider letting some of the rookies have more time on the court, especially if they were reliable players. Fumi was quite proud of the two of them, at first she had thought they were just a tad bit arrogant but she had been surprised that they had the talent to back it up. Their foes today weren’t as strong as they expected them to be but this would prove to be a valuable experience for them.

“Being mean at first and then dropping compliments right after? You’re such a sly operator Fumi-senpai!” Yachiyo teased which had earned her a pinch on the cheek from her senior. “Ow-ow-ow! I’m definitely telling Michiru-senpai about this.”

“Pfft, Michiru-senpai probably knows and wouldn’t bother helping you at all.” Mei Fan snickered at that. “I told you Fumi-senpai, you can count on us!”

“I guess I really can count on all of you. When I’m called to be the next captain just you wait, I’ll make sure to get you guys as a starter.” Fumi confidently stated to which Yachiyo merely rolled her eyes at. Fumi could be a bit too haughty and prideful at times, funny how that never changed. She half expected for Fumi to grow out of it once they graduated from middle school but it seems she was mistaken.

“Senpai, you’re really bribing us hard here.” Yachiyo jested. “Well, I suppose if you’re the captain it wouldn’t be so bad. I bet you’d let me take more breaks than Akira-senpai would.”

“Don’t worry, Yachiyo-san. I’ll make sure Fumi doubles your training so you’d be allowed for more breaks.” Akira looked incredibly serious about it that Yachiyo already regretted ever stating her wishes out loud.

“That is the complete opposite of what I want, Akira-senpai.” Yachiyo hid behind Michiru and stuck her tongue out. “Michiru-senpai, Akira-senpai’s being mean again.”

“That’s because you always seem to push her buttons.” Michiru shook her head. How could Yachiyo even expect for Akira to let her off the hook if she kept pushing her buttons in more ways than one. “But enough talk, we still need to line-up and shake hands with the other team. We can all talk about the future later after the debriefing.”

“You’re always so serious, Michiru.” Fumi sighed and followed Michiru towards the front of the net. The future, that was something that Fumi constantly thought about. For Fumi, she knew which path she wanted to take, what prize she wanted to have at the end of it all. She had a clear goal in mind; to grasp something she knew that she deserved and would be meant for her in the end.

They shook hands with the other team and thanked them for the game. Honestly, Fumi couldn’t even look their ace in the eye. She looked absolutely pitiful, the bravado that she had displayed years ago against them was gone. What happened? Was this the same woman that many of them had looked up to and aimed to beat? Fumi couldn’t accept it but she had to, nothing stays the same after all. The winners of today could be the losers of tomorrow and that was why Fumi always worked so hard to secure her future. She refused to be tomorrow’s loser and always strove to be the winner. 

Both teams left from opposite sides of the court and never looked back. They would walk their separate paths from here on out. Ryuuzawa walked the path of the victors and Toraseki followed the path of those who have lost. But even though they walked the path of the victors, Akira looked back one final time towards Toraseki and hoped that next year they’d cross paths again.

Their coach’s debriefing was short as expected; they only had a few words to say as the battle wasn’t over yet. They were Fukushima’s representatives and after a few weeks they’d have to face off against the other prefectural representatives in order to claim the coveted title of being National Champions. It made little sense for their coach to be sentimental at this point in time but at the very least they did give them a few days off in order to rest and recuperate.

Normally, teams would celebrate upon being heralded as representatives of their prefecture but not Ryuuzawa. Their coach wasn’t the type to celebrate in the middle of an on-going tournament for them those kinds of practices bred complacency though they never forbade their own players from having a celebration of their own. Which is why the three pillars of Ryuuzawa found themselves in their favorite ramen stall in order to celebrate their victory.

Michiru sat in between Akira and Fumi, they frequented this ramen stall ever since their first year in Ryuuzawa Academy. A lot has changed over the past year, but some things remained the same. Like how Akira always ordered the spiciest ramen the stall had to offer while Fumi usually added  an extra order of dumplings for herself and had ponzu as a dip for it. Michiru found the thought of their friendship being a constant in her life to be truly comforting. Their friendship was her anchor in an ever-changing world; it kept her grounded and stable. Even if the seasons would change they’d always have these kinds of moments to themselves.

“You’re certainly in a good mood.” Akira noted as she ate her ramen without even breaking a sweat. The owner of the store was so amazed by Akira’s spice tolerance that he had once made a custom order for Akira alone during her birthday.

“Am I? I’m always happy when I’m with you and Fumi.” Michiru chuckled as she quickly snatched a dumpling away from Fumi which had earned her a scowl from the girl. “Too slow.”

“Hey! Michiru that was mine! Why do you always have to steal a dumpling from me?” Fumi sighed in exasperation. “Come on, go buy your own set already and leave my dumplings alone.”

“Eh? But I can’t really finish all of those plus I only took one this time.” Michiru tried to justify her reasons but it was clear that Fumi never bought it even for a second. In the end, the trio laughed together and continued to eat their respective meals. If Michiru had to pick which part of the day would be her favorite it would be this. A period of time where the three of them could just relax and not worry about anything else. A time of solace alongside each other amidst the pressure thrown at them due to their school’s reputation.

“I can’t believe it, we’re Fukushima’s representatives again and we’re finally in our second year. Time really flies.” Michiru said, a hint of nostalgia evident in her tone.

After this tournament they’d have to say farewell to their seniors and their new captain would be crowned right on the spot. Everything was going to change for them; everything but this. She hoped that they’d still be able to have moments of respite despite the responsibilities and the burden that was about to be dropped onto their shoulders. It was certainly unlike her to feel this way but Michiru wanted to be a bit selfish while she could still get away with it. Because the moment that either Fumi or Akira would be chosen as the next captain heralded the end of her childish selfishness. 

Michiru promised to herself that she’d be fully devoted to them and give them all the support that they would need during their last school year together in order to fulfill a promise that they made. That for the three years they’ll play under Ryuuzawa’s banner they’d make sure to consistently bring them to nationals and bring home the championship. This was the vow that they had made under the lone cherry blossom tree located at the back of the academy and Michiru would make sure that they’d achieve it.

“We only have a year left to keep our vow.” Akira noted as she set aside her chopsticks and proceeded to drink the broth that was left in the bowl.

Akira appeared calm on the outside but within the crevices of her mind Akira felt the growing anxiety within her. They only had a year left to keep their vow; they needed to win Nationals at least once and continue to be Fukushima’s representatives until they graduate. The dreams of their seniors would fall upon their shoulders after the conclusion of their nationals appearance. It would finally be up to them in order to bring Ryuuzawa to victory and even the mighty Yukishiro Akira felt pressured by it. 

“Plenty of time if you ask me. By next year we’ll be the ones in charge of the team plus we have talented kouhais under our arsenal. We’ll be at our strongest.” Fumi confidently stated as she plucked another dumpling from her plate and carefully dipped it in ponzu.

Fumi was the complete opposite of Akira. If Akira felt pressure, Fumi had nothing but excitement within her heart. The upcoming year would definitely be their time to shine; the culminating year for the three pillars that had propelled Ryuuzawa to be the prefectural representatives of Fukushima ever since they arrived. Four times, they’ve been the prefecture’s representative for four times and next year they’ll make history. Fumi couldn’t really wait for all their hard work to finally bear fruit and she was sure that both Akira and Michiru felt the same way. She had the utmost confidence that they can power through anything because Fumi knew that their trio would always be hungry for victory. They always preferred to be winners instead of the losers and that would never change.

“Besides, with the three of us together we’re practically invincible. We’re like the three pillars of Ryuuzawa but I think I like the name Mei Fan gave us more. The Three Great Spears of Ryuuzawa, sounds better right?” Fumi exclaimed and Michiru had to stifle her laughter to no avail.

“Three Great Spears? Pfft, I think Yachiyo is influencing Mei Fan a bit too much.” Michiru couldn’t help but let a chuckle slip from her lips. Their rookies were far too amusing, it certainly must be nice being that carefree.

“It’s fitting though.” Akira had a rare smile on her face; the thought alone certainly amused her. “Fumi is the spear that’s capable of piercing through any wall. I’m the spear that could deflect any blow, and Michiru is the hidden spear that strikes in the dark.”

Fumi was the Wing Spiker that seized victory in mid-air. Akira was the Middle Blocker that served as an impenetrable wall that intimidated their opponents. Michiru was their Libero , the hidden ace that granted countless opportunities with every save they make. They were the Three Great Spears of Ryuuzawa; the ones that shall bring forth the crown back to their school.

Fumi and Michiru looked at each other before they laughed at Akira’s statement. It was certainly a surprise for the two of them that Akira entertained the title and even more so when she went as far as justifying it. This was a side that Akira only showed exclusively to them and both of them adored it wholeheartedly.

“I’ll be the strongest spear we have then. I’ll break any wall they throw at us during Nationals. It’ll be easy as long as you have me.” Fumi confidently stated which had earned her a light nudge on her rib from Michiru.

“Fumi I admire your confidence but sometimes you’re really complacent.” Michiru chided Fumi albeit not as harsh as she usually does. “Since the two of you are sold on this idea I guess I have no choice but to play along. Yachiyo and Mei Fan are going to have a field day once they hear that we finally accepted that moniker.”

Not that she minded. Michiru secretly thought that it suited them too. The Three Great Spears that would bring absolute victory to Ryuuzawa. It was another comforting thought for Michiru, the three of them banding together to keep the promise they made.

Michiru held her hand out and both Fumi and Akira immediately followed suit and laid their hand on top of it. This was a small ritual that they had whenever they celebrate a victory. It reminded them of their vow; a promise of victory under a lone Cherry Blossom tree. It reminded them of the strength the three of them had together.

“Yumeoji Fumi, Wing Spiker, the ace and one of the Three Great Spears of Ryuuzawa. I swear, I’ll make sure my spikes will claim victory for us.”

“Yukishiro Akira, Middle Blocker and one of the Three Great Spears of Ryuuzawa. I swear, I’ll make every spiker crumble underneath our solid blocks.”

“Ootori Michiru, Libero, and one of the Three Great Spears of Ryuuzawa. I swear, I’ll catch every ball that lands on our side and gives us countless opportunities to strike.”

“We’ll definitely win. If not this year, then the next. We’ll get the crown.” All of them exclaimed with conviction. They’ll make sure to fulfill their vow; a vow of absolute victory. Seasons may change but their vow would always remain the same. As long as the three of them were together, there was no goal they couldn’t accomplish.

Kyoto Prefecture, Current Year

The journey from Fukushima to Kyoto was certainly long. Yachiyo could already feel the stiffness from her bones due to the long train ride. They’ve been travelling for almost a quarter of a day now and honestly, she was bored to death. Yachiyo wanted to go to the special match that Toraseki had prepared for Maya but it coincided with their practice match against the current prefectural representatives of Kyoto and it was a match that their coach certainly wouldn’t like for any of them to miss. So here she was, watching the recording of the match that was sent to her by Claudine in order to remind her of what she missed out on.

“I actually can’t wait for the Spring High Qualifiers this time around.” 

It was unusual for Yachiyo to be excited about tournaments but perhaps Mei Fan was rubbing off on her in some way. Although she had to admit, with most of their rivals having new tricks up their sleeves the next qualifiers would be a very entertaining contest. But, maybe she should actually focus on their appearance for this leg of the nationals instead of their next possible appearance. As expected, Ryuuzawa became the prefectural representatives for Fukushima for the fifth time in a row and they were hellbent on being the winners of nationals this time around.

Yachiyo hits the replay button and watched the match again for the fifth time. While she had a certain reputation for being the laziest member of Ryuuzawa's volleyball team that didn't mean that she neglected her tasks it’s just that she preferred doing things at her own pace. Yachiyo kept a close eye on each individual in the video and mentally noted her observations down. She’ll write it all in her notebook once they arrive at the inn they’ll be staying at. She was the setter of the team, it was her job to pave the way for their spikers to score and she always believed that the first step was to figure out how the other team works. When you figure out how a certain system works then it’d be easier to come up with a plan to dismantle it, at least that’s what Yachiyo thought. Too bad that she’s only a substitute setter, maybe it was useless to watch the videos but still it was better to do so than to end up being bored the whole trip.

“You’ve been watching that video since earlier...” From the time Akira slept until she woke up, Yachiyo’s eyes had already been glued to her phone. How anyone could ever describe Yachiyo as lazy certainly didn’t know a thing about her. Akira slowly lifted her head off Yachiyo’s shoulder and tried to stretch for a bit. Her body felt stiff but it was her fault for falling asleep in that manner.

“Good morning to you, Akira-senpai~ was my shoulder really that comfortable?” Yachiyo smiled teasingly at Akira before her attention returned to the video on her phone. Akira responded with utmost silence, the safest answer and the one that absolutely drove Yachiyo nuts.  Oh, but this time around Yachiyo didn’t make a huge fuss over it as her eyes were completely fixated on the match.

Akira continued to observe Yachiyo rather than the video. She was the captain, she was supposed to be watching those videos over and over again but instead here she was watching the pinkette by her side instead. Akira wasn’t the most observant member of Ryuuzawa’s team nor was she the most vocal but she had her moments. Like right now, where she could clearly see the dark circles under Yachiyo’s eyes, how her hair was disheveled, and the subtle yawns that she tried to hide as she watched the video. Akira knew that Yachiyo wasn’t an early riser; last night they ended up talking over their phones until midnight and even though Yachiyo ended the call early, Akira had woken up to a sea of messages with timestamps that ranged from midnight until three in the morning from the girl. In one swift move Akira stopped the video with one tap of her finger, a miracle how she actually knew where the stop button was given that she always had trouble operating her phone and all the applications that came with it.

“Rudeeeeee.” Yachiyo was clearly miffed at Akira’s actions and she wasn’t afraid to show it as she huffed at her senior.

“You’ve watched it enough. You still have at least an hour and a half to get some shut-eye.” Akira wasn’t going to budge. Either Yachiyo sleeps or she was going to force her to do so. “I told you to sleep early.”

“Who was it that kept me up until midnight? I was about to go to sleep but then I couldn’t exactly drop a call from my beloved captain now could I?” Yachiyo argued to which Akira couldn’t exactly deny. It was certainly her fault why Yachiyo was awake until midnight; she had something on her mind the entire time she packed and needed someone to distract her from it and Yachiyo was the first one on her mind. She didn’t regret calling her though perhaps she should have been more mindful of the time.

“...Fine, next time I won’t call.” Akira said for what appeared to be the nth time. She would always tell Yachiyo that she wouldn’t call and bother her anymore but the exact opposite always happens instead. Yachiyo understood that whenever Akira tells her that she won’t call it just meant that she’d try to not be a bother when she actually does.

“Yeah, next time you should just sleep over in my place. Then we can talk all we want.” Yachiyo teased. Akira merely shrugged at her and looked away, oh such a typical answer from their stern captain. Oh, but Akira slightly slumped a bit from her seat and made her shoulder accessible for her. “How sweet of you to lend your shoulder as a pillow.” 

“I haven’t the slightest clue to what you are implying.” Akira wasn’t going to let Yachiyo tease her for the rest of the trip or else the girl would never get some sleep. Yachiyo pouted at Akira but after a few minutes she finally relented and laid her head on Akira’s shoulders, though she didn’t exactly fell asleep just yet.

“Do you think Michiru-senpai’s going to be fine for this trip?” Yachiyo asked as her eyes darted towards the seat on the other side of the train. 

“I can’t say.” Akira swiftly replied. “But she didn’t refuse the invitation so I suppose she had thought this through.”

Michiru was playing a game with some of their freshmen along with Mei Fan to pass the time. She was smiling at both Aruru and Misora but Yachiyo could tell that her smile doesn’t exactly reach her eyes. She’d been that way ever since Fumi left Ryuuzawa. Yachiyo was a lazy individual but she had always been observant by nature; it came as no surprise for her that Fumi’s departure left a hole in their team one that couldn’t be patched by a simple substitution. After all, how could you replace someone that drove all of you to work harder than ever before? 

Fumi’s presence was absolutely vital to Ryuuzawa and without it they collapsed from the inside. It wasn’t obvious because they were still the reigning champions of the prefecture but everyone else was catching up while they continued to flounder. At the rate they were going she’d be surprised if they’d even get pass the first round of Nationals. That was exactly why Yachiyo decided to work harder; she refused to let Akira and Michiru graduate without even reaching the final stage for Nationals. She wasn’t Fumi but her troublesome senior entrusted her with this particular responsibility before she left, and what’s worse was that she couldn’t decline her at all. Because she also wanted to see the faint luster that Akira had once again turn into a blinding glow on the court. She wanted to see Michiru genuinely smile at them like she did before. She wanted to see the fire burn in Mei Fan’s eyes again.

For a lazy brat she certainly wanted to accomplish a lot of things. Yachiyo internally sighed as she looked away from the others and closed her eyes. She had her work cut out for her that was for sure. Yachiyo wasn’t exactly someone you’d call upon to be a supportive pillar for the team but she’d have to do.

“I find it so stressful to look at them.” Yachiyo whined at Akira.

“You say that but you always keep an eye on them regardless.” Akira countered. This time it was Yachiyo who couldn’t deny it.

“What about you…” Yachiyo’s voice was softer and her tone was gentler. “...are you going to be fine?”

“I’m the captain, it’s what’s expected of me.” Akira was the captain even though she believed that Fumi or Michiru was better suited for it than she ever would be. Alas, the former had to leave and the latter couldn’t be heralded as one due to the position they played on the team. Even if she felt nervous and uncomfortable with this arrangement she had little to no choice. As captain it was her job to represent the entire team; she couldn’t afford to show a hint of weakness no matter how small it is. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure I’m in top condition by the time we play against them. You have my word.”

“You always act so tough, it’s honestly irritating.” Yachiyo commented on to which Akira scoffed at.

“You do the same.” Akira replied.

“You’re right…” Yachiyo looked up at Akira and poked her cheek much to the silver-haired girl’s irritation. “That’s why I’m more irritated than ever, senpai~”

Because if there was anything in this world that Yachiyo hated more than a change in plans, it would be herself and to constantly see a reflection of herself in a person that she admired irritated her to the bone.

“Good, you’re at your best when you’re worked up. Now go to sleep, I don’t want you to fall asleep on the court.” And that was the ultimatum. Akira was certainly unfair to compliment her that way. Yachiyo didn’t utter another word as she once again closed her eyes and nestled against Akira’s shoulder. If Akira had that much faith in her then she might as well listen to their captain for now.

The trip was long but they finally managed to arrive in Kyoto. Michiru and the rest of the team exited the station and waited at the designated rendezvous point. According to their coach, the team that invited them was supposed to send their representatives to guide their team towards the inn they’d be staying at. They’ve been waiting for a few minutes and Michiru double checked the message sent to them just to confirm that she didn’t fumble with the schedule. This was supposedly a job for their manager but no one really lasts in Ryuuzawa and so even the managerial duties had fallen unto her. She was about to call their coach just to confirm if the match was going to continue until someone familiar called for Mei Fan.

“Mei Fan-senpai!” A girl with wavy blonde hair excitedly called Mei Fan before she rushed towards their group. For a moment, Michiru and Mei Fan had mistaken her for Fumi due to the similar rose-feather hairpin they had but the softness of her voice was a telling indicator of who she was. Not to mention that the girl immediately embraced Mei Fan as soon as she had gotten close to them.

“It’s me, Shiori. Don’t you remember? It feels like forever since I’ve seen you and Michiru-senpai.” Shiori said before she lets go of Mei Fan.

Mei Fan shakily pointed her finger at Shiori. She couldn’t exactly believe it. Was this really the same Shiori that was as short as Michiru a year ago? What exactly happened? Did she have a growth spurt in the months that they were apart? Mei Fan was absolutely flabbergasted; she never expected to see her this soon. She thought that she’d had until the game before she met her again but clearly that wasn’t the case.

“Little Shiori? Really? But you’re definitely taller than Michiru-senpai! In fact you’re as tall as Misora over here or maybe even taller.” Mei Fan quickly yanked one of the rookies in their team. A girl with red hair which was usually tied up in a side bun, she was certainly taller than Michiru but still fell short of Mei Fan.

“Mei Fan-senpai… why do I feel that you sort of called me short.” Misora had to admit, among everyone in the team she might actually be the shortest one next to Michiru. That was her main source of insecurity, in a sport where height is might she always felt inferior towards her peers; something that she still struggled against despite her natural athletic ability.

“Oh!!! You’re absolutely adorable!!” Aruru immediately joined in the fray as she observed Shiori from head to toe. “I really like your hair and you certainly look strong! I don’t know, I just get this vibe from you that you’re someone we definitely shouldn’t underestimate.”

“A-ah, thank you!” Shiori bowed out of respect. “I don’t know exactly if I’m strong but I’ll certainly do my best in tomorrow’s practice match!”

“We can’t lose to her, right Misora-chan?” Aruru nudged the redhead who immediately nodded.

“Definitely. We’re not going to go easy on you for sure just because Mei Fan-senpai seems to be close with you.” They definitely won’t. Although, by this time Mei Fan’s face was almost as red as a tomato. What did they mean that she seemed to be close with Shiori?

“H-hey! What are you even talking about?!?!” Mei Fan shyly looked at Shiori hoping she didn’t misunderstood what Misora said. “There’s nothing between me and Shiori, I swear! Right? Shiori?”

“...a-ah!! N-no! Of course not.” Shiori nervously laughed and tried to wave off the misunderstanding. “Mei Fan-senpai used to be my sister’s teammate. That’s how I know her and Michiru-senpai.”

“Really?! Oh! Is your sister really good? Are we going to play against her?” Aruru excitedly said as she took ahold of Shiori’s hands. Misora sighed and easily yanked Aruru away from Shiori as to not overwhelm the girl. “I can’t really wait. It’s my first time fighting a prefectural representative and I’m really excited.”

“It’s my first time fighting a prefectural representative too.” Shiori replied and smiled towards Aruru and Misora.

Mei Fan was relieved to see Shiori smile in such a carefree manner. Truth be told, Mei Fan was a bit worried on how Shiori was considering Fumi’s departure from Ryuuzawa could have come as a shock for the younger girl. Seeing her with a radiant smile on her face finally dismissed her fears.

Michiru stayed at the sidelines with phone in hand as she quickly messaged Yachiyo that Rinmeikan's representatives were already here. It was nice seeing Shiori again although the younger Yumeoji's sudden growth spurt slightly irritated her to no end. That's one person out of the ' Midget Club '. Michiru was about to bother the others and stop them from overwhelming Mei Fan when something suddenly jumped at her from behind. If it had been someone else it could end up disastrously for them. Fortunately, the person that clung onto her back was someone she knew. Just like a puppy that was starved for affection the person rubbed their cheek against her own. Michiru could do nothing but sigh and hid the distress she felt from the sudden contact with her well-practiced poker face.

"Chiru-chan!!” The lavender-haired girl affectionately used her chosen nickname for Ryuuzawa’s libero as she continued to shower her with affection. She draped her arms over Michiru’s shoulder and had absolutely no intention from pulling away. “You sure took your sweet time! It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other, you should visit me in Kyoto more often.”

“You know that’s not possible.” Michiru shook her head and glared towards the newcomer. Ever since Ichie came up with that nickname during their middle school bouts she would relentlessly use it against her. Even if she protested countless times to such a childish nickname Ichie wouldn’t listen to her. In the end Michiru gave up on correcting Ichie with the condition that only Ichie was allowed to use it and no one else. “Unlike you I’m busy handling affairs in Ryuuzawa.”

“You’re always such a killjoy, Chiru-chan.” Ichie pouted at Michiru. “I’m busy too you know! Being vice-captain of the volleyball club isn’t as easy as it looks. I just make sure that I’d still have enough time to see how you are!”

“I’m also the vice-captain of our volleyball club. I hope you haven’t forgotten about that.” Michiru raised her eyebrow and continued to glare at the other girl. Ichie upon seeing the irritated expression on Michiru’s face merely laughed and grinned at her. 

“Of course not!” Ichie hasn’t forgotten about Michiru’s role, not in the slightest. She knew how busy the girl was but she also knew of one other thing that the rest didn’t. “But you always make time for me too. I hope I didn’t keep you up too much last night.”

“Don’t make it a habit. I’m not kidding when I say that I’m swamped with work.” Michiru countered. Ever since last year’s incident her responsibilities grew tenfold and even the managerial duties fell upon her as the vice-captain of Ryuuzawa Academy’s volleyball team. Regardless of Akira’s protests about it Michiru happily took the load if only to distract herself from things that continued to bother her. Unfortunately for her that never stopped Ichie from nagging about self-care to no end; just last night Ichie nagged her for a whole hour through the phone regarding the amount of work she had.

“Only if you promise not to overwork yourself.”

All that time the rest of the team were just watching the two vice-captains banter with each other. Mei Fan in particular looked relatively clueless and wondered how in the world Michiru and Ichie met. They seemed like complete opposites and yet they acted like friends. In fact, what bothered her the most was how comfortable Ichie was with her and how Michiru didn’t even make a move to brush her away. For some reason it reminded Mei Fan of Yachiyo and Akira.

“Michiru-senpai, I didn’t know you were close friends with someone from Rinmeikan.” Mei Fan pointed out.

“Boo! You didn’t even introduce me to your wonderful kouhais.”  Ichie immediately pouted again at Michiru and even faked a sob much to Michiru’s distress. “How could you, I thought we were rivals.”

“...I have absolutely no idea how you came to the conclusion that we’re rivals.” Although, there was certainly a grain of truth hidden within that statement. 

Among all of the liberos that Michiru had encountered only Ichie was the closest one she considered to be her rival. Ever since they clashed during middle school the matches that Michiru looked forward to the most were always against Ichie. Out of the court Ichie was an energetic troublemaker that brought more headaches than relief but when she stepped onto the court the pressure Michiru had always felt from her was tremendous. If there was anything the two of them had in common it was their commanding presence on the court regardless of their stature and that’s one of the prime reasons why Michiru respected Ichie. Although, she does wish for the girl to act seriously every once in a while.

“That’s Ichie Otonashi one of the top ten liberos of Japan and former representative of the U-18 Women’s Volleyball Team of Japan.” Akira’s voice resounded from the side and most of Ryuuzawa’s team immediately made way for her and Yachiyo. “You didn’t get to meet her during Nationals because of an injury, is it healed? Your knee?”

“Back in tip-top condition! Don’t worry, you wouldn’t have to go easy on me tomorrow.” Ichie confidently answered back much to Akira’s amusement. Michiru on the other hand didn’t look convinced as she subtly glanced towards Ichie’s direction. As much as she wanted to have a word with Ichie about it she’d have to reserve that when no one else was present.

“As if we ever planned on that.” Akira replied.

“Sorry if we took longer than expected, the line in the convenience store was surprisingly long.” Yachiyo explained seeing as how Michiru was already glaring daggers at the two of them.

“Akira-senpai! Yachiyo-senpai! It’s nice to see you two again.” Today might as well be the happiest day of her life. It was a joy seeing her sister’s friends from Ryuuzawa. Ever since Fumi transferred away it had been difficult for her to even visit. “Tomorrow I’ll definitely show everyone how much I’ve grown.”

“You certainly inherited Fumi’s fighting spirit.” Yachiyo smiled at Shiori and patted her head. “And oh, you grew bigger too. I can definitely tell, our dear Shiori is all grown up. I feel so proud.”

Shiori’s cheeks were bright red and she immediately covered her chest when she heard Yachiyo refer to it. She quickly hid behind a clueless Aruru and an exasperated Misora hoping they’d shield her from their playful senior.

“Yachiyo! Don’t tease Shiori.” Mei Fan immediately scowled at Yachiyo’s statement. However, the pinkette merely brushed it off. She was used to Mei Fan’s constant disapproval of her teasing.

“I almost forgot! We should go! Tamao’s cooking lunch for you guys today. I’ll go take you to their family’s inn. That’s where you’ll be staying for the next three days.” While Ichie enjoyed seeing Shiori full of smiles they still had other things to take care of. She finally pulled away from Michiru much to the blonde's relief however it was short lived. The energetic libero quickly dragged Michiru by the hand despite her subtle protests as she showed them the way towards Tamao’s inn. The rest of the team could only laugh at their usually strict vice-captain as she was left under Ichie’s care.

“You know Yachiyo, I think Michiru would be fine.” Akira said in passing as she followed the duo. Yachiyo simply smiled at their team captain as she hopped right beside her.

“With Otonashi-san? Who would have thought, certainly not me.” Oh, but Yachiyo wasn’t going to complain at least that was one less person to worry about in the trip for her and Akira.

When they arrived at the inn, a tall brown-haired girl shyly greeted them. Yachiyo was very amused with the way she had stuttered and was about to make the poor girl her next victim when Mei Fan shot her another disapproving look. Yachiyo had no intention of getting on Mei Fan’s bad side a day before their match so she decided to settle with making the girl blush with a compliment or two. Although, she definitely had to muster whatever was left of her willpower not to tease the girl when Tamao Tomoe, the current captain of Rinmeikan, made their presence known.

“Akikaze-san is an interesting fellow.” Yachiyo quipped as she observed the brunette while they ate together. “I’m honestly surprised that Tomoe-san hasn’t noticed.”

“For sure! I’m always surprised by how Tamao could be a bit dense.” Ichie laughed with glee and quickly stole another piece of sushi from Michiru’s plate. The irritated look on Michiru’s face was definitely a sight to see for Yachiyo. This must be the most patient that Michiru had ever been towards someone. “It’s obvious our little Rui’s head over heels for her but alas our own warrior princess’ head is completely focused on volleyball.”

“Ara~ then if we eliminate you guys during Nationals that could certainly take Tomoe-san’s attention away from volleyball wouldn’t it.” Yachiyo sweetly smiled towards Ichie and Michiru could sense the tension in the air from that short exchange. Ichie was still full of smiles without even a hint she easily swiped a piece of meat from Yachiyo’s plate. 

“You sure are confident.” Ichie said before she ate the meat that she stole from Yachiyo. ”You’re also an interesting person Yachi-chan! I wonder if Akira-chan’s dense about you too.”

Michiru almost choked from her drink as soon as she heard those words. It was a good thing that the rest of the team weren’t listening in, especially Akira who was busy conversing with Tamao about tomorrow’s plans. Her hand quickly made its way towards Ichie sides and slightly pinched it in order to inform the other girl that she needed to tone it down a bit. Michiru had always known Yachiyo to be a bit more volatile than the rest. She liked teasing but never the one to be teased and she definitely didn’t want Yachiyo to explode a day before the match.

Ichie almost yelped when Michiru had pinched her. She didn’t have to worry, Ichie had an inkling that Yachiyo wasn’t going to explode on her or anything. Their conversion might be a bit tense but Ichie could sense that Yachiyo was only being playful. Ichie was about to take revenge on Michiru when she heard Yachiyo speak and for a moment she had gotten a glimpse of what usually hid under the girl’s playful facade. 

“Fortunately for me, I don’t think she is. Although… I can somewhat sympathize with Akikaze-san.” Yachiyo glanced towards Akira’s direction and sighed.  “It’s hard, liking someone that’s in love with something else.”

Ichie didn’t answer back and instead had given Yachiyo a slice of meat that was left on her own plate. Ichie had a soft smile on her face and she knew that Yachiyo understood what she was trying to convey. That her instincts were right; they weren’t so different after all. 

Michiru was bewildered by the sudden development between the two. Did she miss something in their conversation? That was impossible, she had been listening in on the duo the entire time. This was bad; now she was sure that she’d have to ask Ichie about it later. Totally unfair of her to distract her a day before their match with troublesome thoughts. Michiru used her chopsticks and stole the last piece of sushi on Ichie’s plate out of annoyance. Ichie didn’t mind she had sensed Michiru’s sudden annoyance and quickly turned her attention towards Michiru in order to placate her fellow libero. 

Yachiyo could only shake her head, completely figuring out what Ichie had meant with the gesture. It was certainly hard liking someone that was incredibly fixated on something else. No matter your actions or the signals you send it always falls short and yet you couldn’t help but follow them still. Yachiyo saw Akira and Tamao leave the dining area and for a brief moment their eyes met. It was obvious what Akira tried to convey, Yachiyo internally sighed as she was once again left behind. She stood up after a few minutes much to Michiru and Ichie's surprise.

"Yachi-chan are you heading out somewhere?" Ichie asked. "Don't tell me you're going to follow Tamao because if you are I want to come too."

"Sorry Otonashi-san~ but I'm not following after them. I'm going to check out the stores nearby for the latest trends in Kyoto." Yachiyo sweetly smiled as she excused herself and left the two confused liberos alone. She wasn't exactly lying when she said that she wasn't going to follow Akira but she wasn't going out for some window shopping either. 

"Time to catch myself a very elusive senpai but first I better fetch the ponzu I bought for good measure."

Meanwhile on the other end of the table Mei Fan was busy entertaining the others by showcasing her collection of gacha capsules. Rui and Shiori were both completely enthralled with the topic as their attention was completely glued onto the Mei Fan’s phone screen. 

“Ah! look, Shiori-san that other toy is similar to the one we tried to get a week ago.” Rui excitedly pointed out as they continued to view Mei Fan’s collection. “Mei Fan-senpai your  collection’s really amazing!”

“You’re right, it does look like the toy we tried to get a week ago. I heard it was really rare.” Shiori said. “Mei Fan-senpai you’re extremely lucky to have a lot of rare capsules.”

Rui was usually shy towards anyone who wasn’t part of the volleyball team but it seems Mei Fan had become another exception for her. The older girl exuded such a comfortable and trustworthy aura that Rui couldn’t help but be at ease with her. On the other hand, Shiori had always been comfortable around Mei Fan. Among everyone in Ryuuzawa’s team she was the one who often paid attention to her up to the point that her older sister had berated Mei Fan for spoiling her too much.

“Really? I’m glad you guys like it! If I knew that you guys were interested I could have brought some for the two of you.” Mei Fan smiled at the two rookies that seemed to have taken a liking to her.  

This was certainly a nice turn of events for Mei Fan. Honestly, among everyone she was the one who had been completely nervous about meeting the Kyoto representatives especially since she’d have to face Fumi. Their last meeting wasn't exactly pleasant and Mei Fan had been anxious about their eventual confrontation. Though, she constantly wondered about Fumi's wellbeing. Ever since Fumi had transferred out of Ryuuzawa she had lost contact with her and Yachiyo refused to give her Fumi's new number.

Mei Fan glanced towards Shiori. She didn't seem to act awkwardly around her, maybe she could ask both Rui and her about Fumi. But how exactly should she ask? Should she be blunt about it? Or maybe she could ask Yachiyo for help. Mei Fan was about to do so but to her surprise the girl had already left. Now she absolutely had no choice but to do this by herself. She didn't want to ask Michiru for help since she seemed to be busy with Ichie.

"Shiori, Rui-san can I…" She couldn't possibly be capable of fixing things between them if she knew next to nothing about her now. Mei Fan took one deep breath and mustered the courage to ask them about Fumi. "...can I ask you about Fumi-senpai…"

"Fumi-senpai?" Rui rubbed her nape. Of course she doesn't mind but she knew next to nothing about Fumi's personal life. She wasn't exactly sure if she could be capable of answering Mei Fan's questions but she was willing to try. "I don't mind but I don't know if I can answer your questions. I've only known her for a few months plus…"

Rui nervously glanced towards Shiori's direction. She didn't want to offend her or anything with her impression of Fumi. Shiori quickly caught onto Rui's behavior and gently smiled, she didn't mind if Rui would like to speak her mind out. They were teammates and Shiori was very curious what the other members of the team thought of her sister.

"...err, Fumi-senpai is difficult to approach. Sometimes she's really intimidating and… I… uhm, she's strict during practice and it's really scary when she gets mad."

Rui rambled about Fumi and Shiori couldn't help but giggle. Her sister was very strict when it came to training; no one could even afford to slack except Ichie to an extent, whenever Fumi was in charge of practice. Shiori herself had been on the receiving end of Fumi's lectures from time to time. She had to admit that it does make her sister difficult to approach but everyone knew that she meant well.

"D-Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about her. I really like Fumi-senpai!" Rui blurted out and Mei Fan was grateful that she wasn't drinking anything or else she might have choked from that statement alone. "N-not as much as I like Tamao-senpai but…!!"

"Rui-chan's trying to explain that even if my sister could be scary at times she finds her as a very valuable member of the team." Shiori interpreted for her. They were both in the same class so it was easy for Shiori to understand Rui's words. Rui vigorously nodded at Shiori's interpretation and Mei Fan had to take a moment in order to calm herself down from the wildest second of her life.

"Plus, Fumi-senpai's one of the most hardworking members of the team. The seniors always stay behind after practice and spend an extra hour or two with her. She might be scary but Fumi-senpai always does her best to help us."

Mei Fan was surprised to hear that from Rui. They considered Fumi to be hardworking and she even goes as far as spending an extra hour or two in order to practice? That didn't sound like the Fumi she knew. During the year she spent with Fumi the one thing that her senior never did was to stay behind for extra practice. Fumi usually thought that it was too tiring to commit an extra hour or two; there was no real need to polish her movements because she had been the best Wing Spiker that Ryuuzawa had gotten. Fumi was the ace of Ryuuzawa Academy and her performance in court was second to none. But, that same complacency and haughtiness led her to lose favor from their coach and that had led into a controversial incident during last year's run in Nationals that had ultimately led to her transfer. At least that’s what Mei Fan thought.

"I see…" Mei Fan didn't know what to feel. Her feelings were all over the place. She was happy that Fumi was finally out of her slump and was all fired up but at the same time Mei Fan wondered if Fumi had to leave in order for that to happen. Couldn’t they have supported Fumi the same way her new team did? Why was she even thinking about this? Mei Fan mentally berated herself. She should be happy for Fumi. She had to accept that leaving Ryuuzawa might have been the best course of action for her. 

"I'm glad. I’m really glad she’s doing well, Fumi-senpai’s really strict but she’s one of the best teammates you could ever have.” Mei Fan brightly smiled but Shiori noticed something unusual with it. She couldn’t put her finger on it but somehow the smile on Mei Fan’s face wasn’t as sincere as it usually was. “Ah! I know what we can do, how about I treat you two to a few capsule rolls?”

“A-are you sure that’s fine?” This must be Rui’s lucky day. She and Shiori had been trying to get a particular capsule gacha for Tamao these past few days and so far they haven’t gotten anything and what was left of their allowance can’t cover their capsule toy expenses anymore. If Mei Fan was offering to sponsor a few of rolls then they’d still have the chance to get Tamao the capsule toy she wanted before.

“Leave it to me! I’ll treat the both of you and we can buy a snack or two too.” Mei Fan stated before she stood up and gestured for the two to follow her. “Besides, don’t you think Aruru and Misora have been gone for too long. I think we should go pick up my missing juniors before they end up getting lost.”

“Of course Mei Fan-senpai! I grew up around this area with Tamao-senpai so I can easily lead us to the nearest convenience store.” Rui proudly said as she quickly followed Mei Fan out of the dining area. 

Meanwhile, Shiori was a bit lost in thought as she tried to figure out the sense of unease she felt earlier about Mei Fan. She was well aware that Mei Fan was quite close with Fumi during her time in Ryuuzawa. Could it be? Was Mei Fan bothered by how well Fumi had adjusted to Rinmeikan? Shiori was definitely curious about what exactly was her older sibling’s relationship was with Mei Fan.

“Shiori-san! Hurry up or you might end up lost again.” Rui called back and Shiori almost stumbled back in surprise. She was so lost in thought that she hadn’t noticed that Rui and Mei Fan already left.

“Ah! Wait for me!” Shiori quickly stood up as well and followed the duo. 

Maybe she’ll just have to wait for tomorrow to figure out the answer to her questions. Shiori knew next to nothing of what had happened to Fumi within Ryuuzawa Academy, her older sister never bothered to talk to her about it and was always quick to change the subject whenever she tried to gather information about it. If both Fumi and Mei Fan had no intention of telling her outside of the court then she’ll just have to see what words they’re willing to convey in the court. After all, Tamao told her that within the court words that are sometimes left unspoken miraculously reaches the ears of the intended recipients. For now, she’ll just have to give her all and support their team with all she has for tomorrow’s match.

Aruru and Misora weren’t exactly the best navigators on the block even though Tamao had provided them the necessary instructions they still ended up somewhat lost. They may have ended up outside a convenience store but who knows if this was the right one to begin with. To make things worse they had absolutely no idea how to travel back to the inn. Misora considered calling Michiru but Aruru had insisted that they could eventually figure it out. For now, the duo decided to buy the things they came here for lest their journey ends up being a waste of time.

Aruru was scouring for snacks while Misora was near the magazine rack. Aside from trying to make sure that Aruru won’t end up in trouble Misora also wanted to find the latest edition of Volleyball Connect , a monthly magazine that showcased different news regarding Japanese Overseas players. As soon as she spotted the magazine her hand immediately reached for it however instead of her fingers glossing over the cover it instead had hit the back of someone else’s hand.

“Ah! Sorry! I was too focused on the magazine that I didn’t see you reaching for it too.” Misora quickly withdrew her hand and slightly bowed in apology towards the other person.

“Oh… that’s fine, my presence isn’t really all too significant.” The other person easily waved it off and took the magazine off the rack. “Still, you must be really fond of volleyball to be so focused on this magazine. Are you a fan of someone?”

“W-well, that’s…” Misora lightly scratched her cheek using her finger. She couldn’t deny that she was really a fan of someone that’s frequently featured in the magazine but for some reason she always seems so embarrassed whenever she mentions it. “You...could say that but I also read it to find out about what the pros are up to these days.”

“Oh…” The stranger repeated before she stared back towards the magazine rack. The magazine in her hands had been the last copy. It didn’t escape her eyes that Misora wore the track uniform for Ryuuzawa Academy. She doesn’t usually bother with strangers but she knew that Misora had come a long way from Kyoto. She could probably get this edition of the magazine in another store and so without saying another word she offered the magazine to a very surprised Misora.

“N-no! It’s alright, I bet I can ask some of my siblings to get a copy back at home. I was just really excited to read it for today.” Honestly, Misora wanted to read it because it usually helped with her pre-game nerves. Since the game was still set for tomorrow maybe she could try and find one during her morning jog. Plus, she didn’t want to inconvenience the other girl.

“If you’re really excited about it then let’s read together.” The girl in question yawned and headed towards the cashier in order to purchase the magazine. Misora didn’t even hesitate to follow the girl, curious as to why a complete stranger was being nice to her. As soon as the girl had paid for the magazine she exited the store and settled to open it right outside the entrance.

“So, which player are you interested in?” The girl looked tired and Misora wondered if she was about to fall asleep at any time now. She hoped she wouldn’t or else she and Aruru would have to either try and wake her up or attempt to take her back home wherever it was.

“It’s Kano Hinata…” Misora said with her voice almost as soft as a whisper. The person she was interested in the most was her older sister. 

“The top spiker?” The stranger didn’t expect that choice. She thought the girl would be interested in liberos or maybe even setters due to her stature. But a spiker? Now that certainly surprised her.

“Yeah, the top spiker. She’s my sister you see so I can’t help but buy every edition that featured her.” Right after she graduated from university her sister had gotten offers from various overseas leagues due to her performance for the Japanese National Team. She was considered to be one of the most talented strikers that had ever graced Japan. She admired her sister and at the same time she felt jealous of her. She had all the ingredients to succeed. Talent, effort, height, and initiative. Those were the things that her sister had over her.

“She’s incredibly talented and diligent as well. Back at home she’d always drag everyone to help her with extra drills and did everything she could to be better. Her goal was to give bring home an Olympic gold medal for Japan.” And in a way her sister was one step closer to that dream since she had been chosen as part of the National Team for their Olympic bid. “Always be the first to arrive on the court and the last to leave. That was her motto. Compared to her I’m hardly relevant.”

“Do you hate it… volleyball?” The stranger suddenly asked. “You sounded sad while talking about your sister and volleyball.”

“No… it’s not that I hate it. I love volleyball just like the rest of our family. We’re complete volleyball nuts but somehow I couldn’t help but compare myself to my older siblings. I’ve been trying my best to catch up to them but somehow I’m always ten steps behind them.” 

Misora looked away from the magazine and sighed. Why was she venting towards a complete stranger? Honestly, the stranger didn’t deserve to hear such negative thoughts. The girl had been kind enough to let her read the article about her sister and instead she repaid her with such a gloomy backstory that she probably didn’t need to hear.

“Sorry… I definitely ruined the mood. How about I buy you food from the convenience store? It’s not much but I feel bad for simply ranting at you.” Misora truly felt terrible for the sudden turn of events but to her surprise the stranger shook their head.

“Not really in fact I would have found it suspicious if you weren’t the least bit jealous of your sister.” 

Jealousy was part of being human. It wasn’t strange for siblings to be jealous of one another and it certainly isn’t all too bad if it led to better things. The Yumeoji pair was a good example for her; they may look like the perfect pair of siblings but she was well aware of the slight tinge of jealousy that the two sisters had for each other. The team could only be thankful that both of them used their jealousy towards a healthier outcome as they strove to be better than the other.  

“I don’t have any siblings, so I won’t pretend to understand what you feel but I think as someone who also likes volleyball and was often kept on the sidelines due to their height I don’t think it’s entirely bad to be jealous of the gifted ones every once in a while.” The stranger explained before they handed over the magazine towards Misora. “Plus, it takes a certain amount of skill to be part of Ryuuzawa’s regular volleyball club. Here, I’ll just get it from you after tomorrow’s match.”

“A-ah…” Misora was at a complete loss of words. What exactly did the girl mean when she said that she’d take the magazine after tomorrow’s match? How exactly did she know about that? “Wait! What do you mean after tomorrow’s match… wait, don’t tell me you’re actually…”

“Yuyuko-chan? I was starting to worry about you when you didn’t show up for lunch.” Tamao was surprised for sure but incredibly relieved to see that Yuyuko was out of her bed. Akira was right beside her and Misora suddenly felt a chill when she saw the usual glare that she had.  

“Sorry about that Tamao-senpai, my bed held me hostage. It’s certainly a surprise seeing the two captains casually strolling together.” Yuyuko yawned before she threw a small smile towards Misora’s direction.

“Well, me and Akira-san had some catching up to do so we thought it’d be better if we roamed outside while we were at it.” Her attention shifted towards Misora and Tamao gave the girl a gentle smile. “I see you’ve met our setter, I apologize if she might have caused you any trouble but thank you for taking good care of her.” 

“Tamao-senpai, you make it sound like I always cause trouble. That’s Ichie’s job.”

“Yuyuko?” Misora looked at the girl that handed over the magazine. So she was actually part of the other team? Now Misora felt even more embarrassed about her earlier rambling. In fact her cheeks were stark red just from remembering. Oh, she really wished she had the ability to turn back time and prevent all of this from happening.

“Misora-san, where’s Aruru-san?” Akira asked. As far as she knew the two had left the inn together. “Did you lose her?”

Misora was about to answer before her blonde companion barrelled her from behind and left her lying on the ground.

“Right here! Aruru reporting for duty!” Aruru happily exclaimed as she held what appeared to be additional food that she somehow won from the convenience store’s ongoing promo. “Akira-senpai look, look! I won a lot of food. We can share this with everyone later!”

While Akira and Tamao fussed over Aruru’s winnings Yuyuko crouched down in order to check on Misora who was still on the ground since Aruru refused to budge. The redhead didn’t seem like she was hurt or anything and that somewhat brought her relief.

“I’m Yuyuko. Tanaka Yuyuko.” It was certainly too late for introductions but you know what they say, better late than never. “It’s nice to meet you, Kano Misora. Please go easy on me during tomorrow’s match.”

Misora didn’t know what was worse, the fact that Aruru doesn’t seem to realize that she was actually very heavy and that her body was already telling her to get Aruru off or the fact that she actually found Yuyuko to look angelic. Oh, Misora was sure that her face was as red as a tomato. Her only saving grace was the fact that Yachiyo wasn’t near the vicinity or else she would never hear the end of it.

“...It’s...It’s really nice to meet you too, Tanaka-san.” 

Maybe too nice. Misora could only hope that the embarrassment she felt would go away by tomorrow or else she’d surely be in trouble during the match.

Fumi didn’t bother to welcome anyone from Ryuuzawa Academy. They were her former teammates but she wasn’t mentally prepared to face them. Even though she was the one who had suggested to Tamao that perhaps Ryuuzawa would be willing to engage in a friendly practice match with them she didn’t really expect that they would accept and now her suggestion bit her back with a vengeance. Like the coward she was Fumi spent most of the day working on her serves within Rinmeikan’s gymnasium. She had been so focused on distracting herself that she failed to notice that a certain pinkette had been watching her for a while now. It was only until Yachiyo stepped onto the other side of the court that Fumi had realized that someone had been watching her.

“Yachiyo…” Fumi explicitly told her not to go looking for her before the match but she should have expected for her not to listen at all.

“Working hard doesn’t really suit you, Fumi.” Yachiyo softly smiled at her before she held out a plastic bag full of ponzu and water that she had brought for Fumi. “I think it’s time for a break, wouldn’t you agree.”

Fumi bit her lip in frustration. Yachiyo came prepared with a bag full of ponzu and she couldn’t do anything to shoo the delinquent away. Fumi gave one deep sigh and moved towards the other side of the court in order to meet Yachiyo. Funny, she expected for Yachiyo to change a lot during the past few months but it seems that out of everyone this delinquent was the only one that remained as a constant. She still never wore the jacket of their tracksuit properly; Yachiyo would always tie the jacket’s sleeves around her waist even if the weather was fairly cold. The girl that never listens and does as she pleases that was Tsuruhime Yachiyo and Fumi was grateful for her presence; this girl somehow made it a habit to push her to confront a few things instead of running away. Just like now, even if she wasn’t prepared to face any of them Yachiyo still came in order to see her.

“How many times do I have to tell you to wear your jacket properly?” Fumi sighed and reached over the top of Yachiyo’s head in order to mess up her already disheveled hair for a bit. “You haven’t changed a bit. Bribing me so early? Even if you bribe me with a thousand ponzu bottles I’m not going to go easy on you during the match.”

“Booooo! I thought I’d secure a win for us before the match started.” Of course Yachiyo was kidding. She might be sly and some knew her to be such a delinquent but she wouldn’t go as far as fixing a match. “Just take it, I’m sure you miss the ponzu being sold in Fukushima.”

Fumi took the bag and gestured for Yachiyo to follow her to the nearby bench where the two of them could sit. The moment Fumi took a seat relief washed all-over her body. Someone really needed to tell her to take proper rest in between training. Her limbs felt like it was on fire and her arms were sore from the continuous movements she did for the few hours that had passed.

“You know me so well.” Fumi chuckled as she wiped off the sweat from her face despite keeping her head low while she addressed Yachiyo who had uncapped a bottle of water for Fumi. “I wonder, if I had been a bit obedient and put in a bit more effort despite that annoying coach do you think we could have taken the crown last year?”

Last year’s Nationals had been controversial for Ryuuzawa. During an important match the coach decided to pull Fumi out of the game regardless of her status as an ace. It was all because Fumi had argued that Mei Fan should be part of the starting line-up seeing as how she performed relatively well and in order for them to let one of their veterans who had already reached their limit to rest. The coach didn’t take kindly to their comment and granted her wish by replacing her with Mei Fan instead; saying that if there was anyone worth replacing in the line-up it would be her due to her inferior skills and uncooperative nature. That had sparked a bit of outrage from Fumi which almost caused a fight to break out if not for Akira pulling her away. In the end she wasn’t even allowed to be a substitute and was ejected from the bench throughout the whole match. They lost that particular match and most of their schoolmates blamed Fumi for it. As the ace it was her job to lead them to Nationals and she fell short from it.

Silence echoed within the gymnasium. Yachiyo heard the regret and frustration that came from those words. She could sympathize with Fumi to an extent after all that’s what usually happens to Yachiyo. She often got replaced either because of her work ethic or the fact that she never tried to particularly stand out among the other players. For everyone else she was the nobody that never showed what she was capable of and never minded if she was replaced. It was only by Akira’s good will that she still had a spot in Ryuuzawa. Maybe that’s how the two of them became such good friends; because they were somewhat the same to an extent.

Two people that were aware of that bothersome feeling of being replaced.

“I doubt it. You know that coach of ours wanted you gone the moment you went against their directives.” Yachiyo waved it off and shoved the bottle of water towards Fumi. “If you worked hard I’m sure they would have done something underhanded to get you out. It was better this way. Even if we lost the match, I think it was better this way”

Fumi wasn’t replaced out of good will, unlike her. The coach only used Fumi’s work ethic and overall attitude as an excuse to finally get Fumi off their case. Among everyone in Ryuuzawa it was Fumi who had been utterly critical of their coach. It was the reason why her work ethic during official training hours was as horrible as Yachiyo’s; a rebellious act against their coach. But once everyone had left for the day, Yachiyo knew that Fumi stayed in order to train by herself. Within the team no one else loved volleyball more than Yumeoji Fumi and Yachiyo knew about it because she had been Fumi’s teammate ever since middle school.

“You really think so? Geez, maybe all of us should have transferred to another school.” Fumi jested before she took a sip from the bottle. “I guess it wasn’t that bad.”

Yachiyo continued to observe Fumi, her time in Rinmeikan truly helped her. With that particular smile on her face, Yachiyo could see that transferring was the best choice she had made. In a way, seeing Fumi stoked the fires of envy she felt for her. They were the same to an extent but vastly different in another spectrum. Fumi was irreplaceable while she could easily be thrown aside; if only she were a bit more talented, maybe she could have been considered irreplaceable.

“For you? It certainly wasn’t bad. In fact that might have been the best decision you’ve made.” Yachiyo glanced towards the empty court. Tomorrow, this court would be filled with various individuals that were capable of outshining everyone else. No doubt all eyes would be on them and as usual their plays would be the highlights of the match. Volleyball was a team game and Yachiyo understood that everyone had a role to play but was it wrong to wish for a chance to show one’s worth? Then again, she doesn’t even know if she was worth anything to begin with. 

“Tomorrow’s going to be the same as always, I suppose…” She might as well resign to her fate that they’d still keep her on the bench for tomorrow’s match. Yachiyo was used to it though. This bench would be her new best friend for tomorrow and she’d watch everyone in detail and relay what she observed once the match is over to Akira. 

“Same as always…” Yachiyo repeated and pursed her lips. “But if it’ll be the same as always, then I’ll get to see your terrifying spikes.”

Fumi was the only one who knew how deep Yachiyo’s self hatred ran within her veins. She was the only one who Yachiyo ever confided with given their long standing friendship. If anyone else had heard Yachiyo they would have just laughed and give her a pat on the back. Fumi did none of those; she wrapped an arm behind Yachiyo and pulled the girl closer so the pinkette would have the option to hide her face on her shoulder.

“You’ll get your chance, don’t worry. Akira believes in you and so does Michiru. Isn’t that why you’re still on the team? Only the strong stay in Ryuuzawa, don’t forget that.” Fumi wasn’t the best in comforting people but sometimes she was willing to try.  

“Tomorrow, I’ll be waiting for you on the court.”

“Your fate in me is astounding.” Yachiyo chuckled as she hid her face on Fumi’s shoulder. “Gosh, I hate you so much right now.”

“Because I trust you, isn’t that why I entrusted you to take care of everyone else when I left? We’ve known each other since middle school, you’re the only one who I’d entrust Akira and Michiru to.”

“Flattered but I still hate you for giving me trouble. I swear, I’ll definitely make you pay during tomorrow’s match.” Yachiyo replied. “You better be grateful that Michiru-senpai actually has Otonashi-san to support her or I swear you’d owe me a lot.”

“Good, if you can still talk back to me in that manner then I guess I don’t have to worry about anything.” Fumi gently smiled and lightly patted Yachiyo as she softly sobbed against her shoulder. “Ichie huh, I didn’t expect that from Michiru at all.”

“While we’re on the topic, about Akira….”

“Not another word Fumi. Your friend is as dense as a brick wall let’s leave it at that.”

Fumi couldn’t help but let out a hearty laugh. If that was the case then maybe she doesn’t have to worry about Akira anymore. After all, Yachiyo seemed to have everything under control. Now all that’s left to do is to confront Michiru and Akira on the court tomorrow and convey everything she had failed to tell them before she left. Tomorrow, Fumi would finally get to face them and apologize for the vow she had broken.

Chapter Text

Rinmeikan Girls School Gym, Current Year
Rinmeikan Girls School vs Ryuuzawa Academy

[ Go, Go, Go, Go, Rinmeikan! Win, Win, Win, Win, Rinmeikan! ]

A deafening roar echoed within the whole gymnasium of Rinmeikan Girls School as the hour of the appointed match drew near. The combined beat of the Odaiko and Shime Daikos used by Rinmeikan’s fearsome Taiko troupe carried the fighting spirit that Rinmeikan was renowned for. The moment Ryuuzawa’s team had entered there had been nothing but cheers meant for Rinmeikan’s Volleyball Club. Fighting on one’s home turf had always been advantageous but even Michiru had to admit that this was certainly suffocating. Tamao played them like a fiddle suggesting for the match to be held on a day where most students would be free to watch it. With another series of cheers Michiru felt half of their squad’s morale going down to the negatives.

“Not bad.” Akira praised Tamao’s guile, she certainly thought things through before they invited them here. “When she told me that she was prepared for us, I didn’t expect such a grand welcome. Let’s not disappoint them, we’re Ryuuzawa we don’t run.”

“Akira-senpai, sometimes I envy you.” Yachiyo sighed as she fondly looked at Akira. This was obviously a tactic to intimidate them by Rinmeikan but Akira saw it from a different perspective and frankly it worked out better for them. Some of their teammates had stopped quivering in fear; a good sign that at least they might not lose the first set that bad.

They made their way towards the bench where Tamao and the others were waiting. Rinmeikan had just finished their warm-ups and it was Ryuuzawa’s turn to use the court for a few minutes. Fumi was near the bench and as soon as her eyes met with Michiru and Akira the tension in the air became palpable. This would serve as their first meeting ever since Fumi transferred to Rinmeikan and Yachiyo was more than ready to intervene should things escalate from the get go. Thankfully, Ichie quickly reacted to the situation and proceeded to tackle Michiru down for a few hugs.

“Ah! Michiru-senpai! Otonashi-senpai!” Mei Fan was surprised when Michiru and Ichie had hit the floor with the former resembling a very angry squirrel due to the way they glared towards Ichie. “Don’t fight!”

“Uh… Mei Fan-senpai I don’t think they’re actually fighting…” Misora pointed out to their bewildered senior as Ichie started to demand a hug for good luck from Michiru.

“That’s unfair! I want a hug too!” Aruru exclaimed before she pulled Misora for an embrace. “Misora-chan I need an energy recharge from you!”

“You have a lovely team with you, Akira-san.” Tamao chuckled as she gently nudged Fumi and gestured for her to say something to Akira. “Fumi, isn’t there something you wanted to tell them?”

Akira kept quiet and waited for Fumi to speak. There were words that were left unspoken between the trio and though some would argue that it would be better that way Akira and Michiru weren’t the type to favor such a thing. If words were left unspoken then there’d be no way to clear the air between all three of them. But in the end, Akira had absolutely nothing but Fumi holding out her fist towards her.

“...I’ll show it to you and Michiru. My resolve. I haven’t forgotten our vow, I’ll win Nationals for the three of us so just sit back and watch.” Fumi expressed before she turned her back on Akira and headed towards Rinmeikan’s bench. Tamao shook her head, a concerned look evident on her face before she bowed in apology towards a confused Akira.

“I expected for this to happen but I never thought she’d be this stubborn.”

“...she’s always been stubborn.” Akira was partly glad about it. Fumi had changed yet some things remain the same like her stubbornness and her constant need to prolong a confrontation. Akira was glad but at the same time it frustrated her to no end. Although, Akira had to be grateful for Fumi; her words sparked aflame the embers of competition between the two of them and Akira almost forgot how thrilling it was whenever they had faced each other during middle school.

“Tamao-san, tell her that we won’t lose to her nor to anyone else.” Though Fumi had left the goal remained the same. They were going to be the winners of the Summer Interhigh  Nationals tournament. That was the goal they strove for and Akira was going to make sure that it’ll be a reality for them. This year would be their last chance and she wasn’t going to waste it. Akira turned her back from Tamao and walked towards their bench in order to help the others warm-up. Tamao simply smiled and made her way back towards her own team.

“You never do change, Akira-san but you’re not the only one aiming to be the kings this year.” 

Tamao had also promised Rinmeikan that they’d win the Summer Interhigh. After a gruesome defeat from last year’s defending champions Tamao took it upon herself to lead the team back to victory. With Fumi being a blessing in disguise for them and Ichie successfully recovering from her injury she was confident that they’d be capable of achieving their goals and more. She had banked everything towards her volleyball career this year and was willing to play for Rinmeikan during the Spring High for another shot at Nationals. Defeat wasn’t part of their agenda.

“We’ll be the winners for today and eventually be crowned as champions in the actual tournament.”

Tamao would make sure of it. Now that their warm-up was over they can finally go over their plan for the first set. Tamao clapped her hands and signalled for the team to gather around so they can thoroughly prepare themselves. They only had a few minutes until Ryuuzawa finishes their warm-up and strategy meeting so it was best for them not to delay this conversation.

“Now that I have your attention there’s no doubt that Ryuuzawa is a tough opponent but we can’t be scared of them. We carry the pride of Kyoto on our shoulders; we mustn't lose.”

They absolutely had to win. Rinmeikan used to be National champions but after their golden age had passed they never got back to Nationals until Tamao and Ichie came to enroll during their first year. They were frequent contenders for the title and even experts admitted that the team they had right now was the strongest yet and could possibly have the chance to take the crown. This was their greatest chance and Tamao had no intention of squandering this opportunity.

“For today’s match Yuyuko’s going to be in charge of our initial strategy.” Tamao smiled and patted the girl’s shoulder. She was still a first year but her sound judgment and game sense was second to none. They were lucky that Yuyuko entered during their last bid for Nationals because if she hadn’t, Tamao knew that they could have lost the qualifiers. The girl’s strategies made everything easier for them and had lessened the burden on Ichie who had just gotten back into the fray after an injury. “The floor is yours.”

Yuyuko yawned and almost fell asleep while standing if it wasn’t for Rui who had nudged her awake during Tamao’s pep talk. She was slightly annoyed by her resident warden but for this situation it couldn’t be helped; she had to be awake throughout the whole match since their foes were none other than the prestigious Ryuuzawa Academy of Fukushima who were well known for their successful sports clubs. Compared to them they were certainly at a disadvantage but nothing they couldn’t overcome with a bit of strategy and that’s where she comes in. She had spent the whole week devising a plan for Ryuuzawa and hopefully it works out for them, otherwise they’d be in a pinch.

“For us to win we absolutely have to win three straight sets.” Yuyuko held out three of her fingers. Their road to victory relied on completely overwhelming Ryuuzawa for three sets. Unlike normal practice matches both teams decided upon a five-set format similar to the final match of the preliminaries. The other players were taken aback by Yuyuko’s statement; could they really win three straight sets over Ryuuzawa? Yuyuko noticed the discomfort but she had no reason to lie about it. That was the only way they could win.

“If we let them win even one set against us the momentum will shift towards their favor and it’ll be harder for us to win. Remember, we’re trying to preserve as much of Ichie-senpai’s strength as we can for the upcoming tournament. If we prolong the set it’ll put a burden on her knee.” While Ichie had mostly healed Yuyuko didn’t want to take any chances and so did Tamao. If they lost Ichie before the start of the tournament then their opportunity would be gone forever. 

“Ryuuzawa has very powerful serves and we’d need Ichie to play all the sets for us in order to strengthen our guard. That’s why we need to end at 3. The faster we end the set the better.” It was a strenuous plan but Ichie didn’t complain. In fact she immediately perked up once she heard of the plan..

“Yosh! That’s great! I thought I’d have to throw a fit to convince everyone to let me play.” Because there was no way that Ichie would let herself be benched while Michiru was on the field. They were rivals, and Ichie absolutely loved it whenever she fought with Michiru on the court. It was the best place to see Michiru shine and she wasn’t going to let anyone take away her privilege of seeing it first-hand. “You can count on me. I’ll make sure to keep the ball afloat for as long as I can.”

“For us to win three straight sets…” Yuyuko gestured towards Rui, Fumi, and Tamao. “We need our three blades to absolutely be on the top of their game. Rui use your height to your advantage given how strong you are as a Middle Blocker you’ll be our ace for net battles.”

“Wh-what?” Rui looked towards everyone. Was Yuyuko kidding? Maybe this was one of their jokes again? But panic started to set in for her when she realized that was not the case. “W-wait! Wouldn’t it make more sense for Fumi-senpai to be the main blocker for this match since we’re against Ryuuzawa?”

“No. It has to be you Rui. You’re our best chance of winning and you’re the only one that could withstand Akira and Mei Fan’s assault.” Ryuuzawa shifted to a more offensive oriented set-up after Fumi’s departure. Akira and Mei Fan were their only weapons judging from the videos she watched, if they could shut both of them down then it’d put a dent in their morale.

“I also think you’re the one suited for this. Have faith.” Fumi agreed with Yuyuko’s observation. Rui might not have noticed it yet but she had potential and hidden strength. Not to mention that she has the best physical condition among everyone having been a practitioner of kendo at an early age. 

“Plus, I think being the vanguard suits Rui-chan the most.” Tamao added to which Rui had almost fainted at.

“I-if that’s what Tamao-senpai wants then I’ll make sure to block every single one of them!” Rui proudly declared much to everyone’s relief. Yuyuko and Fumi were thankful that Rui was easy to encourage as long as Tamao was there.

“I’m guessing that I’ll be our main scorer because I know their defensive plays well?”

Yuyuko nodded towards Fumi due to her knowledge about most of Ryuuzawa’s players it’d be essential if Fumi was going to be their designated scorer. Not only that, Fumi was a great morale booster for their team. Whenever she gets fired up in a match their whole team gets dragged along and it produced wonderful results. Yuyuko was banking on that in order for them to maintain their fighting spirit should the worst happen.

“Tamao-senpai, we’re counting on your service aces. Do your best to score a lot while you’re the designated server.” Tamao’s serves were known to be hard to deal with. Even Ichie has a hard time adjusting to her service. Ryuuzawa had Michiru as a libero but Yuyuko was confident that Michiru won’t be capable of consistently catching Tamao’s services until the latter part of the second set which would be too late for them.

“I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations.” Tamao gently smiled in response. That had been her plan from the start; to get a lot of service aces through before their positions were rotated.

“Lastly, Shiori.”  Yuyuko stared at Shiori and the younger Yumeoji quickly stood at attention. “You’re going to be our secret trump for the second set. I’m sure Ryuuzawa would get used to us by the end of the first set so during the second we’ll change it up with a few rotation changes and Shiori you’ll be going in. For the first set keep a close eye on their movements once you step in… surprise them.”

“I won’t let you down.” Shiori was just happy that she’d be standing on the court with the rest of them for the second set. She’ll pay attention to everyone on Ryuuzawa’s side as Yuyuko instructed and make use of that knowledge during the second set. This was her chance to show Mei Fan and the others how much she grew in the past few months.

“That’s our game plan. We need to use every opportunity to score. We can’t let it be a waste. If everyone bears that in mind then we’ll have less trouble in the match.” Yuyuko yawned right after and noted their reactions. Some still felt apprehensive with this plan but Yuyuko couldn’t fault them. It was risky and banked on Ryuuzawa not having the proper means to counter them but it was all they have.

You know what they say, either you sink or swim and Yuyuko would always prefer to swim rather than to sink.

The gymnasium erupted with raucous cheers as the coin toss had finished. It seemed Rinmeikan would have to defend against Ryuuzawa for the start of this match and now all that’s left to do was to finalize the starters for this first set. Akira went back to their bench and all the players stood at attention as they waited for their captain’s instructions. Their coach opted out for this match, thinking the Kyoto representatives weren’t worth the effort and so it fell upon Akira’s shoulders to handle all the affairs. Rinmeikan decided to play in even ground for this one and requested for their coach to watch among the stands instead. Now everything solely relied on the players and Akira wasn’t going to lose against Tamao on this one.

“Show them who’re the real kings of the court.” Akira was a woman of few words but the aura she exuded was more than enough for everyone. Even against all odds Akira still brimmed with confidence and pride. Despite the Taiko drums continuously drowning them within a sea of cheers meant for Rinmeikan, their dear captain didn’t seem shaken up by it.

“For the first set we’ll have the first service. I’ll take the opening serve and I’ll leave the frontline to Mei Fan and Aruru.” Akira glanced towards Mei Fan who was still in deep thought. “Mei Fan, you’re playing Wing Spiker for this set.”

“H-huh? Wait, Akira-san I…” Mei Fan had thought due to their coach’s absence she could finally go back to her original designation as a middle blocker. Plus, she didn’t want to face-off against Fumi with the same position she stole from her.

“You can’t run forever.” That was all Akira said before she moved on to address the rest of their concerns.

“Aruru.” Akira simply called her name and their blonde ball of sunshine was bouncing in anticipation. Akira told her that she was going to handle the frontline and she couldn’t exactly wait, especially when she had heard so many stories from Yachiyo last night regarding Fumi’s infamous strength.

“Don’t let Fumi do as she pleases.”

“You got it Cap! Leave it to Aruru! I definitely won’t disappoint you.” Aruru couldn’t possibly wait. She always found it fun whenever they were faced off with strong opponents. Plus, Fumi was a bit easier to face than Shizuha. If Aruru survived Shizuha during the preliminaries then she can survive Fumi.

“Misora, support Aruru and Mei-Fan. I’m counting on you for all five sets. Expect for some of their spikes to be uncatchable during the first few rallies but I expect you to get used to them by the second set.”

Misora blinked and was in total shock from what Akira had said. Did she just say that she was going to play for all five sets? Just like Mei Fan she wasn’t exactly ready for that at all and what did Akira mean that she’d be counting on her? She doesn’t know what exactly Akira saw in her to garner that much trust from their captain but she won’t let Akira down.

“You got it. Once I get used to them there’s no way I’d easily let the ball fall without doing anything.” Misora may not be a famous spiker like her older sister but she won’t let herself fall short of Akira’s expectations. She was confident that she’d survive all five sets with energy to burn due to her monstrous stamina.

“Finally, Michiru… you’re not entering the first set.”

Michiru clenched her fist and glared towards Akira. The whole team never expected that announcement. They needed Michiru against Rinmeikan, she was the backbone of Ryuuzawa’s defense and to prevent her from joining would mean that they were more vulnerable than ever against Rinmeikan’s attacks.

“I don’t know what spell Tamao-san threw at you yesterday but I’m not letting this slide.” What in the world was Akira thinking? Ichie aside, this confrontation between her and Fumi was long overdue. Michiru couldn’t fathom why Akira of all people would decide to cast her aside for an important match.

“You’re benched until you convince me otherwise.” Akira wasn’t going to budge on this one. They needed Michiru on the court but not with how she was. Between the two of them it was Michiru who had been gravely affected by Fumi’s departure; it ruined a carefully crafted two-year plan in order to be champions. In Michiru’s current state it would be easy for her to lose her cool against Fumi during the match and that would only be detrimental for them.

“Why you…” Michiru was furious and everyone knew it. Without another word, Michiru stepped away from the meeting and sat as far away on the bench from the group as possible. This was exactly why Akira couldn’t field her right away. Akira needed Michiru to be level-headed and as long as she lets her frustrations get the better of her then she couldn’t let her play.

With that Akira continued to explain their plan for the first set and signalled for the team to be ready. Yachiyo casts a worried glance towards Akira’s direction. She had absolutely no idea what their captain was thinking but she could only hope that it wouldn’t backfire on them. Michiru provided a sense of comfort for everyone on the court and whenever she was there every spike she received from the enemy team always drove them to return the favor tenfold. Yachiyo was about to take a seat next to Michiru when Akira had pulled her away from the rest of the team before the match started.

“Akira-senpai? What is it?” Yachiyo asked.

“I’m counting on you for this match.”

They were simple words but Yachiyo felt her throat dry up and her heart threatened to jump out of her chest when she heard it from Akira herself. She absolutely hated it when Akira could easily throw those kinds of words without realizing the effect it had towards the recipient. It was so unfair; how could she possibly keep calm if Akira says that. Yachiyo's face was so red that Akira almost mistook her to have a fever.

"Senpai…" Yachiyo looked away from Akira. She couldn't even face her properly. "You're absolutely unfair."

"...I'm only doing this because it's you." If Akira was going to keep this up then she'd definitely pull her weight for this match.

Akira had no idea why it was even unfair to begin with but she was thankful that Yachiyo was willing to put in the effort for their sakes. This was a practice match but it was a very important one for her. Akira lightly slapped Yachiyo's back and left the girl to care for Michiru while they start the match.

It came as no surprise that Rinmeikan had been taken aback by Ryuuzawa’s current lineup especially Ichie whose gaze was drawn towards where Michiru was seated. She knew that Michiru would never dare to miss a confrontation between the two of them. They promised each other that they’d always go head-to-head whenever their teams meet on the court and give their all. Matches against Michiru were the ones that Ichie looked forward to the most because Michiru just brings out the best in her and to see her looking glum and frustrated on the bench made Ichie feel something in the pit of her stomach.

Fumi and Tamao easily noticed the uneasiness that Ichie felt. The lavender-haired girl still had a smile on her face but it felt so forced that the entire team couldn’t bear to ignore it. Both girls quickly made their way towards Ichie’s side before the match could start. Tamao gently puts a hand over Ichie’s shoulder with Fumi doing the exact same thing but on Ichie’s back.

“I know Michiru, she’s not the type that can be kept on the bench for too long.” Fumi tried to reassure her. “In the meantime, you just have to believe in her. She’s not the type to go back on her word. Trust me.”

Michiru would never go back on her word. That might be the primary reason why Michiru looked so frustrated on the bench. Fumi was aware of Ichie and Michiru’s promise to each other and knowing Michiru she’d rather quit volleyball than to break a promise. That was how much promises meant to Michiru; they weren’t just petty words you throw whenever you feel like it, promises were sacred agreements that held meaning for her. She’d throw away her whole career for the sake of one promise. It was both endearing and worrisome. So Fumi understood what Ichie felt; there was nothing she could do on the sidelines but wait for Michiru to come around.

“Let’s focus on the game. I’m sure they can’t keep Ootori-san out if they’re losing horribly. Plus, I bet she can’t keep herself on the bench if she sees you performing at a hundred percent.” Tamao knew what it felt like to be benched during an important match. If they play their cards right and snag a win on the first set then surely Michiru was going to force Akira to put her into their lineup. “Everything’s going to be fine, Ichie.”

“Yosh!!!” Ichie harshly slapped her own cheeks. She couldn’t afford to let her team down. She was worried about Michiru but she’d just have to do her best and trust her until the end. 

“Sorry if I made the two of you worry, I’ll be fine now. Leave the backline to me.” Ichie’s going to show them that taking out Michiru from their lineup was one big mistake. No other libero could match up to her but Michiru. Ichie was going to make Ryuuzawa feel just how much they needed Michiru to win. Tamao and Fumi nodded towards each other and went back to their positions; the game had been delayed long enough it was time to start.

Akira carefully watched Rinmeikan’s movements as she prepared to serve. Her target was set and her eyes were on the prize. Fumi told her earlier that she was going to show her resolve. Akira was going to do the same thing; she was going to show her own resolve along with her team. This was their year, just like Rinmeikan they were at their strongest right now. This was their chance to win Nationals and if they can’t prove themselves in this practice match then they might as well give up.

Akira locked gazes with Ichie and the perky libero felt goosebumps all over her skin. The amount of pressure that Yukishiro Akira exhibited was nothing to scoff at. Ichie had an inkling where Akira was aiming for. She had a wide grin on her face. Ichie gestured for Akira to give her best shot because no matter what ball comes flying over their way as long as she was Rinmeikan’s libero then she’d catch every single one of them.

“Challenge accepted.” Ichie wasn’t going to run away from any fight, she’ll accept this challenge and win. 

Fumi suddenly felt nervous not because they were against Ryuuzawa now but because she felt a quick shift from Ichie. Akira had overwhelming pressure but so did Ichie. Having the lavender-haired libero right behind her was both a blessing and a curse. She didn’t even have to ask what Ichie was muttering under her breath right now; she could practically hear it within her head, Ichie’s demand for the ball.

The whistle was blown and Akira tossed the ball high up in the air. This was the first beat about to be dropped onto the match. Akira had confidence in her serves; it was her greatest weapon. A service ace could shift the entire match towards your team’s favor and continuous ones would keep the fatigue among your team relatively low. She always aimed to lessen the fatigue and burden her team felt. She was the captain now, if she could lessen the anxiety and fatigue of her members with just one play then she’d repeat it a thousand times.

Akira did her run-up and extended her arm as she jumped. She had no intention of going easy on Rinmeikan. She was going to put her back into this first strike; a serve that not even Ichie would be capable of receiving. Akira’s hand connected with the ball, the sound loud enough to drown the powerful cheers of Rinmeika’s supporters.

Fumi couldn’t even react as it flew right above her in a frightening speed. She was supposed to be used to Akira’s serves and yet fear and shock had gripped her limbs despite her desire to move. She had forgotten how terrifying Akira could be when you stood on opposite sides of the court. She was like an oni that couldn’t be satisfied until she had smashed her opponents down to the bone.

Too bad for Akira though, Rinmeikan had a demon of their own. A tiny one that couldn’t keep themselves rooted in one spot. She was a demon that could appear anywhere and would return any attack directed against her towards the attacker with insurance. Ichie had her eyes completely glued onto the ball. She knew that serve was aimed for her. It was high enough so it would be difficult for her to step back and receive it normally. But Ichie wasn’t nervous, she calmly raised both of her hands and received it overhead. The force of the ball was enough to make her wince and to be thrown off balance but she had protected this point.

“Yuyuko!” Ichie shouted as she tumbled down. Akira wasn’t playing any games, she’d go as far as stressing Ichie’s knee enough for Tamao and the rest to let her permanently retire from the match. Ichie respected how far Akira was willing to go for just a simple practice match and she had to answer it in the same manner. It was just a practice match for everyone else but for them it meant the world and so Ichie was willing to put her body on the line with every play she makes.

“Let’s get that one point.” Yuyuko remarked as she headed for the ball.

She had expected Akira to resort into targeting Ichie in order to force her to retire early from the game which was one of her primary reasons why she wanted this game to end quickly. For that to happen, as Rinmeikan’s setter it was up to her to capitalize on the opportunities given for their attacks. Yuyuko wasn’t someone who deeply loved volleyball like the others did, she only joined because Rui always brought her along to act as their setter back when they were kids. But, she couldn’t exactly say that she disliked it in fact a part of her enjoyed the sport especially when her team gets the last laugh because of her sets.

Yuyuko kept her composure as she easily sends the ball towards Fumi’s direction. The opening point was meant for their ace and Yuyuko believed that Fumi would deliver. The blonde girl moved even before Yuyuko had sent her the ball; she knew the setter would entrust it to her. As soon as she had finished her run up, Fumi kicked herself off the ground and swung her arm as hard as she could in order to hit the ball. She aimed right near the line and believed that the strength she had put on it would be enough to blow any blocker that’d even manage to react to their quick combination. But before her hand could connect with the ball, Fumi saw someone’s hand blocking part of her view.

“You…” Fumi didn’t expect for anyone to even be capable of catching up to their combination’s quick attack and that had been an error on her part.

“I won’t let you!” Mei Fan declared as she jumped right after Fumi did. She knew that she’d be too late to properly block it out but as long as she manages to get a touch on that ball then that was victory on their end. Sure, she was still nervous about this whole confrontation with Fumi but Akira was right; it was time for her to stop running away and face Fumi head-on. She was Ryuuzawa’s Wing Spiker now and that was something she had to accept. 

Fumi clicked her tongue but she was certainly impressed given the smirk on her face. She absolutely loved the faint embers that burned in Mei Fan’s eyes as they met for their first confrontation. Oh, but she wasn’t going to make it any easier for them; she was Yumeoji Fumi and as Rinmeikan’s ace it was her duty to get the first point. Even if her form was crumbling in mid-air she changed the trajectory of her spike to change towards the other side of the net instead. She was already gloating inside when she saw Mei Fan’s panicked expression at having been duped. But, that didn’t last long as someone else’s hand came up in order to block the ball.

“What?!” Fumi couldn’t believe it, the ball had hit the newcomer’s fingers and even though their arm had been blown back the damage was done. Just like what Akira had told her to do, Aruru made sure that Fumi couldn’t just do what she pleases. Call it luck or instinct but she jumped right after Mei Fan did and guessed that Fumi would be sending the ball somewhere else and it had paid off. Misora who had been waiting for the ball caught it with her forearms and set it high up for their team.

“Chance ball!!” Misora yelled. Akira entrusted her to guard their backs while Michiru was still on the bench. This was her chance to prove herself to be useful towards Ryuuzawa and to express her gratitude towards giving her a chance to play with them. Truth be told, this was the first match that Misora had ever been called upon to be a starter and she wasn’t going to waste it.

As soon as her feet had touched the ground, Mei Fan bounded towards the opposite side of the court. Fumi couldn’t even keep up as she tried to rush to help Tamao and Rui cover for Mei Fan’s attack. The ball was sent towards Mei Fan’s way and Ryuuzawa’s new ace soared in mid-air. But, she didn’t have a clear view of the field as two figures jumped in perfect sync. Despite being delayed for a second or two both players had been prepared to stop her spike. Rui’s athletic abilities plus her monstrous height was a bane for any spiker that crossed paths with her. This loyal samurai’s blade could cut an opponent down before they could even strike. Mei Fan had already sent the ball right towards Rui’s hand and she could only hope that it’d be blown away.

“Don’t underestimate us!” Rui shouted as she gritted her teeth and did her utmost best to completely block the ball. Yuyuko told their team earlier that she was the only one who could withstand Akira and Mei Fan’s vicious attacks. If Yuyuko entrusted her with such an important task then she won’t let her down. 

The ball was shot down towards Ryuuzawa’s side of the net and no one had been capable of reacting. The whole team was in shock; a first year middle blocker had blocked off Mei Fan’s fiery spike. The whistle was blown and the point was awarded to Ryuuzawa’s side. Cheers and beats erupted from the stands. The first point of the match had been garnered by the home team.

“I...did it?” Rui couldn’t believe her eyes. She actually did it. Just like what they told her earlier she was going to be one of the keys to win this match. Rui almost fell when Ichie jumped on her back in order to congratulate her. Honestly, everything still felt surreal but she won’t forget that feeling. That wasn’t going to be the only time she’d shut down Ryuuzawa’s monstrous offense.

And now it was time for them to hit back. Tamao entered the service area and Ichie had to leave the court due to being rotated out.

“Tamao! I’ll leave the rest to you while I’m at the bench!” Ichie gave her a thumbs up before she took a seat on the bench. It was a good thing that she was rotated out earlier than expected, in reality her leg felt numb after catching Akira’s spike. Truly, she’s a frightening contender but she’ll be ready for her. “Hey! If any of you are free, help me out with the taping. I need to be ready for the next one.”

Tamao nodded towards Ichie’s direction. It was time for the second sword of Rinmeikan to strike. Tamao took a deep breath and used the time she had to pick a general area to target. They weren’t using Michiru and that was going to be advantageous for them. As soon as the whistle was blown, Tamao tossed the ball and made a run for it. Akira wasn’t the only one who could send a frightening jump serve. Tamao slammed the ball and sent it flying towards Akira’s direction. The silver-haired girl quickly went into position in order to catch it properly but the force had been too great that she couldn’t control the trajectory of her receive and the ball went out of the court. The rest of Ryuuzawa couldn’t believe their eyes, Akira had lost and now they were surely in trouble.

“Another point to go...” Tamao muttered under her breath. Once the referee signalled for the game to be continued, she once again unleashed a devastating serve towards Ryuuzawa and it had been aimed towards Akira. Ryuuzawa’s captain once again accepted the challenge and ended up losing.

Yuyuko was certainly satisfied with their start. Everything was going according to plan. With Tamao in the service area combined with Ryuuzawa’s poor receive skills they can garner a substantial lead before by some miracle they manage to return Tamao’s serves. Michiru was the player she had been worried about the most but with Ryuuzawa surprisingly not fielding her then it became relatively easier for them. Plus, this way Ichie would have more than enough time to recover.

Meanwhile, Michiru was practically seething on Ryuuzawa’s bench. No one dared to sit relatively close to her except Yachiyo whose eyes had been fixed onto the court while they were being played by Rinmeikan. Michiru wanted to play. Just seeing the other team easily rack up points due to a serve was downright insulting for her. It was her job to protect her team from such an onslaught but Akira wasn’t letting Michiru do it much to their team’s expense.

“That idiot, what is she thinking taking on Tamao like that.” Michiru tightly clenched her fist as she frustratedly watched the game unfold. The gap had already widened to five points due to Tamao’s service aces before the girl had been stopped by a lucky break. Damage done though, the momentum had already shifted towards Rinmeikan’s favor.

Ryuuzawa continued to struggle with all their might in order to cut the deficit. However, Rinmeikan never faltered as they courageously met Ryuuzawa’s attacks head-on. Mei Fan and Akira’s spikes were valiantly defended by Rui and Fumi for as long as they could. Ichie always made sure to cover for their mistakes and give them a chance to try again. Yuyuko’s sets always seemed to throw the other team off due to the variant timings she employed while Fumi continued to be the bane of Rinmeikan’s team as she fearlessly smashes the ball towards the court regardless of Aruru and Misora’s tenacious defense.

Michiru couldn’t accept that they had lost the flow of the game. The lead should have just been kept to one or none at all if she was in there. 

“She knows she’s bad at receives why isn’t she fielding me in?” Michiru asked herself again. Why was Akira being too adamant about this? Now wasn’t the time for second-guessing. She was Ryuuzawa’s libero she had to play. “If I was there, I could have easily stopped Fumi.”

She knew all of Fumi’s usual tricks and so far that’s all she’d done. Even if Yuyuko continued to cover for Fumi’s weakness by changing the timing of her sets but Michiru knew it could only do so much. Fumi kept repeating her moves and never bothered to change it up. It was brutally effective and Michiru absolutely hated their combination.

“Michiru-senpai, have you ever thought that maybe it’s because you’re too hung up on Fumi.” Yachiyo could be as blunt as Mei Fan if she tried her best. She knew that Akira was counting on her to improve Michiru’s mood before they could field her on the court but that was such a tall order even for her.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Michiru wasn’t in the mood for Yachiyo’s small talk. The girl might as well spit out what she wanted to say.

“You’re completely fixated on Fumi that you’ve lost sight of something very important.” Yachiyo answered back but Michiru wasn’t satisfied with it. What did she mean that she had lost sight of something? Her? Michiru? Lost sight of a goal? An objective? Preposterous.

“Don’t talk in riddles. I haven’t lost sight of anything.”

“Just watch.” Yachiyo gestured for Michiru to keep her eyes on Rinmeikan’s side of the field instead of their own. “I’m sure you’d get it if you focus your eyes on them and Otonashi-san.”

“Fine, I’ll humor you.” Michiru grumbled as she begrudgingly followed Yachiyo’s directions. If Yachiyo wanted her to calm down then shouldn’t she not focus on Rinmeikan. Just seeing them dominating their team angered her to no end.

However, the more she watched them the harder it became to tear her eyes off the plays they pulled off. It frustrated her but she had to admit that Rinmeikan was effectively using their member’s skills. Fumi was one of the strongest spikers in Fukushima and had rivaled even Tendou Maya during their middle school bouts, in Ryuuzawa her skills were polished further due to the intense training but how she was before was certainly nothing in comparison to her current form. Ryuuzawa helped Fumi grow but Rinmeikan absolutely made her become a better version of herself in more ways than one.

“It’s annoying how insanely good she became.” Michiru complained as she and Yachiyo fervently watched the match. It was annoying to see Fumi use her strength for Rinmeikan and not for Ryuuzawa. It immensely pissed her off that the promise their trio had would never come into fruition. Not only that, it frustrated her to no end that Fumi never bothered to check back in with them after she left. As if their friendship never mattered to her in the first place.

Seeing Fumi enjoying herself on the court stirred conflict within Michiru’s heart. She’s happy and at the same time she wasn’t. It was utterly maddening to a fault. How can Fumi afford to enjoy a game against them despite everything that had happened. Michiru wanted to understand it. She wanted to know how Fumi does it because Michiru wanted to enjoy this match too.

“ Oh so that was it…” Michiru thought to herself as the realization started to crash down on her. She had lost sight of the real reason why she wanted to play and enjoy this match.

She wanted to enjoy this match because Ichie was part of it. The two of them had an unspoken vow to always make a game between them the most enjoyable match they’d ever had. Every time they met on the court they’d play to their heart’s content and give each other a match worthy of being remembered. And now? She couldn’t even feel that sensation from the bench as all the pent-up frustration and anger she felt for the past year was on the brink of an explosion. She couldn’t give Ichie the match-up that she had been waiting for. She had been so fixated on giving Fumi the smackdown of the century that she had forgotten her promise with Ichie.

 “It’s annoying to see her have that smug smile on her face now that we’re on opposite sides, don’t you agree?” Yachiyo chuckled at her own remark. “It’s like she’s having the time of her life out there on the court while the two of us are just stuck here in the sidelines.”

And Yachiyo couldn’t wait to get off the bench but she had to be patient. Akira entrusted her with something important and she wasn’t going to fail her.

“The same goes for Otonashi-san; she carries the weight of retirement on her shoulders because of her injury but she still faces this match with all she has. The smiles on their faces are incredibly annoying and yet it’s hard to keep your eyes away from them.”

Michiru’s gaze shifted from Fumi towards Ichie who had already saved Rinmeikan from a number of close calls just from this first set alone. Against all odds Ichie remained smiling. Even if she wasn’t there on the court Ichie still played as if she had been there. She couldn’t tear her eyes away anymore from Ichie so much so that Michiru wanted to step back on the court; she wanted to face off against Ichie with everything she had just as they promised. 

“Michiru-senpai, when I look at Otonashi-san right now it reminds me of you. You look the happiest when you’re on the court.” Yachiyo commented.

“… I don’t think you’re wrong.” Michiru truly was happiest whenever she played on the court with everyone else.

“I’m sure Akira-senpai knew how much you love volleyball and how important this match is with you. That’s why she couldn’t let you play while you’re so fixated on Fumi.” Because Akira knew that the last thing Michiru would want was to not live up to the promise she made with Ichie.

“The idiot, she could have just told me right from the start.” Michiru lamented upon her earlier outburst against Akira. She was just looking out for her and she had responded negatively towards it.

“This is Akira-senpai we’re talking about, she’ll make simple things complicated.” Yachiyo said in jest before she looked towards Michiru. “Akira-senpai thinks that she isn’t fit to be captain but look at her risk an entire match just for you and I bet she’d do the same for each and everyone on the team.”

“She certainly would.” Michiru exclaimed as the whistle was blown to signal the end of the first set. They did their best but Rinmeikan had triumphed over them in the first set with a difference of three points.

“It’s a good thing that you’re a risk worth investing on, senpai~”  Yachiyo teased before she got up and welcomed their returning remembers. 

Yachiyo certainly had a silver tongue and Michiru couldn’t help but feel embarrassed and touched upon hearing that. Before she could even recover from the girl’s unexpected teasing Akira herself made it over towards her direction and sat next to her during their brief break in between sets. Silence settled in between the two of them for a few seconds before Michiru broke it with just one statement.

“Akira, you absolutely suck at receives.” Michiru wasn't even teasing. It was a known fact that their indomitable pillar was bad at receiving the ball. It was why she decided to become a libero when they entered middle school in order to cover for Akira's weakness.

“If you can talk like that then you can afford receiving a ball during the next set.” Akira chuckled and patted her back. "It's hard without you there."

"Whose fault was that?" Trick question, they knew that it was both their faults. 

Michiru got off the bench and stretched her limbs. There was no use dwelling on the past, what's done is done. She had to stop being hung up on the past. Fumi was fighting them with all she had and shouldered the burden of a promise that can’t be fulfilled anymore. Michiru couldn’t afford not to answer back with her own resolve. She’ll just have to pour out her frustrations in a productive manner throughout the match and play in earnest. Because both Fumi and Ichie deserved her absolute best.

 "Don't worry, I'm not leaving your side until we win at Nationals.” Michiru had an air of confidence around her as she headed to their side of the court. “Let’s crush them.”

Akira merely smirked and followed Michiru back to the court. It was time to give Rinmeikan a taste of their own medicine.

Ichie was the only one that was excited at the start of the match. Michiru was finally back on the court and it seemed Ryuuzawa was going to put up a better fight than earlier. Both Akira and Mei Fan were up front along with their setter while Michiru was at the back along with their two promising rookies, Aruru and Misora. The only one missing in the party was Yachiyo whom they still insisted on being benched. Ichie couldn’t wait until everyone was accounted for and so she’d continue to do her utmost best.

“Chiru-chan!! I missed you, tons!” Ichie shouted as she waved towards Michiru with glee. The blonde haired libero narrowed her glare towards Ichie and simply frowned. “Ohhhh~ business first then?”

Oh, she could do that too. If Michiru wanted her serious side to show on the court then she’ll gladly indulge her. Ichie was all smiles as she readied herself for what’s to come but everyone else felt something different. Rui who was right in front of Ichie this time around felt a chill travel down her spine. Fumi had warned her that there were times that Ichie brought both comfort and fear on the court and Rui was experiencing it first-hand.

“It’s fine to mess up, Rui-chan! I’ll make sure to catch the ball, so don’t worry.” Ichie confidently declared and Rui couldn’t help but furiously nod towards Ichie as an answer. “I’ll catch, every single one of them.”

“Oya, oya, oya… Ichie-senpai is suddenly on serious mode.” Yuyuko commented as she stood right beside their libero. Well this was good for them, if Ichie was going to be this serious then they wouldn’t have to worry about Michiru returning for Ryuuzawa. Even if their attacks would double, Ichie would be capable of defending against most. The match was still favorable for them, Ryuuzawa didn’t have a reliable setter and Yachiyo was rarely used in matches. As long as they get the second set they’d most likely sweep them by the third. 

“Took her long enough.” Fumi said though Yuyuko couldn’t figure out which of the liberos she was referring too. Yuyuko continued to observe Fumi to see if there would be something off about her once Michiru was on the court. Thankfully, Fumi seemed surprisingly calm about it. With mental fortitude like that Yuyuko was assured that their newfound ace was going to be fine for the rest of the match.

“Yuyuko!” Fumi shouted her name and Yuyuko couldn’t help but be taken aback by it. “Send everything to me. I’ll cut two dragons down as the third blade of Rinmeikan.”

That certainly wasn’t part of the plan. She was supposed to evenly distribute the ball to conserve everyone’s strength should the worst case scenario happen. Yuyuko blinked a few times and looked incredulously at Fumi. Was she being serious? Maybe she should be worried about her after all. Ah, but Fumi wasn’t even focused on her. Her attention was completely fixated towards Akira and Michiru, her two former comrades. With a sigh Yuyuko relented and mumbled her agreement. So much for plans, oh well she’ll take full responsibility if things don’t go the way they want during this second set.

The whistle was blown and Tamao tossed the ball high-up. She was going to start off their set with a bang. Her target couldn’t be Akira anymore since she was too close towards the net. She’d have to settle towards the two rookies at the back; Michiru was out of the question even Tamao wouldn’t risk challenging her. Tamao jumped right after her run-up and sent a powerful spike towards Misora’s direction. They didn’t have enough information about Misora but judging from her performance during the first set she wasn’t someone they could underestimate. Yuyuko had told her that they needed to break Misora’s confidence during this second set to prep for the third one. Normally Tamao had many qualms about such a thing but this was volleyball; on the court even kindness had its limits and Tamao would have to apologize towards Misora after the match for this.

The ball flew and Misora as expected tried to catch it, unfortunately Tamao’s spikes had been the bane of their whole team within the past few minutes and even Misora who was relatively good in receives couldn’t catch this one properly. It flew right past Yachiyo’s head who was just calmly sitting on the bench with her eyes still fixated on the match. The gymnasium roared with cheers for Tamao as the first point for this set was once again seized by Rinmeikan.

“Sorry! I’ll get the next one.” Misora apologized to her team and went back into position. She tried to calm herself down, in the next one she’d surely get it. Misora told herself over and over again as Tamao kept sending her serves towards Misora’s way. The redhead tried to contend Tamao’s serves and similar to Akira she failed to do so. The gap had widened to four points and Misora started to crumble from the inside.

Misora couldn’t possibly apologize forever; she doesn’t want to allow another rally to end with an apology from her. Akira finally gave her a chance to remain as a starter. This was her opportunity to prove herself but everything that she had done during the first set suddenly seemed to be a fluke against Tamao’s serves. The whistle had sounded and she didn’t even had enough time to wallow in self-hate as Tamao once again sent the ball towards her way. As always she shifted her position and tried to receive it, but the ball had bounced right on her upper arm and it was flung behind her. Misora was about to apologize when Michiru ran for the loose ball.

“Enough is enough!” Michiru shouted as she dove and sent the ball high-up. They still had a chance, it wasn’t over yet. “I’m not letting you keep doing as you please, Tamao!”

The ball was high up in the air but it wasn’t going to reach the net. Misora wanted to run after it but she couldn’t move her legs. She was scared of messing up again but she had to move. She absolutely had to in order to be of use to their team however she never did. Instead she had watched as the ball flew towards their side of the court, in her head it was going to be another point for Rinmeikan but a blur of gold suddenly appeared in her field of vision. Aruru followed Michiru’s example and raced after the ball and sent it back towards the other team as she dove and extended her arm in order to reach it.

“Sorry senpais! That’s the best I could do!” Aruru told them as she shuffled back onto her feet. They saved one but it wasn’t over yet.

“Chance ball!” Ichie declared as she easily caught the ball and sent it towards Yuyuko’s way. Their setter didn’t think twice about whom to send it to as she sent a quick toss towards Fumi’s direction. Their ace ran and made a jump for it; her goal was to smash it through Ryuuzawa’s defense. With no amount of hesitation, at the highest point of her jump she sent the ball flying with no regard if there were going to be three blockers in front of her. She aimed towards the line and her spike had slipped from the cracks of their defense.

But, that had only led to Fumi perfectly being caught by their trap. They purposefully forced her to aim for that area because Michiru was right behind. After diving for the ball earlier Michiru quickly ran back into position and sent Fumi’s spike high-up into the air.

“I forgot how annoying your receives could be.” Fumi grinned at Michiru. She should have known things couldn’t possibly keep going their way now that Michiru was here.

“I’m not going to lose to you.” Michiru wasn’t going to lose to them. She wasn’t going to lose to Ichie who vastly enjoyed her performance right now. The ball flew towards their setter who had tossed the ball towards Akira’s direction. The silver-haired girl jumped and smashed the ball with her hand. Rui barely made it in time as the force of the ball had been enough for her hand to be blown back, but she had touched it and with luck maybe the others could catch it.

“One touch!! Sorry, I couldn’t block it properly!” Rui shouted as she was thrown off-balance due to the impact.

The ball was headed out of bounds but Ichie wasn’t going to let Michiru outshine her. This was exactly the match she had been craving for. Michiru always drove her pass her limits and it was the most exhilarating thing in the world. Ichie managed to reach the ball and sent it back towards their side of the court. Yuyuko had no choice as she dove after the ball and just kept it alive with Tamao taking the last hit and haphazardly sent it back towards Ryuuzawa.

It was a grueling rally with neither side relenting. They threw the ball back and forth towards each other and everyone was already standing in their seats with anticipation on who would win this exchange. Misora kept trying to move but every time she did there was a voice that seemed to shout at her the possibility of failing. What if she failed? What if she missed? What if the score becomes 0-5 all because of her incompetence? Now wasn’t the time for her to have these thoughts of inadequacy but her four straight failures might have caused them this set.

“Misora! Cover it!!” Michiru shouted as she barely managed to catch another one. The ball flew overhead and Misora instinctively raised her arms. She had no idea where she was even sending this ball but Michiru had told her to keep it alive. Her fingers touched the ball and she sent a toss towards the front, although it was sent into a difficult position for any spiker to spike. Misora felt she failed again, if she had paid attention maybe she could have sent it towards Akira’s way.

“As if the ace is going to let it end there!” Mei Fan’s passionate shout broke Misora away from her thoughts. Mei Fan rushed towards the right side of the net for the toss and jumped with every intention of spiking the ball. It was sent dangerously close towards the net but she wasn’t going to be deterred.

An ace had to be their team’s light in times like this. Fumi had once been their ace and she had led their team through dire straits. As the one who inherited her position she had to be better than that. She had to be someone who could inspire the whole team with just one move. She needed to be someone they could all rely on. Mei Fan saw Fumi and Rui jump in order to block her but in a mid-air battle she wasn’t going to accept defeat so easily. In a split second, Mei Fan sent the ball towards the left in such a steep angle that both Tamao and Ichie couldn’t reach it in time. The ball landed right near the line and the referee deemed it to be in.

Mei Fan raised her finger. One point, they got one point and this was going to be the start of their offensive. She was going to return every point that they lost earlier now that she was going to be in the service area. 

Both of Ryuuzawa’s rookies looked at Mei Fan with admiration in their eyes. Misora wondered if one day she could also be like that; be the one that would inspire everyone within the team when the going gets tough. She wondered if she had what it took to be the ace just like Mei Fan and her sister. But that was a silly thought, how could she if she just froze up when a couple of things went wrong for her. An ace always needed to be the team’s source of inspiration, when everything seems to be hopeless it was their job to shine a ray of light for them to hold on to. She didn’t have the mental fortitude for that.

“Misora.” Akira slapped her back so hard that Misora swore she felt something crack. Oh no, was Akira actually mad at her performance? Maybe she should have switched positions with Aruru instead. Right now she was at the frontlines with Akira and Misora wanted to turn tail and run.

“Y-yes, senpai! I won’t mess up again senpai!” Misora blurted out without even hearing Akira out. Their captain was very confused with her answer. Was that not what Akira was expecting for her to say? Akira looked away from Misora and prepared herself for the start of the service.

“You’re still better at receives than me. Don’t forget that.” Akira said to which Misora was just very confused at.

“That’s her way of making you feel better.” Michiru commented from behind and shook her head. “Our captain’s bad with motivational speeches and words of encouragement. Don’t mind her Misora-san and focus on the game. You’re in Ryuuzawa for a reason so take pride in that.”

Ah, her seniors were trying to encourage her. Misora felt guilty about it.  Their seniors had more to worry about than her own wellbeing and yet they still took the time to encourage her. She could be easily replaced but Akira didn’t choose to do so. A loud slap echoed within the court that had took Rinmeikan by surprise. Misora’s cheeks were as red as a tomato after she had slapped herself and now her eyes had a certain fire that Yuyuko couldn’t describe.

“I don’t think we can break Misora down anymore.” That was one strategy taken down. Yuyuko didn’t think that Misora would bounce back that fast but it seems she underestimated the girl and that meant trouble. There was no use worrying about it now, she’ll just think of a plan against Misora later if she proves to be a sudden threat to their plans. 

“Keep your marks on Akira, her spikes are still our number one priority to shut down now that Mei Fan’s at the backline.” For now this was the only strategy they had and Yuyuko hoped that would be enough to maintain their lead. If they lose the second match that was it for them. 

“Listen everyone! We’re stopping Mei Fan in one go!” Fumi shouted and everyone responded with a resounding ‘yes’ . They weren’t going to allow Ryuuzawa to bounce back not after the lead Tamao had given them. “If we stop Mei Fan she’ll lose her groove for a couple of rallies. We’ll strike right after that.”

Mei Fan spun the ball in her hands and focused on where she’d target the ball. Their setter was at the back if she can get her to touch the ball first then they can’t start an effective attack. She was going to payback Tamao in this set tenfold. If she scored four in one go then she’ll score eight if it were even possible. Mei Fan tossed the ball as soon as the whistle had been blown and smashed it towards Yuyuko who luckily caught it. 

“Sorry! Ichie-senpai I’m leaving it to you.” Of course it would be aimed towards her. If you can stop the setter from starting an attack then your team had a higher chance of getting the rally point. Too bad for them, they had one trick up their sleeve to deal with this.

“Leave it to me! Time for our special dance!” Ichie meant move but it sounded too boring for her. The ball was high up in the air and was heading towards the net. Ichie ran as fast as she could and jumped towards the ball, arms outstretched Ichie sets the ball towards their Rui for this play. The other team couldn’t believe their eyes especially Michiru, when did Ichie even learned how to set a ball?

All three frontliners of Ryuuzawa didn’t expect for the set to be given to Rui of all people. Rinmeikan’s prized rookie jumped before their eyes and both Misora and Akira followed after her. Truth be told Rui had no idea what had happened right after she swung her hand and forced the ball through by aiming it at Akira’s fingertips. All she knew was that the ball ricocheted towards the side line and that she fully believed there was no way that they could get that ball.

But she had been wrong. 

“The ball hasn’t dropped yet!” Aruru shouted.

Aruru ran towards the direction of the speeding ball and it didn’t matter if she was going to collide at their own bench. She absolutely had to keep this ball alive for them. Most of Ryuuzawa’s members had vacated their bench as soon as Aruru collided with it but the deed was done; the ball was back high up in the air again and was headed near the net. 

“Go! Misora-chan!” Aruru knew there was only one person that could go for it.

“I can hit that…” Misora muttered to herself as she ran without thinking. Despite the fear she felt Misora decided to jump for it. Rui couldn’t jump on time in order to stop it but even if she had Yuyuko felt it in her bones that there was no way Misora would miss that spike. Misora’s mid-air form was something Yuyuko could only describe as beautiful. The ball descended like lightning and Ichie couldn’t reach it in time as it barely hit the outer line of the court.

Ryuuzawa’s bench roared to life with cheers when Misora’s explosive jump had happened. How could someone so short be capable of such a high jump? Even Mei Fan cheered as she lifted Misora up in glee. Aruru had already recovered by then and quickly tackled Misora. It was just one point but for Misora it had meant the world. They were still down by three points but they weren’t going to stop there.

“Let’s take the lead.” Akira declared and everyone roared in approval.

Yuyuko berated herself for not researching hard enough about Misora. She had an inkling that the girl was athletic given her build and the position she played despite her height but she never expected for her to be that good. Her vertical jump height was monstrous and she couldn’t help but feel that was just the beginning for Ryuuzawa’s comeback. She was already trying to come up with another strategy in her head when Rui’s voice tore her away from her thoughts.

“Give me five tries.” Rui said as she held out her fingers. “Five tries, if I can’t deal with her then you can sub me out.”

“Rui-chan!” Tamao didn’t expect this kind of answer from Rui. The whole team had no idea what had even gotten into her but it seems Rui had been moved by Misora’s play. Oh, it must be nice to suddenly have a rival in the middle of a match. Rui had always been successful in volleyball due to her height she had blocked many a foe but this? This was something new to her; losing in mid-air against someone significantly shorter than her. 

“Please trust in me, Tamao-senpai. Five tries. I can reach her, just give me five tries.” She needed time. Misora was fast and jumped high but every spiker would always meet against a wall that they couldn’t hope to overcome and Rui wanted to be that very wall.

“It’s rare for Rui to get fired up. I say let’s give it a chance besides I’m sure Rui already has an idea of Misora-san’s timing. After all, she’s been practicing with someone similar throughout the past few months.” Fumi was confident that Rui was capable of pulling it off. If that was the case then the rest just had to agree with Fumi’s judgment.

The rest of the match continued on and Ryuuzawa had reversed the score. Of course they didn’t solely rely on Misora. Ryuuzawa was comprised of gifted spikers as well as talented blockers. Akira and Mei Fan continued to be a force to be reckoned with being capable of striking from any distance. Misora’s athletic abilities continued to shine and caused troubles in more ways than one. Michiru and Aruru ran after any loose ball and made it a point to provide second chances for Ryuuzawa whenever they could.

By the time that Misora was back in front of the net, Ryuuzawa held the lead by 2 points with a score of 20-22 . It was once again time for another  confrontation between Rui and Misora. This was Rui’s last chance. If she couldn’t beat Misora here then she’d gracefully exit the court and sit on the bench for the remainder of the game. Almost everyone on Rinmeikan’s side was tense, they had never seen Rui this serious before against another opponent and whether or not it was a good sign was still up for debate.

The whistle was blown and Mei Fan threw another jumping serve towards the space in between Tamao and Ichie, hoping that they’d second guess themselves on who was going to take it. Unfortunately, they never doubted each other for a second. Tamao dove for the ball and it was sent high up in the air. Yuyuko made a run for it but instead of setting the ball towards someone else she had opted to dump it towards the other side of the net, shocking Akira who had left her spot in order to cover against Fumi. The ball would have landed behind her if not for Michiru who had covered for her captain. Aruru immediately followed it up and sent another toss towards Misora’s direction.

The more she received opportunities like this the less she felt scared about messing up. Over and over her teammates sent the ball and relied on her to finish the play. The amount of trust that they had towards her was overwhelming but Misora did her best to live up to it. Misora jumped and sent another spike towards Rinmeikan’s side of the court but the ball had made contact with something in the midst of it.

“One touch!!!” Rui shouted back towards her teammates. Finally, she caught up with Misora and had gauged the timing she needed in order to meet her attack. It wasn’t a complete block-out but it was a start. Now that her timing was down in her head, Rui would only continue to use it to her advantage. Ichie quickly followed the ball and sent it towards Yuyuko who tossed it to their ace. Fumi didn’t need to be reminded of what she had to do, her spike had exploded through the small gap provided by Ryuuzawa’s blockers and Mei Fan wasn’t able to catch it.

“Yoshhhhaaaa!!!” Fumi celebrated over that point. Now they were back in business and the momentum was on their side. The ace no matter how simple their executed play was as long as they delivered during the most crucial times then it would be enough to tip the scales. The whole team roared alongside Fumi and Mei Fan was still amazed at how she could lift the whole team with just one play.

"Looks like we'll have to start early." Yuyuko muttered. It was time for their second plan to start. Truth be told they would have wanted for Shiori to enter during the third set to conserve her energy but with the way things were they’d need to score as fast as possible. Ryuuzawa had been taken aback when Ichie tagged out and Shiori entered the court.

“I have a bad feeling about this.” Michiru warned Akira as they readied for Rinmeikan’s serve. Tamao sent the ball flying but Michiru was more than ready to catch it. Mei Fan capitalized on the ball and immediately hits it without even waiting for a set but it was successfully caught by Shiori. The girl didn’t even falter, her balance completely intact when she received a powerful spike from Mei Fan.

“What?!” Even Mei Fan couldn’t believe it. Shiori managed to withstand her spike and now they were in trouble.

Yuyuko rushed to the ball and Akira along with the rest of those in front already moved towards Fumi’s direction. They were confident that Yuyuko was going to pass towards Fumi and for a moment they were played by them as Fumi had jumped for a spike but the ball never came. Yuyuko cleverly tossed it back towards Shiori who managed to recover fast enough and had jumped for the ball.

Shiori certainly lived up to the Yumeoji name as she spiked the ball hard enough for it to be too fast for Michiru and Aruru to properly respond to. They never expected for Shiori to be strong enough to launch such an attack. Now the game was tied and it was then that Ryuuzawa had realized that they might lose the second set.

“Interesting~ it seems little Shiori’s all grown up. Fumi must be really proud of her right now.” Yachiyo smiled with amusement. 

She had been waiting for this. The only person she had no information about was Shiori and finally they made her enter. Of course, Shiori was absolute trouble. Who knew the girl was capable of the things Misora was? They were at a disadvantage but nothing they couldn’t remedy during the next set. She continued to watch from the bench and noted how the game was going in the notebook she carried. After this fight, that’s when things were going to get dicey regardless of who wins and Yachiyo was looking forward to it.

After a few hard fought rallies Rinmeikan had won the second duel. As expected, they had lost due to Shiori suddenly being fielded by Rinmeikan. Who knew they had another ace under their sleeve? Not only did it let Ichie rest her limbs the change also enabled more attack options for Rinmeikan. That was troublesome but now the real fight was about to start. As soon as Yachiyo handed over the water bottles for her hardworking comrades that’s when she started to tie her hair up. It was a telling sign for everyone that Yachiyo was about to get serious and enter the match.

“I assume you have a plan?” Akira asked.

“Oh~ a few. We’re going to change the rotation too. If we win this set this whole match is going to be ours.” Rinmeikan can’t handle a five-set game. Yachiyo had noticed Yuyuko and Tamao slowing down during the latter half of the second set. Not only that, Ichie couldn’t play for too long lest it leads to another injury. Dragging it to five sets would spell death for Rinmeikan and that’s what they wanted.

“As I said, I trust you.” Akira reassured her and Yachiyo loved the validation she got from her brick wall of a senpai.

“I’m glad you do. Hey, senpai~ if we win which we’d most likely will how about going out on a date with me?” She’ll take a book out of Claudine’s page and try to snag a date with their ‘ annoying ’ seniors.

“How about we focus on the match?” Mei Fan chided Yachiyo and practically dragged her to the court much to the pinkette’s dismay.

Akira pondered on Yachiyo’s request, surely there would be no harm in that. They still had another day for themselves before they needed to go back to Fukushima. If they win perhaps she’d indulge Yachiyo for a day.

“Akira-senpai! Yachiyo-senpai sure likes you huh?” Aruru said with a smile before she headed back to the court along with Michiru and Misora. Akira was just completely dumbfounded at the comment. Does Yachiyo actually like her that much? Ah, but now wasn’t the time for distractions as the third set was about to start.

"I'm counting on you…" Akira whispered as she sat down on the bench and watched her team start off the third set without her.

Chapter Text

Rinmeikan Girls School Gym, Current Year
Rinmeikan Girls School vs Ryuuzawa Academy
3rd Set [ Rinmeikan Leads The Series (2-0) ]

“We’re in trouble.” Yuyuko grimaced at Ryuuzawa’s rotation for the third set. It was built to counter their current rotation. How in the world Ryuuzawa managed to figure out their plans for the third set was anyone's guess but if Yuyuko had to throw in a bet it would be on Yachiyo. They were going to pit Mei Fan and Akira against the Yumeoji sisters. Yuyuko dreaded the battle ahead; the confrontation between the sharpest sword and the strongest spear.

“I told you, Yachiyo’s one sly fox.” Fumi had been waiting for Yachiyo to enter. There was no way that Akira wouldn’t field her. The girl had potential and was a tricky setter to have.

Yachiyo smiled widely towards her direction and Fumi couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Such a cheeky girl, then again that’s how Yachiyo had always been. Fumi clicked her tongue in annoyance; fighting this line-up with their current stamina was a death sentence but it would have to do.

“It’s really troublesome. You have very troublesome juniors.” It was already bad enough to deal with Mei Fan now they needed to deal with Yachiyo whom she had absolutely no information about except for Fumi telling her that she was sly. No matter, she’ll figure out a plan on the fly or at least try to. But for now she had to focus on getting her serve across the net.

[ Rinmeikan!! FIGHT!! Rinmeikan!! FIGHT!! ]

The crowd was on their side and Yuyuko was grateful for it. At least their cheers would serve as a distraction from the thoughts of defeat that plagued her mind. They absolutely can't lose this set or it'd be the end for them. Yuyuko took a deep breath, they had to take this one step at a time. Rushing for a win right at the start of the set was something that Ryuuzawa would've wanted for them to do and Yuyuko had no intention of falling even further into their trap. When the whistle was blown Yuyuko sends the ball towards the other side of the net and hurried back into place knowing it could easily be caught by the other team.

Michiru easily caught the ball with a well-timed receive, sending it high up in the air for Yachiyo to use as she pleases. This was going to be the perfect chance to seize the opening point after two sets seeing as Ichie was still on the bench. Without their libero as long as they manage to get past Rinmeikan's defenses then they'd be fine and if Akira trusted Yachiyo to make a difference then all she could do was place her faith as well on their most troublesome member.

Yachiyo wasted no time and sent the ball towards the left side of the net. Rui's eyes were on the ball, how could Yachiyo send it into a spot with no one being there to receive it? She had been too focused on the direction of the toss that she failed to notice Aruru who quickly ran towards the other end of the court and had used its whole width to her advantage in order to soar. There was no hesitation from Aruru whatsoever as she spiked the ball that was meant for her in a span of a few seconds. Everyone on Rinmeikan's side had froze; that attack sprung out of nowhere and it had caught them off guard.

"Yachiyo-senpai! I did it!! Just like what you told me!" Aruru bounced for joy as she clasped Yachiyo's hands.

"That was…" Yuyuko recognized that pattern of attack. Wasn't that Lalafin and Tsukasa's specialty? An attack that came from the sides stemming from a quick toss.

"Rui! You have to keep your eyes on the spikers as well. It's useless to just focus on Yahiyo's tosses for this one."

Fumi couldn't believe that Yachiyo had done such a risky play during a very important set. She would have understood if Yachiyo used it in tandem with Mei Fan who could have easily performed it but to entrust such a task to a rookie? Well, now that she had seen it Fumi was sure that they wouldn't fall for it twice.

"G-got it senpai!" Rui had fumbled but she'll make it up to them during the next confrontation. 

"Don't worry, Rui-chan we'll get them in the next one. Just relax." Tamao smiled towards her junior and Rui already felt re-energized just from that. Misora and Yachiyo were now up front but Tamao was confident that she and Rui could take them on.

Aruru stepped back from the service line. It was her turn to liven things up and Yachiyo had given her permission to try out more things for herself. She tossed the ball high-up and to everyone's surprise she had made a jump for it similar to how Akira and Mei Fan executed their jump serves. Both Fumi and Shiori almost collided as they went for the ball's intended trajectory. To their surprise however the ball had hit the lower half of the net.

"Hehehehe… sorry senpais! I wanted to try it out but I missed." Aruru cheerfully laughed and flashed a peace sign towards her teammates.

"Don't worry Aruru-san! We'll just have to practice it a hundred times over once we get back to the dorms." Mei Fan was more than happy to drill into Aruru the proper way to hit a jumping serve. Michiru could only shake her head towards their enthusiasm. There was still a match to focus on and already they were thinking of what to do after that.

It was Rinmeikan's turn to serve. Fumi was back in front and more than ever they needed to take back the ball and set the match to their pace. Yachiyo was eerily quiet when the rally had begun. Her complete focus was on Rinmeikan's triple-threat wall comprising of Tamao, Rui, and Fumi. As a setter it was her job to find a gap they could exploit while Ichie wasn't in the backline. It was easy to think of solutions in theory but to put it into practice was a whole other level.

Yachiyo tried a few different set-ups but the trio's coordination was nothing to scoff at. Their dedication on stopping Misora using all three of them proved to be fruitful as Ryuuzawa's newest high-flyer had been denied for a couple of times. They were down by three points; there was no reason to panic just yet but it was a bad spot to be in. If this kept up then everyone’s morale was going to plummet even further. It was hard to fight when you’re on the losing side but the taste of victory was so much sweeter when you have to work harder for it.

"Misora-san." Yachiyo called out to her junior who eagerly went to her side. "I have a plan but I need you to play as a decoy for this round. Think you can handle it?"

"Of course. They've been focused on me since earlier so that'll be no problem at all." Playing as a decoy was new to her but Misora would try anything in order for them to score.

"Good. I'm counting on you, then." Yachiyo smiled before she turned back to face Rinmeikan. If they can get this point their rotation would move; Michiru would have to tag out with Akira but in exchange their captain was going to be in the front row. Rinmeikan's trio won't be capable of doing as they please with Misora and Akira together.

"Here they come." Michiru warned as the ball sailed in the air and crossed over to their side. She easily caught it with her forearm, lifting the ball high up in the air. 

Yachiyo was ready and made a jump for it. At the same time Misora ran from the center down towards the right side. Rui had abandoned her post as soon as she saw Misora run. Fumi and Tamao were both at the ready and jumped the same time Misora did.

"Caught you~" Misora played the role of a decoy fairly well and without missing a beat Yachiyo dumped the ball towards the other side of the net.

"What?!" Rui tried to run back towards where Yachiyo had been and dove to try and reach the ball but it was too late.

"Tricky fox…" Yuyuko was more than amused at Yachiyo and even more impressed with Misora. They had all been fooled. Misora's presence had been such a threat to them during the last two sets that they failed to realize with Yachiyo now on the field things had changed for Ryuuzawa. Their attacks weren't as easy to predict anymore and that was bad among many other things.

“Knock them dead.” Michiru had to leave the court now in exchange for Akira who had gotten a bit of rest. They were down by a few points but it was still manageable. Michiru raised her fist and gently bumped it towards Akira’s arm. Their silver-haired captain merely nodded their head; no other words needed to be said. She had every intention to make a difference.

Now that Akira was back this was their chance to take back the lead and Yachiyo wasn't going to waste it. 

"Time to get to work…" Yachiyo told herself as the game continued with their serve. With Akira paired against Rui they wouldn’t have to worry about the tall brunette for a while. She and Misora could focus on keeping Fumi under control, now if only Fumi would be so kind as to cooperate with them.

The ball was sent towards Rinmeikan's way right after the whistle. Tamao caught it overhead and immediately tossed it towards Fumi much to Ryuuzawa's surprise.

“Don’t underestimate us.” Just because things swung back towards Ryuuzawa’s way didn’t mean that Tamao was going to let them get away with it.

Yuyuko wasn't their only playmaker. Tamao vacated the main setter position only because Yuyuko had been better than her but during middle school she had been known to be a setter; the setter of Ryuuzawa’s strongest middle school team that comprised of Tendou Maya, Yukishiro Akira, Ootori Michiru, and herself. Being a setter was her calling but in order to bring Rinmeikan to victory she had to adapt and be what her team needed her to be. But at least she was still allowed to surprise everyone with her well-timed tosses every now and then.

"Block it off!" Yachiyo shouted as she ran as fast as she could to join Misora in holding Fumi off.

"Too late!!" Rinmeikan's ace wasn't going to miss such a fine toss from their captain.

To be the ace meant that in times of adversity you'd always be the one to be relied upon. Any toss sent towards their way an ace had the responsibility to convert it into a point and pave the way to victory.  Fumi jumped and smashed the ball with frightening speed that Yachiyo and Misora couldn't even make it in time in order to stop her.

"I'm not letting you do as you please!" Mei Fan shouted as she managed to reach the ball in time.

An ace didn't need to be in the frontlines in order to make a difference. They didn't need to make flashy and powerful plays in order to justify their role as an ace. For Mei Fan, being the ace meant that in a pinch one would do anything they could just to keep their team's hopes afloat. The ace inspired hope in a variety of ways and right now Mei Fan gave them hope that this rally was far from over.

“I knew you’d be trouble someday.” Fumi was grinning but everyone knew just how irritated she was right now towards Mei Fan who had done nothing but foil Rinmeikan's plans time and time again.

“I had a troublemaker for a teacher!” Mei Fan fired back.

Even though Fumi was somewhat of a delinquent during her time in Ryuuzawa she had still been the one who showed Mei Fan the ropes and often gave her tips whenever possible during their practice games. Mei Fan never thought they’d be on opposite sides of the court but now that they were, the only thing she could do was beat Fumi in her own game in order to show her gratitude towards everything she had done for her.

Aruru followed up on Mei Fan and sent the ball towards Akira who decided to return the favor and spiked the ball past Rui. Even if the girl had gotten a hand on it the force of the spike would still be a force to be reckoned with. Rui gritted her teeth; Ryuuzawa were comprised of monsters for sure, not even the other teams in Kyoto could spike as hard as they do. Yuyuko was about to receive the ball when Shiori had cut right in front of her in order to catch the monstrous spike.

"Yuyuko! Here, set it properly!" Shiori got the ball high up in the air and Yuyuko quickly got into position. If it wasn't for Shiori they would have been forced to give the ball without much of a fight towards Ryuuzawa. Yuyuko was going to make sure they'd score from this.

All three frontliners started to make a run for it with no indicator on whom Yuyuko would choose. Yachiyo and the others had to make a gamble; Akira chose to stick at marking Rui while Misora and Yachiyo decided to block out Fumi again. Normally, Yuyuko would have chosen Fumi but if everyone expected her to give it to the ace then that means she had to choose someone else and no one else was more reliable than Tomoe Tamao.

Tamao's hand collided with the ball and she sent it soaring down the middle. The chances of anyone saving the ball was slim but Aruru who had been watching everyone from the back the entire time managed to cover for their team with a miraculous save. She was just a rookie but her seniors had faith in her abilities; she wasn’t going to let them down. Without Michiru on the court it was up to her to take over her duties and cover for everything that Mei Fan couldn’t.

The set had barely started and yet it looked as if they were already fighting for the game winning point. The crowd was in a complete uproar as the taiko drums furiously played in order to encourage Rinmeikan’s players. Everyone knew that whoever could win this rally would surely gain a boost in morale; which is why this whole exchange was so important.

“Akira! Finish it!” Yachiyo went after the ball and set an incredibly high toss towards the left.

Akira recognized the toss and made a go for it. It was an incredibly high toss that was easy to time and was meant for tall players like her. A toss that used to be one of Tamao's signature tosses back in middle school. Even Tamao herself had been taken aback by such a display; Fumi was right this girl definitely had the nerve to do as she pleases on the court. 

Akira soared and Rui tried to go for a confrontation in mid-air. Akira had to give Rui some credit; the girl had been tenacious since the first set and was a far cry from the shy girl that always seemed to hide behind others. Her blocks were certainly something to be feared but Akira wasn't going to let a rookie get the better of her.

“Out of the way!” Akira declared.

“Make me!” Rui wasn’t going to back down. The whole team placed their hopes on her that she’d be capable of stopping Yukishiro Akira and her monstrous strength. She wasn’t going to let them down.

Akira smashed the ball and aimed for a wipeout purposefully hitting Rui’s fingers.  The raw strength that came from Akira was nothing to be trifled with. She had been on the receiving end of it since the first set and right now her worst fears had come to life as pain shot through her fingers. Rui tried to distract herself from it and yelled at her team to get the ball before it was too late. Ichie wasn’t in the court but at that very moment she wished that she had been fielded in. If she was there she would have gotten that ball but now she could only hope that Shiori and the others could make it in time.

“Shiori! The ball isn’t out yet, you can still get it!!” Ichie cheered from the bench along with the rest of their team.

Shiori knew that it wasn’t out yet. The ball was still in play; she just needed to reach it before it could hit the ground so she ran as fast as she could. She couldn’t let Ichie down, after all the hours that the libero had poured in order to help her get into form this was the least she could do. Ichie trusted her to cover for the team while she wasn’t there and she had no intention to fail her.

“Shiori! I’m leaving it to you!” Rui shouted. There was really nothing she could do except to wait for the ball that they’d send towards her way.

Before Shiori entered Rinmeikan no one else would let her play on the court except for her sister. She was a frail girl and everyone thought they couldn’t entrust her to do anything. When Fumi had to leave in order to study at Ryuuzawa she had almost given up on the sport until someone had asked her to fill in for the last spot in their school’s volleyball club. Rui never doubted her for a second, even if the rest of their squad already warned the brunette about her health she still reached her hand out towards her. Now the two of them were on the court as equals and had gotten into the school they both promised to be in when they graduated from middle school. She wasn’t going to let Rui feel that her trust had been misplaced.

“Wait! Shiori look out!” Fumi warned her sister but Shiori wasn’t listening.

She clearly saw that she would have to collide with the scoreboard in order to reach for the ball and that was fine. In the court she was more than ready to risk everything just to connect the ball with everyone else. Shiori jumped and caught the ball with an overhead pass.

“Yuyuko!! I’m counting on you!” Shiori shouted as she sent the ball towards Yuyuko’s direction before she crashed against the scoreboard.

Yuyuko had no time to worry about Shiori. She absolutely had to deliver this ball towards their ace or else Rui and Shiori’s efforts would be in vain. Honestly, Yuyuko wasn’t exactly someone who puts a lot of effort into the sport. Volleyball was something she liked but not as much as the others did. She could easily walk away from being the setter if she tried, after all she was just a simple benchwarmer during middle school. But when she entered Rinmeikan things suddenly became different. 

She had gained friends that had absolute faith in her. She was often put into the starting line-up now and for this match Tamao had chosen her to lead; their victory was entrusted to her. If that was the case then it would be a disgrace if she couldn’t even match the amount of effort and heart they all showed on the court.

“Blast them away, Fumi-senpai!” Yuyuko sent the ball towards Fumi’s direction. It wasn’t perfect but it was the best thing she could do.

All three members of Ryuuzawa’s frontline moved towards Fumi’s direction. They were going to stop Fumi no matter what. Yachiyo knew the timing for Fumi’s attacks, the same way that Fumi was aware of all the tricks that Yachiyo had under their sleeve. Every time they clashed on the court they had absolutely no idea who would win but the grin on their faces were unmistakable as they go after the ball.

“We jump on my mark.” Yachiyo instructed as Akira and Misora both nodded their heads and waited for her. Yachiyo watched Fumi’s movements; the moment Rinmeikan’s ace stepped into their jump was when Yachiyo called for them to follow. The timing had been absolutely perfect as they managed to block-off any possible spike that Fumi would throw at them.

Fumi saw right before her eyes that no matter what kind of spike she threw it’ll all be for naught if she went ahead without thinking. Before, she would have either faltered just by the mere sight of it or did things as she pleases. But, things had changed ever since she wore the number meant for the ace. In times of adversity, everything was entrusted to the ace. It was only possible for her to soar and spike this ball because her whole team had brought it for her. It meant that she couldn’t be too reckless, that she had to think and aim in order to deliver. She couldn’t waste everyone’s efforts.

The burden of an ace was great but nothing felt greater than living up to everyone’s expectations. Every wall had a weakness and it just so happens that she knew who their weakness was right now. Fumi slammed the ball as hard as she could towards Yachiyo’s fingers. Among the three of them, it was Yachiyo who always had a hard time with blocking. Ever since middle school she couldn’t get it right; her timing was perfect but it takes more than timing in order to properly block a ball.

“You never change.” Yachiyo said with a smile as she moved her hand away as soon as Fumi’s hand had touched the ball. Yachiyo gambled that Fumi would aim for her knowing that she wouldn’t be able to properly block out the ball if at all. There was a twenty-five percent chance that she could’ve been wrong but she was glad that she wasn’t.

The ball never collided with any of them and so when it landed beyond the outside line the point had been awarded to Ryuuzawa. After a long rally, they were the ones who had been given a point. Now they only needed one more point to draw the game into a tie. But before they could restart the game Rinmeikan’s side of the court seemed to be in a frenzy as they checked for both Rui and Shiori’s conditions.

"Nnnghh…" Rui gritted her teeth as she tried to bend her finger to no avail. She was no stranger to injuries but this was something that she didn't want to happen. Shiori was down on the floor as well having sprained her ankle right after she landed poorly due to the collision with the scoreboard from earlier. Tamao called for a timeout and Rinmeikan's spirit had plummeted when they saw how bad the situation with their juniors were. Even the crowd had gone quiet right after the timeout was called.

"We need to swap Rui and Shiori out." None of them wanted to hear those words but it needed to be said. Fumi herself didn't want either of them to leave but a fractured finger wasn't something to scoff at. Plus, playing on a sprained ankle was detrimental to any volleyball player.

"Wait!! I can still play just tape my fingers together!" Rui pleaded. "I can take another spike!"

“M-me too! Just tape my ankle!” Shiori pleaded as well. “I can still jump. I can still be useful.”

Tamao understood both of their sentiments. She wanted them to stay in the game but Nationals was almost a month away and they needed Rui and Shiori to be at their best. Tamao was about to deny their request when Ichie had cut her off.

"How about a compromise? Let them play just for this set and if it gets worse they'll be subbed out without a fuss." Ichie was well aware that they needed both of their rookies to win the last set. It was risky but it was better to have them on the court and get as much of an advantage as they could.

"Ichie, that's dangerous!" Fumi was having none of it. Injuries were no laughing matter and though this match was important to them Fumi cared more about their health than winning. Besides, if their injuries became worse they'll be at a disadvantage during Nationals.

"I know it's dangerous but we can't win without them." It needed to be said out loud. They relied on their first-year trio far too much and it showed with how much of a problem their injuries brought. 

Ichie cared for her juniors. Among the third years she was the one who had spent the majority of her time alongside them while she recovered from an injury. She helped them practice outside training hours, she often pestered them to take a break from studying and bought them snacks, she was the one they always ran to for help. Which is why she knew that her juniors knew their limits. She wouldn’t suggest for them to continue playing if she didn’t.

"I am not letting my sister play in that state." Fumi was dead set on it much to Shiori's dismay. Strict and protective; Fumi always fussed over Shiori’s health. Even when she had to leave her in order to study in Ryuuzawa for highschool she never failed to check on her. She was proud that Shiori was willing to go so far for Rinmeikan but as her sister she had a responsibility to put her sister’s wellbeing first above everything.

"She can decide for herself, Fumi." Ichie countered and Tamao had to step in between them before it could escalate. Rinmeikan didn’t need this kind of discord. They needed to be on the same page or else they’d never win this set.

“Enough, we don’t have time to argue amongst ourselves.” Tamao needed to decide here and now. Both sides had a point, it was too risky to let them play but the advantage their rookies provided for them had been an important factor for their first two wins. “Rui stays until she gets to serve. Once we get a point back you’re leaving the game.”

Tamao glanced towards Rui’s direction. She wasn’t going to change her mind about it. Thankfully Rui understood and didn’t make a fuss. They apologetically bowed towards Tamao and sat quietly as Yuyuko taped their fingers together.

“As for Shiori…” Tamao looked towards their most earnest member whose ankle was currently being taped by their other teammates. “The moment you’re rotated to the backline you're out too. So score as many points as you can while you're at the front.”

Shiori instantly beamed upon hearing Tamao’s decision. She could still contribute even more for her team. Shiori smiled towards Rui and Yuyuko, at least this way they still have a chance to play together for this set.

“This goes without saying, the moment your injuries become unbearable we’ll sub you out right away.” Tamao reminded them. This was something she was going to be adamant about. They were still young and she’d like to avoid a career ending injury for them just because of this match. “Will this suffice, Fumi?”

It was clear that Fumi disliked the decision but she couldn’t deny that Rui and Shiori were integral for their victory. Without another word Fumi simply turned her back and walked back to the court as soon as their time-out had ended. She’d just have to focus and double her efforts so Rui and Shiori wouldn’t have to strain themselves just for them.

“Hey! Fumi come back here!” Ichie was about to go after her when Tamao held her back.

“Leave Fumi be, I’m sure she’s just really worried about Shiori. We’ll just have to put our backs into it so Rui and Shiori wouldn’t have to push themselves. I’m counting on you, Ichie.”

“Leave it to me. I managed to rest up so I can definitely hold the backline. So the rest of you can just focus on scoring, I’ll make sure that they can’t easily score a point from us.” Ichie confidently stated.

“Come on, let’s win.”

Even if fortune didn’t favor them for today, Ichie believed that they could still win without the blessings of the divine. After all, within the court, the only one that could change the tides were your actions alone and Ichie had every intention to force the tides towards them.

The game was about to restart and much to Ryuuzawa’s surprise both Shiori and Rui stayed on the court. Most members of Ryuuzawa had mixed feelings about what had transpired especially Misora. She watched as Rui entered the court with her fractured finger taped with another. She wanted to say something to encourage her but she felt that anything she could have said would have made things worse.

"Save your words until the match is over." Mei Fan said as she gently puts a hand over Misora's shoulder. "The fire in that girl's eyes hasn't gone out yet. She could still block you out if you aren’t careful."

"Right…" Misora needed to focus on the match. Rui wouldn’t want for her to go easy on any of them just because of their injuries. They knew the risks of playing with an injury and were ready to accept the consequences. As they went back to their respective positions Rui’s eyes met hers and Mei Fan was right; the fire in Rui’s eyes hadn’t died in fact it intensified. She didn’t know how she could possibly match the drive that Rui had right now but she’d never forgive herself if she showed anything less than her best in this match.

"Honestly, Rinmeikan is a scary team." Yachiyo felt the pressure from just having Ichie back on the court and it was one of the most frightening things that she had ever felt. Not to mention Rui and Shiori’s fighting spirit were greater than theirs.

“Are they even human? Hey, senpai maybe we’re fighting demons after all.” Yachiyo jested if only to distract herself from the dread that she felt. They were really stubborn demons with hearts that were clad with a samurai’s will. If they actually fought during Nationals she couldn’t even be sure if they’d actually win; not against a team that hungered for victory as much as they did. 

"Don't worry, dragons aren't scared of demons." Akira commented. "No matter how many demons appear in this game we'll destroy them all."

"Senpai, your confidence is astounding." Yachiyo internally sighed. It seems she had her work cut out for her. She needed to do her best to make Akira's words a reality. "Guess I have no choice since you're so confident about this."

“I’m confident because of our team. We’re strong, so if you’re starting to doubt that we’d even win just remember that fact.” They were the kings of Fukushima prefecture; for three straight years they were Fukushima’s representatives for Nationals. And if there was anything that Yachiyo could trust it would be their strength.

“I wonder if we’re really as strong as we think...” Yachiyo knew that overcomplacency had been the death of so many teams and she wished that wouldn’t happen to them. What dreadful timing for such thoughts to pop inside her head.  “Forget what I said, I guess we can talk about it after the game. Don’t worry, for this match I completely disregarded our chances of losing.”

Yachiyo knew that there was a huge chance of them losing this whole game but it was a chance that she had chosen to ignore. As long as she was on the court, she’d make sure to change their probability of losing to a zero. For once, Yachiyo didn’t want to entertain the thought of losing.

As soon as the game restarted Ryuuzawa wasted no time to capitalize on Rui and Shiori’s injuries. Rinmeikan’s defensive capability had significantly dropped and it was largely felt due to the influx of points awarded towards Ryuuzawa. Despite Ichie providing a more stable backline for them the score had still been reversed and was now in favor of Ryuuzawa who led the set by around six points.

Even though Rui already nailed the timing for Akira’s spikes, due to her fractured finger she had a harder time completing a block for them. Partial blocks were fine but the more of those she performed the higher the chance that her injury would get worse and Tamao would eject her from the game without a second thought. She didn’t want that to happen; she wanted to stay a bit longer on the court and help her team get through this. Most of all, she wanted to help Tamao realize her dreams of winning Nationals and for that to happen they needed to get through this challenge first.

“Come on Rui, you can do it. They’re all relying on you. Just one point.” They only needed to stop their momentum and get a point back. Once they have Shiori and Fumi up front they can catch up and grab the lead again. No doubt that they’d continue to send the ball towards Akira and Mei Fan’s way in order to capitalize on her injury. If defending wasn’t going to work out for her then maybe being in the offensive would be more fruitful.

“Yuyuko.” Rui looked back towards their setter. Right now they’ve kept sending their tosses towards Tamao and Fumi maybe it was time for her to send one again over to Rui’s side. “Toss to me on the next.”

“But…” As much as Yuyuko wanted to do so she was still worried about Rui’s fingers. Granted, she really had no reason not to send one over Rui’s way seeing as it wasn’t her dominant hand that got affected. Still, she wanted to be careful. The same went for Shiori who kept asking her for the ball despite their sprained ankle.

“Believe in me. I’ll get us that point, so please...”

Yuyuko couldn’t exactly say no to Rui at that point. In the end she relented and nodded in agreement. She’ll send one towards Rui’s way once the opportunity comes. Now the question was… when exactly would that opportunity come? Most of Ryuuzawa’s scores resulted from purposefully aiming for Rui’s fingers and letting it fly towards the outside line. Even if Ichie had been proactive in chasing the ball some of them had been impossible to catch even for her.

They needed to read their attacks. But how? Yuyuko kept thinking on what exactly she had forgotten that they could use right now. She was lost in her thoughts that she failed to notice that Ryuuzawa already threw their serve and it was headed towards her way.

“Yuyuko-chan, look out!” Ichie called out but it was too late. Lucky for them the ball had hit Yuyuko’s face and it was sent high up in the air. She visibly winced when it had hit their setter but there was no time for her to check on Yuyuko, the ball was still in play and it would be another point lost if she failed to catch it. Without missing a beat, Ichie ran for the ball and leapt in order to toss it towards either Fumi and Tamao.

“Ichie-senpai! Here!!!” Shiori shouted with all her might as she proceeded to do a run up. 

Ichie had her doubts but Shiori was so adamant with it that she was practically compelled to send the ball towards her way. To both Tamao and Fumi’s surprise Ichie did send it towards Shiori’s way. However, the toss was a little on the low side since her request completely caught Ichie off-guard. But it didn’t matter for Shiori, whatever kind of ball tossed to her she was going to spike it back towards their rivals. Despite the pain from her ankle, Shiori still managed to fly higher than any of them had expected. Only Misora had enough of an athletic ability to match her jump height. It was an individual confrontation between Shiori and Misora, just from the toss height Shiori knew that she wouldn’t be able to spike this one with all her might and overcome Misora’s block.

“If that’s the case…” Then she’ll just have to rebound the ball back towards their side and get another chance. It should have been an easy ball to block if not for the fact that Shiori had aimed it towards the block itself. The ball ricocheted before Misora could slam it down and it was such an easy catch for Ichie.

“Chance ball!! Yuyuko-chan don’t catch this using your face now!” Ichie jested as she lobbed the ball into an easy spot for Yuyuko to toss the ball.

“That was one time!”

Perhaps not, it had happened countless times already during their previous matches because she had spaced out while thinking of a strategy for their team. Yuyuko’s face still felt sore due to the impact from earlier but she couldn’t exactly complain while Rui and Shiori were playing with injuries that were far more bothersome than this. Just as she had promised, Yuyuko sent a ball towards Rui’s way. The brunette was already high-up in the air, having anticipated it from the get-go.

“You’re not getting through that easily.” Akira wasn’t going to let Rui do as she pleases. She might have been a second too late but her height had been enough of a leverage for her to at least be high enough for her to get a hand on it.

“Sorry, Mei Fan I’m leaving it to you!”

Mei Fan followed up on Akira’s save and passed the ball towards the center where Yachiyo had been waiting. Tamao and the rest were on high alert as everyone saved for Yachiyo started to do a run up. It was the same play that Rinmeikan performed earlier and just like before no one had any idea as to who was going to spike the ball in the end. As Yachiyo jumped for a toss everyone else had followed, ready to deliver a spike at a moment’s notice. However, Yachiyo had another thing in mind as she casually dumped the ball over the net in a split second.

Tamao watched as the ball slowly fell down towards her side. Such a cheeky tactic for a setter. It was a good thing that she used to be one or else she’d never get used to such things. Tamao bent down and swung her forearm in order to reach it in time. There was no way she’d fall for it.

“Try harder.” Tamao said to which Yachiyo responded with a cheeky grin.

“Ara~ did I hit a nerve, Tamao-senpai~” Yachiyo knew she definitely hit a nerve upon seeing a furrowed brow on Tamao’s usually kind face.

As the ball flew high up in the air, Shiori saw the opportunity and instantly made a run for it again. No matter how many times she’d have to jump in order for them to get a point she’ll do it. She aimed dead for the center where Yachiyo had been, there was no way that she  could jump as fast in order to catch this one. It was such a fast attack and if not for Aruru who quickly dove for it then it could have been the point that they were all waiting for.

“Come on Shiori-chan! You can definitely do better!” Aruru cheered to which Shiori responded with a laugh.

“Aruru-san, just wait until I’m in front. I’ll make sure to send one that you can’t catch!”

Yuyuko watched as the ball was once again sent over towards Yachiyo’s direction. This time it was obvious that she wasn’t going to dump the ball again after it had been foiled by Tamao. So the question now was who’ll Yachiyo send the ball over to? Mei Fan wasn’t making a run for it, though whether or not it was due to her fatigue or because she wanted to time it a bit differently was a whole other thing. Akira moved for a run-up as well and maybe they were going to try and break off another point from Rui. But, something had caught her eye from the left.

Misora ran across the court, gearing up for a spike as well. They had two people up front that could blast their defenses away. Yuyuko recognized this pattern it was the one often used by that duo in Tokyo. One of them played as the decoy and though she had absolutely no way of guaranteeing which of them would be that, she could at least move into position in order to receive the ball; even if she might have to sacrifice her face again for it.

Yachiyo tossed the ball and between Akira and Misora it was the latter who caught it. Both Tamao and Fumi jumped far too late and the ball flew right above them. It almost looked like that would have been Ryuuzawa’s next big break but Yuyuko had guessed their play correctly and caught the ball overhead. Who knew watching Misora since earlier would prove to be useful, now that she was aware of the redhead’s movements they could at least be a bit more prepared than earlier.

“Not bad, you certainly live up to your family’s reputation.” Yuyuko was certainly enjoying this confrontation far more than she expected.

“I’m still not done yet. I’ll completely blow your expectations away.” Misora herself wasn’t shaken by the comment that Yuyuko threw. She was at the top of her game right now and she knew it. She might not be as talented as her sisters (at least that’s what she believed) but she had no intention of making it easy for Rinmeikan to snag a win.

Tamao followed the ball that was caught by Yuyuko. She was dead set on sending it over to Fumi when she heard Rui’s voice from the side.

“Tamao-senpai! Send it to me! Please!!” Rui called for the ball but she wasn’t the only one who wanted it.

“Tamao!! Left!!!” Fumi shouted back as well as both of them did their respective run-ups and was about to jump off the ground.

Such a conundrum, Tamao was conflicted on who to send it to. Was it towards their ace who always pulled through adversity or will it be towards her junior who was dead set on getting this point?

Among everyone it was Rui who wanted to score a point against Ryuuzawa. Even if it meant the end of her run all that mattered was that they’d get the momentum back on their side. When Tamao jumped, Yachiyo was sure that the ball was going to Fumi. She had signalled for Misora and Akira to quickly shift towards Fumi’s side. That had been the biggest blunder that she had committed in the match. Tamao looked like she was going to send it towards Fumi but instead she tossed it behind her, towards the rookie that had demanded for the ball.

“Rui-chan! Smash it!”

Rui was grateful for that toss. She couldn’t believe how easy it was to spike. Akira couldn’t make it back in time as Rui hammered down the ball with all her might and aimed specifically near the line. Mei Fan who was at the back row had been a second too late; the ball had hit the ground right as she dove for it. The point was awarded towards Rinmeikan and Rui couldn’t believe it. The score was in favor of Ryuuzawa but that didn’t matter. The momentum finally shifted towards their side and though she had to leave as per their agreement she couldn’t help but silently raise her fist in victory. Everyone else in Rinmeikan’s side barrelled towards Rui in order to celebrate. The fight was far from over but now they had a fighting chance.

“I’m really annoyed right now…” Yachiyo said as she watched Rinmeikan celebrate over a point.

Yachiyo had an irritated look on her face. She hated making mistakes and more than that she hated letting other people down. She should have told Akira to stay put or maybe she should have waited for Tamao’s toss before they made a move. Either way what’s done was done. That was a mistake that she’d carry to her grave if they were to lose this game. Even if Rui was going to leave the damage was done; Rinmeikan had been revived and Shiori was at the frontlines with Fumi and Tamao. It was going to be a nightmare to deal with but they had no choice.

A storm was coming and Yachiyo had an inkling that they were caught right in the middle of it. She glanced towards everyone and tried to figure out if any of them were in bad shape after that rally. Akira wasn’t particularly shaken, Michiru finally rejoined them on the court, Misora looked frustrated but she still had some fight left in her and Aruru still had energy to spare. However, a look of concern crosses her face when her eyes landed on Mei Fan. 

Their ace was oddly quiet after the end of that particular rally with a pensive look on her face as she stared towards Rinmeikan’s side of the court. Was it because she had been a second too late for the ball? Yachiyo couldn’t read Mei Fan at all and that made her nervous. This was Mei Fan, the most honest girl that ever walked the face of the earth. She was an open book and normally with just one look Yachiyo knew what exactly Mei Fan was thinking about. But right now? Absolutely nothing.

Before she could even get a word in, the game had restarted and Yachiyo needed to shift her focus back into the game. Rui was back in Rinmeikan’s bench so at the very least that’s one threat taken care of. Michiru was also back in the game for Ryuuzawa. It was earlier than expected but with the momentum shifting towards Rinmeikan’s side they had little to no choice. Yachiyo could only hope that Misora’s stamina could hold out at least until the end of the set. So the only one she’d have to worry about was Mei Fan.

“Yachiyo-senpai! The ball!” Misora called out towards Yachiyo. The serve was just a bit short and was relatively close to the net. Yachiyo was the nearest one and even though she saw where the ball was falling her legs refused to move. Misora had to dive in order to reach it.

What was she doing? She had to focus; they were counting on her. She didn’t want to fail them again. The ball was a bit too low to even properly set for the others so Yachiyo decided to lob it back towards the other team.

“Sorry! That was my bad!” Yachiyo apologized. They were off to a bad start but there was nothing they could do about it now.

As the ball flew back to their side of the court, Ichie had been more than happy to receive it as she perfectly sets it up in the center. Yuyuko quickly moved into position and so did the rest of their team. Yachiyo needed to have her eyes peeled all the time because just one blink and she could have missed Shiori who ran across the court despite the sprain that should have restrained her. Even though she was handicapped that did nothing to lower her jump height. Both Yachiyo and Misora ran towards Akira’s side and leapt in order to stop Shiori.

Three blockers were a nightmare for any spiker especially if they timed it right. And now that they were locked in a mid-air battle Shiori only had a second or so to decide where she’d ultimately send the ball. There was a huge space left behind by Misora in order to commit to this three-man block and that was where Shiori decided to strike. She slightly shifted her aim and sent the ball across the other side with a cross court spike. That would have been a point if it wasn’t for Michiru who suddenly appeared in her field of vision and perfectly caught the ball.

“Aruru send it high-up!” Michiru ordered.

Now that she was back in the game Yachiyo and the others could afford to commit more often towards this all-or-nothing three-man blocks. The space that was created was for hers to guard. Just like Ichie it was her role to ease the worries of the other players; to be their source of calm within an unforgiving storm.

“Mei Fan-senpai!” Aruru called out to their ace and sent a toss towards her way.

It wasn’t the perfect toss but it didn’t matter for Mei Fan; any ball that came towards her way would be sent back towards Rinmeikan’s side with added interest. Earlier, it had been her fault why Rinmeikan managed to snag a point from them. She could have saved the ball if she had just been a second faster but what’s done was done. Mei Fan was tired of always looking back towards all her regrets, towards all the what-ifs that plagued her mind.

What if she had been a second faster? What if she had managed to get that point for Ryuuzawa just one rally earlier? What if she had supported Fumi when their coach forced her to replace their ace? She had a lot of regrets and she carried it all with every move she made. Every missed receive, every wrong toss, every failed spike; she carried everything on her back and learned how to fly with it.

Mei Fan jumped for the ball and slammed her hand towards it without nary a thought. If it doesn’t go in then she’d just have to add that to her list of regrets and learn how to live with it. She was the ace now, everyone was counting on her; she doesn’t have the luxury to wallow within her pool of regrets anymore.

Fumi saw the look in Mei Fan’s eyes. A callout for a challenge between aces. With a look like that? How could she even refuse? The ball flew towards Rinmeikan’s side of the net and Fumi jumped right in time to block it. Who does Mei Fan think she is? She might be the ace now but the one who had taught her everything was her, Yumeoji Fumi. The ball cleanly hits her hand but instead of being blown away, Fumi managed to slam it back down towards Ryuuzawa’s side of the net. Michiru, Aruru, and Yachiyo all dove for the ball but it was just far too fast for them to catch. Rinmeikan had another point under their belt and Ryuuzawa’s advantage slowly dwindled.

“No matter how many times you come at me, I’ll win out over you.” Fumi declared as she pointed at Mei Fan. “In a battle between aces, I’ve never lost.”

It was true. In a battle between aces Fumi mostly had a winning record. Back in middle school she was known to be the Ace Killer and only Tendou Maya managed to foil her. But that was a long time ago, just last year Fumi herself managed to bring down Maya’s team when she was still Ryuuzawa’s ace and this year won’t be any different. No matter which ace stared them down, Fumi was going to smash them for Rinmeikan.

“You’re right, you’ve never lost.” Mei Fan knew that very well. 

The number she wore on her back felt so much heavier during this game but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Fumi had been her teacher, a friend, and the person she admired truly admired the most. Everyone else found themselves in this match except her who continued to chase after Fumi’s shadow; the one who continued to carry the number of the ace not of her free will but because it was simply given to her. It was a role she had to accept but one she never wanted. And now it was a role that she needed to grow into. A role she had to learn to love.

What does it mean to be the ace? Mei Fan had always believed that aces were the ones that gave a ray of hope towards their team in any way, shape, or form. But if that were the case then wouldn’t that mean that each and every one of them could be considered as the team’s ace? So, what separates the ace from everyone else? What does it mean to carry the burden of the ace’s number? Throughout this whole match, Mei Fan played as the ace of Ryuuzawa but frankly she felt as if what she had done wasn’t enough. Misora had been more of an ace than her, so was Aruru, Yachiyo, Michiru, and Akira herself. Yet, they still looked up to her despite all the mistakes she had done because she was the ace.

So what does it mean to be the ace? How could she prove that she was worthy of being the ace? And how could she stop following the shadow of someone who had long left. Mei Fan needed to know for herself and her team. If she wanted Ryuuzawa to win Nationals then she’d have to step up.

And it all starts with this one crucial step. Becoming the ace that they needed her to be.

“So I’ll give you your first lost here.” Mei Fan answered back to everyone’s surprise. Fumi herself was taken aback but she wasn’t going to back down from this. All she gave the girl was a haughty smirk as she returned back to her spot.

“How exactly are you supposed to do that?” Yachiyo asked. Mei Fan always had a very competitive side to her. But she never expected for it to show now of all times and towards Fumi. “You are such a troublesome ace throwing a big challenge like that.”

“I know that I’m troublesome.” Mei Fan looked up towards the ceiling and nervously laughed. She knew that she was a troublesome ace that always needed to prove herself. An ace that needed a bit of reassurance from time to time, an ace that never wanted to be one to begin with, an ace that continued to chase someone else’s shadow. 

“I don’t know how I’ll do it; how I’ll beat someone that’s always been stronger than me but I’ll figure it out.” Mei Fan had a soft smile on her face as she looked back towards the pinkette. 

“Must be nice to be strong...” Yachiyo wryly smiled. “You can afford to have such carefree thoughts.”

Mei Fan chuckled and shook her head. Yachiyo couldn’t be any more wrong than that. Her? Strong? Not in a million years.

“You know, Yachiyo… I don’t think I’m as strong as you think.”

Mei Fan was weak and it was something she accepted a long time ago. Despite calling herself as Ryuuzawa’s ace, compared to the other aces she was nothing. She relied far too much on her team rather than on her own abilities, her insecurities bubbled up at the most crucial of times, and just one bad play could ruin her focus in an instant. She had nothing special going for her; unlike her teammates and rivals who all seemed to have their own unique quirks that sets them apart from ordinary players. 

“I’ve known for a very long time that I was weak.” How Mei Fan was capable of saying that with a smile was beyond Yachiyo. “I’ve never been first in my entire life. I’ve never seen the view from the top. I’ve never truly experienced being strong .”

Her track record wasn’t something to be proud of. She used to be the shortest girl within her grade during elementary and no matter how hard she tried she could never match up against her taller peers. When she had a growth spurt during middle school, she thought that would be enough for her to grow stronger but the countless losses under her belt said otherwise. Even if she trained harder than everyone else, it still wasn’t enough. When she got into Ryuuzawa via a recommendation she felt like the happiest girl in the world; finally, things were starting to look up for her. But when she entered the academy, the world reminded her that there were still plenty of people that were better than her.

“But you’re the ace for a reason.” Yachiyo countered. “That title doesn’t belong to someone who claims to be weak. That title belongs to someone strong.”

“You’re right. It belongs to someone strong. I call myself the ace but that title doesn’t belong to me” Mei Fan stretched her limbs for a bit and readied herself for Rinmeikan’s serve. “At least not yet…”

Not until she surpasses the one it truly belonged to.

“… I want that title to be mine. I want to be the ace that Ryuuzawa needs.” Not because someone told her to be the ace but because she wanted to be one. She wanted to know what it’s like to be strong.

“So, Yachiyo can I ask you for a favor? Help me beat her.”

“You don’t even have to ask. I’ll always have your back and so will the rest of the team. We’ll find a way to beat her.” They'll think of something in the midst of the chaotic storm that Rinmeikan was about to unleash. Yachiyo was confident that they could survive the onslaught. No storm lasts forever, eventually it’ll weaken and once it does that’s when they’ll strike.

The carnage wrought by the storm Rinmeikan had unleashed was the worst thing Ryuuzawa had ever dealt with. The plays that resulted from the Yumeoji sisters’ combined presence within the frontlines was a nightmare. Even if they were pitted against Mei Fan and Akira they still managed to catch up and even went as far as taking the lead. If it wasn’t for Michiru and Aruru they might have been completely overwhelmed. Not to mention that Ichie protected the back row with such tenacity that it felt that Rinmeikan had fielded more than six players on the field.

Right now, the game was in favor of Rinmeikan who led by four points. Tamao was the one serving for Rinmeikan and she had done nothing but be a thorn on Ryuuzawa’s side. The ever reliable captain of Rinmeikan was the best server in their team; even Michiru who was known to be Ichie’s equal couldn’t catch everything Tamao threw towards them. Still that wasn’t going to stop Ryuuzawa from doing something about it.

“Misora, make sure to stay relatively near the edge of the court.” Michiru reminded her. While they couldn’t completely prevent Tamao from aiming at Misora again they could at least discourage her from doing so by letting Misora be in a very hard spot to aim at.

“Aruru that left side is completely yours. Make sure to support Akira and Mei Fan but don’t step forward too much.” 

“Will do, Michiru-senpai!" Both Misora and Aruru responded without a fuss and followed their senior.

“For the rest, tighten our blocks. The harder it is for them to score a point the better. Don’t worry, let’s just focus on taking back a point.”

Michiru patiently instructed everyone regarding their responsibilities for this rotation. She may not be the captain but her overall game sense was greater than anyone else on their team. Her level-headedness during unfavorable situations and the amount of effort she poured whenever she was on the court were the things that people admire about her. She was also their central pillar of support when it came to difficult times. All the small things that Michiru constantly provided for Ryuuzawa is what makes her such a valuable asset for the team.

Honestly, no matter how many times Ichie had seen this side of Michiru she was still as impressed as the first time she witnessed it. Michiru had such a commanding presence despite her small frame that Ichie couldn’t help but be in awe of her. She was a natural leader with nerves of steel. Even if the situation was unfavorable for them Michiru kept her cool and calmly tries to find a way. For Ichie, she might be part of the ‘Big 3’ Liberos in the country but she honestly felt that she still had a lot to learn from Michiru. And if anyone deserved to be part of the national standings one day, it would be Michiru.

“Senpai, be careful the ball might hit your face if you keep looking at their libero like that.” Yuyuko pointed out.

“I can’t really take my eyes off her, ya know? When you find someone so amazing on the court even if you’re on opposite sides you can’t help but feel drawn towards them and admire their whole being from the other side of the net.”

Ichie was rarely truly impressed within the local stage nowadays. Once you’ve experienced the struggle of playing against the best in the world your expectations would increase tenfold. But somehow, Michiru would always find a way to go beyond her expectations.  

“Isn’t it the same for you right now with Misora-san?” Ichie gave Yuyuko a knowing look. There were certain things that only someone on the bench could see and for Ichie she definitely recognized the look on Yuyuko’s face whenever Misora did something incredible on the court.

“That’s…” Yuyuko was surprisingly at a loss for words. She couldn’t exactly argue against Ichie. “Just focus on the match, senpai.”

“I totally am. I always give my all whenever we fight.” And whenever Michiru was on the court, a hundred percent from Ichie was the bare minimum. Ichie turned her attention towards their captain who was now on the service line. “Tamao! Get us another service ace!”

The whole crowd responded to Ichie’s words; they started to cheer for Tamao whom they heralded as one of their heroes. Rinmeikan had failed to appear on the National stage for several years, if it weren’t for Ichie and Tamao’s arrival within their school who knows when they’d ever get out of that slump. Tamao was grateful that they had the support of the home crowd behind them. If they were fighting in Ryuuzawa’s court things would have been different. Surely, their morale would have spiralled down early on if the crowd hadn’t continued to cheer for them.

Tamao wanted to give something back towards this crowd that had supported them for every match they played. Not only that, she wanted to pay Ryuuzawa back tenfold for being the reason why Rui couldn’t join her anymore on the court. Tamao glanced towards Rui’s direction. She was sure the brunette was frustrated on being forced out of the game due to her injury. While she couldn’t exactly do anything about Rui’s injury at the very least she could dedicate every serve she makes for her.

“Rui-chan!” Tamao called out to her junior and pointed her finger towards her. “Leave everything to me.”

“I’m counting on you! Tamao-senpai!!” Rui tried to hold back the tears as she cheered for them in the sidelines. As promised she couldn’t enter the court anymore so all she could do was to cheer for them as loud as she could. 

[ Go, Go, Go, Go, Rinmeikan! Win, Win, Win, Win, Rinmeikan! ]

The moment the whistle blew, Tamao wasted no time and sent a monster of a serve towards Ryuuzawa’s way. If they thought keeping Misora at the edge of the court would protect her then they were sorely mistaken. She wasn’t going to run from a challenge. She told herself upon entering Rinmeikan that she was going to catch up to them; to her peers that had always outshined her. She told herself that one day she’d finally be worthy of standing on the same court as her former teammates.

And she hoped that day had finally come.

“Michiru! Cover for Misora!” Akira shouted.

Michiru knew where the ball was headed for but legs were frozen in place; even if she told herself to move her body refused to cooperate. The ball went past Michiru with incredible speed and had hit Misora’s forearm with so much force that it flew out of bounds right after.

“Tsk, seems their captain had a few tricks up her sleeve.” Yachiyo thought Tamao would be too tired to pull anything fancy, turns out she was wrong. “Here I thought she wasn’t going to be a bother.”

“Tamao… had always been strong.” Akira responded as she gazed at Tamao who was getting ready to serve the ball again. “Never underestimate her. Tamao is at her strongest when the team needs her the most.”

“...I wasn’t exactly underestimating her.” Yachiyo clicked her tongue in annoyance before she went back to her position. Now that they know Tamao finally shifted into high gear this game suddenly became a lot harder than she anticipated. None of them held a candle to Tamao except for Michiru and Yachiyo could only hope that their libero could recover from that.

Michiru had never seen Tamao perform such a strong serve before. Usually, Tamao puts emphasis on accuracy over power but this one had both. The ball travelled faster than she expected and even though she recognized where it was headed she failed to even move an inch. Was Tamao holding back all this time?

Michiru felt her throat dry up when her eyes met against Tamao’s. In such a short amount of time the Tomoe Tamao that she knew from middle school had disappeared; the one before them was more of a demon than the kind angel they all saw her as. Her aura was so intimidating that even Aruru and Misora were on edge. Michiru had to say something to keep her juniors calm but even she couldn’t find the right words to say after that show of power from Tamao.

"Chiru-chan! If you keep frowning you'll get wrinkles on your pretty face!!" Ichie teased from across the court. Michiru's face ended up being redder than Yuyuko’s jacket and no one knew if it was due to embarrassment or fury. Yachiyo had to stifle a laugh lest she gets assaulted by a blonde squirrel in the middle of a match.

“That’s it…” Forget about worrying over Tamao. Did Ichie really think she could get away with being a tease in the middle of an important match? Just because they were in the lead? 

“I’ll wipe that carefree smile off your face, Ichie! Bring it!! I’ll take you on, Tamao!” 

“What did I just tell you? You’re definitely going to look older if you keep being so angry.” Ichie was genuinely having a good time as she continued to tease Michiru. Fumi could only shake her head in disappointment. Why couldn’t Ichie save the teasing for later? Now they had to deal with a fired up Michiru. Well, not that it mattered considering that Tamao didn’t seem bothered about it.

Instead of concentrating on Michiru’s words Tamao opted to concentrate on the sound of the crowd’s cheers, to the beat of the taikou drums that continuously imparted the energy they needed to last throughout the whole match. Her eyes were focused on her next target and Mei Fan felt the hair at the back of her neck stand-up when Tamao’s gaze landed towards their general area. As soon as she heard the signal, Tamao tossed the ball high-up and sent a powerful serve right down the line.

Mei Fan was the nearest one to the line so it fell upon her to receive Tamao’s serve. She was going to thank the heavens now for having a flexible body as she easily bent down towards the left and caught the ball. Though, she never expected for Tamao’s serve to pack a lot of punch in this stage of the game; even if she managed to get the ball up the force had been strong enough to throw her off balance. That was one possible spiker down for Ryuuzawa.

Yachiyo rushed for the ball and though Mei Fan was down there was no need to panic. There was one other person that she trusted to do something and it was Yukishiro Akira. Yachiyo believed in her and so she tossed it towards her who ran all the way to the other side of the net.

Rinmeikan wasn’t the only one who had a reliable captain. Yukishiro Akira had been supporting their team throughout the whole match; she wasn’t their ace but Akira was their pillar of strength and Yachiyo knew they all needed her in this very moment. Even if three blockers were right in Akira’s face she didn’t seem bothered at all. It didn’t matter if there was no clear path for the ball to take. She’ll just make her own.

“We’re not letting you!” Fumi shouted as Shiori and Yuyuko followed her cue and jumped in order to stop Akira.

“I never asked for your permission!”

Akira always took pride in the strength she wielded. Sure she didn’t have countless tricks like her counterparts did, instead she had a well-sharpened spear that never failed to pierce through any wall. A spike that was capable of smashing down even the toughest of walls. It was the only trick she had and though it was predictable most teams still couldn’t find a way to deal with her. Akira’s hand made contact with the ball and both Shiori and Yuyuko’s hands were blasted away.

“Damn, Akira-chan you’re such a beast.” Ichie was just right behind their respective blockers as she already anticipated that the ball would push through. Without Rui, it was certainly harder to protect from the net but as long as they had her then they had nothing to fear. Ichie never even lost her balance when she received the ball; despite the overwhelming force behind it she still managed to keep her stance intact.

Tamao saw the ball up in the air and didn’t hesitate to make a jump for it. Even if her legs were already on the verge of cramping up any moment, Tamao still pushed herself. The other team wasn’t expecting for Tamao to launch such a quick attack right after that exchange but she did and in a split moment the ball shot past Yachiyo like a speeding bullet or at least that’s what it seemed for the pinkette. She experienced the same thing that happened to Michiru; her legs froze up and even if she told herself to move she couldn’t find the strength to do so. It was terrifying to see that side of Tamao.

“Move! If you freeze up nothing would happen!” Michiru shouted as she dove for the ball. She knew it was a tall order for them not to freeze up against a team like Rinmeikan  Though she managed to save this one the ball was sent back far too early towards Ryuuzawa’s side.

“Michiru-senpai look out!”

Michiru looked up in time and saw Shiori who was already high up in the air and poised to send a spike towards her direction. If anyone could see Shiori right no one would have thought that the girl had sprained her ankle earlier. The girl had reacted faster than anyone on Rinmeikan’s side and immediately took the opportunity to end this rally. 

Shiori wanted to prove herself here and now. Once the third-years graduate the only ones left would be them and the second-year members of the club. Fumi wasn’t going to be there anymore to score a point, Ichie can’t cover for them anymore, and Tamao wasn’t going to be their pillar of support. They would have to step-up and she needed to live up to the legacy Fumi would eventually leave behind. If she was going to take the mantle of being Rinmeikan’s ace then she needed to burn it within their opponent’s mind; that she was going to be their worst nightmare in the years ahead. Shiori sent the ball back without missing a beat fully believing that there was no way anyone could catch it.

But the ball never fell to the ground. Ryuuzawa’s entire bench was in an uproar as Michiru somehow extended her leg far enough in order to catch the ball using her foot. Even Ichie’s jaw metaphorically dropped when she saw that play. If anyone would be crowned as MVP for this set it might have been Michiru from that beautiful save.

“Michiru-senpai! You’re definitely not human!?” Aruru was definitely in awe of such a play. 

Yachiyo watched the ball and in her head she thought that this was it, the moment that they had been waiting for. A moment where Rinmeikan’s defenses were in disarray, their breakthrough play. Her body had moved on its own as she made a jump for it with her hands already overhead and ready to send a toss in a split second. Yachiyo already knew where she’d send it, all she was waiting for was a signal. Her job was simple; to deliver the ball in time at the highest point of their ace’s jump in order to give them an advantage over their opponent. 

“Yachiyo!!!!!”

The moment she heard Mei  Fan cry out to her, Yachiyo entrusted everything to their ace. She tossed the ball towards her left and never looked back. It was their last chance; if they lose this one then there won’t be another chance of reversing this entire game. It was a risky play but Yachiyo was all about taking risks.

As expected, the one who had met Mei Fan in mid-air was Fumi. It was a repeat of their earlier clash. Fumi totally read their intentions and she had perfectly timed her jump in order to match Mei Fan. During a mid-air battle you only had almost a second or two to decide where to send the ball and for blockers they only had that amount of time to decide on how they’ll play it.

Fumi was going to block this out; in a battle of strength no doubt she’d be the winner between the both of them. She was fairly sure on what Mei Fan’s play would be based on her posture and where she was about to hit the ball; it was going to fly straight at her hand and she’d be ready. Fumi wasn’t going to lose to a fledgling of an ace. In this battlefield she was the reigning king of the skies; the hawk capable of taking out anyone that stood before her.

But even kings eventually fall and hawks could always have their wings clipped by another foe. The ball never managed to hit her palm, instead it flew upwards and had hit her fingertips with incredible precision and strength. Mei Fan knew in a head-on confrontation, she’d lose to Fumi from the get go. In a battle of strength she never stood a chance against her at least if she were alone. Everyone’s combined efforts made it possible for this moment to happen, when a fledgling took down the king of the skies. None of Rinmeikan’s players were able to make it in time. Yuyuko and Ichie had been too far to respond, Shiori hasn’t recovered properly from her jump while Tamao dove a second too late for it.

It was just one point. They were still trailing behind Rinmeikan but during that moment none of it mattered. Mei Fan raised her fists in the air and roared out of sheer happiness. Both of their rookies barrelled into Mei Fan and even Yachiyo uncharacteristically tackled their ace out of relief and glee. They finally broke through the storm and their ace had won the battle; that was the best outcome they could have had and Mei Fan had delivered.

“Wow, they grow up so fast.” Michiru told Akira who stood right beside her as they proudly looked at their juniors. Looks like they didn’t need to worry anymore about their juniors. In the future, once they graduate they could finally be assured that everything would be left into their juniors’ capable hands. “So, did this help you decide who the next captain would be?”

“You say that as if I’m already leaving after this match.” Akira chuckled before she turned her back and walked back to her position. “Let’s not think about that just yet. The match isn’t over.”

“You’re right, it’s far from over.” Michiru glanced towards Rinmeikan’s side and the fire within their eyes hadn’t died down just yet.

“Chiru-chan!” Ichie called out to Michiru and the latter definitely felt a chill run down her spine when she saw the smile on her rival’s face. This set was certainly going to be a very long one indeed. 

“We’re going to pay you back tenfold!”

And Ichie always makes sure that her words ring true.

"Too bad, we're not even going to let you."

And Michiru was going to make sure of it.

Chapter Text

Rinmeikan Girls School Gym, Current Year
Rinmeikan Girls School vs Ryuuzawa Academy
Fifth Set [ Series Tied (2-2) ]

[ Rinmeikan! Fight!! Go, Go, Go Rinmeikan! ]

The taiko drums continued to be heard along with the cheers of the crowd. What started off as a friendly match quickly evolved into one that’s almost at par with a finals match during Nationals. Most of the spectators felt nothing but pride for Kyoto’s representative as they held their ground against last year’s first runner-up. Rinmeikan was considered to be an underdog. Even though they’ve consistently entered Nationals since Tamao and Ichie enrolled they still had so much to prove. Their greatest achievement was reaching the quarter-finals a year ago where they fell against Kamezuno Academy led by the eventual MVP of the match, Shizuha Kocho. And now their supporters saw a glimpse of hope in a simple friendly.

The score was currently 13-13 , the first one to reach fifteen would win provided that they led by two points when it so happens. Rinmeikan’s players were well aware that they were on their last legs. Their greatest weakness was their stamina and Ryuuzawa exploited it by dragging the match longer than expected. With the loss of their two future stars it was up to the veterans to take charge and bring this match to a close.

Tamao sat on the bench, towel draped on her neck as she tried to get even the tiniest bit of rest from this brief timeout that Ryuuzawa had called. Suffice to say that all odds were against them. Losing Rui made a dent in their defensive measures and allowed Ryuuzawa’s players to score more often than they should. Shiori’s injury took down one of their offensive options and had placed the burden of scoring mostly on Fumi. Tamao threw a glance towards Fumi’s direction. It was obvious that Fumi was tired; her movements were starting to be sluggish but still she called for the ball and refused to go down without a fight. Sometimes, Tamao wished she had even an inkling of Fumi’s fighting spirit maybe she could support everyone better if she had that.

There’s my bad habit again

Whenever she felt pressured that’s when the envy started to seep in. The tiny voice inside her head would continuously tell her that it would be nice if she had certain qualities that could make her more useful than she currently was. It was a hard habit to break. Even if everyone else would always tell her that what she brought to the table was enough Tamao still felt the opposite. She knew that she couldn’t stay that way forever. She was captain now, she had to step up. So she tried her best to correct it and slowly work on her mindset whenever she felt pressured but she still had a long way to go. 

“There you go again. You have that distant look on your face.” Fumi said with a certain gentleness that she only showed towards Tamao.

She caught Tamao glancing towards her direction and she knew that kind of look on her face. It was the look Tamao usually had when she was deep in thought. The look she gave whenever she was troubled, Fumi had witnessed it enough times to be sure of it. She had known Tamao ever since middle school. Their schools used to be rivals and though they belonged to different prefectures, Fumi did her best to keep in touch and be supportive of her even more so now that they were teammates. Because Fumi knew that Tamao had a penchant for spreading herself too thin and often felt responsible for everything wrong that happens within the team. Just like now, she was sure that Tamao felt responsible for the mess they were in. They weren’t supposed to drag this game until five sets; it should have ended at three but things didn’t turn out the way they planned it and now here they were trapped within the jaws of the dragon.

But they were stubborn fools, even though this game wasn’t in their favor anymore none of them were keen on losing.

“We haven’t lost.”

Fumi knew that with all her heart that they haven’t lost. The sophomores were putting up a valiant effort and covering for the first years that have reached their limits. Yuyuko was the only one left from their rookies and she was at her limit already. The odds were against them but as long as the last whistle hasn’t been blown then there was still a chance. 

“Not until the last ball falls to the ground, right?” Tamao tried to muster a smile but it was hard to do so when she could slowly feel herself being crushed beneath the growing pressure from the game. It was mentally taxing to keep being the team’s main pillar of support. She was the captain, it was her duty to inspire hope when all seems lost. But here she was, being comforted by another teammate instead.

“Hey, we’re going to win this. Trust in us.” Fumi flashed her signature smirk and ruffled Tamao’s hair with her hand. ' Trust me', is what Fumi would have told her but she decided against it. As much as she wanted Tamao to rely on her more this was something she had to earn. It hasn't been that long since they've been teammates after all. She still needed to prove herself to Tamao and towards everyone in the team and so she'll settle with what she usually does for Tamao.

"Chin up, we're not out of the game yet."

She knew Tamao needed some form of encouragement. She had always been that way. Even if they were on opposite sides of the net before, Fumi would flash her a rare smile or even give her a word of encouragement or two after their matches. Tamao never understood why Fumi had always been so nice to her ever since they met during middle school but she was grateful for it. She found an unlikely friend in Fumi and that was something Tamao hoped that she wouldn’t take for granted.

“I can still run and jump whenever you guys need me to do so. Just keep sending the ball towards my direction and I’ll make sure to get a point when it matters the most.” Fumi was confident in her skills along with her track record. Whenever her team needed her to score the most Fumi would almost always deliver. Her confidence was such a reassuring thing for Tamao that she couldn't help but believe every word she says.

“You haven’t changed a bit.” Tamao quipped much to Fumi’s confusion.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You still know the right words to say minus all the flirting you’ve done before.” Tamao chuckled and Fumi instantly felt her cheeks redden. “Though, I have to admit I find it endearing whenever you do.”

Fumi couldn’t believe what she was hearing right now. She knew Tamao had no idea about the gravity of her words and that only made things worse for her. There was a good reason why she stopped haplessly flirting with Tamao and it was something she couldn’t exactly tell the girl, not when Fumi was well-aware of Tamao’s problems and her priorities. Tamao’s priority was to win all the major tournaments for their club during their last year and Fumi didn’t want to be a potential distraction for her. But it was so hard to keep herself in check whenever Tamao carelessly threw remarks like that towards her direction.

“You’re unbelievable.” Fumi muttered under her breath and now it was Tamao’s turn to look confused at her.

“Did I say something wrong?” Tamao worriedly asked, the last thing she needed was to throw Fumi off during the last stages of the game.

“What? No, of course not.” Tamao didn’t say anything wrong. Fumi knew the fault lied within her. If she only kept to her word and never fell for anyone she flirted with then this wouldn’t really happen. It was so easy for Tamao to fluster her without even trying that it was oddly frustrating at times especially when Tamao had no idea on the effect she had on her.

“Anyway, I try to avoid flirting with my teammates. I don’t like causing trouble for them.” Half lie, half truth. She wouldn’t really mind flirting with her teammates but Tamao was different. Fumi couldn’t really find the right words to explain it but she knew that Tamao didn’t need this kind of baggage, not during this time. She cared for her wellbeing too much. Plus, she already decided to put her feelings aside for Tamao’s last year in Rinmeikan.

“Really?” Tamao gave her a knowing look. “Last time I checked you were flirting with one of our sophomores~”

“I was trying to boost their morale!” Fumi defended herself to which Tamao simply laughed at.

“I believe you.” Tamao sweetly smiled towards Fumi and the latter swore that she really needed to keep herself in check whenever she was with Tamao. “Thank you, I feel better now.” 

“Tamao…”

"Yes?"

 ' You can rely on me too.' Fumi wanted to say those words but she couldn't find it in herself to do so. In the end Fumi stood up and offered her hand to Tamao. Maybe someday she could freely tell her that but for now perhaps extending her hand to her would be enough. “Come on, we need to finalize our plan with the others.”

Tamao nodded and lets Fumi pull her up as they went nearer to the others. Ichie and Yuyuko were finalizing the plan. They only had thirty seconds to rest and plan their next move. It was going to be Ryuuzawa’s turn to attack and it would be Akira serving the ball. They needed to end it in one go or else Ryuuzawa would be one point away from winning the game and that will be the end.

“Tamao-senpai, you look better.” Yuyuko noted the soft smile that Tamao had on her face. “Plan’s simple we’ll only have two people be in charge of receiving Akira’s serve which would be Ichie-senpai and you.”

Within their team Tamao and Ichie were the best on receives. It was why they made sure that Tamao would be at the backline whenever it was Akira’s time to serve and that Ichie would be fielded in during those crucial moments. They were all on their last legs and Yuyuko knew that they had to bank on this. They don’t exactly have the leisure to have such an elaborate plan. ‘Simple is best’ at least that’s what Yuyuko had in her head. Ryuuzawa’s gamble during the third set caught them all off-guard and that resulted into the other team tying the game. Yuyuko felt a bit responsible for their loss during the last two sets; she was supposed to counter Yachiyo’s plans but it took her awhile to get an idea of what kind of player Yachiyo was. This set was her last chance to prove to herself that Tamao’s faith in her wasn’t misplaced and she was going to make sure of it.

“If Ichie-senpai catches the ball then Tamao-senpai you’ll be the one to set it towards Fumi.” In times like this, they could only put their faith on their ace. “The rest of us would act as decoys but just in case if you feel that one of us has a better chance of scoring then by all means send the ball.” 

“Sounds good to me. What about the two of you? Fumi and Ichie?” Tamao asked and both girls simply nodded their heads. It was a simple plan that relied on the abilities of the third years. Tamao was going to be the primary setter now since Yuyuko was already at her limits. Ichie would do what she does best and that was chasing after the ball no matter where it’ll be. And at the end of it, they’d entrust all their hopes towards their ace.

“It’s perfect! Don’t worry, I can catch Akira’s serves no matter where she’ll send it. And if any of us gets blocked as long as I’m around I’ll make sure to give us all the chances we’d need.” Their backs were against the wall but Ichie still beamed at all of them as if it was nothing after all she shined the most in times of adversity. It was still possible for them to turn the tide and if that was the case then ichie saw no reason to mope. It was time for her to showcase to everyone why she’s considered to be the National Team’s guardian deity.

“Your confidence is astounding.” Fumi sighed and shook her head. She hated to admit it but Ichie was incredibly reliable when it counts. “I’m all for the plan though. Just send the ball to me and I’ll keep scoring for us. If they score back then we’ll score another. I wear the number of the ace for a reason after all, no way am I losing to those fledglings.”

Misora and Mei Fan both shifted into high gear during this last set. For every point that Fumi had scored the two of them would return it with insurance. They were still a little wet behind the ears at least for Fumi but they had already proven themselves to be a thorn on their side despite that. It absolutely annoyed Fumi knowing she was being pushed to her limits by them. She was going to show them that they still have a long way to go before they could beat her.

“You’re pretty confident yourself.” Ichie snickered and lightly nudged Fumi’s ribs to which their ace replied by messing Ichie’s hair. Tamao had to step in and prevent it from escalating, like she always did. And just like that, everything seemed to go back to normal. 

Everyone’s nervousness seemed to be a thing of the past just from their seniors’ antics. The atmosphere of the team was good and that was all Yuyuko could hope for. The whistle blew and they needed to get back on the court but Yuyuko couldn’t help but linger for a bit as she looked at the trio.

“They’re all amazing.” Rui said in awe as she stood in between Yuyuko and Shiori. After being sidelined due to her injury all Rui had done was to watch the game and her attention was completely caught by their three seniors. Each of them were amazing in their own right; a fact that Rui believed even more after this game. She couldn’t really imagine what would become of Rinmeikan when they graduate. It frightened her to no end; the feeling of not being good enough to take over her senior’s duties. How could they possibly fill in the gaps they were going to leave in the future? 

But for Rui herself there was another important question that she wanted to be answered. How could they ever be capable of replacing Tamao? The girl that pulled Rinmeikan away from the forgotten remnants of the past and had given the team a future to look forward to. It was nigh impossible to do so, there was no way that anyone could ever fill in the gap that Tamao would eventually leave behind.

Rui looked up to her ever since elementary and Tamao had always been her North Star. For some reason just her very presence keeps her from getting lost. To stand here in the sidelines fully aware that their time together was growing shorter with each passing second sent a wave of frustration inside her. She wanted to keep supporting her for as long as she could. She wanted to chase this particular star before it disappears again.

“I… really want to keep playing with them.” Rui told her two closest friends. “I want to keep playing with this team for as long as I can.”

"Took the words right out of my mouth." Yuyuko easily agreed with Rui on this one. She wanted to prolong her time with their seniors as well. “I want to spend more time with them.”

I want to spend more time with these amazing people.

It wasn't just their skills that got Yuyuko's attention, it was their fighting spirit. Even if the odds had always been against them not once had she heard those three utter the words ' Let's give up '. Those were words that Yuyuko constantly heard within Rinmeikan's walls during the first year she spent there as a middle school student. Rinmeikan fell from grace in the volleyball scene years ago; they never got past the qualifiers for Nationals ever since their golden age had passed. Whenever she passed by the gym the highschool team often voiced out that particular sentiment ' There's no way we'd win', 'Let's just give up', and so on and so forth.

But that all changed during her second year of middle school when Tamao and Ichie entered Rinmeikan's ranks. The drought had ended and Rinmeikan's highschool volleyball club became Kyoto's representatives. Yuyuko always hung out in the gym's bleachers and watched them practice. She had nothing better to do during middle school since her team rarely lets her play. As she told Misora yesterday, she knew the feeling of inadequacy quite well. She wasn’t good enough for them and her height did nothing to raise her chances. She was always in the sidelines and so she resigned herself into fully accepting it until Ichie reached out to her. 

They used to play volleyball together when they were still in elementary. Ichie remembered how much she loved it and asked her to train with them instead. Yuyuko could still recall the words Ichie told her that day and it stuck with her ever since.

Volleyball is for everyone! So what if you’re not good enough now? If you train hard one day you’ll prove them wrong as long as you have the heart for it.

She wondered if one day she’d be capable of encouraging someone to keep playing despite the odds like Ichie does. One day, maybe she’d even be capable of having the same fire in their eyes during the most trying of times. But until then, all she could do was to keep doing her best and support them in any way she could. Even if all she wanted to do right now was to take a nap throughout the rest of the day, she’ll force herself to move and run after the ball. It was the least she could do.

“We’ll get to play with them more. We’ll win all the major tournaments and play with them until they graduate.” Shiori said with an air of confidence aching to Fumi’s that both Rui and Yuyuko quickly turned their heads to the side just to make sure that it really was her and not Fumi who was with them.

Shiori knew that their seniors held the same sentiments. Everyone wanted to stay together for as long as they could and if they all had a common goal in their heads then maybe it’d be enough to help them through anything. Maybe her sister was rubbing off on her but Shiori wholeheartedly believed in what Fumi promised to her once they reunited in Rinmeikan.

We’ll win all the major tournaments and get to play in the National stage together.

Fumi might come off as haughty and overconfident for most but Shiori knew her better than anyone else. Fumi’s confidence always has a basis. Her belief in her own skills is what Shiori admired the most about her sister. She was envious of that side of hers but maybe someday she’d grow to be as confident as Fumi. Someday, she’d learn to believe in herself just as Fumi does and maybe when the time comes she’d finally be capable of facing her sister as an equal.

“What? Did I say something wrong?” Shiori blinked, confused by her friends’ reactions.

“No, that was awfully confident of you.” Yuyuko noted. “It wasn’t a very Shiori thing.”

“N-not that it was bad or anything!” Rui immediately interjected and all three of them suddenly started to laugh.

The three of them being capable of enjoying small moments like this felt extremely comforting for Rui. Eventually their seniors would leave them to fend for themselves but as long as the three of them were together then maybe they’d eventually get through it. It was certainly reassuring for Rui, that she wasn’t alone anymore. She now had Yuyuko and Shiori by her side so she’d have to do her best to support her two best friends in any way she could.

Yuyuko suddenly felt a hand over her shoulder and she tilted her head to the side and saw Shiori with a gentle smile on her face aching to that of Tamao’s. The look she gave her was more than enough to convey whatever Rui wanted to say. She wasn’t going to let them down. She gave Rui’s hand a soft pat as a sign of thanks before she flashed a smile towards Shiori’s direction.

“I’ll cover for the two of you today. Watch me.”

The pressure from everyone present in the court was suffocating. Misora couldn’t figure out how everyone else manages to deal with it. It was the fifth set and the score was tied if they manage to get two straight points they’d win but the same could be said for their opponents. This was still anyone’s game, Rinmeikan wasn’t out of the fight just yet and Misora’s nerves were starting to get the better of her because of it.

She had never gone up against a team as tenacious as Rinmeikan before. No matter how many times they brought them down Rinmeikan continued to get back up. It scared her and at the same time frustrated her to no end. They were absolutely amazing and Misora felt so small compared to them. How could she ever match-up to them? The one who was the most lackluster out of everyone; the average girl that only relied on her high stamina to be important.

Of course, her performance today was barely average in fact she exceeded everyone’s expectations of her but Misora couldn’t see that. It had always been her fatal flaw to always think of herself as less than everyone else, even if that isn’t the case. It was harder to get out of that particular mindset now that Aruru was forced to stay on the bench. Her legs started to cramp up which was why they had to call the time-out. Now that she wasn’t there, Misora came to realize how much she had been relying on Aruru.

Aruru and her had been teammates since elementary. They were inseparable. No matter what would happen, where one goes the other would follow. They supported each other for years and perhaps Misora had taken Aruru’s presence for granted. Now that she was on the court facing an opponent that were far beyond her own abilities she needed her more than ever. It sickened her that she kept relying on Aruru like this. She needed to learn how to stand on her own two feet but how could she when all she felt was the slight tremble of her legs.

She was scared of making a mistake, of not living up to their captain’s expectations. Akira told her earlier that they’d rely on her for the fifth set. Out of everyone, Akira chose to rely on her and she didn’t want to fail her. Misora tried to take a few deep breaths; a feeble attempt to calm herself down. She absolutely couldn’t fail, not now when they needed her the most. Misora’s thoughts were completely muddled that she failed to notice a certain someone creeping up beside her in order to blow against her ear causing her to let out a yelp.

“Boo!” Yachiyo chuckled at her junior’s reaction and gave herself a mental pat on the back for such a thing. The look on Misora’s face was priceless and she’d most likely immortalize it as a chibi drawing in her notebook one of these days.

“Y-Yachiyo-senpai! That wasn’t funny, you almost gave me a heart attack!” Misora complained much to Yachiyo’s amusement.

“Sorry! You looked so stressed out that I wanted to snap you out of it.” Yachiyo gently patted Misora’s back and gave her a smile. “Plus, Aruru’s been worried about you for like a few seconds now just look.”

Misora tilted her head in confusion and looked towards the bench. Indeed, the smile on Aruru’s face was gone, a worried look replacing it instead as she gazed towards Misora's general direction from time to time. Michiru was talking to her but it was obvious that Aruru’s attention wasn’t fully into the  conversation.

“I…” She honestly felt like a fool, not noticing Aruru’s distress. She didn't want Aruru to be too worried about her, that's not what her friend needed right now. Aruru felt like she failed everyone when Akira told her that she needed to rest and be subbed out after her legs started to cramp. Misora didn’t want to make her feel any worse than she already did.

“Hey, Misora. Look at me, it’s fine." Yachiyo softly told her as she gently patted the girl's back. "It’s fine not to be aware of things especially when you’re worried about something else."

Yachiyo wasn’t blind, she clearly saw how Misora struggled the longer the game went no doubt from the pressure she felt from everyone’s expectations of her. She was a gifted player and being talented meant that others relied on you more. It meant bigger burdens and not everyone could easily adjust to such a responsibility. She was aware that what they’re asking of Misora would be too much for her; to be another pillar for Ryuuzawa because once the seniors leave the gap Akira would leave behind can’t possibly be filled by just Mei Fan alone. Misora needed to step up her game and slowly come into terms with the burden she’d have to carry in the future. It was too much to ask of her but Yachiyo believed that Misora could deliver all she needed was support.

Yachiyo had a soft smile on her face and Misora was slightly taken aback by such a thing. It was rare to see Yachiyo showing such a gentle side of herself to anyone at all. Yachiyo lightly brushed away Misora’s bangs and the red-head felt her cheeks redden from that. Although, it was certainly a very nice distraction from her more destructive thoughts. Now, if only she could figure out how to play while she was still reeling from this.

“You have a funny look on your face.” Yachiyo chuckled and Misora wanted to run towards Rinmeikan’s bench and hide behind Rui out of sheer shame. “I know we’re asking too much from you but could you hold on for just a little longer? We need you to win this last set just like Akira said. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to watch your back while Aruru’s at the bench so feel free to fly like you usually do alright?”

“Wh...what if I fail?” Misora didn’t want to fail them. They had given her this chance and she didn’t want to waste it.

“Then we’ll try again.” Yachiyo tapped the girl’s nose with her finger before she turned around and went back to her position.

“If we fail, we learn how to succeed. They take a point, we take one back. So don’t be afraid all of your seniors are here to support you. Though… I’m pretty sure you won’t fail since you’re not the type to look uncool in front of a fan.” Yachiyo gestured towards the other side of the net and Misora saw Yuyuko returning to her position as well.

“Wh-wh-what do you mean fan?!? S-senpai, I only talked to her once! She just lent me a magazine!!” Misora tried to explain but Mei Fan could only shake her head at that. Poor Misora, being the victim of Yachiyo’s teasing for this set. Well, at least their junior seems more relaxed than earlier and that was more than they could ask for.

“There’s absolutely no use in convincing Yachiyo. She has a knack for these things don’t worry you’ll get used to it.” Mei Fan pointed out to which Yachiyo responded with a pout.

“You make it sound like I’m being a nuisance with it.” Yachiyo whined. “I was only trying to lighten the mood.”

“We know and we love you for it but try not to bully our juniors too much. Oh, better get into position though the game’s about to restart.” Mei Fan reminded them and quickly enough the rest of Ryuuzawa’s members went back to their positions.

Akira was at the back, just beyond the server’s line and watched all of them. This year would be the seniors’ last hurrah. Once the major tournaments for this year ends they’d never have another opportunity to play with their juniors lest they all try out for the National Team. Her juniors would have to go on without any of them and deep inside she was honestly worried about what they’d do without them. Akira had her own kind of doubts. She wasn’t entirely sure if she had been a good enough captain for them; if she managed to become a role model that they could emulate once they needed to step up and be leaders themselves. She wished she had been good enough for them.

Which was why it was such a relief to see that Yachiyo handled the situation with Misora fairly well. Honestly, Akira believed that Yachiyo should give herself more credit. She was incredible in her own right and if she wished Yachiyo would realize that she had always been enough. If not, then perhaps things would change once she finally announces that Yachiyo was going to be the next captain. As for the vice-captain, she’ll let Michiru handle that though she was sure her best friend already planned on grooming their energetic ball of sunshine named Aruru for such a thing.

“Time to get to work.” Akira took a deep breath and cleared her thoughts. Right now, she had to focus on her serve. Her juniors had been doing all the heavy lifting in terms of keeping things together for their team. She’ll have to return their efforts by granting them a much needed point.

Once the whistle was blown Akira tossed the ball high-up. She didn’t care if the other team was prepped to take her serve; she’ll meet the challenge head-on. She already had a target inside her head and all she needed to do was to deliver. Akira jumped and slammed the ball with all the power she could muster as she sent it relatively near the corner of the court. It was a risk, most likely Ichie would catch it but she had to take the chance and believe it was the best choice that she could have made right at that very moment.

Ichie was completely focused on the game. On the court she was an entirely different person and during these crucial times that’s when she shows her true worth. Receiving the ball was as natural as breathing for her. Her body knew every move she had to make in order to perfectly receive such a terrifying serve from Akira. From the proper dig stance she had to make up to where she needed to position herself everything was perfect and even Michiru had to admit that Ichie was truly in a league of her own. Everyone in Ryuuzawa’s side tensed up when the ball went high-up, it was such a good receive that any of Rinmeikan’s setters could easily set it for their spikers.

Tamao and Yuyuko both moved in sync and Yachiyo was on high alert. She had no idea who was going to toss the ball let alone who they’d toss it to. The logical conclusion was that Fumi would be the one to finish it but she wouldn’t put it past them if they’d do something different. Fumi was already moving into position as expected and Yachiyo had to decide then and now what they had to do.

“Mei Fan, help me cover the right.”

Mei Fan and Yachiyo moved in order to cover Fumi who had already jumped. Yachiyo was banking on a fast toss that would come from Rinmeikan’s setters. It was their bread and butter, when the going gets tough, more often than not teams would rely on their usual tactics. But that wasn’t what happened. Yuyuko ran past Tamao and their captain delayed the toss. Usually Tamao would have jumped for it and tossed it as quick as possible for Fumi and that’s when Yachiyo realized that Tamao used their own ace as a decoy for their true flyer.

“Yuyuko!” Tamao sent the ball towards Yuyuko who actually went for a run-up towards the side. Rarely did Yuyuko dare to score on her own; it was a move no one expected and that was why it was perfect. Of course the original plan had been to send it towards Fumi’s direction but Tamao knew everyone would expect such a thing and Yuyuko did give her leeway to decide on the fly. So she’ll entrust this ball to their junior that carried the wishes of her two friends as she soared for the final minutes of this match.

Yuyuko was practically running on fumes but she wanted to be a bit more useful. Rui and Shiori weren’t here so she’ll have to cover for the both of them. Yuyuko knew she wasn’t the strongest player out there, that scoring wasn’t exactly her forte but she had to try. If not for them then for herself. She wanted to grow just a bit more and prove to herself that their faith in her wasn’t misplaced. The net was supposed to be free from any nuisance but a blur of red entered her vision and she somewhat expected it.

Misora was the only one who ran towards Yuyuko’s direction the moment Tamao tossed the ball towards her. She banked her chances on her own athletic strength and pushed herself to make it on time in order to block it. Call it pure luck that she trusted her instincts with this play but Misora saw something in Yuyuko throughout this whole game; enough to consider her as someone they should watch out for.

“You’re not getting through!” Misora declared to which Yuyuko smiled at.

“Not the usual way I can’t.” Yuyuko knew she wasn’t a strong spiker but she did have technique. Instead of spiking the ball like everyone usually did Yuyuko opted to lightly push it above Misora’s fingers instead, letting it bypass her block. There were many kinds of players and Yuyuko was just but one of many tricky foes that Misora needed to watch a bit more often.

“Better luck next time, Kano-san.”

This was what Misora wanted to avoid. She didn’t want to fail, even though she guessed it right she should have been capable of stopping Yuyuko. She should have remembered that setters were quite tricky to deal with at times and that she shouldn’t have underestimated Yuyuko in a midair battle. Misora looked back, horrified as the ball fell right behind her. Already her thoughts were firing almost a hundred accusations towards herself on how she  could have done better but the echo of the ball hitting the floor never happened.

“I’ve got your back!” Yachiyo announced as she dove for the ball. Sure, it had hurt but they needed to keep it afloat. Whoever gets this next point would be at an advantage and Yachiyo would be damned if they didn’t get it. Plus, once she declared to do something she’d do everything she could to follow it up. She told Misora that she’d watch her back and she’ll definitely follow through with it.

“Mei Fan! Follow it up!”

“Trying!!” Mei Fan shouted as she leapt over Yachiyo in order to reach it and sent the ball towards the back.

Her lungs were protesting against her already, that she was pushing herself a lot by running all the way back from the other side of the court but Mei Fan prepared herself for this. The moment she received the burden of being their ace she knew that she’d have to push herself and do everything she could to follow through it. Whenever anyone needed her in the team she’d be there just as she did right now.

Akira saw the ball flying towards her general direction. It wasn’t the most ideal one and it would be hard to hit it from the backline but they didn’t have the luxury of setting it properly. This was a ball that the second years fought hard for and she wasn’t going to waste it. Akira stepped into her jump and spiked the ball as hard as she could in order to return it with interest towards Rinmeikan’s side. The ball flew past Tamao and it would have been their point if Ichie hadn't covered for her.

“I won’t let any of you score a single point.” Ichie declared as she managed to get the ball high up in the air after she dove for it.

Ootonashi Ichie was a frightening player. Her field of vision and sense for the ball were her greatest strengths. Ichie knew it far too well and completely focused on honing it along with the other skills she needed to succeed in a game dominated by those who had the height for it. What made Ichie a frightening player weren’t her inherent skills but her drive to succeed in a game that was never meant for someone short like her.

For short people like her, the opportunities were limited. They needed to excel so great in their role that all the scouts would have no choice but to call on them. They needed to force everyone else to consider them. They had to fight tooth and nail for a spot that could easily be given to someone with a better stature. It might be an exaggeration for some but that was the reality that Ichie lived in. Countless times she had been rejected not because of her skills but because they picked someone bigger than her, someone that they believed would be more beneficial in the long run than her. Even as a libero, her chances were slim and so she needed to find a way to make herself be considered, to be the one chased by many instead of the other way around. That was when Ichie decided that she always had to give her full effort in any game even if it was just a simple friendly. She always needed to prove herself to everyone else that she deserved being part of their generation’s top players.

Michiru watched from the sidelines as the ball continued to be passed back and forth in a seemingly never ending rally. They had many opportunities to bring a point towards their side but for some reason their plans kept being thwarted by Rinmeikan’s players especially Ichie who had done nothing but save the ball every time Rinmeikan was in a pinch. Ichie was the storm they couldn’t quell at all. Even if Akira decided to relentlessly target her during the first few sets it did little to slow her down. Maybe Ichie wasn’t lying to her, maybe she really was back in tip-top form.

Michiru tapped her foot against the floor as she tried to keep herself calm. She wanted to get back onto the court, just like Aruru she wanted to play again but everyone agreed that as long as they were in possession of the ball Michiru would rest and preserve her strength. She hated waiting but their logic was so sound that she found no logical reason to go against it.

“This is the hard part of being on the bench. You’re forced to watch and do nothing but that.” Michiru liked watching others play it was one of her guilty pleasures but sometimes she couldn’t help but wish to join them too. She knew she was being a bad example for Aruru. She had just convinced her to rest and not force herself to play lest she wanted her legs to cramp up again. If she kept this up no doubt Aruru was going to ask her again for permission to be fielded back into the game. However, to her surprise Aruru did nothing of the sort.

“Michiru-senpai, you really love volleyball don’t you?” Aruru asked as they watched the on-going rally from the sidelines. “It’s obvious that you really want to play right now.”

Michiru kept her gaze focused on the players within the court. Does she love volleyball? Of course she did but more than that what she really loved was something else. 

“I think what I really love isn’t volleyball itself though but the people I play with.” That’s right, it wasn’t the sport she loved but everyone she met through it. It’s also precisely why she would never be capable of reaching the stage everyone wanted to go to. Because, her passion was lacking compared to them.

“Maybe that’s why… I can’t ever chase the sun no matter how hard I ran after it.” Michiru wondered out loud.

“The...sun?” Aruru curiously looked at Michiru and waited for an eventual explanation. The sun, of course it was impossible to chase after it but Aruru could somewhat understand it because she was the same. She also chased after the sun.

“Why...do you chase after the sun, senpai?”

“Why indeed…” Michiru softly whispered as her gaze lingered over to where Ichie was.

Why did she play a sport that wasn’t meant for someone as short as her? She used to wonder about it herself, so did her parents. Why did she force herself to excel in a game where eventually she’d be set aside for someone more physically capable in her role. Why does she keep chasing after someone she could never reach? Why chase after the sun if all you’ll get are burns?

One day, Michiru knew that she’d be replaced ever so easily. The highest stage that she’d be able to climb would be the amateur leagues. There was no way an esteemed volleyball club would take the risk with someone like her who had stopped growing. Even though she and Ichie were rivals the same amount of prestige that Ichie gained never translated back to her.

“I keep chasing after someone I consider to be the sun even if it’s futile. Everyone wants them. The National team, the Japanese Volleyball clubs, and I overheard a scout before offering a chance for them to join a club overseas… compared to that? I have nothing.” 

She was her rival but that was it. No offers ever came to her, no invitations for the National team nor towards any volleyball club that wished to field her as soon as she graduates. No matter how hard she pushed herself to match Ichie, time and time again the world would remind her that she could never reach where she was because her passion could never match hers. The world was harsh for those who were never meant to play such a sport, even more so towards those who loved something more than it and Michiru understood it quite well. 

So why does she continue to struggle? Why make life difficult for herself and continue playing a sport that wasn’t meant for her; A sport wherein her love for it would never be enough to push her to reach for higher heights. Why continue chasing after the sun?

“I don’t know why I continue to chase after them even if I know I’ll never be able to reach them.” And perhaps she’d never exactly understand why she kept chasing them even if she knew she’d never be capable of reaching them.

“But what I do know is that I still want to play volleyball with everyone else. For as long as I could.” Michiru said in passing as she continued to watch the game with a restless wish in her heart to join in as soon as she could. “Even if my passion is half-baked compared to them. I still want to selfishly play alongside them until the end. That’s why I want to get out there right now and play.”

“Michiru-senpai, I never noticed how similar we are.” Aruru brightly smiled and focused her attention towards their team’s actions. “I don’t think I love volleyball as much as everyone else does because like you, I think I love the people I’ve met through it more than the game itself. I find it really fun and I’m in it for that instead of the competition.”

Not only that, Aruru decided to play volleyball not because she was interested in it but because she wanted to look after a very important person in her life. If Ichie was Michiru’s sun then Misora was hers. She knew that one day, Misora would go somewhere she couldn’t reach anymore. Misora was a very talented volleyball player no doubt once she gains enough self-confidence they’d all flock towards her friend and eventually Misora would have no need of her. And that was fine for Aruru, being by her friend’s side until she could soar on her own was enough for her. In addition to that, all she truly wants was to have fun and cherish the bonds she built over the years; someone like her would never be capable of getting past the amateur leagues.

“I noticed that too. It’s why I’ve decided that once I graduate I’ll pass the mantle to you.” The mantle of being the vice-captain of Ryuuzawa’s volleyball club. Michiru believed that Aruru would be capable of fulfilling the role despite only being a second year once she graduates. “We have enough volleyball maniacs in this team. I think what it needs is someone who would prioritize everyone else’s well-being, one that looks past the competition and one that would be capable of reminding them why exactly they play.”

“Haha! Senpai, that sounds really complicated you know?” Aruru laughed and scratched her nape. 

It was a bit too hard to understand but in a way she felt as if she knew what exactly Michiru was trying to get at. Someone needed to watch over everyone else and that was something Aruru found herself to be good at. She loved watching everyone grow and have fun together if that was all Michiru wanted her to do then consider it done. 

“But, even though I don’t exactly understand what you want me to do. I’ll do my best!” Such was Aruru’s resolve. She’ll always do her best for her friends and that was why Michiru knew that she’d be the best person for the job.

“Well, as long as you’ll do your best then that’s enough for me.” 

That was enough for now. The both of them returned their attention towards the game where the rally was about to draw to a close and both of them could only hope it would be in their favor.

Both teams were stubborn to a fault. This was by far the longest rally that they’ve had throughout the entire game. Every time Ryuuzawa tried to score a point Rinmeikan would defend it with every resource they had and clung onto the hope that eventually an opportunity to counter-attack would show itself. It was beautiful to watch when one was a spectator but within the court itself this was everyone’s nightmare.

A long rally meant that whoever wins this would have the momentum they’d need to close the game. That brought a whole new level of pressure within every player that was currently fielded onto the court. No one could drop the ball, they all had to keep it afloat for their team. They needed to keep connecting with each other or else it would be their loss.

Fumi was quite aware of their situation. She noticed how the pressure was burdening everyone on their side. More of their members were committing mistakes that they normally didn’t and so too did the other team. It was just each team’s tenacity that kept the ball from ever reaching the ground. It may look even at first but Fumi knew they had the shorter end of the stick. Everyone was dead tired including herself. She could feel her legs protesting against her whenever she started a run-up for a spike. But still she couldn’t afford to rest, to stop asking for the ball and to stop running because if she did then it was all over.

She was Rinmeikan’s ace. She took that role the moment they accepted her in when no one else wanted to. She owed her entire career to them. If Rinmeikan never scouted her after she was taken off Ryuuzawa’s roster then that could have been the end of her journey as a volleyball player. So she decided to shoulder some of the burden that Ichie and Tamao bore in order to repay the kindness they had given her. She would ask for the ball even if all she wanted was to just lie down on the ground and take a nap. She would ask for it even if she already found it hard to jump. And she would deliver when they needed her the most, that was Fumi’s resolve.

“Left!!” Fumi shouted as the ball was once again saved by Ichie. She ran as fast as she could towards the net and sprung high enough to challenge Ryuuzawa’s three-man block. No matter how many of them appear in front of her she’ll keep pushing and finding a way to bring home the win.

“Fumi!” Despite the blockers that presented themselves Tamao still gave the ball towards her.

As long as Fumi demanded for the ball then both Tamao and Yuyuko would  continue to send it over to her. They had absolute faith in their so-called ace and as long as Fumi hasn’t given up yet there would still be a silver lining for them in this game. They only needed one more point and swing everything in their favor. They only needed one opportunity and Tamao kept trying to make one for them. That was the job of a setter and she knew Yachiyo was gunning for the same thing as well because the one who’ll win this match all boiled down to which setter would open the way for their team.

Fumi soared and spiked the ball that was delivered towards her direction. It managed to go through the three-man block but Akira managed to receive it albeit horribly. That doesn’t matter though, as long as the ball connected then that would be enough.

The ball was sent high in the air and headed towards a difficult spot. Yachiyo ran for it first. The pinkette had been all over the place for the final set. Not only did she need to cover for Aruru and Michiru being missing for this possession she also had to open the way for their team to score. There were so many things to process that Yachiyo couldn’t exactly think the way she wanted to. The pressure was starting to get to her as well as panic rose from the pit of her stomach. She needed to calm down, she needed a restart or else she’ll make a mistake that she doesn’t want to commit.

But how? The game left her no room to breathe. If they drop it then that was the end for them. 

“Sorry! Cover!” Yachiyo sent the ball back towards their team and Mei Fan had to settle on lobbing the ball back towards Rinmeikan’s side instead, granting them another opportunity.

This possession wasn’t on their side. As long as she couldn’t set a play for them they’d be on the losing end of this despite their stamina. Tamao had gotten more opportunities to set the ball than she did in this rally and if not for Mei Fan and Misora’s tenacious defense they would have conceded countless points already from Fumi. She had to do something, she needed to do something. As Rinmeikan prepared for another attack, Yachiyo kept her gaze on their side of the net. She needed to take into account where everyone was and who would potentially get the ball. She had to be a step ahead of them and fight for their winning image.

“Yachiyo… calm down…” She needed to calm down and think. How could they win this rally?

The ball was high up again and all three frontliners of Rinmeikan started to run. Tomoe was going to set the ball again and Yachiyo cursed the high heavens for that. So far all her tosses towards Fumi had been nothing short of perfect, all because Ichie manages to receive their attacks properly. They had to break that cycle. If they break it an opportunity would appear, she was positive of it.

“Absolutely perfect!” Fumi manically grinned as the toss arrived right on time. Her hand easily connected with it and sent the ball past Mei Fan’s block. It was a good thing that Akira was just right behind her and anticipated it as she somewhat manages to get the ball up.

“Calm down!” Akira commanded. She knew that everyone was panicking but they couldn’t afford to do so. They needed to make a play with a sound mind or else Ichie was just going to deny them of a point again. Without Michiru, she needed to be their voice of reason. She needed to be the captain they needed. She had to watch their backs for them and make sure to calm them down when they started to panic. 

“Yachiyo, slow the pace! Don’t get dragged in by them!”

“Slow...the pace..” Yachiyo saw the ball descend and something had hit her. 

She had been trying to match Tamao’s pace throughout the whole set and maybe that was why their rhythm fell. She kept trying to match Tamao’s fast paced tosses with her own but that wasn’t how they worked in Ryuuzawa. Every ball they tossed needed to have a certain timing that she sets, one that she knew their spikers could hit at the best point in time. Yachiyo tried to clear her mind and be aware of her teammates positioning. She needed to notice everyone that was moving on their side and match their pace. She had to follow their team’s pace and not drag everyone towards Rinmeikan’s rhythm.

Mei Fan was already springing for a jump, an opportunity for a fast attack that could work. Yachiyo was about to send it to her when she saw Misora’s silhouette run past her. Throughout this whole set most of her tosses were sent towards Mei Fan because she was the only one who continued to match her hideous pace for this match. Misora kept acting as a decoy for Mei Fan but right now the roles were reversed. Yachiyo could feel Misora’s silent demand for the ball, to rectify the mistake she did earlier when she failed to stop Yuyuko.

Yachiyo forgot that she needed to answer to such demands, that she needed to listen to her spikers too and notice what they want. She wasn’t going to commit that mistake again. Yachiyo tossed the ball without any hesitation towards Misora’s direction, one high enough for Misora to hit with her highest jump. The blockers reacted later than expected, most likely due to their fatigue giving Misora a great view of Rinmeikan’s side of the court. In one swift movement she sent the ball flying straight towards the line. Ichie anticipated the wrong receiver and she was too far off to receive it. Yuyuko was the one who tried to run after it but she was just a bit too late; the fatigue had piled up and she couldn’t reach it in time.

The sound of the ball hitting the ground was finally heard and Misora could barely comprehend what had happened. She managed to score a point. Despite her earlier mistakes, she managed to score in the most crucial point of the game. Misora looked towards Yachiyo’s direction and she could feel her whole body tremble in sheer happiness and relief. The score was now 13-14 , in favor of Ryuuzawa.

They could finally breathe.

“S-senpai I…” Misora wanted to say she finally did it but she felt some of her tears had already started to fall and now she had to wipe it all off before the game restarted. Mei Fan went over towards Misora’s side and lifted the girl high up with a grin on her face. She knew that Misora could do it.

“Haha! That’s our future ace! I need to score the next one or else you might give me a run for my money!” Mei Fan felt invigorated by that play and so did the rest of the team.

“Wait!! What do you mean future ace?! Mei Fan-senpai I think that’s too much!” Misora wanted to bury herself under a pile of sand out of sheer embarrassment but it seemed to be impossible given that Mei Fan wasn’t letting her down any time soon.

Akira herself could somewhat breathe now knowing they could finally seize the pace. Thinking everything was resolved she made her way towards the service line in order to prepare. At least that was the plan until Yachiyo quickly took ahold of her hand prompting her to stop for a second or two.

“How did you know…” Yachiyo herself didn’t notice that she was being dragged towards Tamao’s pace. None of them did except for Akira who had silently guarded their backs and kept saving the ball throughout the whole rally for them despite her horrible reputation when it came to receives.  She honestly felt ashamed of herself. Akira placed her faith in her and here she was almost being responsible for their loss.

“I’m...I’m sorry, I didn’t want to...” She didn’t want to fail her. Just like Misora, she didn’t want to fail Akira. She didn’t want their team to ever see that they misplaced their faith in her.

“I’m always watching you even if you think I’m looking at another direction.” Akira simply stated before she lightly brushed away a stray strand of hair from Yachiyo’s face. “You didn’t fail any of us. Not at this game nor will you do so at the next. I have faith so get back to position and lets close this game.”

Yachiyo was rarely at a loss for words but what Akira told her was gravely unfair. How could she even respond to that. She was floundering like a fish out of water as she just stared towards Akira’s retreating figure in such a dumbfounded manner. Mei Fan had to drag her back towards their starting position because she certainly forgot how to move after that. She was never going to hear the end of it from Mei Fan, she was sure of that and it was all Akira’s fault.

“Mei Fan. Not a word.” Yachiyo told Mei Fan who only responded with a knowing smile.

“Only if you promise to come shopping with me. I saw a shirt we could wear together. Trust me! It has a really cute design!” Mei Fan beamed and Yachiyo already dreaded the price for Mei Fan’s silence on this matter. 

“Fine! I’ll come shopping with you and actually wear that shirt.” Ah, the things she’d do just to save whatever was left of her dignity.

The whistle was once again blown and Mei Fan shifted her attention towards the game. This was it, the last point they needed to get at least for Ryuuzawa. The fire in Rinmeikan’s eyes were still present. Despite the crushing blow from the rally ending in their favor it doesn’t seem as if they had given up just yet, especially Fumi. She was very familiar with the look Fumi had on her face. That was something Mei Fan had been waiting for throughout the entire set.

Fumi was good but just like the rest of them she had her weaknesses. She had the shortest temper among all of them. She was relatively impatient and when all of the frustrations started to pile that’s when she commits mistakes. Her pride would compel her to demand for the ball and absolutely deliver for her team. She was sure of it and that’s what Mei Fan had been preparing for throughout their whole exchange.

Mei Fan watched as the ball was once again served by Akira. Even though they were all tired, Akira’s serves still packed a punch. As expected, Ichie wasn’t going to let that one in and Mei Fan patiently waited for the toss. She quickly grabbed onto the back of Yachiyo’s shirt when the girl was about to run towards Misora’s side to help her block someone.

“Stay here.” Mei Fan insisted and Yachiyo quickly realized what she wanted to do.

The ball was sent towards Tamao’s direction and as she watched it descend Tamao knew that this could be their last chance. Even if Fumi wouldn’t demand for the ball she knew that she was the only person she could entrust this ball with as of this very moment. Tamao planned to give it to Fumi right from the start and the latter knew it so well. Fumi never shouted for it. All she did was wait for the toss that Tamao delivered as always.

The toss was just right for her. It was as if Tamao knew how she’d time her jumps and how high she could reach given the amount of stamina she had left. The tosses that Tamao had been giving her throughout this whole set had nothing but consideration for her and she wanted to return the favor by actually delivering a point like she promised to do so. Fumi did her run-up which was perfectly timed with the toss and jumped. Yachiyo and Mei Fan both made a jump for it in order to block her but Fumi was determined to blast through them if she had to.

She needed to bring home a point. They needed to stay in the game. As soon as she saw the gap in between Mei Fan and Yachiyo’s block Fumi didn’t hesitate to send it through there. That was the perfect path for her strongest spike yet and at that angle Akira wouldn’t be able to safely receive it. Fumi was too focused on scoring a point for them that the thought of it even being a trap never crossed her mind. As soon as her hand made contact with the ball, Fumi sealed their fates. The ball flew towards the gap but everything happened in a split second that Fumi herself had absolutely no time to react at all.

Mei Fan moved her hand in time towards the gap and blocked out Fumi’s spike. Before she was relegated to be a Wing Spiker, Mei Fan started off as a Middle Blocker. Fumi helped her improve her blocks back in Ryuuzawa and for this set she returned back to her roots and returned the favor to her mentor, by blocking out one of her most powerful spikes. Her hand absolutely hurts like hell but all Mei Fan could register was the sound of the ball hitting the ground. It ricocheted far too fast that Ichie was a second too late and none of Rinmeikan’s other players came close to reacting to it.

13-15 , that was the score now and Mei Fan could barely register Yachiyo hugging her tightly and both Misora and Aruru almost tackling them down when the final whistle was blown. The whole gymnasium was in an absolute uproar. The game may not have been won by Rinmeikan but the audience knew a good game when they see one. It wasn’t exactly the point that Mei Fan imagined herself to get but she felt that it was the most important one she had ever given them in her entire life.

“Mei Fan-senpai! That was amazing!” Misora shouted as she wrapped her arms around her two seniors that supported her throughout the last legs of the match. 

“You need to teach me how to block like that! It was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!” Aruru was honestly amazed by it. She was at the edge of her seat when it happened. 

Yachiyo on the other hand buried her face against Mei Fan’s shirt as she softly sobbed with relief. They won. They didn’t fail. In the end they prevailed and even though it was just a practice match they couldn’t help but feel that things would go their way during Nationals. She couldn’t utter a single coherent word and none of them dared to tease Yachiyo about it as they let the pinkette celebrate this victory in her own way.

“Yeah, we won! Misora-chan we won! Yachiyo, we won!” Mei Fan smiled brightly that anyone that would be looking at her direction might actually need sunglasses.

Akira proudly looked at her juniors before she casts a glance towards Michiru’s direction. They won the first match against Rinmeikan. It wasn’t over just yet, come Nationals they’d have to face them again but if anything this was a promising outlook. Akira gave Michiru a smile to which her best friend replied in kind. Maybe this time they’ll win the title they sought for throughout their three years of highschool.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the net Fumi gazed at the ball that landed close to her. She talked big but in the end she wasn’t able to deliver for them. Her frustrations got the best of her and in that critical moment she jumped the gun without assessing the situation like she usually did. It’s been a while since she felt this kind of frustration. It’s been awhile since she felt frustrated over such a loss. This one was on her, Fumi knew it. Despite that however, Fumi held her head high as she turned to face her teammates.

“Next time.” That was all she could say, that was all she could promise them. As the ace, victory was the only thing she could continuously promise to them even if there was no guarantee of such a thing. She’ll accept this failure with grace for today. “I’ll make sure we’ll win against them. Sorry, I failed all of you today.”

“Fumi…” Tamao softly said her name and Fumi couldn’t help but give her signature smirk and ruffled her hair just as she did during the brief timeout. Tamao felt pathetic, she should be the one comforting Fumi not the other way around. Ah, but what could she do sometimes Fumi spoiled her to no end. And so she accepted it without fail, finding comfort in her touch.

“This isn’t our last match, Tamao. I promise.” This won’t be their last match together. They still had this first Nationals to contend for and the next major tournament before graduation comes. There was no need to look so glum at least that’s what Fumi tried to convey.

“I know. We still have a lot of memories to make together.” Tamao mustered a smile on her face.

As captain she needed to put on a brave face for all of them. This loss may not be a good indicator of their chances for Nationals but there was still time for them to improve. Tamao believed they could take the crown despite this result. A lot could happen in a month or two. So when they meet again in the National stage, they’d be more than ready.

Ichie lightly chuckled and slapped both Tamao and Fumi’s backs as hard as she could. She knew there were no words of comfort that would be appropriate for such a situation so the best she could do was to hold her own head up high and grin just as she always does. They lost this match but there were still other opportunities in the near future. This was but one match of many. If anything, they’ll take it as a learning experience just as they’ve always done.

Sometimes defeat was necessary in order to grow.

“Come on, let’s line up properly to end this match properly. Besides, we’ll have to comfort our three crying rookies over there.” Ichie pointed towards Yuyuko who was being comforted by both Shiori and Rui. It was just a friendly but for those three it had been more than that. It had been a game where they wanted to prove their worth towards their seniors. And true enough, Ichie couldn’t be prouder of them. All three of them couldn’t be prouder of their counterparts.

“Rinmeikan’s in good hands.” Fumi commented to which both Tamao and Ichie agreed. The future doesn’t look so bleak for them when they had these three reliable rookies within their roster.

Once their tears have dried and the adrenaline had passed both teams lined up against each other and bowed towards one another. In this battle, Ryuuzawa had won but this was only a prelude to what awaited them during Nationals. Who's to say what awaited them during the actual tournament. Many things could change but both teams were determined to make something constant. They were both going to meet each other within the tournament one way or another and they’ll settle the score there.

Fumi looked towards Michiru and Akira, they knew that the promise they made won’t ever happen anymore. It was impossible for all three of them to win Nationals together. One of them has to lose. It wasn’t what they wanted to happen but that was reality. Fumi pursed her lips as she tried to find the courage to speak but before she could Michiru’s voice pierced through her thoughts instead.

“Hey, let’s change that promise.” Michiru stated as she held her hand out towards Fumi. “Let’s promise to fight against each other at Nationals instead. So let’s both work our way up the ladder and meet at the finals.”

“...as long as you don’t chicken out.” Fumi smirked and firmly shook Michiru’s hand before she pulled the girl in for an embrace that had been months late. “I’m sorry… for leaving.”

“I’m sorry, for not supporting you when you left.” Michiru knew she failed Fumi in some way too. She should have spoken against her dismissal. If anything she should have did something against it but what’s done was done. Now they had to play with the cards they were dealt but it wasn’t so bad.

Akira sighed and awkwardly wrapped her arms around both of them. As much as she liked Michiru finally working things out with Fumi she did feel annoyed that they left her out again, just like they always did whenever they have their moments.

“Try not to leave me out.” Akira stated to which all three of them laughed.

It wasn’t the same promise they made but it was certainly enough for the three of them.

Chapter Text

Epilogue I: Wishing It Was You 

The game ended later than everyone expected. It was already half past noon when they all  finished cleaning the court and showering after the hard-fought match. The next part of their agenda  was to eat lunch together in the inn owned by Tamao’s family and spend their freetime together before Ryuuzawa had to go back to Fukushima before nightfall. The match was over and everyone could finally breathe a little easier as all traces of pressure dissipated once the whistle was blown.

Rinmeikan’s rookie trio walked side by side as they made their way towards the inn or at least that was supposed to be the plan. Rui and Yuyuko both had mischievous looks on their faces as they kept throwing a knowing glance towards Shiori’s direction. They never expected for some of Ryuuzawa’s members to walk beside them and for Shiori’s case the trio never expected Mei Fan to carry Shiori on her back throughout the whole trek.

During the game Shiori sprained her ankle and though she could still walk Mei Fan absolutely refused to let her do so. Ryuuzawa’s ace was very insistent on carrying Shiori as to not aggravate her injury any further. Rui and Yuyuko laughed by the sidelines as they watched Shiori try to worm her way out of the situation to no avail. Who knew they could finally tease Shiori about her crush on Mei Fan so soon especially since they only found out about it last night after Shiori told them. By this time, Shiori somewhat regretted ever telling them judging by the stern look she had given to them in return. How could she even face Mei Fan properly at this point?

"Shiori, how is it? Do I need to slow down? Do you feel uncomfortable?" Mei Fan asked, worried that she wasn't exactly helping Shiori judging by the expression on the younger girl’s face. Not that it was far from the truth. Mei Fan was certainly helping Shiori not to strain herself physically but emotionally the girl was sending Shiori in for a loop.

“Wh-what? No! Of course not senpai!” Shiori quickly replied, not wanting Mei Fan to have the wrong idea.

It wasn’t her intention to make Mei Fan feel guilty about helping her. Truth be told, she wanted this. Shiori wanted this situation, one wherein she had Mei Fan’s sole attention. If only her friends would stop teasing her for just a second so she could enjoy it.

“Are you sure? You don’t look like you’re fine with this. I’m sorry, maybe I was really pushy about it earlier. I just wanted to make sure that you’d be fine.” Mei Fan wasn’t really convinced with Shiori’s answer. She knew that she had a tendency to come off as very pushy especially when it came to someone’s wellbeing. Yachiyo told her it was one of her best and worst traits which made her a bit more self-conscious of her actions.

“Yes, I’m very sure.” Shiori answered without missing a single beat. She was absolutely fine with this arrangement. Even if she was embarrassed by the whole thing Shiori secretly loved every single second of it. She just couldn’t say so at least not in front of her two best friends that were waiting for another perfect moment to tease her.

“Mei Fan-senpai, with how fast she answered I can tell you with a hundred percent certainty that she’s fine being carried by you until the end of time.” Yuyuko quipped and Shiori’s face instantly turned redder than Yuyuko’s jacket.

“Just look at her Mei Fan-senpai! She doesn’t even look like she wants to let go of you anymore!” Rui replied with a smile on her face and Shiori was asking the gods above how her friends could be capable of such blatant betrayal. What if Mei Fan finds out about her little crush? She wasn’t ready for it at all.

“Huh? Really? Shiori is that true? You could have said so from the beginning! Here I was worried that you’re secretly annoyed with me.” Mei Fan laughed out of sheer relief and Shiori thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever witnessed in her entire life. 

Ever since they came to Kyoto not once had she seen Mei Fan laugh like she usually did. No one noticed it given that Mei Fan kept her cheerful demeanor, no one except Shiori did. How could Mei Fan even be capable of hiding it from her? They’ve spent so much time together that Shiori would like to believe that she knew Mei Fan so well. From the way Mei Fan would brightly smile just to distract herself from everything she bottled up inside up to completely fussing over one person because she’d worry about them to no end.

Which was why when Mei Fan faked a smile in front of her yesterday, Shiori felt something off about herself. She felt a bubbling frustration inside her fragile heart that she couldn’t figure out at all. That was the first time she ever felt frustrated or annoyed with Mei Fan’s actions. When you like someone was it normal to feel frustrated or annoyed with them? Was it normal to feel a bit sad when they don’t open up to you? Shiori had a lot of questions about it; questions that she couldn’t ask Fumi about because she felt that her sister had bigger problems to take care of than educating their sister when it came to relationships. It was why she told Rui and Yuyuko about it instead which was why she was on the receiving end of their teasing now.

So was it normal? To feel frustrated over someone you like? Shiori doesn’t know the answer just yet but if there’s one thing she was sure of it would be the fact that as long as Mei Fan was genuinely happy then she couldn’t help but be happy for her as well.

“I’m glad though that somehow things between us hasn't changed a bit despite the distance.” Mei Fan voiced her thoughts out loud and Shiori couldn’t help but feel the frustration she felt rear its ugly head again.

“Yeah… I’m glad too…” Shiori softly whispered. Was she really glad about it? To a certain degree she was.

Mei Fan was right, things hasn’t changed between the both of them. They were still on good terms with one another. Mei Fan still treated her the same way and maybe that’s the problem; Shiori wanted things to change between the two of them. She wanted Mei Fan to open up to her more. She wanted her senior to rely on her more but she knew that wouldn’t be happening anytime soon. Not when Mei Fan wasn’t looking towards her direction..

“Man, Fumi-senpai’s really amazing.” Mei Fan tried to strike a conversation with Shiori as the two of them were left alone by Yuyuko and Rui who caught up with Aruru and Misora. “We might have won but I still feel I have a long way to go before I could get on her level. To think, she just keeps getting better.”

Shiori buried her face on Mei Fan’s neck just to hide the frustrated look on her face. Why must Mei Fan talk about her sister when it was just the two of them together? It really was hard, liking someone who didn’t have their eyes set on you. Thankfully, Mei Fan didn’t mind at all as she continued to carry Shiori on her back without ever wondering why the girl became just a little bit clingier.

“...yeah, onee-chan’s really amazing.” Shiori muttered under her breath as she tried to hide the envy she felt. Fumi was amazing. She had everything; the looks, the physical prowess, the talent, everything. Shiori knew that was a statement of fact and no matter what, she would always be one step behind her. Still, she wanted to believe that someday she’d be capable of standing with her as an equal. Maybe not right now, but someday she wanted to try holding herself against her sister; the one they all hailed as Kyoto’s number one spiker.

“You’re amazing too like I really believe that. This was the first time I’ve ever seen you play up close and I was totally caught off guard by you. You move so fast and you jump so high. I was honestly mesmerized for a time.”

Mei Fan kept complimenting her and Shiori could feel her ears heat up just from those words alone. If it was any other person she would easily dismiss it but Mei Fan didn’t flatter people. She had always been dead honest, her words genuine to a fault. And to hear her give such praise towards her was making her heart skip more than a few beats.

“I wonder if I could ever measure up to you guys someday...” Mei Fan wondered. “When I got the recommendation to study in Ryuuzawa I felt that I’ve finally hit the top. That I could finally tell my family and my siblings that they could be proud of me. But then I entered and reality reminded me that I still had a long way to go. I wonder, when I could finally be proud of myself.”

Shiori pursed her lips, carefully thinking of what to say next. She had seen this side of Mei Fan before. The one that undermined their own abilities and how far they’ve come. The one that doubted all the progress that she had for the past year. She still doesn’t know how to deal with this side of her yet but Shiori was willing to try and learn, to support her in any way she could.

“Sorry, I totally ruined the mood didn’t I?” Mei Fan nervously chuckled at that. She really needed to stop herself from rambling about these things to Shiori. In a way she felt that she had taken the younger Yumeoji for granted. Shiori was always willing to listen to her and not once had she ever complained about it. 

“… just tell me if you want me to stop rambling like this. I just really find you very easy to talk with and I know this isn’t something someone would enjoy hearing.”

“I like hearing your thoughts.” Shiori softly told her. Indeed, she liked hearing Mei Fan’s thoughts. It lets her know her favorite senior a bit better at least in this way she’d know how to care for her in a way no one else could. “I don’t like being kept in the dark. I really appreciate how honest you are and I think it’s admirable but… Mei Fan-senpai, don’t sell yourself short. You’re an amazing player and I think your family would be really proud of you.”

Mei Fan was taken aback by the statement. This was the first time she ever heard it from Shiori and for some reason it made her feel happier than usual. She couldn’t really explain it but she wouldn’t mind hearing those kinds of words again from her. Mei Fan softly smiled and hummed with satisfaction. Sometimes, it was nice hearing praise from someone you admire.

“Shiori, have I ever told you that you’re a wonderful person?”

“S-senpai! Th-that’s going a bit too far!”

A bit too far? Perhaps but Mei Fan truly believed that Shiori was a wonderful person.

“You know, whoever you’d be with in the future would be really lucky.” Mei Fan said in passing and Shiori felt her cheeks redden again from such a thought.

I wish it was you though.

But Shiori kept that to herself. Maybe someday, she’d tell her but for now she’ll bury her face again at the crook of her neck and enjoy what little time she had with her.

Epilogue II: First Times 

“Ah, to be young again.” Yuyuko commented as she looked back and saw Shiori being very comfortable with Mei Fan. 

She couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle. It must be nice being very close to the person you admire. Honestly, Yuyuko couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy from such a thing. She also wanted someone to carry her because her legs were protesting with every step she took. Her stamina was the absolute worst and she wasn’t as fit as the other Rinmeikan players so to survive a hellish five-set game against Ryuuzawa was already an achievement in itself for her. Now, if only she didn’t have to walk all the way to the inn just to get free food.

“You talk like an old man, has anyone ever told you that?” Rui teased and Yuyuko responded with a playful smile on her face.

“Well, my bones are all creaky and my legs are killing me. I suppose I’m an old man already so Rui-chan be a dear and carry me.” Yuyuko dramatically said as she leaned against Rui. “Be kind to your elders.”

“Yukko-chan, it’s not good for you to laze around. You need to move your body every once in a while.” Rui sighed. Yuyuko was always like this. She’d always try to find an opportunity not to walk long distances.

“I think I moved enough for today. That was five sets.” Yuyuko whined. “Please? I know you can still carry me. Your broken finger isn’t exactly stopping you from replying to Hanayagi-senpai on your phone since earlier now is it?”

“Wh-what do you mean since earlier? I j-just replied right now!” It was the truth, she had been holding her phone since earlier anticipating a message from Kaoruko once the match had ended but she only replied to her just now. “Plus, I’m using my other hand! But even if my finger wasn’t fractured I still won’t carry you. Fumi-senpai told me to stop spoiling you too much.”

“Boo… Fumi-senpai’s influencing you to be a killjoy.” Of course, Yuyuko was just teasing. So much for resting her legs for a bit. “But if it was Tamao-senpai, I’m sure you wouldn’t hesitate to carry her even with a broken arm.”

“Wh-what?! C-c-carry Tamao-senpai? I… I mean I would but like…” Ah, how easy it was to flip the tables on Rui whenever Tamao became their subject of interest. It was certainly an interesting way to pass the time and keep her mind off other things, one that involved a certain red-head from Ryuuzawa that had caught her eye.

She found Misora interesting right off the bat. Who wouldn’t? She was the sister of a famous volleyball player. Her whole family was comprised of talented volleyball players. Not only that, Misora herself was part of Ryuuzawa Academy and they were known to be so strict when it came to their tryouts. They say that only two out of ten rookies manage to be promoted from Team B to Team A in Ryuuzawa and for that to happen one needed to stand out and really have the potential to be more than just your average player. But that isn’t the primary reason why Misora caught her attention.

It was the small dim in her eyes, the side Misora hated about herself, the one that was envious of everyone that she deemed to be more talented than her. Yuyuko found herself drawn to it, the side that made Misora relatable, the one that kept her at arm’s length. Usually, Yuyuko felt a certain distance from talented folk like Fumi; for some reason there was a gap between them that she couldn’t close at all, something that made them unreachable but with Misora it was different. Somehow, there was no gap between them and Yuyuko could easily reach out to her; enough to perhaps find out just a bit more about who Kano Misora really was.

“Yuyuko-san! Rui-san!” Aruru shouted their names out loud that both girls stopped in their tracks as Ryuuzawa’s golden ball of sunshine skipped right next to them with a clearly distraught Misora in tow.

“W-wait! Aruru don’t you dare say anything!” Misora pleaded to which Aruru wasn’t listening to at all.

“Misora over here overheard your conversation earlier and she wanted to ask if Yuyuko wanted to be carried by her instead!” Aruru said all of that without even stopping that the color from Misora’s face had been completely drained. Rui’s eyes widened at the statement and Yuyuko was at a complete loss of words.

“Come on, Misora-chan! Go tell Yuyuko-san that you wanted to carry her since Rui-san can’t!” Aruru lightly pushed Misora towards Yuyuko that she almost tripped towards the girl.

Misora was absolutely speechless. Their faces were far too close for each other and Yuyuko wasn’t even budging at all. How could she possibly clear up this misunderstanding? It’s not that she absolutely wanted to carry Yuyuko, she just thought that perhaps the girl really was tired and if she didn’t mind she could just carry her instead of Rui. Misora’s cheeks were stark red and she could feel herself tremble as she struggled to find the right words to say.

The same thing was happening to Yuyuko. She was completely caught off guard by everything that had happened in a span of a minute. She was so tired that she could hardly process what Aruru declared earlier. All she knew was that Misora was too close for comfort and that was short circuiting her brain in more ways than one. She knew that her face was heating up due to the lack of personal space between them and she swore that her cheeks might be redder than her own jacket at this point. It didn’t help that her last thoughts were about Misora herself and how she found her interesting. Yuyuko was stopping herself from saying anything out of fear that the first thing she was going to blurt out might push Misora away.

Meanwhile, Aruru was already pushing Rui forward intent on letting the two have some alone time. Thankfully, Rui got the hint and played along with Aruru’s plan. She was sure Yuyuko was going to be mad at her later but she’ll just make it up to Yuyuko by going to a Rakugo play with her this weekend.

So now the waiting game began. Who would be the first one to say anything? 

“T-Tanaka-san!”

“K-Kano-san…”

Both of them said their respective names almost at the same time that their first reaction towards each other was just to stare blankly at one another. This was awkwardness at its finest. Yuyuko wasn’t exactly good with talking to other people and so was Misora. Some might argue that they were talking with each other just fine in the convenience store yesterday but the situation was different now. A lot had happened within the past 24 hours that if they would be stuck in the same situation as last time both parties would have found themselves awkwardly holding onto a magazine for more than a minute.

“I...I’m sorry, go ahead.” Misora gestured for Yuyuko to go first. Honestly, this wasn’t supposed to happen. Misora glanced towards the right, searching for the blonde girl that had put her in this situation but she already bailed out along with Rui. She was certainly going to have a good talk with Aruru later about this.

“Well… uhm, y-your face is...” As much as she found Misora’s face to be a very nice thing to gaze at they were just really too close to each other and she was a person that valued her personal space.

“A-Ah! Sorry! I didn’t mean to!” Misora quickly took a step back. The embarrassment she felt multiplied tenfold right after that. How could she even face Yuyuko properly now? “I’m… really sorry. I just froze up and I wanted to clear things out and…”

“Don’t worry, don’t panic. It’s fine I was just surprised that’s all.” Surprise might not even be the proper term to use but her brain doesn’t seem as if it was ready to cooperate soon, especially not after that.

“Thank god, I thought I really messed up back there.” Misora gave a sigh of relief that Yuyuko couldn’t help but chuckle at that. Could such a small thing really throw Misora off? It was embarrassing but Yuyuko couldn’t really see what had happened being a cause of concern. It’s not as if she’d avoid Misora after something like that.

“It wasn’t your fault.” Yuyuko knew it had been Aruru’s fault. The girl was the one who had pushed Misora towards her direction and led to this embarrassing state of affairs. “So… you were saying something earlier? About...carrying me?”

“A-ah! About that! I… well, don’t misunderstand I wasn’t forcing it or anything! I just thought that well…” Misora fumbled with her words. This was very unlike her but she was just very nervous about it for some reason. “You… you really gave it your all during the match earlier and I’m sure it must have tired you out. So I wondered, since Rui-san didn’t want to carry you I told Aruru that I could do it instead.”

“O-only if you want it of course!” Misora waved her hands frantically in front of herself. She wasn’t forcing Yuyuko or anything.

“Ah…” So that’s what happened. Honestly, she was just joking about being carried but now the prospect of Misora carrying her made its way into her head and it was certainly a very tempting offer. Her legs certainly felt heavy after that match and truth be told she’d rather not walk in this state. But, just the thought of Misora carrying her was sending a wave of embarrassment in her that she didn’t know she was capable of feeling.

“N-no, it’s fine. I was actually just joking about being carried.” A part of her berated herself for passing on such a fine opportunity but she really couldn’t find it in herself to let Misora carry her. For some reason the very thought alone were making her cheeks feel flushed, so much so that she adjusted her hoodie in order to hide it from the girl.

“R-really now? That’s…” Now Misora was mentally kicking herself for jumping the gun on that. She should have known that Yuyuko was just joking about it. “I’m sorry, did I make things awkward or anything?”

“Of course not. I appreciate the thought, actually…” Yuyuko truly did appreciate Misora’s consideration for her. It was rare for someone she wasn’t relatively close with to offer anything to her really.

“That’s a relief then. I didn’t want to make things awkward between the two of us.” That was the last thing Misora wanted. She found Yuyuko to be interesting and honestly, she wanted to understand the girl a bit more. There was just something about Yuyuko that drew her in. Was it her enigmatic nature? The passion she saw from Yuyuko throughout those five sets? She wasn’t exactly sure but it was truly a relief that she didn’t make things too awkward.

“Oh, before I forget.” Misora fetched something from her bag. It was the magazine that Yuyuko lent her yesterday. If not for that she would have been twice as nervous earlier. “Thank you… for lending it to a complete stranger like me. I really enjoyed reading this issue and it calmed my nerves before the game. You know, Tanaka-san I think you’re a really kind person.”

“I think you’re exaggerating, I just lent you a magazine.” Yuyuko wasn’t used to hearing praise from someone other than her teammates so to hear Misora call her kind was truly an experience of its own. She shyly took the magazine from Misora and held it close to her chest.

“You lent a magazine to a complete stranger and even gave them advice. Plus, I think the way you play volleyball is very kind and considerate.” Misora noted as the both of them started walking side by side.

“Whenever you set the ball, I notice that you’re considerate of everyone. It’s why you set things slower than Tamao-san because you take more time considering what your teammates would face and adjust to them instead. You even went to the ball and continuously cover for them even though you were running on fumes. I can enumerate a lot more but that might sound creepy.” Misora nervously laughed and scratched her cheek.

“I like it, the way you play volleyball.”

Yuyuko’s ears were stark red now. Every praise that Misora threw towards her direction made her feel weird . There was a certain feeling in her chest that she couldn’t comprehend. It wasn’t entirely bad in fact it felt nice to be praised like that if not outright embarrassing. Though, she found it utterly absurd that Misora could say all of that without even stuttering. It was gravely unfair.

“That’s...the first time someone ever told me that they liked the way I play.”

Yuyuko wasn’t used to praise let alone someone liking her own playstyle. Most of the teams she was part of considered her playstyle to be problematic. Volleyball is a sport where the team with the better six-man lineup wins; if even one member goes out of sync it would greatly affect the team’s balance. Yuyuko was always the one they blamed for throwing their team off-balance because her playstyle often clashed with the others. So to hear someone say otherwise brought her a sense of relief; that maybe she actually had a place on the court.

“Really? In that case I’ll keep saying it then because I think you should hear it more often.” Misora smiled completely forgetting the full gravity of her words. Yuyuko was completely stunned, tongue-tied even as she looked incredulously towards Misora’s direction. Was she serious about such a thing?

“Kano-san, you really are an interesting fellow.” Yuyuko stated as she quickened her pace and did her best to hide the growing blush on her cheeks.

“I-Interesting? W-wait! Tanaka-san what do you mean I’m an interesting fellow?!” Misora asked as she followed Yuyuko back to Tamao’s inn.

Aruru occasionally glanced back towards the two of them as they went off to their own little world and couldn’t help but laugh at that. It was nice seeing Misora smiling brightly alongside someone else. They’ve been together for quite a long time and though they were the best of friends Aruru was well aware of where her limits are. Just like Michiru, she knew that someday she’ll hit a wall that only Misora could climb and she’d have to stay back and watch her from afar. But if Misora would have someone beside her like Yuyuko who had the potential to keep up with her then maybe she doesn’t need to worry about Misora any longer.

“I don’t think I need to keep chasing the sun as much as I did before…” Aruru told herself as she walked alongside Rui back to the inn.

Epilogue III: Mixed Signals 

Rui was naturally shy towards strangers. Even though she was the tallest out of everyone in the team she had a tendency to hide behind their shorter members whenever she comes into contact with someone unfamiliar. Which is why she herself was surprised on how she easily adjusted to Aruru’s presence. The girl was a natural ball of sunshine with a grin on her face that never seemed to disappear. Normally, someone as energetic and off-beat like Aruru would make her hide behind someone but that wasn’t what happened. In fact, she even allowed the girl to drag her along in order to give Misora and Yuyuko some much needed privacy.

It was strange but incredibly pleasant. She never would have thought that her lonely self would be capable of meeting people like Aruru but here she was now laughing along with the blonde sunshine as they made their way to Tamao’s inn. Her energy was infectious and Rui felt energized just by being in close proximity with her.

“Aruru-san, how’d you figured out that those two needed to be left alone with each other?” Rui had absolutely no idea that Yuyuko was interested in Misora and to think she pegged herself to be quite observant when it came to her two best friends, Shiori and Yuyuko.

“Why elementary my dear Watson!” Aruru did her best impression of Sherlock Holmes as a close friend taught her ages ago. Even though she had absolutely no idea what that exactly entailed she knew that it was appropriate for the occasion. “It’s the mixed signals.”

“Mixed signals?” That was a very vague answer. What did Aruru mean with mixed signals? Were the two girls sending secret messages towards each other that she had no idea of?

“Yeah! It’s all about body language!” Aruru says in a matter-of-fact tone as she gestured for Rui to take a look at Michiru and Ichie who were a few spaces in front of them. “Here, see how Michiru-senpai’s hand constantly bumps against Ichie-san’s?”

Rui took a look. She failed to notice it at first but Michiru’s hand constantly bumped against Ichie’s every few seconds or so as they walked. In fact, they were awfully close to one another. They were rivals but they didn’t act the part at least that’s what Rui thought as they continued to watch their seniors while they walked along the bustling streets of Kyoto.

“Wow, I can see it now. Have they been doing this since earlier?” Rui wondered and Aruru nodded in response.

“Yep! They’ve been doing it since earlier. Even the way Michiru-senpai looks at Ichie-san is different. It’s like she’s asking for attention if you pair it with what she’s been doing.” Aruru commented.

“Huh… that’s really interesting.”

Ichie had a very wide grin on her face whenever she looked at Michiru and Rui couldn’t help but feel that it was different from the usual ones she threw towards them. Ichie’s fingers lightly brushed against Michiru’s but never did she intertwine it together. Maybe that was why Michiru had been constantly bumping her hand against Ichie, to ask the girl to properly hold it. It was a very subtle approach and in the back of her mind Rui mentally took notes about it. 

Subtlety was something she wasn’t good at. Everyone knew she had a crush on Tamao except perhaps for their dear captain. It was why Rui was often teased by everyone in the team. As Ichie quoted once before she was ‘ head over heels ’ for Tomoe Tamao though she beg to differ with that. She absolutely admired Tamao ever since childhood but stating that she was ‘ head over heels ’ for her implied that she held at least some semblance of romantic feelings for her. Rui had no idea what she felt about Tamao. She didn’t know if it was mere admiration or something more than that. Everyone else would say otherwise but if Rui would be honest with herself the only thing she was sure as of the moment would be that she’d support Tamao in any way she could. She would be satisfied with just being there for her, that what they had right now was more than enough.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt for her to take notes about their approach. Who knows what would happen in the future? Maybe it could be useful to her, especially when she finally figures out the true nature of her feelings for Tamao.

“Does that mean Kano-san’s been giving Yukko-chan weird looks?!” How did she fail to notice that? Her protectiveness for her friend suddenly surfaced out of the blue that she immediately turned around to try and confront Misora about it. Aruru was quick to block her path though and tried to calm her down before she could do anything rash.

“No! Nothing like that! It’s more of I noticed her glancing at Yuyuko-san from time to time during the game! Especially when Yuyuko tosses for any of you. It’s like she pauses for a millisecond then bam! She brushes it off and plays again.” Aruru exclaimed as she wrapped her arm around Rui’s and dragged her away from their two best friends.

“Wah! Wait! I’m not done confronting Kano-san.” Rui whined as she was dragged away by Aruru. It was a good thing that Yuyuko and Misora didn’t notice it or else Aruru would have to think of some other plan to get them to talk.

“Well, you’re done confronting them now. Plus, Yuyuko-san does that too! Whenever Misora does that attack where she runs all the way to the opposite side and jumps? Sometimes I see her gawking! Plus during the time-out I saw her glance towards Misora’s direction too!” Aruru continued as she aimed to distract Rui’s thoughts from interrupting their conversation.

Rui had absolutely no idea what she was supposed to feel right now. On one hand she experienced secondhand embarrassment from Aruru’s narrative regarding Yuyuko’s actions alone on the other hand, a part of her couldn’t wait to tease Yuyuko about it. And Rui thought she had it bad with Tamao; she never even gawked at her while they were on the court together. Still, she failed to notice all of that. She thought herself to be observant but maybe she was just too focused on whoever was in front of her. She never pegged Aruru to be an observant fellow and now she understood why Yuyuko told them in between one of the sets that she made a grave miscalculation about Aruru. The girl was more than what she seemed, she had a carefree and happy-go-lucky attitude but on the court she was always where the team needed her to be and now everything made sense for Rui. Aruru was very observant and that enabled her to know where she was supposed to be.

“Ootsuki-san, you really remember everything in detail?” She really needs to watch out for her. Rui would have to be extra careful not to gush about Tamao in front of Aruru or else the girl could recollect everything in perfect detail to Tamao and that would be the end of Akikaze Rui.

“Well, I think everything that happens during the game is important. Even the little things! Win or lose, I want to remember it all because they’ll all be precious memories once all is said and done.” Aruru lightly laughed and Rui couldn’t help but to agree with her on that.

“You’re right, they’ll all be precious memories once it’s all over.”   It was the little things that made volleyball fun. The cheers of the crowd, the reassurance of one’s teammates, the satisfaction of scoring a point, and so much more.

“Right? Ah, Rui-san I’ve been meaning to ask but you’ve had your phone in your hand for a while now. Are you expecting someone to call?” Aruru asked out of sheer curiosity. She noticed that Rui had been holding her phone since earlier and glanced on the screen from time to time. Now, she couldn’t really help but be curious as to who she was waiting for.

“Oh, well I’m not expecting them to call. It’s one of my senpais. Me and her were friends when we were kids and we kept in touch. She had to move to Fukushima during Junior High and she rarely gets to visit me in Kyoto nowadays. She’s really busy with volleyball practice recently though I suppose she must be lounging around now that their season is over.”

Rui had a melancholic smile on her face. Their season wasn’t over because they were Kyoto’s representatives but for the rest? It could be their last game with their seniors seeing as some opted to focus on exams instead of club after this first tournament. She knew Kaoruko was fond of their team captain and wanted to bring them to Nationals at least once in their life but sadly Ryuuzawa still held the crown as Fukushima’s number one team and they were eliminated during the finals.

“Oh? So you’re not expecting them to call but you still glance on your phone from time to time?” Curious, very curious.  It was such a strange behaviour but then again each person had their own set of quirks, maybe this was Rui’s.

“...not exactly, I’m just hoping that maybe they’d return my message from earlier.” Rui nervously glanced to her phone’s screen and checked for any new messages. There was none. Honestly, Rui was worried that Kaoruko was mad at her seeing as her last message to Kaoruko was regarding their loss and her fractured finger. She had an inkling that the girl wasn’t going to take it well.

Kaoruko was oddly protective of her. Ever since she was left behind in Kyoto while all three of her childhood friends left for Fukushima it was Kaoruko who continued to keep tabs on her. She would constantly message her and check if she was doing fine. Truth be told Kaoruko could be a bit overbearing at times but she appreciated the effort to keep in touch for her. She was touched but at the same time she felt frustrated that she couldn’t provide the same kind of support for her. No matter how hard Rui tried sometimes she felt her messages of encouragement to Kaoruko seemed to be more of a nuisance and lacked the sincerity that Kaoruko’s messages had for her. And now here she was, worrying that Kaoruko was mad at her for not taking care of herself better.

“Is it important to you? That they reply?” Aruru asked.

“Y-yes! Of course it is! I… I just want to be sure that they aren’t mad at me or anything.” Rui sighed as she sent another message to Kaoruko, asking her if she was mad. Knowing Kaoruko though she’d definitely be annoyed at Rui asking about the same thing in consecutive replies.

“That so…” Aruru’s voice trailed off as she started to wonder on who this mystery senpai was. “You know, she seems very important to you if you’re that worried about what she thinks of you.”

“She’s very important to me.” Rui responded with no hesitation whatsoever. “I… I only had a few friends during elementary. Before Shiori came into my life I was mostly alone. Tamao-senpai was the one who first approached me and she brought Kaoruko-senpai and Futaba-senpai along with her. They were my first friends, despite being in a lower year than them we’d see each other during break time. They’re very important people to me, every single one of them.”

“Well…” Aruru lets go of Rui’s arm and hops in front of her, once again blocking her path with a smile on her face. “Now you also have me as a friend too!”

Rui knew her cheeks darkened into a familiar shade of red as Aruru declared the existence of their friendship. She wasn’t used to this bubbly feeling and all Rui could do was to reflexively hide her face behind her hands. Aruru laughed at the gesture and tried to pry Rui’s hands off her face.

“That’s no good, Rui-san! I won’t be able to see your cute face if you keep hiding it!” Aruru innoccently teased and Rui was surely overheating from the compliment.

“N-no, absolutely not. I’ll keep hiding my face like this.” In the middle of their banter Rui’s phone continuously lit up and vibrated. Rui pulled her hands away from her face and immediately answered the phone without even looking at the caller ID. Only one person would dare call her right now, a girl named Hanayagi Kaoruko. Aruru took a step back when she heard Kaoruko’s loud voice reverberate from the phone’s speaker. ‘Mad’ might be an understatement, the girl sounded more furious than Fumi on a bad day.

“K-K-Kaoruko-senpai, c-calm down. Please.” Rui panicked as she tried to placate her senior’s burning rage.

“No. I will not calm down. Where’s Tamao-han? I want to talk with her. She’s not getting away with this. What were you thinking? Playing with a fractured finger?! Nationals is just two months away do you want to miss that?!” Kaoruko was beyond mad. Rui herself had to keep the phone away from her ears to not let herself go deaf with Kaoruko’s exasperated voice.

“This isn’t Tamao-senpai’s fault! I insisted on playing!” Rui tried to defend Tamao but Kaoruko was having none of it.

“And she’s the captain! She’s supposed to look out for you because you tend not to think of your wellbeing whenever you get riled up!” Kaoruko knew Rui’s worse traits. Her not-so-little junior always puts the wellbeing of others before her own self. Of course she’d play through a fracture because her team needed her, because Tamao needed her. Kaoruko was so sure of it and it irked her to no end.

“She’s sort of right you know…” Aruru commented as she couldn’t help but listen in on their conversation given how loud Kaoruko was.

“Thank you stranger with a brain for agreeing with me!” Kaoruko said in an exasperated tone which earned a groan from Rui.

“I can take care of myself Kaoruko-senpai. It was no big deal, I swear! I’m going to have my finger checked later at the hospital and you’ll get to see me at Nationals. Please? Don’t be too harsh on Tamao-senpai she has enough on her plate already.” Rui pleaded and Kaoruko hated how Rui could convince her so easily. Not even Futaba was capable of such a thing and that annoyed her even more.

“You know what, I’m booking a ride to Kyoto. Don’t even try to stop me. Futaba-han, we’re going to Kyoto and we’re using your bike.” Kaoruko declared and instantly Rui heard Futaba arguing with Kaoruko about riding all the way to Kyoto on her motorcycle.

“Senpai! Fukushima’s too far from Kyoto!” Was she really that serious?

“Well, someone has to take care of you and knowing how stubborn you are you’d refuse any help from your friends so I’m going there and I’ll take care of you in their stead.” Kaoruko explained to which Futaba and Rui collectively groaned at. Who was actually the stubborn one between the both of them?

“Wow, Rui-san are you sure she’s not your girlfriend?” Aruru wondered out loud. If she wasn’t Kaoruko sure had her fooled. She played the role of a very concerned and angry girlfriend so well that even Aruru couldn’t tell if it was just an act or not.

“I might as well be her girlfriend!” Kaoruko announced out of sheer frustration. Futaba could only lightly shake her head at that. Girlfriend? Maybe annoying sister would be more appropriate.

“O-of course not! Kaoruko-senpai’s just a friend!” Rui was quick to dismiss it and Kaoruko fell silent at the other end of the line. Of course, how could she ever think that Rui would ever entertain such a thought if Rui’s affection had always been directed towards Tamao and not her. 

“A very important friend!” Rui followed up after an awkward pause.

“Thank you for trying to salvage my feelings.” Kaoruko jested but she wasn’t laughing at all. “Since you’re so stubborn, fine. I won’t go there, don’t come running to me if you suddenly want someone to nurse you back to health. Hmph.”

“K-Kaoruko-senpai! Wait, are you mad at me?” Kaoruko dropped the call and Rui suddenly feared for the worst; that Kaoruko was genuinely mad at her this time. “K-Kaoruko-senpai, this isn’t funny.”

Rui had a worried look on her face as she faced Aruru. Was Kaoruko really that mad at her? The call was surely dropped but Rui wished Kaoruko had just put her on hold or just kept the call on and threw the phone back to Futaba. 

"Ootsuki-san, what do I do? I think she's mad at me."

Mad was an understatement. Kaoruko sounded absolutely furious and this was the first time she had ever been that way towards Rui. The tall brunette was obviously panicking. It was a good thing Aruru had experience handling these things; Misora often panicked like this and it was often her responsibility to calm her friend down. 

“Hey, Rui-san calm down. It’s normal to be mad when you’re very worried about someone important.” Aruru lightly patted the brunette’s back and gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m sure she’ll call again.”

“H-how can you be sure about that? What if Kaoruko-senpai’s going to be mad at me forever?” That was something that Rui didn’t wish to happen. Why weren’t things similar to those visual novels that Yuyuko plays with Shiori wherein one mistake could be rectified with a soft reset.

“Call it Aruru Instinct!!” Aruru confidently nodded to herself. Her gut instinct was rarely wrong when it came to hunches like this and Aruru had full confidence in it. “I’m really sure she won’t be mad at you forever. Some people just need time to simmer down, why not give her a call after we eat lunch? I bet she’ll answer if you do.”

Really? She’s banking on something called an Aruru Instinct ? Rui didn’t know what to feel about such an outrageous thing. It was just so absurd that she couldn’t hold back a laugh or two. If Yuyuko heard that, Rui was sure her friend would peg Aruru to be an interesting fellow and maybe she really was one.

“Ootsuki-san, you’re weird.” But weird wasn’t bad. Sometimes weird was better than normal. “Not that I think it’s bad or anything.”

“Aruru.” The blonde ball of sunshine corrected. “We’re friends now aren’t we? Try calling me by my first name! Without honorifics!”

“Wh-what?! Th-that’s too sudden!” Rui complained. She couldn’t possibly call Aruru by her first name on such short notice. It wouldn’t be polite to do so at least for Rui that is.

“Come on, just once! Please?” Aruru pleaded and Rui couldn’t say no especially if Aruru would look at her like that. She was somewhat weak to that kind of gesture. Kaoruko practically abuses it with her and so does Shiori at times.

“O-Ok…” Rui gulped and took a deep breath. She could do this. She just needed to call Aruru by her first name without any honorifics whatsoever. She just needs to get past the first syllable and everything else would follow.

“A...A-ru...A...OOTSUKI-SAN, I’M SORRY I CAN’T ACTUALLY DO THIS!” Rui practically shouted much to everyone’s surprise as she ran ahead of Aruru, eager to avoid repeating what she tried to say. Aruru was surprised at first giving Rui a much needed five-second head start but the moment she got her bearings again the blonde girl was quick to tail the brunette all over the place.

“That’s not fair! Rui-chan!! Just once!” Aruru whined as she chased after Rui much to the dismay of their other seniors who couldn’t help but apologize to any bystanders that they happened to bother because of their respective outbursts.

“Why are my juniors like this?” Michiru asked as she internally groaned and watched the scene unfold. The secondhand embarrassment she felt from it was at an alltime high. If they weren’t out in public she would have buried her face on Ichie’s shoulder and screamed out of a mixture of frustration and embarrassment.

“I think your juniors are great though. Just look at our lonely pup over there, running around with a new friend.” Ichie beamed at the sight of it. She was completely satisfied with this kind of development. She always loved seeing her juniors make new friends. At the very least that was one less lonely junior she had to keep an eye on.

“Reminds you of us, right?” Ichie gave Michiru a knowing smile and the blonde libero’s face instantly heated up. “Lonely gal being chased by an energetic hyperball of sunshine?”

“That’s it. I’m leaving you behind.” Michiru declared as she quickened her pace. Eager to leave the lavender-haired girl behind as they neared the inn. Ichie could only laugh at Michiru’s reaction. Same old, Michiru always quick to escape her teasing whenever she could.

“Well, I guess some things won’t ever change~” Ichie sighed and patiently trailed behind Michiru.

“But I’m glad, those three aren’t as lonely as they were before. Guess, I was worried for nothing.”

And for Ichie? That was enough for now.

Epilogue IV: Sun and Moon 

Lunch went by faster than expected. Even Michiru couldn’t help but be amazed at everyone’s appetite after the game. The table had been filled with so much food when they arrived and after a few minutes she couldn’t even find a speck of rice left on it. Michiru sighed as she looked at the now empty table. Everyone went their separate ways to make the most out of the time they had left before they went back to Fukushima. The first years all crowded over Mei Fan who promised to treat them to more gacha capsules since they won. Yachiyo went somewhere for an errand while Fumi, Tamao, and Akira decided to follow her instead of doing what any sane person would do and ask the girl instead. Honestly, Michiru started to question why her friends had a penchant for choosing the more difficult option.

“So… I guess it’s just me and…” Michiru glanced towards the doorway where Ichie was.

The lavender-haired girl was bombarded with questions from some of their members. It wasn’t everyday that they’d get to meet a national representative and all things considered Ichie’s the easiest to approach. There was just something about her that drew people in and Michiru disliked it to a certain degree. More people meant more competition for Ichie’s attention and that was something she didn’t want to contend with. Truth be told, if she were a tad bit more honest with Ichie there wouldn’t even be any kind of competition. She’d win it hands down because there was nothing Ichie loved more than Michiru giving her permission to shower her with the love the lavender-haired girl thought she deserved. But Michiru had never been good with expressing her feelings especially when it came to love.

Michiru often denied Ichie the opportunity to spoil her. In fact, she couldn’t even count the number of times she ran away from Ichie. For some reason, feeling even just the tiniest fraction of affection from Ichie scared her. Nothing lasts forever, things that she loves tend to slip away from her grasp and most of the time it was due to her own inability to reciprocate properly. No one gave her a guide book on dealing with feelings, on how to wrestle control over the emotions she felt whenever Ichie knocked on her door. Like right now, she could feel the embers of jealousy springing back to life as she watched Ichie giving attention to some of their juniors with that charming smile of hers. She was the one who told Ichie that she was free to entertain the girls first and now she regretted that decision because she hated every second of it.

Chase after the sun and you’ll get burned. Michiru had so many burns that she doesn’t even know how to handle herself anymore when it came to Ichie. Her sun always made her feel a variety of emotions that she couldn’t exactly comprehend; both the good and the bad. Elation, contentment, bliss, frustration, worry, fear, jealousy, and so much more. Ichie brought out the best and worst in her. Michiru could only be thankful that it hasn’t turned Ichie away from her.

At least not yet.

Michiru stood up and marched her way towards the doorway where Ichie happily chatted away with the other members. Leaving her alone for half an hour with them should have been enough. Michiru had no idea what kind of face she was making but she was sure that it struck fear in the hearts of her juniors as all of them went pale as soon as she arrived.

“Oh? Why is everyone quiet?” Ichie curiously tilted her head to the side. She had absolutely no idea that Michiru was just right behind her. Ichie never expected for Michiru to sweep her off her feet in every literal sense of the word. Without even warning her, Michiru lifted her up and carried her as if she was some princess from a long forgotten fairytale. 

“Eep! Chiru-chan! Wait, I wasn’t done telling them about the time Shizuha flirted with Germany’s coach!” Ichie wrapped her arms around Michiru’s neck and clung to her for dear life. She wasn’t prepared for such a thing. Michiru completely caught her off guard just as she usually did. One would think that Ichie should be used to this by now with how Michiru’s mood fluctuated whenever she was with her but for some reason she couldn’t. She could never really get used to this side of her.

“No. You’re done.” Michiru declared it with pure absolution that none of the other members that were present dared to refute it. They all bowed in apology and Michiru took it as a sign that she won and that brought a sense of satisfaction to her fragile self.

Michiru knew Ichie disliked this side of her; the one that was possessive and inconsiderate of others but she couldn’t help it this time around. She couldn’t help wanting her even if she was the one who pushed her away all the time. Michiru knew she was one giant contradiction and she wished she could just fix herself for Ichie’s sake. Even if it was next to impossible. She wished she could just change for Ichie and be what she needed. A more supportive person instead of the mess that she was.

Meanwhile, Ichie had no idea what Michiru was thinking of right now. The girl just lifted her up and carried her back towards one of the rooms without a single word. Now, the two of them were alone but the silence between them made her feel restless. She wasn’t used to this kind of silence; the one that made her feel that she was drowning in a place where no sound existed. It scared her because she had no idea what to do in order to placate Michiru. One would think that she just does things on a whim when it came to Michiru but they couldn’t be more wrong. Every move she made towards Michiru was deliberate and well thought of. She always considered Michiru first before she ever does a move. So to be stuck in a situation wherein every move she could possibly make had the potential to make Michiru feel worse than she already did was crippling for her.

There was nothing else she could do but to nuzzle her face against the blonde girl’s neck as they laid together on one of the futons. She’d behave and wait for Michiru to make the first move so she could figure out what to do next. The silence was deafening and uncomfortable but Ichie was willing to wait. She had always been willing to wait for Michiru. Whether it’ll take a second, a minute, an hour, a day, a week, a month, or even years; she would wait for her. 

“Ichie…” Michiru whispered her name against her ear and Ichie felt shivers down her spine. She was never used to this side of Michiru. The one that demanded for her, the one that sought out for her.

Ichie slightly pulled away from Michiru in order to properly face the girl. Was she willing to talk now? Ichie could only hope so. She didn’t want Michiru to leave later without this unwanted tension being resolved. She wrapped her arms around Michiru’s neck as the girl shifted their positions and towered over her. Michiru’s amber eyes weren’t as bright as they used to be and though it bothered Ichie she never forced the girl to become better overnight. Things happen when the years go by, change is the only constant thing in this world and though it wasn’t always for the better it was something the two of them tried to work with.

They’ve been together for almost two years and knew each other since Junior High. They started off as rivals, learned how to be friends, then ended up being lovers. Things had changed between them for better or for worse. Both of them changed for better or for worse. 

“I’m here.” Ichie finally replied as she lets her finger trace lines underneath Michiru’s jaw causing the blonde girl to let out a satisfied sigh. “What’s on your mind?”

“You. Us. The future.” Michiru answered as she gazed at Ichie’s face. She was a pretty girl who knew how charismatic she was. Everyone flocked towards her for a variety of things and she’d never turn them away. It wasn’t too far off for someone to try and sweep Ichie off her feet either. Who wouldn’t want Ootonashi Ichie? The second best libero within the country under the age of 20, national team representative, poster girl for one of the leading sports equipment brands in the country, and the most popular girl in Rinmeikan Girls School. She was practically a celebrity. Who wouldn’t want her?

Michiru knew that there were far too many people that were better than her. There were far too many people that were better for Ichie than her. She was easy to replace, easy to throw aside. She wasn’t anything special. Unlike Ichie all she had to show was that she had been a long-standing member of Ryuuzawa Academy’s fearsome volleyball team from elementary up until high school. She never became a national representative, no clubs ever offered for her to train with them after highschool, and certainly no university had approached her yet for recruitment. Compared to Ichie she was nothing. She wasn’t her equal and that was the reality she constantly had to face whenever she was with Ichie. Even though she wants to be beside her on even ground that would never happen.

Not now, not ever. They won’t ever stand beside each other as equals on the court. Michiru buried her face against the crook of Ichie’s neck, intent to hide her face so Ichie wouldn’t see if she was crying or not.

“I’m tired of chasing the sun…” Michiru was tired of trying to be Ichie’s equal. She was tired of shackling Ichie to her. She was tired of being with someone that deserved so much more than someone as insecure and troublesome as her.

Michiru’s words echo within Ichie’s mind. Michiru was tired of chasing the sun. She was tired of chasing her. Ichie understood it. Michiru didn’t have to explain any further. She knew she was her sun just as Michiru knew that Ichie thought of her as the moon. Ichie couldn’t find the strength to speak. She was afraid of what would happen next, of what those very words meant. She pulled the girl closer, intent on making Michiru feel that she didn’t like where this conversation was going.

Michiru was tired of her and she couldn’t do anything about it. Funny, that was how everyone else felt about her. They eventually became tired of her. They tell her they just couldn’t keep up, that they couldn’t reach where she was. Her teammates would often put her on an unreachable pedestal; the great Ootonashi Ichie who was a far better player than they’d ever be. Michiru was the only one who broke that cycle and threatened to bring her down from it. Michiru was the only one strong enough to attempt and bridge the gap between them. Michiru was the only one who ever pushed her off the pedestal. Michiru was the only one she saw as an equal and now here she was slipping through her fingers no matter how tightly she held on.

“Are you…” Ichie couldn’t even say it. Was this really what she thought it was? Was this a break-up? Was Michiru actually breaking up with her?

“…I don’t know” Michiru softly answered. “I just know that I can’t keep chasing you. After highschool, after these two major tournaments it’ll all be over.”

She couldn’t chase her. It was time she accepted the reality that she failed to bridge the gap between the two of them. That she couldn’t keep her promise that they’d always find a way to face each other on the court. After highschool, that’s where her career as a volleyball player would end. It was the harsh reality that every player must eventually face especially when they play a sport that wasn’t fit for them at all. Even if it frustrated her to no end, she had to accept the fact that she couldn’t walk beside Ichie in the years to come. She’d have to settle on watching her from the sidelines, cheering for her on the bleachers like any ordinary fan of hers. She couldn’t be the rival that Ichie thought her out to be at least not anymore.

“Hey, look at me…” Ichie pleaded as Michiru lifted her head up to grant her request. “You don’t have to keep chasing after the sun.”

If it was hurting Michiru, then Ichie would never want her to continue. But that didn’t mean that she’d quietly sit around and let her slip away like that. Michiru was more than just a rival to her, she was her friend, she was her lover. She wasn’t someone replaceable at least in Ichie’s eyes.

“I think it’s time for the sun to chase after the moon instead.” Ichie softly smiled at Michiru who growled in frustration.

“You don’t… you don’t understand. After this? I don’t know where I’ll end up. Where I’ll go. If someone would even want me.” Because she had no offers at all. She had hoped that one of the local clubs would recruit her as their libero but not a single offer graced her mailbox. She had no future in volleyball just like what her parents had foreseen; a future she stubbornly rejected for the sake of the people she chose to support through the sport.

“I’m not as talented as you! I’m… I couldn’t…” She couldn’t reach her like she promised. “Even though I tried so hard so that I could stay beside you…”

It wasn’t enough.

“I don’t want to let you go… to let this go…” Michiru declared. “I...want to keep playing with everyone. I want to keep standing with you on the same court. I want to follow you and see how far you’d go. But that’s impossible…”

She knew her limits. Michiru was painfully aware of it and she hated it. Ichie didn’t answer immediately and instead opted to lightly swipe her thumb against Michiru’s cheek.

“You’re right, I don’t understand because everything always went well for me. But what I do understand is that neither one of us are really willing to let the other go. We’re both stubborn fools to a fault.” Ichie grinned and bumped her forehead against hers.

“We are. We definitely are stubborn fools.” Michiru lets out a strained chuckle as she tried to hold back the tears. She absolutely refused to cry in front of Ichie.

“Michiru, if there’s anything I love more than volleyball… it’s you. Wherever you go, I’ll follow. If you don’t know what lies at the end of highschool then we’ll find out together. Wherever the road would take us. I’ll keep chasing the moon.” Ichie softly brushed her lips against Michiru’s and the blonde girl knew she got burned by the sun again. She was weak to this kind of talk from Ichie.

“We’re too young for proposals.” Michiru scoffed.

“It wasn’t a proposal. It was a declaration.” Ichie lightly laughed and brushed away the stray strands of hair that prevented her from properly gazing into the amber irises she had always been mesmerized by.

“Bold words. What makes you so sure I’d even let you drop your whole career in one go?” Michiru wasn’t going to let her throw everything away. Not on her watch.

“What makes you so sure that I can’t have both? Don’t underestimate my tenacity. If I want something, I’ll get it. Just like that trophy for Nationals~ I’ll chase after my precious moon until I can’t run anymore.”

She’d win Nationals and chase after Michiru wherever she’d end up in. That was Ootonashi Ichie’s goal for the year. 

Epilogue V: Secrets That Shouldn’t Be Kept 

Yachiyo was a secretive person by nature. It wasn’t surprising for anyone if she’d up and disappear in the middle of a celebration for a reason she often referred to be a secret , that was just how Yachiyo was. She knew of everyone’s secrets but no one knew hers, no one except for Fumi who knew every little secret she ever hid. Fumi’s eyes trailed Yachiyo’s retreating figure as she disappeared right in the middle of lunch. Sly fox, with everyone so busy gorging down after an exhausting game no one would bother to take note of her disappearance.

Fumi knew where she was headed after all she offered to come with her but the girl refused telling her to spend time with Tamao instead. Silly girl, as if she could spend time with Tamao if Akira was there. It would have been better if she followed Yachiyo instead at least she wouldn’t be witnessing first hand the unresolved tension between the two. Oh, she knew that Tamao and Akira didn’t mean it. They just naturally gravitated towards one another, their old habits resurfaced as if it was never gone to begin with like the way Tamao’s hand rested over Akira’s which was cleverly hidden by the way she positioned herself. Fumi focused on her bowl of rice but even that slowly proved to be ineffective as her eyes darted towards Tamao and Akira from time to time.

She shouldn’t let herself be bothered by such a thing. Shouldn’t she be happy for Tamao? That finally the two of them were given the time they needed to catch up with one another. Three years had passed since they went their separate ways, when words were left unspoken between the both of them. It was their chance to fix things and Fumi knew she should be happy for them but she couldn’t. Fumi closed her eyes and puts the half-eaten bowl of rice back onto the table. She completely lost her appetite when Tamao leaned far too close to Akira just to wipe something from the silver-haired girl’s mouth. Following Yachiyo’s example, Fumi made use of the festivities to slip away from the dining hall.

“Maybe I should go after Yachiyo.”

Fumi honestly thought that she was scott free. There was no way anyone would have noticed that she left. If Yachiyo could do it so could she. But, she clearly underestimated her companions. As Fumi was about to head off, someone called her name and she knew she couldn’t pretend not to hear it at all. Fumi took a deep breath and slowly turned around in order to face Tamao who followed her outside along with Akira.

“Fumi, where are you headed off to?” Tamao asked, concern evident on her face. “Are you not feeling too well? You didn’t finish your food.”

Fumi was taken aback by that statement. So Tamao noticed that she left the contents of her bowl half-eaten? She thought the girl was too busy with Akira to pay attention to her but it seems she had been wrong. Fumi nervously laughed as she tried to hide how such a simple statement caught her off guard. The last thing she needed was for Tamao to be in an inquisitive mood for the remainder of the day.

“Sorry, I think the game just really wore me out so I couldn’t work up an appetite.” Fumi grinned at Tamao just as she had always done. Tamao knew that she was lying but with Akira present she wouldn’t dare confront Fumi about it at least not yet. Meanwhile,  Fumi was confident the questions would stop from there. Akira would never bother to ask a follow-up inquiry from that at least if it had been the Akira from a year ago. 

“Fumi, are you going after Yachiyo?” Akira asked.

This time it was Akira’s turn to surprise Fumi. So Akira was aware of the pinkette’s disappearance. Were those two really paying attention to one another? Or were they just that sensitive towards the presence of their peers? Either way, Fumi was in a predicament now one she couldn’t really get out of without admitting the truth.

“You caught me. I was thinking of following Yachiyo.” Fumi sighed right after and raised her hands in mock surrender. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she won’t be late for your departure later.”

“No, I was wondering if I could come along with you.” Akira declared much to the surprise of both Tamao and Fumi. It may not come off as noticeable at first but Akira was worried about Yachiyo ever since she secretly left. There was something in Yachiyo’s expression before she left that made her uneasy aside from the girl keeping secrets from her like she always did.

“I hate to be a killjoy here but in the first place is it even a good idea for the two of you to follow Tsuruhime-san?” Tamao inquired. “If she left without informing any of us then there might be a chance that Yachiyo simply wants to be alone.”

Sometimes a person just needed time for themselves, some much needed space from the suffocating demands of the world. Tamao understood that sentiment well enough. Sometimes she wished she could just slip away from everyone else and just take a breather, away from prying eyes. She wouldn’t be surprised if Yachiyo disappeared for such a reason. 

“But…” Akira looked towards Tamao. Something was different with the way she looked, something oddly familiar to Tamao from a time that had passed. It was rare for Akira to show that much concern for just one individual at least that’s what Tamao thought. Maybe, she wasn’t as special as she thought anymore but those were thoughts better left for another time.

“Fine, let’s ask Fumi then.” Tamao sighed in defeat. She couldn’t really turn Akira away, not when she looked at her in that manner. Fumi suddenly frowned at that statement. Tamao had noticed the change but again now wasn’t exactly the time to ask Fumi about it. They needed to know something far more important and Tamao knew Fumi would never lie to her.

“You know why Yachiyo disappeared, don’t you Fumi?”

“I guess I do. What of it?” Fumi didn’t mean to come off as annoyed towards Tamao but she couldn’t really hide her growing frustrations due to her own jealousy with each passing second. 

“Well, do you think Akira should learn where she went and follow her there?” Tamao gently asked not minding the tone Fumi used. She knew the girl was tired and Fumi might not have the patience for the two of them right now. Fumi took a good look at Akira, her expression subtly changing with each second until finally the blonde haired girl sighed and gestured for them to follow her.

“If she’s as serious as I hope she is, then maybe she should.” Fumi turned around and headed for the exit followed by Tamao and Akira. She couldn’t believe what she got herself into. Yachiyo was going to blow up on her if she finds out about it and she was not looking forward to it at all.

“One rule though, don’t let her know that you guys know about this.” Tamao and Akira simply looked at each other, confused at Fumi’s statement. How bad of a secret could it be?

The place they were headed to wasn’t too far, just a good thirty minute walk from the inn. Tamao instantly recognized the path they took since she had been taking Ichie to this particular hospital after she suffered an injury during last year’s season.

“Fumi, why are we headed towards the hospital?” Tamao asked.  Now she was somewhat concerned over Yachiyo, was she sick? Did she play while she was injured and didn’t inform Akira about it? “Is Tsuruhime-san sick?”

“What?” Akira was quick to interject and Fumi had to raise her hand before Akira could even start bombarding her with questions.

“Well, not her but… you’ll see. We’re relatively near anyway.”  It was better if she explained it to them once they were at their actual destination. After all, they were relatively just an elevator ride away from it.

Meanwhile, within the building’s walls Yachiyo was inside a simple room. She was seated near the side of the hospital bed with her hands over someone else’s hand. Her mother had  always been strong for their family. Her mother never shed a tear when her father left them, she raised her all by herself and rarely asked for help from their other relatives. Yachiyo looked up to her, so it was hard to see her in this state, a shadow of what she once was.

“I saw your game…” Her mother softly spoke and Yachiyo could barely hear it. Her voice sounded so weak as if she was just one slip away from leaving her for the rest of her life. She certainly would never get used to it no matter how many times she visited her mother in the hospital. “...the nurse in charge watched it beside me on her phone. It was certainly nice to watch.”

“That means a lot...coming from you…” Yachiyo softly smiled at her mother and lightly grasped her frail hand. She was so scared that she’d break it if she wasn’t too careful. Those calloused hands that worked hard everyday just to send her to whichever school she really wanted. Those hands that gave up volleyball when she needed to raise a daughter by herself. Her mother had such a bright future ahead of her, a rising star within Japan’s V. League only for its light to be dimmed out due to her.

“Think I’m better than you now?” Yachiyo teasingly asked to which her mother scoffed at.

“Try telling me that in ten years.” Wouldn’t that be an ideal situation? Ten years? That was more than Yachiyo could ever ask for. If her mother could tell a joke like that maybe she could be optimistic for her future even if the doctors said otherwise.

“In ten years I’ll be playing in the V. League or maybe I’ll even be an overseas player.” Yachiyo could dream big whenever she was in her mother’s presence. She could afford believing in impossible dreams like this one. Her? Overseas? The player who wore the No. 12, the number meant for Ryuuzawa’s weakest member. There was no way that could ever happen but it was nice talking about these dreams with her mother.

“You better sign up for the Ageo Medics, if that old scallywag’s still the coach I bet he’d take you in.” Her mother used to be a player for them that was until she needed to quit when their father left them for another family. She refused to let their relatives take care of her little girl though Yachiyo wished she did that instead so she could have still continued doing what she loved instead of watching over a daughter that brought her no achievements at all. 

“I will, if I’m not called overseas I’ll say hello to your old coach.” Yachiyo lightly laughed. “I’m sorry, we’ve just so busy with training that I couldn’t really come over on the weekends more often. I talked with my old coach back at Tootsuki recently. He said that he could vouch for me and I can transfer back to Kyoto and I’m planning to do that after this school year ends. I can be with you more frequently and I can take care of you.”

“Yachiyo… don’t stop living your life for a dying woman like me.” It hurt, hearing her mother refer to herself in such a way. A dying woman, that was the reality of things. There was little to no hope that she’d recover. The complications had piled up and even if one gets resolved the others would continue to eat away at her. “I thought you loved it there.”

“I do but… I want to be here with you.” Ryuuzawa could easily find a replacement for her. She was expendable. There were a dozen others that were just waiting to take away the coveted spot that she took from them. But the time she had left with her mother? Every second she had with her was priceless. She loved volleyball but just like her mother she would give it up in a heartbeat for the people that mattered to her.

“You really take after me don’t you?”

“You raised me, what did you expect? For me to be like dad?” Not that her father was a terrible person. He left when she was young and though he kept sending enough money to fund her education, her mother constantly refused. She once visited him back in Tokyo and she felt no hard feelings for him. Maybe, they weren’t really enough for him to stay and rather than thinking about the what-ifs and could have beens for their family, she just chose to move on and accept what reality had to offer for them.

“Thank god you didn’t take after him.” Her mother joked before she ended up violently coughing. Yachiyo quickly stood from her seat and helped her mother drink some water. Maybe they should avoid talking about her father.

“Fumi’s been visiting me, was that your doing?” Her mother asked and she couldn’t exactly lie her way out of this one. “Don’t get me started on those care packages that Claudine keeps sending over. So did the three of you conspire against me?”

“Just like old times. Sadly, I didn’t force her to keep checking on you. I just told her if she had the time maybe she could visit you and Claudine, you know how she is. She’s very giving when it comes to people she cares about. For some reason my friends adore you more than they adore me.” Which wasn’t a lie, they really do adore her mother.

“I’m flattered and I’m thankful that you have friends that care. Now, while I’m still sane and awake. Are you really sure you want to leave your school? What about that girl, that chinese girl you talk to me about.”

“Mei Fan? Don’t worry, she’ll understand and I’ll keep sending her gacha capsules as an apology. Let me worry on how to handle my friends, I know they’ll understand.” At least she hoped they wouldn’t be too disappointed in her.

“What about that girl, Yukishiro-san. I heard from a friend she was scouted by a club from Germany recently. How’s your heart?” Why must her mother ask that of all things. She knew about the scout and she knew what Akira’s answer was. She played things well enough, time heals all wounds, even heartbreak. But of course, she hasn’t even told Akira her feelings. She didn’t want her to change her mind just because of her. 

“Still strong, still beating.” Her love wasn’t fragile. She wasn’t as fragile as she believed herself to be. “I’m happy for her, I just wish I could give her the trophy for Nationals as a farewell gift.”

“They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Distance can temper a relationship if handled the right way. Maybe right now your paths were only meant to cross but never intertwine. But someday… in the future, as long as the doors are still open there’s still hope.” Her mother was such a sap at times, maybe that’s where she got her romantic side from.

“I’ll be ok… it’s just a silly little crush, right? I’ll get over it.” Along with all the mixed signals they kept sending towards each other. “Besides, her eyes might be set on me but her heart seemed to beat for someone else.”

Someone that was better than her in all aspects. A girl who loved flowers and had such a gentle heart. The girl that revived Rinmeikan, brought it from the edge of obscurity and propelled it back to stardom. Who was she compared to her?

“It’s hard being number two. Come here kiddo, things are going to be better someday.” Her mother gestured for her to settle in her embrace and Yachiyo didn’t even hesitate. At least she could still have this kind of solace.

Fumi was right outside along with Akira and Tamao. Of course they couldn’t exactly hear a single thing which was for the better. The distraught look on Akira’s face was something Fumi never expected to see. She doesn’t know what kind of spell Yachiyo cast on Akira but it was certainly working. Good for her, at least one of them was loved by the one they longed for.

“Why didn’t she tell me…” Akira muttered under her breath, frustration bubbling right beneath the surface. Did Yachiyo not trust her? Even after everything they’ve been through, was she still not worthy of the girl’s trust? She had absolutely no idea why it bothered her to no end. She didn’t mind if people kept things from her but when it came to Yachiyo it was different yet familiar. She had felt this kind of frustration years ago towards someone important to her, one that stood right beside her in this very moment.

“Akira, listen… I think Yachiyo kept this from you for your own good and from the rest of the team.” Tamao tried to placate the girl.

It was the season for Nationals. If Yachiyo broke the news to her teammates, surely they would have pushed her to abandon the run for Nationals and spend all of her time with her mother. Even if it would have led them to have a handicap they would have done so in a heartbeat and Akira would fearlessly tell their coach she’d take responsibility for Yachiyo’s absence. Tamao could empathize with Yachiyo to an extent because they were both the same. They cared too much about their teammates rather than themselves.

“Plus, did you actually expect her to just drop to you that she’s planning to transfer?” Fumi followed. “Of course not, Yachiyo would never. She’d keep that secret to the grave and leave without saying anything. Maybe leave a letter if she feels dramatic.”

“She could have told me! For our own good? It’s not for our own good. What good did keeping secrets ever did? You of all people should know that, Tamao.” Akira glowered at Tamao, old feelings breaking the surface of the calm and collected mask that she usually wore. Fumi acted on instinct and came between Akira and Tamao before things could escalate, protectively keeping Tamao behind her.

“Akira…” Fumi warned her with just a glare. She needed to calm down or else she was going to drag her back to the inn.

“Fumi, it’s alright. She didn’t say anything wrong.” Because nothing was wrong with what Akira felt. Tamao knew that Akira had every right to be angry. She was right, what good did secrets ever do to her? To them? Nothing, it made things worse and just tore each other apart. 

“I’m glad you know, that I wasn’t wrong.” Secrets tore them apart. Tamao left for Kyoto without so much as a goodbye to her. If Maya hadn’t told her of Tamao's’ schedule she wouldn’t even have made it to see her off from the platform with so many unspoken words between them. “I’m done with secrets.”

“Akira-senpai? Fumi-senpai? Tomoe-san? What’s everyone doing out here?” Yachiyo came to check what the commotion outside had been. She was panicking deep inside, Akira wasn’t supposed to know anything regarding her family situation. She couldn’t afford to be distracted by this. “What’s going on?”

“What’s going on? What’s going on is that you lied to me.” Akira accused her of lying and though it wasn’t wrong Yachiyo felt a knife twist inside her heart somewhere. “You hid things from me. I thought we were supposed to trust each other. To tell each other if we have problems.” 

“Akira-senpai, I didn’t mean to hide everything from you I just… it was for our own good.” Yachiyo tried to explain but Akira was having none of it. There it was again, that particular phrase ‘ for our own good ’, when will people stop saying such things. Akira bit her lip in frustration and walked away. Yachiyo tried to go after her but Tamao blocked her way.

“I’ll go talk with her. Fumi, stay here with Tsuruhime-san and don’t forget to bring her back to the inn before they leave.”

She was partially responsible for what Akira felt. After all, it was her fault why Akira was sensitive towards secrets. Maybe it was finally time for her to own up to it. Yachiyo was hesitant to leave things towards Tamao, knowing what Akira felt towards the girl. It took all of her willpower to stay beside Fumi and nodded her head at Tamao.

Tamao wasted no time and ran after Akira, hoping she could still reach her before the elevator doors close. Yachiyo watched and groaned in frustration once Tamao was out of earshot. She had been so careful for Akira not to find out about it and then it came to this.

“Why did you bring them here, Fumi?” She wasn’t mad at Fumi. She was mad at herself for fumbling things again and Fumi knew because all she did was to pull Yachiyo close and wrap her arms around her waist.

“The truth? I was caught by them. They knew I was going to follow you here and Akira was worried. I told Akira your situation because she deserved to know. Don’t make the same mistakes I did before, lying never really does anyone any good. The words we don’t say? They haunt us wherever we go.”

Like the words she often failed to tell Tamao.

Epilogue VI: Hello, Goodbye 

Tamao never managed to reach the elevator in time so she opted to take the stairs instead. It was just six flight of stairs, how hard could it be? Well, Tamao found out on this very day that cardio was something she disliked with a vengeance. She barely managed to reach Akira and though they walked side by side the silver-haired girl refused to speak to her. The silence was deafening, the tension so thick that she couldn’t properly breathe but Tamao can’t falter from this, she couldn’t afford to chicken out.

“Akira.” Tamao called her and thankfully Akira stopped and faced her. Big mistake though at least for Akira, the moment she stopped Tamao quickly took her hand and dragged her towards flower garden at the back of the inn. Honestly, one would think that Akira would have had the strength to stop Tamao but she’d never do something to possibly hurt her and Tamao used it to her advantage.

Now that they were in a quiet enough place, they could finally address the elephant in the room. They could finally talk about the two of them , of what their relationship was, and the baggage that remained between the both of them. But how do they start this off? Should she start off with an apology like she always did? No, maybe not yet. The apology should be the last thing she’d say.

Tamao reached out to cup Akira’s cheek with her hand. The girl visibly flinched but she never swiped her hand away. That was enough for Tamao, even if it had hurt to see Akira flinch from her touch at the very least she didn’t push her away and that was good enough for her. It’s been so long since they’ve ever had the time to spend with each other. Ever since she left things had changed between them. There was a certain kind of distance between the two of them that they could never close. In fact, it just grew longer with each passing second of silence.

Up until now, the distance kept on growing. Even if they were standing in front of each other, Tamao still felt that Akira was farther than she should be. Even if Akira’s eyes still looked at her with longing it wasn’t the same as it was before. Of course it wouldn’t  be, because the way she used to look at her? It was the way Akira looked at Yachiyo now. And Tamao had to admit, she didn’t like it one bit.

She was the one who left but she never wanted it. She hated every single moment of it. If she could have stayed with Akira, she would have. But she didn’t make the cut. She failed to qualify for Ryuuzawa’s Highschool Volleyball team despite being part of their Junior High line-up and she couldn’t tell Akira. She couldn’t tell her that she failed her. She couldn’t tell her that she couldn’t keep their promise. She couldn’t tell her that they couldn’t be together. Tamao ran away like the coward that she was, thinking it was for the best. She kept it a secret from Akira, thinking it would hurt a little less. But it didn’t. She was wrong. It hurt both of them and left scars that would never be erased.

And no matter how hard she wished for things to go back the way it was, that would never happen. They could never be the same. They’ve changed, for better or for the worse. Tamao lightly brushed her thumb along Akira’s cheek and softly smiled at her. She needed to keep herself together and say the things that needed to be said, clear up everything before it was too late and damaged another relationship. This was her problem to fix.

“You know, you’re right. It wasn’t for your own good or rather it was just something that I thought would be good for you. I lied and it was wrong, I left without a word, left you hanging and now things have changed. I thought it was for your own good, that maybe it would hurt a little less if I never told you anything.”

“But it didn’t…” Akira softly replied as she closed her eyes and leaned against Tamao’s touch. “We were supposed to figure things out together, that’s what you told me and then you left without a word. I thought all that time that maybe I wasn’t good enough for you to stay. Or that maybe I did something wrong and you just didn't have the heart to tell me.”

So that's how it was. Tamao had no idea that's what Akira felt. It wasn't her intention to make her feel that way. She did it with the best of intentions but maybe it was wrong of her to think that it was for Akira's own good.

“Now it’s happening again…” 

Yachiyo lied to her; kept things that were important from her. Akira told Yachiyo that she could rely on her like what she told Tamao a few years ago. And the end result was the same. They lied, they kept things from her, and they tell her that it was for her own good. Then it starts to hurt more than it should and people wonder why she rarely opened up to others, on why she preferred to be alone and silently watch over her friends instead.

Akira pulled away from Tamao and walked towards one of the flower beds. Flowers, they were one of Tamao’s favorite things. When Tamao left, Akira kept a flower in her room to remind her of Tamao. It was ironically funny how she could properly care for a flower but she couldn’t properly care for a person that was important to her. 

“Maybe I’ve been the problem all along.” Maybe, she was the problem why things don’t work out for her. Maybe she should just stick to caring for flowers. Akira sighed and looked back towards Tamao with a tired smile on her face.  “Maybe relationships aren’t for me.” 

Tamao shook her head in response. No, Akira wasn’t the problem here, at least when it came towards their situation it was certainly not her fault.

“It wasn’t you." Tamao was sure of it. "You were enough for me but I wasn’t enough for you."

It wasn’t Akira’s fault. Akira gave her more than enough given their age. Akira gave her all the support she could ever need. She made her feel happier than she should have been. For a Junior High couple, Akira did everything right. 

"I couldn’t tell you that I failed to get into Ryuuzawa. That all the hope you had for me? Your belief in me? Was a mistake."

Or maybe not, Akira had one mistake. Loving her was Akira’s mistake at least for Tamao. That was how she viewed things. 

“I didn’t want you to know that I was a mistake for you.”

It was why she left. Because she was a mistake that tarnished Akira’s pristine record. She left because she didn’t want to confirm her belief because she didn’t know how she’d take it if she heard it come from Akira’s lips.

"So I lied and ran away to Rinmeikan. You chased me to the train station and I wished I got off the train.”

Tamao had her regrets. She had a cabinet full of regrets. One that all stemmed from Yukishiro Akira. They were young back then, they didn’t know any better. They fell into each others rhythm and it felt so natural that they would be together. And then she turned out to be a big mistake, Akira’s faith in her was misplaced and she couldn’t live with that. She had been absolutely scared because she wanted to reach Akira’s expectations of her and she failed. Instead of telling Akira the truth and working things out as they should, she ran away. And that would be her biggest regret. Lying to Akira was her biggest regret.

“You were never a mistake.”

How could they ever think that she was capable of thinking that they were a mistake? She just couldn’t fathom it. Even if they never reached her expectations, that wasn’t enough of a reason for her to hate them nor discount everything they’ve done. She could never think of Tamao as a mistake simply because of that nor would she ever be capable of such.

“You were enough for me.” Akira said to which Tamao replied with a small smile as she made her way to the empty spot next to Akira.

“That’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever told me.” Tamao jested.

“I know and it was three years too late.”

Both of them were by each other’s side as they gazed at the flower bed. The silence was deafening as the gravity of their words started to sink in for them. Misunderstandings and assumptions tore them apart born from words that should have been said sooner rather than later. If Tamao had just been braver and told Akira instead of letting her fears and insecurities consume her. If Akira was a bit more empathic and encouraging, if she were a bit more honest and told her all the things she thought of Tamao.

But just like volleyball, the final whistle had been blown, the scoreboard was flipped and they lost this match. One might argue that they could just call for a rematch; start things all over again and give each other another shot at what they had before. But they were different now. They were older, not a tad bit wiser but they understood a few more things better than they did. It wouldn’t be the same game, it wouldn’t be a rematch. It’ll be a brand new one involving newer and better players. A game where they needed to figure out where they stood in each other’s lives.

And they both knew that whatever they had for each other was a thing of the past now. Their relationship had to remain in the past. Their future as lovers? That was all but gone. All that would remain would be this special bond they had with each other. They weren’t just friends but they weren’t almost lovers either. And they knew it wouldn’t be easy but that’s how it’ll be between the two of them.

“It’s been years and it still hurts all the same.” Tamao dryly laughed and tried not to cry as she looked at Akira with a smile.

“You were my favorite ace.”

 I loved you, always have always will.

“Agreed, it still hurts all the same.” Akira turned to look at Tamao with a smile of her own. 

“You were my favorite setter.”

I loved you, always have always will.

“Try not to be too mad at Tsuruhime-san. She’s a kind girl.” Tamao approached Akira and lightly planted a kiss on the taller girl’s cheek. 

“Goodbye Akira.” Tamao turned her back on Akira and walked back to the inn. This was goodbye to what they had before, to their what-ifs and could have beens. Akira could only watch at Tamao’s growing silhouette.

Just like that time in the train platform Akira just watched her go and never said a word except for...

“Until we see each other again, Tamao.”

Epilogue VII: Love Is A Sin That We Love Committing

Tamao never looked back. She kept walking and exited the inn. She couldn’t stay in the inn, not when Akira was still there. She needed to run away or else she’d take back everything and run back to her, believing everything could work out. Even if she knew there was someone else who was beside Akira now. Things were different, things will never be the same between them and she had to accept it. They said their farewells, three years too late but it doesn’t hurt any less.

Tamao stopped in her tracks when she saw a familiar shade of pink pass by her. The other girl did the same and both refused to look at one another.

“I talked with her.” Tamao stated.

“How’d it go?” Yachiyo asked.

Tamao didn’t answer the question. She had no intention of answering the question. Her mind was a mess, so was her heart. Oh, she knew Yachiyo had an inkling of how it went down. She wasn’t exactly sure why Yachiyo was asking but she wasn’t there to humor her.

“Akira’s changed.” She wasn’t the same Akira that she knew for better or for worse. “She smiles a little more, she’s a bit gentler, and she acts more like a flawed human than the perfect person they all make her out to be. That was your doing, wasn’t it?”

“No. That’s not my doing it’s hers. She wanted to be better. All I did was be there for her whenever she needed someone because you weren’t there for her instead.” Yachiyo wasn’t one to mince words. She doubted that Akira would’ve told Tamao during their talk on how much her departure affected her. So she’ll tell it to Tamao instead.

Tamao took a deep breath and glanced towards the street. Yachiyo had quite the character. Tamao would never get used to it but she could see how Akira would have fallen for her. Yachiyo thrived in supporting others just like her. She was at the right place during the right time. When Akira needed someone, Yachiyo was there for her. Tamao could accept that.

“You’ll take care of her, right?” Tamao asked. She had to make sure that she made the right choice by letting Akira go, by burying what they had six feet under the ground never to see the light of day again. “You’ll be better than me, wouldn’t you?”

“I’ll take care of her.” Yachiyo declared.  That was easy enough to do. In fact, she didn’t need anyone to ask her to do so. She’d take care of Akira just as she had done for the past two years. “I don’t think I’ll ever be better than you in her eyes but I’m done looking at this like some kind of competition. I’ll just try not to fail her and if I do… I guess I’ll have to figure things out with her and not follow your example and leave.”

“I thought you were going to leave her and run to Kyoto like I did.” Tamao had an amused smile on her face. Yachiyo surely had a way of pushing someone’s buttons. “Tsuruhime-san, I could take care of your mother while you’re all the way in Fukushima. You don’t have to leave.”

“A generous offer but I’ll pass. I don’t want to be a bother to Rinmeikan. I don’t want you guys having excuses when we beat you in Nationals.” She might have sounded haughty but deep inside Yachiyo was grateful for Tamao’s offer. No wonder Akira liked her, she was really as kind as they say. “I should have been clear with what I said. I won’t follow your example and leave without properly telling her everything.”

“You’re an interesting girl, Tsuruhime-san. Well, your words wouldn’t really stop me from visiting your mother with Fumi. Don’t be so sure about Nationals, we’re gunning for that crown too and we’ll settle the score there. Until then, take care of Akira.”

“I could say the same to you. You’re a very interesting girl, Tomoe-san. Most people would have turned around and tackled me down already with how irritating I could be to some people. But you? You might as well be canonized to be a saint. Keep Fumi-senpai out of trouble.”

Then both of them went their separate ways. Tamao headed back towards Rinmeikan’s Gymnasium intent on clearing her thoughts while Yachiyo headed back to the inn in order to look for Akira. The silver-haired girl remained by the flower garden and if not for someone pointing her in the right direction Yachiyo wouldn’t have found her.

“The flowers are certainly beautiful.” Yachiyo stated as she settled to the spot beside Akira. This time there was no teasing, no jokes, no pranks, nothing. Yachiyo stayed beside her in silence with her hand lightly brushing against Akira’s.

“They are.” Akira replied before she gently grabbed ahold of Yachiyo’s hand. She didn’t know where this conversation would go but at least she would feel a whole lot better if her fingers intertwined with hers.

“Flowers are beautiful because they don’t last forever.” Yachiyo stared at the flowers that grew in the flowerbed. The flowers were in full bloom but someday they were going to wilt, their beauty just a thing of the past. For Yachiyo, flowers were beautiful because they don’t last forever. You appreciate their beauty because it was never going to be permanent it’s something that is captured within a specific timeframe and once that had passed you’d never be able to see it again.

Just like relationships.

Relationships were beautiful because they don’t last. It was why you had to appreciate every single moment you had with the person you love because it won’t last forever. Eventually one of you would have to leave whether they like it or not. Just like what the two of them had right now.

“I guess they are.”

Akira understood what Yachiyo meant. There was no convincing her. One of these days she was going to leave Ryuuzawa and go back to Kyoto. She hated it. She hated the situation that they were in.

“When are you leaving?” Akira asked as she lightly squeezed Yachiyo’s hand. “Where are you transferring?”

“I plan on staying until the end of this whole year. Be here for you when you need me then I’ll leave when you graduate. A fitting end don’t you think? For the two of us? It was bound to happen. You’re leaving for Germany a few months after you graduate right?” 

It was an inevitability. Their relationship wasn’t meant to last forever. Long distance relationships were possibly but could they even make it work? She wasn’t so sure. In fact she didn’t know what they were because just like Tamao they were more than friends but less than lovers and she didn’t have the courage to ask Akira about it.

“I am. I’m leaving for Germany after I graduate like what I told you before.” Akira was signing with a club in Germany that had long been impressed with her performance. It was an opportunity of a lifetime and she wasn’t going to let it slip by. However, that didn’t mean that she completely loved it.

“I want to be very clear that I absolutely detest our situation.” Akira turned to face Yachiyo and tucked a stray strand of hair to the back of her ear. “I don’t want this to end. I don’t want what we have together to end just because of this.”

“Then what do you propose to do?” Yachiyo asked as a gentle smile graced her face. “How are we going to make things work?”

“I don’t know yet but---”

“But as long as we work on it together, then we’ll figure it out right?” Akira told her that she should have relied on her and maybe it wouldn’t hurt to try. Maybe, it wouldn’t hurt to believe that they really could figure things out. 

Meanwhile, on the other side of things. Tamao was back in Rinmeikan, specifically inside the gymnasium. She was so sure that no one could find her there, that she could finally be alone and work on clearing her thoughts. Who would even bother to search for her here? Apparently, she never thought that Fumi would actually do such a thing. So color her surprised when the blonde girl arrived an hour after she did.

Tamao had been practicing her jump serves. Intent on clearing her thoughts by overexerting herself. She knew it was unhealthy. She knew it was risky. They had just finished a physically intensive game and the risk of receiving an injury due to fatigue was nothing to scoff at. She knew it was something Fumi would be mad at but just for the remainder of the day, Tamao couldn’t care any less if she was.

She was about to send another jump serve when Fumi blocked her way. Fumi wasn’t pleased if the crease on her forehead was anything to go by. In fact even the way she glared made Tamao feel a chill run down her spine. Was Fumi that mad at her?

“Enough, Tamao.” Fumi declared with finality but Tamao refused to listen to her. For once she was being as stubborn as the rest of Rinmeikan much to Fumi’s dismay. The girl tried to pass her but everytime she did Fumi would block her path and not let her do as she pleases.

“You’re in my way.” Tamao stubbornly said as she tried to push Fumi away to no avail.

The girl didn’t budge at all. In fact, Fumi took that opportunity to slowly make Tamao step back until her back hits the wall. However, that did little to nothing to discourage the girl. Tamao glared at her with defiance, she wasn’t going to let Fumi stop her. All she wanted was to clear her thoughts and forget about Akira, forget about what she had done, and forget about what they had. But even that was denied from her by a woman named Yumeoji Fumi.

“I’ll keep getting in your way over and over again if that means I could stop you from hurting yourself like this.” Fumi wasn’t going to back down from this. She knew Tamao wasn’t in a good place right now. She knew and that was why she had to do this. She had to stop her from doing something she’d regret.

“I’m not hurting myself. I’m perfectly fine.”

A lie and Fumi knew it. Fumi snarled in anger and slammed her hand just right beside Tamao’s head, trapping the girl against the wall.

“Don’t lie to me!” 

Fumi wasn’t in the mood for lies and she certainly wasn’t going to let Tamao do something as harmful as practicing her jump serves while she was overfatigued. That would lead to injuries with the lightest being that of a sprain. Plus, it rubbed her off the wrong way that Tamao was doing all of this just to forget about Akira. She was hurting herself just because of one girl and Fumi hated it.

“Why did you lie to yourself?” Fumi asked much to Tamao’s confusion.

“Lying to myself? What lie have I told Fumi? I haven’t told a single lie.” Tamao explained but Fumi was having none of it.

“That you’re perfectly fine. That you’re not hurting yourself. Just look at you. You’re running yourself ragged just to forget about someone that you never wanted to leave in the first place.”

Tamao grew quiet. Of course, Fumi would have noticed it. Of course, she’d know that it wasn’t what she wanted. She didn’t want to let her go but she had to. Because it was for Akira’s own good but even if she told herself over and over again she couldn’t learn how to believe it.

“I have to do it because if I don't, then I’d run straight back to her and that’s not what she needs. I’m not what she needs.” And that was what hurts her the most. That she wasn’t what Akira needed at least not anymore. “If I even stop for just a few minutes I’d start thinking about her again and I don’t want to do something I’d regret. I have to keep distracting myself.”

She needed to keep running away or else she’d find herself running back to Akira. She had to run away. She needed to move on now because that’s what she decided to do. It was why she said her farewells to Akira. Because they had to move on even if a part of her doesn’t want to.

“… Fumi please just let me have this. Just let m---”

And Tamao found herself silenced by Fumi’s lips on hers. Her mind went blank and she dropped the ball that she held. Fumi’s lips were on hers, and if that certainly wasn’t a distraction then she doesn’t know what was. And the worst part? Was that part of her didn’t mind this kind of distraction at all. It was a good thing that Fumi quickly pulled away because she didn’t know what would happen if things had escalated from there.

“I know you’re hurting and this might be the lousiest time for me to say anything. But I just can’t stand seeing you hurting like this. You deserve to be happy too.” Fumi believed that with all her heart. 

“Fumi I…”

But before Tamao could say anything else, a finger was placed over her lips silencing her. Fumi had the softest smile on her face and Tamao felt her cheeks redden from such a sight.

“I’m not asking you to like me back but I just want you to know that you have the option to be happy with me. And I’ll always be here for you even if you choose to be happy with someone else. Just… keep it in mind.”

An option to be happy. Does she deserve it? Tamao didn’t know but when she looks at Fumi right at this very moment, she couldn’t help but believe her. Maybe it was fine, to at least keep that option up in the air. She knew she couldn’t answer Fumi right now. Not when she was still a mess so for now, Fumi would have to settle with a simple kiss on the cheek.

“...honestly, you spoil me too much.”

“I know and I don’t regret it at all.”