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Kiyoko was radiant in her strength. She was there for the boys' volleyball team when they were being called the fallen crows. Despite what people said about the Karasuno team, she stood by them, a favour to her friend Daichi who inspired her.
Kiyoko didn't always feel so radiant and beautiful. She felt damaged after her running accident, feeling guilt and like she lost a huge part of herself.
But when Daichi told her about his team, she felt her heart squeeze just a little, because she understood what it felt like for someone's dreams to come to an end. There was always hope and it wasn't the darkest part of the tunnel yet. Life is a series of tunnels anyhow.
She wasn't sure about it at the time. Kiyoko wondered what might come out of being the boys' volleyball manager.
She saw the boys training hard in her passing by, and was curious.
Her first day to properly meet the team, she was afraid. Will they expect anything from her that she can't do? Then her thoughts changed to, if she wasn't here to improve and do things, what was the point of being here? She had to expect anything from the team. She had to try her best.
Maybe these boys knew something she didn't, because they trained extremely hard and worked together. They didn't deserve to be known as fallen crows, she decided to herself. Her new obligation to check in with the club four times a week was an interesting new addition to her timetable. It gave her purpose to organise events. Often the boys returned from their matches weary, but then they whispered amongst each other and were revitalised by a new kind of strength.
Kiyoko didn't think too much about how Karasuno lost their matches, even though it kept happening, over and over. She didn't think she should be concerned. She wasn't playing; she was just doing something extracurricular for her resume, right?
The days were getting more stressful for her. She didn't complain though, she never did, but the weight of tiresome days was heavy on her shoulders.
Would the Karasuno boys be grim today? Well either way her week was bad and couldn't get worse. She nervously watched them play from her stands. She watched them gain more points than they usually did.
They were trying harder. In each game they played a little better. But so did other teams. And even then, they didn't quit.
It was after this game that Asahi became known as the ace. The boys' excitements were palpable in the air. So much that Kiyoko could hardly stop herself from breaking into a tiny grin.
And so she was entirely convinced. If these boys could be excited over the small successes, she wanted to be around them too. She wanted to grow as a person and try her best.
Kiyoko watched the team break up after Asahi's anxiety got the better of him.
He will come back, she told herself.
But for a long time, he never did.
Even though he left, she stayed for Daichi and Sugawara. For Tanaka who was the only constant out of all the second years. For the second years who although they left, came back once again.
Then, she stayed because Takeda joined. He was the most mature person who could guide the team towards their dreams. He admired Daichi’s dedication. And so did she. And simply because there was a club, Takeda and her decided the club deserved a chance to be a play every game they could possibly get.
Then, the new first years came. She watched the first years pull the other team members back in, fuelling a new layer of sincere devotion of the sport. Kiyoko learnt new definitions of what volleyball was. More than a sport, it was a place where friendships were formed. Where confidence was hardened with difficult wins. A place of sentiment and yearning.
And so Kiyoko learnt that she was never broken to begin with. She learnt that no matter what, her wings were never to be clipped, and she can fly again, just like others have. Kiyoko picked up speed, catching the same wind as the other boys. Kiyoko ran her fastest. She jumped like there was no ground beneath her.
Kiyoko flew .