Ai had about a week after Sugawara's birthday to prepare for Hinata's. She asked Yachi for her help in designing a card again, and they made a plan to meet that weekend. The two girls had a study date after their crafting since they were already together.

After, Ai thanked Yachi for coming over to her house. They were beginning to bond over their time spent together outside of school, and the youngest manager was fitting in with the team just fine.

"I hope Hinata likes it," Yachi said as she left Ai's house with her bookbag.

"I hope so, too." Ai wore her wedge heels and walked with her to the station. After all, Yachi was her junior, and it was only natural for Ai to care for her. They were also lucky that it wasn't raining at the moment. Miyagi was well into the rainy season, and walking in precipitation always got a bit messy. "I promised Shōyō a while ago to celebrate his birthday with a party." She smiled softly.

"Oh," Yachi vocalized, glancing up at her. "Will you be able to finish it, senpai?"

"Yes. All that's left is to put the pieces together and glue them. The hard part is done." Ai smiled down at her. "Thanks to you, Hitoka-chan."

The younger girl blushed and waved her hands in front of herself. "I-it's nothing! I'm glad I could help!"

"You did," she acknowledged. As they passed other people on the sidewalk, she wondered if Yachi liked Hinata, more than as a friend. However, Ai kept quiet for now and didn't say a word about it. Then, her phone chimed with an incoming message. She looked at it while they waited for the crosswalk.

Hisashi: Hey can I borrow your math notebook tomorrow Ai?

"Is everything alright?" Yachi asked.

Ai gave her a smile and started typing a reply. "Yes. Hisashi is asking if I would lend him my notes."

Ai: Of course. I'll give it to you in the morning.

"I suppose he prefers mine over Kazuhito's," she said quietly, mostly to herself. Ai's notes, for practice and for academics, were meticulously detailed. It was the reason why everyone who knew her had a predilection for them; they were as popular as Momoi's class notes in middle school. Tanaka, Nishinoya, and Kinoshita would often ask for them when the teacher announced notebook checks, and the busy athletes filled in the blanks for when they dozed off in class before the collection date. Ai was responsible and always a reliable source for notes.

Ennoshita was usually also an option, but he would need his to tutor Tanaka and Nishinoya. Finals were closing in, day by day. It took time and effort to transmit knowledge to the two in preparation for the multiple exams.

The traffic light for pedestrians changed, and the girls continued on their way. When they reached the train station, Ai touched the blonde's arm. "Thanks again, Hitoka-chan. I'm sure Shōyō will be happy."

The girl grinned brightly and nodded back. "Yes! I can't wait!"

Ai smiled. "Me neither. Go home safely. We should study again some time as well."

Yachi saluted her and shouted, "Yes, ma'am!"

She grinned. "See you at school." Ai waved goodbye to her adorably cute junior and walked back to her house alone.

———

When practice was over that Thursday, Coach Ukai reviewed the training methods and gave feedback for the day. While he talked to the team, Takeda-sensei also joined them in the gymnasium. The schoolteacher made announcements that all club activities will be cancelled on the two days leading up to the exams, as well as during the three-day testing period.

The guys groaned, and four of the twelve players grit their teeth at the daunting tests inching closer.

"Ukai-kun won't come to school during those days, so you boys focus on studying," Takeda-sensei warned.

Nishinoya glanced at Ai with a pleading look. "Ai," the libero whined.

She sighed. "I'll help you, but only because Chikara needs time to study for himself, too."

Ennoshita smiled wearily, glad to have her as a recourse. "Thanks, Ai."

"Tsukishima!" Hinata suddenly called out.

"No," the tall one replied, without even hearing what the other middle blocker had to say. "I'm not as nice as Ai-senpai or Ennoshita-san."

While Hinata pouted and muttered about a "Stingy-shima", she stepped up behind Tsukishima to hug his back. He stiffened and blushed, but he couldn't move his arms out from under Ai's confining embrace to mask it.

Peeking around his tall frame, Ai spoke to the Greatest Decoy. "If it's English you need help with, I'd be more than happy to study with you, Shōyō." She turned to the setter. "You too, Tobio."

"Woah, woah! Let me stop you right there!" Tanaka stepped in between her and the two unacademic first-years with his arms out. "What about us?!" he yelled dramatically, worried for his and his best man's lifeline.

"No one said that I wouldn't help you, Ryu."

The coach cleared his throat, and Daichi stepped in. "Guys! The meeting's not over yet!"

They quieted down, and Ai finally released Tsukishima. He sighed a breath of relief while she moved onto her next target: Ennoshita, who happened to be standing beside him. The responsible second-year let his classmate lean into him, and Ai smiled to herself. She could be childish too, sometimes.

"We still have a week of practice before the tests, so... work hard on both!" Ukai professed.

When the adults left, the captain told them to clean up. They grumbled and complied, and Ai mopped the floor with Hinata after folding the net with Narita. Once they finished and stored away the cleaning supplies, they gathered around again.

"Now, are we ready?" The vice-captain grinned. "Yamaguchi!"

"Yes!" He ran to get the bag of party goods that Ai had gotten for them from a run to the store.

They all either got their presents out or held a firecracker.

"Ready, set," Daichi called out.

"Happy birthday, Hinata!"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHŌYŌ!"

"Happy birthday."

Hinata beamed with excitement. "Wow!!! Thank you!!!"

Ai nodded to Yachi, who then stepped forward to give the middle blocker his handmade birthday card. It was signed by everyone, as they had done for Sugawara.

"H-here, Hinata. Happy birthday!" She handed him the envelope.

"Woah! Thanks, Yachi-san!!!"

"Oh, um- It's from everyone," the young blonde clarified with a flustered, timid smile.

Ai placed a hand on Yachi's shoulder. "We made it together, before everyone signed it," she told him, as well as the rest of the group.

"Awesome!" Hinata grinned.

"Don't be surprised when you open it, Shōyō!" Nishinoya shouted happily. "Ai's really good!"

"Hitoka-chan is talented, too." She sent the libero a teasing look. "But, thank you."

The four third-years watched over them warmly with smiles.

"I suppose I'll go next." Ai replaced Yachi's spot in front of the birthday boy and stepped forward. "Happy birthday, Shōyō." She smiled and gave him his present from her.

Hinata grinned even more, if that was possible. "Thank you, Ai-senpai!!!" He happily took the small gift pouch from her. The red bag was puffy with stuffing and fairly light in weight, tied with a pale yellow ribbon at the top. "May I open it!?"

She giggled. "Yes, you may."

He started to pull on one end of the bow and opened it eagerly. He ignored the random cotton balls and pulled out the gift. It was an orange fluorescent brooch in the shape of a bird, and it shined under the bright gymnasium lights. The color made it look like a phoenix.

"Wow!!!" Hinata exclaimed.

"That's so cool, Shōyō!!! I want one like that!" Nishinoya yelled, sharing the excitement.

Ai smiled. "Sure, Yū. Maybe in October," she vaguely answered, watching Tanaka and Kageyama also admiring the present.

"See? Aren't you glad you got Ai something for her birthday?" The vice-captain smirked and hooked an arm around the birthday boy's shoulders.

Hinata grinned widely and nodded rapidly. "Yes!"

When she raised a questioning brow, Sugawara answered her.

"I told the first-years to get you something for a birthday gift because I knew you would go all out for them on their birthdays," he explained. "I wasn't wrong, was I?" Sugawara grinned.

Ai shook her head. "No," she said, smiling.

The third-year laughed angelically, almost like a serenade. "Us June babies have to stick together!" he bantered.

Then, the ground started to shake.

Ai noticed the unstableness in her footing, but she couldn't determine what it was until the rumble grew more violent.

"Woah!" Tanaka shouted.

"Careful!" Daichi yelled as they all balanced on their feet.

Kiyoko held out a hand to Yachi, which she took. Ai held onto Asahi, who happened to be the closest to her, but he clung unto her more than she did to him. They stood with their hands out for balance in the empty gymnasium, wondering if it was going to be catastrophic, but the earthquake peacefully subsided seconds later.

Everyone was quiet, listening out for anything alarming.

Then, Nishinoya broke the silence. "That was not my Rolling Thunder."

"They're getting frequent recently," Daichi commented while frowning.

"Someone look up the magnitude of that," Sugawara added.

"Where's the epicenter?" Ennoshita asked as Narita took out his phone.

"How big is a magnitude?" Hinata wondered aloud, nonchalantly glancing at the gloomy setter.

"Why are you asking me?" Kageyama retorted.

"I wasn't!"

"It must've been big since we felt it," Yamaguchi said. "Right, Tsukki?"

"I guess so," Tsukishima huffed. "I'm not a seismologist."

"Well, in any case," Ai started, cutting off the awkward air. She stepped up to hug the orange-haired, first-year middle blocker and smirked when she released him. "It seems the earth is also excited to celebrate your birthday, Shōyō." Ai teasingly punched a fist to his arm, as lightly as a butterfly's caress.

Hinata stiffened, and his cheeks dusted in pink. "Y-yes!"

.

That night at home, Hinata stood by his bed in his room upstairs. He was sorting through his presents when he found a note from the small red pouch Ai had given him. He pulled it out and read it with nervous hands.

Shōyō,

Happy birthday. Be careful on your way over the mountain to and from school. I can't wait to spend our next two years of high school together. You'll be an amazing Tiny Giant; I know it.

Forever your friend and manager.

Sincerely,

Ai

That night, Natsu, Hinata's little sister, walked in on her brother to find him all red and embarrassed.

Author's Note:

I wanted to get the birthdays out of the way first so I can continue with the story! (The timeline is kind of crunched short.)

I'll have an actual episode next week!

(Chapter 2.4 Center Ace, along with Midorima's birthday!!)

Also, please correct me if my interpretations of the anime characters are off.

Thank you!!

Kind of a dark side note…

There was a big earthquake in 2011 near the Tōhoku region. (About a year before the Haikyuu storyline takes place, since I think it uses the 2012 calendar.) The magnitude was around 9.0, and it apparently lasted about six minutes. The epicenter was underwater near the coast of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures. Also known as the Great Sendai Earthquake, it also resulted in a destructive tsunami.

It's a little scary to think they still have smaller earthquakes regularly, but at least the anime guys don't have to worry about natural disasters occurring in the middle of their games, especially at tournaments.

Total Word Count: 1971

(Wow that was long, and it wasn't even an episode chapter! ;)