Okay, I feel like I should point this out sooner rather than later…
So, as you know, there are a few people in Haikyuu and KnB with similar names. I wanted to clarify things before we meet more new people…
• Bokuto Kōtarō 木兎光太郎 &
Hayama Kotarō 葉山小太郎
•Akashi Seijuro 赤司征十郎 &
Akaashi Keiji 赤葦京治 &
(Akatsuki Ai 暁愛)
•Ikejiri Hayato 池尻隼人 &
Yamagata Hayato 山形隼人
•Shirabu Kenjirō 白布賢二郎 &
Futakuchi Kenji 二口堅治 &
Koganegawa Kanji 黄金川貫至
•Kuroo Tetsurō 黒尾鉄朗 &
Kuroko Tetsuya 黒子テツヤ
•Miya Osamu 宮治 &
Watari Shinji 渡親治 &
Koganei Shinji 小金井真司
•Nebuya Eikichi 根武谷永吉 &
Chigaya Eikichi 千鹿谷英吉
•Mibuchi Reo 実渕玲央 &
Ōhira Reon 大平獅音
•Wakamatsu Kōsuke 若松孝輔 &
Sakunami Kōsuke 作並浩輔
(Can't believe I missed these two the first time)
•Yamamoto Taketora 山本猛虎 &
Aida Kagetora 相田景虎
I know it's like a tedious game of spot-the-difference, but I guess this is a good place to start getting to know names.
Foreign languages are hard. :(
I still struggle with kanji too, even though I grew up with it. Haha...
Please comment if there is anyone I missed!
(I am planning on posting a list of names in kanji and their meanings in the future.)
Thanks for your attention!
Now, onto the chapter!!
(Who likes Nekoma?? :) )
Kageyama and Hinata, unfortunately, didn't make the cut. They both failed one subject: contemporary Japanese and English, respectively. The genius setter had placed all of his eggs in the wrong basket, and the aspiring ace had written his answers in the wrong columns. Nishinoya and Tanaka were safe by a measly five and two points each, thanks to their study sessions.
Ai made a mental note that Kageyama was excellent at memorization, be it volleyball hand signals or kanji characters, and Hinata was proficient at studying when given the chance, seeing that his answers were all technically correct.
———
A Few Days Later
The ride to Tokyo was full of excitement. Ai was, too. Although her heart was anticipating her return to the place she called home for two years, her brain was tired. She closed her eyes and rested, but the stupid grin didn't leave her face.
———
July 7
First Day of Nekoma Training Camp
(Also Midorima's Birthday)
Seijuro: Good morning, Ai. I hear the weather will be nice tonight; I'll be looking for the Milky Way. Although I can't see you today, enjoy your trip back to Tokyo. Talk to you soon.
Akashi knew that she would be going to Tokyo, because they had shared their calendars the previous time they'd met, at Kuroko's birthday party. The training camp was only for the weekend, and Ai would be busy with club practice all day. So, even though she was back in the Kantō region, she didn't have time to meet anyone.
Nevertheless, Akashi had sent her a text for when she woke up on the bus. Ai stretched in her seat before sending a reply.
Ai: Good morning, Seijuro. Thank you, and I promise I'll watch the stars tonight, too. Have a great weekend, and I hope your wish comes true.
Seijuro: I hope it does. I'm sure you'll call Midorima later today, so text me tomorrow on your way back to Miyagi.
Ai: I will.
.
Kuroo and his vice-captain came out to greet the team when the bus pulled up in front of Nekoma High. He laughed at the two country boys who mistook a regular transmission tower painted in red and white for the Skytree, while Kai politely corrected their misunderstanding. Tanaka and Nishinoya hollered and were still amazed, nonetheless.
Ai stepped outside and breathed in. The air was refreshing, unlike the stuffy bus.
"The scenery's not that different from Miyagi," Asahi commented.
"Well, we're in the suburbs." Sugawara looked at her. "Are we near your old house?"
Ai thought about it, glancing around at the neighborhood. "Not very. I was in a different district, closer to my middle school."
"Huh," the setter said.
Secretly, they all would have loved to see where someone like her had previously lived.
In the background, Nishinoya pushed on Tsukishima's back to hurry him up while Yamaguchi walked with them, rubbing his sleepy eyes.
"Walk faster!" the libero chastised after having slept well on the ride there.
Kuroo bowed dramatically at Ai, but he mostly kept his distance. She curtsied in response, in a way, continuing her part as Cinderella.
Then, she and the other two managers helped unload the bags from the bus. Before Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei went to greet Coach Nekomata, Ai had asked everyone for the approval of her idea. Since Karasuno now had three managers, Ai thought that it would be a kind gesture if she lent herself to Nekoma's team for the short weekend. As gratitude for the invitation to take part in the Fukurōdani Academy Group's exclusive training camps, she offered to become their manager for the duration of the trip. Among the four schools, Nekoma was also the only team without any managers, much to the despair of Taketora.
Coach Ukai was reluctant to give up one of their strong assets to their nemesis, but he eventually agreed to Ai's undeniable glare.
"Alright, fine! Go help their team or whatever," he grumbled, being a bit poutful. "Be sure to spy on them!"
"I'd rather keep my integrity, thank you," she responded. She held the door open for the adults to enter the foyer of the building and met the senior Cat coach.
Ukai fixed his posture and spoke first. "It's been a while, Coach Nekomata."
"Oh, you made it," he smiled, meeting the Karasuno guests at the entrance.
"Thank you very much for allowing us to be a part of this joint practice session," Takeda-sensei bowed.
"No, no, this is a good chance for us to see how much stronger you've gotten since last time." Nekomata grinned with feline mischief.
The younger coach and advisor looked nervous, until Ai cleared her throat softly.
"Oh, yes, um…" Takeda-sensei introduced her as Ai stepped forward for her turn. "This is Akatsuki-san. She was hoping she could help your team as their manager."
"I'm Akatsuki Ai, a second-year. Pleased to meet you." She bowed deeply. Ai hadn't really met him or the other coach during Golden Week two months ago, so it was the first time speaking to Coach Nekomata.
"With your recommendation, Takeda-sensei?" The elder coach nodded at the student. "Nice to meet you, too. I'll leave the boys in your care then, miss."
Ai smiled back. "Yes, sir."
And so, Coach Nekomata was very grateful and welcoming of Ai. Coach Naoi was also gracious and showed her the facilities around campus, while her team of crows, minus the two who had supplementary exams, got changed and did their warm-ups.
After the quick tour and washing her face to freshen up a bit, Ai walked into the huge gymnasium with the four schools already practicing.
It was the size of two whole basketball courts, and each court was divided horizontally with volleyball nets. It was about twice as big as their Second Gymnasium at Karasuno, and it reminded her of Teikō. She grinned, but a part of her wanted to watch basketball now.
Everyone was done with their warm-ups, and they regrouped so that the teams could play each other in rotation. After each set, the losing team had a penalty of one lap around the court, flying. The motion was similar to how they move for a flying receive, where they intercepted the ball in the air. The players would slide across the floor on their chests, with their arms stretched out in front of them.
Kiyoko and Yachi were supportive of Ai's proposal and promised to take care of the team while she was away. Then, Ai also met the other managers from Fukurōdani, Shinzen, Ubugawa, and finally, the cat team:
Third-years: Kuroo Tetsurō, Kai Nobuyuki, and Yaku Morisuke.
Second-years: Yamamoto Taketora, Kozume Kenma, and Fukunaga Shōhei.
First-years: Inuoka Sō, Teshiro Tamahiko, Haiba Lev, and Shibayama Yūki.
"Guys!" the captain called. He gathered them around and got their attention. "This is Akatsuki, one of Karasuno's managers. We'll be loaning her as our manager for the weekend," Kuroo introduced, having heard about the agreement from Coach Nekomata while she wasn't there.
She nodded. "I look forward to working with you." Ai bowed her head deeply in front of their semicircle.
"Thank you!" the whole team recited, returning the gesture. The coaches also smiled pleasantly at this arrangement.
Tanaka's duplicate kneeled in front of her and wept with joy. Yaku had to drag him away so that Ai could start refilling their water bottles.
"I-I can help you, senpai!" Shibayama offered as she prepared to leave the gymnasium. The water fountain was outside, on the side of the courtyard.
Ai smiled, but she shook her head. "You have your job, and I have mine. Maybe next time." She gave the young libero a light pat on his shoulder. "Thank you, Yūki." Flashing the rest of them a grin, she left the group staring in awe.
Little did they know what they were getting themselves into by letting Ai be their manager.
.
After exploring a little and becoming adequately familiar with the building and the layouts, Ai went back into the gym to take notes.
Ubugawa was famous for their powerful serves, like that of Oikawa's. According to their manager, they finished every practice with a hundred serves at the end. To them, serving was their ultimate offense. Next was Shinzen. They had an amazing team combination and were artisans of it. Nekoma was excellent at receiving; the school that was known to pick up the ball, connect, and wait for the perfect chance to counterattack. Finally, Fukurōdani had an ace who was ranked in the top five spikers in the nation, just like Ushiwaka.
Compared to Karasuno's team of diversity, Nekoma and the other schools seemed more unified under one color. However, this was no time to be cowed by everyone else's strength. Their Miyagi team had to be on the same level as these guys.
.
The cats were up against Fukurōdani, and Kenma and Lev were in the front. The two jumped to block the famous ace, but the frail setter dodged the spike. The volleyball bounced on the floor with force and bounded straight towards Tsukishima.
"Kei!"
"Tsukki!"
The blond middle blocker noticed and shielded his face with the back of his hand in the nick of time.
"Hey, Kenma, don't run from that!" Coach Nekomata scolded him from his seat.
"That would rip my arms off," he said in his quiet voice.
"They won't rip off!"
Ai chuckled. Each team had its humorous moments.
From the side, Tsukishima walked away, rubbing his hand and looking galled. She made a mental note to check on him later. He didn't like to be at the center of attention over a small injury, and Ai could fuss over it later when they were alone.
So, she went back to her notes. Ai started a new notebook for their team and wrote endlessly. To say that she was grateful was an understatement. Every one of the schools here was strong, but there was one in particular. Fighting nationally, Fukurōdani was a powerhouse with their great ace. To be able to watch these teams up close like this… She felt like Momoi with a new source of data. Ai couldn't wait to tap into this untapped pool of valuable information.
.
Ai helped to facilitate the team matchups and quickly got used to the Fukurōdani Academy Group's training schedule. She had memorized the cat's names, faces, and positions within minutes. During Nekoma's time off, she offered massages and other services to her new team and spoke with each one of them. They also played one set at a time, so it went by pretty quickly.
"It's a good system." Ai watched the Ubugawa players gliding against the floor after losing to the cats; the losing team had to go around the perimeter of the gymnasium, and Nekoma was as agile as always. She also gave Yaku a massage while he read her notes about his team so far, both of them multitasking.
"I never thought of it before," she said. Then again, the basketball team she used to work with never lost.
Kenma sighed after drinking water. "It's a pain. I don't like it."
"It motivates people to try harder and win." Kai smiled genuinely. He was a kind vice-captain, like Sugawara.
"Akatsuki-san, you're really good." Yaku complimented her memos and flipped through the pages of her red notebook, all the while she pressed on his tense back muscles. "Ah, I haven't been this relaxed since I started volleyball with these guys."
She giggled. "Ai's fine, Yaku-san. There's so much to learn. And, your receives are outstanding. You must be exhausted every day."
"Practice isn't as tiresome as these fools."
"Hey, let me see!" The tall half-Russian came over. He reminded her of Murasakibara, who was also disproportionately tall.
Kuroo snickered. "Yaku, you're becoming an old man."
"Shut up!" he growled at the other third-year.
"But, it's true. Ai's notes are amazing," Kenma commented from the bench. He and Ai had kept somewhat in touch by text.
Inuoka also came next to her to peer over the third-year libero's shoulder. "It's in English!" he said, wide-eyed. "Wow! Can you teach me?"
Ai smiled at him. "Of course, Sō. Although I wouldn't know when."
"Why'd someone like you go to Miyagi? Karasuno, no less?" Kuroo questioned.
She sent a playful yet frightening glare at the captain, who was caught by surprise.
When did she learn to look like that?
"Simple. I moved. Switched sports, too."
"Oh? From what?" Coach Nekomata joined in.
She smiled at the older coach. "I was a manager for the Teikō Junior High Basketball Club."
"What?! Is that true?!" His eyes bugged out, and everyone thought he was going to have a heart attack. They got a handful of looks from around the gymnasium as well.
"Coach? What's wrong?" Taketora asked.
"Teikō's basketball club? And, you're a second-year, correct? As in, the Generation of Miracles?" The coach analyzed her appearance once again. He'd suspected something when he had first seen her in Miyagi but wasn't certain until now.
"Generation of Miracles? What's that? Are they strong?" Lev prompted excitedly, dreaming of becoming a center ace.
"Let me see that notebook." Coach Nekomata held his hand out to Yaku, who placed it in his palm. He flipped through, reading carefully.
"It's basketball, Lev, not volleyball. I'm sure it's of no interest to you." She patted the libero's shoulders. "Okay, Yaku-san. Kenma, would you like a turn? I'll be gentle." She stepped behind him and worked around his shoulder blades.
The coach shook his head after a while. "It's unfortunate you couldn't stay in Tokyo. We would have welcomed you with open arms, maybe even with an offer."
"Wow," the four first-years said. They didn't really seem to realize what the big deal was.
"Ai, that's good enough." Kenma tried to shrug her hands off of him.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I must have been lost in my thoughts." She retracted her hands right away.
"It's ok."
"My turn," Kuroo grinned. He sat in the vacant seat after the setter, and Ai rubbed his back and shoulders. The captain seemed tense. After a while, Lev and Coach Nekomata asked for her to be their masseuse as well. Soon, they all became appalled by her holistic abilities as a sports club manager.
.
In the evening, the crows lost against Ubugawa, 20-25, and the whistle blew two times.
"All right! Flying, one lap!" Daichi called.
"Right!"
"How many losses has it been for them?" Shinzen's No. 2 pondered.
"They're not exactly weak, just sorta mediocre," his teammate wearing the number 4 said.
"Who are the first-years that Nekoma had such a hard time with?" Number 6 from Fukurōdani chatted with them. "Maybe the guys from Nekoma overestimated them or something?"
"Hitoka-chan, hold it back. There, there…" Ai overheard Kiyoko talking to Yachi. "It's okay. If what Tanaka said was true, it shouldn't be much longer."
The metal door opened, and Hinata and Kageyama arrived in Saeko's car.
"Big Sister!" the libero in a yellow jersey exclaimed.
"Wait, that's your sister, Nishinoya?" Asahi asked.
"No, she's Ryu's sister!"
"Now that you mention it, they do look alike," Sugawara acknowledged.
Tanaka looked up from his diving receive practice and was relieved. "Glad they made it in one piece."
.
Shinzen and Karasuno played a game, ending in 21-25.
"We finally won our first win in our ninth set," the captain sighed. "This is the first time we didn't run the penalty lap."
"I'm starving!!!" Ai heard Nishinoya yell.
In front of her, Ubugawa's captain was up to serve against Nekoma. Judging from the time, it would be their last game for the day.
"Yaku-san, nice receive!" Inuoka shouted encouragingly. He respected his seniors and was a good junior.
"Single block!" Shibayama called.
She was happy and glad that they were such a friendly team overall. It meant that Ai could choose to stay quiet since it was her first day with them.
"Go, Lev!" Inuoka said again from the warmup zone.
The new middle blocker had a swing like a whip, as Hinata observed, and he hit the ball right over the Ubugawa players in the frontline; they didn't have time to jump and block him properly.
"Alright!" They cheered.
"Wow…" Asahi mumbled from the side.
"That Number 11… At first glance, it's hard to tell because he's slouching, but he's pretty big. He might be over 190cm (about 6'3")," Sugawara said.
"His arms and legs are so long," the goateed ace awed. Ai heard their voices, but she didn't turn around.
"Who the heck is he?" Karasuno's third-year setter wondered. "Maybe I could ask Ai later…"
.
"Thank you for the good games!" Kuroo shouted. He was the representative of this time's camp, as he was the captain of Nekoma High School.
"Thank you for the good games!" The rest of the players followed.
"Ai-senpai!" Yachi ran to her as the guys cleaned up the gymnasium.
She turned to her junior and smiled. "What is it, Hitoka-chan?"
"Did you bring any of Karasuno's notebooks? Shimizu-senpai said they'd be really helpful!"
"I thought we could borrow them if you weren't going to use them," Kiyoko added, walking up to the younger girls.
"Of course," Ai smiled. "I'll give them to you for tomorrow."
"Really? Yay! Thank you!" Yachi said happily.
The second and third-year managers giggled.
"Thank you for letting me work with Nekoma, Kiyoko-senpai."
"It's fine. Hitoka-chan and I can manage the guys." The oldest of the three smiled. "See you in our room." Kiyoko waved and left with the blonde.
Ai stayed for a while, wanting to be around the new guys. Spending time together was the best way to get to know them.
.
Everyone set up futon mattresses in the empty classrooms and took turns showering. She and Hinata visited Nekoma's room to chat with Kenma and Inuoka.
"Shōyō, your fast attacks were amazing as always!" the brune middle blocker said.
"But, nothing has changed from before…," Hinata muttered. They had come here to become stronger, but things were still the same. The team had improved on their general sense of stability, but the boy was still getting caught from spiking his deviant quick attacks blindly.
Ai patted his back. "Shōyō, how was the supplementary class?"
The orange-headed player sighed. "I never want to do that again. I'm going to check my work next time."
She chuckled and pulled him in for a side hug, letting him lean against her for a moment. It made him blush. "Lesson learned."
"You're so lucky to have her as a manager, Shōyō! Our coach was really jealous today," Inuoka informed him.
Kenma nodded in agreement while playing his game. "Mhmm."
"Y-yeah," Hinata stammered as he straightened.
"I may be biased, but I really love working with you and Nekoma too, Sō." She reached over and placed a hand atop of his. "Thank you for being so friendly."
The other first-year reddened, and the conversation topic moved on to Haiba Lev, the half Russian, half Japanese middle blocker.
.
She met with the Karasuno boys as well, before going back to the shared room of girl managers. Ai laid in bed between Yachi and Kiyoko. They chatted with the other managers until the lights went out.
———
Tanzaku Wishes
"I wish we can all go to Tokyo.
-Akatsuki Ai"
"I wish I could see Seijuro again soon.
-Akatsuki Ai"
…
"I wish Ai's wish comes true.
-Akashi Seijuro"
Author's Note:
I know there's more to the episode, but I'm going to end it here since this chapter is getting longer than I expected.
I'll pick up where I left off in 2.5 Greed, so I don't miss anything!
Also,...
Good news!!
I am currently writing the OVA 2 vs. Failing Grades!!
Almost finished, and it needs some editing, but I'm working on it! I think I can have it done for next week, if you want! So…
Please comment what I should publish next!!!
Would you rather read Chapter 2.5 Greed first (and probably get through the rest of the season), or do you want the OVA 2 to match the timeline??
Either is fine with me :)
Thanks in advance for your input!! ️
Another note:
I know the anime shows more people on Nekoma's team, but the people I listed were the ones I found names for. They also have a No. 8, 10, 13, and others, and I'm not sure if Teshiro (No. 9) is one of them.
Reference:
July 7th is Tanabata, and also Midorima's birthday. It's a holiday of an old legend. The story is about two star-crossed lovers being separated on opposite sides of the Milky Way. Basically, they can only see each other once a year for Tanabata. But, they have to be able to see the Milky Way to cross it. So, if it rains and the clouds cover the stars, they can't see each other for that year.
People get a stalk of bamboo and decorate it with colorful origami paper, kind of like a Christmas tree. They also write wishes on rectangle slips of paper and hang them on the branches, hoping that it will come true just like the couple's wish to reunite. (The wishes can be about anything and are often unrelated to love or romance.) People can also write more than one wish if they want and decorate the bamboo stalk, but some people stick with one wish.
(See the images on Wattpad story.)
Reference:
High school is not government-mandated in Japan. As long as you finish through middle school (grades 1~9), you're good. That's six years in elementary and three years in middle school. (High school is only three years, too.) Although it's not as popular now, some people only go up to middle school. Some go to vocational high schools after, for specific occupational fields.
Total Word Count: 3928
(I can't believe I wrote so much... Haha)