I do not own Haikyuu or its characters. I only own my character and her actions.

Prologue – Her school

"Eri-chan, are you sure you want to attend Karasuno High? What about Nohebi Academy? Most of the kids from your junior high end up going to that school, right? Why this one?"

The girl in question was lazily leaning on her back, turned away from the countertop bar in the kitchen, gazing at the Tokyo night sky. The bright lights cut through the darkness of the city through the floor to ceiling windows of the high-rise apartment complex.

"I can't exactly say why I want this school. I'm not even sure myself. Sorry pops," Eri replied with a nonchalant shrug, opening her can of sweetened coffee and pouring it into a glass with a few cubes of ice.

She stirred the drink with her straw as she turned her head to look at her father who had just pointed a remote to the windows, an obvious attempt at asking for her full attention to the subject. He placed the remote down onto the counter, and Eri sighed as she fixed her sights to the closing electronic blinds, leaving a fleeting image of the bright city light.

"Please Eri-chan, you need to think hard on this. Whatever school you choose is going to affect your future career and placement in life. I can only help you get so far, and we both know your scores will get you accepted into most schools, so why are you aiming for a school that seems so average?" Eri's father stared at the back of his daughter's head, waiting an answer.

"Oh please, when has your intuition ever beat mine?" Eri laughed as she swiveled in her chair to face her father with her signature cocky grin. She sighed, grin falling, and stared down at her coffee again, "Something tells me I should go to Karasuno High. Not exactly sure why but call it a hunch."

"But can't you choose a school closer to Tokyo? What about Fukurodani Academy? I've heard they've got a great college prep class and plenty of clubs for you to expand your interests!" He paused to look at her bored expression, when his softened a little as he looked down, "You're choosing a school so far from our apartment. I can't help but think you just want to get away from me."

"You had nothing to do with my choice," Eri rolled her eyes, then added quickly after seeing her father's dejected look, "If that makes you feel better."

"When did you get so mature and independent?" the man pouted with tears threatening to fall. So dramatic. He started to mumble, "I really should be stopping you and telling you to save the independent act for college."

"Honestly, you should be blaming my years in junior high for making me so independent and confident," Eri gave a fake smile, head cocked to the side. He also should be blaming himself, but Eri kept her mouth shut.

"Yes, perhaps that was a slight mistake on my end, sending you to a school full of snakes. They do produce some of the best business majors later on in college, but obviously you're not aiming to follow my footsteps. Now I've got a snake of my own on the loose."

Eri simply hummed in response, swirling her drink once again. Her eyes were trained on the rippling brown liquid, following the ice in motion as she propped her cheek against her hand. She locked on to the cup, following each detail from the moment the ice impacted the glass to the small trails of water running down the side to her fingers.

"The biggest concern with Karasuno High for me is how you're going to get to and from school, especially if you choose a club. A train from Tokyo to the Miyagi Prefecture is such a long ride and not something you can keep up every day," Eri's father continued to talk to himself.

Eri felt no need to interrupt his train of thought. He'd eventually come to the conclusion that he would have no other option than to give in and rent out a small studio apartment for her in the Miyagi prefecture that she can walk to and from school. She knew telling her no wasn't even an option, and she wasn't above taking advantage of that. He never told her no, and she knew he wouldn't start here.

"We can't just move, so maybe I could as one of my assistants to move in with you to keep an eye on you," He finally spoke, facing her.

She cocked a brow, "You're really going to pay an adult to live with a high schooler? Your interns and assistants are getting paid to work on business at your firm, not to babysit your fifteen-year-old daughter." This was too easy.

Her father gave a deep sigh, knowing what he said was absolutely absurd. "You planned this out, didn't you?"

Eri pressed a hand to her chest and feigned shock, "Daddy, I'd never do that to you."

"I absolutely regret sending you to that junior high." Eri smirked as her father continued, "I know you're taking advantage of me, but you're amazing at making this choice seem so logical."

"Oh dad, I'm not taking advantage of you. I'm taking advantage of your desire to spoil me and give me only but the best experience I can get," Eri smiled innocently.

He glared at her before swiping her cup of cold coffee from her hand. "I choose the apartment you stay in, your monthly budget, and when you get checked up on. Got it? And stop drinking these drinks at night. You're too young to be addicted to coffee. Now go to bed. It's getting late."

Eri rolled her eyes before agreeing to her terms and conditions, but she succeeded in getting what she wanted, so she had no complaints. With a quick thanks and goodnight, she headed down the clouded white marble hallways towards her room, dragging her house slippers against the floor.

Closing the door, she dimmed the lights and hopped into bed, bringing her phone close to her face. She stared at the screen as Karasuno High reflected in her emerald eyes. Karasuno, home of the crows, a snake-free paradise, for now. Karasuno would be fresh territory, unclaimed and unmarked. The caffeine continued pulsating through her veins, adding a rush of excitement when she looked through the school's promotional page. It was true what she told her father though. She didn't know exactly why, but she knew this was the high school she needed to go to find her future path in life. The end of her caffeine rush was nowhere in sight, so she stayed up all night, staring at Karasuno High's page, prepping for a fresh start in a drastically different environment. It was time to start building her den.

"Tsukki! Wait up!" a freckled boy yelled out, waving the scroll from the ceremony back and forth to get the attention of other boy.

Tsukishima only flicked his eyes to the side as his best friend came barreling down the breezeway of their junior high campus and slightly slowed his pace so he could catch up. His pace returned to normal once Yamaguchi was by his side, slightly panting. It had taken the freckled boy over five years to catch up to Tsukishima's long legged fast pace. There was still a considerable difference in their heights, but Yamaguchi had shot up in his height this past year as a third year in junior high. There was no way his leg span could keep up with Tsukishima's, but he would move his legs as fast as he'd need to to keep up with his best friend.

"We finally did it Tsukki," Yamaguchi began after a few moments of comfortable silence, "Are you ready for Karasuno High?"

"I doubt anything will be different with academics," Tsukishima replied lazily.

"Are you planning on joining the Karasuno Volleyball Club?" Yamaguchi continued sheepishly, "We don't really need to be in a club anymore now that we're in high school."

"If we don't join the team, we'd probably be ruthlessly scouted for another club like basketball. I don't feel like dealing with being pestered by other teams," Tsukishima answered.

"Then volleyball club it is!" Yamaguchi beamed before they started to walk in silence for a few moments.

Before the graduation ceremony, all the graduating third years had chosen their school they'd be attending in early April as fresh first years, and now that the ceremony had finished, the students would have two weeks to prepare for their new classes and high schools. Karasuno would be a different walking route than the two were used to, so they'd have to find a new meeting spot so they could walk together.

"You think we'll know anyone at Karasuno from our school?" Yamaguchi asked as he kicked a rock on the street.

"I don't know."

"You think we'll make more friends?" Yamaguchi looked up at Tsukishima.

It had always just been them since elementary school. Everyone was scared off by Tsukishima's personality before they had cared to actually get to know him. Yamaguchi had always been the only one there for his best friend, so he was always the one to here of his female classmate's forbidden crushes on his best friend. So many had only talked to Yamaguchi so they could talk to Tsukishima, who only scared them off with a backhanded comment. That's right. It was always just them, but as Tsukishima's best friend, Yamaguchi wanted nothing more than to see him getting along with others.

"Not planning on it," Tsukishima replied before smirking at Yamaguchi, "But who knows? you're the likable one. Maybe you'll be the one ending up with a girlfriend next year."

"T-tsukki!"

Hello all and welcome to my story! Please leave any reviews! They are always welcomed! Thank you for giving me a chance!

Revised: 07/12/20