Chapter 11: Promise

Bokuto helped him up when he was stuck on the ground, legs giving out as soon as the game was finally over.

Eijun grimaced at the feel of his knee but managed to pull out a grin to Bokuto, and he and the team all embraced for their victory.

He looked over his shoulder and found Haru, in his apparent pantings and sweat, smiling at him before he too embraced with his own teammates.

Eijun felt the ripples of his chest tangled up. His heartbeat echoed his ears, and he pulled forth a feeling of bittersweet.

It's over.

They all lined up for a handshake. Like in every match these two teams have, Kageyama and Hinata listed today's match as their own despite not playing in the last set. The two team captains glared at one another, which Hoshiumi would like to call it as their way of flirting- the two denied this claim. Sakusa was smirking at Ushijima because of their rivalry as well, Atsumu making fun of Kageyama for not playing in the last set, and finally, Haru and Eijun emitting a fiery aura behind them.

"You did good today," Haru said and tightened his grip. "for a pitcher."

Eijun rolled his eyes over as he responded with an even tighter grip, though it lacked power than his left hand. He then let out a cackle before reaching over the net, surprising everyone. He and Haru hugged, with the former patting his friend's back. It was a loud 'thud' and Haru did the same, with him admitting that the game was a really good one.

"But still, though. I can't believe I lost to a pitcher."

"To be fair, I didn't do it alone. It was a team effort!"

Haru snorted. "Of course it was."

A cooldown and some stretches later, there was a short ceremony held for the two chosen players. Eijun received a trophy. Hinata and the others were bawling their eyes out for him. You could say that out of everyone, it was Suga who cried the most. Eijun called out for Haru, and Haru begrudgingly moved before Eijun pulled him close with him, and the two held the trophy high.

Among the certificates and souvenirs given to them, their favorite one was the personalized, signed volleyball by all their respective team members. Both of them bowled over in receiving their own ball, their eyes sparkled in awe and excitement like that of a child, and even the pros and the audience themselves sympathized with them. He gave the organizers his certificate and souvenirs to put all of it in the locker room for now.

Afterward, Eijun and the rest of the Black Jackals went to their bench to rest for a bit in preparing for the team's actual match.

Eijun cleaned himself with a towel Hinata gave him. He felt all sticky, and it's regretful that he didn't wear an undershirt underneath his jersey. He continued wiping himself as he started to remove his arm sleeves, and, thank God, his arms didn't seem to bruise that much. He then began to remove his kneepads.

Eijun seemed to have forgotten something important in which he would later regret.

He heard a shriek and then sharp gasps.

He looked at the sources of those sounds and saw the Black Jackals staring at him with their mouths slightly opened. Bokuto was on the verge of collapse, Hinata was shaken, Sakusa spilled his drink, Atsumu twitched an eye, Thomas was smiling, but his entire body was shaking, while Meian and Inunaki kept on looking at each other. He looked at them with a puzzled look, still unaware of their odd expressions.

He finally realized why they looked like that when he felt a pang of pain on his knee.

Eijun doesn't usually curse, but when he does, it's when he's in a rather tricky situation. And the situation Eijun is currently in is but a grain of what's yet to come.

"Oh shit ." He muttered, but it was still loud enough for everyone to have heard it.

He looked at the wounded knee. The skin opened, and he winced as air circled the wound.

No words from the Black Jackals yet, which made Eijun fear for the worst.

Eijun gave them a wry smile and cleared his throat. It caught their attention.

"Uhm, I think I should go to the bathroom real quick."

And much to Eijun's surprise, he wasn't permitted to go to the bathroom.

Miyuki was happy for specific reasons.

One. He's glad that the match of Eijun was finally over and that he and the rest of the team have their free training. After all, they only watched a volleyball game because of a certain someone. And as much as he and the rest of the team enjoyed watching the game, nothing beats baseball. To Miyuki, volleyball was just one of those sports that he watched other people play with standard attention. Like basketball or tennis.

Second. Eijun doesn't seem to have anything for Miyuki to worry about, and seeing the pro players watched over him, though admittingly jealous on how they're getting a bit too close to his pitcher, was enough to prove that they're making sure Eijun wasn't harmed or overworked. He's relieved Eijun did the right thing by putting those arm sleeves and tapes on his fingers to avoid injuring himself.

Third. Eijun would go back here soon. And Miyuki couldn't wait to see that goofy-looking face of his again. And surprisingly, he wanted to see Eijun wearing his volleyball jersey and shorts up close and personal just because. He's not thinking of anything lewd at all. Certainly not.

He and the rest of the team were doing their batting session while some were doing weights. And the more he swung his bat, the more he couldn't wait for the Eijun to arrive.

Rei watched the team with amusement behind her glasses. Despite how they ignore or even make fun of Eijun, it's apparent that they cherished their pitcher since a lot of them are swinging their bats in the dorm entrance. From time to time, they'd glanced to see if there's an oncoming car or a happy-go-lucky guy was screaming at the top of his lungs, waving at them as he made his way back to them.

~Meanwhile~

"Ya coulda told us! Ya know ya coulda!" Atsumu balled his fists real tight. They're in the clinic with Eijun.

Everyone, yes, every Black Jackal member, wanted to go with them, but a small room filled with giants doesn't sound like a great idea. Instead, Samson lets Atsumu, Bokuto, Sakusa, and Hinata with Eijun since he knew the four of them were enough for Eijun to have an earful of scolding.

Atsumu bombarded him with a sharp tongue and angry remarks. Who could blame him? They were entrusted to take care of him, but the kid just had to injure himself even though they were just right beside him, and what's worse, he even told them it's nothing serious where in fact, something like this couldn't be dismissed as an athlete.

Eijun didn't say anything and just puffed his cheeks out. He grimaced as the doctor continued cleaning the wound. Atsumu let out an exasperated sigh, walking back and forth with his palms on his forehead while the other three were watching their setter getting mad for them. Atsumu stopped right beside Eijun. He was biting the inside of his cheek apparently, all cat-eyed and all.

"And ya were diving as if it was no one's business. It's no wonder the wound worsened. Is this how ya show us how serious ya are in playin' volleyball? By gettin' this kind of injury?"

Again, Eijun just listened. He stared at his wound and then at the other three. They were standing in front of him with their arms crossed around their chests. He's used to Sakusa being quiet all the time, but Bokuto and Hinata being silent were quite worrisome to comprehend.

And as time passed, Eijun was getting scared over their silence than an angry Atsumu-not that an angry Atsumu wasn't scary in the first place.

Though a bit annoyed from his chides here and there, he's glad Atsumu was making any noise out of them. Otherwise, Eijun might cry from the silence of the three.

Atsumu snapped his fingers to call for his attention, and Eijun stared at him but then looked away as he pouted. A vein popped out of Atsumu's forehead.

"Oh, ya ain't sayin' anythin' cuz ya knew it was reckless but ya continue, Ei? So like what? Yer so good in volleyball that even a wound like that won't ever stop ya from gettin' the ball? Eijun-kun, ya shouldn't treat this lightly! This coulda affect yer whole baseball career!"

"Argh, enough!" Eijun stood up from the stool chair, surprising the doctor just before she could apply some ointments. "This is just a minor scraped knee, and I've seen my teammates having scrapped knees and arms all the time from our practices. Besides, this is normal, and I know you guys experienced way worse than this. You guys are over-dramatic, and you know it!"

What Atsumu said was right, but Eijun was too stubborn for his own good to back down. He never planned to get injured in the first place, and that's what frustrated Eijun more. He was even extra careful on his arms and fingers not to get hurt, yet here he was a burden to everyone on the team because of this stupid open, wounded knee of his.

He continued to blame everything on his sweat. Damn you, sweat.

"Aoi-chi isn't done treating you yet," Bokuto said out of the blue, and Eijun could feel the coldness of his tone. Bokuto's golden eyes stared unto Eijun's. The young pitcher doesn't know why but the thought of an owl being a bird of prey suddenly caught up in his mind. "Sit down , Junei."

A gust of air kissed Eijun at the back of his neck. Shit.

Eijun gulped, and he did as he was told. Aoi felt the room getting heavy but continued treating the wound anyways. She needed a bottle of beer once this was all over.

Everyone got quiet, and the room was filled with awkward silence. As per the coach and the team requested, Eijun ran through some tests to ensure he didn't have any injuries other than his knee, and he took an x-ray to be on the safer side.

Eijun wanted to protest, but he was afraid to say anything; otherwise, Bokuto might give him that scary look again. He looked at Hinata in hopes to at least have someone on his side, but the orange-haired mouthed him in only Eijun could understand. It felt like the color on Eijun's face had lost its brightness.

"Wait until Daichi-san finds out about this."

Eijun's screwed. He's definitely screwed.

Fortunately, everything was fine. No injuries were found other than Eijun's left knee, and the wound will heal for about a week or two. Aoi finally wrapped his wound with white stips of tight bandages to help close the wound faster. A sense of relief washed over the four's faces. It looked more like a compression or some kind, Eijun noted.

"I'll go and talk to Samson-san," Aoi stood up and headed to the door. "We'll inform his school about this. He can rest for a while here before heading back to the court."

Eijun flinched and was about to tell Aoi not to inform Kataoka about it when Hinata stopped him.

"Please do, Aoi-san," Hinata held Eijun's shoulders tight, and the latter dropped a sweat. "Tell his coach how his minor scraped knee was almost infected if he keeps being quiet about it, which in return will lead to surgery if left untreated thus, the team will lose one of their first-string pitchers just before their Summer Tournament."

Aoi saw the hint of seriousness in Hinata's eyes and smirked and silently wished Eijun good luck.

"SURGERY?!" Eijun hollered the room the moment Aoi closed the door. "Don't joke something like that, Shoyo-san! Boss will take it seriously."

"Good. At least one of you does," Sakusa interjected, his brows furrowed. "A minor thing can become a major one if you're not careful enough."

"And taking care of one's body is important for every athlete," Hinata added.

Bokuto and Atsumu hummed in agreement. Okay, he deserved the nonstop lectures from Atsumu, but Eijun felt sweaty all over again, and the possibility of a ban of practice for two weeks will be the death of Eijun (not really). He knows his coach so well. And also-

"Miyuki-senpai…" he whispered. He widened his eyes. Miyuki will hear about this from the coach, and what's worse, he never told everyone he's out of school, let alone played volleyball. How will they react once they see him with an injury? He could already imagine it: Kuramochi's signature kick and even Miyuki's snarky comments, and knowing him, Miyuki won't catch for him as his punishment when that's all Eijun has been thinking about all day. Miyuki. And their time together.

But then again, they would certainly not believe that Eijun played volleyball during his day off, especially if with the pros in the first place. They'd tell him he was out of his mind. He could still think of ways to tell them where he had been all day. He only prayed Kataoka wouldn't tell this to the rest of the team when he goes back.

Oh, Eijun.

"Now then," Bokuto clapped his hands which made Eijun jerked up from his chair. The four of them gathered in front of Eijun as the latter looked confused. "Shall we start, guys?"

"Eh?" Eijun leaned back as they glared at him.

Atsumu's scolding was just the appetizer, and now Eijun's in from the main dish.

They all ended up roaring him will lectures and scolding. Just when he thought he heard what needed to be heard from Atsumu, Hinata gave him a piece of his mind, and it was too graphic even to describe it. Bokuto was the same, and it's the first time Eijun saw Bokuto flaring up like that. While Sakusa, well… Sakusa looked disappointed, and Eijun could do nothing but listened to what everyone had to say to him. When he tried to talk, Hinata barked back, and it shut his mouth until they were all done.

For Eijun would do nothing but listen, it was pretty tiring. He sighed. It's not like he wanted this to happen. Damn you, sweat.

"Okay, I admit it was foolish of me to continue playing but believe me when I tell you I never planned any of this to happen! It's because of my sweat, I tell you! And the doctor did say it's okay for me to continue playing baseball so long as I won't try to bend it too much, which is good since it's my right leg that does most of the work when I pitch," He started to trail off. He started talking about his team's way of practice to the four when he noticed them staring at him, waiting for him to say something to them. He stopped and went back to the topic at hand. "But still, I made everyone got up in their toes. And for that, I am sorry for making you guys worry. I guess I was pretty much into playing volleyball that I didn't want to tell you about my injury."

They stared at the apologetic Eijun in front of them. The sight of him wearing bandages pulled them back, and Hinata could see himself in Eijun: Reckless, never wanting to leave the court or even say anything about his condition. He understood where Eijun was coming from, and that made him remember when he was a first-year. How he didn't take care of his body because he thought it wouldn't be much of a big deal. But he was wrong. And he learned from his mistake. Now he wanted Eijun not to do the same.

"I know we may sound harsh, but we care about you—a lot. And we were entrusted to take care of you for today, but you suddenly got injured," Hinata crouched down and put a hand on Eijun's shoulders. "The thought of you possibly not having to play baseball because of us scared me, Eijun. I will never forgive myself if volleyball affected your baseball career."

"Shoyo-san…" Eijun blinked and stared at Hinata for a second. He used to remember how scrawny Hinata was as they played in the school gym. Hinata's childish grin matched Eijun's back then, but now Hinata was more mature and muscular even. His skin had darkened, but it still looked great on him. It's like he was still in Brazil. He still had the same childish grin despite being an adult, yet it looked natural even until now.

Eijun hugged him and apologized once again. Eijun looked over and gestured the other three to join them. He could hear Bokuto sobbing his name, his hair deflated. Atsumu murmured how he wouldn't apologize to Eijun because he deserved it-Eijun just laughed it off, while Sakusa muttered nothing but things about how reckless Eijun was. At that moment, the room was now at peace and comfortable.

Until it wasn't.

The door suddenly opened, and a team of giants with worried and sweaty faces entered the room.

The four horsemen of the MSBY Black Jackals glared at the Eagles, ruining a perfect moment of reconciliation. Behind them, their coach and trainers chased after them since they all ran here after hearing what happened from Meian.

And thus, Eijun had no choice but to listen to what everyone had to say about him and his injury. Kageyama was the loudest among them and possibly the scariest.

Eijun crawled towards the bed, feeling restless after he got scolded again by the Adlers. He was too beat up to even say anything, and even Haru had a piece of his mind as well.

Ugh.

The teams were called to go back to the court for a short meeting, and they begrudgingly went out. When they did, Hinata and Kageyama kept on looking at him over their shoulders.

"I'm fine, you two," He waved them underneath his bedsheet, sensing their worries. "You guys are needed back to the court. I'll be there to watch your match. You can guarantee that."

They made a noise on their throats before nodding as the others pushed them out and closed the door behind them.

Finally, the room was quiet and felt more spacious after they left. The noise from the outside and of the clock ticking was all Eijun could hear.

Even if there was someone else in the room other than Eijun, the person's foot leaned against the wall behind him.

"You know you could go first. I know you're looking forward to watching their match." Eijun peeked over the bedsheet to look at the person standing right across his bed.

"And you're saying you're not?" Haru smirked, playing with his fingers. He put his foot down and placed his arms around his chest. "Besides, the game will start in a few more minutes, and we have time. Now that we're alone, there's something I got to tell you before we head out."

Eijun stood up from the bed, his back against the wall, and he pressed his lips together in a thin line, his eyes deadpanned.

"Rejected. I like someone else, and I don't intend to give up on that person." Eijun said calmly, his left hand halting to Haru.

Haru felt like wanting to punch the daylights out of Eijun, but because the poor guy was already injured, he just held it all in. He still couldn't believe Eijun got injured without anyone noticing it. And what's worse, not only did he lose to a pitcher, but an injured pitcher. How frustrating. He would practice his ass off back in his school once this was all over.

"Wow, whatever shall I do now that you broke my heart into pieces," He lazily held his hand in his chest. His sarcasm made Eijun rolled his eyes. He heard Eijun said 'jerk' in which he couldn't help but laugh. "Anyways, that's not it. It's just..."

"Just?"

Haru planned this over and over his head, and he thought it was going to be easy. He did some mind simulation on how he should say it, and it seemed that's not the case at all when it comes to reality. Eijun waited for him, and Haru had to bit his lip to push himself and just go for it.

And he did. Just not the way he planned it to be. He ended up prattling, and Eijun, being the gentleman he was, waited for Haru to finish even if he had no idea what Haru was talking about. In the end, Eijun couldn't take it anymore. Even he gets tired of listening to nonsense, ironically enough.

"If you're going to talk, talk like a normal human being, Haru! I may be an idiot, but I'm certainly not that much of an idiot to understand whatever it is you're trying to say."

The setter groaned and scratched his head in frustration.

"Wake me up in a few minutes then," Eijun sighed and covered himself with the bedsheet once more.

"I'm sorry."

"No worries, it's not that much of a big deal."

"That's not it. I'm sorry," Haru corrected. "The reason why I wanted to use this opportunity is to apologize to you. I'm sorry for what I said to you this morning. And not just that, but from when we were in middle school. I should've communicated with you better when you decided to make your baseball team. We were partners, yet I've failed to understand you, and because of my lack of awareness, you suffered because of me." He lowered his head and voice. "I know what happened with our teammates was all in the past, but I know deep down you're still affected by it. I could tell from the way you were wary of me this morning. And what you feel is indeed valid, and I can't blame you for feeling what you feel towards the team or me. As the team's former captain, I apologize for everything you and your teammates had been through. I'll call Wakana once this is all over. Ugh, no wonder she and Nobu never talked to me after all this time too."

While still lying down, Eijun couldn't help but bit his lower lip. Sure, Eijun was the first to apologize, but it was a given since he realized how selfish he was back then. But hearing what Haru apologized for, he had to cover his mouth so that Haru wouldn't hear him sobbed out underneath the bedsheet. It must've been hard on Haru to apologize since Eijun, too, knew how it felt.

He remembered how hurt he was back then. The harassment he and his team had endured. The revelation that it was none other than his volleyball teammates who did it, his family . He was fortunate enough to play volleyball again and even get to fixed things with Haru. Well, fixed both their misunderstandings with one another, and he's relieved they'd talked things out.

He bit his tongue to stop himself from crying, and he forced himself to laughed so loudly, enough that it pretty much surrounded the room. Haru thought that the ball that hit him during the game must have done something to him for him to be this loud.

"Argh damnit!" Eijun yelled under his cover, surprising Haru. "Haru! I'm going to sleep. Wake me up in 10 minutes. I won't accept your apology if you made me miss the game, you hear me?!"

And just like that, they've cleared things up.

What's in baseball that Eijun decided to choose it over volleyball? Perhaps if Haru could watch just a single game, then he could probably see why.

Haru shoo'd at the idea. Why watch a baseball game when he could use the time to practice volleyball? But then again, with all that mumbling about Eijun being better at pitching, it cited some curiosity to Haru.

As much as Haru was dedicated to volleyball, even he heard a thing or two about Eijun's school. Seidou was, after all, famous.

Although Haru let his pride down by apologizing to Eijun today, there's no way in hell he will admit to that guy that he read the article about the so-called Golden Age of Seidou with a picture of Eijun's head held high in triumphant. There's just no way.

"Well, ain't you generous?" Haru chuckled and grabbed the nearest stool to sit on it. He could hear Eijun breathing slowly and was impressed he could fall asleep that easily.

Exactly as what Eijun had told him, Haru woke him up. The former mumbled to ask another 5 minutes, but Haru ended up slapping the poor boy in the head, completely waking him up, and they both argued for a while.

A few moments after, they got out of the infirmary and talked about various things. In their conversation, Eijun, in his hesitation, was curious about his former teammates and ended up asking Haru if the setter had any idea about them or the school they're currently in.

They were both walking back to the court when he asked that question to Haru. Eijun with his bed hair, and he still felt restless from that short nap of his. As much as Haru doesn't want to see his former teammates again, it was inevitable. After all, they were in that school, so it sucked when he played against them during Inter-high and Haru-ko last year.

"Kamomedai," Haru groaned. Eijun didn't miss the disdain on Haru's face when he said it. "They're in Kamomedai."

Eijun hummed and tucked his hands inside his shorts. He always liked to do that when he wore volleyball shorts. "All of them?"

"Ayumu, the twins, Kaito and Mamoru," Haru said, tucking his hands in his shorts as well. He wondered when will someone invent shorts that come with pockets. "The others went to other schools, so I haven't seen them since. I only found out the six of them were in Kamomedai when I met them in Inter-high last year. I heard Mamoru is their ace this year. Could you believe that?"

"Yeah, I do," Eijun said right away without so much of a pause which earned him a look from Haru. "What?"

It's impressive how strong Eijun was mentally, a feat Haru admired about his former ace. Eijun may still harbor some grudge about their former teammates, but it's apparent he recognized their skills as a volleyball player. Since they're in Kamomedai, a school that was getting into Nationals ever since they changed their coach during Hoshiumi's time years ago, that means the six of them had gotten better in volleyball. At least that's what Eijun was somewhat glad about. That they still played volleyball and what-not. And coincidently, Kamomedai was one of the schools that wanted Eijun but ain't destiny's a bitch?

"Nothing," Haru brushed it off with a grin. The way to the court was about 5 minutes away, and the sound of their shoes was all they could hear despite the noise gathering from the arena.

Across the hallway, Haru was quiet until he remembered a subject that he was so curious about in this very hall earlier. He turned to Eijun and gave him a gentle smile, something Eijun find it creepy until the former asked him an embarrassing question. "By the way, will you confess your feelings to your captain, or will you just shelf it out until he graduates?"

Eijun almost tripped when he heard it. There was a weird low growl coming from Eijun, and he turned beet red.

"Why the heck are you asking me this out of the blue? And ugh! Don't say it out loud!" Eijun glared, and Haru couldn't help but laugh at his friend's expense. "And mind you! We're busy for the Summer Tournament, so I have no time for that."

"So you won't confess? Or like even try?" Haru sounded surprised at how considerate Eijun was. And here he thought he was going to be tactless about it since Eijun always liked to face the problem head-on.

"I will confess! Just not now," Eijun kicked the heel of his shoes as he buried his hands on his shorts even further, his blush now reached even to his ears. "He's not just the captain, but the team's main catcher and the clean-up bat. Sure, I can be loud, but even I can tell how he and the other third years are working hard right now. It's a huge responsibility, and it's my duty as his beloved kohai and his partner to support him and the team with my pitches, and I think that's enough to show my affections for now. Don't you think?"

"Spoken like a true romantic," Haru drawled as they're nearing the door back to the arena. "But hey, I'm rooting for you. Just don't sob your ass out when he rejects you."

"Whatever the future holds, I shall gladly accept it! And you don't need to add that last part. Really. You don't have to, Haru," Eijun barked but still grateful for that thought, minus the last remark. "What about you? You have someone you like?"

Haru immediately nodded, and he wondered if Eijun knew the person. After all, Eijun and her brother were pretty close. But he doesn't want to accept that possibility just yet. It's odd how he admits this to Eijun before anyone else. But's it's Eijun. He's easy to talk to, and it just came so naturally to Haru that it surprised him.

"Met her last year at Inter-high," Haru smiled, remembering the first time he saw a girl who was the smallest in her team but had the biggest smile on her face. She tied her hair into a ponytail, exposing more of her charm. He fell at first sight. "Never get to talk to her that much, but that's all you need to know."

"No fair. I told you who mine was, and here you are secretive about yours!"

"You're the one who blurted out that he was your captain and catcher," Haru retorted. "And you heard me: I saw her in the Nationals. Meaning she's in a strong school. That's already a hint."

"Well, sorry if I don't know much about other schools," Eijun grumbled. "besides, the only schools I know were the ones Shoyo-san and the others used to go to. Oh, and Natsu, Shoyo-san's little sister! I'm confident her school was in the Inter-high and Haru-ko, and you've probably heard her school, Niiyama High in Miyagi!"

Haru flinched. He jinxed himself. He did his best to hold his composure and pray that Eijun wouldn't notice it.

"Yeah, I've heard about her school," ' and Hinata' Haru cleared his throat before grabbing the door handle. "Well, that's enough of me."

Eijun scoffed. "So you won't tell me, huh? I was about to give you my best love advice!"

"And does that love advice of yours worked on yourself?" Haru shot back as he pulled the handle open.

Yeah, no thanks. Haru would rather for Eijun to focus on his own love life with this so-called captain of his than bother Haru's hopeless love life. At least Eijun might have a chance since his crush was on the same team as he was. But it's still hard since they're both guys, not that Haru found it weird. Not everyone could feel that way, and he just hoped Eijun wouldn't hurt himself because of this captain.

"O-of course!" Eijun stammered as he laughed loudly.

'He's lying.' Haru stared at him deadpanned.

The moment the door opened, Eijun ran inside. He had always wanted to watch their game live, and he's going to enjoy the last few hours of his day off. The organizers guided them to their assigned seats, greeting the other special VIPs when heading towards their seats. They congratulated them both. The two teams were starting to line up and in perfect timing as well.

The Black Jackals won, defending their title once more, And Eijun jumped from his seat and yelled cheers for his team.

The special VIPs were the nearest who got to the players and the first to interact with them as soon as the game ended.

Eijun was practically running towards them as others were trailing from behind. Haru went to the Adlers first.

Eijun gave them his greetings and congratulated them as applaud them for a job well done. The Black Jackals wanted to spend more time with him, but seeing how the crowd was slowly closing in on them, they just had to do it after the fan-meet.

Before he lets them interact with the other special VIPs and the other fans, Eijun took something from his shorts, how and why, no one bothered to ask him.

"Please, good sirs!" He bowed, pressing forward the pen and notebook to the players.

Atsumu puffed out a half-smile. "What's this? Ya want an autograph?"

"Yes!" Eijun beamed at them. Afterward, he pretended to scowl at the team's setter. "though you don't have to give me yours, Atsu-san. I'm fine with the others."

"Ya cheeky brat! How dare ya don't want my autograph," Atsumu hooked his arm around Eijun's neck and started to knuckle the boy's head. "I have ya know that when it comes to fans askin' for our team's autographs, I'm the one most sought off to."

"Lies," the team stared at him deadpanned as Eijun wiggled his way out from Atsumu's arms. "Definitely lies."

"How's the knee, Sawamura?" Meian was the first one Eijun approached the moment he escaped from Atsumu. On the other hand, Atsumu gave his team the stink-eye for their remarks- a common occurrence amongst them.

"Ah," Eijun forgot about all about his knee the moment he put his full attention to the match a while ago. As always, Hinata playing was still his favorite to watch. He looked at his bandaged knee for a second and then to Meian. "I don't feel that much pain, unlike earlier. Aoi-san was good at wrapping the bandage! I feel like I could play for another whole set right now, even with the bandage! Hahaha- not that I'm planning to play, of course." He quickly stopped laughing when he saw Meian stared at him deathly.

"Honestly, how could you be so reckless, Sawamura?" He sighed but then proceeded to ruffle the boy's hair when he noticed how Eijun suddenly tensed up. "But I'm just glad you didn't break a bone or two. As the team captain, I should scold you as well, but I'm sure you've already heard plenty from Hinata and them. Not to mention the Adlers."

"Nonsense! There's no way this Sawamura Eijun can break so easily. I'm practically made of steel!" Eijun said, his chin raised a bit. Meian couldn't help but find it amusing in a way.

"That's good to hear."

Unlike the others who signed Eijun's notebook per page, Bokuto signed his in a rather large font, enough that it occupied both pages of the notebook and an added wink and his small self at the bottom of his signature. "An exclusive autograph for Junei," he called it and handed the notebook for the remaining players before heading to Eijun.

He put his arms around Eijun, and the sudden added weight made Eijun almost lost his balance.

"You don't feel any pain in your knee, Junei?" Bokuto leaned to peek at the bandaged knee, and he frowned at the sight of it.

"Nope! And what are you sad for?" Eijun pointed out. He analyzed Bokuto's face, which hinted guilt of some sort. But from what? Bokuto looked like he's the one who should say sorry when it was Eijun who got hurt because of his sweat. If it weren't for his sweaty legs, then the kneepads would- Ah. The kneepads. Eijun turned to him. "Are you saying you're blaming yourself because the kneepads you gave me weren't enough to protect me?"

How Bokuto's hair tensed up indicated that Eijun hit the jackpot.

"Kotarou-san, it's my sweat that should be blamed, not your kneepads! Your kneepads are the best pads I ever wore, so you don't have to be so down because of it. Heck, it could've been worse if I hadn't even wear any," Eijun grinned, his teeth fully shown. "Those stylish kneepads are the best, Kotarou-san!"

Bokuto snorted at that remark, and he knew Eijun was trying to reassure him. He nodded. "I know, right?" And he proceeded to pat his head before heading back to the team who was already meeting with the fans lining up to greet them.

The fans were all gathered around the moment Bokuto arrived. Hinata and Sakusa were too preoccupied with entertaining the fans that Eijun only had a glimpse of them for only a second. It's a good thing he was the first one who went to them after Meian. Haru returned and met with the Black Jackals. For some reason, he appeared to be more nervous around Hinata. Eijun doesn't know why, though. Hinata was like the last person to ever get nervous around.

"Here ya go, Eijun-kun," Atsumu tapped the notebook on Eijun's head. "I must say, yer awfully outgoin' for a person who had his knee hurt."

Eijun groaned as he took the pen and notebook from Atsumu's hands. "And you're awfully annoying than usual," He replied before scanning the notebook excitingly. From Oliver Barnes' impeccable signature to Hinata's simple one, he felt like a fanboy. He stopped when he saw Atsumu's signature, and above it, there's a message:

To my little brother, Eijun-kun.

Catch up to us even if yer in a different stage.

We'll be waiting for ya.

He reread it and touched the page where it was written. Atsumu felt all smug-like when he did that.

"Didn't I tell you that you don't have to give me your signature?" Eijun closed the notebook and put it to who knows where again. Atsumu didn't dare to ask why. Ignorance's bliss.

"And ya know how I like to rebel," Atsumu sneered, half-smiling. "So? How's yer knee holdin' up? Do ya think ya can pitch well given yer condition?"

"Hmm," Eijun pondered. He then took a few steps back to relax his shoulders a bit. He executed a windup and imagined Atsumu as the batter and smirked before throwing an imaginary ball at him. A gust of air hit Atsumu slightly, and it was the first time he saw Eijun do that up close and personal, well. His second time. The first time a while ago was plain embarrassing. But his second one was different, it had more balance and form. Perhaps because of the volleyball he held a while ago, his form was different? Atsumu wasn't so much of a baseball fan despite it being more popular than volleyball, so he could be wrong. He only saw bits of it when they watched Eijun and his team during the senbatsu, and that's about it. But he admitted that what Eijun did just now was hella cool.

Eijun exhaled deeply. He felt the pain when he bent his knee a bit before putting his weight to his left leg at the end of his windup.

"It hurts when I bend my knee too much," Eijun admitted. "But so long as I just rest it a bit, I can still pitch well, I think. But I'll stop if I feel like the pain worsened or even when it starts bleeding."

Atsumu nodded. As long as Eijun knows his limit, then that's good enough. Eijun already heard plenty about his conditions and taking care of his body from not just them but to the Adlers, after all. Atsumu was sure he took it by heart. Atsumu was just glad Kita wasn't around to scold Eijun instead. Oh boy, he'd feel sorry for Eijun if ever that happened.

"Well, I gotta go, Eijun-kun," Atsumu patted his head before Eijun could say anything to him. "Try not to be lonely by then."

"In your dreams! You're just like Osa-san! You weird foxes!" He only heard Atsumu laughing as he met up with the fans. Haru immediately went to him and asked him about something. Probably some tips as a setter.

"This crippled Sawamura Eijun would like to ask for everyone's signatures, good sirs!" He bowed down once again, notebook and pen in his hands.

It took a while to meet up with the Adlers since many fans were flocked around them. It's a good thing he got called up from the front after Hoshiumi spotted him in the crowd. He felt embarrassed being called out, but the crowd happily let him come between them as if they recognized Eijun. And then yeah. It made sense. Eijun didn't change his jersey yet, and in his short amount of time on the court, the crowd loved the way he played volleyball with such glee.

Hirugami happily obliged and was the first one to sign.

Unbeknownst to Eijun, he was slowly surrounded by the Adlers. Their hands-on their hips and grinning at him.

The Black Jackals had their time for Eijun since the match a while ago, and now it's their turn to dote on him. And Eijun gasped when Hoshiumi started to tackle him from behind, and they both wrestled a bit.

"What the? He's even popular with the Adlers?!" Mei barked from the Black Jackals area. They just got back from meeting with the Adlers, and interestingly enough, Mei and the others had a blast watching the volleyball match between the two teams. Sure, the chosen players were good, but it was different when the game was between the pros. The aura was different, and the four of them had their own set of favorite players after the match was over, and they were thrilled when people were allowed to meet such players.

"What's wrong, Mei-san?" Itsuki turned towards his senpai. Since Mei and Shirakawa lost the bet, they both ended up carrying the winners' bag and some souvenirs they bought from a nearby stand. They also bought a few dozens of Miya Onigiri for the team back in school- a few for themselves, and Mei and Shirakawa had to carry everything. Itsuki felt terrible since he was the kohai, but Carlos stopped him. Watching a sassy king and a salty redhead carrying all their belongings somehow amused Carlos.

"Sawamura, that's why!" Mei pointed towards Eijun, who was laughing about something that Heiwajima had just told him with the rest of the players. "He's close with the Black Jackals, and I heard that the chosen player from the Adlers was his former teammate in middle school, and they even looked cozy. And now he's all getting close with Ushijima-san!"

"Jealous?" Carlos arched up an eyebrow, glancing at both the younger and older southpaws at a distance with an autograph for his father from Romero in his hands. "They're probably impressed by his play today, and I don't blame them. He was amazing," They moved forward in the line, a few more people and then Carlos would finally meet Hinata. "Since when did you care about Sawamura, though?"

"I care enough to know that he used to be a volleyball player all along but chose to be a baseball player. Did he get injured during his middle school or something?"

"Speaking of injury," Shirakawa squinted and leaned forward to make sure what he was seeing wasn't his imagination at all. It seemed like thick bandages on Eijun's knee. He could be wrong. But he can't help but wonder. "His knee. Sawamura's. It seems to me he got injured in the middle of the match."

"Wait, really?" Mei tiptoed behind the taller fans in front of him. Annoyed, he moved slightly to the side and saw it too. "Oh? That's too bad." His lack of sincerity matched his amused tone of voice.

"It's odd, though," Itsuki saw it as well. "Other than that ball in the face, he wasn't hurt throughout the game and seemed to play just fine," He then turned to his senpais. "Should we tell his team about it?"

"Nah," Mei quickly answered. "They'll still find it out in the end, so there's no point. It could be an accessory like those arm-sleeves and the tapes he wore a while ago. Who knows if it's really an injury. Or maybe something to warm up his knees similar to the shoulder ice pack we pitchers used?"

"Doesn't seem anything serious, if you ask me," Carlos commented, not even bothered to look. They were up next, and he couldn't wait for their turn. Shirakawa wasn't that showy, but even they could tell he was excited to meet Sakusa. For some reason, Shirakawa liked Sakusa and his way of playing. It was calculative, direct, and well-disciplined. It reminded him of when he played baseball, and out of everyone from the team, Sakusa seemed like the most serious one. Hinata saw Carlos and recognized him right away.

Itsuki decided not to think about it too much and clenched on the signature he got from Kageyama instead. Who knew being a setter was pretty cool, and it's like a catcher. And throughout the game, he kept on looking at both Kageyama and Atsumu. Now, he planned to get a signature from Atsumu.

"You sure you're okay?" Kageyama asked for the nth time.

"Yes, Tobio-san! I'm fine," Eijun answered for the nth time.

"I still can't believe you got injured under our noses, Ei-chan!" Hoshiumi laughed. "I'd believed it if it were your arms, but your knee? Come on, that's so funny!"

"Please don't jinx it, Korai!" Eijun elbowed him hard, and Hoshiumi curled. "And you speak as if I'm prone to accidents. This is the first time I've ever injured myself, for your information."

"Speaking of arms," Ushijima gently lifted Eijun's arms and brushed his hands around the forearms. Eijun can feel his rough fingertips in each touch. "It wasn't my intention to hurt your arms, and I hope you know that, Sawamura."

"Of course I do, Ushiwaka-san!" Eijun beamed at him. "I like it when my opponents gave their all to me, after all."

"Wakatoshi," Ushijima muttered, surprising the Adlers. "You can call me Wakatoshi, Sawamura. Since you called those two in their first names, I see no reason to call mine as well."

"Really?" Eijun lifted his head, grinning at Ushijima. "Is it okay? Are you sure? Then, in that case, you can call me Eijun!"

"Eijun," Ushijima said softly and Eijun was satisfied. He had always wanted to call everyone by their first names. To him, anyone who plays volleyball was enough to call them in their first names. Volleyball held a special connection to him and he wasn't afraid to share his bond of the sport with others in close familiarity.

"Wakatoshi-san!" He smiled, only brighter this time.

Ushijima let out a tender smile. He was an only child, and so was Eijun. They're both left-handed, something rare in the sports world, and in a way, that's what made them have something in common other than volleyball itself. Despite his stoic exterior, he was fond of him. Sure he's loud and noisy, but he's strong-willed and passionate when it comes to baseball, and Ushijima respected that. He doesn't care about Eijun's choices of volleyball and baseball. As long as the kid was serious enough to face Ushijima, there's no way he would back down.

He patted Eijun's head softly. Eijun lifted his head, wanting to ask for more. Eijun always liked head pats. It was why everyone gave it to him, and Ushijima fondly continued patting him. The others tried to do it as well, and in the end, Eijun had to the luxury from the giants' numerous head pats.

He stared at the notebook when the Adlers were done signing it. His eyes were sparked in excitement. A full autograph of every player today, and some of them even gave Eijun a message! First a signed volleyball, and now this one. He better buys a frame to put the ball inside it.

He happily skipped back to his seat, waiting for Haru or the Black Jackals to finish up. He then remembered the Karasuno team. He stopped and looked around, but to his surprise, he couldn't see any of them. Did they already leave? No, they wouldn't.

Would they? The thought of it was upsetting.

"For someone who won, you looked like your hamster died!" A bratty voice cut him off. Recognizing the voice a mile away, he quickly turned towards them.

'Impossible!' Eijun widened his eyes.

And there they were. Holding a lot of plastic bags full of souvenirs and from Osamu's onigiris. The first-string Inashiro members (well, some of them): Mei, Itsuki, Carlos, and-

'Shirakawa-san,' His throat suddenly ran dry, and his hands grew cold. The sight of the redhead staring at him and memories of the umpire yelling "Deadball!" came to him like a broken record.

"Wh-" He felt a crack in his voice and cleared his throat. "What are you guys doing here on a volleyball court?" He avoided his gaze on Shirakawa.

"Just happened to be in the area, that's all," Mei put a hand on his hip, the plastic and the onigiris rustled when he did. "It's amazing how a pitcher could make a decent volleyball player!"

"I used to play volleyball before I could hold a glove. My cousin and his friends taught me," Eijun took offense to that for some reason. He made sure he only looked at Mei. "but baseball was more my thing."

Mei hummed. Who knew wearing a different jersey made such a difference to Eijun's appearance? He appeared to be taller than usual, his muscles from his legs and arms were shown, and it must be the jersey but it seemed like he got buff the last time they saw him-evidence of Eijun's hard-earned training back in Seidou.

"Why did you decide to play baseball? It seems like you have a knack for volleyball," Shirakawa spoke up, genuinely curious despite his face told otherwise.

Eijun felt a lump had stuck on his throat and couldn't speak. Because when he speaks right in front of Shirakawa, all he could think about was that deadball replaying in his head.

"Stuff happened," was the only thing he could muster to think of.

"Does your team know you're here?" Shirakawa continued.

"No," Eijun shrugged, staring at the floor. He sounded a bit irritated, but it was only because he was tensed. He would rather stare at the floor than looking at the person who triggered his trauma. He wanted to get out of here.

Mei tilted his head. "You sure about that? I thought they knew because they watched your match a while ago."

"What?!" Eijun turned towards Mei, all eyes on him. "Did I hear it clearly? They watched me play ?!"

"Yes, they watched!" Mei repeated, covering his ear from that blasted loud voice of Eijun's.

Eijun turned to stone. His team? So that means Miyuki knew? And they watched him play volleyball?! If they watched him play, then that means they saw him get hit by a ball. Oh, God. But how did they know? Didn't they have practice this whole afternoon in preparation for when they will go to Osaka?

"I texted Kazuya first to tease him," Mei explained when he noticed how creepy Eijun's face was getting. "but even before I did, it appears that he already knew you were playing."

Impossible. They skipped practice? Miyuki, the captain? Of all people? The guy who Eijun knew was serious in training and wouldn't miss anything for baseball. But that doesn't make any sense! Sure, he forgot to tell it to the Cap that he's going to be out, but it's not like he's going to be absent all day. And it's not just him who skipped, but everyone? What?

It couldn't be the coaches, or Rei, or even the director who told them. They didn't even know he was going to play, let alone play live on television. Someone must've told them. Someone that knew Eijun outside his baseball team knew he was going to play. But who?

However, that's the least of his problem right now. How will he explain this to them when he goes back? His original plan was to change into new clothes, go straight to the indoor bullpen, and explain that he met up with his relatives. He could still think of ways on what to say about the injured knee, but it's better than telling Miyuki that he used his day off to play when the reason for his no-throw/day off was to rest his body.

He never expected the Inashiro team to go here. And it so happened to be the people Miyuki knew back in middle school. He remembered Aoi mentioning that she would call his school about his injury, which added more to his worry.

"What happened to your knee?" Carlos changed the subject and was curious about the whole knee thing. It was why they approached Eijun in the first place. They wanted to know if it was an injury or nothing serious. But it seemed like it's bandages wrapped around his knee. So could Eijun really be injured?

Eijun gasped internally. He remembered from Miyuki to keep things secret from the rival teams. A tiny detail of weakness would already be enough for the rival team to use it to their advantage, and even without opening his mouth, Eijun seemed to have exposed such weakness to their rival. And not just any rival, but their number one team to bring down for this year's Summer Tournament. Their revenge would be due soon.

"Oh, this thing?" He casually lifted his bandaged knee, trying his best to plaster the most natural smile that he had ever done. "There's nothing wrong with it! See?"

He swung his knee in front of them as he laughed. He could feel the wound slowly opening again, but he continued. His anxiety in seeing Shirakawa slowly disappeared, but he still feels tensed when looking at him straight in the eye. "This thing is a compression knee strip. It helps the blood flowing and gives support every time I jump!" He just made that up, but even he was impressed by his impromptu.

"But why only this knee?" Shirakawa wasn't convinced.

"I usually use the weight of my left leg, you see," Eijun carefully said. As much as how he finds it hard to memorize everything about baseball through books he had borrowed, volleyball and all its oddities were a piece of cake to Eijun, and so he continued. "You see, it's not that easy to jump then you think. In volleyball, you have your footwork, timing, and proper form of jumping; otherwise, you end up hurting yourself or even hit the ball awkwardly. It's all about the technique if you ask me! Normally, if you just jump in your usual stance, it won't be high to reach the net, therefore to increase your vertical jump you-"

"Enough!" Mei stopped him. Hearing him talked, no-, hearing Eijun talked about volleyball as if the idiot was a walking encyclopedia of all things volleyball was enough to burn their ears. The first time he met Eijun, he knew he was an idiot right away, but who knew this idiot was this eloquent in volleyball?

"I wasn't even finished explaining why I still need the strips, Narumiya-san!" Eijun in his smug little smile.

"We heard plenty," Shirakawa gave up. If Eijun said it's a compression strip, then so be it. It was draining to listen.

"No, no. I'm interested in listening more about it," Carlos put a hand on his chin, smirking, and was legit interested in the topic, surprising Eijun. "Papai and I used to watch volleyball games in my childhood, so I know a thing or two about volleyball, but I have no experience of playing it except gym class. And I happened to know one of the players here. He's your teammate, so to speak. Hinata Shoyo."

"Shoyo-san?!" Eijun roared, which gave the four of them quite a shock. And Shirakawa joined Mei in covering his ears. "How on earth do you know Shoyo-san?!"

Carlos then ended up explaining how he knew Hinata. And the more he explained, the more shocked Eijun was. Such a small world indeed.

"I'm more surprised you knew Hinata-san and how the two of you are close. Close enough you both call each other by your first names. No wonder he kept on saying 'Eijun this, Eijun that' to me when I told him about baseball. You are the Eijun that he meant," Carlos said as if he finally puzzled the things together.

"I'd like to know why he's not just close to Hinata-san, but every player. Both the Adlers and the Black Jackals! The pros! Tell me," Mei pointed Eijun with a look of envy behind his glare. "How come you're very close to them, and how on earth did you and Ushijima-san get acquainted? He seemed like a pretty cool guy, so how the hell did he get chummy to the likes of you?"

"You're just saying that because you admire Ushijima-san, Mei-san!" Itsuki chided in. He planned to stop him before people might think wrong of the situation. He then saw two prominent people slowly approaching them, but he could be wrong.

"I don't see why that's any of your business," Eijun swatted his hand away. "And Wakatoshi-san is one of my closest friends. That's enough questions from me. Shouldn't you guys go now? Don't you have training as well?"

"Wakatoshi-san? I knew it! You guys go way back, am I right? How come you're so defensive?"

"Geh! I am not defensive!"

"Yeah, you are!"

"Go back to Inashiro already!"

A tall guy in a suit wearing a poorly tasted necktie design (volleyball? Really?), and half of his hair was all spiked upwards, approached them behind Eijun. Beside him was a man in probably his 30s to 40s wearing a formal suit as well. The four of them were surprised by their sudden appearance.

"Eijun," the younger man said behind him, and Eijun flinched. He bit his lip as he slowly turned to face him.

"Black Roos-!" He cleared his throat. "Kuroo-san, what are you doing here?" He calmed himself upon seeing the man beside Kuroo.

The Inashiro bunch all stood there while bowing in response when Kuroo and the older man acknowledged them.

" Kuroo- san?" He turned back to Eijun, curving his lips. He didn't miss the way Eijun rolled his eyes over. "Where's the usual Black Rooster? I liked that nickname you gave me. Or better yet," He leaned forward to meet Eijun's gaze. "Tetsurou."

"In your dreams," Eijun shot him a glare. "Once you're nice to me, I might consider it. But for now, Kuroo-san is enough until you start calling me that weird nickname again. What are you doing here anyway?"

"Harsh," Kuroo shook his head smiling. "I am always nice to you, Eijun. You know that, right? You even played better than I had anticipated. Though-"

"I couldn't play half-assed when a certain someone underestimated me," Eijun quickly retorted the moment he caught Kuroo staring at his wound. He managed to pull away the Inashiro bunch's attention on his wounded knee, and it would ruin Eijun's plan if Kuroo were to fucked it up.

He stared at Kuroo, hoping that the guy would pick up his signal as he blinked at him numerous times. Kuroo caught it and saw how Eijun discreetly shook his head while using his eyes to point at the other four in front of them.

'Ah. I get it,' Kuroo nodded and extended his hands to the four confused high schoolers, distracting them. Despite the way he looked, Eijun was grateful he was intuitive and observant.

"Hello there! I'm Kuroo Tetsurou, a member of the Japan Volleyball Association. And this besides me is Hibarida Fuki, the coach for the Japan National Team."

They all returned the handshakes and introduced themselves from Carlos to Itsuki.

"Baseball players, huh?" Kuroo lifted an eyebrow as he glanced at Eijun and then went back to the four. "How was your first time watching a volleyball match?"

"It's an experience, I guess. It's surprisingly interesting," Mei answered for the four of them.

"How so?" Kuroo couldn't help but stare at Mei. There's something about him that Kuroo had noticed the first time he opened his mouth to speak, but Kuroo couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"Well, I thought it would be boring. I've played volleyball in our gym class, and it was so-and-so. I'm not tall enough to even jump to reach the net, and I thought someone with the same height as me wouldn't do so much in the volleyball world until I saw Hinata-san and Hoshiumi-san. So I ended up enjoying the game than I anticipated. If I had met those two when I was young, I might consider volleyball. I guess you could say it spike my interest!" He lifted his chin and grinned as if he had just made a very witty remark.

Eijun and the other three couldn't help but cringe at that volleyball pun. Even Eijun wouldn't do that.

Kuroo, however, liked his honesty.

It's also a way for him to gather data on how to promote the sport. But still, Mei sounded familiar.

"Narumiya, right?" He smiled. Eijun eyed him suspiciously. "Have we met before?"

If it weren't for Hibarida, Eijun would've kicked him in the groin already. Met? There's no way they met before! What on earth was Kuroo thinking?

"I think not?" Mei looked confused as well.

Kuroo pondered for a bit. "This may sound weird, but could you try saying 'Kuro'?"

Eijun arched an eyebrow, and the other three were confused as well.

"Eh? Kuro?" Mei heightened his pitch, ever so confused.

"Yes, that one. But try speaking it lower."

" Kuro ." Mei ended up following his weird request. Kuro? What's Kuro?

The softness of his voice, his hair, and his honesty. It sounded like Kenma, and he even acted like him. Eijun probably realized it too, because why else would he opened his jaw as he pointed towards Mei in disbelief.

"K-kuroo-san!" Eijun appeared to be shaken. "It's creepy how he sounds like Kenma! What the heck?"

"Indeed," Kuroo was taken by surprise as well. Hibarida was chuckling.

And yeah, easy for you to say, Eijun. Does he even know how many of them mentioned he sounded like Akaashi, even though they both denied such claims? It's no wonder Bokuto quickly bonded with Eijun the first time he met the kid.

"Excuse me," Itsuki raised his hand slightly and looked at the time. They need to go now. Otherwise, Kunitomo would have their heads. "But senpais, we better go now. We won't catch the bus on time if we delay ourselves."

"Oh yeah, you're right!" Carlos realized.

"Don't worry. You guys can go ahead. Thank you for watching the game again, and it was nice meeting you all," Kuroo waved at them.

"Sawamura! You better prepare yourselves because we're the ones who will go to Koshien again!" Mei declared as Itsuki was pulling him out in the exit.

"Hah! You wish! Our Seidou soul isn't something to look down upon. We won't lose to you!" He yelled back, his hands pumped in fists. Kuroo and Hibarida were surprised at how loud he was, and he wasn't this loud during the match.

He watched as the four of them hurriedly went to the exit. He stared at Shirakawa as he got out, and he held his chest. It still haunts him even if he convinced himself he was fine.

'Deep breaths,' Eijun reminded himself. He slapped his cheeks hard enough that he felt the sting from both his hands and face.

He's fine. He's going to be okay.

"You okay?" Kuroo said rather worriedly, and Eijun only replied with a thumbs-up. The pinks on his cheeks were like a heavy blush.

"I feel wonderful!" Eijun snickered. Kuroo knew him better than that, but he didn't want to further push the subject that might upset Eijun.

Nodding his head, Kuroo then introduced Eijun to Hibarida again, who Eijun had heard about since he was a child and even read an article or two about him. If he recalled, he was the coach for the Japan team and the Youth team. He took the card Hibarida handed him.

"Pleased to have made an acquaintance, Hibarida-san!" He respectfully bowed to Hibarida.

"And I'm glad to have finally met you, Sawamura Eijun," there's something about the way Hibarida spoke, which hinted a sense of comfort in Eijun's ears. He was nicer than Eijun would've thought him to be, and Hibarida carefully observed him. Eijun looked relaxed and seemed approachable. The way he carried himself with confidence on his back was one of the reasons Hibarida wanted him. What he noted the most was Eijun's broad shoulders and leaned muscles. It appeared that he had been trained well, and it's no wonder his spikes packed a deadly hit. It enticed his interest in Eijun even further.

"Now, I would like to be straight to the point in this conversation of ours. I would like to invite you to our All-Japan Youth Camp. You have the skills and the attitude that fits well to represent Japan, and I can see your potential just by watching you play with the pros. You handled them well despite your first time playing with them. I've also recently found out that you used to play volleyball in middle school, so it's no wonder you weren't so awkward in hitting the ball," He chuckled a bit. Kuroo was worried about how Eijun would react, but to his surprise, he was listening and looked serious as he waited for Hibarida. Afterward, the coach continued. "You also have a strong presence in the court, enough to catch everyone's attention and even this old man here. Your court defense, how you read the opponent's movements in a blink of an eye, and not to mention your spike speed are not to mislook over."

"With all due respect, I'm a baseball player, Hibarida-san," Eijun informed him, but something tells him that Hibarida already knew that. "It wouldn't fit in your category for the Youth Team. Not to mention for a volleyball player, I'm too-"

"Short? Baseball player?" Hibarida smiled, the creases on his eyes were visible. "This may sound weird as the Japan team coach, but I don't believe in the norm of volleyball, Sawamura. I've said this a million times to those players I've worked with, but I want to show the world how volleyball isn't just for height and power. It's not only the talent you possess but also how you choose to work at it. You have the talent to wreak havoc in the world of volleyball, Sawamura."

"Hibarida-san," Eijun said, his eyes burned like sunset. "I appreciate your thoughts and believe me, I am flattered on how highly you think of my skills in volleyball, but I stand my ground that I am a baseball player and I have no intention to change that. As much as I love volleyball, I can't see myself playing it on a different court in a different environment. So I humbly reject your offer, Hibarida-san!" He bowed lower and held himself.

Kuroo expected this to happen and even warned Hibarida, but of course, the older coach said with a wide grin, "It wouldn't hurt to try, right?" And now here they were, Eijun bowing in front of them. Kuroo caught the two teams staring at them like a hawk from afar and damn, could they just focus on their fans for even a damn second without watching out for Eijun?

"Now now, Sawamura," Hibarida smiled as Eijun straightened his back. He could tell this kid was special. "I admire your conviction, and I respect that. But will you not consider it just a bit? The camp won't be until the first week of December so you have more time to think about it. We will make sure you are well-provided during your stay with us."

Eijun smiled gently. "Baseball is my sport, Hibarida-san."

"Are you sure about your decision?"

"Yes," Eijun answered non-hesitantly. "I'm sure."

"Very well," Hibarida nodded, smiling but feeling defeated. It would've been nice if Eijun did consider. He could already tell how Eijun would've taken the world through a storm with his skills, but even he knew where to draw the line. He doesn't want to force him. He just wanted to consider the possibilities of his choices. But it seemed that Eijun was serious, and just like what he told to Kuroo, at least he tried.

"Well, this old man would have to go now. It was nice meeting you, Sawamura Eijun. I look forward to seeing you grow as a pitcher," He grinned before turning to Kuroo. "And Kuroo, join me for a drink!"

"My, my Hibarida-san, this early? You're that upset, huh?" Kuroo gestured goodbye to Eijun with his hand pointed sideways and mouthed, 'I told him so,' as Eijun laughed softly at that. Eijun bowed again to the both of them and they disappeared in the wave of the crowds.

All-Japan Youth Camp .

Kageyama used to attend that camp and Haru as well. If Eijun could recall, Hinata wanted to go there but wasn't invited, which baffled Eijun even until now.

Those kinds of opportunities should be reserved to those who were like Haru or even Hinata-the ones who made volleyball their sport as what baseball was to Eijun. It's unfair to the others when he, a pitcher, got invited to the national team instead of real volleyball players.

Besides, he would rather practice his pitch during his off-season. His splitter was still unstable, recalling their match against Hakuryuu. He still had to look for a way to control it better to make it usable for their next practice games. And there's also his slider and his curveball to think of, and he should also try to research more on how to control those. The tournament was fast approaching, and he still had more things to improve on.

" Ah , damn it! " Eijun slipped out his thoughts, flexing his left hand. "I want to pitch so bad."

He then looked up, the ceiling lights were still lit, and his emotions were all over his head.

Eijun made small conversations with a few passersby, saying how amazing he was back there, and oddly enough, there were even some teenagers the same age as he was asking for his photograph.

Haru was also taken by some people, mostly the older women for some reason.

Soon, some special VIPs came forward to him and exchanged numbers with him, inviting him to play with them in a local gym once he had the time. He forgot his phone, finally realizing it, but luckily he memorized his number. He let them call his phone to save their numbers afterward when he got back in the dorm. Hopefully, he'd remember their names by then. And luckily, he changed his password, so there's no way Kuramochi could find out his new code.

"See you later, Sawamura!" They waved him goodbye, following the wave of the crowd heading out. Eijun smiled at them and decided to look for the Karasuno team one last time.

Eijun wondered where the Karasuno team was. He looked high and low for them while waiting for the Black Jackals to finish their meeting with the fans. He tried to go to where they once seated, but they weren't there anymore.

'Don't tell me they left without saying goodbye?' Eijun frowned. He'd always wanted to see them since Suga caught him in his arms, yet they're out of sight. Looking at the time, it's no wonder they left this early. Daichi and Asahi must've sent them off. Eijun just wished they'd even have the time to meet up with him, even just for a short while. He sighed.

He could just message Daichi and the others telling them how grateful he was that they had gone all the way to watch him play volleyball, without emphasizing that they left without so much as saying goodbye. The audacity of them.

He turned to see that the Black Jackals were done with the fan signing, and he decided to head towards them. He should probably go back to the dorm soon, despite the possible punishments awaiting him there. But before doing so, he should tell them about the game that he was excited to let them know about. The thought of it made him grinned excitingly.

"Will you guys go back to Osaka tonight?" He wiggled his eyebrows as soon as he reached them. He held hands behind him, and he started to sway his body out of sheer excitement.

"I don't think so, Sawamura. We'll stay here for three more days because we still have matches on other teams," Inunaki answered nonchalantly, wiping himself with a towel. Eijun's smile dropped, and his shoulder slumped down. He was sure they could go back tonight and used this time to invite them to watch his practice game. Inunaki saw the change in Eijun's mood and suddenly got worried. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"We're going to Osaka the day after tomorrow, by the way. My team and I," Eijun said, kicking off the heel of his shoes and a squeaked noise can be heard from it. "And it's near your team's place. I figured you'd come and watch but I see that's not the case anymore, I guess. It's against one of the powerhouses and I'm the starting pitcher. I wanted to let you guys see how much I improved and all. Timing really sucks, though. "

"With that knee of yours?" Sakusa scoffed. "Do you think they would let you play? I heard the pitcher is one of the important guys on the field."

"Everyone who's playing in the field is important, not just the pitcher," Eijun corrected him. He looked at his knee and bit his lip. Eyes brows furrowed, he sighed. He should've been careful indeed, but what's done is done. "But as long as I get to rest for today and tomorrow, it would heal faster. There was a time I fell under the tree when I was a kid. I rested for like a day, and I was already running around the field the day before you know it. So I am confident that I could pitch!"

"That 's your coach's decision, not yours," Sakusa reminded him. "And besides, we won't be in Osaka on that day. We would still be here."

"I know that already. But still..." Eijun murmured to himself. He wore his disappointment like a piece of clothing. First the Karasuno team, and now this. Is this his bad luck after receiving so many blessings earlier? What next? The Seidou team hearing about all of this? Oh wait, they did already. But about his injury, however.

"Wait, did Aoi-san told it to Boss?!"

"Boss?" The Black Jackals all gathered with puzzled faces. Then, Meian stepped in, holding a towel around his neck. "There was no Boss, but she did reach out to someone named Takashima over the phone and told her what happened to you."

"I'm done for," He slugged down, clutching on to Hinata. "Shoyo-san, I'm done for. And what's worse, Miyuki-senpai won't catch for me or any of the catchers!"

"Your captain?" The team asked.

"Y-yes! My team captain," Eijun stammered. Realizing that he shouldn't have said his name out loud. Otherwise, Haru might hear it, or the team might find out Miyuki was his secret crush all this time. They loved gossips, after all. He looked over his shoulder and found Haru talking with the Adlers about something from afar.

"Got to face the music sometimes, Eijun," Hinata smiled as he held on to Eijun's shoulder.

"What do you mean? I don't play any instrument!" Eijun stared at him with the urge to cry.

"Oh my God," Sakusa facepalmed. "He meant to face your problems, Sawamura-kun! We already have enough idiots in here."

"Well, Shoyo-san should've said so in the first place!"

"Yeah, June's right!" Bokuto nodded.

"Shut up. I wasn't even talking to you."

"Now now, back to the topic at hand," Atsumu interjected. "Eijun-kun, we're sorry we can't watch ya guys play, but there are still many opportunities for ya to pitch again and this time, we'll let ya know that we'd be in the area, okay? So concentrate on healin' first."

"I suppose you're right, Atsu-san," Eijun nodded. He then noticed the time and figured he should let the team know, even though he wanted to stay even a bit more. "I think I should probably go now. I still have a curfew back in the dorm and I've already caused enough trouble to them even without me being there," he chuckled.

"Ah, you're right. We don't want that, now will we?" Meian walked past him, heading first to the exit when they should've headed to the locker room first. "Meet us outside after you change to some fresh clothes, Sawamura."

"You guys sure you won't head to the locker room to change as well?"

"This is more important. Someone is waiting for you outside, and we wanted to see you off before anything else."

"You guys don't have to do that! Really!" Eijun got flustered. Was seeing him off part of the chosen player benefits?

"You're planning to go back without us seeing you off? That would be negligent in our part." Meian shook his head.

"I was planning to hitch a ride from Daichi-nii, but that guy and the rest of the Karasuno team all left without so much as saying goodbye to their precious little pitcher! How rude of them," he gruffed, the thought of it still leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. "And Osa-san was busy in his stands the last time I checked, so I can't even ask him to fetch me back."

"Right," Inunaki drawled, following Meian and the others. "You know how adults are, Sawamura. Busy fellows, we are."

"Come now, Eijun. I'll help you carry some of your stuff in the locker room," Hinata gently pushed him towards the back door as the others were halfway out already.

"You should also be disappointed, Shoyo-san!" Eijun looked at him over his shoulder.

'I don't want to go yet.' Eijun held himself from not speaking it out loud. He instead grumbled. How on earth was Hinata looking so calm? "You guys were teammates, too! And not so much as a simple goodbye even to you? I can't believe even Yacchan didn't say anything to me! I thought we all had something special with the team. Guess I was wrong."

"Yes yes, they're horrible for not saying anything to Lil Eijun," Hinata singsongs. "You should tell that to their faces."

"What do you mean?"

Hinata gently patted his broad back and chuckled softly. "You'll see."

Eijun changed back to the shirt that he wore this morning. Hinata suggested he shouldn't change his shorts for now. Otherwise, his bandage might come undone if he wears tight pants, Eijun agreed. They all head to the entrance. Hinata noticed Eijun was hugging the signed volleyball around his arms, practically attached to it already. Unconsciously, he placed his hand over Eijun's head.

Without so much as a thought, he said, "Thank you for playing your best today, except the part you got injured, of course."

Eijun laughed softly. The night breeze met them, and they could see the Black Jackals waiting for them. "And thank you guys for supporting me. I really appreciate it."

"Of course."

"Though Atsu-san has a way of showing his support."

"Atsumu-san is just," Hinata waved his hands in the air, making weird hands signs. "you know? But Atsumu-san is Atsumu-san, and that's just his way of showing his affections towards you. He was distraught when you got hurt."

"Yeah," Eijun smiled. Though Osamu and Atsumu liked to tease and rile him up, he could tell how much they cared for him and vice versa. Osamu was more honest and vocal about it, as Eijun remembered this morning he came between Haru and him when he sensed something was wrong and asking Eijun when he was okay. "Him and Osa-san especially."

He saw a van waiting for him, and everyone was gathered around it. To his surprise, the Adlers, Haru, Kuroo were there with them. And someone whom Eijun haven't seen in a long time.

"Keiji-san?" He looked at Hinata, who nodded at him. He handed the ball to Hinata before running towards Akaashi, ignoring the others. Hinata held himself not to laugh when Kageyama thought Eijun was headed right towards him. Kageyama already had his arms open for him. He felt empty when Eijun went to someone else instead.

Akaashi greeted him with open arms, and Eijun had to pinch himself to make sure it was really Akaashi right in front of him. He had bags underneath his glasses, and it's plain to see that he looked tired from his work.

When the two talked to one another, everyone just couldn't believe how the two sounded so alike. It's pretty amazing yet creepy at the same time.

"Keiji-san! Thank you for watching the game," Eijun stood right in front of him, his hands balled excitingly. "And thank you for seeing me off. You're way better than some crows who forgot about me."

"Oh my? They abandoned their little chick?" Kuroo snickered. He went back in his teaseful tone, unlike earlier when he was talking with Hibarida. Oddly enough, Eijun preferred this kind of Kuroo. "Want me to adopt you as our kitten instead? The guys would like that. Kenma sent his regards, by the way."

"Get in line, Kuroo. June's ours," Bokuto smirked at his best friend. He then turned to Akaashi, looking so serious. "Right, Akaashi?!" Eijun had to roll his eyes over.

"Sawamura, your ride's ready for you," Meian reminded him before the others would join in fighting over Eijun's attention again. He stared at the tinted van and nodded. "And Bokuto, stop flirting with Akaashi in front of us and get your ass back here."

"Don't ruin a couple's time together just because yer single, Meian-san!" Atsumu chided, his arms around Sakusa.

"Shut up, Miya!"

"My, shot in the arrow, Meian?"

"You're one to talk, Hirugami." The two captains glared at one another, earning everyone a look that screams 'get-a-room-you-two.'

"Anyways," Meian cleared his throat, darting away from Hirugami's annoying gaze. "Someone inside is waiting for you, and we don't want to take up much more of your time. Your curfew, remember?"

"And here I thought that someone was Keiji-san!" Eijun laughed loudly as Hinata put his things inside the van. He took a peek inside, and no one was even inside but the driver. The inside was dark, so that he couldn't see the driver's face. "But no one is inside other than the driver?" He turned to Meian incredulously.

"My, awfully smart of you to notice it, Yakyu-shrimp," Kuroo laughed at his jocular remark.

"I like the part where you just shut your mouth, black rooster," Eijun growled. He and Miyuki would get along splendidly if they met, which Eijun noted they shouldn't. The world would be at peace if the two would never meet. Ever.

"Cheeky as always," Kuroo shook his head as he smiled. "Not calling me Kuroo or Tetsurou this time?"

"Once you stopped calling me Yakyu-shrimp, perhaps I'd even call your mom's name."

"Oh, she'd love that! It makes her feel young," Kuroo smirked. Eijun rolled his eyes over.

"I thought you're part of the farewell gang! Why do you have to ruin it?"

"Because it'll help you calm yourself when we say our goodbyes," Kuroo simply said. Only this time, he sounded serious. Eijun flinched, and he thought he hid it pretty well. "What? Didn't think I won't notice how tense you looked when you got out of the door?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Eijun cackled, but it was apparent now that Kuroo pointed out.

"Eijun," Kuroo called him, crossing his arms around his chest. "This is us, we're talking about. We know you."

Us.

His volleyball family who helped him overcome his hardships last year. The ones who let a kid get in their way of practice and ended up becoming their precious friend. He's going to miss them so much after this.

Hinata threw his signed volleyball to him. On instinct, Eijun caught it with his hand.

Hinata went towards him. His face softened.

"We're going to miss you, Eijun."

There. That one line did it.

Eijun looked at his volleyball and rolled it over. He could feel the tight leather of the ball every time he gripped it more firmly. He traced along everyone's signatures until his vision turned into a blur.

He doesn't want to look at them because he might want to stay a little bit longer when he does. Warm arms reached around him, and he didn't have to look up to see who it was.

"This isn't the end, Eijun. You know we're here when you need us," Kageyama said softly, his head resting on top of Eijun's hair.

Eijun nodded on Kageyama's chest, warm tears all over his jersey.

"I didn't expect to play volleyball again," Eijun admitted between his sobs. "but I'm glad I did today. And you know? I thought I'd forget how to play, good thing I didn't. Thank you for teaching me how to play volleyball, Tobio-san," He looked over Kageyama's shoulder and smiled at Hinata. "And you too, Shoyo-san. You guys shared your love in volleyball to a skinny little kid back then, and I will never forget that."

"And we would gladly do it again. Just say the word," Kageyama called Hinata towards them, and the three embraced. "But now, do your best in your baseball team, okay?"

"Yes!"

One by one, he hugged everyone. He had to tiptoe to most of them, but the guys decided to bent down just to make it easier for Eijun.

"I'm going to miss you, Sawamura," Barnes tightened his hug. "You were something back there."

"I'm going to miss you too, Oliver-san!" He beamed at him. Barnes had to scruffle his hair one more time before going on to the others.

"You take care of that knee of yours, okay, Sawamura?" Meian patted him on the back when they both hugged.

"Yes, Meian-san!" Eijun giggled. He then lowered into a whisper, making sure only both of them could hear each other. "I don't know what's going between you and Hirugami-san, but I'm rooting for you both. "

Meian didn't twice and shoved him away, regretting it. He was beet red, and Eijun smirked, cackling right after.

"Ah! Sorry. I. I was... What? I mean... What the hell, Sawamura?" Meian stammered, but he made sure Eijun wasn't hurt and apologized right after. "You okay? Damn! I'm sorry about that."

"He must've said something that gets you this riled up. Care to share what it's all about, Meian?" Hirugami got closer to them when he noticed everyone was about to throw hands on Meian when Eijun was shoved.

"Nosy fellow." Meian didn't even bother to look Hirugami in the eyes, he was busy apologizing to Eijun.

"Haha! Nothing to worry about, Hirugami-san!" Eijun grinned at Hirugami and then to Meian. If Hinata hadn't told him about how smitten the two were with each other, he wouldn't have noticed it. Everyone knew except themselves. But now, Eijun could see it as clear as day. He read this kind of thing in one of his favorite shoujo mangas but never had he seen it in real life until now. "Definitely nothing to worry about."

Hirugami raised an eyebrow as Eijun proceeded to hug him afterward.

They all had their turns. Everyone complained when Bokuto wouldn't let Eijun go, and Akaashi had sort into whispering to him something suggestive, and that's when Bokuto released Eijun right away. Akaashi wasn't sure if it was Bokuto's intention or not to make him say that, but he did turn bright red right after. Eijun was about to ask what exactly did Akaashi say to Bokuto, but he was pulled away by Hinata before Bokuto could happily tell him, earning him a slap on the head by Akaashi.

Then it was Sakusa. Eijun was surprised Sakusa didn't scowl at him when he approached.

"5 seconds. Nothing more, nothing less." Sakusa said, which Eijun happily accepted. He's just glad he was one of the people Sakusa allowed to be within proximity. It made him think that Sakusa cares about him- which the curly-haired does, but he just won't admit it to the kid. Actions speak louder than words, after all.

"I promise to catch up with you guys," Eijun muttered when he and Atsumu hugged right after Sakusa. "It might take a few years, though."

Atsumu snorted, remembering what he wrote in Eijun's notebook. "We'll wait for ya."

He bowed to both of the teams' coaches, Samson and Suzaku. Thanking them for today, and apologized to Samson one last time for his carelessness. But Samson smiled at him and said, "Do your best out there, kid."

The last one he approached among the Adlers was Haru.

"So this is it, then?" Haru exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah. I guess," Eijun shrugged. They were both holding their respective volleyball. It was weird, and Eijun felt sentimental all of a sudden. He nodded. "See you next time, Haru."

"Yeah. See you, Acejun." Haru smiled, but this time it was warm, sincere, and genuine. He was like the different Haru Eijun knew this morning. It was like they were back in their middle school selves.

"I've always liked that nickname back then. I wonder if I should bring that back when I become my team's ace."

"They won't let you be their ace once you do, believe me."

"Hey! You'll never know, right?!"

Eijun then bid him another farewell and went back to the van, where Kuroo was waiting for him. They both smirked at one another, and Kuroo held him. He's really different than the time they met back in gym 3, and Kuroo couldn't be any prouder.

"I hope you won't make any stupid comments after this," Eijun reminded as they hugged.

"I won't," Kuroo chuckled. "Do your best in your Summer Tournament, Eijun. We'll cheer for you and your team."

"I will," Eijun paused a bit. And then continued, "Thanks for giving me my old ace number, Tetsurou-san."

"Well now, that wasn't so har-"

"What did I say?"

"Sorry."

He looked at everyone one last time. Everything was perfect, except the fact he didn't get the chance to see the Karasuno team or Osamu one last time. Atleast he gave Osamu a pass since he was busy with his customers, who were still lining up for his onigiris even until now. Good for him. The Karasuno team however... He shakes away his thoughts, not wanting to ruin the moment right now. He'll just call them once he gets back to Seidou.

Just when he was about to open the van's door, Haru walked briskly towards him and called him out, surprising everyone present.

"Eijun! The Inter-high. My team and I will definitely make it to Nationals, so watch us when we're on the center court, you hear me?!"

"Hyuuga's something, ain't that right, Omi?" Atsumu said, looking at Sakusa. "Itachiyama's treating him well."

"Of course," Sakusa didn't bother to move. "It's Itachiyama, after all."

Eijun stared at him. The night breeze's getting warmer, summer's coming.

"I won't be there when your team goes to Nationals, Haru."

Haru's face dropped. Everyone felt bad for him. The teams were watching them close. Even though it wasn't even a confession, why does it seemed it was?

"And why the hell not?"

"Because my team and I are going to Koshien!" Eijun said loudly and excitingly. The way he grinned at night was dazzling among everyone, and they couldn't help but be swooned by it. Haru was probably the only one unaffected by it.

"Scared the shit out of me there," Haru let out a nervous cough. He forgot that baseball and volleyball nationals were held in the same month in the summer. "Then, what about Haru-ko? Tokyo's hosting."

"I will be there when it's Haru-ko, but promise me you get to watch me in the semi-final and finals qualifier for the Summer Tournament."

"Only if you get to watch mine, too."

"It's a promise."

They sealed their promise with their pinkies and then with a handshake.

"Boo! Where's the drama? The climax? The part where everyone ended up dead except that smart ass side-character, who happened to be the main character all along?" Hoshiumi cupped his hands together on his mouth and hid behind Ushijima.

Everyone bursted into laughter after that.

Yeah, Eijun's definitely going to miss them.

He closed the door once he got in the van. He watched them waved him goodbye as the car started to move until he couldn't see them anymore.

He leaned at the back of his seat and sighed deeply.

"You good, sir?" The driver asked.

Eijun squinted over the darkness to look at the driver in the rear mirror yet to no avail. "Yeah. Today was...fun."

"How so?"

Eijun didn't mind a conversation, he preferred it that way. Otherwise, he'd overthink what to do once he goes back to his dorm. But for some reason, he can't help but feel like he met the driver already. But from where?

"Well, it's a long story, Mr..? Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name."

"Azumane," the driver simply said.

Azumane? Isn't that-

"But you may call me Asahi," he turned on the lights and saw a grinning Suga in the front seat and Asahi as the driver.

On that night, inside a dubious white van, Eijun screamed like there was no tomorrow.