okay. I was screaming the last few minutes. mainly because of the new episode being awesome as shit at the same time (because they left out a scene I wrote about that happened in the Manga) as because my fanfiction wasn't working.

But now it is, thank God.

PandaHee: Yes, this was the last one for the season. Izumi gives good advice for sure, only how will it develop, that is the question.

LilweenGalatrass: I love you comments. You are honest. I admit, I am a noob when it comes to describing scenes like sport scenes. I think my strenghts lie in the conversations and I admit, I was rushing. I apologise. I know the amazing thrill didn't really appear in the last chapter. But thank you for pointing it out. :)

Reincarnation15: I'm glad you like it. I did notice that this has one of the most favs as well, compared to the other english Ushiwaka fanfics. Don't know how that happened. xD

kalmaegi:Here you have your aftermath. The boys aren't that hard to write since I had a lot of help.

Yes, I want to thank Shiratorizawa-headcanons for providing me with some authentic boys :) Those two saved me!


Chapter 13 - A Winner and a loser

"No way!" people shouted.

The hall erupted in a thunderous cheer. The final point went to Karasuno and with it they had won 3 of 5 sets. An impossible feat had occurred before everyone's eyes. The fallen powerhouse had regained its wings and that was a little terrifying. The air became static as tears began to fall out of joy and others out of sadness as the thrill of the game just didn't want to fade. Tamiko stayed silent and while everyone was chased to their feet, she sat down. She clutched her shirt and felt her heart beating so fast. Those last few seconds had drained her of all the energy that she had kept to herself throughout the game. Maybe her outburst at the end had even turned the tables a little bit but she didn't care. She watched as the teams shook hands from under the net and lined up, receiving a few words from their coach. There was no shouting from coach Washijo and he even turned his back to them but the boys smiled anyway. When each team lined up to thank their cheering squads for their support, all of the boys gazed up to their school mates. Some had slight disappointment reflected on their faces, others were trying hard to hold back the tears that have already started to flow.

"Thank you very much!" the boys shouted and bowed.

All the students clapped for their hard effort. Even though they had lost, it was an exciting match. It was a match that would stay in the memories of many. She watched in silence as the teams took a well deserved break before the reward ceremony and the audience thinned. Only the schools mainly remained. Tamiko and Izumi decided to go and see Tobio to congratulate him while they had to wait. It wasn't hard to find him. He was by the entrance to the court, making a bet with Ushijima along with Hinata. Without a word, Ushijima turned around and walk back onto the court.

"Ushijima was really fired up at the end." she said as she approached them.

"Sis." Tobio gasped.

"Congratulations." she smiled at them. "You boys all did great."

"Thank you." they both bust out and bowed.

While Tobio excitedly asked his big sister if she had seen the awesome things they did on the court, the two boys behind Hinata approached the little #10.

"Shoyou-chan, who is that?" one asked.

"That's Kageyama's older sister." he explained.

The boys swallowed and looked at her. They recognised the uniform since everyone on the other side was wearing them.

"She goes to Shiratorizawa Academy?" the other asked.

"Yeah, she is the manager of their volleyball club as well." Hinata explained.

"No, I'm not." Tamiko objected from behind. "I help them out sometimes but I'm not their manager."

"Whatever you say, Tamiko-chan." Izumi laughed.

Tamiko glared at her friend who was still laughing. This running gag was never going to change and Izumi was still amazed that Tamiko had never bothered to become the manager. Everyone in school saw her as such. Izumi continued to giggle when the little group was approached from two people.

"Looks like the freak duo won in the end." they heard someone say behind them.

They turned around and the Kageyama siblings glared. Hinata flinched back and tried to look a little tough.

"Geh, the grand king!" Hinata exclaimed.

Oikawa grinned at them and waved while Iwaizumi popped his head from behind the setter. Tamiko blinked a few times. Oikawa was wearing his glasses, something she hasn't seen in awhile. She cringed when she realised that this was one thing they had in common. She was just glad that she was wearing her contact lenses right now. It would have sparked an uncomfortable conversation.

"Yo." Iwaizumi simply greeted them.

"You really are here, Oikawa-kun." Izumi smiled.

"Well, I knew that you girls would be here, so…" he smiled when Iwaizumi cut him off.

"You lair. You came because you wanted to see the losing team."

"What an asshole." they all said in unison.

"Stop assuming such things!" Oikawa complained.

"Anyway, good luck at the nationals. It will be much tougher from here on out." Iwaizumi advised them.

Tobio and Hinata nodded with surety, Tobio especially. Iwaizumi was his former senpai after all. Tamiko smiled at the two Karasuno player's when she noticed how Oikawa was glancing at her. She quickly looked away but he had caught her glimpse.

"You know, Tami-chan." Oikawa addressed her. "You look really cute in that uniform of yours."

Tamiko jolted and shivered. This was worse than being stuck with Tendou. Luckily she had her friend to protect her. Even Izumi knew when it was too much for Tamiko.

"Oikawa-kun, she has rejected you once already. Just drop it." Izumi reminded him.

"You two are so cold." Oikawa whined.

"Stop complaining, shittykawa." Iwaizumi kicked him against the butt to shut him up.

The setter ignored him and turned to the two girls.

"You shouldn't have gone to Shiratorizawa." Oikawa sighed. "Seijoh is much better."

"Seijoh is a private school. I don't have the money for that." she explained.

"And Shiratorizawa is not expensive?"

"For me it isn't. And it gives me more opportunities."

"I think Ushiwaka-chan has brainwashed you."

"Now you are assuming things." she frowned.

Oikawa pouted. Iwaizumi and Izumi exchanged glances and smirked. It was typical. Tamiko was the only girl who hated Oikawa and that was what Oikawa liked about her. The quarrels. The only girl he could quarrel with. It made him feel normal. What they didn't noticed was how the small group was joined by another.

"Oh, Seijoh is here too." they heard someone say.

Tendou and a few others were coming out of the gym, probably to go to the restroom. When Oikawa saw Ushijima, he defensively hugged Tamiko from behind. She froze from the contact.

"How dare you brainwash Tami-chan!" he accused them.

The Shiratorizawa boys looked at the setter, a little confused from the remark but Tendou caught the gist of it and grinned.

"We didn't brainwash her. She stays with us at her own accord." Tendou explained.

They both glared at each other when Ushijima stepped next to Tendou. Izumi noticed the slight menacing aura streaming from the ace. This childish behaviour was too much.

"Stop it, Tendou." Ushijima said.

"But we have to protect our manager." Tendou insisted.

"Maybe she doesn't want to be your manager." Oikawa snapped back.

"Still, she cooks for us when we have training camp and helps out our coach, so she technically is our manager." Tandou informed him and Oikawa squeezed her even tighter.

"Leave my sister alone!" Tobio intervened.

Oikawa just struck his tongue out to his junior when Ushijima stepped towards him.

"You should let her go, Oikawa." Ushijima said while glaring down at him.

Tendou jolted a little and even Tobio stepped back. That was a very threatening tone and it was more than intimidating. Tendou knew exactly why, all of the Shiratorizawa boys did, but they all stayed quiet. Their respect for their captain had deep roots.

"Make me." Oikawa said, pulled out his tongue and squeezed her even tighter.

Izumi tightened her jaw when she noticed how stiffly Tamiko was standing there while the two captain's engaged in a staring contest. Her hands have been clenched into fists since Oikawa had wrapped his hands around her. This was a horrible situation out of her nightmares. That's why she hated the popular type. They always believed they could get anything they want because they are so great. Tamiko's eyebrows twitched.

"Oikawa-san, if you don't let me go, I'll break your bad knee." she threatened with a smile.

"Okay, okay." he squeaked and let her go.

Tamiko straightened her uniform and frowned. Her eyes briefly met with Ushijima's but then her attention turned to Izumi, who had stepped between her and Oikawa.

"You know, Oikawa-kun." Izumi started. "You are very persistent when it comes to Tamiko. That's not like you."

"A lot can change in three years." he winked.

Iwaizumi twitched and kicked Oikawa in the back. The setter flew to the floor, face first, almost breaking his glasses.

"You should really learn when to quit!" he roared.

Then he grabbed him by the collar and pulled him to his feet.

"We are going home!" he commanded and then turned to the Karasuno duo. "Good luck."

Then he walked off towing Oikawa with him. The Shiratorizawa boys also walked off with Ushijima giving Tamiko a parting glance. It was a strange glance, one that Tamiko couldn't interpret.

"He is strangely calm although he lost." Izumi noted.

Tamiko nodded. She had always wondered what face he would make if he lost and she was honestly pleasantly surprised. It was just how she imagined it. He didn't boast about winning and didn't whine about losing. He had confidence in his team but for all she knew, it wasn't misplaced. The boys from Shiratorizawa were a strong team. She smiled to herself and turned to her brother when Sugawara spotted them walked around the corner.

"There you are." he sighed. "The ceremony will start soon. Don't take too long." Sugawara told them.

"Okay." the two boys replied.

They said their farewells and headed to the court. The other two boys also left.

"We should head back as well." Tamiko said to Izumi.

Both girls walked back to their seats. The ceremony went on for a little while. Each of the Karasuno players received a medal. The Shiratorizawa boys also stayed in their line, like obedient soldiers. Tamiko's eyes were focused on her brother, and rightly so but it blinded her from what Izumi saw. A big smile grew on Tamiko's face when her brother bowed to receive his medal. Many of the students were quiet as the reality had been suckered in like a sponge. Some began to talk about watching the finals, others about how coach Washijo would probably give them a harsh punishment for losing. But Izumi saw it all and she was both shocked, confused and pleasantly surprised. How has she never seen it? Now if all made sense. Once the ceremony was over, they made their way back to the bus. When not many students were around to listen, Izumi spoke.

"Tamiko-chan, I think I know who Ushijima-kun likes."

The brunette turned to her in surprise and curiosity.

"How?"

"I saw him stare at a girl for more than two seconds." she explained. "Multiple times. I have never seen him with such longing in his eyes."

She put a lot of emphasis on the word 'longing'. Tamiko raised an eyebrow but didn't question it.

"And who was it?" she asked. "A girl from our school? We need to find her and get them together."

Izumi smiled at her friend but then her face turned serious. She took her hands into hers and looked deeply into her eyes. Then she all but whispered, so no one else would hear.

"Tamiko-chan, he was staring at you."

There was a brief silence. Izumi still remembered it. She had watched the boys closely, especially how Ushijima had occasionally gazed up to Tamiko and that was when the dots started to connect.

"What?" Tamiko said with a disbelieving laugh. "Me?"

"Yeah, you didn't notice?"

"There's no way." Tamiko laughed. "He was probably looking at someone else."

"Stop being so dense. You are the only girl he has contact with. There is nobody else who comes into question." Izumi reminded her but Tamiko didn't seem convinced.

"It can be a girl from a different school." she defended herself.

"I heard the rumours. He doesn't have any other contacts apart from those in school." Izumi affirmed.

"But it…"

"Just watch him. You're good at that. Look at the way he looks at you and interacts with you. To me it's now clear as daylight." she told her.

This silenced her and in her mind she was fighting, fighting against the idea of him liking someone like her. She scanned through her memories for the reason why it would be impossible. For the entire bus ride she stayed in her own thoughts. Izumi started to regret telling her. She knew Tamiko better than anyone and if Ushijima was ever going to confess to her, she only saw one possibility; rejection. Or maybe it made her think about the idea of saying yes. Izumi smiled to herself, creating a picture in her mind of Tamiko and Ushijima as a couple. When they arrived at school, Saitou was waiting for her.

"Since you have contributed greatly to the team over the last two years, I think it would be appropriate if you would join in the take-over." he explained with a smile.

Tamiko couldn't reject although she didn't know if she wanted to see the boys right now. They had all heard her outburst at the end and she was sure a lot of them wouldn't be pleased to see her because of this. It was how she expected it. The boys seemed to glare at her when she walked into the gym. However, when she saw the third years beacon her over to them, she was relieved that it wasn't the case. For them, she was part of the team. Coach Washijo and Advisor Saitou then gave a speech about todays match. Then the third years stood before the younger players and Soekawa Jin gave the take-over speech. Standing between Semi and Reon, she felt as short as ever and she watched and listened. The younger boys all listen.

"Alright, so we leave the take-over here." Soekawa said after his talk. "Was there anything else?"

"Can I say something?" Ushijima asked and Soekawa nodded.

"Kawanishi." he said and the boy flinched.

"Ye-yes!" he stuttered.

"Once Tendou's passed on…" he started.

"Wakatoshi-kun, isn't that a phrase you're only meant to use when someone's died?" Tendou mumbled.

Tamiko giggled. Ushijima ignored the comment and told Kawanishi his future role in the team. For every younger member he had something to say. This surprised the third-years.

"Is he planning to talk to everyone individually?" Yamagata wondered.

"That's rare to see." Semi noted.

"Wait, he sure has been watching everyone really closely!" Tendou noticed.

"He did sometimes look at my notes as well." Tamiko remembered.

There was a time when he was very interested in her notes. He had commented on how detailed they were and that was also the first time she had ever seen him smile.

"Goshiki." Ushijima finally said.

"Yes!" the first year stood straight.

"I'm counting on you."

The others all smiled as Goshiki burst into tears and all bowed to the third years, thanking them. Tamiko smiled to herself. Ushijima was about to take of his jacket when when she stepped forward.

"I have something to say to you all as well." she said.

They all turned to look at her curiously. For a moment she reflected to herself. She had watched those boys grow and train over the years and she was glad that she could have been a part of that time. It was only logical to give them some motivation and to let them know what she thought.

"It's okay to lose. You don't improve by always winning. So stop being so sullen." she said. "Next year it will be a different story."

The boys looked at her but all stayed quiet.

"The main thing is that you guys had fun. I saw how hard you fought on the court. You guys did great. I'm proud of you all. I really am. And I'm starting to regret that I didn't become your manager." she smiled sheepishly with a slight blush on her cheeks. "And I really don't know what to add. These two years were really fun and I'm glad that I got to see at least one of your matches. You guys are great."

There was silence, deadly silence. It took a few seconds for the boys the register her words. Then the tears erupted like waterfalls.

"Tamiko-chan!" the third-years wailed.

Soekawa, Tendou and Semi ran over to her with tears and hugging her tightly. Tamiko didn't resist but wished she had. Now she was trapped.

"I can't breath." she croaked.

Not to crush her to death, they let her go and Soekawa placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You were always our manager! Even when you denied it!" Tendou cried in the background.

"Tamiko, you have been a great help over the last two years even though the consequences of becoming a part of our team weren't exactly the best." Soekawa told her.

Tamiko pulled a disgusted face and the third years laughed. They knew very well why she wore that kind of expression.

"But it was great to have you behind our backs. I'll certainly miss when we have to leave." he smiled.

"Thank you, Jin." she half smiled.

Tendou walked over to his captain and placed a hand on his shoulder. The ace looked at the middle blocker, who wore a big grin on his face.

"Wakatoshi-kun, the captain should have some nice words for our manager as well." Tendou vaguely suggested.

Ushijima looked over to Tendou and then at Semi. The setter nodded with a small pout. Then Ushijima walked up to Tamiko and stared into her blue eyes. Tamiko didn't look away. She knew that the eyes were a communication anchor for him. If a person was angry or sad, the eyes told him more clearly than the facial expressions. After a few seconds he placed his hand on her head and gently ruffled up her hair. The others looked at him, shocked to the core.

"Thank you, for your support." he said and the boys swore that Ushijima smiled a little.

Look at the way he looks at you and interacts with you. She turned all shades of red and looked away sheepishly. Were those words really true? Was Izumi right with assuming that Ushijima liked her? The seeds of doubt have been sown.

"Ohoho? What is this?" Tendou grinned. "Tamiko-chan, you are very red."

As fast as lightning she covered her face with her hands, hiding her glowing cheeks.

"Shut up!" she muffled into her hands.

They all laughed. Ushijima just looked down at the girl covering her blushed face. She didn't say anything against it so he thought he did nothing wrong. Instead, he turned around and took off his support jacket.

"Well then, let's get our 100 servers over with." he said.

Tamiko subducted herself from the event and retreated to the door. A thought crossed her mind and she remembered something important.

"Ohira, what kind of birthday cake do you want?" she asked.

Since it was his birthday next, it was his turn to receive a cake.

"Anything. I don't mind." Ohira waved.

"Alright."

And with that she left the gym. She was quiet while she went home but the scene kept playing through her mind. It followed her for the rest of the day and overtook her when she went to bed that night. It wasn't the first time he had ruffled up her hair but that moment, there was something there that she couldn't put her finger on. He was looking at you. Those words made her blush again. Did he really like her? And if so, what would she do if he ever told her? She screamed into her pillow. Those were typical high school feelings and she was experiencing them for the first time. It was scary. Two years ago it was much simpler, when he and the others from the volleyball club were still strangers.


I have a little confession. This storyyine will not continue for the next three chapters. I want to go back (GREAT SCOTT).

The next three chapters will be flashbacks.

I hope you will enjoy them