This is just an announcment AND A CHAPTER
I have hit an epiphany and I am rewriting previous chapters to accommidate with the new-found characteristic of Tamiko.
Since the new characteristic needs to be believable and real, I am changing little things in the chapter.
I hope you will find out what it is :)
Chapter 1 has already been edited.
And since I have almost caught up with the manga, updates will become rarer. There are characters that I want to include which haven't been introduced yet, so before I make them up, I want to see what they are like.
I apologize to my faithful readers.
I will, however turn my focus on the AU that I have been working on and hope to see you all in the reviews and follower list :)
Thanks again for sticking to me.
The AU will be called 'TO BECOME A STRONG MAN'
And this is the summary
He was the heir, the next Shogun but he wants to be a child a little longer, neglecting his father's teaching. However, to become a strong man you have to overcome obstacles but Ushijima Toshio never thought that he would face such a big challenge.
Anyway, since this part of the chapter has manga pages as support I am posting this!
Enjoy!
Chapter 32 - A new stage
After having escaped the busy train station and finding the hotel, Tamiko was more than relieved to take a small rest from their travel. Before they left to go to the stadium they had explored their accommodation in the hotel. The hotel itself offered a nice lounge but the rooms were something else. They had a small bathroom and a small sofa with a TV. And two beds with a nightstand between them. Tamiko was growing a little sceptical if it was a good idea to share a room with a guy she had only been dating for two weeks. But then again, she could trust him, she knew and believed this. After having deposited their luggage they made their way downstairs to go to the stadium to see the opening ceremony. Suddenly Tamiko stopped and turned around.
"Wait here," she told him as she ran the stairs back up.
Although confused, he waited patiently until she returned, out of breath but with a smile on her face.
"What did you forget?" he asked.
"My notebook." she told him.
He looked down at her, a little confused as to why she had a need for it.
"If I'm going to be the manager of Shiratorizawa then I need to know the competition on this new stage." she smirked mischievously.
"It isn't new." he bluntly noted.
"It is to me."
He smiled at her fondly as he watched her clutch the notebook tightly before putting it into her rucksack. He remembered her telling him about this, her future plan. Tokyo was a dream she could not reach with her brother still so depended on her. That was the reality of her situation. So she had to stay in Sendai. The offer of her working as Shiratorizawa's manager was something she could befriend herself with now and she was eager. Over the last three years she had never shown any interest in this sport but ever since she witnessed the finals of the Miyagi prefecture, her heart has been set on fire. It could easily be said that Ushijima was proud of his girlfriend. It may only be a little tribute she would pay and if he was honest, he did really see the need of a manager. But she was different. She wasn't just anyone. Many girls had offered themselves for the position but coach Washijo had always been against it. A useless distraction, he had called it. But Tamiko had a trained eye, she was motivational and she could keep them in check. He was sure that he could leave the team in her capable hands.
And so they left the hotel together. Tokyo wasn't as cold as the northern Miyagi but it was still chilly so jackets and scarfs were still worn. Luckily the hotel was near the Tokyo metropolitan stadium, so they didn't have to walk in the cold for too long and the stadium wasn't hard to find either. Many people were on their way to the stadium so they just had to follow the flow of the crowd. The blow up volleyball mascot was easy to spot from a distance and lots of busses were parked along the road, dropping off team after team from different corners of the country with the name of their school hoisted above the sea of moving heads. Some had traveled far, others lived close by. It was a huge crowd of people, players and spectators. One group she recognised straight away as they walked towards the entrance.
"Tobio-kun!" she called and waved.
Pushing through the crowd she skipped ahead to the group in black. Ushijima followed her in silence. The Karasuno team was surprised to see her but they all greeted her and didn't really notice the grand ace approach. They were focused on Tamiko as she talked with them and wished them good luck.
"I hope to see some good play." she grinned and patted her brother's shoulder.
"Are you going to cheer for us, Kageyama-san?" Hinata asked.
"Of course," she grinned. "And I wouldn't be alone."
She turned her head to look at her companion who was now standing beside her. Hinata looked at her, slightly confused when he saw the familiar figure loom over him. He flinched back when he saw the glare from above, pointing at him in shock.
"Japan!" he shrieked.
Ushijima stayed silent and just looked at them in his stoic manner as they all grew nervous and began to whisper.
"What is Ushiwaka doing here?" Suga asked.
"Beats me." Daichi replied.
What was even more unnerving was to see a him in normal clothes. He gave off such an insignificant and normal vibe that it was disturbing. Tobio nodded into Ushijima's direction as a greeting and the ace nodded back. Suga did notice this and whispered something into his kohai's ear. Tobio just gave him a confused glance and shook his head.
"I knew that he was going to be here." he told his senior and then turned to Ushijima. "Don't lose her, Wakatoshi-san. She has never been in Tokyo."
"Wakatoshi-san?" Suga repeated with confusion.
Since when did his kohai call Ushijima by his given name? He looked at Ushijima who didn't seem at all bewildered being called this way.
"Tobio-kun, you're not my overseer." Tamiko grumbled.
Hinata gave a comment about Tobio getting lost in Sendai before to which the said boy accused him of having gotten lost with him. They all laughed when Tamiko noticed how Tanaka was glaring at her and Ushijima suspiciously, scratching his chin in thought. His small eyes assessed many possibilities which raced through his head, when one idea seemed to overtake him.
"Could it be," Tanaka said. "Are you two on a date?"
The others stared at him when they heard that question leave his mouth. The third years commented on how that couldn't be when they glanced at the pair for confirmation. However, Tamiko look up to Ushijima and smiled at him and he half-smiled back at her. Jaws dropped to the floor.
"Eh?!" they all shrieked.
Yachi almost fainted and Asahi was looking around for some guidance in this insanity. Tanaka and Nishinoya were screaming at each other in disbelief and Hinata was shaking Yamaguchi while Tsukishima just stood there with the other second years.
"Kageyama-san," Yachi stammered as she approached her. "You are on a date?"
"I think it's pretty normal to go on a date when you are dating someone, isn't it?" Tamiko shrugged.
Now everyone was just silent, staring at them. Slowly, it sank in. This was even bigger than expected. Daichi grabbed Tobio's shoulders and turned him to face him.
"Kageyama, are you aware that Ushijima himself is dating your sister?" he asked while shaking him.
His face was serious and worry was present in his eyes. It was either worry for Tobio's well being of his mind or his awareness of the situation, even Tamiko couldn't tell.
"I am." Tobio said.
"Ushijima Wakatoshi is dating your sister." Daichi repeated slowly to show how ridiculous it sounded.
"I know," was all Tobio said, calm and aware.
Daichi looked at his kohai and let go of his shoulders, wishing him good luck for the future. The information had now completely suck in and Hinata started to bombard Tobio and Ushijima with questions. They mainly had to do with volleyball, if Tobio was getting some secret coaching from Ushijima and if he could join in. Tamiko had to giggle. She was about to save her boyfriend from the bombardment when they were approached by a different group.
"Glad to see that the two of you are as boisterous as ever." someone said.
"Getting an up close and personal look at the authentic Skytree must've really been something for you country bumpkin crows." they heard a voice from behind.
They all turned around when they saw a group of boys and an old man dressed in red tracksuits. They all wore a friendly expression, some even waving.
"Nekoma!" Hinata gasped with pleasant surprise.
Many of the opposite team smiled and greeted the players of Karasuno. Tamiko remembered the name Nekoma. Tobio had talked about them often enough. They were the opposing team at the 'battle of the trash heap' as Tobio called it. There were a few strangely looking ones amongst them. One was incredibly tall will silver hair and cat-like eyes. He had a foreign features that she didn't recognise. Another was rather short with blond hair and black roots. One who she only see as a Libero was very short. But who really caught her attention was a black haired guy with terrible bed hair. He greeted Daichi and then noticed Ushijima stand close by.
"Well, if it isn't Ushiwaka," the black haired guy grinned.
Ushijima met his gaze with the guy who was just a few centimeters shorter but no less intimidating.
"Kuroo Tetsuro." Ushijima said.
The two mustered each other for a moment when Kuroo tilted his head to the side with curiosity.
"What are you doing here," he asked. "Didn't your team lose?"
"My team did suffer a loss, yes." Ushijima confirmed bluntly.
"Then what brings you here?" he asked when he began to tease. "Do you want to see the crows lose?"
Before Ushijima could answer, Tanaka stepped forward, hands in his pockets, slouching and pouting.
"Nah, Ushiwaka is on a date." Tanaka grumbled.
He put a lot of emphasis on the last word. Kuroo blinked for a moment and then looked at Ushijima. There was a lot of disbelief and confusion in his small hazel eyes.
"Oh, you have a girl?" Kuroo asked, curiously.
Ushijima nodded and pivoted to the side to clear the view to Tamiko who had returned to conversing with her brother. Kuroo stepped up to her curiously, looking up and down her figure. Simple trainers, jeans, jacket and scarf. Blue eyes, brown wavy hair, average height, slim, glasses. This was Ushijima's type? Kuroo raised an eyebrow when she looked at him and frowned. He had been staring at her for a minute and now she was growing uncomfortable. Why do all these guys have to be taller than me, she grumbled.
"So," he started and bend down to her. "you have tamed Ushiwaka?"
"He's not an animal." she informed him in an annoyed tone.
"Amongst us he is known as a beast."
"That I can agree on." she nodded.
Next to her Ushijima threw her a confused glance but she just smiled fondly at him. Kuroo looked down at her when he laughed and offered his hand.
"I'm Kuroo Tetsuro, captain of the Nekoma volleyball club." he introduced himself.
"Kageyama Tamiko." she told him and shook his hand.
"Kageyama?" he repeated. Then he looked at Tobio. "Are you two related?"
"She is my older sister." Tobio explained.
Cat-like eyes widened as team Nekoma tried to process the information they had just received. Ushijima had a girlfriend who was also the older sister of the Grand Ace of Miyagi. A big grin grew on Kuroo's face.
"Now this is interesting."
Before anyone could start throwing questions, Hinata stepped forward excitedly and spread his arms with a big shining smile.
"She is Shiratorizawa's manager." Hinata grinned.
Tamiko couldn't help but smile, patting Hinata's orange head.
"Shiratorizawa doesn't have a manager." Yaku, the Nekoma libero, noted and the others from the team nodded.
"Let's just say I have only accepted the position recently." she informed them.
"Oho?" Kuroo's eyes twinkled with his grin.
Now his interest had peaked. If she had a genius setter as a brother she might have a lot of knowledge herself. Shiratorizawa had the power to break any strategy but if they now possessed a brain then they would be even more difficult to defeat, even with Ushijima out of the picture.
"Kuroo-san," they heard someone mumble behind them.
It was Taketora and he had all negative emotions reflected in his eyes, face and body posture. He was not happy.
"I will quit!" he announced with drama, throwing himself to the ground. "How come all teams have cute managers and we don't? I'll move to Sendai and join a team there!"
Tears were flowing down his face as he kneeled and Tamiko was generally confused at the situation. That's when things escalated again. The short blond suddenly kicked him telling him to man up. Tanaka and Nishinoya proudly reminded Taketora of their own two managers to which he cried to even more. The tall silver haired guy commented on how the short blond shouldn't be able to man up either since he was shorter than a girl, to which he was also kicked. Kuroo had bursted into laughter along with another one of his team, while the pudding head was on his phone. Both Tamiko and Ushijima were speechless. The shenanigans unfolding before them seemed to be normal since the coaches from both teams just watched. The couple exchanged glances and Tamiko turned to Tobio.
"We will go now. Good luck with your first match," she told him.
He nodded and watched them leave, hand in hand. None of the others noticed as the couple left the shenanigans behind them and entered the stadium.
