Hi all. Sorry for the long wait. School took up too much of my time, but I'm back for the break. As a heads up, due to character names, Kagome will be calling her brother Kenjiro from now on to not cause any confusion. Thanks to the Fat King Pig for editing my story for me.
ooo
Sango should have learned not to antagonize people. But then again, Kagome should have been more in tune to her surroundings. Now she had to deal with hyperactive first years, annoying third-years and second-years that wanted no part in the whole mess? Could she blame Sango for this as well? Or was this karma for something else?
ooo
"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. I don't think I could have handled it. Even now, I'm barely managing to stay without running away." Kagome choked out, clenching her fists into her skirt as she stared at her parents' resting place.
"I decided to go to Shiratorizawa with Kenjiro. I was moved up a year and was elected as the captain of the girls' volleyball team. The operation went well. I had to switch to libero to let my wrist heal, but now I'm back to playing setter now. We made it to Nationals this year and almost beat Itachiyama. The rest of the girls want to play in the Spring High, but…." Kagome's eyes welled with water, but no tears fell down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry. If I hadn't been so stupid, none of this would have happened. I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you. I'm sorry that I forced you to come. I wish I could go back and take back what I said." It was silent, as Kagome paused to put her thoughts together.
"Is it okay for me to move on, to go back to how I was before? Is it right for me to play in the Spring High? Is it okay for Kenjiro to take up the company instead of me? I know it's my birthright and role as the eldest, but I think he will be able to help the company grow in places that I can't." Kagome asked her parents, hoping that she would get any kind of answer back.
"Tell me what to do. Tell me whether I'm doing things right. Please." Both her mother and father's names had been elegantly carved into the stone along with their dates of birth and death. Underneath, a simple quote had been carved, one that Kagome had heard her mother and father always tell her as a child.
It was awfully still as she stared at her parents' gravestone. As if they had heard her doubts, a small breeze brushed her hair out of her face. The wind had rustled the trees around, blowing flower petals into the air. Kagome stared up as she watched the petals begin to fall down around her. She lifted her hand out as a dark pink blossom fell down and landed into her palm. She looked behind to see Shirabu waiting for her to call him over. Gesturing for him to come forward, she rose to her feet and held his hand once he fell into position next to her.
"Kenjiro's with me this time. He brought me here to see you, so I should thank him for this." Kagome said, squeezing her brother's hand gently. Shirabu looked at Kagome and grinned before turning back to his parents' grave to ask for their blessing.
"Hi Okaa-sama, Otou-sama. It's been a while since I came to visit. School is going well; my grades are high, and volleyball is going well. I don't know how much Kagome told you, but I would like to take over Otou-sama's company. I know that it's Kagome's birthright, but I want her to choose her own path." Shirabu smiled as the breeze continued to blow past them, as if their parents were sending them warm wishes.
"We'll see you next time then, Okaa-sama, Otou-sama." The twins bowed to their parent's grave before leaving the garden. Signing out, they stepped outside the building and began to make their way towards the train station.
"Ne, Kenjiro. Can we stop by the hairdresser when we get back?"
ooo
If anyone had noticed Kagome's changes, they didn't ask why. Most of the third-years and Rin all knew that she had looked different before joining Shiratorizawa as a second year. If anything, she had gotten compliments and looks of envy and awe from many of the girls. The weeks after exams were relaxing. The volleyball team had no break though, as they had to prepare for the qualifiers for the Spring High, back to their harsh training regime enforced by their coach.
"It's good to see you again, ya know." Kagome looked up from the volleyball in her hands to see Sango staring at her with an indescribable expression on her face.
"Been a while since Kitagawa Daichi." Sango grinned as she slung an arm over Kagome's shoulders before dragging the girl over to help fix the volleyball nets into place. Kagome and Sango were the only ones in the gym at the moment, the two of them arriving early to set the place up and have some time to talk before the rest of the team came for practice.
"What did Oikawa and Iwaizumi say?" Sango asked as she tightened the rope around the pole before letting go and doing the same to the other rope.
"They were happy and relieved. My shoulder was soaking wet due to Tooru crying when he saw me. Hajime ended up having to pry Tooru off." Kagome laughed out as she wrapped the foam around the poles. Once they had finished setting up the nets and dragging the volleyball baskets out, Kagome got a ball and began to set tosses to Sango.
"How did your visit go?" Sango was hesitant to ask, but she had talked with Shirabu earlier to make sure that the visit wasn't a landmine that needed any avoiding.
"It went good. I'm not going to be completely over it anytime soon, but I think I can do what I want without disappointing my parents. I just hope they can forgive me and be proud of me." Kagome told her as she tossed another ball.
"Kagome, they're definitely proud of you. And I'm sure they've long since forgiven you." Sango smiled as she walked away from the net and awaited another set. Kagome gave Sango another toss, this time a little higher and wider than usual. Sango's eyes widened at the toss before slamming her hand on the ball and spiking it down, sending the ball careening across the net.
"How was that? I've been meaning to toss that one for a while now." Kagome asked. Sango nodded and gave her honest opinion on the toss.
"Not fair. I want some practice too. Kagome, set me some tosses!" The two spun around to see the rest of their team trickling into the gym one by one.
"Go work on your receiving first with Mirai, then I'll set some for you." Kagome told the second-year spiker, who pouted at Kagome's reply. Kagome quickly gave instructions for the girls to warm up then practice receiving and serving. Once they had left the small huddle and began their warm up, Kagome headed over to her bag and grabbed her water bottle out. It wasn't long before their Coach came out of her office and called the team together.
"First things first, good job at the Interhigh girls. You did very well, and now, we have the chance to beat Itachiyama back during the Spring High." Grins and cheers came from the girls, and even the Coach cracked a smile at the enthusiasm from the team.
"Moving on. As you know, we your wrist and ankle weights. After the camp, we head to Fukurodani for a practice match. You'll have the rest of the day after that to sightsee before we return." The Coach then let Kagome are going to Itachiyama for a week for a training camp.
ooo
"Ah, I want the blue one. You can have the red one." Sango grumbled as she and Rin fought over which side of the ice pop they wanted. Kagome and Mirai had already split their ice pop, not really caring which side they got. The four girls had stopped by a convenience store on the way home.
"I had the red one last time, which means I get the blue one this time." Kagome sighed as she watched her friends squabble on the way down the street.
"Ano… are you guys going to stop fighting? We're almost at the station." Mirai told the girls, noticing the stares they were getting from the people on the streets. Ignoring her words, Sango and Rin kept arguing. Mirai sighed, turning to Kagome to see if she was following but flinched when she saw the girl's dark aura pulsing.
"Um guys… you might want to stop." Mirai gave them a last warning before Kagome descended on them, telling both girls to shut up and stop interrupting the whole street. Once the girls stopped their argument, they switched the topic to their practice match with Fukurodani and training camp with Itachiyama.
"I want to pound my fist into their face. Especially that middle blocker." Sango grumbled as they swiped their train pass and got into the train. The four of them took a compartment close to the exit, Sango and Kagome sitting together and Mirai and Rin on the other side.
"Maa. We have time to get better than them." Kagome said, nudging Sango with her shoulder.
"That's right. Qualifiers start in October which gives us about four months. Not to mention we have a demon coach, so training will definitely be increased." Rin replied. The train pulled up to the first stop where Mirai got off, waving to her friends as she left.
"What was that trick you were working on earlier?" Rin asked Kagome, who looked up from her phone.
"I'm trying to make the ball disappear."
ooo
The next day came too quickly. Kagome wanted to go back to her apartment and sleep. The girls had to be at the gym at 4 in the morning to board the bus down to Itachiyama. She had said bye to Shirabu and Tendo earlier that morning as the two showed Kagome off to the train station. The girls of the volleyball team were currently waiting on their Coach who was checking their bags and closing the luggage cabin.
"I'm going back home to sleep." Kagome said, ready to go home. Sango just grinned as she pulled Kagome towards the bus once the Coach allowed them to get on. Once the girls were on the bus, they quieted while their Coach went through the attendance before listening to her usual rules for the bus ride. The bus slowly made its way out of the Shiratorizawa Academy grounds and on its way to Itachiyama. Most of the girls were fast asleep, having passed out once attendance was over.
It was just after 10 when the bus rolled into Itachiyama's grounds. The girls got off the buses and made their way to their rooms where they were staying. After changing into their practice wear, they headed down to the gym and began to warm up for the first day. Girls from Inarizaki and Itachiyama trickled in as the hour went by and soon, the head coach of the Itachiyama team entered the gym.
"Ladies, Itachiyama is pleased to host another training camp this year. I hope you're in for hell."
ooo
One word described the training camp: Hell. Right from the start of the camp on the day they arrived, they had been subjected to harsh training. There were many days where the girls collapsed after their training and had to drag themselves to the showers.
"First match on court 1. Shiratorizawa Team 1 vs. Inarizaki Team 1." Kagome, leaving the large group of girls standing in front of the coaches, walked with the rest of her group of nine to the first court. On the other side, a group of nine girls from Inarizaki took their position. The match started and from there, points were scored on both sides. It was a tough match, but after a long-drawn fight, Shiratorizawa pulled ahead with a 2-1 win. While the girls from Inarizaki went off to do the punishment training, Kagome and her group were able to get a break from the training.
"I'm never coming back here again." One of the freshmen grumbled as she rubbed her knees in pain.
"You say that now, but come next year, you might have a spot on the team, and you might come back." One of the other second-years told the younger girl, handing her a cold pack. It wasn't long before the whistle was blown, and the girls ran over to where the coaches were standing.
"Good work today ladies. Make sure to stretch and get dinner. We start again tomorrow early morning." With that, the girls were dismissed to go take the rest of the day off or do some self-training. Just as Kagome and Sango were about to leave to find an empty gym, Rin called out to them.
"And where do you think you two are going?" Rin leered at the two as they stopped and turned to face the Shiratorizawa team.
"You didn't think you could escape, did you?"
ooo
"Again, this is all your fault. You know not to anger Rin." Kagome told Sango as the two ran down the street, small beads of sweat trailing down their faces.
"But it was true. I mean, if she's going to walk in on me showering and then comment on my chest size, what's wrong with me doing the same?" Sango grumbled back.
"You must have been dropped on your head as a baby." Kagome replied, gaining an angry shout from Sango. The girls had played truth or dare again last night to let out some stress, and due to Rin's anger, Sango was forced to do a repeat of the dare from the last training camp, only to Fukurodani this time. And as usual, because no one trusted Sango to go on her own and not destroy something, they voted that Kagome would go with her.
"How is your move coming along? Have you managed to find a loophole in Itachiyama's defense?" Kagome asked Sango, referring to the girl who Sango couldn't spike past.
"No. It's like she knows where I'm going to spike all the time. At this rate, they're going to beat us like they did during Interhigh." Sango sighed.
"But it'll come to me. I just need some time to watch her. Rin has some videos of their games from the Interhigh, so I'll watch those." The two stopped for a break and checked the map to make sure they were going the right way. From the looks of it, Fukurodani was only another 10 minutes away.
"In the meantime, why don't you make a finishing move? One that you don't show any of the other schools." Kagome suggested.
"Oo that sounds like a good idea. Wait, aren't you doing one as well? Well, not finishing move, but a deciding one… or something like that?" Sango asked.
"Yeah. It's not working though. And I'm not sure how to get it right." Kagome told her.
"Was that thing you were practicing this morning in the gym?"
"You know how Tooru trained a lot to get his power and speed up so that his serves are like cannons? He taught me how to do it a while back, and I've been practicing that lately. It's not too hard to control, but the more power and speed behind it, the more pressure my wrist takes on, so I can't really go all out." Kagome explained.
"Oikawa really does love you, huh… to teach you his specialty." Sango said.
"He had better. I've stuck by that guy's side since we were children, even when he thought Hajime was an alien because his eyes changed color in the light." Kagome grinned before turning to Sango.
"Please don't tell me you're crushing on my childhood friend." Sango shook her head laughing, as Kagome went on, "Because if you are, that puts me in the awkward position."
"I'm not don't worry." Sango smiled, slinging her arm around Kagome, squeezing her before dashing ahead.
"Catch me if you can." Kagome grinned and chased after her, the two running fast until they finally made it to the entrance of Fukurodani Academy.
"Finally, we're here. I don't think I'm going to get used to running eight kilometers ever. Not to mention, my legs will be broken for sure if Coach finds out that we broke into another campus." Kagome nodded, fearing for her life. As Kagome and Sango walked through the entrance, they noticed that there were many buses in the parking lot.
"Uso…" Kagome said, staring at the names written on a few buses.
"Damn it all. This is the worst timing." Sango pulled at her hair as she and Kagome could hear the faint sounds of boys yelling coming from the gym area. Kagome grabbed a face mask from her pocket, remembering to bring it in case they were seen by anyone, and slipped it on.
"What are we supposed to do again?" Kagome asked, turning to Sango. The two were currently hiding at the top of the large hill watching a training camp happening in the gym.
"We have to leave the fake love letter they wrote in the setter's locker." Sango said, tapping her pocket as she gestured to the letter that had been written by Kagome last night.
"Wait, they're having a training camp, right? So, there are going to be some people they might not recognize if they're first-years? Why don't one of us impersonate one of the managers?" Sango suggested.
"You do realize that if any of the boys team from Nekoma is here, they will recognize you, right." Kagome told Sango.
"That's why I said one of us." Sango said, giving Kagome a devious grin.
"No."
"Come on. We have no choice. Otherwise we have to egg the Coach's car, and I would rather die than do that." Sango told Kagome.
"No."
"I'll do all your schoolwork for you?"
"You'll fail me baka."
"I'll take you out to get oden anytime for a month?" Sango asked. Kagome paused, looking at Sango.
"You owe me much more than that. But that will do for now." Sango exhaled heavily, thanking the gods that Kagome had agreed, before devising a plan to get inside.
"We're just wearing black sweatshirt and shorts, so we blend in with Karasuno. So, all I have to do is go up to one of the girls from Fukurodani and ask where their locker room is. I need a reason." Kagome said.
"You can say that one of the boys asked for a towel." Sango told Kagome, shrugging her shoulders.
"If this blows up in my face, I'm taking you down with me. Honestly, what are we going to do if someone finds out we've been breaking into school campuses." Sango shrugged her shoulders, causing Kagome to slap her over the head.
"If the map of Fukurodani is like Rin had, there should be a walkway that is next to the locker room. Wait there in the shadows and I'll try to come out as fast as possible." Kagome said. The sun was starting to set, which gave Kagome the perfect timing to start the mission.
Sango nodded, wishing Kagome good luck before darting off to the walkways. Once Sango was out of sight, Kagome walked down the hill and looked inside the gym. She noticed that all the Karasuno members including their staff had left, leaving a few Fukurodani and Shinzen members practicing. Looking around, she finally spotted a Fukurodani manager sitting on the bench tending to one of her member's knee pads. Sucking in a deep breath, Kagome pushed the net aside and walked in, watching the practice matches that Fukurodani and Shinzen were playing.
"They're good." Kagome mumbled to herself as she walked towards the Fukurodani manager.
"Um, excuse me?" The Fukurodani manager looked up to see Kagome and smiled at the girl. The player that the manager was attending thanked her before running back on to the court.
"Hi. I don't think I've seen you around before. You must be one of Karasuno's managers?" Kagome nodded.
"Hai. I'm a first year. I'm a little sick so apologies for the mask." Kagome told the girl, rubbing her fingers together as a first year would when nervous.
"No worries. I'm Yukie. What can I do for you?" Yukie asked. Kagome told the manager about one of her players needing a towel and asking where the locker rooms were. Once Yukie had given her directions, Kagome thanked the girl before heading out of the gym.
Walking down the pathways, Kagome was glad that the sun had been setting. The shadows made it easier to blend in and make her way to the locker room. When she got there, she opened the boy's locker room door and walked in, having made sure that no one was there.
"Finally. I thought that would be much harder." Kagome said. Walking down the aisle, she looked at the lockers before realizing that she didn't know who the setter of the Fukurodani team was. Grabbing her phone, she called Sango, who picked up quickly.
"Did you finish?" Sango's voice came in a whisper.
"Who is the setter? I don't remember Rin telling us who it was." There was a pause on the other end before Sango replied.
"She didn't. Cause I don't remember her telling us." Kagome wanted to slam her head on the wall. In order to prove they put it in the right locker, they would have to take a picture of the name tag on the locker door. Just as she went to ask Sango a question, she heard the door of the locker room open. Ending the call, she pushed herself against the locker room and looked around the corner to see who it was.
"Ahh, Bokuto-san is really good after all." Kagome recognized the bubbly orange-haired kid as one of the members of the quick duo from Karasuno, Hinata Shoyo. Lucky for her, no one else was in the locker room and he was a first year.
"I wonder... mmgh!" Hinata's eyes widened as a hand covered his mouth and he was pinned against the wall of the locker room. He looked up to see a girl with brown hair and teal eyes staring him down, a black mask covering half her face and dressed in all black.
"You're on the volleyball team at Karasuno right?" Hinata nodded.
"Do you know the name of the setter for Fukurodani?" Kagome asked. Hinata nodded.
"If I let go of your mouth, will you tell me his name without screaming?" Kagome asked. Hinata nodded again rapidly, his eyes shaking with fear. Kagome chuckled, letting go of Hinata, who stayed silent.
"What's his name?" Kagome asked.
"Akaashi Keiji." Kagome nodded, gesturing for the boy to walk with her. Hinata watched as the girl walked up to the locker with Akaashi's name on it and slipped a white envelope into it before taking a picture of the name tag.
"Now, we're going to go outside. And you're going to keep quiet until we get out." Hinata nodded and began to walk ahead of Kagome. Once the two had left the locker room, they turned the corner and up ahead, Kagome could see Sango hiding in the shadows.
"It's done." Kagome called out and Sango slipped out of the shadows, scaring Hinata.
"He saw you?" Sango asked, her mask on so Hinata wouldn't recognize her in case the boys from Nekoma had spread the story.
"I had to ask him about the setter's name." Kagome told Sango as she joined Kagome by her side before looking down at Hinata.
"You're quite short for a volleyball player, aren't you?" Sango asked. Hinata's face went red as he opened his mouth to argue when Kagome cut him off.
"Shut up." Kagome elbowed Sango in the side.
"Wait, who are you? Are you guys secret agents or something? Are you going to kill me after all?" Hinata asked, his voice trembling slightly. Kagome checked the time on her phone. It was getting late and they still had to run back.
"We need to leave now." Kagome told Sango. Sango put her hand on his shoulder, pulling the smaller boy close to her.
"Tell anyone one what happened, and we'll be after you. We're watching you Hinata." Kagome told the boy in a lower voice, scaring the boy effectively. Sango and Kagome then turned their backs to Hinata and began to walk away towards the entrance of the school, when they heard Hinata call after them.
"Who are you? What are you?" Hinata asked again. Kagome turned around and stared Hinata dead in the eye.
"I'd tell you, but then, I'd have to kill you."
ooo
"Kuroo, you won't believe what just happened!" Bokuto came rushing into Nekoma's room, scaring a few first years. Kuroo was off to the side, lying on his futon chatting with Kenma, Lev and Hinata.
"You're too loud Bokuto. What is it?" Kuroo asked, noticing Akaashi slipping inside the room after Bokuto, keen on getting his captain to shut his mouth.
"Akaashi got a love letter." Those five words from Bokuto's mouth sent the room in a spiral of chaos.
"Akaashi, you got a love letter?" Kuroo asked, still reeling in shock of Bokuto's words. While Akaashi was rather known for having females interested in him, they would usually back off after seeing him with Bokuto. Most of the girls thought that Akaashi and Bokuto were dating due to Bokuto's clinginess.
"Hai." Akaashi sighed, hoping that Bokuto wouldn't go telling everyone, but once again, he knew his captain would do the exact opposite of what he wanted.
"Let's see it." Bokuto grabbed it out of his pajama pocket's and handed it over to Kuroo. The envelope caught Hinata's eyes as he realized what it was.
"She was going to kill me over a love letter?" Hinata shouted out with annoyance before clamping his hand over his mouth. 'They're going to kill me for telling!' Hinata thought as the boys in the room turned to stare at him.
"Shoyo, you know who it was? And who was trying to kill you?" Kenma asked, having set down his game consol.
"No one." Hinata replied.
"You clearly know. Tell me Shoyo." Kenma said staring into Hinata's eyes, who cracked from pressure.
"You can't tell anyone else or they're going to kill me." Hinata said, looking to his right and left, making sure there wasn't anyone spying on him before he told them what happened.
"This is similar to what happened at our school. Two girls broke into our school to take a picture with our volleyball banner. What did the girls look like?" Kuroo asked.
"One had black hair and the other had brown hair." Kuroo shook his head, telling Hinata that they must be different girls.
"The girl that got me in the locker room… she reminded me of someone. I just don't remember who."
ooo
"Why are they still here?" Kagome asked from her seat in the bus as she spotted the other teams' buses. It had been three days since Kagome and Sango had completed their task and made it back to Itachiyama in time for attendance. When asked for proof, they showed the picture of the locker tag. It was their last day in Tokyo and the Shiratorizawa Volleyball team had just pulled into Fukurodani's campus for their practice match.
"It's not like they're going to recognize you." Mirai told her. Kagome gave her a glare
"Stop dallying. We're on a schedule here. Let's go." The girls grabbed their volleyball bags and followed their coach to the gym that they would be having their practice match at. Once they got to the gym, the head coach of the Fukurodani team welcomed them and showed them to the locker room. As they were changing, Kagome noticed that she was missing her athletic tape for her wrist.
"I left something in the bus. Tell the Coach I went to go get it quickly." Kagome told one of the second years who was on their way to the gym, before running to the bus. Once she was on it, she walked down to her seat and began to look around. Luckily for her, she found it on the floor underneath her seat. Grabbing it, she got off the bus and began to walk back to the gym.
"Kageyama, did you see that? Nekoma is amazing!" Kagome recognized Hinata's voice nearby. As she was walking down the walkway to the gym, she saw Kageyama and Hinata walking towards her.
"Well, well. If it isn't the King. I heard you lost to Tooru during the Interhigh." Kageyama lifted his head, having recognized the voice and stared straight at Kagome. Kageyama noticed she was wearing purple shorts, a black shirt and purple jersey, and white volleyball shoes on her feet.
"Senpai… you…" Kageyama couldn't get the word out of his mouth. She looked like she had during his first few years at Kitagawa Daichi.
"Why did the Grand King turn into a girl?" Hinata asked. Kagome seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
"Urusai Hinata. That isn't Oikawa-san." Kageyama bonked Hinata on the head before turning to Kagome.
"I've changed senpai. And this time, I'll beat Oikawa-san." Kageyama said.
"We're going to beat Aoba Josai and Shiratorizawa and go to the Nationals." Hinata exclaimed, looking Kagome dead in the eye. Again, Hinata had this feeling that he knew her. There was no way he would forget eyes like these. Kagome smirked and began to walk towards them.
"You going to the Nationals? I'm sorry, but words coming from someone who lost to Aoba Josai during the preliminaries are rather hard to believe. If you want to see a fraction of what Shiratorizawa's power is like, you'd best watch closely." Kagome said, walking past Kageyama and Hinata. At first the two boys didn't understand what she had meant by her last sentence, but as they turned around to look at her, their eyes widened at the Shiratorizawa logo on her jersey.
"I thought she went to Seijou?" Kageyama said aloud.
"Shiratorizawa!" Hinata yelled out, running after the girl.
"Oi baka, we have training. Where are you going?" Kageyama yelled out to Hinata.
"Tell them I'll make it up later."
ooo
"There you are. I was just about to go have someone get you. The match is starting soon. Were you able to stretch?" The Coach asked.
"I'm good to go." Kagome said, and the two walked up to the rest of the regulars who were standing in a circle waiting.
"Sorry for making you wait." Sango grinned as she pulled Kagome into the circle. The Coach went to sit on the bench, knowing that Kagome would lead the team well.
"This is not just a practice match. This is where we will be during the Spring High, on the other side of the court as our opponents. So, don't treat today like a practice. Learn what you can from them, so we can use it against them later." Kagome told the girls, laying out their plan. The referee blew the whistle. The girls slipped off their jackets, Kagome taping her wrist, before standing behind Kagome in a group. As they began to walk forwards, Kagome turned around and grinned at them.
"All the stakes on this match. You know the drill." The girls grinned and made their way on to the court. Kagome met with the other captain and they shook hands, before the referee flipped the coin. Fukurodani started off with the ball.
"Let's blow this place up." Sango cracked her knuckles as she adjusted the weights on her wrists.
ooo
Hinata could do nothing but stare. It was overwhelming, the pressure he felt during the game. So, this was Shiratorizawa, the esteemed representative of the Miyagi Prefecture.
"I knew it. Shiratorizawa always wins." Hinata overheard one of the viewers say as they left the gym, before turning to the scoreboard.
"25-18. What was our school doing?" Hinata looked over to where the Shiratorizawa was huddled in a circle with their coach, and his eyes drew over specifically to the girl who had talked to Kageyama earlier.
"She's a setter just like the Grand King and Kageyama. How does Kageyama even know her?" Hinata mumbled. Noticing that the team was leaving to get changed, he began to leave the gym himself when Kageyama burst through the doors.
"Hinata-boke, you're in so much trouble. But we'll deal with that later. Where is she?" Kageyama asked, referring to the girl they had bumped into earlier.
"She went to the locker rooms to change. Wait, how do you know this girl?" Hinata said. Kageyama nodded before turning around and heading back out the gym doors.
"Where are you going Kageyama?" Hinata yelped as he ran after his teammate, who was already down the walkway.
"The locker room."
Meanwhile, the girls team was in the locker room changing into regular wear. They had the rest of the day off to sightsee and do as they please before they headed back to Shiratorizawa.
Kagome and Sango were the last two to get changed, having done a final roll call for the team. Both had no real plans for the day, seeing as they had visited Tokyo often for tournaments. Once the girls had changed, they left their bags in the lockers where they would be coming to get them at the end of the day. As they were heading towards the locker room door to leave, they heard familiar male voices outside.
"What if they left already?"
"Be quiet Hinata." Kagome and Sango opened the door to see Kageyama leaning against the wall with Hinata standing next to him.
"Did you boys need something? Or are you just waiting for the girls to change so you can peep on them?" Sango asked, cocking her head to the side.
"No that's not it. We're not peeping." Hinata put his hands up in a not-guilty fashion.
"Oh, are you trying to enter the girls locker room then?" Sango asked. Hinata's face went bright red as he ducked behind Kageyama slightly.
"Takahashi-senpai, that's not it." Sango finally let off of Hinata and turned to look at Kageyama.
"Just use my first name. It's good to see you Kageyama." Sango said. Kageyama nodded before turning to Kagome, who was giving him a blank look.
"I have a question. Hypothetically, let's say…" Kagome was quick to cut him off.
"Ne. Instead of beating around the bush, why don't you ask me directly?" Kageyama nodded hesitantly, before looking Kagome straight in the eye.
"Um, can I show you instead?" Kagome raised her eyebrows, somewhat surprised at the request.
"Why should I help you?" Hinata looked between Kageyama and the girl in front of them. It seemed like those two had history. He looked over to the other girl with them to see that she was sighing, as if this was not new to her.
"I'm not asking for help senpai. I just want you to see my play." Kageyama asked before bowing to Kagome, shocking the life out of Hinata. Hinata looked from Kageyama to the two girls to see that they were both shocked in some sense.
"Very well. Take me there." Kageyama nodded before walking ahead of Hinata, leading them to the gym where the boys were having their training. Hinata fell back behind Kagome, watching as she walked a step ahead of Kageyama, despite him being the one giving directions.
"Sorry you had to see that. Ah, I'm Sango by the way. You must be chibisuke, right?" Hinata looked to his right to see the other girl smiling down at him.
"Chibisuke? I'm Hinata Shoyo. Ah, do you know the Grand King?" Sango nodded.
"I know him through her." Sango said, gesturing to Kagome ahead of them. Hinata looked over to Kageyama and the girl.
"I was meaning to ask, but are they always like that? How do you guys know each other?" Hinata asked, referring back to their tense conversation from earlier.
"It's not my place to tell you." Sango said, and Hinata nodded, knowing not to ask further.
"You're rather short for a volleyball player, aren't you? And you're a middle blocker? Aren't you cute?" Hinata couldn't stop blushing the whole way, but at the back of his mind, those first couple words seemed to strike a chord in him. The group of four had made their way to the gym where the Fukurodani Group was having their training camp. Kageyama went in first, before holding the net for Kagome and Sango to enter.
"Do you still have your training session going on now?" Sango asked, as they entered the gym to see boys practicing volleyball about the gym.
"We're on a lunch break right now." Kageyama said, before gesturing for Kagome to come to the first court.
"Kagome, are you going to watch? Or are you going to teach him something?" Sango asked as Kagome was walking aside her.
"Kageyama and I have our differences. Despite that, I think I'd like to see for myself this quick Tooru talks about." Kagome told Sango. Sango nodded, taking Kagome's purse from her before heading over to the bench and settling down.
"Please watch senpai." Kageyama told Kagome, asking her to stand on the other side of the court, before yelling for Hinata to toss the ball. Kagome watched, as Kageyama had requested, as Hinata tossed the ball into the air and began to run.
She watched as Kageyama positioned himself under the ball, ready to set the ball, the miniscule adjustments he made to Hinata's run. And then suddenly, Kagome could only stare in surprise as the ball went rushing past her, the force causing her hair to blow slightly as the ball crashed onto the floor.
"So, this is what Tooru was talking about." Kagome mumbled as she stared at the black and orange duo ahead of her on the other side of the net.
"Show me again." Kagome told Kageyama. Kageyama looked at her and nodded, before grabbing another ball and passing it to Hinata. Once again, Hinata tossed the ball to Kageyama and started to run. Again, the ball whisked past Kagome's head. But this time, she watched both player's actions and not the ball. She ran the simulation in her head over and over again, picking up their body language and using knowledge of their skills.
"Again." The third time, it was different. Kagome watched the movements that Hinata made as he began his fast dash towards the net, the spin that Kageyama put on the ball and she moved.
"Uso…" Hinata stared in utter shock. The ball didn't hit the ground until two seconds later. Both Kageyama and Hinata looked at the girl across the net, at Kagome, who had stopped their quick.
"Kageyama, how do you know her? She just stopped our quick after seeing it for the first time." Hinata asked the taller boy, pointing at Kagome.
"That's my senpai from Kitagawa Daichi. You've already met her before. Remember at Seijou?" Kageyama told Hinata, still looking over in Kagome's direction as she began to walk towards them, holding the volleyball in her hands.
"Ahh. The one that the Grand King was with. But she looks different now. Are they related?" Hinata said.
"No. They're childhood friends. She changed her hair and eye color during junior high for some reason, but she's changed back." Kageyama said before quieting down after the girl came closer. Hinata couldn't put his finger on it, but something about her reminded him about someone else he had met before.
"Is that all?" Kagome asked, rubbing her hand over her left wrist, before looking at Kageyama. He nodded and bowed to Kagome, thanking her. Sango walked up and stood next to her.
"That quick was really good. I'm surprised." Sango said, giving the two boys her honest opinion before looking at Kagome.
"With this, you won't beat Aoba Josai, let alone Shiratorizawa." Kagome told Kageyama.
ooo
"Just wait until training. I'll make sure you're begging to go home." Yaku said, cracking his knuckles as he sent a glare at Lev.
"Yaku-san, I will train hard. After all, I'm going to be the next ace!" Lev said, giving the shorter boy a grin.
"Make sure you actually practice your blocking instead of letting the balls pass through your arms." Yamamoto told Lev, causing the boy to turn his head to look at the older boy.
"Of course, I will senpai. I'm going to take your place and be the ––." And it was then that Lev felt a sense of déjà vu as he looked down into a pair of teal green eyes. For some reason, though the color was different, he felt a sense of familiarity.
"Senpai, are you ok?"
"Lev, get off of her!" Lev finally snapped out of his daze and stood up, before giving a hand to the girl still on the floor.
"Sumimasen. I wasn't watching where I was going." Lev said, bowing to the girl.
"It's fine. We were just leaving." The girl replied and Lev looked at her, standing back to his full height.
"Are you okay?" Lev turned to see what had talked when he saw a familiar face walk up to the girl with her purse.
"I'm fine. Don't worry."
"Sango-senpai? Is that you?" Lev finally blurted out, staring at the girl with black hair. Her eyes widened as she passed over the other girl's purse.
"It's been a while Lev. How are you?" Sango asked. Lev nodded before telling his tale about training hard with his team but not managing to get to Nationals.
"Who are you?" Yaku finally asked, butting into Lev's story telling.
"It's rude to ask for someone's name without introducing yourself. Didn't you know?" Everyone turned to the girl with brown hair who had spoken.
"I'm not the one who's not supposed to be here." Yaku replied.
"I see no sign saying that we can't visit." The girl retorted. Kenma had put his game console down and was watching Yaku's interaction with the stranger. She reminded him of the way Kuroo and Akaashi talked.
"Sango-senpai, is Kagome-senpai here with you? I don't see her here." Lev said. Kageyama and Hinata were confused. He was asking about the girl that was here, but he didn't know.
"Lev, what are you talking about? She's right here." Hinata said, gesturing to the other girl with them. Sango put her hand to her forehead and sighed, knowing this was going to get messy if Lev talked too much.
"Kagome-senpai?" Lev asked, confused as to why she looked so different.
"That would be me Lev." Kagome responded, nodding in the boy's direction.
"Why do you look different? Are you ok? I'm sorry for bumping into you again." Lev bowed again, apologizing.
"It's fine. This is how I really look." Kagome told the boy.
"it's good to see you again." Lev replied, ruffling the hair on the back of his head.
"Hai. We need to get going now so please excuse us." Sango said, nodding in their direction.
"This time, we'll get to the Nationals and you can watch." Lev told Kagome, and she nodded.
"I look forward to seeing you there." Kagome told him as she began to make her way out the door with Sango when Hinata called out to her.
"We will win. We will be the prefecture's representatives to the Spring High." Hinata butt in, looking at Kagome with determination in his eyes. Kagome's eyes briefly widened as she pulled a small smirk on her face. Hinata's eyes were drawn to the expression on her face, his eyes widening slightly.
"I'll wait till I see that for myself."
ooo
"Urusai you annoying owl." Kuroo bit out as he, Bokuto, Akaashi, Hinata and Tsukishima were leaving one of the practice gyms. The group had separated into teams and had been rallying back and forth, until it was time for them to go rest for tomorrow's training.
"Try me Kuroo!" Bokuto yelled back and the two began to argue back and forth. Akaashi sighed, having to deal with this on a regular basis since the two teams met up often to practice together.
"Will you two be quiet? It's late out." Akaashi finally bit out, and the two immediately stopped arguing, scared that Akaashi would get mad at them.
"Are we going to practice again tomorrow night?" Hinata asked Bokuto, hoping he would be able to teach him some more tricks.
"Of course we are." Bokuto grinned, ruffling Hinata's hair. Hinata grinned and continued to chatter with Bokuto in a light manner as they made their way towards the main building when they heard Lev's voice coming from nearby.
"What's Lev doing now?" Kuroo groaned as he made his way to Lev's voice, with the rest of the group following behind.
"Just one senpai!" They heard Lev ask.
"That's what your teammate is for Lev. How did you even know I was here?" A girl replied back.
"Ah, my sister gave me a call. Please! I want to show you much I've improved." Lev's voice pleaded.
"You know I'm not wearing shoes, right?"
"You have your bag with you right now, which means that you must have had a practice earlier today. Which means, you have to have your shoes in your practice bag." There was a long pause before the girl replied.
"Fine. What gym can we use?" The group of boys rounded the corner to see Lev talking with a petit girl, roughly a foot shorter than him. She was decked in denim jeans, a black off shoulder blouse and sandals. On her shoulder, she had a purse and purple volleyball bag with her.
"This way." Lev grinned and began to lead the smaller girl towards the gym he had been previously practicing in.
"You're lucky I'm friends with your sister Lev." The girl told him.
"That's Kageyama's senpai. She's the one I was telling you about, the one that stopped our quick earlier." Hinata said, watching the two walk down the walkway. He didn't notice the shocked looks that appeared on some of the other's faces.
"Not so unstoppable after all, huh Hinata." Tsukishima said, his face showing no expression, but his eyes were gleaming with curiosity as to who this girl was and how she stopped their team's impossible quick.
"Urusai. It took her three tries and then she just went up to it and received it." Hinata replied.
"Let's follow them." Bokuto began to walk ahead, following the two. Akaashi followed after his captain, along with the others trailing behind.
"What did you do in Tokyo today?" Lev asked, as they entered the gym.
"Not much. We went to the Sky Tree and checked out Ginza." Kagome replied, having set her purse and bag down on the bench as she began to slip her sandals off.
"Did you go shopping? What did you get?" Lev asked. Kagome grabbed her volleyball shoes out of her bag along with a spare pair of socks and began to put them on.
"We just checked out a few stores and had lunch there." Kagome told him, as she began to lace her shoes, double knotting them.
"That sounds like fun. I was training all day. Yaku-san was getting mad at me because I couldn't receive properly." Lev talked about what he did all day while Kagome strapped the medical tape on her wrist and tied her hair up into a ponytail. Bokuto and the others were all crowded around the door to the gym, waiting to see what would happen.
"What does she play?" Kuroo asked.
"Setter. Kageyama even admitted that was better than him." Tsukishima looked down at Hinata.
"How many can I get?" Lev stared at Kagome, holding a volleyball in his hands, ready to play.
"My bus leaves soon. So, let's keep it to one time, ok?" Kagome told Lev.
"Last time? Kuroo, she's played with Lev before?" Bokuto asked the Nekoma captain.
"I don't know Bo." Kuroo replied.
"She was here earlier. With another girl that Kageyama knew. And Lev seemed to know both of them. I believe Yaku-san and your ace were there as well." Hinata told the others.
"Kagome-senpai, are you ready?" Lev asked. The group watching from outside went silent, as Kagome replied with a yes. Lev threw the ball towards Kagome and began to run towards the net. Once again, after she had positioned herself under the ball, she watched Lev's movements, familiarizing herself with his playing style. After analyzing his positioning and speed, she waited for the ball to touch her fingers before she propelled it high and fast into the air towards Lev. Lev grinned as he saw the ball arch high in the air and like a whip, his arm came swinging around. Kuroo immediately recognized that set. There had been a girl that had come by months ago, more like broken into their school, with the name Kagome and was able to adjust to Lev's unpredictable playing style.
"It's her." Kuroo said, standing up from his crouched position, as the ball was slammed onto the other side of the court. Even though the ball had gone out of bounds, being able to match up with Lev was an impressive feat.
"What do you mean Kuroo?" Bokuto asked.
"Remember how I told you how Lev had played with two girls that broke into the gym when we were on a run? That's the one that set to him." Kuroo said, gesturing to the girl that was now giving Lev pointers on his running and arm positioning. Kuroo lifted the net covering the door and walked inside, causing Lev to flinch in surprise when Kuroo called out to him. Akaashi and Tsukishima walked in, seeing as Bokuto and Hinata had run in after Kuroo and were bound to cause some sort of incident.
"You're the famous Kagome we've heard about, aren't you? The one that broke into our gym a few months back with your friend." Kuroo asked, narrowing his eyes on the girl. Immediately, Kagome furrowed her brows and looked back at Kuroo.
"Like I said to your libero, it's not breaking in if there's no sign. And you are?" Kagome told him. Lev felt the intensity of their stares and backed away from the two, bumping into Hinata.
"Hinata, what are you doing here?" Lev asked. Hinata told him how they heard him, and Kagome talking and had followed them.
"You know Kagome-senpai too?" Lev tilted his head.
"She stopped our quick earlier. But Kageyama knows her better. They went to junior high together." Hinata told him.
"Why were you on our school grounds? And why were you playing with our first year?" Kuroo asked, bringing the attention in the small gym back to him.
"We came to take a picture with your banner. As for Lev, he asked for a toss." Kagome said, shrugging her shoulders, before giving Kuroo a hard stare.
"Besides, there's no proof that we actually came. So, unless you plan on presenting me with some, I suggest you back down." Kagome told Kuroo. Bokuto raised his eyebrows. In his three years of knowing Kuroo, this was the first person who was able to match his confrontation-like talking style besides Kenma and Akaashi.
"Maa maa. It all worked out for the best didn't it?" Bokuto finally cut in, causing the two to let off on their stares and turn their attention to Bokuto.
"And you are?" Kagome asked.
"I'm Bokuto Koutaro, 3rd year captain of the Fukurodani team." Bokuto grinned. Kagome looked him over before nodding her head in acceptance.
"I'm Hinata Shoyo, 1st year at Karasuno." Hinata introduced himself, bowing to Kagome. Bokuto then dragged Akaashi closer to Kagome, keeping his arm around the younger boy's the whole time.
"This is my setter, Akaashi." Akaashi gave his captain a look before turning to Kagome.
"Akaashi Keiji. 2nd year at Fukurodani." Kagome's eyes widened by a fraction at the sound of his name. Unknowingly, someone managed to spot that small movement.
"Tsukishima Kei, 1st year at Karasuno." Tsukishima said in a monotone voice as he looked down at Kagome.
"Are you going to introduce yourself Kuroo?" Bokuto said, snapping Kuroo out of his daze.
"Kuroo Tetsuro. 3rd year captain at Nekoma." Kuroo said, crossing his arms over his chest. Kagome opened her mouth to introduce herself as customs required when Sango popped her head into the gym.
"Kagome, this is where you've been. I've been looking all over for you. The bus is gonna leave soon. We got to go." Sango said in between pants. Kagome nodded as she went to grab her bag from the bench, pulling out her jersey and switching into her sandals.
"Don't you think its rude to not introduce yourself?" Kagome was heading to the exit when she turned around to see that it was the tall blonde that had called out to her.
"Shirabu Kagome." Kagome said as she slipped her volleyball jersey on, switching her bag from one hand to the other as she did.
"3rd year, captain at Shiratorizawa." Kagome finally made it to the exit and was about to leave when Lev yelled out to her.
"Give me another toss when you come to visit." Lev waved. Kagome nodded, before leaving the gym.
"Shiratorizawa?" Kuroo mumbled before whacking Lev over the head. Lev whined in pain before asking what he did wrong.
"Why are you asking someone from Shiratorizawa for a toss? You do realize that in a match Kenma will be the one tossing to you, right?" Kuroo told the younger boy.
"Kenma ran away from me when I asked to practice more. And I saw Kagome-senpai walking by and thought I would ask her." Lev told him.
"Why is she here anyways? Shiratorizawa is far from here." Akaashi asked.
"Ah, Shiratorizawa was here for a practice match with Fukurodani earlier today. That's why I skipped an hour of training." Hinata told them.
"Daichi-san is going to be mad if he finds out that's the reason why you ditched." Tsukishima told Hinata, causing the boy to get flustered.
"Practice match? How did it go?" Bokuto asked Hinata, wondering what the skill of the girls team was like.
"They won two sets in a row. 25-20 and 25-18."
ooo
"Satori get off me. You're heavy." Kagome bit out, trying not to kick her brother's boyfriend off of her. It had been a few weeks since her training camp with Itachiyama and practice match with Fukurodani. The qualifiers were just three months away. The coach had given them a day off after their practice match with some former students, so she had taken to lounging on the couch watching Itachiyama's practice matches. It wasn't long till her brother and Satori had come back from their practice session with a nearby college. After Tendo had come out of the shower with clean clothes on, Shirabu went after, leaving Tendo to bother Kagome.
"Did you miss me? Of course you did." Tendo said, stretching his lanky limbs as he made himself comfortable on the couch. Kagome grumbled as she managed to get out from under Tendo, only for him to pull her into a tight grasp.
"What are you up to?" Tendo asked. Kagome sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"It's our day off, so I'm watching Itachiyama's matches. There's got to be some hole in their defense." Tendo looked at the girl that was practically lying on him. Her eyes were solely focused on the tv where a volleyball match was playing, her eyes darting around trying to capture the other teams playing strategies.
"Have you eaten dinner?" Kagome shook her head.
"I order Chinese noodles and dumplings." Tendo grinned, ruffling Kagome's hair to which she grumbled at. Tendo then began to watch the matches with her, occasionally telling her things he saw. Shirabu had come out of the shower to see his boyfriend holding his sister in a bear hug while watching volleyball matches and decided to get some of his summer homework done at the tatami table. It was close to the end of the second match they watched together, when Kagome's eyes caught something, and she straightened her body. Tendo felt her moving and looked down at her to see that she was focused on the tv, her lips stretched out into a grin.
"Find something?" Tendo asked. Kagome nodded, as she rewinded the match and began to track each player's movements as they positioned themselves for defense. The doorbell rang, signaling that their takeout was here. Seeing as Kagome was fixated on the match, Tendo shifted himself off the couch and went to answer the bell.
"I've finally figured it out." Kagome grinned as she grabbed her phone from the tatami table and pulled up the volleyball group chat.
"Think you'll be able to figure something out?" Shirabu asked his sister, taking a break. Kagome nodded, seeing Sango's contact appear on the call. Taking the call, she told her brother that she would eat later and headed off to her room.
"What happened?" Tendo asked, having brought the takeout to the tatami table. He took the dishes out of the plastic bag and set them out, handing Shirabu a pair of chopsticks.
"She saw something in the match. And now she's on the phone with Sango, probably discussing some sort of plan." Shirabu told his boyfriend as he dug into the noodles. The two casually chatted, enjoying their dinner.
"I'll take this to her then." Shirabu said, having served some food onto a ceramic plate before heading over to Kagome's room while Tendo packed the leftovers up and put them in the fridge.
"Nee-san." Shirabu knocked on his sisters door. There was no answer, but he could hear her voice faintly through the door. Opening the door, he walked in to see her desk covered in drawings and writing, and his sister on the phone.
"Must it be this weekend?" Kagome asked the person on the other side of the phone. There was a pause while the caller answered.
"Does Kenjiro need to be there?" Another pause. Kagome sighed, putting her hand to her forehead, before agreeing.
"Very well. Send Haru over. I'll come after practice." Kagome said, ending the call, before turning to her brother.
"Who was that?" Shirabu asked, setting the plate of food down on the desk.
"That was Obaa-sama. She wants me to come home this weekend." Kagome told her brother as she sat down on the bed, gesturing for her brother to join her.
"Why? Is everything ok?" Kagome nodded as Shirabu sat on her bed.
"There's some things that, as the heir, I have to go deal with apparently." Kagome said.
"Can't I go in your place? Seeing as I'll be the one taking over instead of you." Shirabu asked.
"It was never made official that I declined my claim. Until that is legally done, for now, I'll go and see what is up. I'll let you know everything."
ooo
"We've arrived, Ojou-sama." Her driver, Haru, opened the door, letting Kagome out of the car. Once she was out, Haru went to bring her luggage inside the house. Kagome walked up the steps, taking in her childhood home, before entering the large house.
"Welcome home, Ojou-sama. Your grandmother is in the tearoom." Kagome nodded, telling Haru to have her bags sent to her room, before walking through the house. As she walked through the halls, she looked at the portraits on the wall. When she made it to the tearoom, she knocked on the door and waited for an answer.
"Come in." Kagome heard her grandmother's voice call out, and she opened the door.
"Tadaima Obaa-sama." Kagome said, greeting her grandmother as she walked into the room. It was an open room. There were two pearl-colored couches with a deep mahogany tatami table in between. The windows across from the door had a doorway that led to the inner garden.
"Okairi Kagome." Kagome took a seat across from her grandmother, thanking her for the tea, before taking a sip.
"What did you call me down here for?" Kagome asked, setting the cup and saucer down on the table.
"Since my son and his wife passed away, they made me in charge of a few things. The most important one being you and Kenjiro's well-being. Another was the future of the company. Right now, your uncle is managing the company, but when you come of age and graduate from university, you will begin your training to take over." Obaa-sama told Kagome.
"Kenjiro and I talked about this, and he wants to be the one to take over the company. I don't have any interest in it." Kagome told her grandmother.
"Is that so?" Obaa-sama asked, and Kagome nodded.
"Very well. Then Kenjiro will have to come then." Kagome frowned slightly, before asking what she had been originally called down for.
"This news is for the heir only, my dear, as it only pertains them." Obaa-sama told her.
"Obaa-sama, I beg your pardon, but I am the heir right now. Until it is official that I relinquish my claim, I am still the heir." Kagome told her grandmother. Obaa-sama gave Kagome a good look, and it was then that Kagome was reminded where she had gotten her calculating stare from.
"Very well." Obaa-sama said, opening the envelope and pulling out its content.
"What is that?" Kagome asked, gesturing to the things her grandmother was holding.
"This envelope has been sealed and was to be kept sealed until the parents, or guardian in this case, allowed for the heir to know." Obaa-sama said, handing Kagome the written letter.
"Why are you giving me this now?" Kagome asked.
"You will be graduating soon. Since you will be busy with sports and your studies, I felt that it was best to tell you now. Not to mention, you will have to make a choice as to whether you would like to hand over your claim to heirship to Kenjiro." Obaa-sama said. Kagome read over the letter, her head lifting when she had finished it.
"Arranged marriage?" Kagome asked.
"Yes. But not for you necessarily." Obaa-sama said, referring to the contract that she held in her hands. Kagome reached over, grabbing the contract from her grandmother and read it over herself.
"So, it's a marriage for the heir."
ooo
