August 11.

The day of the Japanese National High School Volleyball Championship Tournament, Spring High School Volleyball Championships. The preliminary rounds of the Miyagi prefectural representative playoffs.

Today, they just needed to win two preliminary matches successfully to make the cut for October's prefectural qualifiers. The first eight teams to make it past, along with eight other powerhouse teams that don't have to play in the preliminaries, would all participate in October's qualifiers. Additionally, since Karasuno had made it into the top sixteen during the Interhigh Preliminaries, they were seeded out and exempted from the first round. Their first opponent of the tournament was Ohgi Minami High School.

In preparation for this day, the team had more serve practice, continued with the usual training menus. Hinata and Kageyama even went to borrow Coach Ukai Senior's court to practice some more the day before the matches began.

The gymnasium this time was different and smaller than the Sendai Gymnasium. It was Yachi's first official tournament, and she was nervous accordingly, but the first-year had two senpais whom she could lean on for help. However this tournament goes, it would be the last for Kiyoko and the other third-years.

Ai had texted Akashi days prior, reporting her safe return to her home in Miyagi. Rakuzan's team had also gone back to Kyoto since the summer basketball Interhigh had ended last week. Momoi had kept her up to date with the winnings, so Ai congratulated her boyfriend on his victories; just because he expected them as a regular part of his life didn't mean it was ordinary. His hard work deserved recognition and applause.

Akashi disclosed his relief and wished her luck for the tournament to nationals. Her boyfriend also didn't forget to remind her to be on her guard, knowing many people from different schools would be there and have a chance to possibly flirt with her. Ai swore that she'd be fine, thinking back to their parting words in Saitama.

Rumors about Karasuno drifted around them. Ai was used to whispers from back in Teikō, but she listened out for them just in case. The team had become famous for playing a full set with Aoba Johsai at the Interhigh prelims and actually almost beating them two months ago.

Hinata had already puked on the way there, but he felt the leftovers of being sick. Nausea transmitted to Asahi and Yamaguchi, but it was mostly from anxiety and the memory of the vomit. She dropped their hefty club bag on the floor and passed the lavender oil around, wondering if she should invest in anti-nausea medicine.

Yachi and Kiyoko had left to tie the banner up on the railings, so Ai stayed behind with the guys. Tending to the athletes' needs one-on-one and in person was the core of her talent. She assisted the guys with their stretches in the corner of the balcony before they had to go downstairs. After easing their health, Ai hugged Tsukishima from behind while he sat on the floor. It was one of the rare occasions she could coddle the skyscraper first-year. "Kei, are you ready?"

He seemed to have had a breakthrough since they've gotten back home, and she was glad that the tension between them had passed.

Tsukishima was a little annoyed by her actions, but it was to be expected. "I guess."

"I know you'll do great." She ruffled his hair a bit and stood.

He soothed his head with a hand, but if there was one thing he was glad about the playful gesture, it was that she made sure to restore his hair to normal before she left.

.

Going downstairs with Hinata, Ai stopped by a reception desk for a red program booklet. Takeda-sensei had a copy of it, but she wanted one for herself.

The middle blocker went off to the restroom, but she soon heard him shout, "I-I'm a first-year at Karasuno High School, Hinata Shōyō! We're going to take the grand prize in this tournament and go to Nationals!"

His loud voice gathered the attention of people nearby.

"What? Karasuno?"

Hinata screeched, intimidated by the scary-looking guy he'd encountered.

"Don't make going to Nationals sound so easy." The person in a white and dark blue uniform turned and walked down the hallway in her direction.

"Huh? But it's true!"

"You annoying little—" The guy started to turn back to tell him off, but he stopped mid-sentence.

"We're gonna beat everyone and go to Tokyo," Hinata said.

After a moment, the guy from the opposing team scoffed. "Even if you were somehow lucky enough to keep winning, everyone just gets crushed by Shiratorizawa in the end."

"Huh?"

"At most, we should make good memories." He waved a hand back to the orange-haired first-year and started walking off again.

Ai saw the school name on his uniform then and remembered. Number 1 of Ohgi Minami... That's right, they lost against Shiratorizawa Academy with a devastating score the same day we won against Date Tech. And, he's the new captain. She smiled politely. "Towada Yoshiki-kun, correct?"

"Huh?" Almost running into her, he looked at her with the sharp glare of a delinquent. However, his face quickly morphed into surprise and a red blush. "U-uh..."

She glanced back at her clubmate, who was looking on a bit worriedly. "Go on, Shōyō. I'll be fine."

Towada turned around. "That's your manager?" Unlike the first-year, the female with a strong aura seemed much more likely than the short middle blocker to go to Nationals with a powerhouse.

Ai only tapped the second-year's forearm to get his attention. "I'll look forward to our match."

He stammered, but she turned on her heels before he could say anything in response. Ignoring the uncomfortable track pants she'd had to wear for the tournament, Ai flipped her hair to cool the back of her neck and walked away with the red pamphlet she'd came for in hand.

The captain was stunned for a second longer, but he shook his head and went back to his teammates.

.

The managers' job was easier now that they had Yachi helping her and Kiyoko, but that didn't stop the usual stares of boys from other schools. The team warmed up with spike practice, and Tanaka impersonated a monk. Ohgi Minami looked like a team full of juvenile delinquents, but who was she to judge people by their covers?

Ai talked with Sugawara, Ennoshita, Kinoshita, and Narita who would be in the warmup zone like always. She hugged each of them as well as the starting members, telling them that she'll be there if they needed her. It was the first time she'd hugged some of them, so they stuttered and became embarrassed. She left the third-years particularly blushing, along with Yamaguchi, Tsukishima, and Hinata. The first-years tried to hide their flushed faces in various ways, by pressing their hands to their cheeks or attempting to cover it with a cough.

All of Ohgi Minami's third-years were already gone, but their power had always been with their second-years. They'd won the first round of this tournament in straight sets. They all had the physique and innate sense for volleyball, especially the Number 1 on their left side.

There was no match with predestined loss, nor was there a match with a guaranteed victory. The slightest difference in condition, anxiety, impatience... Even for powerhouse schools, the players were only human. The most trivial of disturbances could turn a game ever so easily.

Karasuno couldn't let their guard down.

.

The observation deck wasn't as big as the one from the Interhigh Preliminaries, and Ai and Yachi had to stand by the railing to watch. It was fun to have company. Then, a few more people came to join their audience. One of them was Coach Ukai senior.

"Coach Ukai." She turned her body from the match and bowed to him as he entered the upper floor of the gymnasium. "It's been a while."

He seemed confused at first.

She couldn't blame him; she had been inertive and unable to go to practice much during the short time he'd coached last summer. She'd had to work at her mother's shop and take her sadō lessons, as well as her academics, more seriously. However, she did remember the stories of the strict drill sergeant, as well as the complaints from Tanaka about the rigorous training they'd had to endure and undergo. It was the very regimen that three of her friends had become unable to keep up with.

"You Karasuno's manager?" he asked, regarding her dark tracksuit.

"Yes." She raised her head and smiled. Magenta eyes shining red, her elegant aura amplified. "I'm Akatsuki Ai. A pleasure to see you again."

The grandfather of their current coach flinched, and he cleared his throat. "Hm, let's see how much you've improved." He started to walk past her.

"I heard my first-years, Shōyō and Tobio have been under your care. Thank you."

He grunted a simple response and went to stand by a local friend. The two boys who came in with him stared at Ai.

"What do you call a black angel?" the brown-haired boy with a blue shirt whispered to the other.

The one with a yellow shirt shrugged, his mouth slightly open.

She turned to them when their whispers halted and smiled. "Hello."

"H-hello!" the first one said. "You look like you have wings, miss!"

His friend nodded enthusiastically.

She laughed. "Thank you. Are you two here to watch Karasuno play?"

They nodded and joined her and Yachi, who explained to them the rule of only one manager being allowed on the court. The elementary school boys were young, but they were almost as tall as Yachi and herself.

While Ai took out her usual notes, she instructed Yachi to record the game with her smartphone. Videos were always handy to study the details she didn't write in her notebook.

She used the pen she'd gotten from Nekoma for their first match of the tournament. She smiled at the gift and reminded herself that it wasn't a dream. They had really gone to a summer training camp with amazing people for a whole week. It was evident from the team's play as well. Everyone had leveled up from practicing with some of the Kantō region's strongest schools. Not only did the guys practice their new moves during the training camp, but they also crammed in plenty of practice matches with powerhouse schools that were all completely different. They'd faced a wide variety of styles: the strength and power behind their serves and spikes, the diversity in their attacks, their defense... They'd gotten used to high-level opponents far more than before.

The game started with Asahi's no-touch ace, his serves fortified and powerful. Tsukishima's blocks were improved, and Daichi saw when the spiker switched to a feint. He received it easily. Until their game that morning, she had joined Tsukishima in scouting their rivals. They watched previous matches and saw how they didn't attempt quick attacks if their receives were even a bit off. He took this and Kuroo's advice into account, stopping completely before jumping straight up.

While Yachi cheered outwardly with the two schoolboys, Ai mostly kept quiet. The blonde snuck glances at her, wondering why she acted so reserved. It was the first time they'd stood side by side for official games, so Yachi half-expected her to shout instructions or encouragements during the game. However, Ai was a manager, nothing less and nothing more. She wasn't a cheerleader or coach or an ordinary spectator. If this were back in Teikō and she was sitting on the bench, Ai would have assisted the players every time there was a break or timeout. But as she stood in the stands now, her job was to collect information and gather data about Karasuno and other teams.

As Kageyama scored multiple service aces, Ai found herself watching him more than the others. She usually paid attention to them equally, but perhaps sometimes with leniency for her fellow second-years. She was always happy to watch Nishinoya play and kept an eye on Tanaka, Asahi, and Daichi as well. But now, she began realizing something that she had subconsciously already knew. He was a prodigy, much like the Generation of Miracles. She never liked picking favorites, but Nishinoya and Kageyama were capturing her attention more than the rest.

They won two sets straight with a splendid point difference.

.

Their next opponent was Kakugawa Academy. They had a player who was over two meters tall.

Ai thought of an idea for future practices, but it would need convincing on her part. She asked the young boys beside her about popular snacks. They shouted out various sweets, chocolates, and chips in return.

"Why do you want to know? Do you like snacks?" the brune asked.

"I have a friend who loves them. He'd do anything for snacks." She winked and left for the stairs with Yachi.

The managers passed out fruits as the team prepared for their following game. Ai wondered if the volleyball guys would like honey lemons; she could make them for future tournaments. She and Kiyoko silently agreed that Tanaka looked good with a banana, and Hinata wanted to combine his 162cm with the 40cm of a blackbelly lantern shark.

Everyone that they had gotten much stronger from their intensive training, and Ai told them a story about Kagami defeating Yōsen.

"It's not like you've never seen a person who's two meters tall. You remember Atsu-kun. He came to Karasuno a while back, and he's taller than Kakugawa's Hyakuzawa. Taiga beat his impressive height with strategy and skill." She kept quiet about how Murasakibara broke the basketball hoop with monstrous strength, during the third quarter of last year's Winter Cup. That was a story for another time. "Don't forget that you've also been practicing with another first-year with a height like Hyakuzawa."

"Lev!" Hinata shouted, newly galvanized.

She nodded and parted ways to go back upstairs. Yachi praised and commented on her coach-like instructions. Ai smiled and settled her down, retrieving her things that she'd left with the two young schoolboys.

Total Word Count: 2398