I added onto this chapter for this week instead of making multiple parts! Please scroll down to about halfway to find the added part!

I know I'm all over the place with the timeline, but the flashback scenes in this chapter are mostly from the Haikyuu episode.

Please comment if anything's too confusing.

(Reference: I don't know if Ennoshita and Narita were in the same class last year, but I'm going to say that they were.)

"Sawamura-san!" Kageyama yelled.

"Daichi!" Asahi shouted.

"Daichi-san!" Tanaka held his right shoulder that had sustained the impact with his left hand.

Everyone remained frozen in shock for a moment. The audience murmured about the collapsed player. Oikawa, who was upstairs with Iwaizumi, had also witnessed the collision.

Daichi slowly picked himself off of the floor as the adults ran to check on him.

"Where were you hit?!" Coach Ukai yelled.

"My face…"

Takeda-sensei crouched in front of the third-year, checking for a concussion. "Sawamura-kun, where are you right now?"

"S-Sendai City Gymnasium."

"Who is our current opponent?"

"It's Wakunan." Daichi took his hand off of his cheek. "I'm fine!"

"But it appears that you hit your head, so go to the medical office for now."

The coach agreed with the teacher.

Daichi looked frustrated, but Takeda-sensei put a hand on his shoulder that made him pause. "Go confirm that you are all right. That is the fastest path back to the game."

Kiyoko looked at him worriedly and gave him a tissue for the bleeding in his mouth; it turned out that he lost a tooth, but he didn't seem dizzy.

Depending on the situation, it could be that the captain won't be able to participate in this match against Wakutani Minami anymore. However, it was ultimately up to the coach.

Kiyoko gave him a towel and ice pack for his face.

Tanaka stepped up to them and started to bow. "D-Daichi-san… I'm sorr-"

"Sorry, Tanaka," Daichi cut him off, a kind smile on his face. "I saw you coming in to cover, but my body had a will of its own and plunged in. But look… Because of that one point you took back, we're at the 20-point mark now."

Indeed, the score was 20-17, Karasuno's advantage.

Daichi patted the second-year's bicep while Tanaka hung his head in guilt.

The Number 5 wing spiker had a really strong mentality during a match, but that was only when he was cornered to make a play. Now that he broke the leader and team's pillar of stability, this was a new challenge for him.

And adding on to the responsibility, if they dropped this match, it would be the last game for Daichi.

However, this wasn't about blame. It was an accident; no one was solely at fault.

"Sorry, Asahi, I'll be right back. Hold things down until then." Daichi squeezed the ace's uniform at the shoulder. "I'm counting on you."

"Of course. Leave it to us."

The four third-years wore determined expressions. Not one of them was giving up.

Fortunately, his footing seemed alright and he was fine walking on his own.

.

Ai met Coach Ukai and Daichi downstairs at the entryway of the spacious gymnasium.

"Daichi-san." She rushed to his side and hovered her hand over the forming bruise on his cheek. The captain had collided rather forcefully into Tanaka's shoulder, and there was a possibility of a concussion.

"Thanks, Ai. I'm all right." He ended up mumbling the last part of the sentence. Now that he was off of the court, the adrenaline rush was probably receding, and the pain of the injury was taking over.

She turned her attention to the coach. "How's Ryu?"

"Tanaka's fine. His shoulder's good," Ukai said.

She mentally scolded herself for not grabbing a pack of tissues before rushing downstairs. Hopefully, Yachi would be mindful enough to bring their bag of emergency supplies with her.

Ai then proceeded to give orders before the adult could form the words. "I'll ask Hitoka-chan to assist him and go back to the stands myself. Leave the team to me." She spoke in a hushed tone in case the captain's head was pounding in a migraine.

Coach Ukai nodded. "Yeah, you do that."

On time, Yachi arrived behind her, with the first aid kit, and Ai let her take over.

"Take as much time as you need," she told the three who were going to the infirmary, but mainly looked at Daichi.

Yachi nodded and walked with the two males.

Ai sighed. It was only ten o'clock in the morning.

Tobio's nosebleed yesterday, and now this… she thought. This was the risk of sports. Thankfully, Murasakibara's broken arm from the Vorpal Swords' game was almost fully recovered, and Kise was completely back to his energetic self.

She peeked through the doors, wanting to support them from a closer distance. Ryu...

However, she forced herself to go back.

.

Ai had to use a different writing utensil since her last one dropped to the floor below. She forwent her usual pencil and pulled out the pen she'd gotten from Nekoma. She pressed the cool metal of it to her lips for luck and picked her notebook up from the floor.

"You're the only one who can do this. We're counting on you!" Sugawara said.

"Chikara! Get a grip!" Kinoshita yelled.

Ennoshita went in place of the captain. There was a lot of pressure. Playing the role of the foundation of the team, the possibility of this match being the third-years' last one, his ashamed emotions of running away in the past.

Normally, a team could have used a second setter, but unless they routinely practiced a double setup, or had a setter that was better at attacking and defending than a wing spiker, it would be hard for someone to fill in. Plus, Karasuno didn't have many players to spare.

Ennoshita was the type that was very accurate in his play. He tried telling himself to do the same as the practice matches. But, no matter how he thought about it, this wasn't the same.

Playing behind him and taking his place was completely different.

"Oh, so it is you after all, Ennoshita-san." Tsukishima wasn't surprised at all that the second-year was replacing the captain, instead of Sugawara coming out to play.

"Ennoshita-san, can I toss fast attacks from the get-go?" Kageyama asked for permission.

"Oh.., sure."

"Chikara! Their Number 1 blows balls outta the court, so keep that in mind!" Nishinoya bounced up and down with his usual energy.

"Y-yeah."

"Ennoshita-san! You've got this!" Hinata cheered while the libero was in court.

It was understandable that Ennoshita would feel uneasy. However, if someone had to replace Daichi, everyone on the team thought it should be him.

"Let's do this!" Yamaguchi called.

"You can do it!" Narita encouraged.

Tanaka went up to the Number 6, his head hung low. "Ennoshita, sorry. We're counting on you."

"Why are you saying sorry?" he rebutted. "Are you talking about how you collided with Daichi-san? It was a toss-up on who would get hurt by that hit. In the end, Daichi-san may have been subbed out because he collided with you. But, if there's anything we're thinking right now,..." He stepped aside so that the gentle ace could do the honors. "Asahi-san, please go ahead."

"We're glad that you weren't hurt!" Asahi stated, loud and clear, speaking for the team.

Ennoshita pushed on Tanaka's back and regained his light banter.

"Hm, this is unexpected. At first glance, Ennoshita seems like he'd be pretty timid," Shimada said.

"No way!" Saeko laughed. To dissipate the misunderstanding of Ennoshita seeming the shy type, Saeko explained how he took charge over the second-years whenever they studied at the Tanaka residence. He was always the boss of the rowdy second-year gang and kept everyone in line, except for Ai. The sister praised that she was the other ruler over the group.

Out of the wing spikers, Ennoshita was the best for managing the out-of-control second-years who were the core of Karasuno's offense. Lately, he'd also been spreading his influence to the rascal first-years, as Kinoshita recalled.

"Based on how they act when they're over at my place, no matter how you look at it, the boss of the second-years is Chikara." The older female shrugged. "Well, except for you, I guess."

Ai agreed that Ennoshita knew empathy, but the manager abstained from her flattery.

.

"Ennoshita, nice serve!" Sugawara yelled.

The ball flew over and the opponent spiked. The wing spiker wasn't able to receive, so Nishinoya chose to guard wider.

Skill-wise, Ennoshita knew that he was currently no match for Daichi. But, now that he was standing there on the court, there was no point in running away by making excuses like that. Not to mention, he already knew that it was harder on himself later if he ran away.

"Bring it on!!!" he screamed.

"Not bad, Karasuno's Substitute Captain!" Nakashima complimented before his jump serve.

———

Last Summer

The elder Ukai did a mock spike-receive practice, standing on top of a table. He yelled and shouted at the students with strict coaching when they were slowing down.

The day after, the club lost two first-years. A few days afterward, Ennoshita ditched practice for the first time since starting volleyball in middle school. He pretended to be sick.

Ennoshita felt guilty about it, especially when Ai texted him to check in on how he was feeling, but he wouldn't get scolded during strenuous practice.

And the next day, and the day after that…

.

Ai, Ennoshita, and Narita were in the same class. It meant that there was no escaping her presence; the three students from volleyball would sit at their desks in the same classroom for the majority of the school day.

It was almost summer vacation, and it had only been four months since Ai had graduated from Teikō. She acted similarly to as she did in Tokyo: detached from most and cold-blooded. Just recently, she had smiled at Nishinoya for the first time.

Neither of them could meet her eyes, let alone speak to her. Her magenta irises seemed calculating and judgmental. Guilt-ridden as they may have felt, Ennoshita and Narita thought it was better and safer to avoid her altogether.

Ennoshita would catch Narita's eye once in a while, but they didn't chat very much about club, and Ai didn't say anything to them either.

One day, Ai was on Math Duty, helping the teacher with clerical tasks. She walked down the aisles of students' desks, returning workbooks that the teacher had collected last week.

"Chikara," she said his name when she got to his desk.

"A-Ai." Ennoshita remained seated and averted his eyes. "Yeah, w-what's up?"

A short moment of silence ensued.

"You'll meet my gaze when we speak," she commanded. With her shoulders rolled back and a confident posture, her aura was as regal as an imperial empress. She looked down at her classmate who sat in his chair.

Reluctantly, he looked up at her uncomfortably.

She held his gaze for a second, then placed his math workbook on his desk. "Here. Your workbook," she said sharply. Just before she moved on to the next student's desk, she mumbled under her breath, "Don't be afraid." But of course, nobody could dictate anyone how to feel.

Her voice was so quiet that Ennoshita almost missed what she'd said.

.

"Hey, um... Ai? You're in the same class as some of the first-years, right?" Sugawara asked her at club. He was also still getting used to talking casually with the newest manager.

"Chikara and Kazuhito, yes."

"Do you, uh… ever talk to them? About coming back to club together?"

"I don't."

"Oh. ...Okay."

She exhaled a sigh. "There's no point in persuading them if they don't want to."

She knew from experience with Aomine and Kuroko. If they don't want to practice, they shouldn't. If they came with a negative vibe, it could affect the morale of the members who are here as well.

The setter was a bit startled at the cold, analytical response. However, he also sensed that there may be more to her than what meets the eye.

"So, uh, do you feel like you're getting the hang of volleyball yet?"

"Yes, thank you for asking." Noticing one of the third-years finishing his water bottle, she bowed to the second-year setter and excused herself. "Please tell me if I can do anything else for you, Sugawara-senpai."

Her actions and words left Sugawara thinking. Her kindness feels sort of… dry, he thought. She's really polite and considerate. I wonder why that doesn't extend to compassion…

.

Daichi went out of his way to talk to Ennoshita. He tried talking to him at lunch break, trying to ease the younger wing spiker's mind and persuade him to come back.

Tanaka even pulled on his backpack, while Nishinoya grabbed one of his legs to forcefully drag him back to practice.

They were lucky that Ai came by to put a stop to their childish stubbornness. If a teacher had walked down that hallway and saw, they'd get detention for sure.

"Enough. Let him go."

The boys froze and returned their hands to themselves.

She shot all three of them an icy cold glare. "Ryu, Yū, get to practice before you're late."

The two reluctantly complied.

Ennoshita looked conflicted on whether to just leave while he still could. However, Ai stood in front of him while he hesitated.

She stared into his eyes, searching for something. Then, she touched the side of his arm and walked away without saying anything.

.

He didn't have to run in the heat. He didn't have to be scolded. Narita and Kinoshita also stopped going to practice, most likely for the same reasons. To be fair, Ai had to admit that the summer temperatures in Japan were brutal.

The teenager could relax inside his house with the air conditioner on, eat ice cream, and fall asleep at the table.

But, that moment when he'd gotten the ball up from one of Asahi's spikes, that moment where he felt proud and amazed with himself, that he could excel at volleyball. He missed it.

.

Ennoshita finally chose to return to the after-school practices.

When he opened the door, the club members were on a short break before the next training activity.

"S-sorry for ditching! Please let me practice!"

Daichi was relieved. "Ennoshita, I'm glad that you came bac-"

"Then don't show up in your school uniform!" Captain Kurokawa rebutted.

"I-I'm sorry! I'll change right away!"

While her classmate ran off towards the clubrooms, Ai frowned. Japanese culture valued seniority, almost to a fault. The hierarchy was more strict than in America. People hadn't been very picky about it when she lived in Vermont.

However, in the Asian country, it was how students learned respect for older people, even if they were just a year older, and they became role models for the younger students, taking care of them in turn.

"Dealing with other people is hard, but you can't just be nice, either," the captain wearing green tracks reprimanded.

"R-right."

And so, Ennoshita, Kinoshita, and Narita came back. They joined the others in running around the indoor perimeter of the gymnasium.

There were five first-years who boycotted practice at the time. Two of them quit the volleyball team, and seemed much livelier than before. Which was better probably depended on the person.

Ai spoke to them on occasion, but it was rare unless necessary. The guys weren't too keen on talking to her either, so it saved them all the awkwardness of having to make polite conversation.

Of course, Tanaka and Nishinoya were thrilled to have more friends of the same grade at practice. Two people — three if they counted Ai — could be a little lonely. It was definitely fewer than the number of people who joined some of the other clubs; baseball and soccer were the more popular sports clubs.

The time when he wasn't playing volleyball was more painful for him, so he went back. However, Ennoshita thought that the inferiority complex from fleeing would probably never go away.

———

Summer

After Interhigh

"Until Spring High's over, the third-years will continue to lead the team. But, you second-years need to at least start thinking about who's going to be the next captain," the coach had said.

The five of them and Ai had a conversation that night, discussing among the second-years what to do after their upperclassmen retired from the club. Nishinoya and Tanaka had gotten frozen treats after practice and ate while walking home together.

It reminded her of how she had often joined the Generation of Miracles, except Akashi, to the convenience store. Aomine, Kuroko, Kise, and Murasakibara loved getting a treat after gruesome practices, and Ai would sometimes trade ice cream flavors and eat together with Momoi. Midorima would also agree to hang out, most of the time. It had been unfortunate that her boyfriend couldn't go with them; he had to maintain a good reputation for his family name.

"What do you think about what Ukai-san said?" Ennoshita asked aloud, bringing her out of her memories.

"The next one, huh?" Tanaka pondered. "What are you gonna do next year, Ai?

"If I may be greedy, I'd like to continue both clubs like I am now, with sadō and volleyball."

"Sure you can. I mean, you joined sadō first, right?"

"But volleyball requires more time and commitment."

Tanaka shrugged. "We're just lucky we have you in the first place."

Kinoshita and Narita nodded.

It brought a smile to her face. "Thank you, Ryu. I'll talk to Hitoka-chan about it."

"And, that brings us back to who's gonna be the next captain."

"I think Chikara should do it," Nishinoya was the first to suggest.

"What? Why?" he reacted.

"Just 'cause," the libero replied, stopping in the middle of the countryside road to eat his blue soda-flavor popsicle in two bites.

Tanaka was too susceptible to getting carried away, and liberos couldn't be captain. Kinoshita and Narita both declined the position. But even without the elimination method, choosing Ennoshita was the reasonable decision.

Ai also shared the opinion that the wing spiker would be best suited for being next in line to become captain.

"According to the rules, liberos can't become the team captain, right?" the Number 5 confirmed.

"Yup!"

Ai gave the Guardian Deity a hug, in case Nishinoya had wanted to be the captain if he could.

"I think Tanaka's qualified too, but looking at the first-year lineup..." Kinoshita listed off, thinking logically. "Simpleton idiots, and a crabby guy..."

"Yeah, I do think we need someone really calm at the top." Narita added quickly, "You know, besides Ai."

"Nice to know that you think I'm calm, Kazuhito," she smirked.

"Sure you are, most of the time," Kinoshita agreed.

She giggled. "Thank you, Hisashi. I'll take that as a compliment."

Ennoshita looked down unconfidently. "But I ran away... There's no way I could lead the team."

"That may just be why," Tanaka said.

"It's all right because you're back here with us now!" Nishinoya looked at the end of his wooden stick. "Oh, my popsicle was a winner! I'm going to go redeem it!"

"An athletic team isn't all about guys that go headfirst into everything, right?" Tanaka rationalized after the libero had gone running back up the slope. "I don't know much about the guys that are a different type than I am, but I think you're someone who can understand both." He smiled.

"Well said, Ryu. And, I agree." She linked arms with Tanaka. It was one of the few things she could do, since he was much taller than her.

People needed time to take a break sometimes. Even Aomine and Kuroko had a period where he skipped practice, albeit for different reasons.

"Daiki-kun stopped coming to practice in middle school and part of his first year at high school. Do you think that disqualifies him from being the ace?" she asked them.

"Kuroko-kun also thought of quitting, but he was part of the starting lineup last year, while there were second-years who could've played instead."

"But that's 'cause they're so fricking talented. No one could deny that," Kinoshita pointed out.

"All right!" Nishinoya came back with his new popsicle that he got for free.

"Asahi-san left our club for a while," she said quietly.

"Yeah,... but he's our senior and he was the ace before, so it's like he just got his position back."

"Then, take me for example. I didn't have compassion, even though it's arguably the most important thing about being a manager."

Tanaka's arm stiffened under her touch, and he turned his head to look at her. "You were still a good manager last year, though."

"Yeah, I didn't even have one in middle school," Nishinoya said, surprising the group. Chidoriyama Junior High, like Kitagawa Daiichi, was a powerhouse that could have had club managers, if the school wanted to.

"Chikara," she brought them back to the conversation.

Ennoshita met her soft magenta eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with having an inferiority complex. It makes you who you are. You've experienced running away, and you know how it feels. It's built your unique timeline of experiences."

Tanaka and Kinoshita kept quiet, knowing that they should listen to her little speech.

"Your time away has made you stronger and more compassionate. It's one of your many strengths. I remember Kurokawa-senpai. He was a strict captain. As Yū said, you came back, and you're giving it your all now. That's all that matters. You're a valid candidate, if you want the position."

Finally, she smiled. "You have plenty to contribute to the team. You have our loyalty, trust, and respect. You'll be a great leader, Chikara." Ai let go of Tanaka's arm and walked over to hold his hand. She squeezed once, as a form of casting her ballot. "You have my vote,'' she told him.

Ennoshita thought for a moment, considering her words. Then, he shrugged and smiled back. "Thanks, Ai. I appreciate it. But, this is all in the future, so we still got time."

"Yeah," Tanaka dismissed, starting to walk again.

In either case, he thought, someone spineless wouldn't be fit for such a task...

Ai wondered how much time it would take to make their vision come true. Her loafers clicked on the pavement as she continued on her way home.

Meanwhile, the guys slowed down behind her.

"You know how Ai always wears heels outside of school?" Kinoshita said quietly. "I get nervous whenever I hear them now."

"Really?" Narita asked.

"Is it just me!?"

"Kazuhito and Chikara are in the same class. You get used to it, don't you?" Nishinoya pointed out. "I already did!"

"At least you can hear it coming, like an admonition," Tanaka said. "Better than Daichi-san's silently growing fury."

"That's a big word there, Tanaka," Ennoshita piped.

"I learned it from her last time. Surprised it stuck to my memory." He laughed a bit bitterly. "I'd bet even the devil in hell would watch out for her footsteps."

"I heard that," Ai called to them without looking back.

"You're in for it now, Tanaka." Kinoshita laughed and gave him his condolences.

"Oh, yeah?! You're all going down with me!"

———

Ennoshita received the jump serve from Nakashima.

Even if I'm spineless... even if I'm no match for Daichi-san... I'm going to fight! That's why I came back!

Saeko noticed Ai smiling down at her friends on the court, and the older female grinned as well.

21-19.

"Asahi-san, nice serve!" Kinoshita yelled, and the third-year got a service ace with his hard-practiced jump serve.

However, Wakutani Minami stayed calm through the game with a setter dump tapped over.

"Don't mind, don't mind! Let's get this one!" Yamaguchi encouraged. He was getting used to cheering his teammates on from the warmup zone.

"Nice receive!" Takeda-sensei called next to Kiyoko.

"Yamaguchi..." the remaining second-year wing spiker started, him and Narita watching the third-year female look at them in the warmup zone.

"Yes?"

"Shimizu-senpai's calling you."

The manager with a ponytail smiled kindly as she beckoned the first-year over to the coach's bench.

"Tanaka, nice kill!" Asahi said, and they were 23-20.

The whistle blew for a change of players, and Shimada went blue in the face.

"Huh?"

Yamaguchi stood next to the court, his hand shaking as he held a plaque with the number 11.

Coach Ukai had left the teacher with instructions to put the first-year in as a surrogate for when it was Tsukishima's turn to serve. Under the circumstances, the one thing the coach wanted to avoid was for the opponent to flip the game around and win the set. Karasuno would have to push hard and shake them off.

Ennoshita got Yamaguchi to calm down at least a little bit. The substitute captain knew the law of regaining calmness when seeing someone else more nervous than yourself.

"Chikara! Ryu! Tadashi!"

Ai called out Ennoshita, Tanaka, and Yamaguchi's names for support. She tapped her shoulder and gestured breathing deeply to them to indicate reminders of their aromatherapy.

They saw her signal, but it didn't do much.

"I feel like I'm going to puke," Shimada muttered.

The whistle blew, and Yamaguchi nearly jumped out of his skin. It was his first time back on the court since the Interhigh tournament.

The serve toss went a bit low. The blue and yellow ball touched the white flap of the net, and the first-year had a flashback of the tri-colored ball dropping onto the floor in the Seijoh match.

However, the ball went over into the opposite court.

Everybody watching was impressed. "Woah!"

"Nice serve!" Hinata shouted.

"It's over the net!" Sugawara yelled. "Just one more point!"

24-20, set point.

"Whoa!" Saeko awed while Shimada breathed a big sigh to calm his heart.

"Yamaguchi, nice serve!" the other Tanaka said as well.

"One more!" Ennoshita encouraged.

"You've got this, Yamaguchi!" Nishinoya

Ennoshita and Tsukishima noticed the change in the pinch server's attitude.

Yamaguchi felt nervous and pressured. And under those fretting emotions, he opted to properly land the ball in the court, without jumping.

"Huh? He's not going to hit it while jumping this time?" Saeko asked as Shimada's expression grew grim.

Yamaguchi tried his best, but he felt paralyzed and couldn't move his legs.

The opponent Number 5 set the ball, and Number 4 spiked. Hinata and Kageyama jumped to block, and the crows' middle blocker got a one-touch.

It's falling! Front, front, front! Yamaguchi screamed in his head. Move, legs! he pleaded.

Thankfully, Ennoshita dove to hit it before the ball dropped.

"It's up!" Sugawara shouted.

"Cover! Cover!" Tanaka yelled.

"Chikara, nice!" Nishinoya acknowledged.

Kageyama did an underhand toss, "Azumane-san!"

"Right!" the ace said, and the third-year scored.

"All right!!!" Sugawara screamed.

25-20, first set to Karasuno.

Everyone sighed a breath of relief, having won even without Daichi. However, Yamaguchi was frustrated with himself. Ennoshita noticed this, after calming his own nerves.

The guys changed courts, and Nishinoya chatted with the goateed third-year.

"Asahi-san, that last back row attack was awesome!"

"Thanks!"

Narita pushed the ball cart, but he stopped when he saw the coach returning. "Hey, Ukai-san's back."

"O-oh, is he pissed off or something?" Hinata flinched next to Kageyama.

"Yamaguchi!" Ukai ground out, stalking angrily towards the first-year.

"U-um!" Ennoshita intervened.

"H-he knows. I think he knows more than anyone else."

Upstairs on the balcony, Saeko asked if there was a problem.

Shimada explained in a low tone, "Even without jumping, you can make serves that don't spin and are hard to receive. But, when you jump and hit from a higher point of impact, the ball has more force and is more effective.

"Being defensive isn't unconditionally a bad thing to do. In the end, Karasuno scored the point. But, for Tadashi right now, the only weapon he has to fight like all the other guys is his serve. If he flees from doing that, he has nothing left."

He'd wanted to control his body and the ball as the other three first-years did, to fight alongside them.

And like Ennoshita, Yamaguchi also felt in that moment that he was a spineless coward.

Tsukishima handed him a towel, giving his friend silent support.

Hinata wanted to do something for his teammate, but he wasn't sure what to say, especially when Tsukishima didn't talk to Yamaguchi.

"Ukai-san, how is Daichi-san?" Tanaka worried.

"He's fine. There's no worry of a concussion. However, the bleeding and pain in his mouth are a bit severe," the coach told the boys.

"The tooth..." Hinata remembered with a terrified look.

"Just in case, I'm having him rest for a while."

Asahi and Ennoshita slapped Tanaka on the back.

"I know!"

Coach Ukai addressed the team. "We're gonna win and ready the next stage for Sawamura. You guys don't need to think about anything other than that!"

"Right!"

"All right, let's go!" Karasuno's vice-captain gathered everyone together in a circle. "Karasuno, fight!"

"Yeah!"

.

Outside, it started to rain.

Shiratorizawa Academy was winning steadily against Hakusuikan; 20-12, second set.

However, the match between Karasuno and Wakunan as taking a while.

Good receives weren't all flashy, super receives. If a ball that had always gone up suddenly didn't anymore, it would slowly but surely get to them. And, they were beginning to feel it.

Ai couldn't go down to where they were, nor could she help receive the stray balls that Daichi would have successfully.

The court downstairs seemed desperately far, even if she leaned over the railing. Why was the audience seating not on ground level like for basketball? This was definitely not the same as being there for them on the bench either, like she had been for the Generation of Miracles. The distance between them seemed much longer than normal.

Second set. 18-14, Wakunan.

All she could do now was bite her lip at the score of four points behind.

(A very long) Author's Note:

I honestly don't remember when I started publishing this book on Wattpad, but I think it's been over a year now!

To give you all a peek behind the scenes, I made sure to finish drafts of Haikyuu seasons 1 and 2 (50 episodes total ToT) before I ever started publishing. So, I guess it's been more than a year if you count those couple months of brainstorming lol. Let me tell you though, most of them were really short.

I ended up adding numerous more scenes as I went along, (being inspired by everyday things in my life and all of your absolutely wonderful comments!! Please don't hesitate to give me requests or suggestions at any time for either anime! I will go back and rewrite chapters for the sake of creating a better, more interesting story!).

I also made six whole chapters for the Last Game movie. I was going to include it in the story either way, but that was not supposed to happen in my original plan hahaha.

I also thought of birthdays along the way, hence my current lag in writing those! I'm missing Ushijima and Aone's (Aug 13) to Kenma's (Oct 16) birthdays to be exact.

(Check the end of chapter 2.14 part one for the specific dates!)

One of my main goals is to portray the characters accurately, so please comment or let me know if you have different thoughts and opinions about how a character would react, think, talk, etc. I love character analyses and discussing their personalities. I don't really like going out of character; I think it kind of, maybe, defeats the purpose of a fanfiction...? (I feel like the fandom often makes up a different image for some of them and it can be hard to distinguish what's factual and what's not.)

Another thing I really make sure that I get right is how the characters address each other. If they use last names or first names, and whether they use suffixes/honorifics and which ones. (For example, Nishinoya calls mostly everyone by their first names, even Yaku, except for Kageyama, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi. And in Karasuno, I think Sugawara is the only person that no one uses his first name.)

(And yes, I'm going to figure out how to differentiate the coaches and kantoku's, and edit the past chapters. See the little note at the end of Chapter 2.6 Tempo)

(Can you tell I have a meticulous personality like our OC? Lmao)

After I finish 2.25 and the OVA 2, I'm thinking of taking a long break to write up drafts for the ten episodes for Season 3. I'm not sure when I'll do the birthdays that I skipped over, but I'll probably do those before the Shiratorizawa arc.

But don't worry, I won't give up on this story halfway! I have too many ideas for Season 4 and more (plus an Epilogue?) to stop now.

I haven't gotten to major holidays yet, but I'm thinking of writing something for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and maybe Halloween? (These will come up in the story timeline, not real-time. Sorry!)

(I'll definitely write a Christmas special. It's one of my favorite holidays, and I love/hate how the Haikyuu story skips over that December period so that I could make up my own events and stuff lol. I may have already started jotting down an essay or two...) (I know there's a Haikyuu Christmas CD drama, but I think that's all there is...? Maybe KnB has something too that I'm just not aware of...)

That's kind of where my mind is at for now. I'm also working on a few extras (like a list of favorite foods, mottos, voice actors, etc) on the side that might be borderline obsessive...

Forget watching KnB for entertainment; I'm like always on the hunt for plot ideas, and I cry whenever I'm rewatching Haikyuu episodes for "research". I've basically memorized so much about them now lol. And let me just say that both of the original stories are so inspirational and motivational.

Thank you all so much for reading this book and sticking with this story for so long!

I know how easy it is to get sick of reading sometimes, especially long chapters like mine. I'll try to add as much dialogue as I can to make it easier. Anyway, I appreciate every reader endlessly. Please don't hesitate to message me with anything, like story reviews, suggestions, requests, questions, etc! I'm open to ideas!

Thank you all again!!!

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