"Leaving at night is so cool!," Hinata was brimming with excitement that most of the others couldn't match. They were waiting in front of the school at a crisp three in the morning for the bus that Takeda secured for the long trip to Tokyo. Kitsuna yawned and leaned into the nearest person, that being a barely-awake Yamaguchi. They both drifted off while standing there, needing to be nudged awake by their teammates to get onto the bus. The two sleepyheads were seated next to each other and were out like clockwork as the bus pulled off. Kitsuna held her bag tight, using it to hold herself up. Yamaguchi slumped over when the bus rounded a tight curve on the way out of the foothills.

"Must be nice," Takeda thought aloud. The only ones that heard it were the coach and captain, seated just behind the driver. They both chuckled, one more asleep than awake.

"Really, though. It's amazing that she can sleep like that while on the road now," Keishin spoke softly, but loud enough for Takeda to hear. The teacher glanced back in the rearview mirror, studying the man's face for just a few seconds before turning back to the road.

"Hm?," Takeda was curious at what he meant there but didn't want to open up any sore spots. He was somewhat aware of her situation, he had to be as a teacher and her advisor. He recalled his first year, when she started and was foisted on him along with the declining volleyball team. It was rough, for sure, but he was glad he stuck through the assignment now as he drove them all toward the nationals.

"After that accident, she was super tense in cars. Even when she was barely conscious, on the way to the hospital. She says she doesn't remember much of that period, but there's clearly some things that still bug her. She won't ever say it, but I'm sure she's especially grateful to you. Trusts you a lot," Keishin shared his thoughts on the matter. Despite how much work he had put in for the girl he quite literally picked up off the street, he never gave himself any credit for where she was now. Takeda smiled, but wasn't ready to take all the praise just like that.

"I don't think I can take too much credit. After all, you stepped up first didn't you? And her friends from middle school. Everyone here has helped her out a ton, probably without realizing it," the teacher shared his thoughts now. He had spent admittedly not as much time as he would have liked with the kids so far, but he spent enough to know he was right on that much at least.

As the sun rose, some of the others woke up and the bus got noisy with excited chatter. There was some bickering, as well, and some hard warnings thrown around. Then they arrived at their first stop, the hotel. They filed off the bus to drop their bags and wake up with a meeting. Kitsuna sipped a canned coffee and did her best to listen, but was not keeping up in the slightest. There was a long day of practice, then some free time since they arrived a full day ahead of the first matchups. Keishin surprised the team with a set of videos, put together by some of his friends on the neighborhood team. A bunch of the boys were huddled around tablets or phones, fully absorbed in it.

"Hey, Kitsuna. The girls have their own room this time, you stayin' in here anyway?," Daichi asked. The girl was huddled over with Asahi, on another run-through for the videos.

"Hm? Nah. Y'all make it hard as hell to sleep," she casually threw that out and set a few of the guys off. They started to dogpile her, and she quickly shut them all down.

"Kageyama grinds his teeth in his sleep. Kamakita and Daichi snore too damn loud. Suga's such a damn nerd that he studies til the asscrack of dawn, with his phone light. Tsukki falls asleep listening to music, and when his headphones fall off it's annoying. Noya wakes up at maximum output, which is obnoxious as hell," she rattled off a long list of complaints. None of them were inaccurate, but that didn't make the blows any easier to deal with. Her phone buzzed, and she left them all to figure that mess of words out amongst themselves.

"Um," Kitsuna sheepishly entered the girls' bathing area. Yachi and Kiyoko were already shedding their clothes, and there was some awkwardness present well before Kitsuna joined. They all stripped down and headed for the showers, some small talk taking over as they got over their individual nerves. Yachi and Kitsuna got into the bath first, joined after a while by Kiyoko who sat on the opposite side.

"Y'know, it's kinda sad how Tanaka keeps trying with you and you just deny him outright," Yachi shared an observation out of nowhere that caught the other two off guard. She quickly apologized, profusely, but Kiyoko laughed it off.

"No, you're probably right. I'm not going to bother him with that right now, though," Kiyoko answered so honestly that she now threw things off kilter.

"Want him to focus on other stuff?," Kitsuna offered, and the oldest girl nodded. Kitsuna's face darkened as she considered that, a detail the other two did not let go unnoticed.

"Is that..why you won't say anything either?," Kiyoko gave her best shot. Kitsuna's face turned red a little bit, and Yachi started to panic.

"What? You mean, y-you also? Who?," Yachi was aware of some things, but oblivious to others. She wracked her brain to try and figure it out while Kitsuna stewed in silent embarrassment. Kiyoko smiled at the two underclassmen, glad to have made some friends in her final year at least. Some interesting ones, at that.

"Sorry-"

"I guess it makes sense that people are weirded out by it," Kitsuna leaned over the side of the tub, resting her cheek against her arms. "I don't usually back down from things, but…this is hard."

"Hm?!"

The other two fully expected her to clam up or avoid the topic, but Kitsuna caved in with little resistance this time. The girl was still working through it, trying to form her thoughts and get them out. But she was trying, and that was huge.

"A bunch of people have been calling me out on it lately. So I guess I'm not as good at hiding it as I thought. But if that's the case, why won't that bastard say anything either?," she pouted and the other two laughed. Yachi still wasn't sure who was being referred to here, so she couldn't say anything there.

"Maybe, they're nervous?," the blonde tried anyway. Kitsuna's pout worsened, but then she sighed and relaxed again.

"I guess, that is a possibility. Or, they aren't aware of it because they don't feel anything like that. About me, I mean," Kitsuna turned back around and folded her knees up to her chest.

"Suga-I mean. I'm sure you have a good chance, at least. The third year boys," Kiyoko stumbled a bit. She had spent a lot of time with them, just like Kitsuna had. She was sure nothing she said now would be a stunning revelation or a shock to the redhead, but she was still struggling to get it out. Yachi's eyes widened and her head whipped around, finally getting the answer to her earlier question.

"Eh, not Tadashi?," she asked, revealing her incorrect guess in the process.

"Huh? No."

"O-oh. Sorry," Yachi quieted back down at Kitsuna's immediate denial. Kiyoko cleared her throat, trying again.

"The third years. Daichi is strong, and really pushes himself hard. Asahi..he tries but he bows out a lot and isn't all that..strong? Sugawara falls somewhere in-between them. He'll push in his own way, but he sucks at dealing with other stuff," Kiyoko gave her honest thoughts on the three's mentalities. Kitsuna nodded her agreement with that, but still looked like she was struggling with something.'

"W-well! I don't really know much about this stuff, but! Um, I think it's okay to take your time too. LIke, there's no need to rush it, is there?," Yachi said something pretty reasonable just then. Kitsuna glanced her way, taking that into consideration as well, but wasn't getting anywhere now and shook her head.

"Sorry, I'm heading out first. I'll try not to be loud if I get to bed after you guys," she rose out of the tub and wrapped up in a towel. While getting dressed, she just couldn't shake the doubts and circling thoughts in her head and headed out toward a balcony on the same floor as the rooms that Karasuno had booked.