Keeping up with the competitive vibe, Meiou Academy was feeling good after yesterday's swim meet. Now, it was the girls volleyball team's turn to put on a show. But first, classes.

"Alright class…" the history teacher announced, "if you open your textbooks to page 92, we're going to get into the Heian period."

Heian period. Yippee, Kiyoni sarcastically thought.

Meanwhile, Shuichi balanced his attention in between class and Kiyoni. It was something about her that he liked but couldn't put his finger on it. She was no different from the other girls in school other than her genetic makeup. Was it the way she wore her uniform? No. Depending on the weather, Kiyoni wore either a white, short-sleeved dress shirt, black, pink, and white, candy cane striped necktie, and a cranberry red sweater vest with golden trimming and optional blazer jacket or a longer-sleeved version of the shirt and sweater combo with a business gray, knee-length, pleated skirt. Everything was always clean and prepped for the day. Wasn't the socks she wore either. No one could really tell but Kiyoni managed to find a pair of calf-high socks that were black in color but displayed cranberry and gold lining near the top to show her loyalty to the team and school. Thing is those socks were turned outside-in just to blend in with everyone else. During the colder days, Kiyoni even managed to get away with a pair of insulated leggings that gave the appearance of insulated tights. Shoes weren't an issue either. Just as standard as every other schoolgirl. Maybe it was her hair. Shuichi could remember last year when a couple of students wore box braids to school with seemingly little to no trouble. The only difference was that when Kiyoni had them, she had to be sent to the faculty office only to come back the next day with notes from a dermatologist declaring the authenticity of her hair and from mom explaining the culture behind the style with a subsequent request demanding an apology from the school and suspected students for the trouble both mother and daughter went through. How embarrassing. Just what was making Kiyoni so appealing?

"Minamino," the teacher called, "Mister Minamino?"

So much for those analytic thoughts. "Eh, yes?"

"Welcome back. Congratulations on your victory yesterday but we could use you out of the water now. Okay?"

Those in class giggled while Kiyoni secretly looked back. Even Kuronue shook his head.

Shuichi understood, "Yes, sir. Apologies."

During the lunch period, Shuichi stepped outside for some air, feeling a bit hot under the collar from getting called out in class. In the school hallway, he overlooked the courtyard that neighbored a city street bordering a couple of homes and an empty plot of land reserved for construction. It was to be another normal day in Mushiyori City as shown by the partly cloudy skies.

"Yo…" Kuronue beckoned, "are you okay?"

"Fine."

"You sure? How did you sleep last night?"

"Actually…it was the best sleep I've had in a while. Now I have another week to catch up."

"True. So, eh…what was that bruise about?"

"What bruise?"

"The one on your leg from yesterday?"

Kuronue would find it strange because Shuichi found it to be just as unusual. That bruise did look ugly. However, it disappeared by the time Shuichi woke up this morning. Like it never happened. What Shuichi noticed afterwards was a bit shocking. Unsure of where it came from, Shuichi discovered what looked like two, small puncture marks in the same area. Where did those come from?

Instead, he said, "Oh. It's nothing. Taken care of."

"Did it hurt?"

"...No? It was unbearably itchy at times though."

"An itchy bruise? Weird."

"Agreed," Shuichi focused his attention towards inside the classroom where Kiyoni and another female classmate were seen participating in a trending TikTok dance to the tunes of a Japanese cover of an American song, "Anyway, how's your nose?"

Kiyoni has quite the punching power. While Kuronue's nose wasn't broken, it was swollen and held together by a compressive brace with little bruising within the space between the nose and inner corners of the eyes.

"I'll manage," he concluded, "Thanks for coming to my rescue."

"Yes. Watching you get your own gut check was worth it. I'd say it was deserved on your part though."

"What, why? I was only joking."

"Kuronue, you saw how Kiyoni was about that book. Given its contents, I would be too."

"How's that? What did you need it for?"

Shuichi reflected, "Closure? Verification? Insight for sure."

"Insight on what?"

"Basically…I have nothing to worry about. I was just feeling the pressure of yesterday. I'm fine. Really, I'm fine."

"Okay, if you say so."

Game time. While supporters of both the home and visiting teams gathered in the school gymnasium, Meiou's volleyball team stood together in their locker room surrounding their vice-captain who was in charge of hyping them up. Sensically, it should be the team captain but she was in a corner talking to her older boyfriend over the phone. Kiyoni tightened her ponytail and got serious as her team swayed from side to side in a rhythmic motion and quoted some lines from a song by hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj.

"We are not Jasmine, we are Aladdin. So far ahead, these bums is lagging. See us in that new thing, bums is gagging. We're starting to feel like a dungeon dragon!"

The team cheered, "Rah! Rah! Like a dungeon dragon!"

"They need a job but this ain't cutting it. Meiou Academy is who they ain't messing with. They lil fraggle rock, beat 'em with a padded lock. We are a movie…camera block. They outta work and we know it's tough…"

"BUT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Rah, rah! Like a dungeon dragon! Rah rah rah like a dungeon dragon. Rah rah rah like a dungeon dragon, like a dungeon dragon, like a DUNGEON DRAGON!"

"MEIOU! WHAT TIME IS IT?!"

"GAME TIME! HOO!"

"Woo hoo," said the captain, "Are we all ready to go?"

The captain was the same age as Kiyoni and was legitimately talented in the sport but that was where she was the most serious. Other times, she was a typical girly girl who loved to brag about her relationship with an eighteen-year-old high school student. Notwithstanding, if someone like Shuichi was to look her way, she just might make some room for him.

While the rest of the team departed, Kiyoni gave her captain a look of disbelief, "Like…? Seriously…?"

"Hey, Ikeda?"

"Yeah."

"Word on the street is that you invited Minamino to come to the game. Is that true?"

"He…more or less invited himself. Why?"

"Oh, great! Let's do our best, okay?"

Kiyoni could sense her captain's false persona but decided not to call her out on it, "Yeah…sure."

Today's opponent, Sarayashiki Junior High. The color gold on their uniforms seemed to be the only thing similar between the two competing teams. While the home team rocked cranberry red, the away team wore denim blue. As both teams took the time to stretch, practice, and strategize, fans of both sides gathered within the audience section of Meiou's gymnasium. The same gymnasium where basketball games are played, assemblies are held, and plays are performed.

Shuichi and Kuronue took spots along the third row behind an eclectic group of girls where the latter immediately played the playboy role.

"Hey, ladies. Haven't seen any of you around."

"Back off, jerk," a girl declared after seeing Kuronue's nasal brace.

"What? I'm just trying to make conversation."

Shuichi conveniently ended it, "That's enough out of you. After yesterday, perhaps you should lay low."

"I guess. Hey, there goes your girlfriend."

"Girlfriend," Shuichi peeked over and noticed Kiyoni practicing with a teammate.

She had the same level of competitive spirit as her swimming classmate as shown through her facial expressions. Determination, focus, ambition. Shuichi respected it all and wondered why Kiyoni is vice-captain.

"Man, look at those legs," Kuronue commented, "Skirts do not do these girls justice. I wonder if any of them could crush melons."

"I strongly advise you, in good conscience, to consider the words that come out of your mouth concerning the opposite sex for the time being," Shuichi suggested.

"I agree," said a woman sitting behind them, "One of those girls just so happens to be my daughter."

The boys turned around to see Mother Ikeda crossing her arms wearing a polo shirt in the school's colors and a pair of black jeans. Because of her daughter's spot on the team, Ava had to and wanted to attend today's game, going further as to provide drinks and snacks for the rest of the parents in attendance. Kuronue immediately regretted his words. The look on Mrs. Ikeda's face was the same one he was afraid of.

"Oh," he awkwardly recognized, "Y-you must be…[gulp] Kiyoni's mother. H-hi. Misaki Kuronue. A pleasure to meet you."

Shuichi smiled just as awkwardly, "Minamino Shuichi. It's a pleasure as well."

"Mhmm," Ava concurred towards Kuronue. "I'm sorry. Did you say Minamino?"

"Yes."

That flipped Ava's attitude, "It is so nice to meet you. I'm Ikeda Ava, Kiyoni's mother. She's talked a lot about you recently. Congratulations on your swim meet by the way."

"Oh. Thank you. Your daughter is just as wonderful. I appreciate this bracelet she made for me."

Ava studied the trinket, "Yes, that is a little hobby of hers. One of many. It looks like she did a good job."

"Indeed. Is the team any good?"

"As a mother, of course I'll say yes but the field is pretty competitive. This school, Sarayashiki, happens to be one of the best in town. I'm looking forward to their star player."

Kuronue scanned the away team, "Which one?"

"See that one right there? Number five? That's Yukimura Keiko. Her spikes and serves are inhuman. The last time these two were in a match, Kiyoni almost walked away with a broken wrist just from blocking. Fortunately, she's left handed."

"I remember," Shuichi recollected, "She was in class the next day wearing a brace."

"Mhmm. It was from that game. I wouldn't worry about it. My daughter is a warrior, a fighter in this field. The orisha are within her. The fiery spirit of Shango, the will of Oba, the beauty and grace of Oshun, and the intuition of Yemoja. We'll win this today."

And there it was, Shuichi understood why Kiyoni is so passionate about her faith. Because her mother is. However, who were the other gods Ava mentioned?

The sound of a whistle marks the end of practice. Both teams take their assigned sides and face the audience. Like clockwork, Kiyoni immediately scanned the space to find her mom and smiled upon doing so. That smile quickly disappeared when she saw Kuronue and Shuichi in the row in front of her mom.

He showed up!

When team Meiou was announced, all stepped forward to bow while its supporters cheered for them. Apparently, the treatment the swim team received was the same one done for volleyball complete with inflated thunder sticks. Everything was done for team Sarayashiki as well except their supporters brought horns only to shout…

"SARAYASHIKI, WE'RE NUMBER ONE! SARAYASHIKI, WE'RE NUMBER ONE!"

"Alright, girls," said the coach for Meiou, "Stay focused, stay alert, have fun."

"Coach," Kiyoni called.

"Yeah?"

"Let me handle Yukimura."

"No. Absolutely not. That goes for the rest of you. If you can block, block. If you can spike, spike. If you can pass, pass. Do not single out a player, do not get singled out. Ikeda, forget about whatever animosity you have with Yukimura. That's all in the past. Focus on today. Got it?"

If Keiko's head was a volleyball, Kiyoni had the proper tools to deflate it the way the latter's eyes stared at the former like two recently sharpened daggers. She kept her mouth shut all the while.

"Ikeda?"

"...Yeah. Got it, coach."

"Alright, 'Meiou' on three. One, two, three!"

All girls shout, "MEIOU!"

Amongst an active crowd, both starting teams take their places. Kiyoni stood in the front left corner as an outside hitter and defensive player ready to go with her eyes intensely focused on her personal opponent who is about to serve for her team. With another blow of the whistle, the game begins.

True to her reputation, Keiko's serve is sent flying across the court nearly missed by Meiou's libero who stood in the middle of the back row and wore her school colors opposite of her team. The libero quickly bumps it to her middle hitter who passes it to Kiyoni to spike but is blocked by Sarayashiki's front row. Meiou's middle hitter saves the ball with a pass towards the right hitter who spikes the ball for the team's first point.

[Boom. Boom-boom. Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom]

"LET'S GO, MEI-OU," shouts the home crowd.

"SARAYASHIKI, WE'RE NUMBER ONE! SARAYASHIKI, WE'RE NUMBER ONE," the away crowd cheers.

Mother Ava was right. This was going to be an intense match up.

As if time wasn't a factor, the game is fierce with Meiou taking a two-point lead. During substitutions, Mei stepped out to replace Kiyoni.

"About time," Kuronue stated, "She needs a break."

"Agreed," Shuichi observed, "She was amazing those last two rounds."

"Defense is her specialty," Ava commented, "She gets it from watching all the slam-dunk contests coming from the states."

"Really," Kuronue asked with excitement, "Those things are fun to watch!"

"I have a feeling it's more than that," Shuichi assumed, "I can see why Yukimura has the reputation that she has."

"Oh, yeah. Those spikes of hers."

"Indeed. Kiyoni may have put in the effort but I think the emotion behind it is just pure, competitive hatred."

It's the final set of the game with Sarayashiki on a two point lead with both teams on an overall tiebreaker set. A true rubber match. Kiyoni waited for this moment as it was her turn to serve. She studied her rival and other professional games as if they were textbooks just in time for this. Thank you, YouTube and volleyball TikTok. Around her, Kiyoni tuned out everything. The cheers, the sounds, her coach watching her, her team ready to assist, and all of the away team except her counterpart. Kiyoni focused on her the most. As a matter of fact, Keiko was actually in the middle of the front row as a defensive center. Keiko wasn't even aware of Kiyoni's beef with her but was ready to play as expected.

You're mine,Yukimura, Kiyoni declared. Alright. Just use the bottom part of your hand and follow through. Olodumare, my creator, please give me strength…

The whistle is blown and it's a clean serve from the home team. So much so that the ball coasts over Keiko and into the passing area of her team's libero. Once it does reach Yukimura, she bounces it as a pass to her teammate on her right who sets it up for Keiko to spike. The spike is quickly blocked, passed, and spiked again by team Sarayashiki. Team Meiou was not having it as declared by their defense. The ball is passed three times before Keiko spikes again. The blocked shot goes to Meiou's captain who calls out a potential play to pass the ball to an outside hitter who nearly missed her opportunity to pass by a second only to set it up for anyone to spike. Kiyoni takes it with a quickness and impressive strength. The ball came in contact with Keiko's left hand but the velocity proved too much to handle as it finished its trajectory towards the ground, giving Meiou the point. The crowd loved it.

"Did you see that spike," Kuronue roared, "That was insane!"

Shuichi ignored it all, watching Kiyoni the entire time. Meanwhile, Kiyoni internally cheered for herself for getting over her rival. Keiko was seen shaking the shock out of her hand which prompted the coach to call for a substitution. Keiko will most likely pull through but the pained and defeated look on her face was enough.

That's right, Yukimura. Kiyoni sang to herself, channeling her inner Megan Thee Stallion, I'm her, her, her, her, her, her, her, her. She, she, she, she, she, she, she…

"Go, baby," Ava shouted.

Ahead by one point, it's Sarayashiki's turn to serve. Unfortunately, it didn't work out since the ball crashed into the net, giving Meiou another point to tie the game. This was it, Meiou could feel it.

And so did their fans, [Boom. Boom-boom. Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom], "LET'S GO, MEI-OU!"

Since the vice-captain served, the privilege went to the captain. Even though her inner fangirl fawned over Shuichi's appearance, she had to get serious. If this serve "serves", granting Meiou the victory, the captain of the volleyball team and the captain of the swim team could make for a perfect match.

The ball goes airborne and it's another clean serve. Sarayashiki's right defensive hitter takes it with a pass to her offensive hitter who passes it towards the front. A substitute for Keiko takes the opportunity to spike but is blocked by Meiou's front row. The ball is spiked again but Kiyoni comes in with a diving pass to keep it in play. Her captain bumps it up for anyone to spike which is handled by the team's right defensive hitter to set up and the team's center to spike. The spike is blocked and set up to score from the away team's end. However, the game ends when two girls try to spike at the same time only to miss. The whistle blows with the referees giving the victory to Meiou. As the home team's crowd celebrates, both teams meet in the middle of the court to pay their respects.

"Whoa, that dive was everything," Kuronue concluded.

"Definitely," Shuichi agreed.

"I'm sure she would be flattered to hear that," Ava gloated.

Early evening in Mushiyori City. After all was said and done, the girls of the winning team stepped outside to meet with their families and friends. Thanks to Mrs. Ikeda, the girls were rewarded with leftover snacks which were extra delicious given the circumstances.

"There's my girl," Ava welcomed with open arms, "You were so good!"

Kiyoni approached her mom wearing her gear, rocking a duffle bag on her left shoulder, and feeling understandably exhausted, "Thanks, mom."

"Seriously, that dive…"

"Thank you for getting me those new knee pads. That dive would've definitely destroyed that last pair."

"I just sent a text to your dad. Look," Ava showed Kiyoni her phone which displayed a congratulatory GIF from Mr. Ikeda, "You know he's going to want to hear all about it."

"Mom, dad isn't going to care unless he hears the words, 'Scholarship opportunity.' I wish he would come to a game for once."

"I know, sweetie. I'm sorry."

"Ikeda," Kuronue called.

"Olodumare, take the wheel," Kiyoni cringed, "I know that voice anywhere."

"Kiyoni, stop it," Ava chided as the boys approached, "Believe it or not, they actually enjoyed watching you play."

"We did," Shuichi concurred, "That was quite the save towards the end there."

"I'll say," Kuronue boasted, "I only see that type of thing in movies. You know, like those beach scenes?"

"I'm surprised you're here, Minamino," Kiyoni noticed with a slight blush.

"I'm failing to understand why," Shuichi challenged, "You've known for the last two days that I would come. A promise is a promise, right?"

"Yeah," Kiyoni said while brushing a braid behind an ear, "It is."

Ava wanted to flip the world over what she was seeing…or better yet feeling. The vibes were definitely there. Something was definitely brewing between her daughter and this young gentleman. Time to play her parental card.

"Well, it is getting late," she declared, "We should be heading home now. Minamino, was it?"

"Yes," Shuichi answered.

"You're welcome to join us if you like."

"Mom," Kiyoni quietly insisted, "He can't come with us. He lives too far away."

"And that means what exactly? I came here straight from work using transit. You said he's a couple of stops away so he clearly can come with us. Young man, it's fine. You can come with us. I'm sure your parents wouldn't mind."

"Not at all," Shuichi affirmed, "I just informed my mother of my arrival. Kuronue, I'll catch you later."

"Hold it," Kuronue warned, "Hey, man…you do realize…"

"Kuronue, unlike you, I'm familiar with the concept of manners especially around other parents."

"Yo…" Kiyoni beckoned, "are you coming?"

"See you tomorrow," Shuichi said to Kuronue upon departing.

"If you say so," Kuronue demanded, "...asshole."

"How's your hands," Shuichi asked Kiyoni.

"What do you mean," Kiyoni countered as she gathered her hair behind her back.

"I mean…hitting the ball like that. It's painful, yes?"

"At times, it is but I use this afterwards," from her bag, Kiyoni displayed a tube of pain-relieving cream, "Helps with the swelling at least. Speaking of pain, how's that bruise of yours?"

"Bruise? Oh! That bruise. It's gone, actually."

"Gone? In a day? That looked pretty serious."

"Really. It's gone. However, I did discover something new in its place."

"Eh…do I wanna know what that is?"

"I don't know. Do you?"

"I-I'm not in the mood for weird stuff right now."

Shuichi laughed, "Fair. On another note, I slept better last night."

"Cool. So…no weird water or swimming thoughts?"

"As far as I know, no. Thanks again for helping me out."

"No problem. Actually, eh, if you…should you…have those dreams again, I would…like to hear about it. You know, if you…want to talk about it."

"Are you sure?"

"Honestly, yes. I would like that. I mean, only if…you're comfortable."

Shuichi gave the offer some thought, "Hm. Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yes. No sense in holding things in. I actually felt better getting it out, having someone reasonable to talk to about that. So sure."

"Cool."

Ava was close to overhear the conversation but kept her opinions to herself the entire time. She found it sweet for these two teenagers to respectfully talk to each other the way they did. Not only that but the way Kiyoni smiled melted her mother's heart. Like any parent of a teen, the moment said teen discovers teen crushes and "puppy love" was something to expect. This was a first as far as Ava knew so instead of saying something, she decided to let it ride, develop, grow and mature. Hopefully, a solid friendship will come out of it at the very least.