The months rolled by into April, faster than some were hoping for. The volleyball team was hanging out in the gym, getting ready for the final practice with the now graduated seniors. There were teary eyes all around, and the mood was pretty heavy for an afternoon practice.

"Hey, it's not like they're dyin'. They'll still be around," Kitsuna was toward the back, trying to tame her unruly hair and failing miserably.

"But!"

"Quit it. That's just how things are with school teams," Tsukishima sided with her on this take, earning some more severe jabs than she did.

"Right. Let's get started," Daichi called the group to attention finally. The remaining team members gathered around their seniors and sat on the floor.

"Kitsuna and Tsukishima are right, if a bit cold. We're leaving, but we'll still be around from time to time. You'll probably have some new recruits next semester, too. Make sure you greet them properly and don't scare them off."

"Hey, aren't you worried about it at all?," Ennoshita whispered to Kitsuna.

"Hm?"

"I mean, with him going off to college and all that. He might find someone there, y'know. Or what if he gets dragged to a party and things get a little wild? You aren't worried at all?"

"Hm," Kitsuna thought for a moment, hand on her chin. "Nope. D'you really think he's the type to be like that?"

"Well," Ennoshita thought back to the crazy serious confession a few months prior, and several other instances. Like the hand warming with Kiyoko, and Kitsuna's reaction to it. A reaction she still denied having to this day.

"I guess he's too serious for that, and can get pretty devoted to stuff. He does have that devious streak, though," Ennoshita gave his honest opinion on it. Maybe he was worried more over it than he needed to be?

"It's fine," Kitsuna recalled his flustered apology once he realized she found out about his little secret touches before he made his final move. He genuinely felt bad, even though nothing dangerous or serious had occurred. She wasn't bothered by it either, though that seemed to make him more concerned.

"Ennoshita. Kitsuna. Come here," Daichi shot them both a look and motioned for them to stand up and join the group standing before the rest of the team. They exchanged nervous glances but hurried over without another word.

"Right. Ennoshita, you're the captain now. Don't back down to these idiots. Kitsuna, you're the vice captain. Make sure you're a good example," Daichi delivered his assignments without hesitation. The gym was locked in an eerie quiet for a moment then, the sound of a cricket somewhere in the corner echoing out. The first announcement was no surprise, expected even. There was an issue on the second part though.

"Eeeeh?!"

Several voices gave the same response in unison. Kitsuna looked at Daichi and the others beside him, pointing to herself with an unforgettable look on her face. The graduates just laughed then, making everyone else even more confused. Was it a final prank? It was kind of rude as a prank, but nothing else made much sense here.

"Why're you the most shocked?," Suga asked, through his laughter. The ruckus died down slowly, with Daichi taking a little too long to regain his composure.

"Right. There was some discussion for one of the others, but.."

"You're probably the best one to wrangle in the more wild ones, where Tanaka would definitely just get into a fight," Suga finished Daichi's explanation. There was a complaint from the back row, from the secondary candidate himself.

"Well, it's not like you won't fight. But, well, you're surprisingly dependable when it counts?," Asahi tried to assuage the situation and yet again failed hard. Kiyoko stepped up just then, to pull things back around.

"You'll be able to look after Hitoka, until she decides to get a second manager. You've done a lot of extra work already for the team, as well. I think you're the best fit, too."

"Kiyoko…," Tanaka wailed from his spot on the floor. He couldn't argue with her, so if she approved then that was the end of it.

"Right! Now get warmed up so we can get started!," Daichi ordered them up after that. He pulled Ennoshita aside for a moment, Kitsuna lingering nearby just in case there was any extra instruction for her future duties.

"Sorry, but if you could, can you take over something for us? Just when Asahi can't do it," Daichi kept his voice low and nearly pleaded with his replacement for the upcoming year.

"Hm? U-uh, sure," Ennoshita raised a brow at the former captain.

"Just walk with her after practice, if she doesn't have work. Or drop her off at the store if she does. Sorry, I know it's-"

"Hey," Kitsuna interrupted the hushed conversation with a mean leer. Daichi's face tensed up and went pale, making everyone nearby tense.

"You didn't do this for Kiyoko or Yachi. What's the big deal? Don't make someone else go out of their way because you keep stressin' over dumb shit," Kitsuna pinched Daichi's cheek as she said that. He snapped back at her, pulling her hand away and straining against her.

"You know why. That bastard may be all the way in Tokyo, but who knows when he may turn up again. He's not the only issue, either-ow!," Kitsuna used her other hand to smack the top of Daichi's head. They bickered back and forth for a minute before Suga pulled them apart and dragged Kitsuna off to one side.

"He's just worried, don't be so harsh," he chided her gently. She puffed out her cheeks into a pout but didn't argue.

"C'mon, is it really that bad? Asahi said he would keep walking with you, and I know I'll kinda miss those little things. Not that I'm gonna be gone gone! Just, well-"

"I get it. I do. I'm trying not to think about it right now," she pouted and mumbled the last bit out. Sugawara sighed and released the tension in his shoulders, understanding fully what that meant and not wanting to push it further. Not here, anyway, not now. There was still time before he started staying in dorms, in the city. Still time before they had to deal with moving to a more long-distance type of relationship. More time. Shit. Now he was feeling it all over again, and slumped forward in front of her.

"Hey," she thwacked his forehead with something and he looked up to see one of the suckers she kept with her now in front of his face. She smiled big and bright down at him, a rare sight he had grown accustomed to only seeing in sideways glances or from the side of the court when she played. He took the candy, tucking it into his pocket for now and returning that smile with one of his own.

"Hey lovebirds, we're starting now," Noya called out to them to break their little moment up.