The boys of the Karasuno High School Volleyball Team were already fully into their training. It's been a couple of months since school and practice had started again. The first years have become a great asset to the team, each one with talents of their own that benefited the 'fallen crows'.

The group was currently working on their serves, when the atmosphere of shoes squeaking and balls hitting the gym floor was broken by the doors being opened and a soft voice calling out "Sorry for the-for the intrusion."

Everyone turned their heads toward the person that had entered the gym.

In the doorframe stood a girl, about 1.69m tall, her face beet red – probably because of her stumbling over her words just now. In her hands she was holding a bag, while another, most likely her own, was hanging from her shoulder.

Something about her struck the boys as familiar although some of them couldn't quite put their fingers on it.

"Is-is Asahi here?", she asked, barely looking up in hopes to not meet anyone's gaze. She hasn't felt this embarrassed in a long time, but it's not her fault for being this socially anxious, as it ran in her family – is what her mother would say.

Now everyone's attention turned to the tall brunet the girl had asked for, who quickly crossed the gym to meet the girl by the door.

She handed him the bag without a word and Asahi smiled at her, saying quietly "Thanks a lot, Miko-chan."

While Ukai yelled at the rest of the team to continue practicing, some of the boys continued to keep their eyes on the duo by the door, who seemed to exchange some words with each other. All of them would love to know about what.

Finally Asahi returned to the group to resume practicing as well, while the girl walked along the side, timidly approaching Coach Ukai.

It seemed like those two were talking for forever, some of the boys dying more and more out of curiosity with each second passing, until they were finally called over by their coach.

It looked like some sort of contest, some of the boys racing themselves to see who would reach Ukai, Kiyoko and the unknown girl first. The rapid approach of some seemed to scare the unknown girl a little, as she searched solace in hiding behind Kiyoko almost out of instinct.

"Listen up, for the next few practice sessions we will have a guest supervising us, or rather you," coach Ukai announced gesturing towards the girl hiding behind Kiyoko, who had now slowly stepped out to stand beside the third year.

"I'm Azumane Kimiko of-of class 1-3, nice to-nice to meet you!", the girl announced and now that they knew her name, they finally recognized why she had seemed so familiar. She was Asahi's younger sister, the one that only Sugawara, Daichi and Kiyoko knew about, as Asahi had never wanted to voluntarily put his sister in the spotlight for certain reasons.

When you compared the two, you could definitely see the resemblance. They shared the same hair color, the same eyes and most definitely some certain aspects of personality like anxiety, for one.

Some boys of the team were talking among themselves, resulting in Kimiko slowly shrinking in on herself more and more, so Daichi saw it upon himself to call for a little bit of order.

"Alright, lets introduce ourselves. I'm Sawamura Daichi, team captain," Daichi introduced himself, despite the fact that the two of them knew each other already, as well as Sugawara.

One by one did each member introduce themselves, almost all of them with curious gazes, unlike one of them, who called himself "Tsukishima."

After they had finished their round of introduction, coach Ukai said "Now that we got that over with, you guys go back to practice!"

"Wait, I want to know which junior high Kimiko-chan went to!", one, who Kimiko had learned was named Nishinoya, of the boys tuned up, his taller, bald companion following up with a "Yeah, Kimiko-chan, which junior high did you go to?"

Asahi shot his little sister a glance, knowing immediately that the dynamic duo hit a nerve and he had no idea how she would react to it so publicly.

"I went to Ryoko Junior Hi-High," she said quietly, fidgeting with her hands behind her back, her gaze fixed to the floor.

Nishinoya and Tanaka both gaped at her, eyes and mouths wide open, prone to catch flies any second. One could see the gears turning in their minds and it seemed like it only took seconds before they'd explode.

And that's what happened.

In a blur of words the two boys started yelling, rapidly approaching the poor first year who was then shielded by Kiyoko, which might have stopped their approach but not their yelling.

One thing that stood out the most was one question they repeated almost nonstop.

"Do you know the Empress?"

Looking at the Azumane siblings you wouldn't be able to tell who was more nervous than the other.

"You guys...", Asahi tried to silence them, although he was quite quiet himself.

Daichi and Sugawara were both aware of how touchy this subject was, so they both tried to pry the two second years away from the first year, when Kimiko spoke up herself, "I do."

"Who's the Empress?", Hinata Shoyo asked, oblivious as always. 

"The Empress is a legend, so to say! Ryoko Junior High's girls volleyball team had a player that was able to observe anything and everything. She came up with tactics in split seconds, which some teams can only dream of! She even was the reason her team got to nationals!", Nishinoya explained, eyes glowing with excitement.

Hinata awed at the explanation, also getting starry eyes at the thought of nationals.

"However!", Tanaka yelled, as if his normal speaking voice wasn't already loud enough, startling some of the team who hadn't expected his outburst.

"She injured herself during their second match at the nationals and afterwards her team quickly was kicked out of the tournament, since they basically weren't strong enough to fight without their pillar of strength known as the Empress of the court."

"Oh wow, maybe she would make a great match for you, King of the Court," Tsukishima teased Kageyama with a sly grin, who in return scowled at the taller first year.

"HUH?!"

Kimiko used this moment of distraction, while the boys were busy with prying Kageyama away from Tsukishima, to flee the scene, a simple nudge to Kiyoko being her silent goodbye. 

This was not the day nor the time that Kimiko wanted to be confronted with this subject.

Observing the team for the first time would have to wait for a while longer.

hey demons, it's ya boi,

I'm back with this baby from my sister account, giving it new life. please note I work full time in retail, so updates may come slow.

hope y'all will enjoy this rebirth.

see ya in the next one,

alex