The twins were at it again.

Osamu Miya used his brother's weight against him for the takedown. He smirked and braced for impact, shifting on his legs to flip their bodies. They went crashing, he pinned his brother face-down with an arm under his throat. He clenched his jaw, growling as he tightened his hold.

Atsumu Miya scoffed. He relaxed his body and even went so far as raising his hands. The second he felt his brother's hold loosen, though, he threw his head back with enough force to stun him.

Osamu cried out and held his jaw. Atsumu scrambled away.

It was a typical day in the Inarizaki volleyball gymnasium.

"Should we stop them?"

Rintaro Suna held his arm out and stopped the newest first year that joined their club, a small boy named Yukio. He had switched out from another sport and despite what their Coach said, the team knew he was here as an errand boy.

"Word of advice," Suna said as he side glanced, "never get in the middle of that. Let them fight it out. They'll stop eventually."

Beside him, Hitoshi Ginjima pinched the bridge of his nose. He could not even begin to understand what their Coach was thinking when he elected the Miya twins for the roles of captain and vice-captain. Sure, they were the best players on the team and given how their first and second years were mostly introverted and reserved, the team probably needed to be led by passionate and loud personalities.

For better or for worse, the Miyas were exactly that.

"Yer breath stinks like dog shit!"

"Oh ho, ho," Osamu mocked, "wouldn'tcha know what dog shit smells like."

"Shut yer trap."

They circled each other like a pair of predators.

Suna's finger hovered over the recording button on his phone so he could capture the exact moment they lunged at each other's throats. The tension was cut by the groaning sound of the gym doors.

Coach Kurosu walked in. "Oi!" he clapped his hands, "I've got some news, crowd 'round. Miyas, fight it out on yer own time."

Ginjima turned to Suna and before the other had a chance to cheat on babysitting duty, he blurted, "Yer turn."

Suna cursed and grabbed Atsumu by the arm. He tugged him to the far left side of the bench and pushed him down. "No looking until the meeting's over," he deadpanned.

Atsumu buried his head in his lap, ensuring that everyone heard his annoyed groan.

Ginjima pointed to the far-right side of the bench. "Ya know the drill."

Osamu slapped a hand over his mouth.

"See no evil, say no evil," their previous Captain had supplied after they had spammed his phone with messages begging for his help. And so, the strategy was adopted to take away one of their senses. Atsumu could not see his brother's facial expressions. Osamu could not grumble a retort.

Coach Kurosu gave them a grateful smile and then turned his attention to the rest of the team that was huddled on the ground.

"Our team's been asked to participate in a new program introduced by the Japanese Sports' Association. It's an initiative to encourage students to take on more active roles in the management of sports teams. Inarizaki doesn't have team managers like most so we're going to be hostin' one from another school. By this time next year, our volleyball team will have managers too. Now, she'll be here for twelve days. Mrs. Suna from the parent's committee has volunteered to care for this student, so be sure to give her yer thanks."

Suna raised his hand and pointed a finger to the ceiling. "That's right. My Ma is amazing."

Ginjima rolled his eyes. "Okay. Who we gettin'?"

"Well, we get a choice. We've been paired up with Karasuno High from the Miyagi prefecture-"

The twins jumped to their feet.

"Karasuno?" Osamu frowned. His hands clenched into fists by his side.

Atsumu's eyes narrowed into slits. "Karasuno."

Coach Kurosu eyed them and stepped away. He cleared his throat and continued.

"Thing is, they've got two managers participatin' in this program. I thought we could put it to a team vote and decide which one we'd like to help us out."

"The smaller one." Osamu and Atsumu jumped onto the bench. They shared a look and nodded. "We don't need to vote."

Ginjima whipped his head towards them. His neck popped at the sudden action and he groaned.

Suna snorted. 

"I beg yer pardon?" Coach asked in bewilderment. He pulled on both his ears.

"The smaller one."

"We want the smaller one, Coach."

"Is there a reason for that?"

"Its gotta be the smaller one." Atsumu crossed his arms over his chest, pointing a glare at the rest of the team. "If we're gonna tear Karasuno apart at nationals, the smaller one'll be easier to break."

Osamu nodded. "I 'member from last year. She's a tiny little thing and was spazzin' all 'round. Breakin' her'll be easy. We can get all of Karasuno's secrets this way."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Ginjima protested as he stumbled to his feet, "we're not breakin' anyone. Specially not a manager from another school who's comin' to help us."

"Karasuno ain't another school. They're our sworn enemy."

"Tsumu's right, Gin. They shoulda thought twice before sendin' one of their own this way. What else are we supposed to do?"

"Be hospitable? Be professional?"

"Yer funny."

"Listen up," Atsumu slung an arm over his brother's shoulder, "Karasuno's gonna pay blood."

"We'll start with the smaller one." Osamu's grin was all teeth.

Their Coach frowned. The team was chanting to the twins' battle cry, all except for Suna, Ginjima, and the newest first-year who looked like he was going to cry.

Though both of Karasuno's managers seemed like worthy choices, Coach thought the team would have gone with the second option. Atsumu was, after all, a fanboy of hers.

Still, given Inarizaki's popularity on social media, perhaps this was the better choice. Coach turned around and left the gym, avoiding eye contact. He would need to put in a request for Emiko Suzuki: Karasuno's volleyball team manager, social media specialist.

After Ginjima had chased the first years out, he returned to find Suna. He believed they were the only third years left with any brain cells so it was up to the two of them to fix this mess before the Miyas really did demand blood retribution from the poor Karasuno girl.

"We should really talk about this before that manager-" he froze.

"-thought I was getting a break from sisters. You know, since Tomiko's leaving for her competition. Anyways, I wanted to ask how you deal with a sibling your age? Karasuno's manager will be staying with me for the week and I don't know how to treat her."

As he heard the conversation, his legs gave up on him. He fell to his knees and hit his head on the ground.

Osamu's eyes brightened. He called his brother over and related to him the question. Then, they both turned to their middle blocker.

"You've gotta wake 'em up each morning. Can't leave fer school without 'em."

"A pillow to the face always works just fine."

"You've gotta feed 'em too. If yer getting a snack, you get them a snack."

"The one that's expired though. Or under portion it." Atsumu grinned. "Or spit in it."

"You've gotta randomly scream their name out. Lets them know yer still there."

"Or jump at them when they're least expectin' it."

"Lock 'em outta the house."

"Hide their things."

Ginjima pushed himself between them. "Don't," he heaved, "don't do any of that! Why would you ask the Miyas for advice? I thought ya were smarter than that!"

"I am, thank you very much," he rolled his eyes. "She's close to our age and the twins are the only siblings I know close in age."

"Ya could've asked me!"

"Gin, yer sisters a preschooler, what kind of advice would'ja give?"

Osamu snorted. "Hold hands while ya cross the street?"

"Oh!" Atsumu cried, "that's another one. You've gotta push them in the middle of traffic, force 'em to run across."

Ginjima staggered backwards. The three of them were serious. He glanced at his hands and folded them as though saying a prayer. He could not even begin to understand how their upperclassmen Akagi, Oomimi, Aran, and Kita (especially Kita) had dealt with them.

Then he did pray because Karasuno's manager was most likely going to die. 

"No."

"Sakusa-"

"No."

"Be reasonable-"

"No."

"Just hear me out."

"Absolutely not."

"Why are you acting like a child?"

Sakusa huffed. His brows pinched together and his nostrils flared. There was only so much emphasis he could put on his words without going on a repetitive tangent.

"This is Miya's doing," he blamed, "I don't know how but he's doing this on purpose. To mess with me. I won't give him the satisfaction."

"Miya?" his Coach frowned, "Atsumu Miya? You think Atsumu Miya, who goes to Inarizaki in a high school hours away from here and who probably hasn't thought once about you since nationals last year, you think that Atsumu Miya is doing this?"

He clenched his jaw and looked away, just then noticing that his cousin Motoya Komori was watching them curiously from the doorway.

"We finished cleaning the gym and I needed the key to lock up storage." He flashed them a smile, "What's up?"

Coach Iwasaki's face relaxed. "Finally, someone with half a brain cell more than this nut."

Sakusa glowered. Komori snickered.

"What's got him all moody this time?"

"Well, I found out which student we're matched with for the Manager Convention but Sakusa is objecting."

"Who'd we get matched with?"

"Ando, from the All Japan Tournament for Under 10."

"Ah," he grinned, "no wonder."

Sakusa grumbled, "She's a stuck-up-"

Komori rolled his eyes and cut-in, "so are you."

"Manipulative-"

"Sounds familiar."

"Egocentric-"

"The highlight of your personality."

"Child," he snapped, directing his glare at Komori. "I want nothing to do with her. We'll take the other one."

Coach Iwasaki buried his face in his hands. "How is it that a nameless social media specialist is more popular than the Ando? I swear you kids and your TikTok are going to drive our country into ruin."

"Don't blame TikTok Coach," Komori grinned, "it's an educational platform."

Sakusa deadpanned. "The only education you get from watching TikToks is how to throw it back."

"It's still educational."

Coach dropped to his chair and sighed in his hands. "I won't lie, I did hope we'd get Suzuki. She could have helped a lot with our social media pages and how to prepare for interviews. Still, she and Ando are managers on the same team so I'm certain Ando will know these things too."

"Wait a minute," Komori frowned. He circled the desk and peered at the computer screen. "Isn't Ando a spiker in a high school in Yokohama? We literally saw her in last year's tournament. What's she doing as a manager?"

"She's trying to ruin my life," Sakusa retorted. He leaned over the desk and glared at Coach Iwasaki. "If she comes here I'm transferring to Fukurodani. There is no way I will accept Rina Ando at my school."

"Rina Ando?" Coach frowned. "Who said anything about Rina Ando? The student coming here is from the Miyagi prefecture. She goes to Karasuno high. Her name is Mirae Ando."

"What?" Sakusa's frown deepened. He stepped back, eyeing his Coach. "This is a joke. There is only one Ando in the volleyball world. It's that witch Rina. She must have changed her name."

"Right," Komori drawled. "Whatever, can I have the key so we can go home now?"

"I'm still not sure why Inarizaki was so adamant about taking Suzuki. Sure, they're popular but they're doing so well on their own with their fans and media attention. There must be an ulterior motive here."

"It's Miya," Sakusa pressed. "I'm telling you, Coach, he's coming after me. He wants to hurt me."

"Sakusa," Coach Iwasaki pinched the bridge of his nose, "go home. Go to sleep. Take your pills. Please, for the love of everything holy, find your brain cells."

He turned on his heels and stalked out.

Komori tried to keep his distance. He envisioned a dark cloud of energy being projected out of Sakusa's entire body and he did not need that kind of negativity in his life. Still, for all the times that he annoyed his cousin and refused to leave him alone, this was happening whether he liked it or not.

"Around 46 people die on the Tokyo Subway each year," Sakusa murmured loud enough for him to hear, "so here's hoping she contributes to that statistic."

"Sakusa," Komori yelped in surprise, "don't say that."

"I'm saying exactly what I mean. It's not an exaggeration or a lie. Rina Ando cannot come here."

"Coach literally said it's not Rina. The manager's name is Mirae, she goes to Karasuno- Hey!" he slapped Sakusa's shoulder and ignored the pointed glare. "Kageyama goes to Karasuno! We can message him and ask!"

"I'm not messaging him."

"And why not? Afraid you'll be proven wrong?"

He scoffed and pushed past the gym doors. The team was nearly done cleaning up from practice.

"Oi," he called.

All fifteen of them scurried forward. "Yes, Captain!"

"They set us up with a manager and she'll be here, unfortunately, in two weeks. If she is who I think she is-"

"She's not," Komori sang.

"Then we need to be prepared," he snapped. "She's a selfish witch who will get into your heads and make you regret being alive. Don't fall for it. Avoid her at all costs."

Komori rolled his eyes and gestured to the team from behind him that he was crazy.

Rina Ando and Kiyoomi Sakusa had a troubling relationship since the start when they met for the first time in last year's inter-high tournaments. An interviewer had cornered him and asked to take a picture for their latest article.

Begrudgingly he agreed. In the next second, he was pushed into Rina Ando's side. The photographer told them to pose and the Witch (as Sakusa called her) wrapped her arms around his waist and planted a wet kiss on his exposed cheek.

The amount of hatred he felt at that moment was indescribable.

As if that interaction was not bad enough, Rina Ando popped up everywhere he went for the duration of the tournament. Whether he was watching games from afar, sitting with his teammates at the food court, or preparing for his own match, she would be close enough to give him a flirty wink and a wolfish grin.

The magazines were eating it up. They were certain this was top wing spikers, spiking at each other's hearts. He received multiple phone calls from his siblings and parents that night, asking if it was true. Even his Coach tried to lecture him about distractions during a tournament.

It was a lie, of course. Sakusa wanted nothing to do with her.

She tried to follow his private Instagram account and he blatantly blocked her. Then, he forced his team to block her too.

"Managers are useless," he murmured from behind his face mask. They had finally locked up the gym and were on their way back to their dorms. "Coach takes his own notes. We do the cleaning. What's she going to do?"

Komori rolled his eyes. "If managers were useless, the Japanese Sports Association wouldn't be holding a convention. Come on man, quit being so paranoid. I told you, I'm going to message Kageyama and ask."

"Miya has a hand in this. I wouldn't be surprised if he bought Kageyama's loyalty."

"The faith you have in people," he shook his head. "What makes you think Miya's involved anyway? Wait, this isn't-"

"Stop laughing!"

Komori cackled.

The incident in question happened on the last day of the tournament just before Inarizaki vs Itachiyama.

Atsumu was running his mouth, as usual, going off about how "there shouldn't be none hard feelings" and before Sakusa could say that was a double negative and Miya was implying that there should be hard feelings, Rina Ando stepped in.

She wished the boys good luck and then lingered. Before Sakusa could ask what her intentions were, he saw the dopey grin on Atsumu's face and realized what was happening. He refused to let her witch-charms affect him. So, he turned around and walked away. He ignored her calls and cleared his mind as the game started.

Rina Ando had no respect for his personal boundaries. Atsumu was salty about his team's loss two years ago. They were coming for him and he was not going to let them win.

|Note|

We. Are. Back.

Welcome everyone! Welcome to the second part of Karasuno's Managers: Little Ukai and The Vulnerable! We are so, so excited to begin this new journey with all of you <3

So the first order of business; updates! We will be updating this story on a weekly basis so expect a new chapter every Thursday.

Second-order of business; timeline! The Manager Convention arc takes place in December. Mirae and Emiko come back home to Miyagi for Christmas. Then in January, after New Year, they are off to Nationals!

Emiko and Kageyama shippers are going to be getting way more content in this book. Sorry Kunimi fans! However, we've got boys from both Inarizaki and Itachiyama so on the off chance that your ships change... well, go right ahead and let us know ;)

It won't be easy for either of the heroines though. Place your bets, how long will they last? Also, how in the world is Protect the Managers Squad going to react when they find out their Comedic Queen and Devoted Goddess are leaving for two weeks?!

Since tomorrow is Thursday, we'll see you in a few hours :P

|End Note|