Seijoh's setter set the ball to their left side. Takita could tell by the angle that it would be hit cross-court.

Tanaka noticed it too. He was positioned against the spiker's dominant arm and jumped to block. Takita felt his heart in his throat as he leaped.

"Ahhh!" he yelled.

Tanaka flinched. "Why are you screaming?"

"I don't know!?"

The volleyball hit Takita's forearm and dropped onto Seijoh's court. The gymnasium went quiet. The referee gave the point to Karasuno.

A quick attack was coming. Takita read it from how the setter angled his body and the snap of his wrists. He was on the far right side of the court and no one was covering the left. He cussed under his breath. Sejoh's setter was manipulating Karasuno's entire team to shift to the right side, leaving the left open so he could execute a quick attack.

"Ahhh!" he scream, nearly knocking over Kageyama as he flung his body to the left side. He threw his arms out, focusing the power into his fingertips.

The volleyball slapped against his wrists and because his reach was over the net, it bounced onto Seijoh's court.

"Heck yeah!"

"That's my man!"

Tanaka gripped his shoulders. "Why are you screaming?"

Takita had steadied himself, careful to avoid touching the net. He coughed. "I don't know!?"

They had no choice but to send the ball back. Kageyama bumped it over to Seijoh's setter who looked livid. He fell to his knees for the receive and sent it to their wing spiker. Takita realized once again that Seijoh had forced Karasuno to leave a third of their court open. He cussed and jumped sideways, throwing his hands over the net.

"Ahhh!"

He felt the plastic material on his fingertips and cringed, waiting for the referee to call him on a net touch. the ball slammed his hands and dropped on Seijoh's court.

Takita tripped over his own feet but caught himself before he fell. The whistle blew, Karasuno got the point.

"Dude what the hell?"

"Takita you're amazing!"

"Why," Tanaka wheezed as he grabbed his shoulders and shook him, "why are you screaming?"

"I don't know!?"

And he didn't. It was like a bodily reaction he had no control over. As soon as his mind realized that he had jumped, it chose to open his mouth and let out the anxiety he was feeling in the form of a shriek.

Shoji cussed and tackled him.

"Get off of me," he grunted, but Shoji was clinging onto him and spitting more cuss words.

"I knew you could do it. You stupid loser, idiot. I knew it. I knew you were useful, you have a purpose, you filthy bastard you!"

"Get off of me or I'll throat punch you."

"Damn noodle has a purpose!"

The referee blew his whistle twice in warning. Ennoshita ran and tore the two away from each other.

"Nice block out. Still you two are on opposite positions for a reason. Stay away from each other."

They bowed and apologized to him as well as the referee.

"Get over here you lunatics," Mirae hissed. She pushed herself away from the team's huddle since they were on a time out. She shoved their water bottles into their chests and glared.

"Takita, you know you don't have to go for a kill block every time, right?"

Water dropped out of his mouth. "Huh?"

Shoji stepped away from him, throwing a glare. "Ew."

"Do a soft block."

"Huh?"

Mirae deadpanned. She grabbed Tsukki's arm and pulled him towards them. "Why doesn't he know about soft blocks?"

"He does."

"I don't."

Mirae grabbed her head. "What? You practiced with him all of training camp, didn't you? Why doesn't he know about soft blocks?"

"What are soft blocks?" Takita panicked. "This isn't my fault. I'm only doing what Emiko taught me."

"Tsukishima what the hell did you teach him if Emiko taught him the basics?"

He avoided her glare and pretended that Tadashi was calling for him. "What? What was that? Yeah, I'll come."

"Oh no you don't," she pinched his ear and forced him down. "He is diving for kill blocks every time the other team tries spiking it. He's running around more than Hinata does and throwing himself around. I swear if he gets hurt, I will ruin you Tsukki. Emiko is going to be pissed as hell when she hears that Hinata got hurt. If anything happens to him, she will kill me. Before that happens, I will kill you."

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, let me go, this is embarrassing!"

She pushed him away and stood before the first years. Takita screamed.

"I don't know how to do soft blocks? Can we ask for a longer time out? Can we please go over the basics again? How do you receive?"

"Dude," Shoji elbowed him, "calm down. You don't need to receive. Kinnoshita's going in as pinch server and then you're switched with Noya anyway."

Takita grabbed his head and stared at the floor. He could vaguely hear Tsukishima and Mirae yelling at each other. Apparently she was babying him too much. Mirae was chewing him out for being a terrible teacher.

"Smile!" a cheerful voice sang. He glanced up just as a flash of light went off. Yaotome grinned from behind his phone screen and then shot another photo of him. "You're playing amazing Takita! I'm going to send these pictures to Miss. Manager Emiko. She's going to be so proud of you!"

"Alright paparazzi, back up," Shoji shooed him away. Once 'Tome had joined the others in the free zone, he guided Takita back to the court. "You got this."

He glanced up. "Maybe."

"You do," Shoji growled, "unless you want Emiko fangirling over Lev again."

Takita faced the net with a scowl. He would rather jump a hundred burpees than hear that name. When he saw Seijoh's Ace player glaring at him, he staggered back.

"I'm Emiko's favourite, you can't hurt me."

Kyotani grinned. Or maybe he snarled. He wasn't sure. "She said you were going to be a bit of trouble."

"She did?"

He grunted in reply. "Where is she anyway?"

"Family emergency."

"She okay?"

"I think so."

The whistle blew again. Takita covered the back of his head as Tanaka served. Lev was not going to win this game. He was going to be the better middle blocker no matter what it took.

36:34

They had won.

Karasuno had won their ticket to nationals.

It was a long road. Ennoshita was uncertain about his role as the new team captain but this single moment made all of it worth it. His team was crowding around him with glistening stares and dopey grins.

Tanaka and Nishinoya threw their arms around each other. This was the payout for all those late nights they had spent strategizing and practicing.

Tadashi cheered the loudest, he was after all cheering for himself and his best friend. Tsukishima rolled his eyes but he was smiling just as wide. In the tail end of the set where they were cornered into a deuce, they had scored another four points with their serve and block technique. Tsukishima clamped a hand on Tadashi's shoulder.

Takita and Shoji were joined by Yaotome who was throwing praise after praise at the two for their teamwork. They were blushing but just this time they allowed 'Tome to ruffle their hair and dote on them.

Then there was Kageyama. As the last point was scored he looked towards the doors of the gymnasium. His partner wasn't here for the last two sets but he was critical to their victory in the first two. After all, Hinata did score 12 points in the first set and 9 in the second.

He wasn't there.

Kageyama frowned, shifting his stare towards the bleachers but felt disappointment crushing his chest. Someone tapped his shoulder.

"He's fine," Mirae assured him. "Yachi just texted me that he's resting on the chairs outside. Nothing serious, he just twisted his ankle. Two days tops before you can yell at him and chase him around the gym. Come on now," she smiled, "you two have to raise hell at nationals."

She pushed him forward. Kageyama gave her a look of thanks and then ran to join the team huddle.

Yahaba, Kyotani, and Watari were the last of the third years who stayed behind. They were comforting their underclassman and offering words of wisdom. Though, in Kyotani's case it was a hard pat on the back and a good job grumble. It seemed to work on the timid first years who gazed at him like he was some miracle hero who was proud of them.

"So," Yahaba said as he crossed his arms over his chest, "this is it."

"It was a great year. This was a great game," Watari added.

"The team's yours Kindaichi. Do what you want with it."

"He means win," Kyotani grumbled, "I wanna watch you guys at nationals."

Kindaichi blinked back tears. "Yes!"

Kunimi rolled his eyes. "Easy for you to say."

"Whatever, man, just try to help your captain out okay? Especially because you're vice-captain and its good to take on a few responsibilities now and then. So you better show up to practice and train your Kohais."

Watari nodded, offering them a smile. "It was a good two years. I'm proud of you guys."

The three of them turned around and began to walk down the hallway. It was a bittersweet moment because everyone knew just how dysfunctional and violent Seijoh's practices were on the daily. Still, they were a team and now that was going to change.

"Captain and vice-captain," Mirae whistled as she approached the two boys. She was shuffling on her feet, hands in her pockets as she smiled sheepishly at them. "Not sure you two can handle it if I'm being honest."

"I can't," Kunimi deadpanned. "End me now please."

Kindaichi elbowed him. "Stop saying that. It'll leave a terrible impression on the first years. they'll hate you and you'll never get their respect."

"Didn't want it in the first place."

"You guys played an amazing game." Her eyes narrowed as she decided to tease them. "Sure, Kunimi was subbed out partway through the first set and Kindaichi you're read blocking was a little slower than usual, but all things considered it was entertaining to watch."

"Yup, that's me," Kunimi rolled his eyes and bowed in mock, "forever the entertainer."

She frowned. "Kunimi are you okay?"

"No."

"What's wrong?"

"I think he needs a hug," Kindaichi offered and then took a step back when his friend glared. "But he won't let me touch him."

"Do you?" she asked. "Need a hug?"

Kunimi's frown deepened and he begrudgingly nodded. In a split second, he threw himself at Mirae and hid his face in her hair.

"Dude, what the hell? You know she hates bodily contact, get off of her that's so rude!"

"It's fine, he's surprisingly not that sweaty or smelly."

"That's good to know," he murmured, "least I have that going for me."

"He's taking this loss really badly," Mirae mouthed.

Kindaichi nodded and mouthed back, "I don't know why? He doesn't care about volleyball."

"I can hear you both you're terrible at lip reading." Kunimi leaned back but secured his arms around her. "I did it."

"Did what?"

"A horrible crime. I think I'm going to change my identity and move out of the country."

"What'd you do?"

"I asked her out."

Kunimi groaned out loud. Mirae and Kindaichi froze. Then, as if they had timed it, they both pounced on him with questions.

"What?"

"How?"

"What'd you say?"

"What'd she say?"

"What happened?"

"What didn't happen?"

"She told me no and ran away. Maybe I can pretend I was hypnotized. Or better yet, that I was possessed. Emiko believes in the occult, right?"

"Though I think she would believe you if you claimed that you were possessed, I think there has been some miscommunication."

"How?" Kindaichi asked. He had finally pried Kunimi's fingers off Mirae.

"Emiko's great grandfather is in the hospital. She and Coach Ukai had to leave at the start of our game, that's why neither one is here."

"She was staring at her phone when I confessed," he bit his lip and then grabbed Mirae's shoulders and shook her. "So, I didn't ruin our friendship?"

"I highly doubt it. I doubt she even heard you if I'm being honest. You know how Emiko is, she has the attention span of a twelve year old with ADHD in a chocolate factory."

Kindaichi nodded and praised her for the metaphor.

Kunimi let out a long air of breath. "Thank God. I was literally going to throw myself in front of a moving truck."

"That's a little dramatic."

"I can see why you and Emiko would be a good fit."

"It's Romeo and Juliet in the making."

"Do you think Yua Loves Eichii will end this way?"

Before they had a chance to delve into the theme of death in the T.V. show drama they watch, Kunimi interrupted. "I'm not making a suicide pact with her. I was just preparing my own death because that confession was embarrassing given how she turned me down."

Kindaichi patted his back.

"We haven't heard from Coach or Emiko yet, but I'm going to hope that no news is good news." Mirae double checked her phone just in case. The few messages she had sent to Emiko were still on delivered.

"We should get going."

The boys zipped up their jackets and grabbed their bags. They walked along side her towards the doors where the rest of Karasuno was waiting for the bus. The second they came into view, the Protect the Managers squad went into boss mode.

"What do we have here?" Tanaka growled, puffing his chest. Nishinoya imitated him.

"Is there a reason you're hovering over our Goddess?"

"Stop it," Ennoshita smacked their heads. "You know they're her friends."

Shoji and Kageyama escaped the lecture of their Captain. Shoji stalked forward and ripped Mirae's bag from Kindaichi. Kageyama popped up beside him and steered Mirae towards their side and beside Tsukishima.

The three of them smirked.

"Right," Kunimi narrowed his eyes, "we'll see you later."

"Text me," Kindaichi added.

When they finally left, Mirae turned around and glared at the boys. "That was so mean! They offered to hold my bag and walk me back and this is how you treat them? I have half a mind to march all of you out there so you can apologize."

"Never," Shoji said in a flat voice.

"Not happening," Tsukishima rolled his eyes.

"If they're not doing it," Kageyama looked around, "I'm not doing it."

"Viva la resistance!"

"Hell yeah!" Nishinoya fist bumped Tanaka. "Protect the Managers squad lives on!"

|Note|

NATIONALS!!! You already know which characters are going to be coming into the story😉 Which one are you excited for?? Whoever they are, they better be ready to take on the Protect the Managers squad.

Spoiler alert for the next chapter; Emiko comes face to face with the Demon Queen. Prepare your holy waters. This is going to be a tough one.

We hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please don't forget to vote!

|End Note|