Three isn't a big a number. For example, three dollars? Good luck at the dollar store.

Three friends? Congratulations, you are the third wheel walking behind your friends on the sidewalk.

Three can also be an intimidating number. Three charges of murder? Good luck in prison.

Three essays due by midnight that you haven't started? Been there, done that, never again.

But let's hope that three is a good and lucky number for Karasuno this year, because that's how many first-year applicants the boys' volleyball team had.

Three.

Coach Ukai stood at the front of the gym with the boys crowding around him on the floor. "Last year, our team made it to nationals," he said. "Now, it doesn't matter how well we did or how far we went. Our third years from last year have graduated and we will have to train ourselves with our new starting lineup."

"We're going again," Hinata raised his fist, a bright gleam in his eyes. "We're going to nationals."

"And we'll win." Beside him, Kageyama also raised his fist confindently.

The doors to the gymnasium opened again and Ukai glanced over, ready for a second chance to introduce the team to their first years. However, it was the vice principal who made his way in.

"Crap," Ennoshita swore, "Sensei."

Everyone stood up and froze. They watched him walk in at a leisurely pace and following behind him was a girl wearing curly antennas.

"The drama club," Emiko whispered in terror.

"What are you talking about?" Ukai snapped. Then, he turned to Kageyama and Hinata whose faces had paled. "Hey, what's wrong with you two?"

"Good evening Sensei," a chorus of voices greeted.

"Yes, hello. Mr. Ukai, it's good to see you again." The coach shook hands with the vice-principal and smiled. "I'm here because there seems to be a bit of a problem."

"There's no problem," Ennoshita stuttered. He looked around, ensuring that everyone was accounted for and in proper uniform. The equipment and volleyballs were set on the ground safely. Except for one.

He grabbed the volleyball from Hinata's hands and smiled.

"Takeda Sensei said the team needs two managers. Hitoka Yachi is already one and the captain signed the form for Mirae Ando to be the second. But yesterday I got Emiko Suzuki's application signed by Karasuno's greatest decoy."

They looked over to Hinata.

"I am the greatest decoy, aren't I?" he stuttered.

"Yes, Hinata but your captain is the one who makes these types of decisions. Fortunately for Ms. Suzuki here, the drama club still needs a Tree number 2. I have taken the initiative to place her in the club. We only need Ms. Suzuki to sign it as well."

"No," Emiko growled. She took a fighting stance. "No."

"Please come to my office prepared to sign your agreement. You will be meeting with them tomorrow at twelve. Good day."

"You'll make an amazing tree, Emiko," Aya waved.

They watched them leave as fast as they entered. Once they were gone, Ennoshita handed Hinata the volleyball and was prepared to begin practice when they heard someone collapse.

"I don't want to be tree number 2," Emiko wailed, rolling on the ground. "Please! They mate on tree number 2. Help me!"

Coach Ukai tried to pick her up but she made her body limp. "Emiko, you're overreacting."

"I'm not reacting enough."

"It can't be that bad," Yachi tried to console her. "I was villager B and-"

"No," Emiko growled. "Villager B had free will. Tree number 2 stands there as the insects mate."

"Insects?" Kageyama asked.

"No, don't ask her to explain," Tsukki nudged him, "we don't want to know."

"I do," Tanaka grinned. "What the hell are these drama kids producing?"

Coach Ukai noticed that the team was becoming distracted by Emiko's drama and so he turned to the most mature one. "Ennoshita, you guys start practicing. If the first years walk in, I don't want a repeat of earlier. I'll handle her."

The team walked onto the court, sending glances at the Coach and his niece.

Mirae was watching from the bench on the side of the room. She frowned, flickering her gaze to her phone.

A sports manager had more responsibilities that she initially thought. Surely, it was a three or four-person role. She waved at Yachi and called her over. "Could we talk in the club room? Emiko too?"

"Oh, sure."

Yachi grabbed Emiko by the arm and pulled her outside, promising Coach Ukai to handle it. Emiko dragged her feet as they walked up to the club room. Once they were inside, she spoke.

"Karasuno needs three managers."

Emiko dropped onto the ground in irritation. "Tell that to the losers who want to see me go down as tree number 2."

"What do have planned?" Yachi asked.

"Sports team managers fall under 3 categories: the active manager, the publicist, and the nutritionist. The active manager helps the coach take notes during practice and games. The publicist oversees the team's social media page. Then there's the nutritionist who helps the players keep their bodies in healthy shape."

It was wishful thinking, but it was thinking, nonetheless.

Running to beat the clock, they pushed through the office doors. "Vice Principal," Emiko stuttered through laboured breaths, "where is he?"

The secretary looked up. "Oh, he's in his office, finalizing a student's transfer for another club." Emiko's eyes grew in horror.

The three girls stumbled into the room to see Aya shoving the club application form and a pen on the Vice Principal's desk.

"Don't you dare sign that."

"We have a proposition."

Yachi pulled Emiko into a chair and gave Mirae an encouraging smile. Mirae cleared her throat and bowed in respect. "Sensei," she began, "we are the managers from the boy's volleyball club and we would like to make a proposition before you switch Emiko's club."

Aya glared. She cleared her throat and tapped the pen against the wooden table.

"Karasuno's boys' volleyball team is a national level team. To make sure that everything is being done perfectly for them, the club needs at least three managers. Now, I have outlined our responsibilities. Please, if you could look this over and reconsider your decision."

Aya's face paled slightly; she desperately needed tree number two and was not about to go down without a fight.

"You guys have first year students, right? Just use one of them as your third manager. That's what most clubs do."

Mirae imperceptibly laughed at the girl's lack of knowledge of sport's teams' managers.

Shaking her head, Yachi stepped forward. "Each responsibility calls for specific skills. Besides, our first years need to train for nationals."

The VP looked down at the paper Mirae handed him.

"That's all well and done but three managers seem excessive. No powerhouse school has three managers."

"Exactly," Yachi nodded, "because they don't understand their true potential. Karasuno made it to nationals last year with two managers."

"Imagine how far the team could go with three managers who have specific skills and tasks."

"Our drama club really needs a tree number 2 though," he frowned, "it's numbers have been dwindling for the past few years and-"

Emiko shrieked as he reached for the paper Aya was holding in front of his face. She shoved Yachi's warning out the window and stood up.

"I didn't want to do this Sensei but you leave me no choice!" Taking a deep breath she pulled out her phone and showed him a picture from the welcome assembly. "I will expose you; you fake headed freak!"

"Fake? It is not fake! This toupee is authentic I say!"

"Emiko, no." Yachi pulled her away from the desk.

"If I'm going down then I'm taking you down with me, sensei. I can ruin your entire career with this one picture. Now I dare you to place me in the drama club," she sneered.

He blinked and then set his pen down. "Ms. Suzuki will stay on as the third manager for the boy's volleyball club."

Emiko raised her fist in the air in victory and grinned. The three girls bowed and left the room.

"I can't believe you just blackmailed the vice principal," Yachi giggled.

"Putting me in the drama club would have been the same as signing my death certificate. I had nothing else to lose."

Mirae cracked a smile.

Takeda Sensei ran into the gymnasium. He beamed as he saw the team in the middle of a practice game.

"May I have a second of your attention please?" he called when the whistle blew. He nodded at Coach Ukai and then turned to the boys. "I just got off the phone with Aoba Johsai's coach and they confirmed a practice match for Thursday next week."

"Hey! Thanks Take!" Tanaka and Nishinoya bumped their fists. "Wiping the floor with Seijoh is always a pleasure."

Coach patted Takeda Sensei on the back. "I want to know what their starting lineup looks like now that their third years are gone."

They were in the middle of talking potential strategies when a high-pitched feminine scream rang through the air. Emiko poked her head into the gym and pointed at Hinata. "Guess what? I'm a manager!"

"Yes!" he raised a fist in the air. "We beat Fukurodani, we're the best!"

"Welcome to the team," Takeda Sensei smiled. He glanced at them and wiped a tear off his cheek. "Karasuno really is coming out as a powerhouse and with three managers to help, no one will ever doubt that."

It took a while for Tanaka, Noya, and Hinata to calm down from running around the gym and cheering, but eventually, the team fell back in sync to practice. Threatening them with extra laps always did the trick.

Takeda Sensei went over the details of their practice match with the coach and the three managers before excusing himself.

"What's up?" Emiko asked Mirae. They were organizing the storage room while the others continued their practice.

"I should scope out the competition."

Emiko grinned. "Mind if I tag along? I have a few friends I haven't seen in a while."

Mirae peaked her head out and saw that the team was focused on their game. Coach Ukai was talking to Yachi with their backs to the storage room.

"The next bus leaves in ten minutes. Let's go."

|Note|

So our little heroines are off to Aoba Johsai, reckon a guess as to who they'll meet?

Don't forget to vote!

|End Note|