The semester had come to an end at an alarming rate. Everyone bid their farewells to the graduates and wished them happy futures. The springtime was always bittersweet and now the summer was rolling along. The humid air hung over Tokyo like a thick blanket. It rained just about every day.

Tokyo University didn't offer a traditional summer semester like other schools. So, everyone was excited to enjoy their summer vacations. All of the athletes were busy training away for their upcoming seasons. Volleyball was no exception.

Mitsumi was busy juggling two practices every day. Her first game of the VNL season was a mere day away. She then had a week break, in which she had her first piano festival. And then the JNT would be off to Italy for their first away game of the season. She was facing a tight summer calendar full of new adventures.

She warmed up with her teammates as they waited for their new players to join them. Today was the first practice of the new season. Makoto seemed to be running a tight ship. Even if she thought it was already sinking.

"The newbies are here!!!" Makoto called out to everyone as the new players walked out. "Circle up!!!" As soon as the call was made, everyone dashed over from what they were doing. "Today is newbie day! So, let's get some intros rolling!"

"Right! Hi everyone! I am Lucy Ramirez! Just call me Lucy, I am from Sweden. I am a middle blocker. This is my second semester." She had platinum blonde hair and bright icy blue eyes. She was a couple of inches shorter than Nomiya. Lucy bowed with a smile. She seemed pretty tame.

"Kizano Mayoi, I am a libero. I just transferred from the Yamaguchi Prefectural Technical University. I'm a sophomore!" Kizano looked like she was going to explode with excitement. She was pointing at herself with her thumb with a grin. Her chestnut hair was fashioned into a bob. She was still taller than Mitsumi, which made the starting libero cringe a little too much.

Yuki glanced at Mitsumi, "You good?"

"She's a whole head taller than me!" Mitsumi slapped her hand over her mouth. That was incredibly out of character for her. Dang it! Madoka and Saki are really rubbing off on me!

Everyone was laughing at her sudden outburst. Kizano put her hands on her hips in a triumphant manner. "I'm 5'6!"

"Almost a whole foot taller than me too..." Mitsumi mumbled under her breath.

Mei gave a shy wave to her new team. "Hey, I'm Mei. Um, I am an outside hitter. I am a sophomore." She glanced at Mitsumi, who was urging her to continue. "I'm glad to be here!" She bowed as everyone clapped.

"Hey! You're that pianist! Mitsumi, you didn't say anything about her being your classmate!" Uehara pointed at Mei with a shocked expression.

Mitsumi shrugged, "There was no need to mention it."

Makoto clapped her hands, "Let's get this show on the road then!"

"We have the goal to keep our title this season. Let's remember that Miyagi University and Kyoto University barely lost to us. Let's sweep them off their feet this year!" Coach Yamata smirked as everyone cheered.

...

Everyone was in a race to see who could finish their diving drills first. Kizano was nothing like Mitsumi, but she was not far behind the world-class player. Mei thought she was going to die. She still hasn't fully recovered from the drill they just did. But to her surprise, she was keeping pace with Yuki and Lucy.

The two liberos had already finished ahead of everyone else. "You got this Mei! Yuki! Lucy!" They shouted at the three girls who were starting to feel the burn of the workout.

"Mitsumi is in a weird happy mood today." Riza glanced up from her notes. "Did something happen?"

Coach Yamata shook his head, "I think she is looking forward to something." He was glad to see that the now senior libero was cheering everyone on from the sidelines.

"Right! Her game against Poland is this weekend! Too bad tickets are so expensive." Riza sighed and observed the team. She and Watanabe badly wanted to go watch. However, the ticket prices were not college student budget friendly.

Ishida walked over with her empty water bottle. "Hey Riza! Mind if you fill this for me?" She tossed her bottle to her manager. She had overheard the conversation at the bench. "Also, I have three extra tickets from my parents. Give or take 'em."

"What the heck, Ishida?! Why do you have three?!" Riza shrieked as she stood up.

"Because..." The player deadpanned, "I can resell them for more money." Ishida was one of those people who made money off of selling tickets to special events. While some people call it dishonest, she called it easy business.

"I'm going to pretend like I never heard that, Ishida. Get back to the court." Coach Yamata turned his head in the opposite direction.

...

"UGH! My thighs are burning!" Uehara was sprawled on the ground in a starfish position. "I shouldn't have taken that vacation to Okinawa!" She yawned and stared at the ceiling. "I'm exhausted!"

Mitsumi was stretching out again and going through her usual cool-down routine. "You have no room to complain! I've been going at it all day!" She had been with the JNT until just after lunchtime.

"You've been playing since the early morning?" Lucy joined everyone on the floor. "Dang girl, you're a beast."

"My first national game is this weekend. So, Coach Momo and my trainer Coach Keijiro have been at our throats this week." Mitsumi stood up and cracked her neck. She was ready for a hot shower and some piano practice at her boyfriend's house. Her key card had expired and she hadn't had the chance to get it renewed since the facilities office was closed by the time her practices ended.

The Swedish girl let out a sigh, "Eh? That is so amazing though. It sounds exhausting."

Yuki wiped her face with a towel, "Mitsumi is a total beast at life. I heard from Mei you are doing some piano festivals! How are you managing that?"

Mitsumi pinched the bridge of her nose. Mei... Why?! She did not need to get into any trouble already. "It's bold of you to assume that I am managing at all." She drew out a long sigh and shook her head. "The first one is next week. The other two are after I get back from all of my international games."

"So intense..." Mei mumbled under her breath.

"HEY MITSUMI! YOUR BOYFRIEND IS HERE!" Riza's voice boomed across the gym.

Suga gave a small wave. The men had finished practice an hour ago. So, he was in his street clothes. Kizano blinked and looked at her senior libero. "Better not keep him waiting."

"Yeah, trust me. It isn't a good idea." Mitsumi waved back to her boyfriend. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." She left to change quickly and met up with Suga.

He had her canvas bag on his shoulder and took her gym bag. "I grabbed your music from your place." He bent down and kissed her cheek as they walked off.

"You're a lifesaver." Mitsumi yawned and shoved her hands in her jacket pockets. She had changed into her joggers and tossed her hair up into a messy bun. She yawned and slouched forward. "How was your day?"

"It was long and pretty uneventful. The new players are pretty chill." He hadn't seen Mitsumi all day yet wouldn't admit that he missed her any time she was away for any amount of time. "Aunt Nami and her kids are out until tomorrow evening. They decided to go check out some houses in Yokohama that Aunt Nami is going to decorate."

"Exciting." Mitsumi yawned again. "My day was busy. I spent all morning in Ajinomoto with the ladies. I was there from the crack of dawn. And then came here and had a couple of hour break for lunch with Nagisa, Akira, Madoka, and Saki. They wanted to try the cafeteria here. And then I had my second practice here." She cracked her stiff neck and shook her shoulders.

"You should spend the night here then. Just so you can fully relax." Sugawara pulled the house key out of his pocket. He swung the door open and turned the lights on inside. The large house was sparkling clean and somewhat eerie without the usual noise inside. "Do you want to take a bath? I'll throw your gym clothes in the washer."

Spoiled. That's what Mitsumi was. She was spoiled and pampered by her boyfriend in the strangest ways. They weren't the type to shower each other with fancy gifts or expensive dates. They found joy in helping each other and shouldering their burdens. The fact he offered to do her laundry, let alone her stinky gym laundry, was enough.

"I love you, Koushi." Mitsumi pecked his cheek and stepped inside. "Can I borrow your sweatshirt again? These joggers are fresh, so I just need a top." She was seriously considering keeping some clothes in his room. Just something for their impromptu sleepovers.

He grinned and pinched her cheek, "You don't have to ask, Sparks. Now go jump in the bath. I'll take care of the rest." He carefully ran his thumb over her pitch-black circles under her eyes with a slight frown. College life gave them both the iconic dark circles, but to him, it was still a sad sight. They were both working hard for the lives they wanted for themselves.

Mitsumi gave him another kiss before going to take a bath. She quickly went to his room and snatched the light blue hoodie she loved from his closet. The hot bath was perfect. The tub was large enough for her to stretch out comfortably unlike the one in her apartment.

Unworthy. Was the first word that came to her mind. Unworthy of his love and time. Unworthy of his affection and compassion. It didn't matter how much she loved him, or how much he loved her. She wasn't doing enough for him at all.

Mitsumi sunk into the water and let her emotions sink with her. It wasn't fair to him that he does so much for her, yet she does less for him.

Meanwhile, Suga got the laundry started and went looking for a recipe for dinner. This was their standard summer routine. He flipped through his aunt's binder of western recipes and settled for something that was lower maintenance. It was a simple pasta recipe that didn't seem too difficult.

Mitsumi trudged down the stairs and plopped herself on the piano bench. She promised herself that she would only practice until dinner was finished. Her Appassionata was lacking passion. Each note sounded like it was carrying a ton of bricks. Suga had heard this piece a million times by now. He had an idea of how fiery the Beethoven Sonata was supposed to be.

He quietly walked over after he finished cooking. Mitsumi was repeating the same phrase over and over again. She was nitpicking her playing. "Hey Sparks, the food is ready. I made some fettuccine with grilled chicken and garlic bread."

The repetitious music stopped. The perfectionistic pianist slowly looked up from her hands. The sleeves of the hoodie she was wearing was pushed up to her elbows. Her brown hair had returned to a messy bun. Mitsumi clicked her tablet off with a sigh. "Alright. Food sounds good."

It didn't take a genius to sense the brooding air around her. She could hardly eat anything. Suga silently observed her through their meal. He helped her wash the dishes and swiftly pulled her into his arms. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know." Mitsumi didn't return the gesture.

"Are you feeling okay? You barely ate anything." Suga pulled her to the couch and took a seat. He gently pulled her down onto his lap and held her to him. "Did something suddenly happen?"

She broke down into tears and buried her face into his chest. "I am unworthy of your love. I don't do anything for you and you do so much for me." Mitsumi couldn't hold it in anymore. "I'm literally about to leave you-"

He suddenly crashed his lips against hers. There was no way she would finish that thought. He cupped her cheek with one hand and wiped her tears away with the other. "What are you talking about? You're literally the most fun and loving person I know!" He rubbed small circles on her cheek. "And don't feel bad for having to leave me. It's only temporary, and I'll watch as many of your games as I possibly can on television." He pulled her into his chest again.

Mitsumi hugged him back slowly. The tension in her head released as her hair was suddenly released from its hair tie. "K-Koushi... I just hate leaving you alone because I miss you." She leaned on his chest again as his fingers raked through her chocolatey locks. "I'm sorry for being such a mess and crying so much."

"It's okay, crying is natural. You're living your best life and I'm here to supportive of it, Love." Suga smiled as the girl in his lap calmed down. Sometimes, he didn't have to say much. "Should we lay on the bed and read that book together?" After a slight nod, he picked her up in his arms and carried her upstairs to his room. They settled into a comfortable position on the bed and he grabbed the novel off of the nightstand.

The both of them started reading a novel together for fun. They would take turns reading each page and giving the characters different voices. Mitsumi snuggled into the tall male and the heavy blankets. Her eyes were getting heavy and out of focus.

It didn't take long for Suga to realize she was knocked out by the sound of him reading. Her sleeping form was curled up into his side. The blankets were snug around her. For once, she wasn't sleeping at an abnormal hour. It was probably from the multiple workouts. He set the book aside and carefully laid her down on the bed. Something was going through her mind again.

The bed shifted as he stood up to change into his pajamas. Mitsumi could sense that he left and groaned. "Koushi, don't leave me." She whined in her sleep.

"I'm right here, Sparks. I just need to change and then I'll be right back." He kissed her forehead and went to change. Suga couldn't help but smile as he gazed down at Mitsumi. To him, it was adorable how needy she became when she was tired.

Just as promised, he returned to her side. Although, to his dismay, she was wide awake again. Mitsumi hadn't moved from her spot at all. She was too comfortable.

"Koushi, I'm nervous about tomorrow." Mitsumi felt his large frame roll into her back. She let him climb under the covers with her and spoon her from behind. "The game is going to be intense. I can sense it." She pulled her knees up to her chest.

He rubbed her side and hummed a little bit. "You will kill it out there. Your new team trusts you to make those crazy digs of yours." Suga shifted a little bit as she turned to face him. He moved his hand to her face and rotated between caressing small shapes on her cheek and playing with her small ear. "And it's only the first game of the season. I'll be there with our friends and families to cheer you on."

"I know I'll be fine. But my mind and body are just worrying." She was tensing up again. Her thoughts were slowly grabbing hold of her sanity. "Don't worry about me though, love. I'll be just fine."

He let out a sigh as he sunk into the mattress. Their eyes locked for a moment. "I believe in you. So, just have fun." He kissed her forehead as he threw his arm around her in a hug. "Let's get to sleep. I'll braid your hair in the morning."

Mitsumi cuddled close to him and relaxed. "I love you to the moon and back." She yawned and closed her eyes slowly.

"And I love you beyond the stars." Suga hummed to her as she fell back asleep. He was glad she wasn't alone for the night.