The apartment had become cozier as the two found more things to decorate with. They had put up some fairy lights in the living room and bought new curtains that allowed some natural light to pass through in the mornings. Mitsumi had scored and found some small wooden shelves to hang on the white walls. Several pictures sat on them as well as different decorative sayings. Aunt Nami really did outdo herself in the basic aesthetics department. And Mitsumi couldn't stop finding stuff to add to it all.

Mitsumi rolled out of bed for her morning jog. She changed into some leggings and a workout shirt before dragging herself to the living room. The burst of orange from the sunrise lit up the living room.

"Morning, love." She yawned and sat on the ground to stretch.

Suga joined her in stretching. It was their morning routine. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I want more sleep though." Mitsumi yawned again. She could never be fully rested no matter how much sleep she got or how well she slept. "I'm glad we don't have evening practice today. We have conditioning at the stadium and Emiko is going to kill me today." She was dreading what her athletic trainer had in store for her.

He got up and held his hand out to her. "Well, she better not kill you because you have to come in for career day." Suga pulled Mitsumi up to her feet and gave her a kiss. "I'm looking forward to what you have to say, Sparks."

Mitsumi chuckled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "It isn't anything you don't know already." She gave him a proper good morning kiss and smiled. She had been looking forward to meeting his class all week.

Their morning jog was uneventful. They saw some of their teammates and other friends along the route. At one point, they came across a group of high school athletes doing their own team conditioning and they whistled and waved.

It was Mitsumi's turn to cook up some breakfast. So, she fried up some omelets and rice while he showered. She popped the miso soup leftover from dinner the night before and served it up.

Suga would be at the school for the entire day. Something he hadn't done since the start of the semester. He wore a white short-sleeved dress shirt and the tie she got him in Russia with grey dress pants. "Chie, should I bring a grey or tan sweater?" He said holding up his options.

"Tan!" Mitsumi smiled seeing that he is wearing her gift to him. "Breakfast is ready, so eat up."

Normally, they would both already be out the door. They would be training with their teams. It was these slower mornings that she really enjoyed. Even if they both still had to go to work. Although Sugawara was in the classroom for credit, he still called it going to work. He took a seat and ate while she changed into her JNT wear.

She tossed her packed gym bag into the genkan and then took a seat to eat. "Are you sure it's okay for me just to show up in this?" Mitsumi didn't want to come off as unprofessional. Plus she didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention.

"You'll be fine. It is what you wear to work." Suga washed his dish and set it on the drying rack. "You'll probably make some of the other parents jealous that you get to wear such comfortable clothing to your job." He winked at her as he dried his hands off. "Have fun at the stadium."

Mitsumi walked him to the door and kissed him goodbye. She had a couple of hours before she had to be anywhere. Normally, she'd be rushing to the practice rooms after the gym. But, because there were no classes, she decided that one day off from music would be okay. Even Mei and Hironori were taking the day off. So, she didn't feel too guilty.

...

The train station was fairly empty now that the peak commuting hours were over. Mitsumi had her track jacket in her bag since it was hot out. Today was a rare occasion where she decided to listen to a playlist other than all of her school music. She had some of her friends add their favorite songs to a playlist. And most of them had very good tastes.

She scanned her badge at the entry to the stadium since the doors were locked. Mitsumi decided it would be best to stop by the main publicity offices to pick up some little goodies for later.

"Mitsumi-san! You're here early this morning!" Nakano, the head secretary of the publicity department, stood up as soon as the player walked in. "I've got the buttons right here. What do you need them for?"

Mitsumi took the plastic ziplock bag with a smile and put them in her bag. "My boyfriend is a kindergarten teacher and asked me to come in for career day." She heard the middle-aged woman sigh happily. "I couldn't say no."

"How sweet is that? Kids are the greatest. Even when they are a piece of work." She sat back down in her seat.

She nodded in agreement. "Tell Matsuki I say hello when she clocks in."

Nakano chuckled, "She's actually already here. You can go back if you want."

It had been a while since Mitsumi had seen Matsuki. She made a quick stop at the vending machine that was outside the office before walking back to the graphic design department's section. Matsuki was getting some documents together for a big meeting she had.

Mitsumi stood behind her chair and sneaked one arm around the side with a can of hot black coffee in hand. "I heard that someone has the worst taste buds known to mankind." She used to tease her senior for drinking black coffee all the time.

Matsuki was wearing a white blouse and a pencil skirt. Typical business wear. She flinched and turned around to see who it was. "Mitsumi-chan! What are you doing here?!" She was the only one from her department there for the time being.

"Paying a visit before conditioning. Nakano had something for me." Mitsumi smiled as the two of them hugged. "I thought you'd want a can of this foul stuff on a Friday morning." She set the black and silver can on her desk.

"Ha! Glad to hear your twisted sense of humor is still intact." Matsuki bellowed. "Ah man! We are going to have to go grab lunch together one day! What time are you done here?" She missed their deep conversations about the weirdest topics.

"I'm done at 12:00 in the gym and then I'll be on the spare court outside for drills after. You can join me at the cafeteria at noon." Mitsumi offered happily. Matsuki was the older sister she never had. "I don't have to be at the elementary school until 1:30 and it isn't far away."

Matsuki nodded in agreement, "Sweet! I'll meet you there then."

...

Emiko was blowing her whistle and yelling at the ladies to hustle. They were all jogging in place as fast as they could. When the whistle was blown once, they would jump as if they were blocking a ball. If it was blown twice, they would drop to the floor in a dive.

Everyone hated this specific drill because it seemed to never end. They had just finished some jumping exercises and sprints and were worn out from that. They were hoping they'd hit the weights for a slight break. But, no. That wasn't in the training schedule at all.

Half of the team laid on the floor to catch their breaths by the end of the exercise. The other half had their hands on their heads as they heaved.

"Take a water break and then meet me in the yoga room." Emiko was a little bit of a sadist at times. She enjoyed seeing the teamwork hard. But, only because she caught Tetsuya muttering under her breath again, she decides to intensify the day's training tenfold. None of them would be able to lift a single weight, so yoga was the better option.

Matsuri sipped on her cold water. She didn't dare sit down out of fear she'd be too sore. Conditioning days were always the worst. "Is everyone alive?"

"Alive and barely kicking." Nagisa cracked her back. "Did someone piss her off today?"

Hatsukoi noticed that Chihiro was almost passed out face down on the floor. She shook the woman gently. "Guys, I think Chihiro is dead!"

Mitsumi gasped in mock horror. "I didn't think it was possible!" She covered her mouth with one hand.

"Did Emiko kill the Energizer Bunny?!" Akira shrieked in horror. It was rare for Chihiro to straight-up run out of energy. "Chihiro, you're going to get sore if you keep laying around." She tried to pull the sack of flesh and bones up by her arm.

Chihiro whined, "I've been sore, what's being sore a little bit more?" She yawned and caved into sitting up.

The captain chuckled at the sight. "Five minutes is up! Let's get a move on it."

...

"Emiko did what?!" Matsuki was laughing so hard that her chopsticks slipped out of her hand. "Oh my gosh! Who knew she had the ability to wear the infamous Chihiro out!" She had heard many stories about the setter from her coworkers. She had met Chihiro a couple of times in passing. It was nothing formal at all.

Mitsumi gulped her food down. "Yeah, she has superpowers or something. Anyways, what have you been up to?"

"Well, work has been busy. I'm currently designing the banners for some upcoming fan events." Matsuki drew out a long sigh. Her job had long days and she and her husband only got time to see each other on the weekends really. It was an average life. "Oh, I got to see Shimura out in Nagoya. I was dropping off their banners for the season. Her spikes are scarier than before."

"I saw the highlight reel from the recent game." Mitsumi shuddered, "That's our cap though!" She sipped on her water and shifted in her seat. Her body was now aching now that she was sitting. "How is she doing with her new team? Nagisa was telling me Shimura cracked the team."

The office woman cackled again. She forgot how funny Mitsumi was at times. "Oh my gosh, her chaotic energy has only gotten worse. She's been learning backflips for her court entrances at games." Matsuki dabbed the corner of her eyes with a napkin to prevent her mascara from running.

Mitsumi burst into the same loud laughter. "Of course she had!"

Everyone at the tables around them stared at the two women wondering what was going on. Takuma was grabbing his lunch with Kazuhiko like usual. He recognized the laughter right off the bat and went to investigate. His teammate had already left.

"Oi! Matsuki! Mitsumi! It's been a while!" Takuma waved and walked over with his now empty tray. He was on his way to hit the gym. "Are you guys on break?"

"Oi! Takuma! Did you grow a few centimeters?" Matsuki teased him and gestured to the empty chair at their table. The male gave her a disappointed look. She was still taller, even without her heels. "I kid. I kid."

Mitsumi recomposed herself and brushed her bangs to the side. "Headed to the gym?"

"Yeah, they are still waxing the courts. Conditioning and stats day." He was hoping to out bench a few of his teammates today. "Have you gone in yet?"

Mitsumi attempted to lift her arms to prove her point. "I almost died today." Her arms were as stiff as boards now. She didn't want to know how sore her legs would be when she stood up. "Good luck there."

"I saw Emiko ripping into the women today. She actually called Yagashi in to help terrorize them!" Matsuki had walked past the gym earlier in the day as she was on an office run. "Dude, I really hope the same thing doesn't happen to you. And if it does-"

"May you rest in peace." Matsuki and Mitsumi both clapped their hands together and bowed their heads.

Takuma forgot one extremely important detail about the duo. They shared the same brain cell. His heart dropped into his stomach. "Thanks for the warning." He sheepishly rubbed his neck. "Hey, tell Suga that I have some stuff for him. I keep forgetting to ask him when I can drop it off."

"Oh! You can stop by whenever. Just shoot one of us a text." Mitsumi beamed. Her expression had just flipped an entire 180.

And the silence reminded her of one tiny detail she hadn't mentioned. "YOU GUYS ARE FINALLY LIVING TOGETHER?" The other two shrieked. She nodded with the same flowery expression.

"Yep! Since the beginning of the semester!" Mitsumi grinned like a child. "He moved into my place since he was wanting to get out of his Aunt's." She piled her empty dishes on her tray. "He took my spare room."

Matsuki and Takuma sighed in relief. They were both in parent panic mode. Even though their two favorite kouhais had been dating for a while, this sudden move was unexpected. Especially since the two of them liked to have their own space.

"No funny business, little miss!" Takuma pointed his finger in an aggressive manner at Mitsumi. She opened her mouth to speak, but he kept going. "Just because you two love each other doesn't mean you guys can just erase boundaries!"

"Takuma! It's nothing like that!" Mitsumi stated defensively. "He's in a totally different room, okay? Are you my Dad?!" A flustered flush spread across her face.

"He's messing with you, Mitsumi." Matsuki laughed again. She hadn't laughed so much in one day since graduating. "But seriously, I'm sure your kids with him will be totally adorable, but I want to see you play at the Olympics at some point."

"MATSUKI!"

...

After a very interesting lunch, Mitsumi made the painful walk to the elementary school. She fixed her hair using her phone camera as a mirror and tossed her jacket on before walking inside. The office staff was friendly and helped her to check-in. Mitsumi already knew her way to the classroom. There were already some parents at the school. Some lingered in the hallway while others crowded into the back of the various classrooms. Many were dressed up in business suits and some were in scrubs. Others wore construction vests. But Mitsumi was the only one walking down the hallways in gym wear.

She did her best to not mind the stares. Mitsumi did have Team Japan plastered on her back in bright red letters. She was pretty sure nobody else in the building had that distinction. She slipped into the back of Koushi's classroom. It looked like not many parents had come. Nobody was waiting in the back, and the parent before her was just wrapping up.

Suga was standing off to the side of the teacher's desk on the side of the room. He saw Mitsumi slip and smiled gently to welcome her in. She smiled back and adjusted her bag on her shoulder. Her body was currently screaming at her but she was doing her best to not show it.

Mitsuhide stood up from her desk and leaned over to her assistant teacher, "Want to introduce your friend?" She said with a wink.

The silver-haired assistant jolted a bit. "Of course." He nodded and walked up to the front of the class. "Okay, everyone! Let's give Ueda-san a big thank you!" He had a bright smile as everyone thanked the last guest. Chie's heart gushed. It was too cute to watch. Suga's smile broke out into an even bigger grin as he signaled Mitsumi to come forward. "Our last guest of today is extra special and pretty cool if I do say so myself."

Mitsumi chuckled at his introduction. She set her gym bag on the table in front of her. One of the kids stood up from their chair with wide eyes. "I've seen her on t.v before! Sugawara-sensei! You never told us you know famous people!"

"I guess you can say that. But in order for us to know what my friend does, we have to be in our seats." Suga may be a teacher in training, but it was like he was a full-fledged teacher. The kids loved him, but still listened to him respectfully. His command over a classroom was really something else. All of the squirly kindergarteners sat in their seats properly in an instant.

Mitsumi gave a friendly bow. "Well good afternoon everyone! I am Mitsumi Chie. And I am a professional volleyball player!" She couldn't help but smile as all the kids gasped. "I play for the Japanese National Women's Volleyball Team and Tokyo University! And I am also a concert pianist."

"I play piano too!" One kid blurted, "But I don't play volleyball!"

"That's so neat!" Mitsumi smiled as she thought about something to say. "Do you have any questions?"

A handful of the kids raised their hands in the air with questions. Mitsuhide pointed to one of the boys in the back. He stood up from his chair rather enthusiastically. "Do you really play volleyball all day?"

"Just about! I train in the mornings at the Ajinomoto National Training Center, then go to my classes at the University, and then I train with my University team!" Mitsumi explained what her day looked like in simple terms. The kids seemed to be really engaged in what she had to say. It was the liveliest the two teachers had seen the kids all day.

"What is your favorite exercise?" Another kid asked after a few other questions.

Mitsumi put a finger on her lips as she thought about it. "How about everyone stands up! You guys can do this one with me!" She had an idea, and hopefully, she wouldn't be killed for it. "I enjoy stretching at the end of a good day of playing volleyball." She turned towards Suga, who had been enjoying her presentation so far. "Sugawara-sensei, would you mind helping me lead the class in some basic stretching?"

He was caught off guard by her request. But, the innocent smile her hand plastered to her face signaled that she had been planning this. So, he reluctantly joined her at the front of the class again, and in full work clothes, went through a simple stretching routine. It was nothing fancy, just something to get the kids engaged in some movement. Mitsumi felt some of her sore muscles relax a bit, which gave her some much-needed relief.

Mitsuhide managed to get a few photos and videos. She sent them to her assistant so he had them as memories. She knew that he also played, and just assumed that was how the two met. It wasn't her place to pry into his personal life.

At the end of the presentation, she let the kids look at some of her gear like her knee and elbow pads. She also brought some of her piano music and some photos of the different things she did. She also passed out the buttons Nakano had given her that morning. And just like that, she had unintentionally won the hearts of the kids over. Just like Suga. Although she figured he won them over intentionally.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Mitsumi followed Suga and Mitsuhide to the staff room so that the kids could tidy the classroom.

"Thank you so much for coming here and taking time out of your hectic schedule." Mitsuhide thanked the player profusely. "You must be tired."

Mitsumi shook her head. Of course, she was, but that wasn't an issue at all. "It was a pleasure! Your students are adorable." She smiled gently.

"Well, the kids really enjoyed your presentation. I guess we really saved the best for last." The older woman chuckled and took a seat at her desk.

One of the other teachers spotted the guest. "Eh?! Sugawara really wasn't joking around when he said he was dating a professional volleyball player."

Mitsuhide nodded, "You should have seen the kids. They were having a good time and we're actually behaving."

"Are they normally out of hand?" Mitsumi asked curiously.

The lead teacher nodded and sighed. "Sometimes. They are kids, so it's bound to happen."

Suga wrapped up the loose ends of his work. He walked over with his bag in hand. "I will see you on Monday, Mitsuhide-san! I left the graded papers in your mailbox. Thanks for today!"

"Enjoy your weekend!" His boss waved as he and Mitsumi left.

...

Mitsumi was using Suga as a human crutch as they walked down the road. The pain from her training was finally setting in. "That was fun!" She said as she tried to keep pace. "Although standing there after being killed by Emiko is seriously a cruel punishment." She whined and slumped forward. "I even got a massage after training today."

"Take a bath when we get home then." He gently pinched her cheek. "By the way, you did freaking amazing today! Maybe you should become a teacher!"

Mitsumi escaped from his grip. She rubbed her cheek and shook her head. "Not at all! It's too stressful." She knew she couldn't handle it. "Maybe university classes. But definitely not elementary school or middle school."

He kissed her forehead and checked the time. "Well, I know I'd take your class." Suga pulled her in closer. "Let's get home and unwind a bit."

...

One hot bath, another painful massage, and a cup of tea later, Mitsumi finally felt like she could comfortably relax. She checked her watch. It was only 4:30. She would be practicing piano at this hour. She sighed out of boredom. Part of her wanted to go out and do something while the other part of her wanted to be lazy.

She was curled up on the rocking chair with her legs over the armrest. Her feet dangled off the side. Her eyes scanned the pages of the novel she had started but had neglected for a few days. Admittedly, it was because of the newest issue of Shounen Jump that had been released. Although that would remain a secret to herself for the time being.

"Hey Sparks, I don't want to impede on your relaxing day, but don't you have music to work on?" Suga paused his origami crane-making party. He needed some for his class on Monday. And by some, he meant a whole trash bag full.

Mitsumi didn't bother looking up from her book as she turned the page. "Mm, one day of not playing won't kill me. All of my classmates are taking the day off too, so I don't feel bad." She shrugged a bit and continued to scan the pages of her book.

He was unaccustomed to seeing the girl so laid back. He was fully aware of her color-coded schedule and intricately detailed calendars. For her to just toss it out the window for a day was almost concerning. Maybe it was the new medication she was on?

"Ah, I thought you fully booked your day. That's all." Suga continued to sit on the floor at the coffee table and fold cranes.

"My therapy homework for this week is to take this long weekend to relax." She knew her therapist would literally come after her if she didn't follow through. So, she decided to finish and submit all of her homework earlier in the week. After a while, she set her book aside on the side table and moved over to where he was to help fold cranes.

Suga watched how fast her crisp folds were being made. He didn't have the nimblest hands as she did. To him, it was a pianist's thing. The sound of a knock on the door caught their attention. He stood up and went to answer the door.

Takuma and Yuki were outside holding two large boxes. They had bright smiles as Suga opened the door. "When you said you had stuff for me, I didn't realize you meant two large boxes!" He had them come in. "Excuse the mess."

"No worries, Suga! The new place is looking great!" Takuma set his box down on an empty chair.

Yuki set her box on the couch. "Wow, when you said your apartment got a makeover, Mitsumi, I didn't think you meant a full-on style change! I'm digging it! It's trendy!" She looked around the new and improved living room with awe.

Mitsumi stood up slowly with a smile. "Koushi's aunt decorated it as a surprise." She smiled gently. "What's in the boxes?"

Takuma was finally moving into his own place. He had spent the last week going through his things and deciding what to get rid of. "Just some old clothes that I thought I could give away. Take what you like and do what you want with the rest of it."

"I tossed some stuff in there for you too, Mitsumi," Yuki added. "Some of it might be too big, but I guess you could give it to Kaori or your sister." She was enjoying the chill vibe her teammate's apartment had. It was much better than listening to the television blare all day at her own home.

Suga smiled, "Do you guys want some tea?" He offered the siblings.

They both looked at each other and nodded in agreement. They had the time. Mitsumi helped to move the boxes into the hallway and cleared off the coffee table of all the paper. "How was conditioning, Takuma?"

"Horrible!" He took a seat on the couch and sank into the cushions. "Emiko got pulled in and we almost died today. It was just like you said. Poor Kazuhiko pulled a muscle. Captain actually looked like he was going to puke." Takuma went on about all the crap that had gone down. Everyone found it highly entertaining.

Suga brought the tea over. According to Mitsumi, he always brewed it better. "I think the men sound more serious than the women for once." He took a seat next to Mitsumi and put one arm around her shoulder and held his mug of tea in his free hand.

"The women are infamous for their antics." Takuma took a sip of the tea and relaxed.

Yuki shrugged, "It's better than being on a team of drama queens." She had gone through that before. And it was miserable. "What are you guys up to for the rest of the day?"

Mitsumi moved in closer to Suga's side. It was more comfortable that way. "I was helping Suga prep stuff for his class on Monday." She smiled, "I think we are just going to relax here at home for the evening since my body decided to finally become sore while talking to his kindergarteners."

"Lucky! I have to help this buffoon pack tonight." Yuki wanted to hit the gym with Makoto. It just didn't feel right to not go on a day there was normal practice. "I can't believe you decided to move into your apartment right before you have to go down to Osaka. Hmph."

Takuma wasn't the most organized person on planet Earth. He still needed his sister to help him pack and sort things out. And it was a tad embarrassing. He finished his tea with one large gulp to hide his embarrassed flush.

"Let us know if you need any help." Mitsumi offered, "Or if you need anything." She ignored the concerned looks as her bones cracked as she stood up. "Kick some butt down in Osaka, Takuma." 

As soon as the two siblings left, Mitsumi turned around with her arms crossed. "Where the heck are we going to put all of these boxes, Koushi? You should have-"

He pulled her into a kiss to silence her anger. "Sorry, Sparks. I'm sure you'll forgive me once you look through them though."