"Hey Koushi, do you mind flashing me?" Mitsumi had gone to his place for a study date after practice. They were sitting at the kitchen table eating snacks and working on midterm preparations. Mitsumi had a thick stack of index cards on a binder ring in her hands. It was quite the intimidating stack to Koushi, who was just reading over his notes on his laptop.

The questionable request made Suga's ears turn pink. "F-Flash?!" He stuttered out in utter shock. "What kind of request is that?"

Mitsumi noticed her choice of words and laughed. "Oh my gosh. Not like that. Can you help me with my flashcards?"

He often forgot that she had to do everything on pen and paper. With the exception of an occasional essay or research project. "Sure! I can do that." Sugawara watched her plop the stack of cards in his hands. "Okay, let's see what we have here. Compare and contrast the following forms: a scherzo and trio, and minuet and trio."

What the heck are these flashcards?! Compare and contrast? Music identification? There's nothing like vocabulary in these! Suga was completely shaken by the heavy amount of unknown terminology in her notes. Yet, she could describe everything perfectly without missing a beat. He was not musical at all, but he appreciated the arts. And his appreciation had only grown seeing what Mitsumi did on the daily. The endless rehearsals, the no-credit classes, bottomless practice hours, and heavy lecture classes really made him grateful that he didn't have to go through that. Were his education classes hard, yes. They put him through the wringer! But, they weren't as time-consuming and were much easier to understand.

Mitsumi sighed as he flipped the card. She was stumped on this one. "Identify the Tristan Chord and describe its usage." She stared at the piece of music she had glued onto the front of the card.

Suga had the answer highlighted on the piece of music on the back and looked at it intently. Her neat handwriting was underneath it with an explanation of the usage of the chord. "Do you want a hint?"

"No, I am going to take a guess. The fourth chord in the second measure." Mitsumi tapped her fingers on the table in anticipation.

"No, it's the one before that." He turned the card around to show her the answer. It was the last card in the stack. "You didn't get too many wrong. I'm really impressed."

Kaori marched inside the house. "I'm home!!!" She shouted into the empty living room.

"Welcome home! Food is in the kitchen." Suga shouted in response. "I don't know if your Mom told you, but she had to go pick up Ryu from his piano lessons." He watched his cousin walk in and heat up her teriyaki bowl in the microwave.

The blonde leaned against the counter as she waited for the timer to go off. "Having a study date with Mitsumi tonight?" She gave a playful wink in their direction.

"We have midterms this week." Mitsumi clicked her pen twice before putting it back on the table. "Did you just get home from practice?"

"Heck yeah! The Inter-High prelims are this weekend. So, Coach is kicking our butts so we make it to Nationals again." The microwave beeped and Kaori decided to take her food elsewhere. "Don't you guys have your prelims this week too?"

Suga nodded, "Yeah, we are playing this weekend too!" He sighed a little bit and stretched. "Coach Ueno was saying the collegiate league has three spots for the Kanto region. So, we are hoping to snag one of them." He didn't want to get his hopes up too high.

"The ladies and I are determined to crush Miyagi this year." Mitsumi's tone made the temperature in the room elevate. She wanted to crush Saki as many times as possible. "So we are going to Nationals."

"So bold!" The two cousins coward in fear for a moment.

"But that's only if we get one of the spots," Mitsumi added the last part which made them sigh in relief. "And if we lose the prelims, we still have the official qualifiers next month. We just have to shoot for the top four to bypass the first round in the qualifiers. So it's no biggie. This week is a taste test of who we could be going up against." She sipped on some warm tea and sighed.

Kaori was a bit surprised at his cousin's girlfriend's remarks. But then again, she had literally won the most prestigious high school tournament in the last season. It calmed her nerves though. "I'll be sure to use your words to calm our new captain down. Anyways, I'll leave you two lovebirds to your work." She said before going upstairs.

"What time is your first exam tomorrow?" Mitsumi put his study materials away in his backpack.

"Not until the afternoon. I was going to go into the office first thing in the morning after the gym." Mitsumi put her things away and yawned. "How about you?"

"I have one right after conditioning. But it shouldn't be too horrible." The setter yawned and leaned his elbow on the table. An alarm went off on one of their phones.

The girl checked her phone and swiped the alarm off. "Time for meds." She pulled a pill case out from her backpack and dry swallowed a few pills.

He shuttered, "You really are crazy. How do you not choke?" Suga's reaction was responded to with a shrug.

The front door opened and slammed shut again. "We are back!" Nami was carrying some grocery bags and had a very sleepy-looking Ryu behind her. "We stopped at the store to pick some more produce up."

"Welcome home!" Suga and Mitsumi welcomed them back.

"Ryu, how about you go to bed?" Nami sent her youngest son upstairs. "How has your day been?" She said looking at the couple.

Suga shrugged, "It's been an average day."

"Yeah, we just finished studying." Mitsumi shrugged as well. Nothing crazy had really happened. But she did know that it was getting late.

Nami looked at the time and sighed, "It's quite late. How about you stay the night tonight, Chie? I'd hate for you or Koushi to have to walk alone. And there's a chance of rain."

"Don't worry! I really don't live super far." Mitsumi's face and ears turned red instantly. "And I really don't want to be a bother." The only change of clothes she had on her were the dirty gym clothes she was planning on washing.

Suga checked the time. His aunt had a point. "You literally let me sleep on your couch the other day while you were at work." He really owed her a big favor for that. "If you're worried about your things, you can toss your gym clothes in the wash." He said pointing to her gym bag.

"It isn't that big of a deal," Nami reassured her with a welcoming smile.

Mitsumi sighed a little bit. She hated to feel like a burden. "Okay, thank you." She gave in. "I owe you big time, Koushi."

"I'll get the guest room ready. Koushi, be sure to show her the trick with the washer." The aunt added before walking off to get a room ready.

The girl followed the setter to the laundry room and set her bag on top of the dryer. She was surprised he actually had one. Mitsumi had to hang her clothes on a clothesline to dry in order to keep her electricity bill low. She loaded her clothes in and poured in the detergent. Suga pushed a few buttons and spammed the start button.

"I got that." He took her bags as he took her upstairs. "Do you need anything for the night?" Suga set the bags down in the corner of the room.

The guest room was comfortable. His aunt had left out a towel and some travel toiletries for her to use. As well as an extra blanket just in case she needed it. Mitsumi took a look at the items, "I think I'm good. I just have to wait for my clothes to finish."

Suga was trying to think of a solution. Mitsumi was incredibly tiny compared to him and Kaori. Their clothes would devour her. Although he did find that mental image appealing. "Let me see if Kaori has some old clothes you could borrow for the night." He stepped out into the hallway for a moment and knocked on Kaori's door.

Mitsumi pulled her phone charger out of her backpack and plugged her phone in. She felt embarrassed to be in the position she was currently in. Although she knew she had no reason to be. He was just looking out for her wellbeing.

"Here! I got you some of Kaori's old leggings she outgrew and a shirt. She said you could keep them if they fit." Suga returned with some clothes and handed them to her. He gave a gentle smile and kissed her forehead. "Oh, and you can shower first."

She nodded and got her things together. "And, um, could you braid my hair again tonight?" Mitsumi felt her cheeks heating up again. "You did a good job last time."

...

Mitsumi watched as Suga discarded his dirty clothes in the basket in his closet. He wasn't going to bed until her clothes were put into the dryer. Since he had to show her how to use that too. She was in the leggings and oversized shirt, which she had assumed was his.

And the sight did warm his already tender heart. He sat behind her on his bed and began to braid her thick hair. "You look really cute in that." He said to break the silence.

"Thanks?" Mitsumi didn't know how to respond. Which made both of them laugh. "Gosh, I am so awkward sometimes." She was playing with her fingers again. They were both stressed out about what was ahead of them. She let out a nervous laugh, which was unusual for her.

Suga finished her braids and wrapped his large arms around her from behind. "Awkward? Not at all." He rested his chin on her head. "You're just cute." He placed his large hands over hers.

Time seemed to stop for a moment. Mitsumi realized how gentle Koushi was. The way he held her hands without making her feel uncomfortable was surprising. He ran his thumbs over her palms as if he were massaging them. 

Mitsumi's body slumped back against his. It felt nice. "Let me show you how to do this." She said as she held one of his hands in both of hers. She massaged it very gently. "You need to take care of your hands. They do the most, you know."

He smiled watching her and moved his chin to her shoulder. "Where did you learn how to do this?"

"My Dad taught me how to massage. My Mom has a really bad back. So, I would have to massage her." She worked at the knots in his hands. She could feel his face wince as she hit a sore spot. "Sorry..." She said softly.

Suga waited for her to finish before lifting her tiny hands to his lips and kissing them. "Well, Ms. Pianist, you have to take extra good care of your hands then." He pulled her up on his lap so that she was facing sideways and planted a kiss on her lips.

Mitsumi was a bit surprised but returned the gesture in a shy manner. One hand was cradling her head while the other was on the small of her back. Her hands were slowly making their way around his neck. But then a soft melody could be heard in the distance. Which made them both groan in frustration.

"Gosh dang it. Time to switch the laundry." Suga gritted his teeth as he pulled away from the kiss.

...

The smell of eggs, rice, and sausage filled the house in the morning. Mitsumi woke up and went downstairs. "Good morning!" She yawned as she sluggishly rubbed her eyes. Her stomach was growling at the smell of breakfast cooking.

Nami and Sugawara were in the kitchen getting everything plated. Kaori and Ryu were in their school uniforms sitting at the table. Their plates were almost cleared. "Morning, Chie!" He chimed as he set two plates down on the table. "Did you sleep well?"

Mitsumi took a seat and nodded, "I did." It was only a half-lie. She was an insomniac. And it didn't help that she was sleeping somewhere that was still rather unfamiliar. "Thank you for the food!" She clapped her hands together and began to eat.

Nami turned around just in time to see her nephew peck a good morning kiss on his girlfriend's cheek. The kids pulled disgusted faces at the event. The sight made her chuckle. Her nephew really did act like a parental figure at times.

"What time is conditioning at?" The aunt was cleaning the kitchen in one of the most efficient ways known to mankind.

Suga looked at the time, "It starts in an hour and a half. We have time." He said as he ate his breakfast.

"Hopefully my legs don't snap off with this new leg routine," Mitsumi whined a bit. She was really hating her new conditioning workouts. She knew it would help her knees heal and get stronger, but the pain sucked the life out of her.

He ruffled her messy bangs, "They won't."

...

"Woah!!! You're so bendy!" Yuki was doing a wall sit as she watched Mitsumi go down into the middle splits. "I've never been that flexible."

Mitsumi laid her body on the floor, "It comes with time. Flexibility is super important as a libero. Without it, I can't get a solid dig." She walked herself up and stood up from her split position. She hopped onto the stationary bike and slowly began to pedal as she put her headphones in. She wasn't in the mood to socialize. The sounds of the music she needed to know for her music history exam blasted through her earbuds. The was the only one in the gym whose workout music was of a classical nature. But, with her exam today, she wasn't going to risk her passing grade. She used every opportunity she could to study.

Shimura exchanged the weights in her hands for a different set before moving to her next exercise. "Hm, someone is serious today." She said, glancing at the libero. Mitsumi had a distant look in her eyes and a scowl on her face. Realizing that she didn't hear her, Shimura looked over at Yuki. "Have any midterms this morning?"

"Nah, I don't have any until the afternoon. My morning ones are later in the week." Yuki let out a sigh. "How about you?"

"I have two, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon." Shimura knew she was toast.

"Hey Cap! What's up with her?" Nomiya shouted pointing to Mitsumi.

"I don't know." The captain grunted as she struggled with her workout. "She's been like that since she got here."

Everyone sighed heavily. Normally their freshman would at least acknowledge everyone's presence. But she was totally zoned out. There was no point in trying to get her attention. So, they just left her alone.

...

"Oi, you are going to make yourself sick." Dr. Tanaguchi took Mitsumi's flashcards from her. "I didn't think you were going to be this stressed out this week."

Mitsumi flinched, "Dr. Tanaguchi, I can't risk my grades dropping." She said as she reached over her desk to try and grab her study materials back. Once Suga had left her side, this heavyweight had dropped onto her. Her day was going by painfully slowly. She felt this endless need to continuously study even though she had been telling herself a million times that she didn't need to.

"You'll be fine. How about you use that energy on your Bach for Thursday." The professor pointed to her open office door. "I'm on my way to teach a rhythm class. So, the office is yours." She set the flashcards back down on the desk before walking out.

A tall foreboding figure walked in right as the younger professor left. Mitsumi looked up from her textbook and shuttered. "Is there something I can help you with, Dr. Ito?" She had barely spoken to the head piano professor outside of classes.

"Studying hard, I see." He pushed his glasses up and handed her a folder. "Give this to Dr. Aihara when you see him." Dr. Ito's office was isolated from the main music office. He was located behind the auditorium.

"Of course." Mitsumi watched him walk out and let out a sigh of relief. He was the reason for most of her stress. She stood up from her seat and placed the folder in the jazz professor's mailbox. Everyone was out teaching the lecture classes and giving midterms. So was the life of the professors in the morning.

The girl sat at the piano and attempted to practice her piece. Her heart rate suddenly picked up and her throat began to tighten. Why was this happening? She couldn't figure it out. She took a deep breath and started to play her midterm piece as a distraction. The more she could distract herself, the better she would feel.

The sensation returned while she sat in the classroom and took her test. But, there was nothing she could do but finish the exam. Mitsumi hoped she at least received a passing grade as she handed the packet to the professor and dashed out the door. Her body couldn't handle it. Her head and heart were running a marathon. She pulled her phone out and opened her text messages. She fumbled through until she found Koushi's thread.

Mitsumi Chie: Where are you?

Sugawara Koushi: Walking out of the testing center. Is everything okay? Where are you?

Mitsumi Chie: No. I'm in the field behind the music building.

Suga could automatically tell this was serious. He was currently with Bokuto and Ichiyama. "Hey guys, an emergency just popped up." He was planning on grabbing some lunch with them in the cafeteria. But, there were more urgent matters to attend to.

The two guys exchanged puzzled glances with each other. Bokuto was worried but decided not to pry. "No worries!"

"Yeah, we'll see you at practice!" Ichiyama waved.

Mitsumi had her knees to her chest with her back up to a tree. Her face was buried in her knees and her whole body was shaking. He could tell it was bad. He set his backpack down on the grass and took a seat next to her. "Chie, are you okay?"

She wasn't responding at all, but she knew he was there. And that was enough for now.

"Chie, if you can hear me, nod." He watched her nod and sighed in relief. "Can I put my arm around you?" She nodded again, so he put his arm around her enough for her to feel him. He could feel her shaking and moved her to his lap so he could hold her. It was clear that she didn't want to talk about it. But, he didn't really know what to do. "You're shaking, and your breathing is shallow. So, I hope this makes sense, but just breathe with me."

Mitsumi felt him hold her head against his chest. His hold was firm and secure without harming her. She struggled to breathe and match his pace. But, she got there eventually. Her eyes welled up with tears as she realized what was happening. "Y-you came?" She choked out.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I?" Suga's heart sunk into his stomach. He rubbed small circles up and down her arm. "Don't hold the tears back, Chie. Let them all out, and then talk when you're ready." He wanted her to let it all out of her system. He squeezed her gently and let her cry. This was the first time he had ever seen anyone like this. And for it to be someone he had grown so close to, hurt. He was hurting for her.

Mitsumi cried until she couldn't cry anymore. A lot of the tears she had shed were ones she wasn't aware she was holding back. "I'm sorry, Koushi."

"Don't be." He grabbed some tissues out of his backpack and wiped her tears. "I'm going to guess that all of the stress hit you this morning after work?" Suga kept one arm around her as the other cupped her cheek.

She leaned into his hand and nodded. "It all just crushed me. And I started freaking out during the exam. And I honestly don't know if I even passed it. Koushi, I'm going to get kicked out of the music program if my grades slip!" Mitsumi rambled on and on about everything that had torn her brain apart. And he just patiently listened to all of it.

"You don't know your score until Friday? That's a long time. We should do something if we both pass our exams." He proposed with a bright smile. "We will be at a tournament, but after we get back we can celebrate surviving midterms." Suga needed to give her something to look forward to. Actually, they both needed it to get through a week of uncertainties.

Mitsumi hugged him tightly, "I love you, Koushi." She yawned and laid her head on his shoulder. "And thank you for listening."

"I love you too. And, I am always here to listen." He flinched at a sudden realization. His eyes opened wide. "Did you take your meds this morning?" Koushi couldn't recall seeing her take them.

Mitsumi froze as she tried to think back. She remembered taking them to his place the night before. But not in the morning. "N-Not that I can recall."

"You are not leaving my sight until I see you take your dose at dinner." He scolded her. "Now, I am going to assume that you haven't eaten since breakfast. So, we are going to get you some food." He slowly moved her off his lap and stood up. He held his hand out and pulled her up. "What do you want to eat?"

"I'm not hungry." Mitsumi yawned again.

"That's not an answer!"

...

Dr. Tanaguchi was busy getting her piano studio ready for midterms. She was with Mei, Mitsumi, and Hironori in the choir room. They had decided at the last minute to meet and critique each other's playing before the midterm performances that evening. It was Mitsumi's day off from heavy-duty volleyball practices. Although, she looked forward to blowing some steam off with her friends at their weekly get-together that night.

Mitsumi stood up and bowed after performing her midterm piece. "It still needs some polishing." She grimaced at her own performance. It was passable to the average listener. However, to the trained ear there was still more work to be done. She took her seat in one of the black plastic desk chairs with a blank expression. She had been like that all week.

Everyone had started to pick up on her odd cues. The girl had become much slower, her facial expressions were completely blank, and it seemed like she just didn't have the energy to respond with anything more than a nod. Occasionally, a few words would be said, but nothing like normal. Everyone was feeling the pressure of the upcoming jury, but it seemed to be affecting her the most.

"We all have polishing to do." Hironori, the only male in the class, propped his elbow on the desk and put his chin on his fist. "The voicing was much better this time between the middle voices."

Mei nodded in agreement. "Your tone is really dark, in a good way. And like Hironori said, the voicing is so much clearer from the last time you played this for us." She smiled at her classmate. "You can tell you spent a lot of time focusing on how you sound."

Dr. Tanaguchi looked at the time. "I'll have to agree with all of that. We will work on some more artistry in our lesson next week. But for tomorrow, you will be just fine. Hironori and Mei, make sure your junior here doesn't go to the practice rooms today. Oh, and Hiro, tell your wife to let me know what is on her vocal program." She grinned as she dismissed them.

The libero was on her third Dr. Pepper of the day. Her anxiety had been so bad for the last few days. She put her books in her backpack and started to make her way to the door. Her teacher caught her right before she could touch the doorknob. "Are you okay? You've been acting differently." Tanaguchi waved her over and patted the chair next to her.

Mitsumi nodded as she swallowed the sip of soda she had taken. "It's been a stressful week. My anxiety has been all over the place. But, other than that I've been fine."

"Mm, that doesn't sound fine. If you're worried about tomorrow, you are first on the lineup." Tanaguchi knew about Mitsumi's anxiety. "And it's the midterm. I can't grade your performance, but I will tell you they are just looking for progress. So, just smile and do your best tonight."

"Yeah, I know." Mitsumi sighed a bit. "And thanks for getting me first on the schedule. Thankfully, I can blow some steam off tonight at the gym." She yawned and let out a deep breath. "I'm headed back to Koushi's until tonight. But if you need anything, let me know."

...

Kuroo Tetsuro: How's it backstage?

Mitsumi Chie: I'm holding it together pretty well right now.

Kuroo Tetsuro: It was a good call to take that nap then.

Bokuto Kotaro: I'm on my way to the auditorium right now!!! DON'T START WITHOUT ME!

Sugawara Koushi: She might have too.

Bokuto Kotaro: Well, break a leg!

Kuroo Tetsuro: I've got our seats saved.

Sugawara Koushi: We are dead center. <3

Mitsumi sighed and powered off her phone. She was glad that her friends could be there. They really were a dedicated, idiotic, bunch. She had been staying with Suga the entire week since he didn't want her to be alone. And, it was probably a good thing. Unfortunately, he couldn't be with her backstage.

That had him on edge. Suga was watching several groups of students walk into the auditorium. They must have been more music majors who needed concert attendance. It was a large turnout for a midterm performance.

"Hey Suga, is it just me, or is this place getting a large crowd?" Kuroo tapped his foot against the concrete floor. He had been to several of Mitsumi's recitals in the past. And this was the largest crowd he had seen. "Isn't this just the midterm?"

Suga shrugged, "I have no idea. I honestly don't know too much about the music majors." The music department was a mystery to its outsiders. People just assumed that they were just around for campus entertainment or hiding away in a dark practice room.

Bokuto made it to his seat. "Guys, there's a bunch of fangirls upfront." He said pointing to the front two rows.

Suga pushed the spider's arm down. "Bokuto! It's rude to point." He said in a harsh whisper.

"Who's it for?" Kuroo's eyes narrowed in suspicion. The person had to be an insanely talented player to attract a harem of young women to a classical music performance.

"Some guy named Oyami." Bokuto was only there to hear his friend. He really could care less about classical music, but he didn't dare tell Mitsumi that. He had never heard her play, but she was serious about it. So, he decided to give his ears a chance.

The lights were dimmed. Courteous and welcoming applause began as Mitsumi stepped out on stage. She was in a black tea-length dress with three-quarter sleeves. Her hair was pulled back into a curled, professional-looking, ponytail much like the one she wore for her team photos. She had that same expressionless face from earlier in the day.

It's okay! It's just five minutes. Her eyes scanned the crowd before she bowed. The boys had sat right in the center. Just as Koushi said. Seeing them brought her physical jitters down. Although, her hands were covered in a cold sweat. Her heart was racing an ultra marathon at the massive crowd of Oyami's uninterested fangirls in the front rows. She had no idea he had a fan base. They were intimidating her more than the rest of the crowd.

The rich notes of Bach filled the hall. Mitsumi was relying on pure muscle memory. Suga was automatically engrossed in the melodies. He had only heard her play once. Bokuto and Kuroo glanced at their setter with a smirk before looking at each other. For such a quiet relationship, he was lovesick.

They clapped as loud as they possibly could for their best female friend. Mitsumi hurried backstage and held back the tears. She was relieved it was over. Mei was scrolling through her phone and watched her classmate have a moment at her makeup vanity.

"You need a bear hug!" Hironori set his preshow snack aside and signaled Mei to come over and hug their classmate.

Mei joined in on the group hug. "You were awesome."

"You are the best classmates ever." Chie needed that bear hug more than she thought. She dabbed her eyes with a tissue. "Sorry, I'm a wreck! This is what happens when I don't play volleyball."

The performance went on. Each student came out and played their piece one by one. And then it happened, the crowd erupted into the loudest applause of the evening. The girls in the front were cheering as Oyami walked on stage. Chie had decided to go out of the green room to listen.

Oyami Sakamoto, Dr. Ito's top student, the cream of the crop. He was honestly more humble than people thought. The junior year student was a very well-rounded, humorous, and humble guy who didn't really have much of an ego. He easily blended into a group of people when his fan base wasn't around. And everyone in the major absolutely admired him. Oh, and his looks were deadly.

He sounded flawless like always. Which made Mitsumi's stomach flip in circles. She clenched a fist and went back into the green room. She turned her phone back on and checked for any messages.

Mitsumi Chie: I'll meet you at the backstage access door.

Sugawara Koushi: I told the other two to go ahead and meet Takuma. I'll come around. <3

She smiled a little bit at the heart emoji. Mitsumi snuck out before her classmates could do anything to tease her. Suga was waiting by the door with his gym bag in hand. He looked up from his phone and scanned Mitsumi.

Her elegant dress hugged her perfectly. And her black pumps added a good few inches to her height. He put an arm around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. "You were amazing! I'm sure the panel gave you high marks."

Mitsumi's legs were completely jelly, and now she was melting. She kissed him back shyly. "Thanks, it was scary. Those fangirls were intimidating. Did Bokuto behave for you?" She yawned and let out a soft sigh. Her energy was completely spent.

He chuckled and kissed her forehead. "He actually really enjoyed it." Suga let her go and pulled his phone camera up. "Say cheese!" Mitsumi was a bit self-conscious. She shuffled into the frame and held up a peace sign with him. She almost never wore dresses of any type. Suga snapped a few pictures and put his phone away after taking advantage of the occasion. "I know you hate photos, but you look beautiful tonight. Are you really going to the gym wearing this?"

"I have clothes I'll change into when I go home." Mitsumi yawned again. "I'll probably sit out on a match tonight and just help Kimi. I'm really tired. But I need some volley time." She walked with him down the light-filled sidewalk. Their hands were entwined with each other.

The setter seemed content with the silence. He knew that her body was finally catching up. "Helping Kimi is a good idea." He stopped by the locker room entrance.

Everyone was already inside playing with each other. Dr. Tanaguchi was there, as promised, sitting on the bench. Kimi had bought some court shoes and exercise clothing so she could change out like everyone else.

"Suga! Mitsumi! You made it!" Takuma caught a stray ball.

"Yeah, sorry we took a while. I had a performance tonight." Mitsumi stretched and sighed.

Multiple nets were set up. Kuroo, Shimura, Yuki, and Daichi seemed to have a 2 vs. 2 going. Takuma, Wantanabe, Bokuto, and Akaashi were doing the same thing on another court. Although they seemed to be practicing individual skills. Aoi couldn't make it because of her job. And Mei decided to go home and study for her midterms the next day.

Suga was down to set for Bokuto. He struggled to sync his tosses with him, so he ran over after warming up. Chie held to her word, even though a 3 vs. 3 game sounded like extra fun.

"Kimi! Want to work on serving with me?" Mitsumi watched the girl pull another basket of balls across the court.

Dr. Tanaguchi was surprised to see the libero. "So you were serious about coming here! Get to bed already!"

"Geez, I'm not doing anything super fancy. Just some mindless serves." Mitsumi muttered under her breath.

Kimi's smile beamed as she made her way to Mitsumi with the cart. "Heck yeah! Although, I'm really not that great. So..." She picked a blue and yellow Mikasa ball out of the cart.

"Don't overthink it." Mitsumi pat Kimi's back. She stood next to her at the backline of the court. "Just do it!" She tossed her ball into the air and jump-served it over the net. The ball landed with a loud thud that rivaled all the other sounds in the gym.

"Nice kill!" Everyone else shouted out of habit.

Kimi froze in fear. She had seen the libero serve before, but being on the court and feeling the impact was terrifying. "Y-yeah! Nice kill." She gulped a little bit and threw the ball into the air. Her hand smacked the ball over the net, but it fell a little short of the backline.

Mitsumi smiled at the attempt, "Dang, that's better than what I had when I first started in high school."

The younger girl smiled and nodded. "Let's keep going!!!"

Suga and Yuki were snickering about a recent observation they had made. The two setters had caught on to the libero's love for kids. It was sweet to watch but completely unexpected.

"Mei!!!! Can you come receive her spikes? Koushi, can you come set for her?" Mitsumi shouted across the gym. Koushi's sets were the easiest to hit and perfect for a beginner. They both ran over, happy and excited to help.

Shimura was taking a water break with Bokuto. "Do you know if Akaashi is going pro after high school?" She saw a lot of potential in the high school setter.

"Nah, Akaashi is wanting to work for a publishing company. This is just his hobby." Bokuto set his water bottle down on the floor. "His sets are smooth, but he will literally deny it." His hair deflated slightly as he pouted.

Akaashi overheard their conversation and sighed. "A hobby isn't a bad thing." He set his water bottle aside and looked at the time. "But we have tournaments this weekend. So, we all need to rest easy."

"Okay, Mom," Bokuto mumbled.

Takuma looked at the time. The captain had completely lost track of it. "Let's clean up and head home to rest!" He clapped his hands together to get everyone's attention. He didn't want anyone to get into trouble.