The mornings were always rough in the Sugawara household. It almost always started with Chie groaning as if she were in pain when the alarm went off and Koushi getting a face full of the pillow she shoves aside in bed. He would then reach over to the nightstand and silence the alarm, knowing that it wasn't enough to get his wife out of bed. Koushi would slide out of bed and do the one thing that he knew would wake her up, yank the covers off. Despite routines and schedules being incredibly important to Chie, she hated getting the new day started.

"Sparks, time to get up." He called out to her as he gently pressed a kiss to her forehead. For as much as he wanted her to sleep all day, they both had a packed schedule. Koushi had to get ready to go to work. It was a big day where the kids would be releasing the butterflies they hatched recently. But first, the young couple had to go on their morning jog. He had kept a goal to stay in shape even after graduating from college and retiring from sports. And it really helped that he lived with a professional athlete.

Chie slowly dragged herself out of the comfort of her bed. "Morning." She yawned and stretched her arms up as she got up. Her bones slowly cracked to life as she began to move around. Despite being married for a couple of months now, Koushi still found the noises slightly disturbing. She groggily wandered over to him and gave him a hug and a kiss. "Today is Butterfly Day, right?" She yawned as she rummaged around their dresser drawers for some workout clothes. "Hey, where's my running shorts?"

It was clear her night's rest wasn't very restful when he noticed her rummaging through his drawers and not hers. "It is Butterfly Day." Koushi smiled a bit at her half-awake antics. He moved her hands to the closed set of drawers. "And wrong drawers, Sparks." He then disappeared into the bathroom to rinse his face off and change into his running gear.

Their morning jogs were always uneventful. They would run around the neighborhood for a good hour before returning home to prepare for the rest of the day. Chie cooked breakfast and put their lunches together while he showered and dressed to go to work for the day. It wasn't never anything super fancy, but it was at least nutritious. They would join each other for the meal before she would kiss him goodbye for the day at the door and tidy up the house.

There was still a couple of hours until she had to leave for the stadium. Right now, she was training for the upcoming Volleyball League Nations tournament. It was yet another normal pre-tournament training season. After coming off of a super successful V.League season, she was hoping the world stage would be just as amazing this year. But for now, she tended to her small garden of flowers in the backyard as she listened to some of the music she was working on with Mei for an upcoming recital series.

Graduation had given her some of the free time she had been praying for as a student. Although the lack of a completely stacked schedule felt alarming. Sure, she would get busy, but it wasn't the student hustle. And so, she had began to submit online auditions for graduate programs. Chie highly doubted that she would get accepted into anything. It was a miracle she even made it into an undergraduate program. Koushi had no idea about this. Because if she did make it in, she wanted it to be a surprise. Although he did know about her interests in continuing her education.

Chie glanced over at the calendar in the entrance way of their home. Decisions should be coming soon. She slipped on her sandals and walked out front to her mailbox. Her emerald eyes opened in shock as she saw the stack of mail. She had gotten so busy the past few days that she had forgotten to check it. Koushi seemed to let it slip through his mind as well. There was still time for her to sort through it before she had to leave. So there was plenty of time for her to take care of the mundane task.

Most of the mail was just junk mail. Jiji, her cat plopped his fluffy body down into her lap as she sat on the floor. The poor cat was startled when his owner suddenly flinched when her eyes came across three familiar looking logos. Chie had applied to three programs: Nihon University, Tokyo College of the Arts (Geida), and Tokyo University. She immediately grabbed her phone and dialed Saki's number. Her best friend immediately picked up the request for a video call.

"Sup, Mrs. Sugawara." Saki teased with a cheeky grin, "What's got you calling on a Thursday morning before practice?"

"The letters came in." Chie held up the three official looking envelopes in her hand. "ALL THREE OF THEM CAME IN!" She violently shook her phone as she shouted. Saki opened her mouth a little too soon and chuckled as her friend cut her off for once. "And no, I haven't opened them yet."

The black-haired wing spiker wiggled her eyebrows in anticipation. It wasn't everyday her best friend got the riled up about anything. Saki was glad that this wasn't an emergency call. Although the sheer panic in Chie's eyes was rather comical this time. "Open them now!" Saki suggested, "Better to know now than wait until later. You'll get restless."

"Right, right." Chie brushed her bangs out of her face and took a deep breath. She stared at the envelopes before looking back into her camera. "Which one do I open first?"

"Any of them! Just hurry before we both have to leave." Saki was trying not to die from the suspense. Chie had told her about the entire process of applying for graduate programs. And honestly, Saki was against it at first. She didn't see the point in going back to school if she had a successful career right now. But then again, this was Mitsumi, no, Sugawara Chie. The woman craved for knowledge and loved to learn new things. So, this was the next natural step for her. How the heck she was going to balance everything if she did get accepted into a program? But then again, she pulled it off with her undergrad. So, it really wasn't anything too new.

Chie's eyes seemed to frown before the rest of her face did. Tokyo College of the Arts was a no-go. But that was okay, she knew that would be a bit of a stretch anyways. So, she neatly tore open Nihon's envelope. She had actually gone to their campus to audition in-person instead of submitting a video recording. And it was definitely an interesting experience. "I got accepted to Nihon!" She smiled, excited about what the letter said. But there was still one more. And she was holding her breath. Saki wasn't surprised to hear that Chie was still using her maiden name for professional purposes in the music world just like she did in volleyball. It was something about making that name hers. It didn't matter too much, Saki was just intrigued.

There really shouldn't be a reason as to why Tokyo University wouldn't accept her back as a graduate student. After all, her Bachelor's degree was from there and she had left quite the impact. However, if it was anything that Chie understood, it was that anything could happen. Nothing was really truly secured in life. Saki was starting to get excited, although if she didn't make it into TokyoU, it would probably a rough day and she'd have to warn the JNT to tread lightly. Chie took a deep breath and removed the paper from the final envelope. She cleared her throat before beginning to read aloud.

Dear Mrs. Mitsumi Chie,

Congratulations on being accepted into the Fall 2018 cohort for the Tokyo University Masters of Piano Performance and Piano Literature program. Your application and audition has been reviewed by the admissions committee and have found you to meet the qualifications, expectations, and levels of excellence that are required for this program. Please review the following information if you intend to enroll.

Chie wanted to shriek out of joy. But, Saki was there to do it for her. She was going back to the school that meant the world to her. She didn't even need to think twice about it. Chie did a little happy dance in her seat. Chie caught a glimpse of the clock and panicked slightly. "I've got to clean this mess up now before I leave! But a celebratory lunch sounds great today!"

Saki cheered, "I'll pay for lunch today!"

...

Now the clock was really ticking slowly. But, everyone on the JNT knew something was up when Chie walked into the stadium earlier in the day  smiley and practically dancing with every step. Nagisa and Madoka were almost alarmed by how genuinely happy their libero was. Hatsukoi chalked the reason for her good mood to be because of the honeymoon phase of her teammate's relationship. She too was married and felt like she was on Cloud 9 for that first year. They could smell the strong tea boiling on the hypothetical stove.

"Saki! Did something...You know, happened, to Tsumi?" Matsuri, thinking her teammate was possessed, called over the one person who she thought would have an answer.

Hatsukoi nodded in agreement with the captain, "Yeah, did something possess her?"

Saki tossed her towel around her neck with a smirk. "Oh, let's just say she got very lucky." She wrapped her arms around her captain and vice-captain. "It's a pretty big deal. Well for her at least." The heavens let her live another day, and so Saki was going to be a menace to society. The two older women's eyes widened in shock at what Saki was trying to imply. They gasped and gave each other a look. Saki winked playfully before patting their shoulders and walking off.

Chie had finished showering after practice and changed into something a little more presentable for a kindergarten visit. She smoothed out the cream blouse after tucking it into her brown skirt. She pulled her hair up into a much neater bun as she hummed a random tune to herself. She could feel everyone's eyes on her as she put her belongings away in her bag and locker. Everyone had been giving her a weird look, the coaches, staff, and managers included, throughout practice. It had sort of put her on edge once she had noticed it happening during a water break after conditioning.

"Why the heck are you guys looking at me like that?" She tossed her small crossbody bag on before throwing her gym bag on the other shoulder. "Did I grow another head?" The entire locker room fell eerily silent at the sound of her voice. Chie was doing her best to play off the feeling of paranoia that was nabbing at her.

Hirugami shook her head. "It's just rare to see you in such a good mood." The wing spiker leaned up against her locker with a shrug. "Did something happen?"

"I'm just excited to go check out the butterflies. Is that a bad thing?" Chie shrugged back at her teammate.

Saki was choking on her water as she heard the excuse Chie had sputtered out. "Oh come on, you aren't gonna tell them?" She coughed out as she attempted to catch her breath.

"Girl, we want all the details." Hatsukoi wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "You're a married woman now. It can't be that embarrassing."

"It's probably nothing I haven't heard before." Matsuri shrugged as she finished braiding her hair.

Suddenly the room broke out into excited squeals as everyone gathered around to listen to whatever was happening. What the heck were they trying to suggest? Did Saki tell them something? What was going on? Chie pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to figure out what was going on. She was questioning if she really did something to cause a stir. Saki winked at her which only made her even more concerned. Something was definitely up.

Chie leaned back on her locker with a groan. "Promise not to tell Koushi?" Everyone nodded excitedly. She originally wanted to tell everyone after she told her husband. It was only fair that way. But, the curious group of women loved their gossip. "I got accepted to TokyoU for a Master's Degree! But you guys can't say anything until I tell him tonight." That was not the news anyone had anticipated for her to give. At all. They all turned to Saki who was snickering in the corner and shot her a collective glare before erupting into cheers.

"Go get out of here and tell him the news." Matsuri shoved her towards the exit with a laugh. The captain shot another glare at Saki, which made her gulp. "We'll have to plan a celebration later."

...

Lunch with Saki had been nothing less than a mess. but that was already anticipated. And the butterfly release was probably one of the most wholesome events Chie had gone to in a while. It was a good thing she was there to help Koushi out because his kids were extra full of energy. Although to her, it was quite refreshing to be around such tiny humans. Not that she was looking to have some of her own at the moment. It was just a nice change of pace from the mundane reality that is adulthood.

"Mrs. Sugawara! You have a butterfly on your head!" One of the kids called out to her, pointing her finger at the butterfly on Chie's head. She ran over excited to get a closer look.

Chie thankfully didn't have a fear of most bugs. She gently one finger to her lips to signal the girl to lower her voice and lifted her other hand up to the butterfly. She allowed it to step onto her finger and slowly kneeled down on the grass to the child's level. "Remember, we have to be quiet so we don't scare them off." She smiled as she noticed a small group of students gather around her.

Koushi lovingly stared as his wife showed everyone in the group the butterfly up close. It was still hard to believe that she was so good with kids given that she was so cold towards adults. He was fully aware of her reasons why, but the sight only made him fall in love with her that much more. He didn't realize that one of his fellow teachers had heard the soft sigh he let out as he checked his watch. It was unfortunately time to go back inside and get ready for dismissal.

"I'll cover for you later." Arima, one of the other kindergarten teachers, saw his blaring heart eyes from every angle. "You can hold out an hour, right?" She teased him with a wink.

Koushi's cheeks blushed a light pink. "You got me there, Arima-sensei." He rubbed the back of his neck. He always hated to have to cut the fun short. But, there were still things to take care of. He cupped his hands around his mouth and inhaled sharply,"Alright class! Time to line up!" He called his students over. Chie was helping to make sure they all did as they were told, and thankfully everyone did.

"I'll go pick up our drink order and meet you back here at dismissal. And then we can go to the park." Chie sneakily kissed his cheek when all the kids were ahead of them and nobody was looking. She snickered to herself when she saw his face combust into red.

It didn't take long to bid farewell to the kindergarteners. Chie walked down the road to the juice bar the two of them had recently discovered. It was a far healthier alternative to getting boba everyday. Besides, Chie's awful new diet didn't leave a lot of room for foods that were overloaded with sugar. But, it didn't stop her from occasionally sneaking in some melon bread or a can of Dr. Pepper. Her addiction had significantly decreased after college, but it didn't stop her from enjoying it.

She didn't anticipate how busy the cafe would be on a Friday afternoon. She busied herself by scrolling on her phone as she attempted to block out the noise of the crowd. Too bad she couldn't make a to-go order over the phone. It would make her life so much easier. Her eyes would occasionally scan her surroundings before returning her attention to whatever article she found on her phone. At least she knew what to order already. For herself, she opted for an iced peach tea and a cranberry scone. And for her husband she picked up an iced citrus green tea and a chocolate croissant.

Unfortunately, the line had passed by a little too quickly. So, she needed to figure out what to do with the remaining time. Chie walked through the streets of Saitama's shopping district. She didn't spend a lot of time in this part of town due to the fact that her work took her deep into central Tokyo everyday. It was almost disappointing that she didn't get to enjoy where she and her husband just moved to. Especially since she enjoyed looking for the niche shops wherever she was at.

A small florist's shop sat on the corner of street. Chie stared at the well decorated shop window. Part of her often wondered why she never considered getting a certificate in floral design. It didn't take long for her to walk into the store and browse. Her parents always kept a fresh vase of flowers on top of their upright piano growing up. And even she kept flowers as a centerpiece for her kitchen table. She paid for a bouquet of sunflowers hoping that it would spruce up her home.

Koushi spotted his wife approaching the school with a smile. His backpack hung over his shoulders. One of these days, Koushi knew he would need to invest in a nice briefcase. But, with the amount of items he brings between work and school, his trusty college backpack would get the job done. He chuckled at the sight of her bonus purchase knowing that she probably couldn't resist it. "I'm glad you found the cute florist on the corner."

"The kitchen needs some sprucing up." Chie smiled as they shared a quick kiss. "To the park?" She allowed him to take the drink carrier in one hand so she could hold his other hand. Her free arm cradled the newspaper wrapped sunflowers as they wandered through the streets.

The city's park wasn't far from the elementary school. The couple would visit whenever they felt like they needed a break from whatever they were doing that day and were in the area. Koushi could tell she had something on her mind by the way she had been quiet throughout the walk. Although his worries disappeared when she began telling him all about the photo shoot she had earlier in the day with her teammates. They pulled off to the side and walked through the grass to a large, shady tree. He set their drinks down as she placed the flowers down next to them. Somehow, this tree had become their spot.

They sat down, mindlessly talking about the different events of their day as they sipped on their somehow still cold drinks. At some point Chie laid her head in his lap, not caring if anyone stared at them. The spring breeze passed through the leaves and the birds chirped in the background. Pair the distant sounds of the occasional group of lively students passing through the park on their way home with it, and it was the perfect ambience. Koushi was a bit disappointed in her decision to put her hair in a braided bun. All he wanted to do was run his fingers through her chocolate locks right now. But, he'd just have to wait for later. For now, he held her hand that was resting on her stomach, and traced various shapes with his thumb.

"I need to measure the office at home." Chie sighed heavily as she relaxed. The both of them had been talking about purchasing a baby grand piano so that she didn't need to keep renting the practice rooms at Mei's music store. Not that she didn't mind supporting her piano partner's business, she just felt like a hinderance. Having a piano that wasn't  just an electric upright they were gifted was going to become a necessity at some point. And it wasn't like they didn't have the money for a proper instrument.

Koushi raised an eyebrow, "You finally found a piano you like?" He gazed down at her a bit surprised that she had somehow found the time to go down to the piano showroom to test play some pianos.

"No, but I'm going to need to find one before the fall." It was oddly specific of her to say that. Koushi's eyebrows furrowed downwards as he tried to figure out why she was prioritizing this purchase.  She tried her best to stay serious at how confused his facial expression had become. She gently poked in between his eyebrows as she slowly sat up. But before he could say anything, she placed a hand on his cheek and rub it with her thumb. "I need to find a baby grand so I can practice at home instead of at school."

"School? Why would you be practicing at school?" Koushi's expression remained unchanged.

Chie tossed her head back and released a cackle. She couldn't hold back anymore. "Koushi, I got accepted into TokyoU's Piano Performance and Piano Literature graduate program for this fall." She held his hand and leaned forward as she watched his face turn from confused to shocked. "I'm getting my Master's degree." Not even a second later, she was laying in the grass with her husband on top of her, tackling her in a hug. She let out a surprised yelp as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"When did you apply?" He questioned as he processed what she had just told him. She had mentioned her desire to go back to school a few times, but he didn't realize she meant that she'd be going back so soon. "Didn't you have to audition?"

She threw her arms around him and rubbed his back gently as she looked him in the eyes. "I was able to make time for auditions when I wasn't in volleyball and you were at work." Chie pecked his forehead, "Why do you think I've been spending so much time with Mei? Sure, we've been working on piano duet stuff, but she was also helping me get ready for auditions." She chuckled as they both sat up.

He lifted her into his arms as he stood up and spun around. "I'm offended you didn't tell me!" Koushi teased as he kissed her cheek. "What's going to happen with volleyball?"

"I did it with one degree, so I can figure it out again." The sparkle in her emerald eyes showed how excited she really was. It wasn't going to be easy for either of them. But they had each other. Chie rested her arms around his shoulders as he continued to hold her. "And I let Coach know when I submitted the applications."

Koushi sighed and shook his head, "You're so sneaky." He gently set her down and placed a hand under her chin. "I'm proud of you though, Sparks."

World domination was always the plan. And no matter how it looked, Chie and Koushi knew that it was only possible if they did it together. The future was bright for both of them. The both knew that these things were just another step in the journey of life. Who knew what it would bring? He adored his students as if they were his own children. She was getting ready for the Olympics, and now she was continuing her dream towards eventually becoming a master pianist. There was a lot to be had and a lot to look forward to.

And so, the cat and crow returned to their humble abode with their eyes set on their next goal.

~ END~