The morning ran like clockwork. Mitsumi woke up and ate a hearty breakfast that Suga had whipped up. He braided her hair into two dutch braids with the ribbons weaved in. It was a much better solution to the bunched bow issue. Her game day bag was packed and ready to go. She wore her JNT tracksuit and stood in front of the house for a photo.

Suga was adamant on getting some photos for her to post to her social media accounts. He snapped a few before walking up and pulling her into a kiss. "Today is step one in taking the world by storm." He declared with an enthusiastic grin.

Mitsumi nodded with a determined smirk. "Come on, we have a train to catch."

The JNT members that had a long trip from home had spent the night in a hotel close to Ariake Stadium. It would serve as their meeting place before and after the match. Mitsumi parted with Koushi as she entered the hotel lobby. He was going to go wait for Kuroo, Bokuto, and the others so he could give them their tickets.

"Looking snazzy!" Akira waved at Mitsumi as she walked in.

"How is everyone doing?" Mitsumi sat down with Akira, Hatsukoi, Setsuna, Tetsuya, Madoka and Matsuri in the lobby. Usui and Coach Momo were also hanging out with them for the time being. It seemed that everyone else was still up in their rooms getting ready since they still had time.

Usui seemed to be bouncing off the walls with excitement on the inside. They were lucky the first game was a home game. "Just peachy! And pumped up!"

Everyone else seemed to groan. There was something happening that Mitsumi didn't know about. Tetsuya laughed, "That's one shot you guys are paying for at dinner!"

"For what?" Mitsumi blinked in confusion.

Coach Momo chuckled and tapped her fingers on the clipboard. "Any time someone says 'pumped up' on game day, they have to buy Tetsuya a shot at dinner.

"GUYS! GUYS! GUYS! You need to come outside!!!" Chihiro was dashing and jumping at the same time over to the group. The ball of energy pointed her finger towards the sliding doors and waved her arms up and down.

Everyone sighed and followed her. The rest of the team was out there watching another group across the street walk. They were in black tracksuits with a white stripe down the sides. The Japanese players gasped at their height. Mitsumi felt a knot form in her stomach. The other team was made of giants.

It looked like they were headed back to the hotel to rest after they practiced. Saki came up to Mitsumi from behind. "Poland is a pretty cool team."

"I think we will win." Madoka shrugged casually.

Matsuri looked at Hatsukoi, "We did last time we played them at the World Championship. Right?" The captain had a horrible memory.

Hatsukoi nodded and gave a thumbs up. "Affirmative."

"I'm so PUMPED UP!!!" Nagisa announced, unknowingly owing Tetsuya another shot.

"That's another shot!!!" Tetsuya added another tally to the count.

"Yeah..." Mitsumi's voice trailed out. "I'm headed back inside." She pushed past Saki and tried to reenter the building. She played with her fingers and did her best to push past her teammates. Someone grabbed her hand suddenly, which made her flinch.

Hatsukoi had grabbed Mitsumi's hand to stop her from going inside. "Mitsumi, you should stay out here with us." She had picked up on the libero's introverted tendencies.

Mitsumi was quick to yank her hand out of Hatsukoi's grip. "I'm just going to grab my bag." She pointed to her bag that was sitting with everyone else's bags in the lobby. The sudden attack of bad nerves and someone grabbing her hand was not making her feel well at all.

Calm down, she was just getting your attention.  Mitsumi shoved her hands in her pockets. She scurried inside and grabbed her bag before everyone else. Sorry guys, I'm still worked up over nothing.

Coach Momo and Usui had caught sight of the scene. They had never seen something like that from Chie before. The Coach called Saki and Akira over for a moment. "What's up with Mitsumi?" She nodded her head towards the girl who was now awkwardly standing in the back of the group.

Akira and Saki knew the libero the best. They glanced at her and tried to figure out what was going on. Hands in pockets, bouncing on her toes, biting her lip, distancing, yup. It was clear.

"Coach, she gets like this if something triggers her anxiety." Akira said softly. "She's been like this for years, but it's never on game day."

Usui had heard about Mitsumi's anxiety attacks before. But, she had never witnessed one even when she was with the Youth Team. "What would have triggered it? She seemed fine inside."

"Will she be good to play later?" Coach Momo was concerned that she would have to bench a player again. Hatsukoi was finally able to play since her sprained wrist healed.

Saki nodded in agreement with Akira. She was trying to figure out what could have triggered her. "She's a different human on the court, she'll be fine to play. I wonder if anyone grabbed her hand suddenly." She had seen what that did to her best friend several times. Saki herself was even extra cautious not to grab at Mitsumi's hands.

"Her hands?!" The manager and Coach exclaimed.

The two players nodded. Akira placed a hand on the back of her neck. "She was bullied about her hands growing up, and has a heck load of trauma from it."

"Yeah, that and she's pretty quiet about her issues. So, it doesn't surprise me that she hasn't said anything about it." Saki shifted her weight onto her other leg. "She comes off as super confident, but she has her own things that she internally fights with. It doesn't take much to accidentally trigger something."

Coach Momo nodded in understanding. "This is good to know. Usui, can you and Yukirin get everyone to grab their things and walk over. I'll be walking in the back with Mitsumi. Thank you for the information, Saki and Akira."

The others parted and everyone began to walk to the stadium. Everyone was chipper and bubbling with energy. Mitsumi stayed a couple steps behind Saki and Akira at the back of the group. She had managed to recoup on her own and was feeling much better. But, she chose to avoid another incident and kept her distance. It was a bit odd that Coach Momo was in the back, but it didn't bother her.

"Mitsumi, are you doing good?" Coach Momo asked casually. She always made an effort to check in with each of the players. And it was convenient that she hadn't asked Mitsumi yet.

Mitsumi gave a convincing smile and a quick nod. "Of course! It's game day." She gripped the handles on her bag tighter.

"Are you sure about that? You were acting weird back at the hotel." Momo raised a curious eyebrow. "It's not good to lie to your coach."

She clenched her jaw for a split second. "I'm good, Coach. I was just thinking about some stuff earlier. But it's all resolved now." Mitsumi did her best to reassure her Coach. As long as nothing incidental happened, she'd be fine.

"If something happens, tell me. It's important to me that all my players are physically and mentally prepared." She smiled gently and switched topics. "How did the recitals go? I heard from Akira you had your evenings booked."

"Oh yeah, those went really well this semester!" Mitsumi beamed. She was quite proud of herself for performing well this semester. Plus she didn't have to participate in juries. "It's chaotic, but honestly it was really satisfying to get it all over with."

The older woman chuckled. "Well Mitsumi, you are the first one in JNT's history to be a concert pianist." Coach Momo successfully lightened the mood. "Too bad we don't get to hear you."

"Don't worry about it." Mitsumi said rather nervously. "Honestly, it's nothing spectacular."

"You're still terrible at marketing yourself." Saki butted in with a sigh. "How do you think you will survive that industry if you can't-"

The libero shot a glare and jumped into Saki's back. "If you value your life, take that back." Mitsumi was ready to snap Saki's neck.

"So... Mitsumi is willing to kill her best friend. Spicy." Tetsuya shivered in fear hearing the two argue.

Setsuna nodded, "I guess so."

"Remind me not to piss her off." Nagisa shivered too.

...

Watanabe and Riza looked at their seat numbers. The tickets they had bought from Ishida were for a different section than Suga and Mitsumi's crew. That's what they got for forgetting to talk to their connection.

"Megumi! You've grown up!" Watanabe pinched Megumi's cheek. "You're in highschool now!"

Megumi huffed a bit. She hated it when people treated her like a kid. Just like her sister. "Watanabe! Ow!!! And yes, I'm in high school."

Kaori had been invited to the game as well. "You should have come to Tokyo Prep, Megumi. We would be able to hang out more." She puffed her cheeks in a pout. The only time she got to see Megumi was at volleyball events.

"Yeah... No." Megumi very much enjoyed the fact that her commute to school was relatively short. And her school wasn't in the middle of a bustling mega city. "Koushi, where is Mom and Dad?"

Suga checked his phone. "Mitsumi said she gave them her two VIP passes. So, I think they are enjoying those perks." He was starting to worry that Kuroo and Bokuto got lost. They were already five minutes late.

"Hey hey hey! It is you guys!" Bokuto came bouncing over. "Megumi! Kaori! You guys came too!!!" He placed his large hands on their heads with a firm pat. "Dude, I am pumped up!"

"This idiot right here got us lost." Kuroo pointed his thumb at Bokuto. "So, what's the plan, Suga?"

Suga looked around at the incoming crowd. Last he had heard, the game was sold out. "Let's grab our seats and then those who want snacks can go get some."

Megumi instinctively jumped into Bokuto's back like a koala. "Onward my noble steed!!!" She held her camera in one hand and got some candid shots of the crowd. Kaori was busy updating Kuroo on all things Tokyo Prep. Mostly because she found out about an upcoming exam for a statistics unit in math. And she refused to fail.

...

Mitsumi was a little bit happy that the Polish team was wearing red and white. It gave her the chance to show off her classic red uniform look while her teammates wore the black uniform. Each of them were taking turns waving to the stadium as they jogged onto the court.

"Next up is #16! Mitsumi Chie, libero." The announcer boomed over the stadium crowd. Mitsumi waved at everyone and did a finger heart with a wink and smile for the camera. She knew her friends and family who were watching would appreciate it.

Kimi was with her mom and the piano majors watching on television. She got a group photo of everyone returning the finger heart. Suga and those who came in person did the same thing. Same with the TokyoU women. But this was the first time Mitsumi actually did it for all of them. It was her first time on the court with everyone she cared about watching. Besides Saki and Akira. But, she still cared about them anyway.

Saki and Mitsumi exchanged their traditional handshake with each other on the sidelines. The spiker wasn't in the main lineup for the first set. They did the same with Akira before Mitsumi took to the court.

"They still do that?" Bokuto was surprised by the sight.

Kuroo shrugged, "I guess so. I'm surprised to see Saki on the bench." He studied the starting lineup carefully. "Suga, what's your commentary? You've seen their practice."

Suga chuckled nervously. He didn't exactly have the same analytical skills as his friends. "If I had to take a guess. They are saving Saki for when Hatsukoi is tired. Mitsumi was saying she just recently came back from having a baby, so she could be retiring soon. Who knows? But Hatsukoi, Matsuri, and Setsuna are really intense spikers." He tried to piece something together that made sense.

The match was off with a bang. Poland had the first serve, so Mitsumi got to show off her new skills right off the bat. Suga, Bokuto, and Kuroo couldn't take their eyes off the court. They were most likely going to be on their feet and cheering the whole time. Megumi was trigger happy with her camera. She was grateful that her older sister was considerate and gave her a clear view of the court. Her seat was in the perfect spot too. Kaori joined the boys in cheering everyone on.

Japan was in the lead 20-18 during the first set. Setsuna was the definition of an underrated ace. Her spikes were in peak condition. Hatsukoi and Matsuri were also on top of their game. The three veterans were really getting into their rhythms.

"Chance ball!" Mitsumi slid towards the right and got the ball with a single arm. Her left leg was extended all the way and she was squatting all the way down as she lunged for the ball. The ball shot straight up and towards the center of their side of the court. Perfect! Her tongue poked out of the corner of her lips. A sign that she was in deep concentration. Once she was in that mode, nothing could distract her.

"Look at that extreme flexibility from Mitsumi! She may be the shortest player on the VNL rosters, but don't underestimate the fact that she can keep up with everyone else." One of the commentators was impressed by the play.

Another one chuckled a little bit. "They say she's the Guard Dog of Tokyo. However, I think she's more of a cat with her flexibility and reflexes." The commentator added on.

This comment was her first of the match. "LET'S GO CHIE! TAKE THE SET!" Suga roared out of the blue. Bokuto and Kuroo joined in with their own shouts

Megumi jumped twenty feet at the sudden volume change. "I should have brought ear plugs."

The first set went to Japan with ease. Matsuri had nailed the final point of the set. The captain jogged around the court and high-fived everyone. "Let's take the next one too!" She opted to give Mitsumi a fist bump. Partially because her hands were still stinging from Chihiro's ridiculous high ten. But also because Coach Momo filled her in on Mitsumi's quirk.

Mitsumi smiled and returned the fist bump as everyone went to the side lines to get some water. Yukirin and Usui quickly distributed the water bottles and towels to everyone.

"Nagisa! You'll be in the back row and center where Mitsumi stands at the start of this next set. Mitsumi, you'll rotate in when Tetsuya gets to the back. Saki, you're going to be on the front right. Chihiro, you'll be front left. Matsuri and Setsuna will stay in the same spots." Coach Momo scribbled down the lineup for this set and handed it to Usui. "They are slow to warm up, so let's keep shutting them down."

"Right!" Everyone agreed to the new lineup.

Matsuri wiped her face with her towel. "We can't let them catch onto us. Their #27 is one heck of a spiker. Nagisa, tag her and try to guess block her the best you can." She began to give everyone some input and advice for the next set.

The whistle blew and everyone jogged back out. Mitsumi stayed back at the sidelines and let out a deep breath as she cracked her neck. The break was giving her time to process everything going on. They're wicked good. And I'm only here because their old libero is on leave. The sound of shouts and squeaking shoes disappeared as she started to zone out. I'm here because I am a failed pianist. Their libero is taller than me, not fair.

The thoughts were getting louder and louder. She thought they were gone. Nagisa, Chihiro, and Saki just shut the ball out. Their block made the crowd go wild. Mitsumi didn't notice what had happened until her teammates started to shout in celebration.

A couple points later, and it was time to switch in. Tetsuya met Mitsumi at the substitution line and patted her on the shoulder. "Keep an eye on #12." She smiled and let Mitsumi jog to her place.

Number 12 was up to serve. According to what Coach had mentioned that morning, number 12 was left-handed and had a crazy spike speed. Mitsumi was responsible for taking the hit of this one. She stood in a serve receive position. Her tongue was poking out again in deep concentration.

Suga was starting to get worried. Off the court, Mitsumi looked really tense. The pressure of something was eating at her. "Number 12 is serving again." He tapped his chin with his finger.

"If it's anything I know about Mitsumi, it's the fact that whatever she's feeling when she isn't in play gets pushed aside when she's on the court." Kuroo reassured him. He had seen her play from the very beginning of her career. After all, he was the one who barely managed to convince her to join the sport. Now look at where she was. This game was a proud "father" moment for him.

Mitsumi watched the monstrous serve target her directly. She anchored herself in place and got the ball up flawlessly. Her teammates had lost points to this particular serve, but now they had someone to deal with it. The speed and impact from the ball made Mitsumi fall onto her tailbone.

"Nice receive!" The libero could hear from the stands.

Yes, this was her moment. Everything froze for a moment. I'm not weak here. Mitsumi smirked as Saki slammed the ball over the net in a clean pipe shot.

...

Japan won a tough five set match. Reporters and fans flocked the sidelines of the court. Mitsumi and her teammates had their towels tossed around their necks as they spoke with the spectators. Mitsumi had just wrapped an interview with a reporter, and spotted a group of high schoolers who were trying to get her attention.

She had time. It wasn't like she was in a rush or anything. Her teammates were still greeting people. "Thanks for coming!" She smiled gently at the beckoning fans.

One of the girls smiled back, "We watched you at the Nationals this year! You looked so cool today!" She beamed.

Ah yes, there was that soft spot in Mitsumi's heart. Mitsumi gave each of them an autograph and took a picture with them. She had been in their shoes before. It was the least she could do.

The crowd began to fizzle out. Noriko had caught sight of her daughter's interactions and began to tear up. She was glad that Mitsumi had found her place somewhere. "Koushi, Tetsuro, Kotarou, Kaori, and Megumi." She called out to the kids. "Chie said to wait at the back entrance of the stadium for her. I guess the team's families are waiting there." Her husband was off to find a couple special guests. "We should probably go there."

...

Mitsumi practically jumped on her friends and family when she saw them in the waiting area. She gave everyone massive hugs and took pictures. Everyone was celebrating the first win of the season.

"Watanabe! Riza!" Mitsumi was surprised to see the two managers. "Thanks so much for coming!"

"Ishida managed to give us tickets." Riza smiled sheepishly.

Watanabe nodded in agreement, "For a decent price." By decent price, she meant a ridiculous price. The two of them felt a bead of sweat form on their foreheads. Ishida was a self proclaimed business woman. They fell right into her marketing scheme.

"THERE'S MY FAVORITE COUSIN!" A familiar voice ripped through.

"YU!!!" Mitsumi exclaimed in response. Her ADHD cousin jumped on her shoulders in a handstand. "What are you doing here?!" She was too happy to shake him off.

"I watched the game, duh. Kageyama sent me his complimentary ticket since he couldn't come." Nishinoya got off of his cousin and grinned. "You were so kick butt!"

"Haha, thanks." Mitsumi rubbed her neck. "Hey guys, I have a team meeting. But I'll talk to everyone later." She gave a closed eyed smile.

...

Saki had insisted that Mitsumi get ready for the after party at her hotel room. She had even gone out and bought a whole outfit for her best friend as a belated birthday gift. Her and Akira had roomed together, so the three of them were now giving themselves makeovers.

"Guys, it's just a nice dinner." Mitsumi groaned as she let her thick chocolate waves cascade down. Akira was braiding the front pieces back in a half up half down style.

The backup setter pinned the braids to the rest of her hair. Akira grabbed the silver barrette and clipped it in where the two braids met. "Chie, you have a boyfriend who is practically your finacé." She whined a bit. "You have someone to dress up for."

Saki dropped her red lipstick into her purse. "Exactly. Don't dress up for dinner. Dress up for Sugawara!" She came up behind Mitsumi and held onto her shoulders. "Now go get your butt changed while I do Akira's makeup. Everything is in the bathroom."

The libero groaned. She did not want to be social at all. Her mind and body were shot from dealing with a game and all the fans and press. Mitsumi dragged herself to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. I swear Saki, if you put me in something raunchy, I am going to kill you.

She unzipped the black garment bag hanging up. A tea length deep red dress was inside. The bodice was covered in an elegant lace that matched the flowy short sleeves. It was a relief to see. Mitsumi tossed the dress on and stepped into the silver heels she had her mother bring by. Her friend had done a good job, again.

"One of you two help me with this wretched zipper." Mitsumi stepped out of the bathroom with a half zipped dress.

Akira took care of the impending issue. "Cutie! No wonder you got snatched." She grinned. She had a cream colored dress on with a red sash at the waist. Her black pixie cut had a decorative bobby pin in, holding back part of her bangs.

"Suga texted while you were in there. He'll be here any minute now." Saki inspected Mitsumi again. She noticed her ring was missing and huffed. "Where's your promise ring?"

Mitsumi folded her tracksuit neatly and placed it back into her duffle bag. "Right here. I took it off earlier." She slid the silver band back onto her finger. There was no way she'd leave anywhere without it. As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. "That's my cue, ladies." She grabbed her purse and duffle bag before swinging the door open.

The plan was to drop her things off with Aunt Nami, who was in the area, before going to the party venue. Koushi had his hair neatly parted. He wore a black suit with a red and white pinstripe tie and black dress shoes. Mitsumi's face turned a deeper shade of red at the sight. "H-Hey, Koushi." She stuttered.

"Ready to go, Sparks?" He suavely took her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. Koushi was the only person known to Saki and Akira that their quirky best friend allowed to touch her hands. However that happened, it was a miracle.

Suga led her by the hand outside. His aunt was waiting and took Mitsumi's volleyball bag home for her. The Tokyo night was humid. The moon and stars were hiding behind the dense clouds. The girl's knee was aching, a sign that it would most likely rain soon. It wasn't anything too bothersome and would pass once the rain stopped.

"Have you checked your messages at all today?" Suga looked up from the map on his phone.

Mitsumi shook her head, "Not really." She pulled her phone out and opened up the messaging app. She noticed that every group chat had sent images. The first chat on top was the women's team. They were all piled in Riza's apartment making hearts with their fingers. The second photo was the piano majors plus Kimi doing the same thing. They had crashed Dr. Tanaguchi's house. And to her surprise, Dr. Ito and his wife attended as well. There were also videos of what seemed to be some celebrations. But, Mitsumi would watch those later.

Then it hit her. They returned my finger hearts!  Mitsumi found herself grinning childishly at her thought. "Koushi~ You knew about this?"

"Yeah, a bit." He chuckled and squeezed her hand. "Noya said you were anxiously texting him in the locker room. I'm surprised he didn't ruin his location."

"I know! Me too!" Mitsumi nodded.

...

The party was in full swing. Everyone was sitting at their tables chatting and eating their food. The jazz band was doing a good job of filling the room with music while the DJ figured out why his equipment was acting up. Mitsumi busied herself by shoving her mouth with sweets to keep away from small talk. Koushi didn't seem to have an issue with this. He was too busy talking with Hatsukoi's husband, Kaito. The two of them seemed to get along well.

"Mitsumi, right?" An unfamiliar voice approached Mitsumi. It was a tall chestnut haired woman from the Polish team. She spoke English to Mitsumi's surprise.

She recognized her as the number twelve player that gave her a hassle. "Yes! That's me." Mitsumi set the half eaten cookie down on her plate and stood up from her seat.

"Nadia Kolwalsky. Thanks for the good game today. It was fun." Nadia had the rival's spark in her eyes despite the courteous words that came out of her mouth. "Mind if I sit with you?"

Mitsumi shook her head and took a seat again. "Go right ahead."

Suga had barely heard Mitsumi speak in English. His ear perked up at the sound and he turned his head. He was trying to figure out what the two players were talking about. Tokyo. Piano. Volleyball. Those were the only words he could pick up.

"This is my boyfriend, Sugawara Koushi."  Mitsumi nudged the silver haired boy with her elbow discreetly. "Koushi, this is Nadia, one of the Polish players. Introduce yourself." She switched languages to fill him in on what was going on.He knew that word too, boyfriend.

He jolted in his seat for a moment with a polite smile. "It's nice to meet you!"

The three of them seemed to have a pleasant conversation alongside the Hatsukoi couple. Mitsumi eventually ended up acting like a translator for the two teams.

Matsuri suddenly yanked Mitsumi away from the group she was currently talking too. "Hey, Mitsumi, the DJ is still not working and the band's paid time is up. You should go play something." She said pointing to the piano.

Mitsumi's eyes shot wide open. "Oh no, I don't know if that's even allowed, Captain." She waved her hands out in front of her in protest. "Besides, I don't have any music-"

"I thought you said you were a concert pianist? You should be prepared for these situations." Matsuri sounded like someone very familiar to the younger player. And she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Are you my mother?" Mitsumi asked her captain with a scarily innocent smile. She cracked her knuckles, her small joints caused an earthquake. "I'll play until things get figured out. That's it."

...

Things never got resolved. Everyone ended up dancing to whatever Mitsumi was playing. The room was filled with upbeat waltzes and polonaises, swing style music, and some basic jazz standards she could improvise over easily. It had far exceeded anyone's expectations. The guests seemed to be satisfied, and that's all that really mattered.

An unpaid gig, blech! The pianist was rather disgusted by the mere fact she was doing this without pay. What did they call this? Exposure. But does exposure pay the bills? Nope. Not at all. But, Mitsumi tried to let this slip by since it was a bit of an emergency.

"You know, Suga, it's a shame you don't get to dance with your girl tonight." Kaito sipped on the drink he had in his hand. "Although I don't think she seems to mind it."

Suga laughed wholeheartedly at Kaori's comment. "She was a ballet dancer back then. But, she is happier when she can stay in her own bubble." He wished he knew the dancer version of the pianist in front of him. To be honest, she never spoke about her past. So, he didn't really know much. He knew about how she hated her hands being touched because of her own insecurities. And he knew she had danced before joining the Nekoma volleyball club. And that her, Kuroo, and Kenma grew up together. Everything else was a bit of a mystery.

Everything started to settle down. The noisy crowd of guests slowly found dance partners as Mitsumi shifted into a rendition of Fly Me to the Moon. It was her favorite jazz standard. Hatsukoi stole her husband for a dance after partying it up with her teammates. Saki and Akira danced together only because they were both feeling too single to deal with anything. Mitsumi could see this out of the corner of her eye and chuckled to herself. Of course her friends would be like that.

The night ended and Mitsumi closed the grand piano. Suga had pulled a seat next to her so that he could keep some company. "You sounded beautiful tonight." He laced their fingers together with a radiating smile.

"Thank you. I'm sorry I got roped into playing." Mitsumi had been looking forward to spending time with him. Fate had other ideas, but it wasn't like she was going to let a party fall to shambles.

One of the league officials who was in attendance had sprinted over to Chie. "Mitsumi-san! I'm Matsushiba Daizo from the VNL administration. Thank you so much for helping out on a whim. I know you must be exhausted from the game today." The well dressed business man bowed.

The young woman shook her head. "It was really nothing Matsushiba-san. Things happen." Mitsumi really didn't want the attention.

"Here is my business card. I'd like to have you provide entertainment for some upcoming events after hearing you play tonight." Matsushiba reached into his wallet and handed Mitsumi a small card with his information on it.

She did the same. Suga had no idea that the pianist would carry around business cards. Mitsumi exchanged the cards with a business-like smile. Once they were out of the building, and away from everyone, she held the paper card like it was a trophy. "I just got another gig! Whoo!!!" She jumped around in her high heels like a child.

"Sparks, you're gonna-" Suga watched as Mitsumi started to lose her balance. He quickly caught her around the waist and sighed. "Hurt yourself." He finished his statement as soon as she regained her balance.

She snuggled into his side and looked upwards at him. "Oh please. I didn't fall." The ground was wet from the storm that had hit while they were inside. The moon shone in her innocent eyes as she gazed up at the sky. It was sad that the city's light pollution obstructed the view of the stars.

"So, what's next?" Suga swung their hands as they walked. "You're off to France right?"

"France, Argentina, and then South Korea. I'll be back here for a couple weeks after that for another home game." She had her flight schedule memorized. It was a good thing that her new passport had arrived in the mail just a couple days ago.

He couldn't help but frown. That was almost a whole month without her. "That's a long time, Chie." His voice was sullen as he spoke.

Her gaze fell downwards. It was a long time, but she was grateful he was allowing her to do this. Mitsumi squeezed his hand as tight as she could. "Koushi... I know it is a long time. But, it's us versus the world. Remember?" Those words he had told her had imprinted into her soul that night.

"World domination is kinda our goal." Mitsumi chuckled at the thought.

Everything fell silent after that. It was comfortable though. The couple meandered through the empty park. The park lights reflected off of the puddles that had formed on the pavement. Something must have been going on nearby, because the soft sounds of a familiar jazz tune was playing in the distance. It looked like an outdoor wedding reception was going on in a white tent near the river.

"Fly me to the moon. And let me play amongst the stars." Mitsumi sang along softly to the music.

Suga's ears picked up the sound of her voice. She sounded like the spring breeze as she sang. Delicate and refreshing. He stopped walking and turned to face her. "May I have this dance?"

"Of course." Mitsumi took his hand again and placed her other hand on his shoulder. His free hand rested on her waist. They swayed to the rhythm of the distant music without a care. It was the comfort of facing reality together that kept them bound in each other's arms. Everything stopped until the song ended.