Dr. Tanaguchi was impressed that her student really was recital ready so early. Unfortunately, she had to move her lesson with Mitsumi to early on Saturday morning because of a faculty meeting. And she knew her student had a game today too. She suddenly remembered what she needed to discuss really quickly before they ended their lesson. There was a lot coming up for the two of them now.

"Mitsumi, I saw the festival registration forms. They all got approved." The woman beamed. "Don't you think it's a bit much though?" She said being totally honest.

Mitsumi sat and began to think about it. "Three festivals isn't that many. The one over the summer is at the end when I'm back in Japan. So it isn't an issue. And the other two are in the fall and winter." She felt confident that she could pull it off. At this point, it was a necessity. She put her music in her bag and stood up.

"If that's what you think, then I trust you can do it." The professor stood up and opened the door. "Once again, I'm so sorry I had to switch to today."

Mitsumi shook her head, "I'm up at this time anyway." She smiled gently, "I'll send pictures from the game today!" She walked out into the dimmed office lobby. It was the weekend, so none of the faculty were in.

Suga had fallen asleep on the lobby sofa, which made her chuckle. Her game day bag was on the armrest, and his head was resting on top of it. She gently shook him awake, which made him stir and jolt a little bit. His eyes opened up slowly. "Gosh, I fell asleep! My bad."

"That couch gets the best of us." Dr. Tanaguchi chuckled, "it's pretty comfortable."

Mitsumi nodded in agreement. She had been a victim of sleeping on that couch a few times. "I guess my music was so boring you fell asleep." She teased her silver-haired boyfriend. "We will be going!" She bowed to her professor before leaving with Suga.

"Your music is not boring." He carried her bag in one hand and held her hand with the other. "I was comfortable and the lights were off."

"I'm teasing you." Mitsumi squeezed his hand softly. "I finally get to play against a division one team today." She shivered at the thought. "It's going to be way different than the youth team games."

He bent down and quickly kissed the top of her head as they walked off-campus. "It isn't an official game. It's just a family and friends game. It's just like any other training camp." Suga knew that he and Megumi would be there for a fact. "Did you invite anyone else?"

She nodded enthusiastically, "You'll see!" Mitsumi had invited an extra special guest. She managed to find a gap in his schedule for him to come.

...

Mitsumi had left for the locker rooms after giving him his ticket. He found his way up to the gallery and took a seat. The gallery was filled with families and friends of the players. It was a tradition that a game for them only would take place at the beginning of the match.

Wait... I don't even know her number! Well, she's a libero. So, she'll stand out on the court anyway. Suga was internally talking to himself. He sat on his phone while he waited for the game to begin. Megumi hadn't arrived yet and the same with this special guest. So, he took a picture of the empty blue court and sent it to Mitsumi.

Sugawara Koushi: I got a really good seat! I'll be cheering as loud as I can! <3

A couple of minutes later, he got a response.

Mitsumi Chie: I'll look for you~ <3 Oh, Megumi failed her math tests so she had to go to a remedial class today. And my parents are out of town again.

Sugawara Koushi: Good to know! That's really unfortunate.

He smiled and returned to scrolling through social media. It had been a guilty pleasure of his to see how many likes his girlfriend was getting on her official account. Mitsumi's post from earlier in the week had surpassed one thousand likes. He only expected it to grow more once the season continued on.

"Suga-san?" A familiar voice called out. Kageyama was decked out in his youth team outfit. He had a carton of milk in one hand and a ball of onigiri in the other. "You came to watch Mitsumi too?"

Mitsumi looked up at his junior in surprise. "She's mine after all!" He stood up and gave Kageyama one of his famous head pats. "Look at you look so grown up. Did you have practice?"

"We have a two-day training camp with the British youth team. Mitsumi gave me a ticket to come and watch." Kageyama explained and took a seat next to his former teammate. He was honestly a bit worn out from the morning schedule already. "It's been a while."

The college student chuckled. "Eh? Sounds like you're having fun though. Don't forget you still owe me an autograph when you become famous." Suga nudged Kageyama gently with his elbow. The ravenette blushed in embarrassment. He still saw Suga as his senpai.

Kageyama simply nodded. "I think you'll be getting your girlfriend's autograph first." He stabbed the plastic straw into the milk carton and took a sip. The two teams were coming out onto the court to warm up.

"You aren't wrong." Suga let out a small laugh. "So, what has Karasuno been up to?"

"We had a practice match last week against Date Tech last week. And we are getting ready to hold a training camp with Fukurodani and Nekoma pretty soon. And then I think there's another one scheduled out here in Tokyo like last year." Kageyama was grateful for a packed schedule. He just needed to pass his term exams. There was no way that he would be getting in a car with Tanaka's sister ever again. He learned his lesson.

"Eh? I'm proud of you guys." Mitsumi smiled. He was proud of all the hard work his former teammates were putting in. Karasuno was now a powerhouse. They were in the top 8 teams now. Of course, people wanted to challenge and train with them. "Give everyone a real run for their money."

...

Mitsumi looked up at the stands as she stretched. She spotted Suga and Kageyama and held up two-finger hearts. It was her way of thanking them for coming. For some reason, this practice match didn't feel like a practice match. There were a few photographers there to document everything. Her nerves were a little bit unsettled, but she was just anxious to get playing.

He spotted his girlfriend in her all-white and red uniform. He returned the finger hearts with the cheesiest grin Kageyama had ever seen. It was so cheesy, that he choked on his onigiri.

"I swear you have googly eyes when you see Mitsumi." Kageyama slurped on the last of his milk and crushed the cardboard carton in his hand.

"You'll understand someday." Suga patted his back.

Mitsumi grinned seeing her gesture returned. Matsuri gathered the team together at the end of their warm-ups. Coach Momo and Usui joined them as they circled up. Everyone had their arms around each other and was leaning forward.

"Let's have some fun today! The Gear Heads have been looking forward to this, but I trust you ladies to put on a good show for everyone!" Coach Momo looked around at everyone.

Matsuri had a smirk, "Let's do this! Ryujin Nippon!" She called out.

"FIGHT!" Everyone stomped a foot on the ground before going to take their places.

The starting lineup for today would be an interesting group. Coach Momo was pretty sure this would be the official starting roster. In the front row were Tetsuya, Setsuna, and Matsuri. In the back row was Saki, Mitsumi, and Chihiro. Hatsukoi had sprained her wrist during practice a few days ago and still couldn't play. So, Saki was standing in for her.

Saki looked at Mitsumi and held her hand out. They had a little pre-game secret handshake they did before any game they played together. It was a tradition that they had since they were first years in high school. The sight made their teammates stare at them in slight confusion. But they seemed to like it too.

"I want a cool handshake." Madoka pouted on the sidelines. Out of everyone, she was the most butt hurt about not playing in the game.

Nagisa rolled her eyes, "You're just jealous."

"You two are already bantering?" Hatsukoi pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. She did not want to have to break up the two already.

The Gear Heads had the first serve. Kageyama watched as Mitsumi calmly got the ball up to Chihiro. He was confused as to why they were playing a V. League team, but that just meant extra practice for everyone. And in all honesty, he didn't pay much attention to women's volleyball at all. So, he had no idea how either of the teams was except that they were really good.

"Suga is it just me, or does number 9 look disconnected from the setter to me." Kageyama was referencing Tetsuya. The middle blocker wasn't paying much attention to Chihiro in the back row. He found it strange that the setter was in the back row at the start anyways.

Chihiro got a clean set from the back row. Tetsuya watched the blockers in front of her and didn't mind the ball. It may not seem like it, but she was well aware of everything going on behind her. She sneakily tipped the ball straight down over the net.

"You sneaky scorer!" Matsuri gave the blocker a high five.

Mitsumi looked at the score, 5-1. She had a feeling they'd take this game pretty easily.

...

All of the spectators were welcome to come down to the court after the game. Suga managed to find the tiny girl in the swarm of people. He ran to her and picked her up and spun her around. "Your first win is down for the books, Sparks." He gave her a congratulatory peck on the cheek and set her down.

"Thanks, Koushi." She grinned, "What do you think of the new look?" Mitsumi spun around in place.

He nodded in approval, "Reminds me of your Nekoma uniform." A ruffled her bangs with a smile.

Kageyama finally found the two lovers and wanted to die at the sight of their PDA. "You're in public you know." He watched as the libero jolted.

"Kageyama! Thanks for coming!" Mitsumi smiled at the junior setter. "How's training camp?"

"It's been intense, but good so far." He nodded.

Saki came sliding over, "Oi! Blueberry! It's been forever!" She threw an arm around Kageyama's shoulder. And as she expected, she was still taller than him by an inch. "I'm surprised you turned up!"

"I didn't have anything to do." He shrugged, "I have to get going though. Training starts again in half an hour."

Suga smiled gently, "When you get back to Karasuno, tell everyone I say hello." He had fun watching a match with Kageyama.

"I will. Oh, and good luck to all of you this coming season."

Akira was curious as to who the ravenette was. She and Setsuna were able to catch a glimpse from a distance. "You guys have a friend on the youth team?"

"He's an old teammate of mine," The former Karasuno setter explained.

Saki combed her frizzy baby hair down with her fingers. "Kageyama Tobio, the OG King of the Court. The genius setter of Karasuno. And he is one of the stiffest people ever. Good kid though!" She laughed a bit. Training camps were always a hoot because of Karasuno." She let out a belly laugh at the memories that came to mind.

"Saki practically adopted him as her son in high school." Mitsumi sighed heavily. "But anyway, I invited him here since my family couldn't make it. And I figured Koushi would enjoy seeing an old friend..."

"I taught Kageyama really well!" Suga placed his hands on his hips triumphantly. "He is my favorite kouhai!"

Mitsumi laughed at the comment. "The number one rule of teaching is literally not to pick favorites, Koushi."

"Dang girl, you're a soul crusher." Matsuri was walking past. All the other guests were moving out of the main court. She caught the attention of her chatty teammates. "We are going to change out now and grab some Raman. Suga, will you be joining us?"

Suga gave Mitsumi one last head pat, "I was already planning on it. I'll meet you upfront then."

...

Everyone was slurping down their Raman and scarfing dumplings down their throats. Coach Momo told everyone about a great Raman shop that is owned by a sweet old couple that fits everyone's pocketbook. So, Matsuri decided that they would all go. And the food did not disappoint.

Mitsumi had never enjoyed spicy tonkatsu as much as she currently was. She was completely starved after the game and was shoving her mouth with as much food as possible. Koushi had to remind her several times to slow down before she choked.

"Some things about you never changed, Mitsumi," Usui commented as she reached for another piece of gyoza.

Koushi glanced at the manager and raised an eyebrow. "Have you guys met before?"

"On the youth team," Mitsumi said with a mouthful of food. "She used to be the manager but then switched over here during my last season." She gulped down the large quantities of food and washed it down with some water. Suga had completely given up on telling her to not do that. If she choked, it was her fault.

Usui nodded, "I was only an assistant manager then. But I was still close with the players. Those were interesting days!" She laughed a bit. "So, how did you guys meet?"

The couple looked at each other. They were arguing with words as to who would give the story. Mitsumi sighed in defeat. "We met at a training camp in high school both of our teams were at. And our schools trained together frequently. So, we became good friends and started talking. Then college happened and we kinda just went for it. He asked me out while we were out for a practice match in Miyagi. The rest is history." She didn't realize how bland their story sounded. It was nothing more than ordinary. But, they really loved each other.

"High school sweethearts! Aw!" Usui clapped her hands together with a grin. "That's actually how I met my husband. He's a police officer, so he couldn't be here." She sighed and ran her fingers through her pixie cut.

"Suga, where did you go to high school?" Setsuna finally decided to participate in a conversation.

Suga set his chopsticks down. "Karasuno!"

"Ah, the fallen crows." Setsuna hummed a bit. "My cousin and I went to Shiratorizawa back in the day." She was familiar with Karasuno. Her cousin's team had been taken out by the infamous Tiny Giant in his third year. It was quite the blow to his pride at the time. But, he seemed to get over it pretty quickly.

"We are no longer fallen crows! We did place in the top 8 when I was on the team!" Suga suddenly got super defensive. He hated the old nickname because the boys had earned their wings again. "And they went back to Spring Nationals this year!" He was practically leaning on the table.

Mitsumi had never seen him so defensive before. She grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back. "Someone accidentally unleashed the mama crow. I apologize for his actions." She grabbed onto Mama Crow's arm to keep him from doing anything else.

"Karasuno really made a comeback," Nagisa remembered watching their games at Nationals. "It's impressive."

"Yeah, my cousin played them once. He was devastated when he and his team got taken down during the Inter-High semifinals in his third year." Madoka wiped her mouth with a napkin. She hadn't heard anything from her cousin in a while. She assumed he was busy traveling again. "Setter's pride is a real thing."

Aimi cackled at the comment. "As a setter myself, I can confirm that."

Mitsumi finished off her glass of water. "Who is your cousin?"

Madoka smirked and glanced down at the row of people sitting at the long table. "Oikawa Tooru."

"EH?!" Mitsumi and Suga shrieked in horror.

But then again, it made sense. Madoka had the same stupid confidence and outspoken personality. "My mom is his mom's sister."

"That explains the rotten personality," Mitsumi grumbled soft enough that nobody could hear.

"Oh, so you know him?" Madoka casually ran her hand through her hair. "He's off to Argentina."

"ARGENTINA?!" Everyone at the table shrieked.

Matsuri choked on what she was eating. She coughed and snatched the closest glass of water to her. "That's impressive." She caught her breath.

Saki had never met the infamous Oikawa Tooru. However, she had a good mental picture of the guy from Mitsumi. Mitsumi had met him while they were visiting another school in Miyagi. She had gone to the store with one of their managers and the flirt had attempted to get her number.

"Sounds like an interesting guy." Saki sighed.

"He's a tough opponent." Suga reached into his pocket for his wallet.

Mitsumi glanced at her boyfriend with a disapproving stare. He was now the broke college student between the two of them. She had a steady and high-paying job. "I got it this time, Koushi." She took the bill and shoved her card inside.

"Don't give me that look." He was too slow. Suga placed a hand on her thigh under the table. "I'll cover it next time." He felt her grab his hand and gave it a squeeze.

...

The school newspaper wanted to do an article on the two new pro players. Shimura and Mitsumi were standing in the gym in their new team wear. They were casually passing a ball back and forth to each other. The student doing the interview had messaged them saying they were running behind.

"How did your game go?" Shimura tossed the ball over to her teammate.

"It was good! I wish I had enough tickets to let all of you go to the open practice match." Mitsumi spiked the ball down. "Have you started practicing?"

"Yeah, it's weird not having everyone around though." Shimura sighed and bumped the ball. "The new team is pretty great though. They are pretty tame in personality compared to you guys."

Mitsumi snorted and tossed a set. "I got stuck with a bunch of crackheads again. I don't know why that always happens. But, it's a good group."

"That's good to hear."

The gym door swung open. A girl with a camera scurried through the doors. "I'm so sorry I'm late!"

"It isn't a problem at all!" Shimura caught the ball and turned to the reporter.

"I'm the reporter assigned to this project, Kekomi Ozaki. Thank you so much for agreeing to do this!" The pigtailed reporter bowed deeply. "Where shall we do the interview?"

Mitsumi looked around for a place for them to sit. Unfortunately, it is a gym so their options are limited. "Shimura, should we go up to the viewing area by the offices?"

"Good idea!" The captain nodded.

Kekomi smiled, "Awesome, we'll take some photos afterward!"

...

Mitsumi was on edge again. She waited inside the team's weight room while Shimura did her individual interview. She lay on the floor and scrolled through her Gram and Twitter accounts. The official photos for the JNT had just been released.

The photos were absolutely epic in every shape, way, and form. Chie clicked on her photo and smiled at the one the publicity team had chosen. She was standing with one hand on her hip and the other holding a volleyball on top of her shoulder. Her face had a competitive smirk sprawled across it. The black background and white lights made her look more intense than she actually was. I look cool for once in my life. She thought with a smile. She shared the post on all of her feeds and stories.

It's official! Watch out for #16 on the court! #JNT #Haikyuu #VNL #RyujinNippon #Libero

Shimura eventually popped in, startling Mitsumi. "Hey, it's your turn." She said as she took a seat on the floor.

Mitsumi jumped to her feet with a nod. "How did it go?"

"Pretty good. Just act normal." Shimura gave an encouraging smile. "By the way, red is a good color for you."

"Thanks?" Mitsumi walked out and found where Kekomi was waiting. They had grabbed two chairs and set them in front of the large viewing window. She took a seat with a smile. "Alright! Exciting times!" She said to break the ice.

Kekomi smiled, "I'll just be voice recording this if that is okay." She showed the libero the recording app on her phone screen. After pushing the recording button, she looked at her small notepad of questions. "Thank you so much for doing this again, Mitsumi. Do you mind introducing yourself?"

"Of course!" Mitsumi beamed, "I'm Mitsumi Chie. I just turned 20 years old last month, actually. I study piano performance here at Tokyo University. I play as the starting libero for the University's Women's Volleyball Team as well as for the Japanese National Women's Volleyball Team. I just finished my first season with the University and I'm just beginning my first season with the JNT in the VNL." She stopped speaking once she wasn't sure what to say.

"This year has been a big season for Tokyo University! You went to Nationals this year and brought home gold. You joined the team this season. And you and Shimura are off to go play professionally! How are you feeling about your first season?" Kekomi dived right into the interview.

Mitsumi paused to think back on everything that had happened. "It has been a season of firsts! A lot of shocking things happened. But, I am grateful I have the opportunity to play!"

"So, how would you describe being a libero to someone not familiar with the sport?" Kekomi continued.

"Liberos are the defensive specialists!" She grinned brightly, "I help keep the ball in play. We wear a different color jersey on the court so we can stand out against our teammates since we aren't allowed to spike the ball. We also stay in the back row of players."

There was a brief pause before Kekomi came with the next question. She thought of this one on the fly. "I heard from previous interviews that you started playing in high school. What got you into the sport?"

"My childhood friend played and he taught me. So, we'd play casually. But then my dance studio closed down right before my first year of high school and he convinced me to try out for the team. The rest is history!" Mitsumi gave her usual story. She wasn't quite ready to give the full story of what happened. It was nobody's business.

"A dancer? What kind of dance?"

"Ballet! I started it as a kid and danced until high school." Mitsumi added on.

"You mentioned in your introduction that you study piano performance. I have a friend who is a music major, and it's super demanding." Her comment made the libero chuckle. Someone understood. "How do you balance playing for two teams and studying in school?"

"A strict schedule. I keep a super detailed calendar." Mitsumi explained, "Thankfully, I was able to quit my part-time campus job and that also opened up a lot of time. I also have a scheduling system for piano practice and rehearsals. I'd be lost and probably dead on the side of the road if I didn't have my calendar."

Mitsumi found herself comfortable talking with Kekomi. They were laughing and making light jokes. It was a pleasant experience. Now only if all interviews could be like this. There was nothing uncomfortable about it at all.

"Last question, do you have a personal motto that keeps you motivated?"

"It's only stupid if it doesn't work." Mitsumi held a single finger up as she spoke. Shimura overheard the last part of the interview as she walked from the restrooms. She covered her mouth and tried not to laugh. Her underling wasn't wrong at all, but that was quite the statement.

...

Photos went by pretty quickly. They took different shots for the spread in the school newspaper. Mitsumi had a lot of laundry to do when she got home. And she was exhausted.

"Shimura, purple is a good color for you," Mitsumi said, referencing the purple and gold jersey she was wearing. "The Falcons are lucky to have you."

Shimura changed into her street clothes again and smiled. "We better stay in touch, ya know. I'll be playing in red before you know it."

"I was already planning on it." Mitsumi smirked, "But next time, expect me to take you down on the court." She knew they would probably never play on the same team in the V. League.

"Ha! We shall see about that!" Shimura smirked as well. "Get yourself onto a division one team first."

...

Suga finished studying for the day. He found himself going to Mitsumi's apartment more often. It was as if he was living there. She texted him that she was on her way back from helping Bokuto practice a presentation. He had already cooked up a storm in the kitchen and started her laundry for her. She was probably exhausted from an early morning piano lesson, playing a full match, and took care of whatever else she had to.

Mitsumi walked into her apartment and spotted a familiar pair of white sneakers. She dragged herself in after taking her shoes off. "I'm home!" She called out.

"Welcome home!" Suga was reading a book while lounging on the couch. He had finished cooking a few minutes ago. He stood up and walked over to her. He pulled her in close by the waist and shared a quick kiss. "How was the rest of your day?"

"I'm wasted." Mitsumi dropped her bag on the floor and hugged him tightly as she groaned. "Ugh, I shouldn't have overbooked my weekend." She sunk into the warmth of his chest and inhaled his sweet vanilla scent. Her muscles were aching from exhaustion. They shared a quiet moment in each other's arms. It recharged them both. "Did you cook?"

He nodded and tilted her chin up, "I made some chicken katsu and I have a surprise in the oven." Suga kissed her forehead. "Let's eat, yeah?"

The washer buzzed signaling it was done. "Koushi! Don't tell me you did my laundry too?" She said in a bit of shock.

"Mm, maybe. It was all sorted already, so I tossed the load with your volleyball stuff in it." He let go of her and walked to the kitchen table, taking a chair out for her. Koushi then checked the food to make sure it wasn't cold. It was the perfect temperature, not too hot and not too cold.

Mitsumi's stomach grumbled. The food was extremely appealing at the moment. They gobbled down their meal and cleaned the kitchen up. She switched the laundry loads before changing into one pajamas and tossing her dirty clothes in with an unwashed pile.

"Are you still sore?" Suga held Mitsumi against him as they cuddled on her bed. They decided it would be more comfortable than the couch. She was pulling up the drama they had been watching together while snuggled up.

She nodded, "The hot shower earlier today helped with most of it. I'm still a bit stiff." Mitsumi felt him sit up straight. She moved a bit and set the laptop in front of her. His large hands sat firmly on her shoulders as the episode began. The weight alone felt soothing.

He pampered her a little too much at times. And today was one of those days. Mitsumi felt him work the soreness out of her arms, back, and neck. It was glorious. He pulled her hair out of its ponytail and ran his fingers through her long brown locks. "You should let me play with your hair more often."

"You pamper me too much." Mitsumi hummed in delight. "Switch spots with me and then I'll let you play with my hair."

He pouted a bit. "Do you not like it?"

She shook her head and moved behind him. "I love it, but you deserve it too." Mitsumi cracked her knuckles and began to massage his shoulders." He was incredibly tight, which made her concerned for his health.

After a few minutes, she kept her promise and let him play with her hair again. Suga alternated between braiding small sections and softly stroking her hair. The drama episode finished and they returned to their usual cuddly selves.

"He should just admit he loves her," Mitsumi grumbled as she made herself cozy on Koushi's chest. He was spooning her from behind with the laptop in front of them as they lay on their sides. They finally had the setup perfected. "They literally live in the same house now!"

He chuckled as the theme music started to play again, signaling the start of the next episode. "Then they would run out of plotline." Suga loved the weekends. They could binge their show to their heart's content and not fret about work and school. Even if the bulk of their day was taken, at least they still had their cuddle time. "Mind entertaining a thought for a second?" He paused the episode meaning it was important.

Mitsumi blinked a couple of times before turning to look at him. "What crazy thoughts do you have?"

"One day, when we settle down and have our own place, we should get a dog and give him an old man name." Suga laughed at her reaction. Her nose was all scrunched up and her eyes were squinted shut.

Mitsumi wasn't the biggest fan of dogs. She had an irrational fear of dogs larger than her. "I'm a cat person. I wouldn't mind having a cat at all." She slid her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer.

"What if we had a cat and a dog?" He tried to compromise.

She shook her head in disapproval. "Don't you think that's a bit much?" Mitsumi reasoned.

He rubbed her side softly as he thought about it. "I guess you're right. What if we had a dog first and then a cat?"

There was no winning that. Her future now included a dog with an old man's name. Mitsumi sighed and brushed his bangs out of his face. "I guess we can compromise with that." She felt him roll on top of her and rest his head on her chest. "What would you name the dog?"

Suga started to think about his options. "Maybe an English name like Oliver. How about Weston?"

Mitsumi played with his soft silver locks. She occasionally traced his ears down to his jaw and back up. "I like Weston the most." His facial features scrunched for a moment. "Oliver isn't bad either, I guess." 

"What will the cat be named?" He leaned into her touch.

"Jiji." Mitsumi was already set on that one. Nothing would change her mind.

He moved up a little bit and hovered over her so he could look her in the eyes. It was those bright emerald eyes that captivated him every single day. "So, when we settle down and have our own place, we will first have an old dog named Oliver. And then get a cat named Jiji." Suga tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Mitsumi gazed up into his tired honey eyes. He must have been studying hard with his group again. She smiled gently and wrapped her arms around his neck. "That sounds wonderful." They stared at each other and basked in the moment.

He carefully closed the laptop and set it on the nightstand without taking his gaze off of her. They were more connected than he realized. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and then to her cheek. "The future isn't so scary when you have someone to spend it with, right?" He kissed her jaw right beneath her ear.

His actions were making her shiver in delight. "It really isn't." Mitsumi felt something warm on her neck and felt her whole face flush. It wasn't a bad feeling at all. She was surprised.

He chuckled and nuzzled into the crook of her neck. "Chie, I'm nervous." Suga hugged her close to him. His warm breath continued to run down the side of her neck.

Mitsumi petted his hair and looked down at him. She could tell something was off by how clingy he was being. "What are you nervous about?"

"I'll be here in Japan while you're off traveling really soon." He let out a deep breath, "What am I going to do without you?"

"I'll call you every day and show you the sights I'm seeing," Mitsumi promised him. Her voice was like silk to him. She was nervous about leaving him too. "It's us against the world. Remember?"

Suga pressed his lips to hers. She would be back periodically. They were in this together. "I'll be rooting for you then."