≫ Chapter 14 ≪

No One's POV

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"Sumimasen," came a small voice from outside the volleyball club, accompanied by a knock.

"Ah, Hikari. It's just you. Come in, come in," Daichi answered, opening the door. "You could've just opened the door yourself, you know. It's just me and Suga."

"What's she doing here?" Sugawara questioned, staring coldly at the female who had just entered.

"Figured you wouldn't agree if I told you earlier," Daichi shook his head, closing the door.

"No way."

"Yes?" the captain turned back, acting oblivious as he faced the silver-headed setter.

"She's coming with us?" Sugawara questioned, standing up abruptly. "You didn't even bother to ask if I, the VICE CAPTAIN of the team, would be comfortable having her come with us! Daichi, I know you're well aware that now this just totally ruined this whole experience for me and it hasn't even started."

"I know... but..." the short-haired third-year scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I had my reasons..."

"Oh, so the vice captain doesn't even get a say in anything? What, does everyone except me know?" Sugawara hissed, folding his arms.

"Suga, it's not like that—"

"So what the hell is she doing her—"

"Yamete."

Both males turned toward Hikari, who had a hand on the doorknob, gripping the handle of her bag tightly with the other.

"I don't have to go. This is your team's vacation anyway, so sorry a stranger totally barged in on your personal trip. Jaa," she told them, heading out the door.

Just as she threw the clubroom's door open, she bumped into a tall someone, causing them both to fall into a temporary shock.

"Oh, it's just you, Ayu-chan. Geez, what are you doing, harshly throwing the door open like that? Pfft," Tsukishima questioned, Yamaguchi waving from behind him.

"Nothing, bye." Hikari answered hastily, pushing past the two boys quickly and heading down the metal steps, dashing away.

"Oi, Ayu-chan!" the blonde called, turning to his freckled friend. "Yamaguchi, get her, will you?"

Yamaguchi nodded, placing his stuff down before dashing off immediately, heading towards the direction he had seen his friend run.

Tsukishima, on the other had, burst in the club room, a pissed off look apparent on his face.

"Really," he muttered, putting his stuff down, "what a pain, it's so early in the morning."

"You know what's a pain? This whole situation," Sugawara hissed, mumbling to himself, his voice's volume unfortunately still audible.

"What happened anyway?" Tsukishima asked, sitting down on the floor.

"Gomen, this is my fault. I hadn't told Sugawara, and now he's pissed, and—" Daichi started, only to be cut off by the first year.

"Mattaku," the glasses-wearing boy sighed, "are you guys idiots or something?"

"Don't talk to your senpais with that kind of rudeness," Sugawara scolded, folding his arms.

"Look who's talking."

"O-Oi! Tsukishima!" Daichi exclaimed, switching his gaze to the Middle Blocker to the Setter, worried that a fight would start.

The silver-head stayed silent, turning away, balling his hands into tight fists; he clicked his tongue irritatedly.

It was surely unusual for Tsukishima to be this worked up about anyone, and it was throwing Sugawara off greatly because everyone acting like he was the bad guy.

He hated the feeling.

"Look, I know you're upset that I made Hikari upset—"

"I'm not upset. Uselessly hot-blooded people just irritate me," Tsukishima retorted, pushing up his glasses.

"Fine. Sorry for irritating you, or whatever. But you guys should've at least told me," Sugawara apologized, sounding hurt.

"But if we told you, you wouldn't agree to it," Daichi replied, sighing.

"Gomen ne, Daichi," the silver-headed setter chuckled lightly, his tone then switching to a more serious one, "but you don't decide that for me."

The two other boys would admit, this had shocked them both quite equally— this wasn't Sugawara's usual personality, nor did this sound like him at all; it was almost terrifying.

"After all," he continued, his tone returning to its usual cheerfulness, "who says I wouldn't say no. Mou, you should have more faith in me!"

"Hai, hai, sorry for not telling you," Daichi bowed, "so does that mean we can call Hikari-san back?"

Sugawara was silenced, and nothing but a nod and a seemingly forced smile was his reply, as he turned away once more, hiding the frustration he felt.

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"Ayu-chan," Yamaguchi called, "chotto matte kudasai!"

"Just leave me alone, Tadashi. I'm going home. I can get there myself," Hikari shot back, not stopping.

"Demo—"

"Tadashi," she began, turning to him with an awfully cheerful smile that he assumed was fake, "don't worry about me. You can enjoy your team trip without me, it's okay."

"No, no it's not," he told her, grabbing her wrist. "Tsukki told me to get you, and if I don't go back with you, he'll kill me for sure! Also, I personally want you to come with us, Ayu-chan. It's not everyday we get to travel together."

"But—"

"Ikou. Issho ni ikou."

Staring into Yamaguchi's soft expression, she sighed while nodding hesitantly, not able to resist any longer.

"Fine,"

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By the time the two returned to the club room, there were twenty minutes left before the whole team had to leave, and most of them had already arrived.

Waving, Yamaguchi announced, "Ohayo minna!"

"Ohayo!" the rest of the newcomers answered, smiling.

"Hikari-san!" one of the boys shouted, pointing to the brunette who was shyly hiding behind Yamaguchi.

"O-Ohayo," she greeted, looking away.

'Yabe, I forgot his name. Nichinori, was it?' she thought, embarassed.

"Hey, Ayumu-san, Yamaguchi-san," Yoshida waved, flashing a bright grin, "you guys excited? 'Cause I sure am."

"I'm actually pretty excited!" the freckled first-year replied, sitting down beside Tsukishima, who didn't care much for talk and decided to drown out the noise by putting his headphones on.

"You know, Ayumu-san is pretty cute up close!" a bald teen who had seemed to be in his second year commented, a sparkly aura surrounding him.

'Eh?! First name?!' everyone (except Tsukishima) thought, surprised.

"You're such a man, Ryuu," the shorter one who had somewhat spikey-hair and a blonde highlight resting on his head whispered, "so brave. I admire you."

"EH?? You think so? Do you think that scored me a few points?!" Baldie asked, grinning proudly.

"E-Etto," the older female mumbled, "I guess you could say I'm kind of looking forward to the trip with you guys, to get to know everyone better and all."

Staring at the third-year in awe, everyone gasped. "S-So nice!"

Hikari was flustered. "I-I mean, you guys are Kei, Yoshi-kun, and Tadashi's friends, right? It would be pretty great to get to know his teammates more!"

"You know everyone's names, right?" Ennoshita asked, smiling politely.

Sheepishly shaking her head, she replied, "Not everyone's, but I think I can catch on to them quickly anyway! I only know Kei, Tadashi, Yoshi-kun, Ennoshita-san, Daichi-kun—"

"S-She doesn't know our names," Baldie and Spikey-hair chanted at the same time, dejection filling them up.

"Gomen ne! I'll learn everyone's name's as soon as possible!" Hikari apologized, bowing.

"We can do a quick introduction. This is Tanaka Ryuunosuke and Nishinoya Yuu," Ennoshita introduced, pointing to the bald and the shorter one. "That one with the dirty blonde hair is Kinoshita, the one with the shaved head is Narita, the one with the beard is Asahi, and the one with the silver hair beside Daichi is Sugawara."

'Shoot, bad move, Ennoshita-san,' Yoshida, Yamaguchi, and Daichi thought, freezing up in their spots.

"K-Konnichiwa! I'm Hikari Ayumu, a third-year, and I'll be helping out for this vacation in the place of Shimizu-chan," the brunette megane bowed.

"Oh, so that's your name. I was wondering what it was when I had seen such an unfamiliar face walk into the clubroom. Well, it's my pleasure, Hikari-san. Hajimemashite," Sugawara smiled slyly, standing up and sitting beside her. "I didn't know you were coming."

"Sou desu ka? My, I'm sorry I couldn't inform you sooner, Sugawara-san. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu," Hikari fired back, returning the same sweet smile shown to her.

"Wow, getting along already, this should be a good trip. Ne, Daichi-san?" Ennoshita commented innocently, giving them a thumbs-up, not noticing the thick tension.

"Ennoshita," Daichi whispered, "they know each other, and unfortunately, they're not on good terms."

"Eh?" Ennoshita whispered back, shocked. "Oh man, my bad, I'm sorry!"

"Daijobu," Daichi answered, turning to the rest of the team. "Anyways! When do you reckon Hinata and Kageyama'll show up? Late, as always, huh?"

"Oh, I've heard of them! They were the ones who went to Tokyo with Kei, Tadashi, and Yoshi-kun, righ—"

"Sorry I'm late!" two voices chorused at the same time, an argument quickly breaking out after that.

"I got here fir—"

"Shut up, dum—"

"It was me, I wo—"

"No you didn—"

"Hinata, Kageyama," Daichi smiled sweetly, everyone in the room backing off immediately, "you're late."

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"You a have train passes, right? Everyone has train passes, am I wrong? Card like these," Sugawara questioned, holding up his train card.

Everyone except for three sheepish boys nodded or answered with a 'Hai,' while getting out their own train passes.

"Tanaka? Noya-san? Hinata-kun?" the silver-headed setter spoke gently, walking over to the three boys who hung their heads in embarrassment.

"G-Gomenasai! I didn't see the need to get a train pass because I have my trusty bike, and I don't often go out of the area," Hinata explained, looking over at Kageyama, who rolled his eyes.

"So that's why your volleyball gear is so worn out. You obviously don't know where the best shops are," Kageyama snorted, folding his arms.

"Shut up, Kageyama!" the orange-haired decoy yelled, approaching the taller setter to fight.

"What's this? You told me to shut up? Why you—"

"That's enough. Go buy some train tickets, and we'll wait for you on the platform. Do you have money? Would you like me to accompany you or have Daichi or Asahi help you?" Sugawara instructed, pulling out a 1000 yen bill from his wallet.

"No thanks, Sugwara-san. Us senpais will take care of Hinata! And we have money, don't fear!" Tanaka exclaimed, while Nishinoya nodded and Hinata let out an 'uwoh!!' while staring at the two in awe.

"Alright now. You three take care, and we'll be on the platform. You know which line and which tickets to get, right? The train comes in about ten minutes, so hurry yourselves if you don't want to miss it," Sugawara told them, nodding.

"Hai!" the three chorused, dashing off to buy tickets.

"Ano..." came a shy voice from behind. "I think I need to reload my train card. It's out of yen,"

Sugawara retorted, "And somehow that becomes my problem, too? Go deal with it, then."

A flash of animated lightning struck through the rest of the team, as they all thought, 'What a personality switch!'

Hikari folded her arms. "And was I talking to you? I'm trying to inform everyone that you guys can go ahead, Mr. Full-Of-Himself."

"Whatever, I hope you miss the train," Sugawara hissed, walking towards the ticket gate hastily.

"I'll come with you, Ayumu-san," Yoshida offered, making the third-year smile.

"Domo," Hikari replied, as the team separated and the two girls walked toward a ticket machine to reload the brown-haired megane's card.

It took no more than a minute to do so, and the card was reloaded quickly; the pair then rushed off to the ticket gates and tapped their cards on the scanner swiftly, hoping to get to their friends soon.

After climbing up a short flight of steps, Hikari and Yoshida had spotted the rest of the team almost immediately with five minutes to spare before the train arrived.

The two approached the group, waving while trying to catch their breath as they carried their quite heavy bags with them, which were full of clothes and necessities.

"You guys made it. I think there are a few more minutes, but the other three aren't here yet," Yamaguchi notified them.

"Really? I'm sure they'll make it. There was a small line on all the other machines," Hikari answered, while Yoshida nodded in agreement.

"I bet you they couldn't understand what the machine even said, those idiots," Tsukishima snickered, and Yamaguchi laughed along.

"Mm, that's mean, Kei. Tsk, tsk, tsk," she shook her head, waving her finger, "you're so underestimating of people."

"Tch, I have my reasons," the blonde answered, pushing his glassed up.

"I'm sure you do. Oh! There's the train!" Hikari pointed excitedly, as the approaching train let out a honk, the chugging sound echoing in their ears.

The train doors opened, and a mob of people came out, while the next passengers waited patiently for everyone to hop off before going in themselves, racing to grab seats close to each other to avoid getting separated.

"Oof, there aren't as many people as I thought there'd be!" Asahi exclaimed, sitting down beside Daichi.

"I agree! There aren't as many people who boarded as to the people who came off," Hikari nodded, shifting in her seat, which was in front of the ace.

"Hm, I feel like I left something in the station," Ennoshita commented, checking his pockets. "I got my phone..."

"Hold up," Daichi spoke, raising a hand, "oh... crap."

"Eh? Is something wrong, Daichi-san?" Yamaguchi asked, concerned.

"We left Hinata, Tanaka, and Nishinoya behind."

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"Where were you guys? We were so worried!" Sugawara shouted, throwing his arms around the three oblivious boys.

"Haha, gomen, gomen. Looks like we didn't pay much attention to the kanji of the train line names," Tanaka explained, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, the good thing is that we're all complete and ready to head to the beach's hotel. It's called 'Konimori Hotel'. Huh, sounds like a pretty funny name to me," Hikari noted, shaking her head, "anyway! If you don't mind listening here for two minutes, I'll discuss the schedule for today. First, we'll be heading to the hotel to put our stuff down, and after that we'll go head to one of the shacks here that sell some food to eat lunch. Then, we'll rest for a bit and play some volleyball and explore the beach until the afternoon, and then we'll head to the onsen to bathe. After that, we'll go to the summer festival event that's happening quite near here. I heard there'll be fireworks, too!"

The whole team looked like they couldn't wait to get started and yelled a joyful cheer, and they all quickly dashed towards the direction of the hotel, unable to keep their excitement hidden.

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"Man, that was some tiring volleyball, huh?" Hikari chuckled. "I never knew being a referee could be this exciting."

"Sou, dayo ne?" Nishinoya grinned. "Were you fascinated with our moves?"

The brunette nodded. "You guys were refreshing to watch."

"Of course! We even have our own Mr. Refreshing on the team!" Tanaka cheered, pointing to Sugawara.

"Oh? Is that so? You're the Mr. Refreshing here?" Hikari smirked at the silver-headed setter, who rolled his eyes.

"Perhaps I am," Sugawara nodded.

"You don't look so refreshing to me. I mean, you've got grey hair. Like an old man," she teased.

The whole team burst into laughter.

"T-That's the first time anyone's ever got the guts to tease Sugawara-san of his hair! Bhahaha!" Nishinoya exclaimed, unable to stop laughing.

"O-Old... old man!" Hinata joined in, and even Kageyama couldn't resist a small chuckle.

"Clarification! My hair's silver, not grey! And I'm proud to have such unique hair, thank you very much!" Sugawara blushed, subtly embarrassed of the joke.

"Anyways, Yoshi-kun and I'll head to the female section of the onsen. We'll see you at the festival?" Hikari told the boys, winking at Yoshida.

"I guess so. Jaa ne," Daichi waved, as the team separated once again that evening.

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"Ne, Yoshi-kun, what are you wearing to the festival?" Hikari asked lying on her futon.

The two were now back in their hotel room, getting ready to dress up for the summer festival, where they would meet with the Karasuno boys.

"I'm thinking of just a plain shirt and—"

The younger female was cut off with a laugh, as her older friend crawled towards her and placed her hands on her shoulders.

"Yoshi-kun," Hikari began, "will you let me dress you up this once? Of course, you don't have to allow me, it's okay,"

"Well, if you say so, I guess," Yoshida nodded, "just not anything too huge?"

"Of course not. I'll make you look really pretty, the guys won't be able to take their eyes off you. So pretty, even Kei'll have to gasp in awe," Hikari winked, standing up and walking towards the closet.

"Ayumu-san!" Yoshida yelled, her cheeks burning a bright crimson red as she waved her hands.

"Gomen, I couldn't help myself," the third-year smiled, opening the black suitcase she had taken out, pulling a dark blue fabric, some socks, some slippers, a fan, and some accessories out.

"Uso, tell me you didn't. No, I can't possibly wear that, it's too pretty—"

"Hush, Yoshi-kun. This is one of my favorite yukatas, and I have a huge urge to make you wear it because I think it's gonna suit you just perfectly," Hikari grinned, holding a beautiful dark blue yukata with a moon printed on the shoulder, some clouds, and some stars patterned around the fabric, as well as flowers decorating the bottom half.

The obi that had come along with it was lined with silver thread, making the ends seem like they were shining, complementing the white fabric of the belt.

The kanzashi*, too, matched the yukata fabulously; it was a lovely blue flower with a few string of leaves dangling from the main part of the clip.

"It's too much! I couldn't possibly wear that, and I'd feel bad wearing it since you aren't, are you?" Yoshida told her, declining politely.

"Well, I was gonna show you later, but here's mine," Hikari said, pulling out her own yukata from the suitcase.

Hers was a gorgeous mint-green yukata with pastel pink sakura decorating the whole fabric, along with a nice touch of subtle, small, stars scattered here and there.

The obi that came with Hikari's yukata was the same pink as the sakura, and it had white stripes lining the edges.

But the kanzashi, that was the thing that completed the outfit, as it was a bunch of cute cherry blossoms with white leaves as additions to the pretty flowers.

"This one's my all-time-favorite yukata. I fell in love with it the first time I laid eyes on it," she told Yoshida, placing it carefully on her futon.

"It sure does suit you," Yoshida complimented.

"Aah, arigato! But enough about me, I'll start fixing you hair now! Come sit here beside me," Hikari exclaimed, tapping the space beside her.

"Oh, alright," Yoshida gave in, crawling towards her friend.

"You're gonna look amazing. Now, do you mind if I put on some reallllly simple make-up? I won't overdo it."

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Taking a look in the mirror, Yoshida couldn't help but stare in awe. "It looks really pretty! Thank you so much!"

"Don't thank me, you were the one who was pretty by herself. The yukata was just an add-on," Hikari smiled, "let's go now, I think the guys are there already. Oh, there's the irritated text from Kei, as usual."

The pair of girls headed out, not forgetting to lock their room's door, excited to attend the festival together with their friends.

It didn't take long for the two to reach the venue, as it was just near the hotel, and the bright lights gave away the location pretty well, making it quite easy to find.

As expected, all of the Karasuno boys were already there, politely waiting for the last two people of the group to join them.

Waving, Hikari smiled as she saw the astonished faces of the team, some blushing and some just purely amazed.

"I told you that they wouldn't be able to resist looking at you," the brunette chuckled, whispering at the equally flustered first-year female, who had cheeks that were quite red.

"K-Konbanwa?" Yoshida greeted, making the statement sound more like a question than a greeting, trying her best to keep her cool and wave to them.

"What's up with the fancy clothes? You guys seriously dressed up," Daichi smiled, "and you guys look pretty good, too."

"Ryuu— Ryuu, the world is spinning! T-Two really pretty girls in yukatas!" Nishinoya exclaimed, clutching his heart dramatically.

"Noya-san, be strong. We're men, right?" Tanaka answered, helping his friend pull himself together.

"I-It was really Ayumu-san's idea to dress up in a yukata..." Yoshida stuttered.

Hikari shook her head. "Nonsense! Anyway, should we go in, or are we just going to stand here like idiots?"

"Yosh, iku yo!" the team cheered, heading into the festival, excitedly dashing in like children heading to a toystore.

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"Ano, I'm just going to buy some water. I'll go look for a vending machine," Hikari announced to her small group of friends, who nodded.

"Okay. We'll be on the nearby hill to wait for the fireworks display. Do you want me to come with you?" Yoshida offered.

"Nope, it's okay. After all, this is an opportunity for some of you," Hikari winked, turning around.

"Etto... What do you mean by 'opportunity', Ayumu-san?" Yoshida asked, a faint blush apparent on her cheeks.

"Oh, nothing. Take care of her, okay Tadashi, Kei?" the third-year smiled, heading off to find a vending machine.

The festival was bustling with all sorts of excitement and noise, as a lot of people had attended the event, making it a quite joyful atmosphere.

It wasn't long until the brunette was able to locate a vending machine, but it was quite a walk from where she was supposed to meet the others.

She didn't mind walking, of course, but she hoped she would get there in time before the fireworks display would start, so she could watch it together with her friends, creating a wonderful memory that she would definitely remember.

Inserting a 100 yen coin into the slot, she pressed a button in front of a bottle of water, making it drop down to the bottom of the machine.

She picked up the bottle, twisting its cap and started to drink the water, which she found quite refreshing.

After drinking, she threw the bottle in the trash can, dusting her yukata before heading off to where she was supposed to go.

The area around her was dimly lit, opposite of the bright festival lights; it was hard to see, and in a matter of seconds, she immediately found herself tripping over a rock.

"Aah— oof!"

Someone had caught her just in time.

"Careful, clumsy," the 'someone' had spoke, helping her stand upright.

"Arigato... Sugawara?" she thanked, surprised that it was him of all people, to catch her.

"Don't mention it. Anyways, where are your friends? Weren't they with you?" the silver-head asked, as the two started walking in no particular direction.

"What's this? Are you actually concerned?" Hikari questioned, eyeing him.

"No, just curious," he denied, shaking his head.

"On the hill. I'm supposed to meet them there, but I kind of lost the way. How about you, where are your friends?" she asked.

"Looking for a good spot to watch the fireworks that start in about fifteen minutes. Oh, look there, it's a good place to see the display. You wanna come? I-I don't think either of us will be able to meet up with our friends in time," he offered bashfully, pointing to an empty spot on an elevated piece of land.

Blushing faintly, she nodded with hesitance, as they both approached the spot and sat down on the mixture of sand and grass together.

"A-Ayumu," he muttered, shocking the brunette and making her blush profusely.

"Urusei!" she yelled, giving him a playful shove.

"Eh, what's this? You don't like it, huh, Ayumu-chan?" he teased, poking her nose.

"I don't like it my name comes out of your mouth, so don't mention any of my names ever. It's gross," she rolled her eyes, folding her arms.

"Someone's in denial."

"Get out, Koushi."

The two giggled, laughing at their stupidity and silliness, wondering the same thoughts on the same spot, on the same day, the same minute, together.

'It's ironic that I'm having fun with the person I hate, isn't it?'

The two gazed into each other's eyes, looking away after five seconds as they both turned red and felt the embarrassment on their faces.

They were both flustered.

"H-Hey, Ayumu. Hoshi wa kirei desu ne?" Sugawara stated, looking up at the stars.

It is silent for a little bit, the two admiring the vast beauty of the night sky above their heads, the millions— no, billions— of shining lights twinkling softly up above, captivating the both of them.

"Suki desu," she mumbled, looking away.

A gentle breeze blew, yet another moment of silence shared between the two as Hikari felt her heart beating faster and faster with every second she stayed there, hoping she wouldn't go completely insane.

And the first firework flew.

The beautiful sparkling lights illuminated the sky perfectly, adding effect to the moment.

The silver-headed setter smiled, looking at the blushing girl right in her eyes.

"I too, have always loved the stars,"

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a/n: IT'S A SPECIAL CHAPTER FOR YOU ALL, MY FRIENDS.

4000+ words and some lovely interaction.

Did I say, the escalation meter broke already because of this chapter?

:^))

r u guys happy

i hope u r

*kanzashi is a hair accessory lol

@ peri-chan did you find the subtle morisette i added, i hope you did

ALSO !!

|| Bonus: ||

"A-Ayumu-san!"

"Yes, Yoshi-kun?"

Holding up the yukata, Yoshida rolled her eyes while unable to resist a blush as she pointed to the moon on the fabric.

"Really? It's a moon."

Hikari winked. "What are you talking about~?"

--

winkwink pandi winkwink~

I really hope you guys liked it, and every time there'll be a special chapter, it will be this long, probably!

Thank you for your votes and comments on last chapter, as it really helped me get motivated to write this chapter! (• w •)

i tried to work extra hard to make it very long for you guys, so please help me out and tell me if you see a mistake because my proofreading skills may not be enough.

i hope everyone has a nice day, and has enjoyed this chapter !!

jaa ne,

nyx

p.s. - i hope you guys are ready for some major fluff oho