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Fandom I Only Need Memories Of You

Atsumu watched with amusement as Emi rolled her eyes at the jealous whispers from her teammates and exited the changing room. He loved how unbothered she was by the girls fawning over him.

"So, where are we going?" Emi asked, a small smile playing on her lips as she hopped down the steps one by one before landing on the sidewalk.

Atsumu felt his heart skip a beat as Emi crossed her arms behind her back and turned to walk backwards, her skirt swaying teasingly in the light breeze. He had to resist the urge to let his eyes linger too long on her exposed thighs.

Clearing his throat, Atsumu smirked. "Well, I was thinkin' we could hit up that new ramen place that just opened up near our train stop." He knew how much Emi loved sweets.

"Unless ya had somewhere else in mind?" Atsumu added, arching an eyebrow expectantly. He always tried to let the pint-sized spitfire think she was calling the shots.

As they strolled down the sidewalk, Atsumu casually slung his arm around Emi's shoulders, pulling her in close. "Don't go fallin' over tryin' to show off, Shorty," he teased with a smirk.

Atsumu relished these moments with Emi, her feisty spirit and easy banter never failed to put him in a good mood. Though he'd never admit it out loud, he had developed quite the soft spot for his favorite pipsqueak. As they walked together, they saw Osamu who looked up from his phone, seeing his brother and their childhood friend.

"Oi, Tsumu! Took you long enough" the silver-haired said while waving. "Hi, Emi-chan~"

"Let's go try that new ramen shop for dinner," Atsumu told his brother, which gained an excited smile.

"I've always wanted to try that! Their promotion poster said that you can get a free bowl of ramen if you picked the red ball in their draw lots!" Osamu beamed, closing his flip phone and putting it inside his pocket.

"Let's go then!" the older twin shouted excitedly, pointing to the exit of their school.

Once they rode the train, Atsumu could feel Emi's fatigue. It would take about 20 minutes before they reach their station, so he turned to the blonde girl who seemed out of it.

"If you wanna take a nap, you can lean on me..." he whispered so that only her could hear him.

---

Momoka was taken aback when Kita questioned why she had thanked him. A flustered blush rose to her cheeks as he bluntly stated that having someone's trust wasn't something to thank them for—it was something she had earned. She always struggled to get her opinions across because people often dismiss her thoughts because of how timid she was. Hearing Kita, she felt validated.

As he stopped under the glow of a streetlight, turning to face her directly, Momoka felt her heart pounding in her chest. She looked up at Kita with wide, earnest eyes as he expressed his gratitude towards her instead for making it easier to run the team.

"Kita-san, let's do our best...!" she murmured softly, stunned by his unexpected words of appreciation. She blinked rapidly, willing the prickle of tears not to fall. To have the captain—the young man she admired so deeply—acknowledge her contributions meant more than he could fathom.

As he turned to continue their walk, Momoka fell into step beside him once more. The comfortable silence between them felt weighted, heavy with unspoken words and fragile feelings neither dared voice aloud yet.

When Kita slowed to a stop before a convenience store, glancing at her with an unreadable expression, Momoka looked up at him with a shy smile.

"Of course not, I don't mind stopping for a bit," she replied, twisting the strap of her bag nervously. Though uncertain what prompted this detour, Momoka was grateful to simply bask in Kita's steady presence a while longer before inevitably parting ways.

Once they entered the convenience store, she eyed the selection of drinks as she wanted to return the favor that Kita did when he gave her vitamin water earlier. Then she looked at Kita who was silently canvassing the items in an aisle, thinking what would he like to have.
 
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Waking up early after having a few weeks off, plus morning and afternoon training? Emi could feel her fatigue catching up to her. Her bright blue eyes were drooping and it took everything in her to stay awake. She did not want to fall asleep, she needed to be awake to eat ramen and listen to the boys fight. She needed to be the mediator because Aran wasn't joining them.

Sitting between the twins, Emi felt Sumu's warm breath brush against her ear. Causing a small shiver to run down her spine as she listened to him. A small hum escaped from her as she thought about his offer. Then, a small nod followed before Emi leaned her head against the setter's shoulder. His scent filled her nose as she rested against him. Her body started to slowly relax as she fell asleep on Sumu. Her bag was on her lap with her arms wrapped around it. Holding it to her body to keep it safe.

The gentle sway of the train rocked Emi to sleep as she leaned against her friend. She felt so safe next to her best friends that she fell right asleep. By some sort of miracle, Emi didn't drool or snore. She just emitted soft breaths as her breathing evened out as she dozed off into slumberland on Sumu's shoulder. Not a clue that Samu was taking a picture of her to tease her with later.

As the train pulled into the station, a loud screeching sound emitted from the rusty railway. The sound was so loud and startling because most of the trains that they rode were better maintained. Startled Emi awake. The sudden shift of the cart sent Emi shifting the other way that she was leaning, causing Emi to reach out and wrap her arm around Osamu's. Pressing her chest and self against his arm as she held onto him as the force of the train stopping pushed her into him.

"This is scary," Emi mumbled over the loud screeching. A couple of other passengers muttering around them about how the cart needed some maintenance and that the city needed to be notified. Once the train finally fully stopped, Emi slowly loosened her grip slightly and looked around them before looking up at who she was holding onto. Her cheeks turned an obviously bright pink, it wasn't who she was expecting as she looked up at the opposite twin. "Samu," Emi muttered quietly. "Sorry. I got scared." She muttered, looking away shyly as she realized she was clinging to him weirdly.

----

The convenience store was just a small little family place. So it didn't seem to have much in stock and since it was getting late, the shelves seemed to have been pretty bare but they still had a decent selection of things. Opening the door for Matsuda-san before Shinsuke walked inside. His dark eyes looked around the place for a moment before walking to where the energy drinks usually are held.

It didn't take a genius to notice that they didn't have anything good in stock left, so Shinsuke turned away from the drinks and started to wonder once more. They had magazines, microwavable ramen, and other snacks. Then, the captain stumbled upon the protein bar section and started to look through it. Some of them were complete trash, while others seemed like they were decently nutritious. Being an athlete for most of his youth, Shinsuke had gotten used to reading the labels and knew what most of the ingredients were on the packaging.

After looking through the bars, Shinsuke picked the best brand that caught his attention. Then grabbed two bars that seemed like they'd taste the best. Bringing them to the counter, he paid for the items and walked towards the door to wait for Matsuda-san. Letting her walk around for as long as she wanted to. Then, holding the door open for her once again when she was ready to leave.

Once outside, Shinsuke handed over one of the two protein bars that he had bought. "After practice, it's always good to eat something healthy." He said, remembering that he hadn't seen Matsuda-san eat anything after school or during the meeting like the others had done. "even as a manager, you're still a teenager who's growing." He added on, remembering what his grandmother had told him one time when he had missed lunch once because he was too busy playing in a creek with his siblings.

Opening his own bar, Shinsuke took a bite, and as soon as the bar touched his tongue. His eyes widened and a sense of dread seemed to fill him. He made a mistake. The protein bar was terrible tasting. It was like sandpaper, it wasn't any sort of chocolate flavor he had ever tasted before. What was wrong with it? He had never had such a bad and hard protein bar before. Pulling the bar away, Shinsuke looked at the bar as he slowly chewed. Wondering if the thing might have been expired or something.
 
Atsumu felt his heart skip a beat as Emi's head gently came to rest on his shoulder during the train ride. Her soft breaths tickled his neck as she drifted off to sleep, completely at ease pressed against his side. He shot a warning glare at Osamu, who was mischievously trying to snap a picture to tease them later.

"Wha—?!" a surprised yelp escaped the blonde twin's lips.

As the train screeched to a jarring halt at their stop, Atsumu instinctively went to steady Emi, but she had already grabbed onto Osamu in her startled state. He watched with poorly concealed jealousy as Emi clung to his twin, her chest pressed up against Osamu's arm.

"This is scary," Emi mumbled, looking up at Osamu with those big blue eyes that made Atsumu's heart do somersaults. Why did his chest feel so tight? Did he feel... jealous?

Osamu just chuckled, that infuriatingly smug grin plastered on his face. "Aw, did the big bad train scare ya two?" the younger twin teased, pinching her cheeks playfully.

"Shut up, Samu!" Atsumu whispered while glared, bristling at his brother's teasing. Seeing Emi sheepishly pull away from Osamu's arm, cheeks flushed an adorable pink, he stood up to leave the cart and hide his face.

"Let's go..." Atsumu declared with an exaggerated puff of his chest, desperate to downplay how flustered the whole situation had made him feel. Leaving the train together with them, they went to the new ramen restaurant, the smell of meaty broth greeted their noses. He just took a sit near the counter and Osamu followed suit, sitting beside his twin and worrying if he had hit a nerve.

---

Momoka followed Kita into the modest convenience store, glancing around at the sparsely stocked shelves with a pensive expression. She wasn't sure why he had suggested stopping, but didn't want to question his intentions after he had been so unexpectedly kind to her already.

She hovered near the entrance, watching curiously as Kita surveyed the meager offerings before settling on the protein bar section. Momoka's cheeks flushed lightly as she observed the intense focus he gave to examining the nutrition labels and ingredients—such dedication even in this mundane task.

She took quite a while, but she sneakily purchased a chocolate flavored drink for him to repay for the vitamin water he gave her earlier. When he approached the counter to purchase two bars, she waited patiently by the door. As Kita rejoined her, holding it open in that chivalrous way of his, pink-haired girl bowed her head shyly in thanks.

Once outside again, she started slightly when he abruptly held out one of the protein bars towards her. Momoka blinked up at him owlishly as he explained his reasoning for the snack—to refuel after practice with something healthy, even for her as the team's manager.

"O-Oh! Thank you, Kita-san, you're absolutely right," she replied, carefully taking the offered bar. Truthfully she had been so absorbed in her duties that eating had slipped her mind entirely.

As Shinsuke took a bite of his own bar, Momoka followed suit, unwrapping hers to sample a nibble. But her brow furrowed in confusion at his suddenly stricken expression, watching as he appeared to regret his purchase.

Momoka dutifully took a bite of the protein bar Kita had so thoughtfully purchased for her, determined not to let her distaste show. But as soon as the chalky, gritty texture hit her tongue, she had to force herself not to grimace.

This was, quite possibly, the most vile tasting protein bar she'd ever encountered. It was like chewing on sawdust mixed with artificial sweeteners—utterly devoid of any appealing flavor. Momoka's eyes widened fractionally as she struggled to keep her expression neutral.

When Kita pulled his own bar away with clear regret etching his features, Momoka felt a pang of disappointment that her crush found the snack so unpalatable. She wanted so badly to reassure him, to avoid any hint that she disliked his considerate gesture.

"Is... everything okay?" she asked hesitantly when she managed to swallow the dry, unpleasant bite. "Does it not taste good? We can try to find something else if you'd prefer..."

Desperately, Momoka shook her head before Kita could respond negatively about the protein bars. Another forced bite made her want to wince, but she pressed on valiantly.

"Thank you again for thinking of me, Kita-san. I really appreciate this!" the last line she said appeared to be forced.

Inwardly she hoped the torture would be over soon, but Momoka was determined to suffer through the awful protein bar without complaint. She took the chocolate drink that she was about to give to the volleyball captain and used it to hopefully wash down the gritty taste. It was too sweet for her taste, so she grimaced a bit. When she remembered that it was for him, she froze and closed the bottle.

"D-Do you want to wash the protein bar off with this?" she asked, averting her eyes.
 
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The fact that Samu was freaking teasing her about getting scared was enough to cause Emi's pink cheeks to redden a little bit more. "It's not funny," Emi mumbled around her cheeks being pinched by her childhood friend. Her eyes narrowed at the silver-haired twin. Her hands reached up to grab his wrists to pull his hands off of her.

Doing her best to try and hide her blushing cheeks, Emi kept her gaze lowered as she held onto her back and followed after the guys. Trailing behind them because she wanted her heated cheeks to have a couple of moments to calm down. The whole train thing ran through her mind, as well as the reactions of the guys. Samu was always a tease, but Sumu seemed angrier than usual about it. It was weird, what was going on with them? Why did her heart ache when Sumu was acting angry?

As they got to the restaurant, Emi followed the boys and sat next to Sumu. She looked up at him with a slightly worried look but decided to not push him. If he wanted to talk then he would, she was sure he'd blow her phone up later about how stupid Samu was and then they'd start a meme war before the twins played a game of some sort together.

A worker came by and took everyone's orders before silence seemed to surround the group. It's pressure suffocating and Emi finally found the courage to break the ice. "Who was that pretty Senpai who was helping the guys' team out today?" She asked leaning forward to look at both twins. "She knew my name somehow? Are you guys spreading bad rumors about me?" She narrowed her eyes playfully at the two. "If I find out you are, I'll beat you both up." That was a lie, she wouldn't be able to even scratch them because they're to freaking fast.

----

What does one do when they encounter something that tastes so dry in public? They usually find a garbage can and spit it out. Right? Well, what does one do when they're with someone whom they had just met a few times and didn't want to embarrass themselves around? Shinsuke had no idea about that one. This was territory that he had no knowledge of. All of his studying and spending time with adults didn't prepare him for something like this.

Hearing Matsuda-san speak once more, the Captain of the Volleyball team glanced down at the girl and paid attention to her expressions as she spoke. Examining her as he listened, taking in her mannerisms and expressions as she spoke. It was common knowledge to any who paid attention that she did not if face like the bar that he had given her. An watching her force herself to take another bite of the terrible snack was enough to pull a laugh out of the man who was usually stoic and very well put together. His eyes had closed and he had tilted his bead back slightly as he laughed at the pink-haired girls' expressions.

"Don't force yourself to eat it, Matsuda-san," Shinsuke said as he offered the girl a small smile as he finished his laughter. "I think we both have the same feeling about that bar." He said as he looked at what he had just bought. Its ingredients and description didn't sound so bad, so it was a shame that its taste didn't live up to it. "Sorry for picking something so bad out."

When Matsuda-san offered Shinsuke the drink, it didn't even tell the Captain what it could mean. He just wordlessly accepted the drink and took a few small sips, their fingers brushing together for a few moments. Using the overly sweet drink to take the sandpaper feeling out of his mouth. "Thank you," Shinsuke said as he offered the drink back to the pretty pink-haired girl. "That helped."
 
Atsumu remained sullen and uncharacteristically quiet as they were seated at the restaurant. He couldn't get the image of Emi clinging to Osamu out of his head, no matter how innocent the situation had been. His twin's smug looks were only adding fuel to the jealous fire simmering in his chest.

When Emi leaned in with a worried expression, Atsumu avoided her gaze, not wanting her to see the unexpected vulnerability her nearness was provoking. He knew he was being irrational, but the thought of losing Emi's affections—even platonically—to his own brother filled him with an unsettling sense of panic.

Atsumu remained stone-faced as they placed their orders, letting the awkward silence stretch until Emi finally broke it by bringing up the pretty senpai from earlier. He felt his eye twitch involuntarily at the mention of the older girl.

"WhO wAs ThAt PrEtTy SeNpAi, HuH?" Atsumu echoed Emi's words with a derisive snort. He leveled his steely gaze at the petite girl beside him. "She's Matsuda-senpai, our volleyball manager."

He leaned back in the booth, letting his arm drape along the back behind Emi in a move of casual possession. "I'm guessin' she probably recognized ya from the volleyball games since she said she regularly watched games for both teams."

A hint of Osamu's smirk played across his lips as he threw a sidelong glance at his twin. "Plus your clumsiness is a well-known fact after you embarrassed yourself by falling into stairs. No need to spread rumors~"

The twins laughed, giving each other a high five.

Letting his gaze settle back on Emi, Atsumu's expression softened slightly. "But don't you worry that pretty little head of yours, Shorty. You know you're my number one girl, right?" He gave her shoulder a playful nudge, the teasing lilt returning to his voice even as his eyes betrayed the sincerity behind the words.

---

Momoka's cheeks burned with embarrassment at being so transparently caught forcing herself to choke down the terrible protein bar. When Kita actually laughed at her overwrought attempt to convince him she enjoyed the vile snack, she wanted to sink into the ground.

But there was something undeniably charming about the unexpected rumble of amusement from the usually stoic captain. Momoka gazed up at him, mesmerized by the slight crinkle at the corners of his eyes and the small smile playing at his lips.

"Don't force yourself to eat it, Matsuda-san," Kita said once his laughter subsided. "I think we both have the same feeling about that bar."

Sheepishly, Momoka nodded in agreement, setting aside the offensive protein bar with a sigh of relief with a small hehe escaping her lips.

"It's all right, Kita-san! The thought behind it means everything," she replied earnestly.

The captain then took the bottle of chocolate milk she offered, and she just smiled at him with a faint pink dusting her cheeks. She watched, enraptured, as he took a few sips, his throat working minutely. Momoka felt heat bloom across her face as Kita thanked her and returned the bottle, their hands grazing again.

"O-Of course! I'm just glad I had something to help," she murmured, unable to meet his gaze due to her furious blush. "But you can have it... as thanks for the vitamin water from earlier. Maybe next time we could have a better meal... together."

Momoka felt her heart swell with affection hearing herself being so bold. She looked at him expectantly at the prospect of having a better experience with him, probably eating something better than a protein bar.

"By the way, Kita-san... my place is just right there, so we're pretty near," Momoka said, pointing at one of the lit houses ahead. "How about you?"
 
The tone, it wasn't one that she had heard directed toward her before and she wasn't sure she liked it. Narrowing her eyes, Emi listened to Sumu as she crossed her arms under her chest. Her head cocked to the side as she arched a brow at the setter. Not amused in the least bit as he spoke.

Narrowing her eyes, Emi pursed her lips together as she leaned back in the booth and rolled her eyes at the boys. She no longer knows what to do with herself when they get into their teasing phases. "You guys are going to give me grey hair. I swear!" Emu grumbled as she wrinkled her nose in annoyance as she watched the twins high-five after Samu roasted her. "It was one time, and I only told you guys because you saw the bruises on my knee." Emi tried to defend herself as she leaned back against Sumu's arm that was behind her.

Reaching forward, Emi grabbed her straw that was still in its wrapper. She took the paper off of one half and then blew into it so that the paper would shoot out toward Sumu. Aiming to hit him in the face with the little paper. This was something that the three had often done to each other since they were kids and often got yelled at by the adults, but they never listened and kept doing it.

"Keep your honey-coated words to yourself, Miya." Emi teased back as she stuck her tongue out at her friend. Giving him some sass. "My heart was breaking, seeing you be so close to another girl." She let out a dramatic sigh as she leaned her head back and laid her right arm over her eyes. "My poor widdle heart couldn't take it," Emi said in an oh-so-dramatic tone. Adding another sigh. "I think I'll need more ice cream after seeing that."

----

Silence filled the area as Shinsuke listened to the pretty pink-haired girl. His first reaction to her offering him to keep the drink would usually be to insist that she take it back. He didn't need anything back as a thank you for the drink earlier. It was something he did to be kind and as a thank you for working hard. But, the side that won out was the side that actually wanted to keep something from the girl next to him. It was weird, and Shinsuke didn't understand it. He just knew that his body was working on its own right now as he slowly lowered the drink back to his side and he kept it.

Offering the girl a small smile, the white-haired Volleyball Captain offered her another small smile. "It's a promise then." He said as he agreed to her suggestion of sharing a better meal together sometime. He wasn't going to argue with the girl, as the idea of sharing an actual meal with her sounded quite pleasurable. She was a smart girl with a good head on her shoulders. She'll surely have quite a bit to say once she opens up like she did earlier when she spoke to him about volleyball.

Then, the Captain shifted his gaze and looked towards where the girl was pointing. His head slowly nodded in understanding, this was where they were to part ways. His gaze lowered to Matsuda-san as he nodded his head slightly. "This is where we'll part ways then." He said, certain that she could walk the few houses to her house alright. "I actually live in the other direction." He told her as he took a step back. "I'll see you at morning practice tomorrow, Matsuda-san," Shinsuke said as he turned and started to head home himself. Not letting the pink-haired girl see the pink on his cheeks or the surprised look that filled his eyes as he had never talked so much to a pretty girl.

Once he was a small distance from Matsuda-san's house. Shinsuke glanced down at the bottle that was in his hand. He really didn't like the sweetness of the drink, but he wasn't one to waste things. So, holding back the feeling of unease he finished the drink in a few deep gulps. Then sighed once it was finished. He didn't live overly sweet things, but if Matsuda-san gave him something, he'd force himself to accept it and finish it.
 
Two weeks later...

The classroom was buzzing with the dull murmur of students before their next lecture when Atsumu sauntered in then he slouched lazily into his seat, arms crossed behind his head. Emi was already in the seat beside him, settling down her things for their first subject. She did something adorable with her hair today and he couldn't help but notice it, he tried to stay silent during their train ride as courtesy to the other passengers but now...

The blond setter leaned in, draping his arm along the back of her chair as he invaded her space. "Those pigtails are awfully cute today," he purred, smirking.

He thought it was really cute, but his voice betrayed his genuine intentions to compliment her. Her platinum blonde hair was tied into low pigtails, which was really a breath of fresh air especially how her wavy hair cascaded gracefully into her shoulders.

"Stand!" their class representative said as their English teacher entered. "Bow... Sit!"

Atsumu did as their class rep said, but as the teacher began lecturing, he propped his chin in his hand, gaze wandering from the board to study Emi's concentrated side profile. Unable to resist, he stretched his legs out under the desk until his foot nudged her ankle, and just snickered mischievously at her.

The teacher wrote some English sentences in the board, but she paused to level them with a stern look. "Is there a problem, you two?"

He shook his head, biting his lip to keep from laughing.

"Then keep yourselves under control. Class disruptions won't be tolerated," the teacher warned before resuming his lecture.

The setter just grinned at her, unrepentant. He loved getting a rise out of his favorite pint-sized spitfire, even if it meant landing them both in trouble.

---

Ever since their first year, Momoka had harbored a not-so-secret crush on the stoic captain, which seemed to grow stronger when she became the manager. She liked it when he praised her for the initial training plan that she made, but Suna was giving her funny looks whenever she interacted with the captain, making her more self-conscious. However, Kita's reserved nature made him seem almost untouchable and they just talked about their duties, leaving Momoka helplessly pining.

It was a crisp cold morning when the chemistry teacher announced the partners for the upcoming project. Momoka's heart skipped a beat as she heard Kita's name called out alongside hers. She couldn't believe her luck... but she realized that she might mess up as they would be partners for the rest of the term. She's afraid she might put Kita in trouble for their chemistry experiments, because she had to maintain a steady hand to avoid unwanted chemical reactions and given how flustered she acted with him... let's just say that she might get unwanted results given how shaky she was because of nervousness.

As the class dispersed to go to their partners, Momoka gathered her courage and approached Shinsuke, clutching her notebook tightly against her chest. She bowed respectfully before she sat down beside him. "*Please look after me from now on."

The pink-haired girl took out a bunny-shaped post-it note and quickly jotted down her phone number and email, trying not to visibly tremble under his penetrating gaze. "Here's my number and email, should you wish to contact me for matters related to this subject..." Her hands were clammy as she smoothed her skirt and waited anxiously. "I-I was thinking we could start by... outlining the main objectives and requirements for the experiment?"

She leaned towards him while the teacher handed them the laboratory sheet. Momoka caught a whiff of his scent, her heart fluttering wildly in her chest. She forced herself to focus, determined not to squander this invaluable opportunity.

(*Yoroshiku onegaishimasu)
 
She really didn't know what came over her honestly. Emi really liked considering herself to be level-headed about things, but. Hearing the twins talk about their new manager and how 'cute' she looked with her different hairstyles irked Emi to no end. She didn't know why, but whenever the twins brought her up it made Emi annoyed. She never was that way when they talked about other girls. So, why was this bubble gum-haired girl any different?

Taking matters into her own hands, Emi's weird craving to be noticed by the guys drove Emi to do something that she couldn't remember doing in a long time. She separated her hair into pigtails. It took her a lot longer to make them look cuter than she had expected, but once she found the school color ribbons in her hair product she felt like she won the jackpot. Using the ties in her hair, made her look like she had school spirit and it hid her two different colored hair ties.

The first sign of her success in getting the twins' attention back on her, was when Samu seemed to keep casting her side-long glances on the train. He might have seemed like he was trying to hide his looks, but Emi caught him staring at her a couple of times. Now, she had Sumu's attention it seemed as he threw her off her game by tossing his arm over the back of her chair and complimenting her out right in front of the whole class. "Oh um, thanks?" Her cheeks turned a bit pink, feeling shy and a bit happy that Sumu did notice her change this morning, She was wondering if he was just dense and didn't notice, but he did. which made her happy.

Glancing to the front when the teacher came in, Emi followed with the usual greeting before sitting once more. Her attention was on the teacher, boredom creeping in because this was the easiest class for her when Sumu's leg tapped hers. An not being one to tap out on a challenge, she nudged him back. Smirking a bit at the playfulness of her friend. However, she jumped a bit once their teacher caught on to them and chastised them. "Sorry," Emi murmured as she sank a little bit in her seat.

The rest of the class seemed to be going alright. Emi wrote down her notes and then ended up doodling after growing bored once more. It was then, that Emi knew she had fucked up. She let her guard down around a Miya twin. It happaned so fast that Emi had no way to protect herself. She felt Sumu's long finger poke her in the side, right under her ribs where her ticklish spot was. Causing her to jump in surprise and her right knee to bump into the bottom of her desk. Which seemed to have startled a couple of other students, which got a lot of looks in her and Sumu's direction.

Feeling the embarrassment following her, Emi looked on with doe eyes as the teacher turned around and glared at her and Sumu. "Miss Nanako, Mister Miya!" The teacher started her scolding, which caused a few snickers as Emi and Sumu were known as the troublesome duo when put together and people often wondered what they'd do next to get in trouble.

----

Routines, it was something that Shinsuke had found comforting ever since he was young. The new school year had started and he was settling back into the new routine that would work better for this year. Being a third year, being Captain of the volleyball team, and now having a manager to have to interact with that caused his heart to flutter, has slowly started to all sink and mold together. The things that filled Shinsuke's life all had a purpose and a special place in his life that he focused on at different parts of the day. Well, except for the manager. Matsuda-san seemed to be on his mind quite a bit more and he wasn't sure what to do about that.

Organized, Shinsuke had his chemistry book out as well as his notebooks and pencils. He was prepared for class like he usually was. He was one of the top students in his class, a by-product of all of the studying that he had done and his well-written notes. It was something that Shinsuke didn't find hard to do. He quite liked the repetition of finding answers, kinda like sitting down after a long day to do a puzzle.

As the teacher started to speak about the term protect and how she was going to put everyone into teams, a slight sigh threatened to escape from Shinsuke. He wasn't a fan of having partners in class, he was usually the one pulling all the weight. No one else really had an interest in getting things done correctly all the time, claiming that they didn't know something, when in fact they had gone over the answers a million times in class. Except, this time was going to be different. As soon as her name escaped from the teacher's lips and matched her with him, it felt like Shinsuke was suddenly right with this change of events. He didn't mind being close to her, because he had seen firsthand what the brilliant pink-haired girl could do.

Glancing to the side, the Captain was going to stand up and head over to the pretty girl's desk but stopped himself when he saw her coming towards him. So instead, he just stood up and politely smiled at her before sitting back down. "I look forward to working with you," Shinsuke said as he offered her a small smile. His gaze then lowered as he watched her pull out a sticky note and start to write on it. The edges of his lips slowly raised a bit as he watched her shakey hands. Then accepted the piece of paper, his dark eyes looking over the info before placing it in his pocket for safekeeping.

"I'll give you mine as well," Shinsuke said as he grabbed a piece of paper out of his notebook and tore it out, making sure that it was a clean tear before holding it and tearing it again so that it wasn't a one-bit piece of paper. He put down his phone number and email on the paper before handing it to Matsuda-san. His eyes focused on the girl as she started to talk about the project. His head nodded slightly as he agreed with what she was saying.

Reaching out, Shinsuke grabbed the paper and placed it between the two of them. The sheet also had the dates that they'd be in the lab for the assignments as well. Reaching into his pencil case, Shinsuke started to jot down notes for himself in his notebook so that Matsuda-san could keep the actual sheet. "From the looks of it, everything seems pretty self-explanatory." He said as he read over what was going to be expected for the assignment and what they should be looking out for. "I think if we work hard we will be able to finish this faster than what is expected, as everything on here seems pretty easy."
 
Atsumu had been struggling to pay attention during the lecture, his mind constantly wandering to more entertaining thoughts—mainly involving ways to tease and rile up his favorite person to annoy sitting beside him.

As Emi doodled absentmindedly in her notebook, he watched her with a predatory gaze, like a fox sizing up its unwitting prey. A wicked grin spread across his lips when he noticed her guard was down, completely oblivious to the torment he was about to unleash.

In one fluid motion, Atsumu extended his long finger and mercilessly jabbed her in that ultra-ticklish spot just under her ribs. The reaction was instantaneous and immensely satisfying. Emi jolted in surprise, her knee slamming into the underside of her desk with a loud thump that caused several surrounding students to turn and gawk. The blond male had to bite back a bark of laughter at Emi's wide, doe-eyed expression of shock and embarrassment. He loved catching her so delightfully off-guard and flustered. As the stern teacher turned with a disapproving glare to reprimand "Miss Nanako! Mister Miya" for the disruption, Atsumu shamelessly played up his innocence.

As a smattering of titters and snickers rippled across the classroom from their notoriously mischievous antics, Atsumu had to resist the urge to break into a full-blown, shit-eating grin. There was nothing quite like hearing her laugh to brighten his day. Atsumu simply arched a brow at their teacher's accusatory tone. "What did I do, Sensei?" He blinked owlishly, the picture of feigned innocence.

A few more snickers echoed from their amused classmates, causing the teacher to slam her book down on the lectern with a resounding thwack. "Enough! I will not have disruptions like some ill-disciplined elementary class."

Atsumu opened his mouth to respond—that mischievous glint dancing in his eyes—but the teacher cut him off with a stern wave of her hand. "Not another word, Mister Miya. You and Miss Nanako have earned yourselves a stay to clean the stockroom as detention after classes today."

He knew Emi would be giving him an earful later, but somehow that prospect didn't bother him one bit... because he'll get to spend more time with her. Atsumu settled back in his seat with his arms crossed behind his head, the very picture of smug satisfaction. If he was going down for disrupting class, he was damn well going to enjoy every second of it.

He ripped a sheet of paper from her notebook, and wrote: See ya later, Shorty~.

---

Momoka felt her heart flutter as Shinsuke calmly took her contact information and gave him his contact in exchange. With a shaky hand, she put the paper he gave her inside her black cat pencil case. Just being in such close proximity to him made her nerves tingle with a mixture of shyness and admiration, but she still wanted to keep her cool so as to not act stupidly in the laboratory class. When he mentioned thinking they could finish the assignment faster than expected since it seemed straightforward, Momoka couldn't help but worry her lower lip uncertainly. While she didn't want to outright disagree with the capable Shinsuke, she also knew better than to underestimate the workload.

She didn't want to come across as negative or incompetent. Mustering her determination, she met his steady gaze.

"Umm... you may be right that the core concepts aren't too complex..." she began hesitantly, feeling her cheeks warm up. "But I think that the experimentation and data analysis portion might be a bit time-consuming. I mean, look at this..."

Momoka used her mint green mechanical pencil with printed bear designs to point at the tables in their lab sheet. "We have to replicate the experiment five times to see which of the unknown substances would react with the reagent..."

Momoka quickly raised her hands in a placating gesture. "N-Not that I doubt we can handle it!" she rushed to add, afraid of upsetting the captain. "Just that we may need to account that we may take longer than expected."

"I'm certain we can get it all done efficiently by dividing the work strategically," she stated, more confidently this time with her thumbs up. "I'll make sure to pull my full weight and then some. Please feel free to delegate anything to me that could help us stay on schedule."

Momoka couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at her lips as she imagined working closely with Shinsuke over the next few weeks. She knew her shyness would likely persist, but she was determined to push past it as much as possible to ensure their success as a team.
 
Today was such a mortifying day. Emi felt her shoulders slouch as she sank a little bit in her chair as the teacher lectured her and Sumu. Her classmates snickering and looking on with the entertainment. Some even glared at them for disrupting the class. And it wasn't being made any better with that annoying look from Sumu. The idiot looked so freaking smug from his seat next to her. The idiot was acting like getting in trouble wasn't a big deal.

"Yes, Sensei," Emi mumbled quietly, acting defeated when in reality she was plotting how to get back at Sumu for getting them into such deep shit. Almost nothing will get a rile up from the setter, that Emi knew from years of knowing him. Except one thing and it caused a small grin to appear upon Emi's lips.

As soon as the teacher turned her back to the students, Emi took her phone off and quickly sent a text to Samu.
Emi: The idiot twin got us detention. Tell EVERYONE, he'll be late.
-A few moments later-
Samu: 😂 Got it~

Emi glanced up and noticed that Sumu had written on a piece of paper and rolled her eyes at the boys words. "Have fun at practice later." Emi said quietly as she flashed him her phone to her conversation with Samu. Feeling smug at knowing that he was going to get an earful when he was late for practice.

----

Stupid idiot loser Sumu didn't know when to quit when it came to teasing her in class. It was barely after lunch and the idiot got Emi kicked out of class for drawing on his notebook. They were playing tic tak toe during the math lecture and the teacher wasn't a fan of that. So, he sent Emi to the library for the rest of the lecture.

Sitting alone in the quiet library where students were free to go if they wanted to during their free hour. Emi's math book and notebook are displayed in front of her. Emi had tried to complete the math assignment for a few minutes before she got bored and grabbed the latest manga from a series she'd been reading. Relaxing in her chair, Emi started to zone out as she read her book instead of doing her homework.

----

The fact that he was able to see this sort of reaction from the pink-haired girl was a bit amusing to the Volleyball Captain. He originally thought that she was just a quiet and studiest person, but it seemed that she was also a realist. Which Shinsuke quite liked. He liked that she saw the whole picture and not just what was in front of her. It was refreshing since most people his age seemed to only look at what they could see at the moment, and not look towards the future.

"I was only meaning that our teamwork would put us at an advantage," Shinsuke said as he waved off the offer of Matsuda-san wanting to take on more work if he wanted to push more onto her. "My apologies for the wrong idea it caused you." He said as he glanced at the paper. "I do agree though that it's going to take a while to complete. We should probably make some time after practice to work on it as well. I'm not sure how much we'll be able to complete during class."

Glancing up, Shinsuke noticed that the class was almost over. "We should decide who should do what for the experiment later." They would have quite a bit of things to do during class as well as on their own for this assignment, so it would be best to have things decided on as quickly as possible.
 
Atsumu smirked to himself undeterred by the teacher's reprimand. In his mind, he'd absolutely won that round against the feisty Emi-chan. Her flushed cheeks and embarrassed squeaks were utterly adorable, matching the cute hairstyle she had today. Little did the cocky setter know, Emi was already exacting her revenge. With a few deft taps on her phone, she sent a message to Osamu explaining how Atsumu's antics had landed him in hot water again, meaning he'd be late to volleyball practice.

Beside her, Atsumu felt a shiver run down his spine, as if picking up on some unseen force closing in on him. He risked a sidelong glance at Emi, her innocent expression not quite masking the mischievous glint in her eye.

"Oi, whatcha up to over there, Shorty?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

"Have fun at practice later," she replied quietly.

Atsumu froze in his tracks as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. If Osamu knew, that meant by extension so did...

"Kita-senpai's gonna kill me," he groaned, dragging a hand down his face in dread.

Later in Math Class

Atsumu added the final line to complete his tic-tac-toe board sketched in the corner of his notebook. Then, he flashed the finished grid at the adorable twin-tailed blonde girl in silent challenge.

Unable to resist sticking his tongue out, the setter swiftly scribbled the words Atsumu-sama wins again! in the scratch paper. And so the game continued, the two engrossed in their petty competition.

At least until their Math teacher's stern voice cut through the quiet classroom. "Mister Miya, Miss Nanako... I don't recall this being a recreational period."

"Miss Nanako, please go to the library for the remainder of the period. Mr. Miya, as for you..."

Atsumu held his breath, dreading what fresh torment awaited him, but somehow he hoped to spend time with her in the library.

"You will remain here, and I expect your full, undivided focus," the teacher concluded sternly. "Am I making myself clear?"

As Emi dejectedly gathered her things to trudge off to library exile, the setter felt his stomach churn, the guilt now came crashing down on him. Left alone to face the wrath of their Math teacher, Atsumu suddenly missed his Shorty's playful companionship more than he cared to admit. Maybe he'd take it a little easier on the teasing for a while...

---

After finalizing the distribution of task with Kita, the pink-haired girl went to the library to do research of her own. She wanted to ask him to join her in the library but decided against it, since she might get too distracted in the presence of her crush. She got two thick books of organic chemistry and began reading through the lesson of their experiment.

However, she had a pleasant surprise as she saw the talented second-year libero of the female volleyball team. The twin-tailed blonde girl was engrossed in reading the latest issue of Momoka's favorite manga series. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the vibrant cover art, she was a huge fan of Winter Fever. She had troubles getting hold with the latest issue for the past few days because it always seemed to be out of stock, and she really wanted to know what will happen next.

Mustering her courage, Momoka approached Emi's study carrel, clutching her own books tightly to her chest. "U-Um, excuse me, Nanako-san?" she ventured timidly, only whispering.

Momoka swallowed hard, fighting against her shyness, she knew that she and Nanako weren't close but she really needed to know what will happen in the next issue. "I couldn't help but notice you're reading Winter Fever... I'm a huge fan of that series as well... and I see you've gotten hold of the latest issue."
 
The icy winds of the blizzard blew harshly through the frozen forest as the Emperor and his men traveled. The storm was getting worst by the second and they couldn't afford to waste any time. They needed to find the rumored Dragon of Hope or else the kingdom was going to be in trouble. The Emperor's determined expression was drawn so well, that Emi could picture his eyes cutting down his enemies with a mere look and how his jawline was drawn in the panel where he was covering his eyes from the harsh wind and snow. Ugh, it just made Emi's heart flutter and fill with excitement about what could happen next.

Turning the page, Emi was excited to find out whether the search party had managed to find the Dragon of Hope or not when she heard a soft voice. Disturbing her concentration and pulling her from the amazing book that was in her hands.

Glancing up, Emi's bright blue eyes widened slightly as she saw the new manager for the guy's volleyball team standing before her. The sight of the senior caused Emi's hands to slightly twitch in annoyance at seeing the girl. They were rivals after all. She was taking the guy's attention away from her and Emi didn't like it. She didn't know why, but Emi didn't hold any sort of fondness for Megane-kun as the twins called her when they hung out together.

Slowly, Emi's eyes traveled away from the violet eyes of the older girls and looked down at her book. Her mind slowly wheeled as she let the senior's words move through her mind and a sort of sense of superiority slowly filled Emi as she put her bookmark on the page she was reading and held the book to her chest. "Yeah, it was a stroke of luck," Emi said as she pulled the book from her chest slightly to look at the cover. "Nikoru-Sama is an amazing mangaka. I love their work." Emi said and grinned as she looked towards the pink-haired girl. "The twins saw it when they were out and picked it up for me," Emi said, throwing it in the manager's face that the twins think of her even when they're not in school and that they hang out outside of school as well.

There, with that being said Emi was certain that she'd get the pink-haired girl jealous. No one Emi's spoken to about the guys hanging out with her outside of school ever got over that fact. They'd always end up trying to confess to the guys to get back at Emi only to be turned away by the guys. Which often left Emi feeling a bit bad, but not enough to want to comfort them. They were her best friends and if they didn't catch the guy's attention then they weren't worth her time.
 
Momoka felt her stomach twist anxiously as Emi's bright blue eyes widened at her approach. The younger girl's slight frame tensed, her hands twitching almost imperceptibly in what the pink-haired girl could only perceive as annoyance at the interruption. She knew she was treading on fragile ground. Though only the team manager, Momoka was keenly aware of the the. Mustering her courage, she met the libero's cool gaze levelly.

"Y-Yes, Winter Fever is fantastic!" she agreed eagerly when Emi acknowledged the popular manga after a weighted pause.

She really liked this manga and scoured every possible bookstore to find the latest volume. But hearing that maybe the girl in front of her was closer to the Miya twins made her eyebrow quirk in interest. A flicker of something like amusement passed through her purple eyes as the blonde revealed the twins had procured this latest issue for her during one of their outings together.

She went back to when she was filling up the bottles for the team... and Atsumu was calling her Shorty... Momoka tried to put two and two together, realizing that maybe the libero was a very close friend of the setter.

Was Emi trying to make her jealous? Well, to be honest, Momoka was jealous that the blonde got hold of the latest issue but nothing else. Refusing to be cowed, her passion for the manga series temporarily overshadowed her envy. After all, it's a rare opportunity to have to talk to someone who was also a fan.

"I've been following the series for years," she continued, trying to inject more confidence into her tone. "I mean, have you seen how Emperor Kalyx and Richter teamed up to defeat the orc general when they got separated with the rest of the search party for the Dragon of Hope. I just didn't like how Nikoru-sama ended it on a cliffhanger, because even if the two reunited with the rest of the team... they got stuck in the frozen forest."

Unconsciously, she twisted a strand of pink hair around her finger, hoping to steer their interaction towards more positive territory and perhaps form a tentative connection over their shared interests.
 
Slow blinks, were all Emi was able to do as she listened to the pink-haired girl in front of her. A bit perplexed by the situation that was developing in front of her. Usually, she'd get a foot stomp or a huff from a girl who was trying to talk to her and she'd bring up the twins. Yet, this Megane-kun was only wanting to talk about the manga in her hands. Was she actually so confident as to brush Emi's taunts off like they meant nothing to her? Or, was it that she wasn't interested in the twins?

To be honest, it would be a cold day in hell if it was the second one. As Emi could count on one hand how many actual conversations she'd have where the twins didn't eventually pop up on one hand. It's why she didn't consider any of the girls on the volleyball team a friend, they all wanted a in with the twins somehow. It was sad, annoying, and quite frankly pissed Emi off. If she wasn't a fan of Volleyball, she'd probably have chosen to not participate in any club. She would of rather just focused on her schoolwork and had gotten a part time job instead.

Gulping nervously, Emi felt like she was being backed into a corner. She's not used to talking to other girls who don't want to talk about things other than the twins. "I-I mean, you forgot that they had Vilhelm," Emi mumbled as she looked down at the manga in her hand. "His fire arrows could set anything alight. The warmth of a Fire with the burning passion to protect those closest to him can defeat any frozen temperature." Emi recited, remembering the line front the spin off story that told how the Archer learned about his magic abilities.

Slowly, Emi licked over her lower lip as she looked towards the pink-haired girl. "No matter what happens to him, Emperor Kalyx would not allow for a little blizzard to stop him from searching for the dragon!" Emi blurted out, her cheeks turning a bit pink as she spoke a bit louder than she intended and got a few other people glancing her way. "No Orc General or army could stand in his way." Emi sighed quietly. "His love for the Princess is all that he cares about, he'd gladly set his own life aside if it meant saving hers. Frankly, I think that Nikoru-sama was a genius for the cliffhanger. She updated her drawing style and it looks beautiful." Emi said as she slowed the updated artwork of the group on the cover.

"The power of building things up in her writing, this issue was well worth the extra month wait." Emi felt herself grinning a bit as she looked back down at the book. "It's a masterpiece, and I'm sure it'll win another award for its beautiful flow and art." Emi felt herself actually smiling a bit. Talking about her manga was a rare thing for Emi. The guys didn't really care for this series, but they put up with Emi talking about it because they're being nice. Otherwise, she just talks about it on online chat sites. So this was the first in-person talk about it that wasn't the twins and it felt, good, to express her love for the Manga.

A couple of moments passed before Emi jumped slightly as she realized that she was just rambling to an older classmate. "Oh, uh um. Sorry." Emi mumbled, trying to put her guard back up and turn completely to the older girl. "S-sorry Senpei. Was there something that you needed from me?" Emi asked, ready for her to tear Emi a new one for not greeting her properly when she walked up to Emi. Gulping, Emi hoped that the older girl would just ask if the twins read the manga and who they liked in it, so that she could have something to talk about with them and then be on her way. That thought kinda brought a sick satisfaction to Emi knowing that they'd have no clue what she'd be talking about, but then she'd know that Emi was withholding info and could potentially make Emi's life hell. Yet, she didn't seem as hostile as the other girls when trying to extract info from Emi.

This was a confusing situation. A very confusing situation indeed.
 
"Oh my, it seemed that you've also read the spin-off Pierced. I'm so happy to hear you liked Vilhelm as well! Don't get me wrong, Emperor Kalyx is handsome but his heart already belongs to Princess Ilya," the eyeglassed girl said proudly.

Momoka's lips curled into a smile, feeling goosebumps rise as the blonde girl recited Vilhelm's lines from the spin-off. She tried to fend off the sudden urge to squeal and gush about her favorite character as most fans liked Kalyx more, but it was rare to see someone who have read the spin-off stories that were released whenever the mangaka took a hiatus. But when Emi couldn't contain her excitement and had spoken too loud inside the quiet library, Momoka just smiled apologetically, but she understood why... because if she had read the latest issue after a month-long hiatus, she would also act the same to like-minded fans.

She always thought that Emi was this free-spirited libero who always seemed top of her game. After all, it was underclassmen like her who exhbited pure raw talent who knocked her self-confidence out. She also overheard some first-years from the boy's volleyball team who talk about the libero, someone even planned to confess during the first day of classes because he happened to be in the tryouts when the girl's volleyball team was practicing before the start of the school year. Momoka thought that Emi was unreachable, but seeing this side of the blonde girl made her realize that maybe there was something more beneath the surface... and she wanted to get to know her more to become her friend.

"Whoa! You're right!" the pink-haired manager whispered as she took a closer look at the cover. The colors seemed more vibrant, the Dragon of Hope was drawn flying behind the handsome Emperor Kalyx with his sharp eyes staring right back as if inviting her to read the contents inside. The rest of the group were drawn as if entering the forest. When Emi commented about the improvements in writing, Momoka just sighed helplessly, wishing that she could have her hands at the manga as well. "I guess I just have to wait and find out once I find a copy somewhere, I might have to go to the next city if I have to," she said wistfully with a dorky smile, imagining that maybe she can also grab some merchandise to add to her Vilhelm shrine back at home.

To Momoka's surprise, Emi apologized. The pink-haired girl felt blood rushing to her cheeks due to embarrassment, since she was the one who first approached her because she was unable to resist after waiting for another issue. So she shook her head firmly, "Nanako-san, I should be the one apologizing for intruding..."

She bit her lip, trying to resist the urge to talk more about the manga. Unfortunately, she lost that battle and sneaked out her crimson flip phone to show Emi the forum that talked about Winter Fever. "I hope you are familiar with Winter Fever Forum or WFF for short, fans usually post their theories and speculations here. Some even share their art or cosplays... I'm sure you're going to enjoy it. My username there is sakuracat and I sometimes write fan fiction about Vilhelm."

She smiled timidly, hoping to have a Winter Fever manga fan to be her friend.
 
What the hell was going on? Most people walked away after realizing that she wasn't going to spill random info about the twins to them. Yet, Matsuda-san just kept talking to her about the manga that was in her hands. It was like she didn't care about the twins at all. Wait, could that actually be true? The twins did say that nothing was going on between any of them, just that the older girl was fun to be around because she was so shy. Were they telling the truth? Was Emi just freaking out and making things up about the pink-haired girl? Man, now Emi felt like a complete idiot and felt like she should apologize for things that she never said out loud.

They weren't in a competition for the guys' attention it seemed. As Matsuda-san hadn't said a single thing about the boys since she came up to talk to Emi. That was, surprisingly relieving to the young girl.

Pursing her lips together, Emi slowly raised her head and looked at the violet-eyed girl in the eyes. "The tiny bookstore in the electronic district that's two stops away on the blue line usually has where you can reserve books," Emi said, not sure why she's giving away her and the guys' secret to getting all of their new mangas released on time. "Just go to the counter and ask to reserve, they get restocks on manga's on Thursdays. So I'd head there right after practice." Emi said, smiling nervously. "O-otherwise going to another city wouldn't be a bad idea. They might even have the signed posters that were just released as well."

Pursing her lips, Emi was a bit taken aback as Matsuda-san started to bring up some website. Little stars started to form in Emi's eyes as she listened. Her eyes focused on the girls' phone as she checked out the forum for the manga they were discussing.
Then, Emi turned away and pulled her notebook closer to herself. Revealing the games of tic tak toe that was littered around the edge of her notes. Grabbing a pen out of her blue gudetama case and writing down the site's name, she wrote down Matsuda-san's username, making a note to look the girl up once she made an account on the website. "I'm going to have to look the site up once I get a chance," Emi murmured, her eyes shining with excitement. "Thanks for telling me about that site, I definitely need to check it out! I've got ideas for cosplay outfits but need advice on making some things." Why was she sharing that with Matsuda-san? The girls barely knew each other until Emi thought of her as an enemy a few moments ago.

----

Was this real life? Was this a dream? It was so weird, Emi and Matsuda-san had talked for a whole half hour about Winter Fever and, it felt great. Talking to someone of the same gender as her who wasn't obsessed with her best friends. It was like a breath of fresh air, it felt amazing. Was this what it was like having girl friends? Were they friends? They had shared contact info and Matsuda-san introduced the fan website to her and told her to friend her there. It's been a while since Emi made any contact with someone she actually wanted to talk with, it was so weird.

Feeling like she was on cloud nine, Emi walked down the hall. A small hop to her step as she walked down the hall. She needed to get back so that she could help Sumu clean before practice. She didn't want to miss the whole thing, so the faster they cleaned the more she hoped that her coach wouldn't be as mad.

"U-Um Nanako-San." Hearing her last name, Emi stopped walking and slowly turned to see who had called out to her. A girl she had seen around, but didn't know the name of stood a few steps away. A note in her hand. "H-here." The girl said nervously as she handed Emi the note, which the blond took. Usually, she would have been skeptical before accepting things but it seemed that talking with the pink-haired girl had caused Emi's brain to go haywire because she took it before asking what it was. "What's this for?" Emi found herself asking as she looked down at the note.

It was almost instant. The smile that was on Emi's lips slipped off and formed a small frown. The front of the note said Atsumu. "C-can you give that to Miya Atsumu for me?" The girl asked, acting cute by putting her arms behind her back and swaying to the right and left to show off her shyness. Raising her gaze, Emi slowly shook her head and tried to offer the note back to the girl. "I can't do that," Emi said as she spoke to the girl. Catching a few strands of grey hair around the corner disappearing.

The girl stopped moving and spoke up, catching Emi's attention once more. Causing Emi to jump at how determined the girl sounded as she spoke next. "Please! Nanako-San! I Really, really like him!" The girl insisted. This caused Emi's frown to deepen as she tilted her head to the side slightly as she looked at the girl who was slightly taller then her. Dark brown hair, boring brown eyes. This girl was nothing special. "What do you like about him?" Emi asked, her tone monotone as she spoke. The girl opened her mouth to speak but then shut it. Repeating the motion a couple of times. "What's his favorite color? Favorite song? What does he do when he isn't playing volleyball?" The girl's eyes widen as she listened to Emi, not sure what to reply with.

Then, the sound of paper ripping sounded in the silent hall. Emi was not amused by this girl, she was just one of the many girls who were just after her friend for his looks. Emi held up the tiny pieces of what was once the love note from this random girl and held it in front of the girl's face before dropping it. "If you don't even have the courage to talk to someone, how can you confess to them?" Was the final thing Emi said to the girl before she burst into tears and turned around as she ran away to wherever she came from.

"Samu, I know you're there," Emi said in her bland tone. Her happiness was taken when the girl tried to use her as a mail carrier. Her shoulders slumped as she stared at the crying girl's back as she ran to the girl's bathroom at the end of the hall. Then, she sighed and kneeled down to pick up the pieces of paper that littered the floor. "You don't think I went too far, do you?"
 
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Momoka could scarcely believe how her casual conversation with Emi had blossomed into an excited exchange over their shared love of the Winter Fever manga series. As she made her way home later that afternoon, she replayed the interaction in her mind, a warm glow of happiness spreading through her chest.

When Emi had unexpectedly offered insider tips on reserving the latest manga issues at that tiny bookstore, her purple eyes had widened in delighted surprise. The younger girl's nervous smile and genuine excitement as she gushed about potentially finding rare promotional items made her heart swell.

She had been so touched that the usually aloof Emi was opening up to her, letting her defenses down over their common interests. Momoka couldn't contain her own eagerness as she mentioned the dedicated online forums, pulling up the website to share with her new friend.

The look of wonder that had crossed Emi's bright blue eyes when Momoka revealed the extensive discussions, and fanart was utterly precious. Watching the second-year get starry-eyed with glee, hastily jotting down notes about the forum, filled Momoka with a sense of giddy accomplishment.

But it was Emi's parting words, shyly admitting she hoped to get cosplay advice from the community, that cemented this as a truly meaningful connection between them. Momoka marveled at the unexpected vulnerability Emi had shown in that moment, opening a window into her world beyond the daunting, enviable image she projected.

As she walked, Momoka found herself smiling dreamily, hugging her bag tight against her body. She couldn't deny the blossom of affection she now felt towards Emi. The pink-haired girl knew this was only the start of a wonderful friendship bonded over Winter Fever and all the geeky joys yet to be discovered together. Her heart felt lighter than it had in ages, filled with hope for furthering this new connection since she often just remained shy and never seizing the opportunity. Just two kindred spirits simply being themselves—it was all Momoka could have hoped for.

---

Osamu watched the whole exchange silently from around the corner, an amused smirk playing on his lips. He had spotted Emi in an unusually chipper mood after her conversation with that pink-haired girl and curiosity got the better of him.

When the timid brunette approached Emi with the letter, Osamu arched an intrigued brow. Another lovestruck girl vying for his idiot twin's attention—this ought to be good, he mused to himself.

He bit back a snicker as Emi's sunny demeanor instantly soured upon realizing the note was meant for Atsumu. The seriousness with which she interrogated the poor girl about how little she actually knew Atsumu was eerily intimidating coming from someone so tiny.

Osamu felt a pang of second-hand embarrassment for the bumbling girl as Emi went so far as to rip up the letter right in her face. As the mortified girl fled in tears, Osamu remained hidden, holding his breath to avoid giving away his presence. He hadn't expected Emi to call him out so brazenly.

"Samu, I know you're there. You don't think I went too far, do you?"

Chuckling lowly, Osamu emerged from his hiding spot, hands shoved casually into his pockets as he sauntered over.

"Harsh, maybe. But not undeserved," he said with a nonchalant shrug. "You're right. If she can't even muster the guts to talk to Tsumu herself, she don't deserve the time of day."

Osamu's gaze softened slightly as he studied Emi's unusually subdued expression. Reaching down, he helped Emi collect the torn pieces of the love note. "Besides, my dumbass twin's got enough fangirls throwin' themselves at him as it is. He doesn't need the extra ego-stroking."

With a teasing wink, he straightened up and jerked his head down the hallway. "C'mon, we'd better get a move on before Tsumu gets his panties in a twist wonderin' where you are, after all you're gonna have detention."
 
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Staying quiet, Emi listened to Samu as he spoke. Her gaze did not meet his as she looked at the pieces of paper in her hands as she spoke. In a sense, they were both right. She was right to tell the girl she wasn't ready for a confession if she couldn't even talk to the guy. Samu was right in the fact that it needed to be done or the girl wouldn't learn to do things on her own.

Sighing quietly, Emi put the pieces of the letter in a pocket in her bag so that she could throw it away later. Glancing back towards the grey-haired twin, Emi watched as Samu stood up straight. Taking notice of how easily he moved for such a tall guy. It always left a weird feeling in Emi as she remembered the three of them used to be almost the same height in elementary school until the twins suddenly shot up in middle school. Leaving her behind, in more than one thing. Their height was just the tip of the iceberg. They were so popular, so talented. It wasn't fair.

Standing up as well, Emi brushed some invisible dirt off of her skirt as she avoided the twins' gaze. She wasn't sure why, but his wink caused her cheeks to pinken slightly and a strange feeling to bloom in her stomach. "Ugh, yeah. He'll be annoying on the way home if I make him clean alone." Emi said as she offered her friend a forced smile and then started to walk back to class. The light hadn't gone back to Emi's eyes after that little exchange with the stranger. In fact, it kinda reopened wounds that Emi thought she had long since forced to heal over. She didn't like either of her friends romantically, at least that's what she always told herself. Yet, she wanted that sort of feeling for someone. One day, she hoped to want to be a silly girl like that. Where she was willing to make a fool of herself to possibly find her other half.

Releasing another sigh, Emi threw her head back slightly as she placed her right hand on her cheek. "I can't believe that idiot brother of yours got us detention," Emi mumbled. Her voice was quiet as she spoke to the grey-haired twin. Straightening up, Emi stopped walking and sighed as she looked at Samu. She didn't know why she was doing this at school, but she felt like she just needed one right now. Opening her arms, Emi looked up at Samu with her best puppy dog eyes. "I need a hug."

----

As usual, he was the first one in the changing room. his routine shining through as the Captain got to work on getting ready for club activities. His deep brown eyes focused on unbuttoning his uniform jacket when something flittered out of his pocket. A cute little bunny note paper. Hanging up the jacket, Shinsuke bent down and picked up the piece of paper with numbers and an email on it. Staring at it, it took a few moments for Shinsuke to realize what it was. He forgot to put Matsuda-san's info in his bag instead of his jacket pocket.

Glancing up, Shinsuke watched as Aran came into the boys' changing room next. The ACE didn't pay the captain much attention as Shinsuke turned his back to him to finish changing. Stuffing the cute little paper into the front pocket of his bag. Wanting to make sure that he didn't accidentally lose it and cause trouble for the pink-haired girl. He didn't want to change some weirdo getting ahold of her info and start sending her weird things. That would surely upset the girl and make him look like a bad guy for not taking better care of her things.

After being changed into his gym clothes, Shinsuke nodded a greeting to Aran before he headed out towards the gym. As usual, no one else was there yet, so Shinsuke went towards the equipment room and opened the room. The smell of the hard plastic of the balls, slight sweat, and the air purifier that they used in the room rolled through the air. Causing memories of first being introduced to the sport. Learning of what each piece of equipment meant, and how to set everything up. It was a bittersweet feeling to think that this year would be the last year that he'd be playing volleyball in school.

Turning his back to the room, Shinsuke walked towards the coach as he remembered a text he had received earlier that day. One of the twins was going to be late to practice, and he wanted to know what the Coach wanted to do about that. With the look on the older man's face. It was obvious he wasn't happy with the news, but ultimately wanted him to have more intense training for the day to kick his ass into gear it seemed. As well as have Shinsuke have a talk about responsibility with the blond Miya.
 
Osamu watched Emi carefully as she quietly processed his words, her gaze downcast on the torn pieces of the love note. He could practically see the wheels turning behind those bright blue eyes of hers. When she finally looked up at him, something about her expression tugged at Osamu's heart. The usual sunny spark that defined her was noticeably dimmed, replaced by a vulnerability that he rarely got to see.

He opened his mouth, some witty remark on the tip of his tongue to lighten the suddenly heavy mood. But Emi spoke first, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes as she reminded him they should get back before his idiot twin threw a fit.

Osamu's brows furrowed slightly as Emi brushed past him, her shoulders slouching in a weariness that seemed out of place on someone so young and vibrant. He watched her carefully, picking up on the slight pinkening of her cheeks when she chanced a glance back at him.

Was she...flustered? By him?

The thought brought a bemused smirk to Osamu's lips that he didn't bother trying to hide. He knew how much Emi admired his brother, despite her annoyed protesting to the contrary. To see even an inkling of that girlish shyness directed at him was...intriguing.

As Emi bemoaned the detention Atsumu's antics had earned them, Osamu simply hummed in agreement. But then Emi stopped walking and turned to face him fully, eyes widening in that irresistible puppy-dog look that never failed to make Osamu's heart lurch oddly in his chest. As she opened her arms and made her soft request, he felt his ribcage tighten almost painfully.

"I need a hug."

Osamu blinked dumbly for a moment before snapping out of his uncharacteristic daze. Scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, he tried to ignore how warm his face felt as he huffed out a low chuckle.

"Jeez, you're being awfully needy today," he teased gruffly, though his voice lacked its usual mocking edge.

Despite his words, Osamu was already closing the distance between them with a couple of long strides. Reaching out, he gently gripped Emi's upper arms before tugging her slight frame against his chest in an enveloping embrace. The silver-haired twin's arms wrapped securely around Emi's back as he bent his head, chin resting lightly atop her soft blonde hair. She was so tiny tucked against him that he felt an uncharacteristic surge of protectiveness. One hand stroked her hair in a tender gesture completely at odds with his typical gruff nonchalance.

"You're gonna be all right, I'm here..." he murmured, the deep rumble of his voice oddly soothing even to his own ears. Chuckling, he looked down on her and ruffled her hair. "Plus you have enough fire in you to burn down a whole city block when you're feelin' yourself."

---

Momoka watched nervously as Kita engaged in a hushed conversation with the coach, no doubt discussing the matter of one of the Miya twins being late for practice again. She could read the slight crease in Kita's brow, the stern set of his jaw—clear signs that he took such lapses in discipline quite seriously. Osamu was already starting with his warm-up exercises after telling the manager about his twin's detention.

As Kita turned away from the coach, the setter burst through the gym doors, still catching his breath from hurrying over. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck as all eyes turned towards the tardy second-year.

"Kita-senpai, I came straight here to apologize personally," Atsumu began, not bothering with excuses. "It was inexcusable for me to be late. I'll accept any extra conditioning you see fit."

Momoka's eyes widened slightly at Atsumu's sincere contrition. She knew the boisterous twin could be brash and hotheaded at times, so this display of maturity impressed her. Before Kita could respond, the warning bell rang, signaling the end of the current period. Atsumu grimaced.

"Ah hell, I've got detention with Shorty too," he groaned. "I'll be ready for extra laps or whatever you decide next training."

With that, the blond hurried back out of the gym, no doubt racing to detention to avoid further tardiness. Momoka watched him go with a small frown. When Atsumu left, Momoka clutched her notebook apprehensively. Kita's penetrating gaze immediately found her hovering by the entrance.

"A-Ah, Kita-san!" she ventured timidly when he began striding in her direction. "I heard from Osamu-kun about Atsumu-kun's detention. Would he be all right?"

She knew it was a silly question—of course their esteemed but strict coach would be upset over such a lack of commitment. Momoka's cheeks flushed lightly, but she pressed on.

"I'm sure you'll be able to get through to him regarding personal responsibility," she said, hoping to convey her faith in the captain.

Momoka met his intense stare levelly, silently willing him to see the sincerity and admiration shining in her eyes. As team manager, she strove to support Kita in any way possible—including bolstering his authority when dealing with problematic underclassmen.

"If there's anything I can do to assist, please let me know," she added impulsively. "Perhaps some additional conditioning regimens for Atsumu-kun?"
 
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Being pulled into a hug by Osamu was different. It wasn't as tight, bone-crushing as Sumu's hugs usually were. He smelled different as well. It didn't cause Emi's stomach to feel fluttery. Instead, she just felt, safe. Protected while being wrapped up in Samu's arms. It caused a small relaxed sigh to escape from Emi as she felt herself relaxing slightly in the grey haired twin's embrace. Her own arms wrapped around his waist. His hand touched her hair soothing the ache from the confusion that filled Emi.

Slowly, Emi pulled away from her friend and looked up and him as she rested her hands on his chest. "You're right. Thanks." Emi said and slowly stepped out of the embrace as she took in a deep breath and placed her hands on her hips as she slowly exhaled. "Alright! I feel better now!" Emi said, trying to sound like she was back to her confident self.

Fixing her hair, Emi glanced up at a clock on the wall. "I'll see you after practice. Thank you for cheering me up, Samu!" Emi said as she offered her friend another smile before heading into the room she was going to have to clean. Looking around, a bit of confusion filled Emi as she noticed that Sumu wasn't there. Then, she huffed in annoyance at the idea that he could of skipped detention.

"Stupid jerk," Emi mumbled as she went to get the cleaning supplies from the closet and set things out. Then, she got to wiping down the whiteboard. Standing on her tippy toes to try and get the writing that was on the higher part of the board. Jumping at a few spots since she was so short.

----

It was a bit unexpected, but Shinsuke was amused as Atsumu had the guts to come to practice for a few moments before going to detention. As the coach would of yelled at the second year before making him accept another day of detention. The second year would need to grow up a little bit if he wanted to keep his spot on the team. Rather he was a great setter or not, if he couldn't act his age during class and keep his grades up then he wouldn't be able to play. That's what the coach said, and frankly, Shinsuke agreed. The blond needed to grow up a little bit. At least while in class. He wasn't a child anymore.

Walking towards the pink-haired girl when he noticed her, Shinsuke nodded his head at her question. His gaze was on the doors as he imagined the rowdy twin to try and sneak in or something. Honestly, the boy enjoyed volleyball so much, that he wouldn't put it past the blond twin to do so. Yet, it seemed that he had enough common sense to not do so. Which caused the Captain to purse his lips. Not quite sure what he should say to Atsumu once he shows up to practice.

Lowering his gaze, Shinsuke kept on his usual blank expression as he thought about what Matsuda-san was saying. "I think some hard work would be good for him," Shinsuke said, agreeing to make a harder training regimen for the second year. "He has a lot of talent, so make sure to push him," Shinsuke said as he offered the girl a rare small smile before he turned away to go and start his own warm-ups. He didn't want to risk hurting himself while practicing. He was the Captain this year as well as a starter. He couldn't afford to hurt himself.

Next week was the spring festival, so the chance for practice was going to be low. All of the students and teachers were going to be busy with classwork and then everyone was going to be off for a week to enjoy the festival that the city was putting together. So, they needed to practice harder this week, plus they also had Matsuda-san's new training regimen for the team that they were starting. The coach was quite impressed with what she had planned for the team that he wanted to implement it as soon as possible. Shinsuke could already hear the groans of exhaustion from the members who weren't as in shape as what the pink-haired girl planned was a tough regimen for the team.
 
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Atsumu sauntered into the empty classroom, scratching the back of his head as he took in the scene before him. Emi was currently stretching up on her tiptoes, straining to wipe down the top portion of the whiteboard with exaggerated little jumps. He couldn't stifle the amused snort that escaped his lips.

Resting his shoulder against the doorframe, Atsumu openly ogled the way Emi's skirt rode up just a bit with each tiny hop, her cute blonde twintails moving along with her. She was never the jumper, and he knew that since the twins also tried to teach her how to block when they were still children.

"Need some help there, Shorty?" he purred, not even trying to mask the wolfish undertone in his voice.

Setting his bag down, Atsumu strolled over and sidled up behind Emi, getting the eraser from her hand, then caging her in with his arms as he reached up to effortlessly wipe away the streaks she'd been struggling with. His chest pressed flush against her head as he leaned over her slight frame. He felt his heartbeat thumping too quickly at their proximity.

"Jeez, you really are too damn cute for stuff like this," he murmured while lowering himself, his hot breath fanning against the nape of Emi's neck. He punctuated the intentionally salacious remark. Chuckling at his own comment, Atsumu braced his hands on his hips and cocked his head in false innocence.

"What? I'm just sayin'...you can count on me to give a hand anytime ya need it, Shorty," he practically purred, relishing how flustered she got at even his mildest innuendos. "That's what good friends are for, right?"

---

Momoka felt her heart flutter at the rare small smile Kita bestowed upon her as he agreed to her suggestion of implementing extra conditioning for Atsumu. "Of course, Kita-san," she replied, determination straightening her shoulders. "Atsumu-kun has immense talent, but sometimes needs that extra nudge of discipline."

A twinge of sympathy tugged at her for the rowdy second-year. While Atsumu's brash antics could be grating at times, Momoka recognized his passion and drive that simply needed refinement.

"I'm certain he'll learn to harness that energy in a more productive manner," she continued, noting the wisdom in Kita's own pre-practice stretches.

As Momoka clutched her notebook to her chest, her mind whirled with potential drills and exercises to incorporate into Atsumu's disciplinary plan. But she couldn't help her thoughts briefly drifting to the upcoming spring festival as well. Perhaps she could attend some of the events, if only to experience the revelry students always reminisced about after breaks like this. The idea of sharing in those memorable moments with Kita, even in her imagination, caused a melancholic ache in her chest. Momoka knew her dedication to managing the team would likely prevent her from fully partaking in the festivities. Still, she allowed herself a wistful fantasy of wandering the stalls, taking in the sights and aromas alongside... him.

Giving herself a mental shake, Momoka refocused on Kita's words about maximizing their remaining practice time before the interruption, an intensity burned in her eyes.

"We'll need to make the most of our remaining practice time this week," she agreed with a determined nod. "I'll try to do more analysis on how they responded with the new trainig program."

No doubt many of the members would protest—especially the first years—but Momoka knew elevating their performance hinged on strategic conditioning. Even Aran and Omimi were on the top of their game, but Suna seemed to be having difficulties keeping up. Osamu also seemed to have his head out of the game, seemingly distracted. Is it because Atsumu wasn't there? Or is it because of something else?

"I'll make sure to put everyone through their paces, then make revisions," she declared, emboldened by Kita's approving nod. She was determined to prove her worth once more to their steadfast captain, festival fantasies firmly pushed aside for the moment.
 
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What was it that Sumu and Samu always told her when it came to jumping? Use her heels or the balls of the feet? One of them was supposed to help her jump higher but she couldn't remember which one. A small annoyed sigh escaped from the small blond as she landed on her feet once more. About ready to give up since she couldn't get the dang board clean.

Except, it seemed like some sort of miracle happaned as she heard a familiar voice from behind her. Wearing a look of confusion, Emi looked over her shoulder towards Sumu as he appeared out of practically nowhere. "Sumu..." Emi murmured as she watched him approach. Her gaze shifted back towards the board as he stood behind her. Her breath hitching in her chest as she felt him pressing against her back as he cleaned the board for her. Bright blue eyes trailed along the taught muscles in his arms as he easily wiped the board clean. Getting rid of the streaks with ease.

The next words that seemed to escape from his friends' lips caused Emi to jump slightly. Not really expecting him to call her cute. Which left a pretty pink dusting to coat her cheeks. "C-cute?" She stuttered as she looked down at her hands and fidgeted with them slightly. Shivering as she felt his warm breath on her neck. "S-sumu you're too close," Emi murmured, her head spinning as she noticed his tall shadow leaning over her. Causing her own heart to beat a mile a minute.

"Sh-shut up," Emi murmured as she quickly turned around and wrapped her arms around her best friend. Burying her face in his chest to hide the huge blush that coated her whole face. She could practically feel the steam escaping from her ears at how warm her face was. She hated it when Sumu acted like this, but she also secretly loved it. "You're an idiot," Emi murmured into his warm chest. Her hands balled into fists at his back. His warm scent filled her nose as she breathed him in. Damn did she love the smell of him.

"I thought you ditched me to clean on my own," Emi murmured quietly as she slowly shifted so her chin was resting on his chest as she looked up at the dyed blond boy's eyes. "Thank you for coming back to help me."

----

It was starting to get warm in the gym with everyone breathing heavy from running around and doing various activities that brought up their heartrate. The change in temperature was also evident outside as the leaves were starting to form and the sakura trees were starting to bloom. This years Volleyball games were sure to be tough ones and with Matsuda-san helping, things should be pretty easygoing for them.

They had barely started practice, but it was evident to Shinsuke that they were pushing themselves to do what Matsuda-san and the coach had gone over for them to do. Well, Kita had accepted the training regimen as well, but it was mostly those two who had come up with the new practice routine that they'd be following. So far, he had to say that he loved the burn that his muscles were feeling. They were reading their limit and showed Shin that he needed to push himself to keep in shape and be at the top for the upcoming games.

A break was much needed once they had reached the halfway mark during practice. Everyone seemed to be acting like they were having their butts kicked. Everyone was sitting around on the ground or leaning against the walls. Sweat was obviously visible on those with light-colored gym shirts and others who looked a little glossy before wiping off with a towel. The warming air was not helping them try and cool off with this new training regimen kicking everyone's butts.

"It seems like your training regimen is working out well for us. It seems like everyone is able to keep up so far." Shinsuke said to Matsuda-san as she came to where he was resting by the open doors. Letting the cool breeze cool his overly warm body off slightly. His dark gaze roamed over the gym as he took in the team, making sure that everyone was doing alright without making many noticeable movements that he was paying attention to everyone's well-being.

Grabbing the water bottle that was next to him, Shinsuke took a couple of gulps before he spoke up once more. His gaze raised to look at the pink-haired girl as he spoke. "There are a few stragglers though, so maybe edit things for them during the summer months," Shin suggested, acting like his usual passive self as he spoke about the team.
 
Atsumu felt his trademark smirk widen as Emi jumped at his intentionally suggestive comment. He loved how easily he could fluster the feisty blonde just by laying on his charm a little thick.

"Pffft, okay then I'll give you space~" he said teasingly as Emi stammered about him being too close.

But to his surprise, she suddenly hugged him. His heart skipped a beat when she whirled around and suddenly flung her arms around him, burying her furiously blushing face against his chest. The setter's cocky expression softened ever so slightly as he looked down at Emi's shaking form tucked against him.

"Aw c'mon now, no need to get all riled up, shorty," he chuckled lowly, unable to stop himself from stroking her silky blonde tresses. "You know I'm just messin' with ya~"

When Emi finally tilted her chin up to meet his gaze, Atsumu felt his breath catch in his throat at the vulnerability shining in those bright blue eyes as if he was staring at the clear blue sky. She really was heartbreakingly adorable when she dropped her usual prickly defenses.

Clearing his throat roughly, Atsumu forced his signature grin back into place. "Of course I came back, you idiot. Couldn't leave ya hanging to do all this grunt work yourself."

His gaze raked over her slight form pointedly. "I mean, let's be real...you'd be here 'til next week tryin' to reach all the high spots without me."

Chuckling at Emi's indignant huff, Atsumu slowly extricated himself from her embrace, leaving his hands resting lightly on her shoulders. Atsumu's gaze lingered on her before he snapped his attention back to the whiteboard with a shake of his head. He had to get a grip before his twisted thoughts wandered any further down that dangerous path regarding his best friend. After all, he was fine with the way things are, he didn't want to change the status quo because he's afraid he might lose her.

"Why don't you go grab the mops and buckets from the supply closet? I'll finish up the boards," he suggested, sighing heavily to pacify his thumping heart.

---

Momoka felt a surge of pride bloom in her chest at Kita's acknowledgment of her grueling new training regimen's effectiveness. As she approached him during the well-earned break, taking in the exhausted forms of their teammates strewn about, she couldn't deny the slight upward quirk of her lips. But her brows furrowed slightly as she watched a couple of the younger players practically melting into puddles of sweat and fatigue. Making a mental note, Momoka gave Kita a resolute nod.

"I'm glad it's yielding results so far," she replied, her eyes roving over the gym with a critical gaze. "Though some are handling the intensity better than others."

Momoka swiped at the sheen of perspiration along her cheek with the back of her hand. The balmy spring air wafting through the open doors did little to cool her overheated skin. She risked a sidelong glance at their captain, admiring how the practice jersey hugged the toned contours of his arms. Clearing her throat, she swiftly averted her gaze before she could be caught staring. "P-Perhaps we could incorporate some athletic recovery routines as well? Proper stretching, muscle therapy, that sort of thing."

She worried her bottom lip between her teeth. "I want to ensure this intensified program yields maximum results without compromising anyone's health or longevity."

Momoka's violet eyes shone with fierce determination. As hard as she was pushing them, she cared deeply about each of her teammates' well-being. If integrating therapeutic elements could help mitigate overexertion, it would be well worth it in her eyes. Awaiting Kita's measured response with bated breath, Momoka couldn't resist stealing another admiring glance at their steadfast captain's physique. She quickly ducked her head, trying to tame the furious blush rising in her cheeks.
 
There were times when Emi wanted to fall into the category of becoming one of Atsumu's fans. Squealing whenever he gave her one of his devilish grins or laid one of his teasing remarks on her. Then, there were other times where she wanted to beat the crap out of him for being an idiot. She didn't know which side won most of the time, as it seemed he was consistent in keeping things even. The jerk.

"You really know how to sweet talk a girl. Ya'know that?" Emi mumbled as she let him pull out of the hug. Her eyes narrowed a bit as she pouted, staring up into his stupid eyes. Showing that she was not amused by his teasing words. Then, she released a dramatic sigh as she swatted his arms off of her shoulders lightly before turning to leave. Her head held high as she walked. Her hips sway a bit to make things dramatic. "The board should be completely clean by the time I get back." Emi said before leaving to get the mop and buckets.

As Emi left the classroom, she felt like her heart was about to explode. What the hell just happaned? Why was he acting that way and doing those things? She didn't understand what was going through Atsumu's head! She knew he could be a tease, but that? That felt like it went too far! Her heart was beating as fast as if she was running in practice. It was such a weird feeling, she didn't understand what was going on.

Grabbing the mob bucket, Emi filled it with water and soap before grabbing two mops. Carrying the two things to the classroom, Emi felt like it was torture carrying them as she usually talked the guys into carrying the mop buckets for her. She hated the feel of the water sloshing around in the bucket. Its weight shifting back and forth made her feel uneasy for some reason. Yet, she managed to carry everything to the classroom without dropping everything. At least, until she arrived at the classroom and was setting things down. One of the mops slid from the wall it was leaning on and fell to the floor. Causing a loud bang, which caused Emi to practically jump out of her skin from it's loud sound. "That was scary," Emi murmured as she stared at the mop. Not expecting the sound to be so loud.

----

It was quite surprising to listen to Matsuda-san as she spoke. It was like she had been studying sports training or something. Which, Shinsuke supposed she very well could be looking into for college. They haven't talked much about that sort of thing, so he didn't really know what her plans were. A small flutter seemed to affect his heart as he thought of not seeing the pretty pink-haired girl again after high school. It would be quite unsatisfying to not hear her stuttering remarks or interests in the sports world.

"I think incorporating some better stretching before and after we take our breaks would be a good idea," Shinsuke said after a couple of moments. Letting his busy mind absorb everything as he tried to figure out what the best possible plan of action for everything would be. He didn't want to run the team into the ground, yet he also didn't want to cause anyone to not have fun in the club. Although they were number three in all of Japan, that didn't come without some sacrifices.

Raising his water bottle, Shinsuke took a couple more sips of his water as he sat quietly. Watching everyone gaining their strength back. They seemed to be getting ready to play some three-on-three now. So that was good. Originally Shinsuke was going to suggest that Matsuda-san make the team a training routine while they had a week off, but decided against that idea. He didn't have that when he was just a normal team member, so he didn't want to be different. Besides, it was a break. They all needed time to recharge after practicing so much. They needed to be in top form for when they started playing actual games against other schools.

"Thank you. Matsuda-san, your hard work is appreciated." Shinsuke said as he offered the girl a small smile. Then, the silver-haired man stood up, setting his empty water bottle on the floor before he headed toward the middle of the gym. Clapping his hands to get everyone's attention. "Alright, let's get into some three-on threes," Shinsuke said, which got some excited looks from the players. While those who's asses were kicked by the warm up's groaned in exhaustion.
 
Atsumu watched with hooded eyes as Emi pulled away from their embrace, her cheeks still delightfully flushed. He loved getting that kind of reaction out of her. As Emi swatted his hands off her shoulders, Atsumu chuckled lowly at her exaggerated sashay towards the door. He made no effort to hide his lingering gaze raking over the enticing sway of her hips. "You'd better hope so, Shorty!" he called out cockily. "Else that mop is gonna kick your tiny butt later."

Atsumu watched Emi's retreating form with a mixture of amusement and something he couldn't quite put his finger on. The usual lighthearted teasing between them had taken on an odd undercurrent that set his nerves buzzing. Shaking his head, Atsumu turned his focus back to finishing up the whiteboards, willing himself not to dwell too much on her flustered reactions. He knew he probably took the flirtatious banter a step too far, but he couldn't resist pushing her buttons once she got all adorably riled up.

A heavy thud from the hallway startled him, his head whipping around towards the sound. The loud clatter of the fallen mop his body tense as if preparing for potential danger. He immediately regretted his words earlier, regretting that he let his friend do the heavy lifting... regretted that he let her go alone. When he heard Emi's shaky "That was scary," his expression hardened, the usual playful glint leaving his eyes.

He internally cursed himself for being an idiot, his mind filled with worry for his bestfriend.

In a few long strides, Atsumu was out in the hallway assessing the situation. "Emi? Are you all right?" His voice was low, lacking its usual teasing lilt as his gaze roved over her with evident concern. He quickly scanned over her physique, thankfully finding no signs of injury, just her looking startled and frozen in place. Then, he swiftly retrieved the fallen mop and deposited it safely out of the way. Pivoting back towards Emi, he cupped her face in his large hands, forcing her widened eyes to meet his intense gaze.

"Hey, hey...look at me, Shorty. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you alone," he murmured, his thumbs brushing soothingly over her flushed cheeks. Seeming to deem her unharmed after allowing his eyes to search her face, he finally released a slow breath, some of the rigidity leaving his broad shoulders. He ruffled her blonde hair with uncharacteristic tenderness.

"C'mon, let's get you inside and finish this up," he stated, his usual bossy tone softened by the lingering edge of protectiveness.

Keeping a reassuring hand at the small of Emi's back, Atsumu ushered her back into the classroom ahead of him, eyes sweeping their surroundings reflexively before following her inside. Once they were both safely within the four walls again, Atsumu allowed himself to relax slightly, letting out a low chuckle as he dragged a hand through his hair.

"C'mere," he said gruffly, pulling her into a gentle side-hug, her head tucked snugly against his firm chest. "Don't need you gettin' scared and hurtin' that pretty face of yours trippin' over mops, ya hear?"

His teasing words were undercut by the unmistakable warmth and sincerity in his voice and lingering embrace. Dropping his usual conceited front, even if briefly, the blond setter allowed the protectiveness to take over and not minding about the consequences.

---

"Three-on-three matches," she murmured under her breath, pen poised to jot down notes for further refinement of the training regimens. Although she knew that this wasn't as accurate as actual gameplay, it could provide preliminary data on how the new training affected their performance.

Ojiro shot her a weary grin and a thumbs-up as if sensing her thoughts, silently communicating his trust in her development plans. The powerful ace had been the rock of the team, enhancing his skills through many grueling practices. The younger Miya had his signature competitive look, his sharp gaze taunting and confident unlike earlier. Heisuke looked much more better compared to their first week, wiping his forehead with his palm. Even the aloof Suna's eyes glinted with anticipation at the prospect of gameplay despite his tiredness. Omimi just stretched his arms, eager to put the training to the test. Momoka smiled fondly at everyone who seemed to be fired up. She stood near the court's outside line where the first set of match will take place: Osamu, Ojiro, and Omimi playing against Suna, Kita, and Heisuke.

As the teams sorted themselves out, Momoka's eyes inevitably drifted back towards Kita. He seemed to exude an effortless poise and control, merely watchful for now but ready to jump into action at any moment. She admired the graceful strength emanating from his solid frame, the focused intensity in his dark eyes. With a steadying breath, Momoka centered herself, violet eyes sharpening as she assessed the mock gameplay unfolding before her. She was determined to scrutinize every movement, every rotation, and drill the observations into an even more comprehensive training plan.

The rally went on, both teams were equally unrelenting. From now on, Momoka figured that it's gonna be a battle of endurance and the first one to drop their guard will be the losing team. A particular serve from Heisuke seemed to go out, so Osamu just let it fly over and not receive it. But unfortunately for their team, it landed perfectly in the court's line.

"Amazing, Heisuke-kun," she said happily while jotting down notes, but she sighed at the silver-haired twin for his lowered guard.
 
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