XXVIII.

Kei.

"Oh! Is that..."

"Could that be..."

"The Skytree?!" Nishinoya-san and Tanaka-san exclaimed in unison. I yawned, still dazed from sleep. I heard them yell outside the bus which made me frown. It's so early in the morning and they are all already full of energy.

"Here we are, Tokyo!"

"I'm still so sleepy..." Yamaguchi mumbled as he stretched from his seat. I rubbed my eyes then put my bag on my shoulder then walked out of the bus, yawning once again. I felt someone pushing me from behind but I didn't bother to look as I heard his voice demand.

"Walk faster!" Nishinoya-san said whilst pushing me.

"Aren't we missing some people?" I heard the captain of the Nekoma Volleyball team talking with Sawamura-san, referring to the Shrimp and the King, the stars of the show.

"Actually..." Sawamura-san trailed off, as they walked on ahead with us trailing behind them. Apparently, the Shrimp and the King were left at the school dealing with supplementary exam to make up for failing the test. I scoffed at the thought, remembering my experience of tutoring them.

I was still not myself because I was still sleepy as heck but then I jumped a little when I heard someone scream, making me wince. I clicked my tongue in annoyance, what's with the screaming fest lately?

"Th-Th... There're two girls now!" Someone babbled. "Now they've got a pretty one and a cute one!"

"All right. When you're all ready, come to the gym. The other guys are already there." Kuroo-san said, then he shifted his gaze on me, his piercing eyes narrowed a little as he stared at me. He still wore that smug smirk as always. But then I can't help but feel like he knows something I'm oblivious about. However, I just shrugged it off and prepped before we went to the gym where volleyball training was held.

The court was crowded, as expected. There are various colors of uniform designated from other powerhouse schools, volleyballs flying from different directions and that familiar screeching of shoes and voices blending on the background.

"Once we're done with our warm-ups, we'll regroup and the teams will play each other in rotation." Kuroo-san continued babbling to our captain. I zoned out of their conversation, examining the gym and each team's personalities and skills.

"Hey, Tetsurou," I heard a voice that I haven't heard for months; however, it was as if that it was always etched in me to always remember it. I slowly turned my head to the side, seeing the girl who would always make my heart pound. Right then, everything seemed to have calmed down. Even though the court was fully crowded, there was this one person that stood out among the rest, that made the noises and everything around me seem to blur and disappear... Is this real? Am I really seeing her right now...?

"I'm finished collecting," She deadpanned to the captain of the Nekoma team. And I just then noticed that she was also wearing their uniform, too. She's the manager...

"Woah, really? We haven't even started the practices yet."

She sighed, "I'll explain later."

"Kinomi..." I whispered to myself. And it was as if she had heard me, for she shifted her gaze at me. Her aura changed a bit, though for the better. She was no longer the girl I once knew... and I'm sure this decision of hers was for the best. My lips curled up into a small smile at the flash of memories and I am sure she remembered it too, she smiled back at me.

Kinomi.

I analyzed each teams' skills and predicted how they are going to grow. Each team has their respected specialties, strengths and weaknesses. I haven't calculated Karasuno's data yet since they were the last team to arrive. But as they say, the best comes out last.

"Then, would you analyze them too?" Tetsurou told me, making me tear my gaze away from Tsukishima.

"Analyze?" One from the Karasuno team asked. Then to my bewilderment and irritation, Tetsurou put his arm around my shoulders, pushing my body against his heat inducing body.

"Yeah, she's Nekoma's analyst. You should get one as well." My bastard of a brother said in a friendly tone but knowing a guy like Tetsurou, you would instantly know what he is trying to pull.

"Oh. We already got one, alright." The captain replied with the same friendly tone and smile but... why do I get this feeling that he's already plotting Tetsurou's death?

"And very pretty and gentle, too." The bald guy commented which the others strongly agreed to.

"Kinomi-chan's pretty, too. Well... except for the gentle part." It feels as if a vein had popped out of my temple that I chopped Tetsurou's hard stomach, making him yelp in pain.

"You're right. And I wouldn't even be here if it weren't for your stupid ass." My lips turned into a snide as I turned to walk away, hearing him say, 'See? Told you.'

I walked back to the sidelines, sitting down on the bench with a huff. I stared intently at the newly arrived team prepping for their match against Fukurodani Academy, Tsukishima's gaze never leaving mine. I smiled to myself, debating whether I should greet him later or not. I'm still not sure if it's the right time now.

The first few points were as expected. It's not like Karasuno is weak though, which means they have a lot of room for improvement. It's to be expected, considering they are battling against teams who compete at the nationals. However, it also has its benefits. These series of away games is a great opportunity for them to set their gears straight and get stronger by facing equally strong opponents themselves. But something feels off, I haven't seen Kageyama nor the short orange-head lately. I'm sure they wouldn't let a chance like this slip by. But oh well, it's my job to keep track of their skills and predict them.

The match of Karasuno and Fukurodani ended first with 16 - 25, which means the former will do the penalty of a round of diving receives. It left me to spectate the other teams as well.

When Bokuto-san killed the ball, the volleyball bounced and hit Tsukishima on the palm, who was just passing by. No one seemed to take it all seriously, except for Yamaguchi who had yelled and asked if he was alright. I stifled a chuckle, realizing how much I had missed that deadpanned and annoyed look of his, but then I stopped when I realized that he was looking at me again. I blushed and covered my face with the clipboard I was scribbling on my speculations.

Of course, knowing Karasuno team, and seeing how strong the opposing teams were, they will be determined to be at the same level as them. And I am sure that they are also aiming for the nationals, what else would they be here for?

When lunch break came, the team took a light meal even if I know they wanted to eat a lot more than that. But they still had matches later on so they had to take eating to moderation for now.

The guys were all loud as usual, talking about their experiences with their opponents, strategies and stuff. But I didn't bother to go into details as I pondered about Tsukishima. I wonder what he is doing right now? Although I had expected seeing him today, it still feels surreal and I couldn't believe that it's still possible to see him again. Thanks to Tetsurou for making me the manager. A part of my mind commented.  I bit my chopsticks, flustered. 

"Thinking about him?" Tetsurou muttered, enough for only me to hear. I glanced at him and let out a scowl. He smirked at me, implying that he was right. I sighed at that.

"When I left Miyagi, I was a total fuck up. I just wish that he could see that I wasn't the kind of person I used to be."

"I'm sure he has," Tetsurou assured. "It may not look like him but I know that he loved you at your worst and he would still love you regardless of how you might change."

I dropped my chopsticks and it made a small thud at the contact with the table. I blinked as I stared back at my brother, completely flabbergasted at his words.

"D-do you have a fever, Tetsurou? That gave me goosebumps!" I exclaimed as I rub my arms, Tetsurou rolled his eyes in response. I even went to place my hand on his forehead to jokingly check if he has fever but he only turned his face away, shaking his head.

"W-what?! Kuroo-san has a fever?!"

The team's attention now shifted to Tetsurou, whom the latter tried to convince the team he wasn't sick. I snickered as I took my chopsticks and continued eating my share. It felt weird that I felt good upon hearing those words from him, it reassured me that I can still somehow hang onto him. He was never mine to begin with... and I there's nothing I can do if he falls in love with somebody else. And that was the day I dreaded the most, because that will surely break my heart.

"Kinomi..." I flinched when I heard a calm voice from my side. Damn, my heart is pounding so fast! It's him! Fucking Tsukishima Kei is talking to me! I slowly turned toward the source of the voice, gulping the food and I almost choked.

"Tsuki--"

"Can I talk to you?" He asked me.

Before I could reply, Tetsurou spoke. "You'd have to ask the coach's permission first."

Tsukishima arched an eyebrow at Tetsurou's remark, then he shifted his gaze at Nekomata-san who only nodded at him, "Just make sure to return before lunch ends."

"Well, you'd also need the my--"

I shoved a spoonful of meat into Tetsurou's mouth, he's been talking shit lately. I stood up, noticing that not only did we catch the attention of Nekoma team but also Karasuno who just sat at the table not far away from us. I sighed, looking up at the tall blonde who excused me from my team.

"After you." I said, and without a word, he turned to his heels and walked away with me trailing behind him.