Karasuno's Managers: Little Ukai and The Vulnerable

4: The Baby Crows Have Left the Nest

Snowflakes feathered down, landing on the ground like a thick blanket. The scenery whipped by as the train gained speed. Soon, the view outside was a white whirl. Mirae hugged her bag tighter and shivered, trying to bury herself under her coat and scarf.

"I can't breathe," Kageyama murmured.

Her shoulders tensed. "I am having a weird sense of déjà vu right now."

He furrowed his brows as he adjusted the straps of the face mask. "Deja- what?"

"Déjà vu. It's a word used to describe the feeling you get when you've experienced something before."

"Oh. Um, I can't breathe."

"Inhale and exhale, it's not that hard."

"But the air is stuffy. I don't have to wear this now that we're on the train, right?"

She slapped his hands away. "Do you want to get sick from whatever germs everyone in the city is exhaling? Do you want to be contaminated by the car and factory fumes? They won't let you participate in the training camp if you're sick, Kageyama. You'll be bedridden the entire week and I'll have to come there and take care of you."

"I don't think they'd let you."

"They'd have to," she frowned. "I'm your manager."

"It seems like you're my mom," he muttered.

They had another six hours before they reached the city. Though they had left Miyagi together, they would be separating at Tokyo station. Mirae grew up in the city. She was accustomed to the heavy traffic on roads with potholes and swarming sidewalks as people went about their lives. Anywhere you went, you would hear a buzzing sound coming from teenagers hanging out in their cliques or business people chattering on their Bluetooth earpieces.

In the city, she felt like just another face in the crowd.

"So, do you know anyone else who's been invited?" she asked.

Kageyama glanced up from his phone and nodded. "There is that one guy from Shinzen. He came last year too but I don't know about anyone else."

"Well, it's good that you know someone. Try to play nice with the other guys."

"What?" he frowned. "We're going to play competitive volleyball. I can't be nice."

She laughed at how the advice went over his head. "I don't mean it like that. I mean that you should try to make some friends. Who knows, you could end up playing with these guys on teams in the future."

"I hope so. I want them to make it through, so they're chosen with me."

"I admire your confidence."

"Well, I want to play on the national stage. This is preparation for that goal but," he looked away. Whatever it was he was going to say, got stuck in his throat. He played with the face mask again, pulling it too high so that his chin was exposed and then tugging it down over the point of his nose.

"Will you stop that?" she scowled playfully and tried to adjust it. However, Mirae was wearing a pair of beige mittens so it ended up with her tickling his face. The face mask barely budged.

Her cheeks flushed when he laughed.

"What are you going to do?"

"At Itachiyama? Well, whatever the Coach wants I guess. We're supposed to follow their lead in the training and advice they give."

"No, in the future I meant."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I haven't thought that far ahead if I'm being honest. I'd like to be involved with Volleyball-"