More Than A Shadow

Jinx

Hello there! I hope you enjoyed my double update. I wanted to do it that way because the yips arc is so depressing and I didn't want to give you something depressing after so many months without updating.

Chapter 15 was fun to write and damn that Mei, right? He has excellent timing. We'll see if his excellent timing continues...

This chapter was fun to write. We're going to have more and more of MiyuAzu moments as the story progresses because they will be both coming into their own in their respective roles.

As always, thank you for your support.

I apologize for any grammar mistakes beforehand.

Disclaimer: I don't own Daiya No Ace. Yuji Terajima does. I only own my OC.

Enjoy and stay safe!

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Hope.

Relief.

Excitement.

Those were all the things that Azusa was feeling now that the fall tournament was upon them. None of which she ever imagined feeling if you were to ask her just a mere week ago. But after having that retirement game with the third-years, the team was feeling reinvigorated. The third-years showed the team the right path so they could start coming into their own just before the fall tournament began.

After having a private discussion, the air in the atmosphere changed. She didn't know what happened but the team revitalized and led Miyuki to propose a new goal:

To win the fall tournament.

The initial reaction was skepticism at the ambition of Miyuki's plan. That much she could gather But Miyuki lit a fire in the team that brought everyone on board. She didn't know what words he used, but somehow it all worked. At least for now.

They had to win.

That's the feeling she got.

The stakes were too high. Even higher than last time. They needed to win for the sake of the third-years who deserved to go to Koshien and finally get the championship title.

The stakes were too high but Azusa wasn't nervous at all. For the first time after their crushing defeat in the summer tournament, she saw that the team had the chance to go at the top. The summer tournament was the first time in six years that Seido actually made it to the finals. So this fall tournament was going to be the first time in six years that Seido was going to win the final match and go to Koshien.

They were going to have to make it.

And she was going to do her best to become the best manager and help the team.

It also didn't hurt that she was feeling extra motivated and confident after spending her birthday with Miyuki. Not only did she accomplish her goal of giving Miyuki a distraction so he could relax. She also had a great day with him and made precious memories with him. She also had her first almost first kiss with him...

That part wasn't so fun since it was bittersweet. She was so close... So close! He was totally going to kiss her. Totally...

'Right? He was totally going to kiss me!' she started to doubt herself. All this time, she was sure that they were about to kiss but now she was unsure. What if... What if it was just the product of her imagination and he was not going in for the kiss?