Another Manager (Akashi Seijuro x OC)

Last Game movie (part four)

Just a friendly reminder before we start:

Kuroko and the others are second-years now, and Hyūga and the formerly second-years are third-years for this!

***

Ai rose as soon as she heard the alarm ring. Reaching over to stop the clock on her phone, she stretched and sighed.

Akashi also woke and opened his eyes. He looked up at her sitting on the bed beside him and smiled.

She felt him staring while she hand-combed her long hair. "Good morning, Seijuro."

"Good morning. Are you making breakfast?" He adjusted his body to sit up against the wide antique-style headboard.

She giggled. "I trust your chefs know better about your meals and nutritional diets than I do."

"That's a pity. I would've liked to have your cooking first thing in the morning."

"I'm already making our lunch, which I have to go downstairs and finish," she said, sliding down from the bed mattress. "There's a lot more to make, in case you've forgotten." She walked with bare feet on the soft carpet to her discarded shawl. She heard him getting up, too.

"That's for everyone to share, as a group. And I've grown tired of elaborate breakfasts."

"Pity," she returned, teasing and getting a smirk from him. "Just ask for oatmeal or something."

"I doubt Father would exactly enjoy that. I will say, though, that dining with you," he took her hand, warming it. "I haven't looked forward to sharing a meal with someone so much."

She made a sad smile. "I think he's trying, too."

He smirked. "You sound like Mother." He waited until she finished wearing the shawl over her nightgown and kissed her on her cheek. "Thanks for sleeping over."

"I'm happy I did," she smiled.

He opened the door for her, and she stepped outside.

Ai looked back to meet his kind eyes before leaving. "See you at breakfast."

"Yes, see you." Akashi tugged lightly on her arm and kissed her temple before closing the door, each going to wash up for the day.

.

Team Vorpal Swords arrived at the big basketball stadium an hour before the match. A few personnel wearing earbud radios ran around to get ready for the game, scurrying to make sure everything was in place. They sold tickets at the entrance, set up the chairs, and checked the speakers and microphone for the announcer.

Ai left the team's side for a few minutes to reserve seats for the volleyball players coming to watch, just as she'd promised. She taped a sign on the backrest of twelve seats. Each paper said, in printed red ink:

'RESERVED FOR NEKOMA AND FUKURŌDANI HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL TEAMS'.

She chose seats in a middle row with a good view; not too high and not too close to the court. Hopefully, Kuroo or Lev would put their tall height to use and find it okay.

.

"Hey, there're a lot of empty seats here!" Konagei pointed. He waved his teammates over, but Mitobe silently pointed to the row of seats.

"Huh? Oh," the small forward muttered upon closer inspection. "Says it's reserved."

Fukuda joined the third-year in looking at the signs. "Volleyball teams? Why would volleyball teams reserve seats to a basketball game?"