The Cat and the Crow

Epilogue (Part One)

The next two years passed without much fanfare.

Kei did his best in both school work and volleyball, helping his team as its best middle blocker. Tetsu would support him as much as he could, coming to games and cheering for Karasuno at the Miyagi Interhigh, as well as Nationals, each year they went.

During Kei's final year in high school, Karasuno made it all the way to the semi-finals at Nationals, and ranked 3rd in Japan. It was as far as they could go, the third years' having to retire from the team as soon as they came home, but it was the highest they'd ever climbed, and that was an awesome feeling.

Graduation was just as wild, even during the ceremony, which should have been a serious affair. But Tetsu had invited Koutaro and Keiji, who were there as fast as possible to support their best friend and little brother. He'd also brought together the original teams of both Karasuno and Nekoma, and when Hinata, Kageyama, Yamaguchi, Kei, and Yachi finally walked across the stage, everyone went wild. Who wouldn't, considering they were now school legends? The current, and future, Karasuno boys volleyball team had some big shoes to fill, but they were in good hands with Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei at the helm.

Tetsu went to University and, for the first year, took classes that were needed for both career paths he was interested in. He had been undecided for quite a while, weighing the pros and cons for each path. He'd even done some research in the form of internships. He visited both Karasuno and Nekoma and helped the coaches and players, getting the feel of what it would be like to be head coach. Coach Nekomata even let him be acting coach for a few practice games. Tetsu enjoyed it a lot, but discovered he much preferred watching and analyzing.

His internship at the JVA headquarters in Tokyo lasted roughly a month, which he hated because Kei wasn't there, but he persevered by staying at Kou and Keiji's place. Tetsu learned the ins and outs of the job he was interested in taking, and was ultimately swayed by the chance to travel to various locations around the world. The icing on the cake was the option to travel with Kei.

It wasn't until the end of that first year that he'd finally come to a decision: he would work for the Japan Volleyball Association, Sports Promotion Division. That meant he had to let Coach Nekomata down, and that wasn't easy.

Kei went with him to Tokyo for that meeting, though he stayed at the house while Tetsu was gone. They'd decided to sell the house, and most of the furniture had been sold or put into storage to be sorted later. Kei made himself busy cleaning and making dinner, and when Tetsu came home, they both went through everything left in the house, organizing what went where and figuring out what to do with it.

A few days later, they stood in the middle of an empty, immaculately clean house, remembering. It was tough having to say goodbye to a place that held so many memories for them, more good than bad, but it was time to move forward. Someone else, or maybe a small family, would live here and make their own memories. It was that thought that moved them out of the door one last time, with smiles on their faces.

While they would always have a place to stay at the Tsukishima family residence, they decided to find a place of their own. Of course, this was a new adventure for them both, and each had their own idea of perfect. Kei wanted something smaller, but with enough room for friends and family to stay, if needed. Tetsu figured that something larger would do the trick, especially since he wanted a family of his own. Something he'd yet to discuss with Kei, but that was for another time. Eventually, they ended up compromising, buying a place in the Wakabayashi ward in Sendai. It wasn't too big, but was spacious enough for company, and any small future family members. It was also close enough that Mom and Ni-san could come and go without issue.

Through it all, they specifically set aside time to plan out their wedding, which would take place in autumn.

They began with a clash of ideas: Kei wanted a small affair, with only their closest friends and family in attendance. Tetsu wanted something a bit more... fun, as he put it, wanting to invite everyone they'd ever known. Kei won this set, because when it came down to it, everyone they knew well enough to invite to their wedding just happened to be Kou, Keiji, and their former teammates.

Kei thought something closer to home would be a good idea, making it easier for those who had to travel farther. Tetsu wanted to go somewhere memorable; not that anything about marrying the love of his life would be unmemorable, of course. But wouldn't it be awesome if they were married in Kyoto, or Osaka? Perhaps even Hokkaido or Okinawa? Somewhere outside of Sendai to celebrate the biggest day of their lives?

Kei wanted something that wouldn't break the bank.

Tetsu said money wasn't an issue.

Tetsu's ideas began to be increasingly cheesy, like dressing everyone in either Karasuno or Nekoma colors (nevermind Kou's idea of all their guests wearing Fukurodani colors, or even MSBY Black Jackal colors). At one point, in a fit of frustration, he suggested that they just get married in the gym where they'd met. Kei almost agreed, just to see if Tetsu was even remotely serious.

Eventually, Tetsu won this set, and they began making arrangements for them to travel to Sapporo in Hokkaido. Their guests would be staying at an inn in Sapporo for a night, but had the option of staying longer, if they chose. But for Tetsu and Kei, they would leave for Jozankei and spend a few days and nights at one of the onsen hotels. From there, Tetsu made reservations for tours to Matsumae Castle, and then Goryokaku in Hakodate, which he knew Kei would love.

As an added surprise, Kou and Keiji told Tetsu and Kei that they were also planning to marry. However, theirs would be a small affair, with only the squad, Mom and Ni-san invited. Tetsu suggested they get married while in Sapporo, so that they could "share" the guest list. But they politely declined, arguing that they would not take anything away from Tetsu and Kei's special day. So, once Tetsu and Kei returned from their honeymoon, they'd meet Mom and Ni-san in Sendai, and then go straight to Tokyo for another wedding.

They spent the next few months nailing down specifics, such as color schemes, flower arrangements, decorations, and what they wanted to wear. Formal wear would be nice, but comfort was the better option, especially because it'd be chilly up in Hokkaido. Tetsu called it "business casual, with a nod to casual Fridays." Guests could wear whatever they wanted, but it had to be nice. And warm. They also planned out a playlist for the reception, and made every effort to plan a scrumptious meal. It wasn't going to be just appetizers and finger foods, but a full scale meal.

In addition to all their plans, they helped with Kou and Keiji's planning as well. Keiji insisted Mom help, too, and she was overjoyed at the prospect of being the Matron of Honor at both weddings. Not only that, but she'd have the reins when it came to the food at Kou and Keiji's reception. She was incredibly happy, which made all four of them happy as well.

Before they knew it, it was mid October. Everyone gathered at Sendai station, and took the train to Hakodate, and then changed trains for the trip to Sapporo. After seven long hours (according to Kou), they left the train station and headed to the venue and the inn nearby. It was a good thing they planned for a late afternoon ceremony, otherwise Kei might sleep through the whole thing. Or just take casualties with his unfiltered, non-morning person, grumpy, sarcastic self. The latter was to be avoided at all costs.

From the ceremony, which was perfect, to the reception that lasted far longer than intended, the newlyweds were inseparable. Where there was one, the other was close by. In fact, they almost always held hands. They danced, sang a few of their favorite songs to each other, and were serenaded by friends who might have had just a bit too much to drink. The event was well documented by practically everyone, taking pictures and video clips and uploading it all to social media.

The newlyweds were sent off around midnight, and they were driven to their onsen hotel in Jozankei. It was a quiet place, nestled far enough in the forest to think they were the only people left on earth. Which fell in line with their plans, because, aside from taking advantage of the hot spring's private baths, Tetsu and Kei never set foot outside their suite.