Managing the Underdogs...

Mark Manson - The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

She had been only been able to stay for the first two rounds. She had only planned to stay for the first one. But considering the first round had only lasted around thirty minutes. Aven had the ability to stay longer. Despite being the shortest game, she saw the whole day. The match between Kageyama and Hinata was the one the stuck with her the most. It only took one look at the information sheets, to deduce the two players down within the first five minutes. 

Hinata, an enthusiast about the game. Due to his unshakeable spirit and lack of giving in. Showed Aven that he did not care about winning in the end but the general ability to play a game with another team. It made Aven feel bad, as all other players take this small fact for granted. 

The setter from the other team, a young prodigy named Kageyama. He confused Aven, he held himself at a higher level. He pushed his team to limits that they couldn't keep up with. By the end of the game, the setter was somehow playing the game by himself. Something that Aven was not impressed with. 

Hopping down the steps and into the cold air, Aven didn't find the wind bothersome as she did walking into the community centre. Tanaka and the the third years, had stayed back to continue watching some of the matches. Researching and trying to see if anybody was worth trying to recruit. Of course, Karasuno was not high on anybody's list, so their offers did not mean much compared to other's in the Miyagi prefecture. 

Hoping back on the bus, Aven slid into a seat. Noting down as any of the scores she was able to remember, knowing that she can get the rest from her peers later. Aven couldn't wipe the game she witnessed out of her head. The passion of the rookie, his untrained abilities. It felt so inspirational to her. 

Arriving home, the young girl kicked off her shoes at the front door. Despite announcing her arrival, nobody responding back. She assumed her grandparents, were either working, or out doing something for the weekend. She peaked out the kitchen window to see if there was any sign of life in her neighbour's house. But all the lights were turned off, and the car wasn't in its usual spot in the driveway. 

As Aven sat at her desk trying to finish her studying, she found herself distracted. Something that she didn't usually feel when trying to get her work done. Her mind kept on drifting back to that first match earlier this morning. She couldn't even make sense of the calculations in front of her. 

Shutting her mathematics notebook and pushing it onto the fall, Aven opened up her laptop. Typing in the familiar website link, she found herself scrolling through Sora's blog. The scores that Aven had just sent earlier were already posted. Her eyes darting through the paragraphs of words about the play by play and the athletes' abilities. She stopped her eyes getting caught on a box in the upper right corner. 

The gears inside her head started turning, pulling her phone out of her pocket and flicking it open she dialled the familiar number, as she let her mouse click down on the box.