𝟭. 𝙃𝙀𝙍 𝙎𝙄𝘿𝙀 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙔 || 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐮 [✔]

Chapter 24: Crows VS Cats

𝖘𝖚𝖓𝖓𝖞𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖇𝖆𝖇𝖍𝖊'𝖘 𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖑 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖞
#102723
•••

The next day, Aeris was unusually tense. She kept dropping towels, misplacing clipboards, and almost spilled water on the neatly folded uniforms. Even the boys noticed something was off, whispering among themselves as she walked past for the third time with the wrong set of cones.

Takeda-sensei approached her carefully. "Aeris-chan? Are you alright? You seem... distracted today."

Aeris stiffened, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm fine, Sensei," she said quickly, bowing her head and returning to her tasks.

But her hands were trembling just slightly.

Coach Nekomata wasn't scary. She was just shy. Painfully shy. She hasn't talk to him ever since she moved in Japan, she felt guilty for not talk to him. And now, with Karasuno preparing for joint practices with Nekoma, the thought of facing him again tied her stomach in knots.

That night, after the team had finally quieted down and the camp settled into soft nighttime noises—the murmur of cicadas, distant laughter, the rustle of wind against the trees—Aeris and Kiyoko prepared for bed.

They lay in their sleeping bags, the dim lantern casting faint warm light across the room. Kiyoko was already drifting when Aeris suddenly spoke.

"Hey, Kiyoko?"

Kiyoko blinked awake. "Mm?"

"If... if I end up in an awkward situation with Coach Nekomata tomorrow," Aeris said quietly, "please help me."

Kiyoko turned toward her, confused. "Why? Aren't you happy you'll see him again? You said he was like a mentor to you when you were younger."

Aeris tugged lightly at the edge of her blanket. "I don't know. It's just awkward. Embarrassing, even. I can't explain it—it's like I still feel like that tiny kid who used to trip over her own feet in front of him."

Her voice softened with embarrassment.

Kiyoko thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. I'll help you," she said gently. "I'll stay close so you won't feel uncomfortable."

Aeris let out a relieved breath. "Thanks."

There was a small pause—comfortable and quiet—before Aeris spoke again, almost laughing at herself.

"Did I ever tell you Coach Nekomata was actually pretty handsome when he was younger?"

Kiyoko's eyes opened a little wider. "Was he?"

Aeris nodded eagerly, suddenly less anxious and more excited. She reached for her phone and scrolled through her old albums before finding a picture—a slightly faded, younger Nekomata in his twenties or thirties, holding a volleyball with a confident, sharp expression.

She held it out.

Kiyoko examined the photo, then glanced back at Aeris with raised brows. "...Not gonna lie. He was very handsome."

Aeris let out a proud little huff. "Right? I told you!"

Kiyoko smiled, amused. "No wonder you're nervous."

Aeris froze. "Wh-what's that supposed to mean?!"

Kiyoko giggled softly. "Nothing. Just saying."

Aeris groaned and buried half her face in her blanket, mortified. "You're the worst..."

But Kiyoko only laughed again, and the tension in the room faded into a soft warmth.

"Nanachan, could you grab that? It looks like it's about to fall and crush one of the boys," Coach Ukai called out from across the gym.

Aeris nearly flinched at the nickname. Recently, Coach Ukai had picked it up from the others and seemed far too amused by it.

"Me, Coach?" she replied, pretending as if he might be calling someone else entirely.

Ukai raised an eyebrow. "Who's 'Nanachan' other than you?" he said, half teasing, half scolding.

Aeris mentally cursed. Damn it, Coach. Perfect timing.

She hurried over to grab the unstable equipment before it caused an injury—or before Ukai repeated the nickname again. As she bent down to lift it, she felt a familiar gaze settle on her. Heavy. Intentional.

"Aeris-chan?"

Her heart dropped to her stomach.

Oh, damn.

She straightened, turning to see Coach Nekomata standing beside her. Older, of course—more wrinkles around his eyes, his smile softer than the sharp grin she remembered. But still unmistakably him.

"Coach," she said, dipping her head politely.

It was instinctive. A greeting she hadn't used since childhood. A small tradition from Nekoma's old gym—one she thought she'd grown out of. Yet here she was, slipping right back into it like she never left.

Coach Nekomata's smile deepened, touched with nostalgia. "You've grown," he said warmly. "How are you these days?"

Awful. Suffocating. Someone please knock me out.
Aeris forced a polite smile instead. "I'm good, Coach."

The air felt thick, the kind of awkwardness that sticks to your skin no matter how hard you try to shake it off.

"I've heard about you," Coach Nekomata continued, genuine interest in his voice. "Why didn't you come to Nekoma? I could've helped you with everything. You're a volleyball player—not a manager."

Aeris froze for half a second. She hadn't expected that conversation—not here, in the middle of Karasuno's gym with people yelling warm-up drills in the background.

But she kept her voice steady, diplomatic. "I just wanted a fresh start somewhere," she said. "And I'm only volunteering here. I like helping Karasuno."

Nekomata hummed thoughtfully, eyes studying her. "Oh? And how are your father and your uncles? It's been years."

"They're good," she answered simply. Too simply. She kept it brief on purpose—because one wrong detail and he'd start digging into memories she wasn't prepared to face today.

She glanced toward Kiyoko—who immediately noticed—and gave the subtlest desperate signal: Help.

Kiyoko didn't hesitate. She approached Daichi quietly, whispering something to him. Whatever she said worked instantly.

"Nanachan!" Daichi called out, perfectly loud and perfectly heroic.

Aeris nearly sagged with relief. She turned toward him like she'd just been offered an escape rope from a burning building. "Coach Nekomata," she said quickly, plastering on her brightest, fakest smile, "I'd love to talk more, but the boys need me."

"Oh?" Nekomata blinked. "Then why don't you visit Nekoma sometime? We can talk there."

Aeris nodded respectfully. "Thank you, Coach. I'll keep that in mind."

She bowed, kept her composure for exactly three seconds, and then walked away with controlled calm—the kind that barely hid her desire to sprint out of the conversation.

As soon as she was clear, she exhaled sharply, sending Kiyoko a look that said I owe you my life, and Daichi a grateful nod for the perfect diversion.

Kiyoko smiled softly. Daichi gave her a small thumbs-up.

And Aeris, still shaky but finally free, muttered under her breath:

"Never again."

« ֪ ׅ ֹ =͟͞ ♡ 𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗗.