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

Chapter 38: Additional Member

𝖘𝖚𝖓𝖓𝖞𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖇𝖆𝖇𝖍𝖊'𝖘 𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖑 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖞
#061823
•••

"Alright, so let's cheer for Aeris, Chikara, and Tanaka!" Fumiko announced brightly.

The classroom fell silent for half a second, and then several heads snapped toward Aeris.

"Aeris?" Harue blinked rapidly.
"What do you mean? Our Aeris?" Fuji asked, pointing at her in disbelief.
"You—play volleyball?" Kai added, as if the idea was unthinkable.

Aeris raised her hands in surrender. "Why did I even become a manager again?"

Kai shrugged. "I don't know, maybe you just never told us you actually knew how to play."

"We would've cheered harder if we knew!" Chichiro complained.

"It's okay," Aeris said with a small laugh. "Your cheering is loud enough as it is."

Naoka clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "Okay, everyone. On three, we say 'Good luck!' Ready?"

They counted together and shouted "GOOD LUCK!" so loudly that the class next door went quiet in confusion.

A few students poked their heads through the doorway to see why their neighbors suddenly exploded into a battle cry. Aeris could only bow awkwardly as her class shouted "Do your best!" and "Go Karasuno!" afterward.

"Thank you!" she called as she, Chikara, and Tanaka gathered their things and left the room together.

The walk to the Sendai City Gymnasium was short, but each step made Aeris more aware of her own heartbeat. It pounded against her ribs like a drum. By the time the three arrived outside the enormous building, she felt a swirl of emotions mixing inside her—nervousness, excitement, and a strange, aching nostalgia.

The memory of that first tournament came rushing back, so vivid she could almost smell the floor polish and hear the buzzing chatter of the crowd. She remembered how small she felt then, but also how desperately she wanted to prove herself.

"Aeris?" Mao's voice gently snapped her out of her daze. "You there?"

She blinked. "Yeah. Sorry. Just... thinking."

Mao smiled softly. "Let's go."

Inside the entrance, the Karasuno Girls' Volleyball Club and the Karasuno Boys' Volleyball Club parted ways after exchanging one last round of "good luck" and fist bumps. Aeris watched the boys disappear down the left hallway before turning toward the right with her team.

Immediately, a large display board near the main court caught her attention. Names, brackets, and match schedules were written in bold letters. Her gaze skimmed down the list until she found their match.

Karasuno vs. Kumagaya.

Her breath hitched. That was them. Her first official match since... everything.

"Feels real now, huh?" Yu commented.

Aeris could only nod.

The gym's interior buzzed with life. The courts were divided by tall, perfectly stretched nets and lines of tape marking each boundary. The organizers had partitioned the space into two main sections to accommodate more matches at the same time.

Shoes squeaked sharply on the polished floor, whistles blew from different directions, and the overlapping roars and claps blended into a chaotic symphony of excitement.

Aeris inhaled deeply, the familiar smell of sweat, wood polish, and determination settling in her chest. It felt surreal—like stepping back into a world she thought she had quietly left behind.

As they entered their assigned court area, Aeris slowed her pace for just a second. She let her eyes close. In the darkness behind her eyelids, she imagined herself moving across the court: her feet light, her legs steady, the ball striking perfectly against her palm with a satisfying thud. She imagined the cheers—loud, overwhelming, and electrifying.

This was her chance.

She squared her shoulders and opened her eyes.

"Oh, that's our side," Kuroda-sensei said, guiding them to the far court.

The team spread out to stretch. Aeris tied her hair tighter, rolled her shoulders, and joined the warm-ups. As she jogged across the court, a ripple of whispers rose from the spectators sitting along the bleachers.

"Wait—is that Kageyama Aeris?" someone murmured.

Aeris felt eyes on her.

"She's playing again?" another whispered in surprise.

"I thought she stopped after—"

"Why is she with Karasuno?"

More voices joined, some curious, some shocked, some even excited. She tried her best to ignore them and focus on her breathing, but a tiny part of her couldn't help feeling exposed.

You decided to do this, she reminded herself. So do it properly.

« ֪ ׅ ֹ =͟͞ ♡ 𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗗.