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

Chapter 60: Intense Week

𝖘𝖚𝖓𝖓𝖞𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖇𝖆𝖇𝖍𝖊'𝖘 𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖑 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖞
#110223
•••

The week crawled by in a blur of textbooks, practice drills, and constant pressure. Aeris, Tobio, and Hinata fell into the same routine every day—wake up early, attend classes, study until their brains felt numb, then run through volleyball or club practice until their bodies ached. The retake exams were approaching quickly, and the weight of the upcoming Tokyo trip hung over all three of them like a cloud.

Aeris had expected the studying to be rough, but even she didn't expect this level of exhaustion. Tobio, for example, hadn't slept properly in days; he sat beside her with a workbook open but his head slowly lowering until it almost touched the table.

"Tobio! Tobio!" Aeris shook him hard.

His eyes opened halfway, unfocused. "Huh?"

Before Aeris could scold him, Hinata groaned from across the table. He rubbed his head in frustration. "Nanachan, I still don't get this."

Aeris dropped her pencil and pressed her fingers against her temples, fighting back her own exhaustion. "Of course you don't," she muttered. "It's because both of you keep spacing out."

But even through her irritation, she knew this week was draining them all. The hours of studying, the pressure to pass, the fear of missing the trip—it was a lot for three teenagers to handle.

When the day of the retake finally arrived, the atmosphere was tense. Aeris walked with Hinata and Tobio to the classroom door. She straightened their collars, brushed the loose dust off Tobio's shoulder, and forced a smile.

"Just remember what you learned," she said. "Don't rush, don't panic, and don't fall asleep."

"We know," they chorused, heading inside.

The door closed behind them, and Aeris was left outside, hugging her bag to her chest. She tried to sit on a nearby bench, but her leg bounced anxiously. Minutes felt like hours. She checked the time over and over, trying to distract herself, but it was useless.

A car engine roared in front of her, and she looked up, startled. The familiar figure leaning out of the window made her blink.

"Oh! Aeris-chan," Saeko-san called.

Aeris stood up immediately. "Saeko-san?"

Saeko laughed. "Oh, come on. Just call me Saeko-neesan. You're going to Tokyo too?"

"Oh—right. Saeko-neesan."

Saeko-neesan stepped out of the car, leaning her elbows on the roof casually. "So? You're waiting for them? How long have you been here?"

Aeris let out a sigh that carried all her pent-up anxiety. "Since this morning. I didn't even realize the time. I'm nervous even though... I'm not the one taking the test."

Saeko-neesan laughed heartily. "You sound more stressed than they probably are."

A few moments later, the exam hall doors burst open. Hinata stumbled out first, bright-eyed, followed by Tobio, who looked like he had just escaped a battlefield. Saeko-neesan blinked in surprise at their dramatic entrance.

"Need a lift?" she offered, dangling her keys.

"Saeko-san's nee-san!" Hinata exclaimed, recognizing her instantly.

"Just get in," she said with a smirk. "We're running late already."

The three squeezed into the car—Aeris in the front seat and the two boys in the back. Tobio, apparently still half-asleep, eventually leaned his head onto Aeris's shoulder. She froze in surprise, then decided it wasn't worth waking him again.

Saeko-neesan kept the conversation lively as she drove. She glanced at the rear-view mirror. "So, Hinata, why'd you start playing volleyball in the first place?"

Hinata perked up. "Well, in middle school... I saw this 'Little Giant' on TV. I really admired the way he played."

Aeris turned in her seat. "Wait—the Little Giant? From Kamomedai High? He's incredible."

Hinata squinted. "Kamomedai High? What? No—I meant the Karasuno volleyball club's number 10."

Aeris raised an eyebrow. "Are you complimenting yourself?"

Hinata sputtered in embarrassment while Saeko-neesan burst into laughter.

"No, no," Hinata explained. "The Little Giant was Karasuno's greatest player back in the day."

Saeko-neesan nodded. "He was in the same year as me, too."

Hinata nearly bounced out of his seat. "Really?!"

Aeris leaned back, recalling the memory. "I saw one of his matches at Spring Tournament. Everyone watched him. He stood out so much."

Hinata smiled brightly. "You saw him in person? I only saw him on a tiny TV while biking. Isn't he amazing? Saeko-neesan, where is he now?"

Saeko-neesan shrugged. "I don't know him personally. I just remember seeing him in the gym once. He wasn't playing, but I liked him right away—strong personality, y'know?"

Tobio lifted his head from Aeris's shoulder just enough to speak. "Saeko-neesan, you know a surprising amount."

Aeris turned. "Since when were you awake?"

Tobio blinked. "When I got hungry."

Saeko-neesan snorted. "You? Hungry? What are you, an animal? Anyway—sit tight. We're almost there."

They reached the gym just as the team finished warming up. Saeko-neesan marched ahead and opened the door dramatically.

"We're on time," she announced proudly.

Nishinoya stared. "Nee-san?"

Asahi blinked. "Your sister?"

Nishinoya shook his head. "Not mine—Ryu's."

Inside, the Karasuno boys stared curiously at the trio who had just arrived. Yamamoto whistled when he saw all three managers together.

"So Baldy wasn't lying. They really have three managers? That's unfair."

Tanaka smirked, clearly proud.

Aeris stepped forward with confidence. "We're here. Need help with anything?"

Tanaka waved his hand. "Thanks for bringing them in one piece."

Saeko-neesan clapped Tobio and Hinata on the shoulders. "Good luck out there."

"Thank you, Saeko-neesan," they said in unison.

Aeris glanced toward the exit. "Saeko-neesan, can I ride back with you?"

Tobio frowned. "You're not staying?"

Aeris shook her head. "Nope. I have dance club. Our competition's coming up, so I can't skip practice."

She gave the team a quick bow and followed Saeko-neesan out of the gym, slipping back into the car as the late-afternoon sun hit the windshield.

Once they were driving again, Saeko-neesan glanced over at her. "I really thought you were just their... what was it? 'Comage'? I still don't get that."

Aeris laughed softly. "It's something Ryu and Nishinoya invented—'coach' plus 'manager.'"

Saeko-neesan practically wheezed. "HAH! That sounds exactly like something my idiot brother would come up with. But seriously—you're their coach? How did that happen?"

Aeris looked out the window at the passing buildings, a small smile forming as she thought back to everything that led her here.

It had been a long, stressful week—but moments like today reminded her why she stuck with them. Why she cared so much. Why she didn't mind the exhaustion.

« ֪ ׅ ֹ =͟͞ ♡ 𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗗.