Karasuno's Mangers: Little Ukai and The Runaway

8: A Pretty Girl Alumni

Emiko winced, holding her phone arm's width from her ear. Still, her Uncle's angry voice came through as though he were standing beside her.

"You have quite the audacity to pull off that kind of move. Just what did you expect me to say to your grandparents? Well?"

"Grand-mama and Grand-papa don't care, Uncle Keishin." She rolled her eyes and staggered down the hallway. "Unlike you, they know that I am in my prime time of adolescent curiosity."

"Prime time of adolescent- what? No, you're in your prime time to be whacked over the head with a shovel and buried six feet deep."

Emiko poked her head into another classroom and surveyed the room. She clicked her tongue and dragged herself down the hall.

"You know Uncle Keishin, I never realized how truly graphic and violent you are."

"Just wait till you get home, you little shit," he barked back, "I'll have you digging for worms and mixing compost."

"Hard pass."

"Emiko" he warned. "I turn a blind eye to many of your ridiculous tricks but not coming home at night is a whole new level of delinquency. Even for you."

"That's where you're wrong Uncle Keishin." Emiko huffed and started to descend the stairs from the third level of the school building. It was lunchtime and she was on the hunt for a certain dark-haired setter. "I did come home last night, I was tucked away in my bed at exactly 9:58 pm, two whole minutes before my curfew."

"And how do you plan on proving that?"

"Ask your neighbour, he saw me climbing in through my bedroom window."

"Oh, believe me, I will ask and when I find out you're lying, I'll-"

"You'll tie me to a stake and light me on fire, sounds like a plan! Well, see you later Uncle Keishin." Hurriedly she ended the call and skipped her way towards the tall figure standing in front of the vending machine.

"Tobio," she yelled, "I missed you."

Kageyama flinched at the sound of her voice. "What?"

"How tall are you?" she changed the subject and began to walk around him. "You've got to be 7 feet, right?"

"I'm 5'11."

Emiko's eyes widened. "How? I want to be tall too," she grabbed at the collar of his shirt and yanked him down to eye-level, "I demand to know your secrets."

Kageyama's cheeks flushed red. "I work out," he stuttered.

"I'm not exercising."

"Hm... I drink a lot of milk."

"I hate the taste of milk. You know that."

"Well, everyone in my family is pretty tall."

Emiko glared and released him. "I hate you."

"I know you do." He looked her up and down. "I was going to mention this earlier, but you haven't changed all that much from middle school, although, you're not wearing your signature pink tutu."

Emiko hung her head and whispered, "Those were dark days, Tobio. Let's agree not to bring up my wardrobe choices."

"I didn't think there was anything wrong with it," he shrugged. "You were a terrifying kid, but the fact that you wore a pink tutu to school made you fit into the stereotype of the pretty girl."

Emiko stumbled backwards as she clutched her head. Out of all the names, Tobio Kageyama could have called her, he chose the worst. Judging by the smirk on his lips, she realized he chose it intentionally too.