Another Manager (Akashi Seijuro x OC)

2.14 Growing Fast (part one)

Possible Spoilers!!!

If you haven't watched the Kuroko no Basket movie, "Last Game", take caution! Only a small part of the plot is mentioned for now. (The actual chapters about the movie start next week!)

Also, I hope you've all had the chance to watch the third and fourth seasons of Haikyuu, because there'll be a few people making guest appearances!

You've been warned!

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Author's Note:

I was so caught up with writing about the movie that I forgot about the birthdays...😭

I'll write them as soon as I can! (Especially since I know Aone and Ushijima were readers' favorites. I'll try to think of something for Narita, too.)
(It's never too late to tell me who you want to read more of!)

I have no idea when it'll be, but I'll come back to them!

***

Coach Ukai opened it up to free practice in the afternoon so the guys could work on their skills individually. There were less than two months left until the qualifiers at the end of October, and he wanted each person to level up in time for it. Nishinoya and Hinata were hyped up, and they started with serve training and worked hard to improve their abilities.

As Yachi went to wash the red jerseys, Kageyama wanted to spy on a certain team. It wasn't like watching Seijoh would instantly make him a better player, and there was an unspoken rule to only record official matches. But, he had to see. The setter took a bus to Aoba Johsai High School after discarding his poor disguise.

Ai had asked Kageyama, after handing Daichi a water bottle, if he wanted her to go with him, but the first-year had said that he would be alright going by himself.
So, she stayed in the gymnasium to help the guys with personal practices. She didn't mind. Besides, Ai had a recording of a street basketball game that she was looking forward to watching.

Shouts of "One more!", "Nice serve!", and "Nice course!" echoed in the gymnasium as Ai finished her duties as quickly as possible. She couldn't make it in time for the live streaming that day, so a video of it would have to do. Kise had already texted her that morning to remind her of the game, telling her yet again that Kasamatsu would be playing.
Truthfully, she was very excited to watch the match. Ai had been wanting to see Higuchi-san play, and the rest of the graduates from her friends' schools were simply amazing. She wanted to see how they'd play in street basketball.

When Hinata asked Tsukishima if they could stop Ushijima as the middle blockers of the team, the tall blond got annoyed and left. It was one thing to think that they would naturally lose to a team with a two-meter-tall guy. But it was another for someone else to say that he can't win, especially if it was coming from the inexperienced and second shortest player on the team.

Ai went after him. "Kei," she called from the door of the gymnasium, staying on the stairs so as to not step outside with her indoor gym shoes on.

He paused on his way to the clubroom to change and leave school. "Yes?"

She stopped briefly — not wanting to say too much like the last time — before asking, "Is there anything you'd like me to do?"

He shrugged. "No. See you tomorrow, Ai-senpai." He nodded to her and continued to walk across the dusty courtyard.

She watched him go a little longer. He was still unsure of his stance with volleyball, so it was understandable that he wanted a change of scenery. Returning inside, Ai collected the used balls strewn about.