Chapter Thirteen: An Interlude to Study

 *BLAMMM*

 "HEY HEY HEY!!!"

 "Nice kill Bokuto," Akaashi told him. They had just gotten him out of his self-imposed funk and still needed the encouragement to stay out of it. Better safe than sorry. He gestured to his teammates to continue the praise.

 "Nice kill Mr. Ace," Sarukui said half-heartedly. It was still surprising that even the littlest thing could throw off his fellow third-year. He just went with the flow however and did what needed to be done, that was his role.

 "Atta way Bokuto!" Akinori yelled with false bravado, he too was getting fed up with Bokuto's antics. But he had survived this long with the bipolar ace, so he would suffer through it a little longer.

 However, it all came to a screeching halt as the usual stoic and quiet all-star middle blocker broke down everything the others had just done. "Bokuto, knock it off."

 Everyone and their mother stared at Tatsuki for saying something so stupid.

 "TATSUKI SHUT IT! Bokuto, he didn't mea-" Akinori began, but stopped immediately as he saw Bokuto's expression. "Shit…"

 He had fallen back into depression.

 …

 *TWEET*

 "Game set! 25-22 in favour of Shinzen High," the referee called. Although it had only been a practice game, getting each team ready for the upcoming training camp, Fukurodani was looking to extend their winning streak to 18 matches in a row. But with some careless words from their middle blocker, all the momentum they were going to swing their way with Bokuto's comeback died, allowing Shinzen to take advantage of the lull.

 "Maybe next time owl brain~" Daiki Ogano, the captain of Shinzen taunted. "Our combos are just too good!"

 "Oi! Shut it Broccoli head!" Akinori yelled in retaliation.

 "That's enough. Thank you for the game," Tatsuki said bowing, before grabbing the back of Akinori's jersey and pulling him back to avoid more confrontation.

 "Tatsuki! Let go! Let me at that vegetable bastard!" Akinori pleaded but couldn't do much due to his fellow third-year's superior strength.

 The banter going on between the two teams went completely unnoticed by the coaches who were busy talking to one another. Talking mainly about the upcoming training camp and what it would bring.

 "Man, you sure are a pushover Takeyuki," the coach of Shinzen High Yoshiki Sasagawa, began, "Inviting another team to the training camp? Just means we have to set up another room for the boys and procure more food for them all."

 "Tsk, I wouldn't have bothered with inviting them if Tatsuki hadn't made a big fuss over it. He even threatened to leave the team if I didn't invite Aoba Johsai!" Coach Takeyuki Yamiji said in exasperation. "Although I can't say I'm not curious…the reason for his abrupt change and frankly incredible improvement in such a short time is on the team, The Maverick or whatever they call him. Bah, what a stupid name!"

 "…I still hate having to do more work you damned bird brain!" Coach Sasagawa complained.

 A tick mark appeared on Coach Yamiji's forehead, "You're one to talk! Half the reason we need more food anyways is because of your fat ass!"

 "TAKE THAT BACK!"

 "NOT A CHANCE!"

 With both the coaches going at it now along with their players, the managers of both teams just looked at each other wondering why they even joined up in the first place.

 In sync, all three said the exact same thing.

 "What a bunch of morons,"

 It was then the three third-year girls made their moves and separated and berated their respective teams.

 On Fukurodani's side, Yukie Shirofuku and Kaori Suzumeda began to tell off their players who were all kneeling in front of them, the coach was standing up but fell in line with his players.

 "Now boys! You will all go and apologize for such foolish actions and then in repentance you'll buy dinner! I'm a little hungry after all," Yukie proudly stated. It was always food with her.

 A similar scene could be seen on Shinzen's side where Mako Otaki was laying into her own team.

 "Boys! I've had it up to hear with the poor behaviour! Half the arguments you always get into can be avoided if you just keep your mouth's shut! Especially you Daiki!" Maki angrily said.

 "But-" Daiki began but was cut off quickly as he noticed the glare Maki was giving him.

 "You will now go apologize to Fukurodani and then you will clean this gym up promptly and quickly!" Maki finished.

 As both managers finished simultaneously, a chorus of responses came from all the boys in the gym, coaches included.

 ""YES MA'AM""

~Break~

 "Yachi, that's a point for your side," Kiyoko said to her junior, and hopefully new fellow manager.

 "AH! Y-yes," Hitoka Yachi said, flipping the score over on her side.

 It had been a few days since Kiyoko had found Yachi and persuaded her to become Karasuno's new manager after she retired. And in her eyes, it had seemed to be working. Not only did it seem like she was starting to get more enraptured with the team itself, having noticed the drive behind the players' eyes and their indomitable spirits. But she had been tutoring both Hinata and Kageyama to have them both pass finals and participate in the upcoming training camps and sure enough, the ball of boundless energy that is the greatest decoy helped seal the deal for Yachi to join the Boy's Volleyball team.

 "Game set! Karasuno wins 25-20" the referee from Ogi Nishi High said.

 "YEAH!" Hinata roared out, quickly being joined by Tanaka and Nishinoya, only to be smacked in the back of the head by Daichi.

 "OI! SHUT IT!"

 After Daichi's intervention, both teams lined up and thanked each other for the match. Ogi Nishi leaving shortly after and the Karasuno boys now getting a run down from Coach Ukai.

 "Alright! Listen up! LISTEN!" Coach Ukai yelled, getting the attention of the rowdy bunch of Tanaka, Nishinoya, and Hinata. "This will be the last practice before exams take place so study hard! Also, if any of you fail, don't forget you'll have to take supplementary lessons and more than likely miss out on the first training camp. Oh, one more thing, I just received a call from Coach Nekomata this morning informing me of another team joining the training camp. On top of us facing a couple of powerhouses in Tokyo, them being, Fukurodani Academy, Ubugawa High, Shinzen High, and then of course Nekomata, believe it or not, Fukurodani Academy invited Aoba Johsai-"

 "THE GREAT KING IS GOING!" Hinata yelled, interrupting Coach Ukai. And before he could get it under control, others chimed in.

 "Oikawa…!"

 "They won't win next time!"

 "Damn pretty boy…"

 "ROLLLL-"

 "QUIET!!!"

 With a shout from Coach Ukai, the team shut up.

 "I know it isn't ideal, seeing as how they just beat us in the Inter-high, but look at it this way. We'll be able to gather more information on a tough team in our prefecture and be able to come up with countermeasures to their strategies." Ukai began, only to be cut off by Takeda, deciding he would voice his two cents.

 "Coach is right! You guys can do anything you put your mind to! Being able to play against them in this light will only help us improve, improve upon what we are already good at and help us spread our wings and fly ever higher!" Takeda said with conviction.

 Hinata and Kageyama just looked on confused by what he just said. The third years appreciated the kind words of motivation and Tanaka and Nishinoya were just holding in their laughter and the corny words.

 "…Thank you for those words or wisdom specs. Now clean it up and head home! You have ten minutes!"

 "YES SIR!" the team said.

 Kiyoko who had been watching the interaction from the side could only smile at the team's antics. By this point she had seen this scene more than a thousand times, her fellow third years reigning in the chaos that was Tanaka and Nishinoya during cleaning, or Suga having to curb the rivalry between Hinata and Kageyama from starting yet another pointless competition in her eyes, but something they saw value in.

 Kiyoko would surely miss the times like these. But it wasn't the time to be reminiscing. Not yet at least, that time would come, she was sure of it.

 "Yachi, can you grab the scoreboard? I'll show you where it goes," Kiyoko asked, picking up the two chairs they were sitting on.

 "Y-y-yes mistres- I mean Miss Shimizu" Yachi replied, picking up the scoreboard and nearly falling over from doing it too quickly.

 Kiyoko smiled once more and thought back to when she joined the team as a manager. Had she been this nervous and klutzy? She didn't think so, but those looking back on younger versions of themselves often looked through rose-tinted glasses.

 "Gah! My legs are still so sore from running the other day! If I ever have to endure that again it'll be too soon!" Hinata whined, bringing Kiyoko's attention to him, as she finished putting the chairs away.

 "Oh? Was that why you weren't as hoppy today?" Kageyama asked. "I had to set the ball a half width shorter because of it."

 "Yeah of course! I was still doing flying laps by the time you left remember! I had to do double!" Hinata said, whirling on Kageyama pointing a finger at him.

 "Well, maybe next time you shouldn't piss the coach off," Kageyama replied offhandedly.

 "Hey, why was it you guys had to do the flying laps anyway? The coach never told us why," Sugawara asked. Genuinely curious as to what his juniors did to piss off their short-tempered coach.

 "Hey! It wasn't even anything I did! I just said good morning at his store and went to buy breakfast and he just blew up at me! Kageyama was caught in the crossfire too!" Hinata told him.

 "Surely you did something pipsqueak," Tanaka said, not believing Hinata's story of innocence.

 "Nah, it's the truth. I just walked in shortly after Hinata did and he hadn't said anything to piss off coach," Kageyama said.

 Kiyoko who had been listening from the beginning started to wonder who pissed off their coach this bad to punish Hinata and Kageyama this bad.

 "Yeah, whoever that guy was, is a real piece of crap," Hinata said.

 "Can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree," Kageyama told Hinata, who was stunned a little at how he agreed with him.

 "Oi! What's taking so long? I gotta lock up!" Coach Ukai said, coming into the gym. "You guys have finished cleaning go get changed and leave!"

 "Hey, coach! What made you so mad that you punished Hinata and Kageyama for it?" Nishinoya asked, much to the shock of all those around. You could hear a pin drop at the silence that now encompassed the gym.

 "Oh? Curious are we? Some brat that came to the store had some choice words for me and I did too now that I think about it. But a...misunderstanding if you would, happened and I got pissed off because of it, Hinata and Kageyama just came in at the wrong time and were a convenient source to vent my anger upon. Simple as that," Coach said. "Now get a move on!"

 "YES SIR," all the ones left in the gym said, walking to the locker room, leaving Yachi and Kiyoko outside to begin their respective walks home.

 "I hope you enjoyed your day with us Yachi and I also hope you'll join us officially," Kiyoko said.

 "O-oh, I think I-I will. I've really enjoyed my time so far." Yachi replied honestly.

 "That's good to know, also best of luck with Hinata and Kageyama. They're a handful, anyway, this is my turn. Bye, Yachi!" Kiyoko told her, turning down the road to the bus stop she had to take to get home.

 "B-Bye Miss Shimizu! And thank you!" Yachi yelled, before continuing to the train station.

 Kiyoko who had just made it to the bus stop was thankful she found her replacement as manager, and she was sure Yachi would do a good job. Knowing all this it put a smile on her face, one that grew when she remembered a certain blonde boy had come back into her life.

 "I wonder what you're doing right now Bodhi?" Kiyoko thought to herself as the bus came.

~Break~

 "ACHOOO! Somebody must be talking about me-" Bodhi began before being smacked over the head by a paper fan blade.

 "FOCUS PUPIL BODHI!" Hana ordered. "We're only halfway through the review and you're starting to fall behind. You don't want what happened before to happen again right?"

 "N-n-n-no Ma'am!"

 Hana Nakano was truly the devil in disguise. No human should ever have to go through that.

 Never again Bodhi swore to himself.

 "BACK TO THE BOOKS!"

 "YES MA'AM!"

Author Note:

I finished and I. AM. ALIVE!

Doc gave me the all-clear and I'm right as rain now. So, in this chapter, I had some thoughts of how I was going to do it, only for it to take a left when it should have gone right and somehow it became an interlude thing.

Strange stuff happens sometimes.

Like I had another iteration of "Bodhi's Bounty Book" all ready to go just named "Bodhi's Book of Blight" as it would have been called, about his time studying with Hana but scrapped it as I thought about Fukurodani and the like.

Maybe I'll do an Omake one day about it, I don't know.