"Good job, Inuoka," Nekomata nodded approvingly at his team as they gathered around the bench during the court change. "With this, we should be able to put a stop to Karasuno's main offences. Keep up the good work, boys!"

"Yessir!"

"But that quick of theirs is ridiculous, no matter how you look at it," Yaku said as he wiped his face with his towel. "Good job on stopping it, Inuoka."

"Thank you very much," the brown-haired boy grinned, a little embarrassed by all the praise he's being showered with.

"See? What did I tell ya?" Resting an arm around his underclassman, Yamamoto ruffled his hair. "I told you you'd be able to do it."

No, you didn't. Kuroo deadpanned, though he said nothing.

"Here you go, Inuoka-kun," Ichika offered the boy his water bottle. "Drink some water. You need to keep your stamina up for the second set."

"Oh, thank you very much!" Inuoka took the bottle with both hands and began chugging.

"But isn't this a little cruel?" Ichika muttered to no one in particular as the second set began.

Like a stubborn animal, Karasuno kept their agile Number 10 on the court, trying to force their way through Inuoka's persistent blocking, only to suddenly switch it up after a forced timeout. Now instead of a direct toss into the spiker's hand, their monster setter was now offering a softer, floatier toss.

"What do you mean?" Nekomata asked.

"Karasuno's Number 10 is fast. He has a lot of stamina, and he can jump really high," she peered down at her notes. "If only he were a little taller, maybe then he wouldn't constantly be blocked by Inuoka-kun."

"You think so?" With his arms crossed over his chest, Nekomata looked out to the court. "He reminds me of a story Ukai once told me during one of our drinking sessions."

"Ukai-san?"

"Not Keishin, but his grandpa," he corrected her. "Have you ever heard of Karasuno's 'Little Giant?'"

Ichika shook her head.

"He was a player for Karasuno a long time ago. As his name suggests, he was only 170 cm tall," Nekomata began to explain, voice filled with nostalgia. "By the time I got to see him in person, he was already a force to be reckoned with on the court. He'd aim for the spaces between blockers and purposely make the ball ricochet off their fingertips. It was eye-opening to see a short-player develop his own playstyle to battle in a game of heights."

"He sounds amazing."

"But he wasn't always like that, you know? In the beginning, he was constantly blocked out by those taller than him. He'd struggle to gain a footing in mid-air battles."

"So what changed?"

The old man's eyes crinkled, and his lips tugged into a smile. "Because people don't have wings, we look for a way to fly," he turned to look at his granddaughter. "That's what Ukai said."

As if responding to Coach Ukai's words of wisdom, Number 10 suddenly changed the ball's trajectory, sending it flying towards the sidelines of the court. While the ball had landed outside the designated white lines, Ichika felt a chill run through her spine as if she had just witnessed a turning point in the boy's volleyball career.

But as the rallies continued, the freakish quick duo didn't make another successful attack for a good while. The monster setter's tosses were either too high or too soft, causing the ball to just barely miss Number 10's fingertips by a smidge. Just as the ball brushed past the ginger's fingers once more, the captain swooped in before the leather could hit the ground, bumping it over the net towards Nekoma's side of the court. Inuoka dove for the ball with everything he had, bumping it back up into the air and towards Kenma, who set the ball to Yamamoto. The second-year attempted to end the rally by spiking it down, only for Karasuno's three-man block to interfere. It looked like the end of the rally was approaching, only for Kai to lunged in out of nowhere and save the ball.

"Karasuno's captain," Ichika studied his form. "Is he a defensive specialist?"

"Most likely, yes." Nekomata nodded in agreement. "He and that genius libero make up the bulk of Karasuno's defences. In a way, you can say they round the team out, covering for their teammates' weak receives and rough-around-the-edges attacks."

"I mean, they are using this practice match as practice for their new quicks," the blonde laughed awkwardly. "What a reckless team."

"Crows are reckless animals, to begin with," Nekomata said, causing Ichika to look over at his cryptic way of speech.

"By crows, do you mean the animals 'Karasu?'"

Nekomata nodded. "Crows are naturally omnivore creatures that are always hungry. They're the type of animals to scavenge through the dumpsters, and they'll stubbornly fight against any intruder no matter how small the scrap of meat may be. Truly, wild and reckless."

Ichika stilled.

"You know, sometimes you can get really poetic," she pointed.

"Is that so?" The old man chuckled.

It was then, Yamamoto called for another toss from Kenma.

"Even if I'm only average on offence," he jumped into the air. "I'm still Nekoma's ace!"

With that finishing line, he slammed the ball past the three-man block and towards the ground. Naoi gave a short blow on the whistle, signifying another point to Nekoma.

"Alright!" The boy with a mohawk cheered.

"Good job, Yamamoto-san!" Cupping a hand around her mouth, Ichika cheered.

"You saw that, Ichika-san?" Yamamoto extended a fist in her direction. "That was for you!"

"Yes, yes, thank you very much."

"Why are you specifically cheering for Yamamoto?" Nekomata looked a little perplexed.

"Hm?" Ichika met his gaze. "Ah, that's because Yamamoto-san always does his best when he receives positive reinforcement from a girl," she said with a conclusive smile.

"Oh, really now?"

"But Yamamoto-san is doing really well today," she turned her attention back to the game. "It feels like he's even more fired up than usual."

"Karasuno's team has a similar kind of guy. Maybe that's why," Nekomata said, glancing at the bald-headed boy named Tanaka. "Or maybe he was inspired by the battle between Inuoka and Number 10. Both teams are influencing each other in this tight battle, and they're pushing their opponent's abilities to new heights," he hummed.

"So it's a sense of competition that's driving them?" Ichika's eyes flickered, briefly thinking back to her time playing kyudo in middle school as well as her first year in high school. Unlike volleyball, kyudo was a solo sport through and through. Every time she went up to shoot her shot, it was always her against the target. The rest of the world would fall away and nothing else would matter. She couldn't help but wonder if she were to pay a little more attention to her competition at the time, would she experience the same hot-blooded drive as Yamamoto and the rest of the team today?

"But those two, Number 9 and Number 10 really are something to look out for in the future." She heard her grandfather suddenly say, his expression clouded over in a mixture of anticipation and dread.

"I thought you said Number 9 was the true monster between the two of them," she pointed out.

"For now, yes," Nekomata admitted. "That Number 10 is solely relying on that monster setter to get the ball to him. From what I can tell, he's still an amateur when it comes to volleyball. But if he keeps practicing, sharpening his technique and honing his game senses, that duo will cease being a monster and his club. They'll just become a pair of monsters."

For the subsequent few rallies, Nekoma and Karasuno went back and forth, barely keeping up with each other by the skin of their teeth. As the rotation went by, it was soon Inuoka's turn to serve. Kuroo rotated to the vanguard, now in charge of checking that agile Number 10. As the rally began, that freakish quick immediately made a return, spiking past Kuroo and the rest of the team before they could even react.

"Oh dear," Ichika covered her mouth, barely stifling a laugh while Kuroo shot her a glare as if to warn her that he heard that.

"Sorry, sorry," he told the others. "I didn't react at all."

"Kuroo-san, don't worry," Inuoka was quick to encourage him, perhaps returning the favour from earlier that match. "It took a while until I got used to it too."

"Thanks," Kuroo hummed. "But wow, that quick was amazing. I guess those guys are what you call superhuman. Okay, then," he turned back towards the net, a readied grin surfacing. "Let's get that point back."

As Karasuno's Number 10 sent a serve over, Yaku received the ball back to Kenma. Ichika sat at the edge of her seat, watching as the team jumbled into formation. Yamamoto let out a roar, drawing all the attention towards himself as he swung his arm, only for Kenma to set to Fukunaga in the back. The second-year spiked down, only for the Number 10 to receive it with his face.

"Chance ball," Kuroo called out calmly, gently bumping the ball for hurrying to the front, finishing the rally with an A-quick.

Then, in the next rally, as Karasuno's blockers were preparing themselves for another A-quick, Kuroo managed to fool them with his and Kenma's personal-time difference attack.

As the team gathered to celebrate breaking twenty points, Ichika hurried to mark Kuroo down for yet another point. No matter how many times she's watched Nekoma play, she would probably never get over the rush of adrenaline she felt in the pits of her stomach every time they score a point.

"As I thought, our team really is amazing," she voiced her thoughts out loud, expecting to hear a response from the old man beside her. But all she heard instead was a faint, slightly grim chuckle. "Grandfather?" She looked to the side, only to notice Nekomata casting Karasuno's bench a smug look, making his intentions of provoking the younger Ukai as obvious as day.

On the Karasuno's bench, Ichika noticed Coach Ukai hissing through his teeth with frustration and decided to step in.

"Hey, grandfather," she whispered as subtly as possible. "It's not nice to tease people like that, you know?"

"Who cares?" Nekomata's smirk only widened. Now he looked more like the villain of a story than anything. "Mental provocation is still fair game in volleyball."

"Really?" Ichika didn't look entirely convinced.

As if responding to her question, Coach Ukai's voice suddenly boomed out from Karasuno's side of the court. "We have no choice but to fight!" He yelled out. "Pound them with your power and speed!"

"In other words, we force them to surrender?" Karasuno's Number 5 looked back, seeming especially on board with that notion.

"That's kinda villainous." Number 10 murmured.

"Villainous, huh?" Coach Ukai gave a hearty laugh. "That's fine. Crows are meant to be sorta villainous, aren't they?" He stated as he shot the Nekoma bench a rather dark look. "We'll make up for our lousy quicks and receives with sheer brute force! You guys are rough around the edges and awkward, so use that as your weapon! Wield your weapon with all your might. Attack, attack and keep attacking!"

"See?" Nekomata glanced back at Ichika, who looked a little blown back by his sudden outburst.

"Yeah," she huffed out a breath.

With Coach Ukai's directions, Karasuno went on total offence, and it didn't take long for them to claw their way up to twenty points, giving Nekoma a two-point lead. Seeing the sudden fire lit in their opponents, Nekomata was quick to call for a timeout with the team.

"Don't rush things. Understood?"

"Yessir!"

"Good," he nodded in satisfaction. "Keep your connections solid."

As the volleyball weaved back and forth between the two sides of the net, Ichika found her breath nearly stolen away each time the ball threatened to land on either side of the court. A set from Karasuno's monster setter, a save from Yaku, a direct spike from Karasuno's bearded ace, then a last-minute save from Fukunaga, the rallies just felt never-ending.

"The ball is going back to Karasuno!" Ichika was leaning on the edge of her seat.

"That's how it is." Her grandfather said, expression stern. "Even if we lose our bearings and we can't get into a position to attack, as long as the ball is in play, we still haven't lost."

"Grandfather..."

A bump from Tanaka sent the ball towards the monster setter, and with a sweeping motion, Karasuno's Number 10 ran across the court and leapt into the air. Ichika still couldn't fathom where that boy hides all that jumping abilities in his tiny stature. Nevertheless, he spiked the ball downwards, only for Yaku to once again jump in for a save. However, the ball dug into the net and rolled off Kai's arms as he attempted to regain control of it.

"It's gonna fall!" Ichika stood up.

Just when it looked like the ball was finally going to touch the gym floor, and Karasuno was going to draw a deuce, Kenma dove down, knocking the ball back up into the air and across the net.

"If you've read my article in the program book, then you should understand my core philosophy in volleyball." In contrast to his granddaughter, Nekomata was as calm as a millpond. "The team with the strongest spiker doesn't win. It's the team that drops the ball that loses. That's what it means to connect."

With a resounding echo, the ball's leather surface bounced against the gym floor, and Naoi's crisp whistle rang out. There was a brief moment of silence, then a collective cheer exploded from the Nekoma boys. Inuoka threw his hands in the air while Yamamoto dove for Kenma, dragging him up to his feet and noogie-ing him.

Ichika let out a breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding, falling back to the bench with a sigh of relief. Even though she had only been sitting there for a little less than an hour, she felt as if she had just run a marathon.

"Are you okay?" Nekomata laughed a little, noticing her dazed expression.

"Huh? Oh, yeah-"

"Once more!" But a somewhat familiar voice was quick to interrupt her absent response. Both Ichika and her grandfather turned to look, finding the small Karasuno middle blocker standing with practical stars in his eyes.

"Let's play once more!" He shouted.

"Yeah, I'd like that." Unlike the flabbergasted silence from his own teammates and coaches, as well as the looks of disbelief from the Nekoma boys, Nekomata was quick to return his sentiment. He placed his hands on his kneecaps and readjusted himself on the bench as if to prepare himself for another intense round. "That's what a practice match is for - so we can do it 'once more'"

The ginger's expression brightened.

"But why don't we all take a quick break first? Get some water and refresh yourselves."

"Yessir!"

Coach Ukai laughed from the other side of the gym and quickly called Karasuno back for a water break and a reworking of their strategy. Nekomata did the same.

As the boys slowly began to gather around the bench, wiping off the sweat and chugging large amounts of water, Ichika couldn't keep her eyes off her grandfather. She didn't know if he had always been like that or she was just too stuck in her own head to realize it until now, but when Nekomata was watching his team play against Karasuno, he was practically glowing.

Ever since she was little, Ichika had always wondered what her grandparents were like. It wasn't something her mother talked about often. In fact, it seemed to be a sore spot for her, so Ichika knew better than to pick at it. But occasionally, very occasionally, whenever they'd walk by a park and some kids would be playing around with an old volleyball, Asami would stop and stare for a bit.

"You know, Ichika." She'd say. "Your grandpa was a pretty big volleyball head when he was around your age. "

"Really? Was he good?" Ichika remembered asking.

"Well, he's good enough to be a coach now." Asami would chuckle to herself before smiling into the distance, her golden eyes carrying a warm yet far-off look. "Honestly, I don't know much about his days of actually playing volleyball. But as a coach, he's absolutely amazing!"

"Hey, grandfather?"

"Hm?"

Before she even realized it, the honest words came tumbling out of her mouth without a second thought.

"You really are amazing."

Nekomata's eyes widened. With those words, it was as if the heavy baggage he had kept suspended in his chest finally settled onto the ground. His lips quirked upwards and he grinned.

"You're just realizing this now?"

"Yes," Ichika went along with his teasing, though part of her felt as if she were speaking the truth. "I am."

Three matches or six full sets later, Nekoma High came out as the tried-and-true victor of this little Cat-Crow Reunion. Both sides were completely drained. Some of the boys were sprawled over the gym floor, while those with a little more energy (and dignity) were left panting with their hands on their knees.

"Oh dear..." Ichika mused as she jotted down the final score of the last set, 30-32. "Looks like we won."

"Once more!" Karasuno's middle blocker, whom Ichika has learned was called Hinata Shoyo, shouted again.

Nekomata choked beside her. "Stop joking around. You've been moving around like crazy! Is your stamina limitless or something?!"

"Well, I guess he's a monster in that regard," Ichika said to no one in particular.

"Hey now, we can't!" Coach Ukai, the younger, reprimanded the boy, quickly dragging him back by the back of the collar. "These guys still need to catch the Shinkansen back."

After a quick call from the captains to form a huddle, the teams exchanged sides to receive their notes from the opponent's coaches.

Ichika stood to the left of her grandfather, slightly taken by how tall the members of Karasuno were. Especially their first-years, Kageyama Tobio, Tsukishima Kei & their Number 12 whom she didn't know the name of yet. Ichika wasn't particularly short, especially compared to the average height of Japanese women. So it was hard to believe they were all a year younger than her.

Granted, the first years of the Nekoma Volleyball Club, save for Shibayama, were all taller than her. But it never really hit Ichika since attitudes were usually so... chaotic and child-like, especially around her.

In fact, not even Kuroo struck her as tall. Rather her first impression of him was someone in desperate need of a hairbrush.

From the opposite side of the gym, the tall, messy-haired boy sneezed.

Nekomata then cleared his throat, bringing Ichika out of her train of thoughts.

"His granddad and I are old acquaintances," the old man nudged his chin towards the younger Coach Ukai. "We did a lot of practice matches together, and they were great matches every time." He glanced back towards the boys with a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "However, he ended up retiring pretty early on due to health complications. I thought we'd be able to find those same, good practices without old man Ukai around, but a good rival is, in the end, really hard to find. A few years later, that old geezer made a comeback but collapsed soon after. I was afraid Karasuno would be done for after that. But... " He scanned each boy's face, his lips curling into a wide grin as he went down the line. "Frankly, your abilities have exceeded my expectations. Especially Number 9 & 10's quicks on the offence. You guys are pretty much unstoppable."

Ichika chuckled to herself, watching as the two boys swelled with the pride and excitement of being praised.

"And you two on the left," he continued, "you're both powerful weapons. So now, just focus on maintaining connections."

"Yes!"

"As a team, you're all rough-hewn and lack training. But in place of that, you have overwhelming potential. The more you train, the stronger you'll become. You guys make me excited." He paused, glancing over towards the boys in red, who were all staring back at Karasuno & their coach. "Looks like we finally have some good rivals again. So let's meet again at nationals. In front of a huge audience, in an arena swirling with emotions, in that shining, glistening, enormous gymnasium. We'll show everyone the best match ever - the Battle of the Garbage Dump!"

"Yes!"

Matching her grandfather's expression, a satisfied smile quickly spread across Ichika's face. Once the clean-up operation began, she quickly excused herself to go refill the water bottles.

Holding a six-pack bottle carrier in each hand, Ichika made her way outside the Volleyball Gymnasium only to find that the soft baby blue sky had since been transformed into a red to orange hue. She squinted a little, not having the free hand to hold up and block out the sunlight; she just trudged on forward in that state, following the sound of water running from a faucet a little further up ahead.

"Shimizu-san?"

Sure enough, standing a little further away with her back towards her was Karasuno's manager - Shimizu Kiyoko. The dark-haired girl turned around at the call for her name, and Ichika was once again struck by her beautiful appearance.

"Oh, Shirazome-san."

Something about Kiyoko really reminded her of Hirayama Mizuki, though Kiyoko had more of a 'cool beauty' rather than the Nekoma baseball team manager's 'innocently sweet' image.

In comparison to those two, Ichika felt a little like a weed between the cracks of the road.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing." Quickly brushing that somewhat comedic, albeit self-deprecating image out of her mind, Ichika lugged the empty water bottles over to the faucet. "Great game today, huh?"

Kiyoko nodded as she brought a semi-empty bottle under the running water. "Your team is really strong."

"Thank you," Ichika chuckled. "Your team was great too, especially that crazy quick Number 9 & 10 can pull off. Hinata-kun and Kageyama-kun, was it?"

Kiyoko nodded again.

"They were really good. Your libero and wing spikers too. And your team captain." Ichika recalled as she pulled a few bottles up from the carrier. "I'm so glad we decided to come to Miyagi."

"Did you guys get to explore the city?"

"Yes, we did! We went to the morning market a few days ago, and then we took a stroll around Sendai yesterday morning before our practice match with another school. Miyagi is beautiful."

"I see." The Karasuno manager chuckled. "Did you enjoy your stay?"

"Definitely! The food is delicious, and the city is much calmer than it is in Tokyo. I had a lot of fun."

Kiyoko's eyes crinkled. "That's good to hear."

"If you ever come to Tokyo, Shimizu-san, let me know." Setting aside some now filled water bottles, Ichika turned to look at the older girl. "I'm still pretty new to the city myself, but I'd be happy to show you around."

Initially, Kiyoko looked a little surprised by the blonde's offer. But she soon broke into a smile. "I'm looking forward to it."

While the two managers were having a leisurely conversation outside, something a little more intense was going on within the walls of the storage room.

Nekoma's Yamamoto and Karasuno's Tanaka have once again encountered each other, with Yamamoto surprisingly being the first to strike up a conversation.

"What's up? Ya still wanna fight? Shitty boy. Come on!" The bald wing spiker taunted on.

"Um... Well... your... L-Lady... M..." Yamamoto's gaze turned shifty before finally settling to the side. "What's your manager's name?" He asked nervously.

Outside, Kiyoko sneezed.

Tanaka immediately tensed at the mention of Kiyoko. "You!" He reached for his collar. "You plan on bothering our precious manager?! I'm gonna rub your fuzzy head so hard it-"

"No. I do not have the courage to speak with her." Yamamoto admitted bluntly, calming Tanaka down in an instant.

Slowly, Karasuno's Number 5 put Yamamoto down and took a step back. "Kiyoko-san." He murmured, immediately piquing Yamamoto's interest. "She's Shimizu Kiyoko-san."

"Really?!" Yamamoto gasped in disbelief. "She's the very embodiment of that name!"

"Right?" Tanaga agreed. "It took me a while before I could speak to her, so I know what you mean. But," his expression grew serious. "When you talk to her and she ignores you, it's still pretty good."

Yamamoto's jaw dropped wide open. "N-No!" He waved nervously. "That hurdle's still too high for me!"

Tanaka let out a hearty laugh. "Well, whaddya know? You're actually a pretty good guy. But," he suddenly remembered something. "Your manager isn't bad looking either. How do you talk to her?"

"Ichika-san?" Yamamoto pressed his lips together, giving the question a good thought. "I guess it's because she's easy to talk to? When we first met, she didn't shy away. But instead, she gave me her hand and asked for my name."

"That's a girl with guts," Tanaka pointed at him.

"And talking to her feels different than talking to other girls." Yamamoto rubbed his chin, trying to recall that feeling. "Being around her feels warm, kinda like... Like being around my mom or somethin'. It's like... Like if I do well, she's gonna pat me on the head and tell me I did well."

"Oh, I see." Tanaka snapped his fingers before pointing at him again. "So you work best with praise."

"No, that's not-! Wait." Upon further thought, Yamamoto quickly calmed down. "Maybe that's it."

"Don't worry, brother," Tanaka placed a hand on Yamamoto's shoulder. "I just discovered that about myself last year as well. Kiyoko-san helped Noya-san and I study for midterms."

Yamamoto gulped. "How was it?"

"It was great."

Meanwhile, Ichika sneezed into her elbow, nearly spilling over the freshly filled water bottle.

"Are you okay, Shirazome-san?" Kiyoko asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Ichika sniffled, rubbing her nose against the back of her wrist. "I didn't think it was that cold, but I guess it is if we're both sneezing."

"Ichika-san!" Just when Kiyoko was about to agree with her, a call for Ichika rang out from behind and both girls turned to look.

"Teshiro-kun?" Ichika quickly turned off the running water and shook her hands free of some lingering water droplets. "Is something wrong?"

"Coach Nekomata is looking for you. I'm here to take your place and fill up the rest of the water bottles." He told her, all the while giving a polite nod in Kiyoko's direction.

"Oh, okay. Thanks for letting me know." Though she was a little perplexed, Ichika complied. After quickly wiping her cold, damp hands off on her red jersey pants, she excused herself from the water refill station and headed back into the building.

"Ichika-chan! Over here!" Coach Naoi was waiting for her in the lobby and quickly waved her over.

"Naoi-sensei," Ichika was quick to greet him. "Did something happen?"

"Nekomata-sensei just told me to come get you." Naoi shrugged, gently patting her on the back and guiding her further down the hallway towards the gym.

"Nekomata-sensei." A little further in front of them, she could see her grandfather conversing with Ukai Jr. and Takeda - Karasuno's faculty advisor. "Thank you for coming all this way out here for the match," the latter said, once again bowing at a rigid ninety-degree angle.

"No, no, thank you." Ichika heard her grandfather say. "In fact, it's thanks to you guys I got to show off a little."

"Huh?" Takeda stood up straight, a little confused by what the old coach meant. But nevertheless, Nekomata continued talking.

"Since you have no connections, it must be hard for you to get practice matches together. Especially all those calls you made me, they just got more and more desperate. You even threatened to come see me personally." He snuck a glance over his shoulder, just in time to see Naoi and Ichika arrive at the scene.

"I-I'm sorry..." Takeda stiffened while Nekomata let out a good-natured, albeit teasing laugh.

"However, your enthusiasm stoked my enthusiasm. Even if you're awkward, your students will follow you just the same." He peered into the gym at some of the Karasuno boys as they worked on stretching out their arms and legs. "Keep doing your best, you man."

Ichika swore she saw the faculty advisor's eyes moisten as he bowed once more, saying: "Thank you very much."

Eyes crinkling, Nekomata then turned his attention to Ukai. "You better keep doing your best too, Keishin. We played three matches and you didn't win a single one."

At his taunts, Ukai jolted as a forced grin quickly overtook his features. "I'll win them all next time. Just you wait."

"Is that so?" Nekomata mused, turning his nose up towards the young man. "Let's hope you're not all talk."

"N-Nekomata-sensei..." Naoi stuttered. "It's not good to be so confrontational."

"Well, it's this guy's fault. He looks too much like that old geezer."

"How childish..." Ichika laughed awkwardly.

"Well, that aside." Setting aside his smugness, Nekomata reached over to pat Ichika on the back, gently shoving her forward towards the two Karasuno coaches.

"Huh?" She looked back, unsure of what exactly her grandfather was instructing her to do.

"Introduce yourself, Ichika."

"Ah, right." Turning towards the two adults, Ichika lowered her head respectfully. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Shirazome Ichika."

"Nice to meet you too, Shirazome-san." Though he was older than her, Takeda bowed nevertheless. "Um, you're Nekoma's... manager, right?"

"Yep," Nekomata grinned. "And she's also my granddaughter."

.

.

.

For a few seconds, both Takeda and Ukai's eyes drifted back and forth between Ichika and Nekomata, as if trying to discover the resemblance in their appearance when-

"Ah, now I remember!" Ichika suddenly gasped, slamming her fist into her open palm. "Takeda-sensei. You were the one who called the house about this practice match, right? I knew I recognized your voice from somewhere."

"EH?!" Suddenly, the two men let out a collective sound that sounded like a crossover between a gasp and a shout.

"You're Nekomata-sensei's granddaughter?" Takeda asked, readjusting his glasses on his nose bridge in an attempt to get a better look. "The one on the phone?"

"Mhm."

"Oh, I'm so sorry for bothering you that day! You must've been so confused, but thank you so much for passing the passage to Nekomata-sensei." Takeda was quick to apologize again, and all of a sudden, Ichika felt guilty for making an elder lower his head like that.

"No, it's okay," Ichika waved her hands. "I admit I was surprised. But it wasn't bothersome at all, so please don't worry."

"Why is she so much younger than me?" Ukai raised an eyebrow, observing Ichika with genuine curiosity.

"It's because my late wife and I didn't decide to have kids until we were in our thirties," Nekomata replied bluntly. "Unlike your old man, we decided to take things slow."

It then hit Ichika that generationally speaking, she and Coach Ukai Jr. of Karasuno are part of the same generation group, considering he was her grandfather's friend's grandson. Now that was a weird thought to consider.

"It's nice to meet you, Ukai-san." Either way, she was quick to greet the young man with a smile. "I hope we can get along well, just like our grandfathers did."

"Y-Yeah," Ukai compiled, albeit a little taken aback. From what his grandfather had told him, as well as his own experiences, Nekomata Yasafumi had quite the eccentric personality. It was hard to believe that his granddaughter would be such a polite and well-mannered young lady-

"That being said," Ichika covered her mouth. "Karasuno lost pretty badly, huh? Three full matches, and they didn't win a single one."

And there it was.

"I-Ichika-chan..."

Despite Naoi's warning, she continued to speak. "I'm honestly not that well-versed in volleyball. But even I could tell that it was practically a one-sided massacre."

With the veins practically popping out of his forehead, Ukai clenched his fist. "Why, you little brat-!"

"Ahh, Ukai-kun! You shouldn't use violence against a minor!"

Watching as the young coach hissed through his clenched teeth while Takeda struggled to hold him back, Ichika chuckled. "I'm sorry for teasing you, Ukai-san." Her eyes crinkled. "Your frustrated expression just looked so amusing. I couldn't help myself."

"You know, his gramps had the exact same expression in his younger years," Nekomata whispered not-so-discreetly. "It was my enjoyment to observe that expression."

"Ah, I see."

"Your entire family is horrible!"

"But in all honesty, I'm already looking forward to the day we play against Karasuno again." Brushing aside Ukai's throwaway comment, Ichika looked him straight in the eye. "They're a little rough around the edges, but the entire practice match had me sitting at the edge of my seat." She then extended a hand towards him. "Let's work hard to make the Battle of the Garbage Dump a reality, Ukai-san!"

Ukai stared down at the younger girl, lips screwed to the side. "If you think I'll let you and your grandpa beat me to a pulp for your sick entertainment, you'd be dead wrong." A wide grin spread across his face as he took her hand. "I'll get my revenge on a national stage."

With the sun setting just beyond the distant city horizon, the two teams once again stood before each other in front of the Karasuno General Sports Park Volleyball Gymnasium. Though unlike the tense atmosphere during the day, the air around the two teams was much friendlier. And unlike the distinct lineups they had, separated by track jackets and the gymnasium's glass door, the two teams intermingled with one another quite freely. This was especially evident to Ichika as she watched Yamamoto and Tanaka shake hands with a waterfall of tears streaming down their faces.

"'Til we meet again, my friend!" They cried in unison.

"What's with them?" Kenma questioned the soap-opera-like sight before him.

"Dunno." Kuroo shrugged. "Try not to stare."

But the sound of footsteps quickly drew the team captain out of his deadpanned state as he turned to meet the gaze of Karasuno's captain, whose name Ichika learned was Sawamura Daichi. The two of them exchanged a honeyed smile before shaking hands, though Ichika was quick to notice their hands trembling from the tight grip they had on each other.

"We won't lose next time," Daichi said with a false sense of courtesy.

"We won't lose next time either," Kuroo was quick to reciprocate.

"Terrifying! They're terrifying!" Yaku and Sugawara Koushi - Karasuno's vice-captain exclaimed from the side.

On the other hand, the two adult coaches were also engaged in a similar predicament to their respective captains.

"The next time around, things won't go your way like they did today!" Ukai barked, tightening his grip on Naoi's hands as if they could go any further.

"Fine. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a good practice." Naoi laughed, brows twitching from either irritation or pain. No one could quite tell.

"And them too?!"

"They're so immature!"

"Shirazome-san." At the call for her name, Ichika turned around to lock eyes with Shimizu Kiyoko.

"Ah, Shimizu-san. Just Ichika is fine, you know." She told her with a small wave. "I look forward to seeing you again."

Kiyoko nodded. "You too, Ichika." Then, the two girls exchanged a small smile. Though, unlike their captains and coaches, theirs was relatively genuine. So much so Ichika swore she heard Yamamoto and Tanaka's crying grow louder at the sight of Kiyoko's 'goddess-like smile.'

"Kenma!" Meanwhile, Hinata called out to the Nekoma setter as he approached.

"Shoyo."

"When we talked on the road the other day, you said you didn't particularly like volleyball, right?"

Kenma gave a single nod, slightly averting his gaze to the ground.

"What about today?" The ginger-haired boy asked. "How did it feel to win today?"

Kenma's gaze flickered upwards for a moment before shifting back down to the ground. "Sort of... normal." He said, eyes tracing along the cracks between the concrete slabs on the ground.

Hearing his response, Hinata pursed his lips a little. He clenched his fists, brows furrowing slightly. "Next time," he murmured, recapturing Kenma's attention as he glanced over to stare at his new friend. "Next time, we'll definitely make you guys desperate! Then we'll win... and... we'll make you say something like 'I'm frustrated' or 'that was fun,' instead of just, 'sort of.' Okay?"

Though he was a little taken aback at first, Kenma soon nodded and smiled. "Okay. I look forward to it."

"But it's absolutely ridiculous," Yaku said as he dropped some vegetables onto his plate. "That quick Karasuno's Number 9 & 10 could pull off? I wonder how that even happened."

"Do you think they were childhood friends or something?" Inuoka cocked his head to the side.

"Nah, Ryuu said they first met when they were in high school," Yamamoto mumbled through a mouthful of food. "And they even got in trouble with the vice principal for knocking off his wig or something."

"That sounds like something straight out of a manga," Shibayama noted.

After taking the bullet train back to Tokyo, the Nekoma team were now gathered at a small family-owned restaurant to grab a bite to eat before heading home for the night. Coach Nekomata seemed to be in an especially good mood. So much so, he agreed to treat everyone to a meal straight from his own pockets. Though no one could quite tell if it was because of the Karasuno match results or if it was something else entirely. Regardless, no one could pass up on a free meal.

Ichika sat at the end of the large table, casually sipping on the last of some overly sugary pop she ordered just on a whim. Despite the drink having long reached ice-level, she continued to chew on the straw, her gaze glued to the back of her grandfather as he sat by the sushi bar with Naoi. She thought over the day's events. The practice match, its intensity and excitement, her grandfather's glowing expression and the various vague yet poetic things he said. Lips curling upwards, she chuckled.

"Hm?" Kuroo seemed to take notice of her content mood and looked back at her. "Something on your mind, Shira-chan?"

"It's nothing." Ichika shook her head. She shifted her attention to the rest of the team, watching as Yamamoto began yelling about how Fukunaga stole the last of his ika-karaage. "I just realized that my grandfather is amazing."

The dark-haired captain blinked a few times before allowing a wide grin to spread across his features.

"Well, that's obvious," he said. "Are you just realizing that now?"

Ichika laughed. "Yeah." Cupping her hand over her glass and threading the straw between her fingers, she leaned down to press her cheek against her knuckle. "I see it really clearly now."

Over at the sushi bar, Nekomata Yasafumi downed another cup of sake despite Naoi's warnings.

"Sensei, you're drinking way too much!"

"Oh, relax, Naoi." Nekomata swiftly snatched the green bottle out of Naoi's grasps and began twisting the lid open. "Unlike you, I can actually hold my liquor. Call it the wisdom of the elders, if you will."

The young coach sighed. "What's gotten you in such a good mood?" He watched as Yasafumi began filling what was probably the sixth cup of the night. "I get that we just won our long-awaited reunion match with Karasuno, but that shouldn't warrant... this."

At his question, Nekomata's movements stilled as he set the sake bottle down on the table.

"My granddaughter," he gently rubbed his thumb over the label on the bottle, "she told me I'm amazing today."

"Eh? Ichika-chan did?"

Yasafumi nodded. "It feels like ever since she became the club manager, conversations at home have become a lot easier too. I guess that's why I'm extra jazzed up today."

"Nekomata-sensei..."

Without saying another word, Nekomata glanced over his shoulder at his granddaughter. Just in time to see Ichika burst into laughter at some off-handed joke Fukunaga made about the gyoza. His eyes crinkled and turned back to down another cup of sake.

On May 6th, 2012, a new promise was formed between the new generation of the Cats and the Crows. The Nekomata-Shirazome Household also got a little warmer.