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Ennoshita and Y/n watched from their classroom as Hinata practiced with Sugawara during lunch. Ennoshita was leaning against the window, after checking several times to make sure it was locked. Y/n leaned against the wall beside the window, snacking on a box of strawberry Pocky Narita gave her earlier that day.

"I watched the video of the game Hinata played against Kageyama in middle school," Ennoshita said, stealing the Pocky that Y/n was about to put in her mouth.

Y/n pouted as she watched him eat her last Pocky but she was full of curiosity. Y/n turned around so she could rest her back against the cold wall. "Anything note worthy to report?" She asked, setting the now empty box on to her desk.

"Kageyama's team won by a landslide if you didn't already know," Ennoshita started. "It was sad to watch but Hinata never let up. He was still very energetic throughout the match."

Y/n nodded, having already heard all of this from Tanaka that night he came over. "Wasn't his team made up of middle school first years and boys from different clubs?" She asked, bringing her arms up behind her head so it wouldn't rest painfully on the hard wall.

Ennoshita nodded, his gaze never leaving the two boys practicing. "That's what Sugawara told me the other day. We've had to keep things quiet when at practice because Daichi is still a bit mad."

Y/n let out a snort before turning to her friend. "I bet me showing up that day wasn't helpful. Lucky for Daichi, I'm busy looking over the first years and our new advisor is pushing practice on us."

Ennoshita blinked and looked up at her. "I forgot you weren't apart of the team for a second there. You're around us so much that I kinda forget that you're in the music club."

Y/n flicked his forehead, causing Ennoshita to put his hand there, in attempt to stop future attacks.

"Don't get comfortable with me being around a lot. I won't be able to come to alot of your practices anymore." Y/n put a hand to her heart and dramatically pouted. "I bet Daichi will miss me the most. He'll be so sad when he has no one to yell at anymore."

Ennoshita let out a loud laugh which he covered with a cough when other classmates looked over at him. "He'll probably replace you with one of the first years." He said.

This time Y/n pouted for real. "You really think I'm that replaceable?"

"I mean, you're a twin for a reason."

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Lunch had ended and after a few classes came the last subject, math.

Y/n sat at her desk that was next to Yoshikawa Yūko, a close friend of Y/n's who was involved in the music club.

Y/n watched tiredly as Yūko argued with Nakagawa Natsuki, another close friend of Y/n's from her club. The two girls constantly argued with each other and Y/n was always the one to have to get in between them.

The teacher hadn't shown up yet so the class of second years was left to their own devices for the time being. As other students simply talked with each other or studied for the upcoming test, Natsuki decided that it was a good time to make fun of Yūko's pale yellow bow, that was always in her hair.

"Can you guys argue quieter?" Y/n asked, rubbing her temple with two fingers. Their bickering had caused a headache to form in Y/n's head and she didn't want one before practice later on in the day.

"Besides, you should be studying for the math test," Ennoshita said from across the table.

Both Yūko and Natsuki paled at the mention of the test. They both had poor marks in the subject no matter how much studying and help they got.

"My mother's going to flip on me," Natsuki said, pulling on one of the loose hairs that escaped her ponytail. "She said I won't be able to participate in the Sunrise festival if I get another failing mark."

Yūko nodded aggressively, almost making the bow in her hair fall out. "And I heard the outfits this year are going to be pretty," She pouted, fixing the bow in her hair.

Y/n rested her head on her free hand and covered her mouth in attempt to muffle her laughter. "Anything is better than those crow themed ones last year. They were disgusting."

Ennoshita hummed in agreement to Y/n's words. Tanaka and Yū had gone to the event last year and had told the other three boys how silly the music club looked. It was some sort of unspoken rule in the school that no one talked about the outfits and the music club wanted to keep it that way.

"Maybe we'll be good this year," Y/n thought out loud, completely forgetting the half finished page of math questions in front of her. "I mean, Taki-sensei actually cares about how well we do. It's a nice change."

"But I hate that new trumpet first year," Yūko said, her small body shaking in anger.

"You mean Reina?" Y/n asked, clearly confused about the problem. Reina had been nothing but sweet to Y/n during the introduction talk they had the other day. True, Reina could be quiet and blunt, but she was a real sweetheart.

"Yūko has this issue with her that I can only chalk up to two things," Natsuki said, lifting two fingers as if she was throwing up a peace sign. "Its either Yūko doesn't like Reina because she's a prodigy or that Yūko has a big fat crush on her and can only show her feelings with anger."

After Natsuki had finished, Yūko started yelling at her, making the two girls start arguing like they had been a few short minutes ago.

"Didn't Natsuki basically expose herself with the last bit of that sentence?" Ennoshita whispered, briefly looking up fat Y/n for an answer.

"Yeah but she hasn't realized that yet so keep it down."

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"So are you coming to watch practice tonight?" Tanaka asked Y/n, his words and their footsteps echoed across the empty hallway.

"I can't. Our new director is making us practice tonight even though we don't have to offically start until next week." Y/n answered.

"Does that mean he thinks you guys actually stand a chance this year?"

Y/n turned her head to Tanaka and smiled sadly to him. "It's not like anyone will practice. After last year, I don't think a lot of people care enough to practice. Half of the saxes will probably not show up. It'll break Ogasawara's heart but what is done can't be undone."

Tanaka's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to remember whatever drama happened last year. He would only think about the big loss the music club had suffered but he assumed that wasn't the only thing that happened.

All he could think of was to try to help Y/n forget about last year, even if for a moment or two. Tanaka grabbed the case in her hands and started moving forward at a fast pace. Before Y/n could question him, Tanaka turned around and stuck his tongue out.

"Last one to the club room has to confess to Daichi!" He exclaimed before running down the hallway.

Y/n paled. She didn't know if he was joking or not, but she did know that she didn't want to get on Daichi's bad side so early in the year.

Though Tanaka had been playing volleyball for a while and could run faster than Y/n could, he was surprised when she darted out in front of him. Y/n didn't slow down until she was in the music room. A couple of the first years were startled by her and a few of the third years rolled their eyes at her antics.

"Sucks to," Y/n started to say, her heavy breathing cutting into her sentence. Once she calmed down, Y/n looked up at Tanaka with a smug smile on her face. "Sucks to be you. Guess Daichi's gonna get a nice surprise from you!"

Tanaka rolled his eyes and handed her the case back. He was planning to let her win in the first place but Y/n had surprised him with how fast she could run when given the motivation to.

"I'll see you after practice. Don't worry about all those thoughts in your head." Tanaka poked Y/n's forehead and then turned around, leaving her at the equipment room door.

The thoughts from earlier slowly seemed back into her mind once he left. They never left for long but being around other people seemed to get her mind off things. If only that could last throughout practice.

☆☆☆

"You said you started playing nine years ago?" Taki, the music club's director, asked Y/n from the front of the room.

The room was quiet. No one dared to make a noise as they watched the scene in front of them.

They had been going through the song when Taki had stopped abruptly because of Y/n. She knew what had happened. Her allergies were acting up and she couldn't breathe properly, meaning that had started to fall behind in the song.

"Yes, sir," Y/n said, refusing to look up from her saxophone. Instead she watched as her finger played with the button. She dreaded the words that were about to come out of Taki's mouth.

"To me, it sounds like you just picked up the instrument. Either you're lying to me or you were never good and people just told you that you were out of pity."

A collective gasp filled the room as most of the third and second years made the noise. They had all been around Y/n for a year now and they knew how much she took pride in her playing.

Tears started landing on the saxophone and all anyone could do was watch as Y/n stood up and raced out of the room. She never stopped for her shoes or looked back. Taki's words echoed her mind with each step she took away from the music room.

"Nishinoya!" Ogasawara exclaimed, a moment too late since Y/n was already out of there. The band sat there, quietly thinking over the words that the director in front of them had spoken.

The man in question, hit the stand in front of him with his baton, getting the attention of the remaining students. "Let's continue with the song. Maybe it will be good this time."

Y/n's saxophone was dangling from her neck strap, one hand gripped it roughly, keeping it from falling as she continued to run. The equipment room was just up ahead and she needed to get to it before she broke down in the hallway.

Y/n entered the room, slamming the door open in anger. She didn't know what to feel. She was filled with both rage and sadness and didn't know which on to let out first. Both were fighting for there way out, wanting to get out before Y/n became numb to the overflowing emotions.

Her saxophone case that had been left haphazardly on the floor was open in a second. Y/n pulled it closer to her as she disassembled the instrument. Despite the anger coursing through her veins, Y/n placed each piece gently in it's place.

Footsteps from in the hallway echoed into the room. The door was slightly ajar since Y/n hadn't bothered to close it in her rush to get in. It opened with a creak as someone pushed on it but Y/n refused to look up.

Everyone in the club had only seen her as happy and energetic. Y/n didn't want anyone to be worried about her now in this state so she didn't look up.

"Nishinoya?" A voice called out, looking around the room. Y/n's eyes widen slightly, recognizing the voice immediately.

Asuka's footsteps got closer to Y/n's shaking body. She didn't realize she was crying until now when tear drops landed on the black case in her lap. Before Asuka could try to comfort her, Y/n started talking.

"I'm thinking about quitting." Y/n's bottom lip was quivering as she looked Asuka in the eye. Asuka seemed taken a back, the hand she was holding back recoiled for a moment as she soaked in what Y/n had said.

"At first it was the fact that barely anyone practiced or practiced hard when they did," Y/n's voice was wavering in a way that Asuna didn't know if it was in anger or sadness.

"How are we supposed to be a band if we cant even play one song together after practicing so hard. How?"

Asuna dropped down to the ground and embraced Y/n, whose body had stopped shaking after feeling the older girl's touch.

"And then Sensei had to go and insult me even though I had told him before that I had forgotten my allergy pills! He said that in front of everyone Asuka!" Y/n exclaimed, her hands gripping on to the older girls shirt as if it was the only thing holding her in reality.

Asuka couldn't do anything but rub comforting circles on to Y/n's back. She knew it was Taki's fault for making Y/n feel this way but ultimately, the problem wouldn't have happened if Y/n went home earlier that day.

The two girls sat in silence until the sound of multiple footsteps came down the hall. Neither of them looked up when the door opened again, revealing some of the first years.

"Um, excuse me," One of the first year's voice said softly, as if not to startle the two silent girls on the floor. "But some of us are coming in, sorry."

People walked in but neither girl moved. Y/n's bottled up emotions had settled down but the thoughts of quitting were still bouncing around in her head.

"Give it until the Sunrise festival," Asuka whispered into Y/n's ear. "After that, if you still plan on quitting, then I'll let you."

Y/n nodded. The festival was coming up soon enough and would give her time to think about her decision, if she wasn't kicked out already.

Both girls stood up, dusting off their legs and skirts. Asuka gave Y/n a soft smile before tucking one of Y/n's strands of hairs behind her ear.

"I'll support you no matter what decision you make."

Y/n let put a pained laugh. "You always like to stay neutral dont you?" She asked, placing her case on to the shelf next to the other alto saxophones.

Asuka smiled and flashed a peace sign. "You know me so well don't you?"

Y/n said her goodbyes to Asuka and the other students in the room. She picked up her bag and went back to the music room to get her shoes.

Luckily, Y/n didn't run into Taki or Ogasawara, the two people who she didn't want to talk to, as she left the building.

The puffiness around her eyes was still there when she met up with the boys later that night. Narita was the first to notice since he had seen her before the others.

"Are you okay?" He asked, running up to Y/n and pulling her into a hug. The other three had heard Narita's question and flocked around Y/n, whatever conversation they were having was lost.

Ennoshita held Y/n's face in his hands, hoping to understand the issue just by looking into her eyes. He was always good at reading expressions, especially Y/n's.

Kinoshita had joined the hug, making Y/n feel relieved that she was safe from her bad thoughts for now.

Tanaka, on the other hand, seemed livid. His first reaction to seeing Y/n's post-crying face was to know the name of whoever hurt her. He was in the process of cracking his knuckles until Ennoshita told him to stop.

Y/n nodded, answering Narita's question, though it was hard with Ennoshira holding her face and Narita and Kinoshita crushing her with their hug. "I'm all good now. Nothing is wrong."

"Clearly something happened," Kinoshota muttered, pulling Y/n closer to him.

Ennoshita looked at Y/n before blankly looking at the three boys. "She's okay now. If she wants to talk about it she will."

His words caused Narita and Kinoshita to let go of her. In their place, Tanaka came up to Y/n and grabbed her hand, linking them together.

"You sure that you're okay?" Tanaka asked, squeezing her hand softly. "I'm in the mood to beat someone up anyway."

Kinoshota rolled his eyes and flicked a piece of lint in Tanaka's direction. "Aren't you always in the mood to beat someone up?"

Narita popped his head out from behind Kinoshota's back. "I mean, you did try to beat up the tall first years that joined the team."

Tanaka's face scrunched up in anger and he started rolling up his jacket sleeve. "That's because I don't like them! They don't have any manners for their upperclassmen!"

Ennoshita sighed tiredly. "You don't like anyone, Tanaka."

"Especially people taller than you," Y/n chimed in. Just being around the four volleyball dorks for less than a few minutes made Y/n feel as if the past hour didn't happen.

Y/n was lost in thought for a second until Tanaka turned to her, a look of betrayal on his face. "I can't believe you said that! You know it isn't true!"

"Sure, sure. We all know that it's true so let's just go home before Daichi finds us loitering," Ennoshita said, dragging a laughing Y/n away from a betrayed Tanaka.

Y/n didn't know whether or not she'd stay in the music club but she knew that if she ended up leaving, for whatever reason, the volleyball club would be there to save her. No matter how much trouble she'd cause, Y/n would have a place there.

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