The orange-hair boy followed Ukai around a house, where a volleyball court was in the backyard. He saw the back of an elderly man with gray hair. He was tossing a volleyball to some kids who formed a line towards the net.

"Move those legs!"

"Hai~!"

Bam!

"Shouldn't you be resting after coming home from the hospital?" Ukai sweat dropped. The man turned around.

"If they let you out of the hospital, then it means they're giving you permission to move around all you want."

"He's my grandpa," Ukai pointed out. It took a split second for Shoyo, but he wide-eyed the man in shock.

"G...C-Coach Ukai?!" The man. Ukai Ikkei, eyed Shoyo curiously.

Minutes Later.....

Senior Ukai, his grandson, and Shoyo were standing outside of the volleyball court as the kids were practicing.

"So you couldn't figure out what to do with this weirdo attack and just ran away, eh, Coach?" He eyed his Keshin as he looked away.

TOSS!

AAAAAHHHHH~~~!!

"That's your team, weakling~!!/ Coach~!!" Senior Ukai tossed his grandson as Shoyo screamed in shock. Shoyo remembered what Tanaka said, how he was the feared coach that led Karasuno to nationals. He could see how intimidating he was, that he shook with fear.

"P-p-please help me!" Shoyo blurted.

"With what," S. Ukai implied, "I don't go smacking people randomly. Just weaklings." From the rubble, Keshin slowly got up and glared at his grandpa.

"You shitty old man..." He cursed.

"I-I came here to learn how to fight on my own!"

"You want to master mid-air battles? When you're only that tall..."

"Its because I'm only this tall!"

"!!" Sr. Ukai's eyes widened at his remark, as if glimpsing into that same short player, the Small Giant. Shoyo lowered his head.

"I might sound like I'm saying something weird, but..."

"....What's weird about it?" Shoyo looked up and saw him grab a ball.

"Whether you're up against a genius setter, in one we call a quick attack...the one that's the absolute leader...." He pointed at Shoyo.

"Is you."

However, Keshin had no clue what he meant, which ticked off his grandpa.

TOSS!

"Stop spacing out! You're the coach, damn it!!/AHHHH!!!"

"Huh?" Mizuki blinked and stared in front. Takeru looked at her.

"What's wrong, Hinata-san?" The girl gave an awkward smile.

"I'm not sure...I get the feeling I've missed out something good."

"Hmm..."

Oikawa still had that sour look. Kageyama then stared at Mizuki.

"S-senpai?"

"Oh, hey Kageyama," she waved, "what brings you here?"

"I-I could ask the same thing," he sweat dropped.

"Oh...just by coincidence I met him."

"I'm watching my nephew," Oikawa said.

"Hey!" Takeru raised his arm as Kageyama hesitantly waved.

"But what about club activities?"

"We usually have Mondays off."

"Seriously? What a waste..." That's when Oikawa was walking pass him.

"Resting and skipping are two different things. See ya." Kageyama swiftly turned around.

"Oikawa-san, um...."

"Nope! Stupid! You're stupid~!" Oikawa childishly stuck his tongue out and drooped one eye at him while waving his left hand above him.

"I haven't said anything yet." Kageyama sweat dropped.

"Oikawa/Oikawa-san--"

"Nope! Can't hear you~!"

CRUSH!!

"O-ow--ow-ow..."

Mizuki gripped his wrist, strangling it, really. Oikawa spine shivered when seeing her cold stare.

"Did you just interrupt me?"

"S-sorry, Mizu-chan...I-I didn't mean to--"

Whoosh!

"Huh?" Suddenly, they all saw Kageyama bow at a perfect 90 degree angle.

"Please listen to me."

"Why should I listen to what my opponent has to say?" Oikawa questioned.

"Please, Oikawa-san..."

Mizuki watched Oikawa walk down the stairs. She was about to say something, when...

"O-NE-GAI-SHI-MASU~~~!!/AHHHH!!" Oikawa screamed when Kageyama blocked their path, and bowed once more. Oikawa huffed in annoyance.

"Takeru..."

"What?"

"Take a picture. Hold it like this. And press this button. Tobio, don't move." Takeru held the phone up. Mizuki sweat dropped while watching Oikawa pose with a peach sign, with Kageyama still bowing.

"Yay~! I'll call this, Tobio is no match for Oikawa-san~!"

SHACK!

"Toru, you're actually happy about this picture? Lame."

Oikawa irked at him. He then turned around.

"Well, what do you want? I'm busy, you know."

"You said your girlfriend dumped you, so you had free time!"

"Shut up, Takeru!" Oikawa glared.

"You said you didn't know what you did wrong..."

"Shut up!"

"Pfft..." Mizuki stifled a laugh, seeing their childish antics.

"So, um..." Mizuki and the others looked at Kageyama.

"...what if you were close to a tournament, and uh...Iwaizumi-san said he was going to try some impossible attack..."

"If you want to talk to me, quit the "what if" and just say it."

"....Hinata said he wants to hit our quick with his own will, even though he had been closing his eyes this whole time."

"Oh really...Why not let him?"

'So that's it," Mizuki thought, realizing the whole purpose of the fight.

"Don't make it sound so easy! Hinata doesn't have any technique," Kageyama implied.

"So you told him, 'Just do as I say'? You sound like a dictator." Suddenly, Oikawa blinked when Mizuki put her hand out. She then faced the first-year.

"So that's what this is about," she said. He nodded.

"....I said I wouldn't get involved...but I'll give this one to you."

"Huh?"

"Are you giving my brother the exact tosses he wants?" She saw him look down, as if thinking.

"I've come to realize that you've been defensive about this...only a coward would do that." Kageyama flinched. Mizuki then lightly poked his chest.

"The real leader in control of the attack, is not you....it's Shoyo." Mizuki back up.

"If you can't understand that, then I'm afraid you'll revert back to being The King of Court, once again." She watched his eyes widen.

"Give it some thought. Come on, Takeru. Let's get you some ice cream."

"Hai~" Mizuki and Takeru walked side-by-side as Oikawa followed.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Fast Forward>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"You were pretty serious back there," Oikawa hummed. He, Mizuki, and Takeru each had their flavored ice cream while walking down a neighborhood street.

"If I wasn't, then I wouldn't call myself an assistant trainer." Mizuki ate a piece of her cone. She then looked at her other hand, carrying a gift bag.

"At least I did my shopping."

"Thanks for teaching me to serve, Hinata-san."

"You're welcome, Takeru," she rubbed his head, "and just call me Mizuki." He smiled at her before licking his ice cream. As he walked ahead, Mizuki turned her head towards Oikawa.

"Say..."

"Hm?" He blinked.

"Was that really true? That your girlfriend dumped you?" Oikawa sweat dropped.

"When we were talking earlier, you never mentioned that."

"R-really....?"

"What? Was your pride too great for me to know that detail?" She smirked.

"T-that's not it! I just thought it wouldn't matter." She laughed at his embarrassed state.

"But seriously, how did it happen?" Oikawa sighed as he looked ahead.

"It just did," he bluntly spoke, "I was too busy with volleyball, so...."

"I see...I guess Iwaizumi-san was right, when he said you couldn't handle the two things at once."

"What!? He--"

"But I never knew he was talking about a girl." Oikawa sighed again. Mizuki looked up into the orange sky.

"I should go...it's getting late."

"Aww~," Takeru pouted. Mizuki leaned down and hugged him.

"You are so, cute," Mizuki giggled, "maybe I'll see you at your next lesson."

"That'd be awesome," he grinned, "bye Mizuki-san!"

"See ya around, Mizu-chan." Oikawa waved. However, he was startled when Mizuki hugged him.

"I'm sorry your girlfriend dumped you. You're not that bad...if you stop hiding behind that fake mask of yours." She back away and waved with a smile.

"Get home safe, you two." Mizuki walked the opposite direction, not seeing Oikawa's blank expression staring at her back. Takeru looked at him.

"Hey Toru, what's wrong with your face? Its all red."

"Shut up, Takeru," Oikawa muffled behind his right palm.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Fast Forward>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Mizuki got off the bus. She was just passing an empty children's playground, the shadows of the trees hitting her body. Just then, she heard some rustling. Mizuki looked towards the bushes just by the corner where a fence was.

RUSTLE--RUSTLE...

"Hm...?" Mizuki carefully walked forward. When she was three feet away from the bushes, the noise stopped. She titled her head in confusion. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her.

CRACK

"!?"

She fell on her back when something heavy pinned her down. She looked up to see a dog; a male tosa (Japanese mastiff, a breed originated in Japan).

"H-hey...uh..." she looked below it.

"...Hi boy. Geez, you're heavy..." That's when he started licking her face, making her giggle. She put her hands on his chest.

"Okay, okay, I like you too." She pushed him off, getting a good look at him.

"Boy, you're big...no more than a year-old." She kneeled and petted his head. She saw his bare neck.

"No id-collar...guess you're a stray."

LICK

"Ahaha, a friendly stray," she wiped his drool off her cheek.

"Well, I gotta go. See ya." She jogged down the path. However, after three seconds, she looked back to see the tosa again. Mizuki stopped, making him do the same.

"Hmm..." She kept staring at him. When she took a few steps forward, the dog copied her movements. Again. And again. After the fifth time, she knew he wasn't going anywhere without her.

"Okay~....this is problematic. Alright then..." She patted her leg, prompting the tosa to go by her side.

BARK!

"Hehehe..." She rubbed his head, before they walked alongside.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Fast Forward>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Really? Thanks, mom! And don't worry, I'm doing all the work. I'll call you in case of emergencies. Thanks again, mom. Bye." She put her phone in her pocket, and then looked at the tosa.

"Guess what, boy? Since the pound said no one has come to claim you, that means I get the ok from mom. I'll take good care of you." The dog bark happily. Mizuki then noticed the Ukai residence. The two walked around to the backyard. That's where elderly Ukai and her brother were having a conversation.

"Listen up, Shrimpy," Ukai began, "if you're going to fight at the top on your own, then you're gonna have to start with the fundamentals. Therefore, you're gonna be hitting one quick after another. You're going to get all the practice that you missed before."

"Heyo/Hello!" Two girls and two boys, one boy being younger, arrived at the scene.

"There you are," Ukai hollered.

"Hi!" Shoyo bowed.

"Your first assignment is to do first tempo with anyone." Mizuki quietly sat on the open porch, watching them converse. When Ukai finished, Shoyo turned to see his sister. He smiled, making her do the same while waving. Ukai gave a hearty grin.

"Oh~ I was wondering when you'd be visiting!"

"It's good to see you, too, gramps!" They hugged each other, with elder Ukai ruffling her hair. Just then, he looked down at the big dog.

"And who might this be?"

"He sort of followed me, and now I'm keeping him."

"Ah~!" Suddenly, they heard the girls scream. They pointed at Mizuki in shock.

"I-its you!"

"Eh?" Mizuki titled her head.

"You're Hinata Mizuki! You're one of the Top 5 players in America!"

"Gramps," the younger boy hollered, "is she the one you're always talking about?"

"You bet! I trained Mizuki in her younger days."

"Wow~!"

"Gramps, what have you been telling people since I left," Mizuki sweat dropped.

"But I never guessed Shrimpy here was your brother. But you two sure have spring in your steps. Guess he got it from you."

"You could say that," she smiled at Shoyo as he sheepishly chuckled. Mizuki walked up and patted his head.

"You know I'm not mad at you...right?"

"I know..."

"But now that you've got your mission, you gotta finish hard and pull through."

"Right! Don't worry, sis..."

"Good. I just came here to drop this off." She gave the bag to Ukai.

"Sweets from that shop I like....thanks kiddo."

"Well, I gotta go and tell Shotarou-sensei to lay out another bed for our new guest." She scratched the dog's neck.

"What are you gonna name him?" Shoyo asked.

"That's easy....Taichi."

BARK--BARK!!

"Ahaha...he likes it."

"Alright then...bye everyone. Good luck with practice, Shoyo."

"You too, neechan."

"I'll walk you out." Ukai led her to the front of the house.

"I'm guessing you told Shoyo everything?"

"He may have talent, but he'll need to understand....volleyball is a sport where you can't hold the ball. You're only allowed to touch the ball..."

"...'For a few seconds," she finished, "...'you need to control that moment...as though the ball was part of your body. Because your body is small, use everything else to make it possible.' If I recall, those are the exact words you told me." Ukai laughed with his arms crossed.

"You've learned well. That just proves how similar you two are."

"Not just siblings...but crazy-volleyball maniacs, too. Make sure he doesn't slack off."

"I'll make sure of that." They bowed to each other before going their separate ways. Minutes later, Mizuki saw Shotarou standing at the gates from his house.

"Did you visit your brother?" She smiled to herself.

"Shoyo's in good hands....Keshin made the right decision."

"Good choice."

Bark!

"And I see you brought a new guest."

"His name is Taichi...my new dog friend."

"Well, he's welcomed here anytime. Oh, by the way...a new player will be training with you from now on."

"Player?"

"Mizuki!"

"Huh...?" Her eyes widened when seeing none other than Akira.

"Hey, girl!"

"Skye! You're here!?" They hugged while laughing.

"Surprise~! Shotarou-sensei let me come to practice with you. You know why?"

"I wouldn't know," Mizuki joked.

"Cause I learned you're going to the same university as me!"

"No way!"

"Yes, way! Which means we'll join the volleyball team together as teammates!"

"That's awesome!" They high-fived each other.

"Despite being rivals in the past," Shotarou implied, "I've come to realize that you two are talented, skills athletes, and could possibly be an unstoppable duo on the courts. So when we head out to Nekoma's getaway games tomorrow, it'll be non-stop drills and self-training. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!" Akira looked down at Mizuki. They gave each other a smile with confidence and fighting spirit.

"You ready for this?"

"I can hardly wait."