Wednesday Afternoon....

Everyone was in the gym practicing. It's been a week since the inter-high, and everyone was more than determined to make a comeback in the spring preliminaries. Well, almost everyone. Mizuki watch the tall first-year jump with Sawamura, but Tanaka's spike got through Tsukishima's left hand and bounced further back.

"Yosha~!" Some were cheering, but Mizuki sighed when seeing Tanaka twirl his shirt in the air. Again.

"Is that a habit of his?"

"Well, it's just practice," Takeda-sensei awkwardly chuckled. However, Mizuki paid more attention to Tsukishima. It's not that she sees him as different...but more like he hasn't changed since then.

'Not that I'm complaining or anything,' she thought, 'but he seems to be used to this kind of "losing ordeal"...'

When it was break time, Mizuki gathered the volleyballs while Shimizu and Yachi handed out water bottles to everyone.

"Good job, everyone."

"Thank you." Yachi glanced at Mizuki from the other side. She was going over the schedules.

"I don't think I know anyone who's more dedicated than Hinata-san."

"Mizuki is way cooler than most girls," Nishinoya implied.

"Although," Sawamura intervened, "I picture her as the type to have too much on her hands." Unaware to them, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were listening from behind.

"They're getting hyped up," Tsukishima mumbled as Yamaguchi sweat dropped.

Hours later, the boys were having a meeting with their coach.

"Okay, boys...get some rest. Don't forget to study for exams." Everyone glanced at the four idiots, who looked away with uneasiness.

"Nee-san, you wanna come with me and Kageyama to grab some pork buns?"

"Sorry, Shoyo, but I have other plans." Mizuki put her volleyball into her sports bag.

"Really?"

"Yup," she winked. Shoyo just cocked his head curiously, watching her leave the gym.

Mizuki walked a good distance from the school and down a path in the neighborhood. She was yards away from heading to a street cross, when she suddenly stopped. Her eyes shifted to the right.

"You don't have to keep your distance," she stated. Mizuki waited until Tsukishima stood beside her.

"It's your fault I got dragged into this."

"And yet this is the third time you came to my sessions. Hopefully, it's not just because the café near the gym has your favorite cake...which I always treat you to." She watched his body stiffen, obviously embarrassed to admit he's 'embarrassed.'

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

"Oh, good evening Hinata-san." An middle-aged man bowed to her and Tsukishima. He was head of security.

"Good evening, Yasugawa-san. We'll only be here for two hours."

"I already set the net up, so have fun. If you need anything, just ask one of my men. I'll be patrolling like usual." He left them just as they entered Gymnasium A. They put their belongings near one side of the net's pole. Just then, they heard footsteps.

"Hey~! We're here!"

"Ah, Satoshi...Masaki." Mizuki waved at the two boys. Satoshi had short-spiky hair, brown eyes, stood 6'1" and wore a navy tank-top with black fitness shorts. Masaki was 5'9", had a shaved-head, green eyes, and wore a white-tank top with dark-gray fitness shorts.

"Who are they?" Tsukishima asked.

"They're old friends of mine...Satoshi Taeko, and Masaki Shuji. Our parents know each other."

"Since our last year in middle school," Satoshi implied, "we gave volleyball lessons. Mizuki was our youngest student."

"But she was one of the best," Masaki added.

"They're currently in their senior year at the university I'll be going to, soon."

"I see."

"So, shall we start?"

"Hai! Tsukki, you and Masaki will be the blockers."

......An hour later.....

"Hah!"

"Ngh!" Tsukishima cringed when Satoshi's powerful serve passed between his and Masaki's arms.

"Yeah~" Satoshi made a peace sign.

"Damn you and your power serves," Masaki smirked.

"Come on, guys! Let's keep going!"

"Hai!/Hai~"

After the last hour ended, the teens said goodbye to the college students and went to the café. Tsukishima sat by the corner while Mizuki waited by the counter for their takeout. He sometimes wondered about this person. Mizuki would always check up on everyone. She didn't mind doing extra work, even if she stayed late. And giving him private lessons just so the others wouldn't make fun of him. In a way....

'She's like a mother...but really--like a doting-older-sister when it comes to us first-years. It's unnecessary for her to be concerned...after all...it's just a club.' He glanced at his hands. He didn't notice Mizuki coming back.

"Okay, I got two boxes so we both have separate..." She saw his blank expression.

"Tsukishima?" He didn't answer.

"....Kei." Tsukishima blinked, startled. Then, he felt her hand pressed onto his head. He raised his head, seeing that same concerned expression Mizuki gives. She gently stroked his head.

"You okay, Kei? You're awfully quiet." Tsukishima sighed, and gently pushed her hand away.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" He stood up.

"Sorry...I thought practice might have made you dizzy from the lack of food." There's that smile. She was never affected by Tsukishima's sarcasm. Sure, she'd give an occasional smirk or remark that rivaled his, but most of the time, it was a smile.

They walked out of the café, carrying their share.

"Oh, hey...check this out..." She reached into her bag. Tsukishima's was met with a stuffed-dinosaur-plushy, no bigger than her head.

"I make stuff toys...mostly dinosaurs, because Haneru-chan loves them."

"Haneru-chan?"

"He's a toddler, and my neighbor's son. Haneru-chan is very shy, but when I bring these gifts...he instantly lights up. Lately he's been more open. He kind of reminds me of you."

"Hah?" He gave a funny look.

"He loves dinosaurs, strawberry cake, and especially volleyball...a cute version of you." She couldn't help but giggle at his reaction. She knew how much of a sweet tooth he had, and his interest in dinosaurs. They were now at a fork in the road. Mizuki went one way and waved to Tsukishima.

"Well then...see you tomorrow. And don't forget our next session." Tsukishima just waved, watching her leave before he did the same.

>>>>>>>>>>Next Day>>>>>>>>>>

Yawn~

"You seem tired, Tsukki." He and Yamaguchi were walking passed the school gates.

"I've been up studying. I don't wanna end up like those other idiots." Yamaguchi sweat dropped at his blunt response. Minutes later, they were in the club's changing room with the others. Just then, a knock at the door.

"Yes?"

"It's me. Can I come in?"

"Ah, Mizuki...go ahead." The door open, revealing their assistant coach.

"Good morning everyone."

"Good morning/Morning, nee-san!"

At that moment, they saw a little boy with blue eyes and short-dark hair, standing behind Mizuki's legs. Mizuki picked him up.

"Everyone...this is Haneru-chan."

"Wuahh~/So cute~" Shoyo and Sugawara cooed at him.

"His parents are on a business trip, so I have to babysit him for a couple of days. Keishin said it was alright for me to bring him."

"Of course," Sawamura smiled. He and the others came closer and looked at Haneru.

"Nice to meet you, Haneru."

"Go on, say hi." Haneru stared back, and gave a shy wave. This made everyone gush on the inside from his cute gesture.

Everyone went to the gym to practice. Shimizu and Yachi helped Mizuki watch over Haneru if she had to practice. His stuff dinosaur kept him company. When it was break-time, Mizuki, Sugawara and Tsukishima were picking up volleyballs. When Tsukishima leaned down to grab a ball, he heard soft grunts. He looked behind, and saw Haneru on his toes, trying to reach for his stuff toy on the stage. Tsukishima walked over, grabbed the toy and leaned as much as he could towards Haneru.

"Here." Haneru smiled as he grabbed the dinosaur, hugging it tight.

"Thank you, onii-chan." Tsukishima blinked from the sudden nickname.

'Kei. Look what I got.' His brother gave him his first stuff dinosaur plushie.

'Cool! Thanks, onii-chan!'

'What am I thinking?' He shook his thoughts away. When getting up, he felt his shorts being tugged. He looked down to see Haneru staring at him.

"W-what...?"

"Can we play?" That's when Mizuki walked forward.

"Haneru-chan...you wanna play with onii-chan?" He nodded.

"Great idea," Mizuki smiled, "if you need anything, just holler."

"E-eh?" Tsukishima saw her walk away. He looked back at Haneru, unsure of himself. Everyone was probably staring at them, making him uncomfortable. However, there's this toddler, giving those big eyes and wanting his full attention.

'This sucks...' Giving a deep sigh, he carried Haneru to the other side of the court. He grabbed a volleyball and went on his knees. Haneru put his plushie down, and fanned out his arms.

"Eh...you want me to...toss?" Haneru nodded.

"...Okay...." Tsukishima lightly tossed it to Haneru. The toddler leaned forward and hit the ball with his hand.

"Ah--"

BOP

Although, by doing so, he stumbled and fell down. Haneru scrunched his face as he rubbed his cheek.

'Shoot,' Tsukishima flinched, thinking he would cry. He quickly brought him back on his feet.

"Y-you okay...?" However, Haneru leaned down and picked up the ball. He gave it to him.

"Again."

"Uh...o-okay." Tsukishima blinked. He thought for sure he was going to cry, but it seems Haneru was tougher than he appears. The first-year kept watching Haneru do all kinds of volleyball tricks, even though he sometimes fell. Mizuki would often come in to help, but liked watching those two get along.

"Heh~...that's unusual," Shoyo thought.

"So even that guy has a soft-side," Kageyama implied.

"They're an odd pair, " Nishinoya laughed.

>>>>>>>>>>Next Day (8pm)>>>>>>>>>

Everyone just loved Haneru, tending to his every need and welcoming him. However, he was mostly with Tsukishima and Mizuki, playing or eating snacks with them. Surprisingly, the blonde didn't mind his company, which made Mizuki smile every time. Ever since Tsukishima met Haneru, he felt like being in his brother's shoes, and how he looked after him as a kid. He didn't know how to feel about that; ironic or nostalgic. As of now, it was time to go home for the day.

"Haneru-chan~...let's go home." Mizuki was packing up her things. She looked up to see Haneru in Tsukishima's arms.

"Onee-chan, can onii-chan come too?" The blond blinked.

"Sorry, Haneru-chan...but Tsukishima needs to study. We can see him tomorrow. Now, say goodbye."

"Bye-bye...onii-chan." He waved over Mizuki's shoulder as they walked away. When they left, Tsukishima turned back to grab his jacket. Suddenly, he was cornered by his teammates, who gave smug grins.

"W-what...?"

"You're so thoughtful, onii-chan~" Shoyo's grin was hidden behind his hand.

"How unlike your usual self to be so nice," Tanaka and Nishinoya smirked. Tsukishima could feel his cheeks burn in embarrassment. He only scoffed and turned his head.

"I-it's normal to be nice to kids...but unlike you idiots, toddlers are more well-behaved."

"Geh! What'd you say!?" They exclaimed.

"Hey, come on," Sugawara sighed, "we're locking up, so stop fooling around."

Thirty-minutes later....

"Tsukki...I'm going this way. There's something I need to do." Yamaguchi was pointing in the other direction.

"Okay. See ya." Tsukishima walked ahead. He listened to music as he went, not paying attention to his surroundings. It was fairly quiet, but even in the dead of night, something will be lurking around.

Tsukishima was about to cross an intersection of the neighborhood, when a figure appear.

"!?" It was a split second, but he recognized that long-orange hair.

"Hinata-san?" His voice reached her just before she passed him. Mizuki had Haneru in her arms, and seemed exhausted.

"T-Tsukki!"

"Why..." Suddenly, Mizuki grabbed his wrist, making them both run back from where he came.

"W-wait! What are you--" After running yards away, they turned to a corner and stopped. They tried to catch their breath.

"Wh...huff...what the heck..?"

"Shh!...Be quiet." That's when they both heard footsteps from a distance, and then voices.

"Damn it...she got away."

"Now what?" Tsukishima heard two male voices. Mizuki calmed Haneru as the toddler hugged her neck tighter.

"We'll get them next time they go out. Come on..." The teens waited for the footsteps to fade away. Mizuki peeked her head, and saw nobody from the other side. She gave a sigh of relief.

"Senpai..." He unconsciously put a hand on her shoulder, but realized that she was shaking.

"H-hey...what's wrong?"

"S-sorry," she whispered, "but can you follow us back to Haneru's place? Please..." The blonde was shocked. This was the first time he saw Mizuki trembling. He didn't argue, and decided to follow them even inside the house. By Mizuki's orders, Tsukishima locked the doors, windows, and closed the blinds. He returned to the living room, seeing Haneru on the couch while Mizuki was on the phone.

"We're fine. Okay....we'll see you in a bit. Goodbye." She hung up.

"Haneru-chan, go sit at the diner table. I need to speak with Tsukishima."

"Okay." He walked into the kitchen where the table was, leaving the teens alone. They both sat on the couch.

"I called a friend from the police department. I also asked Satoshi and Masaki to be on the lookout."

"Hinata-san....just what is going on?" She looked down at herself.

".....It all happened so fast."

"...." Tsukishima waited until she could continued.

"I noticed someone following us....two men....but it was too dark to make out their faces. They tried to take us, but I managed to run off and try to loose them in the neighborhood." She clenched her hands.

"I don't know what they want....but I'm sure they were watching us, before...otherwise they wouldn't have known we lived around here. And with Haneru's parents out of town..."

"Will you be okay?" Tsukishima asked. Mizuki gave a regrettable smile.

"Kei...please tell Keishin and Shoyo that I can't come to practice...not until this matter is resolved."

Tsukishima didn't know what to think. Mizuki and Haneru being targeted? Just then, a knock at the door. Mizuki peeked through the curtain, but quickly ran to the door.

"You're here."

"Are you okay?"

A man, two inches shorter than Tsukishima, walked in. He wore a dark-grayish suit with a white shirt and black-tie. He had red hair and brown eyes.

"Good evening," he greeted while bowing.

"This is Detective Miyama Saki. I've known him since I was a child."

"You must be Tsukishima Kei."

"Ah, hai. Nice to meet you." Miyama stepped forward.

"From what Hinata-san told me," he stated, "I'll have to assemble a team to guard them 24/7, though we'll be in disguise. I'll escort them in and out of the house when needed. For now, I'll stay for the night just to be safe."

"In that case, head upstairs. You'll find an empty room to the right of the bathroom."

"Thank you." As he went upstairs, Mizuki turned back to Tsukishima.

"You should head home."

"But..."

"We'll be okay. Don't forget...all the times I treated everyone to meals, practicing together, and watching you grow..." She lightly poked his forehead.

"To me, you and everyone on the team are also my family." Tsukishima's eyes widened for a second.

"You may not get it, now...but that's how much I care about you, and why I want to protect you. Just like Haneru, here....you're all very precious to me." She looked at the child, giving a sincere smile. At first, Tsukishima was a bit spacey, wondering how she could be so open about her thoughts. Even so, he felt stupid for even thinking of it. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to tell mom I'll be staying at a friend's house."

"Eh? But..."

"It's obvious I can't leave you two alone." Slowly, Mizuki smiled at him as she waited for him to finish the call.

"...she said it's okay...uh..." Tsukishima was startled when Mizuki was in front of him, rubbing his head.

"Thank you, Kei."

"I-it's common sense...besides, I'd get an earful from your brother and coach if anything happened." Mizuki chuckled.

"Then, can you promise me this...? Until Haneru is safe, help me look after him. He trusts you as much as I do, too. Will you do that?" He looked her straight in the eye.

"...Hai."

"Thank you, Kei."

"Onee-chan~...onii-chan~...I'm hungry." The teens walked towards the diner table.

"Luckily I went grocery shopping earlier. How about I make a hotpot?"

"Yay! My favorite!" Mizuki, even Tsukishima, smiled at Haneru's playfulness.

For the past two days, Mizuki and Haneru were under surveillance of Detective Miyama. Occasionally, Shoyo and Tsukishima were able to visit them, but only for a short time. It was finally the weekend, now. For Tsukishima, it was a relief to relax after practicing. Although, he felt concerned (in his own way) about his senpai and Haneru. He thought about it while lying on his back on the open porch. Tsukishima was perplexed, not because of the incident, but by how being with Mizuki and Haneru reminds him of his childhood days.

'Why...why does senpai remind me of aniki? It doesn't make sense...'

RING~

"Oh..." He pulled out his phone. It was a text from Mizuki saying they were at the gym with Satoshi and Masaki, and asked for him to come.

Detective Miyama and a few of his men were at a safe range around the area, guarding every entrance, front-to-back. Inside, Satoshi and Masaki were setting up, while Tsukishima was tossing a ball to Haneru. Mizuki sighed as she rubbed her shoulder.

"I'm going to the restroom."

"Okay."

"....Kei..."

"...?" Mizuki gave a cheeky grin as she hugged his neck.

"H-hey! Careful!"

"Thanks for looking after him, Kei. So far things have been good." The blonde huffed with a blush on his cheeks.

"Miyama-san did most of the work," he mumbled, making her laugh.

"I'll be right back, okay?"

"Sure."

"Tsukishima, could you help me with this?"