"So, is it okay?"

[Sure. I've been meaning to give the boys a break.]

"Thanks, Keishin. You got the date and place I emailed, right?"

[Yup. We'll be seeing you, Mizuki.]

"Bye."

I hang up and check off on the list.

"And that's everyone."

"Hey, Mizuki."

I look up from the table to where the others are near their instruments. Did I mention the room were in is a sound-proof studio?

"How many people are you inviting to watch?"

"Well, I've got my brother's team on board."

"And our school's team," Hana asks.

"Only Hajime can come. Said something about Oikawa being under the wrath of his coaches at the moment."

"You invited Nekoma's team, too, right?"

"And Fukurodani's."

"Good for you, Kimura. You get to see Kai-san again."

"Oh~ so it's Nobuyuki, aye?"

"T-That's not it! Stop staring at me like that!"

We all smirk as Miyu blushes red like her hair. Come to think of it, she and Nobuyuki have been talking to each other a lot whenever I invite her to come with me.

"In any case, what did you think...uh...Matsuko?"

We see our brunette friend standing there being quiet. Rin waves a hand over her face.

"Hello~ anybody in there?"

"No good."

"Huh...?"

"THIS IS NO GOOD~!!"

'Holy crap she snapped!'

"I'm sorry girls but...this song...it's just not right!"

"What~?"

"Hah, there she goes again."

"Can somebody tell me what's going on," I ask.

"Here's the thing," Rin huffs, "whenever Matsuko finds a flaw in our plans, she goes stir-crazy and before you know it, we're doing things from scratch all over again."

"Huh?! But tthe competition is in a few days! I mean, what's wrong with what we have now!"

"I'm talking about this!"

FWIP!

"Uh!"

Matsuko shoves the music sheet in my face.

"I've been over this again and again, Mizuki...but this..."

She gives me those tearful eyes.

"These lyrics just aren't pro-level! It's all wrong~!! At this rate we won't be able to win this time!"

"Wait, so you guys entered this thing before?"

"We've been entering this competition since the start of high school."

"And last year we only came in third."

"I see...I didn't realize."

"We should've told you this from the beginning, but..."

I can tell how much they want this. Some people are okay with just being a part of something. But those who really wanna win, no matter how many times they lose...sometimes it can drag you down or push you through. And these guys...they wanna break all those barriers.

"...Okay then!"

"Huh?"

I swipe the papers from Matsuko.

"Now that I see that you're going all out, I should do the same."

"Wait, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to rewrite the song."

"What/Eh?!"

"Can...can you do that?"

"We don't wanna put the pressure on you."

"Pressure? Hah!"

I eagerly grin while pointing my thumb at myself.

"That's the kind of challenge I face every day!"

I put on my coat and sling my guitar case over me shoulder.

"And the best way for me to tackle this is to find inspiration out there."

"Oh~...thank you, Mizuki~! You're an angel!"

I sweat-drop at how blissful Matsuko's getting.

"You're just gonna walk around?"

"Yup. I'll be back by the end of the day."

"Good luck!"

I lock the door and stroll down the sidewalk. I briefly glance at the sheets in my hand.

'I know I can do this...for my friends.'

"Ah, senpai!"

Turning around, I see Yamamoto jogging towards me.

"Hey, Yama-kun. Where are you headed to?"

"I promised my little sister I would take her with me and the guys for lunch."

"Hey~ wait for me, bro!"

I see his sister trailing behind as well.

"Afternoon, Akane-chan."

"Ah, Hinata-san! H-Hello there."

"No need to be so nervous, sis. Oh, hold on."

Yama-kun fixes her pigtails.

"You were in such a rush, ya got one side all flopped."

"Did I? Thanks, oni-chan."

"Aw~ that's so sweet. You two are the spitting image of me and Shoyo."

"Y-You think so? Ehehe..."

I couldn't help but gush over their sibling bond.

"Oh yeah...since I'm out, mind if come with you?"

"I thought you were taking a break cause of the band thing."

"Well..."

I explain everything as I follow them to some restaurant.

"That's pretty rough," Yama-kun implies.

"I'm sure you'll think of something, senpai!"

"(Chuckles)Thanks for the encouragement, Akane-chan."

"Hey~!"

Up ahead, we see Inuoka and Lev waving to us as they stand beside the rest of the gang.

"About time you showed up."

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Oh, Mizuki's with you, too."

"Hey, guys."

[Moments Later...]

"Rewrite the lyrics, huh," Tetsurou hums.

"Can you do it in time," Morisuke asks with concern.

"After announcing like that, I'll have to. And I really do wanna help them."

"So, what sort of lyrics do you have now," Kai asks.

"This is actually Matsuko's version."

I put the sheets out for everyone to read.

"These aren't bad."

"I don't know much about music, but these notes in the chorus seem a bit odd."

"I noticed that too. It does feel like something's missing, here, but what...hmm~..."

I run my hands through my hair as I tie it back.

"Sorry for the wait."

The waiter comes along with a tray of food.

"Which one of you ordered the cheeseburger with fries?"

"That's me." Yama-kun raises his hand.

"Here you go. And I've got the lunch special with extra sauce on the side."

"Oh, that's mine."

"You better eat all of that, Lev."

"What did you ladies order, again?"

"We ordered the cucumber and strawberry sandwiches."

"Oh yes, I have them right here."

"Thank you, sir."

He sets both plates in front of me and Akane.

"So that's a cucumber sandwich."

"You never had them? It's a tea sandwich that's served in the UK. Try some."

I give her one and she takes a small bite.

"Mm...it's got a weird taste, but it's good."

"Yeah, it took me a while to get used to the flavor."

I take out the pencil from my coat pocket and stare at the music sheets while I eat.

"So, do you know who's gonna end up in the qualifying rounds?"

"Oh, probably those teams from before."

I idly hear their conversations in the background, eating with one hand and tapping my lead-pencil with the other.

'What to do, what to do...'

Thinking through, I start humming different tunes.

"We lost to them last time."

"Yeah, but we've worked our butts off this year! This time we'll make it!"

"That's the spirit."

"Just don't get full of yourself, Lev."

"Geez, Yaku-san! Way to put the pressure on the future ace!"

"Hah~?! Who said you're anywhere near that, dumbass!"

I glance at Yaku and Yama-kun giving Lev an earful.

'It's like an all out...'

"Battle..."

"Hm? Did you say something, senpai?"

Looking back at the sheets, the wheels in my head start to move like clockwork.

"THAT'S IT!"

"Woah/H-Huh/Wuahh!"

"What's up, Lil' Mandarin? You startled us."

"I think I got something."

"Eh?"

"Just hear me out, okay?"

I close my eyes and tap my pencil in rhythm.

🎵 Pu-res-sha-a sore ga do-u-shita...kamisama wo tasuke na irenai...🎵

I stop as I see them in awe.

"Wow, your voice is really amazing."

"That was good."

"You came up with that yourself?"

"Actually, you guys helped me."

"We did?"

"All of you may have been talking about volleyball...but you were also telling your ambitions, your dreams, even the times you experienced victory and failure. Not just us...but it's something everyone can relate to. And I think..."

I grin while clutching the paper, firmly.

"This could be the song that everyone can hear."

"What're you gonna call it?"

I scribble the new title and hold it up.

"What do you think?"

"Hey~ I like it. It's catchy."

"Uh-huh/Yeah."

"For the pre-chorus, I'm thinking of a group that does a short chant or certain outburst of words."

"Like a cheer?"

"Uh...cheer.....yes, exactly!"

I look down at Akane with seriousness.

"Akane-chan...I have an important job for you! Can you do it?"

"...😊😆(Squeal)~..."

CLATTER!

"Yes, ma'am! Whatever you need!"

I give a thumbs up on her salute.

"I'll also need Alisa's help, too."

"My sister's? What for?"

I wink in Lev and the boys' direction.

"It's an emergency, but I think I can manage."

>>>>>>>HOURS LATER>>>>>>>

"Oh my gosh~!"

I immediately show the girls my finished product.

"It's perfect! No--it's fantastic!"

"You can really feel the emotion in these lyrics."

"Good job, Mizuki!"

"We should be able to tweak the music portion in no time."

"That's our girl!"

Skye slings an arm around me as I laugh. But the real work starts now.

"Thanks for coming, Asahi."

"You're welcome."

We walk down the lobby until we find Alisa and Mr. Watanabe.

"Hi, Miki-chan!"

"Well now...is this your sturdy young boyfriend you told me about?"

"Yes, sir. This is Azumane Asahi."

"N-Nice to meet you, sir."

"The pleasure's all mine...and thank you for volunteering to work with the staff. They're a bit short handed.

"I really think his skills can help move the production faster, sir."

"Then we better get right to it. Follow me, please~."

"I'll see you back at Skye's place. Do your best, Asahi."

"You too, Mizuki."

"Yosh~! Is everyone ready to practice!"

"(All)Yeah~!"

"We're all set, Hinata-san."

"Thanks, Akane-chan. You remember the maneuvers?"

"Hai!"

"Great. Just keep it steady and we'll be fine."

I turn to the girls as I hold my guitar.

"Okay, guys, let's take it from the top."

Matsuko raises her drumsticks.

"One, two, three!"

*Zz...zz~...*

Ding-Dong~!

"Uh..."

I awake from my nap when hearing the doorbell ring. Yawning, I stumble towards the door.

C-Click

"Yes~ who is it?"

"Hi, Mizuki."

"Oh, Asahi...what's in those boxes?"

I see him carry one and five others behind him.

"The finished product."

"Wow! You mean they're done?"

"Yup. It was hard, but we managed to pull in some overtime."

"Yay~! Thank you, Asahi, I love you!"

"A-Ah, wait!"

THUMP!

I got so excited that I leaped onto him and we fall down.

"Ehehe...sorry."

"It's okay," he chuckles.

He smiles at me and cups my face. I blush a little as he kisses me. I giggle when he hugs me.

"You're being rather needy today."

"Ahaha...I'm pretty tired after all that work."

"Aw~ you poor thing. Let's put these boxes inside and I'll make us some tea. We can continue the cuddle fest on the couch."

"(Yawns)Sounds good~."

"Hehehe."

"That was perfect, everyone!"

"Hah~ we're done!"

I wipe my forehead and see Rin and Hana collapsed on the floor from exhaustion.

"I think we're ready."

"Yeah, we are!"

"Let's clean up and have some dinner. Would you like to stay the night, Akane-chan?"

"Is that okay?"

"Sure. I'll even make that dish you like."

"Really? Oh but..."

"Hm?"

"Earlier I saw Kimura-san go into the kitchen."

"(All)Huh...?"

[Moments Later...]

DOOM~

"😰.../😨..."

I have no idea what I'm looking at. It's like a bunch of ingredients have been thrown in at random; some in chunks and a unique color, I suppose.

"I'm stunned."

"The kitchen's a total wreck, too."

"I'm sorry."

I awkwardly smile while patting Miyu's shoulder.

"Let's just order takeout."

After dinner and a bath, I once again look at the view from my window.

Knock-Knock-Knock

"Yes?"

"It's me."

Miyu comes into my room and closes the door. She joins me by the window.

"You still awake too?"

"Yeah...somehow I can't sleep."

"That's because you're excited."

"You think so?"

"Seriously," she laughs, "you've been solving our problems and improving the band's performance this whole time. You looked like you were having fun."

"Huh...was I really?"

Creak~

"Hey you two. Having a sleepover?"

"I wanna join in, too."

"W-Woah/Ahh!"

Matsuko, Rin, and Hana tackle us into a hug.

"Hey, your squishing me."

"Aw come on~ you love us."

"Don't be weird."

"...Pfft...ahahaha!"

All of us start laughing at random. But you know what?...I can't wait to play music with these girls.

>>>>>>>OCTOBER 5th>>>>>>>

🎶🎸🥁🎶

In a park, a huge stage has been set as the crowd cheers from the stands. Amongst the people who came were a fraction of the volleyball team members.

"This band is pretty good!"

"I thought the fifth entry did better!"

"I can't believe we found a spot this close!"

"Whoo~ this is awesome!"

"Bokuto-san, stop moving the camera so much!"

"Don't worry, Akaashi, I got ya covered!"

Kuroo holds his own camera to record everything. Beside him, Kenma leans over to Shoyo.

"Isn't your sister playing next!"

"Yeah! I hope she's okay, though!"

"Are you kidding," Nishinoya hollers, "your sister's gonna rock this joint!"

"You tell em' Noya!"

[Thank you everyone~!]

The crowd applauds after they finish.

[Wow, what a show! We'll be having a fifteen minute break everyone, so stick around for the next band!]

"Let's grab some juice from that food-truck we saw earlier."

"I want ice cream!"

"Again?"

"I'm gonna stay here until nee-san's band goes on."

"We'll stay here, too."

Meanwhile, the girls were back stage along with their backup group.

"Oh wow, it's almost our turn," Hana sighs, nervously.

"Stay cool, guys," Matsuko advises, "let's think positive!"

"How are you feeling, Akane-chan? You and the guys okay to do this?"

"Yes, senpai! We'll make this performance the best! Right everyone!"

"(All)Yes, ma'am!"

"Now that's enthusiasm."

"Tenacious Hearts! We need you to set up!"

"Right away! Hands in everyone."

Everyone huddles in.

"Alright, guys, this is it. Let's make it count. One, two, three..."

"(All)Tenacious Hearts!

[Moments Later...]

Down with the spectators, the boys could hardly wait.

"It's time, it's time~."

"Calm down, Shoyo. You're starting to tremble."

[Ladies and gentlemen~!]

"Ooh~ it's starting!"

[For our next live show...put your hands together for last year's third place winners! Making their comeback with a bang...tenacious Hearts~!!]

CLACK-CLACK

SHACK!

The lights turn on, shining down on the band.

"It's nee-san!"

"Woah~ look at their outfits!"

"Cute and sexy!"

"You actually helped make those, Asahi? That's impressive."

"Thanks."

"Do your best, Miki-chan~! You girls should cheer too."

"Eh, uh, h-hai! You can do it, Mizuki-senpai~!"

Kiyoko smiles while Yachi shouts with all her might.

"Hey, look!"

"Huh.....Ahh~!"

Nekoma notices Akane standing in the background with the backup performers.

"That's your sister!"

"And the whole Nekoma cheering squad?!"

"Oooh~ hell yeah! Look at this everyone! That's my sister up there!"

Yamamoto screams with excitement as his friends sweat-drop.

FWIP!

Mizuki gets everyone's attention the moment she raises her hand.

*Inhale~*

"HELLO TOKYO~!"

Some applauded as she hollers to them.

"Tonight, let's all savor this moment...and show us your fighting spirit! Are ya with me~!"

"Whoo/Yeah~!!"

"Nee-san/Mizuki-san~!!"

The band smiles as Mizuki punches her fist out.

"Let's go!"

"One, two, three!"

Pressure—what about it?

Don't need god's help

An egoist—what about it?

There's no need to have a reason for wanting to win

(Break out!) Can't live without having a challenge

(Break out!) Shake off even your own shadow

(Break out!) The current status quo

Now's the chance to overcome it

(We are!) You gave it your all

(We are!) There's nothing to be afraid of

(Winner!) Transform fear into conviction

Higher, higher, higher

Fly higher

The wound from tasting defeat

Brings tears that can make flowers bloom

Others can say "give up" and laugh

But I don't know such words

Enjoy the burdens too

I have no intention to go along with sympathy

Realists, do whatever you want

Break the unexpected

(Break out!) Even if you burn out

(Break out!) Living life with nothing to be ashamed of

(Break out!) These intense feelings

Turn them into power

(We are!) A brave heart

(We are!) You just have to advance forward

(Winner!) Covered in wounds

Struggle, struggle, struggle

And grab it

Clash, fall down, and stand up

The scar on your knee will be your medal

"You're full of yourself" even if I'm laughed at

I want to live on carrying victory

There's no reason to hesitate

[Cue Clapping]

(Wo~oh) The strong wind pushes my back

(Wo~oh) Live on, blue flame

(Wo~oh) Make history, adventurer

(Wo~oh) The road that leads to the peak

[Music Only/ Mizuki's Guitar Solo]