Karasuno's Managers: Little Ukai and The Vulnerable

21: The Facetime Call

Day 9

It was just after 8 pm. In the Inarizaki gymnasium. Seven people stayed behind for individual practice. Osamu was helping two first years with spiking practice. Suna had collapsed on the stage and was scrolling on his phone. Atsumu and Riseki were practicing serve-receives against a second-year libero.

When Emiko had asked if they needed anything, Atsumu wondered if she could stay still for target practice.

She scampered onto the stage and hid behind her phone.

"I can't believe I didn't find this loophole earlier," she berated herself. A couple seconds later, the facetime app was ringing.

"Hello!"

"Why?" Mirae narrowed her eyes. She was snuggled in her Karasuno volleyball jacket but the tip of her nose was pink. "Why are you calling me when you have homework to do?"

"Are you sick?"

"No," she sniffled.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't lie to me. And I did my homework. I am a responsible student."

"You're a failure."

"That's rude," Emiko rolled her eyes. "You should be crying tears of joy! We're seeing each other for the first time in eight days!"

"Eight days are too short."

"You're a lot meaner than I remember, Mirae. Who is making you mad? Come on, tell me, I'll yell at them."

"You can't even deal with the people who annoy you," she grinned much to Emiko's annoyance. "Do I need to remind you what happened with Akira?"

"Ew," she flinched, "do not bring up that creature's name. She is dead to me."

Mirae flopped to the floor and sat against the wall. She sighed heavily. "Why can't I be dead to you?"

"Okay, I'm hanging up." Emiko blinked because Mirae had the audacity to hang up first. "No!" she screamed.

A volleyball came flying in her direction. "Shut it!"

Emiko quickly called back and a few seconds later, Mirae answered.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "I won't threaten you again. But shouldn't you apologize for forgetting my birthday?"

Mirae blinked. "You're going to eat those words, Emiko."

"Liar! You're just trying to save yourself and distract me! Jokes on you, my birthday is always forgotten so it doesn't hurt that much- Rintaro stop looking at me like that!"

"Stop being so depressing."

"I bought you dumplings! Be nice to me!"

"Who's that?" Mirae asked.

"Someone irrelevant."

"You're irrelevant."

"Am not!"

"I'm hanging up."

"No! Talk to me, please Mirae I'm begging you. Ask me how it's going."

"How is it going, Emiko? How's Inarizaki?"

"Oh, they're terrible." Emiko brought the phone close to her face and looked around suspiciously. "The Captain is the worst of it, Mirae. You would not believe me. Inarizaki must've been desperate because I have no idea how they decided on Atsumu Miya as captain and Osamu Miya as vice-captain."

"How bad are they?"

"It'd be like if Takita became captain and there was no Coach Ukai or Takeda Sensei or you to control him. Oh, and multiply it by three thousand."