The coach went over their methods, things they could improve on.
"You guys are strong," Taiji spoke up, a smile on her lips, "I have faith in you that you'll do your best."
The team reflected her fears and hopes and dreams, and she would be there to remind them that they could stand balanced on their feet, even if the ground was crumbling.
"Now get out of here," She laughed, "And have fun."
~~~
With Kyotani butting heads with Tanaka, Taiji and the coach agreed on calling a time out before he ruins the flow that they had created.
"That Tanaka guy is a lot like Kyotani," The manager muses to herself, "But he's also really different from him."
"Are you sure you're not just thinking that cause they have similar hairstyles?" Maki grinned, sipping his water.
"They have similar faces too!" Matsun added, earning a squirt of water to the face from their manager, "Hey!"
She tossed a towel his way, "You both are seriously asshats."
Looking at Yahaba, she raises an eyebrow.
"If he doesn't start behaving," The manager smiles, "I'll send him your way, okay?"
"Okay."
"I have faith in you, Yahaba,"
~~~
After Yahaba's lecture, Taiji could see the gears clicking in his head, pieces of a puzzle slowing fitting together.
"Sensei," Taiji raised her head, "We should put him back in,"
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
Watching him score was satisfying, the manager let a bitter smile wring its way onto her face.
"I'm jealous of him," She admits, the coach looking back in surprise, "What I would do to spike like that again."
~~~
With Seijoh at 23, Karasuno at 22.
Taiji held her breath, if the boys didn't end this quickly, the exhaustion would set in.
But when she heard the sound of a familiar serve hit the ground, it was a fair reminder that they would be okay, no matter what followed.
She reminded herself that Oikawa was there, and that the team was there.
They would be okay.
With Seijoh now at 24, it would be the last stretch.
No pulling anymore punches.
~~~
The scores evened out.
24-24
Taiji's palms were sweaty as the teams fell into formation.
Spikes, blocks, receives, all lining up as the rally continued, the ball refusing to go down on either side.
And with Kageyama's pesky dump shot, Taiji could feel the air in her chest getting knocked out.
She was beyond proud that her junior would evolve, yet she held a sense of jealousy towards him, how he could spread his wings,
yet she was.
A fallen angel.
~~~
The end was in sight.
Oikawa's arm outstretched, fingers pointed to one person.
Iwaizumi Hajime.
Oikawa raced after it, a long set up, from the edge of the court.
It was fast, and Taiji knew it was precise.
Oikawa was always more capable than anyone could ever imagine.
The setter slipped, crashing into tables and chairs.
Taiji shot up from her seat, panic filling her lungs.
Was he hurt? Injured?
No.
He got up, despite the pain he felt showing on his face,
and he ran.
The spike was received, flinging back into the air with yells following it.
The manager clicked her tongue in annoyance, she was sure Oikawa and Iwaizumi were feeling the same thing.
Karasuno's ace spiked it, and was picked up by Watari, only to have it fly into the net.
Kyotani moved quickly, swiping the ball upwards, sending it back over.
Not yet.
It's not over yet.
Kageyama spiked it over, only for it to be blocked by Kindaichi, bouncing off the vice-captain.
But it was up regardless,
the rally wasn't over yet.
How Hinata still had energy left for a spike, Taiji would never know.
But time slowed down as he spiked the ball.
It flew.
Crashing into Oikawa's arms,
and out of the court.
The whistle blew,
the set was over.
Aoba Johsai had lost.
~~~
The team lined up, exchanging graces with the opponent.
The coach was encouraging the team, but Taiji's head was far away.
"Manager, is there anything you wish to say?"
She swallowed, was it already her turn to speak?
"You guys," She took a deep breath, "Are amazing."
"I'm proud to have been on your side, and I'm proud to have served you as your manager." She swallowed the cries threatening to escape her lips.
"You fought well," she smiled, "As your senior, your manager, and your friend, I'm so proud of you."
Tear soon flowed, Taiji pulling out her tissues to comfort the team before they thanked the audience.
She watched as the third years slapped Iwaizumi's back, to which she also did, opting to give him a firm pat.
The team bowed, and the cries threatened to overflow again, but she buried them again.
~~~
"Hey," The manager called out to a member, "Did you see where Oikawa went?"
"Yeah," The boy pointed in a direction, to which she thanked.
Turning the corner, she could see Oikawa.
And Ushijima.
"You chose against it, all for a worthless sense of pride," Ushijima stated, his voice flat.
Oikawa shot back, "It's not like any team is guaranteed success y'know."
"But the strongest team is whichever I am on, isn't it?"
"How dare you say that,"
Oikawa swore his heart nearly dropped when Taiji said that, he turned around, and hellfire was blooming in her eyes.
"What do you know about my team, huh?" she snarled, "They work harder than anyone, they are more disciplined than anyone else, they try harder than anyone else,"
"So don't you dare call my captain's pride worthless,"
Everyone around was stunned, even Ushijima.
"Besides," Taiji spat out, "Karasuno may have taken us out, but they will be your downfall too."
There was a moment of silence as he processed her words.
"You are a very devoted manager," He complimented, "You should have come to Shiratorizawa too."
"Wha-"
Oikawa grabbed Taiji's arm and stormed the other way.
"Hey!" she protested, "I wasn't done-"
"C'mon," He smiled, "Let's go and comfort our team like good senpais."
Taiji stopped struggling as she recognized Oikawa's tone.
'Ah,' She thought to herself, 'He's doing it again, isn't he,'
Giving him a hard slap on the back, Taiji was hoping to stop him from falling into his downwards spiral.
"Ow!" He whined, "Why'd you hit me?"
Taiji merely glared at him.
"I appreciate you glaring at me Tai-chan," Oikawa ignore her, "But others might think differently of your loving stare,"
"Always trying to carry the burden on your shoulder," Taiji's voice was low, "Stop being so harsh on yourself."
"What?"
"I said, stop being so hard on yourself." Taiji turned to her best friend, her eyes were intense, "You may think that all the pressure is only on yourself, but you always forget that you have an incredible team right behind you."
Oikawa was silent, she truly knew him best, didn't she? She knew all of his weaknesses and bad habits.
"Tell me what's really going on in that head of yours." Taiji stood in front of Oikawa, one hand on his arm, the other gently pushing the hair away from his face.
And just like that, he burst into tears. He wrapped his arms around Taiji's waist and leaned his head on her shoulder.
It was a sight, seeing a 6'0 man sobbing into his best friend's embrace.
"I tried so hard," he whispered, "I tried my best and it still wasn't enough to take my team to the nationals."
"Tooru," the female manager gently stroked his head, "When will you ever see yourself the way I see you?"
"You are the most hardworking person I've ever met, Tooru" she sighed, "And that will never change."
Oikawa recognized this moment.
That feeling, here it was again.
It showed itself whenever he was around Taiji, whenever he was looking at her, or whenever she touched him.
There was a more twisted version of that feeling. But only when Taiji was with someone else.
Oikawa Tooru knew.
He had liked her, for quite a while now.
~~~
"Why did I even agree to play with you guys," Taiji whispered to herself as she took a deep breath, they were beasts.
As the rally continued, the pain in Taiji's back seemed to fade as she got more into the game, but whenever she landed on her feet, it throbbed just a little bit more.
Just then, Taiji came face to face with an opportunity.
The ball was coming right to her, the position she was standing in was perfect for a spike.
Smiling at Oikawa, she went ahead and grabbed the chance.
The pain that Taiji felt suddenly didn't matter anymore.
And with a glint in Oikawa's eyes, he set the ball towards her, and she smashed it down into the opposite court.
The court was silent for a moment.
All the pain Taiji went through, all the hardships, they all didn't matter anymore.
She was happy at that moment.
~~~
"I have something to say," Oikawa stood in front of the rest of the third years.
"Hey!" Hanamaki protested, "We're trying to end this on a good note-"
"Shut up!" Oikawa interrupted, "Everyone, thank you for the past three years!"
And just like that, the court was full of crying members.
Taiji stood with a ball in her hands, shaking from trying not to cry.
This team had become her family, whether she liked it or not.
And she was not ready to leave them.
~~~
The walk home was somber and quiet, much to Taiji's disliking.
They were all dragging their feet, as if they wished for the day to end.
Oikawa stopped, his feet planted into the ground.
"Tooru?" She turned around, "What's wrong?"
"I'm glad to have had you both on this journey," he smiled, "Thank you, for everything"
"I'm proud, to call you both my partners."