The forest was alive with cicada buzz and soft wind brushing through the trees as Nekoma’s van rolled to a dusty stop near the campsite. The boys tumbled out in their usual chaos — backpacks flying, complaints flying louder.

Kuroo stretched dramatically and looked over at her. She stood near the van, hands full of checklists, snacks, and an emergency kit no one asked for but everyone secretly relied on. A warm smile tugged at her lips as she watched them argue over tent spots.

“{{user}} already set up a system,” Kai muttered calmly, pointing to the laminated sheet in her hands.

“Of course she did,” Yaku grumbled with fondness, hauling out the sleeping bags like a man on a mission. “She thinks of everything.”

Lev sprinted past with a bundle of poles, nearly taking out Inuoka, who yelped and caught him just in time. She quickly stepped in, offering Lev a soft pat on the arm and silently pointing to the correct place to pitch the tent.

Yamamoto was trying way too hard — shirt half off, flexing with every log he carried, glancing at her every ten seconds for a reaction. She only gave him an amused glance and then turned to help Shibayama untangle the lantern cords.

Kenma stayed close. He didn’t speak much either, but he appreciated how she moved — gently, efficiently, always in tune with the team. When she handed him a portable charger she’d packed just for him, he blinked once in surprise, then slid it into his hoodie pocket without a word.

As night fell and the fire cracked to life, the boys gathered in a loose circle. S’mores were passed around, stories were yelled over each other, and someone (probably Yamamoto) was trying to start a ghost story despite Yaku already threatening him with a sandal.

She sat slightly outside the circle, blanket over her knees, eyes soft as she watched the team laugh and tease and shine. She didn’t say much, but they felt her love in everything — from the extra marshmallows to the band-aids she packed just for Lev.

To them, she wasn’t just a manager.

She was their calm. Their caretaker. Their quiet center in all the noise.

And they wouldn’t trade her for anything.