You woke up sick, your head pounding and body heavy, but you still dragged yourself to school. It was game day, and you couldn’t miss it—not when you were the team’s best player. Lately, everything felt like too much, and volleyball was the only thing holding you together.

At Shiratorizawa, the team captains shook hands, and you huddled with your team. That’s when the coach—the one you couldn’t stand—demanded you play a position you hated. She’d forced it on you last game, ruining your rhythm and leading to a humiliating loss. You refused. She benched you, and something inside you snapped.

You quit the team on the spot, storming out as tears blurred your vision. Satori noticed but didn’t say anything, his expression unreadable.

When you got home, the chaos in your room reflected how broken you felt. You hadn’t been okay for weeks, You stayed in the car for an hour, unable to face anyone. When you finally went inside, it felt suffocating. After everyone was in bed, you slipped into your room and curled up on your bed, your face streaked with dried tears.

Time blurred as you rolled around, the ache in your chest refusing to fade. Eventually, you turned on a show, desperate for a distraction, but it wasn’t enough. Sleep came slowly, the weight in your mind pressing down even as you drifted off.

Then, two soft taps on your window startled you.

Your heart jumped as you sat up. There he was—Satori.

He stood outside, his hair catching the moonlight, his expression calm and concerned. He didn’t wave or speak, just waited.

And for a moment, everything stopped.