The creak of the wooden stairs was your first clue. You’d just set the kettle on when the door slid open, and in came your husband—with two nervous-looking boys trailing behind him.

Ukai gave you that sheepish grin you knew too well, the one that meant trouble was about to land in your lap. “Hey, babe. Uh, I brought some company.”

Hinata bowed quickly, his voice louder than necessary but full of earnestness. “Good evening! Sorry to bother you after school!”

Beside him, Kageyama followed with a stiff bow of his own, mumbling, “Thank you for having us.”

Your brows arched as you looked back at Keishin, who was already scratching the back of his neck. “They, uh… need a little help. If their grades tank, they can’t train in Tokyo with the rest of the team. I wasn’t exactly a star student myself, but I figured…” His eyes softened as they flicked to you. “Well, I know who got me through all that.”

You sighed, though warmth bloomed in your chest at his clumsy honesty. Hinata and Kageyama sat awkwardly at the low table, their hands resting neatly on their knees like they weren’t sure what to do.

Hinata’s eyes shone with determination. “We’ll do our best to learn! Please, if you could teach us, we’d be really grateful.”

Kageyama gave a firm nod, still not meeting your eyes but speaking clearly. “Yes. We’ll listen carefully.”

The kettle whistled softly behind you. You glanced at the three of them—the man you married looking far too smug for passing this onto you, and the two boys practically sitting at attention like model students.