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After the Great Energy Drink Chase, the Black Jackals began a list of precautions for what else their monster generation players held:
Rule #1: Hinata Shouyou is not allowed to have any sugar based drinks ESPECIALLY before a major match. (Thank Miya Atsumu for that)
Rule #2: Do NOT let Miya Osamu invite unless they want an all-out brawl or onigiri. (Thank Miya Atsumu for that one too)
Rule #3: Even if it’s a joke, do NOT go near Sakusa Kiyoomi while dirty unless you want to get decked in the face. (Take a wild guess)
(With each additional rule, Shugo Meian would grow a gray hair and lose his will to live)
Unfortunately for Meian’s sanity and the rest of the Jackals, Bokuto was the only one where they were not able to identify a rule for.
“At the very least, he does spout words of wisdom every blue moon,” Shion commented.
It was after practice and Shion and Adriah decided to take a walk before going home.
“That’s right,” Adriah grinned. “How did their teams even deal with them all those years ago?”
“Beats me! Those four were firing up the Adlers so much during the game too,” Shion recalled. “I think the craziest part is the fact that they all knew each other in high school.”
Adriah laughed. “Shouyou and Tobio were silently trash talking each other the whole game, and then you had Atsumu picking one with Tobio as well!”
“Atsumu picking on someone is never new,” Shion and Adriah laughed as they continued to comment about their team’s setter.
“You gave him so much crap during the game!” Adriah accused.
“Well he was so dramatic during his first serve and then he freaking shot it out!” Shion defended himself.
“So did Shouyou?!”
“But I love Shouyou.” They both were in hysterics at the comment before catching their breath and turning back to the parking lot.
“If there is another match I’m looking forward to in the future,” Shion glanced at the middle blocker, “it’s with Paper Mill Raijin.”
“Right! They have Suna Rintarou, Washio Tatsuki, and Komori Motoya; once again we have rival players that were once teammates to our players!”
“How does that even happen?!” Their laughter filled the silent winter air. “I feel bad for whoever had to deal with so many wild teenagers.”
“Whoever they are, they must have some strong mental strength.”
(Volleyball Parents stans RISE)(it’s always the setter and the captain isn’t it?)
A few days later
“Geez Koutarou is, really excited today,” Shion commented, rubbing his arms after receiving a serve from the said male. “What’s up with him today?”
“I’m not sure?” Adriah admitted. “Should we ask?”
“Probably.” They both agreed to approach him after practice.
Meanwhile their team’s number 12 was about to explode from excitement.
“He’s coming today right?” Hinata asked.
“Yes! And I am so excited to see him again.” Bokuto was literally shaking in his spot and bouncing up and down. “He said he’ll be here any minute now.”
“Whose coming?” Meian walked over. He was worried if the next rule on the Jackal’s “Do’s and Don'ts” was was going to push for his early retirement at 29.
“One of his old teammates sir!” Hinata answered brightly. “He’s coming in from Tokyo.”
“Just don’t get too rowdy okay?”
“Yessir!” They both answered and Meian huffed as he walked away.
“Hey Omi Omi.” A certain blond setter leaned over.
“What.”
“Who's the special guest coming from Tokyo?”
“Like I’m supposed to know?”
“Well do you?”
The black haired spiker pinched the bridge of his nose. “No. Now go away, you’re too close.”
“So harsh!” Atsumu commented but nonetheless moved away from Sakusa.
“We’ll be working on spike drills next; Shion, practice on those receives okay?”
“Yessir!”
“All my hitters, get creative with your shots. Blockers, work on shutting them down!”
“Yessir!”
“Setters, keep doing what you’re doing.”
“Yessir.”
The team dispersed out and started their drills. Whilst doing so, the middle-libero pair noticed their number 12 getting ever so restless.
“What if he got lost? Or worse; kidnapped!” Bokuto panicked under his breath.
Hinata attempted to reassure him. “He wouldn’t get lost so easily, and Akaashi is very capable of himself.”
“But what if it does happen?!” Bokuto despaired.
To an outsiders view, it looked like the male was getting even more riled up.
“Be careful Shion,” Adriah mouthed to the libero. The libero gave a thumbs up and gestured back for the middle blocker to be careful as well.
“Go Omi Omi!” Atsumu set the ball for the male, who spiked the ball beautifully; but Shion was able to receive the ball just as beautifully.
“Stop calling me Omi Omi, Tsum Tsum,” Sakusa glared at the blond setter, inserting the ridiculous nickname for good measure.
“AH—I’M HURT,” Atsumu cried out dramatically, Sakusa sticking his tongue out at him.
“Get ready for this one!” Bokuto cried out as he readied himself to spike.
‘Oh dear’ thought Meian as he and Adriah readied themselves time block Koutarou’s spike. Fortunately for them, they shut down the shot. But the outcome was rather bizarre.
“Argh—I’m sorry!” Koutarou cried out. “That was a good toss Atsumu, but I couldn’t pull through!”
Everyone in the facility quirked their heads in confusion. This was the first time they had seen the normally pumped up spiker in a pickle.
“Tsum Tsum”—he pointed to the setter—“don’t set to me anymore.”
...I’m sorry.
What?
“Oh no!” Everyone turned their attention to Hinata. “It’s Bokuto’s emo mode!”
“His-his what?” Meian stammered.
“Emo mode?” Shion and Adriah tilted their heads.
“When he got too frustrated in high school, his mood would drop drastically and his performance would decrease as a result,” He explained to the other members.
“How was that even possible?!” Atsumu screamed.
“This is bad news,” all the Jackals agreed.
“How was it solved? Do you know?” Meian questioned their rookie.
He could only shrug. “His team knew how to deal with his mood swings, but one of his teammates is on his way.”
“So we just have to hold out until then?”
“We don’t have to worry, but Coach Foster might get upset so we probably should be concerned.”
Chills ran down everyone’s spines thinking of the wrath of their coach.
“How long until he gets here?”
“Erm...any minute now?”
Their number 21’s uncertainty increased their worry over their survival.
“Okay, we just go back to drills like normal; but Koutarou,” Meian called out to the male, who looked at him dejectedly, “go sit down for a little.”
“Yessir,” Bokuto drawed out sadly. The team could only sweat drop as he slowly walked to the side.
“Well then; let’s get back to it.” Meian clapped his hands and they began their drills again.
Bokuto watched from the sidelines, dejected and upset. That is, until he heard a familiar voice.
“Bokuto?” The dark haired male softly said.
“Akaashi!” In contrast, Bokuto shouted in a mix of surprise and glee; it appeared as though he never was upset at all. He got up from his spot and approached Akaashi. “I thought something happened to you on your way here!”
Akaashi smiled at him, “I ended up getting caught in traffic on my way here, sorry for being late.”
“No it’s okay! It’s okay, I’m glad you’re here now,” Bokuto reassured the male. “We’re still practicing, if that’s okay?”
“I had some days off sitting around, so I have lots of time.”
“Great!” Bokuto ran back to the team. “Hey are we still doing drills?!”
"Yes! But we're going to clean up after this," Meian told the male. He was relieved that Koutarou wasn't upset anymore.
“Get ready for this one!” Bokuto declared, running towards the net.
“Shut this one down!” Adriah called the other blockers.
Bokuto leapt high into the air, striking the ball with probably all his might. The ball broke through the blockers, much to their surprise. Shion, who was standing behind the blockers, attempted to save the ball only for it to bounce right off his arms and to the side.
“Ow.”
“Hey hey hey!” Bokuto cheered.
“Ah, looks like it’s been resolved,” Hinata commented.
“That indeed,” Sakusa and Atsumu said at the same time, and they both turned to glare at each other.
Foster was standing on the sidelines, watching the events unfold. He made a mental note: ‘Rule #4: Should Bokuto Koutarou get into Emo mode, we will have to call one of his old teammates.’
“Hey Coach Foster.” He looked over to Meian. “Is it too early for me to retire?”
Bonus:
“That certainly was an eventful practice.” Adriah sipped on his hot cocoa.
“Certainly was.” Shion took a long sip from his hot cocoa as well.
We come back to Shion Inunaki and Adriah Thomas, who are both sitting outside a cafe after finishing up practice.
“After practice ended Koutarou literally dragged Akaashi out of there,” Shion recalled.
“I wonder what they’re up to now?” Adriah thought aloud.
“That’s probably for them to know and us to not find out.”
“Hm hm.”
They sat in silence for a little while.
“Are we making this a tradition?” Shion asked.
“We do this once a week? I see it as one,” Adriah said.
“Mm. Okay.”
They looked into the distance thoughtfully. And they both simultaneously thought:
‘Poor Shugo has to deal with not one, but four crazy players. And unfortunately for him they’re our best players.’
“Do you think Shugo loses sleep thinking about these kinds of things?” Adriah casually mentioned.
“Probably. I bet he gets gray hairs,” Shion added. “All the other teams that deal with the Monster Generation look like they have themselves together don’t you think?”
“They probably know how to deal with a few rowdy players at least.” Adriah had hoped the other teams knew how to deal with their players.