To Fly Free: Resolve

Chapter 19 - Northern Cardinal

Wednesday ended with a sleepover. Once again it had gotten late and everyone decided it would be best if nobody had to go home at such an hour. Shoyo had cuddled with Kazu in the closet nest he had made, while his mom and sister slept on the bed. The rest of the boys stayed in Evan's room. It was a little squishy, but they managed. They also understood why Shoyo hadn't joined them and stayed in the guest room with his family. He needed some time and they all respected his space.

~

On Thursday, during afternoon practice Coach Ukai announced that they were going to have a training camp together with Shiratorizawa, hosted by Aoba Johsai, in a week. Shoyo was ecstatic. The teammates who had just seen the poor boy cry the night before couldn't help but catch his contagious happiness, relieved that his usual smile was back. This would be their first time meeting the Shiratorizawa team, but Shoyo was excited to see the 'Great King' again. He blushed at the thought, though he didn't know why.

Ukai tried to suppress his pleased expression in reaction to the enthusiasm, but a small smile passed his lips before he regained composure again. "Alright, alright. Settle down." He called the attention back to himself, slipping on a mask of mild annoyance. "There are still things to talk about before I can let you go." The group of rowdy boys quieted at that. "Team bonding." Ukai stated bluntly. "Figure it out. Let me know tomorrow. I'm leaving." And with a raised hand in a half-hearted wave sent over his shoulder, he was gone.

A moment of silence followed. Shaking himself out of his slight shock, Daichi cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention. "Did anyone have any ideas of what we could do for team bonding?" He asked, looking for suggestions.

After a minute of nothing, Kageyama hesitantly spoke up. "I might have an idea." He fidgeted nervously. Daichi gave him an encouraging smile and a nod. "Well, I know that everyone probably thinks that volleyball is all I think about, but I do have a life outside of it and I think it would be cool if we hung out and learned about each other's hobbies other than volleyball." He hesitated again before continuing. "I think team bonding should involve more than just volleyball. We should get to know each other better as people so that we can use that connection to strengthen our team."

Daichi and Suga both smiled proudly while everyone else mulled over the idea, most landing on the conclusion that it sounded like fun.

"That sounds like a great idea." Daichi decided. "Does everyone have a hobby that they do outside of school that would be fun for all of us to try or learn about?" He looked at each person, getting nods from everyone. "Okay. We can get together on weekends, maybe Fridays or Saturdays? If everyone would let me know when and what they want to do, text me and I'll put together a schedule. Sound good?" He concluded, getting various affirmative replies.

~

The next week crawled by. The day they would leave for camp couldn't come fast enough, and when it finally did, Shoyo realized a few things. He had been so caught up in his excitement that he forgot that Evan couldn't come with him. Not only that but he'd have to leave Kazu only a few days after he had told the little boy that he was his Mom. He also had his nightmares to worry about. In no time at all, Shoyo's excitement had dissolved into anxiety.

When he showed up early Thursday morning with all the things he would need for the camp, everyone couldn't help but notice how quiet he was being. In his head, he was already missing Evan's calming presence, and Kazu's heart melting hugs. Shoyo hadn't felt his separation anxiety bare its ugly head in a long time and he wasn't looking forward to seeing it this weekend.

Asahi, noticing the obvious nerves, made his way over to where the ginger was standing, gently pulling Noya along by the hand. "Everything okay Shoyo?" He whispered.