The past returns.

I stepped into the room, having already said goodbye to Aima and saw her off. Kyo was asleep in the chair by the door, having nodded off. I gently tapped on his shoulder, making him jump as he blinked awake. "Hey Kyo-Kun, that chair looks uncomfortable. You should go ahead and head home if you're tired, the buses are going to stop running soon." I whisper, offering him a sweet smile as he rubs his face. "Yeah, okay." He mumbles, standing up though I scoop him in for a hug. "Thanks again, it really does mean a lot that you did this for me." I whisper, and he just ruffles my hair and kisses my forehead gently. "Anytime, butterfly. Have a good night, text me tomorrow." He mumbles, stepping out of the room without another word. He had always been uncomfortable in hospitals, and I knew he had been waiting impatiently to get out. Just knowing he spent all this time watching over my mom for me meant the world to me, and I really wanted to make it up to him. Maybe I could make him something to snack on after practice? Would they be practicing at his school? I'd figure it out later, for now I just wanted to make sure my mom was alright, having barely slept a wink on the ride back.

I slid over beside the bed, taking my mom's hand and gently kissing it. "Hey mom, I'm here now." I whisper, my mom shifting in the bed as she slowly opened her eyes. "Oh, sweety, is your trip done already? What time is it?" She asks, yawning as I just shake my head. "No, I came as soon as I could. I got a ride, it's night time." I whisper, pulling over a chair as she just clicks her tongue. "Oh you could've stayed there sweety, I was just tired is all. I got a little dizzy at work and next thing you know I'm in the hospital." My mom says, rubbing her neck. "No Ma, I didn't want to leave you here all alone." I say, and she glances over to the chair by the door. "Oh, I wasn't alone, your friend… oh, he left?" She says, and I nod. "I sent him home, the trains and buses were about to stop running." I say, and she sighs softly. "I'm really fine! It's just a bit of fatigue, you should've just stayed at the camp." She says, and I shake my head. "You're overworked mom! You need your rest so you can properly recover, and I want to make sure you don't go to work tomorrow just in case." I say, and she clicks her tongue. "It's not that bad! I'm fine!" She protests, but I just roll my eyes at her.

"Taking one day off won't be the end of the world, mom! You really need to take care of yourself! What if you had gotten hurt, what would I tell Akira? He'd be worried sick about you! And with all the things I'm taking on right now with the club, I really need to know you're not going to overwork and end up scaring me again! I about had a heart attack when I got the call!" I say, making her sigh as she slowly nods. "Okay. I'll take tomorrow off and be easy on myself…" She mumbles, making me smile as I squeeze her hand. "Thank you." I say as she settles back into her bed, smiling at me. "So! Tell me all about it, how did Nen take the news?" She asks, and I itch my neck lightly. "He took it really well, actually. He's willing to wait for me to be his mom, he wants me to find him a cool daddy to keep us all safe and happy, and give him a sibling. I'm sure Uncle Kioshi will be the one to give him the gist of it." I admit, and my mom hums softly. "Do you have anyone in mind, you know, as a potential father?" She asks, giving me a knowing smile. "No, I mean, I'm just now opening up to the idea in general. I had never thought about it." I say, and she just giggles at me.

"Are you sure?" She says, pointing to her neck. I slap my hand to my neck, my cheeks burning as I realized I probably still had a faint bruise there. "Um, that was forced on me. Kuroo-Senpai wouldn't stop until I gave him my number and promised to practice with him." I say, though she raised an eyebrow at me. "Kozu-kun's friend? He does like you." She says, though I drop my head and take a deep breath. "But he's so annoying, I mean, he just makes my blood boil… I mean, he hasn't really lately, which is peculiar but… he also took advantage of me, and that kind of scared me because I wouldn't have known if he didn't come up front and apologize for it. I mean, I kind of forgive him for it, and I appreciate that he went out of his way to give me a sincere and honest apology, but it really put it in perspective for me. I told him about that… he comforted me a lot and met Nen. We played volleyball together with Aima, Kozu-kun, and a friend, I could tell he was a bit off about it at first. He got the hang of it and even subtly helped Nen improve and made him really happy and excited." I say, my mom nodding along as she seemed to drink in the knowledge.

"Well, I can understand why you'd be tiptoeing on this one, it seems like it's complicated. He took advantage of you, but he apologized thoroughly. He's good with Nen, which would make any single mother weak. You thought he was annoying, but it hasn't been as often and he even comforted you…" she says, running a hand through her hair. "It must be extremely complicated, especially since you're inexperienced in this kind of stuff. It's not like you're rushing or anything, I mean, there's plenty of time to see how things just play out. Is he in the competition?" She asks, and I blow out a breath. "He is now, thanks to Aima. We haven't done anything yet, since he just joined." I say and she nods. "There's a lot of guys in the competition, aren't there? Tell me about them!" My mom says, getting excited as she scoots over in her bed, patting beside her. I climb into the bed, gladly settling against her as she plays with my hair. "Well, the kisses were all so different." I start, though she shushes me. "I know all about the kisses, Aima gave me the papers. I want to know about the boys themselves! Come on, entertain me while I'm bedridden." My mom sighs, settling down herself.

"Of course she did. Um, I guess I'll just start off with the captain, Mura-senpai." I say softly and she hums. "He's supportive and very considerate, he always thinks of me when making decisions or walking me through things. He's really someone I can rely on, and he keeps all the other boys in check." I say, and she nods along. "And then there's Suga-Senpai, he's very kind and gentle, he always asks before making a move, he helps keep the other boys in line too, and he's easy to be with. He's also smart and listens to me when I need advice and helps me if he can." I say, and she smiles lightly. "Azu-senpai… Well, he's more silently supportive. He doesn't hold back, but he doesn't go all out either." I continue. "Noya-kun starts shy, but he's actually wild. He always dives head first into everything and tends to get carried away. He never oversteps his boundaries though, and he's very admirable because of that." I say and she giggles softly. "Aima told me about him coming out yelling after he took his turn." She says, making me giggle. "Yeah, that's just like him to do, he always takes stuff like that and just… goes crazy over it." I say, not wanting to mention the whole angel in black thing.

"Tana-kun is straightforward, always getting right to the point. He's also so enthusiastic and hyper, you can't help but get swept into the moment with him. He's intense to say the least, but he does good." I say. "Yama-Kun… he's a bit difficult to describe. He sets his mind to something, gets it done and moves on. I'd say he's cold, but rather I think he's just got a straightforward mindset, one thing at a time." I say. "Then there's Hina-kun. He's so hyper and excited all the time, but he's also shy and quite innocent. He gets nervous easily, but he's also very nice and easy to be around." I say. "The last Karasuno boy is Tsuki-kun, and by far… well, he's interesting. He can be sweet when he tries and he doesn't push you anything, but he's very observant, like he's always calculating everything. He can read my mood I guess, he teases lightly and he's kinda smug about things." I say. "And Kozu-kun and Kuroo-kun?" My mom asks as I take a deep breath. "Kozu-kun is smart and sly, but he's also comforting in his own way. He's also always been there for me, and he always goes out of his way to help and support me. He's very reliable." I say, knowing I could go on but not wanting to.

"Kuroo-Senpai, well, he's Kuroo-Senpai. He's confident, he doesn't hold back, he always teases me and just makes my blood boil. He can also be very supportive, he'll pull you in and calm you down. He's just… different." I say, my mom yawning loudly. "And thus concludes the boys." I giggle as I slide lower into her arms, curling into her side. "They all sound like an interesting bunch. I'm sure you'll find someone who will be the one for you, sweetheart. I just know it." She says, kissing my forehead. "They all know, I mean, I told them about that. They all want to protect and support me, and that… Well, it's weird to think that they're all backing me up. It also makes me feel more confident in myself, though I don't want to have to rely on them if I can help it. I think they really helped me take a big step in the right direction though." I say as she takes a deep breath. "Well, I'm glad you were able to meet such fantastic and caring people, sweetheart. It makes me feel better knowing you're in good hands. Now, go spend the night with your brother. He has a couch you can crash on, I don't plan on going anywhere and he misses you a lot." She says, and I nod before slipping out of the room.

"You idiots!" I yell, smacking Shoyo and Tobio on the back of their heads. "You get back and you're already making a scene! You know how bad you scared Yachi-chan? Don't scare the poor girl like that!" I scold them, before turning my glare to Shoyo. "And didn't I tell you to work together? To evolve, you need to work together! The setter gets the ball to the spiker, and the spiker gets it into the enemies court!" I say, shaking my head furiously as the two boys rub the back of their heads. "There's no point in doing something that just won't work!" Tobio says and I turn my glare to him, making him flinch. "There is always, always room for improvement. If you think you can't be better, you're not going to get better because you've settled for less. You both need to find a way, so you can fight and win! Watch, Yama-Kun, set me a ball. Tsuki-kun, block for me. Hina-kun, watch closely." I say, tossing Yama-Kun a ball. He sets the ball and I run forward, jumping up high, closing my eyes before I swing my arm forward. The ball smacks twice before thumping to the ground, and I know Tsuki easily blocked it. "Again." I say, grabbing the ball and tossing it to Tobio.

He tosses it again and I run forward, jumping up with my eyes open. Tsuki jumps again as I start swinging my arm, though I twist my hand lightly and smack it to the side. It thumps on his side of the court, and I run to grab the ball, tossing it to Tobio. "Now try to give me your quick attack that you usually do with Hina-kun." I say, dashing forward and jumping, closing my eyes. I smack my arm forward, feeling the ball in my palm before it thuds twice. Tsuki had blocked it once again, and I grabbed the ball and tossed it to Tobio. "Again! Watch the difference." I say, running forward and jumping. The ball flies past before I can hit it, and I click my tongue as I fall. "I knew it. You're playing by faith and luck, and that's not always going to work. You both need work." I say, and that seems to tick Tobio off. "What do you mean by that?" He asks, and I look him straight in the eyes. "Exactly what I said, Yama-Kun. You need to work on your tosses, you're talented. You need to take that talent and refine it, give it life. Help Hina-kun thrive, find a way- slow the ball somehow, stop it even for a second, and Hina-kun will get it through." I say, bowing my head to Tsuki as he just walks off.

"What does that even mean?" Tobio groans, and I just blow out a breath. "If I just give you the answer, you won't even get it yourself. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go see an acquaintance and pick up Nen." I say, grabbing my bag and starting for the door. "Wait, an acquaintance?" Tobio asks, and I glance back at him. "I think you actually know him, you guys call him the Great King." I say, and everyone seems dumbfounded as I slip my shoes back on. "Why do you associate with someone like that?" Tsuki scoffs, and I roll my eyes. "I'm going to pick up Nen. I also wanted to ask him for a small favor." I say, beginning to step out. "Wait, hold on! Um, can I tag along?" Tobio says, and I turn and raise an eyebrow at him. "I won't stop you, but I'm not waiting for you either. It's already time for me to start heading to pick Nen up, I figured I'd stop in and smack some sense into you." I say, walking out the door without another word. I hear Tobio scramble to change his shoes and grab his bag, and we both begin walking in silence. We finally arrive at the volleyball center and I notice a lot of the kids finding Tobio scary, which was understandable with his angry vibes.

"Tooru! Teach me how to serve!" A kid calls as I look up, seeing Toru with a kid at his side. "Wait a? How about we stick a suffix back in there?" Toru says, glancing up and making eye contact with Tobio. "Buh?" Tobio says, going all stiff. "Geh!" Toru says, seeming disgusted. "I'm going to get Nen." I say, dashing to the doors and hunting down Nen. "Nen! Come here, Sweetheart! Come on, it's our day today!" I say, scooping him up in my arms before heading back outside, looking for Tobio and Toru. I find them down the stairs, Tobio staring at the ground. I pat his shoulder as I set Nen on the ground, taking his hand and holding it tight. "Oikawa-Senpai! Can I have a moment of your time? I have a favor I'd like to ask you." I say, making him pause as he looked over his shoulder at me. "Well if it isn't the little butterfly. What can I do for you?" Toru says, turning to face me fully and smiling at me. "Well, I was going to give Kyo-Kun some news he might not like. While I'd usually be okay, my friend will also be giving him the news, and well, I wanted to ask if you and Iwaizumi-Senpai would do me a favor by coming along to keep him in check." I say, making him hum softly.

"Today?" He asks, but I quickly shake my head. "No, we can work out a day together. For now I can give you my number and you can pass it on to Iwaizumi-Senpai. It's up to you if you help me, but I just know if anyone could stop him… it'd be you two, since he respects Iwaizumi-Senpai." I admit, and Toru seems like he's stuck between taking that as a compliment and an insult. "I can't say Iwai will agree, but it seems like it'll be interesting so I'll help you out this once. But you gotta make it up to me somehow." Toru says, pulling out his phone and tapping around it. He offers it to me and I take it, putting in my number before handing it back to me. "Kimi-tan, who is that?" Nen says, tugging gently on my jeans as I glanced down at him. He points up at Toru, making me smile as I reach down and ruffle his hair. "That's one of Kyo-Kun's Senpai, he's part of Kyo-Kun's volleyball team! He's a setter, like Kozu-kun and Kageyama-kun, the ones who toss the balls to the spikers, like Hina-kun and me! You remember how Kozu-kun would toss you the ball, and how you would hit it? Oikawa-Senpai is a really good setter, he'd give you the best set up!" I say, Nen hums in delight, Toru seeming flattered as he posed.

"That's right! I'm one of the best setters there are! Even better than Kageyama-kun!" Toru says, and I can practically feel Tobio bristling from the words pointed at him. "Yes, because Oikawa-Senpai has worked really hard to get where he is! He's put in a lot of practice and worked with many people. Kageyama however is gifted, which means he has a natural talent. If Kageyama-kun uses his gift properly, he can become even greater! Just like you Nen, if you keep working hard at practice, you'll become one of the best!" I say, offering him a smile as he gasps. "Like Kuroo-san?" Nen says, flashing a big smile at me. "Even better sweetheart! I just know it!" I say, Nen squealing in his excitement. "I can't wait! Let's go practice right now Kimi-tan!" Nen says, bouncing in his spot. "Oh it takes time to get better sweetheart, lots and lots of time! You just got done with practice, so how about we get some ice cream instead?" I laugh, pointing to an ice cream vendor nearby. "Ohhh yes! Ice cream, ice cream!" He says, making me laugh as he smiles widely at me. "I want a chocolate cone! Can I get a chocolate cone Kimi-tan?" Nen asks as I nod my head.

"Excuse us, Kageyama-kun, Oikawa-Senpai." I say, bowing my head and taking Nen's hand. "Wait, Suzuki-chan!" Tobio says, making me pause as I turn to look at him. "Do you… do you mean what you said?" Tobio asks, rubbing the back of his head and looking nervously at the ground. "Well of course! I never lie to you, huh Nen?" I say, turning to Nen as he smiles widely. "Of course, cause lying is bad, and the truth always shows itself!" Nen says, lifting a peace sign to Tobio. "That's right Nen! You're so smart, I think I might get you sprinkles!" I say proudly, making him squeal happily as he begins jumping around. "I love sprinkles! Sprinkles are the best! I want lots and lots of sprinkles!" Nen laughs, beginning to tug me over to the ice cream vendor. "Okay, I'll see you guys later! Please text me, Oikawa-Senpai!" I say, letting Nen lead me over to the vendor. "Can I get a chocolate sprinkle cone and a vanilla cone?" I ask, the vendor nodding as I pay him with cash. "Come on Nen, let's go sit on the bench right there while we eat the ice cream, okay?" I say, leading Nen to sit on a bench and give him my phone before I run back to grab the ice cream.

I took the ice cream from the vendor, offering him a smile as I turned back to Nen, a cold shiver running down my back. He was here- he was talking to Nen- I had to grab Nen and get away! "Nen! Come here, now!" I scream as I panicked, dropping the ice cream and running over to grab Nen. "Oh come on Dancer, let me meet the little guy! He's so precious, he's yours right? He told me he's five." He chuckles darkly, though I just scoop Nen in my arms and start running away. "Kimi-tan, who was that guy?" Nen asks as I hear him running after us, my hands trembling as I hold tightly onto Nen. "Not now sweetheart, you have my phone right? I want you to open it, and text your dad and brother to come help, right now, okay? You know how to share location right? It's the funny little marker." I say, panting as Nen begins to tremble, nodding. [4] "I'm scared, Kimi-tan!" Nen whines as he pulls out my phone, beginning to tap around. "It's okay sweetheart, I'll keep you safe okay, you just focus on texting." I say, and he slowly nods his head, and I try to focus on where I'm running- where could I go that's safe? I could run to the police station- no, I would have to turn around to do that, and I couldn't do that.

I feel terrified to my core, where even was I? I was running towards Karasuno, though it was far away- could I maybe hide there until Kioshi and Kanori could arrive? "Uwah, someone's calling!" Nen says, and I feel a bit relieved. "Answer it, sweetheart! Careful talking, don't bite your tongue!" I say, Nen nodding before he puts the phone to his ear. "Hello?" Nen says, his voice sounding weak. "Um, she can't talk right now, she's busy running. Kimi-tan, it isn't dad or brother, he says it's Tsuki-kun?" Nen says, and my breath catches in my throat. "Now isn't a good time Tsuki-kun!" I say loud enough for the phone to catch, holding Nen closer. "Um, he says to keep running to the school, help's on the way… I don't know who it is, but he called Kimi-tan Dancer." Nen says as I feel slightly relieved though it wasn't much. "Okay, I will. Um, no, I don't see anything familiar. We just passed a convenience store. Me? I'm not hurt, no, Kimi-tan isn't hurt either." Nen says, my legs burning as I kept pressing on. "You can't run forever, Dancer!" The man yells, sending a shiver through me as tears gather in my eyes. "I'm just having my fun right now!" He laughs, not even sounding winded.

"Hold on tight sweetheart, I'm going to run faster okay?" I say as I urge my legs to go faster, Nen clinging to me desperately as I sprint as fast as I could. "Suzuki-chan!" A familiar voice calls, but I don't stop, continuing to run as I hear the footsteps behind me doubling. "Hey! Your friends have been following you for a while now, but do you really think two puny guys is enough to stop me? I mean, come on." The man laughs, a cold shiver bolting up my spine as I wheeze for air. "Leave her alone!" Another voice shouts, and I blink my tears away as the school comes into sight, should I go in? Should I keep running? He was only toying with me, he could be running faster than me right now, Nen was weighing me down. Had it just been me, I would keep running, but I needed to hide Nen somewhere safe, and then I could run. Hopefully I could get him to follow me, if I had a dummy or something to replace Nen, a lighter one… I could use the net supporters for legs, a ball for a head, and I could just stuff something in for a body. I dipped into the school, dashing through and back to the volleyball gym. I saw Tsuki-kun at the door, my heart fluttering as I dashed in without a second thought.

He closed the door behind me, pinning himself against it as I glanced around, seeing Daichi and Asahi running over. I quickly shushed them, handing Nen over to Daichi and kissing Nen's forehead. "Listen to me Nen, everything will be fine, just be really quiet sweety. Daichi, take Nen and hide. Please, listen to me and just do it. I have a plan, if it fails, you're the only ones who can protect him." I whisper, taking my phone and Nen's jacket before tossing together a quick dummy. "No, Suzuki-chan-" Daichi starts as someone slams against the door, making me jump. "Come on, Dancer! I know you're in there!" The man calls, though I shake my head furiously. "Listen to me and just go, now! I want nothing to do with you!" I scream, Daichi hesitating before he takes Nen and hides. Asahi follows without a word as I settle the dummy against my chest. I run to the opposite door that the man's at, catching my breath as I prepare myself to run again. I pull out my phone, quickly texting Kioshi to come pick up Nen from my school, sending our emergency code that meant the man had appeared. He sends up a thumbs up before I shoved my phone away and snug, staring at the opposite door.

Tsuki-kun and I make eye contact, and I slowly nod to him. He seems to understand, pulling away after the man slams into the door once more, dramatically stumbling back. "Leave me alone, please!" I scream, making sure the man sees me before I dash out the door before he can get a good look at the dummy. "I already told you Dancer, you'll always be mine, I'll always find you, and I'll always bring you right back into my arms, where you belong!" The man says and I hear his feet squeaking across the floor as he chases me. I keep the same pace I had before, dashing back the way I came from and making sure to hold the dummy in place. "Why even run, Dancer? The end result will be the same right?" The man laughs, but I can't help but feel relieved that my plan's actually working- I needed to keep running, I was going in the right direction for the police station now. "Please! Just leave me alone!" I cry out, making him laugh as I take deep breaths. "Oh Dancer, it's really only a matter of time! None of your friends have even tried to save you yet! They're all too weak anyway, they don't stand a chance against me and my love for you!" He laughs, sounding thrilled with himself.

"Hey! You leave Suzuki-chan alone you creep!" Ryu suddenly yells, and I have a mini freak-out: were they trying to shake him off of me? What if he did and went back to the gym? No, he thinks I still have Nen, he'd have no reason to go back. "Yeah! Leave her alone!" Noya yells, and I hear a bunch of footsteps behind us. "Aw, look at all your puny friends trying to help you, Dancer! They all look like middle schoolers, I could crush them all without breaking a sweat!" He laughs menacingly, making me shiver. "Leave us alone!" I cry, though I meant it for the boys. It was better to have as little people involved as possible, I was the only one at risk right now, and so just had to buy enough time for Kioshi to get Nen out of the gym. I could lead him to the police station, or maybe catch a cop along the way- he wouldn't know would he? I hope he wouldn't, but he was following me right now. Then again he was just playing with me right now, he was playing with all of us- but I made a promise to myself, I would get through this, I would fly! I wouldn't be afraid of him, I'd find a way to give Nen a happy and peaceful life without fear, with me as his mom!

I run faster, hearing him increase his pace as well as I maintain a steady breath. Okay, we were getting close to the police station now, I was making a good pace, he still thinks I was weighed down and he's playing with me. I suddenly slam into someone, making the dummy collapse as I tumble to the ground with the stranger. "Sorry!" I cry, bolting to my feet and turning to face the man. A sick grin spreads over his face as he stops, turning on his heel and bolting away. "No! You leave him out of this!" I scream, bolting right after him, keeping up with his pace now that I didn't have to keep up the act. The man slams through my friends, not even deterred as I weave through the chaos, following right on his heel. My heart pounded in my chest, fear coursing through my every vein. Had Kioshi gotten Nen yet? Would Daichi and Asahi be enough to stop him if he hadn't? I needed to do something, anything! Scratch, punch, fight- all the things that I had been taught, would they even work on this guy? No, they had to work, I had to make them work! Nen was at stake, and every moment, every second so bought would be a second that could possibly save Nen!

"Leave him alone!" I scream, diving forward and grabbing onto the man's waist, trying to tackle him- he didn't even budge. He grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, easily prying me off and tossing me against a wall. I grunted, my back aching as I scrambled back to my feet. "Suzuki-chan are you okay? That looked like it hurt!" Koshi asks though I don't bother answering, dashing to catch up with the guy- he wasn't playing any more, he was running to the school. I was the only one managing to keep up. "Don't- just don't! Leave him out of this! He has nothing to do with this!" I scream as I catch up, using a wall to jump up and swinging my foot out, kicking the man in the back of his head. He stumbled, his glare turning to me as he grabbed my foot, using me being airborne to swing me over his shoulder. He swung me down as I screamed, knocking the air out of my lungs as I slammed onto the ground. I coughed, gasping for air as I tried to get back on my feet, feeling dizzy. "Oh he does, doesn't he Dancer? If I can get him, I can get you too." He says, continuing to run as I let out a frustrated scream. "Suzuki-chan! Shit, are you okay?" Koshi says as they catch up and see me on the ground.

I reach out a hand, Koshi giving me his as I pull myself to my feet, stumbling. "Nen, he's after Nen!" I gasp, shaking my head to try and help the dizzy as I start running again. I stumble, groaning as my body aches from being tossed around mercilessly. I couldn't stop though, every second bought was a second that could save Nen! I dash forward, the man disappearing around a corner as I force my legs to go faster. I reached the corner faster than any of the other boys, running as fast as I could to catch up. "Leave him alone!" I cry out, jumping up and slamming my fist into the back of his head. The man grunts as his head slams forward, growling as he starts moving faster. I keep up with his pace, gasping for air as we pass the convenience store. We were close to the school, I was running out of time, I needed to do something! I dash ahead of him with all might, screaming in frustration as I jump up. I propel myself off a wall, twisting my body sideways and kicking both my feet out, hitting him square in the face, making him stumble. I cry out in relief as he falls backwards, hitting his head as he grabs his face. He groaned loudly, glaring up at me angrily as he lets out a low growl.

"I'm going to punish you for that, Dancer!" He yells, grabbing my foot before I can pull away. I scream in fright as he pulls my leg, knocking me off balance so I fall to the ground. He's over me in a second, and I start fighting, kicking, punching and elbowing with everything I had. "No! Stop!" I cry, grunting as his knee presses into my stomach, pinning my waist down. "No, I don't think I will." He chuckles darkly, a cold shudder shooting through my body. He grabs my arms, easily pinning them down over my head as he leans down. I slam my forehead into his chin, seeming to stun him as he sits up. "Why you…" he growls, his free hand wrapping around my throat as he starts squeezing. I gag, trying to fight against him, but it was no use, he was too strong. I choke for air, tears slipping from my eyes as I desperately kick my legs. "Hey! Leave her alone!" Someone screams, the man suddenly jolting forward- someone had kicked him. "Shh, it's alright Dancer. I've got you." The man says, though I twist my head, biting as hard as I could onto his arm. "You… Clench your teeth!" He says, lifting his arm before something hard hits my cheek, making everything spin.

I go limp, too dizzy, black dots everywhere, my mouth tasted like iron. "Just sleep…" the man says, his hand still tight on my throat- I couldn't breathe. Was Nen okay? Did he get away? Did Kioshi get him? Was he safe? "Suzuki-chan!" Someone yells, and I slowly close my eyes. Everything hurt, I couldn't breathe, my cheek stung… I was so dizzy, my back ached, my mouth tasted weird… Kimiko passed out, the man's face curling into a grin- he hadn't planned to punch her and bruise her pretty face, but she wasn't behaving. The bruise would go away, he would just properly treat it later. "Get off of her!" Ryu yelled, something slammed into the man's cheek, knocking him off of Kimiko. The man glared up at Noya, who had just kicked him, cracking his fingers. If he just handled these pesky little kids, he could take Kimiko somewhere and hide her, then go for the boy. "Okay, let's dance." The man chuckled, swinging out his fist. Noya dropped down, dodging his fist before he dived into his chest and knocking him over. "Leave her alone!" Noya says as they tumble back on the ground, Ryu joins and kicks the man while Noya punches him in the jaw.

Koshi drops down next to Kimiko, looking her over- she looked pretty beat up, she was scratched all over and a nasty bruise was forming on her cheek. "It's okay Suzuki-chan, I'll get you out of here." He whispers, scooping her into his arms and securing her against his chest. "Don't take my Dancer!" The man yelled, though Koshi just got up and started running back to the convenience store. Coach was there with Tobio, who was explaining everything to him and calling for help. Noya and Ryu both struggled to keep the man down, resorting to stomping and kicking his every attempt to stand out from under him. They just needed to keep him down so Koshi could get Kimiko to safety. "Don't try to stop me." The man says, suddenly flipping onto his knees onto his feet. He swung his fist out, hitting Ryu square in the cheek. "Hey!" Noya says as Ryu stumbles, glaring at the man. "You feel proud of yourself, hitting and molesting kids?" Ryu yells, the man chuckling darkly. "You don't understand, Dancer is mine. She always has been." The man says, lifting his fists to fight- catching up with Koshi would be child's play. He could just knock these two out right here, right now.

"Guys! Is that him?" Daichi yells as he and Asahi arrive, the man clicking his tongue as he sees two more buff guys arrive. So far everyone was small and scrawny, so where had these two been? "Yes! Suga has Suzuki-chan!" Noya says, Ryu and him both lifting their arms to fight, Noya crouching down. The man turns to run after Koshi, knowing if he could just get Kimiko- he trips over Noya's foot, who had noticed his intent and was prepared for it. Ryu takes the opportunity of the man falling over, slamming his elbow into the back of his neck and falling with him on the way, easily knocking the man out. "I think you knocked him out, Tanaka." Noya says when the man goes limp, Ryu whooping as he stands up and kicks the man roughly in the cheek. "And that's for punching Suzuki-chan! What kind of guy does that anyway! Totally not manly!" Ryu growls, going in for more kicks though Daichi pulls him back. "Hey, he's down, don't hit him any more than you have to." Daichi says, though Ryu shakes his head furiously. "But captain, this guy- he, he's hurt Suzuki-chan so much, scared her and just-" Ryu says, feeling frustrated as Daichi pats his shoulder.

"I know, you're not the only one who wants to kick him into oblivion, trust me. But any more kicking and we can get in trouble, we don't want that. Suzuki-chan would blame herself. Right now, we're just defending ourselves and our friends." Daichi says, Ryu slowly nodding before Daichi let's him go. Asahi and Daichi walk over, patting the man down for any possible weapons- in his pocket he had a roll of tape, some rope- he had been planning to kidnap Suzuki-chan, and the thought of that made all the boys feel sick as they used the tape and rope to restrain him. Noya and Ryu went overboard with the tape, using it to tape his legs completely together. Daichi and Asahi used the rope to bind his hands the best they could. Meanwhile, at the convenience store Koshi had just arrived. "Coach! This is her." Koshi says, walking over as the Coach stood up, looking at the familiar girl- she was one of their cheerleaders from the training camp. "Bring her here, we can hide her under the register until help arrives. Tobio is on the phone with them right now. Where's the guy?" He asks as Koshi settles Kimiko under the register. "With Ryu and Noya, they're keeping him away." Koshi whispers.