The next morning, after class ended, Jin strolled into Karasuno's gym, whistling casually.
At the center of the court stood a man with a yellow tracksuit jacket and a headband tied neatly across his forehead.
Seeing the group already gathered, Jin chuckled to himself. 'Finally here… Ukai Keishin, Karasuno's new coach.'
Of course Jin already knew everything, but he still acted curious, blending in with the others as if it was his first time seeing the man.
Takeda-sensei noticed Jin arriving last and quickly filled him in. "Jin, this is Ukai Keishin. He used to play for Karasuno and is the grandson of Coach Ukai, who used to oversee the club."
Scratching the back of his head with an embarrassed smile, Ukai muttered, "I already said, I haven't agreed yet. Let me just take a look at the team first."
Hinata ran up beside Jin, whispering excitedly, "Jin, you won't believe it! Tis is the guy who runs the convenience store under the hill, he's actually our coach!"
"Oh? Is that so." Jin said, playing along.
Just then, the gym doors opened again. Two older men walked in, dressed in sweats, carrying themselves with a certain relaxed but heavy presence.
"Yo, Keishin, you're early!"
"Man, stepping into this gym again… feels nostalgic. What a shame we're all ossan now."
Ukai sighed. "I thought we'd get three or four of you guys today, but it's just the two of you? Playing a match like this will be tough."
At that moment, Jin's gaze shifted toward the entrance. Sure enough, standing outside the corridor was Asahi, still hesitant, still lingering in doubt.
"Oi, Asahi-senpai!" Jin called out loudly, grinning. "If you're not coming in, don't forget to stamp that withdrawal form!"
Asahi froze, then glared at Jin who has mischievous smile. This brat knew exactly how to press his buttons. With everyone inside already gathered, could he really just walk away? No, at least not without showing his face.
Because Jin had raised his voice, everyone in the gym turned to look.
Sugawara, Daichi, and Tanaka immediately ran to the door.
"Asahi! You're finally here!"
"C'mon, let's go inside!"
Nishinoya didn't rush out. Instead, he stood rooted on the court, watching Asahi's figure slowly enter, a thoughtful gleam flickering in his eyes.
Asahi stepped inside, forcing a small smile. "Long time no see… I'm here."
Ukai, not knowing the backstory, barked, "Beard guy! You've got guts showing up late on the first day with the coach around. How bold of you!"
"C-Coach? No, wait, it's not like that-" Asahi stammered. He hadn't actually decided to rejoin yet.
Coach Ukai cut him off with a roar. "What's there to misunderstand? Go change and get ready. You high schoolers these days…"
Before Asahi could protest, his teammates dragged him toward the changing room. They had already prepared two sets of bibs, yellow and green.
---
Team Yellow:
Shirogane Jin, Daichi Sawamura, Tobio Kageyama, Shōyō Hinata, Kei Tsukishima, Ryūnosuke Tanaka (rotation), Chikara Ennoshita (rotation)
Team Green:
Kōshi Sugawara, Asahi Azumane, Yū Nishinoya, Shimada Makoto (alumni), Mori Yukinari (alumni), Koji Takinoue, Akira Uchizawa, Kazuhito Narita (rotation)
Both teams began their warm-up, sneakers squeaking against the polished floor. Jin, however, kept glancing toward the entrance.
And just as he expected, two minutes later, a timid figure peeked inside. Shimizu Kiyoko, with her sharp eyes, was the first to notice.
"Who are you?" she asked politely.
"Ahhh!" Yachi Hitoka squealed in panic at being caught.
The sudden shriek froze the entire gym. Everyone turned to the doorway.
Clutching a piece of paper with trembling hands, Hitoka stammered and held it out. It was the 'manager appointment letter'.
Her wide eyes darted nervously around the gym. 'Why is there a scary uncle-looking guy with a beard? And someone with a bandana? A bald head over there too? This place is terrifying…'
And then, her gaze landed on Jin, who was grinning slyly at her from the corner. Her face went pale green instantly. 'T-That bad guy! He's here too!!'
Kiyoko gently took the letter from her and smiled warmly. "So you're the new manager. Welcome. My name is Shimizu Kiyoko, third year. Until now, I've been the only manager for Karasuno."
That graceful, reassuring smile melted some of Hitoka's fear. She bowed her head slightly. "Um… my name is Yachi Hitoka. First year."