Chapter 56: Practice Match Begins
"If you're going to get up early, then go to bed early. Don't sleep on your desk during class to catch up on sleep, it'll stunt your growth."
"If you need to, go train at the gym we used to frequent. Just show your face and you're in, it's free."
"If you practice too late, call Ayazaki. I've already talked to him, and he'll drive you home." Demon Lord Guren
Hinata Shoyo looked at his phone, reading the caring text message from Ichise Guren.
His lower lip gently bit down on his upper lip, and his eyes began to glisten with tears.
"Guren! Wahhh, you're way too touching, you bastard."
"I'm changing your contact name to 'Big Brother Guren' right now!"
Hinata Shoyo wiped away the moved tears from his eyes and immediately started tapping on his phone, changing the contact name he had modified ever since learning he'd have to play a practice match against Ichise Guren to determine if he could join the club.
"Achoo!"
Ichise Guren suddenly sneezed out of nowhere.
He put down his phone and grabbed a tissue to wipe his nose.
'Why do I feel like someone just cursed me and then praised me?'
'Speaking of which, why is Hinata really clinging to Kageyama Tobio like that?'
'With his current competent skills, he should be able to spike even if Yamaguchi or Tanaka were setting for him.'
After wiping his nose, Ichise Guren suddenly thought of something and fell into contemplation, his finger resting on his chin.
'Could it be that even Mori's sets haven't cured his post-traumatic setter syndrome?'
'Never letting go of any setter, a setter harvester who can spark the desire in all setters to toss him the ball?'
'Tsk tsk tsk, truly a guy who spikes every ball with a grateful heart.'
...
Through Kageyama Tobio and Hinata Shoyo's morning and evening practice sessions, Hinata's already decent receiving skills improved even more, reaching what could now be called genuinely good receiving technique.
Saturday arrived especially quickly. Under Yamaguchi Tadashi's strong request, with Ichise Guren, Hyakuzawa Yudai, and others expressing indifference, and Tsukishima Kei accepting the arrangement, Yamaguchi Tadashi and Hoshino Masaru switched team assignments, raising the average height even more.
Although the thoughts of Ichise Guren and Sawamura Daichi were unknown, Tsukishima Kei's sharp-tongued, venomous attribute still led him to make mocking, provocative remarks, especially when discussing the theory of 'a king abandoned by his retainers, all alone.'
However, Tanaka Ryunosuke and Hinata Shoyo immediately fired back at him on the spot. The last time Kageyama Tobio was mocked by Tsukishima, being accustomed to being misunderstood, he didn't actually fight back but silently chose to avoid confrontation.
But that night, the clouds illuminated by the moon were dispersed by a small sun rising from Yukigaoka. That was the first time he felt the emotion of having someone speak up for him.
During the period before this, he had experienced his grandfather's death, teammates' ostracism, rejection from Shiratorizawa, bad things kept coming one after another, yet he remained alone in everything he did. Even when Hinata Shoyo napped during breaks, classmates would come over to discuss why he looked so tired and slept so late. Tanaka Ryunosuke even had mustaches secretly drawn on his face by his classmates again.
But in Kageyama Tobio's classroom, when he dozed off, there was no one beside him. Whether during class, break time, or when buying drinks, he was always alone.
For him, this loneliness wasn't something painful. As long as he could play volleyball, he didn't mind whether anyone was around to keep him company, even if he was completely alone.
Having grown up without his parents' companionship, with only an older sister who was ten years his senior and not a peer, and now that his only relative had also passed away, it seemed like the only thing he cared about in this world was volleyball.
However, Tanaka Ryunosuke's unhesitating action of standing on the same side as him and directly speaking up in his defense once again caused ripples in his habitually solitary heart.
'As long as I can still play volleyball, even the black night sky becomes a pale clear day.'
Ichise Guren and Sawamura Daichi exchanged glances.
'This is exactly what we wanted.'
This was why, besides Hinata Shoyo, they also put Tanaka Ryunosuke on the same team as Kageyama Tobio. Hinata's and Tanaka's personalities meant they would definitely become the lubricant between the players.
With their naturally friendly, straightforward, honest, and earnest personalities, they would push Kageyama Tobio into Karasuno's team.
While both sides were warming up, Sawamura Daichi slowly walked over to Ichise Guren, who was activating his body. After hesitating, he still voiced his question.
"Ichise-kun, why do you keep believing that Kageyama Tobio and Hinata Shoyo can work well together, and that Hinata can push Kageyama to integrate into the team?"
Ichise Guren, who was beginning to stretch his shoulder and chest muscles, responded to Sawamura Daichi's question while continuing his warm-up.
"Intuition, I guess. Kageyama's name contains the meaning of 'black shadow,' while Hinata's name contains the meaning of 'sun.'"
"Although their personalities seem different, deep down they're both guys with an infinite desire for volleyball and victory."
"Besides, Kageyama Tobio's birthday is on the winter solstice, the day with the longest night of the year. While Hinata Shoyo's birthday is on the summer solstice, the day with the longest daylight of the year."
"Well, I'm actually not sure if the current Shoyo can ignite Kageyama's longing for teamwork, but when shadows in the dark night meet the sun, they always become beautiful light and shadow."
After answering Sawamura Daichi's question, Ichise Guren quickly called over Hyakuzawa Yudai and Tsukishima Kei. Although Tsukishima wasn't the type to obediently listen, facing Hinata Shoyo who had harshly provoked him a few days ago, for the sake of victory, Tsukishima still came to Ichise Guren's side without complaint, wanting to hear what he had to say.
"Actually, compared to receiving and defense, our advantage lies more in blocking defense, so how about..."
Shimizu Kiyoko blew the whistle signaling the start of the match. Although it wasn't an official game, both sides quickly assembled and prepared to begin their first volleyball confrontation of high school.
Kageyama's team was Team A, Ichise's team was Team B. The coin toss gave Team B the serve. Fortunately, this practice match wasn't meant to destroy Kageyama Tobio and Hinata Shoyo's confidence (though it couldn't be destroyed anyway), so Ichise Guren didn't plan to use his serving to score untouchable points.
"Emmmm"
Looking at the three giant-like figures standing on the other side of the net, Hinata Shoyo swallowed his saliva.
'Although I already knew this height distribution was unfair, how could it be this unfair?'
'Three guys with an average height of 190cm... Even in the national tournament in middle school, I rarely encountered such tall blocking.'
Ichise Guren easily served an overhand serve. Although he didn't use much force and didn't jump serve, the speed and angle were still quite tricky.
"I've got it!"
Hinata Shoyo didn't think much about how Hoshino Masaru was on his side and could receive the ball. He simply made a receiving motion for this serve that was closest to him.
A very good first pass. Kageyama Tobio looked at the ball flying high up.
'Tch, his receiving skills have improved a bit.'
Once again perfectly judging the volleyball's landing point, he then positioned himself and began observing both sides' positioning.
'Ichise is marking me, let me try Tanaka-senpai.'
He made a tentative hitting feint with both hands, but Ichise Guren showed no intention of rushing forward to defend.
'Tch, was I seen through?'
Clicking his tongue, Kageyama Tobio still maintained his posture that preserved the possibility of a second hit, until the moment the volleyball fell into his hands.
With both hands in a textbook overhead pass, the contact of all ten fingers allowed Kageyama Tobio's ball control to be greatly released at this moment.
Whoosh
The volleyball spun rapidly as it flew toward Tanaka Ryunosuke's side.
'This little brat really does set well.'
With this thought, Tanaka Ryunosuke ran up and jumped, facing the two-person blocking defense in the air, decisively choosing a cross-court spike that he hadn't yet mastered.
His palm crisply struck the ball, and excellent power exploded from the volleyball. The ball, which had paused in the air for an instant, carried a fierce wind as it thundered toward the undefended inside sharp angle, in front of Yamaguchi Tadashi.
Thud thud.
The volleyball hit the ground with a sound.
Just as Tanaka Ryunosuke, who had been blocked from the straight shot route, spiked his not-yet-skilled cross-court attack in the air, precisely because it wasn't skilled enough, it gave Ichise Guren sufficient time to move. His long legs jumped diagonally in the air, blocking this spike that was about to break through the two-person defense.
Kinoshita Hisashi immediately flipped the scoreboard, giving Team B one point.
Team A 0:1 Team B.
"Damn it!"
Tanaka Ryunosuke looked at Ichise Guren, who had blocked his spike on the other side of the net.
'As expected of an MVP runner and high jumper.'
'They look no different from Date Tech's Iron Wall. Are these guys really middle school graduates?'
Gritting his teeth, Tanaka put away his slight pride when facing middle school students and formally regarded the three super-tall first-years on the other side as an iron wall that not only had height but also possessed powerful blocking strength.
***
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