A brilliant morning greeted Ryūji. It was a day off, but his mind was buzzing with an intense fire. He remembered his chat with Miyu the night before, and a wave of warmth washed over him. But what dominated his thoughts was the feeling he got on the volleyball court. He wanted to feel that again, to witness it again.
As Ryūji was eating breakfast, his phone buzzed. A message came in from Coach Anabara.
"Ryūji, are you free today?"
Ryūji quickly texted back, "No, Coach. What's up?"
"Perfect. There's a practice match between Karasuno and Aoba Johsai today. I'm heading over; I happen to have an old friend there. I want to see them. Care to join?"
Ryūji's heart gave a little jolt. The plot's timeline immediately came to mind. This was a chance he hadn't expected. Was the main story about to start?.
"Yes, Coach! I'm in," Ryūji replied in a flash.
"Great, I'll pick you up in an hour," Coach Anabara messaged back, with a smiley face emoji.
After that, Ryūji sent a quick text to Miyu, letting her know he was going with the coach to watch the Aoba Johsai vs. Karasuno match. Miyu responded with a smiling emoji.
An hour later, Ryūji was all set in his casual clothes. He saw Coach Anabara's car waiting out front. Ryūji hopped in.
"You look really pumped, Ryūji," Coach Anabara said with a smile.
"Yeah," Ryūji replied, his voice calm. "I want to see other teams play."
"Good. That's a great attitude," Coach Anabara said. "I'm curious about Karasuno. I hear they have some interesting new players. And Aoba Johsai is super organized, led by one of the best setters in the prefecture."
After a short drive, they arrived at the Aoba Johsai gym. The doors were open, and there were only a few people inside: the Karasuno team, the Aoba Johsai team, and a few other coaches.
Ryūji and Coach Anabara found an empty spot in the bleachers. Ryūji's eyes were glued to the court. He saw Iwaizumi Hajime and Kindaichi Yūtarō with his own eyes. A weird feeling hit him—a mix of nostalgia, excitement, and anticipation.
First Set
The match began. Karasuno served first. Ryūji focused on Hinata, who looked really nervous and made a few mistakes, costing Karasuno a series of points.
Ryūji watched Kageyama, the legendary "King of the Court," make perfect sets. Every toss was so precise, it was like he had calculated the ball's path down to the last millimeter.
The first set ended with Aoba Johsai winning by a landslide. Ryūji knew this was part of the story. This loss would be the spark that ignited Karasuno.
Second Set
The vibe was totally different in the second set. Ryūji could feel the shift in the air. After a brief argument, Kageyama said something to Hinata. Ryūji held his breath. He knew the moment everyone was waiting for was about to happen.
Kageyama tossed the ball to Hinata. His eyes were locked on him, and Ryūji could see a lightbulb go off. Kageyama tossed the ball to the peak of Hinata's jump.
Hinata, with his wild instincts, leaped, his eyes squeezed shut.
BAM!
The ball slammed onto the floor with a loud crack, leaving a mark. Ryūji smiled. The players on both teams were stunned into silence. No one could react. That "freak" spike was too fast, simply impossible.
From that point on, the second set was all Karasuno's. They racked up point after point with their "quick attack," which Aoba Johsai couldn't figure out. The shocked reactions of the Aoba Johsai bench and players were obvious; they couldn't believe what they were seeing. Ryūji gave a faint smile.
Karasuno managed to win the second set.
Third Set
In the third set, Karasuno's relentless attack overwhelmed Aoba Johsai.
Ryūji's focus was glued to the court. The score was 19-24; Aoba Johsai was behind and on the verge of losing. They were still struggling with Karasuno's crazy attacks. Luckily, they managed to score a difficult point, making it 20-24.
Just as the tension was at its peak, the gym doors opened.
The cheers of girls echoed from outside. Oikawa Tōru walked in. Ryūji could feel a powerful aura coming from him. Oikawa warmed up with smooth, easy movements, then stepped onto the court to sub in for a first-year. He was up to serve next.
Oikawa gave a thin smile, pointed at Tsukishima, then tossed the ball into the air and hit a jump serve. It was a killer shot, the ball streaking like a bullet. Tsukishima couldn't handle it. The ball hit his arm and bounced high over the spectator stand railing. An ace!
Oikawa served again. And again. He scored three aces in a row, proving exactly why he was one of the best setters in the prefecture.
The score was now 23-24.
Oikawa served again, but this time it was slower, and Tsukishima finally managed to receive it, though the ball bounced high back toward Aoba Johsai's side of the net.
Oikawa smiled faintly as he went for the ball and said to his team, "Let's score this well."
The ball flew up perfectly to the setter, who then set it to Kindaichi for the spike. Hinata jumped to block, but the ball got past him. Fortunately, their captain, Sawamura Daichi, managed to save it. The ball shot toward Kageyama, who was ready to set it.
After falling from his block, Hinata scrambled to the right side, leaped, and spiked, just as a quick toss came from Kageyama.
Oikawa's eyes widened. The spike was so sharp and powerful, landing right next to him. The match was over. Karasuno won by a hair. The Aoba Johsai team looked exhausted, and the loss clearly hit them hard.
After the match ended, Coach Anabara walked over to the Aoba Johsai players. He greeted Coach Irihata, with Ryūji following behind him.
"Irihata-san, good to see you again," Coach Anabara said.
"Anabara! I didn't expect you to come," Coach Irihata replied with a smile. He looked at Ryūji. "Who's this?"
"This is my student, Takumi Ryūji. A very talented young man."
"Oh?" Oikawa and Iwaizumi, who happened to be walking by, heard them talking. They both turned to Ryūji. Oikawa gave a sly smile.
"You've got a good build," Oikawa said, crossing his arms. "I've never seen you in a match. You play volleyball?"
"Yeah," Ryūji answered. "I'm from Johzenji."
Oikawa and Iwaizumi glanced at each other, then back at Ryūji. Oikawa smiled.
"Johzenji, huh?"
Ryūji just gave a slight nod, his eyes on Oikawa. Their staredown made the first-year players feel the tension.
"Interesting," Oikawa murmured. "Can't wait to see it."
Ryūji simply smiled, then turned and walked out of the gym with Coach Anabara.
On the way home, Ryūji didn't stop talking. He told Coach Anabara everything he had seen, analyzing strategies and talking about his team's potential. Coach Anabara listened patiently, a steady smile on his face.