"Bang, bang, bang!"
Futakuchi watched with a headache as Aone pounded the television with his sandbag sized fist. The already fragile television flickered with static after the brutal assault, then finally stopped working altogether.
"Who taught you to fix a television like that?"
Futakuchi helplessly pushed Aone aside and stepped forward to inspect it himself. At six foot three, Aone was squeezed into the corner, looking somewhat aggrieved.
Aone rubbed his fingers together in confusion. Shoyo Hinata had said that hitting the television a few times would fix it, so why had he broken it instead? He lowered his head and stared at his hands, lost in thought.
Futakuchi gave the television a few slaps as well. After confirming that it was truly beyond saving, he straightened up.
"All right, the television is completely broken now. I'll go home and get my tablet. The sports channel should be broadcasting the match live."
Aone's expression improved when he heard that. He had thought he was going to miss the match.
Everyone was looking forward to it. Although they had once been opponents, and although they had failed to reach the IH tournament and had no time to watch the match in person, they were all watching that small orange court from the other side of a screen.
They dreamed of standing on that court themselves one day, and they hoped Shiratorizawa would win every match.
...
Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium
At the warmup court, everyone had already completed their basic receiving drills and had more or less found their rhythm.
Now they were each finishing their individual warmups.
Ryosuke crouched on the floor and stretched his legs. Then he stood and stretched his arms, making his joints crack and pop.
At some point, Coach Washijō had quietly approached him and was discreetly inspecting his knee.
The boy had not said a word about how his knee had been feeling over the past two days. Coach Washijō could not help worrying, so he had to check for himself. Especially with a match like this coming up.
A little knee pain would mean nothing to Ryosuke. Even if his leg were broken, he would probably grit his teeth and stay silent. His stubbornness worried Coach Washijō to no end.
Ryosuke was turning his head to stretch his neck when he suddenly spotted Coach Washijō's expressionless face beside him. The sight startled him so badly that he nearly twisted his neck.
"Coach Washijō, what are you doing?!"
Ryosuke immediately bristled in alarm.
Coach Washijō rolled his eyes. He could not be bothered to tell Ryosuke something gentle like, "Make sure you tell me if your leg hurts." Coach Washijō had always preferred a simpler, more forceful approach.
"If your knee starts hurting during the match, decide what to do yourself. Keep playing through the pain or rest and let someone replace you. I trust you know your own limits. But if you hide it and end up damaging your knee, then the moment you come off the court, I'll break your leg myself. Do you understand?"
"I understand."
Ryosuke turned his head away and dragged out the words lazily.
"Hmph."
Even the back of Ryosuke's head seemed to radiate excitement and impatience to get onto the court. Coach Washijō said nothing more. He merely snorted and walked away.
He trusted Ryosuke to know his limits. Ryosuke was not someone who would treat his own body carelessly. He had grown up surrounded by love, and he understood that if anything happened to him, Keigo Atobe and everyone else, including Coach Washijō, his grandfather in name, would be devastated. As long as Ryosuke remembered that, he would not act recklessly.
...
Over at Inarizaki, Coach Kurosu stood to the side with his hands behind his back, watching the team warm up.
Unlike the casual atmosphere during his earlier speech, everyone was clearly much more serious now.
"They seem a little different today."
The faculty advisor stood beside Coach Kurosu with the training manual in his arms.
Kurosu gave a quiet chuckle.
"Their opponent is Shiratorizawa. They went to watch Shiratorizawa's match yesterday, didn't they? Not many schools could stay calm after seeing Shiratorizawa play. Now they all understand the danger."
"That's true."
The faculty advisor watched the players thoughtfully.
"Samu, we're going to win today too, right?"
Atsumu Miya stood beside Osamu Miya, adjusting his wrist guard as he spoke.
Osamu Miya bent down and tugged at his knee pad, answering as though it were obvious.
"Of course, Atsumu."
The brothers might have very different personalities, but deep down, they shared the same arrogance. They were like fanatical gamblers who never considered the possibility of losing.
"It's time to line up."
Aran walked over and patted both twins on the shoulders.
The three of them went to join the line.
Warmup time always passed quickly. The two teams were now waiting in their respective locker rooms, ready to enter the court, when the announcement rang through the arena.
"Welcome, everyone, to the quarterfinals of the National High School Boys' Volleyball League. The two teams about to take the court are Shiratorizawa and Inarizaki. Shiratorizawa has long been hailed by its many fans as the Champion, while Inarizaki has built a legendary reputation for remaining undefeated in previous competitions.
"What kind of sparks will fly when these two evenly matched schools face each other on the court? Let us find out together. Now, please welcome the first team to enter, Inarizaki!"
The Inarizaki players had already lined up inside the locker room. As soon as their school's name was announced, they began moving forward with the line.
Coach Kurosu walked at the front. After taking a few steps, he turned back to Shinsuke Kita and the others.
"We're going to win this match too. Don't disappoint me."
"Yes, sir!"
Hearing their powerful response, a genuine smile spread across Coach Kurosu's face.
Inarizaki entered the court first.
Over the speakers, the commentator enthusiastically introduced each of the players.
"First to enter is Inarizaki's captain, Shinsuke Kita. He only became captain in his third year and has rarely appeared in previous matches. However, anyone capable of becoming Inarizaki's captain must undoubtedly be an exceptional player."
"Following Shinsuke Kita are Inarizaki's outstanding Miya twins. The younger brother is a middle blocker, while the older brother is the setter. Their unique chemistry as twins and their polished skills allow them to control many of the team's scoring opportunities, making them a formidable weapon."
"Next is Inarizaki's wing spiker, Aran Ojiro. Aran is a second year student at Inarizaki. His excellent receiving and versatile attacks have earned him a place in the starting lineup despite being only in his second year."
"Next..."
The commentator continued diligently introducing the players, and the spectators applauded enthusiastically. In the Inarizaki cheering section, the supporters had formed an entire band. As soon as the introductions ended and Inarizaki stepped onto the court, music and cheers erupted from the stands.
"Atsumu Miya! You're so handsome!"
"Go, Inarizaki!"
"Atsumu Miya, Osamu Miya! We love you!"
The noise drew the attention of spectators throughout the arena.
Eight out of every ten shouts seemed to be declarations of love for the twins. It was quite a spectacle.
The drumming gave Sakusa a headache, and he clicked his tongue irritably. Komori found his reaction amusing.
Iizuna rested his chin on his hand as he watched Inarizaki.
"I really don't understand it. Why does a school as reserved as Inarizaki have such an extravagant cheering style?"
Nishio tilted his head and looked at Iizuna in confusion.
"Reserved? Iizuna-senpai, have you misunderstood Inarizaki somehow? As long as Atsumu Miya acts like he's the greatest person in heaven and on earth, Inarizaki will never have anything to do with the word 'reserved.'"
"..."
Iizuna fell silent.
That did seem to make sense. Still, he remembered Inarizaki being a very steady and understated school in the past. What had happened to them over the last two years?
Sakusa watched Atsumu Miya take the court, growing more irritated by the second. This was the same guy who had shamelessly followed Ryosuke around every day at the national youth training camp. Had Itachiyama faced Inarizaki first, Sakusa would have been the first to spike a ball straight into Atsumu Miya's head.
...
Shiratorizawa had not entered yet. The team was still waiting by the locker room entrance, so they naturally heard the cheers from Inarizaki's side.
Yamagata stood at the very back and sighed.
"No matter how many times I hear Inarizaki's cheering, it always seems ridiculously showy."
Tsutomu Goshiki looked at him in surprise.
"Inarizaki's cheering? Do you mean the music playing right now?"
Yamagata nodded.
Tsutomu Goshiki became even more confused.
"But our school has a brass band too. I saw them at the last prefectural tournament. Why is it only showy when Inarizaki does it?"
"That's different."
Reon, who had been listening to their conversation, turned to Tsutomu Goshiki.
"Exactly."
Yamagata nodded in agreement, then continued with a deeply resentful expression.
"Inarizaki's cheering section always plays whenever Atsumu Miya is serving. Then, once he's ready, he makes a gesture and the music suddenly stops. It's flashy and annoying. Every time you receive his serve, you have to pay attention to what their cheering section is doing. It's incredibly irritating."
Tsutomu Goshiki was so intrigued that he could hardly wait to get onto the court and experience it himself.
"You'll understand once you're out there. Don't get too excited yet."
Reon watched Tsutomu Goshiki's eager expression and decided to warn him. He only hoped Tsutomu Goshiki would not be distracted when the time came. He might not be smiling anymore once Inarizaki's cheering section actually interfered with him.
"We're going in."
Ushijima spoke from the front of the line, reminding everyone behind him to stop talking. They were about to enter the court.
At Ushijima's warning, everyone fell silent and waited.
"Next to enter is Shiratorizawa Boys' High School from Miyagi. First is Shiratorizawa's captain, Wakatoshi Ushijima, one of the nation's top five wing spikers. He is a rare left handed player with an exceptionally powerful serve.
"Ushijima has always been a dominating presence on the court. Following closely behind him is Shiratorizawa's setter, Kenjirō Shirabu.
"Currently a second year student, Shirabu has already accompanied the team to national level competitions for two consecutive years. What kind of spectacular performance will Shirabu and Ushijima show us in this match?"
"That's right. Behind Shirabu is Shiratorizawa's vice captain, Reon. As vice captain, Reon excels in both offense and defense.
"Behind Reon are Shiratorizawa's two first year players competing in this tournament."
"They are Tsutomu Goshiki and Ryosuke Hanyu. For these two young first year players, the IH is their first official major tournament.
"Both are highly talented. Tsutomu Goshiki's spikes and serves clearly reflect everything he has learned from his seniors at Shiratorizawa.
"His spikes are powerful, and his range of attacks is remarkably broad. Sharp crosses, wide crosses, and straight shots all seem to come naturally to him. I believe Tsutomu Goshiki will become one of Shiratorizawa's greatest pillars in the near future."
"Hmph. How flashy."
Coach Washijō looked thoroughly impatient when he heard the commentator's praise. Did he not already know exactly what Tsutomu Goshiki was capable of? There was no need to exaggerate it like that. The boy could barely handle being praised. After hearing all this, he would probably be so delighted that he lost his head once he stepped onto the court.
Coach Washijō looked over at Tsutomu Goshiki.
Sure enough, Tsutomu Goshiki's face was bright red, and his eyes were wandering all over the place. The praise had clearly struck exactly where it pleased him most.
It seemed Coach Washijō would need to straighten out his mindset before the match officially began.
"The other first year player is Ryosuke Hanyu. Although he is a middle blocker, his style is more similar to that of his teammate Tendo. Both serve as defensive anchors.
"Like Tendo, Ryosuke is a naturally gifted blocker. His blocks are exceptionally precise, and his receiving skills are comparable to those of libero Yamagata."
"That's right. According to rumors, Ryosuke was originally trained according to the standards of a libero. Looking at him now, however, that almost seems like a waste of his talent."
Ryosuke felt nothing when he heard that. His expression did not change at all, as though he had not taken the comment to heart. What position he ultimately played was his own decision. The commentator's opinion did not determine anything.
Quite a few people in the stands recognized Ryosuke. When they heard the commentator's assessment of him, they craned their necks to get a better look.
As the commentator prepared to introduce the next player, his gaze swept across Ryosuke's face once more. He suddenly felt that Ryosuke looked very familiar, but the thought vanished as quickly as it appeared, and he continued with the next introduction.
"Next is Shiratorizawa's final player, the well known Miracle Boy, Satori Tendo. Tendo has always been the heart of Shiratorizawa's blocking lineup.
"For the past three years, he has stood guard at the net and blocked more attacks than anyone could count. We hope Tendo will deliver another spectacular performance in today's match."
The commentator certainly knew how to flatter people. Every word struck directly at Tendo's heart, especially the title "Miracle Boy." Had so many people not been watching him, Tendo would have planted his hands on his hips and burst into loud laughter.
Tendo narrowed his eyes, hummed a little tune, and walked onto the court with his head swaying from side to side.
Once Shiratorizawa's introductions were complete, the opening ceremony came to an end.
The moment Shiratorizawa entered, their own cheering section began playing as well. There were trumpets, drums, and singing. It looked even more impressive than Inarizaki's support.
"I thought Shiratorizawa usually didn't play music during the opening," Iizuna said.
"Maybe Inarizaki's cheering provoked them," Komori replied thoughtfully.
Sakusa, meanwhile, had not taken his eyes off Ryosuke since the moment he entered the court. His gaze clung to him like glue. Wherever Ryosuke went, Sakusa's eyes followed.