The Wakunan team members were pag up, preparing to leave soon, when Takeru Nakashima rao find Taichi Kaedehara.

  "Hey, first-year! Are you a fan of the 'Little Giant' too?"

  "Not just a fan, but a student. The 'Little Giant' is my teacher." Taichi replied with a faint smirk. He wasly lying—he had indeed called Udai-senpai his teacher before. "I learned my spiking teiques from him retly."

  "Really?" Nakashima's face lit up with disbelief. "No wonder you're so good! I get your teacher's email address?"

  Takeru Nakashima was a fervent fan of the 'Little Giant.'

  When he first became scious of his height, he happeo catch a televised match featuring the 'Little Giant' at the national tour. That game taught him an invaluable lesson: there ath for shorter pyers in volleyball.

  "That should be fine, but I'll o check with my teacher first," Taichi replied. "Let's exge emails, Nakashima-senpai."

  "Sure thing!"

  It seemed real. Nakashima was so thrilled he couldn't stop trembling with excitement at the ued surprise.

  "Nakashima-senpai, is this why you came to fiaichi asked curiously, though he also had something to say to Nakashima.

  Nakashima suddenly remembered that his inal iion was to deliver some tough words, something along the lines of "ime, we'll definitely win!"

  But now that he had just gained something so valuable, those words didn't seem quite appropriate anymore.

  "Nothing much really. Just wao ask about that earlier," Nakashima said, attempting to brush it off.

  "Oh, I actually have something to tell you too," Taichi responded, not particurly ed about what Nakashima wao ask. "Karasuno currently has a 'Little Giant' as well. I thought you might be ied."

  "Karasuno's 'Little Giant'?" Nakashima was stunned. Karasuno again?

  "That's right. We pyed a practice match against them retly. He's about 160 cm tall, and his name is Shoyo Hinata. His pystyle is different from your idol's, but he's incredibly skilled."

  "160 cm? And a different style?" Nakashima was intrigued. He couldn't wait to visit Karasuno ahis Shoyo Hinata for himself.

  "That's right! I'd love to see who's the real 'Little Giant' on the court!" Taichi said with an expet grin.

  Shoyo, you'd better thank me—I just found you a great rival.

  "You're not joining the petition for the title of 'Little Giant'? I mean, the inal 'Little Giant' was your teacher," Nakashima asked, puzzled.

  Taichi looked at himself, then at Nakashima. "Well, I'm ly 'little,' am I?"

  ...

  Nakashima realized the versation was over as soon as Taichi's gnce hi their height difference. Without another word, he turned and headed back to his teammates.

  Oikawa Tōru, who had been watg the exge from the sidelines, o himself. He finally firmed his suspi—Taichi Kaedehara was full of tricks.

  Not only had he gained Nakashima's trust, but he'd also slyly sold Shoyo Hinata's information to the oppo.

  "Who's this 'Little Giant' you were talking about?" Oikawa asked, feeling like he'd heard the niame somewhere before.

  "Oh, it's a senior from Karasuno who led their team to nationals a few years ago. I got to know him retly," Taichi replied.

  "Ah, I think I vaguely remember that." Oikawa narrowed his eyes at Taichi. "So now that you know an impressive senior, you've decided not to respect the seniors on your own team?"

  "No, that's not it," Taichi said, gng at Oikawa.

  "There it is! That side-eye!"

  "I didn't."

  "You totally did!"

  And so, Aoba Johsai's practice came to a noisy, chaotid amidst their bickering.

  -----

  After dihat evening, Taichi sent a message to Tenma Udai.

  "Udai-senpai, during today's practice match, I met one of your admirers. He wants your email address. Would that be okay?"

  Taichi hadn't even put down his phone before a reply from Tenma popped up.

  "I was just about to message you! Our manga, Zombie Swordsman Zobishu, has started serializing in Weekly Shonen BYE! Also, what's this about an admirer?"

  "It's a third-year from Wakunan who watched you py at nationals ba the day. His name is Takeru Nakashima."

  Udai-senpai truly leaves a trail of devoted followers wherever he goes, Taichi thought, shaking his head.

  "Sure, you give him my email. Also, did you miss the part where I said our manga, Zombie Swordsman Zobishu, is being serialized in Weekly Shonen BYE?"

  He sent the same message again, and Taichi couldn't help but chuckle. Hurry up a celled already; I'll write you a Demon Syer knockoff instead.

  "I got it, Udai-senpai. Let's meet up in Tokyo sometime to discuss the manga's future dire."

  "(≧≦) OK!"

  Did Udai-senpai just reply with an emoji? Truly the mark of a mangaka, Taichi mused.

  He didn't tihe versation further. Instead, he forwarded Udai's email to Nakashima and, after some thought, sent a message to Shoyo Hinata.

  "Today, I pyed against the pyer in our prefecture who most resembles the 'Little Giant'!"

  After a short while, two replies lit up his phone simultaneously.

  "Thank you so much!!!!!!" This was from Nakashima, and Taichi silently wished him good lu his quest to ect with his idol.

  "Is it Wakunan's Nakashima-senpai? Coach just mentioned him to us today!" This one was from Hinata.

  "So, you already know about him?"

  "How is he? How did your match go?" Hinata's response came almost immediately.

  "Nakashima-senpai is really strong, much strohan us. But Seijoh woch."

  Lying at home, Hinata felt as though aric current surged through him upon reading those words. He sat up abruptly, energized.

  He typed, 'Our team now has an amazing ad libero. ime, we won't lose!' But just before hitting send, he paused. Hinata erased the entire message, realizing he almost revealed team secrets.

  If Kageyama found out, he'd definitely call him an idiot again.

  "I told Nakashima-senpai that Karasuno also has an incredible 'Little Giant.' He's really looking forward to meeting you," Taichi's message read.

  "And I'm curious about how much stronger you've gotten. I'm looking forward to it too."

  The secutive messages made Hinata's heart race. He ched his fists tightly, his fiips whitening. Being seen as amazing in others' eyes and being looked forward to—it filled him with a sense of pride and motivation.

  Uo sit still, Hinata ged out of his pyjamas, put on fresh clothes, and headed to the yard to practice receiving.

  "Shoyo! What are you doing out there?" his mother called from ihe house.

  "Practig volleyball!" Hinata's voice rang out, as eic as ever, despite the te hour.

  "You just took a bath! Stop pying around. You have school tomorrow!"

  "Just a little while! I 't sleep right now!"

  Hinata truly couldn't sleep. Losing to Seijoh had left an indelible mark on him.

  Although the return of Azumane-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai had signifitly strengtheheir team, he felt he hadn't improved much himself.

  He had wao train with Kageyama on a new move, but Kageyama had turned him down. They hadn't spoken in almost a week because of it.

  "If you don't go to bed, Mom's going to e out and yell at you!" His sister, Natsu, peeked out from the doorway.

  "Fine, I'm going." Faced with his mom's looming authority, Hinata relutly returo his room with the ball in his arms.

  Tomorrow, I have to start moving forward. I 't keep dragging my feet like this.

  With that resolve in mind, Hinata finally drifted off to sleep.

  _________

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