"Shirabu-senpai!"

  As soon as the matded, Kaedehara Taichi hurried after Shirabu Kenjirō, alking toward the rest area.

  " we talk about offensive coordination for a moment?"

  Shirabu's brows furrowed slightly. This first-year from Aoba Johsai...He's the reason Ushijima-senpai didn't make it past the prefectural finals.

  "Shirabu-senpai! I want you to toss for me too!" Goshiki Tsutomu came running, his voiing as always.

  Goshiki stared ily at Taichi. No way I'm letting you one-up me. You're my rival!

  "Ugh..." Shirabu clicked his tongue audibly, his scowl deepening. First-years are such a pain. I was going to ask Ushijima-senpai if he needed a toss, but I guess these requests make sense during training camp.

  With an air nation, he replied coldly, "I'll practice with you after I rest for a bit."

  "Thank you, Shirabu-senpai!" Taichi bowed in gratitude before turning and sprinting toward the Washijō team's side of the court.

  Goshiki immediately gave chase. Today's mission: observe Taichi's every training move!

  "Well, at least he's polite," Shirabu mused, his impression of Taichi improving slightly. But theiced Goshiki trailing behind, and his expression twisted into disdain again. "That idiot."

  -----

  Elsewhere in the gym, Oikawa Tōru and Ushijima Wakatoshi stood talking—an unon sight despite their frequent enters in matches.

  Usually, it was Ushijima who initiated the rare exges, always with a blunt attempt to recruit Oikawa. Since Oikawa had always left those iions as the loser, he preferred to avoid the versation altogether.

  But things were different now. Oikawa had defeated Ushijima and led his team to the national top eight.

  "Hey, Ushijima-! How smooth is it to spike from my sets, huh?" Oikawa grinned mischievously.

  "They're very precise," Ushijima replied calmly. "Also, stop callihat."

  He had corrected Oikawa many times, but the setter never seemed to ge. Ushijima sighed internally, realizing he might eventually get used to it—perhaps three more corres would do the trick.

  Oikawa, meanwhile, revelled in the praise. Why didn't I realize before how satisfying it is when this guy pliments people? Straightforward talk is the best. He ighe tter half of Ushijima's remark entirely.

  Just as he opened his mouth to tihe versation, he caught sight of Kaedehara Taichi approag out of the er of his eye.

  Heh. Couldn't stay away, could you? For two days, both Iwaizumi and Taichi had been avoiding him. It seemed his adorable undercssman was finally warming up.

  In his mind, Oikawa bumped Iwaizumi's spot down a notch, pg Taichi higher on his internal ranking. He feigned nond began moving in Taichi's dire.

  "Ah-hem! Taichi, do you need something—"

  Without a gaichi sped right past him.

  "Ushijima-senpai, may I ask you something?"

  Ushijima remained silent, simply staring at him.

  That's a yes! Definitely!

  Taichi wasted no time. "When you spike with your left hand, how do you put your full power into it?"

  Goshiki's jaw dropped.

  He went straight for Ushijima-senpai's signature move?! Should I try using my left hand too?!

  Unfazed, Ushijima answered in his usual monotone. "First, adjust your approach steps to at for your dominant side. Use yht foot as a pivot during takeoff. Then, focus on your arm movement—swing both arms for lift and stretch yht arm slightly outward before the spike to stabilize your band increase your jump height…"

  "What?! He expi just like that?" Goshiki stared in disbelief.

  "Maybe ask questioime instead of sulking," Tendō Satori quipped from behind, grinning like a cat toying with a mouse. "At this rate, you'll never surpass Aoba Johsai's little monster, Goshiki-kun."

  "Ushijima-senpai!" Goshiki shouted, flustered. But he hadn't thought of a specific questio.

  Ushijima watched him, unblinking, until Goshiki's face turned red with frustration. Then, turning back to Taichi, he decided a demonstration would be quicker.

  "Oikawa, you toss for me?"

  Finally, Oikawa was aowledged. Though annoyed, he khis was a rare learning opportunity. Inwardly, he wrestled between pride and duty—his grudge against Taichi versus his responsibility to Aoba Johsai.

  This is for Seijoh. Not for that brat. Hmph!

  "What are you staring at me fet a move on, Oikawa-senpai!" Taichi called impatiently.

  Oikawa shot him a murderous gre.

  What's his problem now? Taichi wondered.

  -----

  The gym buzzed as Oikawa and Ushijima took positions on the court. Pyers gathered quickly—watg these two legends perform up close was a rare treat.

  Shirabu stood among them, keenly every nuance of Oikawa's toss to Ushijima.

  Taichi tossed the ball high into the air. Oikawa unched himself forward in a graceful leap, body perfectly banced, hands poised above his head.

  Is jumping really necessary here? Oh, you just want to show off, don't you? Taichi thought. Still, even he had to admit—Shirabu and Koganegawa were both transfixed.

  "Ushijima!" Oikawa's voice acted like a trigger.

  Ushijima sprinted along the sideline, body leaning forward, his steps perfectly aligned with his tre of gravity. His eyes locked on the ball.

  Oikawa's hands cupped the ball, wrists abs its impact while his fingers added a subtle spin for extra stability.

  Just as Ushijima took his final step, his arms swung from behind, peed from his thighs and core. His jump was vertical, perfectly aligned.

  "Perfect…" Shirabu muttered, captivated. His eyes darted betweeter and spiker, mesmerized by the fwless synergy.

  The ball floated precisely to Ushijima's highest point of reach.

  He stretched his left arm fully behind him, elbow loose but trolled, wrist snapping downward with incredible force.

  —BOOM!—

  The air seemed to explode on tact.

  Kaedehara Taichi, standing closest, swore he saw the volleyball distort from the sheer force before it shot downward like a bullet.

  —BOOM!!—

  The sound of impact resohroughout the gym, shaking the floor. Pyers gasped. For a moment, the entire gym felt as if it had been struck by thunder.

  The volleyball soared high into the air and nded iands on the sed floor of the gymnasium.

  "If anyone had tried to receive that, they'd have broken a bone for sure," Kunimi Akira muttered with a hint of dread.

  The pyers around him shared simir thoughts. A heavy silence filled the gym.

  Nearby, Irihata Nobuteru and Washijō Tanji had already been watg the otion on the court. They hadn't expected such a rea from what was supposed to be a simple spiking drill.

  "That spike was fwless. her of them could've do without the other," Washijō muttered with a gleam of satisfa in his eyes. This was the kind of volleyball he most wao see.

  Ohe initial shock subsided, Washijō spoke with ued seriousness, "Both of those boys have reached a level on par with professional pyers. Ushijima is already a member of the national youth team, and after graduation, he'll likely head straight into the V-League."

  "Is that so?" Coach Irihata's expression stiffened slightly. "I always thought Oikawa still had a slight gap between him and the monsters of the U19 division. Sino one from the youth team's scoutiment tacted Seijoh, I figured it was still a bit too far off."

  He cast a sidelong gre at Washijō. "But that's mainly because Shiratorizawa blocked his path. A pyer who's never been to Nationals won't attract much attention, will they?"

  Washijō didn't flinch. His stubborn pride in Shiratorizawa aside, he always spoke pinly and aowledged reality—and it was undeniable that Seijoh had beaten them.

  Coach Irihata tinued, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. "But this year's Oikawa is different. His transformation came suddenly—not just in terms of teique, but in mioo." He reflected with a trace of pride. "Now, I think he's as good as anyone oional youth team."

  Washijō nodded without argument. "Hmm."

  Irihata sighed, a flicker of nostalgia softening his voice. "Oikawa once mentioned wanting to study in Argentina. I wonder if he'll ge his mind if he gets an offer from the youth team ter this year." He paused, then smiled faintly. "I used to think supp that decision was best—this sport will be his whole life, just like it's been ours. But...now, maybe staying here wouldn't be so bad after all."

  -----

  Ba the court, practice resumed. Shirabu Kenjirō finally learned why Taichi had been so insistent about talking.

  "Shirabu-senpai, for the practice matches, I'll be spiking exclusively with my left hand. Just toss to me as you would to Ushijima-senpai."

  Left-hand spikes? Shirabu frowned.

  He was aware Taichi could use both hands in py, but his dominant hand was clearly his right. Was this decision about optimizing his position since Shirabu wasn't as aced to adjusting his tosses as Oikawa? Fixing a spiking angle might simplify things.

  "Why your left hand, though?" he asked.

  Taichi paused, then broke into a cheerful grin. "Maybe it's because you look most fident when you toss to that side."

  Shirabu blinked before chug softly. "There's probably more to it than that...but I like that reaso." After all, it was when tossing to the left that he could fully admire that perfect, airborne form.

  "Shirabu-senpai, I want to—" Goshiki Tsutomu began.

  "No." Shirabu's expression turned icy.

  "But—"

  "You haven't even mastered yht-hand spikes. You're running in circles after your oppos instead of learning from them. Why don't you spend more time practising your cross shots instead of relying on straight-liacks? It's all yood at, you watermelon-head."

  This brutal monologue never left Shirabu's lips, but his sharp gre veyed every thought.

  "Uh...I'll work on my cross shots," Goshiki mumbled, stepping ba defeat.

  -----

  Shirabu led Taichi and Goshiki through a new drill. After seeing Oikawa and Ushijima's fwless spike earlier, the entire gym buzzed with renewed energy. Everyo inspired—that spike had been magnifit.

  Well, almost everyone.

  One pyer sat quietly at the sidelines, eyes closed.

  ōhira Reon noticed and approached out of curiosity.

  Is he meditating? It didn't seem like it. And why is he so quiet? Tendō Satori, known for his endless chatter, had even stopped talking.

  "Tendō?" ōhira ventured cautiously. "What are you doing?"

  Tendō's eyes snapped open—rge and round, almost supernatural in size. Some eve as far as to say that his gaze resembled a yokai's.

  "I'm visualizing my ultimate teique!" he decred gleefully.

  "Ah...okay." ōhira lost i immediately.

  Everyone on Shiratorizawa kendō eculiar character.

  ōhira, after three years of observation, had cluded that Tendō thrived on the joy of defeating oppos.

  He became sharper and more focused, the more he relished their reas.

  Washijō allowed Tendō free rein because his instincts and unventional style made him a nightmare on the court.

  "Hey, Reon," Tendō whispered spiratorially. "Guess what I'm imagining?"

  "What?"

  "Oikawa's face when I block his setters dump!" Tendō's grin stretched wide.

  Ohira didn't bat an eye. Instead, he nodded pcidly. Years of exposure to Tendō's etricities had dulled his capacity for shock.

  Tendō basked in his own daydream. "I already see it! His eyes full of frustration...nothing is sweeter than watg someone like him lose!"

  "That's...pretty extreme," ōhira muttered, stepping back.

  "Right?" Tendō ractically vibrating with excitement.

  "Tendō!" Washijō's bellow cut across the gym. "How much longer are you going to ze around?"

  "Ah, gotta run!" Tendō leapt up. "I'll tell you the rest ter!"

  And so, the third day of training camp tinued.

  By evening, the teams began their fourth round of practice matches…

  _________

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