Okami High School - September 14, 2019
A week ago, Leonard was still a foreign player in Japan, newly enrolled at Okami International High School. He wasn't a regular starter due to his limited experience and shaky fundamentals. While he had impressive strength and powerful spikes, he was used only as a substitute.
He hadn't been very interested in sports at first. But before she passed away, his mom had told him to use his talent properly. That stuck with him. So he chose volleyball and decided to train as much as he could. Even though he's struggling with school and his friends tease him about it, he keeps going. His dad has been distant ever since mom died, and that's made things even harder.
He felt alone. He had no energy for anything except volleyball. Playing gave him at least one reason to smile. The only people who treated him kindly were his teammates, and that meant a lot. He was truly grateful to have good friends.
However, his school team wasn't doing well either. They had lost five tournament matches in a row and struggled with defense. They trained for days, but still couldn't get the hang of it. Even the coach was starting to lose hope.
A few weeks later, Leonard had to move to the Philippines because of his father's job. He begged to stay, but he was too young to live on his own, so he was forced to leave the team. It was unfortunate, but Leonard accepted it. He was okay with the change.
---September 17, 2019---
So he stopped playing volleyball. There weren't many teams in his city, and he felt stuck. He practiced alone and stayed inside most days, coming close to quitting. Then one afternoon, he found a park nearby and saw people playing volleyball. He wanted to join them, but he was nervous.
Footsteps approached. "What ya doin? Are you a volleyball player too? You can come join us." A teenager with curly hair and tanned skin stepped up to Leonard. He was just as tall, but had a stronger build.
"What? Oh, no... It's fine. I was just... watching," Leonard said, nervous and unsure. He didn't want to cause any trouble.
"Whattt? Come on, let's go." The teenager didn't take no for an answer. He grabbed Leonard by the arm and led him toward the court, introducing him to the others.
Leonard joined in, mostly because he had nothing else to do. The group was solid on defense, but their other fundamentals were a bit shaky. Still, Leonard matched their pace and played well alongside them.
The game was short since most of them had to leave. It was getting late, and they couldn't play any longer. "Well... I'm sorry, lad, but we've gotta get going. It's late, and we still have a project to do!" the curly-haired teenager exclaimed.
"That's fine, I don't mind... We can play next time," Leonard replied.
"Oh? That's great then! Oh, and what's your name? I forgot to ask," the teenager asked, offering a handshake.
"My name's Leonard. What's yours?" he replied as they shook hands.
"My name is Nicholas," he answered, before walking away and waving goodbye.
The wind gusted through the park, leaves drifting down from the trees and the grass swaying softly. It felt like something new was beginning, like a fresh start was waiting for Leonard. He walked home as he thought about today, volleyball was getting interesting once again for him.
He decided to attempt joining the club tomorrow and to work on self-improvement. He looked forward to playing with Nicholas and his friends once more. His life was moving along smoothly..
---September 25, 2019---
A few days later, he began practicing in preparation to join the club, while biking to his gym, he suddenly went too fast out of excitement and fell... He landed on his knee and sustained an injury.. Before a mysterious but familiar face walks by, asking him if they've met before.