"Hmm?"
"Hmm?"
Coach Ukai and Mr. Kobu looked at the group of students who, earlier, should have been training happily in the new gym. But now, emerging from the training room, most of them wore an almost imperceptible, exhausted expression.
Mr. Kobu hurried over, concerned, checking each boy's temperature one by one.
"What happened? How can a single physical training session leave you like this?"
Coach Ukai patted the dazed Shoyo Hinata on the cheek, equally surprised.
"Hey, hey! Hinata, what's wrong? Aren't you usually a stamina monster? How come you can't handle this today?"
The only one still alert, Guren, adjusted his bangs and replied with a hint of glee at the elders' concern.
"Don't worry about them. They just experienced my training, and insisted on matching the weight to my level."
Both teachers and the coach looked at Guren in astonishment. Curiosity flared, what kind of training could tire out physical beasts like Kageyama and Hinata this badly?
As the saying goes, curiosity kills the crow.
That night…
Two adult men, whose recovery abilities were far weaker than teenage boys, grimaced in their rooms while rubbing medicinal liniments or struggling to apply patches on sore muscles.
The next day, inside the new gym:
"Impressive!"
Nishinoya Yuu, Sugawara Koushi, and Ryunosuke Tanaka, gathered in a circle, all exclaimed in unison.
Attracted by the noise, Asahi Azumane walked over and peered at the volleyball magazine in Nishinoya's hands.
"What's that? What's that?"
"Nishinoya-senpai, I want to see too."
These two seemingly fierce attackers had been practicing spike techniques together recently, hence their curiosity.
Within a second, their faces mirrored shock. So strong!
Mr. Kobu, excited, held up an A4-sized sheet of paper and called out, "The schedule's out!" while hurriedly swapping his indoor shoes at the entrance.
===========
After examining their team's schedule, the Karasuno volleyball players lifted their heads and glanced at the small flag Guren had tied to the second-floor railing.
[Dominate the Nation]
The three third-years exhaled in unison.
"This goal… is way too ambitious."
"No kidding. Do we even have a gorilla-level captain for this?"
"Hey, don't compare me to a gorilla!"
Everyone laughed. Karasuno players often lightened the pressure they felt with humor and camaraderie.
But one boy didn't laugh.
He studied the schedule seriously, calculating how many rounds it would take to defeat each opponent one by one.
"First Jouhaba, then Date Tech, then Wakutani Minami, and the last group match against Aoba Johsai."
"After that, quarterfinals, semifinals, finals."
"Seven matches just within the prefecture…"
"Not bad. I can't wait for the battles."
As he muttered and smiled innocently, other team members shivered slightly, instinctively stepping away from this battle-crazed demon.
"Someone really assumes they'll win the championship right off the bat?"
Kei Tsukishima, wide-eyed, pushed up his glasses and chuckled.
Sugawara Koushi nodded in agreement. That's exactly who Guren is.
"Well… after all, he made it to Nationals in junior high."
"Patience, patience. Keep your focus."
Nearby, Hoshino Katsuri whispered to Nishinoya Yuu, waving him closer.
"Did you notice? Since entering high school, Guren's sunny demeanor seems almost gone."
"It's like he's permanently in battle mode with that slicked-back hairstyle."
Nishinoya hesitated, then replied thoughtfully:
"No, Guren's always been like this. When he was younger, he'd get excited whenever a new 'strong kid' appeared nearby."
I see.
Hoshino's expression betrayed that he had understood something important.
Meanwhile, Coach Ukai watched the players chatting and started joking with Mr. Kobu about how much the county had changed.
"When I was competing, there weren't nearly this many schools in Miyagi. In just ten years, the population growth and development are noticeable."
"Now, over a hundred teams compete in the prefecture's qualifiers. That's just one more match, but the number of eliminations has doubled."
Mr. Kobu laughed:
"Must've been when Ukai-kun was in elementary or junior high. Miyagi now even has a previously unknown company that's become a national giant."
"Not sure if it's hometown pride or what, but their headquarters are still in Sendai. Their recent internal startups and acquisitions have boosted the prefecture's economy significantly."
"More people, more schools. It even influences local government decisions."
"Really?"
Ukai scratched the back of his head, a bit embarrassed. He hadn't paid attention to these developments, he only knew his mom's small shop had expanded into a mini-mart a few years ago.
Ahahaha… leaving another little hint. Can anyone guess what I'm planning?
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria