Ryosuke arrived at class early and ran into Yunohama in the hallway. The other boy simply nodded in greeting, not saying much.
Yunohama looked like the clever type—the kind who played volleyball with his head as much as his body.
"Woooo—Ryosuke!"
Someone came charging down the hallway at full speed. It was Goshiki.
This one, on the other hand, clearly did not play with his brain.
"Morning, Ryosuke!" Goshiki was vibrating with excitement from head to toe. Even every strand of his bowl-cut bangs radiated energy.
Ryosuke stared at Goshiki's hairstyle. That kind of fringe must seriously test how steady a barber's hands were.
"Morning."
Right then, the class bell rang. Goshiki grabbed Ryosuke by the collar and dragged him off at a sprint, making muffled "mmm" and "ahhh" noises the whole way.
Ryosuke was completely stunned, his soul draining of color as he was hauled along.
After what felt like an eternity, class finally ended. Goshiki immediately seized Ryosuke again and bolted toward the neighboring classroom.
Bang!
He flung the door open. "Yunohama!"
Spotting Yunohama by the window, Goshiki blurred forward and grabbed him with his left hand as well, sprinting straight toward the gym. The two people hanging off Goshiki's back exchanged looks—
Both saw the same expression of utter despair in the other's eyes.
Why are you dragging me along?! I can run perfectly fine on my own, okay?! Ryosuke screamed helplessly in his heart.
Yunohama's face shifted from green to red, then red to green again, like a traffic light—truly colorful.
Meanwhile, some unidentified person on the fourth floor looked up at the sky. Ah, what a lovely day today.
By the time they finally reached the gym, Yunohama's stomach had been completely overturned by the rough ride. He couldn't hold it in anymore and leaned over a flowerbed by the road to throw up.
Goshiki panicked, scrambling around him, offering tissues and water.
Ryosuke glanced at Yunohama and silently offered a moment of sympathy. At least he was already used to this.
Still… it really wasn't something anyone should get used to.
"Yo, little Ryosuke~ You're here!"
Ryosuke turned back in confusion.
The seniors were arriving together. From far away, Tendo was already waving enthusiastically at him.
"Good morning, senpai."
"Alright, alright—no need to be so polite! Just call me the Miracle Child—Satori Tendo!"
Tendo planted his hands on his hips, his nose practically pointing at the sky.
"By the way, why is it just you?"
Ryosuke silently pointed toward the still-vomiting Yunohama and Goshiki.
Tendo immediately dashed over and began shaking Yunohama like his life depended on it.
"Hey! Classmate! Don't die on me!"
Yunohama had just barely recovered, and this shaking nearly sent him straight back over the edge.
"What's happening?! What's happening?! Your soul's about to leave your body! Hold on! Call an ambulance!"
"Aaaaah! Tendo-senpai, stop shaking Yunohama already!"
The entrance to the gym descended into complete chaos.
Ryosuke quietly fidgeted with his fingers, saying nothing, hiding his contribution deep beneath the surface.
The commotion only stopped once Coach Washijō and Ushijima arrived.
Only then did Ryosuke realize how many people were there. It wasn't just Shiratorizawa's volleyball club—there were students from other schools as well.
Unable to hold back, Ryosuke quietly slipped up behind Coach Washijō.
"Why are there so many people today?"
Coach Washijō shot him a glance.
"We invite a lot of people every year for Shiratorizawa's freshman practice matches. It's tradition."
Only then did Ryosuke understand.
So… they're all here to watch us.
Wow. That's amazing. So many spectators.
Goshiki walked up from behind and smacked Ryosuke on the back.
"Don't space out. Come on, let's go get changed."
Ryosuke turned to look at Goshiki, then at Yunohama standing beside him, quietly watching the court. His fists clenched, his body trembling without him realizing it.
—This is… really incredible.
The blood in his veins began to boil. Ryosuke's face flushed red as he looked at Goshiki.
"Yeah! Let's go!"
He headed to the locker room together with Goshiki and Yunohama.
This was Ryosuke's first match in the truest sense of the word.
To him, a match meant cheers from the crowd, victory and defeat, and the clash between teammates and opponents. None of those could be missing.
Outside, the referees and scorekeepers began taking their positions.
Ryosuke followed behind Goshiki and Yunohama as they stepped onto the court, greeted by a wave of cheers.
The freshmen and the regular members were split into two teams. Ryosuke's side wore white, while the seniors were in purple.
Ryosuke's white uniform bore the number "11" on the back.
Goshiki and Yunohama wore numbers '6' and '9.' When they took the court, Coach Washijō explained that these weren't official uniforms, so the numbers weren't official either. After the match, they would become official members.
Across the net, Yamagata and Reon warmed up in silence. Yamagata suddenly spoke.
"Reon, the reputation of our volleyball club is in your hands. Do your best."
Reon glanced at him, confused.
The whistle blew. The match began. Both teams bowed, then drew lots to decide the first serve.
Unfortunately, the opening serve of the first set went to Reon of the purple team.
Goshiki and Yunohama stayed alert at the front row, while Ryosuke calmly observed and calculated Reon's serve.
Reon tossed the ball, took two steps back, ran up, and jumped. In the split second his palm struck the ball—
Ryosuke sharply picked up the "feel" of the receive. A powerful jump serve, no spin, aimed to the left!
Ryosuke shifted two quick steps to the left and extended his arms, cleanly receiving the first ball of the match.
Ah. A little easier than Ushijima-senpai's.
(If Reon heard that, he'd probably shut down on the spot.)
Under Ryosuke's calculations, even the angle was perfect. The ball flew cleanly to position two—where Yunohama was standing.
Yunohama jumped and set the ball. The arc wasn't especially precise, but Goshiki was already waiting at position four and had begun his approach. He swung his arm and sent a straight shot across—
Only for it to be brushed by Eita Semi's sudden block.
From the back row, Yamagata barely managed a pass.
Ryosuke narrowed his eyes.
"The pass is off—Goshiki!"
Goshiki reacted instantly. As Eita Semi set the ball, Reon at the net raised his arm to spike—
But Goshiki, already in position, tipped the ball straight back over the net.
The whistle blew.
Point for the white team.
Goshiki let out a triumphant howl as he ran over to high-five Ryosuke and Yunohama.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser