Hirugami came out of the bathroom and tossed a towel onto the bed.
"What are you thinking about? Hurry up, shower, and get some sleep. Tomorrow we have to..."
"Oh, crap!"
Hakuba suddenly shot upright in bed.
Meeting Hirugami's puzzled gaze, Hakuba spoke with a guilty look.
"We forgot about Keiichiro Kanbayashi..."
Hirugami's hand froze halfway to the cup.
He slowly turned his head toward Hakuba.
"Wasn't Keiichiro Kanbayashi following you just now?"
Hakuba innocently spread his hands.
"No."
The two stared at each other.
This was bad...
Meanwhile, Keiichiro Kanbayashi was like a gas cylinder about to explode. Seething with rage, he pounded on the dorm room door hard enough to make it thunder.
Hirugami's heart skipped a beat when he heard the pounding, which sounded like Keiichiro Kanbayashi was trying to smash straight through the door.
He was definitely furious.
At this point, Keiichiro Kanbayashi didn't even care if Coach Washijō caught him. All he wanted was to pin down those two bastards who had run off without looking back and beat the hell out of them.
Just then, the door opened a tiny crack.
Hakuba stuck one hand out, swiftly dragged Keiichiro Kanbayashi inside, then immediately shut the door again.
What happened after the door closed was better left undescribed.
The room descended into complete chaos.
On the other side of the wall, Hoshiumi had already fallen asleep. The noise made him frown in his sleep, but he simply rolled over, wrapped himself tighter in his blanket, and sank back into a deep slumber.
He slept peacefully through the night.
The next morning, Hoshiumi rubbed his eyes as he opened his door, then headed straight for the neighboring room out of habit. He planned to wake Hirugami and Hakuba for breakfast.
Hoshiumi might not enjoy getting up early, but when breakfast was involved, nobody was more enthusiastic than him.
He was just about to knock when the door opened from inside.
Hirugami stood there with enormous dark circles under his eyes and an expression full of resentment.
"Morning."
Seeing Hoshiumi, Hirugami reached out and ruffled his hair. His voice sounded utterly exhausted.
Hoshiumi immediately sensed something was wrong and looked up at him.
When he saw the dark circles that practically reached Hirugami's chin, his eyes went wide.
Like an astonished little puppy, Hoshiumi circled Hirugami several times.
He had never seen Hirugami look like this before.
"Hirugami, did you go out robbing houses last night?!"
Hirugami had always been the model of healthy living. Staying up late was practically impossible for him.
While everyone else was still playing games or scrolling through their phones at night, Hirugami would already be soaking his feet and getting ready for bed.
How could someone like that have dark circles?
Just then, Hakuba appeared beside Hirugami with a yawn.
He had an identical pair of dark circles under his eyes.
Hoshiumi sucked in a sharp breath, his voice trembling.
"Y-You guys... You secretly went out for a late-night snack without me?!"
Hakuba rolled his eyes.
Hirugami could only give Hoshiumi a helpless smile and try to placate him.
"No. We just didn't sleep well last night. The beds here are seriously uncomfortable."
Hoshiumi studied Hirugami's serious expression.
He didn't seem to be lying, so Hoshiumi reluctantly accepted the explanation.
His voice immediately became cheerful again.
"Then let's go get breakfast! I heard the cafeteria has wontons this morning! They're really famous! Hurry, hurry! If we're too late, they'll be gone!"
Hoshiumi anxiously stamped his feet in place.
Hakuba pursed his lips.
"Eat, eat, eat. All you ever think about is food. Keep that up and one day you'll get so fat you won't be able to jump."
Predictably, Hoshiumi exploded.
He immediately started shouting that he was going to settle things with Hakuba once and for all.
Hakuba nimbly dodged him and slipped back into the room to change clothes.
His mouth might have been merciless, but his body was clearly just as eager to go eat.
Watching the two make such a racket, Hirugami shook his head and went to change as well.
After breakfast, he planned to visit some friends from the other teams.
Kamomedai was already lively first thing in the morning.
...
Over at Shiratorizawa, everyone had just gotten up as well.
Some of them had barely opened their eyes before they were already thinking about today's match.
They really refused to give their brains any time off.
Of course, there were also people who simply refused to wake up.
Tsutomu Goshiki slept like the dead and was almost impossible to rouse.
Maybe yesterday's match had drained too much of his energy, because even after he finally woke up, he still looked completely out of it.
Seeing Tsutomu Goshiki in such a daze, Ryosuke couldn't resist reaching over and ruffling his hair, messing up his neat bowl cut until it stuck out in every direction.
"Tsutomu Goshiki, wake up. It's time to get up."
Looking at Tsutomu Goshiki, who was so groggy he could barely open his eyes, Ryosuke inexplicably felt a surge of affection for him.
Standing beside Ryosuke, Ushijima noticed just how practiced Ryosuke looked while patting Tsutomu Goshiki's head.
It almost looked like Ryosuke was petting a dog.
Ushijima wisely kept that thought to himself.
His instincts told him that if he said it aloud, both of them would probably be unhappy.
After they finally got Tsutomu Goshiki awake, Ushijima brought the two of them to meet up with the rest of the team.
Coach Washijō was supposed to attend a meeting that morning, but Shiratorizawa still had a match to play, and he couldn't stop worrying about them.
So he had been waiting outside since early morning, planning to give them some last-minute instructions before leaving.
Otherwise, he probably wouldn't even be able to focus during the meeting.
Coach Washijō stood in the hallway with his hands clasped behind his back.
Quite a few people had already arrived.
Ushijima hurried over with Ryosuke and Tsutomu Goshiki.
Hearing them approach, Coach Washijō turned around, already prepared to scold someone.
Technically, it wasn't even time for everyone to assemble yet, but that had absolutely nothing to do with whether Coach Washijō felt like yelling at them.
He was already in a bad mood.
But the moment he turned around and saw Ryosuke smiling at him, all his anger vanished.
The scolding he had been ready to unleash lodged in his throat.
Looking at Ryosuke's cheerful grin, Coach Washijō found himself unable to direct his anger at him even if he wanted to.
Ushijima and the others had no idea that they had once again escaped disaster without even realizing it.
As soon as Ryosuke saw Coach Washijō, he hurried over in a few quick steps.
He was carrying buns and soy milk.
Coach Washijō had told Ryosuke the night before that he had a meeting the next morning and wouldn't be around, so he hoped Ryosuke would behave himself while he was gone.
When Ryosuke approached, warmth unconsciously entered Coach Washijō's eyes.
But as soon as Ryosuke got close, Coach Washijō quickly put on a stern expression again.
Ryosuke eagerly held out the breakfast in his hands and beamed at him.
"I knew you wouldn't have eaten breakfast this morning, Coach! I brought you your favorite garlic and chive buns!"
Coach Washijō's eyelid twitched.
A vein bulged on his forehead.
He should have shoved that bun into the little brat's mouth before he ever got the chance to speak!
What did he mean by loudly announcing that garlic and chive buns were his favorite?!
Did the kid have to ruin his reputation in front of everyone?!
Tsutomu Goshiki dug at his ear in disbelief, almost wondering if he had heard wrong.
Coach Washijō actually liked food with flavors that strong?
Terrifying...
Coach Washijō's gaze instantly sharpened.
He swept his eyes around the area.
Everyone who met his gaze immediately lowered their head.
It was terrifying.
Coach Washijō looked like he could kill someone with his eyes alone.
The oppressive aura around him was so obvious that even the usually carefree Tsutomu Goshiki noticed it.
Everyone fell silent, not daring to make a sound.
Only Ryosuke continued smiling brightly as he kept pushing the breakfast into Coach Washijō's hands.
The truth was, Coach Washijō genuinely loved this kind of food.
Garlic buns were delicious.
But after Ryosuke loudly announced it in front of everyone, Coach Washijō experienced the rare sensation of embarrassment.
His expression darkened.
He spoke to Ryosuke in a low voice.
"Thank you for breakfast. Once the tournament is over, I'll make sure to thank you properly."
Coach Washijō was smiling when he said it.
Despite the smile, Ryosuke suddenly shivered.
Something about Coach Washijō's expression felt strange.
He had a very bad feeling.
Even Tsutomu Goshiki understood the hidden meaning behind Coach Washijō's words and silently made the sign of the cross for Ryosuke in his heart.
Coach Washijō watched Ryosuke's bewildered expression and smiled without saying anything else.
He had already started planning exactly how he was going to deal with the brat once the tournament was over.
After handing over the breakfast, Ryosuke was about to say something more when Ushijima pulled him back.
Ryosuke looked at him in confusion.
Ushijima lowered his head and explained,
"Let Coach Washijō finish speaking first. He's in a hurry to get to his meeting this morning."
Ryosuke obediently nodded and stopped talking.
Only then did Ushijima breathe a sigh of relief and pull him back into place.
Watching Ryosuke practically run up to Coach Washijō and publicly destroy his image had nearly made Ushijima's heart leap out of his chest.
If he wanted to keep Ryosuke's eventual punishment from becoming too severe, the best thing he could do was drag him away now.
Coach Washijō also breathed easier once Ryosuke stopped hovering right in front of him.
That troublesome brat.
He spent every day finding new ways to give Coach Washijō a headache.
Give him one day without discipline, and he would tear the roof off.
Once almost everyone had arrived, Coach Washijō's expression became serious.
He checked the time on his watch.
He needed to finish his instructions quickly if he wanted to make the meeting.
After sweeping his gaze across everyone, Coach Washijō called out in a strong voice,
"Quiet!"
The crowd, which had still been somewhat noisy a moment earlier, immediately fell silent.
Everyone turned their full attention to Coach Washijō.
He carefully observed each player and saw that they were all in good condition.
Satisfied, he nodded before speaking.
"I have a meeting this morning. I don't know whether I'll make it back in time for your match, so I won't be there on the sidelines to guide you this time. What strategy you use, when to call a timeout, when to make substitutions, and how to settle the team when things get tense. You'll have to handle all of that yourselves."
After hearing this, the first- and second-years immediately grew restless and started whispering among themselves.
Eita Semi leaned toward Shirabu and said quietly,
"Coach Washijō has never missed one of our matches before, has he?"
This time, Shirabu didn't even have the energy to argue with Eita Semi.
The thought of Coach Washijō not being there for the match made him uneasy.
He pressed his lips together and said nothing.
Ryosuke and Tsutomu Goshiki, the two first-years, were unsettled too.
Ryosuke especially.
Normally, Ryosuke's dependence on Coach Washijō wasn't obvious.
But Coach Washijō had always been there with him, so Ryosuke had never needed to think about what it would feel like if he weren't.
It was like an old lion constantly watching over a young cub.
Without Coach Washijō there as his reassurance and protection, nobody knew how Ryosuke would perform today.
The third-years, on the other hand, remained remarkably calm.
Coach Washijō might not be there, but they still had Reon and Ushijima.
On the court, Reon was the team's emotional pillar, while Ushijima was the anchor that guided their offense.
Besides, Coach Washijō would never simply leave them to fend for themselves.
Ushijima and the others knew that better than anyone.
Sure enough, after the team spent a while murmuring among themselves and noticed that Coach Washijō was simply waiting, everyone gradually quieted down again.
Once they settled, Coach Washijō continued.
"Since I won't be there today, the players taking the court will be the same as yesterday. Just follow Reon and Ushijima's lead. Also, I found you a temporary coach.
"Coach Hibarida finished his meeting yesterday and happens to have today free. He'll be taking you onto the court."
"Coach Hibarida?"
Ryosuke and Ushijima exchanged a look.
Anyone who had attended the National Youth Team camp knew exactly who Coach Hibarida was.
He was a national team coach.
Even if he was only temporarily leading Shiratorizawa, outsiders would see the team differently.
It might even give people the impression that someone on Shiratorizawa had already been earmarked for the National Youth Team.
Reon was surprised as well.
He had assumed Coach Washijō would find a coach from one of the schools eliminated in the quarterfinals to take charge.
In fact, that had been Coach Washijō's original plan.
But after thinking about it, he decided a coach from one of the quarterfinal teams simply wasn't good enough for Shiratorizawa.
After considering his options, he ultimately asked Coach Hibarida instead.
He really couldn't bring himself to let this group of kids handle the match entirely on their own.
Besides, if one of them happened to catch Coach Hibarida's eye, it could open an incredible opportunity for that player.
This was an extremely rare chance.
Coach Washijō could only hope they would make the most of it.
Not everyone on the team had attended the National Youth Team camp, but they had all heard Coach Hibarida's name before.
Their unease immediately turned into excitement.
"Which Hibarida?"
Yamagata asked in disbelief.
Standing beside him, Tendo pursed his lips into his usual rabbit-like expression.
"How many Coach Hibaridas do you think there are in volleyball? Obviously the famous one."
The amusement in Tendo's eyes deepened.
Coach Hibarida was going to lead Shiratorizawa.
How would everyone outside the team react to that?
It was bound to be interesting.
Coach Washijō watched everyone's varied expressions and finally relaxed.
As long as none of them objected, he could go to his meeting without worrying too much.
Only Ryosuke stood with his head lowered, making his expression impossible to see.
But the gloomy air around him made it obvious that he wasn't happy.
"All right, that's it for now. Anyone who hasn't eaten breakfast, go eat. We meet again in half an hour for warm-ups!"
Seeing that no one had any objections, Coach Washijō decisively waved his hand and dismissed them.
Reon hadn't eaten breakfast yet, so as soon as they were dismissed, he led a group of players off to eat.
Ushijima glanced at Ryosuke and noticed that he was still standing in place.
He didn't call out to him.
Instead, he simply took Tsutomu Goshiki and left.
Tsutomu Goshiki had been about to invite Ryosuke along, but Ushijima covered his mouth.
Ushijima's instincts told him it was best not to talk to Ryosuke right now.
Ryosuke was clearly in a bad mood.
Soon, everyone had left.
Only Ryosuke remained.
Coach Washijō sighed.
Ryosuke waited until everyone else was gone before finally raising his head.
He looked at Coach Washijō with his lips pushed into a pout, looking utterly pitiful.
Coach Washijō fell silent.
For a moment, he had no idea what to say.
So in the end, he could only glare at Ryosuke and scold him.
"You're already this grown up, yet you're always ready to cry at the slightest thing. You don't have any of the dignity an ace should have!"
...
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