It had begun.
The very first… and the very last official match of middle school.
The match Hinata had long awaited… no, Kagami too had long awaited this.
Though it should have been the first time, there was a sense of nostalgia in the air.
As if long-lost memories of the past were being vividly revived.
The loud voices. The squeak of shoes. And most of all—the sound of volleyball.
"There's… so many people!!"
Hinata's shock, his awe, was surely greater than anyone's. Unlike Kagami, who had been one hundred percent certain they'd make it here.
"This gym is huge…! And the smell—Air Salonpas!!"
"Pfft—"
Hearing Hinata's line live, Kagami couldn't help but chuckle, though he was moved at the same time.
Because he knew exactly what Hinata meant. That smell really was everywhere. Maybe the others wouldn't understand, but ever since Hinata said it, Kagami couldn't stop noticing it either.
"Yeah. We finally made it."
The weight of it all hit him. Meeting Hinata, and now actually standing here in this place he had only ever imagined.
On Yukigaoka Middle School's very first stage.
"Hey, you two. Are you getting lost in your own little world or something? And what the heck is Air Salonpas?"
"Seriously, you look like a parent and child. You're the captain, Shōyō, so hold it together."
Offering this grounded reality check were today's helpers and classmates, Izumi Yukitaka and Sekimoto Kouji.
They were actually from the basketball and soccer clubs. With their seasons over, they'd come to help out—or rather, Hinata had dragged them here.
"Yeah, yeah. I was just thinking—so this is what it feels like to watch over your son, huh, Kouji."
"Who's the son here?! B-but still, it can't be helped! It's our first official match—our first real tournament! …After three years!! Uooooohhh…!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Kagami nodded along beside him like a guardian, and Izumi and Sekimoto couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Still… Seiya totally called it. A perfect prediction, playing in our third year."
"He really stuck it out, huh? The basketball captain tried forever to recruit him, but Seichan never gave in. Said it was volleyball or nothing. Guess he was seeing this moment all along."
Everyone fell into their own reflections for a bit—but that had to end soon.
The third-years, aside from Hinata, were used to this kind of atmosphere. But the first-years were restless. Mori, Kawashima, Suzuki—the three new recruits. Kagami was deeply grateful to them for joining and working so hard alongside Hinata.
"Alright, Captain. Time to get moving. We're not here to just make memories, right? The match is coming up—let's warm up."
Kagami didn't just say it—he acted. He patted their backs one by one, easing the stiffness out of their shoulders.
"See? Even the vice-captain's doing his part. So come on, Shō-chan."
"Yeah, yeah. We barely know the rules, so lead us properly, will ya?"
Finally, after all that, Hinata gave a firm nod.
"I-I know! We finally made it into a tournament. If we're playing, we're gonna win!"
Hearing those words made everyone smile again.
Of course, Kagami knew who their first opponent was. He knew they were way out of their league.
But Hinata didn't waver. Because he wanted to win. And Kagami understood that feeling all too well.
"Wait, seriously? With this makeshift team?? Seiya said they're one of the favorites to win! And you still think…??"
"Yeah, if we were facing another brand-new team, like ours… maybe. But against them? Isn't the difficulty way too high?"
Izumi and Sekimoto weren't wrong.
They were athletes too, so they could see it clearly. Not enough experience, not enough practice time, no proper coach. On top of that, the opponent was a championship favorite. The conditions were simply the worst.
In a sport without lucky punches or sudden comebacks, an upset of that scale was basically impossible.
"O-of course we'll win! Seiya just said it too—we're not here for memories!"
"Ahh… well, yeah."
That was Hinata for you. "Give up" simply wasn't in his dictionary. His eyes flicked toward Kagami.
"Yeah, but it's really just Seiya… If we had three more of him, maybe we'd stand a chance…"
"Hey! It's not just Seiya! I can fly too!"
"Yeah, but Seichan's tall. And you, Shō-chan, well…"
"Urghhh…"
"No, no, that's not what I meant! I mean, in any team sport, one or two players alone can't carry everything. Of course I'll give it my all if I'm out there, but still… Seichan, what do you think?"
All eyes turned to Kagami.
Hinata's gaze was almost pleading. But Kagami knew better than anyone that there were walls sheer determination couldn't climb.
"They're right. We're a patchwork team with barely any prep. And the opponent's strong. Winning is… way too much to expect."
"Guhhh—"
Hinata staggered as if struck.
A blow, from his partner-in-arms, the one he'd trained with all this time.
But Kagami wasn't finished.
"—But that doesn't mean we've got no shot."
That crooked grin of his.
Hinata instantly revived.
"Y-yeah! That's right! I can fly, and Seiya's tall and good at everything! We can win! Plus—we've got a secret weapon!"
"Huh? A secret weapon??"
Hinata's eyes sparkled like a kid's. Sekimoto glanced at Kagami.
Kagami just gave a wry smile, and Sekimoto figured—it's just to hype Hinata up. So he raised both hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright. If we're doing this, we'll give it everything. But is it okay to keep the secret hidden until the match?"
"Hm? Yeah, it's fine. It won't mess with our teamwork. …Actually, maybe I should just explain. Put simply—"
With no time to waste, Kagami gave a quick rundown, and the team began to move.
---
Another team was watching Yukigaoka Middle's appearance.
"Those are the guys who had the bad luck of drawing Kitagawa Daiichi in the very first round."
"They've got one really tall dude, but isn't that a brand-new team? Probably all beginners, right? Never even heard of them… Besides, volleyball isn't a game you win with just one good player."
"Ugh, I knew they were a no-name school, but I didn't know this was their first year. Talk about rotten luck… Oh, speak of the devil, here they come."
While most of the gym buzzed with whispers like that, there was one team striding forward, completely unfazed by the noise around them.
They carried themselves with such presence that the words majestic or commanding seemed more fitting than middle schoolers.
[Kitagawa Daiichi Middle School]
One of the undisputed favorites to win it all.
"(They're huge too… and there's so many of them…)"
"(That aura is insane… Are they really our age??)"
"(W-wait, isn't that guy the one they call…?)"
Among all those radiating overwhelming pressure, one boy stood out, exuding something close to raw killing intent. Or maybe it only felt that way—though the sheer sharpness of his expression was undeniable.
[The King of the Court – Tobio Kageyama]
Yes, the intimidation was real.
But, in the end, it was still middle school intimidation.
For Kagami—who carried the memories of battling on the stage of Spring High, where true monsters at the super high school level roamed—it was still just something "in progress."
Yet, seeing it in person was nothing like watching from afar through an uncrossable gap.
"Tobio… Kageyama…"
People around him muttered, "Is he really just a middle schooler?" Kagami felt the same.
He wore an aura, a presence, that you couldn't build overnight.
"Heh. Interesting. I'm glad I came here."
Kagami kept grinning the whole way to warm-ups.
Sure, they couldn't win right now. The team difference was way too big.
But maybe, just maybe, they could rattle them a little.
Hinata was still a chick, not even hatched from the egg yet. But within his limits, they'd trained together, pushed together.
"Wh…! …Seiya?"
Hinata glanced back, startled by something strange—some unknown pressure—he felt from Kagami's grin. It was different from usual.
"You're right, it's impossible for now. But if we're gonna do this anyway… wouldn't it be way more fun to take on the strongest, Shōyō?"
For just a split second, Hinata felt a spark—like static, like firecrackers.
But only for a second. He wouldn't let himself be overwhelmed.
"Yeah!!"
Hinata shot back a grin of his own.
Meanwhile…
"Hey, Shimizu. Tanaka's not here yet?"
"Nope. Doesn't look like it."
"Seriously? We're about to start and he's late? Shimizu, can you give him a pep talk or something?"
"…I think it'd be pointless."
"Yeah, if it's Shimizu, he'd just be happy no matter what she says."
Gathered outside the municipal gymnasium, wearing jet-black tracksuits, stood another team.
Emblazoned on their backs: [Karasuno Volleyball Club].
This was Hinata's destination.
And Kagami's dream.
"The King of the Court, huh. Can't wait to see him."
They had no idea yet that Kitagawa Daiichi had more than just their target player.
Monsters—true prodigies—were waiting.
And when they found out, they would never forget this day.
Not just for volleyball, either. Thanks to a certain incident, it'd become even more unforgettable… but that's a story for later.