Ukai watched everyone's world-ending expressions, a mischievous smile curling at the corners of his lips. He enjoyed the moment for a while before pretending he had just remembered and slowly spoke up.
"Oh, right. I forgot. Hinata said he caught a cold today, and he's going to meet a friend to see the Small Giant."
"Huh??"
"Coach, why didn't you say that earlier!"
"That's seriously bad taste."
Tsukishima let out a quiet sigh of relief. For some reason, not seeing that short guy during practice felt oddly strange.
Kageyama also let out a breath, but then immediately tensed again.
A friend?
What friend?
Since when did he make friends behind my back?
…In reality, Hinata had made quite a few friends without Kageyama knowing.
Sugawara finally relaxed, then immediately grew concerned again.
"Hinata caught a cold? Is he okay? Is it serious?"
Ukai's expression said it all.
Isn't Sugawara basically his mom?
Daichi covered his face and pulled Sugawara back.
"Alright, Suga, Hinata's fine. Ryosuke from Shiratorizawa messaged me. He said he'll take care of Hinata."
"Ryosuke, huh…" Sugawara stroked his chin and nodded, clearly more at ease. "He's a good kid."
Kageyama also relaxed. After all, Ryosuke didn't look like someone with ulterior motives. No need to worry about him stealing Hinata away.
On the other side, Ryosuke had gone to the gym early that morning to train with everyone.
Senpai Reon wasn't here this morning.
Ryosuke thought about it idly as he changed his shoes. Senpai Ushijima would be heading to the National Youth in a few days, so there was no way he'd be assigned anything else right now.
The Shiratorizawa Golden Training Camp would naturally be arranged by Senpai Reon as vice-captain.
He hadn't been seen since early morning. Senpai Reon really was busy.
"Ryosuke! Let's go. Time to train!" Goshiki rushed out, full of energy.
The jersey got tangled around Ryosuke, and it took him quite a bit of effort to fix it.
"Oh… okay. Huh? Goshiki?! What happened to your hair?!"
Ryosuke's eyes widened as he stared at Goshiki's bangs, which looked like they had been chewed up by a dog. He just froze.
Goshiki, who had been shouting loudly a second ago, suddenly went silent as if someone hit a switch. He shot Ryosuke a resentful look, then touched his hair with a pitiful expression.
Seriously, Ryosuke! I finally managed to forget about it! Why did you have to bring it up again! It's all Tendo-senpai's fault!
Goshiki looked so aggrieved he was practically about to cry. Ryosuke panicked, completely at a loss.
"What's wrong? Don't be upset. I didn't mean it, Goshiki…"
Goshiki stepped forward pitifully and rested his head against Ryosuke's shoulder, his voice muffled.
"It's all Tendo-senpai's fault. Yesterday I said I wanted a haircut, and he said he used to be a master barber and insisted on cutting it for me. Who knew…"
Ryosuke did not need to hear the rest. He could already imagine what happened. He rubbed Goshiki's miserable hair, both amused and helpless.
"Alright, don't be upset. Go to a barber after school and fix it. For now, this is what you've got."
Ryosuke comforted him for quite a while before Goshiki finally perked up again. For someone who was always smiling like an idiot to get this depressed, Tendo-senpai really had some skill.
When they arrived at the gym, everyone started with basic drills.
Yamagata received a ball and dove to the floor. As he got up, he sighed and said to Kawanishi,
"Man, it feels like we haven't trained in forever since the prefectural tournament ended. My bones are creaking."
Kawanishi rubbed his wrist and agreed.
"Tell me about it."
Ryosuke went through the motions all morning. It wasn't that he didn't want to train today. His legs just hurt a little.
Since his growth spurt started, he had never had leg pain during the day before. It felt unfamiliar.
On top of that, since he had taken leave today, his heart was restless, itching to escape school.
He glanced around. No one was paying attention.
Senpai Reon wasn't there. Senpai Ushijima was serving.
Ryosuke quietly slipped away.
Even though he had officially taken leave, he somehow made it feel like he was skipping class.
After sneaking out of the gym and seeing the empty campus with everyone in class, that small thrill he wanted was finally satisfied.
Hinata had already been waiting at Shiratorizawa's entrance.
This time, he finally knew the way here. Otherwise, he would have gotten lost again.
"Hinata!"
Ryosuke's excited voice came from inside the school.
Hinata, crouching on the ground, checked the time on his phone.
Did I hear that wrong?
No, it's not even time for school to end yet.
"Hinata!"
Ryosuke called again.
This time, Hinata was sure it was real. He turned around in surprise and saw Ryosuke running toward him with a grin, backpack on his back.
"Didn't you say noon?" X2
They both spoke at the same time and stared at each other.
"You go first!" X2
They stared again.
Then Hinata could not hold it anymore.
"Pfft."
"Hahaha, why are you saying the exact same thing as me?"
Ryosuke laughed just as hard.
"You're the one saying the same thing as me."
The two of them laughed together, completely unlike how they dominated on the court.
Hinata squinted as he laughed, his healthy tan skin glowing under the sunlight. The sunlight on his face seemed to clear away all hesitation.
Ryosuke rubbed his stomach after laughing enough, then helped Hinata up.
Hinata took a breath and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes.
They walked and chatted.
Ryosuke noticed Hinata had even changed into new clothes today. His hair had just been washed, and he carried a bag that kept giving off a sweet scent. Hinata pressed his lips together, looking full of energy.
"Hinata, are you really happy?"
A pointless question.
Ryosuke laughed inwardly at his own bad habit.
Hinata's face turned red all the way to his ears. He glared at Ryosuke in embarrassment, and Ryosuke grinned.
"By the way, Ryosuke, did your school get any spots for National Youth?"
The moment he asked, Hinata regretted it.
What a stupid question.
How could Shiratorizawa not have any spots?
Sure enough, Ryosuke kicked a small stone and said,
"Yeah. Me and Ushijima-senpai are both going."
"Waaah…"
Hinata opened his mouth wide, eyes full of envy, with a faint trace of disappointment hidden inside.
"Then will a lot of people from your school go to the Golden Training Camp too?" Hinata quickly asked.
Ryosuke scratched his cheek.
"Quite a few, I think. Every school probably has some top picks."
Ryosuke did not ask whether Hinata had been selected.
If he had, he would not be asking.
No need to poke at the wound.
"Ryosuke. Then could you…"
Hinata almost said something inappropriate.
Looking at Ryosuke's face, he stopped himself in time.
Hinata was cheerful, but he was not a saint.
Just now, he almost had a selfish thought.
Since Ryosuke was close to Coach Washijō, maybe he could help put in a word.
But the moment the thought appeared, he crushed it.
At the same time, he felt disgusted with himself.
Ryosuke treated him as a friend. How could he think like that?
Ryosuke watched Hinata, who lowered his head silently. His cat-like eyes studied him thoughtfully.
Hinata did not notice.
"Alright, let's go. We're almost there."
Udai had chosen the place where Ryosuke usually practiced serves.
With the prefectural tournament over, Sendai Gymnasium had become quiet. Only a few people passed by occasionally.
Udai had once told Ryosuke,
"If you ever need my help, don't hesitate. I'll definitely help you."
Now he deeply regretted saying that.
Who would have thought Ryosuke would bring him to meet a fan from his reckless youth?
Udai felt like he was going crazy.
What if he did not match the image in the fan's mind?
What if the fan felt disappointed?
What if people who once admired him would no longer like him now?
Udai frowned and clicked his tongue, a trace of his former Small Giant spirit appearing again.
Ryosuke and Hinata saw that Udai had not arrived yet, so they went to change and play some volleyball.
Hinata was extremely nervous.
Ryosuke had just witnessed him trying to put both legs into one pant leg.
He held his forehead.
He's way too nervous.
Ryosuke patted Hinata's shoulder. Hinata, lost in thought, jumped and finally snapped back to reality.
After changing into his shoes, Hinata saw Ryosuke sitting on a bench, legs stretched out, idly swaying.
Ryosuke was thinking about what Hinata had left unsaid earlier.
He looked unhappy.
What made him suddenly feel down?
He mentioned the Golden Training Camp…
Then it clicked.
Ryosuke understood.
If it was about not being able to attend Shiratorizawa's training camp, that was actually easy to solve.
But he could not make Hinata uncomfortable.
What a hassle.
Lost in thought, he did not even notice Hinata sitting beside him.
"Hey, Ryosuke, Kageyama is going to National Youth."
Hinata tapped the ball with his foot.
"Really? That's impressive."
Ryosuke sat up and tilted his head, looking at Hinata's unreadable expression.
Hinata continued talking.
"When I was in elementary school, I used to pass by an electronics store. On the TV, I saw the Small Giant jumping in the Tokyo gym. That's when I fell in love with volleyball."
"But this path is really hard, Ryosuke."
"A school without a volleyball club. Teammates who only play soccer. And a middle blocker without a setter."
Ryosuke held his breath and listened quietly.
"I finally came to Karasuno. I have teammates now. I can play official matches. I have my own setter."
"But I'm scared."
Hinata's voice trembled.
"I'm scared that everyone is improving while I'm standing still."
"Kageyama is going to National Youth. When he comes back, will he look down on me, a useless middle blocker?"
"Tsukishima is improving his blocking. Yamaguchi is learning jump float serves."
"Tanaka-senpai, Nishinoya-senpai, everyone is learning new techniques…"
"Only me."
"I don't even know where to start."
Tears fell onto his knees.
His fists tightened.
He could not hold it in anymore.
Why was he like this?
Every time he told himself not to cry, but in front of Ryosuke, everything collapsed.
Even on the phone before, just hearing Ryosuke's gentle voice made him lose control.
A hand appeared in front of him, placing a pack of tissues in his hand.
Ryosuke turned his face away awkwardly.
He was not good at comforting people.
"Wipe your face. Don't be sad."
"Everyone improves in different ways. You need to figure out your own goal first, then train systematically."
"Your physical abilities are great. Explosiveness, endurance. But your technique and hang time still need work."
"You need to decide if you want to develop overall or focus on your role as a middle blocker."
"If you can't decide, talk to your coach."
"Keeping everything inside isn't good. If you don't say anything, people can only guess."
"Hinata, don't be afraid. Everyone at Karasuno is your family."
Ryosuke kept talking.
Hinata wiped his tears and quietly responded.
"Mm."
Out of sight, his face turned red again.
This is so embarrassing.
This is the second time.
Ryosuke sighed and ruffled his hair.
Then paused.
It feels really nice.
No wonder the seniors like doing this.
He messed up Hinata's hair completely.
"Ah! My hair! I'm meeting my idol today! Don't touch my hair!"
Hinata instantly recovered.
Ryosuke laughed, then stopped.
He looked at Hinata for a few seconds.
"Hinata, if you want to get stronger, you have to seize the opportunity."
"It's right in front of you. It depends on whether you have the courage."
Ryosuke was not pitying him.
He simply did not want to see talent go to waste.
The Golden Training Camp was a huge opportunity.
If Hinata could find a way in, he would definitely grow.
Ryosuke had never used his own dorm before.
Washijō had arranged a private room for him, worried about his training.
Right below the volleyball dorms.
No one knew.
He could at least make things easier for Hinata.
Of course, not for free.
Cleaning would be Hinata's job.
Ryosuke narrowed his eyes.
Everything was already planned.
Now it depended on Hinata.
Hinata turned those words over in his mind.
He did not understand yet.
But he remembered them clearly.
There were still a few days left.
Enough time to figure it out.
...
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