Chiba Kaho naturally became the manager of Aoba Johsai's boys' volleyball team.

As for her earlier question to Kaedehara Taichi, though it had sparked the curiosity of her teammates, the matter remained unresolved. Taichi himself seemed clueless, and no one dared to probe Kaho directly. The issue was left hanging, much to everyone's disappointment.

The most surprised by Kaho's appointment as manager were her fellow first-years, Kindaichi Yūtarō and Kunimi Akira.

The idea of Chiba Kaho being an ordinary first-year was laughable to them.

She wasn't the school's queen bee, so the "class beauty" title hardly mattered. She wasn't the top student, so even being in the top 10 seemed unremarkable.

Kunimi, who happened to be in the same class as Kaho, knew better.

Chiba Kaho didn't show much interest in most things, but when she did, she always excelled.

At the moment, Kaho was seated in the rest area, organizing club fees and match records.

Her presence added a touch of elegance to the otherwise mundane gymnasium. With her delicate features, smooth long hair, and the same uniform as the players, she somehow still stood out.

"What exactly happened between you and Chiba-san? She's so famous among the first-years, yet you act like you don't even know her?" Yahaba Shigeru wrapped an arm around Taichi's neck from behind, refusing to let the matter drop even after a whole week.

"I really don't know her," Taichi replied helplessly.

"Yahaba-senpai, Taichi might be telling the truth. Chiba-san is usually very low-key. I only know what Kunimi told me," Kindaichi chimed in, always siding with justice.

Kunimi smirked, enjoying the rare sight of someone other than Iwaizumi-senpai putting Taichi in a tough spot.

"Is that so?" Yahaba loosened his grip slightly. "Then why do you think she approached you? Do you have any thoughts on that?"

"I do," Taichi said nonchalantly.

"WHAT?!" Yahaba immediately tightened his hold.

"Cough…cough…" Taichi patted Yahaba's arm, trying to catch his breath. "My thought is...cough…women only slow down my spiking speed…"

"Hmph." Yahaba finally let go, a satisfied smirk on his face. That'll teach you.

"Iwa-chan," Oikawa muttered to himself, glancing at Iwaizumi Hajime, "why is Yahaba starting to act like you?"

"Hm?" Iwaizumi shot him a sharp glare. "With that frivolous attitude, he's obviously imitating you."

"Stop arguing," Hanamaki Takahiro cut in. "Clearly, he's picking up bad habits from both of you."

Oikawa and Iwaizumi: "…"

"Well, it's not a bad thing. Someone needs to keep Taichi in check," Matsukawa Issei mused thoughtfully.

"True enough," the third-years agreed in unison.@@novelbin@@

-----

[Shiratorizawa Academy]

Ushijima Wakatoshi, who usually devoted himself to volleyball with an almost obsessive focus, became even more intense in the days leading up to a match.

As one of the top three spikers in the country, Ushijima stood out even among the elite players of Shiratorizawa Academy. His strength and mental fortitude were unmatched, leaving others struggling to keep up.

In this team, once known as the "Kings," Ushijima was a figure of even greater dominance.

His only rival was himself. Ordinary players weren't even worth his attention.

"Another ball!" Ushijima barked, demanding another serve.

"Wakatoshi, it's time to turn off the lights. You're making things tough for the first-years," came the only voice bold enough to stop him—Tendō Satori.

"Is that so?" Ushijima finally noticed how late it had gotten.

"Let's go!" Tendō called as he walked toward the door.

The first-years cleaning the gym sent Tendō grateful looks as they saw the ever-bright fluorescent lights finally go dark.

"Wakatoshi, are you nervous about Spring High? You seem more on edge than you've been for other matches," Tendō said, skipping slightly as his backpack bounced behind him.

"Am I?" Ushijima asked calmly, his steady footsteps echoing in the quiet night. He didn't quite understand what Tendō meant by "on edge."

"Maybe because it's your last high school tournament—or maybe it's Kaedehara Taichi?" Tendō suddenly spun around to look at him.

Ushijima stopped in his tracks at the mention of Taichi.

The Inter-High had been the first time Ushijima failed to reach the national stage. Back then, his focus had been entirely on Oikawa Tōru.

But now, Kaedehara Taichi's presence loomed large in his mind.

"We will defeat them, Tendō," Ushijima said evenly.

That simple pronoun—we

—was rare coming from Ushijima.

It wasn't that he didn't value teamwork, but he believed most opponents could be crushed by his strength alone.

Ushijima was honest to a fault and supremely confident in his abilities.

"Mm!" Tendō beamed. "Let's do it! But first, Wakatoshi, come with me to grab this week's JUMP."

"Alright," Ushijima agreed without hesitation, unfazed by the sudden change in topic.

-----

On a road in Miyagi Prefecture, Kageyama Tobio was diligently doing his stretches.

It was a club activity rest day, but for Kageyama, there was nothing else to do besides training. As soon as he finished warming up, he immediately set off on his usual running route.

He exhaled visible breaths in the cold air, running with a steady rhythm. Suddenly, a postal worker on a bicycle passed him by.

Kageyama frowned, clearly displeased. But the postal worker soon stopped to deliver mail, giving Kageyama the chance to overtake him.

A faint, almost menacing smile crept onto Kageyama's face.

And so, the two continued to leapfrog each other, with Kageyama's expression alternating between a frown and a smirk.

Kageyama kept running forward, no longer alone as he had been in the past. In moments of doubt, there were now people who pushed him onward—a team of companions with the same goals as him, running alongside him.

"Hey! Kageyama—! Oiiii—!"

Hearing someone call his name, Kageyama stopped and turned toward the sound. Across the intersection, someone was shouting and jumping around like an excited child.

It was none other than his current teammate, Hinata Shōyō.

Hinata couldn't even wait for the red light, shifting his weight eagerly and glancing around impatiently. The moment the light turned green, he dashed across the crosswalk.

"Why are you running here by yourself?" Hinata asked boldly.

"Why can't I?" Kageyama retorted gruffly.

"Oh, I get it—you're trying to secretly surpass me!" Hinata declared smugly.

"You're the one who should be trying to surpass me, idiot! No, wait—you'll never surpass me, you moron!" Kageyama snapped, glaring as he took off running again.

"Hey, don't run away!" Hinata shouted, chasing after him.

"Who's running away?! I'm jogging! Stop getting in my way!"

The two bickered as they ran, almost like a race, darting through streets and alleys. Only after several blocks did they calm down, settling into a side-by-side pace.

"Kageyama, I know who you really want to surpass—the Great King," Hinata said, exhaling frosty breaths. "Right now, the person I most want to surpass is Taichi!"

"Hmph," Kageyama scoffed, turning his head away dismissively. "You're still a long way off."

For once, Hinata didn't argue. "I know, but I'm not alone, right?"

Kageyama gave a slight nod in agreement.

"If one person can't do it, then two can. If two can't, then six!" Hinata declared with fiery determination. "At the Spring High qualifiers, we're definitely going to win!"

-----

[At Aoba Johsai's Gym]

"It's unbelievable how quickly Taichi's receive skills have improved!" Mizoguchi Sadayuki exclaimed in amazement.

Coach Irihata smiled, a sight that had grown more frequent over the past year. "He's always exceeded our expectations, hasn't he?"

Mizoguchi nodded. It was true—Taichi had surprised them repeatedly, especially during the Inter-High.

"We initially considered transitioning him to an outside hitter during the training camp. Now, it feels like the perfect opportunity," Irihata continued. "With this, our lineup will see a significant improvement in blocking as well."

Dominating the nationals? A sharp glint flickered in Irihata's eyes.

Every year, students made such bold declarations, but only one team could claim the championship at the end.

For most players, their high school careers ended in regret.

But this time, Coach Irihata saw a glimmer of true hope.

"These kids…they make this old man's blood boil with excitement," Irihata admitted, his tone brimming with pride. "Sadayuki, make sure to tell the school leadership to make preparations; this time we are taking the whole cheering squad to the nationals."

"Make our goal clear to them—it's not just to reach the nationals."

"It's to dominate the nation!"

_________

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