"Grrr~"
"Grrr~ Grrr~"
"Grrrrrr~~~"
Inside Aoba Johsai's training dorm, the wide tatami mats were littered with bodies as if a war had just ended.
Loud, thunderous stomach growls echoed one after another, rumbling up from the "fallen soldiers" lying across the room. Each growl seemed to drain another sliver of life from them, turning them even more corpse-like than before.
"Ughhh… rice… I need rice…"
"I'm starving!"
"Damn you, Oikawa! I swear I'll never believe another word you say again!"
After an entire day of intense training, every last bit of their energy had been used up. Then, just moments ago, they spent what little strength remained beating the crap out of Oikawa for lying to them. Now, even if you placed a hot meal in front of them, they might not have the strength to lift their chopsticks…
Sniff sniff~
"Wait… am I going crazy, or do I smell steak?" Suddenly, Kentarou Kyotani twitched his nose, his senses catching a rich, meaty aroma that seemed to awaken his very soul.
"You're clearly hallucinating from hunger, mutt–" Tsutomu Goshiki of Shiratorizawa scoffed. "No one here can cook. Where would steak even come from?"
"Huh? Goshiki… I think I smell it too!" Tendo Satori sat bolt upright and took several deep sniffs.
"Yeah… that's definitely steak. And it's getting closer."
Kyotani's eyes lit up. The very next second, he sprang up like a hyperactive husky and lunged toward the door.
Slam!
At that moment, the door slid open, and in walked Akashi Asuka, carrying a massive tray piled with steaming hot steak.
In an instant,
More than a dozen players dashed forward, their eyes locked hungrily onto the meat in Akashi's hands. Drools streamed down their faces like waterfalls.
In that moment, Akashi felt less like a teammate and more like a zookeeper feeding a pack of starved dogs.
"Uh… why are you all just standing there? Aren't you going to eat?"
"Eat?! Where's the food?!" they all shouted in unison, their bodies tense with anticipation.
"Outside. It's all ready, "
WHOOOSH!
Before Akashi could even finish, the entire room stampeded past him like a herd of wildebeests. When they reached the main hall, they were greeted by the sight of a massive, makeshift table piled high with all sorts of delicious dishes.
Standing beside the table, wearing an apron and holding a serving plate, was none other than Wakatoshi Ushijima.
Seeing everyone arrive, Ushijima gave a simple, slightly stiff wave.
"Oh. You're here. Dinner's ready."
That sight stunned everyone, even the Shiratorizawa players. They had lived with Ushijima for years and never once imagined he could cook.
Goshiki stammered, "U-Ushijima-senpai… did you make all of this?"
Ushijima nodded. "Not just me. Akashi helped too. He's really good at Western-style cooking. Very skilled."
Now it was Aoba Johsai's turn to be floored.
They took a closer look at the table and realized that nearly half the dishes were Western-style cuisine.
Everyone turned around, just in time to see Akashi stepping out of the room again, carrying another tray.
He paused for a moment when he noticed everyone staring at him.
"…Is something wrong?"
"Akashi, I have a very serious question for you–" said Yahaba solemnly.
A brief silence followed. Then Yahaba walked up to Akashi, placed a firm hand on his shoulder, and asked gravely:
"Is there anything in this world that you can't do?"
You've got to be kidding.
This guy, was he even human?
Top of the class, insanely good at volleyball.
Outside of school, he's a published, bestselling author.
Now you're telling me he also knows how to cook, Western-style no less?
Even for a so-called "perfect guy–" this was too much!
Damn it!
The Shiratorizawa players sensed that something was off about Aoba Johsai's mood… but that didn't last long. The scent of food quickly hijacked their brains, and one by one, they sat down and began digging in without a second thought.
"Ohhh~~ this is so good!"
"Wait, seriously? You two made all of this?!"
"Ushijima, Akashi, you guys are incredible! If I were a girl, I'd totally marry you both when I grow up!"
────────── ✦ ──────────
The expressions of pure bliss on the Shiratorizawa players' faces eventually broke Aoba Johsai's last shred of resistance. One by one, they caved and joined the feast.
But just as they picked up their utensils, their faces froze.
Then,
They all began eating at lightning speed.
"Damn it! This guy's food is actually amazing!"
"I don't want to admit it… but this bastard is unbelievably talented!"
The Aoba Johsai boys couldn't accept that Akashi was a full-blown super "normie–" but even as their pride cried out in protest, their hands kept shoveling food into their mouths.
So they grumbled under their breath… as they kept devouring everything in sight.
Meanwhile, the coaches didn't eat with the students. Given Japan's strict rules around drinking age, Coach Irihata and Coach Washijo always kept their distance when enjoying sake, so as not to be seen as bad role models.
"Ahhh, that hit the spot!"
"Seriously. I never expected a high school boy to cook this well–" Washijo said. Perhaps because of the alcohol, for once, the two coaches weren't bickering.
As the sake flowed and the food dwindled, the coaches' conversation shifted back toward training.
"Lately, the students' motivation has been dipping–" Irihata noted.
"Well, we have been training hard for almost a week now. It's natural for them to start getting fatigued–" another assistant coach offered.
"Hmph. That's nothing! You lot are just too soft on them."
"Now, now. Despite all the tough training, not a single student has dropped out. And with only two teams in the camp, maybe they're just getting bored. I think it's time we brought in some new opponents for a little practice match…"
"But honestly, it's hard to find any local teams that can hold their own against Aoba Johsai or Shiratorizawa–" someone muttered.
"Hah! You fools. If no one in the prefecture can match us, why not look outside the prefecture?"
Coach Washijo snorted and added, "You don't need to worry about that. I already made arrangements. Our new opponents will be arriving tomorrow."
Irihata and the other coaches looked at him in surprise.
"Wait… Coach Washijo, you already found a team?"
Washijo replied calmly, "What, were you planning to handle it? Please, when it comes to being a coach, you kids still have a lot to learn."
==========
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