By the time Ryosuke looked away, Hinata could no longer hold it in and a small smile slipped across his face.
So Ryosuke could be this absent-minded too? It was kind of cute. Hinata kept that thought to himself, worried Ryosuke might get embarrassed and angry if he said it out loud.
"Click." The key turned lightly, and the dorm door opened. Ryosuke pulled out the key and spun it around his fingers, looking very pleased with himself.
"I told you I didn't remember it wrong."
Hinata played along enthusiastically, clapping. "So impressive!"
Ryosuke looked even more smug. Who said his memory was bad? That was complete nonsense.
After entering the dorm, Hinata realized Ryosuke's room was completely different from the dorms he had stayed in before during training camps. It was much bigger, almost the size of his own bedroom.
Ryosuke walked in and covered his nose when he saw all the furniture draped in dust covers.
"Sorry, Hinata. I haven't been here for a long time, so it might be a bit dirty."
Hinata quickly waved his hands.
"It's fine, it's fine. You're letting me stay here, so what does a little dirt matter? Besides, Ryosuke, your dorm is huge."
Ryosuke's dorm really was large, clearly bigger than the others. The bed and desk were arranged as a bunk setup.
There was also a big wardrobe painted blue. Opposite the door was a sliding door leading to the balcony, currently covered by curtains, with faint light filtering through.
On the right side was a small door that led to the bathroom, a private space with both toilet and shower. The toiletries inside were covered in a thick layer of dust.
The washing machine was covered as well, though it still looked usable.
In front of the balcony doors sat a small treadmill, and beside it were several pieces of exercise equipment. Setting aside the size, the layout alone made the room look quite luxurious.
The more Hinata looked, the more confused he became. Were Shiratorizawa's dorms really this luxurious?
Seeing Ryosuke lifting the dust covers, Hinata stopped overthinking. He was already here, so there was no point worrying. He turned and went into the bathroom to grab a mop and a rag.
Ryosuke held up the dusty covers and frowned. So dirty. Should he throw them away? But they would still be needed after Hinata left. Forget it. He bundled them up and stuffed them all into the wardrobe.
By the time all the covers were removed, Hinata had nearly finished mopping. The two of them stood in front of the bed, staring at the grimy sheets.
They exchanged a look, then each grabbed one side and shook them out together.
"Cough cough cough!"
"Whoa, so much dust!"
The cloud of dust hit them straight in the face.
It took quite a while before they finally cleaned the bed. Ryosuke, who had never done housework before, collapsed onto the bed, completely drained. Hinata, on the other hand, was like a busy little bee, diligently tossing the covers and bedding into the washing machine.
Then he took a rag and wiped the balcony door spotless.
Ryosuke lay there, almost falling asleep, while Hinata kept moving around. By the time Hinata finished, Ryosuke was already half asleep.
Lately, as long as Ryosuke lay down for a bit, he would fall asleep. His legs had been aching every night, making it hard to sleep. He had no idea when this would end.
Hinata climbed onto the bed, breathing heavily, and sat down with his legs dangling over the edge.
"Ryosuke, thank you so much."
Hinata spoke softly, almost like talking to himself. Ryosuke lay there without moving, and it was unclear whether he heard him.
"Thanks for reminding me. Otherwise, I would still be sulking alone at Karasuno. And thanks for the dorm too, Ryosuke."
"You don't need to thank me."
Ryosuke's soft voice came from behind him. Hinata was startled and quickly turned his head, only to see Ryosuke sitting up against the wall.
"You're not asleep yet?" Hinata asked, surprised. He thought Ryosuke had already fallen asleep.
Ryosuke rubbed his eyes and yawned slowly.
"We have training this afternoon. I'm just resting for a bit."
He spoke casually, then glanced at Hinata and copied his posture, sitting on the edge of the bed and swinging his long legs.
Hinata hesitated.
"Ryosuke, is this bed sturdy?"
"Hm? It's fine."
"As long as it doesn't collapse."
"..."
Ryosuke could not help but laugh. What went on in Hinata's head? It was honestly entertaining. He turned to look at Hinata's side profile.
They were about the same age. Ryosuke already looked like a proper teenager, his features sharp and defined, while Hinata still looked like a little kid.
His soft hair and the faint baby fat on his cheeks made him look gentle enough to melt anyone's heart.
"Hinata."
Ryosuke called out.
Hinata turned his head and was hit with Ryosuke's face up close. His face instantly turned red.
"What is it?" Inside, he was screaming. Ryosuke is so close. This is weird. But on the outside, he stayed calm.
"Are you upset that Coach Washijō made you pick up balls?"
"… "
Hinata froze. His first instinct was to say, "I'm not upset, I'm fine." But when he met Ryosuke's deep, forest-like eyes, all his excuses got stuck in his throat. He could not lie under that gaze.
He lowered his head and said awkwardly,
"A little, I guess. But I also know this is a rare opportunity. Still, I'm a middle blocker. Coach Washijō told me in front of everyone to be a ball boy and pick up balls. Do I not have any pride?"
"Phew…"
Ryosuke let out a quiet breath. He had been worried Hinata might be upset with him over this. Hearing this reason, he relaxed. As expected of Hinata.
"There's actually a lot to learn from picking up balls."
Ryosuke let out a small hum as he spoke. Hinata turned back, confused.
"There's something to learn from picking up balls?"
Ryosuke nodded, putting on a mysterious air and deliberately keeping him in suspense.
"Of course."
"Tell me. Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me."
Hinata grabbed Ryosuke's arm and pressed his head against Ryosuke's chest, spinning back and forth like a drill.
"Hahaha. Stop. That tickles. I'll tell you. Just stop already."
Ryosuke burst out laughing, pushing Hinata's head away, and took the chance to ruffle his hair.
"Even picking up balls requires skill. When you're on the court, you need to observe where the ball comes from, where it goes, the path it takes, how it spins, and at what moment it gets hit away. All of that matters.
When you are a ball boy, you need to forget about spiking altogether. Your only job is to receive the ball."
Ryosuke lay back on the bed as he explained. Hinata listened in a daze, then instinctively asked,
"But what does picking up balls actually give me?"
Honestly, he did not really understand. He had been a bit embarrassed to ask, but seeing how serious Ryosuke was, he spoke up anyway.
Ryosuke lay there, looking at the ceiling, then turned his head toward the light filtering in from the balcony, silently thinking how good the lighting was in the dorm Coach Washijō had arranged for him.
Then he gently answered Hinata's question.
"Picking up balls can give you a lot. It trains your sense for movement, keeps your mind clear during matches, and helps you think through how to handle every single ball."
"Wow."
Hinata's eyes lit up like stars, the admiration in them almost overwhelming Ryosuke.
To Hinata, Ryosuke was no longer just a friend. He was also a teacher. Many of the questions Hinata did not dare to ask others, afraid of being laughed at, he would bring to Ryosuke instead. And every time, Ryosuke would give him a serious answer without brushing him off.
Ryosuke lay there comfortably, then suddenly remembered something. He slowly sat up, ready to remind Hinata.
"Hinata, you should let Karasuno…"
"Ah! Ryosuke, practice is about to start!"
Before he could finish, Hinata suddenly cut him off, shouting as he looked at the time on his phone.
Ryosuke closed his eyes. Why was it that every time he tried to say something important, he got interrupted? His memory was not great. What if he forgot later?
There had originally been plenty of time at noon. Unfortunately, Reon insisted on standing there with the lunchbox, watching Ryosuke eat, which wasted a lot of time. After getting back to the dorm and cleaning up, the whole lunch break was gone.
Hinata quickly climbed down the ladder by the bed while calling out.
"Ryosuke, hurry up!"
"Hinata, I…"
"Ahhh, come on, let's go!"
Hinata did not hear him at all. He was completely caught up in the panic of being late.
Ryosuke had the words on the tip of his tongue, but Hinata's shouting cut him off again. When he tried to recall what he was about to say, he could not remember anymore.
...
"Alright, got it."
If he could not remember, then he would not think about it. He would find out sooner or later. But what exactly had he forgotten? It felt important.
Ryosuke got off the bed, still frowning as he thought about it.
At the same time, back at Karasuno, Daichi had already checked his phone countless times. Hinata still had not called. The low pressure around Daichi made everyone nervous, no one daring to speak.
Sugawara patted Daichi's shoulder with a helpless smile.
"Come on, Daichi. Tsukishima already said Hinata is at Shiratorizawa. You do not need to worry so much."
Daichi frowned.
"That is not the point. I am just angry that Hinata did not discuss it with us. He went off on his own without telling anyone, and he still has not called to explain.
What is going on with him? Did we make him angry? Or is someone bullying him? Or… does he look down on Karasuno now?"
The more Daichi spoke, the heavier the pressure around him became. The dark aura around him was practically drowning Sugawara.
Sugawara could not help but laugh helplessly. Daichi really looked like an overly worried father. Hinata, please just call already. Otherwise, your dear captain is going to scare Asahi-senpai to death.
Asahi carefully tiptoed past Daichi, his whole body trembling, barely daring to breathe.
"Asahi. Stand up straight. Stop shrinking like that. What kind of posture is that?"
With nowhere to vent his anger, Daichi turned his attention to Asahi.
Asahi instantly straightened up. Before Daichi could say anything else, he ran off in a flash.
"Hey. Why are you running? Am I that scary?"
Asahi left behind two lines of tears in the wind. An angry Daichi was truly terrifying. Hinata, please call soon. I really cannot take this anymore.
Meanwhile, at Shiratorizawa, Hinata had no idea about Asahi's silent plea and happily followed everyone to training.
When they arrived at the gym, Ryosuke noticed that most people were already there. Only the Shiratorizawa players had not arrived yet.
Ryosuke glanced at the time, confused. It was the correct time. He had even thought he might be late. Why were these people here so early?
"Yo, Ryosuke, shorty!"
Oikawa's flamboyant voice rang out.
Ryosuke and Hinata turned around at the same time.
"Oikawa-senpai, how is your leg?" Ryosuke asked. Most people struggled a bit when they first experienced Shiratorizawa's training.
At lunch, he had even seen Oikawa limping.
Oikawa's face twisted slightly.
"I am fine. I am great."
Admitting he was not doing well would be too embarrassing. There was no way he would bow to Shiratorizawa.
After only half a day at Shiratorizawa, Oikawa was already feeling it. The training intensity was ridiculous. This was not volleyball training. It felt more like military training. He did not even have the energy to complain anymore.
Just thinking about staying here for a week and seeing Ushijima every day made him grind his teeth.
If it were not for getting stronger, he would never have come here.
After a while, the Shiratorizawa players finally arrived right on time.
Seeing their usual style, Ryosuke nodded. This felt normal.
Shirabu walked over with a blank expression and stared at Ryosuke for a few seconds.
"This afternoon, we are paired together. I will spike, you set. Do not mess around. Just set it a bit lower."
Before training even began, Shirabu was already giving instructions.
He had tried this position swap training last year. Back then, Tendo was the setter and always set the ball too high. Shirabu's jumping and spiking were not strong, but with Coach Washijō watching, he had no chance to slack off.
As a setter, was it not enough to just know how to do a second attack? Why did he also have to spike? Shirabu could not understand this training method at all.
There was no avoiding it, so he could only hope Ryosuke would make things easier this year.
Ryosuke was a little surprised. This seemed to be the first time Shirabu had made a request of him. He nodded in agreement, though how the sets would actually turn out was not entirely up to him.
"Got it, Shirabu-senpai. I should be able to do it."
Shirabu thought expressionlessly. Be more confident. Drop the "should."
It felt like taking a reassuring pill. Shirabu let out a quiet breath. If Ryosuke said he could do it, then he could. Shirabu trusted Ryosuke's ability. There was nothing on the team that Ryosuke could not handle.
This training was actually tougher on the setters. There were only a few of them, yet they had to be run back and forth by different attackers. It was exhausting and time-consuming.
The team assignments were quickly finalized.
Shirabu and Ryosuke had been decided early on. Semi, on the other hand, was a bit unlucky and ended up paired with Tsutomu Goshiki.
Tsutomu Goshiki's spiking and receiving were decent, but his setting…
If he said he was the worst, no one would dare claim second worst.
...
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