Sakusa had already opened his arms, waiting for Ryosuke to throw himself into them.
The scene looked exactly like the male and female leads reuniting in some melodramatic idol drama. It was almost painful to watch.
Off to the side, Tendo was so jealous that his eyes were practically glowing green.
Just as Ryosuke was about to launch himself at Sakusa, Ushijima reached out from behind, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, and swiftly hauled him back.
Ushijima had originally planned to return to the dorm, but the moment he saw Sakusa approaching, he decided he could stay a little longer. He had to guard against that Sakusa. The guy was clearly up to no good.
Ryosuke had already leaped into the air, ready to give Sakusa a bear hug, when he suddenly felt a force at the back of his neck dragging him backward.
Sakusa was still standing there with his arms open, waiting for Ryosuke's warm, soft embrace. Before he could react, however, his face slammed into a firm chest that reeked of sweat. Thinking it was Ryosuke, Sakusa instinctively reached out, only for his hand to land on a muscular arm.
Sakusa: ??
Sakusa jerked his head up and found Ushijima standing directly in front of him. His hand was still resting on Ushijima's arm, while Ryosuke peeked out from behind Ushijima, pressing his lips together to contain his laughter.
Sakusa stared stiffly at his own hand, then looked up at Ushijima. His usually composed expression instantly fell apart.
The sweat and bacteria radiating from a grown man nearly drove Sakusa insane. His germophobia only ever made an exception for Ryosuke, yet he had just come into direct contact with Ushijima's bare skin without warning. Sakusa looked as though he had swallowed something revolting.
He barely managed to force a smile at Ryosuke.
"Ryosuke, I need to use the restroom. I'll be right back."
What Sakusa meant was that Ryosuke should wait there for him.
Ryosuke nodded, though he had no idea what was going on.
As soon as Sakusa saw him nod, he turned and hurried toward the restroom. His palm had touched someone else's skin. He felt contaminated. It would probably take two buckets, no, three enormous buckets of disinfectant to make him clean again.
Ushijima watched Sakusa's frantic retreat and gave a quiet snort.
Sakusa's germophobia certainly had a double standard.
Ushijima had discovered yet another side of him.
Ryosuke continued watching Sakusa until his figure disappeared from sight. Only then did he look away and turn to Ushijima.
"Ushijima-senpai, aren't you going back to the dorm?"
Ushijima shook his head. There was absolutely no chance he was returning to the dorm now. Sakusa clearly had ulterior motives, so Ushijima had decided to keep a close watch on him.
Without realizing it, Ushijima had already developed the heart of an overprotective father where Ryosuke was concerned.
While Sakusa was disinfecting himself in the restroom, many of the Shiratorizawa players gradually returned to the dorm.
Most of them had gone back to fetch protective gear or change clothes. The few who remained were simply too lazy to make the trip.
...
Over at Inarizaki, Coach Kurosu had already led the team into the locker room.
Kurosu did not appear to be in a particularly good mood, which was only natural. Anyone would be upset after watching another school try to poach one of their players right in front of them.
Atsumu Miya had already forgotten the scolding he had just received from Shinsuke Kita. Standing at the back, he grinned and fooled around with Osamu Miya, a perfect example of someone forgetting the pain as soon as the wound healed.
Shinsuke Kita had noticed Coach Kurosu glancing toward the back several times, yet Atsumu Miya still showed no sign of reining himself in. Osamu Miya was no better. He normally seemed quite mature when he was alone, but the moment he was with his twin brother, it was as though his intelligence dropped several levels. There was little Shinsuke Kita could do about it.
Kurosu fixed Atsumu Miya with a dark stare. On the way over, he had received a call from Coach Washijō, who had been perfectly blunt.
He wanted Kurosu to keep Atsumu Miya under control and stop him from being a bad influence on the other players.
This was the first time a coach from another school had ever called him directly. That brat Atsumu Miya truly could not behave for even a moment.
Coach Kurosu took several deep breaths and decided not to deal with him yet. He would wait until the match was over. Then Atsumu would have plenty to look forward to.
"Wait until the match is over."
That was something every coach told themselves daily. During a tournament, coaches did their best to keep their athletes in a good mood.
Gradually, the troublesome brats seemed to catch on. During major tournaments, their coaches were unusually tolerant, and no matter what trouble they caused, they rarely faced any immediate consequences. Atsumu Miya was a perfect example.
"All right, that's enough talking. Everyone has played very well over the past two days. Keep up this form. This afternoon's match against Shiratorizawa should be no different. Play as well as you have in the previous matches, give it everything you've got, and make it into the semifinals."
"Yes, sir!"
The team answered the moment Coach Kurosu finished speaking. Even Atsumu Miya wiped the playful grin from his face.
Coach Kurosu looked around and nodded in satisfaction. They might be unreliable at times, but they never failed when it truly mattered. He only hoped the upcoming match would go smoothly.
...
Over at Shiratorizawa, everyone returned together after stopping by the dorm. Sakusa also emerged from the restroom, carrying a powerful scent of disinfectant with him.
He looked around and sighed in relief when he saw that Coach Washijō had not arrived yet. Then he beckoned to Ryosuke, who had been sneaking glances at him the entire time.
Ryosuke's eyes lit up like a kitten spotting a can of cat food. He could barely contain his delight.
After checking his surroundings and confirming that no one was watching, Ryosuke dashed over to Sakusa.
Ryosuke was not stupid. Over the past few days, he had naturally realized that everyone at Shiratorizawa was openly and secretly trying to keep him from spending too much time with Sakusa. He assumed it was because getting too close to an opponent during a tournament was a bad idea.
What if he accidentally revealed the team's strategy? That had to be the reason. Ryosuke could not think of any other explanation. Surely they were not worried that Sakusa had designs on him.
...Ryosuke certainly was not stupid, but he was not particularly sharp either. His guess was nowhere near the truth.
The moment Ryosuke saw Sakusa standing there, he charged forward at full speed and crashed straight into him.
"Urgh..."
Caught completely off guard, Sakusa nearly had his ribs broken by the impact.
"Why are you here?"
Ryosuke wrapped his arms around Sakusa's waist and nuzzled against him, his voice soft and clingy.
Ignoring the dull ache in his chest, Sakusa held him tightly, buried his face in the crook of Ryosuke's neck, and took a deep breath.
"I came to watch your match, Ryosuke. You seem to have gotten even stronger."
Ryosuke had nearly knocked him to the ground just now. He was like a little calf. Still, that was a good thing. At least it meant Ryosuke was healthy.
"What are you two doing? You're both grown men. What does it look like, hugging each other like that?"
Tendo watched them cling to each other, his face twisting with jealousy. He quietly moved closer before deliberately raising his voice.
Ushijima's attention was immediately drawn over. The moment he saw Ryosuke and Sakusa stuck together again, he marched forward without hesitation and pulled them apart.
"Ryosuke, don't hug other people like that."
After Ushijima dragged him away, Ryosuke looked unconvinced and protested indignantly.
"But Omi-Omi isn't just anyone."
Ushijima was momentarily speechless. Ryosuke had a point, but even if his argument made perfect sense, Ushijima still could not allow this to continue.
"It's still not allowed. Coach Washijō doesn't let you hug other people."
Ushijima deliberately stressed the words "other people" while staring directly at Sakusa. Sakusa refused to back down and stared right back. Invisible sparks crackled between them.
They looked ready to start fighting at any moment.
In the end, Sakusa gave a soft sigh and reluctantly looked away first. Fine. He would let it go for now. The upcoming match was more important. Once this IH tournament was over, Sakusa planned to tell Ryosuke the truth.
He had already waited all these years. A few more days would make no difference. With that thought, Sakusa felt capable of enduring it again.
After sorting through the jumble of thoughts in his head, Sakusa suddenly turned toward Tendo. Tendo's interruption was what had ruined his time with Ryosuke.
Considering Tendo's previous behavior toward Ryosuke, Sakusa found it difficult not to suspect that he had done it deliberately.
Sakusa stared at him without expression. Tendo raised his head and pretended not to notice.
Once almost everyone had gathered, Coach Washijō arrived. He intended to take the team straight to their warmup before the match began.
Standing near the exit, Coach Washijō narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance. Amid Shiratorizawa's purple and white uniforms, a yellow and green figure stood out so badly that it was impossible to miss.
A closer look revealed that it was that brat from Itachiyama. Coach Washijō's temper immediately flared, and his expression darkened, though he did not lose his temper on the spot.
He walked over and gave Sakusa a cold look from head to toe. Then he noticed that Ryosuke's gaze had remained glued to Sakusa the entire time. Unable to contain himself any longer, Coach Washijō twisted Ryosuke's ear in exasperation.
Ryosuke blinked. "Huh?"
Feeling a sudden pain in his ear, Ryosuke turned around in complete confusion.
Still looking bewildered, he was dragged away by Coach Washijō.
When Sakusa saw Coach Washijō taking Ryosuke away, he instinctively lifted a foot to follow them. Then he remembered who he was dealing with and froze. Leaving a bad impression on Coach Washijō would be disastrous.
...In truth, Sakusa had already made a terrible impression on Coach Washijō. At this point, the coach found everything about him irritating.
Once everyone had arrived, Coach Washijō led them to a court beside the main arena to warm up.
Sakusa watched Ryosuke's retreating figure before slowly lowering his head. He did not know when it had started, but lately, he always seemed to end up watching Ryosuke walk away.
He hated the feeling.
Komori quietly approached him.
"Stop staring. He's already disappeared, and you're still looking."
Sakusa took one last glance before following Komori to the stands so they could secure seats in advance. The arena would probably be packed for this match.
After Coach Washijō brought the team to the warmup court, he pulled over a small stool and sat down to watch them.
On the other side, Inarizaki was warming up as well.
Both teams happened to share the same thought.
Was the other team warming up right now too?
Either way, they were certain of one thing. Their own team would win the upcoming match.
...
"The match hasn't even started yet, Iwa-chan. You're way too worked up."
Outside the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, a certain chocolate haired young man in a short sleeved shirt complained loudly. Ahead of him, the handsome, spiky haired Iwaizumi dragged Oikawa by the hand as he hurried into the gymnasium. His expression made him look ready to kill someone at any moment.
"It's about to start! We wouldn't be in this rush if you hadn't insisted on buying ice cream at the bus station, you piece of trash!"
Iwaizumi was seething with anger. He wanted nothing more than to kick Oikawa to death by the side of the road. Only their many years as childhood friends and the bond between a setter and wing spiker barely kept him from using lethal force. Otherwise, Oikawa would never have lived to see another sunrise.
"First you said you weren't watching the match, then you changed your mind. Can't you act like a captain for once?"
Iwaizumi turned and glared fiercely at Oikawa.
Oikawa pouted, looking deeply wronged.
"Iwa-chan, you're being mean to me~"
Iwaizumi closed his eyes in disgust and let out a resigned sigh. Then he pushed through the crowded entrance, searching for the court where Shiratorizawa would be playing.
It was Saturday. Oikawa had originally sworn that he would rather die than watch a Shiratorizawa match. For some reason, however, he suddenly changed his mind the night before.
He bought the tickets that very night, then went to Iwaizumi's house early the next morning and dragged him out of bed. So why had they left in the morning but only arrived in the afternoon?
Because the unreliable Oikawa had bought the wrong tickets.
Instead of buying tickets to the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, he had bought tickets to an entirely different arena, one located in the middle of nowhere.
After wasting the entire morning without reaching the correct gymnasium, Iwaizumi had been moments away from completely losing his temper. In the end, Oikawa received a beating, and Iwaizumi angrily pulled out his phone to buy the correct tickets. Only then did the ordeal finally end.
By the time they reached the court where Shiratorizawa and Inarizaki would be playing, quite a few spectators were already seated in the stands. The two of them chose seats at the very back and settled down to wait for the match to begin.
...
Meanwhile, schools of every size throughout Miyagi were preparing to watch the match through live broadcasts.
"Is it working, Daichi Sawamura?"
Koshi Sugawara watched as Daichi Sawamura smacked the television several times. The screen crackled and flickered before finally settling on the sports channel.
"Takeda-sensei, you should replace the television in your office when you have the chance. It hasn't been used in so long that it barely works anymore."
Takeda-sensei adjusted his glasses with an embarrassed expression.
"I don't think it needs replacing. I hardly ever watch television."
"Takeda-sensei isn't like us. He prefers reading magazines and newspapers."
Nishinoya poked his head out from behind Koshi Sugawara and spoke with a grin.
"Are you calling Takeda-sensei old?"
Koshi Sugawara asked with a cheerful smile.
Nishinoya immediately waved his hands in denial.
"That's not what I meant! Takeda-sensei, don't listen to Sugawara-senpai's nonsense."
Everyone burst into laughter and continued joking around.
Once the television was ready, Koshi Sugawara patted Nishinoya on the shoulder.
"All right, go get Shoyo Hinata and Kageyama. The match is about to start."
"Got it!"
With his orders received, Nishinoya shot out the door.