Karasuno High School Volleyball Club, the very first day of joining. The memorable first day of practice.
Kagami thought that, normally, new members would just observe at first. But since expectations for him were pretty high, he was told he could join the practice right away—and he was already drenched in sweat.
For someone who had pretended to be so unsure about it, he was clearly prepared to play volleyball. Seeing that, Kagami figured it was already settled he'd join the club, with or without Shimizu's push. The only question had been whether it would be sooner or later.
From time to time, Kagami caught sight of Hinata peeking in through the gym window, his face full of envy. But all Kagami could do was silently cheer him on.
It wasn't like a rookie could butt into a decision made by Captain Sawamura. And more than that, given how big of a mess they'd made… Kageyama aside, even Kagami, who had known Hinata the longest, couldn't really defend him this time.
When Kagami asked Sawamura what had happened, he only smiled and said:
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't ask."
And the smile carried such heavy pressure that Kagami didn't dare push further.
Still, thanks to Tanaka—who was considerate enough, being a fellow alumnus of the same middle school as Hinata—Kagami got the story, though Tanaka could barely hold back his laughter while telling it.
As expected (?) Hinata and Kageyama had blown off the vice-principal's wig. As for the bald spot under it… well, just as Hinata said, it was already obvious to everyone at a glance anyway. That Kageyama hadn't noticed was a mystery in itself.
But Kagami's memory of the incident was a little different. Apparently, it was Kageyama's very first serve that had blasted the wig off.
From the looks of it, Hinata had faced that vicious jump serve head-on instead of dodging. Considering most people would've flinched the first time, Hinata must have improved a lot. Kagami felt genuinely happy about that.
…Still, wrong is wrong. Ignoring the captain's orders, starting a match on their own, and then sending the vice-principal's wig flying—sure, from the outside it might seem funny, but for those directly involved it was utterly unacceptable. Considering the extra burden it put on Sawamura, the punishment was more than fair.
By nightfall, practice wrapped up.
(Sawamura's practice menu is amazing… The balance is perfect. Even without a dedicated coach, it was an intense, meaningful session. I can't quite say it matches my old club, but it's still incredible.)
As Kagami knew, Karasuno technically had a faculty advisor for the club, but no coach to actually teach volleyball. So the role of player-coach fell to upperclassmen like Sawamura and Sugawara.
In any sport, teachers are necessary. Especially if you aim higher. Of course, student-led training matters too, but it only works if the foundation is solid.
Even in such a harsh situation, the third-years worked hard to rebuild the team and kept their eyes on the top. And the second-years were desperately following them. Kagami couldn't help but feel deep respect—renewed respect—for them.
"Don't you think they're the type to say something like: 'If we win, let us back on the team!!!'?"
"That's totally possible! All they'd need to do is cool their heads and show a bit of remorse…"
And just like that, the topic naturally shifted to Hinata and Kageyama. Or rather, Tanaka's booming voice dragged everyone else into the subject. It seemed the two of them were already on everyone's minds, so attention quickly gathered.
"Nah, they're not that simple-minded, are they?"
"..."
"…What's with that look, Kagami?"
Sawamura caught Kagami's eyes. Since Kagami had known Hinata for years, Sawamura figured he'd confirm his assumption with him. But when Kagami looked away awkwardly instead, Sawamura started to worry.
"Uh, well… if I had to describe Shouyou Hinata into words, it'd be headlong charge. He always falls forward. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he did it."
"…Seriously?"
"Seriously. As for what happens when you throw Kageyama into the mix… that's anyone's guess."
"Pffft! Now that you mention it, I can totally see it. Kageyama's got skill, sure, but he's not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. Viva simpletons, huh?"
Tanaka burst out laughing. It was a pretty harsh way to put it, but Kagami couldn't deny the truth.
"…Then I'd better keep an eye on them. If they really do come challenge us, Kageyama will almost certainly try to win with his own strength alone. Which means… he still believes he can do it all by himself."
Sawamura recalled Kageyama's middle school matches. That game against Yukigaoka. And the ones after it.
The first match had been a bit different—they'd shown some teamwork—but from then on, it was like Kageyama was playing volleyball alone.
"If he still thinks he can do it all by himself… then he hasn't grown since middle school. Honestly, Kagami, I thought the match against you had changed him."
"The match against me?"
"Yeah. I saw that game between Kitagawa Daiichi and Yukigaoka. At first, it looked like he was trying to play alone, but then… I thought I saw him starting to connect with his teammates."
Sawamura thought back again to that match: the amateurs of Yukigaoka against the elite of Kitagawa Daiichi. And Kagami had overturned the whole setup.
It wasn't that Kagami had carried it alone. Sure, his individual skills were excellent, but more than that, his way of raising the whole team's level had stood out. Sometimes with encouragement, sometimes with dazzling plays, always versatile.
If one side could play at 100% and force the other to only 50–80%, then it made sense the match had been so close. And with Hinata's rare speed, reflexes, and spring added to the mix, Yukigaoka had kept evolving even within the game itself.
Kagami hadn't noticed all that himself at the time. The only thing that surprised him afterward was that the word "team" had actually come out of Kageyama's mouth.
"…If Kageyama had learned more from the way you played, he wouldn't have lost so badly in middle school. That's what I still think. By the way, Kagami—did you see the middle school finals?"
"Yes, I did."
Sawamura nodded at his answer. Seeing Kagami's expression, he realized Kagami understood all this too.
"You can only go so far alone. You can't get higher that way. If you want to aim further, you have to change your mindset. Especially as a setter—the team's commander. A selfish setter will tear the team apart. Literally."
"I see. So that's why Daichi was so harsh on them—especially on Kageyama. Then maybe we should just make Kagami their mentor. That'd fix things, wouldn't it?"
Sugawara proposed this with a dazzling smile, but the content was heavy. Kagami's face stiffened immediately.
"Wow, Suga-senpai… that's a pretty cruel idea delivered with such a lovely smile."
"Hmm? But come on, Kagami. You managed back in middle school, didn't you? You had like six guys then. Now it's just two. Easier, right?"
"Wow, Tanaka-senpai's agreeing too. You senpai are really amazing…"
"Hahaha! Of course we are—we're senpai!"
Tanaka puffed out his chest with pride, clearly missing Kagami's sarcasm. Sugawara, meanwhile, laughed knowingly, probably thinking Kagami was fun to tease.
When Kagami even caught Sawamura sneaking glances at him, he finally raised both hands in protest.
"Seriously, that's too much. If it's just Shouyou, fine, I've known him long enough. But adding Kageyama into the mix? That's more than I can handle. Back in middle school, most of the others were beginners, so I was just guiding them, and it worked out. But with someone like Kageyama, who's already so advanced, it's a completely different story. Not to mention both of them are top-class material. If I tried, it'd just end up half-baked. Honestly, it should be someone other than me. If it's only surface-level, it'll peel off right away."
"…Fair enough. I wasn't really serious. This is Kageyama's problem. He has to realize it himself and change. If someone forces him, you're right—it'll just be a veneer that comes off easily."
"…'Not really serious'—so you were at least a little serious, weren't you?"
"Well, yeah. After all, like Tanaka said, I saw him back in middle school. Can't help having expectations, right?"
Sawamura scratched his head and laughed. Tanaka looked awkward, muttering to himself, "But I was serious though…"
"Hmm… so what do we do then?"
"C'mon, it's not even certain they'll challenge us. No point worrying about hypotheticals."
"…True enough."
Sugawara's words snapped Sawamura out of it. It was still just a possibility. They hadn't actually come forward with a challenge letter.
But if they did… a decision would have to be made.
That was when it happened.
"CAPTAIN!!!"
A booming voice rang from outside. Everyone knew exactly whose it was. Which is why the others were shocked—while Kagami could only sigh with a wry smile.
And then, just as expected, the outcome played out. Hinata and Kageyama came forward with a challenge, just as Tanaka had predicted.
"Hah! Viva simpletons!! Nailed it!"
"…See what I mean? Kageyama aside, Hinata only ever takes the straight path. He doesn't know any other routes."
"Hahaha! But honestly, I don't hate guys like that. It's almost refreshing, y'know?"
"As expected of Tanaka-senpai… such a big heart. I'm really humbled."
(Big heart, big heart, big heart… senpai's heart, so big, so big…)
After that, Tanaka's eyes sparkled as he burst into another round of laughter, pounding Kagami on the back again and again.
.
"…So, what happens if you lose?"
Sawamura's commanding voice boomed. Hinata faltered under the pressure, while Kageyama didn't budge an inch. It was clearly a matter of guts.
"We'll accept any punishment."
"…Hmm. Depending on how you look at it, that might actually work out well."
Hinata hadn't said anything, but would he really be okay with taking a punishment too? Kageyama's face was full of confidence, but Hinata's wasn't. He probably still knew deep down he wasn't strong enough yet.
"You two, plus Kagami… and a few other first-years are expected to join. You'll play a 3-on-3 match against them. How about that? It's actually a match we always do every year—when the rookies first join, to get a feel for the team atmosphere. We were going to do it anyway, so this works out perfectly."
Kageyama nodded along thoughtfully at Sawamura's explanation. Hinata, on the other hand, still looked doubtful.
"Eh? But a 3-on-3… there's only the two of us. Who's the third on our side?"
"Ah, for that day, you'll have Tanaka on your side. I'm counting on you, Tanaka."
Tanaka, who had been laughing moments ago, froze in an instant.
"Eh!? Me!?"
"You just said you didn't hate them, didn't you?"
"Yeah, but actually having to deal with them is a pain!!"
Sigh…
At that point, Sawamura glanced briefly at Kagami. Why me? Kagami thought for a moment, but then understood the silent cue.
"The only one with a big enough heart to handle troublemakers… is Tanaka, right?"
Catching Sawamura's look, Kagami gave a small nod.
"Exactly! With Tanaka-senpai, we can feel at ease."
He made sure to emphasize the word senpai.
And it wasn't an illusion—Tanaka's ears practically swelled with pride.
"Tch… fineeeee, I'll do it!! Happy now, huh!?"
"Ugh—ow!"
Tanaka's antics were both funny and oddly reassuring. Even though Hinata was getting pounded on the back, he must have felt the same.
(…I think I might be starting to understand how the guys at Fukurodani feel… No, it's too soon to say that. More importantly—)
Kagami turned his eyes toward Tanaka, Hinata, and Kageyama.
Kageyama: impeccable ability.
Tanaka: mentally tough, supporting and being supported in turn.
And Hinata, though still the weakest of the three, had been practicing diligently—that much Kagami knew.
They would win. No—not just probably, they would absolutely win.
That's what Kagami thought. But then Sawamura spoke words Kagami hadn't expected at all.
"And on this side, along with the other first-years, Kagami will be playing."
Something he never saw coming: not only facing off against Kageyama right after entering high school—but also against Hinata.