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Chapter 330: The Eve of Golden Week (D-L)
🕑 Added 2025-03-27 16:01:11 +0000 UTC[Tokyo, Itachiyama Academy]
"Aoba Johsai declined our training camp invitation?"
After practice, Sakusa Kiyoomi sat on the gymnasium floor, stretching his calves. For the record, his stretching routine had already lasted close to an hour. Most of the Itachiyama players had long since left, leaving only Komori Motoya squatting beside him.
"They went to Fukurodani instead?" Seeing that Komori hadn't answered, Sakusa pressed further.
Komori blinked as if he had just registered the question. He glanced at Sakusa before smirking. "Why don't you ask Taichi yourself?"
Sakusa frowned and fell silent.
"You're not curious anymore?"
It wasn't that Komori was deliberately withholding information, but ever since Sakusa had learned that Coach Yamazaki had invited Aoba Johsai to join their Golden Week training camp, he had asked this same question at least ten times.
And ever since Kaedehara Taichi failed to reply when Sakusa had taken the initiative to greet him, Sakusa had decided he would never reach out to the guy again.
"Hmph."
Sakusa switched to another stretching position, pressing the back of his hand against the floor, pushing his wrist downward until his palm was completely flat.
"Hss—"
Even though Komori had seen this countless times, he still couldn't help but suck in a breath. Perhaps due to some faint sense of shared pain, his own wrist seemed to ache just from watching.
"Aoba Johsai didn't accept Fukurodani's invitation either. Apparently, they want to experience playing against more teams, so they decided to make a full tour of Tokyo."
"Hmph, just like that guy—always greedy," Sakusa said irritably.
(Taichi: This decision had absolutely nothing to do with me this time.)
"That means we won't have too many chances for revenge," Komori said. "I wonder what Aoba Johsai will be like now that Oikawa-senpai has graduated…"
"It doesn't matter how many times we play them—I won't lose again," Sakusa declared coldly.
"That's true. This is our final year, after all." Komori chuckled. "I'd like to win one or two more championships before we leave."
"If we want to win, we can't just focus on Aoba Johsai. Third-years like Hoshiumi Kōrai, Hirugami Sachirō, and the Miya twins—they're all strong opponents this year."
"Coach Yamazaki!" Komori stood up at once.
Yamazaki Heiji looked at Itachiyama's twin stars and said, "Our matches against Aoba Johsai are scheduled for the first and last day of Golden Week. Focus on defeating the opponents in front of you—I expect Itachiyama to maintain a perfect record by the time we face Aoba Johsai."
"Yes, sir!" Sakusa answered seriously.
-----
"Taichi said they'll be at Fukurodani during Golden Week. There's a chance we might play against them," Kozume Kenma murmured, staring at his phone screen.
After their early elimination at Spring Nationals last year, the Nekoma players had been carrying a sense of frustration. Their former rivals, whom they had once been evenly matched against during last year's Golden Week, had gone on to win the national championship.
"Really?"
Jumping up and down, Haiba Lev tried to sneak a peek at Kenma's chat with Taichi, only to be met with a sharp glare.
"I wonder how strong Taichi is now. I'm looking forward to it," Inuoka Sō's wide eyes sparkled.
"Taichi said they recently played against Karasuno and won all six sets," Kenma added in a low voice.
"That's brutal. If that's the case, then aren't we—" Shibayama Yūki hesitated, looking worried.
Last year, Nekoma had played dozens of practice matches against Karasuno, winning about 80% of them. However, this year, their win rate had dropped significantly, barely half of what it was before.
"Even so, we absolutely can't lose!" Yamamoto Taketora roared passionately.
"Shut up," Kenma grumbled in annoyance.
The first-years exchanged whispers as they listened to their seniors.
"Just how strong is this 'Taichi' guy?"
"I see his name in Volleyball Monthly all the time, but I've never actually watched him play."
"You guys have seen Bokuto-senpai from Fukurodani, right? Taichi is as strong as him—no, actually, he might even be stronger now," Shirabekyu Hikoya said rationally, describing what he had witnessed at Spring Nationals.
"You mean the Bokuto-senpai who already got into a pro team just out of high school? And Taichi-senpai is only in his second year but already at a professional level?" Shiraba Mei, a first-year, looked astonished.
Even after hearing their upperclassmen's descriptions, the first-years still couldn't fully grasp the reality of it.
"Just hearing about someone's strength isn't enough to understand it. Even watching from the sidelines only gives you a rough idea," Kenma said. "It's like playing a game—you don't truly understand the pressure of a boss fight until you're facing it yourself."
Here he goes again—Kenma-senpai and his weird gaming analogies…
That said, Kenma's popularity among the first-years was quite high.
Currently, Nekoma had three third-years remaining: Kozume Kenma, Yamamoto Taketora, and Fukunaga Shōhei. Even Kuroo Tetsurō hadn't expected Kenma to take over as team captain in the end.
But with Yamamoto being too straightforward and Fukunaga having his own eccentric quirks, Coach Nekomata hadn't had many options—Kenma was the most suited for communicating with the younger players.
As for his laziness, second-years Inuoka Sō and Shibayama Yūki had naturally taken over most of his duties. After all, Nekoma was a team that loved spoiling its setters.
"Anyway, we'll get to see Taichi-senpai during Golden Week!"
"Now that you mention it, I'm really looking forward to it!"
"Yeah! I want to see how strong he is in person. If Bokuto-senpai comes back to play, we might get an amazing match!"
-----
A week before Golden Week.
"Toothbrush, towel…Considering the temperature drop, I should probably bring an extra T-shirt…" Tōchi Shishin muttered as he checked his packing list for their trip to Tokyo.
Just then, the dormitory door swung open.
"Huh? You guys are already packing?" Tōma Kaoru stood in the hallway, looking surprised.
About a third of Aoba Johsai's volleyball team had opted to stay in the dorms, and coincidentally, all five first-years selected for the Interhigh prelims roster were among them.
For Yūki Yōji and Nakamori Daiki, dorm life was the best option since their homes were far away. Yamabuki Yūjin and Tōma Kaoru, on the other hand, chose to stay to save on commuting time and spend more hours training. As for Tōchi Shishin, he was simply curious about the dormitory experience.
"He's the only one packing this early," Nakamori Daiki said, lying on the floor while repeatedly tossing a volleyball into the air, each toss maintaining nearly the same height.
Tōma was already used to this sight. He made his way over to a nearby chair.
"Yōji's studying tactics again, huh…" Tōma said as he sat down and curled his legs up.
It was hard to believe that the biggest first-year in Aoba Johsai, Yūki Yōji, was also the top student academically. After training, he was always either studying or watching tactical videos.
"Yeah," Yōki replied seriously. "Watari-senpai said both Taichi and Oikawa-senpai used to do this."
"Oikawa-senpai too…" Tōma blinked in surprise and silently scooted closer to take a look.
The match playing on the tablet was from the Spring Nationals—Aoba Johsai versus Fukurodani. If Tōma Kaoru remembered correctly, they were the only team that had pushed Seijoh to a full three sets before the final.
Half an hour later, after finishing the match, Tōma Kaoru let out a long sigh. When he had watched it live, all he could remember afterward was that Seijoh was incredibly strong and that Oikawa-senpai was even stronger.
However, upon rewatching it now, his perspective had changed.
As Aoba Johsai's setter, he couldn't help but put himself in Oikawa Tōru's position while watching. Only now did he truly understand how immense the pressure on a setter was during the National Tournament.
The pace of the tournament matches was significantly faster than their practice games, and the reception accuracy was noticeably lower. Yet, almost every time, Oikawa-senpai was able to skillfully place the ball right where his attackers needed it, creating perfect scoring opportunities.
He was constantly running, observing, and making split-second decisions. Behind his fluid movements lay years of experience and razor-sharp judgment. Each set he made—its power, angle, and timing—felt like walking a tightrope. A single miscalculation could lead to an error.
Especially when it came to the occasional set request from Taichi-senpai, which, in Kaoru's opinion, was often an unreasonable demand.
Yet, Oikawa-senpai managed to accommodate him flawlessly.
— "Oikawa-senpai is seriously incredible..."
— "Taichi-senpai is seriously incredible..."
"Hm?"
Hearing the voice behind him, Tōma Kaoru turned to see that Yamabuki Yūjin had somehow ended up standing behind them.
"I noticed you hadn't returned to the dorm, so I figured you'd be here," Yūjin said casually. "I was going to call you, but then I got caught up watching too."
"What are you guys doing?"
Kaoru gestured to the side, where Tōchi Shishin was still agonizing over various items.
"We were originally watching Tōchi get ready for Golden Week. I got curious and came in."
"I see…isn't it a bit early to be packing already?" Yūjin echoed Kaoru's earlier thoughts.
"Speaking of which, Yūki, do you need to pack anything?"
"My home is in Tokyo. If I need anything, I can just grab it from there," Yūki Yōji replied matter-of-factly.
"Ugh, you lucky city boy!"
"What about Nakamori?"
Nakamori Daikiki's training had evolved into a repetitive cycle of standing, squatting, lying down, and tossing a ball without interruption before getting up and starting over.
"My stuff's all packed in that bag. I'm ready to leave anytime," he said.
Yūjin glanced over to see a nearly human-sized hiking backpack in the corner of the room.
"Wow, you're really the proactive type, huh…"
Since the trip would take them far, and they were expected to stay in Tokyo for about a week, only the twelve players selected for the Interhigh Qualifiers roster were traveling. Conveniently, this meant the first-years going were exactly the ones in their dormitory group.
"I heard we're staying at a hotel in the city! A five-star luxury hotel! Executive suites! Maybe we'll even get a view of the night skyline!" Tōchi Shishin said dreamily.
"What are you, a little kid? The hotel might be nice, but there's no way we're getting executive suites," Yūjin remarked.
"Sounds like Yūjin is interested too…don't tell me you looked it up on your own?" Kaoru smirked.
"T-That's totally normal!" Yūjin's face turned red. "I was just making sure I was well-prepared for Golden Week!"
"Hehe…."
-----
The Night Before Departure.
"Yūtarō!"
As Kindaichi Yūtarō finished dinner and was about to head back to his room, his mother, Kindaichi Chiharu, called out to him.
"Hm?"
"Didn't you say you'd be staying in Tokyo for a week during Golden Week?"
"Big bro, can I go with you?" His youngest brother, Kindaichi Tōru, ran up beside him.
"I'm not going there to play—it's going to be tough training," Yūtarō said, ruffling his little brother's hair.
"Tōru, we can just cheer for your brother from here." Chiharu pulled the boy away, then turned back to Yūtarō. "Wait here for a moment."
Not sure what she was up to, Yūtarō stood there, confused.
A moment later, Chiharu returned, carrying a pillow.
"I washed your pillow for you!"
"Uh…thanks?" Yūtarō was baffled. Was this supposed to be something special?
"Last time you went to Tokyo, you said you couldn't sleep well because the hotel pillows were different, right?" Chiharu beamed. "So this time, you should bring yours with you!"
She forcefully shoved the pillow into his arms.
"Wait, why would I bring my own pillow to a hotel…?" Even Kindaichi Yūtarō, known for his occasional cluelessness, felt something was off. Yet, his mother's determined expression left him no room to argue, so he reluctantly held onto it.
"Yūtarō, I've thought it through carefully this time—you obviously need some family presence with you too!"
Chiharu swiftly placed a family photo-printed mug on top of the pillow before gracefully spinning away toward the living room, seemingly intent on grabbing more things.
"W-Wait, Mom! I'm not bringing anything extra!"
"Hm?" Chiharu stopped in her tracks, her long hair swaying as she tilted her head in disbelief. "Yūtarō, don't you need your family's support?"
"Uh? That's not what I meant—" Yūtarō struggled to find the right words.
"Then I'll give this to you too! He'll keep you safe!" Little Tōru offered his most cherished Kamen Rider figurine.
"I'm not going on a vacation, I don't need any of this!" Yūtarō's shoulders slumped in frustration.
"How…how could this be?" Chiharu stumbled back, collapsing onto the floor with Tōru in her arms, her entire body drained of energy. "Has Yūtarō grown up so much that he no longer needs his family…?"
Looking down at his mother, whose shoulders trembled dramatically, Yūtarō let out a helpless sigh. For the first time, he seriously considered learning the art of persuasive speech from either Taichi or Kunimi.
"Fine, I'll bring everything."
With a long, deep sigh, Kindaichi Yūtarō surrendered. To prevent things from spiraling further, he decided it was best to just go along with it.
-----
The Day of Departure.
"Kindaichi, your luggage is surprisingly full!" Taichi squatted next to Yūtarō's bag, intrigued.
"It's…it's nothing special!" Yūtarō's face turned pale.
"Oh? That reaction means there's definitely something embarrassing in there," Taichi smirked. "Kunimi, hold him down!"
Without a word, Kunimi Akira calmly locked Yūtarō in place.
"Kunimi, you too…?"
The third-years gathered around, their curiosity piqued.
"A pillow?" Taichi pulled out the most obvious item. "Pfft—! And a Kamen Rider figurine?! I didn't know you were into that."
Yūtarō's face turned bright red. "...That's my little brother's."
"Stealing your little brother's toys is even worse!" Taichi feigned outrage.
"I didn't steal it! He put it in my bag without asking!"
"Pfft—! What's with this lace-trimmed pillowcase?!" Kunimi suddenly pointed out.
"Ah?! My mom must've grabbed the wrong one!"
"Hahahaha, Kindaichi, there's nothing to be ashamed of," Yahaba Shigeru said, patting his back.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Senpai, at least let me explain!" Yūtarō wailed.
-----
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Igor Ryan
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