In the blink of an eye, the new school season had arrived. Four guys in Karasuno uniforms reunited after their morning classes, gathering again as soon as school ended.
Two tall figures and two shorter ones, but with compact, fierce energy, together on the streets, were honestly a little intimidating.
The only odd one out was the orange-haired boy. Dressed entirely in sportswear while the other three wore their school uniforms, he stood out a bit.
Even so, in the crowded hallways packed due to the ongoing enrollment season, the four-person group's sheer presence carved a path through the throng, forcing a way forward.
"W-wow, they're so tall!"
"Who are those guys?"
"They've got so much presence!"
"Damn it! Are they here to take the top spots at Karasuno?"
Ignoring the whispers and stares from nearby students, Hinata Shoyo, dressed in his sports clothes immediately after school, waved impatiently at the three behind him.
"I'll go ahead!"
Then he bolted, leaving only a trailing, drawn-out goodbye behind him.
The three left standing, Ichinose Guren, slightly embarrassed, rubbed his nose; Yudai Hyakuzawa and Hoshino Katsuri exchanged glances, then looked after Hinata, who had already disappeared, and pressed their lips into a wry smile.
No different from Junior High, they both thought.
"Classmates! You're so tall! Come join our bas, "
A student in basketball attire spotted Ichinose and Hyakuzawa's towering forms and got instantly excited, wanting to recruit them for his club to dominate nationwide.
But before he could speak, a teammate grabbed his arm and yanked him back.
"No worries, no worries! Sorry to bother you! Please, carry on!"
Once the trio moved out of sight, the basketball club member peeked out curiously.
"What happened? Were those three delinquents or something? Why didn't you let me recruit them?"
Curiosity turned into disdain as he glared at his companion.
"You're just afraid I'd recruit more people than you, so you'd look bad in front of Ayaka, huh? You sly fox!"
"Idiot! Those three were in the Sports Weekly! They're the top players of Miyagi Prefecture's Junior High volleyball scene, and a few months ago, they made the national semifinals!"
"Ha? So what if they are? If I recruit them into basketball, they don't have to join if they don't want to. Besides, who says playing Junior High volleyball means you can't play basketball in high school?"
"Huh? I'm trying to be nice, and you're blaming me?"
"Blame you? No, I just know you're scared I'll outshine you!"
Up ahead in the hallway, Hinata had already turned into a lightning bolt, sprinting through the spacious corridor to the lower floor. Using his super reaction speed and athleticism, he weaved through the crowd with ease, heading straight for the volleyball club's gym.
Meanwhile, a girl handed a stack of forms to the three boys behind him.
"Thanks for your hard work~"
"No problem."
"Not a small number, huh? But there were more before."
"There will be more in the future, Daichi."
"Senpai, you look really pretty today!"
After brief pleasantries and playful teasing, the three turned to look at the forms in Sawamura Daichi's hands.
"Eh!!"
"Eh!!"
They were stunned at the first name on the club application form.
Sugawara Koushi blinked at the name, utterly confused.
"Isn't this the number-one 'king' from Kitagawa?"
"How is he here at Karasuno?"
Daichi was just as shocked. Though he had heard rumors that the player might come, he never expected it to actually happen.
"No idea."
Rubbing his chin, Sugawara smiled wryly.
"Could it be the same as before? That loner, arrogant genius type?"
"He dares! I'll show him what senior care looks like!"
Tanaka Ryunosuke had already rolled up his sleeves.
As they scrolled further down the list, their shock intensified.
"Eh eh!!! The strongest player in Miyagi Prefecture!!!"
"Eh eh!!! The strongest player in Miyagi Prefecture!!!"
Tanaka and Sugawara exchanged glances at Daichi, who remained unshocked, giving off the vibe of "We were supposed to be equal partners in misery, and now you're the lord in the city?"
"Daichi… you knew all along, didn't you?"
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria