The first time Kazuki heard the name, it wasn't spoken with awe.
It was spoken with irritation.
"That middle school again?" a second-year muttered while tightening the tape around his fingers. "Didn't we just play them last month?"
Kazuki paused mid-stretch.
'Middle school'
That alone shouldn't have mattered. High school gyms were filled with players who dismissed anything below their level without a second thought and yet, the tone wasn't dismissive. It was annoyed. Wary.
"They've got that setter," another voice said. "The one from Saitama."
Kazuki slowly straightened, heart ticking faster.
'Setter....Saitama'
His gaze flicked toward the speakers without him realizing it.
"What's his deal?" someone asked.
A third-year scoffed. "Deal? He's a pain. Controls the court like he owns it. Doesn't matter that he's still in middle school."
Kazuki's fingers curled slightly.
That's too early, he thought, but… that's him.
'Tobio Kageyama'
Not the Karasuno setter yet. Not the King of the Court reborn or broken. Just a middle school third-year raw, arrogant, monstrously talented, and already bending games around his will.
Kazuki exhaled slowly.
'So you're here already'
The conversation moved on quickly, as if the name itself didn't deserve to linger. To most of the gym, it didn't. Middle school players were problems for the future. Annoyances at best, but Kazuki felt something settle uncomfortably in his chest because he remembered how this story went and because this was earlier than it was supposed to feel.
Practice continued, but Kazuki's awareness sharpened. He noticed things he might have ignored before how teammates reacted when his name came up in strategy meetings, how opposing schools adjusted their formations when he rotated to the front row.
He wasn't just playing anymore, he was being accounted for.
During a water break, Ryuusei dropped down beside him, towel slung over his neck.
"Hey," he said suddenly. "You hear that?"
Kazuki took a sip before answering. "About the middle school setter?"
Ryuusei grinned, sharp and competitive. "Yeah. Sounds annoying as hell."
Kazuki glanced at him. "You interested?"
"In beating him?" Ryuusei shrugged. "Eventually but you?" His eyes narrowed slightly. "You went quiet."
Kazuki looked back toward the court.
"…Just thinking," he said.
Ryuusei snorted. "Figures."
That was Ryuusei's role lately pushing, poking, refusing to let Kazuki disappear into his own head. A rival who didn't let silence become distance.
From the far side of the gym, the captain watched them quietly he didn't interrupt, he rarely did.
Instead, he paid attention to what changed when Kazuki was on the court.
The timing smoothed out. Calls became shorter. The team's panic in long rallies softened into something more deliberate. It wasn't that Kazuki was louder or more commanding it was that people trusted the space he created.
After scrimmage, the third-year middle blocker approached Kazuki while they were stacking chairs.
"You hear about that kid?" he asked casually.
Kazuki nodded. "Middle school setter. Saitama."
The third-year hummed. "Yeah. Reminds me of someone."
Kazuki looked up.
The third-year met his gaze evenly. "You."
The words weren't praise. They weren't warning either. They were observation.
"You think so?" Kazuki asked.
The third-year shrugged. "Different positions. Different styles but same problem."
"Problem?" Kazuki echoed.
"Too strong for where you are," the third-year said calmly. "Too early."
That night, Kazuki lay awake longer than usual.The ceiling felt closer than it had before.
'Kageyama is still in middle school' he thought. Which means canon hasn't started yet that should have been reassuring.
Instead, it made his chest feel tight because Ushijima Wakatoshi was already dominating high school courts. Bokuto Koutarou was already famous enough to be spoken of nationwide. Sakusa Kiyoomi's name still carried weight even when no one had seen him play in person.
Those monsters weren't waiting, they already existed.
The system surfaced quietly, its presence no longer startling.
_____________________________________
[WORLD CONTEXT – COMPLETE VOLLEYBALL SYSTEM]
Canon Status: Pre-Activation Phase
Key Individuals:
• Ushijima Wakatoshi – Active (High School)
• Bokuto Koutarou – Active (High School)
• Sakusa Kiyoomi – Active (High School)
• Tobio Kageyama – Dormant (Middle School, Final Year)
Note:
Player Kazuki Hayama exists ahead of canon's main convergence point.
______________________________________
Kazuki closed his eyes.
'So I'm early' he thought. But not alone.
The next week, their team faced a practice match against a school known for physical play. The kind that tested resolve more than technique. Early in the match, Kazuki felt it clearly the weight of expectation pressing in from all sides.
Not from coaches.
From teammates.
A receive went long. Instinctively, eyes flicked toward him not blaming, but checking.
A rally stalled. The setter hesitated, then sent the ball Kazuki's way without calling it.
They weren't demanding.
They were trusting.
The realization made his stomach twist.
'So this is pressure' he thought. The kind that doesn't shout.
Ryuusei slammed a spike into the block and cursed under his breath.
"Again," he snapped. "I'll get it next time."
Kazuki met his eyes and nodded once.
No encouragement. No reassurance.
Just acknowledgment.
They won the match narrowly.Afterward, while packing up, Kazuki overheard two teammates speaking in low voices.
"It's weird," one said. "When Hayama's on court, I don't feel rushed."
"Yeah," the other replied. "Like… I have time. Even when I shouldn't."
Kazuki stopped walking for half a second.
Then continued.
That night, the system updated again.
______________________________________
[PLAYER STATUS – KAZUKI HAYAMA]
Overall Player Level: Lv.5 (Stable)
Court Presence: Strengthening
Mental Fortitude: 65 → 67
Game Sense: 58 → 60
Observation:
Influence on teammates increasing organically.
Leadership emerging without directive behavior.
______________________________________
Kazuki stared at the numbers.
'Kageyama and Hinata will enter high school next year' he thought. 'And when they do, the story really begins.'
By then, Kazuki would no longer be just another first-year who surprised people.
He would be a known quantity.
A variable.
Someone already standing on the edge of the stage.
He rolled onto his side, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
'So come on, Tobio Kageyama and Hinata Shoyo' he thought. Finish middle school strong.
When you arrive… I'll already be waiting.