The gym felt ordinary.
That was the first thing Kazuki noticed.
No banners. No cameras. No unusual tension in the air. Practice began the same way it always did, with warm-ups and half-hearted complaints about sore muscles.
Still, something sat just beneath the surface.
'The atmosphere's slightly off'
Kazuki stretched near the backline, eyes scanning the court out of habit. Teammates moved normally, though Ren glanced toward the entrance more than once. Hajime followed his gaze, then shrugged it off.
Coach Aoyama arrived a few minutes later than usual. He didn't announce anything, he simply blew the whistle.
"Scrimmage format" Coach Aoyama said. "Long rallies. Play like you're behind."
No one questioned it.
The scrimmage started with measured intensity. Kazuki focused on the basics-serve receive, positioning, reading hands instead of shoulders.
The first rally lasted nearly thirty seconds.
Hajime dug twice. Keigo recycled the ball patiently. Ren spread the offense instead of forcing speed, Kazuki waited.
When the set came, he didn't swing hard. He rolled the ball into the deep corner.
Point.
Coach Aoyama made no comment.
'Good'
On the sideline, two men stood quietly near the far wall.
They wore neutral jackets. No school logos. No obvious clipboards. One scribbled notes slowly, never looking at the paper for long. The other watched without moving, arms folded, gaze steady.
They didn't cheer.They didn't react.They simply observed.
Kazuki didn't notice them yet.
The scrimmage rotated.
Ryuusei moved to the front row opposite Kazuki.The serve came fast. Ryuusei crushed it, forcing a scramble. Ren chased the ball wide. The set came late.Kazuki adjusted his approach and tipped softly over the block.
Point.
Ryuusei clicked his tongue.
'He's not rushing'
Across the net, the observers exchanged a brief glance.
"Doesn't force it" one murmured.
The other nodded. "He waits"
Practice continued.
Kazuki set only once in the next ten rallies, and only because Ren was completely screened. The set was clean, simple, forgettable.
The spike scored.
The observers wrote again.
Coach Aoyama called a short break.
Players collapsed near the bench, drinking water. Sweat dripped onto the floor in uneven patterns.
Hajime leaned back, breathing steadily. "Practice feels heavier lately."
Keigo wiped his face. "Cleaner, too."
Ren glanced at Kazuki. "You're… different since the loss."
Kazuki replied quietly, "I stopped trying to be fast"
Ren nodded slowly. "Feels easier to play"
Kazuki stood and walked toward the service line.
'That's the point.'
Scrimmage resumed.
The opposing side targeted Kazuki aggressively now. Serves aimed sharp. Blocks shaded his direction early.
Kazuki adjusted.
He passed tighter. He drew blockers, then hit soft off-hands. He stopped calling for sets when space opened elsewhere.
The rally that caught attention came without spectacle.
A long exchange ended with Kazuki receiving a poor pass near the net. Ren couldn't reach it. The ball floated awkwardly.
Kazuki raised his hands.
Paused.
Set.
Not to the strongest hitter. To the open one. The spike landed clean.
Silence followed.
The rally wasn't impressive.It was correct.
On the sideline, one of the observers finally spoke again.
"He's controlling tempo without touching the ball much."
"That's harder to teach," the other replied.
Practice ended without fanfare.
Coach Aoyama gathered the team briefly. "Good discipline today. Remember what happens when panic takes over."
Players bowed and dispersed.Kazuki grabbed his bag, heading toward the exit.
Coach Aoyama called his name quietly.
"Kazuki"
Kazuki turned.
Coach Aoyama didn't look at him immediately. His gaze drifted toward the far wall, where the two men were now speaking softly.
"You didn't ask why I changed practice today" Coach Aoyama said.
Kazuki shook his head. "Didn't feel necessary"
Coach Aoyama smiled faintly. "Good instinct"
He finally looked at Kazuki. "You were watched today"
Kazuki stiffened slightly.
"Don't overthink it" Coach Aoyama added. "They weren't here for you alone."
Kazuki nodded once.
'Still'
That night, Kazuki sat by the dorm window, city lights flickering in the distance.
The system interface appeared briefly.
No stats changed.
Only a single line appeared.
_______________________________________
[External Observation Detected]
Maintain current growth trajectory.
_______________________________________
Kazuki closed the interface.
'So it's begun'
He thought of the names again.
Ushijima, crushing through blocks with inevitability.Bokuto, emotional and overwhelming.Hoshiumi, explosive and precise.Setters who dictated pace. A setter in Saitama, still in middle school, learning restraint the hard way.
'I'm still early'
The loss hadn't made him weaker. It had made him visible.
Not as a prodigy screaming for attention.
As a player who understood the court.
Kazuki leaned back and closed his eyes.
Tomorrow would be another practice.
Another rally. Another chance to be seen not by scouts, but by the game itself. And for now, that was enough.