The conversation between Oikawa and Iwaizumi caught the attention of Hirugami and Hoshiumi, who were sitting nearby.
Hoshiumi and Hirugami exchanged a glance, then shifted closer to Oikawa and Iwaizumi in perfect unison.
It was not as though Hirugami had a habit of eavesdropping. He was simply curious.
Judging by their conversation, those two seemed to be longtime rivals of Shiratorizawa.
Hirugami had never heard of Shiratorizawa having any rivals he did not know about. Were these two from Miyagi?
Oikawa sensed Hirugami's gaze and turned his head. When he saw Hirugami looking at him, he paused, flashed him a smile, then turned back to Iwaizumi with a mysterious expression.
"Iwa-chan, that guy must be stunned by Lord Oikawa's beauty."
Hirugami, who had been curious about what Oikawa would say: "..."
Why did this feel so much like Atsumu Miya?
Hirugami's expression became complicated.
Iwaizumi had long since grown used to Oikawa's shamelessness, but he still found it embarrassing. They had grown up together, so why was Oikawa's personality nothing like his? Oikawa had not even picked up a single one of Iwaizumi's little habits.
It was truly an unsolved mystery.
Iwaizumi gave Hirugami an apologetic smile, as though making up for Oikawa's rudeness.
Hirugami glanced at Iwaizumi and was just about to speak to him when Hoshiumi suddenly tugged hard on his sleeve.
"Look, look! Ryosuke's about to serve!"
Hirugami quickly turned his attention back to the match.
Ryosuke's serve was a problem every school wanted to solve.
The Shiratorizawa players gathered around Ryosuke.
Ushijima handed him the volleyball and patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Just do your best."
Reon smiled and gave Ryosuke a high five.
"Just focus on serving. Even if you don't score, we'll cover for you."
Tsutomu Goshiki began cheering loudly.
"Go, Ryosuke! Go, Ryosuke! Go, Ryosuke!"
Even Shirabu spoke up.
"Focus on your serve. Leave the rest to us."
Ryosuke did not know whether to laugh or cry.
What was all this about? Were they worried he would be upset if he failed to score with his serve?
This was not his first match. How could he possibly be nervous?
Still, their encouragement made him happy.
"Don't worry! Watch me score five points in a row!"
After spending so much time with the others, Ryosuke had begun speaking with the same bold confidence as Tsutomu Goshiki. He never would have dared to say something like that before.
Sure enough, when a group stayed together long enough, the odd one out would eventually be influenced by everyone else.
Under everyone's expectant gazes, Ryosuke walked toward the service line.
Up in the stands, Sakusa raised his phone and began snapping pictures nonstop.
Of course, Sakusa was not the only person taking photos of Ryosuke.
Somewhere outside Sakusa's line of sight, Keigo Atobe had set up a camera that looked even more professional than the equipment used by the staff. He aimed it at Ryosuke and took picture after picture.
Anyone who did not know what was happening might have thought Keigo Atobe had set up a cannon to snipe the players on the court.
By the time Ryosuke reached the service line, cheers had erupted throughout the stands.
"Aaaaaah! It's that handsome guy with the amazing serve!"
"Come on! Finish them with your serve!"
"Go, Shiratorizawa! Go, Ryosuke!"
"Ryosuke Hanyu!"
The sudden cheering left Ryosuke completely stunned. Even the other spectators were confused by the unexpected burst of enthusiasm.
Ryosuke raised his head and looked around the stands.
The moment he did, the cheering grew even louder.
The spectators waved cheer sticks and streamers, their eyes filled with excitement. They were cheering as though the match had already been won.
The Inarizaki players rose to their feet and stared at the stands in bewilderment.
Even the referee could not help thinking that it had been a long time since he had seen such a popular player.
The players watching from the athletes' section were equally surprised by the excitement around them.
"He really is popular."
Keiji Akaashi sighed in amazement.
He knew Ryosuke was popular, but he had not expected this much enthusiasm. It was nearly on par with the atmosphere during Bokuto-senpai's matches.
Bokuto was another player who was extremely popular with the crowd. His carefree personality and cheerful demeanor made him especially well liked at major tournaments like this.
Bokuto was also exceptionally good at energizing an audience.
This year was relatively normal. During the previous two years, every time Bokuto stepped onto the court, the venue became as lively as a concert.
"Ryosuke, you've got this!"
Keiji Akaashi was still lost in thought when Bokuto's booming shout brought him back to his senses.
Bokuto was yelling encouragement toward Ryosuke on the court at the top of his lungs.
When the others saw him, they joined in and began shouting as well.
The athletes' section suddenly became even louder.
Ryosuke stood below, listening to the cheers, unable to recover for a long moment.
He gripped the volleyball so tightly that his fingers left a fleeting indentation on its surface, revealing just how unsettled he felt.
His ears had turned bright red.
He wanted to shout at everyone to stop because he was about to serve.
At the same time, he could not suppress the joy bubbling inside him.
He knew all those people were cheering for him.
That realization sent blood rushing to his head, leaving him both thrilled and excited.
The flush on his face refused to fade.
Coach Washijō watched him and helplessly pressed a hand to his forehead.
Ryosuke played volleyball with such ferocity, so why did he blush whenever someone praised him?
It did not suit his playing style at all.
Coach Kurosu looked at Ryosuke, who resembled a timid little rabbit, and let out a snort of laughter.
"Coach Washijō, Shiratorizawa's players are more interesting than the last."
Washijō rolled his eyes and ignored him.
He could laugh for now. He would not be laughing for much longer.
Ryosuke lowered his head and forced down the urge to scream with joy before stepping into position.
The cheers continued from every side of the court, making it difficult for him to concentrate.
Coach Washijō noticed the problem and frowned irritably.
Cheering was normally a good thing, but this much constant noise could genuinely disrupt a player's focus.
Ryosuke tried to shut out the sound, but the cheers continued to echo in his ears.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
He imagined himself standing alone on an empty court, practicing his serve over and over.
It was just like the days before high school when he had trained by himself, surrounded by nothing but loneliness and silence.
When he opened his eyes again, Ryosuke had returned to his usual calm and composed state.
The sudden cheering had probably made his blood rush to his head, but he had finally regained control.
Ryosuke nodded to the referee, signaling that he was ready.
Coach Washijō finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Ryosuke recover.
If a little cheering was enough to throw Ryosuke off, all those years of guidance would have been wasted.
Watching Ryosuke regain his composure so quickly, Atsumu Miya once again felt that he had been born to play volleyball.
He was neither arrogant nor impatient, his skills were excellent, and he was handsome too...
Atsumu Miya's thoughts immediately began to wander.
"Fweeeeeet!"
The service whistle finally snapped him back to reality.
When he looked up, Ryosuke had already raised the ball and was preparing to serve.
In the back row, Akagi's pupils contracted the moment Ryosuke moved. His entire body tensed involuntarily.
Everyone from Inarizaki had watched Shiratorizawa's match against Mujinazaka.
Of everything Akagi had seen, Ryosuke's serve had left the deepest impression. He had scored five points with it alone.
Akagi had shown no emotion while watching the match, but the sight had filled him with dread.
A serve with such fierce spin and an unpredictable curve was terrifying.
It was even harder to receive than an ordinary spin serve or a jump float.
More importantly, Akagi had never faced a serve like it before. He could only rely on the small details he had observed during Shiratorizawa's previous match.
It was an extremely difficult task.
If he could not figure out the serve within three attempts, all he could do was wait for Ryosuke to make a serving error.
Ryosuke turned his shoulder toward the net, tossed the volleyball into the air, and drove forward with power from his legs and waist.
After two quick steps, he swung his arm and struck the ball hard with his right hand.
"Bang!"
The volleyball shot forward with tremendous spin.
In the blink of an eye, it crossed Shiratorizawa's side of the court and reached the net.
The ball carried a violent spin and a pronounced curve, with no shortage of power behind it.
It was moving so quickly that Akagi could barely make out its direction.
He could only rely on instinct and the few details he had noticed to predict its general path.
But that was not enough.
Even Ryosuke himself did not know exactly where the ball would land. All he could guarantee was that it would remain in bounds.
He was already trying his hardest to control the landing point and keep it from straying too far.
Even so, he could not completely control it.
The moment the ball left Ryosuke's hand, it began staggering through the air like a drunken giant, swerving unpredictably while still carrying tremendous force.
Irregular serves like this were every libero's nightmare.
Akagi watched the ball cross the net and veer toward the right.
After a brief hesitation, he ran after it.
He had seen Ryosuke's serve before. It could not be judged based on its direction at any single moment.
No one knew where it would fly next or how its spin might change.
But Akagi had no time to think about any of that.
He only knew that if he did not chase it now, Shiratorizawa would definitely score.
Akagi broke into a sprint and chased the ball across more than half the court.
Everyone moved aside as he passed.
The ball finally began to descend toward Aran in position six.
Aran quickly stepped aside to give Akagi room.
Seeing the open space before him, Akagi immediately launched himself into a dive.
He stretched one arm across the floor, pressed his palm close to the surface, raised his head, and stared at the volleyball without blinking.
As the ball drew closer, Akagi's heart pounded violently.
He could reach it!
Hope flashed in his eyes.
Then, in the next instant, the ball drifted in midair and changed direction again.
It slammed into the floor just beyond Akagi's palm.
Akagi hurriedly adjusted his hand, but it was already too late.
He should have moved the moment the ball changed direction. By the time he reacted, there was no chance of reaching it.
"Thud!"
The ball struck the floor and bounced several times.
"Fweeeeeet!"
Point!
Aran pulled Akagi to his feet and patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry about it. We'll get the next one!"
Akagi climbed up with a frustrated expression and nodded.
Atsumu Miya stared at his dejected face in confusion.
"It was only one ball. Do you really need to be that upset?"
Atsumu Miya's voice drew everyone's attention.
When Akagi saw them all looking at him, he became even more frustrated.
"I'm not upset because I missed it! I'm upset because I could have received it. I let my guard down. It's so annoying!"
Akagi roared the final word.
Atsumu Miya burst out laughing without the slightest restraint.
"What do you call that?" Aran asked Omimi with a perfectly earnest expression, trying to find an appropriate description for Akagi's reaction.
"It's called, 'I could have done it,'" Omimi explained with a smile.
Osamu Miya snorted from behind them.
"It's called letting victory slip through your fingers."
Omimi did not know whether to laugh or cry.
That description was not wrong either.
"What happened? You didn't seem to be in top form on that serve."
On Shiratorizawa's side, Reon played the part of a dependable Senpai and questioned Ryosuke.
Ryosuke nodded obediently.
"The stands were a little noisy, but it wasn't a big deal. My touch wasn't quite right. That last serve was just a warm-up."
Hearing that, Reon relaxed.
"Then do your best on the next one!"
"Okay!"
Ryosuke nodded earnestly, and the stray tuft of hair on his head bobbed along with the movement.
He looked like a child listening attentively to a parent.
Reon's heart softened at the sight.
He reached out and vigorously ruffled Ryosuke's hair, patted him on the shoulder, turned him toward the service line, and gave him a gentle push.
"Go on."
Using that push for momentum, Ryosuke returned to the service line.
He looked at his teammates, and they smiled back at him.
Tsutomu Goshiki raised a fist in encouragement before turning around.
The referee looked at both sides. Once he confirmed that everyone was ready, he blew the whistle to signal Ryosuke's serve.
"Fweeeeeet!"
Cheers erupted once more from the stands around the court, every bit as loud as before.
"It's impressive that Ryosuke can keep his composure. I would've been driven crazy by now."
Konoha looked around the stands as he spoke.
Ryosuke really did have remarkable mental fortitude.
Bokuto nodded solemnly.
Haruki Komi stared at him speechlessly.
"Why are you nodding? If people cheered like this while you were serving, you'd be more excited than anyone."
Haruki Komi's remark made everyone laugh.
He was absolutely right.
Ryosuke tightened his grip on the volleyball, completely unaffected by the cheers.
He stared steadily at Akagi on the opposite side, turned the ball several times in his hands, and confirmed that his touch had not weakened.
Then he quickly tossed it into the air.
Toss, approach, jump, swing.
Every motion flowed seamlessly into the next.
It looked no different from his previous serve, yet somehow, everything about it felt different.
"Thwack!"
Ryosuke sent the ball flying.
Even the sound of his palm striking it was different this time.
The previous hit had sounded dull, but this one was crisp.
Anyone could tell it was a good serve.
The ball raced straight toward Akagi at incredible speed.
Although it carried a wide curve and fierce spin, its general trajectory was clear.
Ryosuke was targeting Akagi directly.
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
p-@-treon/GhostParser (40 Chapters Ahead)
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.