Volleyball: The Time of Resonance

To Naoi's surprise, he discovered that his team members and Tomi's people got along quite well.

He happily discussed the training content with Coach Hu Mei next to him.

"My hairstyle is so cliché!? Do you think your rooster-comb hairstyle is so cool?!" General You lowered his body, shook his head, and said sarcastically.

"Huh!? What did you say? The wind is too strong, I can't hear you! Oh dear, I wish you were taller!!" Kuroo Tetsurou put one hand to his ear and pretended to listen to the left and right sides, saying in a cheeky tone.

"You liar about your height and use your hairstyle to make up for it! You'll never find a girlfriend in your life!"

An arrow pierced through the wind, striking Kuroo Tetsurou in the heart, and indiscriminately attacked the "innocent" onlookers.

Is having a girlfriend such a big deal?!

The first to erupt were members of Tomi's team—

"General Yu! You despicable social butterfly!"

"Ugh! What's so great about you?!"

Two teammates from the same cohort as General Yu rushed forward! Yamamoto Taketaka rolled up his non-existent sleeves and joined in without hesitation.

"You're Tomi's main attacker, right?! Let's practice properly!!"

They seem to be getting along well... Coach Tomi feels there's still a generation gap between herself and the younger generation. They're all laughing, so it's probably because they really don't have any problems.

The middle-aged man sighed. His team's style wasn't like this before. It was only after General Yu arrived that everything changed irreversibly. Well, it's good that things don't change. Staying the same is what leads to falling behind.

Kozume Kenma was unsurprising, and Kuroo Tetsuro was able to add all of Tomi's members as friends. What was surprising was that Sheep, who usually dislikes strangers, gave one person his own Line account.

During the morning and evening training sessions, which were largely similar, and the occasional free training time, Yinchuan Mian always felt that someone was watching him.

Without malice, like looking at a favorite little animal? Yinchuan Mian couldn't quite describe the feeling.

As the sun shone for longer periods, Yinchuan Mian sat down on the ground to hydrate herself. Her hair had been neatly styled by Heiwei Tielang, with half tied up and the other half hanging down her back.

A beautiful little bird flew past him from who-knows-where, instantly catching the attention of the blue-eyed boy, who then predictably choked on water.

"Cough cough—!" A violent coughing sound rang out, and Yin Chuanmian also suddenly lowered her head. The water glass fell to the ground due to the sudden movement, and the water in the bottle spilled out, flooding the ground.

I was about to cough up the saline solution!! Just when my throat was about to go numb from coughing, a hand handed me an unopened bottle of water.

It's orange soda from a small shop, the kind that Yinchuan Mian doesn't usually like to drink.

The boy with dark brown hair looked up and met the eyes that were lowered.

It looks like Little Black...

This was Yinchuan Mianye's first thought. He covered his mouth with one hand and shook his head in refusal with the other.

The sound of the real Xiao Hei arguing with Hu Mei's deputy not far from the field had not stopped and clearly reached Yin Chuanmian's ears.

Quieter than Xiao Hei...

Numai Kazuma didn't leave; instead, he stayed and waited for the other person to recover. After hesitating for a long time, he earnestly asked for Ginkawa Miya's LINE number.

「!?」

Yinchuan Mian didn't understand how things were going. He thought of those eyes that looked strangely like Xiao Hei's, and since he had just coughed and was a little short of oxygen, he blinked his blue eyes, paused for two seconds, and nodded in agreement.

The person who asked the question clearly hadn't expected this outcome. "Great, I was prepared for you to refuse."

It was an unexpected surprise. Numai and Ma decisively took out their phones, afraid that Mianya might change his mind at any moment.

Yinchuan Mian also looked him over. Numai Kazuma's hairstyle looked like that of a delinquent. The hair on the back of his head was not dyed, but the hair on the top of his head and the front of his head was dyed yellow. The yellow hair on his forehead was a bit frizzy, and his facial features were not soft.

But when he smiles, he's surprisingly...clean.

Numai Kazuma handed the phone to Yinchuan Mianye. The little sheep, whose mind had finally come back to normal, was stunned. He struggled internally for a moment, then took the phone, entered a string of numbers, and sent the application.

That's enough, I'm tired.

Numai Kazuma never intended to be friends with Ginkawa Miya; wanting to add him as a friend was simply an outburst of his collecting obsession.

He prefers to observe from afar rather than get close to someone as an "idol."

Numai Kazuma's personality is neither particularly strong nor particularly resilient.

After losing another match, when he couldn't hold back his emotions, he saw a calm and indifferent young man on the other side of the net.

The boy was a year younger than him, yet he became the core of the entire junior high school's Yinju volleyball team, and it seemed that everyone had high hopes for him.

The audience outside the venue chatted, applauded, and congratulated... but the boy remained aloof, not giving anyone a single glance.

A sense of injustice arose, and Numai Kazuma, a third-year junior high student, even took leave to watch every match Numai played afterward, until he finally lost. The boy's emotions remained detached from the clamor.

...So handsome! For a boy who had just finished the second year of junior high school, this nonchalant indifference really touched his restless heart!

The person who always acted very serious in front of his younger siblings secretly became a fan of a boy who was a year younger than him.

When Yinchuan Mian returned the phone to the other person, she found that he was lost in thought.

Sheep: Strangely tilted head (JPG)

"...Your phone."

"!!!" Numai Kazuma snapped back to reality.

"OK, thanks."

After taking the phone, the two, having nothing to talk about, gradually found themselves in an awkward atmosphere.

Numai Kazuma unconsciously touched his neck and looked out the window.

"Um...do you like volleyball?"

Wait a minute!! The moment the words left his mouth, Numai Kazuma's face turned incredibly serious, his ears turning red. What on earth had he asked? How could he possibly dislike it...?

"It's alright." Yin Chuanmian didn't feel there was anything wrong and nodded in reply.

"Huh?" Numai and Ma Doudou wondered what they had just heard.

With such talent and yet not caring, he's more like the protagonist of a shonen manga!

"It's because my friends are all playing together, that's why we're all here," Yinchuan Mian said honestly, not seeing anything wrong with it.

"I see." Numai Kazuma nodded. To achieve such results simply for a friend... that's amazing...

He draped the towel over his head and glanced sideways at the two people talking, as if he had seen a flying cat in disbelief!

...Mianye, are you making friends?

The golden eyes glanced at the sky outside the window; the sun rose in the east and set in the west—no problem.

So what's the problem?

...... ......

"Kuroo, keep an eye on their training."

While arranging the next steps, Naoi Manabu received a phone call. He gave Kuroo Taterou a brief instruction and strode off to the stadium.

After taking a short rest, the members of the Sound Horse team, who had rotated their positions, took their spots.

Kozume Grinding's palm waved slightly downwards, and the two people came to his side and listened quietly to what he was about to say.

"This time he'll be facing Mianye. He used up most of his energy in that last fight, so his speed will decrease... though not by much."

Kozume always speaks slowly and deliberately, and his voice is not loud.

"If we use quick attacks to wear down his stamina in the early stages, we still have a chance..."

Kuroo Tetsurou put his hands on his hips, looked around, and sighed as he stood between the two groups of three.

How terrifying! Knowing that his next opponent was Mianye, Kenma deliberately exhausted Mianye's stamina in the previous game in order to avoid a disastrous performance.

That's so mean! The little lamb trusted you so much!

The next opponent will be Yamamoto Takeo. He hesitated, and before he could make eye contact with Kozume Kenma, he looked away.

He had to admit that sometimes the grinding of the claw was very intense, and there was also a damp feeling. The thick-skinned Yamamoto Tiger secretly shivered.

Yinchuan Mian was listening to Ye Jiuweifu talk about his next plans when he suddenly realized that his childhood friend was in his line of sight. He turned around and found his childhood friend looking at him.

The innocent little lamb returned a soft smile, as harmless as a cotton candy.

Kozume Kenma turned his head away expressionlessly. Sheep love to be pampered...

Kozume Kenma knew Ginkawa Miya very well, and his methods for dealing with the boy had become more and more sophisticated over the past few days of training. When the combat strength of the two sides was roughly equal, Kozume Kenma's intelligence and wit became exceptionally outstanding.

Yamamoto Takeo can be quite useful occasionally.

Kozume Morinaga leaned back, a back pass posture, and Ginchuan Mian instinctively ran to the side!

He woke up with a start the moment he moved!

No, it was a second too late!!

The boy with the bob haircut flipped his hand, his not-so-tall figure leaping slightly as the volleyball soared into his eyes.

Yamamoto was ready. After reaching his peak, he swung his right hand—"Bang!"

"Good shot!" Hisense extended a hand and gave Yamamoto a high five.

It's like Yamamoto, the Tiger, played in a completely empty field, and he felt himself becoming incredibly agitated!

"Wow!! So cool!!" The mohawk-haired boy opened his mouth wide and let out a strange roar.

Kozaki Grinding: ......

Yamamoto Taketora couldn't muster a single bit of humility as he laughed loudly!

Disturbed by the noise, Kozume turned his head and saw a face full of cunning.

Kozaki Grinding: ......

The boy with the bob haircut silently took two steps back, refocusing his attention on the court.

Honestly, he didn't get along with General You. The other man gave him the feeling of a low-quality version of Xiao Hei with an evil buff.

And he's a popular guy...

General You: ?

The giant snake, Tomi, who hadn't done anything and just wanted to have a friendly chat, touched its nose in bewilderment.

He sensed that Otoko's kitten had misunderstood something; he had been incredibly friendly!

"Wow, Yu! You scared him away!" A lively boy from the same grade shouted.

"What are you talking about? I'm so handsome! Reflect on yourself, how did you scare people like that!" General Yu retorted without a second thought, as if a passive skill had been triggered.

"Are you Wang Po? What's so handsome about you!" The young man sneered, not falling for his trick.

"Hey?! But Mei-hua said I'm handsome!"

"Great! General! You! You despicable social butterfly!"

......

"It's okay, don't pay too much attention to the opponent's movements. You can keep up, so you need to keep your eyes on the ball." Yoruichi gave the dazed little lamb a hard pat.

Yinchuan Mian also came to his senses. He knew it was nothing, just one ball. He just remembered a previous game where Moyan was on the other side. It was a kind of illusion that his feet were tripped up and entangled.

As expected of Moyan, he's always been so smart!

Yinchuan Mian didn't have any negative emotions; she was just intrigued by the feeling.

"Mianye, you can also be a setter. Just pass the ball higher." Fukunaga Shohei popped out from the corner and shared his thoughts.

He was the setter for the first few balls, but he felt he could also launch unexpected attacks.

"Okay." Yinchuan Mian had no objections and nodded in agreement. Urged by Kuroo Tetsuro, she stood in her proper place.

Yamamoto Tora tossed his racket down from outside the baseline. It was a normal serve, but the power was not to be underestimated.

He gripped the volleyball tightly with his palm, and with a crisp "snap," the volleyball, spinning visibly, hurtled towards the area where Yinchuan Mianye was located.

Yinchuan Mian also promptly moved aside to create a suitable space for Ye Jiuwei to receive the ball!

The brown-haired boy ran to the net, jumped up as the ball flew towards him, and passed it!

Yinchuan Mianye's ball was very high. Fukunaga Shohei saw the ball's trajectory clearly before he started his run-up! By the time he jumped, the two-man block was already in place.

Facing four opponents, Fukunaga Shohei had a flash of inspiration, and the ball shot out from between the two players and the net at an unexpected angle!

One point breaks serve!!

With sparkling eyes, Fukunaga Shohei stretched out both hands and Yoruichiro cheerfully high-fived one of them!

"Great shot! That was awesome!"

Yinchuan Mian hesitated for two seconds before giving the hand a high five under Fukunaga Shohei's expectant gaze—well, it was indeed very cool.

This

"Wow!" It was as if Fukunaga Shohei had a pair of invisible cat ears on his head, which stood up with a "Duang" the moment Ginkawa Myaya's hand touched his.

"That seemingly skinny cat, Otokoma, is surprisingly clever!" As the match neared its end, Daisho Yu stroked his chin, watching with great interest.

"But my stamina is too poor, so it will be difficult to run the business." Hattori Jiro sent a chat request.

"!!!" General Yu was startled by the sudden sound, and his scales almost popped out.

"Captain, don't suddenly appear!" the boy with the side-swept bangs complained, asking, "Why? Their team has a very well-rounded lineup, right?"

The team boasts a strong attack, featuring the skillful Ginkawa Myaya and the powerful Yamamoto Takeru. Defensively, they have the back-row libero Yoru Eisuke and the front-row main attacker Hishinyuki. In terms of blocking, they have the cunning Kuroo Tetsuro, and in terms of command, they have the strategic Kozume Kenma.

They seem like a very strong team no matter how you look at it.

"They are indeed very well-rounded, but their team must have been established not long ago, and their teamwork is obviously lacking." Hattori Jiro bluntly stated the obvious problem.

"Furthermore, if the brain is lacking oxygen, the judgments made will inevitably be problematic."

The core of the Nekoma team is not Ginkawa Mina, something Hattori Jiro only realized in the last few days.

Despite being a physically weak kitten with no advantage, she was chosen as the core of the team because of her exceptional intelligence. Was it to protect the weak, or did she truly trust the team?

"Then we are the blood, flowing continuously, delivering oxygen to the brain."

A voice interrupted their conversation, and the two snakes, who were talking, looked over in surprise.

Kuroo Tetsuro wandered over from the middle area at some point and picked up the conversation with a smile.

"Where did you come from?!" General Yu refused to admit that he was frightened again! He raised his forked tongue and bared his teeth at the black cat.

"How dare you talk like that? Do you think this is your territory, Tomi? I've always been here!" Kuroo Tetsurou shrugged, looking at him with a look that said, "You're really being unreasonable."

"You!!" General Yu shouted at the captain.

Kuroo Tetsuro gentlemanly raised his hand to stop him.

"Keep your voice down, don't disturb the people who are practicing!"

Keep your voice down, don't disturb my teammates' training.

Hattori Jiro seemed to understand the real meaning and couldn't help but chuckle. Otokoma's current captain is really interesting.

After returning from the phone call, Naoi Manabu continued taking notes in his notebook and noticed that arguing was still coming from one side of the court.

He glanced over in the direction of the noise, and Hattori Jiro slipped away as the two started arguing again.

Only the cat captain and the snake vice-captain were left bickering.

He held out a ball, his lone claw grinding against the ground, just in time to hear Little Black say something about brain blood...

A chill ran from the soles of his feet to his brain, and he had a feeling that something bad was about to happen. He couldn't help but clench his fingertips.

A strand of Yinchuan Mianye's hair was stuck to her face with sweat, unnoticed by the runners.

A block scores a point!!

It's always pleasant to receive rewards in a game, and the boy narrowed his eyes as he looked at the scoreboard where a point had increased.

He gradually came to enjoy playing against his childhood friend, like online 1v1 or 1v2 matches, which was much better than playing against strangers.

I love it so much!!!

Hisense always felt that Yinchuan Mian was a magical creature; how did it manage to do that...?

In the previous game, Kozume Kenma and Kuroo Tetsurou were on the same side as Ginkawa Mina, and Ginkawa Mina almost had a cold face towards the other side of the net for the entire game.

Then, when Kuroo Tetsuro appeared on the opposing team in the previous game, he showed motivation and a vivid expression.

This situation, however, presents a positive and eager-to-try attitude towards the childhood friend who has consumed most of his energy, controlled his output, and slowed his progress.

They had no complaints and even enjoyed it.

Kozume Kenma noticed the hair stuck to Mina's face, and waved to him when their eyes met again.

Yinchuan Mian obediently tilted her head and walked to the net.

"Head," said Kozume Grinding.

The sheep nudged its head closer, "Grinding..."

With her well-defined knuckles, she gently brushed his hair back together. "Watch your hair..."

"Okay!" Yinchuan Mian also rubbed his hand.