Volleyball: The Time of Resonance

Only two weeks left until the IH League...

Coach Naoki moved the morning training session forward by half an hour and extended the evening training session by half an hour, keeping everyone busy every day.

The sky was still shrouded in a faint gray-blue, and the air was filled with the damp, chilly scent characteristic of the Sea of ​​Japan coast, making each breath a crisp, refreshing coolness.

Naoi Manabu's voice was calm, and the tactical board in his hand gleamed coldly in the morning light. "Two more laps for warm-up."

Early morning training doesn't necessarily require the coach to be present. Because of classes, unless it's a holiday, even if it's extended by half an hour, it won't be much longer.

However, Coach Naoi wanted to train with his students and his teammates.

"Mianye, you'd better stay behind me, okay?"

Kuroo Tetsuro straightened his tracksuit and patted the sheep that was still motionless in place.

"Warm up properly."

"Grind! You too!"

Watching the sheep diligently stretch its body, Kuroo Tessou crossed his arms and turned around with satisfaction, only to spot the mushroom cat who had been slowly and leisurely taking its time to warm up.

Mushroom Cat bristled on the spot, clearly startled by someone's loud voice.

"I know... Kuro is so long-winded." Kozume slumped his shoulders and sighed silently into the air.

"Grind it!" Kuroo Tetsuro sighed helplessly, looking at his childhood friend's lifeless face, unable to say anything else.

Indeed, getting up early for training was already difficult enough, and now it's even more difficult, requiring waking up 30 minutes earlier. It's already quite an effort that they've managed to persevere.

Kozume Moto has had a problem since starting junior high school: he gets a fever after excessive exercise and practice.

Therefore, Kuroo Tetsurou wouldn't force Kozume Kenma to train; he knew what he was doing.

As long as they don't cut corners during warm-ups like Yinchuan Mianye did, causing themselves to get into trouble, Kuroo Tetsurou usually doesn't care about the training speed of his teammates.

Everyone is putting their heart and soul into their work, and he sees everything they do. This is something that can be done well without supervision or prompting.

As the run began, Yinchuan Mian followed the commands and her usual routine, continuing to follow behind Heo Tairo.

Kuroo Tetsuro's speed was slightly slower than before, just enough for Ginkawa Mian to barely keep up with his speed from beginning to end.

Yinju High School is located in the old town, nestled against a mountain.

The mountain was neither too far nor too close to the school. Naoki heard that some schools were running up the mountain, so he suddenly had a brilliant idea to let Otoko's cats run up the mountain today as well.

If it works well, they won't waste this natural advantage of theirs in the future.

The weather had warmed up by the end of May, but white mist still wafted out of my mouth when I ran in the early morning.

The numbness and pain in her legs slowly spread, and Yinchuan Mian sniffed uncomfortably, almost disrupting her rhythm.

Compared to Kuroo Tetsuro's three-step inhale and three-step exhale, Ginchuan Mian is more accustomed to the rhythm of two-step inhale and two-step exhale.

This is a rhythm that's less likely to cause side stitches for beginners...

"Little Black".

Her breathing grew heavier and heavier; she had only run halfway up the mountain when Yinchuan Mianye's legs felt like they were melting.

Does this ground have a built-in damage reduction effect...?

"Don't talk while running."

"Um."

Mian felt wronged, Mian felt uncomfortable, Mian knew she shouldn't speak, but she was just not comfortable.

qaq

Running uphill is so tiring... I don't want to go uphill...

As if sensing something, I turned around and saw a few red cats had fallen behind me.

They've already changed into new team uniforms; the red clothes stand out starkly against the lush green background.

The last one must be ground.

Yinchuan Mian also wished him good luck in her heart.

Each step grew heavier and heavier, but the dawn of victory was just ahead.

The cement road in front of him was already swaying, and finally when he reached the top of the mountain, he saw... two bananas?

It was still two half-ripe bananas.

The banana with white hair in the two bananas looked at Kuroo Tetsurou for a while, lingered on the number 1 team uniform for a couple more seconds, and then moved its gaze to Ginkawa Myaya, instantly recognizing the team.

"Oh, it's Otoko. I didn't expect you guys to be running in the mountains here too."

Yinchuan Mian also looked at those brown eyes, and the more she looked, the more familiar they seemed, but...

"Who are you?"

The very simple and unpretentious question inexplicably made the atmosphere, which had just become a little more familiar, instantly become polite and distant, with a hint of stiffness.

"So you guys don't know each other~" Kuroo Tetsuro's relaxed and carefree voice rang out.

The black-haired general took a step to the left, shielding the sheep behind him, and put one hand on his hip, looking down at the two people sitting on the rock.

"I never expected that Jingtashan would choose to climb the mountain here. It's so far away, it must be really tiring."

Kuroo Tetsuro hesitated for a second as he spoke. "We're going for a mountain run, right? We can't just run to the top of the mountain just to watch the sunrise with our teammates, can we?"

"It's mountain running training," the white-haired boy answered his question, not minding the other's offense. "Izuna, the current captain and setter of the second year at Jingta Mountain. Nice to meet you."

Kuroo Tetsuro raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting the other party to be the commander. After all, he was wearing a long-sleeved yellow and green jacket, obscuring his back, which was understandable.

Ah... it's a senior.

Yinchuan Mian frowned. He really disliked the Japanese senior-junior culture. If there were no senior-junior culture, he wouldn't be considered to have offended the other party.

Is it offensive to directly ask someone who they are?

...Oh, Jingtashan! Yinchuan Mian suddenly remembered who the other person was; he had probably seen his match videos!

Yinchuan Mianye is a cat with an amazing brain circuit; you never know where its attention will wander off to.

"Otokoma, the current second-year captain, Kuroo Tetsurou, plays as a middle blocker. The person behind me is Ginkawa Wataru."

Kuroo Tetsuro and Iizuna simultaneously reached out and clasped hands, both wearing perfectly timed smiles that made one's teeth ache.

Yinchuan Mianye: I don't think I should be standing here.

The player next to Iizuna gripped his wrist uncomfortably, looking helpless. Only his name remained unmentioned...

"I know Yinchuan-kun. Jingtashan was really looking forward to Yinchuan-kun's arrival."

Izuna wanted to take a closer look at Yinchuan Mian, but the other person was covered up completely.

"..." Yinchuan Mian also felt awkward. If she just turned around and left now, it shouldn't be a big problem.

A sense of guilt lingered in the sheep's heart, surprising the sheep who had been lost in thought. Strange, it was clearly her own decision whether to go or not, so why did she suddenly feel guilty?

The sheep narrowed its eyes, sensing that something was amiss. Had Izuna Tsuru cursed him?

"Haha, Mian is just a nostalgic kid, it's normal that she prefers the school she's been attending since she was little."

Jingtashan High School has always been a top-tier volleyball school, a hub for a large number of talented players. They must be hoping all the talented people will go there, haha.

Kuroo Tetsuro's tone was joking, and he shook the hand he was holding up and down.

"That's right, after all, our school is the King's Well-Eared Mountain." The previous topic was over, and Iizuna looked at Kuroo Tetsuro with some appreciation.

"It's rare to see a captain who is a middle blocker. I remember that Otokoma always puts respect for his seniors first. To be able to become a captain in his second year, Kuroo must have exceptional talent."

"Not at all," Kuroo Tetsurou waved his hand, still with one hand on his hip, "It's just that the senior students in their final year of high school all wanted to study harder, so I was chosen as the leader by everyone's encouragement."

This time, it was Izuna's turn to be surprised: a group of high school seniors collectively quit the club?

The white-haired youth did not overlook the word "all," which emphasizes and encompasses everything.

The cats of Otoko have secretly done something big.

Yinchuan Mian also looked down at her own paws and began to stare blankly.

Yinchuan Mianye's actions were noticed by Iizuna, who then changed the subject and asked about the main attacker that Jingtashan had not gotten.

"How is Yinchuan-kun's life at Yinju?"

His tone was strangely familiar, as if the two were longtime friends.

Is it possible to be this overly familiar on a first meeting?

Yinchuan Mian also came to her senses, tilted her head, looked at Xiao Hei with his malicious smile, and then looked at the people from Jingtashan with their warm smiles.

Hmm... Little Black lost.

Seeing that the sheep had no intention of acknowledging him, Kuroo Tetsuro gladly took over the conversation.

"It's great that Wataru is here with Nekoma, but Iizuna-kun, are you waiting for someone here?"

"That's right, they're waiting for my teammates." Iizuna's smile remained unchanged, though he secretly thought to himself that the other party was difficult to deal with.

I just wanted to say hello in a friendly way, after all, I really wanted to meet Yinchuan-kun at the beginning.

"Ginchuan-kun, do you still remember Sakusawa Seishin?"

"I remember." Yinchuan Mian also answered the question this time, no longer dragging it out for Xiao Hei to deal with. He didn't like this white-haired person very much, as it was difficult for him to speak.

Yinchuan Mian also remembered the person who defeated her twice. No matter how indifferent she was to winning or losing, being defeated by the same person twice in a row and being seen in her most miserable state would make her remember that person.

Even though Sakuya later lost to Shiratorizawa, he was still unwilling to accept defeat, no matter how many times he had defeated someone.

"Haha, I knew you two were close. Saku had been holding a grudge for a long time about you not coming to Jingta Mountain."

"......" What kind of relationship do they have? Who and whom?

Cosmic Cat Head Sublimation JPG.

Every time Sakuya looks at him, it's like she wants to slap him. How can they be on good terms? How can you tell?

"That's a real honor to have the people of King's Well Mountain remember me. If you really want to catch up, you can ask us to arrange a practice match." Kuroo Tetsurou seized the opportunity to extend an invitation.

"Haha, I'll suggest it to our coach." Two tic-tac-toe characters had already appeared on Iizuna's forehead. So annoying!

Kuroo Tetsuro: I don't accept free chats, give me some gold coins!

"If we really make an appointment, we might be able to see a showdown between Ginkawa-kun and Sakuya-saya as the main attackers. I'm really looking forward to it."

"Middle blocker..." Yinchuan Mianye whispered.

Iizuna narrowed his eyes, his brown pupils flashing. "Why did Ginkawa-kun bring up middle blocker? Is he switching positions?"

"Hmm," the brown-haired boy stopped staring blankly at any corner and met the gaze of the person opposite him. "The middle blocker position suits me better, so I switched positions."

"Indeed..." Iizuna sighed regretfully, "Ginchuan-kun is indeed very suitable for middle blocker. It's a pity that Ginchuan-kun didn't join Itayama."

When Iizuna said this, the boy sitting next to him, who had been sitting silently with his head down, suddenly reacted violently, looked up, and then, as if he had thought of something, lowered his head again, his hands clenched tightly.

"Of course, our current middle blocker is also very talented." The white-haired boy casually put his arm around the person next to him, looking like two good buddies.

Jingshan really wants Yinchuan Mianye, as he has excellent talent and ability. In addition, Jingshan's third-year middle blocker will retire before the Spring High School Championship, and the coach and members all hope to win over a talented middle blocker.

Although he is known as the king and has won many championships, can he win every game?

Not necessarily.

High school volleyball is full of unexpected surprises and miracles. There are dark horses every year, and no one can be 100% sure of winning. It's a competition with only one winner.

So Jingtashan extended an invitation to Yinchuan Mianye. Unexpectedly, the boy, who seemed to be very passionate about volleyball and had been staring at the ball even before his injury in the junior high school tournament, rejected the invitation without hesitation.

"You can't let your emotions get the better of you," Iizuna said, looking at the boy who was half-blocked by Kuroo Tetsuro with a slightly regretful gaze.

"Kuroo! Why did you stop here?"

Kuroo Tetsuro and Ginkawa Mian were also standing on the road talking to people, and from below, the two of them completely blocked the other two people sitting on the stone.

Yoruichi was a little worried about the cat that had fallen behind, so he waited for a while before catching up.

As soon as I arrived at the mountaintop, I saw the two people standing still and thought something had happened.

"Huh? Yaku, why are you so slow? Mian and I arrived a long time ago and chatted for quite a while."

"Kuroo Tetsuro! There's not enough time!" Yoru Eisuke complained loudly, not understanding.

"Otoko's little kittens," Iizuna squinted at the row of red cats that were arriving one after another, his interest growing stronger.

It's still a pity, but if we're not meant to be, we're not meant to be.

It's also very interesting to see them on the field.

I hope Yinju won't let me down, and that you won't be overlooked.

Iizuna patted one of his new subordinates on the shoulder, reminding him that it was time for them to leave.

The black-haired first-year middle blocker from Jinga Mountain followed his captain, heading straight in the direction that Nekoma had come from.

"Goodbye, Otokoma." Iizuna waved gently to Ginkawa Wataru.

Still standing next to his childhood friend, Kuroo Tetsuro raised an eyebrow. "He's calling you cat."

"...I can tell, Xiao Hei." Yin Chuan Mian also had half-moon eyes. He still didn't know how the two of them started talking.

"You know the captain of Jingta Mountain?" Ye Jiuweifu put his hands on his hips and confirmed the other party's identity with just one glance at the team uniform.

Among all high school volleyball teams in Japan, only this one has such uniquely ugly uniforms.