Volleyball: The Time of Resonance

Buses bound for other prefectures traveled smoothly in the summer morning light.

It feels like time flies by so fast; the school festival just ended and summer vacation is already here.

Yinchuan Mian also sat by the window, her head bobbing up and down with the rhythm of the bus until it finally tilted completely to the side and rested on the shoulder of Kozume Kenma next to her.

So sleepy...

Press-grind OvO

Brown hair softly brushed against the hollow of her neck.

Kozume was intently watching the handheld screen, his fingers moving nimbly. He barely adjusted his posture to accommodate the sudden weight on his shoulder, as if it were just a warm, quiet sheep pillow.

"Fukutani is so rich! Damn it!" Yamamoto Taketora exclaimed loudly again, having said it the whole way.

"They covered all the expenses for our trip to the affiliated campus of Fukutani, except for the round-trip transportation."

"I heard they even have dedicated physical therapists!!"

Kuroo Tetsuro turned around from the front seat, grinned, and said, "Yamamoto, you're quite energetic, but you still need to be quiet for a while, since someone is asleep."

He reached over the back of the chair and very naturally pulled up the tracksuit jacket that had slipped down to the sleeping sheep's knees, covering his shoulders.

"Grinding, how's your shoulder?" Kuroo Tetsuro asked, seemingly concerned but also teasing.

This is a super energy-efficient cat.

"Okay." Kozume Kenma responded, his eyes still glued to the screen. "After this game, let him lie on your lap."

"Has Mianye been sleeping more and more lately?" Hisense asked with some concern.

You should know that in the beginning, even when they were exhausted, they would just find a corner to squat down and rest.

"This guy has been growing too fast lately, and he can't sleep well at night," Kuroo Tetsurou explained to Hisense. "He has to find a chance to catch up on sleep during the day. Besides, he used to love sleeping, but he felt unsafe when he first came to Otoko."

Hai nodded knowingly, a gentle smile on his face.

"It seems they've completely come to see us as allies."

Kuroo Tetsurou raised an eyebrow. "Didn't we already acknowledge you? He's a cat who marks his territory and only sleeps in safe places."

When the bus arrived at the designated location, the two cats, who were snuggled together, were fast asleep, one lying on its back and the other on its lap.

Kuroo Tetsurou gently patted Ginkawa Mina's cheek: "Wake up, Mina. If you keep sleeping, Kenma's legs won't be able to stand up."

Yinchuan Mianye's eyelashes trembled a few times, and she opened her eyes.

His blue eyes, still misty with moisture, looked exceptionally soft against the creases on his cheeks from sleeping.

He sat up quietly, rubbed his sore neck, and mumbled softly, "...Hmm."

The sheep's head, which was being ground by the lone claw, stirred when it woke up.

Naoi Manabu was the first to get off the car, watching his cats get off one after another.

Yinchuan Mianye followed behind Moyan off the bus, her steps still a little unsteady from just waking up.

The air at the training camp was filled with the scent of grass and sunshine; perhaps because it was summer, it smelled very pleasant.

"Oh! Here comes Onkoma!" His signature loud voice immediately rang out.

Furutani's ace, Kotaro Bokuto, swooped down like a giant owl, his eyes gleaming. "Let's have a showdown today, Kuroo!!"

Perhaps because they live close by and always play volleyball together, the two are getting along better and better now.

"Hey hey hey! Mianye!! Why are you so listless? Hey! Hey! Hey! You should be like me!!"

Yinchuan Mian also frowned, looking resistant!

So noisy!! And why has he been calling him "Mianye" ever since that stage play?! This is just an owl with negative emotional intelligence, doesn't he know what distance is?!

Mian, who had been called out, was not fully awake yet. A long string of thoughts was running through her mind, but she simply raised her eyelids and slowly moved herself behind Kuroo Tetsurou.

Unseen, Kozuru Maki huddled at the very back of the Nekoma team, letting out a sigh of relief.

The wooden rabbit... is rather frightening.

"Red Reed." A voice rang out, filled with helplessness.

Kyoji Akaashi, who had been called out by Sakuragi, walked over with the sign-in sheet in his hand. He precisely grabbed his ace by the back of his collar and pulled him back a little. "Please let the guest complete the registration first. Excuse me, Kuroo-senpai."

"Huh?" The big owl had beady eyes and looked dumbfounded.

Fukutani's current setter smiled and gave Akaashi Kyoji a thumbs up.

......

Ikawa and Mori's teams arrived one after another. Ikawa's captain, Izumi Hibiki, greeted them calmly, while Mori's Koshino Daiki waved energetically.

......

The opening ceremony was brief and impactful, with coaches from various schools emphasizing communication and growth. Some restless team members, thinking they were being quiet, were talking loudly, causing veins to pop out on the coaches' heads.

The first day of training focused on basic exercises and adaptive drills.

The other schools in the Owl Valley Alliance were clearly more adapted to this place than Yinju, but none of the cats were nervous or worried; at most, they were excited and extremely excited. (Referring specifically to a certain tiger who was acting like he was on steroids.)

Otoko's coach, Naoi Manabu, gathered the team members together and specifically mentioned Ginkawa Myaya's name.

"Yinchuan," Coach Naoki said calmly but seriously, "your task for this training camp is very clear: to perfect your blocking skills."

"Your strength is not an advantage, but your timing, your judgment, and your execution can be more troublesome than mere strength."

Yinchuan Mian listened quietly, his face still expressionless. What he knew was mainly a legacy of history.

Blocking is definitely his weakness; he can only touch the ball but can never block it, which is very frustrating.

"Middle blockers are not just about blocking and quick attacks," Coach Naoi continued, "but also the first line of defense and the most flexible modulator in offense. I want you to observe, observe the habits of all attackers, observe the rhythm of all setters, and then find the point where you can disrupt the opponent's attack most effortlessly. Understand?"

Yinchuan Mian also nodded obediently: "Yes."

He then went through each member of his team again, and Naoi Manabu led his cats into the animal group.

When facing so many children for the first time, Naoi Manabu's seemingly smooth actions revealed a slight, barely perceptible stiffness.

The coach, seeing through the situation, smiled knowingly but didn't say anything, and stayed with the others.

During the warm-up laps, Yinchuan Mianye's steps were still a bit sluggish, and he habitually followed the figure of number 1 ahead. He stayed close to the middle of the group, neither overtaking nor falling behind.

Kuroo Tetsurou felt a little helpless as he listened to the heavy footsteps behind him. His steps were powerful and even, and his speed was always moderate.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! I'm the fastest!!"

"Kuroo! You're no good!! Hey! Hey! Hey!"

Yinchuan Mian, like a limp, half-dead blade of grass, raised his head. How did he manage to be so energetic?

The sheep was puzzled.

Kuroo Tetsuro suddenly smiled and said, "I knew Bokuto-kun was the best, but Yamamoto said you can't trick him, he doesn't have the strength of a top three main attacker in the country."

"What?! Damn it?! I'll show him what a real ace is!"