Volleyball: The Time of Resonance

18:14，20:16，22:18。

The score gap between the two teams gradually widened.

On the final point, Kozume Kenma passed the ball to Yamamoto Takeo. Yamamoto Takeo jumped and spiked, but the ball hit Fukutani's blocking hand and bounced out of bounds.

25:20, Yinju won the first game.

"Yay—!" Yamamoto Takeshi was the first to jump up, high-fiving his teammates in celebration, yelling loudly.

Unlike usual, Kuroo Tetsuro didn't join in the commotion; instead, he looked at Bokuto Kotaro opposite him.

Kotaro the Wooden Rabbit has turned completely black and white, and is walking off the stage with his head down, saying nothing.

His teammates surrounded him, some patted him on the shoulder, others offered him water, but he simply took the water bottle, drank silently, and didn't say a word.

"Little Black," the golden shaded cat appeared beside him at some point, "you've been looking at the other side the whole time."

"Hmm, something seems off about Wood Rabbit."

"Because he was the center of Fubuki, it's normal that Niou-senpai felt uneasy about leaving."

"...I guess so." Kuroo Tetsuro sighed. "I'm used to seeing him in his normal state, so it's understandable that I'm worried about him now."

Kozume Kenma was silent for a few seconds. "You must be used to seeing abnormalities, right..."

The two exchanged a glance, and Kuroo Tetsuro couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Hahahaha, you've learned to make sarcastic remarks too, Moyan."

During the break, the atmosphere on Yinju's side was relaxed.

"You played well in the first game!" Coach Maoyou walked over with his hands behind his back. "Your defense was solid and your offense was decisive. Keep it up in the second game."

"yes!"

"However," Coach Nekomata changed the subject, "don't think that's all the Owl Valley has to offer. They haven't even shown their true strength yet."

"These owls are using you as a whetstone."

"A whetstone?" Yamamoto Taketora asked, puzzled.

Coach Maoyou didn't answer directly, but just gave the other side a meaningful look.

"Wood Rabbit will think it through."

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

Before the start of the second game, a small incident occurred on the side of Ooku Valley.

Kotaro Bokuto sat alone on a bench, his head bowed low, his expression unreadable.

The team members around them looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

"Senior Wood Rabbit..." someone called out tentatively.

no respond.

Akaashi Kyoji frowned slightly and walked over to sit down next to him. The boy didn't speak, but silently handed him the water bottle.

Kotaro the Wooden Rabbit did not answer; a sorrowful atmosphere permeated his being.

"Bokuto-senpai," Kyoji Akaashi spoke, his voice as calm as ever, "What are you thinking about?"

silence--

"Thinking about Captain Niou?"

Kotaro Bokuto's shoulders twitched.

"I'm wondering if I can lead the team well after the seniors have left?"

Mutu suddenly raised her head and stared wide-eyed at her setter.

"How...how did you know?"

"It's easy to tell, senpai," Akaashi Kyoji said, his tone still calm. "Everyone can probably guess what you're thinking."

The usually talkative Ace opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say.

Kyoji Akaashi continued, "Senior, you've always worked very hard. Even when Captain King was around, you were still the center of Fukutani."

"but......"

"But it's no use," Akaashi interrupted him. "The seniors are gone, but we are still here."

Akaashi stood up. "Bokuto-senpai, you're not alone."

He stretched out his hand.

Wooden Rabbit stared at that hand for a long time.

Then, he slowly reached out and grasped it.

"...Akareshi." The large owl, its face expressionless, gradually widened its eyes, which filled with tears, its expression soft and pitiful.

"Hmm?!" Kyoji Akaashi sensed that something was off.

"Thank you!" The enormous owl leaped up at an incredible angle and swooped down toward its skinny setter.

"!!!"

After a period of chaos and confusion—

Kotaro the Wooden Rabbit stood up, took a deep breath, and made a snoring sound from his nose. Finally, a trace of his former self appeared on his face.

He stood in a thunderous stance, raising his right fist.

"Alright! Second round! I want to—"

Before he could finish speaking, a voice interrupted from the side.

"Bokuto-senpai! Have some water!" Suzume Kaoru handed over a bottle of water with a smile on her face.

Oh?

Wooden Rabbit took the water, gulped it down, and then—

"HEY HEY HEY——!!!"

That roar echoed throughout the entire stadium.

On the other side, Otoko wasn't paying attention to the fact that all the cats on the other side were so frightened that their fur stood on end, and even the cat coach coughed twice.

"...What's going on?" Yinchuan Mianye asked, bewildered.

"A declaration of war? It must be a declaration of war!!" Yamamoto Taketora inexplicably became enraged.

The limited-edition golden shaded cat, choking on a banana in the corner, patted its own chest, trying to stop the hiccups.

"You're back." Kuroo Tetsuro smiled. "You've recovered so quickly, it must be because of Nekoma."

Yinchuan Mian also looked at the person opposite her who had become dazzling again. While a bunch of question marks popped into her head, a strange feeling suddenly welled up in her heart. She was a little happy, and a little... nervous.

The break ended quickly, and the second game began.

In this game, Owl Valley was completely different.

Wooden Rabbit was like a flame that had been rekindled, each spike carrying astonishing momentum.

His movements were no longer hesitant; he gave his all with every jump and began to actively coordinate with his teammates—fast break screens, backcourt attacks, and even occasional lobs and soft shots.

"Hey, hey!" Kuroo Tetsuro cried out in anguish after missing a point with a drop shot, "Bokuto, you've fallen! Now you have to rely on these fancy tricks to score!"

"Hey! Hey! Hey! You can't catch that, Kuroo!!"

Konoha Akiki: ...He knew this guy would cause this commotion as soon as he returned to normal.

Kuroo raised an eyebrow at Akaashi, who returned the gaze without changing his expression.

"Super evolution, huh? Interesting."

Yinchuan Mianye, who was warming up in the off-field area: ?

Sometimes he genuinely doesn't understand the topics that suddenly come up in conversations during the game.

Why can't I understand things at times like this, even though my grades are good and my comprehension is strong?

A confused little lamb.

JPG.

The score remained close from the start, with both sides trading blows and each point requiring several rounds of play. Fukutani's offense was fierce and varied, while Nekoma's defense was solid and tenacious.

The score was 8-7, with Okabe leading by one point.

When it was Wood Rabbit's turn to serve, he stepped onto the service line, took a deep breath, and tossed the ball—

The ball hurtled towards Nekoma's back row with incredible speed and a tricky landing point. Yoru made a desperate save, barely managing to push the ball up, but the first pass went straight over the net.

"An opportunity!" Kotaro Bokuto shouted.

Kyoji Akaashi quickly moved to the net, holding the ball with both hands—Bokuto had already taken his run-up, jumped, and swung his arm—

"Bang!"

The ball hit the field and bounced high into the air.

9: 7.