Hirugami nodded. "Yeah, I heard about it during Interhigh Junior High. After all, he had already been scouted by Fukuda General back then, but he didn't compete with the team."
Perhaps, he suddenly realized that he didn't like volleyball.
But no matter what happened, to be able to be here and see them again..
That's truly wonderful.
Suddenly, Shiratori felt someone sitting down beside him.
He looked up and met Kiyoko's eyes, which were like the ocean.
He heard him say, "Don't cry."
Shiratori raised his hand and wiped away a liquid that was either tears or sweat.
Lowering his eyes in a daze for a moment, he spoke softly, "I suddenly remembered something from my first year of high school."
Kiyoko let out a soft laugh upon hearing that. "Ah, that time.. I remember it was the ghost novelist of the Volleyball Club?"
Kuroo stood behind with his arms crossed, quietly watching his childhood friend on the Coach's bench.
He looked at Fukai beside him with considerable disdain. "This guy is a coward at heart, which is why he dumped the captaincy on me."
Because he felt he wasn't suited for playing volleyball, he simply didn't report to the Volleyball Club after entering high school.
Later, after being dragged out by Coach Tsurumaru for a lecture, he began squatting at the entrance of the gym to read.
Because he felt his isolation was caused by his own personality issues, he began reading classical literature and even took up tea ceremony and Go, cultivating his character like a listless middle-aged man.
In the end.. he ground down his every edge, bit by bit.
And Coach Tsurumaru really did let Shiratori act like a ghost in the Volleyball Club for an entire year.
Thinking about it, it still feels absolutely ridiculous..
Shiratori looked up at the ceiling above, something even higher than a block, a sight that had become a near-constant fixture in his field of vision after he became a setter.
During that year's hiatus, he realized only one thing.
—He loves volleyball, to the point where he would die without playing it.
So he returned.
But he is a coward. Perhaps because the voices of the past were too piercing, he no longer has the courage to step back into that spotlight.
And because of that, under the guidance of Coach Tsurumaru, he gave up the position of Spiker and instead became a Setter.
Believing firmly in the idea that no genius is invincible without effort, he strives to become the foundation that supports others as they soar.
—Just as someone once supported him as he soared into the sky.
Kuroo glanced at the referee who was already in position and said, "Time's up."
Shirabu stood up and immediately turned his head to look at Hinata and Miya Atsumu, who were preparing to take the court at the same time.
It was precisely because he knew he could not do the same that he envied and looked up to them, longing for such powerful and free souls.
They rushed toward the mountain peak without looking back, as if nothing could stand in the way of their forward progress.
It is human instinct to want to be close to things that shine and radiate heat, he is certainly no exception.
Anyway, there are enough people now willing to tolerate his selfishness.
Perhaps.. he could take one more small step forward?
Shiratori stepped onto the court step by step, standing for the countlessth time in the place where the Ace should have made the opening.
He warmed up his wrists, his expression exceptionally relaxed.
Aki, please toss a few balls to me.
Midorikawa, in the back row, froze for a moment, then jerked his head to look at Kuroo beside him, as if confirming something.
Kuroo gave a thumbs up and said succinctly, "His hands are itching."
Shiratori narrowed his eyes, turning his head to look at Hinata.
He offered a smile devoid of any hostility as he looked over as well.
As he locked eyes with Shiratorizawa across the net, Hinata felt an even more intense sense of threat than before.
It was as if.. something had been unleashed.
Taking a deep breath, Hinata let out a loud shout, "Bring it on! I'm not afraid!"
Shiratori instinctively reached out, but at the moment he was about to cross the net, he pulled his hand back as if he had been burned.
Yeah, I know.
Aran took a step back, distancing himself from Miya Atsumu, who was radiating an intense, chilling aura.
This guy.. his face is almost darker than his skin.
Chapter 121: The One Hundred and Twenty-First Fox
Unlike yesterday's match, where both sides engaged in psychological warfare regarding the opening rotation, today both coaches were very straightforward, sticking to their original rotations.
In other words, Inarizaki's Miya Atsumu would start, while Fukuda General would open with their setter playing from Position 4.
Tossing the volleyball in his hands, Miya Atsumu's gaze swept over the net, looking toward where Kuroo Rei was positioned.
The whistle blew, but this time Miya Atsumu did not toss the ball immediately; instead, he waited calmly until the last second before nonchalantly tossing it up.
Taking a three-step approach, he still chose a side-spin serve that would be unfamiliar to his opponent.
Under Hinata's somewhat stunned gaze, Kuroo took a step forward, proactively moving to meet Miya Atsumu's serve.
“I'll take it!”
In the first two sets of the match, Kuroo Rei, acting as the Ace, did not take the initiative to receive even a single ball.
Of course, this is the standard play for an Ace at the Opposite position, he himself was protected in the back row by Aran.
Lowering his center of gravity, Kuroo, who had barely reached out to bump the ball from start to finish, used the most standard technique to perfectly receive Miya Atsumu's incredibly tricky side-spin serve.
His movement was extremely beautiful, even more skilled and composed than Matsuda, who was a Libero.
With a heavy thud that everyone was extremely familiar with, the volleyball flew high into the air, landing precisely on the attack line.
Kuroo's expression was unusually relaxed, looking nothing like someone who had just received a full-power serve from the nation's best server.
It's strange for a setter to start in Position 4, isn't it?
Generally speaking, it is to ensure the quality of the block within the opponent's strong range during the opening, thereby reducing the defensive pressure on the back row.
But regardless, it was actually a very absurd positioning.
But..
Midorikawa, wearing the number 9 jersey, rushed forward immediately after the previous play, lunging under the ball and lifting it up with his hands.
Shimizu had already jumped from Position 2, preparing to coordinate with a Flat Quick Attack, while at the same time, Kazama pressed down his final step below the center and leaped up with a thud.
Oori Ren frowned slightly.
I don't know if it was just my imagination, but this number 9's stealthiness as a setter.. was actually better than Shiratorizawa's.
The volleyball slipped from his hands, sailing past Kazama in the center and heading unerringly toward a high point at Position 4.
Hinata's eyes widened slightly.
Oori Ren and Ginjima lunged forward at the same time, coming together for a double block before leaping up directly in front of Shiratori.
The block was already quite high, but it was still below the ball.
A dark shadow loomed from above, the face, turned away from the light source, was shrouded in darkness by the flying strands of hair.
Eyes reflecting the orange ground were bright, the dark green that was originally like the surface of a lake became like emerald blades at this moment.
Shiratori looked sideways with an air of absolute superiority at Hinata, who was in the back row receiving a ball, his expression unreadable behind the movement of his arm.
But Hinata knew it probably wasn't a smile.
In that instant, he seemed to hear the sound of his own heart racing.
His throat felt a bit dry; that sensation of being locked on, as if a guillotine were approaching his neck, made his whole body feel a bit creepy.
But.. that's what makes it challenging!
BANG!!
The heavy sound echoed in everyone's ears as the volleyball slammed into Oori's fingers, which were straining with all his might to touch the ball, but the massive force smashed right through his hands, the ball's speed wasn't reduced in the slightest.
The extremely high ball speed gave Hinata no room to adjust, he was unable to complete his intended movement of lowering his center of gravity to absorb the force.
He could only raise his hands, clenching both into fists and using his arms to meet the ball.
Based on this movement, as long as he can stand firm, the volleyball will bounce straight upward due to the angle of his arms and won't fly off wildly.
But..
Even though his arms blocked his vision, Hinata could still see the entire space spinning suddenly through the gaps.
With insufficient muscle to support him, his thin body was completely unable to absorb the force of the spike in such a situation, the volleyball sent him crashing backward.
Before Hinata could even react, his back slammed heavily against the floor. The pain left him gasping for breath, completely dazed.
Shiratori's reassuring silhouette descended bit by bit after passing the highest point, finally bending his knees slightly and coming to a steady halt in front of the net.
He straightened up and looked down at Ginjima, who was below his line of sight, his expression devoid of emotion.
The whistle blew, Fukuda General scored.
Nice play!!
What a great spike by Shiratori!!
Suddenly, Kuroo heard his own laughter, feeling as if a massive boulder pressing against his chest had suddenly been lifted.
That's right, starting with the setter in Position 4 is an absurd way to play.
But positions are not fixed; their setter isn't necessarily the setter.
This formation could be a blocking-oriented setter rotation in Position 4, or it could be a left-wing spiker rotation for the Ace in Position 4.