The same gymnasium, the same court, the same position, the same absolute Position 3 high ball.
That was..
The beginning of a dream called the Little Giant.
Now, they too will walk along this path toward an even more distant future.
The volleyball flew over the non-existent net, landing precisely near the baseline, then bounced straight up and fell toward the second-floor stands.
"Nice kill, Shoyo." Miya Atsumu raised his hand, preparing to high-five Hinata.
Hinata, however, stared down at his own hands, unable to snap out of it for a long time.
Cheering and applause reached his ears amidst his daze, the orange floor was almost identical to the court he had seen through the screen in his memories.
He clenched his fists and looked up at Miya Atsumu beside him. "I feel like.. I can play a good game tomorrow."
Miya Atsumu smiled slightly. "That's good then."
Hoshiumi glanced at the volleyball that had been tossed somewhere and turned his head to look at the two from Inarizaki: "Do I need to remind you two that you don't have a match on your first day?"
Inarizaki's first match.. is the day after tomorrow.
Miya Atsumu smiled. "Oops, we're the seeds, so our apologies."
The two stared at each other, a tense atmosphere permeating the entire gym, leaving Hinata caught in the middle feeling a bit at a loss.
The provider of the volleyball, Hoshiumi Hikari, gestured toward the stands with his chin. "Go pick up the ball."
Miya Atsumu clicked his tongue lightly.
But for the sake of the volleyball Hoshiumi Hinata brought, he would still go and check.
After all, it was Shoyo who spiked it away..
After successfully finding the ball that had been spiked away in the second-floor stands, the basketball players from the adjacent court also began to enter one after another to prepare for their warm-ups.
"Alright, let's go." Having reluctantly handed the volleyball to Hoshiumi, Miya Atsumu-senpai spoke immediately.
That's right, let Karasuno be eliminated on the very first day!
That way, Hoshiumi Hikari would no longer appear before them and be an eyesore!
However, Miya Atsumu's idea was wonderful, but reality was cruel.
Because..
The Karasuno team stayed in the room across from them.
Sitting in the hotel restaurant, Miya Atsumu stared at the persistent Hoshiumi not far away, his entire being filled with deep resentment.
Miya Osamu stood up expressionlessly while holding his tray and moved to the other corner to join Suna and the others, leaving Miya Atsumu all alone.
Isolated, how tragic.
A mocking voice rang out nearby. Miya Atsumu looked up and met a gaze.
Miya Atsumu had a sour look on his face, staring back at the other person without backing down in the slightest.
Tachikawa-senpai has left, stop staring here..
The Shonan first-year substitute worked hard to pull the Captain away from his glare-off with Miya Atsumu.
Help, please don't start a conflict before the match..
Tachikawa was pulled away by his junior, Miya Atsumu suddenly lowered his head, his forehead slamming against the table with a thud.
—It's all Hoshiumi Hikari's fault!
Fortunately, after dinner, the Karasuno members were pulled away for a meeting and finally disappeared from their sight.
Stroking his chin, Miya Atsumu fell into deep thought.
I don't know if it was just his imagination, but it seemed like the number of times Hoshiumi came to find Hinata during this Haruko had increased significantly.
This can't be right!
Hinata's voice was still rambling in his ear: "It's a shame Kenma and the others aren't staying here; I heard they're at a guesthouse in the surrounding area.."
“Kindaichi also told me they are staying in a guesthouse. So, not everyone is staying in a hotel after all.”
Miya Atsumu rolled his eyes where Hinata couldn't see him: "Of course, hotel rooms are limited, they are only limited for teams that have had achievements in previous years."
With nearly one hundred and twenty teams in both women's and men's volleyball, including starters, substitutes, coaches, team managers, there are at least two thousand people in total. How could ordinary hotel rooms possibly accommodate them all?
Furthermore, the hotels for Haruko are not entirely provided by the tournament officials; only a portion of the costs are discounted, the hotel expenses are not something an ordinary team can afford.
And because of these budget constraints, many teams that would only last one round will leave immediately after finishing their matches today.
Glancing at the two addresses Hinata handed over, Miya Atsumu said expressionlessly, "They're far away, don't even think about going there."
—Actually, he wasn't.
Hinata didn't lose heart either: "We'll be able to see it at the opening ceremony tomorrow!"
So exciting!
By the way, there are also the seniors' short-sleeved shirts!
What a shame, the merchandise stall won't even open until ten-thirty.
While waiting for the inspection to begin, Hinata pulled out his coin purse and counted his money.
Even though he had bought very expensive clothes for Xiaoxia, he still saved enough money to buy short-sleeved shirts for Hoshiumi-senpai and Atsumu-senpai, letting them choose for themselves when the time comes.
"Hinata, long time no see!" Komori's voice came from behind him.
Hinata turned around and saw Komori and Koldorf arriving together, as well as.. Sakusa in the corner behind them.
“Gen-senpai! Koldorf-senpai!” Hinata jumped up, waving to the two of them to say hello.
He then leaned forward and waved to Sakusa: "Sakusa-senpai!"
The familiar, magical colors of the Itachiyama uniform were present, but Iizuna Sho was still nowhere to be seen.
As last year's Spring High champions, Itachiyama's captain, Iizuna Sho, was once again the flag bearer for this event.
After the greetings, the members of Itachiyama departed one after another, but before Miya Atsumu and Hinata, who were standing nearby with hands on their hips, could say anything, another familiar voice rang out.
Shoyo, it's been a long time. I hope you've been well.
Hinata looked up, meeting a pair of green eyes: "Natsume-senpai! Long time no see!"
Why did he feel like.. Natsume-senpai had grown even taller!
From far away, Kuroo's voice drifted over: "Natsume—where have you been! You're back!"
Sighing with a hint of regret, Shiratori Natsume looked at Hinata with a smile and said, "Good luck in this match. We'll see you in the Semifinals."
Hinata waved, "See you in the semifinals! Natsume-senpai!"
Watching Shiratori leave, Miya Atsumu's voice rang out faintly: "You have quite a few people to see in the semifinals."
Hearing this, Hinata froze for a moment.
After mentally reviewing the Haruko schedule, he looked up at Miya Atsumu with a somewhat pitiful expression.
“What use am I to you..” Miya Atsumu-senpai was left speechless.
He couldn't decide the outcome of the Second District matches, it wasn't impossible that neither Karasuno nor Fukuda General would qualify.
Just then, another voice rang out, causing Miya Atsumu's face to turn as dark as the bottom of a pot: "HEY~HEY~HEY~ Hinata!"
Hinata, who had just been feeling dejected, instantly cheered with excitement: "Ohhh—Bokuto-senpai!"
Whispers drifted from nearby: "So amazing, there are so many famous people here."
Is that the Little Giant of Inarizaki?
The one next to him is Miya Atsumu, right? High School's Best Setter.
Is that Aran? He certainly seems to have a powerful presence.
He looks like someone you wouldn't want to mess with. Wow, all that black makes them look like a gang of villains.
The announcement rang out at this moment, calling the players to the entrance.
Hinata jumped up and looked toward the winner's flag with a single horn at the very front.
They had already won the championship at the National Sports Festival, so during next year's National Sports Festival parade, the person who would step forward to carry the flag would be the captain of Inarizaki.
But.. the opening ceremony parade of the National Sports Festival is mixed in with many, many other events. As expected, a scene like the Haruko, which focuses only on volleyball, is much more exciting.
Hinata tilted his head slightly and looked at Miya Atsumu: "Who will be the captain next year?"
Watching the Hokkaido Position 1 and 2 representatives walk out, Miya Atsumu replied, "I don't know, it depends on what the coach thinks."
I feel.. except for Suna, they all seem possible; Kosaku, among the substitutes, is also a very steady player.
The teams entered the arena in order of latitude, so it wasn't long before Hinata heard some familiar names.
【Miyagi Prefecture Representative, Male, Aobajohsai High School.】
【Female, Shinzan Girls' High School.】
It's the King!
Hinata jumped up to try and see, but there were simply too many people in front of him, so he could only vaguely see the tips of Kindaichi's hair.
Miya Atsumu crossed his arms over his chest. "Not as handsome as me."
Glancing secretly at Miya Atsumu, Hinata Shoyo said in a very low voice, "But Atsumu-senpai has never beaten the King in arm wrestling.."
The next second, he felt himself leave the ground.
Miya Atsumu's sweet voice followed immediately, "My dear little Shoyo, what are you talking about?"
Chapter 164: The One Hundred Sixty-Fourth Fox
“I was wrong, Atsumu-senpai.”
Under Miya Atsumu-senpai's increasingly kind voice, Hinata Shoyo honestly admitted his mistake.
Miya Atsumu, who had been holding him by the back of his collar, let out a huff and finally set him down on the ground.