It wasn't that he was trying to intimidate Shoyo, but rather that he had been startled, causing his expression to twist slightly. Most volleyball players like them had been hit by a ball before, so it wasn't as if he would throw a tantrum over something like this.
But he really didn't dare stand here anymore; there was a high possibility he would be hit in the head by Shoyo in a moment.
After all.. the feeling of being hit by a volleyball is different from being hit directly by a Power Jump Serve.
"What a shame." Oikawa Tooru shrugged his shoulders, looking deeply regretful.
He didn't stay for long; after briefly helping Hinata adjust his hitting form, he left, reminding Hinata one last time to go back and check on Kindaichi and the others before he departed.
Kageyama, who tried to observe from the sidelines, ultimately gained nothing.
It wasn't just because Oikawa Tooru was blocking so tightly, but also because the serve from Shoyo, whom he had coached, was quite mediocre and had no value to reference at all.
Coach Ukai returned just as Oikawa left.
He clapped his hands to call a halt to the people on the court: "Let's go, let's go, let's grab some food and then head back."
Is Hinata coming back to Karasuno with us? I can also take you home.
Hinata raised his hands and waved them frantically: "I want to go! I want to go!"
Karasuno! The alma mater of the Little Giant!
You could go a thousand times and never get tired of it!
Ukai Keishin also laughed and simply pointed outside, "Alright, then let's get in the car."
Enoshita Chikara followed at the very back, feeling as if he had forgotten something in a daze.
After sitting in the coach's car for half an hour, he still couldn't remember what it was that he had forgotten.
Sitting in the front seat, Hinata was excited throughout the entire ride, pestering Ukai Keishin with all sorts of questions, specifically inquiring about the legends surrounding Unai Aman.
But Ukai Keishin was many years senior to Unai Aman himself, so most of what he knew was something he had heard from his grandfather.
After hearing about some of Unai Aman's exploits during his high school years, Hinata pressed further, "Then Coach, do you know which university Unai-senpai is at now? I want to work hard to go there too!"
Although Unai-senpai would likely have already graduated or be in graduate school by the time he reached university, what if he could meet him, or even get him to come and watch his match?
Tapping the steering wheel, Ukai Keishin hesitated for a moment over whether to speak: "The Little Giant.."
In the end, he still said, "Unai doesn't play volleyball anymore."
He had heard it from his grandfather.
Enoshita Chikara, who was munching on bread in the back row, Kageyama, who was drinking milk, were both stunned at the same time.
Enoshita was shocked: "Eh? Not playing anymore?"
Kageyama was slightly surprised, but considering the Karasuno match videos he had watched before, he felt it was quite normal.
A few years ago, professional men's volleyball relied on a playstyle that prioritized tall wing spikers and middle blockers. The development of right wing defense combined with offensive support, as well as the utilization of setters and opposites, has only begun to spread widely in recent years.
Moreover, the actual strength demonstrated by Unai Aman was quite a bit lower than that of Hoshiumi Hikari, who was in his second year at the same time; he was nowhere near as mature as Hoshiumi.
But Unai Aman's appearance truly did change many people's perception of short players.
After thinking seriously, Kageyama spoke, "As for Unai-senpai, if he works hard during his university years, he should be able to make it into V2."
Hinata leaned back in his seat, although he was somewhat dazed, he accepted it quickly: "There must be something more captivating and alluring than volleyball that Unai-senpai longs for."
Coach Ukai had just mentioned that the Little Giant had gone through a period of poor form while in his high school volleyball team, so he must have decided to give up playing after a long period of careful consideration.
But his longing for him would not change, regardless of whether the other person was currently playing volleyball or not.
Moreover, he believed that pursuing the things he loves.. was actually more important.
After all, he felt that Osamu-senpai and Hirugami-senpai could actually make it to the national team if they wanted to; they just had other pursuits.
Hinata's eyes were still bright as he looked at Ukai Keishin with great anticipation: "So Coach Ukai, where is the Little Giant now?"
Ukai Keishin gave him an answer: "I heard he's currently at Hosei University in Tokyo studying literature, aspiring to become a manga artist."
He had seen the photos Unai left behind when he came to visit Ukai Keishin, he was a completely different person from the Little Giant who had once appeared on television screens.
Hinata tried hard to imagine it: "A manga artist.."
In the end, he gave up on thinking about it. "I can't really imagine it."
But as expected, it would still be better to pay a visit when there is a chance in the future; he must get the opponent's autograph!
Ukai Keishin laughed happily: "He has changed a lot, but Hosei University isn't particularly far from Yoyogi, so when you go to compete, you can take a detour to visit him."
Or.. when Haruko comes next year, you can send him tickets, I can help you get the address.
Hinata cheered, "Long live Coach Ukai!"
Enoshita Chikara rested his chin in his hands, a look of helplessness on his face.
This little guy really is a natural-born crowd-pleaser; by comparison, his juniors are a real headache.
The car pulled up and stopped at the entrance of Karasuno, at that same moment, Enoshita Chikara, sitting in the back row, caught sight of the gymnasium lights shining in the distance.
With a sudden boom in his head, he finally remembered exactly what he had forgotten.
Hinata had already hopped off the bus, with Kageyama following close behind him.
The two of them said something to each other, then suddenly started running at the same time, sprinting toward the gymnasium.
The words Enoshita wanted to say got stuck in his throat; he couldn't even catch a glimpse of their shadows.
After locking the car, Coach Ukai looked at Enoshita Chikara with a bit of confusion. "What's wrong?"
Enoshita covered his face with his hands. "Um, I forgot to mention.."
Inarizaki's setter is in our gymnasium right now, he probably hasn't left yet..
"Huh?" Coach Ukai was stunned.
Who? Which setter? Where?
On the other side, Hinata had already pushed open the doors of the Karasuno Gymnasium: "Num! Ber! One!!"
Unlike the thriving gymnasium in Hinata's imagination, the first thing that rushed toward him upon opening the door was a strange sense of solemnity, mingled with wisps of resentment that felt almost tangible.
Hinata blinked, standing at the entrance without moving.
For some reason, he had an ominous feeling.
Following his intuition, Hinata lowered his center of gravity slightly and arched his back, his hands gripping the doorframe of the gymnasium with involuntary force.
Cold sweat trickled down from his temple, the faint sense of danger in the air made him feel a chill run down his spine.
Tanaka and Nishinoya Yu both turned their heads at the same time, a figure that shouldn't have been there appeared through the gap between them.
Kageyama, who had chased after them, was still saying, "Idiot Hinata, you have to change your shoes at the entrance first. There isn't a dedicated locker room or changing room here in the gymnasium.."
Before he could even finish speaking, a sweet, syrupy voice rang out.
“Oh, Shoyo-kun, are you having fun today?”
Chapter 242: The Two Hundred and Forty-Second Fox
The moment he saw that face, Hinata's nerves, which had been highly wound due to tension and alertness, instantly relaxed, replaced by pure surprise.
Atsumu-senpai! What are you doing here!
Just as Hinata was about to rush into the Karasuno Gymnasium, he remembered what Kageyama had just said.
He quickly looked down and took his volleyball shoes out of his bag, then completed the process of changing his shoes at the entrance at maximum speed.
Having been granted entry to the gymnasium, Hinata bounced toward Miya Atsumu. "Atsumu-senpai, did you come here to find me!"
Miya Atsumu still had that same smile on his face, but he only lightly caught Hinata before gently setting him back down.
Miya Atsumu looked Shoyo up and down, but he didn't say another word.
The two stared at each other, the sudden silence and stillness causing the smile on Hinata's face to freeze.
The smile gradually faded, the expression on Hinata's face shifted from confusion to bewilderment.
In the end, he couldn't help but take a step back, breaking free from Miya Atsumu's hand that was loosely resting on his shoulder.
Facing Hinata's somewhat sad and pitiful eyes, Miya Atsumu almost lost his composure and failed to keep the smile on his face.
But after a frantic struggle within, he still managed to maintain his composure.
Coach Ukai, who followed behind, was also a bit dazed: "What's going on? Are they arguing?"
Why does Hinata look like a little chick waiting to be scolded for doing something wrong? Is the relationship between seniors and juniors at Inarizaki really that serious?
No, even if a junior had done something wrong, unless they had burned down the gymnasium, there would be no need to take the Shinkansen all the way to Miyagi just to catch someone.
Miya Atsumu restrained the urge to reach out, instead shoving his hands into his pockets and lifting his chin as he asked, "How was Oikawa-senpai's serve? Did you understand what he taught you?"
Hinata gripped his own hands behind his back. "I think I understood, basically.. it's just that the serve almost hit Kageyama.."
As Kageyama entered, a mocking sneer reached his ears, a gaze swept past him immediately after.
Kageyama looked up in confusion, but he only saw Miya Atsumu's profile.
Beside them, Yamaguchi looked at Kageyama and then at Hinata, a look of anticipation on his face as if he wanted to watch the drama unfold.
And for some reason, he always felt that there was a hint of regret contained within that laughter just now.
What was he feeling regretful about?
Miya Atsumu asked a second question: "Then how is Kageyama's setting—I mean, compared to mine?"
Hinata answered the question without a second thought, "Then Atsumu-senpai is definitely better."
Atsumu pulled his hands out of his pockets and crossed them over his chest, jerking his chin toward Shoyo to signal him to continue.
“And Atsumu-senpai is so patient, he's much gentler than Kageyama, who always has such a sour face,” Hinata began to complain about Kageyama, “I only almost hit him, then he threatened me!”
Miya Atsumu was completely satisfied.
He gave Hinata a sincere smile and then said, "I came to find you. Anyway, staying at home during the break is pretty boring, Osamu-senpai is being forced to go on a diet, so there isn't even any pudding left at home."
“And the magazine is coming out soon, too. We agreed that we'd go buy the first edition together.”
Hinata tilted his head, looking from side to side at Miya Atsumu, even went around behind him to take a good look.
Hinata only breathed a quiet sigh of relief after confirming that Miya Atsumu hadn't been possessed by some kind of monster.