Nishizawa Hokuto turned around and saw two coaches standing near the locker room, it was the bespectacled Head Coach who called out to him.
He stopped in his tracks and returned to the entrance of the locker room at Coach Omimi's call. "Coach? Did you need to see me for something?"
Coach Kurosu said with a smile, "You played well in today's match."
Nishizawa scratched his head and said somewhat sheepishly, "You flatter me, Coach. I know exactly what I'm capable of."
No, his performance today could only be described as very mediocre, or perhaps more accurately, neither good nor bad; there wasn't a single standout moment.
“How could that be? Your setting is very steady, your ball control is quite good,” Coach Kurosu said, shaking his head. “Actually, looking at this current batch of freshmen, you have the best ball feel when it comes to control.”
Before Nishizawa could say anything else, Coach Kurosu continued, "We've read your club application. You really like Shoyo, don't you?"
Nishizawa instantly snapped to attention, his face flushing slightly against his will. "Yes! I started playing volleyball because I watched the Semifinals of the National Sports Festival last year!"
Coach Kurosu nodded, then lowered his head and pondered for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts: "Hmm.."
Nishizawa Hokuto's initial excitement completely cooled. He lowered his head and said, "I'm sorry, I can't jump that high, nor can I run as fast as Giant-senpai, but.. my stamina is still very good!"
During Junior High, he often represented his class in 3,000-meter or 5,000-meter long-distance races, so he had a fair amount of confidence in his physical stamina.
Hearing this, Coach Kurosu's expression showed a hint of pleasant surprise, he looked visibly happier: "That's even better then."
Even more?
Nishizawa, having caught the key point of this sentence, froze for a moment, feeling completely stunned.
In the next second, Coach Kurosu revealed the true purpose of this conversation: "Do you want to try being a Libero?"
Your hands are steady, your control over the direction of your receives is excellent, you were very brave in saving some of the balls in those last few matches. Plus, you said your stamina is quite good; every single one of those traits is perfect for a Libero.
Nishizawa was not a complete novice; having done his homework carefully, he knew very well what position a Libero was.
Players who specialize in defensive duties are also, in the general sense, the guardians of the team.
He thought the coolest were the spikers, the Aces.
Players like Hinata Shoyo, who can jump repeatedly, bringing life to the team in desperate situations and turning the impossible into the possible.
However, he also knew that some things were innate; he truly couldn't jump 3.4m with a height of 1.65m like Hinata.
His current height is 1.72m, his vertical reach has barely broken 3m; for him, the sky is a place that remains out of reach.
Perhaps some people truly love the Libero position, willing to devote all their passion and effort to it.
But.. if he were 1.8m tall, he would turn into a spiker without hesitation.
But at this moment, perhaps this was the only path laid out before him that could lead him to even greater heights.
After a long time, he heard his own voice.
I'm willing," Nishizawa's voice carried a hint of urgency, "Coach, please let me try being the Libero!
He was grateful for volleyball, also grateful for the position of Libero.
Even though he wasn't tall and lacked exceptional jumping ability, he still had a position where he could shine.
Although he didn't know where his future would lead, if it was for Giant-senpai, he was willing to become the fuel that helped him leap toward even higher peaks during these high school years.
Coach Kurosu nodded and reached out to pat Nishizawa's shoulder. "Alright, I'll arrange for you to join the Second String to build your foundation. Your serve and spike training might be pushed back a bit; if you have any questions, you can come find me anytime."
That's all for today. Tomorrow, I will make formal arrangements for the new students' curriculum and then set up the daily training schedule. Just wait for further news.
Nishizawa nodded heavily: "Understood!"
Watching the two coaches' departing figures, Nishizawa's grip on his backpack straps tightened, his steps toward the gate became much lighter.
Opposite the main entrance of Gym 2 is an open space behind the Inarizaki gymnasium, where students in a band occasionally hold small events here after school.
Right next to the back door is the bicycle shed, not far from there is the back entrance of Inarizaki.
And at this very moment, there were quite a few people around, but..
Little Giant-senpai?
Nishizawa's footsteps stopped on the stairs, as he looked somewhat seriously at Hinata and Miya Atsumu, who were sitting in a row below the steps..
Oh, Miya Atsumu.
So Nishizawa added, "Is the Captain here too?"
Miya Atsumu glanced at him, but said nothing.
Upon seeing him come out, Hinata rose quite quickly and reached out to hand over a bag of things.
Nishizawa-kun! This is an apology gift for you!
Hearing this, Nishizawa's brain stopped thinking for a moment.
Huh? An apology?
What apology? Giving it to him? Did Giant-senpai do something to offend him?
Seeing his junior's expression gradually freeze, Hinata's heart sank again.
He looked at Nishizawa nervously, then turned his head toward the motionless Miya Atsumu on the ground, casting him a pleading look for help.
But Miya Atsumu remained unmoved, still staring blankly at the empty space opposite him.
Before Hinata could continue organizing his thoughts, Nishizawa, who was opposite him, had already bowed and presented a signature board to Hinata.
“Little Giant-senpai! Please give me an autograph!!”
His movements were so incredibly fast they were breathtaking; even Hinata didn't know when the other person had pulled out that board and pen.
Miya Atsumu, who had been spacing out on the ground, suddenly looked up, his face full of shock and disbelief.
Hinata hurriedly took the board and asked, "Sign here?"
He had never signed anything for anyone before, his handwriting was incredibly ugly!
But Nishizawa clearly didn't care about that; after getting Hinata's autograph, the expression of joy on his face was visible to the naked eye.
He grinned foolishly, "I thought my terrible performance just now had made Giant-senpai angry."
“Little Giant or whatever.. hehe,” Hinata scratched his head, unable to suppress the smile on his face.
Just call me Nishizawa-kun, you played a beautiful game just now.
It’s such a relief that he doesn't hate him for being unreliable!
Nishizawa worked hard to suppress the corners of his mouth from curling up involuntarily, trying his best to look as composed as possible.
He followed the lead, immediately adopting the way the other students addressed him: "Thanks for the compliment, Shoyo-senpai! You can just call me Nishizawa Hokuto!"
Hinata gave Nishizawa great affirmation: "Nishizawa, your underhand digs are so accurate! It's my first time seeing someone able to play to this level with underhand passes."
Nishizawa felt a bit embarrassed: "I only know how to do this.."
Meanwhile, Miya Atsumu suddenly made a sound from below: "Tsk."
Isn't it just setting the ball? It's not like he hasn't set for Hinata before, so there's absolutely no need to be surprised.
Moreover, this little guy's setting was absolutely terrible; he was practically just mechanically passing the ball to Masaru Haseda, showing absolutely no potential as a setter.
Hinata raised his hand and patted the junior who was taller than himself on the shoulder. "Coach should be able to decide where you all are going tomorrow. I'm rooting for you!"
Nishizawa nodded. "Yeah, I'll take that as a good omen, senpai!"
In the end, that pre-arranged "consolation prize" was still stuffed into Nishizawa's hands: "This is specialty yakisoba bread, remember to eat it when you get back."
Although he still didn't make the top ten, he has improved this time; he snatched up the very last spot!
"Thank you, senpai!" Nishizawa said, taking the bread and thanking Hinata.
Also, you don't need to be so serious, senpai. You look great and very friendly when you smile.
Hinata nodded. "Okay!"
Miya Atsumu and Hinata walked shoulder to shoulder toward the school building, once the two had disappeared from sight, Nishizawa, who had remained behind, suddenly jumped up.
Ohhhhh—Little Giant-senpai praised me!!
I got to talk to Senpai! I got his autograph!
That's awesome!!
On the other side, Hinata looked up at Miya Atsumu beside him. "Atsumu-senpai, do I look good when I smile?"
"You look great, of course you do," Miya Atsumu replied without a second thought.
He agreed on this point; when that junior smiled, he truly was the most beautiful sight, surpassing all other decorations.
For some unknown reason, Hinata took a few quick steps forward, turned around to face Miya Atsumu, asked, "Do you like it, Atsumu-senpai?"
Miya Atsumu looked down at him, a hint of a smile playing on his lips, his tone filled with unquestionable firmness and decisiveness: "I love it super much."
Hinata's footsteps faltered for a moment, then he suddenly turned his back to Miya Atsumu, looking down at his own shoes with an inexplicable sense of panic.
Why did he suddenly feel his heart racing? He hadn't even done any strenuous exercise today.
But Miya Atsumu had no intention of letting him off the hook either. He caught up to walk side-by-side with him and asked with a lowered head, "What about me? What do you like about me, Shoyo?"
After failing to shake off the long-legged Miya Atsumu even after taking two quick steps, Hinata could only begin to think seriously.
After a long time, he gave his answer: "Hmm.. hands, Atsumu-senpai's hands are very beautiful."
Miya Atsumu was satisfied, he raised his hands to admire them in the glow of the setting sun.
As for himself, he truly preferred Hinata's legs.
It was hard to imagine that such a pair of legs contained power comparable to a cheetah, but if you were to actually touch them, you could feel the solidity of his leg muscles.
The shape of the calves tensed during the jump.. it was incredibly beautiful.
Hinata, who had been secretly watching Miya Atsumu for a while, narrowed his eyes. "Atsumu-senpai, you look like you're thinking about something bad."
Atsumu-senpai wouldn't be thinking about how to sell him out to the coach again, would he? Both of them were clearly slacking off while they were refereeing the match just now; if anyone had the right to report him, it would only be Ogata.
Whatever, he's the Head Referee anyway, checking the scoreboard wasn't his job to begin with; he just wasn't paying attention!
Miya Atsumu gave a light cough, his expression turning serious. "What are you talking about? That's not true."
The two met up with Miya Osamu and Rishia at the school building. Coach Kurosu, who arrived a step late, held a brief meeting with several members of the First String to discuss the schedule for the upcoming month and a summary of the freshmen's current progress.
After all, the Coach had not watched all the matches, so everyone acting as referees on each court needed to fill in the missing parts for him.
By the time everyone dispersed, it was already completely dark.