That's true, Heisuke hasn't had a break in a very, very long time," Hinata nodded. "He's basically been stuck practicing under Coach Kurosu's thumb; he should use this hard-earned holiday to get some proper rest.
Miya Atsumu hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
In fact, Rishia Heisuke had only been adjusted by Coach Kurosu to follow the same training rhythm as Hinata, meaning his original slacking-off time had simply vanished.
But it was true, making Rishia Heisuke follow Hinata's training schedule every single day was no different from torture..
Even he wanted to go on strike after following Hinata's daily routine for just a few days.
That kind of all-day, high-energy vitality.. it's terrifying.
Hinata's face was filled with eager excitement: "Then after we finish watching the match, can we go visit Tenshu Castle and Tsutenkaku?"
Miya Atsumu agreed readily: "Sure, they're not too far away."
Hinata should just focus on having fun; the plans and arrangements for those few days can be left to him.
Atsumu handed over the tablet in his hands, which displayed a list of already bookmarked shops: "And then we'll research what to eat when the time comes; Osamu recommended some to me.."
Glancing toward the door, Kita Shinsuke asked Coach Kurosu softly, "So, is it a matter regarding Atsumu and Shoyo?"
Coach Kurosu, who was just about to speak seriously, froze for a moment. "You know?"
When he first found out, his vision went dark. He thought Kita would be at least somewhat surprised, but seeing Kita's expression now..
It's obvious they're in the know!
So, basically, all the players knew, only he, the coach, was kept in the dark?
Kita chuckled softly. "I guessed it, because Atsumu seems to like Shoyo very much; he treats Shoyo completely differently."
That special, precious way of holding him in one's hands, as if he were a treasure.. it was no longer just a relationship between a setter and his partner.
Every year on Valentine's Day, Miya Atsumu's locker would be stuffed with love letters, but at most, Atsumu would pick out two to glance at, offer some rather harsh critiques, then toss them into the trash.
So.. as the Captain, he also couldn't understand before what kind of person Miya Atsumu would like.
Thinking back on it now, whether it was in terms of his actual ability or his personality, Hinata was definitely the type of person Miya Atsumu would like.
Kita asked Coach Anromi, "Are they together?"
The way these two acted made it look a bit like they were in a relationship; they were stuck together most of the time, there was no one else around them.
He has been graduated for over two months; he should have already reached the next stage..
Before he could finish his thoughts, Coach Kurosu's cold and ruthless voice rang in his ears: "Not yet, it's nothing more than Captain's unrequited love."
This time, it was Kita Shinsuke's turn to be confused: "Huh?"
Coach Kurosu refused to imagine things that would give him a headache: "Shoyo is still young; he doesn't have that kind of mindset yet."
Shoyo's personality is top-notch, so he felt that even if those two fell in love, they wouldn't fight; at most, it would just be Atsumu throwing a one-sided tantrum.
But he didn't want to accept that possibility—the idea of a good boy being snatched up by his own bad boy.. it was too terrifying.
That's true," Kita nodded. "But I feel like it's coming soon. Coach, you should also keep an eye on things.
He rarely went to the Volleyball Club after Haruko ended, before that, he hadn't felt these two were this close.
It felt as if they were just one step away from truly getting back on track; it was just a matter of when that moment would arrive.
Anyway, neither Atsumu nor Shoyo are the type of people who would let their emotions affect their volleyball; at most, Miya Atsumu's bragging might indirectly cause conflict between the twins.
—But that was a matter that would give the Coach a headache.
Kita waved back at Hinata and said to Coach Kurosu, "Don't worry, Coach, Shoyo is very reliable."
Coach Kurosu agreed deeply: "That's true."
Currently, within Inarizaki, the tactical preparations rely on Captain Miya Atsumu, personnel management is handled by Miya Osamu, but things like maintaining relationships among the members and fostering connections with other schools are basically handled by Shoyo by chance.
And he remembered that Hinata had been the Captain during Junior High..
Thinking of this, Coach Kurosu suddenly asked, "Shinsuke, what do you think about letting Shoyo become the Captain?"
Kuniharu might not have much energy to manage the Volleyball Club in his Third Year, Ogata most likely won't be able to take the court, so he isn't the optimal choice.
Unlike Kita, who can step up to stabilize the atmosphere at any time, there are two reasons. First, neither Hinata's year nor Masaru Haseda's year had any particularly difficult troublemakers like the twins. Second, Ogata himself lacks the necessary ability; his strengths are limited to mere theory.
Bokuto nodded, expressing agreement with Coach Kurosu's proposal: "It's a very feasible option. Shoyo is very steady during critical moments, he has a great personality with a unique charisma. He gets along very well with the first years, doesn't he?"
Coach Kurosu stood with his hands on his hips. "You promised to give Shoyo number 4.."
Seeing the Fukurodani players passing by on the other side, Coach Kurosu's eyes suddenly lit up.
And just at this moment, Kita Shinsuke also said, "Shoyo likes Bokuto a lot, doesn't he? Being number 4 doesn't mean you can't have the Captain title either."
While most captains in most teams are Number 1, there are also Number 4 Ace Captains like Bokuto, even Number 2 Setter Captains like Akaashi.
Moreover, looking at the professional teams, there are countless players in the ten or twenty-plus number range who hold the Captain title.
Coach Kurosu nodded repeatedly. "Good, good, let's settle on that for now. But don't tell them yet; wait until next year."
The situation for the Second Years is already clear. He has already scouted both the Second String and the Third String, has only picked out Ogata from among them.
Moreover, he had been keeping an eye on this since the start of the school year, he had even mentioned this child from a prestigious academy to Omimi.
As for the rest, none of them are particularly outstanding, so the Captain can only choose from the current members.
Relatively speaking, Kumagai was the most suitable, but unfortunately, Kumagai needs to focus on his studies.
Unabara Uta and Tokura are mainly unsuitable due to their personalities, Unabara Uta is a Libero by nature.
As for Rishia Heisuke.. the problem is even greater, especially regarding his cowardice and his inability to interact with others.
After thinking it over, there was really only Hinata left.
It would be absolutely perfect to have Ogata or Rishia Heisuke take a Vice-Captain position when the time comes.
While Coach Kurosu was envisioning a bright future, Kageyama Tobio, who had no idea what had been discussed between Akaashi Keiji and Coach Anromi, also emerged from the gymnasium.
Kageyama and the others from Inarizaki bowed to say goodbye: "Goodbye, Coach. Goodbye, seniors."
Karasuno was about to set off; after all, the distance between Miyagi and Kanagawa was still quite far.
They didn't have enough funds to support round-trip Shinkansen travel like schools like Nekoma did.
To save money, they were brought by Tetsuya Takeda and Coach Ukai, who took turns driving; for this purpose, the two men had even taken the time during the winter to specifically get their driver's licenses.
If they didn't leave now, they wouldn't get back to Sendai until nearly dawn.
Coach Kurosu waved to him, "Goodbye, Kageyama."
Hinata, who was sitting on the stairs, stood up again and waved goodbye: "See you later, Kageyama! See you on the national stage!"
Kageyama stood on the stairs, looking down at Hinata.
Miya Atsumu didn't even turn around in his field of vision; he merely tilted his head slightly to watch him out of the corner of his eye, carrying a faint, unsettling vibe.
He nodded at Hinata. "I'll be there."
Whether it's IH or Haruko, they will definitely qualify and head to the national tournament.
That scenery that Inarizaki once saw.. he will definitely see it too.
Miya Atsumu tilted his head, watching Hinata, who was still standing in place, watching the distance: "They're all gone, stop looking."
"Yeah." Hinata sat back down.
Atsumu opened his mouth to speak, but looking at Hinata's somewhat serious profile, he ultimately swallowed those harsh words back down.
In his view, whether it was Nekoma or Karasuno, there was a ninety-nine percent chance that neither would make it through the Interhigh.
He wasn't sure what the situation was with the Karasuno first-years, but Nekoma's system was already complete; the first-years were merely filling the gaps left by the graduating third-years.
Kuroo and Yaku are two giants among the Middle Blockers and Liberos; how could any First Years ever reach their level?
Nekoma, whose strength has diminished, has not yet received the corresponding reinforcements, so it will certainly take some time to build cohesion.
If there are three spots available for the Haruko Tokyo tournament, then there might be a glimmer of hope.
As for Karasuno..
Then it is not a matter of Karasuno, but a matter of Miyagi.
Needless to say, Shiratorizawa is in a league of its own. Goshiki, who is considered one of the top aces of the new generation alongside Hinata's group and Aoba Haruka from Rakusan, possesses top-tier stability in his performance; even if he falls short, it would only be in other positions like Middle Blocker or Wing Spiker.
Aobajohsai lost a powerful Setter after Oikawa-senpai graduated, but whether it is Kindaichi or Kunimi Akira, they are both players capable of holding their own, so there is absolutely no need to worry.
And from what he knew, the highest mountain in Miyagi this year.. was the powerhouse Date Tech.
During the Spring High tournament earlier this year, he had watched the footage of Aobajohsai's Miyagi Prefecture qualifiers, where their quarterfinal opponent was Date Tech.
At that time, he had already noticed that Date Tech had already completed its roster change, the team was composed entirely of First and Second Years.
For the entire three-year high school period, the advantage brought by having a team cohesion period that started half a year early is absolutely terrifying.
In terms of this kind of advantage.. Date Tech truly holds all the upper hand.
But there was no need to tell Hinata about those things; he would just have to discover the surprises for himself when the time came.
Quickly clearing those two annoying setters from his mind, Miya Atsumu continued discussing the delicacies of Osaka with Hinata.
Yeah, he had already ruled out the food he ate with Miya Osamu last time.
Especially that cursed pudding, he absolutely never wants to see it a second time!!
The results of the two practice matches in the afternoon were one win and one loss. After they were finished, the training schedule for the entire Golden Week was officially over.
After enjoying a hearty meal, everyone said their goodbyes to Kita Shinsuke and boarded the bus for the return trip.
And under Hinata's anticipation, the Black Eagle Flag finally arrived on a certain weekend.
The opening ceremony had already been held on Friday, but Hinata and Miya Atsumu did not participate because they had classes.
The overall schedule for the Black Eagle Flag lasted nearly five days, so Hinata and Miya Atsumu took three days off.
The passing grade for Physical Education was much lower than for regular subjects, so Hinata, who had been tormented by regular subjects for a long time, experienced the feeling of ranking in the upper half of his class in every single exam after joining Physical Education.
Especially after making time to study English and Portuguese during this period, he actually ranked first in the class in English this time!
—Even though it was a sports class.
That was precisely why his request for leave went quite smoothly.
After school on Friday, Hinata rushed to the Third Year building as quickly as possible and accurately located Miya Atsumu's class.
Miya Osamu and Miya Atsumu were not in the same class; instead, Suna was in the same class as Atsumu.