Under normal circumstances, the header of a team's special feature page would use a group photo of the team celebrating their championship, but since Inarizaki's group photo had already been released as a magazine cover, the header for the special feature.. was a candid shot of Miya Atsumu taken by a photographer.
It must have been during the awards ceremony; Miya Atsumu still had a gold medal hanging around his neck. His gaze was fixed on something unknown, a faint smile played on his lips.
It had to be admitted that this photographer's candid photography skills were superb.
Sakusa merely cast a glance before shifting his gaze to the content of the report.
Miya Atsumu and Suna's sections focused on the two of them's future prospects. It was no secret that Atsumu had signed with the Black Jackals, but since the contract had not been officially signed and the Black Jackals' official channels had not yet released updated information, the magazine reported it as tentative.
The same applied to Suna; definitive news likely wouldn't surface until next month's special report on newcomers joining major universities and professional teams.
But there is one exception—Hinata Shoyo, who secured two national best player titles this year.
The reports about him explicitly mentioned that he had already signed a recommendation agreement with Central Physical Education University; for a high school student, it is incredibly rare to decide which university to attend during their second year of high school.
Especially since Hinata's current market value is not low; the prestige of being a best player is incredibly high.
As far as Sakusa knows, Hoshiumi, who has been named a national best player, joined Adler with an annual salary of at least five million, but it remains unclear at this stage whether he will be able to secure a starting position.
The V1 League Finals are in May, the Black Eagle Flag is also in early May; except for players joining during the winter transfer window to teams in desperate need, most will not have the opportunity to participate.
Hoshiumi won't have the chance to take the court until the official matches in October at the earliest, only then will his standing within the team be known.
If Inarizaki's performance remains this stable next year, it is possible that Hinata's market value upon joining a professional team could reach an all-time high.
But.. nothing is certain yet.
If Miya Atsumu graduates, it is possible that Inarizaki will fall into obscurity and simply fade away from the public eye.
Sakusa glanced up at Hinata, but ultimately said nothing.
Truly capable people will eventually reach the position they deserve, regardless of the circumstances they face. Although he believed Hinata was one, he was not the one who made the final decision.
It's just..
He was looking forward to facing Central Physical Education University in the upcoming University League.
Having also finished eating, Komori looked up at Hinata. "What are you two planning to do next?"
Hinata replied, "We're planning to go skiing in Nagano."
Actually, he had originally planned to go to Hoshiumi's house, as he had been invited there to read manga, but since Hoshiumi had not yet returned from the Shwaiden Adler training base in Tokyo these past few days, the plan had been put on hold.
Hoshiumi will call him again when he has time, so he and Miya Atsumu went skiing simply because they wanted to make up for the regret Miya Atsumu had about not being able to film a blockbuster last time.
Hinata asked enthusiastically, "Does Gen-senpai or Kami-senpai have any other plans? Do you want to go skiing with us?"
Komori froze for a moment, then turned his head and gave a soft cough.
Sakusa was reading a magazine with full concentration, only giving a slight shake of his head when Komori looked over.
Receiving the signal, Komori shook his head at Hinata. "The two of us haven't decided yet, so we might rest here for a couple more days. You guys have fun."
Actually, the ski resorts here are also quite large; there's really no need to go to Nagano, is there?
Hinata expressed his regret: "Then we'll have to talk about it another time. The ski resorts in Nagano are huge."
Finishing the last bite of his meal, Hinata wiped his mouth and stood up, saying, "The magazines are for you seniors. We need to check out and catch our train."
Hearing this, Komori glanced at the magazine in front of him, a look of understanding crossing his mind.
He wondered why these two people bought so many magazines..
Miya Atsumu had already packed up the two of them's things, and, carrying Hinata's jacket, he was the first to stand up. "Let's go."
Hinata waved to the two of them: "Goodbye, senpai!"
Komori waved goodbye to the two of them, watching their figures disappear, feeling a slight sense of loneliness in his heart.
He usually went out with Sakusa more often, there were rarely such lively moments.
Sakusa flipped a page and spoke softly, "It will be even more enjoyable in the future."
Komori laughed heartily. "I think so, too."
He leaned back into his chair and looked sideways at the sky, where snowflakes were still falling. "I'm really looking forward to it."
The two of them sat in silence for a while before Komori suddenly sat up.
He suddenly realized something.
Right now, Bokuto is serving as the honorary Captain at Central Physical Education University. As far as he knows, the only ones in this year's cohort who have received recommendation status are himself and Fukurodani's Honma Masaaki. Once those two get in.. they'll be ruthlessly exploited by Shiratori!
Far away in Tokyo, Shiratori Natsume was leaning back in a classroom chair, staring blankly with a look of utter despair.
Bokuto, beside him, was biting the end of his pen, his face scrunched up.
Bokuto, who had been staring motionless at the clock in front of him for half an hour, turned his head. "So, what's the difference between this rotation and the last one? I just can't tell.."
Shiratori replied without emotion, "Figure it out yourself; we just finished covering it in the last class."
Bokuto looked at the homework on his desk, then at the unorganized results of the Central Physical Education University intra-club match and the club members' resumes lying beside it, his face filled with confusion.
Natsume asked what they were supposed to do today?
Shiratori, who had already gained the ability of mind reading, suddenly spoke: "Finish the homework you've been putting off, then pick a starting lineup for next year based on your preferences and organize a feasible set of tactics."
Shiratori crossed his arms over his chest, looking like he was ready to just sit back and watch. "Good luck, Captain."
Feeling encouraged, Bokuto nodded earnestly and continued to struggle with his assignment.
Glancing at the sky outside, Shiratori took out his phone, swiped past Akaashi Keiji, tapped into Honma Masaaki's chat box.
—He was planning to call over some manual labor to do the work.
Honma Masaaki, who had no pressure regarding further studies after Haruko, was on vacation; when he received Shiratori Natsume's message, he was still in his dormitory doing handicrafts.
Having nothing to do, he accepted Shiratori's invitation almost immediately, preparing to visit Central Physical Education University.
It was said that Bokuto-senpai would be taking over as Captain, so he had to be the first one there to congratulate him.
Thinking this, Honma rushed all the way to the subway station.
Meanwhile, in the classroom, Shiratori put down his phone, his entire being radiating a sense of relaxation.
Mm, it's time to give the freshmen some training.
Unfortunately, Hinata posted a status update yesterday; it seems he went out to have fun with Komori and the others and isn't in Tokyo.
I'll just wait for Komori to come back and drag him along to work.
—Shiratori, who had no chance to soak in a hot spring, thought to himself.
Hinata Shoyo and Miya Atsumu stayed in Nagano for two days. Miya Atsumu was very satisfied with the photographer he had hired, as the man had accurately captured every one of his handsome moments.
And the photographer was also extremely satisfied with Miya Atsumu, a model with no dead angles even from 360 degrees. He had originally intended to negotiate with Miya Atsumu, wanting to use his photos for personal commercial promotion and offering Miya Atsumu the session free of charge.
But Miya Atsumu had already sold himself to the Black Jackals, so he ultimately declined.
The Black Jackals manager, who had heard Miya Atsumu mention this, thought that Miya Atsumu was short on money, so he hurriedly slapped the prepared contract in front of Miya Atsumu for him to review, signaling that he could come to the Black Jackals to sign at any time.
Once the signing process was complete, Miya Atsumu would be able to receive his substantial signing bonus.
Miya Atsumu and Hinata Shoyo, who had originally planned to go to the observatory, decisively changed their itinerary.
What's so fun about an observatory? They haven't touched a volleyball in days; their hands are going to get rusty!
"The Black Jackals have dorms; we can find professional players there to act as sparring partners, the Coach won't refuse," Miya Atsumu said, his face written with righteousness.
Hinata followed along with the ordering: "I want to face off against Captain."
“I've agreed on his behalf,” said the future starting Setter for the Black Jackals.
Chapter 552: The Five Hundred and Fifty-Second Fox
During the Black Eagle Flag last year, Miya Atsumu and Hinata came to the Black Jackals' main gymnasium in Osaka.
The Black Jackals' training base and club are not actually located here; although they aren't particularly far, they are still two blocks away.
Walking out of the station gates, the two of them immediately saw a person standing in the waiting area, holding a black sign.
They had an impression of this person; he was Eguchi, the Black Jackals' data analyst coach, whom they had met once before.
"Over here, over here—" Coach Eguchi greeted the two of them quite enthusiastically.
Miya Atsumu was the first to greet the other person: "Hello, Coach."
Hinata also stood at attention to greet him, "Hello, Coach!"
"Hello, hello." Coach Eguchi responded to the two of them in a very good mood.
After putting the sign away, he led the two of them toward the parking lot.
The two of them only had two sports backpacks and a bag of souvenirs, so their luggage didn't even need to be put in the trunk.
Buckling his seatbelt, Coach Eguchi turned his head to ask Miya Atsumu, who was standing a step behind him, "I heard you'll be staying here for a few days. Are you going to check out the club dormitories first, or head to the training base?"
The two were not far apart, but they were in different locations and the parking lots were not the same.
Miya Atsumu replied without hesitation, "I want to resolve the contract matter as quickly as possible; I don't think the manager and the others want it to drag on for too long."
He didn't care about the other things; he had already been to the Black Jackals' training base and dormitory before, so he was well aware of the environment and conditions, making the tour completely unnecessary.
He added this item because he felt Hinata would be curious.
Coach Eguchi nodded. "Alright."
Hinata looked at the coach in front of him, then at Miya Atsumu beside him, asked proactively, "Does everyone in the Black Jackals live in the club house?"
Coach Eguchi replied, "No, currently, the only starters living in the dorms are Captain, Thomas, Leonard, Inunari."
Mr. Oda moved out after getting married the year before last, Mr. Oliver also lives in a residence near the club with his wife. Maekawa prefers living alone, so he rents his own place. The substitutes and some members of the coaching staff all live at the club.
After thinking for a moment, Miya Atsumu pressed further, "How are the club's dormitories arranged? Is the accommodation fee deducted from the salary?"
"Hmm.. if you must put it that way, I suppose it doesn't count," Coach Eguchi replied.
The dormitory is free, eating at the cafeteria is also free. If you move out to live on your own, you will receive a subsidy for rent or a home purchase.
Miya Atsumu nodded. "I think I understand."
He didn't really want to live in the dormitory; after all, it wouldn't be very convenient if Hinata Shoyo came to stay, so it would be better to have his own private space outside.
He could take a look at the apartments near the club later to see if there were any suitable ones for rent.