The Monster Among Us

Hey I'm hoping to update a few more chapters. But man am In a shitty company. My manager was scheduled a meeting with HR today, she will probably be asked to quit through no fault of her own. Im super mad, she was the best manager I had. Will keep you updated on this.

I HATE CORPORATE POLITICS.

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Team A – 1 | Team B – 0

The ball had already stopped rolling.

Yet, no one moved.

The echo of the spike still lingered, a ghostly reminder of what had just happened. The gym, once filled with the constant squeak of sneakers and the thud of footsteps, now felt eerily still.

It was as if time itself had frozen, trapped in the moment when Hinata's spike exploded past Daichi and Tsukishima—before either of them could even react.

Not late.

Not slow.

Just completely outmatched.

Even Kageyama, the ever-stoic perfectionist, hadn't been able to process it fast enough.

That was not normal.

Tanaka's mouth hung open. Not a word. Not a single yell of excitement or frustration. Just pure, unfiltered shock.

Even Shimizu, who had just entered the gym, blinked in surprise.

"…Did I miss something?" she asked, her usual calm demeanor faltering as she took in the stunned expressions around her.

Tanaka didn't even notice her.

Which, in itself, was a miracle.

Instead, he turned to Hinata, staring as if he had just witnessed a god descend from the heavens.

"THAT WAS INSANE! HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!"

Hinata blinked. "Eh?"

Kageyama exhaled sharply through his nose, crossing his arms in a desperate attempt to look unaffected.

"Tch. Nice spike."

But even his voice lacked its usual bite.

His mind was racing.

He had been expecting a strong attack—maybe even a clean finish—but that…

That was something else entirely.

The ball had been perfectly set, yet the moment it left his fingertips, he had regretted it.

Something about Hinata's eyes in that moment had made him do it.

A presence. A confidence.

Something terrifyingly familiar.

An ace's eyes.

While everyone else was still caught in their shock, Tsukishima adjusted his glasses, his mind working rapidly.

'How do I block that?'

His usual sarcastic, uninterested self was nowhere to be found.

His brain tried to analyze the spike—

The approach, the form, the timing—but there was just one problem.

'There's no way to react to something that fast.'

There wasn't even a chance to think.

The moment Hinata had jumped, it was already too late.

He exhaled sharply, his fingers twitching slightly at his sides.

'Yeah… No way I'm blocking that.'

And, for the first time, Tsukishima felt an unfamiliar sensation creeping up his spine.

Excitement.

Daichi finally let out a slow breath, trying to recenter himself.

His palms still tingled from the force of the impact, even though he hadn't even gotten the chance to touch the ball.

'Unreal.'

It wasn't like he had never faced powerful spikes before.

But this… this was on a completely different level.

And this was a freshman.

A member of his team.

A slow grin stretched across his face.

'Alright, this is getting interesting.'

"Hinata, your serve."

Sugawara tossed the ball back, breaking the tension.

Hinata caught it effortlessly, rolling it between his fingers.

The moment he stepped out of bounds to serve, something changed.

Not three steps back.

Not five steps back.

Fifteen.

Daichi's smile faded slightly.

This… wasn't a normal serve setup.

Even Kageyama stiffened, sensing something different.

Hinata bounced the ball once.

Then twice.

Then he tilted his head back slightly, breathing in deep, controlled breaths.

No tension. No nerves. Just focus.

And then—

Hinata leaned forward, compressing his body like a coiled spring.

The ball went up.

And then—

BOOOOM! 

He exploded into motion.

One.

Two.

Three—

And then—

He jumped.

And he soared.

From the ground, it looked inhuman—as if gravity had simply forgotten about him.

The entire gym felt the shift in air as he swung his arm back—

And then—

BOOOOM!!! 

The sound of impact was deafening.

The sheer force behind it sent the ball rocketing forward, leaving behind a faint blur in the air.

Daichi barely had time to react.

The moment his eyes tracked the ball, it was already past him.

His fingers twitched—

His feet shifted—

But it was too late.

BOOM.

The ball slammed into the wooden floor right beside him.

It bounced once.

Twice.

Then shot straight into the back wall, ricocheting violently before rolling to a stop.

Silence.

Complete, utter silence.

Not a single person moved.

Tsukishima slowly turned his head.

Yamaguchi's jaw dropped open.

Tanaka's arms fell limp at his sides.

Even Kageyama, who had seen some of the best serves in high school, felt his breath catch.

And Daichi?

He stared at the ball, his brain still trying to catch up to what had just happened.

There was only one thought in his head.

'What… the hell… was that?!'

Tanaka Finally Snaps

The first to break the silence was—

Tanaka.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!!"

He stomped forward, grabbing Hinata by the shoulders.

"WHO ARE YOU?! WHAT KIND OF FREAK SERVE WAS THAT?!"

Hinata blinked.

"Eh? It was just a serve."

Kageyama's Tsundere Moment

"Tch. It wasn't that great, idiot."

Kageyama crossed his arms, looking away.

But Tanaka was having none of it.

"NOT GREAT?! WERE YOU WATCHING THE SAME THING I WAS?!"

Kageyama turned his head further away, but his ears were red.

"…Nice serve."

As the ball finally stopped rolling, one thought echoed through everyone's minds.

Who the hell is this guy?

Who… is this monster?