Practice Match(1)

A/N - I was thinking of making a patreon account since I already have 10+ chapters in the bank.

What do you guys think?

Also, I have decided to write demon slayer next, as soon as this book reaches 50+ chapters, ill start doing that.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday arrived quicker than expected, and the Karasuno volleyball team found themselves en route to Aoba Johsai for their highly anticipated practice match. The bus ride should have been peaceful. It wasn't.

Hinata, now mentally an adult, sat calmly by the window, watching the scenery pass by. He had no interest in the utter chaos unfolding around him.

Tanaka, on the other hand, was on a mission. A mission to impress Shizuku, one of the team managers. Unfortunately, his approach consisted of excessive flexing and loud boasts about his supposed volleyball prowess.

"Hey, Shizuku! Did you see how many push-ups I did yesterday? Huh? Huh?" Tanaka grinned, flexing his arms.

Shizuku didn't even spare him a glance. "Oh, were you doing something?"

Tsukishima snorted, adjusting his glasses. "I'd be more impressed if you could go five minutes without embarrassing yourself, senpai."

"OI, FOUR-EYES, WANNA FIGHT?!" Tanaka growled, lunging at him.

Meanwhile, Tsukishima had set his sights on a different target—Kageyama. "You must be excited, King. After all, you get to see your ex-subjects. I wonder if they'll welcome you with open arms or just laugh at your expense."

Kageyama twitched, his brain struggling to craft a decent comeback. "Shut up, beanpole."

Yamaguchi, ever the mediator, sighed. "Tsukki, maybe lay off a little?"

Hinata exhaled through his nose. He was not going to involve himself in this circus. Instead, he leaned toward Sugawara and started talking about completely random things—like the best food stands in Miyagi or whether pigeons had government jobs.

Before a full-fledged wrestling match broke out in the bus, Daichi turned around with the look of a father who had absolutely had enough of his children.

"SHUT UP!"

Silence.

"If any of you cause a scene in front of Aoba Johsai, I swear I will bench you so hard, you'll leave an imprint."

Message received. Loud and clear.

Arriving at Aoba Johsai, Karasuno stepped off the bus, collecting their bags and mentally preparing themselves for the match. They hadn't even set foot inside when the pre-game theatrics continued.

Inside the school's corridors, Kindaichi and Shigeru were walking and chatting.

"So, you used to play with Kageyama, right?" Shigeru asked Kindaichi.

Kindaichi huffed. "Yeah, but he's nothing special. He isn't even a team player."

Shigeru nodded. "Karasuno used to be strong, but they aren't really worth worrying about anymore. I hear their manager's cute, though."

"Oh, and they have this bald thug who looks kinda dumb," Kindaichi added.

The air suddenly grew heavy.

Shigeru looked over Kindaichi's shoulder to see Tanaka, Kageyama, and Tsukishima standing there. Tanaka had the most horrifying grin on his face.

"Oh? A baldy thug, you say?" Tanaka's voice was sickeningly sweet. "If you make fun of us, we'll eat you up." His grin widened as imaginary crows flapped their wings dramatically behind him.

Kindaichi froze. Shigeru swallowed nervously.

Tsukishima chuckled, waving a dismissive hand. "Oh, don't scare them like that, Tanaka-san. These elites don't have the stomach for it."

Kindaichi straightened his back, forcing himself to stand his ground. "W-We're not scared!"

Shigeru, however, was too busy processing how someone as tall as Tsukishima was actually on Karasuno's team. "Are you sure you're in the right place?" he muttered under his breath.

Before this exchange could escalate into a full-blown anime-style confrontation, Daichi arrived with the speed and precision of a trained assassin. Sliding into view in an exaggerated, almost comical fashion, he grabbed Tanaka and Tsukishima by their collars.

"WHAT DID I JUST SAY ABOUT CAUSING A SCENE?!"

Dragging them away, Daichi muttered about how he couldn't take his eyes off them for even a second.

Inside the gym, Aoba Johsai's players were already warming up. The sound of volleyballs being hit echoed through the space. As Karasuno entered, Daichi wasted no time.

"Greet them!"

As one, Karasuno bowed and shouted, "Good to be here!"

Aoba Johsai returned the gesture.

With pleasantries out of the way, both teams prepared for warm-ups. Karasuno stretched, passed the ball around, and mentally prepared themselves. Aoba Johsai's players took a moment to observe their opponents.

Many of them focused on Hinata.

"A wingspiker…?" one of the onlookers muttered. "But he's so short."

The disbelief in their eyes was almost amusing. Almost.

Hinata stood before the net, his gaze locked onto his opponents. He knew they were underestimating him. And he was going to enjoy proving them wrong.

As both teams lined up for the match, the referee raised the whistle.

With a sharp blow, the game began.

Matsukawa from Aoba Johsai tossed the ball up and executed the first serve.

The real battle was about to start.