Chapter 87 Volleyball 47

In a blink of an eye, the daytime training was over and it was already night again.

Tonight, Inarizaki also did some independent training after dinner. After the training, Kurikawa Sana was preparing to clean up the volleyballs scattered on the floor in the venue and collect everyone's water cups and towels, when the other members of the team reacted very quickly and came up to help.

Miya Yu: "Sana-chan, Osamu and I will help you pick up the ball."

Kakuna Rintaro: "I'll sort out the water cups."

Weibai Alan: "Then I'll help collect the towels."

Kita Shinsuke acted silently and copied all the scores on the scoreboard into his notebook.

Kurikawa Sana was stunned. "Everyone has worked hard after training. You can go back and rest first. This is my job as a manager..."

Akagi Michinari: "It's okay. We have strength in numbers. If everyone helps a little, Kurikawa-san won't have to work so hard."

Ginjima Yui also leaned close to her ear and whispered, "It's mainly because I heard that the twins and Kakuna made you cry last night. They went back to the dormitory and couldn't sleep all night, tossing and turning. So this is probably an apology."

Big Ear Lian also nodded. "Besides, many other schools have two female managers. Kurikawa-san, you're having a hard time on your own. Any help we can give is appreciated."

After Kurikawa Sana was surprised, she was moved beyond words.

That’s great, they are all so great, right?

In fact, there are only two managers, Karasuno and Okitani, and Otokoma doesn’t have a manager at all. Her job is already easy, and everyone helps her like this... While Kurikawa Sana was moved, a trace of guilt flashed through her heart.

By the way, there is one thing I haven’t finished today.

She walked to Kita Shinsuke and stopped, lowering her head, "Um, Kita-senpai... I want to apologize to Kita-senpai for something."

Kita Shinsuke's pupils constricted for a moment, "Sana, what's wrong?"

Wow, Captain Kita's eyes are so sharp. I've never seen him so nervous before. Is he angry? Kurikawa Sana clutched the corner of her clothes nervously and guiltily.

"Actually, I went to see the coach of Karasuno this morning and gave him some suggestions on improving Hinata-kun and Kageyama-kun's weird fast break. Everyone is so nice to me, and as the manager of Inarizaki, I'm helping other teams..."

After hearing her words, Kita Shinsuke finally breathed a sigh of relief, and his expression, which had been unpredictable at the beginning, finally returned to normal.

Sana suddenly apologized, and he thought she was going to quit the volleyball club because of her celebrity job and stop being their manager...

Fortunately it’s not.

Kita Shinsuke's eyes brightened again. "Is that all? It's nothing. I'm sure everyone on the team won't mind, as they are all confident in their own abilities. From what I've observed since the last beach volleyball match, Hinata-kun himself has already wanted to make some changes to that fast break."

"Besides, with Yuu and the others' personalities, if they hope their opponent stays the same or gets weaker in order to win, not only will they find such a victory boring, but I'll also feel it's unfair. Furthermore, there are so many high schools in the country, and it's still uncertain whether we can meet Karasuno High School in a formal competition."

Woohoo... Why is Team North so good? Kurikawa Sana now feels like she is really going to drop a little pearl.

As soon as she sniffed, the boy reached out his hand and gently touched her cheek.

"Sana, don't worry that I'll be angry."

"I will never be angry with you."

There was a faint but gentle smile on the boy's lips. He just touched her cheek lightly and then quickly withdrew it, as if to tell her not to be sad.

【Kitanosuke, Favorability +3.】

Kurikawa Sana stood there in a daze, and for a moment, a warm current seemed to flow through her chest.

It was obvious that she was too concerned about the other team, Karasuno High School, but the North Team was not angry, but comforted her instead.

Oh my God.

The North Team is truly the incarnation of God, right?!

…

*

Kurikawa Sana was so moved that she was in tears as she walked back to the girls' dormitory, but when she passed the brightly lit 3rd Gymnasium, a familiar voice called her.

"Hey, Sana-chan."

……Um?

Kurikawa Sana looked back in surprise and saw a tall boy leaning against the gate of the 3rd Gymnasium. A smile appeared on his handsome face, and his upward-curled black hair was very distinctive.

Ah, it's Kuroo-kun.

But when did Kuroo-kun start calling her Sana-chan? It seemed like he always called her Kurikawa-san before.

"Sorry, is it okay to call you that? I always feel like it's a bit too unfamiliar to keep calling you Kurikawa-san." Kuroo Tetsuro asked.

"! It's okay, it's okay, but is Kuroo-senpai still doing extra training so late?"

"Yeah, that guy Kuroo was pestering me to block for him, luckily Karasuno's glasses-kun came to help. I just got out of the way to take a breath when I saw Sana-chan. How lucky."

Kurikawa Sana: "!!!"

Karasuno's glasses guy must be Tsukishima-kun, right? This is really surprising, Tsukishima-kun actually practices extra at night!

Noticing that the girl's eyes suddenly lit up, Kuroo Tetsuro was a little surprised, but he quickly smiled and said, "There are a lot of mosquitoes outside. It's easy to get bitten if you stand here. Sana-chan, do you want to come in and take a look together?"

"Yeah!" Kurikawa Sana agreed immediately.

Kuroo Tetsuro raised an eyebrow at the unexpected reaction.

Grind that guy and let him not practice at night.

Now, I missed it again.

"Ah, Sanana!!" Koutarou rushed over excitedly and put his arm around the girl's shoulders. "Sanana, did you come here specially to watch me and Akaashi train?"

This social terrorist owl, Kuroo Tetsuro, twitched his lips and said, "You have a very rich imagination. Sana-chan was just passing by and I invited her in."

Inside the 3rd Gymnasium, Tsukishima Hotaru had just landed after jumping. He gently rubbed his wrist that was hit by Koutarou Koutarou's spike. After seeing the black-haired girl who came in with Kuroo Tetsuro, Tsukishima Hotaru's pupils shrank slightly for a moment.

——She actually came too.

Moreover, she actually seems to be quite familiar with Kuroo-senpai of Owl Valley, Akaashi-senpai and the captain of Otokoma.

Especially the first two, she seemed to have known them before the training started, and she didn't know how Inarizaki, far away in Hyogo Prefecture, had any connection with Owl Valley in Tokyo.

...No, that's not surprising. It's more surprising that she doesn't know anyone. Tsukishima Hotaru thought with a cold expression, "I had the impression that anyone who played volleyball well would receive special attention from her."

"Huh? So I just happened to pass by..." Koutarou curled his lips in disappointment, but soon his eyes lit up as he came up with a brilliant idea, "Then can Sanana come and watch my training? We have extra training every night in this 3rd gym!"

Akaashi Kyoji helplessly reminded: "Kuroo-senpai, Miss Sana is the manager of Inarizaki. There is no reason for her to accompany us for extra training..."

Koutarou Bokuto said confidently, "But they have been occupying Sanana every day. I can only see Sanana during the summer vacation!"

Akawe Kyoji: "......"

For a moment, he actually felt that what Kuroo-senpai said made a lot of sense.

Kurikawa Sana also opened her mouth in surprise, and seemed convinced.

"Let's not talk about that for now. How long are you going to hold me together, Kuroo? Isn't it time to let go?" As soon as Kurooo Tetsuro finished his complaint, he felt that his lines sounded a little familiar.

Oh, by the way, the same words were said to him twice yesterday by Miya Yuu and Kakuna Rintaro from Inarizaki.

Koutarou Bokuto angrily let go of his hand and glanced at Kuroo Tetsuro with a resentful look, "Tsk, Kuroo, you're not very kind. If I had known, I wouldn't have introduced Sanana to you."

Kuroo Tetsuro: “…”

So the mature and steady Captain Orushiya and Captain Otokoma collided with each other's eyes with sparks in the air, and the two captains of Tokyo's powerful teams started their daily bickering mode.

Akaashi Kyoji couldn't help but laugh. He pulled Kurikawa Sana aside and handed her a brand new bottle of mineral water. "Miss Sana, would you like some water?"

"Okay, okay, thank you, Akaashi-kun." The girl smiled with her blue eyes curved, sweet and beautiful.

The atmosphere over there was cheerful and lively. Tsukishima Hotaru watched it all silently, unable to fit in and not intending to.

He frowned, feeling inexplicably irritated.

He had been dragged into Gym 3 by Kuroo and Kyuuba-senpai for extra training. They wanted to practice spiking and asked for his help with blocking, but his own training had already ended. Now, it seemed like it was time to leave.

Tsukishima Hotaru raised her hand to support her glasses and said, "The seniors seem very relaxed and happy. It seems that my blocking is no longer needed. Then I will go back first."

Kyoji Akaashi looked over with a hint of surprise, and noticed something in the boy's unusually cold expression behind his black-framed glasses.

Kurikawa Sana almost choked after taking a sip of water.

Wow, Tsukishima-kun is leaving right after she arrives. As expected, even after adding 5 points to his favorability, the total favorability value of 60 points is still very low.

Koutarou Kousabu instantly stopped his daily bickering with Kuroo Tetsuro, and his eyes turned into dotted lines in a second, "Ah? No, I haven't practiced enough yet!"

"Really? But I saw that you seemed to be chatting happily, so I thought it was over." Tsukishima Hotaru smiled, "Well, I'll take my leave now."

"Oh my, is this really okay?" Kuroo Tetsuro pulled up a smile that was clearly meant to provoke him. "For an outside hitter, your blocking is a bit too soft. If you keep going like this, the limelight will be stolen by that little outside hitter on your team, okay?"

“………”

Tsukishima Hotaru was silent for a moment.

"That can't be helped, right? Hinata's talent is far superior to mine."

"Excuse me, I'll go back first."

After saying this, the young man turned and left without hesitation, leaving the remaining four people looking at each other in bewilderment.

Koutarou Bokuto scratched his head. "Is it my illusion? Azuki seems angry?"

Akaashi Kyoji: "It's not an illusion, Kuroo-senpai has obviously stepped on his minefield. But he's already started calling her Azuki, Kuroo-senpai is really very familiar with people..."

"It's better than calling him Glasses-kun all the time! I'm talking to you, Old Black, you've pissed off Ah Yue."

"I never expected this. He's 1.88 meters tall, taller than any of us here, yet he feels inferior to a tiny 1.64 meter guy." Kuroo Tetsuro sighed in shame. "Guess I'll have to apologize to the Karasuno captain tomorrow for affecting the performance of their regular players."

"I wonder who is stronger between the two of them in the eyes of others..." Koutarou suddenly asked curiously, "Sanana, what do you think? As a spectator, who do you think is stronger, Hinata or Tsuki?"

Kurikawa Sana: "..."

No, how did the fire suddenly reach her?

She thought about this question seriously... In terms of height, Tsukishima-kun was definitely better, but Hinata-kun's jumping ability, reflexes, and ball sense were superior. Coupled with the weird fast break weapon he and Kageyama had created together, it seemed that his strength was almost enough to compete with Karasuno's ace Tomine Asahi.

More importantly, Hinata-kun's unparalleled love for volleyball makes him improve rapidly every day. And Tsukishima-kun, whether blocking, attacking, receiving or serving, gives people the feeling that just barely passing the passing line is enough.

After thinking it over, Kurikawa Sana said softly, "From an objective point of view, if we talk about contribution to the team, Hinata-kun should be slightly stronger at the moment."

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Akaashi Kyoji in front of her was stunned for a moment, and he let out an "ah" behind her.

Kurikawa Sana suddenly had a very bad feeling.

Koutarou was also surprised and said, "Huh? Ayuki, you're back?"

Kurikawa Sana: "!!!"

"I just forgot my knee pads and came back to get them." Tsukishima Hotaru's cold voice sounded even colder. "Don't worry about me, just continue."

After saying this, the boy turned around and left again, this time even faster than before.

Kurikawa Sana: "..."

QAQ

It’s over, Tsukishima-kun must have heard what she just said!

Wow, why did she really answer the question that came to mind on a whim of the rabbit? It made it even harder for Tsukishima-kun, who was already difficult to conquer, TVT

But unexpectedly, after waiting for a long time, Kurikawa Sana didn't hear any sound of Tsukishima Hotaru's favorability decreasing, and she couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

Kuroo Tetsuro twitched his mouth in a headache, "Oh no! He was already worried that his performance wasn't as good as Karasuno's little one, and now it's even worse."

Akaashi Kyoji held his forehead and said, "Kuroto-senpai, this is it. Tomorrow night, don't even think about having a 1.88-meter-tall man to help you block the net."

Koutarou Bokuto entered a state of petrified eyes and said, "Old Black, tomorrow I will go with you to apologize to the captain of Karasuno."

Kurikawa Sana thought that she should be the one to apologize, after all, it was she who made the comment just now, wuwuwu.

But how should I apologize? I've already had my share of strawberry puffs, strawberry shortcake, and strawberry pudding. Three times the limit, I can't apologize with strawberry grilled oysters tomorrow, right? I feel like I'll be blacklisted by even the coolest AAA guy.

Kurikawa Sana was in tears.

…

*

Day 3 of summer vacation staycation.

The atmosphere in the gym seemed much better today than yesterday. Kurikawa Sana noticed a smile returning to Hinata Shoyo's face. Tanichi Hitoka excitedly told her that Karasuno's coach, Ueki Keishin, had stayed behind to give Hinata Shoyo a one-on-one lesson. Through a video call with Karasuno's respected predecessor, he had remotely coached Hinata Shoyo on improving his fast break techniques. Hinata Shoyo instantly brightened up.

On the other side, Kageyama Tobio also looked like he was awakened by an unknown kind-hearted person. His aura was no longer as terrifying as the night before. Instead, he looked determined, and he was trying different paths with every ball he threw.

As for Tsukishima Hotaru...

Kurikawa Sana shuddered.

On the surface, Tsukishima-kun seemed no different from usual, but when she thought of his cold tone before he left last night, she couldn't help but regret it.

"What's wrong, Sana?" During the halftime break of the training match, Kita Shinsuke looked at her and asked, "You seem to be paying special attention to Karasuno?"

Kurikawa Sana: "!!!"

She said seriously, "Yes, I think the team that has made the most breakthroughs in this training session is Karasuno."

Kita Shinsuke: "What exactly do you mean?"

"From the match between Karasuno and Senran just now, it can be seen that not only did all the members of Karasuno pick up the opponent's skill book that allows all members to launch multiple positional attacks at the same time, but each member is also improving themselves."

"Karasuno's libero, Nishitani Mae, is intentionally throwing more dribbles as a backup plan for setter Kageyama who's being targeted. Ace spiker Tomine Asahi's serves are becoming increasingly accurate, powerful, and effective. Rescue server Yamaguchi-kun's jump-float success rate is stabilizing. Kageyama-kun and Hinata-kun are also trying to improve their freak fast break... In just a few days, each of them has mastered a new skill, and the team's offensive capabilities have improved significantly."

After listening to her quietly, Kita Shinsuke nodded, "You're right, Karasuno's progress is obvious, but on the other hand, the reason for their obvious improvement is that the members' original basic skills were not solid enough, so there is more room for improvement."

"On our Inarizaki team, after the setter is targeted, I, Osamu, and Akagi can all handle the dribble. As for the power jump serve, which Karasuno, already the team's ace, still needs to practice, at least four members of our team have already mastered it. Yu, Osamu, Alan, and Ginjima can all do it. Yuu is even proficient in a dual-wield style using both the power jump serve and the floater. Finally, as far as I know, Yuu and Osamu also picked up the skill book for Karasuno's monster fast break, and they've successfully replicated it."

Kurikawa Sana: "!!!"

...What a sharp comment! But it's true.

Precisely because everyone at Inarizaki already had a very high level, there seemed to be relatively little room for improvement, and it was impossible to see any amazing changes in just a few days of training.

"However, Sana, your observations are still very valuable." Kita Shinsuke said seriously, "It is foolish to stand still and be complacent and arrogant. Just because I praised Yu and the others' abilities doesn't mean I think it is enough."

"Next, I'll suggest to Coach Kurosu that Rintaro also learn to master the powerful jump serve, so that all five team members can score directly from their serves. I'll also ask Alan to extend his time in the air at his highest point, and ask Ji to master the jump serve, so that the entire team's offensive power can be taken to the next level."

“……!”

This is such a bold move that Kurikawa Sana couldn't help but blurt out: "Kitana-senpai... so handsome!"

Kita Shinsuke was stunned for a moment, "Why do you feel that way?"

"Because Senior Kita is really amazing. He understands each player better than the other players themselves and can think of the direction for each person to improve. But as a manager, I only see the progress of other teams every day. I feel ashamed." Kurikawa Sana shook her head.

After a moment's silence, Kita Shinsuke suddenly asked in a hoarse voice, "But don't you think I'm talking too much?"

Kurikawa Sana tilted her head in confusion. "Talking to yourself? Why?"

"I clearly don't have the talent to make them stand out, yet I shamelessly ask them to continue improving—Sana, don't you think I'm unconvincing?"

"How could that be? Kita-senpai is a god who can do his best in official matches even when he insists on doing something every day. Oshira-kun and Yu-kun all say that as long as Kita-senpai is on the court and behind them, they feel at ease. Yu-kun and Haru-kun also make serve errors from time to time, but Kita-senpai always saves the balls that Ginjima-kun and Kakuna-kun can't block. Is there anything more satisfying than that?"

"Besides, captain is a very special position. Senior Bei possesses a dignity that makes everyone convinced and respect him from the bottom of their hearts. This is a kind of ability in itself, and no one can replace it."

Kita Shinsuke listened to what she said quietly.

The girl's voice was gentle and sweet, like a gurgling spring flowing slowly in the summer, soothing the anxiety and uneasiness that suddenly arose in her heart.

Kita Shinsuke often feels that he is a mortal who has strayed into a feast of exceptionally talented monsters, and he still feels that way today.

The feast of monsters was not difficult to endure, but even Kita Shinsuke would occasionally feel a moment of hesitation.

But that was only for a moment. His core was very stable. Even a moment of hesitation would not affect his ascetic-like persistence in doing what he should do every day. This was also the reason why he made no mistakes on the court.

And now, in the monsters' feast, a gentle and beautiful fairy appeared.

Her appearance was like a warm breeze.

She will understand your soul deeply, feel your emotions firsthand, and use beautiful and sincere words to soothe the anxiety and uneasiness that arise in your heart for a moment.

Whether it is a monster or a mortal, it is hard not to be fascinated by this.

The boy lowered his eyes slightly and saw his reflection clearly on the polished wooden floor of the gym.

[Kitanosuke, Favorability +6.]

Kurikawa Sana: "!!!"

What happened? The North Team’s favorability has exceeded 90!

"Thank you, Sana."

Kita Shinsuke said softly.

Thank you for coming to Inarizaki and being with us.

…

*

The third day of training for the summer camp is over.

Everyone was already on their way to the cafeteria for lunch when Kurikawa Sana suddenly remembered something and said, "Sorry, everyone, please go to the cafeteria first. I forgot something and need to go back to get it."

Gong You leaned closer to her, "What did you forget? I can go back and get it for you."

"Hmm...it's my phone. I'm not sure where I dropped it, so I'll have to go back and look for it to find out."

"Is that so?" Miyaji turned around and said, "Then I'll get you some food first. If you go to the cafeteria late, there won't be much left."

Kurikawa Sana nodded, "Thank you, Osamu!"

…

But when she rushed back to the gymnasium, Kurikawa Sana saw an unexpected scene——

All kidding aside, there was a 6'85" owl hiding under the table.

The boy with black and white gradient upturned hair curled himself up and sat under the desk at the scoring area in the gymnasium. He hugged his legs with his hands and buried his face in his knees.

The long black knee pads that were originally at the base of his thighs were either taken off or slid down to his ankles, revealing the boy's fair skin and well-defined thighs.

The boy's tall stature and strong muscles formed a sharp contrast with the pitiful way he huddled under the desk. It seemed as if he had entered passive mode again.

"...Bokuto-kun?"

Kurikawa Sana walked to the desk and called him softly.

The boy slowly raised his head, his eyes confused, "...Sanana?"

Kurikawa Sana nodded, slowly leaned down, and looked him in the eye. "It's me, what's wrong with Kousa-kun? Aren't you going to eat?"

Koutarou was lost in thought. "I don't have an appetite. I lost today's training match. I'm a useless ace and don't deserve to eat..."

Kurikawa Sana: "..."

Oh, I almost forgot. Inarizaki won the training match between Inazaki and Owlaya today.

"But didn't Kurosaurus win the match against our team yesterday?" Kurikawa Sana couldn't help but wonder, "It's normal to win and lose in training matches. Besides, didn't Owl Valley win all the other practice matches besides the one against Inarizaki?"

Bokuto Kotaro shook his head, "It's different. In the match we won yesterday, the silver one of the Miya brothers didn't play."

Kurikawa Sana was silent for a moment.

The silver one... Such an easy-to-understand explanation. Miyaji did miss yesterday's training match due to abdominal pain, but why does Kuroo care so much about this?

"Didn't I ask Sanana before? Is it because the Miya brothers are so strong that you chose Inarizaki High School in Kansai...even though you don't have a Kansai accent at all?"

Koutarou Bokuto said hoarsely, "Now I have confirmed that the Gong brothers are indeed very strong. At least when the two of them are combined, they are very strong."

"Before the training session is over, I will definitely defeat them completely."

Kurikawa Sana was stunned.

Is that so? It turns out Wood Rabbit has been secretly competing with Gemini, which is why they are in particularly negative mode today, shrinking under the table.

Kurikawa Sana laughed and coaxed him, "You have to eat a full meal before playing the game, right? If you don't go to the cafeteria now, there will be no dinner."

"...But I still want to practice." Koutarou Bokuto curled his lips, "While Brother Gong was eating, I practiced dozens more spikes and became stronger."

Kurikawa Sana: “Pfft…”

No, hold it in, don’t laugh.

"Then we have to get out of here first." Kurikawa Sana shifted her eyes. Kuroo's long black knee pads fell to his ankles, forming a new absolute territory for his thigh muscles. It was a foul, definitely a foul.

"Hmm..." Koutarou Kyuuba tried to get up and leave, but found that the desk was too small and his body was too big. He was stuck when he tried to get up. The boy's expression instantly changed to one full of wisdom in his eyes.

"Sana-chan, I'm stuck..."

"puff……"

No, she couldn't help it anymore. Kurikawa Sana smiled and stretched out her hand to him, "Are you an idiot? You're already in your third year of high school and you still like to hide under your desk."

"But it's cute."

Looking at the girl's bright smile at close range, Koutarou Kyuu was stunned.

After a while, he took the hand the girl handed over with one hand, and lifted the entire desk with the other hand and stood up again.

Kurikawa Sana: "!!!"

Wow, you can come out like this!

"Well, does Kyuuba-kun really want to practice spiking?" Kurikawa Sana turned her head and glanced at the scene in the gymnasium and the sky outside the window that was gradually darkening.

Koutarou Koutarou nodded firmly.

"I understand." The girl gently let go of his hand.

Koutarou Kousa's pupils contracted for a moment as he watched her turn around and run out the door.

Ah, Sanana left.

...It's not surprising. After all, it's already this late, she must be eating. Koutarou imagined that if she was hungry and uncomfortable, he would also be uncomfortable.

But when she really left, for some reason, Koutarou Koutarou felt another kind of discomfort in his heart.

So contradictory...

After looking silently at the door for a while, Koutarou Kuteiro lowered his eyes, bent down, picked up a lonely yellow and blue volleyball on the ground in the venue, threw it high up - then jumped and smashed the ball hard.

Over and over again, Koutarou tossed the ball to himself and then spiked it. Like the only volleyball left on the ground, he was alone.

Koutarou Koutarou suddenly remembered that when he was in junior high school, his teammates always commented that he was "too passionate" and "too serious", and they always complained about being assigned to train in the same group with him.

Everyone said, "I don't want to team up with Kyuuba!" and "Kyuuba Kotaro will be exhausted if he meets him."

The most memorable time was when the club was running outdoors. He turned around and wanted to tell everyone "There are only three laps left" and "Let's cheer together" - but there was no one behind him.

On the huge and wide road, all the teammates disappeared.

They all took the shortcut.

He was stunned for a while, and finally ran the rest of the distance alone.

…

His thoughts returned, and he took another powerful leap and hit a smash. Koutarou raised his head, panting, and was about to bend down again to pick up the ball and toss it to himself when—

Within his field of vision, a yellow-blue volleyball suddenly appeared in the air, drew a graceful arc, and passed in front of and above him.

Who had tipped the ball for him? Koutarou was completely stunned.

But the moment he saw the ball, his muscle memory was faster than his thoughts. He bent his knees and jumped up with all his strength. It was as if wings had grown from his back, and he leaped high into the air.

With a "bang" sound, the ball hit the opposite court with a perfect straight shot.

Koutarou Koutarou landed on the ground and turned back in surprise towards the direction the ball came from.

Then, what came into view was——the black-haired girl whom he had thought had left.

She pushed two carts full of volleyballs back to the gymnasium, which was already empty except for him, and waved at him with a smile.

"I went to the equipment room and borrowed two full carts of balls! I can practice spiking with Konnosuke!"

The lights of the gymnasium fell on the girl's smiling face, making her look beautiful and dazzling.

“…”

Koutarou Koutarou stood there in a daze.

In a trance, the scene before his eyes seemed to transform into the road he took during outdoor running training in junior high school.

When he turned around that year, there was no one behind him, but now, he saw the figure of a black-haired girl.

Amidst the swaying shadows of the trees, she seemed to be standing behind him, where he could see her if he turned around, and she gave him a bright smile.

Koutarou Koutarou stared at her in a daze.

"But wasn't that dribbling I did just normal? Do I need to adjust the height? If so, you can tell me..."

Before Kurikawa Sana could finish her words, she saw a tall boy rushing towards her.

Then he hugged her tightly.

[Kutaro Kotaro, favorability +7. 】

...Huh?

Kurikawa Sana was also stunned.

Kurooo's favorability has also exceeded 90.

…

Koutarou Koutarou lowered his head and hugged her. Kurikawa Sana couldn't see his expression, but she only felt him holding her waist tightly and tightening the hug.

The boy's entire body was incredibly hot, and his aura seemed to have suddenly changed, like some kind of raptor attacking fiercely.

"Sanana..." His voice became hoarse and difficult to understand.

Kurikawa Sana blushed.

Aren’t we going to practice spiking?

Why are you pushing so hard?!

Press, press, press...it's pressing on her ahh ...