Junior High School

The training camp has ended, but the training continues.

With the last two weeks of school approaching, the coach required one team member to return to school for daily training, requiring them to be present at school for at least five out of seven training days. The remaining team members were free to arrange their own schedules, but were required to conduct their own physical training.

The coach didn't come to the gym every day to supervise the team, as the training plan was carried out step by step. Hinata Aoi and Sato Daichi agreed to alternate days to assist the team members in training.

When school started in April, Hinata Aoi was still admiring the hard work of her senior female volleyball team members. She didn't expect that in less than half a year, she would also be one of them.

Tobio Kageyama is undoubtedly the most hardworking among the team members. He practices basketball during training and continues to practice basketball after training.

After returning from the training camp, his already high enthusiasm for training became even higher. He didn't even know what summer homework was and just kept practicing.

Hinata Aoi is so hardworking that she can already imagine what a miserable scene it will be when she explains the questions to Kageyama after school starts.

But today was a little different. Kageyama didn't know why he felt a little distracted and kept looking towards the gymnasium entrance.

"Mung Man is helping out at Taekwondo today, so he can't come to train."

"ah?"

Kageyama looked at Kindaichi in confusion, "Yeah, I know."

You know? Then who are you waiting for? You're not even paying attention to the lazy Kunimitsu?

Unexpectedly, apart from his training partner Takeo, who else could make Kageyama so distracted while waiting? Kindaichi put down the volleyball in his hand and went out to buy a drink.

Kunimi Ying tugged at his sweat-soaked shirt and raised his hand to ask Kindaichi to bring him a bottle of cold drink.

"Let's go together."

"Just take him for a while..." After saying this, Kunimi Ying still stood up from the rest seat and left the gymnasium with Kindaichi.

Finally, Kageyama Tobio waited for the coach, walked quickly to the coach, and almost blocked the coach at the entrance of the stadium before he had even taken a few steps in.

"...What's wrong?" Anxious and serious?

Kageyama realized belatedly that he had moved too far forward, and took a step back, bowing respectfully as if to apologize, but in fact he was saying:

"Coach, I want to watch the match between Aoba Johsai and Dateko!"

Seeing such a big fuss, the coach thought Kageyama had made another mistake. He swallowed the words of blame around his lips, thinking that this kid was quite well-informed and it was no big deal for him to go to the game.

If he wasn't here today, Kageyama would have rushed over to watch the game.

But letting Kageyama go to the game alone... wasn't such a small thing.

The coach looked around to find someone to take care of Kageyama, but he didn't see Kindaichi. Instead, he saw Hinata Aoi, who had just finished organizing the data and was about to pick up the ball and take a break.

"Aoi, would you like to accompany Kageyama to watch the game outside of school?"

"A friendly match between Aoba Johsai and Date Industries," the coach added.

Hinata Aoi nodded slowly.

Although she didn't know what kind of accidents would happen if she went out with Kageyama, she had no reason to refuse since it was just a game.

After a few brief instructions, the coach had an inexplicable trust in Hinata Aoi, feeling that she would be able to hold the leash on Kageyama tightly and control him when Kageyama was on top. He watched Kageyama and Hinata Aoi leave the gym with confidence.

Kageyama's face didn't show much happiness, but he was striding forward with big strides as if he was about to fly out, determined to rush to the stadium, but Hinata Aoi stopped him by grabbing the strap of his bag.

"Oh, sorry. How about...how about I run over there carrying you?"

Hinata Aoi could tell that Kageyama was very anxious, and he even came up with this method to speed up the arrival.

"Senior, please don't forget that I can't speak, so you need to take care of me."

After typing this sentence without blushing or beating her heart, Hinata Aoi glanced at the time, and turned her head to signal Kageyama in a running posture.

Kageyama was stunned for two seconds: "Then... run!"

"If you're tired, just tell me and I can carry you."

Not forgetting his previous suggestion, Kageyama showed off his strong biceps as he ran.

Putting aside whether this muscle was used to run with Hinata Aoi on her back, even though she knew that her senior was afraid that she would get tired, Hinata Aoi still felt that she was being looked down upon.

When running, the heartbeat becomes stronger, the blood flows faster, and sweat condenses and flows down. The coolness brought by the air will come back again and make the whole body hot.

The excitement generated by exercise aroused the desire to win even the usually steady Hinata Aoi.

Neither of them gave in to the other, and finally they ran into the gate of the competition venue as if they were racing.

After the exhilarating race comes the exciting competition.

The venue is very large, but there are not many spectators inside. The scattered ones are mainly concentrated in the front rows.

Kageyama rushed to the front row of the fence to look at the scoreboard, and only after seeing that the first game was tied at 2-2 did he steady himself.

Waving her hand to attract Kageyama's attention, Hinata Aoi chose a seat in the middle that was neither too close nor too far away. She waited until Kageyama sat down quietly before taking out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat off his face. At the same time, she thanked the grand venue for turning on the air conditioning in the audience seats.

No wonder several elderly people put down their baskets and sat in the last row to watch the game. There were also a few children climbing up and down the seats, occasionally drawn to the sounds of the game and watching quietly for a while, then climbing up and down again.

Starting with the children taken care of by the elderly can also be considered as a promotion for volleyball.

…

In the passage connecting the stadium gate to the auditorium, the tall black-haired boy would take two steps to urge the young girl behind him who was addicted to PS games.

"It would be better to start working on this after you sit down, right? Grind~"

Kurooo Tetsuro's slightly complaining rant didn't earn even a glance from Yukunran.

The blond boy's words drifted over intermittently as he continued to work:

"...seat...Xiao Hei...wait a minute...there's a boss..."

Helplessly looking at Guzhua Lamo who was silent again, Heiwei resigned himself to his fate and walked forward alone, not interfering with Lamo's rhythm of "sweeping away gangsters and eliminating evil".

"Go straight, do you hear me? You'll find me after you beat this level. Don't get lost alone~"

After hearing the vague response from the boy behind him, Kuroo felt relieved and walked out of the aisle into the audience seats.

A slight coolness instantly soothed every pore tired from the sun, and Kuroo couldn't help but sigh:

“It’s so cool~”

I moved aside to avoid a running child and sat down in the last row.

More than an hour's train ride made them arrive at the venue later than expected. The match between Aoba Johsai and Date Ko was already at the end of the second inning.

Both sides won one and lost one, and there was still a third game to watch, so Kuroo didn't feel like his trip was in vain.

To be precise, they didn't come here specifically to watch the friendly match between Aoba Johsai and Date Industries.

They came specifically to accompany Eto Mika to visit the Sendai Tanabata Festival.

It was Mika who said she wanted to go shopping at the jewelry store in the commercial street with her classmates first, so they would have time to come and watch the game.

Even the news of this game was heard by Mika from somewhere, earlier than Kuroo. She arranged all the schedules in an orderly manner and agreed to meet at the temple fair entrance after the game, go shopping and eat before waiting for the fireworks.

"Xiao Hei..."

After finishing the game level, Guzhua Molu moved sideways to avoid the old man who was walking out after resting, and then walked around the child who was squatting on the ground reinforcing the paper windmill, carefully staying away from everyone, as if he had really passed another level and finally arrived safely beside Kuroo Tielang.

He was already sitting at the outermost edge of the audience because he was afraid that his little friend wouldn't be able to find him, but he didn't expect that Mamoru could be so socially anxious. Kuroo smiled unkindly.

"Xiao Hei!"

"Okay, sorry~ Let's sit forward~"

Lone Claw Grinding, who punched the cotton, didn't realize that he was also a ball of soft cotton, and followed Kuroo to move forward a few rows.

After sitting down and glancing at the playing field, Mo Mo immersed himself in his own game again, playing the role of a competent companion.

Kuroo continued to analyze the situation carefully.

Because it was a friendly match, neither side forced the starting players to continue in the third game, but instead let capable newcomers in the team take the field to test the waters.

Kuroo was watching with great interest. After all, the senior year would soon become a thing of the past, and these new players would be the enemies he would have to face in the future!

Date Ko's style of play is more distinctive than Aoba Johsai's, and they have always emphasized utilizing their players' height. While they lack in other areas, they are known for their consistency and continued improvement.

Aoba Johsai is more inclined to bring out the characteristics and strengths of each team member and does not have a fixed set of rules, so the corresponding training costs are higher.

Neither team could be considered a complete success under their respective styles, and the fight was back-and-forth. The final victory would depend on which team's newcomer integrated better with the team.

Kuroo was eager to try, so he glanced at the game again. When he looked away, he found that the girl sitting in the lower right corner had a vague sense of familiarity.

The straight long black hair - this alone reminded him of his childhood friend who had suddenly disappeared.

Maybe the "shadow" that Mika brought to him was too big. Every time he saw a girl with black hair, Mo Mo couldn't help but pay more attention to her, to see if he was lucky enough to reunite with someone.

At that time, the disappearance of Getsu's family caused a huge sensation, and almost the entire school knew about it.

It is unclear why the TV station stopped following up on the report, but it was enough to leave a shadow, and for a long time parents were afraid to let their children go to and from school by themselves.

Because of that incident, Mika was frightened and took several days off. Mo Mo and Kuroo made an appointment to visit Mika's home together.

The girl's fever had just subsided, her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and her face was flushed from the high fever.

When they came in, they didn't feel shy because they were embarrassed. Instead, a new wave of sadness came over them. They hummed in hoarse voices and a sad expression brewed on their faces, but they couldn't shed a single tear.

Meijia's mother gave masks to her two children and told them not to get too close to each other to avoid being infected with the virus.

As a result, while pouring a glass of water, Mika had already struggled to get up from the bed and hugged her aching arm tightly in her arms.

Kuroo, who was standing by, couldn't find where to start to separate the two people, so he could only frantically pull the grinder in the opposite direction.

"Xiao Kui... Xiao Kui..." No longer in an ambiguous tone, Mika called out her friend's name again and again. Her fever rose again and she was showing signs of having a fever.

The young voice kept murmuring:

"Wu, Xiaokui... I feel so uncomfortable... Xiaokui..."