Chapter 155 Oudai 1 Irie Shoichi and Yachi Hitoka...

As Irie Shoichi and Yachi Hitoka placed the emergency medical kit next to the coach's bench and checked the contents to ensure they were complete, he looked up and saw Sawada Tsunayoshi carrying Hyuga towards them with a somber expression.

That's right, it's carried.

Hyuga was still struggling and saying that nothing was wrong, but Tsuna's face was expressionless.

"Please cooperate, Xiao Xiang."

He spoke kind and friendly words, but his actions betrayed them completely. The long-legged, tall leader grabbed his childhood friend and took a few strides, shoving a sullen little crow in front of Irie Masakazu.

"Seiichi-kun, Sho seems to have a fever!"

His tone revealed a hint of anxiety; he only showed his unease in front of his friend.

Irie Shoichi looked at Hyuga's relatively normal complexion, but he still took out a thermometer from the medical kit. Tsuna-kun wouldn't lie about important matters, well, at least not to him.

"Xiao Xiang, let's take your measurements. Wouldn't it be best if there were no problems?"

After finishing his sentence, Sawada Tsunayoshi went to comfort his childhood friend. He knew that his friend definitely didn't want to see him leave the game because of his illness, but Tsunayoshi couldn't bear to watch his good friend play the game while he was sick.

Hinata didn't feel unwell at the moment, so he took the thermometer, but when he thought of Sawada Tsunayoshi's almost never-wrong intuition, his palms couldn't help but tremble.

Seeing their commotion, the others also gathered around. Kageyama frowned.

"Hyuga has a fever?"

Hinata can't stand hearing people say this right now, her eyes widened.

"I didn't!"

But the match started quickly. Ukai was unsure of himself. Seeing that Irie Shoichi was a little more at ease, he signaled the others in Ukai to warm up quickly and not to huddle together.

In the end, only the coach, and Kageyama and Tsunayoshi, who were unwilling to leave, stayed behind to wait for the temperature to come out.

Their unusual behavior also attracted the attention of others in the stands. Tanaka Saeko gripped the railing, her tone tinged with unease.

"What happened to Hinata?!"

Yuuji Tenma, with his sharp eyesight, frowned. "They're taking Xiangyang's temperature."

"Hyuga has a fever!?"

The news quickly reached Nekoma, and Kenma and Kuroo stood together by the stands. Looking up at Hinata, who was being held down in a chair, he didn't seem to have many signs of illness.

Yoru Eisuke comforted them, "Maybe Hyuga isn't seriously injured."

Besides, this is the quarterfinals, and if Hyuga can't play...

Even Nekoma couldn't imagine the consequences of this. Kuroo Tetsuro sighed heavily, "So many disasters."

Even those on the Oudai side couldn't ignore the commotion here. Sawada Tsunayoshi looked so nervous that it seemed like he was sick, while Hinata was still smiling and saying that he was fine.

Sawada Tsunayoshi thought to himself that he was worrying too much and that it would affect his childhood friend. He looked away and saw Kageyama with that expression for the first time. He and Sho were partners, and he felt the same way when they encountered this situation.

"Beep—"

The mechanical beep of the thermometer sounded like a warning bell announcing whether the Sword of Damocles had fallen. They watched with bated breath as Irie Shoichi took the thermometer, managing to steady himself despite being watched by so many.

"37.0℃, we measured it under the armpit, and said it was a low-grade fever, but this temperature is normal after exercise. My suggestion is to observe it for a while."

Upon hearing this, Hinata immediately became anxious, "The match is about to start, I need to warm up now!"

Sawada Tsunayoshi and Irie Shoichi exchanged a wry look; they knew this would happen.

Ukai's brow remained furrowed, as if he were deep in thought. He called Irie Masakazu aside, presumably to ask about the specifics.

No one dared to guarantee Hinata's participation. Hinata pursed his lips and tugged at Sawada Tsunayoshi's sleeve.

"Xiao Gang, I really can play."

His eyes were pleading. Sawada Tsunayoshi couldn't stand seeing his family and friends look at him like that, and for a moment he almost agreed, but his reason held him back.

"We'll wait for the coaches to discuss it."

In this situation, it's definitely best to listen to the advice of professionals.

Kageyama opened his mouth, but ultimately waited for the coaches to speak. Soon after, Ukai Keishin came over.

"Hyuga, go warm up first,"

Before he could finish speaking, Hinata jumped up and cheered. Seeing his energy, Ukai's tense mood eased a little, but he continued...

"Don't push yourself too hard in the first round. If you feel unwell, step down immediately. Kageyama and Sawada, keep an eye on him."

After all, it's hard to determine whether Hinata has a fever in her current condition. Let's test the waters first. If her temperature doesn't rise, that would be best. But if her temperature continues to rise, they won't be able to take Hinata to the infirmary.

"Xiao Xiang, drink this."

Irie Shoichi and Yachi Hitoshi fetched some hot water and found some fever-reducing medicine that athletes could take. This time, Hyuga didn't refuse and obediently drank the medicine, even making faces at the two guys who seemed to have a deep grudge against each other.

"It's so bitter."

Sawada Tsunayoshi instinctively reached into his bag to take out some candy and hand it over, then realized that sick people shouldn't eat candy. He ruffled his childhood friend's hair.

"You can't force yourself."

Hinata nodded very perfunctorily.

Well, even if Hinata told them, they wouldn't believe him. Sawada Tsunayoshi and Kageyama exchanged a glance and decided to keep a close eye on Hinata in the first round.

After drinking the potion, Hinata went to warm up. The commentators seemed to be observing Hinata's condition and could tell that he would continue to play. They continued reading the original script.

The commentator paused for a moment as the two smallest contestants in the competition faced off; even he didn't want to miss it.

This time, Irie Shoichi did not return to the stands with Yachi Hitoka and Chrome, but stayed on the sidelines in place of Shimizu Kiyoko. This reassured Ukai Keishi quite a bit, since the other party was, after all, a medical professional, and could quickly respond to any emergencies.

Irie Shoichi didn't go back, and the others realized that something had indeed happened down there, so they grabbed the three girls who had gone up and asked them questions.

After explaining the situation to everyone, the group of people who had gathered around, including Yinju, sighed and returned to their seats.

"I hope it's just a false alarm," Kuroo Tetsuro muttered to himself.

This time, Momo's gaze didn't leave the field. "Shohoku's training intensity is too high."

The loss of moisture and salt undoubtedly burdened and posed a threat to this small man with immense energy. He looked at Hyuga, who was currently fine.

"I hope he's alright."

In the match against Outai, this small player, who shoulders a heavy responsibility, is destined to have no rest and will have to continuously squeeze out the energy in his body to bring victory to the team.

"Hyuga broke through the two-meter-high wall with a clever move!"

The first goal, once again scored by this small player, reaffirmed Karasuno's dominance in the air.

Hoshino Hikari's eyes widened. "So fast!"

Along with his excellent net play, Hyuga also possesses incredible speed and agility, and his freakish fast attack continues to deliver.

Sawada Tsunayoshi's lips curled into a smile; the joy of scoring overshadowed his worries.

"Xiao Xiang's net play is getting better and better."

After Hyuga finished speaking to the person opposite him with his hands on his hips, he happily high-fived his childhood friend, his burning palm pricking Tsunayoshi.

"After all, I've secretly practiced with Hyakuzawa." He said mysteriously. Sawada Tsunayoshi knew that Hyakuzawa was a two-meter-tall guy from Kadokawa Academy. Wait, when did these two become friends?

Kageyama kept turning back, "Secretly practicing extra?"

Hinata said he was truly wronged; he had simply added the other person as a friend and occasionally met up at the gym on weekends.

Can playing volleyball really be called training?

Therefore, it cannot be considered extra practice!

He goes home on weekends, so Sawada Tsunayoshi doesn't really know what Hinata does on weekends. He thought Hinata would be at home with his family, but now it seems that's not what he thought.

While Ogai was stunned by the goal, Karasuno was not. Everyone cheered and applauded the athletes in unison, and the surprised expressions on the other side made them happy.

"That last shot was a three-man block." Kageyama looked away, and Sawada Tsunayoshi nodded.

"They reacted quickly; although it was their first time seeing him, they kept up with Xiao Xiang's speed."

Seeing that Kageyama was somewhat silent, Sawada Tsunayoshi continued,

"It's okay, Xiao Xiang has more than just speed as an advantage."

Even with their tight defenses, Hyuga Shoyo will find his own way to break through that impenetrable wall.

Kageyama nodded and stepped up to serve.

Sawada Tsunayoshi stretched his ankles, sensing that he would probably have to run more times than usual today.

The ball was received by the other side, but Karasuno also organized a three-man block. Hoshino Koki was inspired by Hinata's previous ball and, despite his small stature, he jumped over several taller players and spiked the ball!

Sawada Tsunayoshi stared blankly as the ball fell, as if he saw in that ball the same aggressive desire as Hyuga Shoyo.

Hinata first looked at his hand, which hadn't even touched the edge of the ball, then laughed happily. It was so satisfying!

"These two little giants have proven their scoring ability with a point each!" The commentator watched as Karasuno and Ogai took turns winning their opponents' service games, "They were already very hot-tempered at the beginning."

Then Ogata made a service error, giving Karasuno an opportunity. Hyuga rushed out, but Sawada Tsunayoshi's eyelids twitched, and he didn't move.

Kageyama would use Hinata as bait when Hinata was attracting everyone's attention, and Sawada Tsunayoshi knew this.

He guessed that Xiao Xiang would be the bait for this ball. It was not surprising that Sawada Tsunayoshi could figure it out, but the opponent's block did not come out.

Tanaka's spike was blocked by the opponent, and everyone held their breath. Hirugami Yukiro, the core of Omodai's blocking, and Sawada Tsunayoshi thought that he was even more troublesome than Kuro-senpai.

"Orodai blocked—no! Sawada saved the ball! Hyuga jumps again! Spike and score!!"

Seeing the shocked look coming from the other side, Sawada Tsunayoshi started to lose focus. After all, he had been outmaneuvered by Kuro-senpai so many times, and he had practiced receiving the ball after being blocked with Nishino-senpai for a long time.

"Perfect teamwork!" the commentator exclaimed, praising the play.

Whether it was the perfect prediction by the Day God, the remedy by Sawada Tsunayoshi, or the rapid follow-up by Hyuga, every aspect was terrifyingly excellent.

As Tanaka served, Sawada Tsunayoshi had a better idea of ​​what to expect. Last night, when Masakazu introduced them to Ogata, he specifically mentioned that their blocking was a combination, not individual play.

Xiao Xiang's speed worked once or twice, but it couldn't be effective indefinitely. And now Xiao Xiang was carrying a hidden debuff of fever. When Ying Shan looked at him, he nodded slightly, indicating that he knew what to do next.

The ball went around in another game, and both sides had a basic understanding of each other's strengths. Soon it was Hyuga's turn to serve, and Hyuga stood in the serving position with the ball in his arms.

Thinking about the mistake made by Hoshino Kōra earlier, Hyuga did not choose to serve conservatively. He went to Italy to practice serving with Luis and others, and also consulted with Tsuna. He was not just trying to play it safe on the court and get the ball over the net.

He needs to score!

With this thought in mind, Hinata jumped high into the air.

Grinding was still complaining about Kuroo making Tsukishima have a match between blocking shots, but upon seeing this, he sat up straight.

"He didn't use jump serves much in previous matches."

After watching for a while, the ball safely cleared the net, flying powerfully towards the right rear. He said confidently.

"Shoyo can serve with a jump serve; he didn't use it before on purpose."

His occasional ambiguous serves were just to confuse them and make them wonder if his serve consistency wasn't high enough, so they didn't use it much. Now it's clear that it was all an act.

"It's no use competing against us, they're too good at putting on airs." Kuroo Tetsuro couldn't help but grit his teeth, wondering what was causing this familiar anger.

Tsukishima pinches his fingers, just like how the opposing team checks who the setter will pass to in order to determine if the ball will be spiked by Hyuga. He stays calm and waits until he makes a judgment before blocking. This is a major reason why Tsukishima has a high blocking success rate.

Hyuga was in the backcourt when his serve was served, and he was substituted after the opposing team finished. Sawada Tsunayoshi and Tsukishima stood at the net, and he heard the opponent ask him...

What do you think of number five on the other side?

Hoshino Hikaru, this guy Sawada Tsunayoshi knows all too well, "Hmm, very strong?"

Time was short, and he couldn't possibly give Tsukishima a long explanation, so Tsukishima didn't say much either.

"Although it is very strong, as long as you seize the right opportunity, there is nothing to be afraid of."

After saying that, the opponent immediately blocked and scored with Tsuna.

Sawada Tsunayoshi: ? ! !

You're the scary one!

Once again marveling at the terrifying strength of his teammates, Tsuna thought to himself that he was indeed just an ordinary person in the team. Then, he casually hooked the ball that was falling from the opposite block with his foot and passed it to Kageyama.

There were short guys on both sides of the net, just like the guys who weren't too shocked by Hinata, well, their speed was still surprising. Why didn't this guy go for a sprint!

Tsukishima also received good treatment from Hoshina Koki.

He rubbed his fingertips again, seeing that Hoshino had rotated to the back of the net. Ignoring his teammate who was telling lame jokes, if it were Hinata, he would probably be preparing to hit the ball out of bounds.

Although his fingers were trained by Hyuga and Sawada Tsunayoshi, who was strong but thought it was more effective to hit someone out of bounds, he was prone to injury if his hand gestures were slightly incorrect.

"Should I wrap your fingers around?" Tsunayoshi asked.

Tsukishima shook his head. "It's acceptable now." In other words, the time isn't right yet.

After listening to Tsukishima's theory of timing, Tsuna felt that he understood a little bit about it.

"If Hyuga uses a borrowed attack, how would you handle it?"

Sawada Tsunayoshi found it strange. Tsukishima had clearly observed it himself, but today he kept coming to ask for his opinion. Could it be that he was provoked by the little guy on the other side?

Could the usually composed blocker really be provoked? Tsuna was skeptical.

As expected, Hoshino Kōrai kept his eyes fixed on Tsukishima's fingertip. As the ball flew past overhead, Tsukishima suddenly pulled his finger back.

The ball flew towards the backcourt, and Tanaka, after running a few steps, also stopped.

"Out of bounds!"

Tsukishima laughed again.

"If Sho wants to borrow your hand, just pull your hand back and don't let him." Sawada Tsunayoshi said this very experiencedly.

He's afraid of pain; it hurts so much when his fingertips get rubbed. Even without his super intuition, Sawada Tsunayoshi would have developed a way to avoid hitting the ball out of bounds. If it were Hyuga who hit that ball just now, he would have even changed his spiking posture when Tsukishima showed signs of pulling back, and switched to a solid, powerful spiking.

After all, Tsukishima's withdrawal was quite obvious, and it probably couldn't fool Hyuga's eyes, Sawada Tsunayoshi commented in his mind.

Hoshino Hikari rubbed her face. "It's not just that he's short, it's like he can read my mind!"

Tsukishima was disgusted by this claim and was even reluctant to refute it.

"If you have a teammate who likes to dart around the net, you'll get used to it."

Despite his cold laugh, Zhou Shen suddenly felt empathy. This kind of skill, which wasn't acquired through learning but solely through the torment of teammates, wasn't so easy to obtain.

He looked at Sawada Tsunayoshi. Just now, Tsukishima was talking to the other person, and he thought the other person was good at receiving the ball. Could it be that he is also very good at the net?

But the truth is that Sawada Tsunayoshi's precision shot isn't actually that good. His ability to hit out of bounds is purely because he's also one of the victims of his teammates' abuse. Sho started figuring out this move in elementary school, and Tsunayoshi has been working on it since he was a child.

After all, Hyuga has now developed drop shots, cross-court shots, and various other techniques. Since these don't hurt too much, Sawada Tsunayoshi has been lazy and hasn't practiced them.

Lack of time to practice is also a reason.

Sawada Tsunayoshi stepped up to serve, rubbing the volleyball between his fingers. Apart from Kageyama, he, Hyuga, Higashimine-senpai, and Karasuno had a relatively large number of players who could jump serve. No wonder the commentators liked to call Karasuno the fortress of offense.

The fortress is known for its defensive prowess, reminiscent of the tenacious defense of Soundhorse when receiving the ball, but it is equally adept at scoring with spikes.

Of these players, Sawada Tsunayoshi's serve was the most powerful, a stark contrast to his gentle demeanor.

"Bang-!"

Tadashi Yamaguchi rubbed his goosebumps. "I feel like Tsuna is about to smash the ball."

"So violent."

Sawada Tsunayoshi withdrew his hand, and Oudai looked at the indifferent young man. The other party seemed to have no doubt that his shot would score, and his expression did not change at all.

"This is really troublesome." Hoshino Hikaru jumped up and down.

They knew that Sawada Tsunayoshi's serves were powerful, but like Hyuga Kageyama's freakish fast attack, they could only realize how terrifying it was when they faced it in person.

Tsuna rubbed the volleyball again. He was so glad that the ball hadn't gone out of bounds. Pink flowers bloomed in his heart.

The next ball was quickly caught by Hoshino Hikari, but Sawada Tsunayoshi wasn't too surprised and ran back onto the court.

“Hoshino Hikari and you are so alike,” Tsukishima Akimitsu remarked to Uuchi Tenma.

Yuu-Nai Tenma shook his head. "It's different."

"Back then, I thought I was very strong, but Hoshino Hikaru, and even Hyuga, knew long ago that they weren't strong at all."

That's why they work so hard to hone their skills and make themselves more stable on the field.

The first game was a back-and-forth affair, but Karasuno was the first to win.

Even though Karasuno won, Sawada Tsunayoshi didn't look happy. It wasn't so obvious before the match, but now, he stopped Hyuga, not letting him fool him.

"Xiao Xiang, do you know you're struggling to breathe right now?"

Hinata took a deep breath and pretended that nothing was wrong. "I get out of breath easily when I overexert myself."

He actually felt a little dizzy, but he didn't dare to think about it too much.

But how could Sawada Tsunayoshi let the other party off so easily? He once again staged the scene of picking up a chick, and Irie Shoichi gave bad news.

"38.1℃, the temperature has risen, you must go to the infirmary." He gave them an ultimatum.

Just as they were resting, Karasuno felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, while Hyuga immediately jumped up.

"I cannot leave the field!"

They still need to win in Outai, so naturally they can't leave.

Sawada Tsunayoshi saw the determination, even the obsession, in his eyes.

The coach was also at a loss, but playing with a fever would undoubtedly be very dangerous for the athlete's body. He couldn't let Hinata play like that, but Hinata's condition didn't seem like he would leave obediently.

Irie Masakazu handed the problem over to Sawada Tsunayoshi. He didn't doubt Tsunayoshi's decision and believed that the other party could agree to Hyuga's terms.

Sawada Tsunayoshi crouched down, meeting Hinata's gaze. Hinata hesitated for a moment when his childhood friend's honey-colored eyes met, but quickly made up his mind.

"I cannot leave the field."

Tsuna watched as his childhood friend's face flushed red, yet he still refused to leave. It would be a lie to say he wasn't moved, but he wouldn't let Hinata ruin his body.

"Xiao Xiang, do you believe in us?"

Hinata immediately replied, "Of course I believe you! But, but Oodai and the others are very strong..."

Sawada Tsunayoshi smiled at his childhood friend, "Oodai is indeed very strong, so we need you, Sho."

Hinata was somewhat confused. Did this mean they didn't want him to leave the arena?

But Tsunayoshi added, "So Sho, you need to get your fever down quickly. We just won the first game, so even if we lose the next game, we still have a chance. Sho, can you get your fever down in one game? That way, we'll still have a chance to win the match."

Hinata was lifted up. "Okay! Wait, no!"

"Sho, you know you can't play well when you have a fever. We need the complete you." Sawada Tsunayoshi had actually convinced Hyuga.

Ukai immediately followed, "Hyuga, if you go to the infirmary with Irie now, it will take about a game to go there and back. We're all waiting for you."

Kageyama lowered his eyes. "Maybe we'll have won before you come back."

He said this to reassure Hinata not to worry too much.

Hinata stood up. He hadn't felt it before, but now he staggered a bit and realized he couldn't compete. He looked at his childhood friend who was watching him quietly.

"Xiao Gang, I was serious just now. I really trust you."

I trust you.

Sawada Tsunayoshi and Hyuga exchanged a smile. "We'll wait for you to come back."

This was a promise Sawada Tsunayoshi made to Hyuga, and Hyuga was very satisfied. Tsuna had never broken a promise before, so this time, Hyuga believed that his childhood friend would wait for him to return.

Sawada Tsunayoshi watched as Hinata and Shoichi's figures disappeared into the passageway. Unsurprisingly, the stands were filled with people worried about Hinata's physical condition and the match.

But this was the time when he absolutely couldn't show his fear. He turned around, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Everyone, let's give Xiaoxiang a surprise."

Nishitani Yu was the first to agree, "Do you really think that we can't win the game without him because he's so bitter and resentful?"

The atmosphere returned to a relaxed state.

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Author's Note: I promised it would be finished in two or three chapters, and it will be in two or three chapters. I'll try my best to finish writing the Outai competition in one go tomorrow. [Sprinkling flowers]