[46] Grade 11: National Youth Team Intensive Training Camp
The noise in the cafeteria gradually subsided, and most of the contestants had finished their meals.
"Imadegawa!"
Suddenly, the wooden rabbit slapped its hands together, its elbows slamming heavily on the table, and its upper body almost crossed the table.
"Let's play a 3v3 game tonight!" Wood Rabbit said eagerly. "I really want to try your ball-handling skills!"
He gestured excitedly, "That move of yours—it was so cool! It felt so good!!!"
The man sitting at the corner table with them twitched his ears, his chopsticks hovering in mid-air, clearly eavesdropping on the conversation.
"I also want to keep the kind you entrusted to Wei Bai—"
"don't want."
Imaizuchi's refusal came even faster than the last syllable of the wooden rabbit.
He was using the tips of his chopsticks to arrange the last piece of pickled radish into a neat triangle, without even lifting his eyelashes.
Iizuna and Kiryu, who was sitting opposite them, exchanged a silent glance.
—She seems like a gentle and easy-going type, but she's quick to refuse people without any hesitation.
—You really can't judge a book by its cover.
"Huh? Why—" Wood Rabbit wilted instantly, like a big owl that had been doused with cold water, losing all its luster.
"Bokuto-san, there can be no extra sparring tonight. The coach specifically emphasized that we must strictly adhere to the schedule." Imadegawa gave an apologetic smile.
Wooden Rabbit slumped dejectedly onto the table: "Just one game... even fifteen minutes would be fine..."
"The new group assignments will be announced tomorrow. We'll be on the same team sooner or later," Imadegawa said reassuringly. "Then..."
Before he could finish speaking, Bokuto sat up straight, his eyes shining brightly: "When we're on the same team, I'm going to dunk that super-fast flat drive you gave to Ooshiro this afternoon! And that super cross-court shot you used when you teamed up with Ushijima!"
The owl slammed its hand on the table, making everything on it shake, and everyone sitting at the table looked over.
"Oh right! I also need to try your move—the 'Time Stop' ball you gave Ushijima Shiro!!!"
Imadegawa reached out and steadied the wobbly cup of the wooden rabbit: "Okay, let's try them all."
"Owls really do have a lot of energy~" Tendo said, resting his chin on his hand.
Sitting to the left of the wooden rabbit, Wei Bai silently straightened the tilted plate: "..."
Niu Dao, who was focused on eating, finished his meal first while the others chatted, thus avoiding the upheaval caused by Mu Tu.
The taciturn Aoyagi also appeared.
Before Bokuto could even slam his fist on the table, Saotome swiftly picked up her own yogurt and Imadegawa's yogurt.
The only unlucky ones affected by this shockwave were Iizuna and Kiryu, who were sitting in the far corner.
Startled by the sudden shout, Kiryu's wrist trembled, and the pickled radish between his chopsticks traced an arc in the air—
Izuna watched helplessly as the piece of radish landed squarely in his miso soup, the splashing broth leaving a few dark brown stains on the rest of his food.
Iizuna slowly raised his head: "Kiryu..."
"Feel sorry."
Kiryu quietly moved his plate half an inch in the opposite direction.
——————
The moonlight, like the waters of the Milky Way, poured onto the ground, bathing everything in a hazy silver glow.
(kBTI) The little chubby bird flew in front of Imadegawa, chattering away and explaining the plot of the melodramatic drama he had watched that afternoon in Imadegawa's mind through radio waves.
Jin Chuchuan occasionally responded to it in his mind, indicating that he was listening.
Turning a corner in the corridor, a familiar color block suddenly appeared in Yu Guangzhong's "Imaichi Chuan".
Now, as I leave Sichuan, I turn around to look.
Qingliu sat quietly on the steps not far away, the moonlight outlining his tense back.
"Mio?"
Jin Chuchuan called out softly, his voice exceptionally clear in the night.
The little chubby bird closed its sharp beak, flew back from the front, and quietly landed on Imadegawa's shoulder.
Aoyagi, lost in his own thoughts, was brought back to his senses by this voice.
As he turned around, the moonlight swept across his slightly pale face, illuminating a pair of dazed eyes.
"...Evening Crane".
His response was so soft it was almost carried away by the night breeze.
Imadegawa descended the steps slowly, the fabric of his clothes rustling softly with each movement, the only sound breaking the silence of the place.
The golden-eyed boy sat down next to the black-haired boy.
The Tokyo night breeze carried the coolness of autumn, gently brushing against their hair. In the distance, the city lights flickered like scattered stars in the night.
Not long ago, Aoyagi had pulled Imadekawa's head into his arms.
At this moment, the roles have quietly been reversed.
Aoyagi slowly lowered her head and gently rested it on Imadegawa's knees, her raven-black hair gleaming faintly in the moonlight.
"My performance today..." Aoyagi's muffled voice came from below, as if it were drifting from a great distance, "wasn't it terrible?"
Despite being selected for the national youth training camp along with Imadegawa and Saotome, he always fell short.
In just a few short practice matches, Aoyagi noticed that the national youth team coach's gaze slowly drifted away from him.
Coach Jinshan actually prefers Tiantong Jue, who has physical weaknesses, to him.
Coach Kaneyama has been showing increasing appreciation for Imadegawa and Saotome.
...Perhaps he really was the superfluous one.
Always acting like this, always letting emotions control her and unable to fully cooperate, always dragging others down because of her personality...
Your timidity must be very troubling to everyone.
Once he left the safe haven of Crane Cry Pavilion, he seemed unable to do anything right.
...Can he really continue down the path of volleyball?
...Will we really not be abandoned again?
......
The night breeze rustled through the treetops.
Imaichikawa gently stroked Aoyuki's hair.
Like her name, Aoyagi Mio's hair was delicate and fragile, always stirring up a stream of sensitive thoughts in her mind.
"Don't be afraid."
His voice, soft yet deep, fell into the night between the two of them.
"This is a new beginning."
"The nets that once trapped you have long since been cut by you."
In the distance, the rustling of leaves could be heard, and moonlight flowed like a river on the stone steps.
Imadegawa's fingers gently ran through Aoyuki's hair, as if combing the restless feathers of a small bird.
"We will always be your support."
His words sank into the night, then rose again with starlight.
"You must remember—"
"You are the most precious being."
The warmth emanating from Xihe's palm seemed to dispel all unease.
Aoyagi slowly closed her eyes.
……yes.
...I'm an SSR.
...I am an SSR that will never be abandoned.
In this peaceful tranquility, Aoyagi, with her face buried in Imadegawa's lap, calmly felt the gentle caress on her hair.
At this moment, Aoyagi's mind was completely blank; he wasn't thinking about anything.
—Let it stay like this forever.
.
Leaving Sichuan now, I sigh silently.
But Aoyagi Mio—
Like his surname, he is like the new shoots of a willow tree breaking through the harsh winter in early spring, soft yet resilient.
The willow tree will raise its branches in the spring breeze, and the green willow will also take advantage of the spring breeze to organize its life in an orderly manner.
.
Imaichi looked up and met Saotome's gaze as she stood by the window.
Saotome subconsciously turned her face away.
After turning his face away, he felt awkward, so he quickly turned back and looked at Imadegawa again.
Imadekawa's eyebrows are slightly curved.
Even from a great distance, Saotome made her usual snorting expression.
The smile in Imadekawa's eyes deepened.
Finally, the pink-haired boy silently and gently drew the curtains.
——————
"strangeness."
Coach Jinshan kept his eyes fixed on Aoyagi, who was practicing on the field.
The black-haired boy was currently cooperating with his temporary teammate to complete a double block, his movements were so smooth that they were unlike the boy who was always a beat slow yesterday.
"—Aoyagi's wariness of unfamiliar teammates has decreased."
"Is it because of the setter? Was he affected by Izuna's organizational skills?" The assistant coach flipped through the data records.
Coach Jinshan slowly shook his head: "No, it's not just the setter; his coordination with the other unfamiliar teammates has also improved."
The offensive and defensive transitions on the court continue.
Aoyagi darted forward and quickly formed a three-man block with two teammates he didn't know at all.
The moment he successfully blocked the shot, he instinctively turned to look at his teammates.
This action caused the coaching staff on the sidelines to raise their eyebrows in surprise.
"Compared to yesterday's double and triple blocking statistics..." The assistant coach suddenly stopped. "Wait, when did he learn to communicate with unfamiliar teammates using eye contact?"
"—He seemed like a very introverted child yesterday???"
Coach Jinshan didn't care about the reasons for Aoyagi's change; he only cared about the results.
"It took me a day to overcome my wariness of unfamiliar teammates and rediscover the best form I had when I partnered with Imadegawa."
Coach Jinshan exclaimed, "He's definitely a promising talent for volleyball!"
"His mental fortitude is quite good," the assistant coach said. "I originally thought his sensitive personality would hold him back."
"His sensitive personality didn't hold him back; on the contrary, it forged his unique defensive talent." Coach Jinshan tapped his finger lightly on the data book. "Unlike Tendo's intuitive blocking, Aoyagi's blocking is—"
“Perception-based,” the assistant coach added, “like being able to anticipate subtle changes in the air.”
Coach Jinshan nodded slightly, his gaze following the quiet figure on the field.
Aoyagi was tilting his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the attacker opposite him.
"Did you see that?" Coach Jinshan pointed to the court with his pen. "When the opposing main attacker just made his spike motion, his toes had already adjusted their direction."
That wasn't an outburst of instinct like a wild beast, but rather a perception that, like a willow branch feeling the spring breeze, absorbed every subtle movement of its opponent.
The volleyball whistled through the air and came flying towards the court. Qingliu's arm rose as flexibly as a willow branch, and he blocked the ball back steadily at the perfect time and position.
"Moreover, he senses not only the opposing half of the court, but also his own half," Coach Jinshan pointed out again.
The assistant coach quickly took notes.
When setter Iitsuna made the pass signal, Aoyagi's position naturally created the best attacking route for the attacker.
While his teammates were still judging where the ball would land, Aoyagi's arm was already raised—not to catch the ball, but to slightly turn his body to create a subtle gap, as if he had already anticipated the movement of his teammates behind him.
"This is the talent of the perception type."
Coach Jinshan drew a red triangle after Qingliu's name.
"He can read the intentions of everyone on the field without saying a word."
————————
I'm taking a deep breath of fresh air from my little ones' paws to replenish my energy (it's only Tuesday, ugh!). Even though I've been working overtime for two days, I still managed to squeeze in this chapter—I'll reply to the comments later when I get home—
This chapter is basically Xiaoxu's showdown—it's strange, I thought Xiaoxu had already evolved completely after the battle at Shiratorizawa, but writing this, I realized that Xiaoxu is actually still a step away from a complete breakthrough. The sensitive Xiaoxu has been hiding in the comfort zone of the Crane Pavilion, never tentatively reaching out to the outside world. Xiaoxun's comfort reassured him that he wouldn't be abandoned, that there was always a way out. (Actually, he knew in his heart that he wouldn't be abandoned, but he still needed a truly spoken affirmation to break through this hurdle.)
Xiao Xu is still socially awkward, but on the court he can use his intuition to cooperate with unfamiliar teammates and is no longer particularly resistant to strangers.
Xiaoxu is still a step behind Xiaoqian; Xiaoqian has already fully evolved, hehe. But Xiaoqian, who's secretly worried about Xiaoxu, is such a good baby! So cute!
(whispering) I'm actually quite satisfied with this chapter!!! I've read it over and over again after finishing it (self-indulgent). I think it captured the wonderful relationship between Xiaohe and her teammates—Xiaohe is very controlling, but also very gentle!
The atmosphere at Tsurumeikan won't be exactly like a typical high school with its sunny, energetic, and lively male students. The relationships between team members might lean towards the dynamics of a regular school, but everyone (including those outside the volleyball club) sees Tsurumei as a savior, since he's their anchor. They might joke around with him, but in reality, they have immense respect (? reverence? adoration? adoration?).
Among the volleyball club's SSR members, Koyuki, Chihiro, and Minato are the closest to Tsuru and are the ones Tsuru values most, so their dependence on them is stronger. Koyuki is the most sensitive and dependent on Tsuru among them.
(He's rambling on and on again.) (When will I be able to stop rambling on and on?)
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