On the way home, the volleyball team walked in a long line.
At the front were Sugawara Koushi and Sawamura Daichi, followed by Tanaka Ryunosuke and the "Monster" duo, then Hinata, Hyakuzawa, and Ichinose Guren, with Tsukishima Kei and Yamaguchi Tadashi bringing up the rear.
At one point, the front of the line stopped. Guren, Hyakuzawa, and moved forward and overheard some chatter.
However, the small talk didn't last long, and soon the group continued on their way home.
After saying goodbye to the others, the three of them walked together along the five-minute path that led only to their respective homes.
"So, how come you guys are heading this way?"
Hoshino asked, a bit confused. He lived close to Karasuno, but based on their Junior High experience, Hyakuzawa and Guren's homes shouldn't be in this direction.
Guren answered promptly, clearing up Hoshino's confusion.
"Oh, I haven't mentioned it."
"Hyakuzawa and I moved. My father thought it would be better to live near Karasuno High since we're going there."
"So Hyakuzawa and I moved to an apartment nearby."
"Wow, the heirs of big companies… property taxes don't even matter to you, huh?"
Hoshino, accustomed to their extravagant lifestyle, teased them out of habit.
Hyakuzawa quietly explained:
"No need to worry about property tax. We're living in employee housing of the Ichinose Corporation."
Guren added with precision:
"The Ichinose Group brings considerable employment and tax revenue to Miyagi Prefecture, so the local authorities exempt employee housing from property tax."
Hoshino: "Total normie flex!"
After this chat, silence fell for about a minute. Eventually, Hoshino spoke first, scratching his head nervously.
"Hey… when you hear 'Karasuno's Guardian Deity,' what's your first reaction?"
Fortunately, all three were national-level teammates with decent personalities (as long as Guren's hair wasn't tied up). They thought seriously for a moment before answering.
"For me… Daichi and Tanaka-senpai already explained, so my first thought was a senior playing libero with strong receiving skills."
"Similar to Guren, but I also think… if even Tanaka-senpai says he's too passionate, how passionate could he really be?"
Hoshino listened to Guren's answer without much reaction, but Hyakuzawa's response gave him chills.
"Hinata + Tanaka's level of passion?"
"Feels like it'll be a source of teasing for me and Tsukishima."
He laughed, patting the goosebumps on his arms.
"But… a genius libero? I really want to meet him."
"Then let's go meet him!"
"Huh?"
Hoshino looked at Guren, who suddenly spoke up, confused. "What's with this sudden support?"
"I knew already. Daichi-senpai told me about him."
"Before heading home, I also talked to Sugawara-senpai."
"I won't let someone weaker than you casually steal the position you've worked so hard for during the game just because he's older."
"I'd allow a stronger starting libero, but never someone pushing you out of your spot just by seniority."
Hoshino stared at Guren with a look that clearly said: "You're not Hinata, why do something this dumb?"
Even upright Guren felt a little guilty, thinking silently:
"Nishinoya is strong, but he's not necessarily stronger than Hoshino."
"I just want to stir things up a bit."
"Cough! Don't look at me like that."
"Hoshino! Since you asked about Karasuno's Guardian Deity, I assume you care about it too?"
"Not really, just heading home~"
"Byebye."
Hoshino took off like he had urgent business, leaving Guren scratching his head and turning to Hyakuzawa.
"Was my mischievousness that obvious?"
"Yes."
"Tch, I need to improve my acting skills."
The three tall high school students, carrying their backpacks and occasionally attracting the gaze of passersby, walked home together.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria