Ryosuke froze where he stood, the spot on his arm where he'd received the ball burning hot. His blood felt like it was boiling, and a wide flush spread across his face from sheer excitement.
He stared at Hinata and Kageyama across the court. "One more!" His eyes shone, full of anticipation.
"Ah, that's exactly how Nishinoya reacted the first time he saw the Freak Quick," Tsukishima commented, pushing up his glasses.
Daichi covered his face helplessly. "Why do Liberos always want to chase down dangerous balls? Is that just something in their blood?"
"That line is way too chuunibyou, Captain," Tsukishima added dryly.
The match resumed.
Ryosuke rapidly ran calculations through his head, breaking down the mechanics of the Freak Quick. He made up his mind—today, he was definitely going to receive Hinata's spike.
"Hinata!"
Kageyama jumped at the net, his eyes giving away absolutely nothing.
Ryosuke locked onto the ball.
That decision saved him a lot of trouble. If he'd tried to track Hinata instead, with Hinata's speed, he would've easily lost sight of him.
The next second, Kageyama sent a back quick toward the right. Ryosuke predicted the landing point and quickly retreated.
Hinata popped up out of nowhere on the right side of the net.
Asahi and Sugawara rushed to block, but they were a split second too slow—Hinata had already spiked the ball across.
Facing the ball head-on, Ryosuke knew his positioning was correct. He had crouched early, ready to receive.
But there was still a miscalculation. The ball was simply too fast. It slammed into his arm, and before he could absorb the force, it ricocheted away.
Sugawara stroked his chin. "That's impressive. First time seeing the Freak Quick and he can already keep up with it."
Asahi held the volleyball and said, "Well, he did come from a powerhouse like Shiratorizawa."
"Not bad. Where's this kid from?" A laid-back voice suddenly sounded beside Daichi.
Daichi turned and bowed politely. "Good morning, Coach Ukai. He's Hinata's friend, from Shiratorizawa."
Ukai scratched his head. "Look at me—he's still wearing his school uniform." He shook his head. "Still… he's good. He can already touch Hinata's spikes."
"Oh! Then how are you supposed to receive a ball like that? What if we run into something like this in the future? Wouldn't we be doomed?" Tanaka asked curiously.
"You won't," Ukai replied. "At least not in the next three years. That ball belongs exclusively to Kageyama and Hinata."
"No one else can pull it off?" Tanaka still didn't understand.
Ukai lifted his chin proudly. "Of course not. First of all, just getting a genius setter is already a blessing.
"And Hinata—no one trusts Kageyama more than he does. And Kageyama trusts Hinata just as much. Kageyama knows that no matter where he sets the ball, Hinata will be there to spike it.
"On top of that, only Hinata has the kind of inexplicable stamina to keep jumping like that for three full sets. Anyone else would fall apart."
"So they really are freaks," Tsukishima muttered under his breath.
Before long, the score was tied at 15–15.
Even though Kageyama and Hinata's "Freak Quick" was incredibly strong, their overall technique still couldn't match the seniors'. And the seniors' teamwork wasn't just for show.
Meanwhile, Ryosuke was starting to figure things out.
He noticed that Hinata always spiked with his eyes closed. In this pair, Kageyama was clearly the one in control—the entire sequence from set to spike moved at blistering speed.
If Ryosuke were playing middle blocker, he could simply match Hinata's timing and shut him down with a block. But as a Libero, he had to approach it differently.
Another spike came flying from Hinata.
Ryosuke narrowed his eyes, searching for an opening midair.
You could say the attack was reckless. Its strength lay in the fact that neither the setter nor the spiker could precisely control where it would land.
In that case, the only option was to keep the entire court in view and stand somewhere that allowed movement in any direction.
The ball spun so fast he could barely see it.
No problem.
Ryosuke licked his dry lips, fixed his timing, and dove forward in a fish dive, popping the ball up before either side had time to react.
"Whoa—nice!" Tanaka exclaimed as Hinata's spike was dug up.
Sugawara's eyes widened. It had only been a short while, and he was already receiving it? Even Nishinoya might not manage that so quickly.
The ball flew high into the air. Not a perfect first touch, Sugawara noted—but that was fine. The setter would take care of the rest.
"Asahi!"
At Sugawara's call, he sent a flat, fast set. Asahi was already on his approach, cheeks puffed as he hammered the ball down.
The two inexperienced blockers couldn't stop him at all.
Hinata lowered his head in frustration, looking like a dejected puppy.
"It's okay," Sugawara called gently across the net. "You guys did great."
Kageyama's sour expression eased slightly. Hinata clenched his fists and nodded firmly. "Next one! I'll score for sure!"
Grinning, Sugawara reached a hand under the net to ruffle Hinata's orange hair.
Watching the scene, Daichi let out a heavy sigh. "Isn't Sugawara basically an overindulgent mother? That aura of maternal love is blinding."
Ryosuke returned to the Libero position, thoughtful.
That last rally—Asahi-senpai's approach had sparked an idea.
Hinata's approach for the "Freak Quick" was different from a normal quick attack.
Near the net, it wasn't as obvious. Hinata still couldn't perfectly control his jump and timing, so keeping up with him at the block was one solution.
But away from the net, it became much clearer—the timing and starting point of his approach. At the very least, you could visually estimate the maximum landing zone of the ball.
Ryosuke's thoughts raced.
"It's starting. Don't zone out," Sugawara said softly, patting his shoulder with a gentle smile.
That smile left Ryosuke momentarily dazed.
Sugawara-senpai… that tear mole is really beautiful.
"Huh? Really? Thank you!"
…Wait. Did I just say that out loud?!
Ryosuke waved his hands in panic, his face turning bright red like a startled cat. "I—I didn't mean it like that—"
"Oh? Then what did you mean?" Sugawara teased, his voice warm and mild.
Ryosuke's face looked ready to steam.
Seeing that, Sugawara stopped. "Alright, alright. Let's focus on the game."
Still flushed, Ryosuke hurried back into position.
Sugawara smiled to himself, looking oddly fond. Ah, what an adorable kid. Sensible, quiet, never troublesome.
Back on court, Ryosuke fixed his gaze on Hinata, his green, catlike eyes openly studying him.
When Hinata started his approach again before Kageyama had even set the ball, Ryosuke was certain.
It was the approach timing.
Sure enough, the next second Kageyama sent the ball to the right side of the net. Hinata, who had already begun his run-up, was there waiting.
Got you, little crow.
Ryosuke darted to the right backcourt, shifting his weight back into a stable half-crouch.
Prepared in advance, he received the blazing-fast ball and smoothly absorbed the impact.
No one saw when he had moved—just like no one could predict when Hinata and Kageyama would unleash their Freak Quick.
In that instant, Hinata felt as if he were being watched by a predator.
The sensation of his hairs standing on end… was exhilarating.
The beast lurking in the shadows quietly bared its claws, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
...
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