As Karasuno stepped down from the stage, the crowd burst into applause. Everyone looked at this sudden dark horse with a mix of curiosity, admiration, and caution.
Nishinoya leaned over and whispered to Tanaka,
"Ryū! Aren't we shining like crazy right now?!"
Tanaka practically had his nose in the air, brimming with pride, sneaking glances at Shimizu in the audience.
Shimizu couldn't help but turn her head away. It was just too painful to watch.
Daichi glanced back at them.
"Hey! Knock it off. Be serious!"
Tanaka and Nishinoya immediately shrank their necks, falling silent as they followed Daichi off the stage like scolded kids.
The second team to go up was Aobajosai.
Oikawa led them onstage with reddened eyes. For two years in a row, he had received this same award. He did his best to suppress his emotions, forcing a faint smile at the presenting coach.
The coach sighed inwardly. Oikawa was a familiar face. For the past two years, Aobajosai had always ended up here. The once youthful Oikawa had grown into someone who could stand on his own—but still hadn't managed to defeat Shiratorizawa.
The coach placed the medal around Oikawa's neck as he kept his head lowered, then handed the trophy to Iwaizumi. Behind them, the rest of the team all had red eyes, like a row of rabbits.
"They lost to Shiratorizawa again this year, huh?"
"Yeah… it's like this every year."
"Well, you can't put it that way. You could say Aobajosai just has bad luck." Someone nearby got glared at by Mad Dog as he stepped off the stage and hurriedly tried to correct himself.
Mad Dog himself was a little surprised. Was Aobajosai really that weak? They had never beaten Shiratorizawa even once…
He started thinking seriously—was Aobajosai really the right team for him?
Hanamaki endured the soreness in his limbs, slowly making his way down with Matsukawa supporting him.
Watching from below, Ryosuke felt a bit conflicted. Even though his own team was the one that had pushed Aobajosai into this position, he still couldn't help feeling a trace of sympathy.
Tsutomu Goshiki tugged at Ryosuke's sleeve, excitement bubbling in his voice.
"Let's go, Ryosuke! It's our turn to get our awards!"
Winning at the prefectural tournament, being the champions, representing powerhouse Shiratorizawa—stacked with all those honors, it would be strange if Tsutomu Goshiki wasn't thrilled.
Reon rubbed Tsutomu Goshiki's soft, flattened hair, sounding helpless.
"What's there to get so excited about? You'll be getting plenty more awards in the future. This is just the beginning."
"Let's go."
Ushijima passed by Reon and spoke calmly. Ryosuke naturally followed behind him.
The champions—Shiratorizawa—stepped onto the stage.
"Ah, Shiratorizawa!"
"Yeah, Shiratorizawa."
"Ahhh! It's Shiratorizawa!"
"Ushijima-sama! And that super cute cat-headed number six!"
Some strange comments had mixed in again.
Even though the general spectators had already been cleared out, there were still plenty of Shiratorizawa fans among the students from different schools—and even some…
"Ushijima-senpai! I love you!"
Yes, that kind of passionate fan.
The coach placed medals around everyone's necks one by one. Ushijima nodded in thanks, then picked up the trophy and held it out in front of Reon.
Reon: ?
I mean, I can guess what you're trying to do, but you really don't have to act like you can't talk.
The audience below looked just as confused.
Perhaps Reon's silence was too obvious, because Ryosuke stepped in with a complicated expression.
"Ushijima-senpai means everyone should hold the trophy together."
…Is that really what he means?
Reon looked at Ushijima skeptically. Under his gaze, Ushijima slowly nodded.
He actually nodded?!
Good grief… Ryosuke, are you Ushijima's personal translator now?
The shock on Reon's face was so clear that Tendo couldn't help laughing.
He took the trophy from Ushijima and called out to the audience,
"Alright then, photographer, could you take a picture for us? Everyone, come on—let's take a group photo!"
"Oh! A photo?" Yamagata, who had been half-dead a moment ago, instantly perked up.
"Let's not…" Shirabu muttered weakly. All he wanted now was to hurry back, finish the meeting, and go sleep…
Semi shrugged.
"I don't mind, but this guy got too excited earlier and tweaked his back. I'm taking him to get it checked."
Kawanishi: …Thanks, but you really didn't have to announce that.
The moment Tendo spoke, Ryosuke slipped behind Ushijima like a reflex, silently complaining.
How does Tendo-senpai say stuff like that so naturally?!
It's terrifying. Doesn't he feel embarrassed at all?
If it were him, he'd probably be so embarrassed he'd combust.
In the end, under Tendo's urging and Ushijima's silent approval, everyone gathered together and held the trophy for a group photo.
Who knew when they'd get to take another one like this again?
Next came the MVP awards.
Everyone straightened up, eyes locked onto the host holding the certificates, their gazes almost fierce.
The host was already used to it. If it were someone new, they'd probably freeze on the spot.
Under everyone's anticipation, the final segment began.
"Best Wing Spiker—Wakatoshi Ushijima from Shiratorizawa!"
Sparse, perfunctory applause followed.
Everyone clapped mechanically. They were used to it. Completely used to it.
It was always like this every year.
But the next award caught everyone off guard.
"Best Setter—Toru Oikawa from Aobajosai!"
Oikawa was leaning against Iwaizumi, head lowered, lost in thought, completely unaware of what was being announced.
In his mind, none of these MVP awards would go to Aobajosai. They were only here for the ceremony so it wouldn't look awkward.
The next second, Iwaizumi grabbed him and shook him hard.
"Hey! Idiotkawa! Did you hear that?! Best Setter! Get up there and accept it!"
Oikawa's brain felt foggy. He lifted his head blankly.
What was Iwa-chan saying?
Best Setter…?
Wait—what?!
Best Setter? Who?
Me?!
Like someone jolting awake from a dying state, Oikawa grabbed Iwaizumi's hands, his voice trembling.
"Iwa-chan… what did he just say…"
"Best Setter—Toru Oikawa from Aobajosai!"
The host repeated it loudly.
Still dazed, Oikawa was pushed onto the stage by his teammates and accepted the award in a blur.
It wasn't until he stepped off the stage and saw his own photo on the certificate that it sank in.
This… wasn't a dream.
Oikawa looked at Iwaizumi and the others, lips trembling.
"Iwa-chan…"
He couldn't finish the sentence.
The tears came first.
To outsiders, a "Best Setter" award might not mean much.
But for Oikawa, from his first Best Setter award in his second year of middle school until now, he had waited five full years.
Five years where sometimes it went to someone else.
Five years where sometimes it simply wasn't his turn.
He had already given up hope.
Why now?
Wasn't he good enough before?
Were they pitying him—or truly recognizing him?
He had waited so long for this one thing.
Why only now?
Where were they before?
His chest rose and fell violently as tears streamed down his face.
For a moment, he felt completely lost—unsure what all those years of effort had even been for.
The certificate in his hands felt burning hot.
In a daze, he returned to his team.
No one paid attention to the commotion on Aobajosai's side. Everyone was focused on the host, waiting for the remaining awards.
The air tightened as they waited.
"Best Middle Blocker—"
The host deliberately dragged out the words, making everyone hold their breath.
"Ryosuke Hanyu from Shiratorizawa!"
"Who?"
"I know him! Number six from Shiratorizawa—the one with insanely precise blocking!"
"Yeah, yeah! He can even receive Oikawa's serves!"
"That strong? Damn, Shiratorizawa really is full of monsters."
"He's only a first-year…"
"A rising star, huh."
Ryosuke, meanwhile, was walking with his head down, completely distracted, thinking about how to sneak into the youth training camp later. He didn't hear a thing.
Reon and Tendo had just been chatting about who might win—only to realize the winner was their own teammate.
"???"
Tsutomu Goshiki whipped his head around so fast he nearly strained his neck, grabbing Ryosuke's sleeve.
"Ryosuke! Go up and get your award!"
His reaction, for once, was lightning-fast.
"Huh? …Oh. Okay."
Ryosuke had been worrying about how to get into the training camp—talk about perfect timing. The opportunity had practically landed in his lap.
He had no idea just how big a deal this award was in Miyagi.
Best Middle Blocker carried serious weight. Even Tendo had never won it.
Last year, it went to Date Tech's Yasushi Kamasaki as a second-year, famous for his "Iron Wall" and powerful spikes.
Tendo, on the other hand, was too specialized—his blocking was outstanding, but his spiking and receiving lagged behind.
So the organizers never considered him.
But Ryosuke filled that gap perfectly.
Even if he didn't stand out much during matches, his scoring efficiency was undeniable. Many spikers had been shut down by him. His receiving was solid, and his attacks were reliable.
He was a well-rounded middle blocker.
Even Tendo sometimes found him a little intimidating.
Ryosuke walked up to the stage happily, his little tuft of hair bouncing, and received his medal.
As he bowed, he caught the coach's look—full of admiration and surprise.
A young Shiratorizawa player, already showing his edge.
Ryosuke happily returned, completely unaware of the wary looks around him.
Oiwake Takuro sighed softly, recalling Ryosuke's performance, and gestured to Futakuchi, Aone, and the first-years.
"Remember number six. He'll be your strongest opponent in the future."
Futakuchi curled his lip in disdain, acting unimpressed—but inside, he was fully on guard. Thinking back to those one-on-one blocks, he almost teared up.
Washijo nodded in satisfaction. This result was no surprise.
Not bad. At least he managed to win an award.
Though… calling it that impressive might be a bit much.
When Ryosuke returned, Ushijima patted his shoulder, holding his own Best Wing Spiker award, and said calmly,
"Good job."
If Ryosuke didn't know him well, he might've thought that was an insult.
Ryosuke felt a bit helpless. Maybe Reon really should teach Ushijima how to phrase things better.
Reon nodded with a smile.
"Tendo didn't get this last year, but you did this time. Looks like this award has some connection with us."
Everyone else remained calm.
Tsutomu Goshiki scratched his head, confused. Wasn't this worth celebrating?
But seeing no one react, he didn't know what to say either and just stayed quiet.
For Shiratorizawa, this really wasn't anything special.
They had practically swept all MVP awards these past two years. No one found it surprising anymore.
Ryosuke himself didn't think much of it either.
He was aiming to sweep all awards at Spring High and the Inter-High.
This was just the beginning.
Finally, the last award of the prefectural tournament:
"Best Libero—Yu Nishinoya from Karasuno!"
"Huh? Who's that?"
"That short guy who can receive Oikawa's serves!"
"Oh! He's amazing!"
"Huh?"
Nishinoya and Tanaka, who had just been chatting, both froze with wide eyes.
Silence…
Only their quiet whispers could be heard.
"Ryū… did we hear that wrong?"
"No… I'm pretty sure he said Yu Nishinoya… and I don't think there's anyone else with that name…"
Silence again.
Under Daichi and Sugawara's excited gazes, the two suddenly erupted into chaos.
Tanaka grabbed Kageyama in a chokehold.
"Hey! Kageyama! Did you hear that?!"
Kageyama nearly suffocated, nodding weakly as Daichi rushed over and pulled him free.
Nishinoya, face flushed, tried to jump onto Asahi.
Asahi helplessly refused.
"Hey, hey, Asahi! Did you hear that?! It's me! Best Libero!"
Tanaka suddenly went quiet for a second, like his brain short-circuited.
Then he and Nishinoya locked eyes—
—and in the next second, they both threw their fists up and shouted.
"Ora ora ora ora! Noya!"
"Waaahhh! Ryū!"
They hugged, grinning ear to ear.
Daichi rubbed his temples.
"Quiet down! Can't you see the host's about to kill us with that look?!"
Where's Sugawara? Why isn't he helping?
He turned—
—and saw Sugawara standing there, smiling and clapping beside them, successfully encouraging them to get even louder.
His smile grew even brighter.
Daichi suddenly felt incredibly tired.
Sugawara really did look like an overly doting mother right now.
...
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