Ushijima returned quietly, barely drawing any attention. He wasn't talkative to begin with, and what he'd said earlier in the lounge had already used up his share of words for the day.
The moment Tsutomu Goshiki saw him back, his face turned sour. It was terrifying—he was about to be tormented by Ushijima-senpai again. Today had genuinely left him with psychological scars.
Ushijima glanced at Tsutomu Goshiki, his expression calm but clearly asking, "Why aren't you coming over yet?"
Tsutomu Goshiki's scalp tingled. He lowered his head and trudged over, looking utterly wronged.
Yunohama snorted in laughter. He'd thought Tsutomu Goshiki had some backbone, but in the end, he was all talk.
Just earlier, when Ushijima wasn't around, Tsutomu Goshiki had declared confidently:
"When Ushijima-senpai comes back, I'm definitely not blocking anymore!"
The more arrogant he'd been before, the more miserable he looked now.
The advisor returned to the gym, scanning for his next target. He spotted Yamagata darting all over the court receiving balls, occasionally even helping other groups—having the time of his life like an over-energetic puppy.
Alright. It's you.
The advisor quietly stepped aside, then blocked Yamagata's path mid-receive.
Yamagata turned around, stood up, and greeted him with a cheerful smile.
The advisor gestured for him to step outside.
To be fair, Yamagata had played a crucial role in this match and put in tremendous effort. What Coach Washijō said during the meeting had been a bit harsh—it was more frustration born from high expectations. Deep down, he believed Aobajosai putting Yamagata in that kind of predicament shouldn't have happened at all.
That was why he got angry and scolded him.
But Yamagata's greatest strength was that he followed instructions and never took things to heart. If he had Shirabu's temperament, he might have already driven himself into a corner. After all, liberos get scolded the most aside from attackers.
Yamagata was led into the lounge, completely confused. The moment he opened the door and saw cameras set up everywhere, he nearly thought he'd walked into the wrong place.
He looked questioningly at the advisor, who nodded. Only then did Yamagata relax.
Kuiya stood up and motioned for him to sit.
After a brief introduction, filming began right away.
Surrounded by cameras and strangers, and realizing he'd be on TV, Yamagata felt a little nervous.
But with Coach Washijō watching from behind, and Kuiya chatting casually like an elder at home, his nerves quickly faded.
The opening questions were light and unimportant. The real substance came afterward.
"Yamagata, are you satisfied with the rewards you've received for your efforts?"
Yamagata grinned, nodding and shaking his head at the same time. Under Kuiya's puzzled gaze, he explained:
"I shook my head because I don't put in this effort to satisfy myself. I just really love being a Libero—I love receiving the ball.
I love seeing my teammates cheer when a ball is kept alive. Every ball I save brings us one step closer to victory. As long as I'm on the court, I won't let my teammates be overwhelmed without a fight."
"Even if I have to take it to the face, I'll still keep that ball up—every single one."
At his final words, Yamagata's gaze burned with intensity. The boy who usually felt like an energetic puppy suddenly resembled a young wolf—quiet, sharp, and dangerous.
It was as if he had become an entirely different person the moment he stepped into his domain.
Kuiya met his eyes and felt his chest tighten, like he'd been locked onto by a predator. He didn't dare breathe until Yamagata looked away.
"Alright, Yamagata. Do you have anything you'd like to say to other volleyball players?"
Yamagata dropped his playful expression and looked straight into the camera.
"As a Libero, you have to know where the court boundaries are. Don't go chasing balls that are already out of bounds like an idiot."
Coach Washijō, who had been nodding along, couldn't help but laugh—both annoyed and amused.
That line was something he had scolded Yamagata with countless times when he first joined Shiratorizawa. Back then, Yamagata's skills were too raw—he couldn't judge whether a ball was out and tried to chase everything.
Washijō had scolded him more than anyone.
But it was also because of Washijō that Yamagata became who he was today. That sentence had been etched into his memory. Yamagata thought that even after he graduated, got a job, and stopped playing volleyball, he would still pass those words on to other liberos.
Remember this—it will help you grow.
Washijō nodded in satisfaction.
Kuiya wrapped up the interview and walked Yamagata to the door.
After that, the advisor quietly continued calling people in one by one.
Everyone had different personalities and positions, so their answers varied. But after listening to them all, Kuiya summed it up into two points:
They truly loved volleyball.
And they truly trusted their teammates—just as much as they trusted the ball itself.
"I'm really grateful to my teammates—especially Ryosuke. He always notices right away when something's off with me and helps guide me.
Sometimes I feel like I'm holding everyone back, but when I see Ryosuke carefully comforting me while pretending not to care, it makes me really happy. His acting is just too clumsy."
The one saying this was Tsutomu Goshiki.
When he was first called into the lounge, he'd been surprised—and even a little smug, thinking he was the first to be interviewed. He'd planned to brag about it to Ryosuke later.
That was, until Kuiya asked:
"What do you think of your teammates?"
Tsutomu Goshiki, who usually seemed carefree, ended up saying something like that.
The most surprised person was Washijō. He hadn't realized Tsutomu Goshiki was so sensitive.
In truth, Tsutomu Goshiki wasn't stupid at all—he was actually very perceptive. He could keenly sense people's emotions, their likes and dislikes.
That sensitivity had troubled him since childhood.
Whenever he shared his thoughts, others would think he was being overly dramatic. Even if they didn't say it outright, their dismissive attitudes gave it away.
So over time, Tsutomu Goshiki became more like Yamagata—he stopped taking things to heart. As he grew older, he realized that not everyone would like or agree with him, and that was normal.
But after coming to Shiratorizawa, he felt surrounded by kindness.
Ryosuke, whose acting was always terrible. Yunohama, who put up with his constant chatter. Reon-senpai, who was always nagging. Shirabu-senpai, who acted tough but had a soft heart. Ushijima-senpai, who seemed cold but was occasionally a bit airheaded…
And even Coach Washijō, who would secretly go easy on them while punishing them.
All of this made Tsutomu Goshiki feel like he'd come to the right place. These teammates were like family—inseparable.
Kuiya paused slightly.
"It seems Ryosuke is very popular. Tsutomu Goshiki, is there anything you'd like to say to your teammates?"
Tsutomu Goshiki froze, completely unprepared for this.
He stammered, glancing at the camera, his face turning suspiciously red.
What was he supposed to say? This was way too hard for an honest guy.
His face flushed back and forth like a traffic light. After a long pause, he finally spoke:
"Thank you… thank you for taking care of me all this time! I'll get stronger—I won't hold you back anymore! Please wait for me to catch up!"
His face turned as red as a boiled shrimp.
Kuiya couldn't help but smile. So youthful, so full of energy.
Tsutomu Goshiki shot to his feet, bowed, and rushed out in embarrassment.
The advisor looked at him, puzzled. What was wrong with this kid? Why was his face so red?
Tsutomu Goshiki slapped his cheeks a couple of times to cool down, then slipped back quietly under the advisor's gaze, which seemed to say, "Is this kid an idiot?"
He decided not to tell anyone about the interviews.
If he had embarrassed himself, then everyone else should too. That was only fair.
Smart as I am.jpg.
After returning, Tsutomu Goshiki no longer felt as miserable facing Ushijima.
This kind of intense training was for improving faster!
Tsutomu Goshiki, you've got this!
He unconsciously hyped himself up, then happily went back to blocking practice. Today, he was determined to fix his form!
The next one called in was Tendo.
Kuiya watched the red-haired boy lounging lazily in the chair, eyes half-closed in contentment, and fell into thought.
Why is he so calm?
Washijō shot Tendo a glare. If he could speak right now, he'd definitely scold him for sitting without any manners.
"Tendo, how do you feel about having another blocker on the team who's as strong as you?"
Tendo narrowed his eyes. If it were someone else, they might have complained. This host was a bit sly—but he'd picked the wrong target.
Whether it was Ryosuke or anyone else, Tendo would give it his all to teach them.
He sat up straight and smiled at Kuiya.
"I don't have any particular thoughts. Ryosuke will probably become Shiratorizawa's core blocker in the future. I can't take my blocking techniques with me—he's the most suitable person to learn them."
"He's a genius. Being able to teach a genius is my luck. And no matter who it was, I wouldn't mind. Everything is for Shiratorizawa's victory."
It was a perfect answer—but Kuiya wasn't satisfied.
Was Shiratorizawa really that harmonious?
He didn't believe it.
"Then do you ever have any conflicts with your teammates?"
He was determined to dig something out.
At that, Tendo's eyes lit up. He sat up eagerly.
Kuiya's heart jumped—there was something here.
If it were Reon, he'd smooth things over. Ushijima would probably be confused. But Tendo?
He'd spill everything—he'd love nothing more than chaos.
Washijō's eyelid twitched. He had a bad feeling. Since they were filming, he stayed silent but shot Tendo a warning glare.
Tendo, however, chose to ignore it completely.
Who cared about punishment later? This was too fun.
He opened his mouth and started rattling off:
"There are tons of conflicts! Like Ushijima still hasn't returned the Jump he borrowed from me last month. Ryosuke always sneaks off for extra practice. Tsutomu Goshiki snores like crazy—it keeps everyone awake. And Shirabu and Eita Semi always argue over who got to the gym first.
Reon nags all the time—so annoying. Won't let me stay up late, won't let me eat junk food, won't let me go out at night. Yamagata has way too much energy—when I train with him, I can't even finish all my spikes…"
Kuiya and the staff stared blankly.
That's not what I asked. I didn't ask for "Daily Life at Shiratorizawa"?!
After Tendo finished, silence filled the room.
Then Washijō's hoarse voice rang out, laced with menace:
"Cut this part."
He stared at Tendo like he was ready to bury him behind the gym later.
Tendo shrank his neck, then stood up with a grin.
"Alright, I'm heading back to practice. See you~"
He dashed out like a rabbit—faster than he'd ever moved in a match. Kuiya could swear he saw afterimages.
Washijō's expression darkened. The entire room fell into a suffocating silence.
That little brat… looks like he needs two extra hours of training.
Back in the gym, Tendo suddenly sneezed, completely unaware of the danger ahead.
Ryosuke leaned in close, his face almost touching Tendo's.
"Tendo-senpai, is your cold not better yet?"
His voice stretched out sweetly, almost cloying, like a hook.
Tendo could clearly see the fine hairs on Ryosuke's face. His breathing hitched, his head felt dizzy.
Crap… am I actually sick again?
He touched his burning face.
He coughed lightly. "I'm fine. Go train already.
You stink—so sweaty."
He pushed Ryosuke's fluffy head away in mock disgust, though his eyes held a smile he didn't even notice—bright as stars.
Ryosuke clicked his tongue and ran off, muttering complaints about Tendo under his breath.
...
Shirabu pushed open the lounge door and saw the staff with cameras. He immediately understood what was going on.
He greeted them politely, sat down, and carried himself with perfect posture and composure.
Washijō nodded in satisfaction.
Even if Shirabu didn't talk much, he was reliable.
At the very least, he was far better than those two "problem children," Ushijima and Tendo.
...
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