When Ryosuke returned to the gym, everyone was already there. Some had mops, others had brooms, all busy cleaning.
He grabbed Yunohama, who was sprinting past, and asked in confusion,
"What's going on? Aren't we just setting up a TV?"
Yunohama stopped abruptly, took a breath, and said resentfully,
"So you knew…"
"Senpai Reon was cleaning the TV. Then when he saw us arrive, he figured since he'd already started, we might as well do a full cleanup."
Ryosuke let out a sigh of relief. Good thing he came back late. The gym was huge, and they usually only cleaned it during practice matches. Senpai Reon really was the type who'd make a great househusband.
"Yo, Ryosuke, you're back. What did Coach Washijō say?"
Reon called out from afar, holding a broom.
"He said he'll come watch later too."
Reon nodded in surprise, then stuffed the broom into Ryosuke's hands with an especially kind smile.
"You can help clean too."
Ryosuke's vision went dark. In the end, he still couldn't escape.
After Ryosuke left, Reon noticed the dust behind the TV and immediately realized the kid had done it on purpose, tricking him into coming over to clean. There was no way he was letting him off.
Ryosuke trailed behind Ushijima, sweeping with a helpless laugh. Under Reon's supervision, every corner of the gym was cleaned spotless.
Ushijima and Ryosuke swept the entire gym, Yunohama and Tsutomu Goshiki mopped the floors, and the others carried water and wiped the windows.
After more than an hour, they finally managed to get everything reasonably clean.
Tendo collapsed onto the freshly mopped floor. Yesterday, Coach Washijō had pushed him through extra training, and he'd gone home completely exhausted. Now he had to be back in the gym again this morning. He was so tired he didn't even care anymore.
Shirabu crouched down beside him, looking disgusted, and poked his shoulder with a finger to check if he was still alive.
"So… is he not breathing?"
The sports channel instantly turned into a mystery show.
Tendo let out a resentful sigh.
"Little Shirabu, can you pull me up?"
Shirabu dragged him up with visible disgust, then wiped his hand on his clothes as if he'd touched something dirty.
Once everything was ready, all that was left was to wait for Coach Washijō to arrive so they could start watching.
Kawanishi pulled a bottle of cola out of his bag like a magic trick, and Yamagata somehow produced a bag of chips.
Reon's expression darkened.
"You guys have been hiding stuff like this in your bags during practice?"
He usually supervised their packing, yet he had never noticed anything.
Yamagata glanced at him, completely unfazed, grinning as he ran off. Kawanishi hesitated, then offered the cola in his hand.
"Want some?"
Reon felt a headache coming on.
"Hide everything properly. If Coach Washijō finds out, you're done for."
Sneaking snacks was one thing. He did it himself sometimes. But getting caught was another matter entirely.
"What exactly would I be finding out?"
Coach Washijō's voice suddenly sounded behind Kawanishi like a ghost.
Kawanishi froze, still holding the cola. Reon calmly used him as cover, grabbed the bottle, and hid it behind his back.
"Nothing. I just meant you'd definitely notice how clean the gym is."
He changed the subject smoothly.
Coach Washijō's attention shifted. He looked around, then nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad. It's pretty clean."
Then he spotted Tendo lying there like a dead dog. His mood instantly soured.
"Alright. Go watch TV. Stop standing around being an eyesore."
Kawanishi scratched his head and walked off. Coach Washijō's temper changed as quickly as summer weather, impossible to predict.
To make the viewing atmosphere better, Eita Semi closed the gym doors.
Tsutomu Goshiki followed suit and turned off the lights. Even though it was morning, the gym became dim and gloomy.
Everyone brought over small stools and found places to sit. People like Tendo, who couldn't be bothered, just sat on the floor. When Tsutomu Goshiki discovered the snacks Kawanishi and Yamagata had hidden, they immediately split half with him to keep him quiet.
The three of them then sat behind Coach Washijō, just in case.
Ushijima and Ryosuke sat together, with Tendo on the floor between them. A large group gathered around the three.
Reon sat behind Ushijima, keeping a close eye on this bunch of troublemakers, hoping they wouldn't get too carried away and forget Coach Washijō was right there.
Reon picked up the remote and switched to the sports channel. The timing was perfect. On screen, Mr. Anri was leading a group through the gates of Aobajosai in a long, uninterrupted shot.
It didn't feel like an interview. It felt more like a documentary.
The chatter gradually died down as the video began.
Only the occasional sound of the three in the back row quietly chewing snacks could be heard.
...
After finishing the interview at Shiratorizawa that afternoon, Kuiya brought his crew to Aobajosai.
Aobajosai was familiar territory for him. Shiratorizawa had always refused to cooperate, and third place often changed hands, but Aobajosai had consistently held second place.
And every year, without fail, they were interviewed. Over time, everyone had gotten used to seeing Oikawa's punchable face on TV once or twice a year.
But this year might be different, Kuiya thought. After all, this was their third year. They didn't have much time left.
And the mountain looming over them still stood there, watching.
"Sigh…"
"Sigh…"
Oikawa sat on the floor, sighing repeatedly, then muttered unhappily,
"Iwa clearly knew there'd be interviews after the match. And now the great Oikawa-sama has a bruise on his handsome face."
"That's not cool at all!"
After the match yesterday, Oikawa had gone off alone to sulk, only to be tracked down by the "Iwaizumi locator" and beaten up.
Now he still had a ridiculous bruise on his face, ruining his looks.
Still, if Iwaizumi hadn't hit him back then, Oikawa probably wouldn't be in such good shape today.
Hanamaki walked by, saw Oikawa sitting there looking pitiful, and twitched. Even after three years, he still couldn't stand Oikawa's smug behavior.
He knew better than to provoke Iwaizumi, yet he kept doing it anyway. Every time, he'd go looking for trouble, get beaten, then act pitiful afterward.
Honestly, the fact that Iwaizumi could put up with him was impressive.
Another day, another moment of admiration for Iwaizumi.
"Huh? Makki, were you just insulting me?"
"What? How did you even get that?"
"Huh? You really were insulting me!"
The two started bickering again.
Bang.
Iwaizumi pushed open the door with a dark expression, glaring at the two of them, whose combined mental age barely seemed three. They instantly fell silent.
"The interview team will be here any second. Both of you, keep it down. If you pull what you did last year again, I'll beat you to death."
They nodded frantically, like pecking chickens.
What exactly had happened last year to make them fear Iwaizumi so much?
Honestly, it wasn't entirely Iwaizumi's fault.
Back then, Oikawa wasn't even captain yet. He was still hot-headed. Hanamaki, who had just joined Aobajosai, wasn't any better. At the time, he loved making sarcastic remarks.
On the day of the interview, the two of them got into a fight. According to Matsukawa, Hanamaki had made snide comments about Oikawa losing to Ushiwaka again. Oikawa, already upset from the loss, snapped and started fighting on the spot.
The reporters and third-year seniors were all terrified. In the end, Iwaizumi stepped in and dragged the two troublemakers out like dead dogs.
So whether it was Iwaizumi, Oikawa and Hanamaki, or the teammates watching the chaos, they had all left a deep impression on Kuiya.
After Iwaizumi left, Oikawa and Hanamaki both let out a sigh of relief. They exchanged a glance. Once rivals, now each other's sharpest weapons. Time really was something.
"Hmph."
Oikawa lifted his chin and walked off with his arms crossed.
Hanamaki rubbed his forehead helplessly. Why was Oikawa still so childish, like a kid?
Oikawa snuck off to check how many people had come for the interview. He'd heard from Coach Irihata that they were setting up equipment in the lounge and wanted to take a peek.
On the way, he ran into Coach Mizoguchi.
Mizoguchi looked him up and down, making Oikawa feel confused, then nodded.
"Come with me."
Oikawa followed happily.
But as they approached the lounge, he suddenly felt something was off and started dragging his feet.
Mizoguchi turned back, puzzled. Wasn't he just excited?
Oikawa really didn't want to be interviewed first. The ace always came last. How could someone as handsome as him go first? And they'd definitely ask about the loss and use him as the opening target.
No matter how many looks Oikawa gave him, Mizoguchi remained unmoved.
In the end, Oikawa was still brought to the door.
He glanced at Mizoguchi, who glared back. The message was clear.
Oikawa rolled his eyes internally and walked in, only to see Coach Irihata sitting among the staff. His eyelid twitched.
Were they really going to expose him in front of the coach too?
Irihata smiled warmly. He had heard about this interview style from Shiratorizawa that morning. Normally, he didn't interfere much with training or lineup decisions.
Aobajosai was mostly left to grow on their own, which made him curious about how they had developed when he wasn't watching.
Unlike Shiratorizawa, he didn't fully know what his players would say. Coach Washijō, on the other hand, could predict everything his players would do.
Oikawa closed his eyes. Why today of all days? His handsome face was ruined.
Now he had to face this in front of staff, viewers, and even the coach. Had the seniors gone through this last year too?
At that moment, he really missed those unreliable seniors.
Kuiya met Oikawa's gaze and spoke first to ease the tension.
"Long time no see, Oikawa-kun. Compared to last year, you're still just as handsome."
Oikawa almost choked on that.
"Mr. Anri, you too."
The two exchanged polite words, putting on a performance of conversational skill. After about ten minutes, Oikawa finally sat down reluctantly.
Kuiya opened his mouth.
Oikawa immediately tensed. Here it comes.
"Oikawa-kun, what are your thoughts on Aobajosai losing to Shiratorizawa this year?"
A vein popped on Oikawa's forehead. Not second place, but losing to Shiratorizawa. This guy really knew how to phrase things.
"We're disappointed with this year's result. We hope to do better at Spring High."
Oikawa adjusted his breathing and gave a perfectly official answer.
"Oh? But you didn't look that way when you left the court."
Kuiya's gaze was sharp.
Oikawa knew coming first had been a mistake. This man had no intention of letting it go.
He took a deep breath.
"Shiratorizawa is strong. The kind of strong you can't surpass. We were lucky to even push it to five sets. Strategy, lineup, mentality, personnel, we used everything just to barely keep up."
"They already have Ushijima, and this year's first-years are strong too. Their style is changing. It's not just brute force volleyball anymore."
Oikawa spoke openly. Instead of being repeatedly pressed, he chose to lay everything out. Maybe it would encourage other capable teams to rise up.
But in his heart, Ushijima and Shiratorizawa were still a thorn that wouldn't come out.
Irihata wasn't surprised by his answer. The so-called "problem setter" label was just part of how Oikawa made Aobajosai stronger.
Kuiya nodded.
"Then if you still can't beat Shiratorizawa in these three years, will you keep playing volleyball?"
Oikawa laughed.
Then he winced slightly as it pulled at the bruise under his eye.
"I don't play volleyball because of Shiratorizawa. I play because I love it. That's why I want to challenge stronger opponents."
"If one day I truly have no chance left, I'll still choose a path where I can keep playing volleyball and stick with it to the end."
"Anyone who truly loves volleyball wouldn't give up even the smallest chance."
The playfulness disappeared from his face. His expression turned serious, as if answering something that truly mattered.
...
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