Kunimi strolled leisurely to the lounge door with his hands in his pockets. He circled outside once before finally pushing the door open at an unhurried pace.
The moment he stepped in, he saw Coach Irihata seated at the back. Kunimi gave a silent bow in greeting, nodded to Kuiya, then walked straight over and sat down. He showed no trace of stage fright at all, nothing like someone attending an interview for the first time.
A big reason Kuiya chose to interview Kunimi was simple curiosity. He was genuinely intrigued. How could someone this young go through everything with such a blank expression? Sitting there expressionless, he looked almost like a figurine.
Seeing Kunimi sit, Kuiya smiled helplessly and sat down as well. After exchanging greetings, he politely asked a probing first question.
"Kunimi, why do you play volleyball?"
Kunimi frowned slightly. Why ask something so pointless?
But in truth, it was a question many people wanted to ask, including Irihata. Still, he respected every student at Aobajosai. If they didn't want to say, he wouldn't ask.
"Because I like it."
Kunimi looked at Kuiya as if he were an idiot, as though wondering why such an obvious question even needed to be asked.
Irihata was momentarily stunned. He'd heard that answer countless times before, but he never expected to hear it come from Kunimi.
Seeing Kunimi's expression, Kuiya quickly waved his hands.
"That's not what I meant… I mean…"
"You're asking why I keep trying at volleyball even though it looks exhausting and doesn't suit me, right?"
Kunimi spoke calmly. Kuiya, completely at a loss for words, nodded and quietly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
Being left speechless by a kid was a rare experience.
Kunimi pursed his lips, then noticed Coach Irihata sitting upright. The look in Irihata's eyes practically said, "Go on, tell us." It seemed everyone was quite curious about his story.
A rare smile tugged at Kunimi's lips. Under their expectant gazes, he began,
"I do like volleyball. I've loved it since I was little. But because of my health, playing a full five sets is probably a joke."
Irihata straightened up. What was this? Why had he never heard Kunimi mention this before…?
Even now, he couldn't fully enjoy volleyball. The root of it all had been there since the day he was born.
Kunimi had been a premature baby, frail since childhood. While other kids bounced around with their backpacks on their way to school, Kunimi could only lie in a hospital bed, watching longingly.
He took countless pills and endured endless injections every day. Because of that, he matured early. He knew that as long as he stayed healthy, his parents would be happy.
But in elementary school, he became deeply captivated by volleyball.
It wasn't anything special. Just an ordinary evening in an ordinary park, where a few kids his age were playing volleyball together.
He didn't even know which child it was, but the image of someone jumping up for a spike etched itself into his mind. When he got home, he begged his parents to let him learn volleyball.
Of course, they refused. Kunimi had always been treated like something precious beyond measure. Even letting him go home on his own had taken years of internal struggle for them. How could they possibly allow him to play volleyball?
Even at a young age, Kunimi could sense the lies hidden behind their gentle words. So he secretly saved money, bought a volleyball, and in a run-down storage room at school, repeated the movements he'd seen that afternoon over and over again.
Eventually, his parents found out. A huge argument broke out. Mrs. Kunimi cried as she threw away his volleyball. In the end, it was Kunimi's hunger strike and his parents' reluctant compromise that brought the matter to a close.
"After that, my parents figured that instead of stopping me, they might as well let me experience how tough volleyball training really is. So they sent me to Kitagawa Daiichi. That's when my volleyball career truly began."
Irihata rubbed his round belly, sighing inwardly. Kids these days really were something else. For someone as young as Kunimi to choose this path so firmly just because of a single moment, enduring illness, his parents' doubts, and still making it this far…
"It's incredible. It really is incredible."
Kuiya's exclamation overlapped perfectly with Irihata's thoughts.
Kunimi smiled faintly. Kuiya stared at his eyes, momentarily dazed. It really was incredible. When this kid talked about volleyball, his eyes actually lit up.
Coming back to himself, Kuiya continued,
"So after all these years, do you regret choosing this path?"
Kunimi slowly shook his head.
"I don't regret it. And thanks to volleyball, when I went for my checkups these past two years, the doctor said my condition is improving. Because of the exercise, because of volleyball, I've been given a new start. If I hadn't made that decision back then, I don't think I'd be happy now."
If he hadn't bought that volleyball back then, he wouldn't have gone to Kitagawa Daiichi, wouldn't have gotten into Aobajosai, and wouldn't have met such great teammates.
Kuiya glanced at the time and realized he couldn't ask more questions without delaying the schedule. Honestly, he still wanted to dig deeper. With Kunimi's personality and physical condition, what exactly had Coach Irihata and Aobajosai seen in him?
Kuiya let out a quiet sigh and asked his final question.
"So, is there anything you'd like to say to people who are still hesitating about volleyball?"
Kunimi lifted his gaze to the camera and said something that surprised everyone.
"Just like our captain Toru Oikawa says about relationships, you can't hesitate. If you hesitate, you lose, and you miss your chance. Volleyball is the same."
The moment Irihata heard Oikawa's name, his fists clenched. If Kindaichi said something bad about Oikawa, it might just mean he wasn't thinking clearly. But if Kunimi said it, then it had to be true. Kunimi was such a good kid, what ulterior motives could he possibly have? And after hearing about Kunimi's condition, Irihata was now fully under a "protective instinct buff."
Kunimi withdrew his gaze, the corner of his lips lifting ever so slightly. Pulling something like this behind someone's back every now and then wasn't a bad feeling.
He walked out in a good mood, even the tuft of hair on his head looking more lively.
On the other side, Oikawa was already rummaging for his jacket. For some reason, he felt unusually cold today. Even under the bright sunshine outside, he shivered again and quickly wrapped himself up. Better safe than sorry. Catching a cold would be a disaster.
After Kunimi left, Kuiya asked Mizoguchi to call in the next person.
When he heard the name, Mizoguchi's expression turned uneasy as he glanced at Irihata. The name Kuiya had mentioned was Kentaro Kyotani. Just hearing it made him uncomfortable.
Mizoguchi wasn't good at handling difficult students to begin with, and Kyotani had gotten into arguments and nearly fights multiple times within the team. It was enough to scare someone as mild-mannered as him.
Irihata sighed and nodded, signaling him to go. At this point, he was starting to suspect Kuiya wasn't here to interview people, but to stir things up. Each person he called was more unexpected than the last, and each question sharper than the one before.
With reluctant approval, Mizoguchi headed to the gym. As expected, before even reaching the entrance, he heard the sound of someone practicing spikes. At this hour, there was only one person who would be there.
The rest of Aobajosai's members were scattered everywhere, snack shop, field, cafeteria, basically anywhere but the gym. If someone was there, it had to be the "Mad Dog."
Kyotani took a deep breath, squared his shoulders to the net, and forcefully tossed the volleyball into the air, preparing to spike with his right hand.
"Thud! Thump!"
The timing was off, and the toss was too high.
Mizoguchi froze for a moment. That posture, that technique… wasn't that Shiratorizawa's number six's jump float serve?!
Kyotani noticed someone at the door and turned around. Seeing Mizoguchi, he recognized him immediately, the advisor of Aobajosai. Was he here for him?
Meeting Kyotani's gaze, Mizoguchi swallowed the question that almost slipped out. He didn't really understand Kyotani, and asking bluntly might come off as rude.
He steadied himself, softened his tone, and made sure his voice didn't sound confrontational.
"Kyo… Kyotani, Coach Irihata is waiting for you in the lounge. Please head over."
Kyotani nodded, set the volleyball down, and followed him.
Along the way, Mizoguchi kept sneaking glances at him, trying to read something from his face. But on that "Mad Dog" expression, the only thing visible was irritation.
If Mizoguchi had asked, Kyotani would have answered honestly. After all, coaches and players weren't the same.
He really had been practicing the jump float serve. In that match, all of his confidence had been crushed by Ryosuke's serves. He hadn't even had the chance to fight back.
After the match, every time he closed his eyes, all he saw was Ryosuke serving again and again. It kept him up all night, and he spent the entire next day trying to figure it out.
Taking advantage of the empty gym, he had just started practicing in secret when Mizoguchi showed up. He hadn't even practiced for long, which only made him more irritated. His eyelids drooped slightly as he stayed silent.
Mizoguchi stopped at the lounge door.
"Go on in."
Kyotani nodded and pushed the door open.
Two seconds later, he stepped back out, still holding the door in the exact same position.
Mizoguchi was confused.
Kyotani tightened his grip on the doorknob, uneasy. The moment he opened the door, he saw a whole crowd of people. For a second, he even thought he'd opened the wrong door.
Mizoguchi nodded, his expression clearly saying this is the place, go in, why are you standing there?
Kyotani's fingers stiffened slightly. He closed his eyes briefly, then pushed the door open again, forcing his face into a neutral expression so he wouldn't look so nervous.
It wasn't that Kyotani was shy. He just wasn't used to this. He'd heard that there would be interviews that afternoon, but he never thought he'd be one of the ones interviewed.
Now, suddenly surrounded by so many people, he felt a bit out of place and didn't know what to do.
He stood stiffly in front of the chair.
Kuiya pressed his lips together, amused. Kyotani's forced fierce expression made him look like a snarling puppy. It was an unexpected contrast. Someone who seemed fearless and carefree was actually nervous.
"Hello, I'm Kuiya. Please, have a seat."
Kuiya gave him an easy way out. Kyotani nodded stiffly and sat down.
Kuiya had someone bring him a glass of water, then gradually eased his tension and wariness.
Irihata raised an eyebrow in surprise. Kyotani, of all people, acting reserved? It seemed he might have found a way to handle this "Mad Dog."
"When did you start playing volleyball?"
"As long as I can remember."
"Wow! That's amazing, Kyotani!"
Kyotani awkwardly looked away, a faint blush creeping onto his ears. What was this guy doing? Treating him like a kid?
But having never experienced this kind of interaction before, Kyotani actually responded well to it, and the conversation gradually became smoother.
Kuiya then moved on to a more formal question.
"Kyotani, as far as I know, you weren't originally part of the Aobajosai volleyball team. So why did you choose to join?"
A trace of discomfort flashed in Kyotani's eyes. He didn't really want to talk about something so embarrassing. But under Kuiya's eager gaze, he still spoke.
"I lost a bet."
His voice was low and mumbled, but Kuiya heard it clearly and immediately leaned in further.
"Could you tell us more?"
Kyotani clicked his tongue irritably, closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again.
Honestly, Irihata was a little worried Kuiya might get punched. The last time Kyotani made that expression, he'd ended up fighting Matsukawa.
Unexpectedly, Kyotani only showed his annoyance before speaking with a resigned tone.
"I ran into Oikawa at Sendai Gymnasium. We played a few times, and then he made a bet with me. He said I definitely couldn't beat Iwaizumi in arm wrestling. But he also said that if I won, they'd practice with me every day. If I lost, I had to join Aobajosai."
Kuiya glanced at the slight bulge of muscle on Kyotani's arm and froze for a moment. With muscles like that, he still lost? Was Iwaizumi some kind of monster?
What neither of them knew was that when it came to pure strength and arm wrestling, Iwaizumi could even beat Ushijima.
And just like that, the "Mad Dog" got dragged into Aobajosai. He completed his transfer and club registration that very same day, everything going through smoothly. Even Kyotani couldn't help but suspect he'd been tricked.
After all, Oikawa's face really did look like the kind that was good at fooling people.
...
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