A few days later.
A phone call reached Coach Washijo Tanji's office at Shiratorizawa Academy.
"What? You said Aoba Johsai is holding a month-long training camp?"
The elderly coach, now in his sixties or seventies, was taken aback when he heard the news. A month-long training camp, what kind of commitment was that? Never mind the cost, it was summer break! He knew better than anyone how restless high schoolers could get during vacation. And yet, the entire Aoba Johsai volleyball team had agreed to this without complaint?
They must be serious about making a splash in the Spring Interhigh this year.
"I see. How many schools know about this already?"
"What? Almost all of them?"
"The news came from Karasuno? And who exactly is that?"
"From our region, huh..."
"All right. Thanks for the heads-up."
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After hanging up, Washijo sat in silence for a long moment before standing and walking straight to the principal's office.
Originally, Shiratorizawa had planned a two-week summer camp, just like every year. But now, that no longer seemed sufficient. According to inside sources, many of the country's top volleyball schools were already preparing to extend their training camps.
And the spark that ignited all this? A few days ago, a small school named Karasuno accidentally leaked Aoba Johsai's summer training plan during a joint practice session...
Everyone knows:
Fukurodani Academy, one of the top national teams, once lost to Aoba Johsai.
Also commonly known:
Though top national schools compete fiercely in tournaments, behind the scenes, they're all loosely connected.
So when the "Fukurodani Alliance" (a group of four powerhouse schools) learned how hard Aoba Johsai was pushing themselves this summer, they immediately felt the pressure.
Assuming they'd likely face Aoba Johsai again in Spring, they couldn't afford to fall behind. Fukurodani was the first to respond.
Grind time.
A month-long camp? Bring it on.
The very next morning, the coach of Fukurodani's volleyball team stormed into the principal's office and secured the necessary budget by noon that same day.
Not every school is as broken as Karasuno. Fukurodani, a well-established powerhouse in Tokyo, had more than enough funding for extended training.
Soon after, word reached Itachiyama Institute.
Being longtime rivals in the same prefecture, neither side could keep secrets from the other. Even though Itachiyama had just won the Summer Nationals, they weren't about to get complacent. In fact, their goal for Spring was to defend their title.
So when they heard Fukurodani was trying to get a leg up during summer? They made their decision instantly.
"Those sneaky bastards."
Trying to gain the edge during break? Nice try. A month of special training? Don't act like we can't afford that too.
(Karasuno: "Is that really necessary...?")
From there, the dominoes began to fall.
Many teams were already eyeing Itachiyama's championship title. Their every move was being watched.
So once Itachiyama joined the fray, schools all across the top 8 rankings of the country started reacting. One after another, the entire nation's elite volleyball programs fell into a mad spiral of one-upmanship over summer training intensity.
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Meanwhile, Aoba Johsai had no idea the chaos they'd triggered.
They were too busy packing up, brimming with excitement as they prepared to head to their training camp. The seaside was less than twenty minutes away by bus, so they didn't even bother booking inns or guesthouses.
Instead, they rented an old fish market to use as their training base. The place was spacious and had been unused for years. It originally served as a warehouse after the owner retired, but after some quick renovations, it became a makeshift indoor court, perfect for practice.
After arriving, everyone dropped their bags and gathered as Coach Nobuteru Irihata brought out a detailed training plan.
Aoba Johsai had always been a solid team in Miyagi Prefecture, but their run at Nationals exposed numerous weaknesses, especially in basic athletic ability.
Though their overall skill level was decent, they still lagged behind the top-tier schools in terms of physical fundamentals.
If they wanted to make an impact in the upcoming Spring Interhigh, they had to improve their core fitness.
Another issue was individual player performance.
Apart from Akashi Asuka and Oikawa Tooru, most of the team lacked standout technical skills. No one was bad, but no one had that flash either.
So even with an entire month planned for special training, the schedule still felt a little tight for everything they needed to accomplish.
Coach Irihata stepped forward and addressed the group. Instantly, the team fell silent.
"For the next month–" he began, "we will gather here every day at 8 a.m. to begin our morning sessions, focused entirely on conditioning and fundamentals. This will go on until noon."
"In the afternoons, from 2 to 6, we'll spend the time entirely on matches."
Gulp.
As his words sank in, the initial excitement faded from the players' faces. A creeping sense of dread replaced it.
Some of them had almost forgotten, they weren't here for vacation. They were here to train.
"Wait, we're training for eight hours a day?"
"Isn't that obvious? I've been mentally prepared for this."
"I'm starting to regret signing up..."
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Coach Irihata heard the murmuring but paid it no mind. Too late now.
After outlining the month's plan, he clapped the folder shut and gave a slow, confident smile.
"That's the overview. We'll make adjustments as needed. Now then, let the Summer Hell Camp officially begin."
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