"It's really not a big deal," Udai said with a smile, his eyes calm and at ease.
Back then, he had also spent countless nights tossing and turning over the fact that Coach Washijō hadn't invited him. It wasn't until two full years had passed that Udai finally came to see it for what it was. Just a single setback, nothing worth dwelling on.
But Hinata was different. He was still at that age where his blood ran hot, so of course he couldn't settle down so easily.
"There are plenty of ways to get stronger. I was rejected from the Golden Camp too, and it hit me hard. But volleyball isn't just about technique, it's also about understanding. To put it simply, you have to think.
You have to keep thinking, overturn every idea you have, then choose a better approach. Along the way, you explore and test things out. The brilliance you see on the court is built on everyone's blood and sweat."
Hinata listened, stunned. He had always thought that as long as he didn't let the ball hit the ground, he was playing volleyball properly. He never imagined there was so much depth behind it.
"So what should I do now to break out of this situation?" Hinata was deeply troubled by his lack of progress. Even though he had doubled his training, the results were still only barely passable.
Ryosuke, who had been lying on the ground, spoke up.
"You're just wound up too tight. Volleyball is supposed to be fun. No matter when, just touching the ball should make you happy. That's the right state to be in. Not like you now, picking up a ball and immediately thinking about how to improve or how to surpass others."
Ryosuke and Udai each offered their advice, guiding Hinata in their own way. They both knew Hinata's journey wouldn't stop here. He could go much further. This frustration was only temporary, and Ryosuke believed Hinata would definitely sort out his mindset.
Hinata pushed himself up from the ground and stretched, his bones cracking loudly.
"I know you're both worried about me. It's okay. I'll adjust my mindset. I'm definitely going to catch up with everyone."
A light flickered in Hinata's eyes that was impossible to ignore, as if he was already looking forward to everything ahead.
"Ha…" Ryosuke couldn't help but laugh softly at Hinata's fighting spirit. That's more like it. This is Hinata. Always energetic, always shining.
Udai also stared at him blankly. If only he'd had someone like Ryosuke by his side back then… maybe he wouldn't have walked into a dead end. How enviable, having a friend like Ryosuke.
Hinata stood there with his hands on his hips, seemingly lost in thought, though he looked quite happy.
Ryosuke suddenly remembered something and called out,
"Hinata, the volleyball."
Hinata turned back in confusion, then suddenly understood and ran over.
Udai sat there, baffled. "?? What volleyball?"
Ryosuke smiled like a sly little fox. "You'll see in a moment."
After a while, Hinata took out the brand-new volleyball from his bag. It was a Mikasa limited edition he had spent a small fortune on, almost a week's worth of his food money. He planned to have Udai-senpai sign it, then take it home and practically worship it.
Udai waited, then saw Hinata walk up to him, clutching the volleyball awkwardly. He kept glancing at Udai, then at the ball in his hands, over and over.
Udai felt a bit puzzled. He thought to himself, this volleyball doesn't look anything like me, so why is Hinata smiling at it so strangely? Could he be some kind of weirdo?
Just as Udai's thoughts started running wild, Hinata, face flushed red, stammered,
"Udai-senpai… could you…"
Udai stared at him nervously, worried he might ask for something difficult.
"Could you give me your autograph? Right on the volleyball." Hinata suddenly lifted his head, his eyes sparkling. Hugging the ball, he looked at Udai like an eager puppy. Even the coldest person would have a hard time refusing.
Udai let out a sigh of relief. Good thing it was just an autograph. Back when he had fans, each one was more intense than the last. After matches, some wanted his jersey, others his water bottle, and some even tried to rush up and hug him. Compared to that, Hinata's request was incredibly simple.
Just signing his name. Easy enough… probably.
"All done."
Hinata blankly accepted the volleyball and looked at the handwriting, which somehow looked even worse than his own. He fell into deep contemplation. For the first time, doubt toward his idol crept into his heart, his face full of shock.
He looked at the ball, then at Udai, then back at the ball again. Udai's serious expression was starting to crack, and he looked a little embarrassed.
Ryosuke leaned over for a glance, then burst out laughing.
Udai shot him an embarrassed glare, clearly flustered.
Only then did Hinata realize his reaction might have embarrassed Udai or hurt his feelings, so he hurriedly tried to salvage the situation.
"Ah! Ryosuke, look how nice this handwriting is! And the stroke endings, they're so… so… so unrestrained! You can tell Udai-senpai is a very free-spirited person!"
Sweat broke out on Hinata's forehead. In just a few minutes, he had used up an entire year's worth of vocabulary. He clearly had no idea how to compliment someone and was just forcing it. Even Ryosuke felt secondhand embarrassment for Udai and laughed even louder than before.
Udai covered his face.
"Hey, stop it already! Can't you see I'm blushing?!"
Unable to meet Hinata's eyes, Udai knew exactly how bad his handwriting was. How Hinata could praise it so extravagantly, like it was one of a kind in the entire world, was beyond him.
Ryosuke clutched his stomach, groaning in laughter. The earlier training had already exhausted him, and now that he was laughing this hard, he couldn't even straighten his back.
Hinata had no idea why Ryosuke was laughing. With his simple, straightforward mind, he genuinely thought Udai felt insecure about his handwriting.
"Udai-senpai, don't feel bad. My handwriting is really ugly too."
Hinata even tried to comfort him kindly. Udai chuckled and nodded, indicating he understood. Hinata really was just that pure.
Time slipped by as the three of them joked around. Eventually, Ryosuke pulled along a clearly reluctant Hinata, and they said their goodbyes.
They had to leave. Ryosuke was getting a bit anxious. Wasn't Hinata supposed to have a cold? He had just been playing volleyball and then stood around in the wind. Now his forehead was burning hot. Whether it was because Hinata had poor body awareness or something else, the boy himself didn't seem to notice at all.
Dragged along unsteadily by Ryosuke, Hinata staggered like a drunken goose.
Ryosuke sighed, slung Hinata's bag over his shoulder, and half-dragged him toward the hospital.
"Hinata."
Udai's clear voice came from behind. Hinata snapped his head around so fast that Ryosuke almost lost his grip on him.
Hinata's eyes sparkled, as clear as ever, fixed on Udai.
"Next time you want to play, come find me here. I'll teach you the survival rules for short players on the court."
Udai said it without hesitation. To him, Hinata looked just like his younger self. Stubborn, unwilling to lose, fighting desperately for even the smallest chance.
It had taken him three years to go from an unknown number ten substitute to the renowned Small Giant. How long would it take Hinata? Udai thought. Not long at all.
Hinata was lucky. He had a good coach, friends who stayed by his side, teammates who believed in him, and on top of that, himself. The former Small Giant.
It would be hard for him to fail.
Hinata's pupils slowly shrank, Udai's figure reflected in them. His expression froze, like he was so happy he couldn't process it.
Ryosuke shook him helplessly, sounding a little amused.
"Hinata, hurry up and thank Udai-senpai!"
Hinata finally snapped out of it, though disbelief still filled his face. It was easy to understand. It was like meeting your idol, only to find out they admired you too and even wanted to mentor you, and you just happened to share the same dream. Everything fell perfectly into place.
Hinata's hands trembled as he bowed at a full ninety degrees. The gym fell silent, leaving only his voice echoing.
"Thank you so much, Udai-senpai, for giving me this opportunity! I definitely won't let everyone down!"
As for what happened after that, Hinata barely remembered. He only recalled Ryosuke saying something to Udai-senpai, then being led away in a daze. Udai-senpai even reminded him to wear different volleyball shoes next time…
Ryosuke walked along the street with Hinata. The county hospital was nearby, so even two people with terrible sense of direction didn't need to wander around. Ryosuke scanned the surroundings for signs.
Hinata, being led along like a little kid, suddenly blurted out,
"Is this a dream?"
"Hm?" Ryosuke turned to look at him.
Hinata's expression was complicated. Happiness, excitement, disbelief, and even a hint of… disappointment? Ryosuke could understand the happiness, but what was there to feel disappointed about?
"Of course it's real."
Hinata's lips curled up, then spread into a bright, radiant smile. His steps grew light and floaty, even turning into an awkward same-hand-same-foot walk before he finally started to come back to his senses.
He knew an opportunity like this was incredibly rare. Just meeting the Small Giant would have made him happy enough. But people were greedy. Once they got a glimpse of something, they wanted more.
A simple practice might not mean much to others, but to Hinata, it fulfilled a childhood dream. Standing on the same orange court as the Small Giant.
And on top of that, receiving his guidance. Everything felt so perfect it almost seemed fake. It was as if all the bad luck and setbacks after losing the match had been pushed far away, like clouds dispersing to reveal clear skies.
But thinking it over, Hinata still felt a little guilty toward Ryosuke. When Ryosuke mentioned the Golden Camp earlier, he had almost asked him to help secure a spot. Thankfully, Hinata wasn't that greedy.
He definitely needed to go to the Golden Camp. It was an opportunity to grow stronger. But he absolutely couldn't rely on others.
Even that fleeting thought made Hinata want to despise himself.
Even today's chance to meet the Small Giant had come from Ryosuke's help. Hinata felt like a pitiful beggar who had suddenly been treated to a feast by a kind stranger. It was wonderful, but unreal.
Lost in these thoughts, Hinata didn't even notice when Ryosuke had already brought him to the hospital.
By the time he came back to his senses, he was sitting on a chair, facing a masked doctor holding a long syringe.
All his wandering thoughts vanished instantly.
With a sudden burst, he sprang up from the chair like a jack-in-the-box, his head nearly hitting the ceiling.
"I just have a cold, I'm not dying! Ryosuke, I don't want a shot!"
The doctor's gaze slowly followed Hinata upward, then he rubbed his eyes. He must have seen wrong. Otherwise, how could a spring come to life?
Looking again, he saw Hinata land steadily. The doctor's expression turned dazed. "What… is Newton about to crawl out of his grave, or am I losing my mind…"
Ryosuke looked helplessly at Hinata, who was hiding behind him. He really hadn't expected Hinata to be afraid of injections. That was… surprising.
"You're the Small Giant. How could the Small Giant be afraid of a shot? Udai-senpai is afraid of injections too. Does that mean all short players are…" His tone lifted at the end.
Ryosuke kept a straight face as he casually misled him.
"Who said I'm afraid of shots?!"
Hearing that, Hinata instantly straightened up. No matter what, he couldn't ruin the Small Giant's image.
He marched back to the chair, sat down, stuck out his arm, then turned his head and shut his eyes, looking like he was ready to face life and death.
Ryosuke couldn't help but smile, a trace of amusement in his eyes.
He hadn't actually meant to trick Hinata. This shot was a vaccine, not a fever injection. Hinata did have a slight fever, but it wouldn't affect his training.
The vaccine was to boost his immunity, so that Hinata, who tended to be careless about his health, wouldn't mess things up at crucial moments.
One shot a year. He'd figure out how to trick him again next time. Ryosuke didn't want Hinata to find out, or he'd start looking at him with that overly grateful expression again.
That said, those vaccine shots really did help Hinata later on. Though that wouldn't become clear until much later.
Ryosuke couldn't quite explain why he treated Hinata so well. It went beyond what you'd expect from a friend, yet it wasn't anything else either. It felt more like watching over his own son. A strange, hard-to-explain feeling.
Watching Hinata get his shot, Ryosuke suddenly thought of Tendō. That rare type who could get a fever just from being caught in the rain.
Looks like I should arrange vaccinations for everyone on the team too.
Ryosuke was already thinking about how to convince them. It seemed like a small thing, but those guys were too lazy to bother with the hassle. He'd probably need to talk it over with Shirabu-senpai next time.
Hinata scrunched up his face, baring his teeth as he endured the shot.
Then he puffed out his chest and said, pretending to be calm,
"See? Didn't hurt at all!"
Ryosuke smiled at the arm Hinata had stretched out but didn't expose him.
"Alright, got it. Next, let's take a look at my leg."
Hinata froze for a second, then jumped in alarm.
"What?! Ryosuke, what happened to your leg?!"
His eyes went wide as he circled Ryosuke several times. Guilt crept in. Ryosuke had spent the whole day dealing with him, and he hadn't even noticed something was wrong. That really was terrible of him.
...
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