"Damn it, who even is that guy?!"
"He seriously pisses me off. What is he, some pretty boy?!"
Before long, Nekoma High, dressed in their dark red uniforms, walked into the gym. The moment they arrived, Taketora Yamamoto spotted Kiyoko Shimizu in the distance. He had been about to go over and strike up another conversation with her, maybe get a little closer.
But then he saw Hank standing right in front of her.
Just from the way the two of them were talking, it was obvious that Kiyoko seemed very interested in him.
She might even have a crush on him.
Yamamoto had never imagined that one day his ideal type would actively pursue someone else... and that guy even looked half-hearted and indifferent about it.
It infuriated him.
The more he looked, the angrier he got.
"Right?! That's exactly what I'm saying... what's so great about that pretty boy anyway?!"
"I'm handsome too, aren't I?! So why won't Shimizu-senpai even look at me?!"
Nishinoya and Tanaka were grinding their teeth in frustration too. The moment they heard that Yamamoto also couldn't stand Hank, the three of them instantly hit it off, like old friends reunited at first sight, and immediately started venting together.
Because of Kiyoko and Hank, the three of them were practically ready to swear brotherhood on the spot.
"Can you two settle down already? Don't forget why we came here today."
"We're here to carefully observe Aoba Johsai's match. The Spring High preliminaries are right around the corner."
"Damn it!"
Daichi glanced toward the loudest corner of the court and quickly locked onto Nishinoya and Tanaka. With a face full of black lines, he marched over, dragged the two of them back, and started lecturing them on the spot.
This was a practice match between multiple teams. What kind of behavior was it to be shouting and making a scene in the middle of the venue?
"Tora, what the hell is wrong with you?!"
"Why aren't you getting ready for the match? What are you doing over here?!"
Right after Daichi dragged Tanaka and Nishinoya away, Kuroo, Nekoma's captain, also walked over with an annoyed look and hauled Yamamoto back from where he was still cursing under his breath. The guy was just too embarrassing... no matter where he went, he always managed to stir up trouble for the team.
For an upperclassman, he really didn't act like one at all.
He was practically smearing Nekoma High's name.
And despite all those little commotions happening nearby, Kiyoko, who had been chatting and laughing with Hank the whole time, didn't notice the three idiots at all. She just kept telling him amusing stories from recently, wanting to share them with him.
Hank listened quietly.
"Karasuno's manager, it's our match next."
"We're borrowing your Hank for a little while."
As soon as they heard the referee's whistle blow, Oikawa and the others—already changed and fully ready—headed out together. The first match was Aoba Johsai High versus Nekoma High. Since it was the opening match, both teams were bound to feel a bit nervous.
So it was better to start warming up as soon as possible. There wasn't any extra time to let Kiyoko and Hank keep up their ambiguous little moment.
"Oikawa, what did you just say...?"
Hank had wanted to explain, but Oikawa simply dragged him away before he could say anything, leaving Kiyoko standing there alone with her face completely flushed red.
By this point, rumors about the two of them had already spread all through Aoba Johsai...
Because of that, plenty of girls who used to like Hank had fallen into silent heartbreak.
Some of them had even started feeling jealous of Kiyoko. As someone who considered himself a veteran in matters of romance, if Oikawa still couldn't tell what Kiyoko meant, then he'd really be hopeless.
"Alright, alright. Whatever misunderstanding there is, you two can clear it up after the match."
"The practice match is about to start!"
Oikawa's face was full of smiles. There were now fewer than ten days left before the Spring High preliminaries, so getting a friendly match at the very end was definitely a great thing. It would help the team build even better coordination.
And recently, with Hank joining the team, Oikawa had, for the first time, truly started to believe they had a shot at earning a ticket to Spring High.
So this time, he was going to seize that chance with both hands.
He would not let another opportunity slip away for nothing.
Shiratorizawa might not necessarily be able to crush them so easily after all.
Once Aoba Johsai and Nekoma High had both stepped onto the volleyball court, the nearby stands gradually filled with scattered spectators. Most of them were Aoba Johsai fans, who had come to watch every rally of their matches up close.
(End of Chapter)
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