"Taichi, I won again today~"

  As the practice match cluded, Oikawa Tōru sidled up to Kaedehara Taichi with a smug grin.

  [Reserve Team 30 – 28 Youth National Team]

  [Reserve Team 30 – 32 Youth National Team]

  [Reserve Team 21 – 25 Youth National Team]

  Ultimately, the Reserve Team lost the match 1–2.

  Given the gap in strength and endurahe lohe match dragged on, the more it disadvahe first- and sed-year pyers.

  "Yeah, gratutions, Oikawa-senpai, for winning under Ushijima-senpai's leadership," Taichi said, f a smile.

  "Taichi! I was the one who orchestrated our entire offence!" Oikarotested.

  "Really? All I saw was Ushijima-senpai sg points~"

  "Taichi, be ho—without my sets, you must have felt unfortable, right? I noticed you had fewer attag opportunities," Oikawa remarked casually as if the thought had just occurred to him.

  "Not at all. Miya-senpai and Kageyama's sets feel great," Taichi replied decisively.

  "Oh? You even called him 'senpai'~"

  "Of course. We're teammates now, after all," Taichi paused for a beat. "Besides, as everyone knows, I always follow the rules and treat people with utmost politeness."

  "Is that so? That's something others should say about you!"

  "I trust everyohinks so."

  -----

  Oher side of the court, Sakusa Kiyoomi and Komori Motoya approached Ushijima Wakatoshi.

  Despite the excitement and anticipation brewing inside him, Sakusa maintained an impassive expression when he finally stood face-to-face with Ushijima.

  "Wakatoshi, I uand now why Shiratorizawa lost to Aoba Johsai. I never expected Miyagi to have such a formidable setter."

  "Sakusa, at least add 'senpai' to that," Komori sighed in exasperation. "You're bringing up an old wound right away—anyone who overhears this would think you two have some kind of feud."

  "…Sakusa, Komori," Ushijima greeted them calmly, unfazed by Sakusa's remark. "Aoba Johsai was strong this year. Their team chemistry was exceptional."

  "Even so, they won't be a match for Itachiyama. Iizuna-senpai's setting won't lose to Oikawa's."

  "Mm. Do your best."

  After a long fifteen seds of silence…

  Komori was beginning tret tagging along. Now, he was the ouck trying to keep the versation alive.

  "Ushijima-senpai, are you pnning to explore Tokyo while you're here?"

  "No. Shiratorizawa's volleyball club still has regur training sessions."

  Komori: "…"

  Right. He'd fotten that this group of volleyball freaks only had ohing on their minds…

  "Hey! Hey! Hey!!"

  Bokuto Kōtarō, still riding the adrenaline from the match, bounded over-enthusiastically.

  "Ushijima! Did you see my brilliant performance? Ain't I the stro?"

  Ushijima frowned slightly. That was not something he could simply ignore.

  Though Bokuto had indeed pyed spectacurly in this match, it wasn't nearly as memorable as their first enter at nationals—when Bokuto had itted three secutive service errors in a si.

  But…Shiratorizawa had failed to qualify for this year's Spring High Nationals.

  "If Aoba Johsai beats Shiratorizawa, then if Fukurōdas Aoba Johsai, it proves that Fukurōdani is strohan Shiratorizawa! Which means I'm strohan Ushijima!" Bokuto decred triumphantly as if he had just discovered the formu for volleyball supremacy.

  "By that logic, wouldn't the team that wins nationals have the stro pyers?" Komori interjected casually.

  "Oi, you guys sure love making up your own narratives," a voice cut in from behind Ushijima.

  Hoshiumi Kōrai emerged from the crowd, unimpressed.

  As more people gathered, Sakusa quietly pulled up his mask.

  "Aren't you going to say something?" Bokuto asked Miya Atsumu, atg from the sidelines.

  "No need. We'll face them at nationals sooner or ter," Atsumu replied befng toward Kageyama, who was stretg nearby. A smirk curled on his lips. "Besides, I just noticed something even more iing."

  He sauntered over to Kageyama and said, "Oi, Tobio-, are you copying Oikawa-senpai's 'goody-two-shoes' setting style?"

  Chikugaya Eikichi, standing nearby, instinctively inched aon hearing Atsumu's deliberately provocative tone.

  Kageyama tilted his head. "What's 'goody-two-shoes' setting?"

  "Exactly what it sounds like," Atsumu grinned mischievously. "Your sets are accurate, sure, but you're just obediently putting the ball exactly where your spikers want it."

  "Oikawa-senpai!" Kageyama's voice was sharp as he turoward his former captain, who had abruptly stepped between them.

  "Oy, Miya! What kind of nonsense are y to teach my cute undercssman?!" Oikawa gred at Atsumu.

  "Nothing much. Just thinkin' that Tobio- could be a little more…iing," Atsumu waved zily before walking away.

  Kageyama frowned, repying Atsumu's words in his head. Delivering the set exactly where the spiker wants it—is that wrong?

  He suddenly recalled his time at Kitagawa Dai'ichi, when he had focused solely on outman blockers with his sets, disregarding his spikers' preferences.

  In the end, he had bee an isoted "King."

  That i wasn't any one person's fault. Their immaturity and ck of unication ultimately led to their colpse.

  However, Kageyama Tobio had learned some lessons from it.

  Despite his poor unication skills, he had gradually figured out how to ect with his spikers at Karasuno, and in doing so, he had experienced growth himself.

  So, what was wrong?

  "Oikawa-senpai, isn't a setter supposed to deliver the ball that the spiker wants?" Kageyama asked seriously, a hint of fusion in his tone.

  Oikawa Tōru stared at the junior who had once been the embodiment of his inner demons. If it had been in the past, he might have hesitated—should he really help the one pyer who posed the greatest threat to him?

  But now, with a broader perspective, he uood that even without Kageyama Tobio, there would still be Miya Atsumu, Iizuna Tsukasa…

  The world was vast, and to stand at the top, one needed a vision to match.

  Oikawa was fident in himself now. He wao see a streyama Tobio—and then, on a age, defeat him.

  "Tobio-," Oikawa said, a rare seriousness in his voice. "Every spiker is unique. You've learo tailor your sets to suit their characteristics, which is great, but that's only the first step."

  Kageyama gazed at the senior he had always sought to surpass and found that Oikawa was gerying to teach him. It felt…odd.

  "Onaster that, you move on to the sed step—does the ball your spiker wants actually maximize their potential?"

  Kageyama: "???"

  So he hasn't realized it yet? Oikawa smirked triumphantly. See? I'm still better than you, Kageyama!

  "Take Taichi, for example. You should've noticed by now—he's stantly expl his limits, alushing for a breakthrough."

  "Keeping up with a pyer like that is already exhausting for us setters."

  Kageyama thought of Karasuno's e-haired decoy and nodded in agreement.

  "Most of the time, when Taichi asks for a ball, it's because that's the best shot he execute in that moment. Almost every spiker here today has that level of awareness."

  "But in high school, pyers like him are rare. More often, you'll enter spikers who hesitate, who ck fidence, or who don't fully uand their own abilities. Their requests for sets will be servative, keeping them iheir fort zones."

  Kageyama thought of Karasuno's bespectacled middle blocker and nodded again.

  "That's wheter o lead them," Oikawa said, casting a g Kaedehara Taichi. "On the court, I demand 100% from my spikers."

  "Got it?" Oikawa turned back to Kageyama.

  Kageyama didn't fully ua, but he itted every word to memory, eager to experiment with it once he returo Karasuno.

  "Thank you, Oikawa-senpai!" Kageyama bowed at a perfeiy-degree angle.

  Oikauffed out his chest proudly. Yes! This is the kind of satisfa I could never get from Taichi!

  Looks like Tobio- is officially my student now…

  -----

  "Kiryu-senpai, now that you've experienced Oikawa-senpai's sets firsthand, what do you think?"

  While the tre of the court was a chaotic mess, Kiryū Wakatsu stood at the periphery, her too close nor too far.

  "Huh?" Caught off guard, Kiryū froze as if he had been hit with a pop quiz.

  To be ho, when he saw Kaedehara Taichi walking toward him earlier, he thought he was about to be challenged.

  But his teammate Keisuke Unnan was still chatting with the others, leaving Kiryū a little nervous.

  "Uh…you guys are really strong!"

  Seeing how different Kiryu was on and off the court, Taichi wasn't sure how to respond. Maybe Karasuno's Yamaguchi Tadashi would have a lot in on with him.

  "But if we meet at Spring High, we won't lose this time."

  Taichi tilted his head back slightly, his gaze shifting as he looked at Kiryu with subtle i. Was that a decration of war? But as one of the nation's top three aces, Kiryū would never back down from a challenge.

  "I'm looking forward to it. But no matter who Aoba Johsai faext, the result will be the same."

  "If possible, I'd like to go up against every pyer here today."

  "Still, ime, I'll be the one winning."

  _________

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