"Kageyama…"
Finally, it had come to this.
Meeting Hinata had been great.
But if you're talking about the world of Haikyuu!!, there's one boy who simply can't be left out.
His tosses—precise and mechanical, flawlessly accurate.
And not just his sets—every aspect of his game was performed at an unbelievably high level.
A genius with overwhelming talent, yet he never let that talent make him lazy. He was relentlessly stoic, demanding, merciless with himself.
At least in volleyball, he was about as close to perfection as a player could get.
…But of course, that didn't mean he was flawless. He had weaknesses—real ones.
[The King of the Court]
Even now, if he was still being called by that nickname, then one could safely assume he hadn't truly learned "team play."
Within a powerhouse like Kitagawa Daiichi, that flaw could become fatal.
And though no one here knew it yet, that very weakness would one day lead to a traumatic turning point in his life.
"…Guess it'll still be a while before he realizes it. Though even as he is now, his skill's already ridiculous."
Kagami thought about all that, but then shook his head. He didn't have time to be worrying about the other side. He wasn't just a reader anymore—he was a volleyball player standing on the same court.
"Hey, Seiya! Do something, Shōyō's frozen solid over here!"
"Well, nerves are normal… What's weird is how Sei-chan looks totally used to this already."
Of course, Hinata was nervous. So were Sekimoto, Izumi, and the other first-years.
And in the middle of them all, Kagami was the only one completely relaxed.
Naturally, they found it strange. Sure, some people just don't get stage fright—but this was Hinata and Kagami's first official match. He should've been nervous too.
"Ah, so you really are nervous, huh, Shōyō?"
Kagami chuckled. The total opposite of Hinata.
"Ugh!! N-no, that's not… maybe…?"
"Yeah, see, saying it like that just proves it. Anyway—classic trick time. Write '人' (person) on your palm three times and swallow it. Magic charm for nerves."
"Uuuu…"
Hinata did it straight-faced, like an honest fool. Kagami just grinned, watching over him.
"See? Shōyō's carrying all our nerves for us. That means the rest of us can ease up a little and play with just the right amount of tension."
When someone's clearly more nervous than you are, your own tension naturally eases.
Hinata might hate it, but thanks to him, the others smiled despite themselves.
"Seriously, Sei-chan would make a way better captain than Shōyō, don't you think?"
"Ahaha… He really does feel older somehow. Totally reliable."
Sekimoto stabbed at Hinata with brutal honesty, and Izumi hit the nail right on the head.
To be fair, Kagami did have a higher mental age. He'd lived through three years of high school already, after all. His body might be middle schooler-sized now, but inside, he was older.
Putting an arm around the sulking Hinata's shoulder, Kagami said:
"Idiot. We wouldn't even be here without you. I'm just helping out. There's no one better than you to bring everyone together, Shōyō."
"…Man, you sound more like a guardian. Or maybe a senpai. Or an OB."
"Hehe. You two are like one whole person, huh?"
"I-I can do it too!! I won't lose to Seiya—!!! Wha—?!"
[KITAICHI!! KITAICHI!! KITAICHI!!]
Just then, Kitagawa Daiichi's cheering section erupted in unison.
"Wha—!? What the hell!?"
The "Kitaichi" chant was a deafening chorus, crashing down like a physical wave.
Other schools were competing here too, but as one of the tournament favorites, Kitagawa Daiichi's cheering was overwhelming.
Even the players who didn't make the bench joined in, filling the entire gym with their presence.
And then the stars of the show appeared.
"W-whoa, they've got so many giants!!"
"Kagami suddenly looks normal-sized!!"
"…"
"Alright, Shōyō, first thing—breathe, okay?"
The size difference alone was crushing. Hinata froze completely, to the point of forgetting to breathe. Kagami had to give him a quick karate-chop to the head to snap him out of it.
"Wait wait wait! What the hell's going on!? Why are there so many tall guys!?"
"Kitagawa scouts promising players from all the local youth teams. Volleyball naturally favors height, so yeah… this is the result."
"Yeah, I get that, but—come on, it still feels like cheating, right? …When the gap's this big…"
Plenty of strong programs did the same thing. But facing the reality of such a huge gap, it was hard not to feel cheated.
Finally, Hinata bounced back.
"D-don't worry! I've got my jumping power! No matter how tall they are, I'll smash it through! Plus we've got Seiya's secret weapon, so we'll definitely win!!"
"Definitely, huh? What do you think, Seiya?"
"Mm… let's say 99.999% impossible."
"…Even with you giving it everything?"
"Still impossible. Volleyball's not a one-man sport. But if everyone gives it their all, then hey—it's not totally zero. So let's do it! Shōyō, you're captain, so call it out— …wait, huh? Shōyō?"
They turned. Hinata had vanished.
"…Captain went to the bathroom."
"""AGAIN!?"""
With warmups about to start, Hinata had already run to the bathroom three times that day.
"Sigh… Yukikouji, get everyone moving. I'll go drag him back."
"No no, vice-captain, you run things here. I'll go with him!"
"Nah, let me. I'll loosen Shōyō up."
Kagami cracked his knuckles with a pop pop.
"'Loosen him up'… physically!?"
"Pfft, no. I didn't think he'd be this wound up, running off even right before the match. I'll test out a little trick I've been saving. I'll be right back. You guys just warm up with some passes."
Reluctantly, they agreed. The other first-years carried out the balls and started prepping.
Of course, Kagami didn't have any special anti-nervous trick.
He just wanted to see what lay ahead.
To witness that moment—
when Shadow and Sun might finally meet.
At that very same time—
"(Vending machine, vending machine… there should be one around here.)"
A young woman in a jacket reading Karasuno Volleyball Club walked downstairs.
Warmups hadn't officially begun yet, and there was still a little time before the match, so she'd come to buy drinks.
"…There."
She spotted the vending machine and jogged toward it.
"Ah—!"
"…Huh?"
Fate or coincidence—at that exact moment, Kagami, chasing after Hinata, came around the corner.
Their eyes met.
For several seconds, neither looked away.
Then Kagami gave a small bow and briskly walked off.
"…??"
"Ah! Shimizu-san! Sorry I'm late! Let me buy that for you to make up for it!"
"…It's fine. I already bought it."
"Then let me carry it for you!"
"I said it's fine."
Ignoring the overeager boy behind her, the girl left through the side hallway.
Her name: Shimizu Kiyoko, Karasuno Volleyball Club's second-year manager.
That fleeting encounter with Kagami Seiya would set in motion a certain destiny.
"…(What was that just now?)"
Shimizu couldn't quite figure out why she'd frozen when their eyes met, or why he'd bowed. But it lingered faintly in her mind.
At the very least, she could tell one thing—
unlike Tanaka trailing behind her, that boy's presence didn't carry the same noisy energy at all.