It had been a week since Nationals ended, and nearly every high school student in Japan was enjoying their sumr break.
Well—everyone except the ones in sports clubs.
At Date Tech, the school building was quiet, the schoolyard practically empty. Only the gym still echoed with the steady thud-thud of volleyballs slamming into the court.
"Aone! You got selected too!!"
Coach Oiwake, who was usually calm and composed, burst into the gym looking utterly unlike his usual self. His face was glowing with excitent and barely restrained joy as he rushed in with hurried steps.
Aone Takanobu turned toward the gym doors in confusion, startled by the sudden shout.
"Huh?"
"Selected for what?" Futakuchi Kenji asked in his place, knowing that Aone wasn't good with words.
All of Date Tech's players paused their practice and gathered around, curious. From what they'd heard before, the only ti the word 'selected' had co up was when Kaedehara Taichi and Kageyama Tobio went to the Japan Youth Camp last year—but the timing didn't seem to match up now.
Coach Oiwake took a mont to catch his breath before he solemnly announced:
"It's the Japan–U.S. Exchange Match! This ti, the Japan Volleyball Association is selecting 14 current high school players to form a representative team. After a week of joint training, they'll be playing a friendly match against the Arican team."
Unlike Coach Washijō of Shiratorizawa or Coach Irihata of Aoba Johsai, Oiwake didn't have any advanced sources to tip him off.
He only found out after getting a phone call from Katase Jun, the Vice President of the Japan Volleyball Association, just monts ago.
Aone Takanobu instinctively straightened his back. The confusion in his eyes gave way to surprise and elation. His heart started pounding in his chest.
"Taichi...Taichi will be there too, right?"
Hearing Aone speak that many words in one go left the rest of the Date Tech team visibly shocked. But truthfully, they were just as concerned about the answer.
"Not just Taichi. Aoba Johsai has three players selected this ti," Oiwake said.
"Three?!" Futakuchi's eyebrows twitched. "Taichi, Kyōtani...The last one's Kunimi?"
"Kaedehara Taichi, Kunimi Akira, and Nakamori Daiki," Oiwake clarified.
"That first-year?!" Futakuchi looked surprised, but after thinking it over, it did kind of make sense.
"But why was Kunimi selected and not Kyōtani Kentarō?" Futakuchi couldn't help but ask. From a threat standpoint in matches, Kyōtani seed far more terrifying.
"Because the team already has plenty of pure attackers," Oiwake explained. "Kyōtani still struggles with blocking and receiving, so he'd hardly have any playing ti even if he went."
"Also, the training camp will have more than 14 players. The final roster gets decided on the last day."
"I see...So that's how Aoba Johsai ended up with three picks. Champion privileges?"
"Inarizaki and Kamodai Academy have three each, too," Oiwake shot him a look.
Now that he had cald down, Oiwake reflected a bit more. Aone Takanobu's selection definitely stemd from his performance at Nationals. Still, he couldn't help but think—Date Tech had more than just Aone who deserved a shot. If only a few more of his boys had been picked…
Even if they didn't make the final 14, just being in that high-level environnt would help them grow trendously.
"Coach, is Aone-senpai the only one selected from Date Tech?" Kimura Ryōta asked hesitantly. "Did the volleyball association...ntion at all...?"
"...No," Oiwake said after a deep breath. "Six players were selected from Miyagi Prefecture in total: the three from Aoba Johsai, Aone, Karasuno's Kageyama Tobio, and Kakugawa's Hyakuzawa Yūdai."
"Aone, you should head ho and pack now. This afternoon, the six of you will gather at Aoba Johsai. Taichi will lead the group to Tokyo."
"The training camp will be at Ajinomoto National Training Center in Tokyo—sa place as last year's Youth Camp. Taichi's familiar with the venue and the national team coaches."
"Got it!" Aone responded firmly.
Kimura lowered his head. Hearing that even Aoba Johsai's first-year libero made the cut, he'd dared to believe he might stand a chance too.
But even with a critical eye, Kimura couldn't co up with any reason why Kageyama or Hyakuzawa wouldn't be chosen.
"Koganegawa, Kimura—you two still need to work harder," Futakuchi said with uncharacteristic gravity. "You both had the chance to show off at Nationals, yet none of the 'big shots' noticed you."
Smack!
Coach Oiwake gave Futakuchi a swift whack on the head.
"You're the one who lacks ambition the most!"
"Haha…Hahaha…" Futakuchi gave a dry, helpless laugh. But I really did try my best…
-----
That afternoon, the group assembled at Aoba Johsai.
"Hyakuzawa, you're still so tall!" Kaedehara Taichi exclaid. "In the finals, I beat another 2-ter giant, you know!"
"Yes, I saw." Hyakuzawa hunched slightly. "You were amazing."
"…C'mon, don't be so stiff! We're teammates now."
"Yes!"
"What do you an 'still so tall'? If you can't make conversation, then don't," Nakamori Daiki said with a grimace from the side.
"Daiki! Show so respect to your senpai, will you?!"
"Taichi, if I'm the one setting for you, we'll have no problems no matter who we're up against," Kageyama Tobio said stiffly.
"Uh…" Taichi's lips twitched. That sounded like a major flag if he'd ever heard one.
"Hmph. You think you get to be Taichi's setter?" Kunimi Akira scoffed.
Even though the misunderstanding between the Kitagawa trio had been cleared up, Kunimi had no intention of letting Kageyama off the hook when he deserved to be roasted.
"Why not?" Kageyama frowned, serious as ever. "Sure, your setting's improved a lot since middle school—but I'm still better, aren't I?"
"Whoa~" Nakamori looked thoroughly entertained. "The truth cuts deeper than any blade. Shrimp cruelty."
But Kunimi didn't flinch. He glanced lazily at Kageyama and said, "I'm not a setter. Why are you comparing yourself to ? Once we get to Tokyo, you're just going to be Miya Atsumu-senpai's backup anyway."
Kageyama: "…"
"Hahaha…Absolute KO," Taichi laughed cheerfully.
Smack!
Aone's familiar palm landed on Taichi's shoulder. At this point, it was clear he'd beco a seasoned peacemaker.
"It's fine, it's fine. They're actually pretty close," Taichi reassured him.
"By the way, Kageyama…Is Shōyō really okay with not being selected?" Taichi asked.
"That idiot was pretty upset," Kageyama admitted, finally breaking eye contact with Kunimi. "But…he's already found his goal."
"No matter where he is, he's not going to stop moving forward."
"…That's good, then." Taichi stretched with a big yawn.
"Well then—let's get going!"
"Yeah!"
_________
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