18. Chapter Eighteen Q

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After Tetsu Oikawa increased the speed and power of his serves, Kuroko gradually began to feel immense pressure. The faster the ball, the less time he had to react and think. Though he could still receive the serves, he found it impossible to control where the ball would land.

“Kuroko-kun, stay calm,” came a familiar voice just as Kuroko started to panic.

Turning around, he saw Yaku standing by the sidelines.

Somewhat surprised, Kuroko asked, “Senpai Yaku? Is the match at Nekoma over?”

“Yeah, I came over to watch for a while,” Yaku nodded. “It seems your movements are still a bit stiff. Want me to demonstrate for you?”

“Do you think Oikawa-kun would mind?” Yaku waved to Tetsu Oikawa across the net.

“Not at all,” Oikawa squinted his eyes.

Honestly, he had never faced someone of Yaku’s caliber as a libero before. Thinking it might be a good opportunity, he was curious to see what he was truly capable of.

Kuroo Tetsurou, who had followed them to the door, sighed and chose not to intervene. Instead, he approached Kuroko.

“Regardless of anything else, Yaku’s ball reception skills are top-notch. Worth learning from.”

“Yeah, I’ll study hard... Senpai?” Kuroko blinked, realizing he only knew Yaku’s name.

“I’m Kuroo Tetsurou, captain of Nekoma,” Kuroo pointed to himself, then to someone behind him who hadn’t entered the gym. “That’s Kenma Kozume, our precious setter.”

“Hello, Senpais,” Kuroko said, curiously studying Kenma Kozume. For some reason, compared to Kuroo and Yaku, he felt more interested in Kenma.

Perhaps it was a feeling akin to having found a kindred spirit.

Meanwhile, on the court, Tetsu Oikawa shed the relaxed demeanor he had during practice with Kuroko and focused intently on Yaku.

Yaku lowered his stance, palms facing up at his sides, ready to receive Oikawa’s serve.

“Here it comes.”

Like a declaration of war, Oikawa took a deep breath and suddenly hurled the ball forward with great force.

Kuroko Tetsuya fixed his eyes on Oikawa’s movement. Having received so many of Oikawa’s serves, he instantly noticed that the approach was broader and stronger than before.

That meant—this serve was probably the hardest he had ever faced.

“*Smack!*”

The loud sound echoed through the quiet gym as the ball slightly deformed upon impact with Oikawa’s hand before shooting across the net in an instant.

Oikawa’s hair flew backward from his high-speed run, his eyes wide open with an expression Kuroko had never seen before—a look of an invader.

The volleyball in Yaku’s eyes grew larger.

The ball was faster than expected, but years of instinctive reception made his body respond automatically.

With near-limit reflexes, Yaku determined the ball’s landing point in time.

His body leaned back instantly to position himself further behind, lowering his arms and center of gravity to the extreme.

The ball came crashing down like a cannonball, hitting Yaku’s arms perfectly. The enormous force caused Yaku, whose balance was already shifted, to fall to the ground.

The ball bounced high and eventually landed outside the opposite court.

Sitting on the floor, Yaku looked incredulously at the ball that had flown out, then turned to face Oikawa, who had also just landed.

Did he... miss the ball?

And by that much?

Surprise filled Oikawa’s eyes. This was the best serve he could manage at this stage, and it had still been received?

Although the ball was wildly off-target, this was Yaku’s first time touching Oikawa’s serve.

Before this, his serves were always “first-shot kills.” No libero, not even Shiratorizawa’s, had ever touched them on the first try.

Kuroko glanced at Kuroo. “Is this considered a failed reception?”

Kuroo paused, then smacked Kuroko’s head, wearing a mischievous grin. “No.”

“If this were a real match, this level would be more than enough.”

“Why?” Kuroko asked, puzzled.

“Volleyball isn’t a one-man sport,” Kuroo said, pointing at the ball on the ground. “Before the ball touches the floor...”

“I’ll get there.”

Kuroko’s eyes widened slowly.

So... that’s how it is.

“Little Kuroko is talking big again,” Kenma interrupted, having finally wandered in with a bottle of energy drink.

“To save that ball just now, Little Kuroko would have to sprint at the speed of a world champion.”

“Damn it, Kenma! Don’t undermine me in front of my cute junior!”

Kenma covered his ears, which were slightly hurting from the smack. “I’m just stating facts...”

Meanwhile, Yaku stood up.

He locked eyes with Oikawa, filled with fighting spirit. “Again!”

This time, he would definitely receive perfectly!

Without a word, Oikawa grabbed a new ball and returned to the serving spot, preparing to run up.

“Here it comes.”

This time, he was determined to deliver a serve that wouldn’t be returned!

Seeing that the two on the court wouldn’t be finishing anytime soon, Kuroo asked a question that had been on his mind from the start.

“Kuroko-kun... You’re a regular at Seijoh, right? Why did you want to play volleyball?”

He had never seen anything like this before.

After all, a regular from the triple crown winning Seijoh switching sports was as absurd and shocking as Sakusa Seion quitting to play soccer.

Kuroko was silent for a moment. “Various reasons.”

“Maybe... I realized basketball wasn’t quite right for me, and I just happened to meet Senpai Oikawa.”

“Just that?” Kuroo expressed utter disbelief.

Kuroko didn’t want to say more about Seijoh. “Senpai Kuroo, just leave it at that.”

Kuroo finally withdrew his probing gaze. He saw that Kuroko was reluctant to talk about it, his expression noticeably stiffening when the topic arose.

But Kuroo didn’t need to know the details. Having watched Seijoh’s matches, he could guess some of the reasons.

If his guess was correct, then Kuroko’s choice to switch to volleyball was the most fitting decision.

“I won’t ask further then,” Kuroo said, ending the subject.

“In any case... no matter why you started volleyball, I guarantee you won’t regret it.”

“They’re all good kids.”

Kuroko nodded.

He agreed with Kuroo. So far, every volleyball player he had met had been earnest and serious about the game—good kids through and through.

None had made him uncomfortable.

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Even the somewhat lax Kaneda and his friends weren’t as infuriating as Aomine had been.

He thought... perhaps he truly wouldn’t regret learning volleyball.

“Are you coming back tomorrow?” Kuroo asked, watching Oikawa and Yaku battle it out.

Kuroko shook his head. “I’m not sure. I’m in the process of transferring schools. I might have to report to Kitagawa First on Monday.”

If he had to report on Monday, he might need to travel with Oikawa back to Miyagi a day earlier and wouldn’t be able to come tomorrow afternoon.

“But I signed up for the morning trial class. I think Coach Nekomata is in charge of that,” Kuroko added.

“I see...” Kuroo sounded a little disappointed.

Though it was just brief interaction, he had come to like Kuroko Tetsuya.

He had hoped to vouch for him with Yaku, but it seemed the move to Miyagi was already set.

After some thought, Kuroo finally said, “Yaku really likes you, and we at Nekoma absolutely welcome you.”

“If you ever think differently or need our help, feel free to reach out.”

“Besides, we don’t have any plans today, so Yaku can teach you some basics later.”

Kuroko bowed slightly. “Thank you, Senpais.”

Neither Kuroo nor Yaku minded possibly training a future rival.

Sports have no boundaries; if someone sincerely wants to learn volleyball, they had no problem paving the way.

Though Oikawa wasn’t thrilled about Yaku teaching Kuroko, he still approved.

After all, Miyagi didn’t have a single high-level libero.

He remembered Chidoriyama’s younger libero prodigy had disappeared without a trace after graduation.

Moreover, Yaku’s style had become very steady and, under Coach Nekomata, had developed into a mature, distinct approach.

With someone willing to teach for free, Oikawa had no reason to refuse.

“Your movements should be like this. Got it?” Yaku carefully corrected Kuroko’s reception form.

Kuroko nodded. “Got it.”

“When receiving, try to...”

“Like this?”

“Yes, keep your center of gravity low.”

Watching Yaku’s teaching from the sidelines, Oikawa was bored.

“Oikawa-kun, want to play 3v3?” Kuroo returned with a few others from the next court.

“3v3? Me?” Oikawa was surprised.

“Yeah. The others have left, and we’re just one setter short.” Kuroo gave him a thumbs-up.

Oikawa stared at Kuroo for a while, sensing some mischief, but he was genuinely interested in Nekoma.

They were also a defense-strong team, but more complete than Date Tech.

Not just in blocking, but their reception was excellent too.

“Alright, I’m in. Who am I teaming with?” Oikawa approached the Nekoma crew.

Kuroo introduced Oikawa’s two teammates: “Our ace, outside hitter Hisashi Kai, and the future ace, outside hitter Takeshi Yamamoto.”

“Here’s setter Kenma Kozume, middle blocker Kuroo Tetsurou—that’s me—and outside hitter Shohei Fukunaga.”

Two outside hitters?

Oikawa’s face was full of confidence. “No problem.”

Kuroo smiled mischievously. “If you lose, don’t come crying to Kuroko, alright?”

“The loser won’t be me,” Oikawa raised an eyebrow.

The teaching session flew by surprisingly fast.

Knowing they might not have many more chances to meet, Yaku rattled off all the key points and tips he could think of.

Kuroko took out his phone to record parts he couldn’t practice immediately.

“That’s all for now,” Yaku said, parched, taking a big gulp of water. “If you don’t understand anything, just ask.”

Kuroko skimmed through his densely packed notes. “I think I get it.”

“Good,” Yaku nodded. “Basics are important. Though you have experience in other sports, volleyball techniques might take a long time to master.”

Training as a libero is grueling, with a much higher risk of injury than other positions.

Especially with techniques like the dive reception; when Yaku first practiced, his chest was bruised for years.

But once mastered, it’s much easier to save unexpected balls.

“I’ll send you my previous training schedule later for reference. But you should still check with the coaches at Kitagawa First or Aoba Johsai,” Yaku reminded him.

After all, Yaku wasn’t a rookie when he got his own training plan and worried Kuroko might struggle to adapt.

“Got it,” Kuroko nodded.

Yaku dragged a chair to the net and stood on it, preparing to toss balls down. “Let’s practice a bit of reception for the rest of the time.”

“Okay!”

The 3v3 match next door was fierce. Perhaps the short morning scrimmage with Shutoku hadn’t been satisfying, or maybe having an outsider spurred their enthusiasm. The hitters attacked ferociously throughout.

3v3 differs from the usual 6v6; typically, there are no triple blocks, so scoring through spikes is easier.

“Attack!”

After receiving, Fukunaga got ready to run.

Kenma was also prepared; at Kuroo’s jump, he tossed the ball out.

“Quick attack! Block!” The first to react was Hisashi Kai; being teammates, they knew each other well.

Oikawa’s reaction was a step late.

Aoba Johsai didn’t emphasize blocking, and Oikawa wasn’t strong there, so he couldn’t keep up with Kai.

Kuroo smashed the ball down the diagonal, perfectly avoiding the block.

Yamamoto lunged, barely touching the ball.

“Sorry! Saving it!”

“Tsk.” Oikawa didn’t hesitate, immediately sprinting after the ball as it bounced away.

Calling out the ace’s name as he ran, “Kai!”

Kai hesitated, then understood instantly, stepping back and jumping.

Shohei Fukunaga on the opposite side widened his eyes. “No way, from that position...”

Before he finished, Oikawa chased the ball off the court, spun around on the spot, and set the ball back up.

Before anyone could react, Kenma called out, “Block.”

There would be no surprises on this play.

Even from outside the court, the ball was perfectly delivered to the ace’s hand.

Kenma’s judgment was spot on.

As Kai prepared to jump, the ball arrived exactly at his peak hitting point.

Suppressing his surprise, he slammed down the spike.

The block was too slow; the ball flew over and landed inside the court.

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Watching the ball roll to the side, Kai stared at his palm in a daze.

That last ball wasn’t only passed from a tricky angle but perfectly matched his highest hit point.

Only a few plays in, and Oikawa had already figured out his hitting habits.

“Impressive,” Kenma praised sincerely after the failed block.

In a way, Oikawa’s style resembled Kenma’s—both played intelligently.

But compared to Kenma’s delicate calculations, Oikawa’s was more about honed technique and absolute confidence in himself.

Even balls Kenma deemed impossible, Oikawa would try to receive.

Moreover, Oikawa’s leadership was surprisingly strong.

At first, their coordination was off, but after fewer than ten plays, Oikawa seemed to understand Yamamoto and Kai’s habits, delivering passes that suited them perfectly.

“Lost confidence, Kenma?” Kuroo tilted his head, looking at his childhood friend.

Kenma turned away, ignoring Kuroo.

He was different from Oikawa.

He only joined the volleyball club to hang out and accompany Kuroo, who told him setters didn’t have to move much. Oikawa was the one fully devoted to volleyball.

Comparing himself to Oikawa felt like an insult.

Sensing Kenma’s thoughts, Kuroo smacked the top of his head, mussing his hair.

“By the way, your hair’s grown out quite a bit. Going to touch it up?”

“No, I like it this way...” Kenma looked away.

“It’ll turn into caramel pudding soon enough,” Kuroo jabbed at Kenma’s black roots.

“Little Kuroko talks too much.”

Kenma had dyed his hair bright blonde because Yamamoto joked his low presence reminded him of Sadako, scaring people. Now he somewhat regretted it.

No... so why does Kuroko’s hair stand out just as much, yet his presence remains so low?

Kuroo rubbed his nose, a little stumped, then called out to resume the match. “Next ball, next ball!”

Kenma refocused on Kuroo.

Even though he initially joined just to kill time, he didn’t want to lose.

Giving up halfway through a challenge... that would be shameful.

#

The process at Seijoh went quickly. When Oikawa and Kuroko returned to their lodging that evening, Kuroko received news from his relatives that the Seijoh transfer formalities were complete.

Kitagawa First had approved the transfer, so all that remained was to transfer his school registration.

After attending a short trial at the club the next morning, Kuroko and Oikawa hurriedly took the Shinkansen back to Sendai.

Something had come up at Shutoku, forcing the cancellation of their scrimmage, so Nekoma’s players didn’t come either. In the end, Kuroko only said goodbye to Coach Nekomata, who supervised the trial.

The trial was mostly for guiding elementary students to start volleyball. After listening for a while, Kuroko realized Yaku and Oikawa had already covered most of it with him.

So after notifying Coach Nekomata, Kuroko left directly.

Kuroko’s arrival in Sendai was so sudden that housing wasn’t arranged yet. Kitagawa First’s dormitory was full, so after discussing, they decided he’d temporarily stay at Oikawa’s house.

As for Kuroko’s class, Oikawa personally chose it after consulting Kitagawa First’s coach. Oikawa still hadn’t used up his long vacation and woke early to escort Kuroko to report at Kitagawa First.

“Did you hear?”

“Looks like we’re getting a transfer student in our class.”

In a third-year classroom at Kitagawa First, the girls in the front row were whispering excitedly.

Kageyama Tobio perked up his ears.

A transfer student? Now?

This was already the last semester of middle school. How could there be a transfer?

Besides, transfers usually happened next semester; coming now meant jumping straight into finals.

“Who knows?”

“Maybe he’s really handsome...”

The front-row girls continued chatting, but Kageyama’s attention was drawn to the commotion downstairs.

Many clubs were still doing morning practice, so someone obviously not a middle schooler entering the school gates stood out.

People upstairs also gathered near the windows, drawn by the noise.

Though distant, Kageyama recognized the person surrounded by a group.

...Wait.

Isn’t that—

“That guy... looks kinda familiar?”

Just as Kageyama tried to discern, someone from the neighboring classroom stuck their head out and revealed everything.

“That’s Senpai Oikawa?!”

Kaneda’s stunned voice reached Kageyama, who froze.

Kunimi Hideo peeked out too. “Really? Why’s Oikawa here? The coach never said anything.”

The high school should be in class now. Why did Oikawa come alone?

“Wait... isn’t he holding someone?”

“Yeah, he is.”

The moment Kageyama recognized Oikawa, he quickly ducked his head, fearing to be seen.

Maybe Oikawa came because he knew Kageyama hadn’t attended practice lately? No, their relationship was never good, and Oikawa probably didn’t have time to care.

Downstairs, Oikawa, surrounded by curious middle schoolers, walked toward the academic building, arm draped over Kuroko’s shoulder.

“Ah, it’s been so long since I’ve been back to Kitagawa First. Feels so familiar—”

They were nearly swallowed by students who recognized him or were just nosy, with girls occasionally screaming.

Kuroko, usually keeping a low profile, wished he could hide. “Senpai Oikawa, please let go of me... this is so weird.”

For the first time in a long while, Kuroko felt awkward being pulled into the spotlight by Oikawa.

“No worries, no worries. I’ll take you to report soon, don’t be nervous,” Oikawa smiled and greeted those around him.

“Oikawa-sama! Good luck at Spring Nationals this year!”

“Senpai Oikawa! We’ll be cheering for you!!!”

Along the way to the academic building, cheers for Oikawa never stopped.

After escaping the era of Ushijima’s dominance, Kitagawa First’s volleyball was arguably the best in the prefecture. Unlike Aoba Johsai, they didn’t have a track team overshadowing them.

The boys’ volleyball team was the undisputed center of attention.

Besides, Oikawa himself was a popular figure.

—Though that was mainly because Kageyama’s bad temper made the previous two generations look more approachable by contrast.

But the main ones who knew Oikawa well were the current third years; the first and second years just thought the unfamiliar senior was handsome.

Once inside the building, Kuroko finally exhaled.

These people were too enthusiastic.

So scary.