As the door slid open, the class fell into shock, not expecting such a tall person to walk into their class. Standing at 6'3" Bodhi entered the classroom and walked up to the board.
"Please tell us about yourself," Mrs. Sato said.
"Well, my name is Bodhi Hamada. I was originally born here in Miyagi but had to move to Australia when I was 10 and I called that home for a few years until...family...circumstances had me move back here. Some hobbies of mine include surfing, photography, and most importantly volleyball. So, if any of you here are a part of the team could you direct me to the coach after school? That would be greatly appreciated. I'd love to meet this so-called 'best in prefecture' setter. The main reason I came here honestly." Bodhi said, ruffling more than a few feathers towards the end of his introduction.
"Damn pretty boy gaijin" he heard some of the boys say.
Some girls on the other hand took more offence to what he said about the 'best' setter. Tooru Oikawa!
"Oikawa-kun is the best! A gaijin like you wouldn't stand a chance against him!" many said.
All the while comments were flying Bodhi just stood utterly unaffected by it all. Simply letting it all roll off his shoulder.
"Thank you, Hamada. Please take the open seat in the back near the window." (Where else but the protagonist's seat?) Bodhi nodded in reply and walked over, passing by people glaring at him. These people need to chill out. Bodhi thought as he noticed the seat in front of him was occupied by the girl who helped him earlier.
"Oh! Nice to have somebody I know near me, eh mate? Hana?" he said while sitting down.
This earned another much more heated glare towards him. Along with more 'pretty boy' gaijin insults which all did not affect the ever-relaxed Bodhi. Some girls however noticed the use of the first name and as one, they decided Nakano would be the target of questions come lunch time. The blush ever rising again, surely didn't help poor Nakano out in the least.
"Okay, open your textbooks to page..." Mrs. Sato began as the entire class calmed down and started to pay attention to her. Everyone but Bodhi as he hadn't gotten his textbooks yet. So he just opted to listen and write down what he could in his notebook.
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The morning passed by pretty quickly for Bodhi as he just listened to his teachers teach and wrote down what he could. He also made a mental note to get his textbooks after school finished. With the coming of lunch, the girls all made a break for Hana to start the interrogation on why the begrudgingly handsome transfer student was calling her by her first name. Hana surely was in for a rough time this Monday lunch break. Bodhi on the other hand didn't know where to go, but he remembered that this school had a rooftop where people could go and eat lunch if they wanted, so he decided he would go and eat there as it had been a fairly sunny June day.
Grabbing his lunch he made his way out of the classroom, stopping only briefly to ask a passerby where the stairs were to the roof, they answered and went on their way. No doubt an older student seeing as they were not pissed or flustered at him Bodhi thought. His movements, however, did not go unnoticed as a rather slothful teen feigned interest in the new transfer.
Akira Kunimi just really needed a nap. He would think more about him later. Probably. Maybe. Most likely not. Let somebody else handle the transfer Akira thought. As he finished drinking his salted caramel milk and rested his head on the table.
Bodhi had made his way to the roof and when he did, he was both happy and sad to find it empty. With nobody around he could eat peacefully but it also meant that he would not be able to talk to anyone, he didn't let that weigh him down though as he leaned against the wire fence and opened his lunchbox bento, the one his mother had made him that morning, and upon seeing it, he was glad nobody else was around. For on top of the rice was a big red heart with the words, "Bodhi-boo" written in it. God, he couldn't be happier right now, since nobody was around. But that was broken up by a chuckle from above as somebody was sitting on the top of the staircase entryway.
"Care to share some? Bodhi-boo?" the Stanger taunted, as he hopped down. His short-cropped dyed blond hair with two black stripes running across the sides of his head pointed towards him being a delinquent Bodhi thought, but that train of thought stopped as soon as he noticed something very prominent about him.
"Sure, I'll share some dye-job. As soon as you grow a few centimetres," Bodhi taunted back rising to his full height. The Stranger had a tick mark appear on his forehead at Bodhi's remark and approached him, sizing the admittedly much larger boy.
"Bring it on booboo!" the stranger demanded.
But before a scuffle could break out, the door to the roof slammed open and another person joined the fray. But for some reason only attacked the stranger. Launching a flying kick at him.
"You just came back! You damn idiot!" the attacker said as he was walking over to the person he kicked away and grabbed him by the collar and yelled some more into his face this time. "We need your strength Kyotani! Stop doing stupid shit!"
When he finished chewing the guy out, he brought over to be in front of Bodhi where he forcefully shoved his head down in an apology. "Sorry for this troublesome kohai of mine," he too bowed. Before they both left, leaving Bodhi alone on the roof.
"Fuck me dead mate, the hell just happened?" Bodhi said to nobody. After he said those words, he made his way back to his lunch but to his dismay, it had spilled all over the ground and was currently being raided by crows.
"Mum's gonna be pissed..." Bodhi said, once again to nobody. Showing the birds away he picked up the bento box container and packed it away in its wrapping and then made his way back to his classroom. He knew that this afternoon was going to be a slog. With an empty stomach, he sat himself back in his seat and proceeded to cry himself into a nap for the remainder of lunch, which was only about 20 minutes, so Bodhi was rudely awakened by the bell signalling the end of what was supposed to be a wonderful lunch.
If I ever see the dye job delinquent again, it'll be too soon! Bodhi thought as his math teacher, Mr. Gojo began his lesson. Bodhi however couldn't focus because of his empty stomach and failed to take any notes.
At the end of the first day of class, Bodhi was behind in three of his five classes. Not of his own volition of course. Everything went off the rails when Dye-job insulted his mother's bento. Something Bodhi would never let stand, but there was a little hope as he overheard a conversation between fellow classmates.
"Hey Kunimi, do you want to go to karaoke with us?" one of Bodhi's new classmates asked this 'Kunimi' fellow. All Bodhi knew about him was that he liked to laze about in class. Since Bodhi didn't have the energy to take notes, he decided to observe his classmates and see what they were about, that is when he found Mr. Sloth as Bodhi had dubbed him, taking a nap just like he was doing prior.
"Sorry Daiki, I've got Volleyball practice," Kunimi replied.
Oh?
Bodhi acquired his new target!
Bodhi used recover!
Bodhi is fully recovered!
And just like that Bodhi hastily packed up his backpack and made his way over to the group of boys, just catching the tail end of the conversation.
"It does suck you guys lost again. I'll be sure to cheer you guys on though!" the one named Daiki said as he walked away with a few of his friends leaving Kunimi alone. When Bodhi saw this, he didn't miss the brief flash of anger pass over Kunimi's face. No doubt sore about a recent loss.
"Hey! Your Kunimi right? My name's Bodhi if you forgot. Think you could show me to the Volleyball club? I want to join," Bodhi said, causing Kunimi to grimace as his plan backfired to avoid the new transfer student and have someone else do it for him.
"Ugh...Fine," Kunimi replied packing up his bag and walking out. Bodhi followed close behind.
As the two walked through the halls, people's stares were drawn to them. It was odd to see Kunimi with anyone but Kindaichi, most of the other first years in the hallway thought.
"So, what position do you play Mr. Sloth?" Bodhi said. This caused Kunimi to briefly stop and glare at Bodhi for the nickname he was suddenly given, but like before it just rolled off Bodhi's shoulders, unbothered by the glare. Disappointed at seeing his glare ineffective Kunimi continued walking and answered.
"I play wing and am a opposite," Kunimi replied.
"Oh! That's pretty dope mate. I'm a wing too! Outside hitter though. Find I can do the most there," Bodhi finished and asked another question. "So, I heard you guys lost recently? What's that about?"
Kunimi once again stopped in his tracks and looked back glaring once again at such a thoughtless question, but Bodhi just tilted his head in confusion. Bodhi was just curious was all. Blunt as hell. But curious all the same.
With a sigh before replying Kunimi spoke about the inter-high tournament they just competed in and what the results were.
Runner-Ups to the champions Shiratorizawa Academy. A fated rival. Which also possessed the number one ace in the prefecture and top three in the nation. Some guy named Ushijima Wakatoshi, or Ushiwaka as he was more commonly known. This caused a competitive fire to be lit in his soul when Bodhi heard that. But before he could ask more questions and if there was another tournament. They reached the gym, where Kunimi bid goodbye to go and change for practice.
"Can I help you young man?" an older gentleman asked Bodhi. Said the man walked closer to Bodhi and noticed his size. Wouldn't make a bad middle, the man thought.
"Uh, yeah mate! Just transferred here and was hoping to join the team. Oh! My name's Bodhi Hamada by the way." Bodhi replied. This caused the old man to perk up at this.
"My name is Nobuteru Irihata, the head coach of Aoba Johsai's volleyball team. Have you played before?" the coach asked curiously. Wondering if this boy could be a spark for his team, to push past their limits and overcome the mountain that is Shiratorizawa.
"Yes, I have, actually back home I was-" Bodhi began but was cut off as a shout was heard from behind him.
"Booboo!" the stranger from earlier shouted. This caused Bodhi to turn around and glare at the interloper.
"Damn, dye-job did ya shrink since lunch? You're so small from over here!" Bodhi yelled, causing some people who had just made it into the gym to look over in their direction, among them the boy from before that launched dye-job halfway across the roof.
"MAD-DOG! CUT THE SHIT!" he yelled. But that only caused Bodhi to burst into a fit of giggles.
"Mad-Dog! Hahaha! More like Chihuahua!" Bodhi yelled, laughing more.
All went still in the gym, even the boy that had berated 'Mad-Dog' fell silent before he started to laugh too. Which caused a chain reaction of giggles to be heard around the gym as most of the team had made it into the gym.
"BASTARD!" Mad-Dog yelled and charged at him but was swiftly caught by the neck of the boy from before.
"Oi! Cut it out! That temper we have to cool!" he said. "But, this time it wasn't entirely your fault Kyotani. You what's your name?" he asked the taller boy.
With a cheeky smirk, Bodhi replied most classically. "First-year, class 1-2, new transfer student Bodhi Hamada! And I'm gonna become the ace! And take down Wakaushi and Shiratittyzawa!" he declared boldly.
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...
Laughter rang once more, and even Kyotani joined in as he boldly declared his intentions. Even the coach joined in. Seeing them all laugh, caused a little something to snap in Bodhi. His pride had been hurt. So to stop the laughter he picked up a stray ball, and made his way to the baseline.
People were still laughing as he made his way over. But his movement was caught by a couple of third-years, chief among them Toru Oikawa. The 'best' setter in the prefecture. Taking off his jacket to free up his arms he began his service routine. Taking five steps from the baseline, he turned around and began to spin the ball three times, stopping after the third, he lifted the ball to his head closed his eyes and waited. That didn't go unnoticed by the people who noticed him move. He was waiting for the whistle to serve. Hearing the imaginary whistle Bodhi tossed the ball high in the air. Good toss Oikawa thought as he watched the first year approach the ball. Jumping high in the air Bodhi reached back with his right arm and swung with all his might.
*SMACK*
As Bodhi's palm made contact with the ball, it rocketed across the net at an extreme speed. The sound of such a powerful serve, caused all the laughter to cease and watch in awe of Bodhi's jump serve. Passing the net, the onlookers thought it was going out before it sharply dived just inside the left corner on the opposite side of the court. Landing Bodhi began to speak again. This time his words shocked everyone in the gym.
"Oh, I forgot to mention one thing. Bodhi Hamada...National team hopeful,"
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"Welcome to the team," Coach Irihata said, reaching out to shake Bodhi'shand. One Bodhi was glad to shake.