"So, that was…"
"Yeah."
"The one the seniors have been talking about…"
The first years of Aoba Johsai, who had only heard whispers of his name, exchanged glances with each other. Unlike the senior players, their reactions weren't as bad—they were mostly just curious.
Kunimi nodded in response and spoke. "Tsunayoshi Matsumoto."
His presence was certainly heavy.
All eyes were on Tsuna as he walked away, one of their members showing him the way toward the restroom. Kindaichi frowned as he looked at the senior players, who looked like they had just seen a ghost.
Even after he had left, his arrival seemed to press down on the atmosphere like an invisible force.
Looking back to where that guy had left, he quietly thought, 'Is he... really that good?'
After a quick restroom break, Tsuna returned to the court, only to be greeted by Tanaka's loud voice.
"Yo! Why didn't you tell us you were coming today, huh?"
Tanaka demanded, waving his arms dramatically.
Tsuna replied, "Why shouldn't I come?"
Tanaka rolled his eyes in exasperation and groaned, "That's not what I meant, you bastard! Arghhh!"
"Lower your voice, Tanaka..."
Daichi shook his head at this and asked, "Anyway, how's your business in Tokyo?"
"Tsuna-senpai! I did it! I scored with my spike!"
Before Tsuna could respond, Hinata came bounding up to him like an overexcited puppy, thrusting his hand toward Tsuna's face as if presenting a trophy.
"..."
Seeing Daichi's smile slowly turning a bit weird, both Kageyama and Tsukishima, who had been arguing with each other, flinched. They nodded at each other and immediately sprang into action.
Without a word, Kageyama clamped a hand over Hinata's loud mouth while Tsukishima grabbed his flailing arms.
"Hmm?? HMMPH!!!"
The two worked in unison, dragging him away as Hinata wriggled in protest.
"Well, yeah…"
Tsuna muttered, watching the chaotic trio with a mix of amusement and exhaustion.
Shaking his head, his gaze shifted to the other side of the court.
He observed Aoba Johsai's lineup for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Hmm. Are they just trying out their first years?"
"It appears so," Suga responded. "Some of their key players are absent today."
Tsuna's eyes flickered with recognition as he scanned the opposing team. He wasn't familiar with any of the players, but those wearing scrimmage vests didn't appear to be the ones who had played against them last year.
Still, he couldn't care less about them. He frowned, noticing that someone he was expecting to see was missing.
Oikawa.
However, as if answering Tsuna's disappointment, a loud commotion suddenly broke out near the entrance of the gym.
"Uwaahhh!!"
"Kyaa! He's finally here!"
The chatter was mostly from the girls as their excited voices filled the gym.
Everyone in Karasuno stopped what they were doing and turned toward the source of the noise.
The senior players immediately tensed. Their expressions turned serious as they recognized who had just arrived.
Kageyama froze mid-stretch. His brows furrowed deeply, and his gaze locked onto the figure walking in.
Tsuna's disappointed expression slowly faded away as his lips curled into a grin as he spotted the familiar figure strolling toward the court.
"So," Tsuna said, his voice tinged with excitement, "it seems we're both running a little late, Oikawa."
"Wha…at?"
Oikawa stopped in his tracks. His wide eyes stared at Tsuna in shock, his brain struggling to catch up.
Was he not injured?
"Oikawa!"
Irihata's sharp voice snapped Oikawa out of his thoughts.
He turned hesitantly toward his head coach, his confusion evident, "Ah, yes, Coach?"
Irihata was now standing with his arms firmly crossed, "Go get warmed up."
"But—!"
"No excuses. You got injured not too long ago. Do as I say."
Oikawa bit his lip, a flash of frustration crossing his face. But he obeyed, unzipping his jacket and shrugging it off.
Irihata quietly observed this before glancing at Tsuna on the other side. He mumbled, "Warm up more than usual…"
As Oikawa jogged toward the warm-up area, he cast one more glance back at Tsuna, his lips twisting into a wicked grin.
'So, you're finally back, huh?'
The thought burned in Oikawa's mind as he clenched his fists, determination surging through him.
This time...
He wanted revenge!
"Are you going to play right away?"
Shimizu asked softly, seeing Tsuna take off his jacket immediately. Around them, Karasuno's players perked up, clearly hopeful to see him jump into action.
But Tsuna shook his head. "No, I need to warm up first."
"Ah..."
A collective wave of disappointment rippled through the group.
Tsuna didn't seem to notice—or care. Instead, his attention shifted to his right hand. He flexed it slightly, his eyes narrowing as he thought, 'At the very least, I need to get this guy warmed up properly.'
"Then, here."
"Hmm?"
Tsuna blinked, looking up to see Shimizu holding out a bottle of water. "Take it..."
"Oh, thank you, Kiyoko."
A small, genuine smile broke across Tsuna's face as he accepted the bottle.
The atmosphere between the two was quite unusual, and it made Tanaka intervene immediately. He slid his arm around Tsuna's shoulders, pulling him into a huddle.
With a low whisper, he stared daggers at him and asked, "Yo, what the hell was that just now...?"
"...?"
Before Tsuna could respond, another hand landed on his other shoulder. Suga leaned in. "Hmm... why are you smiling like that, Tsuna?"
"Fuck off..."
Tsuna just rolled his eyes at them as Shimizu calmly walked away from the crime scene. He then shook his head and continued his warm-up while both sides began filling the court again, preparing for the final set to decide the victor.
The rhythm of the game suddenly shifted into overdrive.
With Karasuno's players getting excited, they moved with unrelenting energy. On the other side, Aoba Johsai's players refused to back down, matching their opponents stride for stride.
However, Aoba Johsai seemed to constantly run into problems whenever the quick freak duo, Kageyama and Hinata, sprang into action.
Blocks and spikes flew back and forth across the net.
Some were successful, others not, but the points on the scoreboard climbed steadily for both teams.
21 - 15.
Karasuno was leading.
Until...
Whistle!
All eyes turned to the sideline, where Tsuna stood, rolling his shoulders as he prepared to step onto the court.
Everyone in Karasuno had their eyes lit up at the sight.
On Aoba Johsai's side, their players perked up as well. Their captain, Oikawa, was waiting just outside the line, ready to rejoin the game.
"..."
Tsuna was only staring at Oikawa.
Oikawa stared back with venom. The rest of the players, the spectators, and even the booming cheers seemed to blur and fade into the background.
For a moment, it felt like there were only two people on the court.
"...!"
As Tsuna and Oikawa were subbed in, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. The court was heavy with tension, and all eyes were on the two players.
Iwaizumi clenched his fists, his teeth grinding in frustration as he muttered under his breath, "Damn it. The timing couldn't be worse..."
The Aoba Johsai players froze, their gazes following Tsuna as he casually walked to the back line, a ball in his hand.
Thump... thump...
The sound of Tsuna bouncing the ball echoed through the gym. Kunimi and Kindaichi exchanged uneasy glances, their faces pale.
'What did our seniors see in him to make them react like this?' Kunimi thought nervously, swallowing hard.
Suddenly, a firm yet calm voice sliced through their growing panic.
"Come."
The single word came from Oikawa, and it snapped the players out of their trance, pulling their focus back to the present.
They turned toward their captain, who stood with an eerily relaxed posture. His eyes, however, were locked onto Tsuna with what seemed like an obsession—unblinking and sharp.
For the first time, Kunimi and the other first-years felt a chill run down their spines.
"...!"
The first-years from Karasuno couldn't help but keep their eyes glued on the Aoba Johsai players, who followed their captain's footsteps and fell into deep focus.
They couldn't deny it; they felt somewhat intimidated.
Meanwhile...
"..."
Tsuna didn't say a word as the whistle blew. He tossed the ball into the air and swung his arm for a normal serve.
'A normal... serve?'
The tension in the gym shifted abruptly as Aoba Johsai's players froze, their shock visible through their stiffened expressions.
"..."
Oikawa saw the ball coming toward him and unconsciously received it.
But his broken focus, thrown off by Tsuna's unexpected serve, caused the ball to veer off in a direction he hadn't intended.
Reacting quickly, Kunimi dashed forward and set the ball with a clean toss. "Iwaizumi-senpai!"
Iwaizumi hesitated for a fraction of a second before jumping. He struck the ball with power, but his hesitation weakened the force.
Smack!
Daichi and Tsukishima leaped together to block. The ball rebounded high above the net.
"One touch!"
Daichi's voice cut through the air as Kageyama moved toward the ball, his eyes focused as it descended.
On the other side, Aoba Johsai scrambled to reposition, trying to anticipate the attack.
Hinata shot forward, his orange hair a blur as he sprang into the air. His presence immediately caught the attention of Aoba Johsai's first years.
"He's going for it!"
Unfortunately, as some of them focused on Hinata, Kageyama's toss went elsewhere.
A shadow loomed at the backline.
It was Tsuna.
"Shit...!"
Seeing him, Iwaizumi cursed out loud. He then moved toward the net while shouting, "Kindaichi!"
"I know!"
Kindaichi rushed forward. Both he and Iwaizumi jumped, their hands reaching to form a shaky wall.
"..."
Tsuna's eyes never left the ball. His brown eyes locked onto the ball as it spun in the air, perfect in its arc.
With a ferocious swing, Tsuna's hand connected, and the sound that followed echoed like thunder.
CRACK!
The ball tore through their block with brutal force, slamming into the court.
The impact was deafening.
Karasuno's players erupted in cheers as the scoreboard ticked up another point. Tsuna landed lightly as everyone on Aoba Johsai stared at him in disbelief.