The squeaking sounds of sneakers against the polished floor echoed through the gymnasium.
The sun hung low on the horizon, casting a warm orange glow through the windows, accompanying their practice from start to finish.
"Huft…"
Erratic, ragged breaths filled the air as Keishin Ukai ran a hand through his hair, his gaze sweeping across both teams sprawled across the court in exhaustion.
Turning to Shimizu, he asked with a weary chuckle, "We're totally defeated, huh?"
"…Yes," Shimizu replied while flipping through her notes.
She summarized their progress.
In the first game, they had been completely defeated them, 2-0.
In the subsequent matches, they each won a single set, but the final result remained consistent: 2-1 in favor of Nekoma.
"Ha... I can accept this at least..."
Keishin sighed before his lips curled into a smile.
Through this practice game, he was able to see just what Karasuno was currently lacking in comparison to their rival, Nekoma High.
Nekoma's foundation was rock-solid, a very well-rounded team that excelled in both attack and defense. The balance and coordination they had on the court were something else.
On the other hand, despite their good attack, Karasuno's defense still had massive room for growth.
Their receive—while no longer the glaring issue it once was—remained an area in need of refinement.
Tsuna's growth in this area, however, had been remarkable.
'By the tournament, I'm sure he'll be even better.' He knew that truly talented athletes tended to develop solid foundations as they matured.
It was rare for younger players to show balance in their skills. Most would excel in one area while lagging behind in others.
As Keishin's eyes lingered on Tsuna, who stood on the court with his chest heaving and his breathing uneven from exertion, he felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead.
"He might be fully grown before reaching adulthood…"
Keishin murmured to himself, both impressed and slightly unnerved.
Of course, Karasuno's receive wasn't where it needed to be yet. But the most concerning area, in Keishin's mind, was their blocking.
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he thought, 'So far, only Tsukishima has shown consistent and effective blocks—and he's just a first year.'
Tsukishima's height was a definite advantage, but that wasn't what set him apart.
Keishin had noticed something else—the way Tsukishima used his head. "He's pretty good at reading the game and analyzing his opponent..."
Then...
"..."
His gaze shifted to the rest of the team scattered across the court. His lips twitched in exasperation as a thought crossed his mind.
'The rest are just muscleheads...'
He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. 'Even Tsuna, who's supposed to be smart, turns into a complete psychopath on the court.'
"Well, can't help with that," he shrugged his shoulder as he stood up, before adding with a grin, "They certainly still have much more training to do to improve..."
Meanwhile...
"Phew…"
Tsuna let out a relieved breath as he straightened his back, his gaze drifting up toward the ceiling. His body felt heavy but it was still manageable.
His expression softened as he closed his eyes, almost as if savoring the ache in his muscles.
"How are you still fine after all of those? Tell me, what do you eat for breakfast?"
"…?"
Tsuna opened his eyes, turning to Kuroo who just spoke to him. Nekoma's captain was hunched over with hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
"Hmm..."
After a moment of silence, Tsuna finally replied, "…Burnt omelette."
"What??"
Kuroo's face twisted in disbelief as if Tsuna had just confessed to eating rocks.
Seeing his disbelief just made Tsuna chuckle as he thought, 'I'm not lying though…'
"One more! Let's play again!"
Hinata's loud voice echoed through the gym, drawing everyone's attention.
"That guy…"
Yaku muttered, glancing up from where he was sprawled on the floor as he speechlessly stared at Hinata on the other side.
Kai was sitting nearby with his arms resting on his knees. He shook his head with a wry smile, "Is he not tired at all?"
"Whoa! He's truly awesome!"
Inuoka laughed, his eyes sparkling with admiration.
Yamamoto grumbled under his breath, "He's crazy, alright…"
Kenma was lying flat on his stomach in the corner of the court, barely reacting. His face was pressed against the cool floor, and his eyes were closed as though he were seconds away from falling asleep.
"Ah come on! One more!"
"This idiot…"
Kageyama's shoulders stiffened in embarrassment as he watched Hinata shout and flail about, looking more like a child throwing a tantrum than an athlete.
'He just wants to win one game off Nekoma, huh?'
Kageyama thought. He understood the sentiment, but seeing how Hinata was behaving made his face twitch with frustration as the short guy kept yelling.
"…."
Kageyama glanced at Tsukishima, who was standing nearby with his usual bored expression. Their eyes met, and without exchanging a word, they both moved in sync.
Each grabbed one of Hinata's arms, and the duo began dragging the orange-haired ball of energy off the court.
"Let me go! I'm serious! Just one more! We can do it this time!"
Hinata protested loudly, his legs kicking in the air as Kageyama and Tsukishima ignored him while dragging him away.
"I don't know how they deal with him…" Yaku sighed, rolling onto his back with a groan.
Kai chuckled softly. "It's probably their daily routine at this point."
"Hahaha, I'd love to be part of it though!"
Inuoka let out a hearty laugh while Yamamoto muttered something incoherent under his breath.
Meanwhile, Kenma didn't move an inch and mumbled, "Wake me up later…"
"Haha…"
Kuroo chuckled before straightening his back with a groan.
He looked at Tsuna while shaking his head in amusement, "You know, I thought you would be the one shouting something like that. But it seems like you don't pull crazy stunts when you're in… calm mode, huh?"
'...I've been going back and forth to Tokyo, so I know their train schedule exactly.'
Tsuna knew Nekoma had to catch a train back to Tokyo soon, so another game wasn't possible in such a short timeframe.
But, "Calm mode? What's that?"
"…?"
Kuroo froze, staring at Tsuna as if he had grown a second head as he asked in disbelief, "What do you mean, 'What's that?' Don't you always go crazy during games?"
"…?"
Tsuna tilted his head, genuinely perplexed by the question. After a pause, he shook his head. "Did I…?"
Kuroo's expression shifted from disbelief to amusement as if he realized something as he scratched the back of his neck and murmured, "You seriously don't notice?"
"..."
Tsuna blinked in confusion and asked, "What is it exa—"
"Gather up, everyone!"
Before Tsuna could finish his sentence, Keishin's loud voice cut through the gym, instructing everyone to gather around the coach.
The Nekoma players were tired as hell as they grumbled under their breath as they trudged toward Keishin.
Kuroo suddenly spoke, "Maybe you'll figure it out someday, haha…"
With that, Nekoma's captain strolled off toward his team, leaving Tsuna standing there, puzzled. He furrowed his brows before shrugging his shoulders and walking toward his team.
As Keishin started talking with Nekoma's players, Karasuno began to gather around Nekomata.
"Ohoho, me and his grandfather go way back," Nekomata began. "We used to have our teams play lots of practice games together."
The players leaned in, intrigued by the story.
"It was always a good competition," Nekomata continued. "However…"
He paused, his expression briefly clouded with regret.
His eyes swept across the players from both teams. "He called me one day, saying he'd stopped coaching. Said his age had finally caught up to him. Sigh…"
Nekomata shook his head slightly. "And not long after, I heard old man Ukai fell ill after coming out of retirement. I was certain Karasuno would never recover from that."
"..."
"But quite honestly," Nekomata chuckled, lightening the atmosphere as he added, "you've got more talent than I ever imagined."
The players perked up, their tired faces lighting up as Nekomata continued.
"Especially in the attacking department," he said, his eyes flickering toward Kageyama and Hinata.
"The number 10 and number 11—your fast attack…"
"...!"
Hinata's and Kageyama's eyes widened, their expressions bright with excitement.
"I doubt many teams can stop that attack," Nekomata admitted with a grin.
Nekomata continued to highlight each player.
He spoke of Asahi's powerful spikes, Nishinoya's impeccable receive, and the potential they had as his gaze finally landed on Tsuna.
"...?"
Tsuna blinked, caught off guard as Nekomata walked toward him.
Before Tsuna could say a word, Nekomata placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
The touch was a bit rough, but to Tsuna's surprise, it felt oddly familiar. His eyes widened as a sudden memory of his late grandfather flashed in his mind.
The way Nekomata's hand rested on his shoulder, the firm yet kind pressure—it was the same.
Tsuna murmured, "Coach…?"
"How was it? Did you have fun?"
"...!"
The simple question struck Tsuna like a bolt.
It was so similar to what his grandfather used to ask him every time he went out to play. His expression softened as his lips curved into a genuine smile, "Yeah, I had so much fun playing with them."
"Ohoho, that's good!"
Nekomata's laugh was hearty as it echoed softly in the gym. He placed his hands behind his back and gazed thoughtfully at the court.
The sight of Tsuna on the court, playing with unrestrained joy, lingered in his mind. There was no doubt that the boy had enjoyed himself thoroughly.
But then, Nekomata's smile faded slightly, "Someday..."
"Yes...?"
Tsuna tilted his head.
"Someday, if you ever feel like the fun you're having isn't worth it…"
Nekomata paused before suddenly patting Tsuna's shoulder once more and smiled, "Know that it is. It's always worth it."
"...?"
Tsuna blinked, completely caught off guard.
He glanced toward his teammates for some kind of explanation, but they simply shrugged as they were equally perplexed.
Left with no choice, Tsuna nodded respectfully, "...Sure, I'll keep that in mind."
He didn't fully understand the words, but the sincerity in Nekomata's tone was unmistakable, so he could at least do that much.
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