A volleyball team isn't built overnight.
That was the first thing I learned as I stood outside Yukigaoka Middle School, staring at the sad excuse for a gymnasium.
The building was old, the paint peeling off the walls. A few students were scattered around, mostly goofing off or playing soccer outside.
The reality was simple: Yukigaoka wasn't a sports-focused school.
There was no dedicated volleyball club. No star players. No legendary rivalries.
Just me—a volleyball fanatic stuck in a school that didn't care about the sport.
But that was about to change.
I walked toward the small outdoor court, where two familiar faces were kicking around a soccer ball.
Izumi and Kōji.
In canon, these guys were my only volleyball teammates in middle school, though they weren't exactly serious about it.
I needed them to take this seriously.
"Oi! You two!" I called out.
Izumi turned lazily, his foot stopping the ball mid-roll. "Huh? What's up, Shrimp?"
Kōji raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess… volleyball?"
I grinned. "Bingo."
Izumi groaned. "Dude, you know we suck, right?"
I smirked. "That's fine. I just need people who are willing to try."
Kōji crossed his arms. "And what do we get out of it?"
I thought for a second.
Then, I pointed dramatically.
"You get the honor of being part of the strongest volleyball team in Yukigaoka history."
Izumi and Kōji looked at each other.
"…That's not saying much," Kōji muttered.
Izumi sighed. "If we agree, will you stop bugging us?"
"Nope. You're stuck with me now."
Kōji groaned, but I saw the small smile forming on his face.
Two down. Four to go.
After securing Izumi and Kōji, I marched straight to the faculty office.
Inside, a middle-aged man with graying hair and a tired expression looked up from his desk. Matsuda-sensei.
This guy was our school's P.E. teacher. More importantly, he was the one I needed to convince.
"Sensei! I want to start an official volleyball club."
Matsuda-sensei blinked. Then, he laughed.
"Ha! That's a good one, Hinata."
I frowned. "I'm serious!"
He sighed, rubbing his temples. "Listen, kid. We barely have enough funding for the basketball club. Volleyball isn't a priority."
I clenched my fists. "Then let me prove it's worth it."
Matsuda-sensei raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
I took a deep breath. "If I can get six players and win even a single practice match, will you recognize us as an official club?"
A long pause.
Then, Matsuda-sensei smirked. "Fine. You get one match. If you can at least put up a fight, I'll consider it."
Challenge accepted.
The next few days were brutal.
Trying to convince middle schoolers to join a volleyball team when they had zero interest? Not easy.
"Volleyball? Nah, I'm too short."
"Isn't that a girls' sport?"
"Dude, just join soccer."
I was starting to lose hope.
Until I found Kenji Hayama.
Kenji was tall for a middle schooler and had a solid throwing arm from his time on the baseball team.
I found him behind the school, kicking rocks and looking bored.
"Kenji!"
He turned, raising an eyebrow. "Hah? What do you want, volleyball freak?"
I smirked. "I need a setter."
Kenji snorted. "And I need a million yen. Guess we're both outta luck."
I crossed my arms. "You quit baseball, right?"
His expression darkened. "Tch. What's it to you?"
I leaned forward. "I've seen you throw. You've got accuracy. You've got reaction speed. You're wasting your talent doing nothing."
Kenji clicked his tongue. "And volleyball is any better?"
I grinned. "It's fast. It's intense. You don't sit on a bench waiting for your turn—you're in the game every second."
Silence.
Then, Kenji sighed. "Fine. One practice. If it's lame, I'm out."
Three down. Three to go.
...
One week later.
I stood in the gym, staring at my makeshift team.
Izumi. Kōji. Kenji. Three other students who barely knew the rules.
And on the other side?
The school's basketball players.
Tall. Athletic. Smug.
Takeda, their best player, grinned. "You guys actually showed up? Cute."
I ignored the taunt, focusing on my breathing.
This wasn't about winning.
This was about seeing where we stood.
"Alright," Matsuda-sensei said, clapping his hands. "Let's get this over with. First to 15 points wins."
I clenched my fists.
'Let's do this.'
Takeda tossed the ball high and slammed a jump serve straight at Izumi.
BAM!
The ball smashed into Izumi's arms, sending him stumbling backward.
"GAH—!! That hurt!"
Kenji rushed forward, barely setting the ball in the air.
I sprinted forward. Jumped. Swung my arm—
BAM.
The spike went straight into the net.
Silence.
Then—laughter.
The basketball team burst out laughing.
"Pfft! That was pathetic."
"Are you guys even trying?"
I gritted my teeth. 'Damn it…'
I turned to my team.
Izumi was nursing his arms.
Kenji looked frustrated with his set.
The others looked ready to give up.
We were falling apart already.
But instead of panicking, I smiled.
"Alright. We learned something."
Kenji scoffed. "Yeah? That we suck?"
I shook my head. "Nah. We learned that Takeda's serves are strong, and that we need to get used to them."
Izumi blinked. "Wait… you're not freaking out?"
I grinned. "Why would I? We're just getting started."
One play down. A whole match to go.
And I refused to lose without a fight.