Seeing Karasuno's newly substituted player, #14, Oikawa Tooru was momentarily at a loss, he couldn't quite place where he'd seen this guy before.
Alarm bells went off in my head.
Oikawa, highly observant and skilled at reading others, usually kept tabs on every Karasuno player.
Yet this newly subbed #14, a blue-haired boy, left almost no impression on him.
It took a moment of mental digging before he remembered.
This guy had been a libero during Aoba Johsai's practice match against Aoba Johsai, with solid fundamentals and highly disciplined movements.
He'd also been on the court during the match against Wakutani, but his presence was so subtle that he was easy to overlook, like a low-profile, libero-version of Sugawara Koushi.
"Hmph."
"The depth of their roster is impressive… and they adjust so quickly."
A twinge of irritation rose in Oikawa. It wasn't as annoying as Shiratorizawa's "break-all-rules" type, but Karasuno's method of overwhelming with sheer numbers was not his style.
In short: smart opponents he didn't like. Strong opponents he didn't like.
Summed up: troublesome, threatening, and potentially victorious opponents, he didn't like any of them.
"But let's see… can you handle my serve, blue-haired kid?"
Gripping the volleyball, Oikawa discarded any lingering irritation or resentment. His eyes were now sharp, filled with icy determination and hunger for victory.
He read the opposing team's defensive positions, glances, and subtle movements with full focus.
Oikawa's mind, a brain not entirely devoted to volleyball, yet mostly occupied by it, spun at lightning speed.
'Come on!'
Another nearly perfect serve. The air around the ball exploded above the Aoba Johsai court.
Once again, a volleyball charged forward with tremendous force, aimed at Hoshino Katsuri.
Oikawa had already assessed Hoshino's abilities.
'He's definitely not as strong in reception as #4… otherwise Karasuno wouldn't waste a first-year starting spot on him.'
'But he might not be worse than #1. If he wasn't starting, it's probably because his attack and blocking aren't as strong as the captain.'
'Even if not considering height, the previous practice matches as a libero show his attack power isn't great.'
'Then you, Hoshino, will replace Sugawara and try to handle my ball!'
From the moment Hoshino entered the court to Oikawa's serve, time might seem trivial to Shoyo Hinata, but Oikawa had already run through every possibility in his head, calculating the move most likely to score.
Directly targeting #14.
Even for Hoshino Katsuri, who had faced countless of Guren's powerful serves and endured relentless machine-serve drills, this first encounter didn't go smoothly.
The ball bounced off his arm, ricocheting all the way up to the second-floor stands.
Aoba Johsai 2:0 Karasuno
Hoshino's expression remained unchanged. On the court, he maintained a perpetual poker face.
Whether subbed in last-minute or facing a high-powered serve, he showed no emotion.
Even when the ball hit his arm hard enough to turn it visibly red, he barely reacted.
Only a slight, apologetic nod toward his teammates. Sawamura Daichi, wanting to step forward to comfort him, found himself at a loss.
Nishinoya Yuu, however, ignored the tension completely and walked up, patting Hoshino on the shoulder.
"You're solid! First ball and you received that thing!"
"When he used that kind of power serve the first time, I didn't even have a chance to react!"
"No engine warm-up needed, huh? Not bad!!"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Nishinoya's boisterous voice instantly broke the awkward atmosphere created by Hoshino's expressionless demeanor.
Aoba Johsai had finished celebrating Oikawa's serve point, but compared to the other players' excitement, Oikawa still harbored a trace of worry.
'Can he really handle my serve the first time he faces it?'
Oikawa glanced at Hoshino, who had correctly anticipated the landing point but failed to successfully receive the serve.
He then looked at Sawamura beside him.
'This guy… might be…'
From the stands:
"Whoa! Aoba Johsai is insane! Two consecutive serve points!"
"That ball from Oikawa… how is that different from a spike? I couldn't receive it."
"This is terrifying… he already corrected the trajectory of that serve after just one set!"
"This serve… it's almost too scary."
Listening to the noisy crowd, the floral shirt man and the suited man exchanged glances.
"What do you think?"
"#14's reception ability is stronger than #1."
"Hmm."
Oikawa picked up the volleyball for the third time.
Hoshino began stretching his arms and neck, realizing after the previous ball that he might still be unable to handle Oikawa's serve fully.
At least he needed a few more serves to adapt, but for now, he only had to prevent the ball from flying to the second floor.
The rest, Oikawa thought, could be left to Guren.
Watching Hoshino bounce in place, Shoyo Hinata and Nishinoya Yuu grew slightly worried. They knew their veteran teammate, like Tsukishima Kei, seemed indifferent but had an extremely strong competitive drive.
If another point were lost because of him…
However…
This time, Oikawa's fierce serve targeted Karasuno's cornerstone, Sawamura Daichi.
The volleyball screamed past, and the scoreboard flipped