"Alright, finally, Tanaka, is there anything you'd like to say to all the people out there who are just like you?"
When Kuiya asked this, he deliberately avoided using the word "ordinary." To him, calling people like Tanaka and his teammates "ordinary" was almost insulting. Tenacity, determination, and perseverance were what truly defined these kids.
Tanaka cleared his throat and put on a serious, grown-up expression.
"I know that along the way, a lot of people will mock you and look down on your efforts. But don't lose heart. Ignore all the doubt, keep working hard in silence, and then in the next match, blow everyone away who didn't believe in you. Wouldn't that be awesome!"
No matter how hard Tanaka tried to act mature, the moment he opened his mouth, his hot-blooded nature showed through.
Kuiya stood up, thanked Tanaka for cooperating with the interview, and as usual, apologized for any rude questions.
Tanaka patted his chest generously.
"A real man doesn't sweat the small stuff."
With his head held high, he strode out.
Kuiya sat back down and took a sip of water.
"Sigh, interviews really do offend people."
"Isn't that the truth," Coach Ukai said, surprisingly agreeing for once.
Kuiya turned to him. "Have the second-years all been interviewed? Aside from those two, it doesn't feel like there's anyone particularly standout."
Before Ukai could answer, Takeda-sensei burst through the door, rushing up to Kuiya with visible excitement.
"Of course not! There are still some very interesting second-years you haven't interviewed yet!"
Ukai helplessly pulled the overexcited Takeda-sensei back.
"Takeda-sensei… don't rush. Ennoshita and the others will all get their turn."
Takeda-sensei finally relaxed and smiled sheepishly.
Kuiya nodded in agreement.
"Takeda-sensei, don't worry. I won't overlook a single one of them."
The three of them gathered again to discuss who to call next.
When Tanaka stepped out of the lounge, he looked just as cheerful as Nishinoya. But when he thought of Nishinoya, his lively steps slowed, and guilt crept in.
He hadn't forgotten how he had just ripped off Nishinoya's medicinal patch. Nishinoya was probably furious right now.
Tanaka instantly felt like a thief. Heart pounding, he cautiously looked around and sneaked back toward the gym.
After some discussion, Takeda-sensei, Kuiya, and Ukai decided to interview the first-years first, leaving the rest of the second-years for later.
"So, who should we call?" Takeda-sensei asked tentatively.
"Kageyama Tobio. I've heard he's a genius… I want to see what Karasuno's genius is like."
Ukai hesitated. He didn't know about the others, but Kageyama's bad temper wasn't exactly a secret. He worried Kageyama might not cooperate.
Takeda-sensei gave him a reassuring look and agreed with a smile.
At that moment, Kageyama was having dinner with Hinata. Lately, for some reason, the two had grown unusually close. They were always together, even if they still argued constantly.
"Hey, Kageyama, does being together every day really make us more in sync?" Hinata asked, still a bit skeptical.
"Huh? You idiot. How would you even understand? Of course we'll get better in sync."
Caught off guard, Kageyama tightened his grip on his milk carton and raised his voice as if to cover something up. His face turned bright red, though it was unclear whether from anger or something else.
"Why are you calling me an idiot again…" Hinata muttered, lowering his head, clearly a bit down.
Anyone paying attention could see something was off. Kageyama thought he had upset Hinata and awkwardly tried to figure out how to comfort him.
Hinata wasn't actually angry at Kageyama. He just felt a little frustrated. That loss had made him realize the gap between himself and the others. Even though everyone had comforted him, he still blamed himself.
Naturally, he didn't notice Kageyama's clumsy attempt to cover things up.
"Ah! Kageyama! Hinata! There you are!"
Takeda-sensei stood in front of them, panting heavily with his hands on his knees. He had practically run across half the school to find these two, who were still casually wandering around.
Every volleyball team seemed to have one or two people like this. No matter where someone was, they could track them down precisely. It was practically a human navigation system.
"What's wrong, Takeda-sensei?" Hinata hurried over and handed him a tissue.
Kageyama followed behind, clearly annoyed. His alone time with this idiot had been interrupted again. So irritating.
"Hinata, perfect timing. Come with me!"
Hinata nodded immediately. "Okay!!"
He didn't even ask where they were going. His trust in Takeda-sensei was absolute.
Seeing Hinata leave, Kageyama followed behind like a proud, aloof cat, silently trailing him while staring intently at his back.
"Takeda-sensei, where are we going?" Hinata finally remembered to ask.
Takeda-sensei blinked mysteriously.
"It's a secret. You'll find out when we get there."
"Okaaay…" Hinata dragged out his response lazily, but didn't press further.
Lately, Hinata had become quieter. Takeda-sensei watched him thoughtfully. Ever since the match ended, Hinata had been like this.
It felt a little strange. When Hinata wasn't chattering, even the air seemed quieter.
Soon, Takeda-sensei led them to the lounge door and pushed it open.
The moment the door opened, Hinata was met with a row of dark camera lenses pointed straight at him. Startled, he reflexively shut his eyes.
In an instant, Kageyama stepped forward, raising an arm in front of Hinata and glaring at the staff inside with full alertness.
He looked like a mother hen shielding her chick. The thought suddenly popped into Ukai's mind, and he almost laughed.
"Alright, alright. These are just TV reporters. Hinata, don't be scared. And you too, Kageyama. Put your hand down."
Takeda-sensei raised his voice at the end. Kageyama's expression looked borderline ready to start a fight.
Also, that look of his felt strangely familiar to Takeda-sensei.
Kageyama reluctantly lowered his arm. Hinata, having recovered, peeked into the room with wide, curious eyes.
"Who is this?" Kuiya asked hesitantly. He felt like he had seen this short boy somewhere before. That No. 10 training uniform looked very familiar.
In a flash, Hinata's figure overlapped with the image of someone from three years ago wearing the same number.
"The Small Giant?!"
Kuiya finally remembered. No wonder the No. 10 had felt familiar during Karasuno's matches. That same energy… it was exactly like Tenma Udai back then.
"Huh? You know Small Giant-senpai too?!"
Hinata immediately jumped out from behind Kageyama, leaning in close to Kuiya, his bright, soda-like eyes practically glowing.
Kageyama grabbed him by the collar.
"You're too close, idiot!"
Hinata stumbled back a few steps, then brushed Kageyama's hand away and looked at Kuiya again.
Kuiya felt a chill run down his spine under that intense gaze. This felt like getting tangled up with someone very troublesome.
"Ahem… The Small Giant I'm talking about is Tenma Udai. A few years ago… I interviewed him."
"Really?!"
Seeing Hinata practically ready to launch into action, Takeda-sensei immediately sensed trouble.
"Just how tall is Udai-senpai? Is he good-looking? I couldn't see clearly in the videos. Is he still playing volleyball? What did he say in that interview? Does he like being called the Small Giant? Did he ever regret that match he lost…"
A rapid-fire barrage of questions left Kuiya completely stunned.
This kid is even more intense than Nishinoya. Am I interviewing them, or is he interviewing me?
"Uh… I interviewed him… it was pretty good… um…"
"Aah…"
Kuiya waved his hands, let out a long sigh, and looked to Takeda-sensei for help.
Takeda-sensei couldn't help but smile wryly. No one could withstand Hinata's enthusiasm, not even a seasoned reporter.
He patted Hinata's shoulder gently.
"Don't rush, Hinata. After the interview, Kuiya will have time to talk with you about this. Since you're here, you can go after Kageyama. Mr. Kuiya, does that work?"
Kuiya hesitated.
"How about… interviewing them together…"
"No!" x2
In rare perfect sync, Takeda-sensei and Ukai shut that idea down instantly.
Kuiya blinked, confused.
Takeda-sensei sighed, shooting Ukai a look. As a coach, he really does nothing outside of matches. We need to have a talk later.
Ukai avoided eye contact and sat back down, completely unfazed. He simply wasn't good with this kind of situation.
Takeda-sensei leaned closer to Kuiya and explained in a low voice, slightly embarrassed.
"You don't know them well yet. On the court, they're perfectly in sync. But off the court… they start arguing within three sentences. I'm worried the interview won't get anywhere."
"Idiot Kageyama! Why did you pull my shirt just now?!"
"Huh? I was helping you! Getting that close is rude, dummy!"
"Ahhh! Stupid Kageyama! Stingy Kageyama! I'm so mad!"
"Huh? You idiot, moron! @¥&¥@…"
Kuiya: …
Takeda-sensei: …
Takeda-sensei pressed his hand to his forehead. What kind of elementary school argument is this?
Kuiya stood there, instinctively counting.
…They really did start fighting after just three sentences.
Is Takeda-sensei reading their minds or something?
Takeda-sensei felt his head throb. After explaining things here, he had to rush over and mediate between those two. Playing both father and mother was no easy task.
Ukai watched with visible discomfort. Good thing he didn't step in, or he'd be caught in the middle.
After finally settling things, Hinata and Kageyama started arguing again over who should be interviewed first.
Kuiya didn't rush them. Instead, he sat back and observed.
Kageyama got angry easily, but even then, he never said anything truly hurtful. His attention unconsciously stayed on Hinata, and whenever someone passed near him, he shot them a glare, like a bird of prey guarding its territory.
Polite… in his own way.
Hinata wasn't much different. His thought process could be a bit slow. As soon as Kageyama changed the subject, Hinata forgot what he was even mad about. And his energy was incredibly infectious. Just seeing him smile made others want to smile too.
In the end, the two worked it out. Since Hinata had lost their previous race from the gym entrance to the cafeteria, Kageyama would go first.
After Kageyama left, Hinata obediently dragged over a small stool and sat beside Takeda-sensei. Gone was the fierce energy from earlier. He now sat quietly, which left Kuiya genuinely amazed.
They had wasted some time watching the two argue, so the interview started almost right on schedule.
Kageyama looked slightly uncomfortable under the lights and cameras, but quickly adjusted.
Kuiya began.
"Kageyama, many people call you a genius. What do you think about that?"
Kageyama gave a haughty snort before answering.
"They call me a genius because I'm better than others. If that's what it means, then yes, I am a genius."
Not humble at all.
Both Takeda-sensei and Kuiya thought the same thing, while Hinata, sitting below, nodded seriously in agreement.
"So, do you look down on others because of that?"
"Huh? Why would I?" Kageyama asked, eyes wide.
Even so, some of his usual behavior and blunt way of speaking could make people think that. In reality, he was just straightforward. Anyone unfamiliar with him or more sensitive might misunderstand.
That way of speaking really does resemble Ushijima…
Kuiya decided to move on. Asking further would be pointless.
"Kageyama, I saw you featured in Volleyball Monthly a few years ago. The article called you a 'genius setter' and 'the king of Kitagawa Daiichi.'
After that, you disappeared until this year's prefectural tournament. So… what have you experienced during these past few years?"
...
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