Time passed quickly. For the past two days, Ryosuke and the others had been training with the national team. Today was Saturday, and Ran Takahashi and the others could not stay here for much longer. Once they packed their things, it would be time for them to head back.
They had given guidance over the past few days, and everyone had gotten a taste of the experience. After all, they were the national team, and they still had plenty of matches to play.
Shoma Tomita and the others really loved the feeling of training together with everyone like this. It was nothing like being on their own team, where they had to fly and drive all over the place every day for matches, attend events, shoot commercials, and deal with everything else.
Once they came into contact with all that, volleyball no longer seemed quite so pure. It had turned into a way to chase attention and make money, and that felt suffocating.
Asano sighed as he packed his bag.
"Ah... I really want to stay here a little longer."
"Who doesn't?" Tomohiro Yamamoto said, sitting on the bed with both hands braced behind him.
Training with these kids had helped him find that old, fully fired-up feeling again. It was passionate, exciting, and genuinely fun.
"If we don't leave soon, we'll miss our flight."
Ran Takahashi, who had just opened the door, heard their conversation and helplessly reminded them. They still had to catch a flight, and they had league matches tomorrow. If they were late, the organizers would not be pleasant about it.
"We know..."
Yuji Nishida dragged out his reply weakly.
In the dorm, Ryosuke and the others were all gathered in Wakatsu Kiryū's room, chatting. A whole crowd had packed themselves in. Some sat on chairs, some had taken over Wakatsu Kiryū's bed, and the ones who had nowhere to sit could only settle on the floor.
Wakatsu Kiryū looked at the roomful of people with a headache. He really could not understand why this group liked crowding into his dorm so much.
Ryosuke sat backward on a chair and lightly kicked Atsumu Miya, who was sitting on the floor.
"Senpai Atsumu Miya, do you think the national team senpai have all left by now?"
Atsumu Miya looked up. He did not think Ryosuke kicking him with his foot was offensive. If there had not been so many people here, he would have wanted Ryosuke to kick him harder.
That was a little perverted.
Atsumu Miya's gaze swept over Ryosuke's foot before he quickly looked away.
"Probably. Coach said they're leaving at noon."
"Then shouldn't we go see them off? Isn't it kind of rude for us to just sit here?"
Hoshiumi scratched his hair, unable to understand why everyone was still sitting around.
"Ah, but Coach said we're not allowed to see them off. He said he's worried we'll get distracted. Hmph!"
Atsumu Miya sat on the floor, bored out of his mind as he leaned against Ryosuke's chair. They wanted to go see them off too, but unfortunately, Coach would not allow it.
Hoshiumi and Atsumu Miya started chattering about the topic. Ryosuke looked around and saw that everyone was busy with their own things, so he quietly slipped out.
Ryosuke wandered into the hallway. Right now, he wanted to find Sakusa. Ever since they had arrived at the training camp, he had not had a proper chance to talk with Omi-Omi. Every day, he was either training or being watched closely by Ushijima-senpai, leaving him with no time at all for private conversations.
Sakusa had not gone to the group tea party at noon either. There were too many people, and the air was full of germs. Even if he could force himself to endure it for Ryosuke's sake, the thought of Ushijima, Keiji Akaashi, and the others watching him like hawks made Sakusa feel unwell all over again.
"Knock, knock, knock! Omi-Omi!"
Sakusa was lying in bed, just about to fall asleep, when he heard the knock on the door. For a moment, he thought he was hearing things.
"Omi-Omi!"
Sakusa shot upright and looked around. It was not his imagination. He really seemed to have heard Ryosuke's voice.
After putting on his clothes, Sakusa went to open the door at the fastest speed he could manage. The moment he opened it, he saw Ryosuke standing at the doorway, peeking inside.
When Ryosuke saw Sakusa, his eyes brightened as if stars had fallen into them.
"Omi-Omi! I'm so bored. Let's go out for a walk together."
Sakusa looked at Ryosuke, then glanced back at Komori, who was still sleeping. Komori had told him to wake him when it was time for training, but Komori had an alarm, so he should be fine.
Thinking that, Sakusa smiled at Ryosuke without the slightest burden on his conscience.
"Sure. Let's go."
"Yay!" Ryosuke cheered. Being watched so closely by Ushijima-senpai and the others every day really was boring enough to kill him.
The two of them quickly got ready and went out.
Tokyo had been rainy for the past two days. It was as if the sky had sprung a leak, and the rain would not stop. Every day, the air was filled with the damp scent of earth after rain and the smell of green leaves.
The sky had stayed gloomy too, muggy and irritating.
They were not allowed to leave the gym during training hours, but they could go out during the rest of the time. Training had simply been too busy these past two days, so Ryosuke had not had any chance. Today, he had finally caught one.
The two of them came out of the hotel. Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium was right beside it. They chose a road with fewer people and walked slowly, enjoying this brief moment of leisure.
"Omi-Omi, once this training camp ends, we won't see each other again until the next IH."
Ryosuke pouted, his voice a little downcast. He felt like they had only just met, but they were about to separate again.
Hearing this, Sakusa did not feel good either. For a split second, he even wanted to throw everything aside and come clean with Ryosuke. He really could not stand these days when he could not see Ryosuke every day.
Fortunately, he still had a little reason left.
He reached out and ruffled Ryosuke's little curls, which had drooped from disappointment, his voice carrying a smile.
"It's okay. Once we grow up, we'll be able to see each other every day."
Growing up. What a distant phrase. How much longer would they have to wait?
Ryosuke kicked a small stone by the roadside, then stepped into a puddle. He did not speak, and Sakusa did not speak either. The two of them simply walked with their heads down, but the atmosphere was not awkward at all.
Ryosuke walked behind Sakusa and looked at his back. On impulse, he suddenly took two quick steps forward, then jumped onto Sakusa's back.
Feeling the sudden weight on his back, Sakusa panicked for a moment. Then, somewhat clumsily, he caught Ryosuke's legs and secured him on his back. His tone was both indulgent and reproachful as he lightly patted the arm wrapped around his neck.
"What are you messing around for? What if you fell?"
Ryosuke grinned, swinging his legs as he tightened his arms around Sakusa. He pressed his face against Sakusa's neck and hummed a little tune, looking extremely happy.
Sakusa did not say anything. He simply let Ryosuke fool around. He did not want anything to disturb this hard-won stretch of time alone together.
Stepping across the damp ground with a half-grown boy on his back, Sakusa did not look tired at all. He took the longer route along the small road and walked slowly. If he could, Sakusa truly wished this road could be a little longer.
When it was almost time, Sakusa carried Ryosuke back around to the gym and went straight to training.
Ryosuke jumped down from Sakusa's back, swaying his head happily. Sakusa walked behind him with both hands in his pockets, watching Ryosuke with a faint smile in his eyes.
Atsumu Miya had also come for training. When he passed the two of them, he looked at them suspiciously.
What was going on? Why did Sakusa look so pleased with himself?
It was impressive that Atsumu Miya could actually read something as gentle as spring breeze from Sakusa's usually deadpan face. Tsk. How rare. Then he glanced at Ryosuke, who was happily bobbing his head, and immediately became alert. These two had not done something behind his back, had they?
No matter how sharp Atsumu Miya's gaze was, sharp enough to almost burn holes through them, it did not affect Ryosuke and Sakusa's mood at all.
Ushijima also arrived late after changing his clothes. He looked around and soon spotted Ryosuke standing beside Sakusa, which immediately made him feel a little gloomy.
At noon, he had originally wanted to call Ryosuke back to sleep, but after searching everywhere, he still had not found him. When he called, he discovered that Ryosuke had left his phone in the dorm.
Ushijima had nearly turned the entire gym upside down looking for him, only to finally see him now.
"Ryosuke."
Ushijima pulled Ryosuke away from Sakusa. Sakusa opened his mouth, but after seeing Ushijima, he chose not to say anything.
There was nothing he could do. This guy was Ryosuke's captain, after all. Sigh.
Ushijima's tone was displeased.
"Ryosuke, don't wander off at noon next time. What if you get lost?"
Ryosuke had no sense for reading the room. He looked up in confusion.
"Huh? But I was with Omi-Omi at noon. He's from Tokyo. We wouldn't get lost."
Ryosuke sold Sakusa out in an instant, and Ushijima's murderous gaze immediately locked onto Sakusa. Ushijima looked furious, staring fixedly at Sakusa without blinking.
In the end, Coach Hosho's arrival interrupted this intense exchange of gazes.
Everyone automatically lined up.
Coach Hosho stood on the small platform and said,
"The national team senpai left quietly while you were taking your afternoon nap. Don't say I didn't let you see them off. The main reason was that if you went, they wouldn't have been in the right state of mind for their matches.
"Your training camp only has one or two days left. Make the most of this final stretch."
So time had really passed that quickly. Everyone looked at one another.
From being unfamiliar with each other and unable to see eye to eye at first, to now being able to exchange a few words and even becoming good friends.
Everything seemed to pass in a flash, like a dream that vanished with a whoosh. For some reason, the atmosphere became a little sad, but once training began, that mood disappeared completely. ... Time passed quickly, like reading a novel. You turned a few pages, and someone's whole life had already gone by.
Just a few days ago, Coach had been telling them to cherish their time at the training camp. Today, everyone was already packing their things and preparing to go home.
Today was Sunday. After the afternoon training ended, everyone tacitly stayed behind in the gym for extra practice instead of leaving.
"One more ball!"
"Bang!"
"One more!"
"Bang!"
Kageyama and Keiji Akaashi kept setting the ball for everyone, and everyone seized this last bit of time to continue training. ... Half an hour later, practice finally stopped. Everyone sat together, looking at each other, but no one spoke.
Bokuto was the first to stand up and declare war on Hoshiumi.
"Kōrai Hoshiumi! Even though we're friends now, once IH comes around, let's temporarily break off our friendship."
Hoshiumi's little brain stalled for a moment. Break off their friendship? He opened his mouth.
"What's wrong?"
Bokuto said very seriously,
"Because we'll be opponents then, obviously. I absolutely won't go easy on you. Hey, hey, hey!"
For some reason, Hoshiumi let out a breath of relief. For a second, he had almost thought this owl really wanted to stop being friends with him. As it turned out, he had definitely overthought it.
"Hah?! If anything, I'm the one who won't go easy on you!"
Hoshiumi stood up and shouted in dissatisfaction, and the two of them started bickering noisily like children again.
Hirugami and Keiji Akaashi exchanged a glance, as if they were declaring war as well.
Ushijima stood up with Ryosuke and nodded at everyone.
"We'll head back first, then. We won't disturb you."
Seeing that Ryosuke was about to leave, Sakusa and Atsumu Miya could not sit still either. One after another, they stood and followed. Komori naturally went with his cousin, and Kageyama did not have many friends, so of course he stayed close to Ryosuke and Ushijima.
Just like that, the gym lost half its people at once.
Ryosuke and Ushijima returned to the dorm and sat on their beds to pack. On the other side of the door, Sakusa stared at their room, wanting to knock and talk to Ryosuke, but in the end, he still did not say anything.
No rush. No rush. Sakusa warned himself inwardly, telling himself not to do anything impulsive. Komori sighed, glanced at his cousin's longing expression, and went back to his own room first.
Sakusa leaned by the door until a mosquito flew out. Only then did he return to the dorm.
That night, some people were destined to lie awake, tossing and turning, just like the night before they had left for the training camp.
Hoshiumi and Hirugami huffed and puffed as they packed their suitcases. Hirugami kept muttering beside him, grinding his teeth as he frowned at the huge box of snacks, completely unable to understand it.
"I remember you didn't bring snacks when you came. You haven't gone out these past few days either. Where did all this come from? Did you conjure it up?"
Hoshiumi whistled and pretended not to hear what Hirugami was saying. These little snacks had all been hidden in the inner layer of his suitcase and brought in that way. As athletes, they were watched by their coaches every day and were not allowed to eat snacks. That was annoying enough already.
That was why most people would bring a little food to treat themselves when they went to away training camps. It was just that Kamomedai's coach did not check that strictly. Unfortunately, Hirugami had caught him this time.
The moment Hirugami saw Hoshiumi acting so stubbornly unrepentant, he got angry and began lecturing him earnestly.
"You can't eat that many snacks, Hoshiumi. Kids who eat junk food won't grow tall. None of this has any nutrition. It's all fried puffed food.
"It's bad for your body..."
By now, Hoshiumi had already covered his ears and collapsed onto the bed. Not listening, not listening. It was like a turtle chanting sutras.
"Aaaah! I know already! Hirugami, stop talking!"
Hoshiumi howled and rolled around on the bed, just like Sun Wukong from the Chinese stories when Tang Sanzang chanted sutras at him.
The two of them fussed around until late at night before finally finishing their packing.
Atsumu Miya was also on the phone with his twin brother, shouting at him. From the sound of it, he had found out that Osamu Miya had secretly eaten his katsudon, and he was now making threats, telling him to wash his neck clean and wait for him to come back.
"Pig-Osamu, you really missed out by not coming to this training camp. I'm telling you, I met someone incredibly beautiful this time."
Osamu Miya lay on the bed, tilting his neck to hold the phone in place while still playing a game with his hands. His mouth answered perfunctorily.
"Mm-hmm."
"This training camp was seriously exhausting. The senior Setter from the national team was way too cool!"
"Mm-hmm."
"The training meals weren't tasty at all. I miss Mom's katsudon."
"Mm-hmm."
"...Osamu Miya!"
...
...
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