"Haha... Iwaizumi, I know you're pissed, but don't take it out on me."
"Everyone's watching, so at least don't make me look bad."
After dragging Oikawa into a corner, Iwaizumi started laying into him. He really was upset, but it wasn't nearly as bad as Oikawa had made it sound just now. If Hank could really take his place, then that only meant Hank's talent was genuinely that good. But the way Oikawa said it just now was basically dragging his name through the mud.
"That's enough, you two."
Coach Irihata spoke up sternly to warn them. There were so many new students watching right now, and these two were supposed to be third-year upperclassmen. How could they act so inappropriately? To outsiders, it would make Aoba Johsai look completely unreliable.
After a brief exchange, Hank also received his Aoba Johsai uniform. The turquoise-and-white design felt fresh and striking.
And at Hank's request, the number on the back was changed to 23.
That number came from an NBA player he had really liked in his previous life, so it had some special meaning to him. After taking the uniform and saying goodbye to the coach, Hank headed home with Yui Michimiya.
There were still another month or two before high school officially started, which was perfect for nonstop training.
If nothing unexpected happened, he should still be able to raise his overall stats by around three points during that time. It might not be as much as what today's match had given him, but it was still a very solid improvement. Every little increase he could secure would give him more confidence for the future.
Hank had never liked relying on luck. He preferred the feeling of keeping everything as firmly in his own hands as possible.
"Karasuno, huh? Didn't think we'd meet this soon. This time, the team as a whole still hasn't been adjusted into its best condition."
"But it'll still be a good test."
Hank thought for a moment about Karasuno's current strength. Tobio Kageyama and Shoyo were still in their adjustment period, so the only thing he really needed to prepare for was their Freak Quick. That kind of attack definitely needed special attention. After all, they were the protagonists.
He also needed to defeat them completely, then crush them head-on.
He had to make sure they never got the chance to become a future threat. Maybe worrying that much was unnecessary, but he had always been this cautious when it came to doing things.
He wouldn't leave himself with any regrets.
Ding! System mission refreshed. Check in for 30 consecutive days by completing a 10-kilometer endurance run, 500 spikes, 5,000 ball-control touches, and 1,000 serves, and you will unlock Read Blocking!
Once Hank finished packing up the things he had brought with him, the system notification sounded in his ear, informing him of his next daily mission. As long as he completed the training the system assigned and kept up the check-in for thirty straight days, he would directly master Read Blocking.
The temptation that held for him was enormous.
Blocking as a skill was far from as unimportant as anime sometimes made it look, and it definitely wasn't something an opposing team—especially the protagonist team—could just casually break through ahead of time. In real volleyball, every team placed extremely high demands on all kinds of blocking techniques.
Some teams even adjusted their offensive style depending on the kind of blocking they were facing.
An excellent block could shut down the opponent's attack all by itself, turning the offense they had painstakingly built over three touches into nothing. And Read Blocking, which was among the most practical blocking techniques without being overly difficult on the technical side—
could perform that role perfectly.
As long as he mastered that blocking technique, then no matter what team he faced next, he would be able to instinctively catch the movements of the real hitter.
He wouldn't be baited into jumping by a feint.
For a technique that wasn't especially hard but was incredibly practical, Hank naturally wanted it very badly.
As long as he didn't miss a single day of the upcoming training check-ins, he would be able to get Read Blocking and make up for the lack of technique in his current blocking.
From that alone, it was easy to see that the system could quickly turn him into an all-around player.
Not bad at all.
"Well now, Hank, you little brat, so you've been hiding this from me all this time. Tell me already—how long have you been secretly training volleyball?"
"And don't you dare lie to your big sis again!"
Yui Michimiya ran up to Hank and suddenly pulled him tight against her chest, smiling from ear to ear. It was obvious that seeing Hank reach such a high level made her even happier than if it had happened to her.
"Sis, too close—you're way too close!"
The moment Hank felt that softness against his face, his heart instantly started racing. Come to think of it, even after living two lives, this was still the first time he had ever been this close to a girl. The calm in his heart immediately fell into chaos.
(End of Chapter)
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