[Nekoma High School Gymnasium]
Today's opponent wasn't particularly strong, so Coach Nekomata wrapped up the post-game review quickly and allowed the Nekoma players to start practising on their own.
With Taichi Kaedehara now part of the team, Kuroo Tetsurō decided to spice things up a bit—by organizing a 3v3 match with mixed teams.
"You two are pretty close; why not be on the same team?" Kuroo smirked, glancing at Taichi and Kenma.
"No way!" the two responded in perfect unison.
"I'm still bad at receiving…"
"Setting for Taichi feels like it would be exhausting…"
Kuroo sighed dramatically. "What a pair of troublemakers."
The teams were decided:
Red Team—Taichi Kaedehara, Yaku Morisuke, and Inuoka Sō.
Black Team—Kuroo Tetsurō, Kozume Kenma, and Haiba Lev.
Can this really work? Taichi thought, a mix of doubt and nervousness on his face. Although Yaku could ensure stable receives, both Taichi and Inuoka's setting skills left a lot to be desired…
"This isn't about winning, is it?" Kuroo teased. "If you want to improve your cross-court spikes, start by nailing the basics of spiking. You can't always rely on perfect sets from Oikawa, you know~" His mischievous grin hinted at lingering resentment over their loss to Aoba Johsai.
The Red Team served first. Inuoka Sō sent the ball over, and Kuroo effortlessly received it, directing it toward Kenma. Lev charged toward the net.
"Double block!" Taichi and Inuoka jumped together.
Lev spiked the ball cleanly past their hands, scoring the first point.
[Red Team 0 vs 1 Black Team]
"Lev, that was great! You nailed the first spike!" Kuroo praised loudly.
"Hehe…" Lev chuckled, scratching his head. He shot a quick glance at Kenma—See? You said I wasn't as good as Taichi, but I'll prove you wrong.
At over 190 cm tall, with a wingspan to match, Lev's presence near the net was overwhelming. Taichi silently pondered strategies to counter him.
The Black Team served next, with Lev stepping up. His jump serve attempt resulted in the ball hitting the net.
"Lev! Just stand still and serve normally! You can't do jump serves yet!" Kuroo scolded without hesitation.
Lev's service error handed the Red Team a point.
[Red Team 1 vs 1 Black Team]
It was Taichi's turn to serve.
"Don't send over an easy one now~" Kuroo taunted from across the net, recalling Taichi's painfully average serves during their last practice match.
Taichi smiled nonchalantly, hiding his true intentions. He was ready to surprise them.
Taichi tossed the ball, took a quick approach, and, after a smooth leap, aimed a powerful spike-serve straight at Kenma. The gym fell silent as everyone watched him swing.
The ball smacked into the net.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Kuroo burst out laughing. "What are you doing, paying tribute to Lev?! Hahaha…"
"Sorry!" Taichi's face flushed as he hurried back to his position.
"Don't worry about it—next one!" Yaku said encouragingly.
[Red Team 1 vs 2 Black Team]
Kuroo may have laughed, but he noticed something: Taichi's spiking form was flawless and far more refined than Lev's.
The serve had only gone wrong because of a slightly low toss. If Taichi adjusted that, his next attempt could be dangerous.
The Black Team served again. Kenma aimed the ball at Taichi, clearly intending to disrupt his attack.
The moment Taichi received the ball, he charged toward the net, his presence impossible to ignore.
Lev shouted, jumping in front of Taichi to block.
But Yaku had already set the ball to the left, where Inuoka was waiting. Inuoka's spike landed cleanly on the opposing court, scoring a point for the Red Team.
[Red Team 2 vs 2 Black Team]
"Didn't I tell you to jump only after you've seen the toss? Read blocking!" Kuroo Tetsurō exclaimed, exasperated.
"Ah…got it!" Lev replied sheepishly.
The Red Team's Yaku Morisuke served, sending the ball straight to Kenma. Kenma's first pass floated close to the net, and Kuroo was quick to jump after it.
Taichi Kaedehara and Inuoka Sō reacted instantly, leaping to block Kuroo's spike head-on.
Kuroo lightly flicked his wrist, angling the ball diagonally.
But Yaku was already in position, perfectly receiving the ball.
Taichi dashed to the right as Inuoka, landing from his jump, passed the ball toward him.
"Double block!" Lev and Kuroo jumped together. Their combined presence was formidable, radiating sheer intimidation. But—
Inuoka's set began to drop before it could reach Taichi.
Acting quickly, Taichi reached out with his left hand, tipping the ball across the net.
The ball landed in the far diagonal corner, where no one was defending.
The Red Team scored again.
[Red Team 3 vs 2 Black Team]
"He used his left hand…" Kenma's eyes lit up, intrigued. That's definitely something worth noting.
Yaku served again. Kuroo received the ball effortlessly. Though this was a practice match, their main goal was to help Lev improve. Kenma set the ball high to the middle of the court.
Lev, like a sleek and agile cat, locked his eyes on the ball. Starting from the back row, he sprinted forward before leaping powerfully.
He was in excellent form! Lev could feel it—this point was his for the taking. His arm whipped like a cracking whip, and his hand connected solidly with the ball.
But just as he expected to see the ball hit the ground, a pair of hands appeared out of nowhere, blocking his spike.
"Looks like I can still reach, huh? Not as high as I thought," Taichi said with a playful grin, staring at the stunned Lev.
"This guy…" Kuroo muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "His true colours are starting to show."
[Red Team 4 vs 2 Black Team]
Taichi had timed his block perfectly. He had approached the net as though he were spiking, only to shift into a blocking motion at the last moment. His height was just enough to stop Lev's attack.
By now, Taichi was getting used to both Inuoka and Yaku's sets.
Taichi beamed, clearly energized. "How about I teach Lev how to spike first, and then Kuroo-senpai can teach me afterwards?"
Before anyone realized it, the 3v3 practice had morphed into a one-on-one showdown between Taichi Kaedehara and Lev Haiba.
Combining finesse and power, Taichi unleashed a series of moves against Lev: soft tips, off-the-blocks, feints with time delays, and quick attacks. Even his newly learned straight and cross-court spikes—though not perfectly accurate—were getting sharper and stronger.
Kuroo and the others were practically numb watching the match. It's only been a month since I last saw him, but Taichi's improved so much…
"Hey, Kuroo-senpai, do you think Lev will be okay?" asked Inuoka, who was, unsurprisingly, the most concerned about his same-year teammate.
"He'll be fine," Kuroo replied confidently. "Lev's usually overconfident. Most of the players better than him are upperclassmen, so he never takes them seriously. This is a good lesson for him."
Kuroo could tell Lev wasn't discouraged. In fact, his movements were getting sharper, and he was cutting out unnecessary actions.
But Taichi's rapid growth was undeniable. Against a target like Lev, with exceptional physicality but underdeveloped skills, Taichi was gradually integrating everything he'd learned into practical use.
"Am I getting old already?" Kuroo joked, a sudden sense of wistfulness creeping over him. The younger players were improving faster than he could keep up.
Kenma gave him a light kick but didn't say anything.
"Hehe, just kidding," Kuroo said, stretching lazily. "Don't worry—I'm not giving up on volleyball after graduation."
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