A new year had begun. January 1st—New Year's Day.
"Alright, let's go to Aoba Shrine for our first shrine visit of the year!"
Kaedehara Taichi nodded in response to Kindaichi Yūtarō's call. Though Kindaichi said "like every year," this was actually Taichi's first time participating in such a tradition.
"You guys come here together every year?" Taichi asked curiously.
"Yeah! Our houses are close to each other, so we've been doing this since elementary school," Kindaichi replied with his usual enthusiasm.
Judging by Kunimi Akira's expression, though, he had probably been dragged along against his will.
Standing at the entrance of the shopping street were the three first-years of Aoba Johsai. Invited by Kindaichi, Taichi had even skipped his usual morning run on the first day of the year to meet up with them here.
"I thought you'd be going with Chiba to the shrine," Kunimi remarked casually.
"Huh?" Taichi blinked. "What makes you think that?"
Kindaichi looked just as confused—weren't the three of them always together at practice?
"You two talk a lot, don't you? And wasn't Chiba's decision to become the team manager partly because of you?" Kunimi's voice was as indifferent as ever, but his observations were sharp.
"Oh, that? I usually just ask her about match stats." Taichi waved it off. "As for why she joined, I asked once, but she never told me."
"Then why didn't you ask Wonda-senpai when he was the manager?" Kunimi smirked knowingly.
"Probably because I was still weak back then."
Kunimi let out a short hiss through his teeth—this guy was impossible to trap in a conversation.
Kindaichi, meanwhile, remained completely lost—weren't they just talking about volleyball?
As the three walked toward Aoba Shrine, the crowds thickened, and the streets grew livelier.
On the first morning of the year, it seemed like the entire neighbourhood had gathered here to pray for good fortune in the year ahead.
Taichi and the others wove their way through the bustling crowd, immersed in the festival atmosphere unique to New Year's.
"Now that I think about it…why am I spending my first shrine visit of the year with two guys I train with every day?"
Lining the street were vendors selling all sorts of traditional snacks and souvenirs. Sellers called out energetically, their voices blending into the festive background noise.
Women in vibrant kimonos gracefully stepped onto the pavement, their smiles as warm as the winter sun.
Despite it being a holiday, every shop was open, and the air was filled with the mouthwatering aroma of food—sweet sake, coffee, and steaming dango. The scent was tempting enough to make anyone stop for a bite. People strolled along, snacks in hand, their faces brimming with contentment and joy.
By the time the three finally reached the shrine at the mountaintop, a refreshing gust of air greeted them, sweeping away their fatigue. The vast, open view at the summit was breathtaking—the entire city sprawled beneath them.
Up here, the noise of the crowd felt distant and muted, replaced only by the occasional chirping of birds and the gentle rustling of the wind through the trees.
Aoba Shrine stood solemn and serene at the peak. The three of them stopped, inhaling deeply, savouring the rare moment of peace.
Following Kindaichi and Kunimi's lead, Taichi stepped forward to offer his prayers at the nameless shrine.
"So, what did you guys wish for? I prayed for our matches to go smoothly!" Kindaichi grinned.
"Aren't you supposed to thank the gods instead of asking for things?" Kunimi suddenly interjected.
"Huh?! What?! Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" Kindaichi's mouth hung open in disbelief.
"I do say it every year," Kunimi sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Wait, seriously?" Kindaichi deflated. "Then…Taichi, what did you wish for?"
"Oh, I just hoped that the little dog near the school gate stays healthy," Taichi answered nonchalantly.
"Yeah, lately, I think its bark has a nice rhythm to it," Taichi added offhandedly.
"And besides—there's no god on the court. The only ones who can control the game are us."
As Taichi exhaled into the crisp air, standing in front of them with unwavering confidence, Kunimi couldn't help but chuckle.
Maybe it's because he's always …that even I ended up changing, too.
"Since we're here, let's draw our fortunes," Kunimi suggested.
"Oh, good idea!" Taichi followed along enthusiastically.
[A few minutes later…]
"Pfft, it's exactly because you said something like that that you ended up drawing a 'bad fortune'!" Kunimi Akira couldn't help but chuckle.
Kaedehara Taichi clicked his tongue, crumpling the fortune slip carelessly before tossing it into a nearby trash bin. "What about you guys? What did you get?"
Kunimi lightly shook his slip—"Good fortune."
Meanwhile, Kindaichi Yūtarō proudly displayed his with a triumphant grin—"Great fortune."
"Hahaha! There really are people who still manage to pull 'great misfortune'!"
A familiar burst of laughter came from not far away.
"Ah, it's Oikawa-senpai!" Kindaichi was the first to notice.
Oikawa Tōru, Iwaizumi Hajime, Hanamaki Takahiro, and Matsukawa Issei—the third-year quartet of Aoba Johsai's volleyball team—were here as well.
"Yo, it's you guys!" Hanamaki greeted them as they approached.
"You're drawing fortunes too? You wouldn't believe it—Oikawa actually pulled a 'great misfortune'! Hahaha!"
"Enough, Hanamaki!" Oikawa lunged to snatch the slip from his hands, but Hanamaki dodged skillfully, slipping just out of reach.
"Truly impressive, Oikawa-senpai," Taichi commented in a deliberately light tone. "Even in a place , you don't fall behind."
"What about you guys?" Kindaichi, completely unbothered while holding onto his great fortune, turned the tables on the upperclassmen.
Iwaizumi—"Minor fortune."
Hanamaki—"Good fortune."
Matsukawa—"Good fortune."
Perfect. Now there were two people to laugh at.
"I feel might be connected to our luck in matches," Kindaichi mused aloud after a moment of serious thought. "Could it be that Oikawa-senpai and Taichi pulled bad fortunes because they're the ones who trash-talk and provoke opponents the most?"
"Kindaichi!" Oikawa turned to him with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "So this is what you think of me, huh?"
Even Iwaizumi was smiling too kindly. "Kindaichi, are you saying my sportsmanship is worse than yours?"
Hanamaki and Matsukawa had already joined in, closing in on the unfortunate second year.
Taichi shook his head. This blockhead Kindaichi—just because he pulled great fortune, he went and offended everyone.
The group of Aoba Johsai players laughed and teased each other as they made their way back to the shopping district.
By sheer coincidence, they ran into another familiar group—Aoba Johsai's second-year trio.
Watari Shinji, Yahaba Shigeru, and Kyōtani Kentarō, who—as always—had a piece of fried chicken in hand.
"Didn't expect you guys to be this chummy already!" Oikawa remarked in surprise.
Seeing Oikawa and the rest of the third-years gathered together, Yahaba and the others hesitated for a moment, almost wondering if they, the second-years, had been left out.
However, Yahaba quickly recovered, excitement lighting up his expression as he pointed down the street.
"Senpai, take a look at the shopping district!"
On the first day of the new year, most of the stores in the commercial area had put up fresh decorations.
A massive banner stretched across the street between two shops, the bold text declaring:
"CONGRATULATIONS! AOBA JOHSAI BOYS' VOLLEYBALL TEAM ADVANCES TO THE NATIONAL SPRING HIGH TOURNAMENT!!!"
As the volleyball team members stepped further into the shopping district, they were met with even more surprises.
"Flawless Reception Fried Rice!"
All along the street, various eateries had renamed their dishes with volleyball-themed titles.
The players exchanged glances, and at that moment, they were reminded of all the support they'd received—family, friends, neighbours.
The upcoming tournament was no longer just about the team or the school.
Carrying the expectations and encouragement of those around them—Spring High was about to begin.
"Aoba Johsai—We have to win!"
[T/N] - If you guys want to read 50 Chapters in advance of the current story, you can support me on my . Trust me, it's awesome!
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