JSWGAS Chapter 104

Chapter 104

June 4th.

The last day of the preliminaries, the day to decide the Miyagi Prefecture representatives.

In short, whoever wins gets to go to the higher stage of the nationals.

There are quite a few volleyball fans in Miyagi Prefecture. Plus, it’s the weekend. From early morning, shortly after the sun rose, the entrance of the Sendai City Gymnasium began to see a frequent stream of local people coming to watch the matches. Cheerleaders wearing Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa school uniforms stood in their respective territories, glaring at each other and loudly rehearsing their slogans. At the same time, local TV station reporters, sports magazine interviewers, and event staff were also coordinating their work in an orderly manner. The sound system occasionally emitted bursts of static… The atmosphere of this major tournament startled the Aoba Johsai team members, who hadn’t yet fully adjusted their mindset.

“It’s only now that I really feel it. We’re only one game away from going to the nationals?” Hanamaki said softly to Matsukawa, “When the magazine reporter stopped the coach just now, I thought we were blocking the way.”

“You really have no self-awareness, Hanamaki,” Matsukawa teased him, “But I can understand what you mean… After all, neither of us has ever been on the court.”

“But by next year at the latest, we will be on the court,” Hanamaki said, pausing for a moment, “…If we can’t beat Shiratorizawa, then this will be Arahata-senpai and the others’ last game.”

“Yeah.”

The atmosphere became gloomy, and the two involuntarily slowed their pace.

“Who are you two showing those long faces to?” Suddenly, Arahata’s voice came from behind. The volleyball team captain caught up from behind, not knowing if he had heard their conversation. He patted both of them on the shoulders, his expression relaxed, “Don’t act like we’ve already lost to Shiratorizawa.”

–Although he said that, Arahata clearly understood what Shiratorizawa represented. Or rather, most of the audience in the venue now held the same thoughts as Hanamaki and Matsukawa.

But what did that matter?

As he hurried from the back to the front of the team, the captain, who had always been unremarkable, thought to himself.

“We are the ones standing here now.”

Being a captain is always tiring. Arahata really wished he could turn back time to half a year ago when he should have let the more socially skilled Saijo be the captain. Although most of his teammates were worry-free, after running back and forth and still not finding their own setter, a strong regret about ‘why did I become the captain in the first place’ washed over him–

“Iwaizumi,” he had no choice but to look at the Oikawa nemesis within the team, “Where did Oikawa go?… No, I haven’t seen Kokonoe either.” Saying this, he asked hopefully, “Did Kokonoe already go to find Oikawa?”

No, Iwaizumi retorted in his heart. It should be said that the subject of this sentence needs to be reversed to match the facts. But seeing Arahata’s somewhat honest face about to be moved to tears because ‘the frivolous underclassman is about to be sanctioned by the troublesome underclassman, hooray!’, he hesitated for a moment and finally chose to say something insincere.

“Ah, Taka went to find Trash… Oikawa.”

–Although it didn’t seem that insincere.

Whether Arahata’s immediate nodding in agreement increased the guilt in Iwaizumi’s heart is another matter.

Oikawa Tōru used an apologetic yet affectionate smile to shake off several girls who came to chat him up, and then expertly crossed the plaza in front of the gymnasium and came to the sidewalk surrounding the gymnasium. Although there was still more than an hour before the start of the match, the pedestrians nearby had already become sparse, and the remaining few were hurrying towards the entrance.

–Under such circumstances, a player wandering outside without returning to the team seemed like an outlier.

Of course, not himself. He thought, standing still in the shade of the trees.

He waited there quietly for five minutes. Not too long, not too short, and not afraid of miscalculating. After the light passing through the branches and leaves became warm, subtle footsteps also fell into his ears, getting closer and closer with the blowing of the wind.

“—Tada!” The calm and relaxed eyebrows slightly curved at this moment, bringing out an obvious, pure smile, “Surprised? Sneaking away, Kokonoe-kun?”

The person who had been running along the sidewalk raised his eyebrows slightly because of his overly cute onomatopoeia. Oikawa Tōru had to raise his gaze, looking at the other’s gradually hardening outline, and the sweat dripping down along his forehead, finally hanging at his temples. Kokonoe Taka didn’t stop, just changed his running into a fast walk; and Oikawa Tōru naturally turned around, following his rhythm towards the entrance of the gymnasium.

“Why should I be surprised?” Kokonoe Taka didn’t look at him, stating the question as a statement as if it were a matter of course, “I was wondering why you were so slow.”

Walking side by side, they could see each other’s profiles with a slight turn of the head. Oikawa Tōru dragged out a troubled tone, “After all, I’m not like you, able to ruthlessly reject admiring girls. How can you not properly treat that kind of feeling?” In between steps, that drop of sweat finally fell into the mint-colored collar along the distinct jawline.

“Besides—I’m more curious as to why you like running so much,” Oikawa Tōru deliberately left a blank in the conversation, “Last night too, you only came back when it was almost time to go back.”

This sentence made Kokonoe Taka turn his head to look at Oikawa, who blinked and revealed a smile. Others unanimously believed that Oikawa’s occasional frivolous piercing of certain facts not suitable for display under the sun—such amazing sensitivity would always make people afraid, although the latter showed no indication of whether it was intentional or unintentional.

Kokonoe Taka was sure that Oikawa had smelled the faint scent of smoke on him when he went back. Saijo had only hastily walked with him to the vicinity of the gymnasium and then made an excuse to escape. Such an obvious flaw should have been captured by him.

He didn’t like the vague probing between close people. So at this moment, his grey eyes were dyed with a layer of the light green color of his collar, “Tōru, you know about Nanri, right?”

In fact, he had mentioned this matter to Oikawa before, but he hadn’t delved into it at the time. Oikawa wasn’t surprised at this moment, “I know.”

“…Then you also know Saijo—”

“I know,” Oikawa Tōru sighed almost indulgently, “You want to ask if I’ve noticed Saijo’s strangeness these past few days? Something like ‘the finals are approaching, but he’s getting less and less motivated’?”

–He should know.

Just like Oikawa knew that he would use running to vent his overly strong emotions and maintain a calm state of mind. Oikawa could find him now, so of course he could also find Saijo last night.

Oikawa Tōru seemed to know his thoughts from his flattened lips, and said to himself, “You and him are different though.”

“…The tone you used to say that is a little,” Kokonoe Taka rarely hesitated after hearing this sentence, trying to find a less aggressive word, “Too cloying?”

“That’s too much, I’m answering your question,” Oikawa Tōru retorted with dissatisfaction.

“Please continue.”

“The matter of Nanri isn’t a secret, and the person himself doesn’t seem to have any resentment about not being able to return to the volleyball team,” Oikawa’s tone returned to a light one, “It’s just that someone isn’t willing… that’s Saijo. Oh right, it’s said that Saijo-senpai used to have a very willful personality?”

“Willful?”

When the conversation reached this point, the two had smoothly entered the entrance of the gymnasium. The sound of voices was deafening, and Kokonoe Taka had to listen carefully to every word of Oikawa Tōru.

“Not very concerned about teamwork, a troublesome personality that likes to do whatever makes him happy. Of course, for me, it’s just a bit troublesome,” he glanced at Kokonoe Taka, his eyes full of the subtext ‘you’re more troublesome’.

Kokonoe Taka pretended not to see it.

“—Moreover, it’s said that Saijo only started playing volleyball because of Nanri’s invitation.”

Kokonoe Taka’s footsteps paused slightly at this moment. This abnormality, which lasted no more than half a second, was almost instantly seen through. The smile that Oikawa always wore on his face became more genuine, like a venomous snake joyfully whispering, “Because of his own willfulness, Nanri was injured and unable to return; losing the companion who led the way, and the guilt of staying behind—”

“And he understands this.”

The setter, who was always good at manipulating people’s hearts, said, seemingly unaware of the person next to him stopping, walking straight ahead. It is said that Oikawa Tōru is a setter who can maximize the team’s strength, and that is indeed the case. Even players who don’t get along will play to their greatest potential under his subtle influence—the setter’s dominance, the spiker’s right to attack, Oikawa Tōru is constantly thinking about how to do better.

“Saijo built a high wall for his opponent, and also trapped himself inside,” his voice was very soft, almost immediately drowned out in the noise. But Kokonoe Taka still heard his voice incredibly, incredibly clearly, “Only by letting what he fears beat him hard will he wake up.”

Kokonoe Taka found that he didn’t feel surprised. He could even vaguely guess Oikawa’s words, as if it should be so. He easily caught up with Oikawa in a few steps, “How scary.”

“But this is my true thought,” after saying terrible words in a very relaxed tone as if nothing had happened, Oikawa Tōru’s smile grew stronger, looking at the gray eyes beside him, “After all, the ones standing here now.”

“—Are us.”

The words had a hidden meaning, but they also seemed to have only a superficial meaning. As Oikawa Tōru walked towards the venue, swinging his hands, Kokonoe Taka looked at his back, and also at the arena he was heading towards. He thought about how many years ago, he had also stood at the entrance of the Sendai City Gymnasium, watching Oikawa walk forward first, and then Iwaizumi pat his own shoulder. The old people always said that time is a circle, and he had finally come full circle back to the starting point.

The different arenas that had once swirled in his mind were gradually covered by the present moment. Oikawa Tōru turned his head, his right hand placed by his lips, “Idiot Taka, could it be that you’re so fascinated by Oikawa-sensei’s handsome back? Well, considering we’ve known each other for so many years, it’s not like I can’t book you a photobook of future sports stars?”

…Chatterbox.

But he honestly echoed his words.

“Then I’ll leave the autographed photos to you.”

“Hmph—a world-class star will of course satisfy this little request!”

Kokonoe Taka looked at his smiling face, adding the last sentence with a malicious sense of humor.

“It should be worth a lot of money, right?”

Oikawa Tōru: “…………”!