"I'm ready, Sensei!"
Hinata Shoyo was already brimming with energy, eager to show the results of the months he'd spent training with a professional coach.
PE Teacher No. 1, still reeling from the shock of Bai Ze Yuda's performance earlier, had mentally prepared herself this time. She refused to let herself be taken aback again—especially not in front of these boys from the so-called "boys' volleyball hobby club." As the coach of the school's prestigious girls' basketball team, she couldn't afford to lose face.
She glanced at Hinata's height.
'Not even 165 cm, huh?'
'Well, that settles it.'
'With that height, he's better suited to soccer among the big three ball sports. Even in basketball, 165 cm barely gets you anywhere. And volleyball? Forget it. A sport where aerial battles are key and you score by getting the ball over the net? At this height, if his jump isn't spectacular, he probably can't even clear the net, let alone fight at the net.'
'Probably a libero at best.'
"Begin!"
"Alright!"
Just as the teacher crossed her arms over her chest, prepared to watch a mediocre jump—
It happened like a stop-motion film, frame by frame.
Hinata launched forward with powerful strides, leaning into a sprinter's posture. The teacher, unaware of what was about to happen, simply stared upward at the volleyball pole.
Step by step, he built momentum—arm swing, hip lift, takeoff—executed flawlessly.
He soared like a bird.
The teacher, shocked to realize someone was actually flying, stiffened.
Hinata, in mid-air, reached toward the bar with an elegant stretch.
Her eyes widened. Her confused expression turned into stunned disbelief.
With a superhero-like landing, Hinata touched down, beaming.
The PE teacher's hands floated mid-air beside her chest, unsure what to do. Her face contorted in exaggerated shock.
"Is... is the boys' volleyball team full of monsters?!"
"334 centimeters!!"
"Incredible! Hinata-senpai!"
Kawashima called out the number clearly, eyes wide with admiration at Hinata's insane vertical.
Hinata struck a cool senpai pose, thumbing his nose proudly.
"Hehe, right? I told you I could jump!"
The three rookies all nodded in unison.
"Mm-hmm!"
Hinata grinned even wider.
"Let your senpai share a few jumping tips!"
"First you go—thump! Then—hmm! Finally—swoosh! And you'll fly!"
The three rookies exchanged confused glances.
'Did you get that?'
'Nope. You?'
'Also no.'
"Actually…"
Hinata scratched the back of his head.
"I always thought I was just short but could jump."
"Then one day, I saw Guren's spike."
"And I realized… if height isn't enough, then jumping can only make up for part of it. My true weapon…"
"Isn't my jump."
Kawashima chimed in, perfectly on cue, with genuine curiosity.
"Then what is your weapon, Hinata-senpai?"
Hinata smiled wide.
"I don't know yet."
"I'm still searching."
"Next up! Ichinose Guren!"
The teacher's voice cut through the moment, pulling the four of them back to reality.
"You four boys! Clear the runway!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
They scattered quickly, returning to their places.
Kawashima returned to the measuring stick to monitor the next jump. Hinata and the other two settled back into the line.
Now it was time to see the one who, though not the captain, had quietly led the team these past months: coaching, planning workouts, arranging team meals—even drawing up nutrition and sleep schedules for Bai Ze and Hinata.
The uncrowned king of the volleyball team—Ichinose Guren.
Mori and Suzuki began whispering.
"Didn't Hinata-senpai say Ichinose could jump really high?"
"Well, not exactly, but that's the vibe I got."
"How high, you think?"
"Higher than Bai Ze-senpai?"
"No way! Bai Ze is 195 cm!"
Nearby, Bai Ze overheard and looked at them.
"Guren jumps higher than I do."
Both boys stared at him, stunned.
"For real?! That can't be true!"
"How high would that even be?!"
Suddenly self-conscious under their gazes, Bai Ze rubbed his nose awkwardly.
"I don't know how to put it in words…"
"But when Guren jumps, it's not just about height."
"There's this… feeling. A pure, joyful energy in the way he spikes—it's hard to describe, but it's more than just jumping high."
Mori and Suzuki looked utterly lost.
"Even if you say that…"
"We don't get it at all."
Bai Ze chuckled softly.
"That's okay. You'll see it for yourselves in a second."
"Oh, by the way," Suzuki added, "why do you call Ichinose-senpai 'bro' if you guys have different last names?"
"I've been wondering that too."
Bai Ze blinked.
"Oh, I never told you? Only Hinata knows."
"My mom is Guren's mom's younger sister—we're cousins."
"And honestly, he's the one who got me into volleyball. I've called him 'bro' since we were kids. Just a habit now."
They wanted to ask more, but were interrupted by the teacher's call:
"Ichinose Guren! Get ready!"
"Ready."
What happened next would be etched in the new recruits' memories forever.
A gust of wind seemed to blow past their ears as Ichinose flew by.
What they saw was total focus—and a slight smile on his lips.
Step. Takeoff.
Every ounce of his approach converted cleanly into power, lifting him skyward.
The motion flowed from feet to arms, from ankles to knees—flawless, precise, natural.
It wasn't forced; it was instinctual.
Ichinose glided through the air for nearly two meters, body unfurling mid-air.
Smack.
No one was even watching the number.
It didn't matter how high he jumped.
It was like a gale had swept through a silent canyon, tearing away all negative thoughts.
What remained was awe—raw human reverence for beauty and motion.
Someone finally spoke.
"…It looked like a work of art."
Everyone stood frozen, save one.
"I-INCREDIBLE!!!" Hinata shouted.
"Guren! That was insane!!"
"I wanna jump like that one day too!!"
"Kawashima! Hey, Kawashima!!"
"How high did he go?!"
Jolted by Hinata's shouting, Kawashima scrambled to read the marker.
"Three-three… four-one?"
He rubbed his eyes and looked again.
"341 cm!"
He called it out loud and clear.
"341 cm!! Ichinose-senpai hit 341!!"
The gym exploded.
"No way! That's insane!!"
"Did Ichinose-senpai just… fly?!"
"Was that an angel?! I swear I saw wings!"
"Idiot! Angels don't exist!"
"That's terrifying! How do you even block someone like that?!"
(End of Chapter)
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