A/N: Hello, readers! This is where you'll finally find out about Rei's past with Kawamura! Enjoy!

edited on march 7th, 2022 @ 5:27am

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CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX - THE VOLLEYBALL IDIOTS

TSUKISHIMA HEADED TOWARDS UKAI. "Tsukishima—" He began. But Tsukishima had cut him off, making Ukai be taken aback.

"The bleeding has stopped. They immbolilized the part that was dislocated rock hard. Because it was my pinky, it'll effect my play extremely little." Tsukishima interrupted as Ukai glanced over to Kiyoko.

"That basically sums it up." Kiyoko confirmed.

Shiratorizawa's cheering squad continued cheering as Kawamura was switched out with Yunohama.

"It's probably going to be a jump float serve. We need to move up our defenses." Daichi informed as Rei and Tanaka nodded.

The whistle blew as Yunohama served the ball. "Daichi-san!" Rei called out as Daichi received it.

Kageyama got into setting position as Narita jumped up to spike. However, Kageyama did a setter dump, making Karasuno get a point as they cheered.

Both teams had 15 points. The buzzer sounded as Tsukishima was switched in with Narita. "We're counting on you, Tsukishima." Narita informed as Tsukishima just nodded.

"Tsukishima!" Tanaka shouted, causing Tsukishima to glance over at the second-year. "Look at you, showing up like some hero, you jerk!"

"Um... about when we do a 3-person block..." Tsukishima began.

"Not phased one bit, are you?" Tanaka questioned.

"Tsukishima!"

"We're counting on you!"

Karasuno was huddled in a circle. "We're gonna get through this!" Daichi exclaimed.

"Yeah!"

Asahi was up next to serve as he bounced the ball. "All right! Bring it!" Tanaka challenged. The whistle blew as Asahi threw the ball up into the air before slamming the ball against his palm. Leon barely had time to dive down and receive it.

"Yes!" Leon cheered.

Shirabu sent a toss back towards Ushijima. Tsukishima and Kageyama both jumped up to block him as the ball had hit Tsukishima's injured hand.

"One touch!" Tsukishima shouted.

Iwaizumi widened his eyes in surprise. "They managed to stop it again." He commented.

"What happened to Four-Eyes?" Oikawa questioned before continuing. "At the first practice match, I thought he was just a tall guy that was slightly intelligent."

Asahi quickly dived down to save the ball as Rei quickly covered for him. "Nice, Shiro!" Asahi complimented.

Daichi then received the ball over. "Chance ball!" Yamagata called out before receiving it. "Ushijima-san!" Shirabu shouted, tossing the ball over towards Ushijima.

"We're going to open it up!" Tsukishima informed as him and Tanaka jumped up to block. "Shiro's field of view." Tsukishima added in his head.

Ushijima spiked the ball as Rei received it. "Nice receive!" Daichi complimented. Tanaka nodded over to Tsukishima.

Kageyama tossed the ball. "Asahi-san!" Tanaka shouted out as Asahi spiked the ball.

"Tsutomu!" Ushijima shouted as Goshiki dived down to save the ball.

"Nice! Get the last!" Yamagata said, sending the ball over.

Ushijima jumped up as Tsukishima and Tanaka jumped up to block. Ushijima ended up hitting the net as Rei dived down to receive it.

"Yes!" Ukai cheered.

"This is our chance!" Takeda shouted.

Karasuno then backed up a bit. Tsukishima then ran sideways, as if he was doing a slide hit. Tsukishima jumped up as Kageyama sets the ball over to Tanaka who jumped up as Tendou went over to block him.

Tanaka slams the ball past Tendou and Ushijima, sending the ball down to the court and scoring Karasuno a point.

"I-It's a break!"

Karasuno now had 16 points. Washijo then called for a time out. "I guess it's no surprise that Shiratorizawa took a time out." Oikawa commented.

"Karasuno really is versatile." Iwaizumi added on. "I've never seen Glasses do a slide hit... Even if he was just a decoy."

"We can't easily abandon a near perfect time difference attack, and Shiratorizawa's not gonna change their style of strengthening individual strengths. That's why we're called powerhouse schools now. But Karasuno probably doesn't have a style they need to protect. They may have had one when they were a powerhouse school. So they don't hesitate to try new things. They gave up that miracle-like quick immediately and made it new." Oikawa ranted on.

"The old and dependable Shiratorizawa... The new and reckeless Karasuno... Either one of them winning is going to piss me off, so they should both lose." Oikawa finished.

"You really are a crappy guy." Iwaizumi told him.

"Could you stop calling me a "crappy guy"?!" Oikawa complained.

"Pick between that or a "shitty guy."" Iwaizumi offered.

"Well, then I guess I choose "crappy"!" Oikawa exclaimed.

Rei was lost in thought as he glanced over at Kawamura, narrowing his eyes just a bit. He recalled the time where he first met the red head.

A first-year junior high Kawamura entered Jindai's second gym, where the third string of the volleyball team was practicing with the second string. "Hattori-sensei, Coach Tajima wanted me to deliver these to you." Kawamura informed, handing over a stack of papers.

"Why, thank you, Kawamura-kun." Hattori said, taking the papers. The red head hummed and was about to walk out until he saw a black-haired male rushing over and quickly receiving the ball, sending it back in the air.

"Nice receive!"

"Hattori-sensei, who's that?" Kawamura questioned, pointing over toward the black-haired libero.

"Hm? Oh, that's Oshiro Rei. He's the libero for the third string. I heard he tried to tryout for the first string, but he must've not been very good if he didn't get accepted." Hattori replied.

"Well, we just so happen to need a libero. Do you mind if I tell Coach Tajima about him and we can spectate a match to see how he is?"

"Be my guest."

"That was back when Kawa-kun discovered my talent. I probably would've still been on the third string if it wasn't for him." Rei thinks to himself. 

"Shiro, are you okay?" Yamaguchi asked, snapping Rei out of his thoughts.

"Yeah. I've been able to rest here and there, so..." Rei replied.

"That's... not what I meant." Yamaguchi thought as he had noticed Rei's saddened face.

The sound of the buzzer then rang. "If volleyball was a one-on-one sport, we wouldn't be able to win against Shiratorizawa. We're smaller, and our individual attack strength falls short in comparison. But there are six of us on the court. If we win, it's not because a miracle happened. Our concept won't change until the very end! We're going to punch our way through!" Daichi announced.

"Yeah!"

Both teams were now back on the court. "Nice serve, Asahi!" Daichi encouraged.

TWEEEET!

Asahi threw the ball up in the air before it connected with his palm. It landed on Shiratorizawa's side of the court as Yamagata was late on receiving it. However, the referee raised up his flag, signaling that it was an out.

"Sorry!" Asahi apologized.

"Don't mind!" Daichi reassured.

Rei glanced over to see that Ushijima was next to serve as he bounced the ball. The whistle blew as Ushijima threw the ball up in the air, slamming the ball against his palm and getting a point for Shiratorizawa.

However, the flag was raised as well, signaling it was an out. "Sorry." Ushijima apologized.

"Don't mind!" Yamagata told him.

Rei slapped Hinata's hand as he was switched out with him while Tsukishima was next to serve.

Tsukishima serves the ball as Leon receives it. "Ushijima-san!" Shirabu shouted, tossing the volleyball up in the air.

Hinata and Tanaka both jumped up to block him. Ushijima was able to score a point as the ball landed on the court.

Both teams were now tied with 17 points as Leon was next to serve. "Nice serve!" Shirabu and Tendou encouraged.

"Bring it!" Daichi, Asahi, and Rei shouted.

Leon did his jump serve as Asahi received it. "Sorry, it's short!" He shouted.

"It's plenty!" Kageyama said.

"Bring it on!" Tanaka shouted out, running forward.

Kageyama tossed over to Hinata instead, who scored a point for Karasuno.

"All right!"

Kageyama was up to serve as he bounced the ball. "Nice serve, Kageyama!" Daichi called out.

"Go, Kageyama!" Sugawara shouted from the sidelines.

"Nice serve!"

"We're counting on you!"

The whistle blew as Kageyama threw the ball up in the air before doing his jump serve in which Leon dived down to receive it.

"Chance ball!" Rei shouted, sending the ball back up in the air.

Hinata then jumped up to spike. Kageyama tossed the ball towards him, but Hinata got blocked by Tendou, making the ball fall down onto the court as everyone looked at the fallen ball in irritation.

TWEEEEET!

Shiratorizawa then cheered for their point. "Karasuno's #10 is being a lot quieter than usual." Iwaizumi pointed out.

"He's thinking." Oikawa replied, making Iwaizumi hum.

"He just got shut down on a deuce in the final set, and since he can't waste time being sad, he's thinking about the next step." Hayashi explained.

"Don't mind! We'll get the next one!" Daichi reassured Hinata.

"Right!" Hinata said.

"How disgusting." Oikawa finished.

Both teams had 18 points. "Go, Tanaka!" Daichi encouraged as Tanaka slammed the ball past Shirabu and Kawamura, scoring a point for Karasuno.

"All right!"

Tanaka was up next to serve. The whistle then blew. "Here we go!" Tanaka shouted, serving the ball up in the air.

"Leon-san!"

Leon then crouched down and saved the ball. Hinata then moved over to block Goshiki, who ended up getting a point for Shiratorizawa.

"You jerk!" Hinata exclaimed, hitting his leg in irritation.

"Forgive it, Hinata!" Tanaka reassured.

Shirabu was next to serve as he threw the ball up in the air, but ended up hitting the net instead as it began falling.

Rei quickly used his misdirection as he received the ball. Goshiki then jumped up to spike it as Hinata jumped up to block him. Goshiki slammed the ball as Rei received it.

"Shiro!" Sugawara and Nishinoya shouted in unison.

Kageyama tossed the ball up in the air as Asahi spiked it down past Ushijima in which Karasuno cheered.

"Nice kill, Asahi!"

"Thanks, Shiro!" Daichi told the first-year libero.

"As your supporting shadow, I got your back!" Rei reassured, pointing to himself. "But... There are things that I can't do, as well. I know I'm asking for the impossible when I say this, but even if your thighs were to split open, I'm counting on you guys in the mid-air battles."

"Yeah!"

"Right!"

Rei glanced over at the score.

Shiratorizawa

19

Karasuno

20

"I'm counting on you!" Rei told Tsukishima, slapping his hand as he was switched out with him.

"Right." Tsukishima replied bluntly.

"Hinata, nice serve!" Tanaka encouraged as Hinata bounced the ball.

The whistle blew as Hinata served the ball up into the air in which Yamagata received it. "It went in." Hinata announced.

"Hinata, change positions with me!" Kageyama informed, moving Hinata aside.

Shirabu tossed the ball as Kawamura jumped up. "Go, Riku!" Shirabu encouraged as Tsukishima jumped up to block him.

Tsukishima was able to block Kawamura successfully as everyone looked in shock.

"One touch!"

"Chance ball!" Ukai shouted out as Tanaka easily received it. "There's no other..." Tanaka thinks to himself.

"...choice..."

"...but to..."

"...attack!"

Hinata then began running forward as he jumped up while Kageyama tossed to him.

"Go!" Tsukishima shouted out.

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A/N: Another chapter is finished! Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 1911 words.