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Kazuki couldn't resist poking Ogiwara's cheek. "Ah!" Ogiwara shouted in surprise. Shin shook his head disapprovingly.
"Kazuki, don't bother them." Kazuki's eyes wandered to Haruki and Chris, who were both lying with their faces on the table. "Shinki-sensei's training must be rough," Kazuki murmured to himself.
"Water," Chris mumbled. Shin gagged before placing a water bottle in front of Chris. Without hesitation, Chris gulped down the entire bottle.
"Oh yeah, Shige, tomorrow we're going to watch the Date Ko game. Wanna tag along?" Kazuki asked Ogiwara.
"Sure, tomorrow the basketball team is going to have a day off before the preliminary for the winter cup," Ogiwara replied.
Kazuki and Shin blinked in surprise as Ogiwara waved at them. "Hello, Iirina-senpai," they greeted in unison.
"Kazuki, Shin! Long time no see," Iirina exclaimed, a smile lighting up her face. Kazuki nudged Ogiwara playfully, "What's Senpai doing here?"
Ogiwara smiled, "I bumped into her at the entrance, so I invited her to join us." Kazuki nodded in understanding, "Ah, I see. Well, now all we need is Eru."
"Sorry I'm late," a feminine voice chimed in beside Ogiwara. Ogiwara turned to see Ichika standing there, looking apologetic. "No worries, I just got here myself," Ogiwara reassured her with a smile.
Iirina couldn't resist pinching Ichika's cheek, "You're the new manager? You're so cute!" Ichika blushed but maintained her composure, "Nice to meet you, Senpai," she responded politely as Iirina finally released her cheek.
"We're early, so while we wait, let's watch some other school games," Iirina suggested. The group agreed, and Kazuki proposed, "Should we watch Karasuno vs. Wakunan? I'm sure the Date Ko game will start right after."
"Is he going to be okay?" Ogiwara asked, concern evident in his voice. "That was quite a bump." Shin nodded in agreement, "Yeah, and Wakunan seems like a tough opponent to keep up with."
"Look, the Aoba Johsai vs. Date Ko match is about to begin," Kazuki pointed out as he led the group to seats next to the Date Tech supporters.
"Oi, Futakuchi!! Play well!!" Futakuchi shot back, "What are you doing here?! And remember to add honorifics, you brat!!"
Ogiwara and Shin simply gave them a thumbs up to show their support.
A familiar hand waved at them from a distance. "Kogane!" they all cheered. Futakuchi's grin widened, "Let's win this and go to nationals!" The team members exchanged excited looks and nods.
↪˚꩜ .ᐟ˙
Ogiwara stole a glance at his right side - it was Karasuno. From up close, they looked so cool. "How's it? Did we win?" They turned their heads, revealing Moniwa, Kamasaki and Sasaya. "Hello!" greeted Kazuki, beaming.
"Kazuki! Shin! Eru and Shige! You here today, huh? And who's she?" Kamasaki inquired, eyeing Iirina. "This is our senpai, Mihara Iirina," Kazuki introduced, with Iirina flashing a peace sign.
"Who won the first set?" Moniwa murmured, his eyes scanning the games.
"The first set goes to Aoba Johsai," announced the Karasuno Captain.
The Date Tech third-years gagged in surprise. "Um... Hey," the Karasuno captain greeted them. Moniwa nodded in acknowledgment, "Hello," as they exchanged greetings with their old opponents.
"So, how's our new team doing?" Moniwa asked with genuine curiosity. "Not good, but not bad either," Kazuki replied with a chuckle, receiving an awkward chuckle in return from Moniwa.
"Kogane still moves like a newbie," Kamasaki pointed out. "Yeah, but that'll change with time. As long as he gets the ball up, he's all good," Sasaya added.
Kazuki couldn't help but chuckle as Koganegawa threw the ball high. "That's not Futakuchi's usual spike style," he observed.
They blinked as Aone miss Koganegawa tods. "Nice catch, Uncle," Kazuki remarked, trying to suppress his laughter. Moniwa turn to Karasuno seat and explained, "He's improving really! He started playing as a setter a few months ago, he'll be a monster in due time."
Watching the scene unfold, Kazuki felt a twinge of sympathy for the Karasuno captain.
"The libero is the one making the set! Cool! Eru, Shige, take note of that. We'll tell our future libero to learn it!" Kazuki instructed, Ogiwara and Ichika nodded in agreement.
Soon, Aoba Johsai reached match point. "Geez, their setter is so cool!" Kazuki mumbled as he admired the opponent's plays.
"But don't worry, Shin, your sets are my favorite," Kazuki reassured him. Shin stared at Kazuki, "But you still can't hit any of my toss till now." Kazuki froze, Ogiwara and Ichika barely holding back laughter.
Iirina observed, "Shin, you play as a setter? I thought you were a middle blocker." Shin nodded, "I was, but due to a shortage of players, I switched to setter."
After the game ended, "That was a great game," Kazuki remarked to himself.
"Hey, Futakuchi! You guys have done a great job! Sorry, I can't stand by your side when you cry! We have to head back for practice," Kazuki explained, causing Futakuchi to grind his teeth in frustration. Ogiwara and Shin bowed apologetically to Karasuno before leaving.
↪˚꩜ .ᐟ˙
Ogiwara opened his house door. "I'm back," he announced, his voice echoing through the quiet hallway. He couldn't help but smile as he heard the small steps of his younger siblings running down the stairs.
"Welcome back, Ogi-nii!!" Kyoko, beamed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Ogiwara's heart warmed at the sight. "Where's Uncle?" he asked, glancing around.
Kyosuke grinned mischievously. "He's in the living room, fast asleep as usual." Ogiwara chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You guys sure know how to wear him out, huh?"
As they made their way to the kitchen, "What do you guys want to eat?" Ogiwara asked.
"Curry!!" Hitoshi exclaimed, causing them to jump in surprise "No way! We want Takoyaki today!" the twins protested
Ogiwara raised an eyebrow, contemplating their choices. Should I leave them to decide and take a quick bath? With a sigh, he made up his mind. "Talk about it amongst yourselves, I'll be back soon," he informed his siblings before heading upstairs to unwind.
After a refreshing bath, Ogiwara returned to find the kitchen. "We've settled on Takoyaki," Kyoko declared proudly. Ogiwara glanced over at his Uncle, who was sprawled on the floor looking defeated, covered in pillows and stuffed animals.
"Alright, Takoyaki it is," Ogiwara declared, joining in the siblings' joyful laughter.
