NINE - THE ACE

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"What are you two doing here?" Amaku asked Hinata and Kageyama, who were huddled outside a classroom in the third year hallway

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"What are you two doing here?" Amaku asked Hinata and Kageyama, who were huddled outside a classroom in the third year hallway.

   Hinata yelped in surprise, Kageyama jumping slightly. "We're here to see the ace!"

   Amaku's interest peaked. So they were trying to get him back on the team?

   "You go in first." Hinata pushed Kageyama towards the door.

   "You're the one that wanted to see the ace so bad, remember!" Kageyama bit back.

   As they were fighting, a tall boy with long brown hair tied back in a bun walked out of the classroom. Amaku caught his eye as he was turning, trying to read him. She had no reason to believe he played volleyball, but she just had a feeling that was him.

   "Please wait, Asahi!" Suga came out of the classroom, calling after the boy.

   Asahi turned around, and Hinata hid behind Amaku, intimidated by the upperclassmen.

   "Hey, what are you first years doing over here?" Suga asked.

   "I was looking for Shimizu." Amaku explained, taking a sip of her strawberry milk. The boys next to her just stuttered, looking back at Asahi and then Suga over and over again.

   "Uh, anyway." Suga said. "These are two of our new first years. Hinata and Kageyama. And this is our new manager, Amaku."

   "Nice to meet you guys." Asahi said.

   Suga told him about how Hinata wanted to be the ace, and he patted his shoulder wishing him luck. Amaku was lost in thought, it didn't seem like he stopped playing because he had to, but it also didn't look like he stopped playing because he didn't want to play anymore.

   "Are you going to play with us or what?" Hinata asked. "I want to be the ace one day. I was hoping to see you in action."

   Asahi's smile changed. He almost looked apologetic. "Sorry, but I'm not the ace anymore, alright." His friend called him, and he walked away with a little wave.

   "So, uh, did he get hurt or something?" Kageyama asked as the group watched him leave.

   "Oh, no. It's nothing like that at all." Suga said. "To be honest with you, it might just be that Asahi lost his love for the game."

   "What? But he's so big and tall and he gets to be the ace." Hinata said.

   "You see, Asahi was Karasuno's biggest and strongest player. Even in the trickiest places he could always score a point. That's why we all depended on him and considered him the ace of the team. But then.." Suga trailed off.

   "Was it a bad game?" Kageyama asked.

   "In one of our games, every single one of Asahi's spikes were completely shut down." Suga continued. "It was rough, and he's the type that feels responsibility for everything."

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