134: Aotori is Afraid

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THE COURT WAS SILENT. Ohira Reon gripped the volleyball and walked to the service line. All the players were in position, but their expressions were somewhat blank.

No wonder, it was just because of the astonishing words of Ushijima Wakatoshi that still lingered in their minds.

—Just now, Ushijima said something that felt incredibly familiar to Kobayashi Aotori, but he couldn't quite recall where he'd heard it. As he racked his brain, Tendou, who was the first to snap out of it, let out a nonsensical sound:

"...Wow."

The moment this sound was heard, Kobayashi Aotori's eyes widened. He seemed to have just realized what Ushijima's words implied. In shock, he turned around, looking at Ushijima with a bewildered expression. Ushijima looked calm, as if he had no idea he'd said something so earth-shattering to Kobayashi!

Ushijima!! What are you talking about?!! Aotori roared inwardly.

If you want to show off, don't drag me into it!!

—It's like being in a very difficult class where the professor asks a question no one can answer, and your roommate raises his hand earnestly:

"Professor, Aotori says he knows."


————


SO, AMONG the dazed crowd, two "oddballs" mixed in. One was Kobayashi Aotori, whose lost soul was hidden in the shadows of his slightly lowered head, unnoticed by anyone. The other was Bokuto, who was still extremely excited about Ushijima's "cool" words.

At this moment, in Kobayashi Aotori's mind, a phrase he used to say frequently when he first transmigrated over here, and had finally started to forget, echoed again:

【...Destroy it. I'm tired.】

"Beep—"

The clear whistle in his ear made Kobayashi shiver slightly. This was a conditioned reflex brought by years of training and competition. His body wouldn't allow him to stay in a slump when the match began.

So, the next moment, the previously bowed Kobayashi Aotori slowly raised his head. Sarukui Yamato, who met Kobayashi's hazel eyes head-on, suddenly tensed up, and the earlier shock instantly flew out of his mind.

Wh-what's with those eyes! So scary!!

He suddenly lowered his head, a drop of cold sweat slowly sliding down his forehead. He swallowed.

Narrator: To this day, we still don't know what kind of expression Kobayashi had that day.

Thus, Aotori's psychological warfare plan, which Bokuto had "seen through," was inadvertently accomplished by Ushijima Wakatoshi.

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