Strategize: Haikyuu Fanfic

Chapter 22: Fly

Today's practice match consisted of receiving practice, the team's weakest point. When practice was over, I pulled out my notebook, scribbling down important tidbits from each member.

"You're right! That's amazing! The picture's huge!" Noya senpai exclaimed on the other side of the gym, Suga senpai and Tanaka senpai sat by him. Curious, I headed to see what they're looking at.

"Is that a porn magazine?" Tsukishima smirked in their direction, riling up the libero.

"What's that then?" Hinata and Kageyama joined in, leaning over to see the pages.

"Look," Tanaka senpai held up the magazine to us, "Shiratorizawa's Ushiwaka is among the three most-noticed high schoolers in the whole country."

"Shiratorizawa! That's the school where Kageyama couldn't get in!" Hinata rubbed salt on his wounded pride.

"SHUT UP!" The setter yelled, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and I stifled out a laugh.

"Isn't that the school your brother plays at?" Suga senpai asked, which I nodded as a response.

Daichi senpai studied at the Wakatoshi's face and said, "Hm. He definitely has "ace" written all over him." We all turned our heads to Asahi, who instantly got pale and started sulking in a corner. Noya senpai, being a good friend, comforted him.

"Hora, Hora. Shiratorizawa isn't the only formidable opponent." Coach Ukai reminded them.

"Would the others be last year's best four?"

"Yes, but there are other formidable opponents next year," He pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket, scanning the content, "There's Wakutani Minanmi, which has superior defense and coordination. Date Kogyo is also known as the Iron Wall, which says it all. That team has the highest blocking rate in the country." Ah. Date Koyo was the team Suga senpai told me about. Apparently they lost to them badly three months ago, crushing Asahi senpai's fighting spirit.

He continued, "Dateko is as strong as the other best four teams, but they lost their third round match against the eventual champions, Shiratorizawa, and only made best sixteen. That's why they weren't seeded this year. In other words, depending on the match ups, we might or might not play against them in the first round."

He paused for a while and then continued, "And the next one... Oh yeah. I heard we recently had a practice match against them. The team's top attacker is their setter, and of course he's a supreme setter. Their team's ranks include perhaps the best all round player at the prefecture. That would be Oikawa Tooru at Aobajousai." His name rang a bell in my mind.

"The Great King!" The ginger said, getting shivers down his spine.

Who is he again...?

"Oh I remember! He's that obnoxious guy!" I recalled at my encounter of him at the cafe. Tanaka and Noya nodded in approval.

"They were in last years' best four. Last but not least... The defending champions, Shiratorizawa, and their super-ace, Ushijima Wakatoshi. That about sums it up, I'll save the details for later. However, if you look up instead of straight ahead, we could lose our footing. There's no team that enters a tournament to lose. They all enter to win. And don't let them call us 'flightless crows' ever again."

"OSU!" They all shouted determinedly in unison. Suddenly I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, the caller is unknown.

"Probably a wrong number..." I mumbled as I picked it up.