The Miya Triplets | Komori Motoya (On Pause)

Chapter 36

After playing three intense sets, Itachiyama once again proved to everyone why they're a long-time powerhouse and the tournament's winning favorite. They started out slow, struggling to find their rhythm costing them the first set. At the beginning of the second set, it was as if a switch flipped, kicking into high gear, scoring point after point until the next thing you knew, the match ended, 2–1, in Itachiyama's favor.

The entire time Inarizaki was hypnotized, watching on the edge of their seats, as their fellow peers and close rivals executed high-level plays. They felt conflicted, itching to play an official match against Itachiyama, but also wanted them to lose, eliminating a major threat on the road to winning Nationals.

At some point during the match, the boys felt their rivalry extended beyond volleyball, getting irritated from the surrounding girls fawning over the players, praising and exclaiming excitement whenever they scored.

Atsuko, having more volleyball knowledge and skill than the fangirls around her, couldn't help but feel a bit antsy watching. Although, to be fair, her knowledge wasn't as in-depth as her brothers when it came to player statistics, since basketball was more of her wheelhouse.

When she first saw Komori take his position on the court, she was surprised to see he was a libero, seeing as liberos were typically on the shorter side. Not many short players can jump high enough to be a threat to players who are close to or over six feet when it comes to net battles. Eliminating the possibility of being hitters or middle blockers.

For setters you would want someone average or tall in stature to decrease the amount of time the ball is in the air before reaching the setter's hands. In turn, this gives the defense less time to come up with solid counters to shut out or redirect spikes in their favor. Also, it partially comes down to biology with reaction time and impulses. The shorter the nervous system, the less distance electrical impulses have to travel, the quicker the reflex allowing players to dig difficult balls.

However, this isn't always the case because despite being taller than your average libero Komori was nimble, self-aware, and quick on his feet, displaying high-level receiving, completely throwing out all of what Atsuko believed she knew about liberos.

Besides Komori, Atsuko couldn't help but notice a certain wing spiker, Sakusa, whom she was introduced to in the hallway and briefly forgot and insulted when Itachiyama was warming up, had a nasty spin to his serves and spikes. At that moment she wanted nothing more than to embrace her inner volleyball player and play against high-level players. To experience just how difficult, it is to successfully pick up their hits and feel the sting in her forearms.

This sudden feeling and realization were a bit unnerving to Atsuko, having set her dream since elementary school to become the best basketball player. Shaking the thought, she reminded herself it was her brothers' dream to play volleyball, not hers.

Growing up with a setter for a brother, Atsuko also noticed the exceptional skills Itachiyama's setter displayed with every play. Throughout the game she would ask Atsumu for his opinion on the setter's decisions and plays performed. In the process, she found out the setter's name was Iizuna Tsukasa, a second year and the current number one high school setter in the nation. But Atsumu told her with full confidence he plans to and will change that in the near future.

Again, to nobody's surprise Itachiyama reigned supreme, moving onto round two of the tournament. When that match was over, Inarizaki stayed back a little longer, watching random teams and the teams in their brackets to look out for. Going as far as taking notes on players and coaching styles.

After some time, Coach Kurosu felt they'd stayed long enough and gathered enough information to turn in for the day. Wanting the boys to enjoy what's left and make whatever memories before tomorrow's match because winning is never for certain. When all the games for the day had ended, many players stuck around to socialize before returning home or to their hotel rooms, in Inarizaki's case, and they were no different. 

The Inarizaki boys and girls chatted in the hallway where they met up with Itachiyama this morning. At some point, Kita and Shiori made eye contact with one another, silently communicating and nodding in understanding. Kita went up to Coach Kurosu informing him he'd be splitting from the group for a while as he had something to do. Even reassuring he has his phone, knows the way back to the hotel, and won't be alone. Coach Kurosu trusting and knowing Kita was responsible and well behaved, allowed him to go away from the group.

After getting permission, Kita and Shiori quietly slipped away, walking with purpose. Somewhere around the stadium they made eye contact with a certain frosted tip, golden–eyed, owl ace. Who also excused themselves from their team, meeting up with the two without others noticing. To onlookers, the three of them talking together was nothing out of the ordinary as many different teams were mingling. Since it's not all the time you'd get to meet and chat with players from all over the nation. But to anyone who knew the three personally, it sure would raise some eyebrows.

After a while, the first years collectively noticed two people were missing. Wracking their brains together, they eventually figured out they were Kita and Shiori. Curious and worried, they asked their upperclassmen, to which they responded after every national tournament, the two siblings always disappeared. None of the team or even the coaches knew where they would go off to exactly. They just knew Kita and Shiori always came back before dinner, so it wasn't a big deal.

The team never asked for specifics as they understood the two were pretty private about their lives and connections. Only knowing they live with their grandparents who own a rice farm passed down many generations and have two siblings living elsewhere. They never said how old their siblings were so the team just assumed they were old enough to move out of the house and live on their own.