~Back In The Game~

~Chapter Twenty-Three~

-Last Time-

"Oh! I'd love to get to know you better! So pleeeease consider coming back to the team!" You say cheerfully, shocking the third year. He feels his heartbeat quicken at your words. 'I need to take a walk to think and calm down.' He thinks as he gets up. He walks toward the hallway only to be met with two familiar faces.

"..."

"..."

"...So..."

--

"So, um, why are you two so worried about somebody you haven't even practiced with?" Ashai asks, rubbing his head. "Right now the team can win against Aoba Johsai. And that was without Nishinoya too."

"UM!! B-BECAUSE WITHOUT YOU THERE, ASAHI-SAN ALL THE SECOND AND THIRD YEARS LOOK SUPER BUMMED!! SIR!!" Hinata shouts, causing Ashai to jump.

"Don't shout." Kageyama scolds while hitting Hinata.

"Ha Ha! You two are interesting." Asahi laughs. "But sorry. When the other team throws a strong, tall block in front of me, I just can't see myself punching the ball through it anymore." He continues disheartedly. "All I can envision is getting shut out– or being so afraid of getting shut out that I take myself out of the game."

"Um, I-I know this might sound condescending, coming from a rookie who's as...as short as me..." Hinata says, hanging his head.

"I don't mind. What is it?"

"Um! I know that feeling too!" Hinata exclaims. "I'm short and don't have much skill yet, so I kept getting stuffed all the time! But with him setting for me..." He continues as he points to Kageyama. "...I can dodge any block that anybody tries to throw at me! So now there're never any blockers in front of me!" Ashai looks at Hinata shocked. "And when I jump..the whole other side of the net kinda goes FWAA and opens up!"

'Yeah, I remember what that looked like.' Asahi thinks sadly.

"And! And!" Hinata begins excitedly as he starts waving his arms around, scaring Asahi. "When I'm at the top of my jump, and the ball comes to my hand, and it's, I dunno, it's weight...Its solidness just kinda smacks me in the palm. That feeling...! I love that feeling!" He finishes while looking at his palm in glee.

"Ugh. Try making sense when you talk." Kageyama says annoyed.

"Huh?"

'I know that feeling too. I know it all too well...' Asahi thinks as he becomes sadder.

"Anyway! I'm really jealous of you Asahi-san." Hinata begins. "Right now, I'm still not tall enough or strong enough to smash a ball past any blockers. But you can. Some team might have found a way to block you really well... but I'm sure you've made attacks count way more times than you've been blocked! That's why... That's why everybody calls you The Ace!"

"...!" Asahi is speechless as he remembers that Hinata told him he wants to be the Ace someday. The school bell rings which causes Kageyama to tug Hinata and tell him to c'mon. Hinata doesn't budge.

"Get moving boke! You wanna be late?!" Kageyama says, smacking Hinata. The two first years start walking away until Kageyama stops. "Erm...It's no surprise you can't win the game by yourself. It's only natural. That's why there are six people on the court. Not that I'm one to talk...I...I just learned that myself recently."

"..."

"See you later."

-After School-

Asahi is walking past the gym when he hears people inside. 'Wow, it's early. They're already hitting the ball?'