"NICE!" All the Karasuno players shouted in unison after winning the last match against Fukurodani.
"That was a great spike at the end, Asahi-san!" Nishinoya praised, patting Asahi on the back, who looked slightly embarrassed.
"We can't forget Hinata's monstrous performance! If you keep this up, you'll completely leave me behind!" Tanaka said, laughing.
"That already happened a while ago, you idiot!" Tsukishima said, adjusting his glasses in his usual monotone voice, though he seemed happy about the victory.
"This crazy team! They were unpredictable until the very end, even with their Ace on fire!" Nekomata commented, laughing.
"They really deserved the win this time…" Yamiji, Fukurodani's coach, remarked as he watched the Karasuno players celebrating. His eyes then fell on his own players, who seemed dissatisfied with the loss but not too shaken—except for Bokuto, who was crouched on the ground with a sad expression.
"Bokuto-san, get up from there!" Akaashi said as he approached Bokuto.
"No! Leave me here, Akaashi! I failed in an Ace battle! I don't deserve to be Fukurodani's Ace!" Bokuto said dramatically, holding his head in his hands.
"THERE IT IS! BOKUTO'S EMO MODE!" The Fukurodani players thought in unison.
"Bokuto-san, that's not true. In the end, we lost few matches and won many more with you breaking through all the defenses with your spikes," Akaashi said, his words having an effect on Bokuto, who had already started to move while sitting.
"Besides… apparently, we're having a barbecue now. If you want to stay here, you can, but we're going to eat some delicious meat…" Akaashi suggested, turning to walk away.
"Barbecue?!" Bokuto said, abruptly standing up.
"Wait, Akaashi! I'm coming with you!" Bokuto shouted, snapping out of his Emo mode to join the rest of the players.
After the matches ended, everyone went outside the gym to the green hill area, now filled with tables, trash cans, and utensils for the barbecue being prepared by the coaches, managers from all the teams, and some players who were helping out. Some players, like Bokuto, were just staring hypnotized as their stomachs growled with hunger.
"Bokuto-san!" Hinata said as he approached Bokuto.
"Oh, what's up?" Bokuto asked, his attention shifting from the barbecue to Hinata.
"Don't get the earlier duel wrong. I didn't completely beat you because I was determined to win, so the last ball went to Asahi to use his attack as a surprise factor. So, I didn't beat you in the Ace battle, but next time, you can be sure I'll surpass you!" Hinata said challengingly, pointing at Bokuto.
"OH! Bring it on because I won't go easy on you! And our next battle will be in the meat war!" Bokuto said triumphantly, looking at the meat on the grill.
"Well, you all did a great job in this training camp, so it's only fair that you can eat as much as you want, especially on an empty stomach. So, enjoy!" Nekomata said, releasing the players to eat.
"BON APPÉTIT!" Everyone shouted in unison as they started grabbing plates and piling on the meat at a frantic pace. Familiar anime scenes could be observed by Hinata, like Bokuto stealing pieces of meat periodically, Kageyama almost choking on his food, and even Yukie, Fukurodani's beautiful manager, sneaking to grab a piece of meat from someone else's grill. Then, he noticed Yachi struggling to get her own food and being approached by Gora and the others.
"Can't reach? Want me to get it for you?" Gora asked, making Yachi shrink back.
"Hey, Gora-san! I'll handle this!" Hinata said, quickly stepping in before Yachi could eat a burnt piece of meat and grabbing some normal pieces for her.
"Does she have a problem with me, Hinata-kun?" Gora whispered in Hinata's ear, who had gotten closer to Gora after being asked for help with serves.
"It's nothing, Gora-san. It's just that your face and size can be a bit intimidating to some people, like Asahi-san," Hinata said, smiling.
"It always comes back to me…" Asahi whispered, who was nearby.
"Oh… looks like Kiyoko is staring a bit too much at that tall, handsome first-year from Karasuno…" Kaori, one of Fukurodani's managers, said.
"I noticed that too! What kind of relationship do you have with him?" Eri, Ubugawa's manager, asked.
"No… it's nothing serious. We're just friends!" Kiyoko said timidly, blushing slightly.
"OH! Looks like Kiyoko really has a soft spot!" Yukie said, laughing with her mouth full as she ate.
"Let's change the subject!" Kiyoko said, raising her voice slightly, seeming bothered by the topic.
"Wait, if you're top 5, who are the other four?" Hinata asked after hearing Bokuto boast about his position.
"The top 3 consists of Ushiwaka from the Touhoku region, who you already know, Kiryuu from Kyuushuu, and Sakusa from Kanto!" Kuroo commented.
"But besides Bokuto, who's the other member of the top 5?" Hinata asked, confused.
"That's Ojiro from the Kansai region, who plays for Inarizaki!" Kuroo observed, his hand on his chin.
"That guy's good, but I'm better!" Bokuto said, pointing to his chest.
"By the way, Hinata, Sakusa, who plays for Itachiyama, was the one who defeated us in the Tokyo Interhigh Preliminaries. His playing style is a bit like yours—no apparent weaknesses and good at basically everything, though he's on an even higher level," Kuroo said, making a face as he remembered their defeat.
"Whatever! I just know that if I defeat all these guys, I'll become the number one Ace!" Lev said, smiling excitedly.
"You can bet that'll take a while because you're terrible!" Kuroo said, laughing.
The players continued talking and eating for a while until the sun began to set, and it was time for the Karasuno members to leave. Takeda and Ukai went to say goodbye to the other coaches and thank them for the invitation.
"Well, see you later…" Kuroo said, with several players behind him watching Karasuno leave.
"See you!" Daichi said as the Karasuno players headed toward their bus to return to Miyagi.