A/N -
Thank you Dan for being a Pro member! Really grateful!
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I loved this OPM fanfic and Im currently translating it. Early access available in Patreon.
And how do you guys feel about the writing style or volleyball matches. Would appreciate feedbacks.
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The whistle blew, signaling Karasuno's serve. Ennoshita stepped forward, the ball in his hands, his face set in determination. On the other side of the net, Aoba Johsai's players gathered their focus. If they had underestimated Karasuno before, they certainly weren't making that mistake now.
"He really is just like Ushiwaka," one of the Aoba Johsai players muttered, eyes trained on Hinata.
"Yeah, but the rest of their team doesn't match up," another chimed in. "We just have to target the weaker players."
Iwaizumi, picking up on the murmurings of his teammates, clapped his hands loudly to get their attention. "It's our turn to attack now! Just because they have one good spiker doesn't mean they're Shiratorizawa. Let's do this!" His voice was firm, both to motivate his own team and to send a psychological jab at Karasuno.
Sure enough, Kageyama and Tanaka stiffened slightly at the remark. But instead of looking offended, the rest of Karasuno smirked.
Hanamaki turned to Hinata, a lazy grin on his face. "Oi, Chibi-chan, you sure you can block with that height? Sure, you can spike with a run-up, but blocking?" He let out a chuckle, shaking his head. "I don't see it."
Tsukishima, hearing this, covered his mouth with his fingers and let out a low giggle—one that sent shivers down the spines of anyone who knew him well. Hinata, on the other hand, merely turned his head, looking utterly uninterested.
The whistle blew, and Ennoshita served. Watari picked up the receive and sent it cleanly to Yahaba, who immediately went for a quick set to Kindaichi down the middle. Kindaichi recognized the setup instantly and jumped, intending to slam the ball down Karasuno's court.
But just as he came above the net, he saw it—two sets of hands, already there, waiting for him. His breath caught in his throat. How did they react that fast?
"Shit—"
The ball connected with Hinata's hands and was immediately shut down. The impact was so clean and forceful that the ball shot straight down on Aoba Johsai's side with a resounding thud.
Silence.
Pin-drop silence.
Yahaba stared, completely stunned. "No way… he blocked it?"
One of the spectators gasped. "That kid again! He's good at spiking AND blocking?!"
"First, he slams it like a cannonball, and now he's reading quick attacks?" another student in the audience muttered in disbelief. "Is he really a first-year?!"
"His reactions are way too fast…"
Back on the court, Hinata exhaled, shaking his arms slightly. "I didn't expect you to react that well," he admitted, glancing at Tsukishima before turning to Kageyama. "But don't expect me to cradle you. I'm a spiker. I need to save energy for attacks, too. The same goes for you, Kageyama."
Tsukishima scoffed, crossing his arms. "You're not the king, he is." He jerked his thumb at Kageyama, who, much to Tsukishima's annoyance, was nodding in understanding.
On the sidelines, Daichi watched them with satisfaction. Even if he wasn't there, he could already see who would be leading the team in the future.
Kindaichi, however, was still frozen, staring at Kageyama. The realization hit him like a truck—Kageyama had changed. He wasn't the tyrant king he once knew. He had been tamed. And that thought terrified him more than anything.
The match continued, and Karasuno maintained the same overwhelming momentum. Hinata dominated the attacks, while Tsukishima and Daichi formed a solid defensive wall, stopping most of Aoba Johsai's attempts to retaliate. Hinata didn't go for too many blocks, allowing Tsukishima to take the lead in that department to gain more experience. Meanwhile, even though Tanaka and Ennoshita were being targeted, they managed to keep the ball in play, preventing any easy points for the opposition.
The set played out like a nightmare for Aoba Johsai.
Karasuno 25 - 9 Aoba Johsai.
The whistle blew, signaling the end of the first set.
The pressure on Aoba Johsai was immense. None of them could understand what had just happened. Their plan was to overwhelm Karasuno's weak spots, but the so-called weaknesses weren't breaking. Their blockers were broken, unable to stop Hinata. Their receivers were bruised, unable to control the sheer force of his spikes. No matter what they tried, nothing worked.
"This… this can't be happening," Kindaichi muttered, gripping his uniform tightly. "We're one of the top four teams in the prefecture… We've never played this badly. Not even against Shiratorizawa."
The crowd wasn't faring any better.
"This is humiliating."
"Are we really losing this badly?"
"They don't even look tired…"
Even the Aoba Johsai coach was out of ideas. He had faced powerhouses before, but this was something else entirely. His mind scrambled for solutions, but there was no clear answer. No strategy to counter something like this. His fingers twitched slightly as he wiped his brow, sweat gathering despite the cool air of the gym.
Then, at that moment—
The gym doors creaked open.
A sudden shift in atmosphere.
Then, a voice—smug, confident, and all too familiar.
"Well, well… Looks like I got here just in time."
The audience barely had time to process the words before a wave of screams erupted from the stands.
"It's Oikawa-senpai!!!"
Girls in the audience practically shrieked as Oikawa strode into the gym, hands in his pockets, his signature grin in place. He stopped near the bench, his eyes scanning the scoreboard before shifting toward Karasuno's side. His grin widened.
"My, my… What an interesting match."
Iwaizumi, despite being frustrated with the match, exhaled in relief. "Took you long enough."
Oikawa tilted his head, amusement dancing in his eyes as they locked onto Kageyama and then, finally, onto the small orange-haired boy beside him.
"Oh?" His grin sharpened. "And who do we have here?"
The real battle was about to begin.