Chapter 1: Booting Up the Game - the Starting Screen

Hinata was waiting outside the electronics store. His mother had just gone into the local store to get some rice for dinner, but Hinata had refused to enter the store, leaving him outside to amuse himself. He looked at the screen in the shop window, and it was showing a volleyball match. Hinata watched as the small player in black, white, and orange with the number ten ran and jumped - beating the blockers. Hinata knew that he wanted to be a cool player just like the Little Giant one day.

Later that day, Hinata looked up the Little Giant. He was a player from a school called Karasuno. Hinata immediately knew that he wanted to go there, so he looked up the school. Unfortunately, it was based in a different region. Not even based in a different prefecture, but a completely different region as well. However, there was still hope that Hinata was watching the next match. There was Karasuno in their black and orange glory and another team in red and black. People were calling it the Battle of the Trash Heap between the crows and cats. Hinata marvelled in the rivalry, and one more fact. The cats were a school from Tokyo, and they were a close high school to him as well. Hinata had made up his mind. He was going to Nekoma when he was older.

When Hinata enrolled into junior high, he was disappointed, to say the least. His school didn't have a boys' volleyball team, but he made do with practising on his own. Junior high had passed, and Hinata had managed to get into Nekoma. Hinata now had to patiently wait for the next school year to begin. Hinata was running through the nearby neighbourhood to him. By nearby, he meant that it was a twenty minute run away. He suddenly saw someone sitting on the side of the road. They were wearing red tracksuits and had a bag, and in that bag were some volleyball shoes, "Do you play volleyball too?" Hinata approached the person.

"Yeah," the person replied.

"That's so cool! I play volleyball! I haven't got to play on a team yet, but I'm joining Nekoma soon!"

"Oh, I go to Nekoma,"

"Really! Then I'll get to play with you! I'm Hinata Shouyou,"

"Kozume Kenma,"

"Nice to meet you, Kozume-senpai,"

"You can call me Kenma,"

"Okay, Kenma! So, what position do you play?"

"I'm our setter,"

"That's cool! I want to be the ace!" Hinata looked over Kozume's shoulder, "What game is that?" Kozume began to explain the game as Hinata listened avidly, getting excited as Kozume explained the battle section.

April came, and Hinata sat through the opening ceremony. As soon as he could, he ran to the volleyball club's gym, "Kenma!" Hinata greeted his friend. The two had grown close over the spring break.

"Shouyou," Kenma smiled.

"You know him, Pudding Head?" Someone tall and intimidating asked, they had black bedhead.

"I met him in the spring break," Kozume replied, "Shouyou, this is my friend Kuroo. He's the captain this year,"

"Nice to meet you!" Hinata replied.

"So, have you played much before?" Kuroo asked.

"Well, um," Hinata stumbled on his words, "I've never played with a team, but I've practised on my own,"

"Let's test you out then," Kuroo said as he got Hinata to do some basic drills, "Well we definitely need to work on your receiving and blocking first,"

"Can I spike too?" Hinata asked.

"Sure," Kuroo replied, "Kenma, you don't mind,"

"Sure," Kozume picked up the ball to toss it for Hinata, who had already begun to run.

"Whoa! Steady on there, Hinata! I think that's a bit fast to suddenly pull off without telling Kenma," Kuroo said, "Just let him know how fast you want it,"

"Okay, Kenma, can I have the ball really, really fast!" Hinata said. The two did about fifteen minutes of quick drills before Kozume gave up.

"Yaku-Paisen!" Kuroo called out to the team's third year libero.

"What do you need?" the libero called out.

"Come over here, Yakkun!" Kuroo shouted, soon the libero had joined them.

"This is Yaku Morisuke our libero, and he's going to teach you how to receive, I'll deal with our other new rookie Haiba," Kuroo said, "We got a good turn out this year, five new members,"

The first couple of weeks of the year had passed, and Hinata and Kozume began working on their quick attack. Yaku was teaching Hinata everything he knew about receiving and was incredibly patient with Hinata.

In lessons, Hinata's grades dropped due to him spending more time on volleyball. In class, he had stuck with Haiba first due to both being on the volleyball club, but as time progressed, Hinata got to know his classmates better. At lunch, he would sometimes hang out with Haiba and his friends or Inuoka and Shibayama, but more often than not, he hung around Kenma and Kuroo.

Hinata had settled into his school well and was hopeful for his future at Nekoma. Time could only tell how things would go.