Chapter 17 -Building chemistry
"So, want to try setting some balls for me?" Hinata said with a smile. "Let's try, but don't slack off!" Kageyama said. "Fine... fine," Hinata replied with a sigh.
Kageyama positioned himself near the net in position two while Hinata took position four, preparing to jump and spike. Kageyama observed the boy's movement and jumped to set the ball, touching it gently but with enough force to send it to the other end.
Hinata watched the ball coming his way and tried to calculate the height he needed to jump. He leaped and subsequently slammed the ball to the ground with all his strength.
"What did you think?" Kageyama asked. "It was pretty good, but I think it would be better if it was higher and a bit further from the net," Hinata said. "Alright, let's try again!" Kageyama said after attempting another set for Hinata, now trying to follow what he had requested.
On the fourth setting attempt, Kageyama's set was too short and began descending before reaching Hinata's position, so the boy had to perform a maneuver in the air to stretch out his right arm and manage to hit the ball glancingly.
"Tsk!, I hate missing sets," Kageyama thought. "I already knew from our game last year, but you have incredible reflexes and agility for someone your height," he said. "Well, since my last growth spurt, I've lost some of my agility compared to when I was shorter, but it's still enough for me to stand out in this aspect," Hinata observed.
"Maybe... maybe he can reach my quick set that I've been trying to do since last year..." Kageyama thought. "Hey, Hinata, I want to test something... get in position," Kageyama said while grabbing the ball and preparing to set. "Right!" Hinata said, already imagining what the boy wanted to test.
The moment Kageyama was about to touch the ball and set it, Hinata was practically in the air, and when the ball was traveling toward where the spike would occur, he jumped and tried to hit the ball, but it flew past him a second before he could make contact.
"Damn!, if only I could go a little faster," Hinata said. "Tsk!, it was close... let's try again," Kageyama said. But all attempts failed where either Hinata was too slow to reach the ball at the exact moment or Kageyama's set wasn't fast enough.
"I thought maybe with him, I could do it, but it seems that won't be the case... not for now," Kageyama thought. "I feel like right now I'm not able to catch your set, but if I could become a little faster, I might reach it," Hinata said to the boy.
"This quick attack was something I really wanted to do, but in our case, it's not a matter of life and death. You're still very skilled and will be able to get past blocks with conventional attacks, but if we happen to combine your height with that quick... we'll indeed have a powerful weapon!" Kageyama said, looking at Hinata with determination.
"I understand, but I'm currently in an adaptation process. Since I had that injury, I'm somewhat wary about my body, so I think when I'm at my ideal weight and totally in control of the situation, I'll focus on being able to keep up with your attack!" Hinata said. "That's fine, I don't want to push you beyond your limit either," Kageyama said.
"How are you, Shimizu?" Daichi said, greeting the girl who had just entered the gym. "I'm fine, thank you..." she said while entering the premises. "Shimizu, you're so beautiful!" Tanaka said while approaching the girl, who simply ignored him. "She's even more beautiful than when you watch the anime on the computer," Hinata thought. "Should I try to win her over," he thought but didn't have the courage to go talk to her at that moment.
After that, he continued training with Kageyama until night and returned to his house.
The next day, Hinata and Kageyama were practicing receives outdoors, until the moment when Hinata made a strong serve toward Kageyama, who tried to receive it but it hit his arms and flew away, ending up being caught in the air by a boy who was walking nearby, and the two went to him to ask for the ball back.
"Hi, can you give our ball back?" Hinata asked a boy with blonde hair and headphones around his neck who was a few centimeters shorter than him. "Well, well, if it isn't the self-centered king and the glass ace," the boy taunted. "Hey!, Aren't you one of the new club members, why are you provoking us?" Kageyama complained. "I'm just chatting with my teammates, isn't that normal? That's why your former teammates couldn't stand you, King," he continued.
"Say that again," Kageyama said, going toward him and grabbing the collar of the boy's shirt. "Let him go, as I always say, let's settle this on the court Saturday," Hinata said, managing to make him release the boy's collar. "Oh right, that game, isn't it?... but I couldn't care less," he said. "Easy to say that when you know you don't have the slightest chance of winning!" Hinata provoked. "Whatever," the boy said, leaving slightly irritated. "Let's make sure we crush this guy tomorrow," Hinata said. "You took the words right out of my mouth!" Kageyama added with a sadistic smile on his face.
Note:Do you think there should be romance?