Chapter 26: Little King

Although Kageyama Tobio didn't fully understand what Oikawa-senpai meant by "sticking to the status quo," he caught the gist of the rest—finding new ways to attack was indeed necessary.

Kageyama stood motionless, lost in thought, not even noticing Oikawa and Iwaizumi leaving.

"Shōyō, are you okay?" Taichi asked as he observed Hinata Shōyō suddenly bowing his head in front of him.

Ah, that Kageyama guy is seriously lacking in emotional intelligence. He yelled so loudly even though Hinata was right there!

"I'm fine. I know my skills are still lacking," Hinata replied, lifting his head. His expression betrayed a mix of determination and frustration.

"By the way, I read your message last night! I was so excited I couldn't even sleep!" Hinata's downcast mood vanished almost instantly, replaced with his usual brightness. "Can you tell me more about Nakashima Takeru-senpai?"

"Let's set Nakashima-senpai aside for now. Actually, I happen to know The Little Giant," Taichi said nonchalantly, dropping the revelation like a bomb.

"What?! Really? That's so cool!" Hinata exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with admiration as he looked at Taichi.

Hahaha, this was the kind of reaction Taichi was fishing for. Nakashima Takeru might be impressive, but he lacked that 'wow' factor. Taichi's ego swelled with satisfaction.

"I first saw him during a televised Spring Tournament when I was in elementary school…" Hinata began, his voice slipping into a nostalgic tone.

"And it was Karasuno's match. You happened to catch The Little Giant in action," Taichi continued seamlessly.

"How did you know that?" Hinata asked, his face filled with amazement.

Oh, I know everything, Taichi thought smugly to himself.

"Because I was the same," Taichi said with a grin. "I saw The Little Giant's matches too. Plus, your height makes it kind of obvious, doesn't it?"

"Wow, Taichi, you're so smart!"

Oh my gosh, so dazzling. Is this the power of a little sun? Keep the compliments coming—I'm loving it!

"So, what's The Little Giant like?" Hinata pressed on.

"Well, he's incredibly strong. I even learned a bit from him—fighting in midair."

"Fighting in midair? That's so cool!" Hinata's eyes lit up before a thought struck him. "That's exactly why I came to Aoba Johsai today—I want to learn how to fight at the highest point!"

"Eh? From me?" Taichi was taken aback, mainly because he felt embarrassed about his current skill level.

"Ahaha, not quite." Hinata scratched his head sheepishly. "Our coach has already taught me a lot, but I haven't fully grasped it yet."

"Oh, well, I do have a move or two I can show you," Taichi said, finally deciding to demonstrate what he had learned from The Little Giant. After all, Udai Tenma hadn't held back when teaching him.

"Really?! Teach me, Master!" Hinata exclaimed eagerly.

Master? Hearing Hinata call him that made Taichi break into an uncontrollable grin. Oh no, now I'm kind of tempted to join Karasuno myself!

"Hey, Oikawa-senpai's calling you over to practice spiking." A sudden, stern voice interrupted them.

"Huh? Why would The Grand King want us to practice spiking here?" Hinata asked, tilting his head as he glanced at Kageyama.

Kageyama scowled and yanked Hinata aside. "I'm not talking to you, idiot. I meant him."

Kageyama pointed a finger at Taichi.

…

How should I put this? I used to like Kageyama, but this guy's emotional intelligence is seriously…

Taichi pushed Kageyama's hand down. "I don't like being pointed at. And for your information, I'm Kaedehara Taichi, first year at Aoba Johsai. Nice to meet you, Little King."

"What?" Kageyama glared at him at the mention of the nickname.

"Hinata calls Oikawa-senpai The Grand King, doesn't he? So I figured calling you Little King wouldn't be an issue," Taichi said with a friendly smile.

"Yeah, Kageyama, Little King sounds pretty cool too! I want a cool nickname like that," Hinata chimed in, inserting himself between the two.

"Move aside, dumbass." Kageyama shoved Hinata away again. "Fine. Let's go practice spiking."

"Of course."

-----

Kaedehara Taichi and Kageyama Tobio stood on the court, with Oikawa Tōru and Iwaizumi Hajime observing from the sidelines. On the opposite side, Hinata Shōyō was ready to retrieve the ball.

"Kageyama, set it like you do for Hinata. I want to see how Taichi handles it," Oikawa instructed from the side.

"Yes, Oikawa-senpai!" Kageyama replied. He then turned to Taichi. "Just jump forward and spike at your highest point. Swing your arm decisively—don't hesitate."

"Got it." Taichi nodded.

Taking a deep breath, Taichi sprinted from the baseline toward the net. Just before reaching the net, he leapt powerfully, his body arching gracefully in midair, his arm swinging forward with precision.

"Swish!"

The ball grazed Taichi's fingertips and landed outside the court.

"Sorry, the set was a bit too high," Kageyama immediately admitted.

His speed is almost on par with Hinata's, but with that height, his jumping ability is disappointing. His attack point is even lower than Hinata's.

Kageyama's gaze briefly showed a trace of pity, which Taichi noticed—and it irritated him.

The second ball.

Taichi jumped to spike again. As he leapt, the ball hadn't reached him yet, and he couldn't resist glancing toward Kageyama mid-air.

"Swish!"

The ball flew past Taichi at an incredible speed before he could even swing, leaving him whiffing at empty air.

"Your swing is too slow," Kageyama remarked flatly, this time placing the blame squarely on Taichi.

Taichi said nothing, standing still as he replayed the moment in his mind.

"Taichi, try again," Oikawa encouraged from the sideline.

One ball. Two balls. Three balls.

Taichi came frustratingly close each time but couldn't quite connect.

Kageyama was visibly growing impatient, holding the ball and standing motionless in the centre of the court.

"Once more," Taichi said, looking straight at Kageyama.

"There's no point. You don't trust me. When you hesitate, your arm swing naturally slows down," Kageyama replied calmly.

"Let me take over." Oikawa stepped onto the court, taking the ball from Kageyama's hand. "Taichi, just do what you were doing earlier."

Without saying a word, Taichi prepared for another run-up and jump.

"Bang!"

He hit it! At the exact moment Taichi swung his arm, the ball appeared perfectly in front of him—precisely where it needed to be!

"Is this what it feels like?" Oikawa muttered, staring at his hands, trying to recapture the fleeting sensation of that perfect connection.

Kageyama remained unruffled, his expression calm. He had never considered himself the most exceptional setter—just the one who wanted to win the most. For Oikawa-senpai to achieve this result felt natural to him.

Taichi stood frozen on the court, a whirlwind of emotions churning within him. He couldn't believe he had actually pulled it off—it felt like a dream.

He glanced over at Hinata and saw an equally emotional expression on his face.

Hinata had always thought that without Kageyama, he was nothing.

But now, he knew—there were other setters in the world, not just Kageyama Tobio, who could deliver the ball to him just as perfectly!

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