"WHOOSH!"

The sound of breaking air echoed in the Shiratorizawa volleyball club. A volleyball swiftly traversed over a large part of the court, piercing through a dense wall of people, and heavily struck the court.

Kobayashi Aotori landed gracefully, sweat trickling down his neck and seeping into his clothes. With his hair tied up in a small bundle, it indeed served well to prevent excessive heat.

But today, Kobayashi Aotori wasn't wearing the school uniform; instead, he had on a sleeveless black shirt, revealing tiny beads of sweat on his exposed shoulders. His white capri pants revealed a bit of his calves.

The weather was getting hotter. Kobayashi Aotori could resist the cold but always easily succumbed to heat.

"By the way, have you noticed that Aotori's movements seem to have improved a lot recently?"

Sitting beside him, Ohira Reon commented curiously to the breathless Goshiki.

Goshiki raised his eyebrows, looking at Kobayashi Aotori moving gracefully on the court. Because of Ohira Reon's words, the boy who was panting heavily suddenly stood up straight, his eyes burning with determination.

With a low growl, Goshiki returned to the court, brimming with renewed vigor.

"Wow~ Reon is super good at adjusting. Teaching the juniors, huh~" Tendou's voice unexpectedly rang out behind the startled Ohira Reon.

Ohira Reon quickly raised his hand and shook it, explaining, "No, I was just stating a simple fact. And, Tendou, please don't say it in such an ambiguous way."

Tendou chuckled, casually sitting on the ground, his large eyes fixed on the calm Kobayashi Aotori across from him. He changed his angles bit by bit, almost rotating his long neck ninety degrees.

He moved his rabbit-like mouth, and the words he uttered were light and airy,

"Hmm... What species is Aotori-chan anyway? Reon, do you know?"

"No, there's absolutely no need to use a questioning tone." Ohira Reon replied, a cold sweat forming on his forehead, "He's a human, definitely a human."

Tendou looked at Reon suspiciously, then stared at Kobayashi Aotori intently. "Huh—?" he said doubtfully, then with certainty, his large eyes determined.

"No! Absolutely not! An ordinary human definitely can't handle this level of intense training!"

Resting his chin on his hand, Tendou, unaware that Kobayashi Aotori was simply dedicating all the time previously used in other activities to volleyball, continued to inquire,

"Doesn't he have any weaknesses?"

Ohira Reon had black lines all over his head.

If he remembered correctly, Tendou should be Kobayashi Aotori's teammate, right?

In his heart, he silently mourned for Kobayashi Aotori.

"Achoo!"

Already feeling hot and irritable, Kobayashi Aotori sneezed loudly, waved his hand under Ushijima's watchful gaze, but felt a sudden jolt in his heart.

Oh no, am I coming down with a heat cold?

So, for the next few days, Kobayashi Aotori was on edge, refraining from consuming anything cold or spicy. Even forcing himself to drink hot water in the sweltering heat.

And the main culprit, Tendou, kept pestering him with questions all day long, completely oblivious that the answers to his questions were actually right in front of him.

—————

MID-MAY.

"Aotori, Aotori! The Inter-High preliminaries groupings are out!"

A familiar voice interrupted Kobayashi Aotori's thoughts as he wrestled with a math problem. He looked up to find Tomoko Ito excitedly waving her phone in front of him.

Kobayashi Aotori snapped back to reality, took the phone, and quickly scanned the information. "Shiratorizawa got a bye," he muttered.

"Yeah, it's really annoying." Ito's ahoge drooped instantly as she took back her phone and slumped on the table.

For a moment, Kobayashi Aotori saw Ito and Goshiki's figures overlap.

But Ito's sentiment was understandable. Watching without participating was something he also looked forward to.

Unfortunately, he is now a permanent starter for Shiratorizawa.

Taking the red apple Ito handed him, he bit into it, the sweet juice bursting in his mouth. The crisp sound resonated as they both chewed like hamsters, each holding an apple.

"Mmm, this time #￥@, we'll get to play against Aoba Johsai in a #￥％ official match," Tomoko Ito mumbled incoherently.

Kobayashi Aotori raised an eyebrow at Itou. Swallowing the apple in his mouth, he asked, "How do you know for sure that our opponent will be Aoba Johsai?"

"Well, that's obvious!" She leaned back, her voice rising in the empty classroom since it was PE period and the other students weren't there.

"I've looked at the other teams, and none of them are outstanding!"

Kobayashi Aotori merely smiled without directly responding, just tapping Karasuno's name on the grouping list on the screen, "I know someone from this school. I'll watch their match."

"Ah! Then I'll go too!" Ito decisively declared. After that, she ignored Kobayashi Aotori and began to enthusiastically fantasize about the handsome male high school students from other schools.

The pen in Kobayashi Aotori's hand turned slightly, and the match of Karasuno that he had seen before involuntarily appeared in his mind.

Competing against the protagonists... just thinking about it made him short of breath.

It's not that he can't accept failure, it's just that a failure with a predetermined outcome...

He considered himself not inclined to masochism.

In his mind, the image of Shiratorizawa's team training gradually surfaced, and the sight of Tendou making a funny face at him made him unable to suppress a smile.

Hmm... although at first, knowing I got into Shiratorizawa was immensely stressful.

T.N.: The phrase 压力山大 (yālì shāndà) is a modern Chinese slang term that plays on the homophony of "immense pressure" and "Shanda University" (山大). In this context, it simply means "immense pressure" or "very stressful." This is a casual, slang expression often used to describe a situation where someone feels a lot of stress or pressure.

But now, it seems pretty good.

At least much better than the solitary training in my previous life.

He rested his chin on his hand, writing numerous mathematical formulas on the paper. Under the sunlight, the fresh ink on the paper gleamed.

Yeah, everything is fine, except for the fact that I, a total noob, managed to infiltrate this group of "protagonists" in the volleyball club.

Really.

—————

KOBAYASHI AOTORI'S life was simple—school, volleyball club, home, running, home.

Every day followed the same routine, but he occasionally encountered "NPCs" along the way.

For example, a certain orange-haired boy shouting "Mr. Dynamite," or the gloomy-faced Kageyama Tobio who now initiated greetings. It could also be Tomoko Ito zooming by on her motorcycle.

T.N.: Actual translation is actually "Dynamite-san" not "Mr. Dynamite" however, I will be using the latter translation for consistency.

Then there were the "rare" NPCs, Oikawa Tooru and Iwaizumi Hajime, often seen together, and then somehow it turns into Iwaizumi dragging Oikawa, who is about to bite someone because of something Kobayashi said. Thus, the NPCs transform and upgrade into Iwaizumi walking a ferocious dog after club activities.

In the midst of chaos, time quietly slipped into June.

The season that Kobayashi Aotori found most unbearable.

SHIRATORIZAWA

Tendou's large eyes were focused as he watched Kobayashi Aotori, who had collapsed on the ground from the heat. Beside him, Ohira Reon chuckled, fanning Aotori with a handheld fan for some physical cooling. Yamagata Hayato crouched on the ground nearby, using his hands to create a faint breeze for himself.

Usually, Kobayashi Aotori would prefer to avoid the inexplicable concern from the protagonists, but unfortunately, he was too exhausted to resist.

Someone once said: If you can't resist, then just enjoy it.

Air conditioning cannot be installed in places where intense physical activity takes place. Besides, Shiratorizawa's training room is large, so using air conditioning for a short time is ineffective, and using it for a long time could lead to illness. Not only does Kobayashi Aotori reject this idea, Coach Washijo also firmly wants to eliminate any potential sources of physical injury.

Therefore, the large training room can only rely on natural ventilation. Fortunately, once they get through the toughest period, it becomes cool when the wind picks up.

Kobayashi Aotori's hair had grown long enough to tie into a small bun at the back, but he still insists on not cutting it, leaving Semi Eita and the others who have repeatedly tried to persuade him very puzzled.

Kobayashi Aotori doesn't know why he is so resistant to getting a haircut, probably because the superb skills of the 'Tony' hairdressers in his past life in China left an indelible impression on him.

T.N.: 托尼老师 (tuōní lǎoshī): "Tony" hairdressers (a playful term referring to hairdressers, especially those with highly skilled techniques). "种花家" (zhònghuājiā): this term emerged from internet culture and is often used in a humorous or light-hearted context. It plays on the similarity in pronunciation between "种花" (planting flowers) and "中华" (China/Chinese).

The essence of that technique is—no matter what hairstyle you start with, it always ends up as a crew cut or a bowl cut.

Rather than becoming a spirited youth,' Kobayashi Aotori would rather die from the heat.

T.N.: 精神小伙 (jīngshén xiǎohuǒ): This term refers to a young man who is very concerned with his appearance, often characterized by a very particular and sometimes over-the-top style, including flashy clothes, trendy hairstyles, and an overall "cool" demeanor. It can have a slightly derogatory connotation, suggesting superficiality or a focus on fashion over substance. But in this sentence, Kobayashi Aotori expresses a strong preference to endure extreme heat over adopting the look and style associated with a 'stylish/spirited youth,' indicating a disdain for that particular fashion trend.

He remembered his gloomy hairstyle from his previous life that always covered half his face... maybe his lack of friends was related to his hairstyle?

Narration: Correct.

After serving another perfect serve, Ushijima landed heavily, and sweat dripped from his forehead. But looking at Kobayashi Aotori, who could no longer move, he blinked and suddenly had a vision—

A giant eagle, always reliable and independent, observing the movements on the court with its sharp eagle eyes, and quickly flying to the side of a teammate with its powerful wings.

But now, this eagle was troubled by the thick feathers in the summer heat.

Ushijima blinked again, a smile forming at the corners of his mouth as he looked at the huddled teammates, his gaze gentle and peaceful.

Goshiki behind him was petrified, instantly losing color. Shocked, the volleyball in his hand dropped to the ground with a "thud."

Goshiki's eyes widened as he stared at the surreal scene, Ushijima smiling and Aotori wilting.

The toughest person was smiling, and the most devilish guy was resting.

He wiped the sweat on his forehead and stared blankly at the ceiling.

Sure enough, I'm too tired. Both hot and exhausted, I ended up having hallucinations... haha...

Definitely a hallucination.

Definitely.