ON HIS WAY HOME AFTER SCHOOL, Kobayashi Aotori didn't encounter anyone from the volleyball club. Whether they were instructed not to approach him or just chose not to, it was a relief for him, making things less troublesome.

He wearily dropped his backpack, changed into slippers, and slouched onto the sofa.

Kobayashi Aotori remembered that the original host's parents were involved in overseas trade. He had been studying abroad for a long time, only deciding to return when he entered the third year of junior high. Since then, he had been living alone in this two-story house that his parents had purchased.

Leaning back in the chair, Kobayashi Aotori remained silent for a moment. He then took out a piece of paper from the pocket of his jacket, on which a series of numbers were written in small, neat handwriting.

Silently taking out his phone, he saved the number, adding the name "Tomoko Ito" as a contact.

She's a fan of the original owner's volleyball skills, which is such a handful to deal with. After all, I'm just an ordinary person who can play volleyball.

Making friends with classmates and such... I've completely forgotten how to do that since my time in an all-boys school.

Kobayashi Aotori, who had been attending an all-boys school before transmigration, threw his phone aside in frustration.

Dragging his tired body, he changed out of his school uniform and into a comfortable casual outfit,then he headed out to the convenience store. Instead of choosing the nearest route, he opted for a relatively flat but longer path.

—He wanted to go for a run.

Jogging along the small street under the setting sun, Kobayashi Aotori felt the pent-up tension in his heart easing a bit after a day.

Kobayashi Aotori doesn't dislike sports. On the contrary, he enjoys the sensation of sweat trickling down his chin.

However, he doesn't believe he will have any substantial intersection with the anime characters. After all, he can't suddenly burst with strength despite the huge gap in abilities, nor can he experience a sudden surge in strength due to the power of friendship or any other cliché plotlines.

He is just an ordinary sports enthusiast, with a weak mindset and not very sharp intellect.

But having said that, the reason why he was so busy in high school was probably because he participated in numerous clubs.

Because as high school became more academically demanding, there weren't many people in the class willing to join sports clubs. Kobayashi Aotori, who had rarely been asked for anything since childhood, agreed to the class committee's requests.

He didn't notice the grateful and trusting looks from the class committee and others. He simply agreed since he wasn't a genius, just someone filling a quota.

Track and field, volleyball, badminton, tennis—Kobayashi Aotori joined numerous sports clubs. While becoming a master of time management, he never missed a single team practice.

Unlike the outstanding individuals in the teams, who were good at socializing and could brush off mistakes with a smile, he was different. He was just a background character, whose only task was to perform his role meticulously even when the 'protagonists' made mistakes.

Because that's all he could do. He couldn't be the hero who saves the day, nor could he become the enthusiastic high-scoring member. It was simply impossible.

I'm just an ordinary person. How can I compare myself to the 'protagonists'?

His breathing became somewhat erratic, but he forced himself not to dwell on these thoughts. Just as he had initially planned, he handed over his worries to time, knowing that everything would eventually be forgotten.

Just as he was trying to change his mindset, a figure brushed past him, and the person suddenly stopped in their tracks a few steps ahead.

"...Kobayashi Aotori?!"

Called by his name, Kobayashi Aotori instinctively stopped in his tracks, turning to look behind him, where a face filled with astonishment and complexity appeared before him.

He opened his mouth slightly, exhaling hot air slowly. Kobayashi Aotori felt his sweat trickling down his cheeks, but he had no time to care. He could only stare blankly at the person behind him—

—Kageyama Tobio.

Kageyama also seemed extremely shocked, his expression stiff and clearly not pleasant. His dark blue eyes flickered, but unfortunately, when people who were not good at understanding and expressing themselves met, Kageyama Tobio did not perceive that Kobayashi Aotori was equally shocked.

Looking at the other's 'indifferent' expression, memories involuntarily surfaced in Kageyama's mind from the match against Kousen during junior high school—

Those eyes filled with both surprise and amusement, landing on himself who couldn't participate in the game, cut into Kageyama Tobio like knives, inch by inch. The memory still lingered vividly in his mind, unforgettable to this day.

Unconsciously clenching his fists, Kageyama Tobio slightly lowered his head, his eyes staring intensely on Kobayashi Aotori across from him.

Kobayashi Aotori was stunned on the spot, actually feeling somewhat at a loss, looking at the "King" on the other side who seemed lost in thought.

Indeed, he remembered that during this period, Kageyama Tobio was still the "King," not yet grasping the true essence of volleyball.

Kobayashi Aotori tried to keep his body as relaxed as possible, standing upright. He was a few centimeters taller than the other person. The two stood there on the deserted street—one calm, the other seemingly under pressure.

"Hey, King."

Breaking the silence, Kobayashi Aotori spoke those light words.

This sentence caused Kageyama Tobio's eyes to widen suddenly. He breathed rapidly, glaring fiercely at Kobayashi Aotori, who, in turn, had slightly furrowed his brows.

Damn it! Why did I blurt out what I was really thinking?!!

Kobayashi Aotori looked at the almost tangible dark aura forming around Kageyama Tobio. The bone-chilling atmosphere made him resist the urge to shrink his shoulders.

After a prolonged silence, just as Kobayashi Aotori was almost frozen by the cold air emanating from Kageyama, the latter's low voice broke the frozen atmosphere.

"...I will defeat you," Kageyama Tobio said with a stern face, pointing his finger at Kobayashi Aotori. "This time, fair and square, on the upcoming court."

Kobayashi Aotori's eye corner twitched slightly, feeling once again the added weight in his heart.

He now understood. The gloom that had haunted him all day, compounded by Coach Washijo's words and Tomoko Ito's words, had now gained another layer with Kageyama Tobio's challenge. The increasing sense of heaviness stemmed from one source

—unwillingness.

He, too, wanted to stand on the court. He, too, wished to boldly utter those arrogant words like the original host, resembling a confident character from an anime who believed in miracles. Facing Kageyama Tobio's challenge at this moment, he wanted to stand without flinching.

Shrugging, he lifted his gaze nonchalantly and said calmly:

"I'll be waiting for you. Make sure to show up this time, 'King'," he said with such words.

.........

WATCHING THE DEPARTING FIGURE OF KAGEYAMA TOBIO, Kobayashi Aotori couldn't remember what expression the other had afterward, nor does he recall whether he said anything.

His pupils were just slightly dilated, sensing the thoughts that had just crossed his mind and the feelings that followed after uttering those words.

...It feels good

At that moment, the accumulated gloom of the day seemed to dissipate.

As it turns out, he wasn't troubled by the mess left by the original host. Instead, he hoped to gain the courage and confidence to take on the mess.

He clenched his fist, his eyes dim and unclear, turned around, and ran forward following his original pace.

—Entering the convenience store, he noticed a blond-haired guy behind the counter, whose eyes flickered upon seeing his face.

Ah, even Coach Ukai recognizes me.

Kobayashi Aotori calmly turned into the shelves, and the hand in his pocket trembling ever so slightly.

This feeling, a sensation he had never noticed before transmigration. In the team where he used to be just a background character, it turned out he could experience this kind of feeling.

Being seen.

The sensation of being scrutinized for one's strength.

Even for Kobayashi Aotori, who was accustomed to not giving his all, there was no loss of excitement and thrill.

He tossed instant noodles and rice balls into the basket, slightly bending down, his gaze gradually deepening as he looked at the items on the shelf.

Lost in thought, Kobayashi Aotori didn't know how much time had passed until he heard a hesitant voice behind him:

"...Hey." Ukai stared at the "volleyball prodigy" in front of him with a complicated expression. With a light cough, he gestured with the hand holding the cigarette towards the basket. Along with his gesture, instant noodles and snack bags rattled as they fell:

"...Do you really... need to buy this much?"

Kobayashi Aotori remained silent, lowering his head to look at the overflowing basket. When he raised his head again, he met Ukai's complicated gaze.

——Kobayashi Aotori died.

——————

AT HOME

Kobayashi Aotori finished dinner with an expression that could almost be described as indignant. Though in his eyes it was one of frustration, to others, it still appeared calm.

—Perhaps the reason he was always inconspicuous in the original team was that he always maintained a dull expression even when his teammates passionately cheered? Unfortunately, the protagonist would never notice this.

After calming his stomach, he began to ponder whether he should continue running on that route in the future. After all, he might or might not encounter the protagonist group after school.

...Forget it, it doesn't matter if I do.

Anyway, I don't plan to play vol—

Kobayashi Aotori's expression froze, his eyes darkening once again.

He cleaned up the leftovers, slowly up to the second floor, returned to the master bedroom, sat back at the desk, opened the books neatly arranged, and looked at the densely marked annotations. His fingers unconsciously started to twirl the pen in his hand.

The sky had a gentle hue, indicating that nightfall was approaching.

Resting his cheek against his hand, he involuntarily started daydreaming, gazing at the scenery outside the window. Suddenly, the hand twirling the pen came to a halt.

His gaze fell on the back of the two-story building. A spacious courtyard unfolded before his eyes. What truly captivated him wasn't the flat grounds, but the volleyballs placed in a basket under the eaves.

The original host had deliberately set up a place for practicing volleyball here in the past.

He curled the corner of his lips. It seems the original host really liked volleyball.

Kobayashi Aotori shook his head and continued to focus on the books in front of him.

.........

WITH A "SNAP," the pen was set down, and a figure left the bedroom, leaving only the swiveling chair, which had rolled a few meters after being pushed away.

Behind the two-story building, in the courtyard, a tall figure stood there, holding a volleyball in hand.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

Sweat trickled down his cheeks to the ground, Kobayashi Aotori stretched out his hand, holding the volleyball, his eyes focused intently on the ball, suddenly tossing it—

His eyes followed the trajectory of the volleyball up into the sky, where he saw the moon slowly revealing its face from behind the dark clouds.

He leaped into the air, and at this moment, this figure overlapped with the unremarkable one that once existed in the team.

IN HIS MIND, he recalled the time when he, training alone in the boys' school, was noticed by the setter, whom he regarded as one of the 'protagonists' in the team. The setter looked at him with curiosity:

"Hey, Lin-san, you're still practicing? Do you practice this late every day? I never knew"

The setter, reading confusion on Lin's usually expressionless face, laughed, "Normally, Lin-san, you've never had any issues during training. We all thought you were a genius. After all, you're so strong, everyone in the teams of various universities thinks the same way—"

"—It's really great to be teammates with Lin-san."

When he heard the other's words, the youth's lifeless eyes paused for two seconds, brightened for two seconds at a moment even he didn't realize.

The setter smiled and casually tossed out a ball. The youth's gaze followed the ball's ascent, and he saw the high-flying volleyball, as well as the ceiling in his peripheral vision. With movements rehearsed hundreds and thousands of times were flawless, precise, and standard. He leaped high—

In the volleyball court, behind the courtyard of the small building, two thunderous explosions overlapped:

"Boom————!!"

If possible—

I want to be the "protagonist" too.