The gym was humming with movement. Shoes squeaked against polished wood, and the sound of volleyballs hitting palms and hardwood echoed like a heartbeat.
Tryouts were more intimate than Ayato expected. Only four new players had shown up: Kageyama, Hinata, Yamaguchi, and Tsukishima.
Ayato stood near the baseline, arms crossed, gaze drifting from player to player. He watched their interactions, how they warmed up, how they moved. Each one had a different air.
Kageyama was intense—pinpoint focused, laser-sharp.
Hinata was raw energy, bouncing like a superball with legs.
Yamaguchi was nervous but eager, trying hard to match the pace.
Tsukishima... indifferent, analytical, almost lazy in his efficiency.
"Everyone warm up with basic drills first!" Daichi called out.
Ayato didn't join them immediately. He jogged to the end of the court and began serving against the wall. Precise. Sharp. The ball bounced back with rhythmic slaps. He wasn't showing off—just warming up in his own rhythm.
The sound drew attention.
Hinata paused. "Whoa... that serve's got bite."
Kageyama turned. "That's not a float. That's a jump serve."
Tsukishima gave a slight glance. "Fancy."
Daichi approached. "Tryouts will be a 3v3 match, get ready."
Ayato nodded.
"Kageyama, Hinata, Tanaka on one side. Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and Ayato on the other. Let's see how you all sync."
Kageyama raised an eyebrow. "Yamaguchi's setting?"
Daichi nodded. "Just for this round. Let's see how he handles it."
Hinata beamed. "Let's gooo!"
Ayato tied his shoelaces tighter, then stepped onto the court.
Yamaguchi looked nervous. "Uh... Ayato-san, I'll try to set for you properly."
Ayato offered a faint nod. "Just keep it clean. I'll do the rest."
The match started with a serve from Kageyama. It was a laser, aimed toward Ayato. He received it cleanly like a seasoned libero. Tsukishima got into position, Yamaguchi set toward the right to Ayato
Ayato took his first approach.
Not full speed. Just enough.
He rose, body arched like a bow mid-release, and slammed the ball past Tanaka's block.
Wham.
Hinata blinked. "That was fast."
Kageyama narrowed his eyes. "Too fast."
The match continued. Hinata missed a few receives, and his timing with Kageyama was still rough. Several of their plays were messy, misaligned. The frustration showed in Hinata's face.
Meanwhile, Ayato adjusted to Yamaguchi's sets like he'd done it a hundred times. Not every ball was perfect, but Ayato never needed perfect.
He moved smooth, spiked clean, and made Tsukishima actually nod in grudging approval.
After a particularly tight rally, Yamaguchi scrambled for a dig and barely pushed the ball high. With an out of system pass Tsukishima was forced to a pipe. Ayato sprinted from the back row, didn't hesitate, and executed a pipe spike that echoed like thunder.
Silence.
Tanaka blinked. "What the hell?"
Hinata looked at Kageyama. "He's... kinda awesome."
Kageyama didn't deny it.
"He's good. Real good."
Ayato just dusted his hands off.
This was only the beginning.