A/N: Hello, readers! Welcome to another chapter! Enjoy!

edited on february 27th, 2022 @ 2:13am

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CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR - PERSPECTIVE

THE THIRD SET AGAINST THE Shiratorizawa third-years eventually began. "Wakatoshi!" Semi shouted out as Ushijima jumped up to spike the ball, in which Kunimi barely receives it.

"Don't worry about it!"

"Left! Left!"

Hinata then recalled what Nishinoya had told him.

"Guys who are really good are able to tell where the ball is gonna go just from reading the spiker's form. For example, Nekoma's Morisuke-kun, our Daichi-san, or even Matsuda-san on Coach Takashi's team."

"The spiker's form..." Hinata thought as he watched Reon jump up, in which Koganegawa and another blocker jumped up to block.

"Nice kill!"

The ball then went up again as Wakatoshi crouched down to save the ball. "So cool!" Hinata exclaimed in his head. "It's hard to describe. It's like he doesn't make any unnecessary movements. But even if I was able to move like that, my reach wouldn't be enough."

The whistle blew as Hinata stepped onto the court. "Come to think of it, I don't usually get to watch Noya-san from behind. During a game, during practice, or even when I'm watching games on TV, all I ever is watch the ball." Hinata realized.

Semi bounced the ball as he was up to serve. "Semi Semi, better get that service ace!" Tendou cheered.

Semi looked at him in irritation. "Why are you calling me Semi Semi? Stop it!" He exclaimed.

TWEEEEET!

Semi threw the ball up in the air and spiked it, but it was easily received.

"Nice receive!"

Koganegawa tosses the ball to a spiker who spikes past the blockers. "Get one more, Semi Semi!" Tendou cheered.

Semi throws the ball up again as it hits the net.

"It's inside!"

A player receives the volleyball as it goes back up in the air. Reon spikes the ball as it was received.

"Nice serve!" Hinata told Koganegawa, passing the ball over to him as he caught it.

"Thanks!" Koganegawa replied.

Ushijima ends up spiking the ball in which Hinata ended up receiving it with his face as he grinned with blood coming out of his nose.

The game resumed as Tendou jumps up to block Hyakuzawa. Wakatoshi crouched down to receive the ball.

Finally it was dark out as everyone began packing up.

"Thank you very much!"

"Thank you!"

"See ya, Tsutomu. We'll be back." Tendou said.

"Yes, sir!" Goshiki responded.

"I guess we're gonna start spending the night today."

"Man, even the washing machines are great at Shiratorizawa!" Hinata exclaimed.

"Really?"

"By the way, Shoyo, aren't you cold wearing just a T-shirt?"

"I'll put a track jacket on in a second." Hinata responded.

"In a second?"

"Just so you know, there's no food or lodging for someone that wasn't invited." Washijo stated in a cold tone.

"Y-Yes, sir!" Hinata answered.

Hinata was moping the floor. "Come on! Help me practice a bit!" Koganegawa exclaimed.

"No thanks." Tsukishima and Kunimi answered in unison while looking at their phones.

"You're asking the wrong people. I don't mind practicing with you." Kindaichi said, walking up to Koganegawa.

"Kindaichi!" Koganegawa exclaimed.

Hinata then ran up to the duo. "Are you doing some extra practice?!" He asked as he moved his hands towards himself. "I'll pick up those balls for you."

"S-Sure..." Kindaichi stuttered.

"Heck yeah!" Koganegawa exclaimed, raising his arms up.

"You're not gonna hit any?" Kindaichi thought.

Hinata rushed up towards Goshiki, who was leaving. "You're not gonna practice with us?" He questioned.

"Why would I?" Goshiki asked.

"Show me those super-straight line shots of yours!" Hinata shouted out, stepping closer to him. "Those ones that get past blockers who are sure they stopped the shot! Like, whack! How the heck do you even do that?!"

Hinata stared at Goshiki with amazement while he had sparkles around him. Goshiki then looked away with his arms crossed like he wasn't bothered.

"Y-You just need me to do line shots?" He stammered.

"Maybe some cross shots, too!" Hinata replied.

"Damn, he's a pushover." Kindaichi thinks to himself.

Goshiki eventually agreed to practice as they all got ready. Hinata recalled what Ukai had told him.

"Also... Don't go underestimating what it takes to be a ball boy."

"First, my position. Nagamatsu's blocking over there, so that narrows down where the spiker can hit the ball. I'm gonna get my hand on the ball." Hinata thought with determination. "How fast will I be able to get to where the ball is going to land? I need to keep my eyes on the ball and then split step—"

Hinata's train of thought was interrupted when the ball went right past him. Lightning struck through his head. "How crappy is my timing?!" He thought. "Jumping's not the goal here I need to keep my body flat..."

The ball kept getting spiked and Hinata kept missing to catch the ball on time.

"Left!"

Goshiki ran up to spike the ball past Nagamatsu, making the volleyball hit Hinata as he fell back from the impact.

"It's easier for me to hit if you can get the ball as close to the antenna as possible." Goshiki told Koganegawa as he saluted.

"Roger!" He responded.

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It was the next day as everyone was back in Shiratorizawa's gym. Koganegawa tosses the ball towards Kindaichi who jumped up.

"It was too high. My bad." Koganegawa apologized as Kindaichi just waved to him as if telling him it was fine.

"It was still in. Nice kill!" Hinata complimented.

Tsukishima ran up and jumped up to spike with Hinata catching the ball. Everyone continued to practice spiking as Hinata caught the volleyballs heading towards him.

"Break time!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Well? Are the monster children still working hard?" Tendou asked Ushijima, who was staring into the gym.

"Monster?" Ushijima repeated.

"They totally seem like monsters! Karasuno's #9 and #10, I mean." Tendou pointed out.

Ushijima grinned. "True." He agreed.

"I mean, you're basically a monster yourself, Wakatoshi-kun. I wonder if he'd get mad if I asked him about his brethren." Tendou wondered.

"Here are your drinks!" Hinata said, passing out water bottles.

"Thanks." Goshiki told him.

Hinata hands Kindaichi a water bottle, who walked over to him. "Why are you like that?" Kindaichi suddenly asked.

"Like what?"

"You always seem so desparate." Kindaichi replied.

Hinata faced forward. "Well, I decided I was gonna defeat Kageyama, so..." He then had an intense aura around him. "But right now... He's All-Japan..."

"I figured he was over there..." Kindaichi commented before he grinned. "I mean, he's amazing, too, but he might be getting his ass whooped right now."

"Oh?"

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Meanwhile, at the Tokyo Training Center, Atsumu had gotten into setting position before tossing the ball up towards a spiker, who spikes the ball in which Komori dives down to receive it.

Tobio tosses the ball as Sakusa runs forward and spikes the ball. Atsumu crouches down to receive it.

"Whoa, there!"

"I can hit it!" Tobio thinks to himself. But before he could do anything, the ball got blocked by Hoshiumi in which Tobio widens his eyes.

Komori quickly goes to receive the ball. "Nice save!" Tobio complimented as he held his hands in the air.

He tosses the ball up. "Crap." Tobio thought as the ball falls to the ground.

"Ah, well. This is still the first set." Komori reassured.

"Sorry. Force of habit." Tobio apologized, making Takashi run a hand down his face in embarrassment.

"This isn't Karasuno, Tobio! You're playing with players who don't know you as a setter! How many times do I have to drill that into your head?!" Takashi shouted out from the sidelines.

Tobio grunted as he looked away. "Nii-san's definitely chewing me out more than he does..." He thinks to himself.

"A set that basically said, "Of course you're this far into your approach already, right?" Nice!" Hibarida exclaimed.

Takashi sighed before closing his eyes and pinching the tip of his nose. "That's something you shouldn't praise him for, Coach..." He muttered.

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"Time for more spiking drills!"

"Yes, sir!"

"I'll go on this side!" Hinata called out.

"O-Okay..."

"He seems way too excited to be ball boy."

"He kept getting them last night, too." Goshiki informed.

"Seriously?!"

The ball was spiked as Hinata crouched down to catch it. Kindaichi spiked the ball and Hinata caught it.

Kunimi walked towards Kindaichi. "He's... acting like he's the only one in the middle of a game right now." He pointed out.

Hinata receives the ball that Hyakuzawa had spiked. While giving a thumbs-ups to one of the other ball boys, he had missed catching an incoming volleyball as he collapses to the ground.

Everyone looked stunned or deadpanned at him. "You dumbass..." Tsukishima commented.

"I-I actually feel bad about that." Kindaichi admitted.

"I keep telling you to keep your damn eyes open!" Washijo scolded.

"Yes, sir!" Hinata replied.

Practice had soon finished for the day as Tsukishima walked up to Hinata. "Hey." He called out, getting Hinata's attention, who looked back.

"Yeah?"

"Come with me for a sec." Tsukishima told him.

Hinata then looked shocked, glancing towards Tsukishima.

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A/N: Another chapter is finished! Also, in the next chapter, should I have them practice against the National Team? Because I do want to write a scene like that in. Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 1574 words.