Terushima Yuji and his teammates gradually walked away. One of his teammates, who had been silent the whole time, looked back at Hayato.
"You've really got guts. Didn't you see that guy was already on the verge of losing his temper?"
"Yeah, I didn't expect that cute manager to have a boyfriend. But Kuroba Hayato, huh? He doesn't look easy to deal with."
Once the two had gone far enough away, Hayato returned to normal.
"Alright, let's go too. If we're any later, Daichi-senpai will get mad."
"Hayato, thank you for earlier."
Kiyoko smiled at him, and Hayato returned her smile.
Hinata suddenly felt like he had turned into a third wheel.
"Oh, right. Hinata, this is yours, isn't it?"
Guessing that the lunch box she had found in Karasuno's resting area belonged to Hinata, since he had just come running back, Kiyoko handed him the lunch box wrapped in a cloth printed with cute little animals.
"The cloth wrapping the lunch box is really cute."
"So Shoyo uses something this cute?"
Hayato saw it too and rested an arm on top of Hinata's head as he teased him.
Embarrassed in front of two respected upperclassmen, Hinata hurriedly took the lunch box and hid it behind his back.
"No, this belongs to Konatsu—my little sister. It definitely isn't mine."
After nervously explaining himself, he did not wait for them. He bowed, said that since he had found his lunch box, he would be leaving first, then ran off in a flash.
Watching Hinata flee in a panic, Hayato and Kiyoko exchanged smiles.
"That was very manly of you just now."
Kiyoko winked at Hayato, looking quite happy. After all, he had stepped in to protect her when someone tried to hit on her.
"Shoyo was even faster than I was. He was pretty manly too."
"Mm, that's true."
As they chatted and headed toward the gymnasium entrance, Hayato suddenly stepped behind Kiyoko and buried his forehead against her shoulder. Feeling his movement, Kiyoko stopped, then heard his voice from behind her.
"I hate that guy. He actually dared to hit on you, Kiyoko-senpai. If we end up in the same group as Josenji, we absolutely have to beat them."
His childish words left Kiyoko unsure whether to laugh or cry. She reached up and rubbed Hayato's hair where it rested against her shoulder.
"I just praised you for being manly. How did you turn into a child again?"
"How is this childish? I'm jealous."
"Alright~ How about I make croquettes for you tonight?"
Kiyoko comforted Hayato some more and finally settled the matter by promising to make him something delicious.
Unlike them, the Josenji group ran into Karasuno right outside the gymnasium. Recognizing them as Karasuno players from the logos on their clothes, Terushima Yuji swept his gaze over the others with the look of a delinquent sizing people up.
Tanaka and Nishinoya immediately bristled and glared right back.
"Punk, what are you staring at?"
As soon as Tanaka said that, Daichi's cough cut him off. The two instantly behaved themselves and looked elsewhere.
It had to be said that the scariest person in the Karasuno Volleyball Club was Captain Daichi. The second scariest was second-year Ennoshita, who had just frightened Tanaka and Nishinoya by asking whether they had finished their summer homework.
That was also why the third-years and Karasuno's coach had discussed making Ennoshita the vice-captain. Daichi played the strict role while Sugawara played the gentle one, and among the second-years, Hayato and Ennoshita were the reverse. Only with that balance could they keep these troublemakers under control.
Terushima Yuji, however, continued staring at Karasuno's players. He seemed to have become very curious about Karasuno.
"Sorry, we came out late."
After catching up with Hinata, Hayato and the other two emerged together at last. Once everyone had gathered, Daichi led them to the bus stop to head home.
That night, Hayato got his wish and ate croquettes and miso soup made by Kiyoko herself.
The sight of Kiyoko bustling about the kitchen in an apron instantly made all his worries disappear.
There was still a week before school began, and club activities had also been suspended so everyone could rest for the week. The second-years—mainly the two idiots—naturally came to Hayato, begging on their knees to borrow his summer homework and copy it. Ennoshita had already made it clear that he absolutely would not help them, so Hayato was the only one who could save them now.
Thus, the day after the first preliminary round ended, Tanaka and Nishinoya came to Hayato's house.
"Whoa, so this is Hayato's house."
"Next door—next door is Kiyoko-senpai's house?"
Helplessly covering his face, Hayato had no way to deal with these two idiots.
"Stop talking nonsense. How much of your summer homework have you two done?"
After receiving the unanimous answer that they had not written a single thing, Hayato grabbed them by their collars, dragged them upstairs to his room, and made them start catching up on their homework.
"Come to think of it, there's a Fireworks Festival this Saturday. Want to go?"
Sitting on the carpet, the three formed a circle. Nishinoya and Tanaka were bent over the small table, furiously copying homework, when Hayato spotted news about the Fireworks Festival on his phone and asked them.
"Huh? A Fireworks Festival? What's the point of a bunch of guys going there?"
Tanaka did not even look up from copying homework, but Nishinoya caught on and smacked the back of his head.
"Idiot, Kiyoko-senpai will be there too!"
"You mean we'll get to see Kiyoko-senpai in a yukata?!"
Finally catching on, Tanaka and Nishinoya looked at Hayato with eager eyes. They both knew that if Hayato invited her, Kiyoko would definitely go.
Seeing their expectant looks, Hayato propped his chin on his hand.
"Mm, I suppose it wouldn't be impossible. Oh, right. I added Hatoya's contact yesterday. Should we ask her and her friends too?"
"Please do!!!"
Honestly, the two of them were not really idiots by now. They had long since noticed the relationship between Hayato and Kiyoko. Of course, noticing it was one thing; Kiyoko-senpai was still their goddess.
Still, if girls came along, maybe the two of them might become popular too.
Just then, Kiyoko's voice came from outside the window.
"Hayato, I'm going to buy some things. Do you want to come with me?"
Kiyoko had stepped onto the balcony and called over to him. When she was changing clothes, she had noticed people in his room. Since Hayato was sitting with his back to her, and he had told her that morning Tanaka and Nishinoya were coming, she had originally intended to treat the two of them to lunch.
"Sure, wait a moment."
Hayato replied and stood up. Across from him, Nishinoya and Tanaka had already assumed the expressions of enlightened Buddhas, muttering nonsense about childhood friends being the best.
"You two should stay here and keep copying your homework. I'm going shopping with Kiyoko-senpai, and we'll get lunch while we're at it."
The two nodded, and Hayato went downstairs to find Kiyoko, leaving behind two miserable souls.
"Haah~"
They sighed in unison, once again realizing how cruel reality was.
On the way to the shopping street, Hayato told Kiyoko about the Fireworks Festival he had just seen.
"Are we all going together?"
"Yeah, there'll be a festival market there too, with lots of good food and fun things. We've worked hard all vacation, training and competing, so everyone can go relax together. What do you think, Kiyoko-senpai?"
With both hands clasped behind his head, Hayato spoke leisurely.
"That's true. I'll look for mine when I get back. I wonder if my yukata still fits."
The yukata here referred to clothing similar to a kimono, commonly worn at festivals, celebrations, and Fireworks Festivals throughout Japan during the summer.
"It's Saturday, so there's still plenty of time. If it doesn't fit, we can always rent one."
"Mm, that's true. Then let's ask everyone."
Before long, the two finished buying ingredients and returned to Hayato's house. They called down Tanaka and Nishinoya, who were still copying homework, and the four of them ate cold noodles together. It was summer, and hot food was too difficult to eat at lunchtime.
Before you continue