"Nice bug."
Lu Ren walked over to Yamaguchi Tadashi and patted his stiff shoulder. That float serve just now had definitely been something else, like the result of a server lagging.
Yamaguchi was still staring blankly at his palm. It was bright red, and he clearly had no idea how he'd managed to hit the ball like that.
"Don't just stand there. Keep going while you've still got the feel for it." Lu Ren lowered his voice and pointed to the court opposite. "That was luck. The system judged it a critical hit. But that bald guy over there will definitely adjust his position next time. Listen, do the same thing as before. Don't think about hitting it hard. Treat the ball like the math test you hate most, and use the heel of your palm to 'push' its center."
"A-a math test?" Yamaguchi stammered. Then his expression turned strange.
"Right. Don't let it spin. If the ball doesn't spin, air resistance will teach it a lesson." Lu Ren finished speaking and sauntered back to the net.
The whistle blew.
Yamaguchi Tadashi took a deep breath, a failing test from last week flashing through his mind. He gritted his teeth, tossed the ball, and swung.
"Pop!"
The sharp crack rang out. This time, the sound was more solid than before, and his movements no longer had that tentative, hit-or-miss quality. The volleyball wobbled over the net again. It didn't dip as bizarrely as the previous one, but its flight was still unpredictable.
But the man on the other side wasn't a beginner.
Tanaka Ryūnosuke planted his feet wide and sank his weight low. Faced with the unreasonable float serve, he didn't reach for it in a panic like Hinata had. Instead, he shuffled quickly into position, lining up his body squarely with the incoming ball.
"Too slow!"
Tanaka shouted as he brought his arms together steadily. The volleyball struck his forearms with a dull thud, then popped up neatly in a perfect arc, heading straight for the setter's position.
"Tsk, an experienced player's experience points really aren't just for show." Lu Ren pursed his lips at the net.
That receive was so comfortable, it was practically spoon-feeding the ball.
Kageyama Tobio was already beneath the ball's landing point. He raised both hands, fingers spread, his posture so fluid he looked like he was conducting an orchestra. Hinata Shoyo had already started his approach.
The orange-haired kid's first step was absurdly fast. His soles squealed against the floor. He wasn't looking at the ball, his opponents, or even Kageyama. He just charged headlong toward an open patch by the net, then leaped with all his strength.
That was absolute trust.
Or maybe it was the kind of understanding only madmen shared.
Lu Ren's keen eyesight caught the movement of Kageyama's wrist. There was no pause, no extra adjustment. The instant the ball touched his fingertips, it shot away.
"Whoosh—"
The ball was moving at an abnormal speed.
This wasn't an ordinary high set. It was a cannonball fresh from the barrel, cutting straight toward the path of Hinata Shoyo's swinging arm.
Tsukishima Kei reacted lightning-fast. The moment Hinata jumped, he leaped too. The tall guy, who usually seemed so lazy, showed incredible judgment as he raised both arms to build a wall above the net.
But he was still half a beat too late.
Hinata's palm swung through at the peak of his jump.
"BOOM!!!"
A tremendous crack exploded through the gym.
The volleyball grazed the outside of Tsukishima Kei's arm, changing its angle like a runaway shrapnel fragment, then slammed into the backcourt floor.
Lu Ren was in the back row. He'd only just started to dive for it when the ball had already bounced two meters behind him.
A deathly silence lasted for half a second.
"Yes!!!!!"
After landing, Hinata Shoyo saw the volleyball rolling away and sprang up as if he'd been electrified. He clenched his fists and shouted at the ceiling. The noise made Lu Ren's eardrums buzz.
"Wahahaha! Did you see that? That's the strongest quick attack!" Tanaka Ryūnosuke rushed over and threw an arm around Hinata's neck, vigorously ruffling his orange hair. "That was insane! I couldn't even see the ball!"
Kageyama Tobio stood where he was, watching the two of them celebrate. His tense shoulders relaxed, and he let out a long breath, a hint of pride appearing on his face.
The score was 4–1.
Lu Ren straightened up, brushed the dust off his pants, and turned to look at Tsukishima Kei.
They'd lost that point, but Tsukishima had kept up with the play. The guy might have a sharp tongue, but he was definitely quick-witted.
"Hey, four-eyes." Lu Ren pointed at the trio across the net, who were celebrating like madmen. "Did we lose?"
Tsukishima pushed up his glasses and looked over coolly. "Huh?"
"Looking at that celebration, you'd think they'd just won an Olympic gold medal and saved the planet while they were at it." Lu Ren asked with a completely serious expression, "Did you make a bet with them behind our backs? Like, if we lost a point, we'd have to drop all our team gear for them?"
Tsukishima's mouth twitched. He glanced at the other side with disdain. "I'm not that bored. That's just the excitement unique to single-celled organisms. You'll get used to it."
"Good." Lu Ren shrugged. "I thought I'd missed some story cutscene."
The game continued.
The serve rotated. This time, it was Tanaka Ryūnosuke's turn.
Before you continue