Onomatopoeia Teaching Methods and the Faith of a Profession Called "Guardian Deity"

The setting sun slanted through the high windows of the gymnasium, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air like golden specks. The scent of burnt rubber from friction mingled with the smell of sweat, a distinctive aroma unique to sports clubs.

Lu Ren sat on the bench by the court, a water bottle clutched in his hand, his gaze fixed intently on the center of the court. He was trying to decipher a high-difficulty skill tutorial—that is, if one didn't count the "NPC" language system that was currently flailing its arms about.

"Listen up! It's that feeling!"

Nishinoya Yū crouched low, his center of gravity extremely low, his hands spread wide like a beast poised to strike.

"When the ball comes, first it's a 'swish'!" Nishinoya lunged to the left, his movement so fast it stirred up a gust of wind.

"Then your arms have to go 'swoosh'!" He brought his arms together, executing a perfect receive posture.

"And finally, the moment you contact the ball, 'thwack'! Send it flying!"

Nishinoya stood up, hands on his hips, a confident expression on his face that clearly said, You should get it now, right? His eyes gleamed as he looked at Hinata Shoyo in front of him. "How is it? Simple, right? It's just swish, swoosh, thwack! Got it?"

Hinata Shoyo's mouth fell open. Three giant question marks seemed to materialize above his orange head. He blinked, then blinked again, and finally shook his head honestly.

Lu Ren clutched his forehead in pain.

Of course.

He knew it. Trying to learn any theoretical knowledge from a creature that lived by instinct was like searching for a needle in the ocean. This wasn't teaching; it was a coded conversation.

"I don't understand at all!" Lu Ren couldn't help but complain. "What kind of teaching is this? An onomatopoeia lecture hall? Can't the skill description be written in slightly more human language?"

He had originally hoped to steal a few advanced receive techniques from this "Guardian Deity" to upgrade his defense stat from "paper-thin" to "wooden board." Now, it seemed more reliable to just go to Sawamura Daichi. Although the captain's lessons were a bit dry, at least they were based on logic that humans could understand.

"It's no use, Yuu." Tanaka Ryūnosuke walked by, carrying a mop, his expression one of weary resignation. "Normal people just can't understand what a guy who plays using spinal reflexes is saying. Is there a missing converter between your brain circuits and your language center?"

"Huh?" Nishinoya raised his eyebrows in annoyance. "I explained it clearly! It's about the rhythm!"

"Is that so?"

A cool voice cut in. Kageyama Tobio held a volleyball, nodding thoughtfully. "I think I get it a little. Indeed, when shifting your weight, a 'swish' is smoother."

The mop in Tanaka's hand almost fell to the floor.

"Huh? You understood?" Tanaka looked at Kageyama as if he were a monster.

"Because they're the same species," Lu Ren said expressionlessly, unscrewing his bottle cap and taking a sip of water. "Brainwaves between single-celled organisms are mutually intelligible. Think about how Kageyama usually teaches Hinata? 'Wham!' he runs over, 'Boing!' he jumps up. These two are basically running on the same operating system."

After speaking, Lu Ren put down his water bottle and walked over to the still-dazed Hinata, reaching out to poke the back of his head.

"Hey, Hinata."

"What?" Hinata turned around, covering his head.

"Logically, this shouldn't be the case." Lu Ren sized up the small, orange-haired boy. "You're also a wild animal who plays by instinct and intuition. Theoretically, you should be able to receive Senior Nishinoya's signals. Did I misjudge? Are you actually a hidden theorist? Were your usual erratic movements actually precise calculations?"

"What are you talking about, Lu Ren!" Hinata jumped up, exasperated. "How could I be a theorist! I want to understand too! But what's the difference between 'swish' and 'swoosh'!"

"Probably just the difference in wind speed," Lu Ren bluffed casually.

The group playfully tidied up the volleyballs scattered on the floor. Hinata picked up a ball and his movement suddenly paused. He looked at Nishinoya Yū, who was wrestling with Tanaka for the mop, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

"Um... Senior Nishinoya."

"Hm?" Nishinoya stopped, tucking the mop under his arm. "What is it?"

Hinata swallowed, as if gathering his courage. "Earlier... who was the 'Asahi Senpai' you mentioned?"

The air in the gymnasium froze for a second.

Sugawara Kōshi, who was wiping sweat, stiffened. Sawamura Daichi, who was putting away the net, also stopped. Lu Ren raised an eyebrow, thinking this kid really knew how to step on landmines.

Tanaka was about to rush forward to cover Hinata's mouth. "Hey! You idiot! Don't just say that name..."

"Let's just say, for now."

Nishinoya's voice interrupted Tanaka. The playful grin on his face faded slightly, and his gaze drifted towards the closed gymnasium doors, his tone carrying a complex emotion.

"Let's just say, he was Karasuno's Ace."

"Ace?!"

Those two words were like a high-voltage current, instantly piercing Hinata Shoyo's central nervous system. His eyes widened like saucers, two flames seemingly igniting in his pupils.