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Tenma had loved volleyball as a teen.No.That was an understatement.Tenma had lived and breathed volleyball as a teen.It was all consuming, his hunger to play, to spike, to win, to fly. He played volleyball with a single minded focus, of intensity.He was obsessed.Volleyball was like a drug to him.He played with all his might, his capacity, his passion.He was so sure that after he played volleyball in high school, after he led his teammates to nationals and ensured Karasuno became known as one of the powerhouse schools in Miyagi— proving that he can be the ace, despite his lacking height, despite his disadvantages, he could fly to make up for any deficiency, able to stand face to face against players a foot or more taller than him and win.So why, he one despaired once he graduated, why were there no such offers for him to play? Why wasn’t he picked? Why did people seem so indifferent to his achievements? Hadn’t he done enough? Performed enough? Jumped high enough? Why did the doors to the court suddenly feel closed to him? Why, why, why?It was an ice cold splash of reality. A harsh wake up call. The world didn’t need him.Volleyball didn’t need him.He wasn’t some big-shot meant to be a star type of person, no matter the small name that he managed to make for himself in his brief high school volleyball career. There would always be someone taller, stronger, bigger, more skillful, more powerful, more talented — better — than him.So, after a year full of moping and harrowing realizations, Tenma picked himself back up piece by piece, from his shattered dreams and his disappointed broken volleyball heart.Volleyball was done with him. And it was also time for him to move on.So he did.He made peace with himself and left volleyball to his past. Treated it as nothing more than pleasant memories, as he realized there were many more things that he wanted to do other than volleyball.He moved on to university, striving to become a manga-ka. Not looking back once, and not having held a volleyball since.-Years passed and slowly but surely, volleyball became something that was barely on his mind. Until…“-dynamic duo from Karasuno!” Tenma froze in his tracks in front of an electronics shop, the front screen upfront had gathered a small crowd of people cheering.Broadcasted live in front of him was this year's Spring Nationals, showcasing the current Karasuno team. One who he had once heard had begun to decline from its previous powerhouse reputation a few years back since old Coach Ukai began to have health complications. But now, it seemed like Karasuno was back.Tenma watched, fascinated at the current team, especially their undeniable stars, Karasuno’s number 9 and 10. “And there we have it," the commentator said from the screen, "Hinata Shouyou–Karasuno’s little number 10 just scored another point against Inarizaki with the team’s greatest offensive move, their superfast quick attack. That was one fast quick from the back they just did there.”And it was very very fast, thought Tenma, eyes wide. It was like a bullet, he had no idea how the other team could possibly keep up with that, and yet somehow, they did.
The high school teams showcased in this current nationals were on a completely different level than they were before.Mere high school students executing volleyball moves after volleyball moves that even adults would have difficulty with, it was insane, in a good way. For the first time in a while, Tenma’s old fascination with volleyball reignited.-The very next day, he found himself in the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, in Karasuno’s stands, watching as the new generation of little giants play complicated moves against complicated moves against each other. Watching long rallies of aerial battles against aerial battles, Tenma couldn’t help but hold his past self in comparison, without any feelings of inadequacy or jealousy, he could objectively say that these two little giants in front of him were miles off better than he ever was.With his back facing Karasuno’s cheer crowd and fans, and him facing the court, he mildly felt as if he had traveled back in time. That it was him once more that was standing in the court, about to play against Karasuno’s opponents. Feeling his heart pound and blood rushing through his limbs, ready to fight, to take flight, and win it all.“Y'know, this Hoshiumi kid really reminds me of what you were like back in high school,” Tsukishima Akiteru, his fellow Karasuno Volleyball Team alumni suddenly remarked to him out of nowhere as they stood side-by-side enjoying the match between Karasuno and Kamomedai. “Ohhh, really?!” Tenma remarked, thrilled. “I looked this cool and amazing to you?! You think I could've made it to youth camp?!” he asked jokingly in high spirits, enthusiastically holding up an information flier he had found earlier containing nearly all the players to watch — mostly those that have been invited to the All-Japan Youth Camp.Among them was Hoshiumi Kourai.“Um, I don't know about youth camp…” Tsukishima awkwardly replied, but Tenma only laughed, not offended at all, he thought so too. “But-” Akiteru continued, “The whole team did look up to and rely on you. And Karasuno's "Big Little Ace" was a household name back in Miyagi.”Tenma let out a small laugh, feeling a bit flattered and nostalgic, before replying, “Y’know, back then… I thought I was really good too.”-Tenma watched. Watched as both teams gave it their all. Watched as they tried tactic after tactic, plays after plays.Up 'til…It happened near the end of the final set of the match.Karasuno’s Number 10, their main point getter, collapsed. Red-faced and sweating badly, unable to push himself from off the ground.It wasn’t long before Karasuno called for a time out.Worried murmurs erupted from all around him, “What happened?” “What’s going on?” “Was Number 10 injured?” Tenma heard from behind him as he gripped the railings, leaning forward to get a better look. The tiny crow didn’t seem to look injured, though dazedly trying to get back on his feet, however he did seem to look… “Sick,” Tenma suddenly said in realization, Tsukishima jolting in surprise beside him. “What?” Akiteru asked.“He’s sick,” Tenma repeated before realizing how it might alternately sound and clarifying, “A fever by the looks of it.”He watched as Tsukishima’s eyes widened in equal realization, before switching to look back at what was now going on, back in Karasuno's side of the court, where the entire volleyball team seemed to have reached a similar conclusion.“I’m gonna go!” Tenma heard from behind him, seeing Shimada, another Karasuno volleyball alumni (and that jump floater pinch server’s mentor from what he had heard) went to grab his phone and keys, presumably to take Hinata to the hospital. “I’ll leave Shouyou to you,” Tanaka (Saeko) said to Shimada, as seriously and as gravely as he had ever seen her. “And I’ll leave Karasuno to you,” Shimada-san replied to her just as seriously, before leaving.With the bright eyes and excited smile that Hinata directed at him earlier before the match at mind's eye, Tenma patted Tsukishima at the back, “I’m going to head over to Hinata as well, cheer him up a bit,” he said before turning back, “Text me the result of the match later will you?” Tenma grinned at Tsukishima, and waved at Tanaka-san, before following Shimada-san out.Exiting the stands, Tenma waded through the crowds and was faced with the unpleasant realization that Shimada would be harder to follow out than he realized. Turning his head this way and that to determine where Shimada had gone, he suddenly spotted the man far ahead of him, the orange band on his head giving him away, rushing quickly through the thick crowd of students to get to Hinata and their little blonde manager.With his haste, Tenma failed to notice one of the backpacks’ straps— from those lining the floors of the hallways belonging to the various high school athletes— sticking out. And, before Tenma knew it, his foot got caught within said strap and he was sent flying face first, straight to the metal locker in front of him.
BANG
Ouch. That one was gonna bruise, he thought through embarrassed pain.Tenma opened his eyes after closing them just before impact (he didn’t want to become even more acquainted than he already was with the object that would be the cause of his predicted bruised forehead and damaged pride, thank you very much) only to freeze briefly in shock. He was pretty sure that the locker that he just slammed head-first into was a painted beige one, similar to the rest of the lockers within the Metropolitan Arena, and not the dove gray unpainted metal (that was vaguely familiar now that he thought about it) in front of him. 'Did the knock on the head addle his mind?'He heard a soft gasp from behind, and he was instinctively ready to turn around to embarrassedly bow in forgiveness for his clumsiness at the person behind him, before he suddenly registered the lack of crowd noise around him coupled with the faint sound of squeaky shoes and a volleyball hitting the floor, alerting him that something was vaguely wrong.Where was the noise? Where did all the people go? He should have been able to hear the soft sound behind him with the various chattering crowds, shouting fans, and loud cheer crowds echoing around him in the arena. Inplace of the pushing crowds, however, there was suddenly a vast amount of space around him. Tenma’s first thought was, ‘How embarrassing, did I accidentally pass out for a few seconds while leaning unto the locker without noticing and people are now keeping quiet and giving a wide berth around the idiot that wasn’t looking at where he was stepping that he tripped face first?’He was never going to live this down he despaired, especially if Tsukishima was looking, gods, he was never going to be able to face his ex-teammate ever again. Just when he managed to make a cool exit, he went and embarrassed himself.And Tanaka-san too! Oh, kami-sama, he just knew that she would be laughing at him if she saw it wasn’t she. She seemed like the type to laugh and rib him for that for the rest of his life.Turning around to give a rushed, embarrassed apology, he was startled to find no one, except Tanaka-san that is, standing behind him next to a doorway leading to a gym.Odd.The next thing he realized was that, hey, this wasn’t the Tokyo Gym, and then he was rapidly hit with the realization that… wasn’t this his old gym in Karasuno? What was he doing here? Before he also realized that Tanaka-san seemed to look quite a bit younger than she seemed not 5 minutes ago. What. What the heck?But before he could say anything, Tanaka-san had already walked away, turning around once in a while to give him a slightly confused, weirded-out, freaked-out look.“What?” Tenma voiced out dazed.“Haven’t you heard me, kid?” a loud stern voice suddenly said, and Tenma straightened up on instinct, eyes wide, that can’t be… The figure of Coach Ukai showed up at the entrance of what he now knows is Karasuno’s gym. “You’re done for today, go home and get some rest. Come back tomorrow once you’ve calmed yourself down.” his old coach told him dourly, seemingly angry, but Tenma knew that that was just Ukai’s way of showing his concern.“Yes, Coach Ukai,” he replied on instinct, still dazed and not knowing what was going on. Was he dreaming? Did the locker knock him out for real? Cause otherwise, excuse him, but. What. The fuck.Tenma began to walk off, feeling Ukai’s burning stare at his back, watching him until he escorted himself out of Karasuno’s gates.What- What was going on? He asked himself, looking at his hands which were smaller than they were supposed to be. Why was he here? Was he dreaming?He slapped himself hard on both sides of his cheeks. No. Ow. That was painful.“Probably a lucid dream of sorts,” Tenma told himself blatantly in denial. Because the other option was even more ludicrous, something that came out of a manga. And, even if Tenma was a manga-ka himself, he was not so lost in his own mind and imagination that he suddenly believes that everything written within mangas are real… Okay fine, he believes that the zombie manga that he was currently (is? will?) writing might happen. I mean you never know right? Some weird neurologically-affecting virus could suddenly appear out of some infected animal and become transmitted to humans. Like that weird disease that deer get that forces them to run and move around and around until they die. I mean if that exists, how far off would zombie virus really be? And...he was rambling, but now back to the topic.Time travel? Ha! Nope, definitely not.…Right?Yep. Nope. Not gonna happen. A zombie apocalypse will happen sooner than time travel.Yeah, he was definitely just dreaming. A weird realistic dream, but a dream nonetheless. Yep, definitely. He'll wake up from this soon. Totally.'Right. Tenma gaslighted himself as he wandered off the streets away from his old high school with no real destination in mind....