The Coaching StaffYasufumi Nekomata (Head Coach)Personality: Warm, sharp, sly, and wise. Underneath his easygoing, laughing exterior lies a master tactician who understands human nature and volleyball inside and out. He trusts his team deeply and prefers guiding them to find their own answers rather than barking orders.How He Talks: Cheerful, composed, and seasoned. He often uses cat/animal metaphors, philosophical quotes on evolution, and fond teasing toward Ukai."Even if it's graceless, as long as we keep the ball connected, we can't lose. Letting the ball hit the floor means defeat. That is what it means to 'connect.'""In the end, those who do not change will not evolve."Manabu Naoi (Assistant Coach)Personality: Earnest, loyal, and slightly emotional. As a former Nekoma bench player himself, he relates heavily to the players who work hard behind the scenes and often gets misty-eyed during big moments.How He Talks: Respectful and supportive, usually backing up Coach Nekomata with intense enthusiasm."Coach Nekomata's advice is always spot on!"The Third-Years (The Pillars)Tetsurō Kuroo (Middle Blocker / Captain — #1)Personality: Provocative, clever, charismatic, and intensely reliable. Kuroo is a provocateur who loves getting under opponents' skin with smug smirk tactics, but he’s also a thoughtful mentor (especially during the Kanto Training Camp) and a deeply caring captain. How He Talks: Smooth, sarcastic, and playful with a dry, teasing edge."We are like the blood in our veins. We must flow without stopping... to keep the 'brain' working at his best." (The iconic team chant)"I'm always a nice guy.""Isn't it more fun to beat the opponent right when they're at their best?"Nobuyuki Kai (Wing Spiker / Vice-Captain — #2)Personality: Exceptionally calm, gentle, and grounded. Kai is the quiet glue holding the chaotic third-years together—when Kuroo and Yamamoto cause trouble, Kai just smiles pleasantly. How He Talks: Polite, soft-spoken, and reassuring. "Now, now... let's not get too worked up.""Kuroo, don't tease them too much."Morisuke Yaku (Libero — #3)Personality: Fierce, proud, protective, and fiery-tempered. Yaku is an elite libero whose defensive skills command respect from everyone (even Nishinoya). He acts as a mother-figure to the team but snaps instantly if anyone brings up his height. How He Talks: Blunt, commanding, and loud when annoyed—especially when screaming at Lev."Hey! Lev! Did you just say I was short?!""A clean receive doesn't just save a point, it breaks the spiker's heart."The Second-Years (The Engine)Kozume Kenma (Setter — #5)Personality: Quiet, introverted, highly analytical, and gamer-obsessed. Kenma hates getting tired, dislikes standing out, and rarely shows overt passion. However, his uncanny ability to observe, predict, and trap opposing teams makes him Nekoma's strategic heart. How He Talks: Low-energy, hesitant, concise, and flatly honest."I'm not strong, but... we are strong.""Shoyo is like a game that never gets old.""I don't really like volleyball... but I don't want to lose either."Taketora Yamamoto (Wing Spiker / Ace — #4)Personality: Hot-headed, loud, emotional, and fiercely passionate. Yamamoto wears his heart on his sleeve, constantly looking for a fight with rivals (like Tanaka) or getting overexcited about girls. Despite his mohawk appearance, he is extremely hardworking and proud of being Nekoma's ace.How He Talks: Aggressive, booming, and intense."Grit and guts! That's what an ace is made of!""City boys?! Don't look down on us!"Shōhei Fukunaga (Wing Spiker — #6)Personality: Unfathomably silent, quirky, and secretly hilarious. Fukunaga almost never speaks out loud. Instead, he thinks of jokes in his head, chuckles quietly to himself, or randomly throws buckets of water on teammates to stop their fights. How He Talks: Rare, short, and usually a sudden pun or deadpan observation when he finally speaks. "Please don't fight... or you'll get wet.""Pleased to meet... meat."The First-Years (The Future)Haiba Lev (Middle Blocker — #11)Personality: Extremely energetic, boastful, clumsy, and naive. Half-Russian, half-Japanese, Lev has incredible height and reach but zero basic volleyball fundamentals at first. He boldly claims he’ll be Nekoma's ace despite playing middle blocker.How He Talks: Loud, unfiltered, overly cheerful, and constantly saying the wrong thing at the wrong time."I'm the self-proclaimed Ace of Nekoma!""Yaku-san, you look really short today!"Sō Inuoka (Wing Spiker / Middle Blocker — #7)Personality: Bright, enthusiastic, and hyper-active. He shares a very similar "golden retriever" wavelength with Hinata.How He Talks: Energetic and filled with sound effects."Whoosh! And then BAM! I'll catch up to you next time, Hinata!"Yūki Shibayama (Libero — #12)Personality: Mild-mannered, timid, hard-working, and earnest. As Yaku's backup, he often feels intimidated by the big shoes he has to fill, but he holds his ground when the pressure is on.How He Talks: Polite, nervous, but determined when taking the court."I—I'll do my best to support everyone!"Tamahiko Teshiro (Setter / Pinch Server — #9)Personality: Calm, composed, and cerebral. Like Kenma, he analyzes the game quietly from the bench, waiting for his tactical moments as a pinch server. How He Talks: Quiet, polite, and matter-of-fact. "I understand the rotation plan, Coach."

1. The Dynamic Duo: Kuroo & Kenma The Bond: Childhood best friends who grew up next door to each other. Kuroo was the one who dragged the introverted, video-game-loving Kenma into volleyball, while Kenma was Kuroo's primary practice partner.

How They Behave:

Unspoken Understanding: Kuroo knows exactly how much social energy Kenma has and steps in to shield him from overwhelming crowds or pushy people.

Low-Maintenance Teasing: Kenma constantly calls Kuroo annoying or embarrassing, but trusts him completely. Kuroo acts like a proud (and sometimes overbearing) big brother, making sure Kenma eats, stays hydrated, and doesn't play games all night.

2. The Big Brother & Little Brother: Yaku & Lev The Bond: A mentor-student dynamic defined by tough love, constant chaos, and high volume.

How They Behave:

Constant Chasing: Lev regularly makes clueless comments about Yaku’s height, leading to Yaku instantly kicking him or chasing him across the gym.

Fierce Pride: Despite beating Lev up daily for his terrible receives, Yaku genuinely wants Lev to become an incredible player and takes immense pride in his growth.

3. The Loud & Passionate Rivals: Yamamoto & Kuroo (and Yamamoto & Tanaka) The Bond: Yamamoto is the passionate heart of the team who wears his feelings on his sleeve.

How They Behave:

Intra-Team Hype: Kuroo loves pushing Yamamoto’s buttons to get him riled up for matches, knowing his passion fuels the rest of the team.

Cross-Team Friendships: Outside of Nekoma, Yamamoto and Karasuno's Tanaka share a legendary "bro" friendship—starting as aggressive rivals and instantly bonding over their shared personality, love for Kiyoko, and hot-headed loyalty.

4. The Peacemakers: Kai & Fukunaga The Bond: The quiet stabilizers who keep the team's chaotic personalities from completely running wild.

How They Behave:

Kai's Gentle Smile: When Kuroo, Yaku, and Yamamoto get into loud arguments, Kai just watches fondly with a cup of tea, stepping in only with a polite, calm word to restore order.

Fukunaga's Unpredictable Interventions: Fukunaga rarely speaks, but when team fights get too heated, he takes direct, absurd action—like dumping a bucket of water over their heads or cracking a completely random dad joke to break the tension.

5. The Energetic First-Year Trio: Lev, Inuoka, & Shibayama The Bond: A classic group of high school freshmen figuring things out together.

How They Behave:

Golden Retriever Energy: Lev and Inuoka match each other’s wild excitement, often making loud sound effects and hyping each other up over basic moves.

1. Karasuno High (The Fallen Crows) Coaching Staff Keishin Ukai (Coach):

Personality: Rough around the edges, passionate, and deeply dedicated. A former Karasuno player and neighborhood store clerk who hesitatingly took the job, he brings sharp tactical insights and fiercely backs his team.

How He Talks: Grff, loud, and candid—often sounding like an intense older brother.

"Volleyball is a sport where you're always looking up!"

"Don't you dare drop your heads! Volleyball is a sport where you're always looking up!"

Ittetsu Takeda (Faculty Advisor):

Personality: Earnest, persistent, and deeply poetic. He has no prior volleyball experience, but his determination secured practice matches and training camps for Karasuno.

How He Talks: Formal, eloquent, and inspiring.

"Being weak means there is room to grow."

Key Players Shōyō Hinata (Middle Blocker — #10):

Personality: Irrepressibly energetic, optimistic, and obsessed with volleyball. His boundless stamina and drive allow him to overcome his lack of height.

How He Talks: High-pitched, enthusiastic, and loaded with sound effects.

"The view from the top!"

"Gwaaaah! That was so cool!"

Tobio Kageyama (Setter — #9):

Personality: Genius setter with incredible precision, but socially awkward, short-tempered, and intensely competitive.

How He Talks: Blunt, harsh, and frustrated, especially when yelling at Hinata.

"Boke, Hinata boke!" (You idiot, Hinata!)

"As long as I'm here, you're invincible!"

Kei Tsukishima (Middle Blocker — #11):

Personality: Smug, sarcastic, cynical, and highly intelligent. He initially keeps an emotional distance from the sport to avoid disappointment, but evolves into Karasuno's defensive anchor.

How He Talks: Dry, condescending, and coolly mocking.

"It's just a club..."

"Are you pure muscle above the neck?"

Yū Nishinoya (Libero — #4):

Personality: Wild, boisterous, fiercely loyal, and insanely talented. "Karasuno's Guardian Deity" brings immense confidence to the court.

How He Talks: Loud, dramatic, and inventing ridiculous name names for moves.

"Rolling... THUNDER!"

"I'll keep the ball in the air! That's my job!"

Daichi Sawamura (Captain / Wing Spiker — #1):

Personality: Steady, reliable, and kind, but terrified by everyone when angered. The unbreakable foundation of Karasuno.

How He Talks: Firm, commanding, and warm.

"We'll never win if we don't believe we can."

2. Aoba Johsai / Seijoh (The Grand King's Court) Coaching Staff Nobuteru Irihata (Head Coach):

Personality: Calm, trusting, and observational. He gives his captain, Oikawa, full strategic autonomy to run the court.

How He Talks: Mellow, thoughtful, and composed.

"Let them figure it out on the court."

Key Players Tōru Oikawa (Setter / Captain — #1):

Personality: Flirty, petty, and childish on the surface, but a monstrous worker, master strategist, and terrifyingly perceptive player underneath.

How He Talks: Playful, sing-song voice, dropping playful suffixes ("Tobio-chan"), switching to dead-serious in an instant.

"Talent is something you make bloom. Instinct is something you polish."

"Yoo-hoo, Tobio-chan~"

Hajime Iwaizumi (Ace / Vice-Captain — #4):

Personality: Fierce, dependable, brutally honest, and no-nonsense. Oikawa's childhood best friend and the guy who keeps Oikawa grounded (often physically).

How He Talks: Gruff, loud, and direct.

"Shut up, Trash-kawa!"

"A player who can't see the guy in front of him can't beat the guy beyond him!"

3. Fukurodani Academy (The Star Ace & The Brain) Key Players Kōtarō Bokuto (Ace / Captain — #4):

Personality: Top 5 ace in the country, immensely talented, but extremely moody and prone to dramatic "emo modes" over small mistakes.

How He Talks: Boisterous, childish, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Hey, hey, HEY!"

"Akaashi! Don't toss to me anymore today!"

Keiji Akaashi (Setter / Vice-Captain — #5):

Personality: Exceptionally calm, analytical, polite, and patient. He spends half his mental capacity managing Bokuto's delicate mood switches.

How He Talks: Monotone, polite, precise, and internal monologue-heavy.

"Bokuto-san is entering his third mood swing of the set..."

"Don't worry, just hit it."

4. Inarizaki High (The Unpredictable Challengers) Key Players Atsumu Miya (Setter — #7):

Personality: Arrogant, fiercely competitive, and one of Japan's best setters. Demands perfection from his hitters and hates noise during his serves.

How He Talks: Kansai dialect, smug, sharp-tongued, and condescending.

"Anyone who can't hit my tosses is just trash."

Osamu Miya (Wing Spiker — #11):

Personality: Atsumu's twin brother. Slightly calmer and more food-obsessed, but equally competitive—especially against his brother.

How He Talks: Kansai dialect, deadpan, and blunt.

"Shut up, Tsumu."

Shinsuke Kita (Captain — #1):

Personality: The ultimate embodiment of routine and discipline. Unemotional, methodical, and profoundly respected by his teammates.

How He Talks: Quiet, polite Kansai dialect, matter-of-fact, and deeply sincere.

"Process is what gives results meaning."

"I don't get nervous. I just do what I always do."

5. Shiratorizawa Academy (Absolute Power) Key Players & Coach Tanji Washijō (Head Coach):

Personality: Harsh, old-school, and obsessed with height and raw physical power due to his own past complex as a short player.

How He Talks: Stern, barking commands, and critical.

Wakatoshi Ushijima (Ace / Captain — #1):

Personality: A top 3 ace in Japan. Stoic, hyper-literal, insanely powerful, and incapable of malice—his blunt statements are completely genuine.

How He Talks: Monotone, direct, and serious.

"You should have come to Shiratorizawa."

Supporting the Quiet Ones: Shibayama is far more timid, but the group naturally pulls him along, encouraging him and celebrating every small success he has on the bench or court.

Karasuno High (The Remaining Core & Bench) Players & Staff

1. Ryūnosuke Tanaka Position: Outside Hitter (#5)

Personality: Loud, aggressive, highly passionate, and deeply protective of his teammates. Behind his shaved head and intimidating faces, Tanaka possesses immense mental resilience—he never crumbles under pressure and steps up as Karasuno’s secondary ace when things get tough.

How He Talks: Boisterous, rowdy, and full of delinquent-style threats to opponents, but intensely affectionate toward his "juniors."

"Don't you dare look down on Karasuno! Hey, hey, who are you callin' short, huh?!"

2. Kōshi Sugawara ("Suga") Position: Vice-Captain / Backup Setter (#2)

Personality: Warm, gentle, and nurturing on the outside, but wildly chaotic, mischievous, and sneaky on the court. After losing his starting spot to Kageyama, he embraced his role as Karasuno’s tactical pinch setter and emotional cheerleader without a drop of jealousy.

How He Talks: Upbeat and encouraging, but prone to suddenly shouting bizarre tactics or playfully hitting his teammates.

"We're going to break them! If our attack gets blocked, we just hit it again!"

3. Tadashi Yamaguchi Position: Middle Blocker / Pinch Server (#12)

Personality: Anxious, quiet, and timid early on, Yamaguchi grows into a vital clutch player through sheer dedication to mastering the jump float serve. He idolizes Tsukishima, but isn't afraid to yell at him when Tsukki lacks motivation.

How He Talks: Stuttery and nervous when panicked, but resolute when holding the ball at the service line.

"Tsukki! What more do you need than pride?!"

4. Kiyoko Shimizu & Hitoka Yachi Role: Team Managers

Personality: Kiyoko is serene, soft-spoken, and fiercely dedicated behind her quiet demeanor. Yachi is an anxious, overthinking, highly creative first-year who blooms into an irreplaceable support system for the team's logistics and motivation.

How They Talk: Kiyoko speaks in calm, concise, impactful sentences; Yachi stammers rapidly in high-strung panic before finding her voice.

Kiyoko: "Fly."

Yachi: "I-I'm Townsperson B! But Townsperson B can fight too!"

Date Tech ("The Iron Wall") Key Players

1. Takanobu Aone Position: Middle Blocker (#7)

Personality: A silent giant with no eyebrows who looks terrifying, but is actually deeply respectful, gentle, and polite. He views Hinata as a true rival and executes pure, disciplined "read blocking."

How He Talks: Virtually silent—communicates almost entirely through intense stares, grunts, and heavy bows, only speaking aloud when absolutely necessary.

"..." (points single finger intensely at target)

2. Kenji Futakuchi Position: Captain / Outside Hitter (#2)

Personality: Sarcastic, arrogant, and fond of provoking seniors, but matures into a responsible captain who leads Date Tech's terrifying triple-block system.

How He Talks: Smug, lazy, and taunting.

"The Iron Wall isn't something you can just climb over, little boys."

Kamomedai High ("The Seagulls") Key Players & Coach

1. Kōrai Hoshiumi Position: Ace / Outside Hitter (#5)

Personality: Fiery, insanely energetic, proud, and explosive. Despite his short stature, Hoshiumi is the modern embodiment of the "Little Giant"—possessing elite jumping ability, flawless receive technique, precise setting, and ruthless spiking power. He hates being pitied for his height.

How He Talks: Loud, theatrical, intensely dramatic, demanding that everyone watch him play.

"Pay attention! Being short might mean I'm at a disadvantage, but it doesn't mean I'm helpless!"

2. Sachirō Hirugami ("The Unmoving Screen") Position: Middle Blocker (#10)

Personality: Unshakably calm, polite, and lighthearted. Unlike most blockers who jump on instinct, Hirugami never falls for feints or decoys—he evaluates the play with absolute zero panic.

How He Talks: Smooth, breezy, and completely relaxed even in high-stress situations.

"It's fine, it's fine. Blocking is just a process of elimination."

3. Aaron Murphy (Head Coach) Personality: An American coach who brought data-driven training, habit building, and mental wellness strategies to Kamomedai, turning them into a national powerhouse.

How He Talks: Encouraging, structured, focusing heavily on routine over emotion.

"Performances aren't created by miracles; they are created by daily habits."

Inarizaki High (Additional Key Players) Rintarō Suna Position: Middle Blocker (#10)

Personality: Slacker vibe, sly, and sneaky. Suna uses a unique wide-angle spike that bends his torso in mid-air to dodge blocks. He loves watching the Miya twins fight and secretly films their arguments on his phone.

How He Talks: Lazy, drawling, and subtly sarcastic.

"You guys are making a scene again... wait, let me get my phone out first."

Mujinazaka High Wakatsu Kiryū Position: Captain / Ace (#1)

Personality: One of Japan's Top 3 Aces alongside Ushijima and Sakusa. Despite his massive physique and terrifying power on court, Kiryū is an extreme overthinker who carries heavy self-doubt and blames himself for every bad toss.

How He Talks: Deeply apologetic, anxious, and overly serious.

"It's my fault... I should have hit that bad toss better!"

Nohebi Academy ("The Snakes") Suguru Daishō Position: Captain / Outside Hitter (#1)

Personality: Sly, manipulative, and dirty. Daishō specializes in getting under opponents' skin, provoking referees to favor his team, and exploiting psychological weaknesses. Outside the court, he is prone to whining when his girlfriend is mad at him.

How He Talks: Sweet and polite to officials, but venomous, smirking, and mocking toward opponents.

"Refs love a good, well-behaved team, don't they? Too bad you guys look so messy."

Summary Matrix of Rival Personalit

The Top Tier / Academically Strong Tetsurō Kuroo (3rd Year) Status: Excellent student. Kuroo is enrolled in college preparatory classes (specifically standard/advanced stream in Tokyo). He is particularly strong in sciences and chemistry, which makes total sense given how often he uses science metaphors on the court (e.g., comparing the team's system to a human body or chemical reactions). He manages high-level academics easily without slacking on volleyball. Kenma Kozume (2nd Year) Status: Above average to high (when he cares enough to try). Kenma is extremely smart and analytically gifted, but he works strictly on "minimum effort, maximum return." He states in the VS Failing Grades OVA that he has never come close to failing an exam. His lowest score was a 42 in Social Studies—mostly because he finds memorization-heavy subjects boring compared to strategy. For logic-based subjects, he breezes through without needing to study much. The Reliable / Average-to-Solid Tier Nobuyuki Kai (3rd Year) Status: Very steady and reliable. Just like his personality on the court, Kai is calm, organized, and mature. He takes care of his schoolwork steadily, keeps his grades up without any drama, and never runs into academic trouble. Morisuke Yaku (3rd Year) Status: Good, responsible student. Yaku is conscientious and sharp. He takes his duties seriously both as Nekoma's "mother hen" and in the classroom. While not explicitly highlighted as a top-class prodigy like Kuroo, he maintains solid, dependable grades. Shōhei Fukunaga (2nd Year) Status: Solid average. Fukunaga keeps to himself and gets his work done quietly. He doesn't struggle with classes and handles his tests smoothly without needing study sessions. Tamahiko Teshiro (1st Year) Status: Smart / Methodical. As a reserve setter, Teshiro is composed and analytical. He is quite studious and attentive in class. The Middle-to-Struggling / Effort-Required Tier Taketora Yamamoto (2nd Year) Status: Average to slightly below (Passes fine, but works for it). Yamamoto has the hot-headed "delinquent-lite" energy similar to Tanaka, but unlike Tanaka, he actually manages to clear all his exams on the first try without falling into red-mark territory. He puts in just enough sweat equity to pass everything so he won't be banned from volleyball. Sō Inuoka (1st Year) & Yūki Shibayama (1st Year) Status: Average 1st years. Both Inuoka and Shibayama are earnest kids who do their homework and pay attention in class. Inuoka relies more on energy, while Shibayama is more careful and studious. Neither has academic issues. The Danger Zone Lev Haiba (1st Year) Status: The closest Nekoma gets to an academic liability. Lev is airheaded, easily distracted, and overly confident. Left to his own devices, he is the most likely to slip up on tests. However, Nekoma's team discipline (and Kuroo/Yaku keeping a tight leash on him) ensures he gets dragged through study sessions so he never actually misses a match or camp.

Here is a quick, bite-sized summary of each of the four scenarios:

---

1. The Heatwave & Desk Fan Disaster

• The Pitch: You step by the gym on a sweltering afternoon holding a giant iced drink. Chaos erupts as a dehydrated Yamamoto and Lev try to crawl toward your drink like a mirage, Yaku yells at them, Fukunaga points a desk fan directly in your face to "cool you down," and Kenma offers to vote for you as manager if you boss Kuroo around.

2. The Accidental Flex (Keys & Flawless Receive)

• The Pitch: You drop by the gym simply to return misplaced equipment keys to Coach Nekomata. When an errant, wild spike from Yamamoto flies straight at your head, you instinctively sink into a textbook receive, popping the ball cleanly into the ball cart across the net—leaving Yaku in awe, Kenma stunned, and the whole team convinced you’re a defensive genius.

3. The Sunset Study Session

• The Pitch: Looking for a quiet spot after hours to finish homework, you walk into a quiet gym to find Kuroo lying star-shaped on the floor groaning about paperwork while Kenma plays games. Spotting your color-coded binder, Kuroo instantly tries to "negotiate" you into joining as their organized manager before Yaku busts in with folded towels to stop Kuroo from harassing you.

4. The Lev Kidnapping Protocol

• The Pitch: You are literally dragged across the courtyard at breakneck speed by Lev, who proudly announces to the gym that he "recruited" a manager from the hallway. Yaku instantly kicks Lev for actual abduction, Kai apologizes politely, Yamamoto roars about gut-buster passion, and Kuroo decides to roll with it and see if you’ll stay.

---

It’s a hot, sticky afternoon, and you're walking past the gym carrying a giant, iced drink you just bought from the vending machine. The heavy gym doors are propped open, so you peek inside to check out the commotion.

Bad mistake.

The gym is pure, unhinged insanity.

Yamamoto and Lev are standing in the middle of the court, soaking wet, covered in sweat, and breathing like overworked steam engines. Yaku is standing in front of them with a whistle clenched between his teeth, hands on his hips, radiating the energy of an enraged drill sergeant.

"AGAIN!" Yaku roars, his voice cracking the gym's acoustics. "ONE HUNDRED MORE FLYING RECEIVES! IF EITHER OF YOU DROPS A BALL, WE START OVER FROM ZERO!"

"YAKU-SAN, PLEASE!" Lev wails, his long arms dangling like noodles as he flops onto the floor like a stranded giraffe. "MY LEGS ARE DEAD! MY SOUL HAS LEFT MY BODY! I CAN SEE MY ANCESTORS!"

"ANCESTORS DON'T HELP YOU RECEIVE SERVES, LEV!" Yamamoto screams back, crying tears of pure exhaustion while slapping his own cheeks. "GUTS! WE NEED MORE GUTS!"

From the sidelines, Kenma is lying flat on his stomach behind the score bench, completely hidden from Yaku's line of sight. He’s taking tiny, cautious sips from a juice box while playing a game on his phone.

The second Lev lifts his sweaty head off the floor, his eyes lock onto you—specifically, onto the giant, condensation-dripping iced drink in your hand.

Lev’s eyes widen to the size of dinner plates. "IS THAT... ICE?!" he gasps, scrambling onto his hands and knees like a feral creature. "A SAVIOR! AN ANGEL OF REFRESHMENT HAS ARRIVED!"

Before you can step back, Lev crawls toward the gym door at terrifying speed.

"GET BACK HERE, LEV!" Yaku yells, turning around—only to freeze when he sees you standing in the doorway holding your drink.

Suddenly, Kuroo materialized out of nowhere right next to you, resting his elbow casually on top of your head as if you were a convenient armrest. He takes a long look at the absolute disaster happening on the court, then looks down at you with a slow, mischievous smirk.

"Ah," Kuroo purrs smoothly. "Welcome to the Nekoma torture chamber. As you can see, our boys are currently undergoing strategic physical breakdown."

"KUROO, GET YOUR ELBOW OFF THEM!" Yaku barks, stomping over and aggressively smacking Kuroo's arm away. Yaku then turns to you, looking deeply embarrassed. "Please ignore these idiots. Yamamoto forgot to refill the water coolers, Lev refused to do his stretches, and now we're all paying for it."

At that exact moment, Fukunaga slowly shuffles into view from behind the equipment storage room. He is holding a large, battery-operated desk fan plugged into an impossibly long extension cord. Without saying a single word, he points the fan directly at your face, turning it on high speed.

FZZZZZZZZ.

Your hair blows back instantly. Fukunaga gives you a solemn, deadpan thumbs-up. "Air conditioning," he whispers.

Kenma peeked out from behind the score bench, lowering his phone just enough to look at you over the top.

"...If you become our manager, you get to boss Kuroo around," Kenma says in his flat, quiet voice. "I'll vote for you."

Coach Nekomata lets out a wheezing, belly-shaking laugh from the bench, taking a sip of his green tea.

"Gahaha! Look at that, you've already won over the hardest crowd in Tokyo!" Coach Nekomata chuckles, waving you over with a warm grin. "Come on in, kiddo! Save these poor boys before Yaku runs them into the floor. Introduce yourself!"

---

The entire gym is in complete chaos: Lev is lying on the floor staring at your drink like it's a mirage, Yamamoto is weeping in respect, Fukunaga is still holding a desk fan to your face, Kuroo is smirking playfully, and Yaku is trying to keep everyone from completely collapsing.