The Wrong Path

I am an obedient child, and I will remain so until the day I die. I simply obey no one but myself., Sartre

There are two things that matter most in Hanshan Wuqi's life: belonging and passion.

He lost the former, then found it again. The latter carried him through a long, endless night and kept him fighting his way forward on this so-called “wrong path.”

In plain English, this is the story of a cold, detached guy who joins the volleyball club to get in shape and improve himself, only to gradually become a volleyball fanatic. A classic “I thought I hated it, but now I love it” tale.

The day after renowned volleyball player Hanshan Wuqi won MVP at the Club World Cup, reporters swarmed the MSBY Black Jackals club.

A certain owl, who claimed to be Player Hanshan's number one, invincible best bro in the whole world, puffed out his chest proudly. “That's right! Our Wuqi is just that awesome!”

Then the microphones passed over the blond setter and pointed straight at a masked man trying to escape the scene.

Masked man: “…”

He went through the motions of accepting congratulations without changing expression, then skirted around the obnoxious setter, who was furiously yelling things like, “Don't ignore me!” He soothed the orange-haired guy trying to calm the setter down, along with the owl still gazing up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, reminiscing about the past, and got ready to go home and have dinner with Hanshan.

Meanwhile, the hashtag #Monster Generation Golden Trio Suspected of Falling Out# continued to trend, climbing the hot-search charts.

The ostracized third member had this to say: As everyone knows, a golden trio only has two people.

That night, a question mark appeared on Hanshan Wuqi's long-dormant Twitter account.

1. Volleyball story. Slow burn and relatively realistic, not a conventional, passionate sports story.

2. There are a few supernatural elements, but they won't affect the volleyball.

3. The author's knowledge of volleyball is limited. Please forgive and correct me if I get anything wrong about tournaments or training.

4. The story starts in middle school and continues into the professional leagues. There are more losses than wins early on, then more wins than losses after high school.

5. This is a male-led romance, and the protagonist is somewhere on the demisexual spectrum. The pairing is SKS, and the romance doesn't come until much later. The only side pairings are M/F.

6. Thanks to the artist Tutu Tou Xiaoji for drawing the cover.

7. Chapter 204 was paywalled on May 5, 2023. There will be no retroactive paywalling. The 203 free chapters give new readers plenty of time to get used to the style and characters. This is a two-way choice, so feel free to stop reading if it's not for you.

8. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who has followed the story all this time. I hope you all have a wonderful reading experience.

Coming next:

“Ushijima's Older Brother Has Amnesia,” set at Shiratorizawa, sports-focused with no romance.

An earthquake struck just as the graduation ceremony ended. A tsunami reaching thirty meters high claimed tens of thousands of lives, burying a group of young people and their dreams.

Yet in August 2010, in a New York hospital in another world, Sorai Tsuru opened his eyes.

Well, there are still plenty of things he hasn't figured out, but first things first: let's play ball and win the national championship!

1. Volleyball story, this time set at Shiratorizawa, before the original story's timeline.

2. The protagonist is a brooding guy who overthinks but acts fast. By overthinking, I mean he racks his brain over how to balance his old flame, his former team, and his current flame, Shiratorizawa, the team he's with now. By acting fast, I mean that if someone looks upset and needs comforting, he'll pull them into his arms right away. “My chest is broad, so lean on me.” You'll have to judge his level of angst for yourself.

3. Although the second point may sound a little suggestive, there is no romance. Shiratorizawa's team has nothing but brotherly affection and friendship. The author may occasionally create some strange, funny vibes out of sheer mischief.

4. The amnesia isn't just a throwaway bit of backstory. The protagonist's memories and volleyball are both important parts of the story, and the truth about his condition will gradually unfold as the plot progresses.

5. The finals will generally get at least 30,000 words. Other matches will be shorter depending on their importance, though I'll write more if I come up with an interesting scene. The protagonist transfers in unexpectedly and has to wait half a year before he can play in official matches, so the early chapters will have more everyday life and smaller games.

Premise: Having weathered confusion, you can take your next step with greater certainty.