Volleyball: I Only Play Against Cursed Spirits

The day before high school started, Noya Kaede got bound to a System.

Listening to the System in his head ask him to form an organization and wipe out monsters, he watched his older brother, who knew nothing about any of this and was busy practicing volleyball.

...What do we do, Brother? It looks like we're headed for different futures.

-

Later, Noya Kaede successfully exploited a loophole and dragged Noya Yuu into it too. He followed in his brother's footsteps, little flowers of happiness practically blooming all around him.

The Karasuno team, who had been dragged into this and forced to step into a new world, were the only ones who weren't all that happy.

--We're part of your brotherly play, aren't we?

-

At first, Noya Kaede hadn't really taken it seriously.

To him, the world had never felt quite real in the first place, so he hadn't paid much attention to those so-called monsters. Even when he finally saw them and realized they were cursed spirits from a Jujutsu Kaisen setting, he wasn't particularly shaken.

They were so ugly that the senpai seeing them for the first time instinctively covered his eyes. Kaede calmly pulled the senpai's hand away, thinking that if this was all there was to it, wouldn't it be a piece of cake?

It wasn't until he was getting ready to officially begin exorcising cursed spirits, and saw for the first time the new kind of showdown the System's technical department had rushed to put together, that Noya Kaede was truly left speechless.

"...Why didn't you tell me that this so-called new format was making cursed spirits play volleyball?"

"The moment it was developed, you had already picked two people."

"But there was still one spot left, wasn't there?"

"I tried to give you a hint."

"But you told me to shut up."

Noya Kaede looked at the court, where the players who'd fallen victim to this scheme were looking at the cursed spirits.

He slowly covered his face in despair.

"--Then do you want to tell me how two setters and a libero are supposed to play three-on-three?"

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Thanks to my friend @Xia Yu Yao Da San1 for drawing the cover, ww (I bow down to you)

Reader's guide:

1. An unconventional sports story. There's almost no actual match content, and the protagonist won't play.

2. Barely involves the Jujutsu Kaisen setting, just borrows some of its worldbuilding.

3. My writing skills are limited. If you feel uncomfortable, please stop reading (bows).

4. Please check out the upcoming stories on my profile, meow.

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Upcoming story: How Hard Is It to Raise Kenma's Affection?

You're a player.

To get the highest affection level with every character, you treat them with the warmest kindness and the utmost tenderness, caring for and accepting them.

But as time slowly passes, you've collected the maximum-affection cards for most of them. Only Kozume Kenma, the first person you ever met, remains impossible to max out.

After practice, you offer him water and a towel, but he only takes the water. When you study together and explain problems to him, he keeps his distance. On the way home from school, a fallen leaf lands in his hair, but he insists on removing it himself.

You wonder if maybe that's just how he is.

So you try asking him for his maximum-affection card.

--He turns you down.

You retreat in tears, not really understanding what's going on. But since your usual approach has worked on everyone else, you're convinced it's only a matter of time, and you have no intention of changing your strategy.

-

When you go on a trip together, Kenma goes to sleep early.

You still have luggage to sort and plans for tomorrow to make. Once that's all done, you want to lie down and enjoy playing a game for a while... In short, you have no intention of going to bed early with him.

Halfway through your orderly routine, there's suddenly a stir from Kenma's side. You turn around. He's drenched in cold sweat, his brow furrowed, eyes still tightly shut, and his expression is anything but peaceful.

--He's clearly having a nightmare.

Without a second thought, you hurry over and touch his palm. It's cold and damp. Then you gently help him sit up and draw him into your arms, stroking his back as you softly comfort him.

Your touch seems to wake him. He plants one hand on the floor to steady himself. His fluffy pudding-bowl haircut is buried against your chest, so you can't see his expression or tell whether he's calmed down.

You hesitate for a moment. Once you feel his body stop trembling, you let go, intending to check on him.

But the instant your embrace loosens, he lifts his head and looks at you.

Kenma's voice is very soft, as if he'd reached the end of his patience, or were simply stating a fact. "...This isn't the distance between ordinary friends anymore."

You freeze.

Your reflection is visible in his pupils. He looks at you with such focus and intensity, like a cat that has spotted its prey. For some reason, you suddenly feel like backing away, like running.

He seems to notice your fear. One hand silently climbs up and wraps around your wrist. Still cold and damp with sweat, it coils around you like a snake.

--You can't escape.

-

Kenma doesn't know how the neighbor who lives one street away from him, and is also his classmate, slowly got so close to him.

That person is always cheerful and optimistic, forever warming everyone with their happiness. After meeting everyone in the volleyball club through him, they often volunteer to help out.

They refuse to be the manager, acting more like an enthusiastic volunteer, doing their best to meet everyone's needs whenever they have time.

They wipe sweat off Kuroo, look after the sick Yaku, and answer every one of Lev's stupid questions.

They say they want to be good friends with everyone.

--Friends?

As if.

Theme: As long as we work hard, we can decide our own future.