Mochizuki Akio and Tōru Oikawa knew each other as children, and people often called them childhood friends who had grown up together.
Mochizuki Akio's incisive, somewhat cutting opinion was: "They're blind."
Oikawa pouted. "How could I be childhood friends with him? I'd sooner be childhood friends with Tobio-chan than with him."
To outsiders, the two seem like childhood friends with a huge gap between them.
Tōru Oikawa failed to reach nationals in all three years of middle school, and even in his first year of high school he was still held back by Ushijima. Everyone in Miyagi could see how good he was, but that was only in the tiny Sendai gym.
Mochizuki Akio, on the other hand, was famous far and wide, a household name. He was a starting player in matches from his first year of middle school, and his worst result was third place nationally. He had appeared on the cover of the monthly volleyball magazine several times. Plenty of teenage girls who didn't even play volleyball were willing to buy it just for his face.
In other people's eyes, the word genius seemed tailor-made for him.
An exceptional feel for the game, unique anticipation, and an enviable height. He had everything other people had, and more. It just wasn't fair.
But Oikawa knew that the casual label of genius erased all his hard work: every practice beneath the moon, every serve receive, again and again. Everything Mochizuki had achieved was earned through his own effort and training. Whenever Oikawa watched his dazzling figure racing across the court on television, or his powerful serves that showed no fear even in the deciding set, he still wanted to say, "I hate geniuses the most."
Oikawa thought that for the rest of their lives, they would only meet during school breaks. But when he stepped into the volleyball gym at the start of his second year of high school and saw a familiar yet unfamiliar figure standing before him, he couldn't stop the tears from falling.
"Sorry I'm late," the other boy said.
Before middle school, Mochizuki and Oikawa had made a promise to meet at nationals and beat each other.
But every time Mochizuki looked at the match schedule and still couldn't find Oikawa's name, watching Oikawa's playing style from the sidelines, he understood that qualifying might be difficult for Oikawa. Still, he never doubted that Oikawa would make it. After all, that was Tōru Oikawa.
One year, two years, three years. At the final tournament of his third year of middle school, Akio still didn't see the name or team he missed most.
The year he took first place nationally, Oikawa called him, sobbing, and said, "I broke my promise. I hate geniuses like you the most." Then he hung up, and they didn't speak again after that.
Later, Oikawa asked him why he had gone to Aoba Johsai.
Akio smiled. "Someone broke his promise, so I guess I'll just have to go to nationals with him myself."
His setter shouldn't be confined to the Sendai gym. He should shine in national, even international, competitions, radiating the unique charm of a setter.
Tōru Oikawa will make it to the world stage.
Theme: Those who work hard shine brightly
