In late autumn, the year she quit school after a fight caused by jealousy and exclusion, Igarashi Shoya was on a homemade volleyball court in the countryside when an old man in a tank top and flip-flops called out to her.
"Hey, kid, do you like playing volleyball?"
Six months later, she transferred into her second year at Karasuno High and submitted an application to join the volleyball club.
The team captain took the form with a smile. "Welcome! You must be... Igarashi Shoya, right?"
A fellow first-year with pale blond hair and glasses gave her a challenging look. "Oh? Another flashy little shrimp, huh?"
Her chattering orange-haired classmate hopped about in anger. "Hey, you! Say that again if you dare!"
A black-haired classmate with freckles hurried to smooth things over. "Don't tease people so much, Tsukki..."
A stiff-faced, black-haired classmate spun a volleyball in his hands. "What position do you play?"
Igarashi Shoya adjusted the brim of her cap. "I can play anywhere. Want to try a game?"
Kei Tsukishima: "Why can't I block him?!"
Yamaguchi Tadashi: "Why can't I put him away?"
Kageyama Tobio: "His contact point is higher than I expected!"
Hinata Shoyo: "Damn it! I can't lose to him!"
Ennoshita Chikara: "Another bumper crop this year!"
Tanaka Ryunosuke: "Learn from Karasuno's ace, the great me!"
Kinoshita Hisashi: "You could say our school produces a lot of Little Giants, right?"
Narita Kazuhito: "That's scary! That spin is terrifying!"
Nishinoya Yu: "I'll be rooting for you, junior! Want a popsicle?"
Keishin Ukai: "Incredible dynamic vision and physical ability! Just like the old man said, we've found a gem!"
Igarashi Shoya smiled faintly. "Well then, everyone, I look forward to working with you."
-
A genius girl disguises herself as a boy and enters a once-declining powerhouse school that's on the rise again. She only wants to experience the clash between the strongest volleyball players and, before Coach Nekomata steps down, fulfill the two old men's wish one more time.
Kozume Kenma: "You're honestly the toughest boss I've ever faced."
Tōru Oikawa: "Your face is so girlish, so why are you so brutal when you play?"
Wakatoshi Ushijima: "Next time, I'll spike right past you."
Tendō Satori: "Oh my, you're so hard to read it's a little irritating, you know?"
Kōtarō Bokuto: "Hey, hey, hey! Another match? Another game? Even one more rally would be fine!"
Miya Atsumu: "You're a real handful. I'm curious what it would be like to have you as a teammate."
The Red Crow had planned to disappear as soon as the Dumpster Battle was over, but gradually found herself caught up in the boys' fervor.
With the Monster Generation assembled, where will she go, standing at the very center of the storm?
[Ensemble cast, lots of volleyball, slow burn, no melodrama, no System. Includes a popular protagonist and an identity reveal. There may also be plot holes and out-of-character moments, so read at your own discretion.]
[The story begins at the start of the new school year, when Hinata and the others enter their second year. Flashbacks may contain spoilers for the original work, and the transition between graduating students and new arrivals means there will be quite a few original characters.]
Please forgive any shortcomings. Thank you to everyone who gives this story a chance and enjoys it!
Theme: Fly! The passion of youth never stops!
