Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 440: Graduation

"I never thought I'd graduate with you," Kyōtani Kentarō grumbled, his expression as fierce as always.

"Don't say that. I'm actually looking forward to going pro with you, Mad Dog-senpai," Kaedehara Taichi replied with a cheerful smile, clearly used to his upperclassman's gruff demeanour.

"You two—get closer! Kyōtani, stop looking so stiff!" Yahaba Shigeru bustled around directing the group. "Watari, you come up front too!"

"All you first-years in the back—stop horsing around and get in position!"

Click!

With the sound of the camera shutter, a flash of light captured the moment, freezing it into a photograph.

In the front row stood Kaedehara Taichi, Kyōtani Kentarō, Yahaba Shigeru, and Watari Shinji. Behind them were Kunimi Akira and Kindaichi Yūtarō in the centre, with first-years Nakamori Daiki, Yūki Yōji, Yamabuki Yūjin, and Tōma Kaoru flanking both sides. Though their faces were serious, it was impossible to hide the smiles dancing in their eyes.

Thus, Aoba Johsai's "2.0" lineup came to an end. But none of the players wore regret in their expressions.

The reason was simple: Spring High 2012, Inter-High 2013, Spring High 2013—Aoba Johsai had secured a national three-peat.

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Now let's rewind to the recently concluded Spring High tournament, where plenty of exciting events had taken place once again—

In the Miyagi Prefecture Qualifiers, Karasuno had defeated Date Tech and Shiratorizawa in succession to finally face Aoba Johsai.

This year's Aoba Johsai was already hailed by the media as the "Undefeated Kings." Their roster boasted names like "The Absolute Ace, Kaedehara Taichi," "The Hot-Blooded Mad Dog, Kyōtani Kentarō," "The Energy-Saver Prince, Kunimi Akira," and "The Guardian of Seijoh, Nakamori Daiki"...

Whether within the prefecture or on the national stage, Aoba Johsai was the team every other school hoped to avoid until the finals.

And yet, Karasuno had managed to snatch a set from them. Though they ultimately lost the match, the media quickly took note—they were no ordinary team.

Sure enough, as Miyagi's second representative, Karasuno stormed into the national tournament as a dark horse. They defeated powerhouse teams like Inubishi Higashi, Fukurōdani, and Kamomedai, making their way to face Aoba Johsai once again.

This time, their battleground was the national final of Spring High!

Karasuno had grown through brutal national-level matches and came prepared for a fierce, final showdown against Aoba Johsai.

In the end, under Kaedehara Taichi's watchful and amused gaze, Aoba Johsai remained undefeated in sets and successfully defended their national title. Karasuno, meanwhile, earned the best result in their school's history—national runner-up. The two representative teams from Miyagi had swept both the champion and runner-up titles.

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Aoba Johsai's third championship had come as naturally as breathing.

A three-peat—and with Kaedehara Taichi still only in his second year—it was a nightmare for the rest of the high school volleyball world looking ahead to next year.

Even with Kyōtani Kentarō graduating, most of Aoba Johsai's core lineup would still remain intact. (In fact, this Spring High had already seen the setter position transitioned to Tōma Kaoru.) It was hard for anyone to imagine toppling Kaedehara Taichi.

And then, that was when Kaedehara Taichi made his declaration—he was turning pro.

"He's not even finishing high school?"

"No one in Japan has ever skipped their final year and gone pro straight from their second year, right?"

"I heard he was already invited to join the V2 League after Inter-High, but he turned it down."

"So this time...?"

"That's right—word is, he's heading straight for the V1 League!"

"Seriously—?"

While everyone was busy speculating, Kaedehara Taichi had already thrown himself into intense exam preparations. Even if he was on the fast track to becoming a pro athlete, academics were still important.

That's right—Kaedehara Taichi had declared: I'm going pro and getting my diploma too.

(A/N: Stacking armour, don't ask if this is realistic—it's just for the plot.)

[T/N: Yep, it's realistic.]

"Taichi, don't you think you're pushing it a bit?" Yahaba Shigeru asked. Aoba Johsai was an academically rigorous school, after all. Graduating required a strict credit quota to be completed by third year.

As for attendance and club activity requirements, the school naturally had no complaints. In fact, they were practically thrilled to flaunt Kaedehara Taichi as one of their graduates. After Seijoh's third consecutive national title, their fame across the country had skyrocketed.

"Nah, the questions feel kinda easy. I just want to get a higher score, that's all," Kaedehara Taichi replied nonchalantly. "Even without studying, I bet I could still score higher than Mad Dog-senpai."

Grrr...grrr...

Beside him, Kyōtani Kentarō looked up with a threatening growl in his throat.

"Don't mind him, Taichi. You got this one wrong again."

Wataru Shinji, who was tutoring them, casually raised a textbook to block Kyōtani's line of sight.

"Dango♩ Dango♩... Dango Daikazoku~♬"

A cheerful ringtone echoed through the room. Taichi picked up his phone and walked aside to answer.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!!!"

The moment he tapped the green button, a voice bursting with energy exploded through the speaker. Kaedehara calmly pulled the phone away from his ear and waited for the storm to pass before placing it back.

"Taichi! I heard you're going straight to the V1 League!"

"You coming to Black Jackal?! But I didn't hear anything from our manager..."

"Well, whatever! If you're turning pro, we'll definitely face off someday! Hahaha! Taichi, just wait—I'll show you just how ordinary I am!"

Kaedehara Taichi: "..."

He paused for a few seconds, finally recovering from the whirlwind that was Bokuto Kōtarō's verbal barrage. Just as he opened his mouth to reply—

"Hey? Taichi? Why aren't you talking?!"

"Don't tell me…are you in a breath-holding contest with someone?!"

"That last round doesn't count! Start now!"

"Wait, wait—coach is calling me! We'll settle this next time—!"

Beep. Beep. Beep…

The call cut off.

Taichi: "..."

When someone leaves you that speechless, there's really nothing you can say. No matter how much time passed, he still couldn't quite get used to Bokuto Kōtarō's fully-charged energy level.

"Was that Bokuto-senpai?"

Back in the room, Yahaba Shigeru asked cautiously. That laugh—no door could muffle it.

"Yeah. He was asking if I'd be joining Black Jackal," Taichi replied. "But MSBY already scouted Sakusa-senpai and Miya Atsumu before Spring High. Their lineup should be full by now."

After Taichi announced his decision to go pro, 10 out of the 14 V1 League teams sent him offers.

But Taichi wasn't planning on staying in Japan's league system long-term. After weighing all the options, he chose the team led by Iizuna Tsukasa—DESEO Hornets (DH).

"By the way, what about you, Mad Dog-senpai? Have you decided yet? Or are you hoping we'll end up on the same team?" Kaedehara teased with a sly smile.

Two teams had sent offers to Kyōtani Kentarō: Azuma Pharmacy Green Rocket (home of Kiryū Wakatsu), and a newly founded team called VC Kanagawa.

Of course, their local V2 team—Sendai Frogs—had already reached out to Kyōtani ages ago. But now that he had better options, he was clearly prioritising V1 teams.

"I'm not ending up on the same team as you," Kyōtani said gruffly. "Same reason I'm not joining Green Rocket. Kiryū's already there."

"I'm going to VC Kanagawa. I'll be their ace."

"So next time we meet, we'll be opponents." Taichi had expected nothing less from Kyōtani. "Looks like Mad Dog-senpai is due for a long-overdue taste of defeat."

"Hmph. Pro volleyball isn't like high school," Kyōtani replied in a low voice. "Even you won't win forever."

"No, I will."

Kaedehara Taichi narrowed his eyes.

"I'll keep winning—until the very end."

-----

[End of Volume 3]

[T/N]: High school volleyball is over. Now it's time for the pros....

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