Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

Chapter 160: The Female Manager

Chiba Kaho was just an ordinary first-year student at Aoba Johsai High.

After spending a semester adjusting to her new environment, she had grown accustomed to high school life.

Classes, teachers, the school itself—once she got familiar with everything, it didn't feel all that different from junior high.

Yet, even as the novelty wore off, Kaho still enjoyed her daily life at Aoba Johsai.

Yesterday had been the opening ceremony for the new term. Predictably dull and almost sleep-inducing. The afternoon's club recruitment speeches and pledge ceremonies didn't seem to have much to do with her either.

Perhaps it was because, apart from good grades and a well-off family, Kaho didn't have any particular skills or interests.

That is, until the volleyball club's representatives took the stage—their captain and their ace.

Both were strikingly good-looking. Oikawa-senpai was already quite famous at Aoba Johsai, even among students who didn't follow volleyball.

Kaho herself had heard of him.

But that wasn't what caught her attention.

"That guy named Taichi Kaedehara…he looks kind of familiar."

"So, he's the ace of the volleyball team…"

He was tanned and taller than the image in her memory, but that lazy demeanour—made her confident she hadn't mistaken him.

Taichi's speech, however, was dull and formal, far less entertaining than Oikawa-senpai's playful delivery.

Yet, at the end of his speech, Kaedehara declared three goals:

Nationals! Number one! The strongest!

Even someone like Kaho, who had never been involved in sports, could sense the weight behind those words.

And yet, Taichi's tone carried absolute confidence. His eyes sparkled under the lights of the auditorium.

How Interesting.

A smile spread across Kaho's face. She wasn't entirely clueless about sports, but she had never joined a sports club, simply because none had ever piqued her interest.

But now, she was curious. She wanted to see what volleyball was all about and witness for herself how Kaedehara Taichi planned to turn those bold words into reality.

-----

Thus, an unexpected visitor appeared outside the doors of the Third Gymnasium.

Kaho stood at the entrance, peering inside. The volleyball team was hard at work in the midst of an intense training session.

The court was scattered with bright blue-and-yellow volleyballs, their vibrant colours catching the light.

The players on the court were moving with full effort. Nearly everyone was performing dynamic, full-body movements, and the squeaking of their sneakers against the floor was sharp and piercing.

"Up close, this is really amazing…" Kaho murmured to herself.

On either side of the net, the players were doing everything they could to keep the ball from hitting the ground—running, jumping, and pouring all their energy into the game.

Kaho scanned the court until she spotted Kaedehara Taichi.

"Touch!"

Just then, a volleyball flew off the court, hurtling toward her at an alarming speed.

Simultaneously, Taichi, stationed in the back row, sprinted toward her.

"—!"

Kaho froze in place, unable to make a sound. Her mind, usually calm and collected, went completely blank.

Taichi didn't know why a girl was standing there, but it was clear she was terrified.

"Don't move!" he shouted.

Kaho stood rooted to the spot as the ball zoomed toward her.

Taichi, despite being behind the ball, leapt forward in a diving motion, as if he were about to slam face-first into the ground.

"Ah—"

Kaho gasped. If someone got hurt because of her, she'd rather take the hit herself.

But nothing happened.

A hand suddenly appeared beneath the ball, sending it soaring back into the court in a graceful arc right before it could reach her.

Even more astonishing, the collision she had feared never came.

Taichi, who seemed destined for a faceplant, somehow rolled seamlessly upon landing and was back on his feet in an instant, sprinting toward the net.

Kaho stood dumbfounded, unable to process what had just happened. Her eyes followed Kaedehara Taichi as he darted back into the game.

"Taichi!"

The ball was set high into the air, and Taichi, who had just returned to the court, leapt effortlessly to meet it.

"So high…" Chiba Kaho couldn't help but murmur as she watched his perfect form suspended midair.

—Boom!

A deafening sound followed as Taichi's spike hit the court. He landed gracefully, and his teammates immediately surrounded him in celebration.

"Was that a point? That's incredible…" Kaho muttered under her breath, still in awe.

"Excuse me, are you okay? You didn't get hurt, right?"

Kaho snapped out of her daze, realizing there was a boy standing beside her.

Yahaba Shigeru adjusted his uniform and ran a hand through his hair, striking what he thought was a particularly refined pose.

"Are you interested in volleyball? I can help explain things to you," he said smoothly.

Kaho glanced at him briefly before turning her gaze back to the court. The players were already drenched in sweat despite it being so soon after school had ended.

This was a team with a clear goal, one where everyone was working hard together to achieve it. She wondered if someone like her, an outsider, could really fit in here.

The doubt flickered in her mind for only a second. Despite her delicate appearance, Kaho had always been a decisive person.

"Hello, I'm Chiba Kaho, a first-year. I heard the volleyball team is looking for a manager, and I'd like to give it a try."

Yahaba's eyes filled with tears of joy. This is it! he thought.

He'd waited two years for this moment.

Could it really be this easy? Maybe his charm had finally caught up to Oikawa-senpai's! Yahaba silently congratulated himself.

"Welcome, Chiba-san! I'm Yahaba Shigeru, a second-year. Do you have a club application form with you?"

"Yes, I do," Kaho replied.

Yahaba's heart leapt. It looked like the team was about to gain a new female manager!

Walking briskly alongside her, Yahaba led Kaho through the gym, passing curious glances from the other players. They headed straight toward one of the senior members, who was organizing equipment.

"Senpai, this is Chiba Kaho. She's very interested in joining our volleyball team. I thought she could start by learning the manager's responsibilities. What do you think?" Yahaba's tone was filled with anticipation and confidence.

The third-year senior paused what he was doing and turned to face Kaho. His gaze was warm and welcoming as he sized her up before offering her a kind smile.

"Of course! We'd be happy to have you, Chiba-san."

With that, the senior began explaining the daily operations of the volleyball team in detail—from scheduling matches and managing equipment to coordinating the players' training regimens and ensuring proper nutrition.

Kaho listened attentively, occasionally asking thoughtful questions.

Yahaba chimed in now and then, adding his own explanations. The new semester was shaping up to be full of surprises, and Yahaba felt an unprecedented sense of optimism about the team's future.

The training match on the court eventually came to an end, and the players began to gather around, intrigued by the newcomer.

Standing tall and radiating confidence, Yahaba prepared to introduce their new team member with great fanfare.

But before he could say a word, Kaho stepped forward.

"Taichi-kun, do you remember me?"

Her clear, confident voice rang out. She walked up to Kaedehara Taichi and looked him straight in the eye.

Yahaba froze, his expression contorted in confusion. "???"

The scene was oddly familiar—except the last time this happened, the target had been Oikawa-senpai. Now it was Taichi.

Taichi was stunned. He scrutinized the girl with her delicate features and oval face but couldn't place her at all.

"Do we know each other?" he asked, genuinely perplexed.

"Hiss—"

The entire Aoba Johsai team collectively sucked in a sharp breath, as if bracing for an explosive reaction.

But instead of anger, Kaho's eyes lit up. She broke into a bright smile and said cheerfully:

"Well, now you do. I'm Chiba Kaho, a first-year and soon-to-be manager of the Aoba Johsai volleyball team."

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