Chapter 75: The Return Journey

With Ryosuke’s introductions, Keigo Atobe quickly built a good rapport with everyone from Shiratorizawa. What surprised them even more was how Keigo Atobe and Ushijima seemed to hit it off almost immediately—a rare sight.

That evening, everyone gathered at the hot springs to enjoy one last moment of relaxation on the final day of the training camp.

Tsutomu Goshiki howled excitedly, stripped off his clothes, and dove straight into the pool. Water splashed everywhere as he disappeared into the steaming hot spring. From a distance, he looked like he was being boiled alive.

Yunohama dodged the water with visible disgust. He truly couldn’t understand it—Tsutomu Goshiki looked like a perfectly normal kid most of the time, but outside of volleyball, he acted like an unleashed husky, completely impossible to rein in.

From behind, Yamagata shouted, “Tsutomu Goshiki, you brat! No sneaking off!”

With a loud splash, he jumped in after him.

Caught off guard, Yunohama and Kawanishi standing nearby were both splashed full in the face.

Yunohama: …Second time already. Great.

The two of them exchanged a look, then stepped straight into the pool to put an end to the two overexcited “huskies.”

Keigo Atobe and Ushijima walked at the very back. Keigo spoke, Ushijima replied—their conversation surprisingly smooth and natural.

Knowing Ushijima was the volleyball team’s captain, Keigo deliberately tried to learn more about Ryosuke through him. His brother barely came home all year, and Keigo honestly felt like an empty-nest elder.

That’s right—he was a complete little-brother fanatic.

When they were young, other families had little sisters. He had a little brother who even wore small dresses. Quiet, obedient, never screaming or throwing tantrums like other kids. Those big, round eyes would stare straight at him, melting his heart instantly. No one could resist toddler Ryosuke’s clingy charm.

Thinking of that, Keigo Atobe smiled faintly.

For a moment, Ushijima was almost dazzled by it.

Brilliant—especially the mole beneath the corner of his eye, which seemed almost alive.

The group soaked in the hot spring, so comfortable they didn’t even feel like talking.

Somehow, Tendo had acquired a swim ring and was drifting lazily around the pool. Shirabu soaked nearby with a small towel on his head, his face flushed red—an unusual sight.

Reon grew irritated watching Tendo drift around aimlessly and reached out, grabbing the swim ring to finally make him stop.

Keigo Atobe draped an arm over Ryosuke’s shoulders. “The tournament’s coming up soon, right?”

Ryosuke nodded. “When I enrolled, Spring High was already over. I can only wait for the Interhigh. It starts in about two months.”

Keigo ruffled his hair. “Good. That’s my brother. When you make it to the finals, remember to get me a ticket.”

Ryosuke grinned and nodded. “I definitely will.”

Seeing it was getting late, Reon began herding the dizzy, half-soaked kids out of the hot spring one by one.

He looked apologetically at Keigo Atobe. “Sorry about this… these kids can get a bit out of hand.”

Keigo waved it off with interest. “It’s fine. They’re all good kids.”

He had seen it clearly—when they first met, everyone had been a little nervous. Ryosuke had mentioned that before coming, they’d even gone out of their way to dress formally. It was obvious how much they valued Ryosuke as a friend.

Reon sighed as he escorted everyone back to their rooms, then finally went to rest himself. A whole day of worrying—finally over. Another day survived.

After the hot spring, everyone was drowsy. Between shopping and barbecue all day, they fell asleep the moment they hit the bed.

The next morning, they woke up still half out of it.

Tsutomu Goshiki exclaimed, “Wow, I slept so well!”

Yunohama nodded. He felt completely refreshed—no fatigue at all, even the built-up soreness was gone.

Must be the hot spring, he thought. Hot springs really aren’t the same as regular baths.

After breakfast, everyone began preparing to head back.

They packed up quietly, tactfully avoiding disturbing Ryosuke while he said goodbye to his brother.

Ryosuke stood by the window without a word. Keigo Atobe was silent as well.

Ryosuke turned back, stepped forward, and hugged him. Keigo let out a quiet sigh.

“Next time, remember to come back when the cherry blossoms bloom. This place counts as home now. Come back once in a while.”

Ryosuke didn’t respond, only tightened his grip. After a few minutes, he let go and walked away without looking back.

Keigo didn’t call after him. He knew Ryosuke’s eyes were red—he wouldn’t dare turn around.

He simply followed him downstairs.

At the entrance, everyone was already waiting. Keigo nodded to them, shook hands with Ushijima, then turned to Reon, reminding him to keep an eye on Ryosuke at school. He even added Reon on LINE.

Keigo wasn’t blind. Ushijima was the captain, but the one who truly felt like the pillar of the group was Reon. Among this unreliable bunch, only Reon was truly dependable. He talked at length, while Ryosuke had already slipped away somewhere.

The return trip was once again on the bus provided by the Hanyu family. After boarding, Ryosuke closed his eyes, and no one spoke to disturb him.

Coach Washijō glanced back at him. His eyes were red—he must’ve gone off somewhere to cry again.

Washijō shot him an annoyed look. Now he knows how to feel sad? Back when he ran off to Miyagi, he didn’t seem to miss his brother at all.

With his eyes closed, Ryosuke didn’t see Washijō’s glare.

He remembered what his brother had said to Reon before parting, and his chest tightened. He really was an unreliable family member—once things were settled, he always rushed to leave, desperate to escape that place.

So much time had passed, and he hadn’t even sent his brother a single message. The more he thought about it, the worse he felt, until he nearly cried again.

He opened his eyes, wiped them, and pulled out his phone, sending Keigo Atobe a flood of messages.

Back at the estate, Keigo Atobe was eating breakfast when his phone started ringing nonstop. Puzzled, he picked it up.

Reading Ryosuke’s messages, his mood improved so much he ate an extra piece of sushi. He knew it—Ryosuke was soft-hearted. Act pitiful, and he’d cave.

Sigh. What could he do? He only had this one precious little brother. He couldn’t let himself be ignored.

All of this was quietly observed by Matsukawa Bones, who was serving his breakfast.

In the Hanyu family, only Ryosuke was truly simple-minded. Everyone else was cut from darker cloth.

Matsukawa Bones understood the eldest master’s methods well and said nothing. As long as the family stayed harmonious—even if it involved a bit of scheming—she believed Keigo Atobe would never truly harm Ryosuke.

After more than two hours on the road, they finally returned to Miyagi.

Once off the bus, everyone headed straight for the gym. The three first-years were still confused.

Tsutomu Goshiki asked, “Shouldn’t we be going to class right now?”

Reon suddenly slapped his forehead. “Ah—I forgot to tell you. Listen carefully. Every time we return to school after a training camp or a match, the first place we go is the gym.”

“Coach Washijō always holds a meeting after outings. Don’t forget it. If anyone’s absent, you’re done for. This is a lesson paid for in blood and tears—courtesy of Yamagata.”

Tsutomu Goshiki & Ryosuke & Yunohama: “?”

The three first-years instantly turned their heads toward Yamagata.

Yamagata: “……”

He froze on the spot, feeling like a stray dog that’d been kicked for no reason. He shot Reon a resentful glare.

Facing their confused looks, Yamagata scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“One year during Spring High, I won Best Libero and got too excited. I forgot about the meeting. The next day, Coach Washijō personally trained me to death for over a week…”

Kawanishi chuckled. “Yeah, you lost a few kilos, didn’t you?”

Yamagata glared at him in embarrassment, but Kawanishi just laughed, slung an arm around him, and dragged him away like a good buddy.

Reon stared at the three of them. “Understand now?”

The three nodded furiously, filled with gratitude. Thank you, Yamagata-senpai, for your blood-and-tears lesson—we will never forget it!

With Yamagata paving the way, everyone behaved themselves perfectly after that.