Just Another Reader

At the end of the last volume, Nobara has gotten one yes and one maybe from former players to join the girls volleyball team. Ayako, a second year, who is is willing to join, but  has a defeatist attitude claiming that they don't win which frustrates the determined Nobara. Yui is a third year and while she was the former captain, she is very hesitant to join due to the struggle of keeping the team together in previous years and come summer she will graduate.

Adding to the already difficult task of getting the team together, Nobara challenges the boys captain to a three-on-three match to get him to stop hindering her efforts. He agrees but adds the stipulation that if the girls team can't score one point off the guys team, she will stop trying to restart the girls team.

She agrees, but inside readers see that she is not sure if they can do it. The captain chooses Yushin and Haibuki to play alongside him in the game as they are first years and he wants them to prove themselves. He warns them against holding back, though he doesn't seem to be aware that Nobara knows them.

Five chapters into this series and we finally get some volleyball. The girls are clearly outmatched and after the guys get the serve, Haibuki aims for Nobara everytime and she is unable to return anything. Finally after 19-0 (out of 26) and a not exactly encouraging talk from Yushin (though it works) she finally manages to return the serve. But they still can't get a point. Yui and Ayako have played together but on the last point Ayako sets the ball to Nobara instead and she manages to get it and scores. Step one of getting a team together complete! Additionally Haibuki brutal serves are revealed to been on purpose to gain support and sympathy for the girls team.

With that hurdle conquered, they try recruit and end up with two new players. Rena, a short girl with a girl crush on Nobara and Kyoka who played a bit in middle school. They need six to register as a team and time is running out. Nobara realizes that Tomoyo Osaka, a former All-Japan Junior Youth player. She suffered a knee injury and hasn't played since. She also used to date Haibuki but he dumped her since he realized he still liked Nobara and because he was tired of Tomoyo's refusal to play volleyball again.

There's also a funny scene when he reveals this to Nobara and tries to kiss her, but she falls trying to get away from him. I always feel bad for Haibuki but at the same time he's never my pick for her.