Academic Pursuit
"Akashi-kun and Omae-kun are studying so seriously lately."
"Haven't you heard? Rumor has it the volleyball club is organizing a summer training camp, but if they fail the term-end exams, they can't go."
"Oh? Is that true?"
"Absolutely! Apparently, they matched the club's historical record, and this summer camp is their preparation for challenging the National Tournament."
"Wow~~ The Nationals, that's amazing!"
...
In Class 3-C, several whispering female students looked on with unconcealed envy.
A summer training camp and a run for the Nationals were dreams shared by many Senkoku students, especially the latter, which represented the ultimate goal for middle school athletes across the country.
Akashi Asuka paid no mind to the surrounding chatter, or perhaps simply didn't register it.
Lately, his academic focus had been surprisingly strong, embodying the feeling of being "immersed in study and unable to pull away."
Omae Masato, however, subtly perked up his ears.
Adolescent emotions are fleeting. Yesterday, Omae Masato was consumed by the discomfort of defeat, but hearing the girls praise the volleyball club today instantly inflated his ego.
Volleyball club activities had been entirely suspended.
With less than two weeks remaining, the most pressing matter was not physical training, but ensuring every member qualified to attend the camp.
Akashi Asuka, however, had not ceased his personal training entirely. This was, after all, a prime moment for "Involution"—everyone else halting practice meant every day he trained was an extra day he gained a competitive edge.
Such a rare opportunity was not to be squandered.
...
The Moment of Truth
Two weeks flew by in a blur.
Because Senkoku Middle School's graduating class comprised only about three hundred students, exam results were usually posted on the noticeboard on the second or third day following the last test.
The moment the scores were posted, the volleyball club members rushed toward the public noticeboard.
"Yo! Oda, Mishita, Kazama... you guys made it! Long time no see!" Omae Masato and Akashi Asuka walked up shoulder-to-shoulder, waving brightly.
"We saw each other yesterday," Oda Miki responded flatly.
"Uh... let's not worry about those minor details. So, how did you guys do on the exam?"
Oda Miki: "Just average."
Mishita Ryuhei: "I might not have done too well this time."
Kazama Jujiro: "I don't think I did great either; I had a stomach ache during the test. How about you two?"
Akashi Asuka rubbed his nose. "Hmm... I should pass the cutoff."
"Ha ha ha... It sounds like none of you did very well!"
The moment Akashi Asuka finished speaking, Omae Masato placed his hands on his hips, puffed out his chest, and boasted: "I was in absolutely top form for this exam! You three better watch out! There's a chance my score might even surpass yours this time!"
"Oh? You're quite confident this time, Omae?" Mishita Ryuhei asked, surprised.
"Of course! For the sake of the summer camp, I haven't played video games for two whole weeks!" Omae Masato gave a confident thumbs-up.
A short time later, the group reached the noticeboard.
They found someone had beaten them to it: Kurata Neko, the club's Libero.
"You're early, Kurata! How was the test?"
"It was alright. Normal performance."
Kurata Neko pointed to a line on the board where his name was listed:
| Player | Overall Score | Class Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Kurata Neko | 307 (Total 500) | 135 |
"Wow~ That's a solid performance! Now, let me find out my own score," Mishita Ryuhei said, stepping up to find his name. The others gathered around.
Soon, everyone's scores were located.
| Player | Overall Score | Class Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Kazama Jujiro | 311 | 133 |
| Mishita Ryuhei | 345 | 99 |
| Oda Miki | 386 | 54 |
...
"That's great, Oda! Your rank improved even more than last time!" Mishita Ryuhei, who was in the same class as Oda Miki, exclaimed.
"You did well yourself, Mishita. This is the only summer camp we'll have in three years of middle school; naturally, we had to put in the effort," Oda Miki replied placidly.
"That's certainly true," Mishita Ryuhei agreed.
Then, something else occurred to him, and he quickly asked: "Wait, how did Akashi and Omae do? We can't possibly beat Kitagawa First if we lose those two for the camp!"
"Omae's score is right here!"
As soon as Mishita Ryuhei spoke, Kurata Neko, standing by a separate section of the board, waved his hand. Following his finger, Omae Masato's name was clearly visible:
| Player | Overall Score | Class Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Omae Masato | 209 | 261 |
"Wow, that's impressive, Omae! You managed to scrape a pass in every subject! Looks like you can join the camp!" (The typical passing score in Japanese middle schools is generally 40 or 50 points per subject.) Mishita Ryuhei praised him.
But after he finished, there was no response.
Mishita Ryuhei turned around, only to see the gray, petrified figure of Omae Masato, resembling a statue, with visible lines of defeat swirling around him. Omae was muttering frantically: "Impossible, absolutely impossible! It makes no sense! Why did I only score this much? I studied so hard! Impossible, impossible..."
Mishita Ryuhei and the others: "..."
"Well, as long as he passed, it's fine. Let's check Akashi's score! He's the club's absolute ace; he must attend the camp, no matter what."
The group looked at the "withered" Omae Masato for 0.25 seconds before decisively abandoning him and heading toward Akashi Asuka's location.
"We're fine over here! What's the situation with you guys?" Mishita Ryuhei called out to Akashi Asuka and Kazama Jujiro.
Kazama Jujiro did not respond, as he was staring up at the noticeboard above, his eyes wide and vacant, as if he had witnessed something utterly unbelievable.
Akashi Asuka turned around, smiling gently. "No problems. Just as I predicted, I passed every subject."
Mishita Ryuhei breathed a sigh of relief. "That's fantastic! In that case, the entire team can attend the summer traini—"
The word "camp" was still on Mishita Ryuhei's tongue when his peripheral vision caught sight of the board in front of Akashi Asuka. In the next moment, he was struck as if by lightning, freezing instantly in shock.
The second position on that section of the noticeboard bore Akashi Asuka's name:
| Player | Overall Score | Class Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Akashi Asuka | 459 | 2 |
...