Hoshiumi's approach was not particularly fast.
The most important thing with a ball close to the net was to judge the exact timing and position of the hit. With an ordinary ball, one glance was enough to know how to spike it.
But a ball close to the net dropped too quickly. You had to find the exact point of contact, not a second too early or too late. It was an extremely precise ball.
Hoshiumi found the right timing and jumped, then drew his arm back to spike. On the other side, Washio and Onaga had already moved into position the moment the ball was sent up.
Now they were waiting to clash head-on with Hoshiumi.
In a matchup between strong players, strength usually spoke for itself. As for little tricks and schemes, everyone tacitly chose not to use them.
Hoshiumi sprang up, and Washio and Onaga jumped with him.
The spectators were stunned as well. Hoshiumi had jumped far too high, almost level with Washio across from him.
Hoshiumi's palm covered the volleyball as he spiked toward Washio's fingertips, aiming for a hand-off spike.
"Bang!"
The volleyball smashed into Washio's fingers, knocking them off course. His hand flipped backward out of his control, and the ball flew toward Fukurōdani's court.
Hoshiumi's hit was clever, just like the point Washio had taken earlier. Onaga, who had run in from position four, blocked Haruki Komi's line of sight and created a split-second blind spot, slowing Haruki Komi's reaction.
And Bokuto was not in form right now. Konoha was following behind Bokuto, ready to cover him during the next attack, while Keiji Akaashi was being watched by Kazuyoshi Bessho. The moment Hoshiumi jumped, Keiji Akaashi sharply sensed that this ball was going to be trouble, but Kazuyoshi Bessho stuck to him like glue. Keiji Akaashi had no time to save it.
Even if he did save it, it probably would not help much. The ball would definitely end up near the net after being rescued, either as an overpass or another ball close to the net. Hirugami and Aikichi Suwa were waiting behind Hoshiumi, watching like predators. If they sent that kind of ball back, the chances of the other side scoring were very high.
In the instant when every coincidence came together, it created this exact situation. The timing, the positioning, and the people were all aligned. There was no reason this ball would not score.
"Bang!"
"Beep----------!"
The volleyball struck Fukurōdani's court with a loud sound, right beside Bokuto's feet. By the time Bokuto heard it and realized the ball had already landed, he had not even had the chance to rush over and receive it. His eyes froze for a moment. Then he heard Hoshiumi's voice coming from the other side.
"Hah? What's wrong, Bokuto? You can't even receive a ball like that? You bunch of six-foot rookies, hahaha!"
After scoring, Hoshiumi taunted Bokuto with unbelievable arrogance.
A vein jumped on Hirugami's forehead. Unable to hold back, he smacked Hoshiumi on the back of the head, his tone carrying a warning.
"Settle down. We're in the middle of a match."
The commentator's excited voice came through the broadcast as well.
"What a dazzling exchange! Fukurōdani had just taken a point, and Kamomedai immediately refused to fall behind and took one right back. The Small Giant, Kōrai Hoshiumi, is truly polished to perfection when it comes to aerial battles."
This commentator seemed especially fond of using Chinese idioms.
His partner picked up the topic and continued.
"That's right. He is the only short player in the past three years to make it into the IH semifinals. Short players do not have an advantage in matches. Their smaller hands and frames compared with ordinary players cause them to lose a major weapon.
"But in the eyes of those who truly love volleyball, these hardships are only stepping stones along their path."
Coach Washijō had just returned from the restroom when he heard the commentator's words. For a moment, he was dazed and almost thought he was the one standing on the court. Then the corner of his mouth curved into a rare smile, and he shook his head.
But when Coach Washijō saw everyone sitting neatly on Fukurōdani and Kamomedai's benches, his smile gradually disappeared...
Off the court, Coach Aaron was not angry at all when he saw Hoshiumi's arrogant behavior. Instead, he cheerfully turned to Coach Takurō and said,
"Oh my, kids sure are full of energy, aren't they? Hahahaha."
Coach Takurō's face drooped, clearly saying that he did not want to talk. Kamomedai's Little Giant really was too arrogant.
Then he turned his gaze toward Bokuto.
Bokuto, only by conquering the seagulls can you become the ruler of the sky. Smash them.
Sure enough, after Hoshiumi provoked him, Bokuto did not fly into a rage or sink even lower. Instead, his condition improved.
A brilliant light flowed through his golden eyes. He stared straight at Hoshiumi and grinned.
"Next ball, I definitely won't let you score."
Then he turned to Keiji Akaashi, his tone full of confidence.
"Keiji Akaashi, set the next ball to me. I'll definitely score!"
Because of Hoshiumi's provocation, Bokuto had completely recovered. For a moment, Keiji Akaashi was actually extremely grateful to Hoshiumi, and the look he gave him was filled with gratitude.
The referee looked at the people on the court with an unfriendly expression. Seeing that they were somehow about to start chatting, he hurriedly blew his whistle to signal everyone to return to their positions and stop talking.
Keiji Akaashi heard the whistle and returned to his position, then looked at Bokuto. Bokuto noticed Keiji Akaashi's gaze and proudly straightened his back, looking just like an owl bobbing its head around.
Bokuto wanted to tell Keiji Akaashi that on the next ball, he would absolutely score.
The match began again.
Off the court, Coach Washijō was storming toward the bench in a fury.
Unbelievable. He had only stayed behind to use the restroom, and these brats had already taken seats on someone else's bench. If he had come back even one step later, were they going to represent another team and go onto the court next?!
Ryosuke was the first to sense that something was wrong. He looked around and, sure enough, saw Coach Washijō walking over furiously.
Ryosuke immediately hid behind Ushijima.
Coach Aaron also noticed that Coach Washijō was clearly a little angry. He sighed, then put on a smile and walked over to shake Coach Washijō's hand.
"Oh, Coach Washijō, you're finally here. These kids insisted on waiting for you here. But as you can see, there wasn't anywhere else to sit, so they had no choice but to come over and chat with us."
Coach Aaron was a sharp one. He did not know exactly why Coach Washijō was angry, but he could more or less guess. Still, since he had promised these kids they could watch the match here, he could not go back on his word, right?
Coach Washijō knew perfectly well that Coach Aaron was just trying to smooth things over, but when he saw the expectant looks on everyone's faces, he could not bring himself to say anything harsh. He only glared at them, deciding he would deal with them once they got back.
Seeing Coach Washijō's expression soften a little, Tendo and Tsutomu Goshiki started grinning and exchanging looks from below.
Ah, Coach Washijō really was all sharp tongue and soft heart.
"In that case, get me a chair too. I'd like to see what kind of match is so fascinating."
Coach Washijō pulled his hand out of Coach Aaron's grip, clasped his hands behind his back, and leisurely sat right down in the chair Coach Aaron had just been using. He even crossed his legs.
Coach Aaron acted as if he had no temper at all. He was not angry in the slightest. Still smiling, he brought over another chair and sat down.
He was so good-natured that he looked nothing like the man who had been trading barbed comments with Coach Takurō just moments earlier.
Tsutomu Goshiki watched the adults communicate, turning his head back and forth in surprise. He did not quite understand it, but he stayed quiet. His instincts told him it was best not to bring this up again.
Reo Inube, on the other hand, showed no reaction at all. He had long since gotten used to it.
...
The match on the court was still ongoing, tense and deadlocked.
It felt a bit like the first set of the previous match between Shiratorizawa and Mujinazaka. No one was falling behind, and no one was pulling ahead.
"Watch me!"
Bokuto shouted as he jumped to spike, his cheeks puffing out with effort and the muscles in his arms bulging.
"Bang!"
Hirugami and Aikichi Suwa jumped in to block. Suwa's palm touched the ball Bokuto had spiked, and he pressed both hands downward, trying to shut it down.
But it was the same old problem. Bokuto was just too strong. There was no stopping him.
Suwa was already doing his best to steady the ball against his hands, but he still could not control it. His palm tilted slightly, and the volleyball brushed past it and flew over.
Hirugami raised an eyebrow in midair, a little surprised.
Not bad. Bokuto was actually avoiding him now when he spiked. He had not been like this before.
In the past, Bokuto had been like a fool charging straight in. Wherever he could not get through, that was exactly where he insisted on hitting. He had suffered plenty at Hirugami's hands because of that, to the point where later, the moment Bokuto saw a block like Hirugami's, his brows would furrow.
Although he had already trained himself in how to deal with that kind of block, in a fast-paced match like this, Bokuto still chose the simpler method: going around the block directly. He really was not afraid of Hirugami's block. It was just that this situation suited that approach better.
Suwa's hands could not cover the ball, letting the volleyball fly along his palm and into Kamomedai's court.
Keiichiro could indeed see where the ball was going to land, but whether he could turn it into a perfect first pass was another matter entirely.
Once the ball reached the backcourt, everyone consciously observed the area around them, making sure not to get in Keiichiro's way.
Keiichiro dove onto the floor, and with a "bang," the volleyball struck the back of his hand before bouncing up again.
It flew unbelievably high.
Keiichiro had no time to control the ball at all. From the moment it dropped to the moment it bounced up, the whole process took only one or two seconds. Anyone with a slightly slower reaction would not even have touched the edge of it.
Bokuto's spike had been far too powerful. Even Suwa, who had trained powerful jump serves for years, had failed to block it, let alone Keiichiro, who had received it while diving.
There was simply no time to adjust.
The volleyball flew high into the air.
Everyone present lifted their heads, craning their necks to watch the volleyball rise toward the top of the gymnasium.
The spectators and commentators included. Every one of them was looking up like that.
Kazuyoshi Bessho cursed under his breath. What on earth was up with Keiichiro today?
Keiichiro, who had been unfairly caught in the crossfire, was truly innocent. He had not wanted the ball to fly that high either, but he could not control it!
Kazuyoshi Bessho chased the volleyball all over the court while looking up, his neck nearly snapping from the strain.
Finally, after flying to an absurd height, the volleyball came down with a sharp whoosh, so fast that Kazuyoshi Bessho almost thought he was going to be crushed to death.
The ball had been blocked once by Suwa and received once by Keiichiro, yet it still flew that high. That alone showed just how strong Bokuto was.
Kazuyoshi Bessho gritted his teeth and jumped, meeting the ball head-on.
Technically, this ball could be received and set. But there was too much force behind it, making its direction hard to control. If he set it carelessly, it might fly all over the place.
Kazuyoshi Bessho wrapped all ten fingers around the volleyball, then put strength into his fingertips, pushing against the remaining force of the ball as he set it out.
Kazuyoshi Bessho had originally been in position three, but to receive the ball, he had run all the way to position four. If he wanted to set from there, he had to twist his waist a full hundred and eighty degrees in midair. It was truly asking too much of Kazuyoshi Bessho's poor old back.
Then Kazuyoshi Bessho twisted his waist in midair. He could practically hear his bones cracking in protest.
While running over, Kazuyoshi Bessho had roughly memorized everyone's positions on the court. Now, as he turned in the air, he saw them clearly once again.
Reo Inube, sitting below, saw exactly how Kazuyoshi Bessho set the ball. He caught sight of the small strip of waist Kazuyoshi Bessho had exposed and whistled with an unreadable expression.
Kazuyoshi Bessho saw Kōrai Hoshiumi charging at the very front, as well as Suwa on the left, trying to catch them off guard.
Hirugami was in position two. If this ball did not score, Hirugami would be preparing to block. Hoshiumi was on his right, and Suwa was on his left. When the time came, they could form a three-man block.
Nozawa was not planning to spike. He had been following behind Hoshiumi the whole time to cover the attack.
Kazuyoshi Bessho looked at everyone, made his decision, and set the ball.
No one knew what Kazuyoshi Bessho was thinking right now, and no one knew who he would set the ball to. After all, when Kazuyoshi Bessho got serious, he would even deceive his own teammates.
Then everyone from Fukurōdani saw Hoshiumi and Suwa jump at the same time on opposite sides of the net.
Washio and Onaga exchanged a glance, then each marked one of them. This time, Konoha was not following behind Bokuto. He was in position two, staring Hirugami down.
When two crafty guys ended up together, at least they did not have to go off and trouble anyone else.
Konoha was already a third-year, so those little tricks were nowhere near enough to fool him. And Hirugami was the meticulous type. His hands were far too dirty. Compared with Hirugami, Hakuba, who was in the same year as him, seemed extremely innocent.
Hoshiumi jumped directly. He saw that Fukurōdani's Washio was already in position at the net. One second ago, he had been in position five, and the next second he was at the net. That speed was seriously impressive.
Onaga had more or less reached his position too, but when he saw Aikichi Suwa, he still felt uneasy. His instincts told him that if he faced Suwa head-on, he definitely would not win.
Kazuyoshi Bessho sent the ball high into the air. Everyone stared at it as it drifted slowly, faintly giving the impression that it might stop at position two.
Keiji Akaashi's heart rose into his throat, afraid that Hirugami would simply reach out and spike the ball over.
Hirugami stood in place without moving. He knew this ball was definitely not for him. Its height was clearly not at his hitting point.
Then Nozawa appeared from behind Hirugami and jumped. He had been in position five all along, and since Hirugami had stayed in position two without moving, everyone had naturally overlooked Nozawa behind him.
Now he was like a ghost, appearing without a sound before jumping for a back-row attack.
Only then did everyone notice Nozawa, who had suddenly emerged.
He put strength into his right hand and slammed the volleyball out with all his might.
The volleyball shot toward Fukurōdani's backcourt like a cannonball.
...
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