As the match between Aoba Johsai and Kakugawa reached its halfoint, Washijō Tanji shifted his focus from Hyakuzawa Yūdai to Kaedehara Taichi.

  Even with forty years of coag experience, Washijō had never entered a pyer quite like him. It had only been a month since Aoba Johsai's match against Shiratorizawa, yet this seemingly delicate-looking freshman had undergoiceable ges.

  Not only had Taichi mastered new spiking teiques, but his muscur definition had beore pronouhis jumping meics more refined—no, it seemed like his vertical leap had improved ht.

  This was the third time Washijō Tanji had seen Taichi in a.

  At first, he'd thought Kaedehara was a quid clever pyer—a type he had entered many times before. In fact, back then, Washijō even sidered Kunimi Akira to be a more well-rounded pyer than Taichi.

  But each time he saw Taichi again, the young pyer's evolutiht new surprises.

  Washijō turo look at Irihata Nobuteru, Aoba Johsai's head coach.

  This old fellow had mao nd both Oikawa Tōru and Kaedehara Taichi on the same team—what incredible luck!

  Initially, Washijō had no iion of intervening in Kakugawa's match. However, seeing a promising talent like Hyakuzawa Yūdai getting crushed mentally by these merciless oppos pelled him to act.

  "Take a break for now. Aoba Johsai will face Jousanji in the sed set," Washijō annouo the two teams that had just finished pying.

  Naturally, her team objected. Kakugayers had been longing for a reprieve from their ordeal.

  The pyers from Jousanji, however, were stunned. Watg the match was ohing—but now they had to face this Aoba Johsai team?

  They gnervously at their coach. Coaabara could only offer a wry smile; after all, growing stronger required enduring some pain.

  "Haven't you faced Aoba Johsai before? What's with the nerves now—just because they made the top eight nationally?"

  "…Yeah…" Terushima Yūji mumbled, his head hanging low.

  Coaabara: "..."

  "Hahaha…I was just kidding!" Terushima raised his head with a forced grin.

  But Coaabara could see their tense postures aheir ay.

  "Having fun in a match requires strength to back it up."

  This game would undoubtedly be an ordeal for them.

  -----

  Kakugayers sat despoly in a er of the gymnasium. While Shiratorizawa and Date Tech were still battling it out with her team reag 20 points, their own match was already over.

  They felt out of pce, even sitting on the floor.

  Hyakuzawa Yūdai sat with his head buried in his arms. Since he started pying volleyball, he had never experienced such a crushi.

  Suddenly, a shadow fell over him, and a figure stopped in front of him.

  "Hello, I'm Kaedehara Taichi, Aoba Johsai's ace." The pyer smiled warmly, looking nothing like the heartless devil Hyakuzawa had faced on the court moments ago.

  Though Hyakuzawa felt that this smile masked something far sinister, he still mumbled a polite response:

  "Hello, I'm Hyakuzawa Yūdai, a first-year from Kakugawa Academy."

  "What? Aren't you aoo? Say it louder!" Taichi spread his arms wide. "Talented first-year aces like us are rare, you know."

  Talented.

  Before, Hyakuzawa might have agreed with that description. But now?

  "I'm just tall…"

  "What? Just tall? Do you have any idea how hard my seniors work to gain just 0.7 timetres of height?!"

  Smack!

  A rge hand suddenly grabbed Taichi's head from behind.

  Oh no, Iwaizumi-senpai is here…

  Iwaizumi Hajime had e over with Oikawa Tōru, fearing that Taichi might provoke someone a into trouble—after all, taking on someone as tall as Hyakuzawa could easily spiral out of trol.

  But uedly—

  "Hehe, Iwaizumi-senpai, I'm just encing a fellow pyer," Taichi said sheepishly, avoiding the real issue. "We're both first-years, so we'll probably bee great rivals iure."

  Oikawa, standing slightly behind Iwaizumi, smirked—only to get punched without warning.

  WHAT DID I DO?

  Oikawa Tōru: "..."

  Iwaizumi Hajime: "Taichi's attitude now? He totally lear from you."

  He's been a little troublemaker sihe start!

  "Good afternoon, seniors! I'm Minamida Taishi, a sed-year from Kakugawa Academy."

  "Good afternoon, seniors! I'm Komaki Yuzuru, the team's setter and also a sed-year."

  With Kakugawa Academy's third-years retired, the current captain, like Oikawa Tōru, was also a setter.

  Both Oikawa and Ushijima Wakatoshi were star pyers in the prefecture. Kakugawa rarely got the ce to practice with such strong teams. Realizing this, Komaki Yuzuru felt less bitter about their loss.

  After all, winning was never something Kakugaerienced often.

  Seizing the rare opportunity, Komaki wao sult Oikawa about setting teiques.

  Sinaki wasn't an intimidating junior like Kageyama Tobio and sidering the training camp setting, Oikawa, for oook on the role of a senior and had a teical discussion with Komaki.

  "You just wait—I'll deal with you ter," Iwaizumi said before leaving Taichi alone, deg not to interrupt his iion.

  Taichi didn't have much to say to Hyakuzawa. He simply didn't want a promising rival to sink into despair.

  After all, Taichi had a habit of letting slip some slightly provocative words during matches—a fw he'd grudgingly admit.

  "Skills be refined and strengthened over time. You have a solid foundation, which is why Coach Washijō holds you in such high regard," Taichi said with a smile. "I hope you'll grow strohat way, the prefectural matches will be much more exg."

  Hyakuzawa stared at his peer, bewildered.

  Though he couldn't fully uand Taichi's iions, he could sehe siy in his tone.

  "Yeah…Volleyball seemed simple at first, but now I find it iing."

  After a brief pause, Hyakuzawa finally voiced his thoughts:

  "I 't imagine myself defeating yht now, but someday, I will!"

  Taichi listeo his determined decration and smiled, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Alright. I'm looking forward to it."

  "…Though, I 't imagine myself losiher."

  -----

  Thud!

  Ushijima Wakatoshi's spike bsted through Date Tech's newly fortified "Iron Wall," nding with undiminished force.

  "Wakatoshi, it looks like Taichi from Aoba Johsai has gotteronger," Tendō Satori remarked, recalling the spiking showcase Taichi had put on earlier. Even against weaker teams, his progress was evident.

  "Hmm. I saw it," Ushijima replied, his face stoic.

  "Block!" Yamagata Hayato successfully received a spike from Aoakanobu.

  "Give me the ball," Ushijima said calmly.

  Tendō grinned mischievously on the sidelines. Clearly, Wakatoshi cared quite a bit about Taichi's growth.

  Shirabu Kenjirō stepped in ahe ball to the left, sending it high.

  Ushijima ra, and stretched his body midair. His incredible hang time made it seem as if he had paused in the air for a moment.

  The Date Tech blockers, who had jumped to intercept him, fell back to the ground first.

  BANG!

  Fag a t double block from Date Tech's two 190cm defenders, Ushijima executed a powerful spike over their reach.

  [Shiratorizawa 25 – 18 Date Tech]

  "Tweet!"

  The first set ended in Shiratorizawa's favor.

  From afar, Taichi had caught sight of Ushijima's decisive spike. Their gazes met across the gym.

  Just as Taichi eagerly anticipated Hyakuzawa's growth, Ushijima wondered whether Taichi was now ready to stand as his equal in a one-ochup.

  _________

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