Tsutomu Goshiki, still a little carried away by his own skill, kept practicing spikes, imagining in his head, "This spike looks so cool!" Meanwhile, Masata Yori couldn't help but wonder if this overconfidence would really allow him to lead the team like Ushijima Wakatoshi could.
Yukigaoka's players watched Goshiki's practice and commented quietly.
"If it had been earlier, seeing spikes like that would have been terrifying. How could junior high school students possibly spike like that?" Hoshino Katsuri earnestly reflected on the improvements in their own team.
Hinata Shoyo chimed in with his usual bluntness:
"I mean, judging by the vibe, you're basically saying their captain's spikes aren't that scary, right? I agree."
Hoshino quickly clamped his hand over Hinata's mouth.
"Idiot! Keep it down! They might hear you!"
Both turned their gaze to the other side of the net, making sure no one had noticed their exchange.
Goshiki, however, felt vaguely looked down upon and sneezed.
"Ah-choo!"
"Bless you."
Yori handed him a tissue from the bench.
"Don't catch a cold, Goshiki-senpai! Did you wear too little during the nap? We're only at the third round of matches."
Goshiki waved it off.
"No, it's just an itchy nose. I had my blanket during the nap, no way I'd catch a cold."
Yori exhaled in relief. Losing Goshiki mid-match would have been disastrous, the team needed him intact for the coming games.
Both Hinata and Hoshino exhaled simultaneously.
Good, they didn't hear us.
"I wonder if it's from all the practice receiving Guren and Yudai's spikes in internal matches, or all the training with those super-powerful serve machines… but now his spikes feel pretty manageable if you limit their paths," Hoshino remarked.
"Exactly! I might not always reach them myself, but sometimes I can predict the trajectory."
Just as they were talking, one of Goshiki's spikes shot straight toward them. Ichinose Guren noticed immediately, though warming up seriously, he had eyes on everything.
The spike clearly targeted Yukigaoka's libero, Hoshino Katsuri.
Showing his strength, huh? Trying to take me down?
Hoshino didn't dodge. He pushed Hinata aside.
"I got this!"
Knees bent, center of gravity lowered, arms positioned, textbook underhand receive. Hoshino's experienced technique absorbed the spike's force, sending the ball upward, slightly higher than intended but perfect for their main attackers.
Mori, the setter, quickly moved into position. Hands steady, he performed a back set, sending the ball to the other side of the net.
The ball hovered at a suitable height.
"Here we go!"
Yudai Hyakuzawa, massive and powerful, stepped forward. With a carefully trained jump taught by Ichinose, he leapt, swinging his arm with enormous force. On contact, the ball's surface was swept clean of dust, and a concentrated blast of energy sent it barreling toward the opposing court, like a Barrett sniper rifle's round.
Bang!
Two short, explosive sounds merged into one, ringing in the ears of anyone nearby.
The closest was Goshiki, who hadn't moved away from the net, his left foot brushed by the ball. His expression froze in shock.
What just happened?
Is Yori talking to me? I can't hear…
A few seconds later, his hearing returned to normal.
"Are you okay, Goshiki-senpai?"
"I'm fine, just a bit of ringing in my ears."
The massive Yudai scratched the back of his head, sheepishly smiling.
"Sorry, sorry! I used a bit too much strength."
Goshiki forced a small smile in return, signaling he was okay.
Behind Yudai, two others were trying not to laugh. Mori and Hoshino were hiding behind him, hands covering stomachs and mouths, quietly giggling.
"Huh, Yudai doesn't seem so clumsy after all."
"Hahaha, shh… he's not clumsy, he's just quietly mischievous."
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