After the handshake, the veteran coach, seasoned from countless tournaments, had expected his team might fight several grueling matches against Karasuzawa, or perhaps clash head-on with Kitagawa Daiichi, the so-called "king team."
But he had never imagined that his powerhouse Kousen Academy volleyball team would be swept 3:0 in the county finals by a team he'd never even heard of.
He had expected to be outclassed in the national tournament by a super team from a major city, but this was the county qualifier, this wasn't supposed to happen here.
Looking at his players, each silently shedding tears, the usually composed captain restrained his voice, but after being patted on the back by a teammate of similar height yet completely different personality, he finally allowed himself to embrace his grief.
He lifted his gaze toward the LED lights on the ceiling.
There was no sense of despair. Competitive sports: kings or losers.
His team had played at an unquestionably national-level standard in both offense and defense. Everyone had done everything they could, and still couldn't shake the opponent.
Simply put: the other team was better.
===========
At this moment, Ichinose Guren, his hair soaked with sweat and bangs hanging in disarray, sat on the team bus. Multiple layers of cling film covered his shoulders, upper chest, and abdomen, wrapped around ice packs for post-match recovery.
His knees were iced, and his feet soaked in cold water. Later, he would enter a hyperbaric oxygen chamber for a short nap to further restore his body.
Other Yukigaoka players followed suit, all attended to by Ayasaki Hayato, comfortably icing their bodies.
After the final, the captain had arranged for everyone to rest, promising a full night's sleep before holding a review meeting the next day. Every team member had agreed without objection, determined to follow his lead.
Hinata Shoyo, still icing, was already drifting into sleep. This match had seen the "Little Giant" use his athleticism and deceptive attacks to score an average of 4 points per set, totaling 12 points, a stellar performance.
In the grueling late stages, when both teams were exhausted, Hinata's relentless movement and spikes, whether scoring or not, pulled the opposing defense apart at critical moments.
Mori's calm setting and defensive reading, Hoshino Katsuri's floor defense and digs, Yudai Hyakuzawa's blocks and spikes, Suzuki and Kawashima's combined touches and receptions, all were crucial factors, collectively making up at least 50% of Yukigaoka's strength in these three matches.
Ichinose Guren accounted for the other 50%, a true core of the team. From unanswerable spikes to forced first passes by the setter, to frenzied blocking and crucial saves, he redefined the essence of volleyball: a game of six, where a strong player elevates the entire team, perfectly deploying and adjusting each teammate's abilities.
===========
In a classroom, a boy with a neat "little sister" hairstyle slept at his desk, only to be nudged awake by a teammate.
"Hey! Did you see the latest Volleyball Monthly?"
Goshiki, still half-asleep, rubbed his eyes, confused.
"What's up? Yukigaoka made the national tournament semifinals in their first appearance in Miyagi?"
"And got beaten 2:1 by Nishi Junior from Nagano?"
"Wasn't that already known? I'll just go back to sleep, don't bother me."
Just as he was about to lie down, his teammate slammed the magazine on the desk. The noise made him jump.
"What the… so loud! You just woke me up!"
Goshiki frowned, about to scold the rough behavior, but the cover of the magazine caught his attention.
It featured Mori, the Yukigaoka setter, sprawled on the floor after a long-distance save, half-kneeling but already striving to rise, captured perfectly by the photographer.
Behind him, Ichinose Guren soared in the air, facing three blockers, spiking the high ball Mori had sent purely by instinct.
The shot, taken by one of the top-tier sports magazine photographers, perfectly captured the raw determination and fighting spirit on Mori's face.
And the elegant, artistic spike of Ichinose in midair drew all eyes. Could the three blockers stop it? Would it score?
In that instant, even casual onlookers, volleyball fans or not, would be drawn in, compelled to pick up the magazine.
Goshiki, however, could only feel one thing.
"That guy really knows how to steal the spotlight!"
A surge of jealousy and frustration hit him.
"Just a background player, and he jumps so damn stylishly! Ugh!"
"Bet he'll post this on Instagram, using the cover to get girls' attention. That handsome bastard!"
Despite envy, Goshiki flipped through the magazine, curious about how the issue described Ichinose.
"I remain steadfast in my belief: volleyball is a six-player sport. But in the Junior High national tournament, Ichinose Guren cannot be discussed as a mere loser. His teammates were excellent, yes, but Ichinose's scoring… it was the greatest individual performance I have ever seen." - Hibarida Fuki
"Emmmmm!!!"
Goshiki's expression twisted into something extremely complex.
"Stop making that face, Goshiki. I know you're bitter about losing to him, but do you have to look like, 'I know you're right, but I refuse to admit it…'?"
"True to form of a volleyball fanatic, even a single comment gets this serious a response."
His teammate praised his devotion, only for Goshiki, after a moment of thought, to suddenly point at the magazine.
"Say… if I could perform like this, get on a magazine cover, and then show it to girls when I go on a date… would my success rate skyrocket?"
Teammate: You've officially lost your mind.
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