Aoba Johsai defeated Fukurodani. But they didn’t defeat Bokuto Kotaro. Because a man who could hold his head high and accept defeat with pride could never truly be beaten by his opponent.
If anything… after the match, it was Asuto who ended up getting caught by Bokuto.
“Hehehe~~ Asuto-kun, do you know who you’re playing next?”
The familiar laugh, the familiar enthusiasm, Asuto already knew who it was without even turning around. Even someone as calm as Asuto found it hard to deal with people who became friends with everyone so effortlessly.
Turning around, he replied, “It’s basically decided. Are you guys heading home already?”
Bokuto planted his hands on his hips and declared proudly, “Of course! We’re already getting ready for our summer training from hell so we can beat you next time. When we meet again, you’d better be ready!”
Bokuto was overflowing with energy, creating a sharp contrast with Asuto’s helpless expression. Anyone who hadn’t watched the match might have thought Bokuto’s team had been the one that won.
“In that case, I hope you have a safe tri…” Asuto stopped himself halfway through.
He remembered that Fukurodani was a Tokyo school. They probably lived less than half an hour from the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. At this rate, they could go home today and come back tomorrow to watch Aoba Johsai’s next match.
So he changed what he was about to say. “Good luck with summer training.”
“You can count on it!” Bokuto thumped his chest confidently before suddenly remembering something. “Oh, right! For our academy training camp, I heard Nekoma’s coach invited a team from Miyagi to join us. Do you know them?”
“If you’re talking about Karasuno… then yes, I do.” Asuto rubbed his chin thoughtfully before replying.
“Oh? So even you know about them?” Bokuto’s eyes lit up. “Looks like Nekoma’s coach was right. They really must be an interesting team.”
His anticipation grew a little stronger.
“By the way, how about Aoba Johsai joining our practice camp too? If you’re interested, I can ask Coach to invite you.”
“Hm?” Asuto paused, deep in thought.
To be honest, the joint training camp organized by Fukurodani was incredibly valuable. If Aoba Johsai could participate, it would benefit the team immensely.
Even so, after thinking it over, he shook his head. “That’s not something I can decide. It’ll depend on whatever plans our coach makes for the rest of the summer.”
“I see. That’s a shame.”
“Bokuto-san, we should get going. If we stay any longer, the team bus will leave without us.” Seeing Bokuto looking ready to keep chatting with Asuto indefinitely, Akaashi Keiji stepped in and interrupted him before things could drag on any longer.
Bokuto could only sigh in disappointment and finally stop talking.
The Fukurodani players walked past Asuto one after another. Unlike Bokuto, however, none of them looked particularly happy to see him. After all, not everyone could face the opponent who had just handed them such a painful defeat with a smile.
As Akaashi passed by Asuto, he suddenly lowered his voice and said, “Your next opponent is Mujinazaka, right? Let me give you a piece of advice. Their style is very similar to your current lineup, but they’re more polished. In a way, they might be your toughest matchup in this tournament.”
Both were perennial national powerhouses, both had nationally ranked aces, and both had qualified for Nationals year after year for decades.
Fukurodani and Mujinazaka had crossed paths many times on the national stage. Although Akaashi hadn’t been on the court for many of those matches, he knew plenty about such a formidable opponent.
Now that Asuto had earned Bokuto’s respect, Akaashi didn’t mind offering Aoba Johsai a small warning. Or perhaps he simply wanted to see two tigers clash. After all, setters with a mischievous streak weren’t exactly rare.
In fact, Aoba Johsai happened to have one of their own.
—
Meanwhile, somewhere back at the court…
“Ah-choo! Ah-choo!”
“Huh?”
“…That’s weird. Am I catching a cold?”
—
After seeing Fukurodani off, Asuto also returned to the inn. The team was already gathered to discuss tactics.
Standing in front of the strategy board, Coach Irihata Nobuteru began introducing their next opponent.
“Mujinazaka High, representatives from Ōita Prefecture. This will be their twenty-ninth appearance at Nationals, and they’ve qualified for nine consecutive years. Looking at the numbers alone, they’re an even stronger team than Fukurodani. And judging from reality… that’s exactly the case.”
He paused, letting the information sink in.
“In terms of fundamentals, Mujinazaka and Fukurodani are on about the same level. They’re both long-established national powerhouses. After playing Fukurodani, I’m sure all of you have already experienced that firsthand.”
As soon as he said that, every Aoba Johsai player fell silent. They had won the previous match, but that victory had relied heavily on Asuto and Oikawa.
The rest of the team certainly contributed, but compared to Fukurodani’s supporting players, there was still a noticeable gap between them.
Aoba Johsai was one of Miyagi’s traditional volleyball powerhouses. Everyone trained hard, and within Miyagi, their physical abilities and fundamentals ranked among the very best.
But at Nationals… whether it was an established powerhouse like Fukurodani or even Morinen High, the team they had eliminated in the first round, their overall fundamentals were every bit as good as Aoba Johsai’s.
It wasn’t because Aoba Johsai lacked dedication; it was because they lacked the same level of training facilities. Compared to schools like Fukurodani, both the quality and scientific approach of their training lagged behind.
It didn’t seem like a huge difference, but over the course of a match, that small gap could easily become a three- to five-point deficit in a single set.
Think back to the match against Fukurodani.
Aoba Johsai had two elite servers, Asuto and Oikawa. Between the two of them, their serves alone consistently created a two- to four-point advantage each set.
During the second set, Bokuto’s explosive performance earned Fukurodani plenty of points. But he was still only one player. Even if he scored every single time he attacked, each attack was still worth only one point.
Keeping pace with the scoring efficiency created by the combination of Asuto and Oikawa was already an incredible feat, and there was no way Bokuto alone should have been able to put Fukurodani ahead in the middle of the set.
There was only one explanation: the points that gave Fukurodani the lead hadn’t all been won by Fukurodani. Many of them had been handed over by Aoba Johsai through their own mistakes.
In high school volleyball, the difference in score isn’t determined solely by offense and defense. A team’s consistency is just as important in deciding who wins.
—
(End of Chapter)