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“Ooh~!”
“Another triple block? Doesn’t this guy ever get tired?”
“How many times has this happened already? Yuishi Junior High is pretty persistent!”
…
Inside the gymnasium, the number of Sengoku Junior High School spectators had grown without anyone noticing.
Meanwhile, the match between Sengoku and Yuishi was nearing its end. The scoreboard clearly displayed the scores:
First set: 25–13
Second set: 23–15
Oh… no!
Now it was 24–15.
“Wow! I didn’t really notice before, but don’t you guys feel like Asuka’s spikes have gotten stronger since half a month ago?”
Perhaps because the match was about to end, the atmosphere on Sengoku’s side had relaxed quite a bit.
At that moment, Omae Masato suddenly said something that instantly silenced everyone on the court.
Even Akashi Asuka couldn’t help but turn around and look at him.
Everyone: “?”
‘What kind of outrageous nonsense is that?’
‘Is that something a human should even say?’
They all turned to look at him. Their strange expressions made his hair stand on end.
“Hey, what’s with those looks? I’m serious! Don’t you guys feel it at all?”
“During practice, we couldn’t stop Asuka, even with a double block. But now, not even their triple block can stop him. Doesn’t that prove he’s improved?”
Everyone: “… ”
‘That actually made a disturbing amount of sense.’
The group expressionlessly withdrew their gazes. On the surface, nothing seemed unusual. But subtly, they all took a small step away from Omae Masato.
They were worried his stupidity might be contagious.
Only Kazama Jūjirō, his childhood friend, didn’t avoid him. Instead, he patted Omae’s shoulder and said, with a serious expression, “Promise me, Omae, When you get to high school, don’t join any sports that require thinking, okay?”
Omae Masato: “???”
“(╬◣д◢) Hey… what do you mean by that?!”
…
Just as the Sengoku members were recovering from the “intelligence shock” caused by Omae Masato, a new commotion erupted from the stands nearby.
“It’s Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High; they’ve already finished their match?”
“Kitagawa Daiichi? The school with the so-called ‘King of the Court’?”
“That’s right… look, that’s him: Kageyama Tobio.”
At first, the chatter outside the court didn’t catch Asuka’s attention. But when he heard the name, he looked up.
It wasn’t because he wanted to scout a future opponent.
He was simply curious.
Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High clearly hadn’t come to watch Sengoku’s match on purpose. Though it might sound harsh, Sengoku’s volleyball skills weren’t even worth their attention.
They were just passing by.
The Kitagawa Daiichi team was disciplined and imposing. At the very front stood a boy with a well-proportioned build and a stern, somewhat gloomy expression.
Asuka couldn’t help but feel emotional.
After spending half a month adapting to this world, the sense of unreality that had almost faded returned the moment he saw Kageyama Tobio, the protagonist of this manga, standing right in front of him.
“Tch… This still feels unreal.” Asuka clicked his tongue, then suddenly leaped into the air.
At the same moment, a volleyball flew perfectly into his reach.
Yuishi Junior High School… once again formed a triple block.
However, their confidence had already been completely shattered by the first set. The current triple block, in terms of height, timing, and defensive conviction, was nothing like it had been at the start of the match.
In other words, the current triple block might have looked intimidating, but it was nothing more than a hollow facade.
Bang!
The volleyball shot out at high speed. After hitting the opponent’s hands, it bounced high into the air and slammed into the railing of the spectator stands above.
Just on the other side of the railing, the members of Kitagawa Daiichi happened to be passing by.
For a moment, Kageyama Tobio and the other members of Kitagawa Daiichi turned their heads to look down at the court with surprise evident in their eyes.
But that was all.
Soon, they left the area.
Asuka didn’t pay much mind to it either. He simply glanced curiously at Kageyama before the referee’s whistle signaled the end of the match. Then, he began to line up with his team.
For Asuka, the reason he trained so hard was simple. He genuinely enjoyed the competition and the hard work on the court.
Although it was exhausting and grueling, on the court, a loss was a loss and a win was a win.
As for Kageyama Tobio, the so-called protagonist, he felt some curiosity, but beyond that, the other boy was just a stranger to him.
As for that spike just now, which seemed a bit like a provocation… it was purely an accident.
Asuka was never the type to provoke opponents off the court.
If he ever did, it would most likely be for tactical reasons.
The match ended.
Sengoku Junior High School advanced past the first round with a clean 2–0 victory.
Afterward, Omae Masato and the others were extremely excited because it was the first time in three years that Sengoku Junior High School had made it past the first round of an official competition.
The last time they had done so… was the last time.
Back then, they hadn’t even enrolled in Sengoku yet. Even the volleyball club coach wore a rare smile.
After all, this counted as an achievement.
The Sengoku Junior High School volleyball coach was named Shimokawa Mitsuto.
He hadn’t been at Sengoku for very long. In Japan, public schools operate under a teacher rotation system in which teachers are periodically reassigned within the same administrative district.
Because of this, schools with strong club programs often assign a teacher to serve as a supervisor while also hiring a professional coach.
In such cases, the coach is primarily responsible for training and matches. However, Sengoku’s volleyball team clearly wasn’t strong enough to warrant hiring a professional coach.
Under normal circumstances, a school teacher would simply double as the coach.
In this situation, even if Shimokawa Mitsuto failed to produce results, no one would blame him.
But, if, during his tenure, Sengoku Junior High School could achieve unprecedented success, then it would certainly be a highlight of his career.
And if they could go even further, for example, if they could take this relatively unknown school all the way to the national tournament…
‘Whoa, whoa…!’
‘Better not think too far ahead.’
‘He might start drooling.’
“But maybe it’s not entirely impossible.”
With that thought, Shimokawa Mitsuto, now in his thirties but still ambitious, felt a surge of excitement.
He looked at Asuka, who was lining up with his teammates ahead.
A seed… called “ambition” began to quietly sprout deep within his heart.
…
(End of Chapter)
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