JSWGAS Chapter 99

“The match in the afternoon is Johzenji versus Aoba Johsai… I wonder how strong Aoba Johsai is this year.”

“I didn’t see Nannichi. Their setter this year is a first-year, and I heard he used to be from Kitagawa Daiichi.”

“Oh, I saw Kitagawa Daiichi’s match against Shiratorizawa last year. That setter should be Oikawa, he’s quite famous—”

“Oikawa-kun! Ganbatte!”

Their chat was interrupted. Students from a certain school who came to watch the match looked at the girls standing on the platform, and looked at their companions with resentment. The latter was silent for a moment, “…Although he is said to be famous in that regard… but I’m not talking about that kind of famous.”

“…Hearing your words is like hearing nothing at all.”

Johzenji’s performance in the morning’s match was mediocre, just like their ‘Simple and Sturdy’ support banner. The whole match was stable and steady. There were neither particularly outstanding attacks nor particularly weak aspects. In high school volleyball matches, it is common for players to have fluctuating states because they are still in the developmental stage. From this point of view, perhaps being mediocre can also be considered an advantage.

“The opponent doesn’t have many attack methods, but they win with stability,” Coach Irihata said. “But ‘unchanging’ is often the easiest to predict—Oikawa.”

In high school clubs—especially sports clubs—the relationship between upper and lower grades is particularly important. But at Aoba Johsai, the coach deliberately allocated the leadership to the first-year Oikawa Tōru, and no one objected.

“Yes—” Oikawa Tōru responded. The information he noticed during the morning’s match was calmly integrated, and even some minor flaws were seen through. “Overall, we are stronger—I believe in everyone!” He glanced at someone in the team, only Hanamaki next to him heard his quickly mumbled words.

“If only a certain someone could take it seriously…” Instead of caring about whether Mr. Oikawa has eaten his meal properly!

Hanamaki: “…” No way, they haven’t made up yet?

Coach Irihata nodded, he didn’t hear Oikawa’s whisper, “But don’t be careless. Before the game is over, there is no absolute win or loss.”

After briefly analyzing the tactics to be adopted and confirming the attack signals again, it was their turn to warm up officially.

After Iwaizumi finished a spike, Koganegawa approached him and asked worriedly, “Are Oikawa and Kokonoe not on good terms?”

In any team, it is a major taboo for conflicts to occur between players before a match. In the morning, they thought that these two would make up quickly as usual. But as a whole afternoon passed, and the game was about to begin, the atmosphere between them was still a bit off, and even the basic communication was very dry—but if it was said that there was a truly unresolvable conflict, it didn’t seem that serious. If you had to describe it, it was like they were waiting for the other to give them a step to come down.

But now neither of them wants to give this step.

Iwaizumi looked back and happened to see Kokonoe Taka, who was behind him in line, jump up to spike. His movements were very neat. After finishing the spike, he made eye contact with the setter who tossed the ball, and then turned their heads away at the same time—the range of motion was almost exactly the same.

“It doesn’t matter,” he clicked his tongue and replied, “These two guys know what to do now.”

Koganegawa: “…” Really? But since the Pokémon training master has said so, it should… be okay, right?

And the performance of these two childish guys after the opening proved what the Pokémon training master said.

Iwaizumi Hajime really understands Oikawa Tōru enough, and he also understands Kokonoe Taka enough.

The sharp whistle kicked off the first battle, and after seeing clearly the entry members of Aoba Johsai, there was a faint commotion from the audience: Captain Arahata and Vice-Captain Saijō were familiar faces, and Miyano and Koganegawa from the second grade also showed their skills in the Spring High School tournament in the second half of last year. But the remaining three starting positions were divided by three first-year students.

“Last year, I heard that Oikawa from Kitagawa Daiichi was quite powerful,” one of the spectators said with a frown, “Iwaizumi is also a relatively outstanding wing spiker… but who is that last one? Kokonoe? Have you heard of him?”

Most of those who can follow the IH preliminaries are local veteran fans, and they know the excellent players from middle school to high school like the back of their hands, but now they can’t help but be confused, “I haven’t heard of such a person.” Strictly speaking, the constant emergence of new players is also the joy of fans watching the game, but it is really rare for three first-year students to be selected as starters, especially compared with the first two who are a little famous, the last one’s obscurity makes people curious about whether he has something special that allowed him to get the starting position.

But there are also spectators who think that Aoba Johsai is asking for their own destruction.

“Is their coach’s brain muddled? Three first-year students… are they treating the official competition as a child’s game?”

The initial serve was in Aoba Johsai’s hands.

Oikawa Tōru, who got the ball, took a deep breath: he was a little nervous. After all, this is his first official game in high school, and this is Mr. Oikawa’s first battle! Various thoughts crossed his eyes, and finally disappeared in Iwaizumi Hajime’s impolite voice.

“If you make a mistake, just wait to be laughed at for the rest of your life.”

“…What! A lifetime is too long!”

Oikawa Tōru retorted with dissatisfaction, he deliberately dawdled for a moment before retreating to the boundary. But until he completely stepped on the floor outside the white line, he didn’t hear another person’s voice. But the other teammates echoed one after another: “If he makes a mistake, his fans won’t be so fanatical, right?”

“At least they can focus on me, the captain, who is also handsome with a jump serve!”

“It doesn’t matter if there’s a low-level mistake, we can afford the point difference of one point.”

Oikawa Tōru snorted with dissatisfaction, “You wish!”

Standing outside the court, scanning the two wing spikers and a libero in the back row of the opposite side, pressing the surface of the volleyball with both hands, his eyes gradually sank and fell. A few seconds before the referee’s serve whistle sounded, Oikawa Tōru, who expanded his vision to the entire court, noticed that Kokonoe Taka glanced at him extremely quickly.

That look was full of understated provocation, as if after getting along for so long, Kokonoe Taka had finally learned a little bit of Oikawa Tōru’s cunning and annoying skills. Then he couldn’t wait to use it on him.

—So, how could he fail.

The surrounding environment was squeezed into a vacuum at this time, and all external disturbances were out of reach. The only thing that his palms could touch was the volleyball in front of him. Oikawa Tōru started his run-up after the whistle sounded, and the movement that he had worked hard for several evenings and nights to barely reach the passing line that he recognized had a unique rhythm. Attention condensed into a sharp point, wantonly kneading the route that the volleyball should pass—

“Bang!”

Johzenji’s wing spiker only reacted when the volleyball smashed on the floor, and just as he turned his head, a sentence of ‘out of bounds’ was stuck in his throat. He stared at the landing point of the volleyball within the white line, and turned his head to apologize to his teammates with annoyance, “Sorry, my bad.”

“Good serve! One more—!”

“Go, go, go, Aoba Johsai!”

Cheers and cheers came from the audience on the side, and even people from other venues couldn’t help but focus their attention on Oikawa Tōru because of the amazing serve just now. And he took the ball handed over by a staff member next to him, and said to himself softly, “One more ball.”

The second ball also smashed over with a tricky angle and route. Johzenji’s libero had already prepared himself mentally to receive the serve when Oikawa Tōru’s eyes fell on him, but his heart was beating so fast that it was almost about to jump out of his chest and make a lot of noise. But at the moment when the plane supported by his arms touched the ball, the sudden gravity slammed the heart that was about to jump out back fiercely—along with the receiving posture that could not be maintained. The volleyball flew out to the side, almost hitting Johzenji’s elderly teacher who was holding a thermos cup.

“Sorry!”

The libero apologized in a panic.

Their captain patted him on the shoulder to comfort him, “It’s okay, don’t panic, watch carefully before receiving the next ball.”

Oikawa Tōru’s third ball was still fierce, but it brushed the edge of the net. Johzenji’s wing spiker pounced forward in a panic and finally saved the ball. The setter was in place and tossed the ball to the captain who was running up and jumping from the back row—spike it down! End Oikawa’s serving round!

The thoughts of the six people were surprisingly unified at this time, and the captain, who was shouldering the expectations of his teammates, stared closely at the ball flying in front of him and waved his arm fiercely!

…A pair of arms blocked in front of him at the moment he spiked.

“Sorry,” Johzenji’s captain heard the low voice of the owner of the arms, saw a pair of gray eyes that could almost suck people in, and felt his whole body tingle in an instant, and his nerves sounded an alarm, “This road is blocked.”

The volleyball was almost attracted by Kokonoe Taka’s palm and crashed into it without hesitation, and then quickly rebounded into Johzenji’s court due to the reaction force.

Aoba Johsai scores.

Oikawa Tōru’s serving round only ended on the fifth ball, but it was not because Johzenji finally received his serve, but because of a serving error.

He touched his head and whistled nonchalantly—and the childhood friend, who was only ten centimeters away from the ball hitting the net and almost hit the back of his head by a powerful jump serve, turned his head, and a fierce light flashed in his gray eyes, as if he was already considering how to kill someone and silence them.

Oikawa Tōru gave a dry laugh.

“…I didn’t do it on purpose! Forgive me, Taka!” It was not difficult to say begging words, especially after Kokonoe Taka received his serve before and blocked Johzenji’s attack, and regained his serving round. Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but smile happily.

Kokonoe Taka glanced at the undisguised smugness on Oikawa Tōru’s face and said coldly, “You can still laugh after making a serving error?”

Oikawa Tōru: “…You’re so angry. – I got it! I’m sorry! I will definitely get a full score next time!”

The serving right was exchanged, and Johzenji’s small wing spiker made a powerful jump serve. His serve was weaker than Aoba Johsai’s. Koganegawa put his arms together and sent a perfect first pass.

There are three wing players who can be mobilized, and the block is ready to run and fill in at any time. Generally speaking, the setter will choose to mobilize the wing spiker on the left. From the setter’s inclination, he is indeed preparing to pass the ball to the left—but the spiker swings in vain, and the volleyball pauses on Oikawa Tōru’s fingertips, flying in the completely opposite direction—this is a back pass.

“Senior Arahata!”

Arahata was on the wing, and had already prepared to jump when the setter called out. There was no one defending in front of him, and it had become wishful thinking for the middle blocker to come and intercept. Before the start of the game, the junior said to all of them like this: “I believe in everyone, so please believe in my pass, and jump up well.”

Arahata doesn’t hate this kind of play.

Similarly, he doesn’t hate Oikawa Tōru’s competitive spirit when playing ball—tricky, cunning, insightful, and that motto that is not a secret in the volleyball club.

——Hit until the opponent can’t stand up!

An accurate angle, and he swung his arm as a matter of course.

“Bang!”

“Good ball! Go, go, go, Arahata!”

“One more ball!”

The two sides steadily continued to resist each other, but anyone with a discerning eye could see that Aoba Johsai had a great advantage. Although Johzenji stabilized their position and stubbornly chased after them, using tips and the ace’s strong attacks to score points. But in front of the amazing Aoba Johsai, they still could not hide their decline.

When the score between the two sides came to 16:20, Kokonoe Taka stood on the serving position.

Johzenji’s ace stared at the strange face on the opposite side for a long time, and made the best of a bad situation: “This number 12… shouldn’t be another powerful server, right?”

Arahata’s and Oikawa’s serving rounds had left them in a panic, and it would be too much to have another one.

And the captain inexplicably remembered that just now at the edge of the net, several of his spikes were blocked by the other party, and the gray and deep pupils were extremely deep, which made people shudder, “…Don’t jinx it.”

Compared to the gloomy clouds on this side, the atmosphere in Aoba Johsai was more relaxed.

Saijō put his hand to his mouth and mischievously added fuel to the fire: “Oikawa scored four points with his serve, and Arahata scored three points with his serve. Kokonoe, don’t lose to them. You have to get five points, right?” These words were jokingly teasing, and originally Saijō didn’t intend to receive a reply from his junior.

What was surprising was that Kokonoe Taka, who had always been indifferent, answered him.

“Yeah.”

Yeah? What does yeah mean?

He was stunned, but he didn’t have time to ask, and the referee had already signaled Kokonoe Taka to retreat to the boundary to prepare to serve.

He casually patted the volleyball twice before putting it in his palm and rotating it. Kokonoe Taka’s eyes drifted to the opposite court, establishing a silent world with himself as the coordinate. Time passed quietly, eight seconds, seven seconds, six seconds, five seconds…

The audience only felt that this person was serving too slowly, but the opponents on the court felt that the air was being quickly drawn away, their limbs were heavy, the standard receiving posture slowly became stiff, and sweat dripped from their cheeks, but failed to fall on the ground.

It was blown away in the air by the rolled up air, and maybe it was smashed on the ground again by a cannonball-like volleyball. As fast as lightning, as heavy as a falling stone, the volleyball even flew to the audienceSeat on the second floor after landing, and was only captured by human retinas after hitting the railing. It was as if a page of time belonging to it had been abruptly torn away.

—Too fast.

As long as there is a moment of distraction, you will never see it again.

“…”

“Who is that person?!”

Countless discussions erupted when the dust settled and Aoba Johsai’s players slapped each other’s hands and punched each other, as if hot oil had fallen into cold water and boiled. There were many spectators in the audience who were too excited to stand up and look around, trying to see the server’s face clearly through the railing, racking their brains to dig this face out from the depths of their memory.

Different from the shock and excitement of others, the player with cold and hard facial contours raised the end of his eyebrows high, as if he said something to the teammates next to him. The audience who were close tried hard to identify his lip shape, “First…?”

Kokonoe Taka said: “First ball.”

These words had a somewhat dictatorial meaning of ‘just watch,’ and Miyano was still a little dazed when he turned his head and returned to his position. He glanced secretly at Kokonoe Taka behind him, listening to the rhythmic sound of patting the ball in his ears, “Kokonoe seems a bit different today?”

Arahata’s expression was serious but he let out a sigh of relief strangely, “It’s okay, Iwaizumi said that Kokonoe knows what to do… compared to this, I feel more sorry for Johzenji.”

After all, their terrible junior also hinted ‘there are four more balls.’

Johzenji didn’t know that the captain on the opposite side was empathizing with the pressure they were currently under. The setter glared at the ace, “You really are a jinx!”

“…Then I will definitely curse us to win next time.”

In a few words, the idea of trying to make the atmosphere lighter was torn to shreds, and the ceiling began to fall instead with the jump of the player with number 12 on his back. Until Johzenji’s crowd was crushed on the floor.

Johzenji called their second timeout. Their coach was a teacher randomly assigned by the school, and he didn’t know anything about volleyball, so at this time, he could only take turns saying some repetitive words of encouragement. And after the timeout ended, they felt that the timeout was too short, and they didn’t even have time to catch their breath before they had to face the terrible serve of the terrible opponent again.

But when the serving whistle sounded, they began to think that time was too slow again, why could eight seconds be so long?

Third ball.

Fourth ball.

When the score was turned to 16:24, the sideline had completely fallen into a sea of ​​noise, and even the players competing in the next venue were not in good shape, distracted and paying attention to the venue here. And their coach hardly paid attention to their tacitly agreed fishing behavior. Instead, he solemnly began to think about how to deal with it if his school faced Aoba Johsai.

Fifth ball.

Everyone in Johzenji’s footsteps was extremely heavy. Even if they tried their best to rush to receive the ball, they could only be hit by the volleyball until they were dizzy, and finally watched it fly out of bounds uncontrollably in vain.

Their gaze fell stiffly on the opponent, and what they saw was that the player and the support banner behind him were almost integrated into one.

——Dominate the court!