The Birth of A Volleyball Legend

Yuki huffed, crossing his arms as he slouched in the corner of the bench. He knew it was childish to sulk over something like this, especially amid the bench players who didn't even know whether they would have a chance to play in this game or not. Still, he couldn't help but feel frustrated.

'One point… Just losing one point, and boom! I am replaced! How ridiculous!'

He knew full well that his failure to receive Ojiro Senta's spike perfectly was the cause of this, which forced Shou to make an emergency spike that was blocked by Haruo. Still, it wasn't fair to punish him alone for that! He still had a lot to offer the team, for God's sake!

"Stop pouting, Kobayashi. You look like a child," Zeno, the team's assistant coach, chuckled.

"Well, compared to everyone else, I am a child," Yuki huffed childishly.

"…Fair point," Zeno admitted, much to everyone's exasperation. "You know that Kawaki-sensei isn't punishing you, right?"

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"What else would you call my situation right now?" Yuki snapped.

Zeno blinked for a moment before he let out another chuckle. "Wow, with how mature you are, I sometimes forget you are still 15, the perfect age for being an angsty teenager." Some players chuckled at the description while Yuki glared at the assistant coach fiercely. "As for how to describe your situation other than punishment, it's just Kawaki-sensei's attempt to stick to his original game plan."

"What?" Yuki blinked in confusion.

"Yeah, he is trying to stick to his game plan," Zeno repeated, as if afraid Yuki hadn't heard correctly. "Don't tell me you've forgotten your current role is a pinch server?"

Yuki bit his lip, trying to refrain from arguing that he had already proven himself in the practice session and deserved the position over Miyahara. Unfortunately, Zeno had experience dealing with teenagers like him and could easily read what was in Yuki's mind at that moment.

"You might think Kawaki-sensei is being unfair, but he has a valid reason for not putting you on the court for too long. In fact, if we had another setter on the bench, I'm sure he would also bench Agostini."

At this, not only Yuki but everyone looked surprised. After all, it was a bold claim from the assistant coach. Yuki had already demonstrated his capability by scoring five aces in a row, and while Riku hadn't been performing well today, he was still a talented setter who showed a lot of promise during training.

"Don't believe me? Just look at your and Agostini's attitudes when things go south," Zeno explained. "For you, Kobayashi, you sulk as if you're the most mistreated person in the world, and for Agostini, he disappears from the court once the game doesn't go as he expected." Yuki couldn't help but wince at the blunt criticism.

"The issue is, you both still don't know how to deal with setbacks. When they come your way, you tend to drag your teammates down into your misery, biting us all in the ass," Zeno continued without glancing at Yuki's expression. "That doesn't mean you're bad. You are already far better compared to players your age, and it would be foolish for us to ignore that. We just need to fix your weaknesses, and I'm sure it won't be long before you can contribute more regularly on the court."

Honestly, this was the first time Yuki had heard Zeno talk so long, and he felt somewhat flattered that the attention was directed at him. Not that he appreciated the criticism, of course, but he could acknowledge the sentiment. He also knew that what Zeno said was true; all he could do was nod silently while promising himself that he would work on improving his weaknesses so that he could be trusted more than just as a pinch server.

'Just wait, Riku. I won't be far behind for too long, so you better move your ass and not let the coach bench you!'

-0-

The game continued, with all the Giant Bear players sighing in relief when they saw Yuki was off the court. While they didn't know Yuki's true abilities, his presence alone had given them all PTSD.

"Come on, Senta! The boy is gone; give us a good serve!" Goro shouted, trying to encourage the ace.

"Yes, Senta-senpai! Let's widen our lead!" the others cheered.

Somehow, even though they didn't mean it, their shouts were basically an insult to all of Thunder's players on the court. Hearing that, Shou suddenly smiled, yet the aura around him turned dark and intimidating. Honestly, if it hadn't been during the game, all of his teammates would have run away from his impending wrath immediately.

"So, they think that outside of Kobayashi, we're just a bunch of useless trash, huh?" He spoke slowly, the intimidating aura growing stronger. "Well, you know what to do, right?"

"Yes, Senpai!" all the Thunder's players shouted in unison.

A moment later, the referee blew the whistle, and Ojiro Senta served the ball immediately. Riku winced unconsciously at the sound of the ball piercing through the air, knowing how strong it was. Miyahara, the opposite hitter who had just come back to replace Yuki, reacted. Unfortunately, his small frame wasn't enough to absorb the ball's impact perfectly, and he was thrown several feet backward.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

BAM!

"Shit! Sorry!" Miyahara shouted.

The ball flew back to Giant Bear's side, giving them an opportunity to launch an attack. Ojiro Senta, who had just served the ball, began his run-up from the back immediately, followed by two other players. In the end, Izuki decided to send the ball to Ojiro Senta as usual, which, fortunately, Tondo was able to react correctly to, at least slowing down the ball.

BAM!

"One touch!" Tondo shouted.

"Nice block, Tondo!" Kojima, the outside hitter, easily picked up the ball. "Agostini!"

When the ball flew to the setter, all of Giant Bear's players tensed. They focused on Thunder's players one by one, trying their best to stop the attack. However, in doing so, they overlooked Riku's presence, and although he hadn't performed well in this game, the blonde boy was still a dangerous setter who shouldn't be forgotten.

So, seeing that the opponents left him open, he flicked the ball gently, letting it fall through the two Giant Bear blockers on the front side before it hit the floor.

Thud!