The words of the spiker from Hakone caught the hearing of both Hiro and Genji. The question was not an easy one to answer. If they were also the guy's teammates, they don't think even them can spin an acceptable answer for that.
'Why did you give up on the ball I just saved? Are you guys already giving up? But the game is not yet over.'
Yes, the game hasn't ended yet, but the win for their team can almost be guaranteed right after the point just scored. Hiro, in particular, admired the guy's steadfast focus on digging the spike he just made to give their team another chance to counter on that play. His spikes, with their rotation, are not easily received, but the guy got a hand under it – that in and of itself is already commendable.
And so he waited, on how things will turn out after that save. But what happened before him was almost familiar, and he felt like he witnessed it before….in middle school, when they played a game against another team from Tokyo. Itachiyama, the team he was on, of course won that one. The memory was from the team they were up against.
--
*Flashback – Tokyo, Three Years ago*
Itachiyama was at match point, with a score of 24 – 10. It was the quarterfinals in Tokyo for the middle school level volleyball tournament. Itachiyama is serving, with Sakusa Kiyoomi sending the ball over.
Their opponent's libero got it up pretty shakily, and the ball went back to their side. The second-year Hiro did a direct, but the opponent's libero once again raised it for a rare double-save, though the rest of his teammates were already looking forward to ending the game.
"Somebody, follow it up!" The libero said.
But none of his teammates moved, and the ball just dropped helplessly. Itachiyama won the game.
"Did you guys just give up on the ball I just saved?"
His teammates wore the look of shame. No one answered him. And that's when their setter, Mitsuki Shinya approached him to comment on what he heard from the libero.
"That libero is pretty good, though I feel sorry for him. Not only that they ran out of luck, but also, his teammates seem to have abandoned him."
Before Hiro can respond, Sakusa Kiyoomi dropped a bomb at them. "It's pointless to just stand around there and talk about how much you feel sorry for them. Let them be, we won, they lost." Sakusa looked blankly across the concerned opponent. "I don't understand why some people find it hard to acknowledge their loss. If they don't acknowledge that defeat, that libero's effort will be all for naught." Then he walked away to grab his mask.
Their ace's words always leave him in awe. Sakusa seldom speaks, but when he does, it will always be thought-provoking and something that needs more interpretation. This statement gave Hiro and idea on how to reply to Shinya's comments. He also looked ahead at the losing team, then said, "Regardless of the results, one should never be looking down on other people's efforts. I think that's what Sakusa-san meant to say. By not hustling after their libero's save, I believe those guys out there knew the magnitude of what they just did. It's synonymous to them not appreciating his effort. You know, they let the guy down, and facing him, or answering is questions after that, is like a serious blow to the gut."
He looked at Shinya before he added. "Moreso, defeat is a recognition of your current strength but not a proof of your weakness. Losing will never be the end of anything."
"Hai, hai, save me your philosophies for later Hiro, you're sounding like Sakusa-san, it doesn't suit you." Shinya just slapped him in the back to push him towards their bench. "Besides, I still do think though, that the libero just didn't get lucky to play for a good team who can maximize his potential. Don't argue with me on that."
Hiro doesn't want to agree, but somehow, Shinya made some sense. And it applies to him too. He's lucky to be playing for Itachiyama. He's lucky to be part of their starting line-up. He's lucky to be getting these privileges.
--
*Present*
Meanwhile. Asuma Genji sympathized with the spiker who like, just doused his teammates with ice-cold water with the tone of his voice. He saw himself in that player, and it kinda made him a little more sorry to be honest.
"That spiker…..I don't think he appreciates what his teammates just did to him."
"Hmmm….anyone will not like something like that to happen to 'em." Kouha told him, and shrugged on his shoudlers. "Now, get back to position, Asuma." He did as he was told.
"Don't mind, don't mind! Manami, the rest of you, just get the next point over! That's the next best thing to do and think about right now!" Hakone's coach yelled from the bench, which earned him a warning from the referee. He doesn't seem to mind though.
The ball was once again served by Kakuzo, and the ball was raised by Hakone, passed it towards their setter, who tossed to Manami from the left.
"Maki-san, nice receive!" Kouen said as he got the ball next, and tossed it towards his brother who spiked from the right side. Fukutomi, Hakone's captain, dived in to get the ball up.
"COVER!" He yelled, which sounded more like a battlecry towards his teammates. Amazingly, it awakened their senses, and some reignited their remaining fighting spirit.
"GET THE NEXT!" Another player from Hakone got the next touch, and as the ball came close to the net, another one of them spiked it.
"NICE BLOCK!" Hiro was there to stuff the ball. The game would've ended but Manami, again, miraculously saved the ball from hitting the floor.
"IT'S UP!!" Manami screamed. 'Please, please, someone, be there….'
This instance, their setter wasted no time to be stunned by the amazing receive, and he got the ball next, to launch an attack somewhere in the middle.
'I have to get this, I have to get this….' Captain Fukutomi jumped in for the toss, and two blockers loomed in front of him to cover his view. 'I HAVE TO GET THIS!'
"YAAAAAAHHHH!" His spike powered through the block, and hit the floor on the opposite side of the court. However, the referee blew his whistle, and one of the linemen raised his flag.
'No.' The captain had a total meltdown.
The ball went out. Shiroshikata won the game at 25 – 14, in two straight sets.
--
*Hakone's bench*
"Fukutomi-san," Manami called for their captain. But Fukutomi can't look at his junior's eyes. He heard Manami blurt out something again. "That was a good spike."
That's it. A lone streak of tears came out from the corner of his left eye. "Manami…. I'm sorry."
The rookie was also moved by the captain's words. And so he decided not to bring up what just happened beforehand. "We still have the Spring Qualifiers next right? Let's just win that one and forget about what happened here. As coach said, that's the next best thing to do and think about right now."
--
*Shiroshikata's bench*
Asuma can't take his mind off from the results of the game. He was happy that they won, yet he also felt bad for their opponents. When he was in middle school, he was used to be at the receiving end of many losses. So winning is actually quite a foreign feeling for him. He felt so privileged to experience it in the real setting.
"I –"
His teammates turned towards him who just said it loudly out of the blue.
"I kinda feel sorry for them." Asuma finished.
Hiro then quoted what Sakusa said before. "It's pointless to just stand around there and talk about how much you feel sorry for them. Let them be, we won, they lost."
It was Gai who managed to chug out a response to that. "Oi, Hiro, how can you just say that so easily? Asuma was just sympathizing with them."
"And I'm telling him it's pointless to do that. If Hakone hears that, that would be just awful. Nothing sucks worse than having someone else say, 'I feel sorry for your loss.' Especially from us." He drank some water before continuing. "That's like invalidating their efforts for today. Just let them be – let them figure things out."
"Whatever you say, you lamp post." Gai also drank some water and wiped away his sweat.
Kouha: "Ya know, it's quite unusual to hear something like that from our Hiro-boi, don't ya agree?"
Kouen: "Shut up."