The atmosphere was hyped up. No one had dared to challenge the guy Sam was against. Sam was good at volleyball, but upon seeing everyone, Sam felt that good wasn't enough.
Even if he lost, if he didn't put up a good match, his name would be tarnished. A thought occurred to him for a moment. What need he was in to win?
What did he care if nobody from a game failed? What bad would it do to him? But he removed those thoughts. He kept his mind on track.
He considered a potential possibility. What if he got this guy for every game from now?
So, he went on the opposite side of the court. It was a 1v1 match. Everyone surrounded the court. The borders were fixed ropes adjusted with standard lengths.
The referee blew the whistle and tossed the ball up. It was a pre-match to decide the serving side. His opponent said, "By the way, my name is Stuard. What's yours?"
Sam replied, "I'm Katsumi." The ball reached towards the hands of Sam. People were whispering, "There's no way he can even return that ball. He has never played this game."
"But isn't it easy?"
"For us experienced people, yes. But such an easy shot is not easy for such an inexperienced person."
"But maybe he can get lucky."
"Maybe."
Sam thought, "I can do it." He took a quick breath and observed the ball. When the ball was in perfect position, he spiked it. Stuard was taken by surprise. He thought that this guy was all talk but some skill was visible from that spike.
The ball was almost on the ground. But Stuard kicked it back. The crowd busted out in cheer. The match began in full excitement.