Score: 3-4
The air in the gym was thick with tension.
Takeda's team had stopped underestimating us. Now? They were playing to win.
Their movements were sharper. Their passes were cleaner. And worst of all—they were shutting me down.
Every time I jumped for a spike, Takeda was there. Tall, fast, and reading me like a book.
My first few attacks had gotten through.
But now?
Every. Single. Spike. Got. Blocked.
Kenji set the ball high, and I raced forward, jumping as high as I could.
Takeda's eyes locked onto me.
I swung—fast, powerful, aiming for a straight shot—
BAM!
The ball bounced off his hands and slammed back into the ground.
Point: Them.
Score: 3-5.
A sharp whistle echoed in the gym.
Takeda smirked. "You're fast, but predictable."
I clenched my fists.
'Damn it. He's right.'
I had been relying on raw athleticism. Speed. Reflexes. But against a team that had adapted?
That wasn't enough.
I took a deep breath. Think. Adjust. Change the pattern.
As we rotated, I pulled Kenji aside.
"We need to start mixing up our attacks. Set to someone else for a while."
Kenji raised an eyebrow. "Who? Kōji?"
Kōji looked like he wanted to crawl under a rock. "Uh… I kinda suck at spiking."
I clapped his back. "Don't worry. You just have to tip the ball over. Anything to make them hesitate."
Kenji exhaled. "Alright. Let's give it a shot."
Takeda's team was fully expecting another spike from me.
So when Kenji set the ball to Kōji instead—their entire defense froze.
Kōji panicked but still managed to push the ball over the net.
Not powerful. Not clean.
But effective.
The ball landed untouched.
Point: Us.
Score: 4-5.
Takeda cursed under his breath.
'That's right. Now you're the ones reacting to us.'
The next serve came—a perfect floater, just barely clearing the net.
Izumi lunged. The receive wobbled, but Kenji adjusted.
I sprinted for the net, ready to jump.
Takeda's block was already up. Waiting.
I saw it.
I faked my spike—then at the last second, lightly tapped the ball.
Takeda's hands missed completely.
The libero dove—too late.
BAM. The ball hit the floor.
Score: 5-5.
We were tied.
The entire gym went silent.
Then—cheers exploded from my team.
Kenji grinned. "Alright. Now we're in this."
I wiped the sweat from my forehead, heart pounding.
'This is it. One final push.'
....
Score: 5-5
The match had shifted.
Takeda's team, once cocky and overconfident, was now playing seriously. Their movements were sharper, their coordination better.
But the biggest change? They were hesitating.
"Wait, who's getting the set?" "Is Hinata really spiking this time?" "We can't predict them anymore!"
That hesitation was our biggest weapon.
But it wouldn't last forever.
Takeda was too smart to let it continue.
And sure enough, he called for a time-out.
As we gathered on our side, I overheard Takeda's voice.
"Alright, listen up. Forget the others. Focus everything on Hinata."
I stiffened.
Kenji frowned. "Tch. They're just gonna triple block you now."
Izumi looked worried. "What do we do?"
I exhaled slowly.
'Alright. Think. How do I get around this?'
Takeda was smart. He knew I was the core of our offense, so now they were committing everything to stopping me.
Which meant—they were leaving someone else open.
I turned to Kōji.
He blinked. "Uh… why are you looking at me like that?"
I grinned. "Kōji, you're gonna win this match for us."
He turned pale. "Wait, what?!"
Takeda stepped up to serve.
I braced myself. This was it.
The serve rocketed toward Kenji, but he managed a solid pass.
The ball sailed toward the net. Perfect height for a spike.
I sprinted forward, jumping as high as I could.
And just as planned—three defenders jumped with me.
Takeda. His teammate. Their tallest player.
A solid triple block.
But they weren't my target.
In mid-air, I turned my wrist—sending the ball toward Kōji instead.
He panicked. "WAIT—"
The ball landed right in front of him. Wide open.
I yelled. "JUST PUSH IT OVER!"
His instincts took over. He slapped the ball lightly over the net.
Takeda and his blockers? Still in the air.
The libero lunged—too late.
BAM. The ball hit the floor.
Point: Us.
Final Score: 6-5.
We won.
For a second, no one moved.
Then—our team exploded into cheers.
Izumi and Kōji tackled me, Kenji fist-pumped, and even Matsuda-sensei looked impressed.
Meanwhile, Takeda just stared at the ground.
Then, he looked up at me… and smirked.
"…You're good."
I grinned. "You too."
He sighed. "Tch. Guess I'll have to take volleyball more seriously next time."
My smile widened. 'That's right. Fall in love with the game.'
Matsuda-sensei clapped his hands. "Alright, alright. I've seen enough."
He turned to me.
"Hinata, congrats. You've got yourself an official volleyball club."
I clenched my fists. This was just the beginning.