Boom!
A powerful spike broke clean through a triple block and slammed into the floor.
The referee's whistle blew just as the scoreboard flipped, and the Aoba Johsai team quickly gathered together, cheering in celebration.
25–14.
Aoba Johsai had officially taken the first set against Wakutani Minami High.
There was no question about it, just looking at the score difference, this was a total blowout.
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"Hey, Kageyama… do you think… a true 'Ace' is supposed to be like Akashi-kun?"
On the bleachers, Hinata Shoyo asked abruptly, his eyes still dull with disappointment.
"How should I know?" Kageyama Tobio replied, clearly annoyed. But after a pause, realizing his tone was harsh, he added, "But… out of everyone I've played against so far, he's probably the one who feels most like an 'Ace'."
Strong. Decisive.
When he committed to an attack, he never hesitated.
Kageyama hadn't yet faced Wakatoshi Ushijima, the prefecture's undisputed top Ace, but for now, Akashi Asuka was without a doubt the most commanding wing spiker he'd encountered.
"Man… if only I had that kind of height… maybe we wouldn't have lost today."
"You…"
Kageyama immediately recognized the tone, Hinata was falling back into that usual spiral about his height. He opened his mouth to respond, but someone else beat him to it.
"You would have."
"?????"
Both Kageyama and Hinata turned, startled, to see Oda Miki walking over, hands in his pockets.
"Yo, Hinata-kun. Don't tell me you seriously believe Akashi-kun only beat you because of his height?"
"Isn't that why? If I had his height, I definitely, "
Hinata's voice grew louder with emotion, still shaken by the loss.
Oda Miki's gaze was calm and steady. He let Hinata finish, then replied quietly:
"Tell me, Hinata-kun… what exactly were you doing for those three years in junior high?"
"Hey! Oda–" Kageyama immediately snapped, unable to hold back.
He, too, had once asked Hinata a similar question. But after learning about the harsh reality of Hinata's junior high volleyball experience, he'd chosen to never bring it up again.
But Oda raised a hand, cutting him off.
"I get it, Kageyama. I understand Hinata's background. Not everyone has a smooth path when chasing their dreams."
"But you need to realize something. The reason I sympathize with Hinata's situation is because I'm his teammate. To our opponents, though, his story isn't a reason for pity, it's just a glaring weakness."
"Hinata said if only he were taller, he'd have won today. But you're both forgetting something, Hinata has only been playing actual competitive volleyball for two months. Two months since high school started."
"A complete beginner wants to shoulder the blame for losing a match like this? I hate to break it to you, but..."
Oda glanced at Kageyama now.
"Neither of you are qualified to carry that weight."
The words hit hard.
Kageyama and Hinata were stunned into silence.
It had to be said: Oda Miki had a very unconventional way of comforting people.
Even Sugawara Koushi and Daichi Sawamura, who'd just walked over and heard the conversation, couldn't argue with what was said.
He was right.
No matter how talented, Kageyama and Hinata were still first-years. Pinning the team's loss on them was absurd.
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"Uh… Oda, were you always this comforting in junior high too?"
Sugawara couldn't help but ask, now that Hinata and Kageyama looked a little less broken.
"Not really–" Oda replied, shaking his head. "Actually… this was something Akashi said to one of our juniors back in junior high. After we lost in Nationals."
"...Except he literally punched the guy across the gym first."
Everyone from Karasuno: "..."
He punched him?!
Oda smirked, remembering.
That match had gone south when Ryuhei Sanashita got injured, forcing Tomohiko Nishimori to sub in. Afterward, Nishimori kept blaming himself for the loss.
And Akashi, still not fully out of his delinquent phase at the time, decked him with a punch and said:
"You're just a benchwarmer. Stop kidding yourself. You think you're even qualified to carry the burden of this loss?"
"…That's so badass."
Hinata suddenly muttered in awe.
Everyone turned to look at him, but to their surprise, no one argued.
"Now I get it–" Sugawara said with a sigh.
"No wonder that guy became Aoba Johsai's Ace the moment he transferred in."
"Exactly–" came a voice from nearby, Nishinoya Yuu, who had appeared out of nowhere.
Then he turned toward Asahi Azumane with a dramatic frown.
"And meanwhile, our 'Ace' here might be in his third year, but he's just… well..."
"SIGH..."
He didn't even finish the sentence, but every veteran player on the team let out a synchronized sigh.
Asahi Azumane: "Hey?! What's that supposed to mean?!"
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Boom!
Back on the court, the second set between Aoba Johsai and Wakutani Minami High had begun.
From the start, Oikawa Tooru and Akashi Asuka unleashed two rounds of high-powered serves, racking up six straight points and bringing the score to 6–1.
Watching from the stands, Karasuno flinched collectively at the all-too-familiar sight.
"Terrifying… Having even one server like that is enough to cause nightmares. But Aoba Johsai has two?! That's just unfair!"
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