The gym was alive with noise.
The echoes of volleyballs, squeaking sneakers, and focused voices filled the air as Miyagawa High and Kawasaki Technical stood on opposite sides of the net.
Renji stood in the back row, his heart pounding as he watched their opponents warm up.
They were fast. Tall. Precise.
And every move they made looked effortless.
He swallowed hard.
But then he felt a hand tap his shoulder.
Yuuto.
"Hey," the captain said. "Don't look at their game—focus on ours."
Renji nodded slowly. In the past, those words might've felt hollow.
But not today.
Because Yuuto wasn't just saying it.
He meant it.
---
Set One: The Wake-Up Call
Kawasaki Tech opened with a blistering tempo—quick sets, deceptive plays, and a captain who called each shot with brutal accuracy.
Miyagawa tried to keep up.
Yuuto's spikes slammed into the court like gunshots, and Shun's float serves sent their libero diving more than once.
But Kawasaki was unshaken.
Each point Miyagawa won felt earned—gritty, hard-fought.
Each point Kawasaki took felt… automatic.
Before they knew it, they were down 17–10.
Renji dove for a low dig, barely saving a point. As he hit the floor, the ball popped up just high enough for Yuuto to spike—but Kawasaki's triple block shut it down.
The whistle blew. 18–10.
Yuuto growled in frustration.
Coach Anzai called for a timeout.
---
In the Huddle
They circled up. Everyone breathing hard. Tension thick.
But Coach was calm.
"Stop playing scared," he said flatly.
No yelling. No clipboard-throwing.
Just truth.
"You're reacting to them. Not reading them."
His gaze moved to Renji. "What's their setter doing?"
Renji hesitated. "He… keeps faking the short toss, then sends it wide."
Coach nodded. "Then you know what to expect. Trust what you're seeing. Anticipate."
His eyes turned to Yuuto.
"And stop trying to break through the wall. Hit smarter."
Yuuto clenched his fists.
Then slowly… exhaled.
"Got it."
---
The Shift
The game resumed—and something changed.
Renji started calling out positions, more assertive now. "Watch the decoy!" he yelled. "Setter's shifting left!"
The blockers adjusted just in time to meet the swing—and this time, Shun read the tip.
He dove, saved it, and Renji passed it up.
Yuuto didn't aim for the wall this time.
He tipped it just over their outstretched hands.
Point. 18–11.
A spark lit behind their eyes.
They didn't erase the whole lead—but they didn't fold either.
The first set ended 25–20.
They lost.
But not by much.
And the energy?
Was different.
---
The Lesson in the Loss
Back in the locker room, no one spoke for a moment.
Then Kazuma, who had sat in the stands the whole time, poked his head in.
"Now that's what I call growth," he said.
Yuuto looked up. "Even though we lost?"
Kazuma smirked. "Winning's easy when everything's perfect. It's the fight when you're behind that shows who you are."
Renji slumped on the bench, sweat dripping from his brow. "We were close."
"You'll get closer," Kazuma said. "If you keep trusting each other."
Coach Anzai finally stepped in. "You've all got potential. But if you want to win at State, then you need to stop thinking like individuals."
He looked directly at Renji.
"And you—stop hiding in the back row. This team doesn't need shadows. It needs leaders."
Renji's breath caught.
Was that… acknowledgment?
He gave a small nod. "Yes, sir."
---
After the Match
As the team packed up to leave, Asuka approached Renji near the exit.
"You played well," she said with a smile.
Renji rubbed the back of his neck. "We still lost."
"Yeah, but you looked different out there. More… confident."
He looked at her, surprised. "You could tell?"
Asuka nodded. "Everyone could."
Yuuto passed by, giving Renji a small nudge. "Nice calls out there, vice-captain."
Renji blinked.
Yuuto hadn't used that title in a while.
And suddenly, the loss didn't sting so much.
Because they were learning.
They were growing.
And the road to State?
It had just begun.
---
End of Chapter 57
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To Be Continued