Chapter 23: Task Completed
A shadow fell over the score sheet in Kaedehara Taiichi's hands. Looking up, he saw Oikawa Tooru standing in front, smirking.
"So, realized how awesome your senpai is?" Oikawa teased.
Taiichi paused, then lowered his head. "Yeah, I've always known Oikawa-senpai's amazing."
"Huh?" Oikawa had thought he'd figured out Taiichi's personality—polite on the surface but stubborn and full of mischief inside. This straightforward praise caught him off guard, making him a bit embarrassed. Ahem, this junior's actually pretty cute.
"So, please set to me more, Oikawa-senpai. I want to spike even more!" Taiichi looked up, locking eyes with Oikawa.
Oikawa: "…"
This junior's not cute at all.
…
After a brief rest, the second set began quickly.
In the first set, Wakutani Minami had thrown nearly all their weapons into the fight, with players in good form, yet they lost by a significant margin. This dampened their morale.
Coach Oninotsume saw it as a timely lesson. Volleyball is a six-person sport; one player's strength alone can't win matches. He didn't overly interfere with the team's mood, as it was just a practice match, and the focus wasn't on winning or losing.
He glanced at Nakashima Taku. His prized pupil understood Wakutani Minami's current plight better than he did—they relied too heavily on him.
"I know, Coach. In the second set, I'll cut back on my attacks," Nakashima said.
"Mm. First-year Matsushima Go doesn't get many chances against strong teams. Let him take more offensive roles in this situation," Coach Oninotsume suggested.
Sometimes, Oninotsume wondered how great it would be if Nakashima played for a powerhouse. Even if not Shiratorizawa, playing at Aoba Johsai with that monstrous setter might give him a shot at nationals.
But that was just a thought. Given the chance, he couldn't bear to let Nakashima leave Wakutani Minami.
"Matsushima Go is our tallest player now, with decent jump and speed. If he improves significantly before the Inter-High qualifiers, it'll lighten your load," Oninotsume said, patting Nakashima's arm. "Thanks for your hard work, Taku."
"Yes!" Nakashima replied loudly, eyes slightly red, shoulders trembling.
---
The second set was, surprisingly, even more closely contested than the first. From Kaedehara Taiichi's perspective, one phrase described it—amateurs flailing at each other.
Both coaches tacitly experimented with new strategies.
Oikawa Tooru was barred from power jump serves, restricted to jump float serves. After several attempts, his scoring-to-error ratio was nearly one-to-one.
To complete his "hit-out off the block" task, Kaedehara Taiichi spiked relentlessly, but his obvious intent was read by Wakutani Minami, leading to repeated errors. He was scolded by the coach and subbed out to clear his head.
Nakashima Taku barely attacked, replaced by first-year Matsushima Go's all-out spikes. But Matsushima tired out midway through the set.
Overall, the match was chaotic, riddled with mistakes. Yet, this relaxed the tension from the first set's intensity. Both coaches chatted and laughed on the sidelines, almost as if they were sharing tea.
"Taiichi, do you know why I subbed you out?" Coach Irihata asked, seeing Taiichi had calmed down.
"Because I kept practicing 'hit-out off the block' but made too many errors?"
"Didn't I tell you to practice it in the match? Why would I sub you out for errors?" Irihata chuckled. "Didn't you just look at the score sheet? Nakashima Taku's points."
"His signature 'hit-out off the block' only made up a third of his first-set points. Tips and straight-line spikes make that move harder to defend."
"Think about the time you blocked Nakashima's spike. Didn't you predict his attack to make that move? Using the same trick repeatedly only lets the opponent spot flaws, rendering your weapon useless."
"It's like me making Oikawa practice jump float serves now. Multiplying your weapons, not just adding them, maximizes their impact."
Irihata's words struck Taiichi like lightning. He recalled the night Umenai Tenma trained him. It didn't start with "hit-out off the block." He couldn't stop Umenai because he couldn't predict his final shot.
Seeing Taiichi's thoughtful expression, Irihata nodded. Aoba Johsai's students never lacked insight.
"Figured it out? Get back in and try it."
Irihata returned to his seat, squinting, feeling he might just coach a little monster himself.
Kaedehara Taiichi returned to the court, no longer bound by the system task, playing with his head in the game.
The second set ended: [Aoba Johsai 29 vs. Wakutani Minami 27]. Unexpectedly, it was a tug-of-war, but Aoba Johsai won, sweeping the practice match 2–0.
When Oikawa Tooru and Nakashima Taku held back, Aoba Johsai's other players outshone Wakutani Minami's. Had Taiichi not erred early, the match might've ended faster.
But Taiichi didn't care. He was immersed in the joy of task completion.
"Ding! Temporary task 'Little Giant Successor' completed. Nakashima Taku hit-out points: 3. Host hit-out points: 5."
"Task completed. Host Jump +5."
Taiichi stood still, waiting. Feeling no bodily changes, he sighed in relief, dreading a repeat of fainting after his first training (Chapter 11), which would've been mortifying.
"Taiichi, 15 attacks for just 7 points, huh…" A snarky voice rang out. Taiichi knew it was Oikawa without looking.
"If Kageyama were the setter, he'd probably get mad and never set to you again," Kindaichi Yuutarou added earnestly, twisting the knife.
"But I feel like Kageyama's changed a bit now," Kunimi Akira said, looking exhausted.
That's totally fake! He's the biggest slacker on the court…
Seeing himself surrounded, Taiichi rushed to Iwaizumi Hajime, grasping his last lifeline.
"Captain!"
"Who're you calling captain? I'm the captain!" Oikawa chased after him.
"Spilled my true feelings by mistake…"
Taiichi and Oikawa circled Iwaizumi.
"You two!" Iwaizumi grabbed their heads. "Line up for formation!"
"Yes!" Even Oikawa obeyed.
Both teams lined up, bowing to each other: "Thank you for the guidance!"
Coach Oninotsume shook hands with Coach Irihata. "Thanks for accepting Wakutani Minami's invitation. Today's match was exciting."
"Hope we meet again in the prefectural finals."
"Absolutely!"
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🤦 : Oops! You've reached the limit for today. But just for your power stone and recommendation I might— no I would add additional Chapter.
20PS — 1 additional Chapter
40PS — 2 additional Chapter and special mention if you've contributed 3 or more PS.
That's all. Enjoy Reading!