[78] Grade 11: Spring National High School Competition

"I'm back--"

Ms. Gong, carrying a bag, rushed in through the door.

She saw two fluffy brown heads huddled together on the living room carpet.

The two children were so engrossed in watching the television screen that they didn't even notice her opening the door.

She had come back temporarily to pick up an important document.

Ms. Miya was already aware that the twins had been glued to the television, watching the national volleyball league matches of Inarisaki High School, where they would be attending, without fail.

Welcome back!

Gong You and Gong Zhi muttered in unison, their voices drawn out, but their eyes seemed glued to the screen.

As Ms. Gong changed her shoes, she couldn't help but laugh: "So focused? Was the match exciting?"

This time, it was Miyaji who answered the call.

He squeezed the chilled drink in his hand, the condensation on the can wetting his fingertips: "It's alright."

"Where does your future school rank now?" Ms. Gong took a few steps closer and looked at the screen.

The camera lingered on the members of Inarisaki's team.

This time it was Inarisaki's turn to serve—the Foxes, bearing the pressure of Tsurumeikan's match point, managed to snatch a point back for Inarisaki.

Miyaji paused for a moment, the beverage can making a slight crunch in his hand: "The semi-finals are underway. The best-case scenario is third place, the worst... fourth."

Ms. Gong asked curiously, "So... you lost?"

"...More or less," Gong You mumbled.

Miyaji added, "It's not completely over yet, but the chances of a comeback are slim."

His tone carried a hint of restrained regret.

There wasn't much emotion in his voice, but it carried a hint of extremely restrained regret.

The regret was slight, like the thin mist exhaled from the mouth when one just opened their mouth, spreading faintly in the cold air.

It is a fleeting sigh unique to the winter stadium.

—At this point, the scoreboard showed that the difference between Tsurumeikan and Inarisaki was not significant, only a few points.

In a normal match, such a gap could be reversed in an instant with just a strong serve or a successful block and counterattack, and might even allow the team to regain control of the game.

But right now, their opponent is Tsurumeikan.

Tsurumeikan is known for its impeccable defense and meticulous counter-attacks.

What they excel at is turning small advantages into snowballs, accumulating them layer by layer until they eventually become an insurmountable glacier.

Few schools can reverse a situation from the rhythm and advantage that Heming Hall has taken.

This is no longer just a matter of technology or whether we can withstand the pressure—

More importantly, the entire system of Heming Hall, especially that setter named Imadegawa, will not give you any chance to turn the tide.

He won't make mistakes, won't be impatient, and won't leave any obvious flaws.

He will only use the calmest and most reasonable methods to turn advantages into victory step by step.

Any struggle seemed futile under the gaze of those all-seeing golden eyes.

Ms. Gong keenly sensed the emotion in her son's words, and she gently patted both of them on the shoulders: "It's okay, it'll be your turn to compete (VNUh) next year. You must make it to the finals then!"

Gong You finally looked away from the screen.

The twins exchanged a glance, and Gong You grinned: "Of course, we will definitely dominate the country next year."

“…That’s right,” Miyaji said.

"Go for it! Mom believes in you!" Ms. Gong rubbed the two children's heads, and only stopped happily after seeing their heads become even fluffier.

"Mom's busy, you guys keep watching—"

Ms. Gong patted them on the shoulder again, then turned and went upstairs to her study.

The camera cut to the group of people at Heming Pavilion the moment she went upstairs.

Yanli, the setter from Heming Hall, flashed across the screen.

——————

"How's the progress now?"

Iwaizumi knocked on the door of the Oikawa Toru family.

He walked effortlessly to the sofa, kicked the shin of Oikawa Tetsu, who was lazily lounging on it, and gestured for his childhood friend to make way.

Oikawa moved aside, giving up the spot that Iwaizumi had occupied after leaving.

"Tsurumeikan is going to make it to the finals," Oikawa said succinctly.

"So fast?"

Iwaizumi clicked his tongue. "We're about to win the third game."

"These two games were pretty fast-paced," Oikawa said.

"Speaking of which,"

Iwazumi suddenly asked:

"Has Heming Hall never lost a single game since the beginning of the national campaign?"

Not a game, but a set.

Losing any match means being eliminated, but if you lose a match, you can play the next one to regain the initiative and continue to advance.

Even seasoned powerhouses can lose a game or two due to fluctuations in form or a sudden outburst from their opponents during a long journey.

However, since the opening of the Spring High School, the Crane Pavilion seems to have swept through the competition with an overwhelming momentum.

Not only did they win the match, they didn't even let their opponents win a single game.

—Anyway, from the broadcasts that Iwazumi followed Oikawa on and off, he didn't see any sign that Tsurumeikan lost a game.

The air seemed to freeze briefly because of this problem.

Oikawa silently hugged the blanket.

...In fact, I've never lost.

In the early stages, there were even a few games where they had a great advantage, and their opponents didn't even get double-digit scores, making it extremely difficult for them to even break through ten points.

A perfect record of not losing a single game is a terrifying thing in a national tournament where strong opponents are everywhere and upsets are frequent.

This not only means they possess absolute strength, but also that they have unimaginable stability.

"……yes."

Oikawa pulled the blanket up again.

"They didn't lose a single game."

——————

—This is the last goal.

Inarizaki Ace put all his effort into his final serve.

Saotome answered it with ease.

—This is the last goal.

Aoyagi launched a final fast break, catching everyone off guard.

The tail was lifted up with all its might.

—This is the last goal.

The ace delivered a powerful diagonal dunk without holding back.

Koizumi skillfully supported it.

...This was the final goal—

Everyone on the field—whoever they were—tacitly agreed that this was the last ball.

Both sides have given their all to fight for this point.

Various techniques, such as diving, side roll, heavy slam, and fast attack, have emerged one after another.

And this ball, amidst the desperate and almost tragic series of saves by both sides, became an infinitely prolonged moment.

The volleyball bounced back and forth across the net, and every change in its trajectory gripped everyone's hearts.

The spectators in the stands were also deeply moved by the seemingly never-falling volleyball, with gasps of surprise erupting and breathless silences falling over the huge stadium at times.

"It's so captivating, I can hardly breathe."

Hisense's hand instinctively pressed against his chest, as if to soothe his wildly beating heart.

“It was a very long ordeal.” Lone Claw’s voice sounded somewhat pessimistic.

He was slightly curled up, as if the intense and prolonged confrontation was also draining his energy.

Blacktail said, "But the fox's indomitable spirit—refusing to give up even when cornered, and lunging out again and again—is something else entirely..."

"I was really moved by what I saw."

This wasn't his usual sarcasm, but a genuine affirmation.

...

Kita Shinsuke watched Koizumi leap high into the air.

...What does he want to deduct?

Even at this final moment, his heart remained calm and undisturbed.

Imadegawa watched as Koizumi leaped high into the air.

...It's unstoppable now.

Even at this final moment, his heart remained calm and undisturbed.

—Even during practice matches, Inarisaki and the others knew that Koizumi was not a pure power-type volleyball player.

Although he is the main attacker, his spikes are not as powerful as those of Ooshiro.

But when that spike slammed into Inarizaki's half of the court, Akagi seemed to hear the entire stadium tremble.

Everything was thrown into chaos by that one ball.

Even the final whistle came late.

"Beep—"

Setter Inarizaki glanced at the scoreboard.

————

Tsurumeikan: Inarizaki

25:20

————

Five points short...

......

Inarizaki Ace looked up at the high dome of the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.

...How annoying!

I knew I would run into you guys as soon as the list was released.

But even after preparing myself mentally for so long, I still got utterly thrashed by you guys...

This is the last winter, the last national competition.

They gave it their all to get here and made every possible preparation.

Behind this seemingly ordinary national battle lies their late-night serving practice, their repeatedly refined formations, and the countless videotapes they watched.

But in this final battle of his high school career...

—We were still defeated by you.

I suffered a crushing defeat before spring.

I'm so unwilling to accept this...

I'm so unwilling to accept this...

This agonizing sense of injustice nearly crushed him.

The ace's eyes were filled with tears, tears of reluctance, regret, and the burning pain of not being able to fully grasp his dream.

He gritted his teeth, tilted his head back, and forced the weak tears back into his eyes—he was a senior in the third year, a pillar of the team, and he could not show a broken state in front of the younger generation.

Standing beside him, the setter who had fought alongside him for three years silently turned his head away.

No words were needed; those equally red and weary eyes already conveyed the same emotions.

He reached out, not to hand over a towel, but to firmly grasp the ace's slightly trembling hand.

However, when all the team members—those juniors whose eyes were also filled with tears, confusion, and disappointment—gathered around, Inarizaki Ace took a deep breath and wiped his cheek hard with his palm.

When he looked up again, the fragile look on Inarizaki's face had completely disappeared.

His gaze swept over the young faces.

His voice, hoarse with emotion, carried a resolute and powerful tone, each word striking a chord in everyone's heart:

"Raise your heads! We've only lost this one game!"

"Will all the sweat we've shed, the injuries we've suffered, and every point we've won disappear because of this one defeat? No!"

"Remember the frustration of today, remember this feeling. Then carry it with you and keep moving forward!"

"And I..."

"I will take everything I've learned from Inarisaki and never stop here!"

The ace's gaze was unwavering.

—He was once one of the top five outside hitters in the country.

He will never stop on his volleyball journey.

"senior--"

The younger generation hugged him, their voices choked with emotion.

In the end, whose tears, no one knows, silently fell to the floor during this tight embrace.

————————!!————————

(Patting paws—) Let's all reply tonight! Lalala—

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