[89] Grade 11: Spring National High School Competition
Yes, they lost.
The scoreboard doesn't lie.
Those glaring and vivid numbers were frozen in place.
——————
Crane Cry Pavilion: Owl Valley
25:12
——————
An undeniable defeat.
The final whistle was long and piercing.
The whistle left an invisible trail in the scorching air, piercing through the taut nerves of the Owl Valley team members, completely waking them from this nightmare, and shattering their faint remaining illusions.
Sighs came from the audience.
Some spectators felt sorry for Owl Valley's defeat, and they whispered among themselves:
"What a pity...the first game was so intense."
"Owl Valley's offense has been contained, and that ace player is completely unable to perform at his best."
"The defense of the Crane Cry Pavilion is simply unsolvable..."
These sounds, mixed with the cheers erupting from the Crane Cry Hall, sounded faint and distant to the ears of the Owl Valley contestants.
Washio stood still, sweat dripping down his chin and forming dark spots at his feet.
He tilted his head slightly, looking at the scoreboard hanging high above.
The two cruel numbers were reflected deep in the pupils of the little girl beside him.
Yuan Yi was panting, as if embers were still burning in his chest, and his breath was painful.
Konoha clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white.
The wooden rabbit lowered its head, appearing somewhat gloomy.
"Line up."
The referee's voice came from the sidelines.
Setter Xiaogu took a deep breath and raised his hand to wipe away the sweat that was about to flow into his eyes.
He turned around and saw his teammates silently gathering around him.
No one spoke.
They dragged their heavy steps toward the other side of the net.
There, the procession at the Crane Cry Pavilion was already lined up neatly.
Imadegawa stood at the very front of the line, his expression remaining calm.
When those golden eyes met the gaze of the hawk, they remained calm and undisturbed.
The players from both sides stood at the net, bowing in greeting.
Thank you for your guidance!
The unified sound echoed throughout the stadium.
......
After the post-match ceremony, both sides turned and went back to the rest area to rest.
The team members from Xiaogu quietly tidied up their belongings on the sidelines: towels, water bottles, knee pads...
Every movement was slow and heavy.
Washio gently placed the water bottle into his backpack, and when he straightened up, his back muscles ached from overuse.
He instinctively turned around and looked at the field where the fierce battle had just ended.
Even though only two teams were missing members from the competition, the venue looked almost empty, with only staff busy cleaning up the venue and setting up the podium.
The empty stadium shone with a cold white light under the overhead lights, and the line of numbers on the scoreboard was still stubbornly illuminated by the lights, like an unhealable wound.
Yes, they lost.
An undeniable and utter defeat.
With a score of 3-0 and a lopsided margin of more than ten points in the final game, it was clear to anyone that this was a complete defeat.
But in the silence that signaled defeat, Washio could still feel the volleyball in his palm, the faint sound of his shoes scraping against the floor echoed in his ears, and the images of his teammates giving their all flashed before his eyes—
The taut back of the wooden rabbit as it leaps high, the hair that flutters when the fish leaps to save the ball, and the profile of the leaf as it stares intently at the net.
The hawk suddenly came to its senses.
Not far away, Koji was quietly rolling up his knee pads and putting them into his bag; Konoha was tying his shoelaces with his head down; Sarutobi and Amatsuto sat side by side, staring blankly at the center of the field.
The same silence and lingering regret were on everyone's faces.
Beneath this heavy silence, Washio caught sight of the embers that had not yet been extinguished in everyone's hearts, still faintly flickering amidst the ashes.
And that burning resentment in my chest, that choked regret in my throat, that fighting spirit that never gave up until the very last ball—
They will take it all away, carefully preserve it, and turn it into fuel for a future that burns even more intensely.
"Let's go." Anji's voice broke the silence as he waved to the members of Owl Valley.
After resting for a while, they should change into clean sportswear and wait for the awards ceremony.
The members of the Xiaogu team stood up in unison.
Washio slowly withdrew his gaze, picked up his backpack, and followed his teammates.
His steps, initially heavy, gradually became firm as he saw the wooden rabbit's back ahead.
Washio swore to himself, and silently said to the figures of his teammates—
Next time, it will never end like this again.
——————
The audience remained bustling with people; no one left their seats, and the atmosphere was even noisier.
Following the finals (eAxn), the Spring High School National Tournament will be held with its awards ceremony and closing ceremony.
It's a short break now. Unlike during the match, there are no restrictions. The audience no longer needs to suppress their voices or worry about which side to cheer for. The volume that has been building up throughout the match is now completely unleashed.
Most of the spectators were excitedly discussing the final match.
"That first-year student's serve at Heming Hall is terrifying," a bespectacled boy gestured to his companion, "He can hit exactly where you point!"
"Are you talking about Jin Chuchuan? The one at number 1 in Heming Pavilion?"
"Yes, that's him."
"And in the third set, he served so many balls in a row—" the bespectacled boy exclaimed loudly, "The commentator said that this broke your high school volleyball national tournament record. He's really strong."
His companion beside him confidently shook his finger and explained to him: "You don't know, he was already terrifying before. He broke the record for consecutive serves once in the last national tournament, which caused a sensation in the entire high school volleyball world."
"So this is the second time he's broken the national record?" The bespectacled boy's eyes widened in disbelief.
My companion nodded solemnly, a smug look on his face saying, "I'm a long-time fan of Heming Stadium."
"—That's so cool!!!" The bespectacled boy couldn't help but clap his hands, his eyes behind his glasses filled with admiration.
Not far away, several college students dressed in sportswear were gathered together having a lively discussion.
"Shirakutani's first pass completely collapses during his serve," a tall boy analyzed. "And have you noticed that every time Imadegawa rotates to the back row to serve, Tsurumeikan's front row blocking setup is always the strongest combination?"
His teammate nodded thoughtfully: "Indeed, to avoid losing his serve, Tsurumeikan specifically added a strong block to compensate for any mistakes; the arrangement was quite meticulous."
After discussing Imadegawa's serve, their conversation turned to Fukutani's situation in the third game.
"There was almost no sound after the wooden rabbit; it was completely targeted."
"But that first-year middle blocker, Fukutani, played some really well with Washio, managing to stay calm under that pressure."
"Unfortunately, Xiaogu woke up too late... By the time they found a way to deal with it, the score difference had already widened too much."
A boy who had been silent suddenly interjected, "If it were us, it wouldn't be easy to break through either. The pressure on the field is immense. That feeling of continuous losses is too devastating; it can easily destroy morale."
"I have no idea how Tsurumeikan managed to do that," the tall boy sighed, shaking his head. "We spectators were terrified watching it; we can't even imagine how terrifying the pressure must have been for Akira."
On the other hand, older viewers were more focused on the overall situation.
An elderly gentleman with gray hair adjusted his glasses: "The rotation arrangement at Heming Hall is very well thought out, allowing each team member's strengths to be utilized to the fullest extent."
"Their control over the pace of the game is the strongest among all the champions in recent years," he exclaimed again.
The woman next to him chimed in, "Heming Hall will definitely become a key research focus for top universities, right?"
"They're already a key research subject, aren't they?" the old man chuckled. "But perhaps we'll continue to study them in a few years; their matches are so well-structured."
"—This school is practically made for competitions."
Finally, someone suddenly raised their voice:
"Regardless, this is one of the most exciting finals in recent years!"
This remark drew a chorus of agreement from those around him.
The uproar only subsided when a staff member's voice came over the loudspeaker, reminding everyone that the awards ceremony was about to begin.
At the edge of the stands, following a notification from staff, all the teams participating in the national competition sprang into action.
"Let's go." Kita Nobusuke's voice was calm as ever. "The awards ceremony is about to begin."
Kita Shinsuke glanced at the podium in the center of the venue, then turned and walked towards the small door leading to the center of the venue.
His back was still upright, but every step he took was exceptionally fast.
Ooshiro and Akagi exchanged a glance and silently followed.
The sound of footsteps echoed in the empty corridor.
They failed to defeat Jingtashan in the bronze medal match, missing out on a medal by two points.
Therefore, they did not have a place on the national podium this time.
That place will belong only to the champion, Hemingguan; the runner-up, Xiaogu; and the third-place winner, Jingtashan.
......
All teams gathered in the center of the venue and lined up, waiting for staff to announce the start of the Spring High School awards ceremony and closing ceremony.
Washio stood in the group, watching as the staff pushed him to the podium in the center of the venue.
The highest step in the very center of the golden platform shimmered under the lights; that was a height they could not reach this time.
"It doesn't matter."
Konoha, who was standing behind Washio, had regained his spirits and patted Washio on the shoulder with a smile.
"Next year, we will continue our assault on that position."
Sarugi also came over and reached out from behind Konoha to pat Washio on the shoulder:
"At that time, we'll still have to rely on you and Wooden Rabbit."
Upon hearing this, Mu Tu immediately straightened her back, her silver hair seeming even more lustrous in the light.
"Of course! I'm definitely going to beat Imadegawa next year!"
As the setter from Xiaogu looked at his teammates who had regained their spirits, the knot in his chest eased slightly.
Several third-year students who were about to graduate also turned to look at them. Although their eyes were still red, they all forced themselves to be cheerful.
"Keep up the good work!"
"Remember to avenge me properly!"
"Beat that Imadekawa guy so badly he'll run away in a panic!!!"
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(Sucking at paws—) Finishing up...
From now on, updates will be adjusted to around 12 o'clock, or even earlier, around 11 o'clock, and later, around 12 o'clock, but I will try my best not to exceed 1 o'clock. If there are any unexpected situations, I will ask for leave. The last three times, something random has inexplicably delayed my updates (sad).
For those little ones who can't wait until night, you can come during the day (kiss)
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