The Birth of A Volleyball Legend

Chapter 354 The First Set is Over! Intermission!

While Michael Wang's presence on the court changed the dynamic of the game, it was still Tsunemori who had the edge here. Even though they couldn't stop Michael Wang completely – especially in the defensive end – they managed to take advantage of the boy's inexperience to score one or two to keep them in the lead. Meanwhile, Tsukiji High players seemed to forget how to play as they grew complacent with the new boy's presence, relying too much on him like a bunch of amateurs.

As a result, even though it disappointed the crowds, there was no wonder that it was Tsunemori who reached 24 points first.

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"OH! Nice kill, Asahi!"

"One more! Give us one more and the set will be ours!"

"Go, go, Tsunemori! We can do this!"

"Man, their supporters sure have the gut, huh?" Ida Hasebe's assistant mused. "They are outnumbered in the opponent's home and yet they are the loudest group today. The school sure knows who to send to this kind of battlefield." Said the man wryly.

"Yeah..." Ida Hasebe, the head coach of Japan National Team U-17, nodded in agreement. "They managed to level the field just by being here, and I doubt half of their team's performance could be replicated without their presence here." His gaze wandered to the small group in green jerseys laughing with Tsunemori's players on the court.

"Still, Tsukiji's performance sure is disappointing." The assistant huffed. "They are supposed to be a powerhouse team, right? But they play like a bunch of amateurs, relying too much on their rookie." He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Not saying that he is bad, of course. His height alone could be a nightmare for any less experienced team to face. However, it is clear that Tsunemori's coach is far from it. Who is he, by the way?"

"Oh, him? He is Akira Senki, my old senpai in the volleyball coach camp." Hasebe smiled wryly. The assistant snapped his head in disbelief at the information. "Your senpai?" He asked, wondering if his ears fooled him.

"Yeah, my senpai, and a damn good one too." Hasebe nodded, confirming his words. "We lost contact with each other for several years and I wondered whether he was still alive or not. Color me surprised when last summer, I saw the report about two players playing under his guidance."

The assistant could only shake his head in disbelief at the sudden revelation. "If he is as good as you said, no wonder Tsunemori could rise from a no-name team into one of the rising star teams in Tokyo. They have the hidden boss as their leader." Hasebe couldn't help but snort at Akira's nickname. "So, does that mean the game is them now?" He asked.@@@@

"For this set, yeah, it is them." Hasebe nodded firmly. "But as for the rest of the game, I am sure that the Chinese boy would bring us surprise once again later."

"Huh?"

Before the assistant could ask anything though, their attention turned as the crowd got louder at the play Tsunemori players just did.

"Come on, Reiki! Come on! You can do this!"

BAM!

Basking by the cheers from their small crowd of supporters, all the Tsunemori players came back to the bench with a huge grin plastered on each face, celebrating the set they just stole straight from Tsukiji High.

Tsukiji High 16 – 25 Tsunemori High

-0-

"Guys, I know I am new here, and you are still not used to not seeing the old man on the bench, but is it a good enough reason to show such a terrible performance?" Toru Oniki, the team's head coach sighed in disappointment. He could see some of his players bowed their heads and not daring to meet his eyes right now. "I swear, you guys played like a bunch of amateurs! Since when have we, Tsukiji High, fallen so low that we have to rely on our rookie?!" He roared.

Even though Oniki couldn't see his players' expressions, he knew based on the tensed shoulder he saw that his words affected them all. Hell, Michael Wang who couldn't understand a shit about what he said also flinched at his roar.

"Neito, you are our setter! It is your job to read the opponent's defense and set up the best attack to face them! Why in the seven hells would you fall into being a predictable one by tossing all the chances to Wang?! Have you already lost your spine?!" The setter winced at the harsh words.

"Kiyotake, I know you like stability, but Wang's presence makes you feel complacent! You don't even try hard to help him block their attack!" The vice-captain looked ashamed as the coach called him out.

"Banjo, where the hell are you in the first set?! You always run late, your timing is off, and you cannot even defend properly! You cannot even become a good distraction here, just a cone in the corner of the court!" Ouch, that stung right in Banjo's heart.

"Also, Ishida, I know that you are still a freshman compared to the other players here, but usually, you have more gut than today. What's wrong? Why can you take over Neito's job when you see him stuck in his complacent?" For that, Ishida had no words to rebuke his coach's statement.

"Lastly, Reiki." The captain flinched when his name was called. "You don't need me to explain in which part you mess up, right?" Reiki nodded shortly, not daring to raise his face. Unfortunately, the coach wasn't done with him. "Honestly, with how you play today, I don't know how you deserve to be the captain."

The atmosphere in Tsukiji's bench turned gloomy instantly as the Oniki said the last part. Everyone knew how dedicated Reiki was as a captain, so to hear the coach questioning him was like a spat on Reiki's face. Honestly, they didn't know if there was anything that could help them out of their depression.

Fortunately for them, they had a bunch of loyal supporters who even though they could be harsh, they knew when the team needed the most and to be there for them.

Just when no one on Tsukiji bench spoke, all of their supporters suddenly rose, turning on the flash on their phones while started singing,

Walk on, walk on

With hope in your heart

And you'll never walk alone

You'll never walk alone