The Birth of A Volleyball Legend

Chapter 251 Yuki on the Court!

"Hey, Coach Kawaki put in a new pinch server!"

"Really? Do we have someone good on the bench?"

"I don't know, he looks a bit young, though. Same as our new setter."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Really? Isn't it a bit risky to put a rookie into the game in this situation?"

"I don't know; I'm not the coach here."

Amidst Yuki's presence, doubt suddenly blossomed in the stands about how young he was. It wasn't that the supporters disliked a rookie, but after watching Riku perform poorly in the opening and considering this was a big game against a rival, they were reluctant to take a risk by putting someone inexperienced on the court. Still, as one of them pointed out, they were not the coaches, so all they could do was support the players.

There was one section of the stands that suddenly got excited at Yuki's presence, though; it was where the orphanage's residents and their chaperones sat.

"That's Yuki-nii! He's about to play!" Hina squealed, pointing excitedly at the court.

"Really? Where?! Where?!" Mai looked around until she finally spotted her big brother. Enjoy new chapters from empire

"Yuki-nii! Good luck! Beat them all!" she shouted happily from her spot.

Kato could only apologize awkwardly to those around them who watched the children's antics with amusement. Fortunately, everyone was friendly and pretty understanding of the situation, with some even offering snacks to the children.

"Hey, Megumi-chan, I've never noticed this before, but don't you think Kobayashi-kun looks a bit more muscular than before?" Kato heard Arina Sugawara whisper to her senpai. She furrowed her brows, narrowing her eyes unconsciously to check whether it was true or not, only to find herself turning around quickly with her face flushed.

While the word 'muscular' was perhaps a bit exaggerated, Yuki indeed looked more toned than a few weeks ago. It seemed whatever gym sessions he had with the coach since joining the camp worked, and it would be a lie if Kato said his new look was not attractive. Coupled with the bright blue jersey he wore, a change from the usual forest green Tsunemori jersey, Kato tried her best to hide her embarrassment from the two older girls beside her.

Thud!

At first, the serve looked pretty ordinary, going straight to the right back. While he was initially taken aback by the quick serve, the Giant Bear player recovered from his surprise almost immediately and was ready to receive the ball. Imagine his horror when, right after the ball crossed the net, it wobbled slightly as if it were weightless and could be blown away by a simple cough from anyone there.

'SHIT!'

Even if the player realized he was facing a floater serve, he reacted too late. He couldn't even form a shield in front of his face to attempt an overhead pass as the ball moved too quickly toward him. In the end, even with a shaky reception, he managed to touch the ball, only to see it bounce gently off the floor.

For a moment, silence descended in the arena as everyone stared at the ball in disbelief. When everything finally sank in, they all snapped their heads toward the culprit, just to see the bespectacled boy shrug innocently.

"What?"

-0-

"That boy..." Zeno, Kawaki's assistant, could only sigh tiredly as he observed Yuki's antics. "He might not be a flashy player like his friend, but they sure share the same brain cell! Always love to show off, those kids!"

"This is still good for us, Zeno," Kawaki said calmly.

"Oh? How so?"

"Well, I asked him to serve aggressively, and he did exactly what I asked for. Now, if you notice what's happening on the court, you will realize that the atmosphere has shifted. The momentum is back on our side, and it's all because Kobayashi-kun executed my order perfectly." He grinned with excitement.

Zeno widened his eyes briefly before refocusing on the court. That was when he realized that the coach was right. "This is amazing..." he murmured in astonishment.

Kawaki nodded in satisfaction, his face aching from smiling too much. He fixed his gaze on the bespectacled boy, who was now surrounded by the other players while thinking, 'Now that you have everyone's attention, let's see what you're going to do. Don't disappoint me, Kobayashi-kun.'