The Birth of A Volleyball Legend

Chapter 165 One Last Mission!

As Akira called a timeout after Matsumoto scored from the spike through Hirano and Ogawa, his heart sank at the sight of his players slumped on the court, their faces clouded with despair.

Each one had cast away the spark that had once ignited their teamwork and tenacity; instead, they wore expressions of defeat, shoulders heavy beneath the weight of a relentless ten-point deficit that had left them reeling.

He could feel the tension in the air, thick and suffocating, as he glanced from one dejected face to another. The echoes of the crowd faded into a distant murmur, leaving only the deafening silence of their self-doubt.

Even though Akira said before that they could give up and rest when the opponent had more than ten points lead, when that finally happened, he couldn't help but curse out loud. He desperately racked his brain for words to lift their spirits, to reignite their passion, but the reality of their struggle loomed larger than any motivational speech he could muster.

In that moment, he felt helpless, a ship adrift in choppy waters, longing to steady the course but unsure of how to guide them back to the game they loved.

"Why do you all look so depressed?" Sekine suddenly asked, breaking the silence. Everyone turned their head, just to turn it away when they saw the disappointed look from the old man. "You walked into this building already convinced that your opponent is invincible, that their reputation alone is enough to scare you off before the first serve.

You let their accolades cloud your vision and overshadow your own skills. So, I don't think you guys have the right to feel depressed here. Only those who fight to their fullest and still lose have the right to do so. You all deserve to lose today."

Each word felt like a jolt of cold water, but the sting of truth lingered heavier in the air. With a sharp exhale, Sekine shook his head in disappointment, disillusioned by the sight of their defeated spirits. He turned and stormed off, the bench's atmosphere shifting from despair to a tense stillness, leaving the team to grapple with his words.

"Sekine-jiisan..." Megumi rose from her spot and followed the old man, didn't want to get involved in this mess too.

The moment Sekine's footsteps faded into the distance, the bench erupted in a storm of accusations, each player turning on their teammates like a pack of wolves.

"If you all didn't make those stupid mistakes, we wouldn't be in this mess!" barked Riku, glaring daggers at all of his senpai, whose shoulders tensed at the criticism.

"Us? Look who's talking! You two tried to play as a hero and ignored us in the last play! Look at where it brought us right now!" retorted Koji, his voice rising with frustration.

Everyone was taken aback, didn't expect that their coach would be able to read their mind so easily like that. However, what he said next attracted their attention more.

"Well, what if I tell you there is a way to leave with a bang?" He smirked at the intrigued expression that was far from their frustration a few moments ago.

"Just look at them." He used his head to point at Konan's bench. There they saw all the Konan players chatting and laughing with each other. "Even though you did well in the first set and managed to splash some troubles for them, based on their reaction right now, it seems they still didn't take us by heart.

I bet that after the game is over, they would forget about us and move on to their next game Not that we can blame them, of course, since we played a shitty game in the second set. However, since we are on the same page here and thought that it is impossible to reverse the situation, why not make the best team in the country remember about us?"

THAT was a good idea. Making sure the best team in the country remember their name before they were disbanded as a team would be an epic way to leave. However, there was a big question glaring in front of them here. How?

Seeing the depression and frustration vanish from the players' expressions, Akira nodded, satisfied with the change. He knew that this was going to be his last day as their coach, and while he felt sad about it, he suppressed his emotions for now and wanted to guide the team one last time. He wanted to make sure that everyone here remembered how awesome his team was even for a short period.

As for how to do that, he had already had an idea in his mind.

"Well, I know you all think it would be hard to do so. However, we can make a strong impression just by doing what we are best at." The smirk was back on his face.

At first, everyone was confused, not knowing what the coach meant. However, it was Yuki who got it first. "Sensei, you mean...?"

"Oh, yes, Yuki." The smirk turned into a wide grin as he confirmed the glasses boy's guess. "Listen carefully since this is going to be our last mission as a team! Remember the Tsukumi University training camp we held a few weeks ago? You know the rule! We are back to the basics, don't let the ball fall to the ground and drag the game to hell! Can you do it?!"

All the players glanced at each other with enlightened expression. Gone was the gloomy atmosphere in Tsunemori's bench, replaced with excitement. Even though they all knew this was going to be the last time they stepped into this court, they all were on the same page now, determined to finish the last mission their coach gave.

With that thought in mind, there was only one appropriate answer to Akira's question.

"YES, SIR!"