Volleyball: The Time of Resonance

They lost the first game.

The team that Nekoma is now considered to be newly formed is not something that is hard to accept. It was built by the third-year students and trained by the younger generation, Furuya.

Kuroo Tetsuro made a couple of comforting jokes, and the others knew he was right, so they all tried to adjust their mindset to prepare for the next match.

"Grinding, do you have any ideas?" Kuroo Tetsuro rubbed his messy hair, looking at the atmosphere of the coach and captain talking fluently on the other side, and asked the only setter in the team.

The boy with brown bob haircut had his head down and it took him a while to come to his senses and look at the person who spoke.

So tired...

"There's still a chance to win," Kozume Kenma said in a low, hoarse voice, taking a few breaths after each sentence. "Fukudani isn't without weaknesses."

"The obvious weakness is the Wood Rabbit's volatile emotions."

"If the block can limit him three times, or delay his attack, there is a high chance that he will not be able to use his full strength."

"Another weakness... Konoha, which seems like they can fight anything, actually doesn't seem to be proficient in anything. We can use that as a breakthrough point."

"Sakuragi's pass wasn't exactly decisive. If you're keeping a close eye on the ball and it's fast enough, you can touch it even if you can't block it."

"Wood Rabbit has been shooting diagonally from the start, and so far, he's twice tried to shoot straight, but switched to diagonal shots at the last minute. Maybe he's not quite used to it anymore?"

Kozume Mamoru's voice was very soft. He hesitated before uttering his last point, then shook his head, wondering if he was just tired and his brain was malfunctioning.

The music faded into silence halfway through the performance.

"?"

Kozume Kenshin looked up warily, puzzled. Apart from his childhood friend, the other four people were looking at him with strange expressions.

Kozume Kenma glanced at it, then quickly lowered his head.

"As expected of Kenma! He truly is the most outstanding strategist!" Kuroo Tetsuro praised. Even after witnessing it so many times, he was still impressed by Kenma's exceptional observation skills.

His gaze lingered on the other person's sweaty hair and clothes for a few more seconds. Before Yinchuan Mian could look over, Kuroo Tetsuro turned his head away.

The atmosphere around Otoko eased somewhat, and Kuroo Tetsuro encouraged everyone.

Kozume, walking behind, stared blankly at the person in front. There was a way, but the real question was whether it could be done.

Reality isn't a game for heroes; people can't level up instantly...

Yinchuan Mian also looked at his friend Mushroom thoughtfully. Even though the other party had said so much, he didn't seem to think that the game could be won.

It wasn't a victory in a practice match, it just refers to this one.

The second training match begins.

Owl Valley's position remained unchanged, but at Kozume Kenshin's suggestion, Otoko's position was moved back one round overall.

The starting lineup consists of Hisense (position 1), Yinchuan Mianye (position 2), Yamamoto Menghu (position 3), Kuroo Tetsurou (position 4), Fukunaga Shohei (position 5), and Kozume Kenma (position 6).

The purpose of this is so that when Kotaro Bokuto is in the frontcourt, Tetsuro Kuroo organizes the blocking, and when it's Tetsuro Kuroo's turn to go to the backcourt, Eisuke Yoku, who replaces Tetsuro Kuroo, is responsible for receiving his ball.

The task for Konoha Akiki was given to Ginkawa Miya.

The match begins, with Fukutani serving first.

Before serving, Sakuragi Michiichi habitually pats the ball on the ground. When the referee blows the whistle, he waits for 5 seconds, tosses the ball, jumps, and hits it!

A beautiful jump serve, which Fukunaga Shohei, standing in the backcourt, barely managed to catch before passing it to Kozume Kenma.

Back row attack or fast break! Or Yamamoto the Tiger right in the middle of the net!

The ball lingered on the sharpened hand for only a moment before arcing gracefully over the head of Yinchuan Mianye, who had already taken a running start and jumped.

This was an extremely comfortable ball for Yinchuan Mianye; the ball landed precisely in her palm, and all the force struck the surface of the ball.

The players on the other side of the net were making runs, and Yinchuan Mian seized the opportunity to hit the ball behind Konoha Akiki.

"What!" Konoha Akiki reached out to catch the ball, but it was knocked away and fell to the ground!

The whistle blew, and Soundhorse once again took the lead by one point.

"nice shot!"

"Good shot, Mianye!"

"Yinchuan, another goal!"

Sakuragi Michiichi put his hands on his hips and said, "That cat on the other side is really hard to score with in one go. If you're not careful, you'll get scratched."

Niou Kyō turned to look at him, "After all, he's a cat that's good at guarding."

"Ah, I haven't heard this title in a long time. It seems it's going to reappear in the world of high school volleyball."

Wooden Rabbit listened to their conversation and tried to join in several times, but didn't know how.

"And what about us? What about us? What is Owl Valley?"

"Probably a noisy owl." Konoha said meaningfully as he passed by.

"?!" Dumb Wood Rabbit tilted his head, completely oblivious to the meaning, and thought the nickname was awful. "No way! It's not cool at all!"

Still in the warm-up area, Kyoji Akaashi, his lips slightly upturned, kept his body in good condition and ready to play at any moment.

It was a bit noisy, but it was alright.

Otoko's serve -

Hisense calmly held the ball horizontally in front of him and bent down.

Serving is not his strong suit; his ability lies in receiving the ball. His serving style is only good at countering the opponent's jump serve, and he rarely scores directly.

The boy let out a long breath, the volleyball rose into the air, and in the next moment it was hit towards the wooden rabbit.

"I'll take it!" Kotaro Mokuto stepped forward and passed the ball, albeit somewhat shakily, to Michiichi Sakuragi.

"Sky!"

Niou Kyō's eyes locked onto the gap in the net port.

At this point, Ootani's blocking strength was not strong, and similarly, since all of Otoko's players were offensive, his defense was also greatly weakened!

He jumped from position 4, twisting his body in the air to generate power and launch a high-point attack.

Yinchuan Mianye's eyes were always on the volleyball, and as Wang Xu jumped, he immediately reached out his hand.

"One touch!" Yinchuan Mian was half a second too slow! The volleyball grazed his fingertips and flew towards the backcourt.

Yoruichi's eyes never left the volleyball. He bent his knees, lowered his center of gravity, and anticipated the ball's arrival. He instantly dove forward and rolled, steadily saving the ball with both arms.

"Saved!" Kuroo Tetsuro's emotional appeal off the field was off the field!

Sweat dripped from his forehead down his chin, and Yinchuan Mian took two steps back to give himself enough space to run up.

Kozakura adjusted his rhythm and hit a high ball towards the frontcourt.

It was mine, Yinchuan Mian was certain of, but just as he ran to the net, Yamamoto Takeo jumped first and hit the ball out from about a step away.

No, wait! The moment his palm struck the ball, Yamamoto Takeo's heart stopped.

Is this ball his?

"?" Yinchuan Mian tilted his head in confusion. Had the ball been stolen from him? The continuous jumping had made him a little short of breath.

The tacit understanding with his childhood friend and his experience playing volleyball told Miya that this ball was definitely not meant for Yamamoto Takeo, so... he got the ball stolen.

......

His mind was filled with tension! Ineffective serves! Unsuccessful spikes! The defeat in the first set seemed to buzz around his mind like flies—score! Score!

He can't be the one who holds everyone back!

The opposing team's block was already in place, and Yamamoto Kou's eyes widened! He could only watch helplessly as the ball hit their hands and then fell due to inertia!

No... what have I done?!

Is the ball about to hit the ground...?

Yoru Eisuke is no pushover! The light brown-haired boy made a crucial diving save, catching the falling ball!

"Yaku-senpai!" Yamamoto Taketora couldn't help but shout out! Panic and joy were intertwined.

At this moment, Yamamoto Taketora looked at Yoruichiro with the eyes of a savior!

"Grind!" Yoru Eisuke shouted as he caught the ball.

Kozuma Grinding took two steps to the left and jumped—

Seeing that the ball was about to be passed to Hisense, the quiet Bokuto Kotaro and the others immediately ran to the left!

—A second attack!

"Bang!" The only one who wasn't drawn away, Renwang Qiong, hit the ball back hard the second after it crossed the net.

No one expected this turn of events! By the time Yoruichi realized what was happening, the ball had already fallen to the ground!

"Sh-!"

The score was 1-1.

The whistle sounded like a mountain pressing down on the field, mercilessly exposing the team's lack of coordination to everyone.

"come on."

"It's okay, it's just begun."

"Next ball."

The dry encouragement from everyone had little effect, and Yinchuan Mian and Guzhua Momo remained isolated from the tense atmosphere.

Kuroo Tetsuro frowned as he watched this scene. It was good news that his teammates were unaffected at this critical moment, but was it really a good thing for them to remain detached from the atmosphere?

Mianye and the grinding team always have a thin film between them.

Yamamoto was too nervous. Kuroo Tetsuro sighed, but that was normal, since it was his first game since arriving at high school.

Sakuragi Michiichi serves again—

Yoru Eisuke arrived just in time, and the ball was delivered to Kozume Masato's head.

The Xiaogu blocking duo exchanged glances and jumped in unison to form a human wall.

The volleyball came to Yinchuan Mianye's hands, but his 330cm reach was far from enough to overcome the wall of players in front of him.

Kotaro Bokuto isn't just a clumsy spiker; his assist block is even slightly higher than Myako Ginkawa's spiking hand.

Will they be stopped?

Yin Chuanmian wouldn't think that way either. He stared intently at the palm in front of him and clenched it tightly.

The volleyball hits the palm of the hand and bounces back onto the court of the sound horse.

He knew he wasn't very strong, so instead of hitting that spike that might not even get past him, he decided to readjust and try again!

The person who can become an ace and lead the junior high school's Onkoma to the national top eight is no fool.

Kozaki's golden eyes followed the volleyball. Sweat streamed down his face, and the boy blinked quickly to avoid the terrible thing of sweat getting into his eyes.

The three-colored volleyballs began to fly back and forth in the air again, but this was not a battlefield in the air. In a volleyball match, the side whose ball lands first loses.

Overall score 0-1 – Total score 8-12

Sound Horse Pauses—

Yinchuan Mian was also slightly out of breath, with beads of sweat dripping down her temples.

Perhaps he should have something sweet. The tin box was pried open, and lemon slices covered in sugar were stuffed into his mouth with a "crunch crunch".

"Don't panic, this is just a practice match." Kuroo Tetsuro's brows furrowed as he looked at Yamamoto Taketora as he spoke.

The positions had changed several times, and this time, Tetsuro Kuroo returned to the stage, but the atmosphere just wouldn't get going.

If this continued, things would only become more rigid, so Kuroo Tetsuro had no choice but to call a pause.

Yamamoto Takeo, panting heavily, picked up his water bottle and filled it with water. At the end of his line of sight was a volleyball basket.

The muscles in his arms were taut, and the veins were clearly visible beneath the skin.

The nervous person didn't listen at all.

Yinchuan Mian also brushed the stray hairs that were falling across her forehead behind her head, picked up her water cup, and took small sips of water.

This slice of lemon is a little too sweet OxO

Hisense received a signal from Kuroo Tetsurou, "Yamamoto..."

Yinchuan Mian also gently snuggled up to Guzhao Momo, bent down and rubbed her face against his shoulder. Their training volume was not high in the two months before school started, and even in the few days after school started, the training volume did not increase.

Today's intensity is already excessive for a mushroom.

Of course, it would be a stretch for a sheep.

—Training matches continue:

The referee blew the whistle, and Okabe made a substitution.

Yinchuan Mian also curiously observed the person holding the number 5 card. First of all, he must be the setter, and secondly, he should be a freshman.

Looks familiar... I think I've fought him before?

"It's Kyoji Akaashi," Kozume Kenma introduced the newcomer to Ginkawa Wataru. "I met him in the national tournament when I was in junior high school. He's quite well-known."

Yinchuan Mian also nodded seriously, "I forgot."

Yinchuan Mianye has a good memory, but it depends on the situation. You can't expect someone who can't even remember the names of their classmates to remember an opponent they've only met a few times.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Kotaro, sitting opposite, suddenly put his hands on his hips and burst into laughter.

"?" Why am I so happy that they just changed the setter?

"Didn't he like the previous setter?" Yinchuan Mianye's system for processing other people's emotions was malfunctioning.

"No, it's just that I prefer this setter who is his in the comparison."

Even though his current jersey number is 4, and he is recognized as the ace in the Fukutani team, Kotaro Bokuto is not the ace of Michiichi Sakuragi. The person Michiichi Sakuragi trusts the most should be Sora Niou.

Sakuragi Michiichi and Niou Sora are both senior high school students. They are happy to see the growth of new setters and ace players and are not stingy with their efforts to cultivate them.

Yinchuan Mian also discovered a blind spot: "Who is our ace?"

Previously, Yinchuan Mianye was the ace, but now that he has switched to middle blocker, he can't still be the same, right?

"..." Kozume Kenma fell into deep thought.

The referee's whistle brought everyone back to their senses.

The arrival of Kyoji Akaashi made Bokuto even more excited, but his shortcomings were also particularly obvious. He had only been there for a short time, and even if he was indeed excellent, he was bound to make mistakes.

This is Soundhorse's chance.

The score between Otoko and Fukutani went back and forth, with Fukutani consistently maintaining a higher score than Otoko.

At first, Coach Anlu appeared relaxed, but as he stood on the bench watching everything, he began recording data with a serious expression.

These cats have given us an unexpected surprise!

Not only Yinchuan Mianye, but Yinju's free agent is also very good...

Even with its still-tender claws, it can still scratch off the feathers of an owl. Senior Cat, if you don't take good care of your health soon, you'll miss out on this litter of clever and promising kittens.

......

The volleyball was hit over the net again, and Yinchuan Mian ran towards it with all her might, diving and using the inside of her wrist to catch the ball just before it hit the ground.

Sweat clung to their skin and rubbed against the ground, causing their arms to turn red from the intense friction.

As the game progressed, the amount of power available to them decreased. Yinchuan Mian, lying on the ground, even had to exert all her strength to roll to the side, trying her best not to block her teammates' running path.

At this moment, Yamamoto Taketaka was actually in the best form on the team.

Considering the current situation within the team, Kozume Kenma, who was so exhausted that his head was spinning, passed the ball to the opponent.

How can a level 1 warrior possibly defeat a level 99 boss? The brown-haired girl's hair was wet, and her arm, which was passing the volleyball, was trembling.

...... ......

"Sh-!"

Fukutani scores!

The score was 29-31!

The score is 0-2!

The members of the outer circle of Xiaogu, who had been watching for a long time, couldn't help but applaud!

Although Nekoma lost, their performance in the mid-to-late stages was outstanding! Although they brought in a first-year setter, their close score with Fukutani proved their strength.

After glancing at the grinding stone, which had been struggling to settle itself into the coach's chair, Mian closed her eyes.

"Smack—" A soft, fluffy cat threw itself at its childhood friend (the black version).

"I want to eat ice cream..."

"No, you don't want to." Kuroo Tetsuro tried to brainwash Wataru.

Two sweaty bodies pressed together through their jerseys. Kuroo Tetsuro, who had a slight feeling of disgust, dismissed the thought and gently patted the other's back.

Yinchuan Mianye's fluffy hair is a thing of the past; she grabbed the other person's wrist and put it on her head.

"My hair—" It's so hot...

"I'll tie you up, I'll tie you up." With his tired brain not having the energy to think about anything else, Kuroo Tetsuro focused on the task at hand, indulgently reaching out to run his hand through his brown curly hair.

After tidying up the sheep whose eyes were already glazed over, and telling it to stand and not sit down to rest, Kuroo Tetsuro turned to take care of another childhood friend.

"Little Black, I'm not Mianye!" The little sister-headed cat weakly resisted, but half of her hair was tied up by Black Tail Iron Lang with two hair ties.

"Grinding, it feels better this way."

......

Yamamoto Takeo tilted his head back, holding the water bottle up to his lips, the mouth of the bottle pressed hard against his lips, and the cold water rushed down his jawline, soaking the side of his team uniform.

The bottle was gripped tightly, his knuckles turned white, his brows were furrowed, and even the act of pouring water was filled with a fierce, venting force.

Hisense pulled back Ye Jiuwei, who wanted to go up and say something.

"We'll talk about it when we get back."

......

Kotaro Mokuto, who hadn't gone to stretch, ran to Otokoma's half of the field.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Yinchuan has been defeated by the super invincible, thunderous, and handsome Wooden Rabbit!"

Unlike Kozume Kenma, who was relatively polite and tolerant towards strangers, Ginchuan Mian, who was already exhausted and dizzy, did not noticeably curl the corners of his mouth.

"Who are you?"

The boy's tone revealed genuine doubt. His wet hair was tied up low, and his blue eyes looked watery, like a pitiful kitten that had fallen into the water.

"Huh!?" Mokuto Kotaro stammered for a while, then pointed at Ginkawa Miya and then at himself.

Then it suddenly hardens, and the petrification fades visibly.

"Bokuto-senpai!" Kyoji Akaashi, who noticed the situation, called out to Kotaro Bokuto with his hand cupped around his mouth.

"Red Reed—" The wooden rabbit, now looking dull and confused, blinked its beady eyes and looked in the direction from which the voice came, its gaze helpless and bewildered.

"Wow, my nemesis doesn't recognize me... I'm just deluding myself..."

Kyoji Akaashi, who had come to pick up the person, was full of confusion. After listening to what the ace was muttering, he sighed.

He also gave a slight bow to Yinchuan Mian, who had been harassed.

"Bokuto-senpai, you've gotten to know each other now that you've finished this match. Niou-senpai is looking for you. If you don't go soon, he might get angry."

"Is that so? Oh! I see!" The wooden rabbit's golden eyes sparkled! But upon hearing the second half of the sentence, her smile froze. "What! Let's go!"