The Birth of A Volleyball Legend

The most important task for a setter was always one, and that was to facilitate his teammates to get better while also helping them score a point in the game. That was why Sawada had never thought of doing something flashy like a dump, a no-look pass, or something like that.

In his mind, the best setter was always one who strived in the dark and never showed his fang, yet still was able to enact fear toward the opponent.

However, that didn't mean he couldn't attack by himself.

Just like this time, when the game entered a tough rally with all the methods available being blocked by the opponent, Sawada knew he couldn't stay passive all the time. He knew something must be changed to break the deadlock. Coincidentally enough, his competitive spirit was also ignited by Yuki's service trick and Riku's constant provocation.

He was determined to make a splash here to remind his opponent that while he was shy and quiet, that didn't mean he was easy to get bullied.

'See? What you can do, I can do it too!'

However, his move not only surprised the opponent, but also his teammates. For two months they played together with each other, this was the first time they saw Sawada take the initiative to do a flashy play like this. They couldn't believe the usual stable and sometimes cowardly Sawada would be so bold this time.

"Good job, Nobu!" Matsumoto slapped his back. "That is one hell of a play!"

"Yeah, Nobu-chan. You did a good job!"Lucas added. "But after this, don't forget to pass the ball to me, okay?"

One by one, all the Konan players said a word or two to Sawada. The setter himself had his face beet red, which clearly showed he wasn't used to being in the spotlight like this. However, looking at the smile on his face, everyone knew he was pleased by his decision in the last play.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the net…

"Why are you all so depressed? You look like lost puppies right now." Riku sighed. "Come on, everyone! While it is a pity that Yuki's streak was stopped, do you expect the best team in the country would let us do what we want? Don't be ridiculous! We have already expected a difficult game, so why do you feel bothered by a small setback like this?

Come on, show more spirit!"

"Yeah, Riku is right!" Yuki also tried to lift up the mood. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly though, didn't know how could all of his senpai be so unreliable that they needed their kouhai to take the leader's responsibility here. "Also, the last play is a good one. We didn't give up until the end and drag the play for as long as we can. We are just unlucky to lose concentration at the last moment.

However, the fact that we can drag them into the game we are most comfortable with, an endurance battle is already a win in my book."

The other's expressions started to change one by one. After feeling depressed since Yuki's point streak was stopped, they all felt their kouhai were right. Moreover, it was embarrassing for them to be reassured by two freshmen who came later than themselves. Even though they had already acknowledged those two were better than them all, that didn't mean they didn't have any dignity left here.

"Okay, no need to worry about us too much." Koji finally spoke. "It is just one point, not worthy for us to make a fuss. Let's focus back to the game."

"Yeah."

A moment later, the game was about to start again with the ball in Lucas's hand. By now, the crowds had gone crazy already. Even though the arena had so many empty spaces, that didn't mean their voice wouldn't be heard by the others. In fact, even the players on the court could listen to their whisper as they talked excitedly about the last play.

"Goddamnit, they are so amazing!"

"I know, right? I didn't expect a no-name team like Tsunemori would be able to push Konan High so hard like this!"

"That number 19 is amazing! His coverage area is crazy!"

"Yeah! It is like he is everywhere!"

The thought that Tsunemori was a weak team had gone already. In fact, if there were a person who still thought about that, he would be stared down immediately by the others for his lack of volleyball knowledge. To be able to resist Konan's wave of attacks for more than a minute, it was clear that Tsunemori wasn't an ordinary team.

But all the players below didn't care about their opinion. For now, all their attention was on Lucas who played with the ball while waiting for the referee to blow the whistle. After getting the nod from the referee, Lucas finally tossed the ball, and in a second, the ball traveled in the air already at high speed, crossing the net instantly.

"I got this!"

*BAM!*

Fortunately, Yuki's position was still on the backline. He only moved one step aside to get closer to the ball before placing both his hands next to his body, letting it be the cushion for the ball.

"Nice save, Yuki!"

"Come on! Move, move!"

After receiving the ball, Yuki wasn't idle on the spot. He rose immediately and moved forward, tracking Akihiro's movement and got ready if the opponent managed to block his teammate's attack. And true to Yuki's thought, when Koji spiked the ball, Akihiro shut him down immediately.

Fortunately, Yuki had already predicted this, as before the ball fell onto the floor, he picked it up and let it fly once again.

"Oh! Nice save again, Yuki!"

Akihiro clicked his tongue in annoyance. Since the last play, he noticed that Yuki kept targeting him, always tracking his movement and saving his block. Somehow, this made him feel uncomfortable, as this was the first time someone challenged him blatantly. For a moment, their eyes met with each other, and they both had the same thought. Explore stories on M-V-L

'Don't think you can always hold me back!'

'Don't think you can escape from me!'

"Rano!"

"I got this!"

Riku who noticed the weird state between Akihiro and Yuki tossed the ball immediately for a quick attack. Although Hirano wasn't that good in offense, he was still decent enough to be the secret weapon to pull once in a while. Riku's move was perfect, since Akihiro himself was caught off guard by the sudden quick attack.

Unfortunately, he forgot one presence who had a monstrous game-reading and reaction speed, who rushed forward immediately at the same time as when Riku released the ball and extended both his arms in the air.

*BAM!*

This time, since Yuki's attention was on Akihiro, he couldn't cover the other area. The ball bounced back to Tsunemori's side, while all the players there stared at it for a while before turning their heads around, just for the tanned-skinned boy to wiggle his finger with a bright smile at them.

'No, no, no. You cannot forget about me like that.'