Chapter 8: Hinata Shoyo
The momentum on the court had shifted toward Aoba Johsai. The substitution was highly effective, but Kaedehara Taiichi, tasked with defending Hinata Shoyo, was nearing his limit. Hinata was just too relentless, his stamina stat of 99 shining through perfectly in this moment.
Chasing Hinata Shoyo back and forth, from left to right, constantly jumping, Kaedehara Taiichi was physically and mentally exhausted. He could only hope that Hinata, unable to score, might take a brief rest.
Taiichi glanced at Hinata Shoyo, only to find him utterly focused. Sensing Taiichi's gaze, Hinata looked back, and Taiichi's heart jolted, as if he were being stared down by a wild beast.
In that split-second lapse, Hinata Shoyo had already dashed to the other side of the court and leaped. Taiichi hurriedly chased and jumped, but that momentary delay meant he couldn't reach Hinata's height.
At that precise moment, Kageyama Tobio's set arrived perfectly in Hinata Shoyo's hands, without the slightest deviation!
Hinata Shoyo's spike scored!
As a decoy, Hinata Shoyo could only draw the attention of one defender, Kaedehara Taiichi, which was far from enough. If he kept avoiding confrontation, Shoyo would lose his purpose for being on the court.
What a Freak Quick Attack—truly fascinating! Kaedehara Taiichi didn't realize he was grinning. This was how it should be; there was no way it could be stopped so easily. Taiichi's eyes locked onto Hinata Shoyo, unwavering.
The score remained tight. Sawamura Daichi and Tanaka Ryunosuke were already strong, and with a genius setter, Karasuno's offense flowed seamlessly. Meanwhile, Aoba Johsai, without Oikawa Tooru on the court, lacked their usual attacking firepower, relying on balanced strength to grind out points steadily.
[Karasuno 16 vs. 15 Aoba Johsai]
"Oh my, the score's this close?" a lazy voice drawled.
Cheers erupted from the girls in the second-floor stands. "Ah, it's Oikawa-senpai!"
"We demanded they play Kageyama, but if we don't field our regular players, how can we justify that?" Coach Irihata said, glaring at Oikawa with displeasure.
"Hahaha… sorry, Coach," Oikawa Tooru said with a sheepish smile.
"But Karasuno's a really interesting team," Coach Irihata noted as Oikawa warmed up.
"Kageyama's setting and that shorty's weird quick attack are intimidating. Beyond that, there's Tanaka Ryunosuke, lacking composure but full of power and momentum; Tsukishima Kei, a bit short on aggression but smart and cunning as a blocker; and Captain Sawamura Daichi, who can cover multiple defensive gaps alone. It's a team with uneven strengths but flexible, dynamic offense."
Irihata paused. "Luckily, we have a solid rookie too. If Taiichi hadn't stuck to that shorty and limited his impact, we might've lost the second set already."
"Really?" To be praised so highly by the coach, it seemed the interesting first-year wasn't just the Kageyama he'd been fixated on.
"An offensive team, huh? No matter how strong their attacks," Oikawa Tooru finished his warm-up stretches, "if they can't sustain them, it's meaningless, right?"
Beep! Aoba Johsai substituted: Oikawa Tooru in, Kunimi Akira out.
[Karasuno 24 vs. 23 Aoba Johsai]
Aoba Johsai's serve.
Oikawa Tooru pointed at Tsukishima Kei and Hinata Shoyo. "I only caught part of the game, but that tall guy and shorty—you're both bad at receiving, aren't you?"
Oikawa's gaze sharpened, focusing intently on Tsukishima Kei. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the ball into the air, took a deep breath, and sprinted three steps before leaping. The volleyball shot out like an arrow, spinning fiercely with pinpoint accuracy toward Tsukishima Kei.
Bang! Clean and crisp! The ball ricocheted off Tsukishima's arms and flew out. Oikawa's serve scored.
[Karasuno 24 vs. 24 Aoba Johsai]
"We have to hold on!" Captain Sawamura Daichi shouted, trying to steady his teammates' nerves.
"Second serve!" No sooner had Oikawa spoken than the ball rocketed toward Tsukishima Kei again. Tsukishima stepped back, barely managing to dig it. The ball sailed straight back to Aoba Johsai's side.
"You can't receive poorly like that," Oikawa said, glancing at his eager middle blocker.
Kaedehara Taiichi had anticipated Tsukishima's weak receive, already positioning himself for the ball's return trajectory. He leaped and spiked it back.
[Karasuno 24 vs. 25 Aoba Johsai]
Just one point short. They were one point away from winning, but now the tide had turned. Sawamura Daichi looked at Kaedehara Taiichi and Oikawa Tooru across the net—one neutralizing Hinata, the other massively boosting Aoba Johsai's offense.
They couldn't let a serve decide this set!
"Tsukishima, step back, closer to the right sideline."
Oh? The receive-savvy captain was expanding his defensive range. Oikawa saw through Karasuno's adjustment instantly. Let's test the captain's receiving then. Oikawa smashed the ball hard. Sawamura Daichi sank low, absorbing some of the force on contact, sending the ball high into the air.
"Great receive! Nice, Daichi!" Sugawara Koushi shouted from the sidelines.
Kageyama Tobio knew how tough that receive was. His gaze hardened: they had to end Oikawa-senpai's serve with this ball. It was a gamble!
"Shoyo!" Kageyama set the ball toward an empty space.
A mistake? No, it wasn't!
Hinata Shoyo's beast-like instincts kicked in. He chased the ball's path, reaching it in an instant and leaping. But someone was there, blocking him across the net.
In that moment, Oikawa understood why Coach Irihata said they'd have lost the second set without Taiichi containing Hinata Shoyo. Too fast—that leap and spike crossing half the court was impossible to follow.
Hinata Shoyo opened his eyes in midair. Just smashing the ball wasn't enough to score. Seeing the defender already in position, Hinata aimed carefully and swung his arm.
Tap.
The ball hit the ground. Hinata Shoyo had swung at nothing, missing the ball entirely.
[Karasuno 24 vs. 26 Aoba Johsai]
Beep, beep— The whistle blew. Winner: Aoba Johsai.
They lost? The scoreboard's stark numbers coldly declared Karasuno's defeat. Kageyama Tobio stood at the court's center, staring blankly at the score, his mouth slightly open as if to speak, but no words came to express his confusion.
"One more time!" Hinata Shoyo's voice rang out. Kaedehara Taiichi turned to see Hinata's stubborn expression.
"Let's play another match," Hinata Shoyo said calmly, his voice laced with intense reluctance and defiance.
"Shoyo, don't make a fuss. It's time to head back," Sawamura Daichi pressed Hinata's head down.
"Shorty, we can fight again next time. It's just a practice match, after all," Oikawa Tooru waved at Karasuno's team.
Seeing Hinata standing motionless, Kaedehara Taiichi walked straight up to him, looking him in the eye.
"Shoyo, get stronger. I'm looking forward to facing you next time."
Hinata Shoyo looked up, his eyes burning with a hunger to improve. "I will!"
Ding. "The host has successfully altered Hinata Shoyo's career trajectory. Reward: Jump +3," the system's voice suddenly announced.