[National Stadium - June 15, 2025]
Pro League Final
The atmosphere was electric. All eyes were on the court, where two teams were battling it out in an epic match. The score was tight, tied in the decisive fifth set. The tension was palpable. And at the center of attention was a young 20-year-old, Yuto Takeda, the prodigious right winger for Team Seiryu.
Commentator Alex: "What an incredible match! Yuto Takeda, at only 20 years old, already has the reputation of a veteran! His powerful attacks and his ability to hit from all angles are phenomenal!"
Commentator Grey: "He is undoubtedly one of the best players we've seen in recent years. But today, he has to face one of the best teams in the league, Kizan. Nothing is certain!"
The match continued, just as intense, with both teams trading blows, and the score had just reached 24-23.
One last point for the winning team.
Yuto, breathless but focused, was about to serve. Beside him, his setter and best friend, Haruki, watched him with unwavering confidence.
Haruki: "I trust you, Yuto. Do what you do best. We're with you."
Yuto smiled, a tired but determined smile. One last push.
Commentator Alex: "It looks like Yuto Takeda is ready to take on this final challenge! If his serve is perfect, he could very well give his team a memorable victory!"
As silence fell over the stands, Yuto's serve soared into the air. The ball traveled at impressive speed and was caught with difficulty by the opposing libero from the Kizan team.
Because of the power of the serve, the ball came back to Seiryu's side, and after the libero's return, Haruki positioned himself under the ball and sent a high pass to Yuto, who was already facing three defenders.
Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion in Yuto's mind. His gaze scanned the space, he assessed the situation in a fraction of a second, and as the ball arrived in the ideal position… Yuto didn't hit it directly.
He decided to change his angle at the last second and placed the ball in a narrow space between the three blockers. It was an almost impossible attack to execute.
Commentator Grey: "Impressive! Yuto faked a straight attack and hit from an almost unreal angle!"
But Kizan's libero was still there and managed to save the ball. It came back again to the other side of the court, and Yuto was already preparing for the counter-attack.
He approached, and each step seemed to be accompanied by a trail of electricity...
Yuto felt his heart race:
(thinking) "Not again... I have to hold on... This is my last chance... I have to make it!!!"
Haraki sent the ball back towards him, and Yuto used his last bit of strength to jump...
"BOOM!!!" "
He soared higher than ever before and struck the ball with incredible force.
Yuto's attack was devastating, and Kizan's block shattered. The ball hit the ground on the other side of the court, and the umpire blew the final whistle.
Urgear: "Point, match to Seiryu!"
[Score: 25-23]
The crowd erupted in joy, the fans roared, and the Seiryu players rushed towards Yuto. But the moment he landed after his spike, one detail caught everyone's attention: the sound of his heartbeat. It was loud. Too loud:
"BAM-BAM!" "BAM-BAM!" "BAM…"
Commentator Grey: "Incredible! Seiryu wins this final! Yuto Takeda is a true volleyball genius!"
The sounds around Yuto The memory faded little by little. The crowd's chants, his teammates' congratulations, everything became a blur. His legs trembled slightly, and as he straightened up, he saw his best friend, Haruki, beside him, all smiles.
Yuto (barely audible): "You see... we did it... Thank you... Haruki... thank you for everything."
Haruki frowned, worried, but Yuto smiled at him with a calm, serene smile.
Yuto slowly placed his hand on his chest. His heart was beating faster and faster. The pain in his chest intensified, but he remained still. It was as if the world around him had vanished, as if time had stopped.
Yuto (thinking): "I knew this moment would come... But not now..."
The cheers gradually faded away, and all he could hear was the pounding of his heart. Growing louder and louder. Quickly.
Then… silence.
His knees buckled. He fell. A dull thud echoed on the floor. Eyes around him widened. Seiryu's teammates rushed to his side. Haruki shook him violently.
But Yuto didn't respond.
----
Yuto Takeda wasn't just a volleyball prodigy. Behind his incredible talent lay a constant battle against an invisible enemy: A heart condition he had been living with in silence for years.
He had never revealed the seriousness of his illness to anyone. He had learned to live with the pain, to push it away each day. And that night, after giving his all for his passion and his team, his heart finally betrayed him.
He had grown up in a small town, dreaming of becoming an exceptional volleyball player. That dream had taken him to impressive heights, but he knew his body wouldn't last forever.
Yet, Yuto had never given up. He had continued to play, to fight, to live life to the fullest.
But this last match, the one that would have crowned his career, also marked the end of his story.
"But in life, the end of something is often better than its beginning."
-------
A deathly silence fell over the room. Yuto's body lay there on the floor, surrounded by his teammates who rushed to his aid. But his heart had stopped beating. The scene that had unfolded just moments before, filled with tension and victory, now seemed unreal.
Haruki, his hands trembling, tried to shake his friend, but his heart was no longer beating.
The doctors arrived in haste, their actions professional and urgent, but it was too late. Yuto Takeda, the rising volleyball legend, had left this world. A heart condition, a heart murmur that had worsened over the years, had taken him at the very moment he was realizing his dream.
As the stadium filled with tears and sorrow, a strange light began to shine above his body, almost imperceptible, like a sudden breeze slicing through the air.
A whisper resonated softly, a calm and deep voice, invisible yet omnipresent.
The mysterious voice: "You gave everything, and your passion reached the heavens, Yuto Takeda."
Yuto couldn't reply. He was no longer in his body; he no longer felt the pain, nor the weight of his heart. He was… free, floating in a kind of void.
Suddenly, an explosion of light, then a heavy silence. The air around him transformed; time seemed suspended. Then, he felt himself being drawn in, like mist dissipating in a strong wind, carrying his essence away to another place.
A bright light.
A cry... A baby's cry.
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