The Fighting Spirit
Taiga and Yukari applauded to Takao as they sat in front of him at a table in Tai Feng's Chinese restaurant.
"Congratulations in not only passing your final, but also passing your literature as well. I'm so proud of you, Akizuki!" Yukari said, smiling at her student. Takao chuckled sheepishly as Matsumoto and Satou pat his back while sitting at his sides.
Earlier today in school, Takao and his class receive the results of their first final exam of the year. Much to Takao's surprise and delight, not only did he pass Japanese, Fine Arts and Mathematics, but he also finally passed his literature. He couldn't believe that for the first time since entering high school, he had passed four subjects in total. During recess, Takao immediately went to the staff room to inform Yukari and Taiga the good news, not caring about the teachers who question him why he enter without permission. Thankfully, Yukari and Taiga were there to defend him that it was them who allowed him to come in, and they were obviously ecstatic to learn that Takao has passed the final. They planned ahead on going to Tai Feng's restaurant to hold a celebratory dinner for Takao for having all of his hard work paid off. Takao even invited Satou and Matsumoto to have dinner with them, knowing that his best friends would want to celebrate with him for passing their exams as well.
"Come on, Takao. Don't be shy." Satou said encouragingly to him.
"Yeah, Satou and I are proud of you too for passing four subjects in total. You really have come a long way, my man." Matsumoto added.
Takao smiled to himself as he stares at the empty table for a moment, before he slightly tilts his head up to see Taiga eyeing at him with a smirk on her face. Takao yelps as he sits up straight.
"Come on Akizuki! Is that a smile I see on your face? Let all of us see it, will ya?" Taiga asked with a lopsided grin.
Takao glances at everyone around him before he looks back to his front and gave them a wide smile.
"There we go!" Taiga said as she and Yukari grin back at him. Matsumoto and Satou chuckled at their friend as Tai Feng walks over to their table, carrying a tray containing their food.
"Here you go! Five bowls of rice, youtiao and pork rib soup!" Tai Feng proclaimed as he gently places the tray of food onto the table. Satou and Matsumoto gaze at the food in awe as he places them onto the table. Much to Takao's surprise, Matsumoto suddenly wraps an arm around him.
"So this is where you and your tutors usually hang out before your lessons, eh? You really are one lucky guy." Matsumoto grins as he proceeds to ruffle Takao's hair.
"Hey! Cut it out!" Takao cried to Matsumoto in annoyance. Satou couldn't help but smile blissfully as she watches her friends. As Matsumoto releases Takao, Tai Feng had finished placing the food on the table and bows his head to everyone at the table.
"Enjoy your food, everyone." Tai Feng said to them as he puts away the now empty tray. He turns to Takao and winks an eye at him. "And congrats in passing your exams, kid."
"Arigatou." Takao smiled back at him as he strokes his hair back.
"Bie ke qi!" Tai Feng replied with a grin before turning around and walking away.
"Let's dig in, everyone!" Taiga cried as everyone at the table place their hands together.
"Itadakimasu!" They all cheered before grabbing their spoon and chopsticks and eat their dinner.
"Takao, even though we're glad to have passed the final, we still have the Prefectural tournament to prepare for." Matsumoto reminded his friend.
"Hai." Takao nods his head.
"Oh, speaking of, how's the volleyball club, Akizuki?" Taiga asked. "How is everyone over there? As well as…" She pouts as she leans her head towards Takao. "You know…"
"Oh Murasaki-sensei? Yup, everything's fine." Takao replied. "The first few weeks were tough for me, but I eventually got used to the training and I'm able to get along with the other players."
"That's great to hear. It's nice to make more friends in school." Yukari said.
"You should see him play, Yukino-sensei! Takao has become a surprisingly good player over the last few weeks. So much that Sasaki-san assigned him as an attacker." Matsumoto said to Yukari.
"Hai. I manage to get a glimpse of how Akizuki played during their training and he's amazing." Satou said.
"If what you say is true, then I look forward to watching both of you play at the tournament." Yukari said to Takao and Matsumoto. The two boys widen their eyes.
"You mean you'll watch us play? Thank you so much for your support, Yukino-sensei!" Takao said gratefully.
"Hey, don't forget me. I'll be there too to show you my support." Taiga said as she holds up her clenched fist.
Takao, Matsumoto, Satou and Yukari laugh for a moment before Takao bows his head to Taiga. "Thank you too, Fujimura-sensei." He said.
"You're welcome." Taiga replied with a grin before everyone continues eating their dinner, except Satou who gazes at Takao and smile.
'I never knew you were so lively, Akizuki.' Satou thought to herself before looking back at her food and continues to eat.
Thirteen Days Later…
"Let's go, Shinjuku! Let's go, Shinjuku! Let's go, Shinjuku! Let's go, Shinjuku!"
Takao and the rest of Shinjuku High's volleyball team could hear their supporters chanting the name of their school as they wordlessly stood outside the arena while dressed in white jackets. Their captain, Jiro, elicited a sigh before he, Sasaki and Hitomi turn around to face the rest of the team.
"This is it, everyone." Jiro said, staring boldly at his teammates. "Our semi-final match against Nishitokyo is about to begin within a few minutes. I know all of you are unsure of what is going to happen out there. Honestly, so am I. But the last eight months has been some of the greatest I ever had in my three years of enrolling in Shinjuku High, and I owe it all to you. And no matter how we perform later, I am already proud of myself and everyone here."
"We won't let you down, Sawada-san." Matsumoto said as he, Takao, Kitagawa and the other players solemnly nod their heads.
"Arigatou, minna." Jiro gave a wan smile to his teammates.
"Alright, put your hands together." Sasaki said. Everyone including Hitomi step forward and stack their hands on top of each other. "Are you ready?!"
"HAI!" All the players yelled in response. "GO SHINJUKU!" Everyone raise their hands in the air before they turn to the arena and walk their way to the court. Their supporters stand up from their seats and cheered loudly as they see them making their entrance.
Takao and Matsumoto look up at the spectator stand above the court and spot Satou, Taiga, Yukari, Reimi and Shouta clapping and standing in the center row. The right side of the stand is filled with relatives of the volleyball team members and several students and teachers of Shinjuku High who have come to show their support for them. The students in the front row are holding up a large black banner in front of the railing that reads 'Let's go all the way, Shinjuku High School!'
"Go Akizuki! Go Matsumoto!" Satou shouted with her hands at the sides of her mouth.
"Come on guys! Show them what you got!" Taiga yelled enthusiastically with her eyes wide as she pumps her fists into the air.
Yukari lowers her hands for a moment and smiles down at Takao. "Good luck out there!" She shouted to him. Takao flashes a smile at her before turning to Reimi and Shouta, who are both clapping their hands and smiling back at him. Takao holds back his tears of joy as he felt delighted knowing that his family is here to watch and support him.
Matsumoto also sees his parents and sister waving their hands at him at the stand. He grins and waves back at them before him and the rest of the team look back to the front and see their opponents entering the arena from the other side. The players are dressed in yellow jackets while their coach and advisor are wearing red tracksuits. The people at the left side of the spectator stand immediately stood up and cheered as soon as they notice them.
"Nishitokyo High…" Takao murmured. Matsumoto nods his head as they frown at the opposing team.
Sasaki, Jiro and Hitomi turn around to face the rest of the team again. "Alright guys, remember what we have done together for the last eight months. It's what got us this far." Sasaki said to Jiro and the players. Everyone nodded to their coach before unzipping their jackets, revealing the jerseys they have been wearing underneath. The team's libero, Wakisaka, wears a black jersey while Takao, Matsumoto, Jiro, Kitagawa and the other players wore white.
As all the spectators sat back down, Taiga lets out a nervous sigh. "I really hope they can win this match." She said as she clasps her hands together.
"Relax, Taiga. We must have faith in all of them." Yukari said to Taiga soothingly.
"I do, especially in Akizuki." Satou said to the teachers. As Taiga and Yukari turn to her, the girl continued, "Akizuki really has come a long way ever since we first entered high school. So I'm confident he is going to give everything he has got to help bring our school to the final."
"You seem to have a lot of high spirits for your friend." Taiga said to her.
"Hai." Satou replied. "Matsumoto and I still remember how troubled he was when we first saw him. He never talked to anyone for the entire first week of school and some of the students in our class started talking about him. That's when Matsumoto and I couldn't let him stay alone in school any longer, and we both decided to reach out to him. We're happy that as time went on, he became more socially open towards us, but he would still get himself into trouble every now and then. But Yukino-sensei…"
"What is it?" Yukari asked, looking back at her student questioningly.
"Ever since you became our literature teacher and Akizuki's tutor, Matsumoto and I are surprised to see how much he has changed. He finally passed his mathematics and literature in the final, he talked to the other students in class more often, and his situation with his family is even starting to improve. It's like…you are the person whom Akizuki has been looking for to help him get his life back on track. Something Matsumoto and I couldn't do before, and I'm very grateful for that."
Yukari's cheeks blushed as she contemplates what her student has said to her. She never would have imagined her presence in Shinjuku High had helped Takao so much.
"Yukino-sensei…" Satou gave her literature teacher a wide smile before bowing her head to her with gratitude. "Arigatou!"
Yukari smiled and bows her head back to Satou. "You're welcome, Satou-san." She responded. Taiga snickered as she nudges Yukari's arm.
"Come on Yukari-chan. You should be proud of yourself. I'm glad you have changed so much ever since you returned." Taiga said. Yukari chuckled in response as she strokes her hair.
The three look back at the volleyball court when the referee blows his whistle. Both teams stood at both ends of the court in horizontal rows and stare boldly at each other. The Nishitokyo High players have also removed their jackets, showing off their yellow jerseys while their libero wore orange. After both teams solemnly bow to each other, half of the players of each team walk over to the seats at the sides of the court while the remaining players step into the playing area and get in their positions.
"Akizuki and Matsumoto are in the starting lineup!" Taiga said enthusiastically as she, Yukari and Satou widen their eyes and smile.
"Go Takao!" Shouta shouted to his brother.
"You can do it!" Reimi added. She lowers her head and tightly clasps her hands together. Shouta turns his mother and tries to calm her down by placing his hand on her back.
As the team's attacker and middle blocker respectively, both Akizuki and Matsumoto stood at the front row and behind the net. They briefly bump their fists together before looking back at their opponents. As everyone present in the playing area prepare themselves, the referee blows his whistle as he stood at the middle of the left side of the court. Jiro, who stood behind his teammates and outside of the boundaries of the court, bounces the ball a few times before he strides forward and tosses it into the air. He slams his hand onto the ball, sending it flying over to the other side of the court and officially starting the match.
Nishitokyo High's libero immediately runs up to where the ball would land. As the ball lands on his clenched hands, he hits it into the air and passes it over to the setter. The setter passes the ball over to the right wing spiker who proceeds to jump into the air and slams the ball over to the other side.
Matsumoto and Kitagawa quickly jump up and raise their arms to block the ball, sending it falling back to Nishitokyo's side of the court. However, Nishitokyo High's libero runs up to the ball, slides through the floor and hits the ball into the air with his left fist. The ball flies over to their attacker who jumps in the air and slams it to the other side of the court. The ball flew right past Matsumoto and Shinjuku's right wing spiker in incredible speed. But Jiro quickly runs up to the ball and hits it into the air with his left fist. The ball flies over to Shinjuku's right wing spiker. He jumps up and slams the ball with his right hand and it swiftly flies over to the other side of the court. Nishitokyo High's libero and setter run over to the ball, but it had landed on the floor. Shinjuku High's supporters erupted with cheers and applause.
"Good job, Kaneishi!" Jiro said to his team's right wing spiker. Kaneishi flashes a smirk at his captain before everyone in the team looks back at their opponents.
"We may have the first point, but don't get comfy!" Sasaki shouted to them.
When the referee blows the whistle, Nishitokyo High's setter tosses the ball into the air and slams it over to their attacker. Kaneishi jumps up and raises his arms. But to his surprise, Nishitokyo's attacker tosses the ball over to the right wing spiker instead who leaps into the air and slams the ball over to the other side.
"Wakisaka!" Jiro shouted to his team's libero.
"Hai!" Wakisaka responded as he kneels to the side and successfully hits the ball into the air with his right fist. Jiro runs up to the ball, jumps in the air and slams it over to the other side. But Nishitokyo High's middle blocker and left wing spiker jump up and raise their arms. Takao and Matsumoto jump up and try to hit the ball. But the ball landed at the hands of Nishitokyo High's middle blocker, who jumped higher than Matsumoto, and he successfully blocks it, sending it plummeting to the floor at Shinjuku's side of the court. Nishitokyo High's supporters cheered as their team scored their first point.
"Dammit!" Matsumoto cursed after he and Takao landed back on the floor.
"Don't worry. We can still fight back." Kaneishi assured Matsumoto as he and Takao place their hands on his back.
Takao turns back to their opponents with a determined scowl. "It's not over yet."
After twenty minutes, the score between Shinjuku and Nishitokyo is now 19 to 24. Jiro tosses the ball into the air and slams it, sending it flying over to the other side of the court. Nishitokyo's right wing spiker jumps up and blocks the ball, sending it falling over to Shinjuku's side of the court. But Kitagawa quickly runs over, slides through the floor and successfully hits the ball into the air with his right fist.
"Good job, Kitagawa!" Jiro praised his teammate as the ball flies over to Kaneishi. Kaneishi jumps up and slams his hand on the ball, sending it flying over to Nishitokyo's side. But the libero quickly runs over to the ball and hits it with his left fist, sending it over to the right wing spiker. The right wing spiker slams the ball over to Matsumoto and Kaneishi, who both try to swing their right arms and deflect it. But the ball swiftly flew under their arms and hit the floor. The referee blows the whistle, signaling the end of the first set. The Nishitokyo High players cheer and praise each other while their supporters at the spectator stand applauded.
Takao, Matsumoto, Kaneishi, Jiro, Kitagawa and Wakisaka sigh in disappointment before they turn and walk over to Sasaki, Hitomi and their teammates and gather in a circle.
"I'm so sorry, guys. I failed to stop the ball." Kaneishi said to everyone regretfully.
"Don't blame yourself, Kaneishi. None of us could have stopped the ball from such a swift attack like that." Takao said to Kaneishi as he places his hand on his shoulder. Jiro smiled at Takao as he nods his head in agreement.
"Okay guys. I know we lost the first set, but all hope isn't gone. Let's bounce back in the next set and show them what we are truly made of." Jiro said to his teammates encouragingly.
"Hai!" Takao, Matsumoto and the other players responded before Jiro holds up his hand in front of them. Everyone stacks their hands on top of his before they shout and raise their arms into the air. "SHINJUKU, FIGHT BACK!"
Shinjuku High's supporters erupted with loud cheers again as they watch Takao, Matsumoto, Jiro, Kaneishi, Wakisaka and another player walk their way back into the court. Kitagawa sat with the other substitutes as Sasaki decides to replace him with another.
After getting back to his position, Takao looks up at the spectator stand and sees Yukari looking down on him. The teacher gave him an encouraging smile as she nods her head. A small grin appears his face before Takao looks back to his front with a serious scowl.
"Go Takao! You can do it!" Shouta shouted from his seat as he and Reimi watch the match intensively.
The referee blows the whistle and Nishitokyo High's setter tosses the ball into the air. He slams his hand on the ball and sends it flying to the other side of the court.
Wakisaka quickly runs over to the ball and hits it into the air. When the ball finds itself flying over to Kaneishi, the right wing spiker turns to Takao.
"Go!" Kaneishi shouted to him as he hits the ball with his clenched hands and passes it over to Takao.
Takao runs towards the net as the ball flies over to him. He leaps into the air, swings his hand back and slams the ball over to the other side of the court. Nishitokyo's middle blocker jumps up and tries to block it, but it was too late as the ball already flew above him before he raises his arms. Nishitokyo's libero kneels to the side and extends out his left arm in an attempt to hit the ball, but it had already flew past him and hits barely inside the playing area.
The referee blows his whistle and extends his arm out to Shinjuku High. Shinjuku High's supporters cheered loudly as Takao scores the first point of the second set for his school.
"Alright, Akizuki!" Taiga shouted ecstatically as she suddenly jolts up from her seat and gave a huge applause to Takao, not caring about the couple who is sitting behind her and tilting themselves to the side to try and get a view of the court in annoyance. Meanwhile, Satou laughs happily as she and Yukari clap their hands.
"Way a go, Akizuki!" Yukari cried with a huge smile on her face.
"That's my bro!" Shouta said joyfully as he and Reimi clap their hands as well.
"Well done, Takao." Reimi said with a small smile. Takao and Matsumoto gave each other a high-five before looking back to the front.
Another twenty minutes later, the score between Shinjuku and Nishitokyo is now 24 to 23 respectively. Because they are required to win a set by two points, Shinjuku must score the next point if they wish to prevent the set from going overtime. Takao, Matsumoto, Wakisaka and Jiro remained on the court while Kaneishi and the left wing spiker have since been replaced by two other players.
With a determined scowl on his face, Jiro tosses the ball into the air, jumps up and slams it over to the other side of the court. Nishitokyo's setter quickly hits the ball into the air with his arms. It flies over to the libero who leaps into the air and slams the ball over to the other side. Matsumoto quickly jumps up and raises his arms, successfully blocking the ball.
As the ball falls, Nishitokyo's right wing spiker quickly runs over and hits it into the air with his left fist. The ball flies over to Nishitokyo's attacker, who jumps up and delivers a powerful swing of his arm, slamming the ball over to the other side of the court.
Thankfully, Shinjuku High's left wing spiker quickly hits the ball with his arms and passes it over to the right wing spiker. The right wing spiker jumps up and slams his hand on the ball, passing it over to Takao.
As Nishitokyo's players see the ball flying over to Takao, their right wing spiker and middle blocker quickly go over to his side. But Takao quickly jumps into the air and slams the ball hard, sending it over to the other side with great speed. The middle blocker raises his arms, but the ball flew above his head and through the open area between his arms. The left wing spiker slides through the floor and tries to make contact with ball, but he narrowly misses as it lands on the floor just an inch away from his right fist. When the referee blows the whistle, signaling the end of the second set, Shinjuku High's supporters stood up from their seats and burst into thunderous cheers and applause.
"YEEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!" Taiga squealed ecstatically with her eyes wide as she pumps her fists into the air.
"Well done, Akizuki!" Satou shouted happily to her friend.
"Great job!" Yukari shouted to him as she continues clapping.
Takao and Matsumoto yell happily and gave each other a high-five. The two turn and jog over to Sasaki, Hitomi and their teammates whom all huddle in a circle.
"Way a go, Akizuki! We have made our comeback thanks to you!" Kitagawa said to Takao.
"Well done." Wakisaka complimented Takao as he gave him a pat on his back.
"Heh, you're all welcome." Takao smiles at his teammates.
"You may have helped us won the second set, but don't get too self-absorbed over the moment." Hitomi said flatly to Takao with her arms folded.
"I know." Takao shrugged while his teammates laugh.
"Alright guys, this is it. For the third and final set, let's give them all we got!" Jiro said as he solemnly frowns at his teammates.
"Hai!" Takao and the other players shouted in response before Jiro extends out his hand. His teammates stack their hands on top on his and they all shouted in unison before raising their arms into the air. "SHINJUKU, ALL THE WAY!"
The spectators cheered once more when the players return back to the court and prepare for the third and final decisive set. Both Kaneishi and Kitagawa return back to the court along with Takao, Matsumoto, Jiro and Wakisaka. Takao briefly closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before looking back up and gets himself into position.
"You can do it, guys!" Satou shouted to her school's players from her seat.
"Oh God, please win…" Taiga mumbled nervously as she placed her hands together and prayed to the heavens above.
"Fight all the way, Akizuki." Yukari said, smiling confidently as she looks down at Takao.
"Go Takao! You can do this!" Reimi shouted to her son with a worried frown. She turns to Shouta who places his hand on her thigh and gives her a reassuring smile that everything will be fine. Reimi smiles weakly at her older son as she places her hand on top of his.
The referee blows the whistle and Nishitokyo's setter tosses the ball into the air. He slams the ball over to the other side of the court. Jiro grits his teeth as he quickly runs over to the ball and hits it into the air with his clenched hands.
Takao, Matsumoto and Nishtokyo's middle blocker and right wing spiker all jump into the air at the same time. However, Nishitokyo's players jump higher than Takao and Matsumoto and they manage to hit the ball with their hands. The ball past through the open area between Takao and Matsumoto and it lands on the floor behind them. Nishitokyo High's supporters cheered as their school score the first point.
After grabbing the ball from the referee, Jiro turns to Takao and Matsumoto and yelled, "Don't worry guys! We'll be the ones who score next!" Both players nod their heads to their captain before looking back at their opponents.
When the whistle is blown, Jiro steps forward and tosses the ball into the air. He slams his hand on the ball with immense strength, sending it flying over to Nishitokyo's side of the court with incredible speed. Nishitokyo's libero reacted quickly by kneeling to the side and hits the ball into the air with his left fist. Nishitokyo's setter steps forward, leaps into the air and slams the ball, sending it flying back to Shinjuku's side.
As the ball flies past Matsumoto and Kaneishi, Jiro quickly runs forward, jumps in the air and slams the ball hard. Nishitokyo's middle blocker and attacker couldn't react in time as the ball already flew past them and hits the floor. Shinjuku High's supporters erupted with cheers as the referee blows the whistle.
The players of both teams continue to play and fight hard as the match goes on. But eventually, after another twenty minutes had pass, the score between Shinjuku and Nishitokyo now comes down to 23 to 24 respectively. Nishitokyo only needs one more point to win the match. But if Shinjuku can score the next one, the match will go into overtime and they may still have a chance in winning. And knowing that this competition will be Jiro's last before graduating later this year, the Shinjuku High players do not wish to fail now. Currently, both teams huddle around their respective coaches and advisors in a last minute timeout requested by Sasaki.
The Shinjuku High players silently listen to their supporters who continue cheering and chanting from the spectator stand. Sasaki nods his head to his players.
"Do you hear that? Everyone in your school and families are counting on you. They believe in all of you! So get out there, and fight till your last ounce of strength!" Sasaki shouted.
"HAI!" The players all shouted in unison.
"Come on guys! We can do it!" Jiro extends out his hand.
His teammates stack their hands on top of his and shouted before throwing them into the air. "GO SHINJUKU!"
The spectators cheered louder as the players return back into the court. Hitomi watches Takao going back to his post with broad shoulders and a determined scowl on his face.
'That boy…he really never gives up.' Hitomi thought to herself.
The referee passes the ball to Jiro and he closes his eyes. The captain takes a deep breath before he looks back up and walks forward. He throws the ball into the air, jumps up and slams his hand on it, sending it flying over to Nishitokyo's side of the court.
Nishitokyo's setter quickly hits the ball into the air with his right fist. The ball flies over to Nishitokyo's left wing spiker and he jumps into the air to slam it with his right hand. As the ball flies back to Shinjuku's side, Jiro turns to his team's left wing spiker. "Kitagawa!"
Kitagawa yells as he runs over and successfully hits the ball into the air with his clenched hands. The ball falls over to Kaneishi who hits it back into the air with his fingertips. The ball now flies over to Wakisaka who runs over and hits it with both fists. The ball flies over to Takao and Matsumoto.
As Takao jumps into the air, Nishitokyo's right wing spiker and middle blocker jump up as well. But to their shock, Takao flashes a smirk at them as he simply raises his arms into the air. Instead, it was Matsumoto who swings his arm vertically and slams the ball over to Nishitokyo's side.
However, Nishitokyo's left wing spiker reacted quickly by running forward and hitting the ball into the air with his right fist. Nishitokyo's libero runs forward and slams the ball with his right hand, sending it back to Shinjuku's side of the court.
Kaneishi responded by turning around, raise his hands and hits the ball over to Jiro. "Captain!" He shouted to him.
As the ball falls over to him, Jiro yells as he runs forward, leaps into the air and swings his arm. He slams the ball with all of his strength and sends it swiftly flying over to Nishitokyo's side.
However, to their surprise, Nishitokyo's setter kneels forward and successfully hits the ball back into the air with his arms. Shinjuku's players watch in shock as Nishitokyo's middle blocker jumps up, slams the ball with both hands and sends it falling over to Shinjuku's side. Wakisaka runs over and tires to hit it, but it was too late as the ball had landed before he slides through the floor and extends out his fists.
The referee blows the final whistle and extends his arm out to Nishitokyo's players. Nishitokyo High's supporters jolt up from their seats and burst into thunderous cheers and applause as their school won the match and head straight to the Prefectural final. Nishitokyo's players huddle around and celebrate their victory.
Meanwhile, Takao, Matsumoto, Kaneishi and Kitagawa fell to their knees in despair while Wakisaka slams his fist on the floor, realizing that they have lost the match. Takao turns his head to Jiro who just stood there with his head lowered. He could see the sad frown on his face, knowing that his time with the school's volleyball team had ended not on a high note, but with disappointment. Takao sighs heavily and lowers his head as they have failed to fulfill their captain's dream.
At the spectator stand, Taiga and Satou sigh disappointingly as they and Yukari sadly watch Takao, Matsumoto and the other players.
"Akizuki…" Yukari murmured in worry as she sees the disheartened look on Takao's face.
After changing back into their jackets and school pants, Takao and the Shinjuku High players walk out of the arena along with Sasaki and Hitomi. When they reach the edge of the stairway, they see all of their supporters and relatives standing at the bottom and giving them an ovation. Sasaki, Hitomi and the players smile at them before walking down the stairway. When they reach the bottom, Sasaki and Hitomi allow the players to interact with their friends and relatives before heading into their bus which is already parked at the side of the road and waiting for them.
"Matsumoto! Akizuki!" Satou cried as she runs over to Takao and Matsumoto.
"Satou." Matsumoto greeted her. "Thanks for coming to watch us today."
"You're welcome. And don't be disappointed. Both of you have tried your hardest today." Satou said encouragingly to her friends.
"Matsumoto!" A voice called out to him. Matsumoto turns and sees his parents and sister walking up to him.
"Give me a moment, will ya?" Matsumoto said to Takao and Satou. The two nod their heads before Matsumoto walks away to talk to his family. Meanwhile, the two turn and see Taiga and Yukari walking up to them.
"Yukino-sensei, Fujimura-sensei." Takao bows his head as he greeted them.
"Good job, Akizuki. You performed exceptionally well out there." Yukari said to him with a tender smile.
"Arigatou." Takao replied to her.
"Yeah, I agree!" Taiga said excitedly with her eyes wide. "I mean the way you slam that ball, jump in the air and move side to side, man! That was intense!" She stood up straight and swipes her hand across her eyes as she spoke in a melodramatic voice. "Step aside, Saori Kimura. Here comes the new future of Japan's volleyball, Takao Akizuki!"
As Taiga extends her hand out to Takao, the boy replied to her with a frown, "You know Kimura is a woman, right?"
"Just go along with it, boy." Taiga responded flatly. Takao sighs and tilts his head to the side while Yukari and Satou chortled.
"Takao!"
When he heard Shouta calling to him, Takao turns to the side and sees him and his mother walking up to him. Takao smiles at his family for a moment before turning to Yukari, Taiga and Satou. "Excuse me." He said to them. The three nod their heads as Takao walks over to his brother and mother.
Reimi immediately embraces Takao as he approached her. "I'm so proud of you, Takao." She said into his ear.
"Thanks mother. But we lost the match." Takao replied to her solemnly.
"Hey, it doesn't matter." Shouta said as Reimi backs away from her son. As Takao turns to him, Shouta gave him a warm smile and places his hand on his left shoulder. "You have already brought honor to us, and that's considered a victory."
Takao flashes a quick smile at his brother before turning his head to see Jiro nearby, listening to his parents. Although his parents gave admiring and encouraging comments to him, Takao notices the solemn frown on his captain's face. Takao sighs inwardly again as he gazes at him.
Later that day, Sasaki and Hitomi brought the team to a Japanese restaurant to have their lunch. They reserved the entire half of the restaurant to themselves and silently contemplate over what had happened earlier as they sat at three tables lined up together in a horizontal row and wait for their food and drinks.
After their food arrived and placed on their tables, Sasaki orders everyone to have a toast. They raise their glasses of green tea into the air and said in unison, "We all tried our best."
Everyone quietly took a sip of their tea before placing their cups back on the tables. Matsumoto turns to Jiro, who sat beside him and still had a solemn frown on his face. He turns away and looks down at the table with guilt and remorse.
"Sawada-senpai, we're sorry that we couldn't end your time with us on a high note." Matsumoto said sadly.
"It's okay."
Everyone widen their eyes and turn to Jiro in surprise when they notice the gleeful tone of his voice. A huge smile suddenly takes form on his face as he turns his head around to see his teammates.
"Even though we have lost the match, I am still very grateful to have played with all of you till the very end. I admire every one of you for your hard work and determination in trying to help me achieve my dream. You are all truly like brothers to me. And besides, our defeat only encourages me to remain strong and become better." Jiro holds up his left hand and curls it into a tight fist as he proclaimed to his teammates, "That's why I've decided that I'll continue playing volleyball when I enroll into university and move forward with my dream in becoming an athlete!"
There was silence among everyone at the table for a moment before Takao and Matsumoto clap their hands. Sasaki, Hitomi and the other players started clapping as well and they applauded to Jiro. The captain simply smiled at all of them as he could not express his thoughts in words.
"We wish you all the best, Sawada-senpai." Kitagawa said to him.
"And thank you so much for everything you have done for us." Matsumoto added.
"Likewise to all of you." Jiro said.
Hitomi smiles warmly at him before she looks back at everybody else and said, "Alright guys, don't let your food get cold now. Let's dig in!"
"HAI!" Takao and all the players responded in unison.
The next day, the students enter the main building of Shinjuku High School, which now has a large banner hang above its entrance that says, "Thank you to our Men's Volleyball Team! You have made us proud!"
As she placed herself between them, Satou smiles with glee and clings onto the arms of Takao and Matsumoto as the three friends walk down the hallway together.
"I am so proud to have two of the school's best volleyball players as my best friends." Satou said joyfully.
"Two of the best? Who else are there?" Matsumoto asked with a playful smirk.
Satou chuckled as Takao replied to Matsumoto, "Hey, don't get too cocky now."
"Ahem."
The three friends stop when they see Hitomi walking over to them with a stern frown. Satou releases her friends' arms and they bow down to her. "Good morning, Murasaki-sensei."
"Good morning." Hitomi bows back to them. "Mind if I talk to Akizuki for a moment?"
"Oh dear…" Matsumoto murmured as a frown appears on Takao's face.
"Well, see you later in class, Akizuki." Satou said as she waves her hand at him. Takao waves back to her before Satou and Matsumoto quietly walks past Hitomi and head to their classroom. Takao looks back at Hitomi as she folds her arms.
When he is ready for the worse, Takao lets out a heavy sigh and asked, "Alright. What is it now, sensei?"
In response, Hitomi lowers her arms and bows down to Takao. "Arigatou."
"Huh?" Takao widens his eyes in confusion. He couldn't believe what he heard. Of all the people Takao had known, is Hitomi Murasaki, the teacher who has long held suspicion towards him, actually thanking him?
Hitomi stood up and looks back at Takao with a warm smile. "Thank you for your contribution to the team. You did your part in helping us reach so far into the competition. And I owe you an apology as well. Ever since that incident last year, I always thought of you as someone who might lose control at any minute. But after passing your final and your participation in the Prefectural, you really have proven me wrong. So keep up the good work, Akizuki."
Takao stared blankly at Hitomi for a few moments as he tries to comprehend what he had heard from her. But eventually, a large smile finally began to take form on his face. Takao bows back to Hitomi and said to her with gratitude, "Arigatou, Murasaki-sensei."
Hitomi nods her head in response before a stern frown appears on her face once more. "Now then, don't you have class to attend to?" She asked flatly.
"Hai!" Takao quickly replied as he frowns back at her. Both of them walk past each other as they make their way to their respective rooms.
After taking a few steps, Takao turns his head and smiles at Hitomi for a brief moment before he looks back to the front and continues making his way to the classroom.
"Huh?! Do my ears deceive me? Did you say that Murasaki-san actually praised you?" Taiga asked incredulously as she, Takao and Yukari sat together at the dining table in Yukari's apartment later that night.
"Hai. With Murasaki-sensei thanking me and Sawada-senpai feeling inspired to continue his dream in becoming an athlete, it feels like even though we lost the tournament, we only think of the positives as we move forward." Takao said.
"That's right." Yukari said with a tender smile. Takao turns to his literature teacher and she continued, "Perhaps it's because the winner achieves something that will wither within time. But the loser achieves something that last forever…inspiration and experience." Takao nods his head in agreement.
"Now then, are you ready to start your lesson, Japan's Future?" Taiga asked Takao.
Takao turns to Taiga and replied with a smirk, "Bring it on, Tiger."
"D-d-don't call me that!" Taiga cried exasperatedly while Takao and Yukari laughed in response.
Sovereign: I want to thank Dreamaholics and LayLay lives for reviewing and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for checking out my story. Thanks guys!