"Aiyaah...At this rate, Akashi, Shimizu and Aoyama will win without doing a thing." a girl commented as she watched the game.
"See, there was nobody to pity before the game." Yagami said.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it...But right now, I'm pitying Asaka, though. Even she can't do anything because of her team."
The remark brought a faint smile upon the navy-haired girl's lips. The situation sure did look dire for Ritsu's team but Ritsu was far from running out of options. She didn't come around the volleyball club with just talent and skills as her credentials; just like her, Ritsu appreciated the true essence of team sports.
"You don't look too worried about Asaka, Yagami."
"Because there's no reason for me to be. Each game is different, therefore there is always a time for adaptation, and it is even truer when you play with new members. Asaka is trying to find the right pace for her team before thinking of an attack plan. Naturally it means losing points in the process."
"So when they're all prepared, they'll go all out?"
"Hm, that would be very convenient for her if it goes that way, but Aoyama, Shimizu and Akashi certainly won't let them settle for an attack so easily. While trying to find the right balance for her team, Asaka is showing their weaknesses for all to see. It's like an open invitation for the opposite team to take points. So if they stay too long on the defensive, they'll eventually lose due to the wide gap of points." explained Yagami.
"Uwa...then is it really worth the shot?"
"To an extent. However, Asaka should be aware that some points are absolutely not to be lost in a game, no matter what..."
Yagami observed her volleyball partner.
...That is, if she truly wants to achieve victory.
[9-2] A seven-point gap...As expected, Akashi's team made the most of this opportunity. Ritsu couldn't allow the gap to grow any wider or her team will never catch up.
She looked around the court. Maeda ran to get the ball saved by Takeda and tossed it to Ritsu in a clumsy manner. Although the trajectory was almost right, the ball flew too high, breaking the rhythm of their attack. Because of the delay, Aoyama and Akashi had the time to prepare their block. So, Ritsu backed down and hit the ball without strength. That way, after being blocked, the ball would not come back with speed and power, which would have been difficult for Takeda or Maeda to save. And the game went on for another turn, her team getting the point.
Apparently, those seven points were not lost in vain. Maeda was gradually making fewer mistakes and looked a bit more confident, even though the stress still played a big part in her clumsiness. Takeda seemed to have more or less accepted that they were a three-player team and tried to communicate with Maeda, though he kept shouting at her.
If the gap was narrower, she would have wished to keep this pace in order to perfect their teamwork. However, that luxury was no longer permitted; she already pushed it to the limit.
Time for her team to change gears.
"Takeda-san, Maeda-san, listen." The boy and the girl brought their attention on her. "From now, things will get serious. We have to get back those points and take the lead."
"It was about time!" Takeda cried, as he longed for that moment.
Ritsu smiled at him. "Takeda, think you can handle the setter role alone? I'll be receiving with Maeda and I want you to set all the balls for me."
"You're going on full-attack?"
"Yes."
The answer brightened the boy's expression in the blink of an eye and he asked nothing further. Knowing they might take the lead, Takeda surely smelled victory. And she wouldn't say the contrary. Despite the fact she didn't fancy the offensive role, she couldn't be the only one to take it easy in the team.
Akashi's serve flew straight at Maeda. She received it, yet she couldn't prevent the ball from deviating. In response, Takeda rushed immediately to the ball and tossed it back to the net. As expected, Akashi's team worked fast, Shimizu and Aoyama sprang almost with the same timing as her. Ritsu gathered her strength on her right hand and hit the ball at the right moment.
Instead of bouncing back to her court side, the ball broke past the wall. The smash got the best of Aoyama who couldn't withstand such a focused hit.
Ritsu sighed in relief. Having Hoshino – her mentor and the ace of the volleyball team – as training partner did do her well, or so it seemed. Well, against a novice, there was actually no glory to commend. However, a demonstration of power was quite an effective way to make an impact. And she did. Takeda had that look of a competitor aiming for victory. Maeda had this glimmer of hope glinting in her eyes, as though everything would go well and could be possible, even for her.
Inspiration was the best oil for a body.
Here, she goes in for the kill.
"Ooh," Ritsu's classmate gasped in awe. "Three points in a row! Asaka's team is progressively closing the gap! Why didn't she play like that from the start?'"
"Takeda and Maeda wouldn't have been able to keep up with her and Asaka can't play volleyball all alone." said Yagami.
"Hmm, now that you mention it, it's true that Maeda-chan was screwing up a lot at the beginning but now she can more or less toss the ball correctly. The same goes for Takeda-kun, he was trying to rush things and now he seems a lot more careful about his surroundings." She noted, tilting her head. "That's some great progress! They can almost make it through!"
A slight frown darkened Yagami's expression while following the movements of Asaka's team. Takeda staggered, hesitating for a second, and the same clumsiness affected the ball, which caused Asaka's attack hit to decrease in effectiveness. The whistle echoed for the opposite team.
"Well, almost, huh..." Ritsu's classmate added when witnessing the missed attempt.
"Asaka established a good balance between her teammates, yet it's kind of fragile."
"Fragile?"
"At the moment, Takeda and Maeda are already giving their best to keep the ball in play and as a consequence they barely add power to their attack. This sort of strategy of survival doesn't last long enough. Not if the other team is determined to ensure their victory."
"She took her time. At least, I commend her talent for volleyball." Midorima commented curtly while adjusting his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Then he sneaked a glance at the flip board indicating the following score: 10-6.
"Why do you have to make it sound so bad? Asaka is playing more than well." Aomine snorted. "For a guy who doesn't know how to do a good toss in volleyball, you sure talk big, Midorima. It goes so high that we have to wait for it. In her stead, you'd lose against Akashi in a heartbeat!"
"Shut up, Aomine." the green-haired boy hissed as his teammate hit a nerve. "I'm simply not as naive as you. Didn't you notice something about this game? About Akashi?"
Despite the banter, Midorima's voice turned grave all of a sudden, a keen interest burning in his green eyes. Noticing that change of expression, his questions resounded with curiosity. Aomine followed his line of sight and his gaze landed on Akashi's side.
Akashi was setting the ball and linked his movement with the two other girls. In a fast yet long arc, the ball crossed the court to the opposite side where Shimizu was getting in position and then jumped. However, her hit never got past the net, blocked by Ritsu. The block would have been successful, if it weren't for Akashi who reacted with splendid reflexes. The ball was sent to the back with flawless control, almost like the acceleration gained by the block had been nullified. Thanks to that, Aoyama had no problem to launch their attack. However, Shimizu bad-timed her jump, only her fingertips managed to push the ball. In her blunder, she didn't push it forward but higher. The ball grazed Ritsu's fingertips and due to that touch, it lost its impulsion and fell down a few inches behind the ashblond-haired girl.
Aomine squinted his eyes as he observed the game. Although the last point had been guided by Lady Luck's hands, the lead was well-secured by Akashi's team in spite of the strong waves of attack from the other team. Luck or not, this didn't explain the ratio of power. Ritsu wasn't sparing any of her efforts and yet she couldn't completely blow out their defense to take the lead. Admittedly, her team was making many mistakes, but that should be the case for the other side as well.
"Akashi and his team don't miss any of their opportunities, huh. And it doesn't seem like they have any issues on the offensive side. They're good both in defense and offense."
A well-rounded team.
"You noticed."
"Even I can notice something that simple. Don't treat me as if I were more stupid than I am!" He retorted, scratching the nape of his neck in annoyance.
His volleyball knowledge may be limited but a sport was a sport; his eyes couldn't miss a detail like that. There was indeed a small peculiarity about Akashi's team: the quality of their play. It wasn't of the same quality as the typical average teams he knew. The swift movements of the ball between the players and its right timing and trajectory were manifested by top-grade skills and technique, seeing as how easily each player was able to connect with one another.
Naturally, such a quality shouldn't be something pulled off by first comers like Akashi's team.
"I guess it's thanks to Akashi-kun." Momoi figured as well, jerking her head towards the two boys with a cheeky smile. "If you look closely, his tosses are almost accurate by the inch and technically flawless in comparison to Aoyama-san and Shimizu-san. Thanks to that, Akashi-kun covers up his team's mistakes and makes it easier for his teammates to coordinate their movements."
Momoi was sharp. It was true that Aoyama and Shimizu were just your average players with no real distinction whatsoever, but that wasn't the feeling he had when he looked at them play. They were rather good to say the least. And, that kind of magic was the mere result of Akashi's talent.
"Honestly, since when did that guy learn to play volleyball?" Aomine raised the question.
He wouldn't say it out loud but he did find Akashi impressive for applying this familiar pace he observed many times during basketball practice to volleyball.
"Hm, well, Akashi-kun is kind of amazing in many ways." Momoi stated, though Aomine could catch a small hint of reserve in her voice. "Mi-chan and Acchan always speak fondly of him. He can do everything, they say."
"Amazing is one thing but that? they speak about him as if he's some superhuman. Akashi's just Akashi if you ask me."
"It's certainly because everything he does is successful." Momoi tried to give it a reason, tilting her head. "I've rarely seen him fail at something in basketball. That must be the same for the rest, seeing how this match is going...That's kinda scary, don't you think?"
Though she said it in a lighthearted tone, Aomine considered it seriously. His gut feeling had been spot on since the first day of basketball practice. Day by day, Akashi's become a player with whom he wanted to hit the court.
"Akashi isn't the type to take unnecessary risks. He's well-aware of his own potential and his surroundings; that's why failures are very low with him. But it also explains how he can lead the game with ease."
When he flipped his mirror to his left, he saw Momoi and Aomine exchanging skeptical looks in its reflection.
"In volleyball, there is a position called setter, the equivalent of point guard in basketball. They are the lead offense by deciding who gets the ball to score. Just like good passes determine the quality and effectiveness of the attack in basketball, the setter's toss has to be set at the right timing and to the right player." Midorima paused and darted an intense gaze at the red-haired boy. "Those, undeniably, require a keen sense of observation and a fine sense for passes...which are Akashi's strong points."
Observation skills and a sense for passes. Aomine had nothing to say to that. The redhead sure had those competences in him and knew how to use them wisely. The first time he played with him, he had been quite surprised by his pass quality; he seldom felt such an invincible sensation during a game. When Akashi passes the ball, the simplicity and smoothness made it hard to fail an action.
And visibly, Akashi handled this match with the very same approach. It explained Aoyama's and Shimizu's good level. Bad passes never connect players and confuse while good passes create the best conditions and optimize a team's potential.
"By taking on the role he's the most familiar with, Akashi perfectly knows what he's doing and can gain complete control of the game."
"Complete control?" Momoi repeated, having mixed thoughts about this absolute outcome.
"Eyes and intellect are big assets in game but they aren't everything. It would be hard for anybody to keep up with a regular of the volleyball team with no knowledge of said sport. For him, to manage a play of this level means that Akashi also has a strong basis in volleyball."
"He's taking it quite seriously..."
"Have you ever seen Akashi slack off in a game?" The green-haired boy inquired.
"Never." Momoi replied matter-of-factly.
Midorima gave a slight nod of the head and completed, "He won't rest until his chance of victory hits one hundred percent."
That's Akashi for you, Aomine thought.
"We keep chasing after them..." Takeda said between his breathes.
[12-9] Ritsu read on the flip board. Even her skills and experience wouldn't cut it; they were literally swept away by Akashi's team. Their opponents were barely losing ground.
She failed at breaking their defense, which shouldn't have been very hard to pierce at her level. Though she didn't want to boast about her talent for volleyball, she was confident in her skills. However, Akashi and his team had reorganized their defense in a fashionably fast way and reduced the effectiveness of her attacks almost by half, making her hit rate drop to sixty percent instead of eighty.
Ritsu didn't see it coming, and this strange inefficiency had made them earn her full attention. For a team of novices, they sure had a good defense and offense. Generally, novices tend to leave many openings as their play was rather muddled due to a lack of technique. But it wasn't the case here. There were no big openings she could fully exploit.
And this was the work of a noteworthy lead who was none other than Akashi Seijūrō.
It should have been expected, yes, it should have, but she must concede that he went beyond her expectations. In light of his athletic aptitudes, and adding the fact that he was a fast learner, she assumed his volleyball competences to be good. Nonetheless, she never expected him to show such a leadership and technique. No wonder he was fast-tracked to the first-string on his first run with this kind of talent.
Akashi was sharp and his brain worked fast, preventing any actions from lasting. Skill-wise, he had a good grip on volleyball. His way of playing was mixing the simplicity of a beginner and this nimbleness of an experienced player.
That was impressive.
By looking at him, Ritsu couldn't help but think that even Maeda would have played decently in his team.
Suddenly smacked by the stupidity of her reflection, she erased it off her mind with a slap of rationality. Now was not the time to be impressed or get overwhelmed by her opponents; she has yet to have her back against the wall.
All accounts taken, she saw one way to narrow the score.
At Takeda's call, Ritsu jumped. Over the net, her view of the opposite court was clear and she took that instant to scope each players' positions. Shimizu was spurting to block, Aoyama was ready to counter at the left-back and Akashi was securing the opposite side right in front of the attack line. Good thing she was on the left as well, it left her enough margin to aim at a particular point.
Shimizu was too late on her block and Ritsu spiked the ball straight at Akashi's zone. As she anticipated, he dug the spike. But a detail came to surprise her, in a good way.
Akashi fumbled the ball – unlikely due to the impact or even the surprise effect – and broke their momentum. Aoyama ran to set it to the best of her ability. In her effort, she tossed it too hard, and thus sent it past the net. Shimizu tried to fix the miscalculation and jumped after the ball. Despite it, the flying object was still a bit high for her to reach. Only the tip of her middle finger touched it.
A chance ball! Ritsu shouted their next moves to her teammates.
First, Maeda got into position, even she should be able to redirect Aoyama's missed toss more or less accurate. Second, Takeda took up his role and directed the ball along the net.
Just before the jump, Ritsu caught sight of Aoyama joining up Shimizu for the block. That worked for her. Since Akashi was covering most of the right side, it meant all the left back was an open spot. Even if her red-haired classmate tried to save the ball, he would never make it in time.
At the apex of her jump, she was about to aim full-strength at the left side of the court when she caught sight of Shimizu's arms swinging to the left, as though she read her moves on the spot. With her timing, the ball would bounce back to their side. That fraction of hesitation had cost her momentum but not the point.
In a swift yet soft movement of hand, she tipped the ball over the net. It got past Shimizu and landed on the floor.
Ritsu heaved a sigh of relief for their success.
A stroke of luck though... But she picked out a part of what she wanted to see. [12-10]
The game resuming, Maeda served the ball and Ritsu witnessed the opposite trio's well-oiled teamwork once again. Compared to the previous game sequence, it really felt like a different team when Akashi was their lead.
Ritsu received the ball and safely delivered it to Takeda. In mid-air, she bluntly aimed at Akashi and spiked. This time, his receiving had this usual good quality. Shimizu handled the setting and linked up with Aoyama. Since the girl was the shortest among the team, she tossed the ball low for her, but she miscalculated the distance between her and the net. It was too short. In her run, Aoyama got past the trajectory and jumped back to get the toss and attack.
Inevitably, the clumsy hit was blocked and dropped on their side. [12-11]
"We...We're coming back!" Takeda rejoiced, thanking some unknown gods with his voice shaking in disbelief. Well, she could sympathize with him. Since the beginning they never were this close to evening out the score. "How can that be? Did you do something, Asaka?"
"Somehow. I'm glad it works." Ritsu confirmed while her answer illuminated the boy's eyes, glistening as though tears of happiness were welling up. Visibly, this long chase almost drained him out of all hope of acing this evaluation.
"What did you do?" Takeda probed, curious of this new tactic that would bring him victory.
"I'm forcing Akashi to take on first position instead of second. He's the pivot of their team. Without him as their offense lead, their margin of error is greater. Shimizu and Aoyama play well but I doubt they can reproduce the same quality of play as Akashi in the same role. This difference is what allows us to catch up to them."
"Eeh. That's why you're aiming at his zone...I thought you've lost your mind since we were stuck. That guy has the highest probabilities of stopping us. He hardly lets a ball get past him."
So even Takeda recognized Akashi's talent for volleyball.
"Then, as long as we bind Akashi to receiving, we have our chance! All right, let's do it!"
While Takeda was raring to go, Ritsu expressed reservations. Given Akashi's great analytical skills, her plan would not work forever. Furthermore, she may acknowledge him as an excellent support, yet she practically never observed him play directly on attack. And since he was receiving, it also made him a good candidate as hitter along with Shimizu.
Nonetheless, when she took a look at him, could he even be a potentially dangerous hitter?
Before getting in position, she considered the net height then lowered her gaze back to him one last time.
And she blinked.
Was Akashi smiling?
For the next round, Ritsu used the same tactic and didn't miss her target. As light-footed as he was, Akashi received the ball with disconcerting ease, warning her that he was getting the hang of his new position. Shimizu responded to Aoyama's call and attacked. The ball touched the side of Ritsu's hand, though slightly being deviated, it still entered their court.
Fortunately, Maeda reacted soon enough to keep the ball in play, in spite of her control being desperately off. Takeda ran for it and prepared their counterattack.
Once again, Akashi fulfilled his job. Yet, what followed next buzzed all her senses on full alert. Ritsu heard Akashi calling for the toss and saw him running toward the net as Aoyama set the ball for him.
Impossible!
The red-haired boy jumped high, so high that half of his head got over the net. Having a full and open view of the opposite court, a glance was enough to decide on his course of action.
Baffled by the whole thing, it took a full second for Ritsu to react and lunge to stop him – one deadly second. Her fingers reached the ball but such a weak block was bound to crumble at the first shock. She yielded to his power.
The ball bolted out of bounds and crashed between the central and right court. Students who witnessed that action all were blown away, gawking at the volleyball bouncing and echoing. [13-11]
Ritsu stood speechless, her fingers burning in pain by the hit.
"What the...? N-No way! How the hell is that even possible for that midget to jump so high?!" Takeda spluttered in shock.
That was the million dollar question.
But seriously, Akashi pulled off something crazy just now. His jump demonstrated an impressive vertical. The net was over 2.10m. Taking Akashi's height into account – between 1.55-1.60m by a glance – he normally shouldn't be able to reach the top of the net.
She hated to admit it but at this point, she had underestimated him. The more the game advances, the more Akashi's pressure becomes overbearing. Powerful jumps plus sheer strength for offense, observation skills plus instinct for defense, Akashi had played his main cards.
She clenched her hand into a fist. Not forgetting the striking impact of his spike, the burning sensation on her hand was still crawling under her skin and spread through her body. Wild heartbeats thumped against her chest.
That thrill wasn't the simple deed of any kind of players. He was the real thing. A real challenger.
"D-Did you see what I just saw...?" Momoi was baffled, her lips twitching.
Aomine didn't believe his eyes either. Was Akashi really superhuman? He literally flew.
"That guy's no joke. Isn't Akashi 1.55m tall?" He asked to be sure.
"1.58m, to be correct." his childhood friend rectified, recalling some personal data stored in her memory. "Akashi isn't as tall as a tree but he's not that small either...He's, well, not your stereotypical basketball player – to say the least."
To say the least, was it? Visibly, Momoi was slightly miffed about it. She was surely wondering how on earth Akashi could fly or something close to it.
"Whatever. Do 3cm even change anything? The net is more than two meters high. No matter how you look at it, there's a huge difference. How did he pull it off to the top?"
"...He has leg strength. A great amount in fact. With that much power in the legs, it's possible for Akashi to make up for his short reach." Midorima answered matter-of-factly, hiding his bewilderment behind a cracked mask of composure.
"Of course, and someday, we'll see him dunking in the middle of a game." Aomine scoffed, not giving the least consideration for his comrade's theory,
"That might be worth considering."
"Oi, Midorima, can't you tell that it was a joke?"
"...No, Midorima-kun is right." Momoi supported the greenhead's statement. "Akashi-kun might have the potential to dunk. In jump, Asaka-san is only reaching 40cm best when she's in the volleyball club, whereas Akashi-kun has leapt around 50cm high."
"Just 50cm? Isn't that the average for athletes?"
He estimated more considering the explosive way Akashi leaped off the ground and the height of the net.
"Not just, Aomine-kun." Momoi retorted, her frown deepening. "A vertical jump of 50cm is no ordinary accomplishment at all. At our age, we normally should be able to jump around 20-30cm high at best. Based on this average, Akashi-kun should not physically be able to do it."
"But you can't lump athletes and non-athletes together. As a basketball player, Akashi has leaping ability. It's normal for him to jump higher than the average."
"Be that as it may, we're talking about a 20cm difference above the norm. Akashi's jumps usually range between 30-40cm, which is a pretty good average for a player of his built."
"He broke his own record?"
"He did, perhaps it was just in the spur of the moment...Even so, that doesn't fully explain this record. His legs can't have developped yet the power muscles for that kind of giant jumps...It must take a toll on him. 40cm IS his very limit, it can't be otherwise..." She bit her lips in hesitation, clenching her jogging pants. A glimmer of awe flickered in her eyes yet this sentiment also seized her throat in apprehension of truth she found hard to believe despite the evidence. "...Unless his potential is greater than expected. Extending his current limit to 50cm."
"It seems like so. You're perceptive, Momoi." Midorima noted solemnly yet appreciatedly.
At the sudden compliment, Momoi gawped at the slender boy then choked on saliva, not knowing how to respond.
"Akashi improves fast, it will surely be only a matter of time for him to surpass his personal record. In the future, his vertical jumps might even go higher than 50cm."
Bluntly meaning that Akashi could possibly dunk, no matter how absurd it may sound.
"Is that for real?"
"So serious that it's giving me the chills..."
"There's nothing to worry about. It can't happen anytime soon or he'll be straining his body too hard. Don't forget we're in the middle of growth." Midorima stated after adjusting his glasses and glancing at the pair of childhood friends. "Akashi may be amazing but his performances merely live up to his daily efforts, in the same way as Aomine or me. He's progressing at his pace, although a few notches faster than most of us. It must be natural for him. In fact, I'd be more concerned to see him show little to no progress after so many hours of training and hard work than witnessing his blooming potential as his teammate."
Momoi chuckled, actually finding Midorima more caring than he sounded.
Currently, Akashi is 1m58; Asaka, 1m64.