IseeBlack
patreon
Chapter 237: A Growing Unease
🕑 Added 2025-02-17 16:01:02 +0000 UTC"Don't hesitate when blocking—just lock down the straight shot!" Iwaizumi Hajime called from the back row.
"Got it!"
The front-row blockers hadn't actually intended to shift their positioning. It was just that Bokuto Kōtarō's first sharp cross-shot had left an incredibly strong impression on them.
The serve rotated once again, and Akaashi Keiji stepped up to the service line.
Boom!
His serve dropped into the front zone—his target was Kaedehara Taichi.
A serve this weak aimed at me? Do they really think I'm that easy to target?
Taichi had noticed a steep rise in the number of serves he was being forced to receive in this Spring High tournament.
Whoosh!—
Taichi calmly handled the ball with an overhead pass, sending it straight to the right wing.
Kindaichi Yūtarō took off.
Bang!
A sudden quick attack caught Fukurōdani completely off guard. Even though Konoha Akinori leapt to block, Kindaichi spiked directly over his hands with an overhand kill.
"Damn it, does being tall make you so great?!" Konoha grumbled in frustration, glaring at the towering Kindaichi.
[Aoba Johsai 2 – 2 Fukurōdani]
"Sorry, Konoha-senpai!" Akaashi Keiji said, clearly unsatisfied.
He had at least hoped to disrupt their offensive rhythm. But on video, Kaedehara Taichi's passing hadn't looked nearly this refined.
And his reaction speed…
The very instant I made my serve, he had already read it.
"Don't dwell on it—next play!" Konoha waved him off.
The serve returned to Aoba Johsai. Kindaichi stepped up for a power jump serve.
Smack!
Komi Haruki delivered a clean first pass—finally, a serve that was at least manageable.
Akaashi set the ball high to the left wing.
He could feel it—Bokuto was still calling for the ball!
Bokuto Kōtarō sprinted forward and launched himself into the air.
"Three-man block!!!"
Matsukawa Issei, Hanamaki Takahiro, and Kaedehara Taichi jumped to form an impenetrable wall.
We have to hold this one!
Iwaizumi was stationed at the cross-shot angle. This time, there were no gaps in their defence!
"No Escape—"
Bokuto's eyes gleamed with a thrill for the challenge.
"Then I'll break through!"
BOOM!!!
He smashed the ball with full force—right into Hanamaki Takahiro's forearm.
SMACK!
It didn't go through!
Gritting his teeth, Hanamaki absorbed the impact and held his ground.
He knew that, as the shortest front-row blocker, he was the natural weak spot in the wall. But he had jumped with the mindset that Bokuto would target him.
He refused to let Bokuto Kōtarō continue scoring unchecked!
The ball deflected high into the air. Oikawa Tōru sprinted toward the sideline to chase it down.
Whoosh—
Oikawa sent the ball soaring back toward the net.
"Taichi!"
—A tough set to handle—but of course, it was meant for their ace!
Kaedehara Taichi sprinted from the back row and leapt high at the net.
"Three-man block!"
Bokuto Kōtarō, Washio Tatsuki, and Konoha Akinori rose to meet him.
"Monkey! Left hand!" Konoha shouted to the back row.
Bang!—
Taichi swung—spiking over Konoha's block.
Sarukui Yamato reacted quickly, stepping into position for the dig.
Smack!
The ball rebounded off his arms—straight out of bounds.
"Huh?" Sarukui, always wearing a faint smirk, tilted his head.
"Even knowing it was coming—it's still impossible to receive..."
Kaedehara Taichi scores!
[Aoba Johsai 3 – 2 Fukurōdani]
"Aoba Johsai successfully blocked Bokuto Kōtarō and turned it into a counterattack!"
"They managed to stop Fukurōdani's ace and take the lead!"
"Hahahaha! You guys are really strong—this is awesome!"
Bokuto Kōtarō showed no signs of disappointment over being stopped.
No…this isn't right.
Akaashi Keiji furrowed his brows.
It was good that Bokuto hadn't fallen into a slump. But…this level of excessive excitement was unsettling.
According to his Owl Care Guide, there were far more documented reasons for Bokuto randomly falling into a funk than there were for him suddenly getting too hyped.
We'll just have to take this one step at a time…
Kindaichi Yūtarō stood at the service line, fully aware of his own lack of skill in this area.
Unlike in their match against Nekoma, where his serves had barely troubled their receivers, against a powerhouse like Fukurōdani, every easy serve meant immediate danger for Aoba Johsai.
Kindaichi tossed the ball into the air.
This time, I'll put everything into it!
Boom!—
Chapter 238 [Part 2]: A Growing Unease
The ball came hurtling toward Fukurōdani's back row.
I've had enough of this…
Komi Haruki thought to himself.
Doesn't anyone consider that liberos are human too?!
He locked onto the incoming serve and shifted his stance slightly.
Smack!
The ball landed out of bounds.
"Ooooh! Komi, you're amazing!" Bokuto Kōtarō's eyes sparkled with admiration.
"Hmph! Never underestimate an owl's eyesight!" Komi Haruki boasted.
[Aoba Johsai 3 – 3 Fukurōdani]
"I'm sorry!" Kindaichi shouted. He had actually felt pretty good about that serve, but the fact that they had given away a point so easily frustrated him.
"Don't worry about it! It was a good attempt!" Iwaizumi reassured him.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!"
Bokuto Kōtarō swaggered up to the service line.
The serve rotated—Fukurōdani's turn.
Bokuto tossed the ball high into the air and immediately started his approach. Under the bright stadium lights, the ball traced a soft arc, dropping toward his optimal striking point.
Then—
BOOM!!!—
The ball spun violently to the side, angling sharply toward Aoba Johsai's backcourt.
Iwaizumi Hajime locked onto it, but the ball was simply too fast. The extreme curve made it nearly impossible to predict its trajectory.
Smack!
A second later, it hit the floor.
Bokuto Kōtarō, service ace.
[Aoba Johsai 3 – 4 Fukurōdani]
"That serve was incredibly deceptive! Aoba Johsai's No. 4 was still trying to track its movement when it had already landed, making them look like they were frozen in place!"
"Rather than worrying about how to receive it, they need to focus on just moving their bodies first…"
"Damn it," Iwaizumi muttered, brow furrowing. "Easier said than done. The problem is, I can't even read the ball's path."
Bokuto surveyed the back row, then launched his second serve.
—BOOM!!!
This time, he aimed for the far-right corner, targeting Watari Shinji. The ball carved out a massive curve in the air.
"Watari! Step forward!" Oikawa shouted.
Watari's eyes told him the ball was heading out, but—he trusted Oikawa-senpai's judgment more.
He took a step forward.
—And just as expected, the curve bent it back toward the court.
Smack!
He reached out to receive it—but it was still one step beyond his initial read.
The ball struck the sideline in front of him and bounced inward—still in play.
Bokuto Kōtarō, back-to-back aces!
[Aoba Johsai 3 – 5 Fukurōdani]
No touches.
Two consecutive points.
For the first time in the match, the gap between the two teams widened.
"Hey! Hey!! Hey!!!"
Bokuto Kōtarō was completely in the zone.
"Tweet!— Aoba Johsai calls a timeout."
Coach Irihata quickly signalled for a break.
This was the first time in the Spring High that Aoba Johsai had started a match trailing.
More importantly, missing a receiver and not even touching the ball were two very different things.
Coach Irihata could sense the arena's atmosphere gradually shifting toward Fukurōdani.
Bokuto Kōtarō is too fired up.We need to disrupt his rhythm—right now.
-----
The timeout ended, and the game resumed.
Kaedehara Taichi had indeed heard the system notification—Bokuto Kōtarō's burst mode has ended.
But for some reason, he still couldn't shake this uneasy feeling.
When Aoba Johsai returned to the court, they switched to a four-man reception formation.
Hanamaki Takahiro, positioned at the front in Zone 3, shifted slightly backwards. Iwaizumi moved closer toward Watari's side.
Bokuto fired off his third serve.
BOOM!
The ball carved an arc through the air—soaring toward Aoba Johsai's back row…
-----
