"Not sure what Taichi is thinking right now, but if Seijoh loses this match here—" Futakuchi Kenji frowned deeply. "He'll definitely be the one to blame."
The Date Tech players all turned to look at Futakuchi in surprise. After all, he was the one most wary of Kaedehara Taichi on their team. It was rare for him to make such a cr...
2025-04-10 16:00:14 +0000 UTC View Post"Nishinoya!"
Smack!
Nishinoya Yū received the ball with perfect form—first touch to target.
Tsukishima Kei suddenly lunged toward the net. Kyōtani Kentarō and Yahaba Shigeru jumped up to block.
"Wait—!"
Kindaichi Yūtarō's shout came a moment too late. The two had already jumped, but Tsukishima rema...
2025-04-09 16:15:57 +0000 UTC View Post"That kid's going a bit overboard, huh."
Coach Irihata's tone carried a trace of reproach, but the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth couldn't be hidden.
On the other side, Ukai Keishin suddenly shot to his feet. His eyes were wide, and his breathing had turned just slightly uneven.
"That guy...he's still g...
2025-04-09 16:14:07 +0000 UTC View Post"Hey, hey, it looks like Kaedehara Taichi is about to go in!"
"For real? He's starting to warm up!"
"He's really waiting until the semifinals to show up, huh. He's got a pretty big ego."
"Well, Aoba Johsai pretty much breezed through all their matches before this. They won every single one in straight...
2025-04-09 16:12:08 +0000 UTC View Post"Damn it! We were able to block those in the first half!"
"We can't keep up with their movements anymore. The fundamentals are completely different!"
"Even their simple receives and passes are way more refined than ours..."
"Tweet!—"
The whistle for the serve blew. 2025-04-08 16:57:46 +0000 UTC View Post
"Isn't Aoba Johsai being a little too arrogant? Even against Kakugawa Gakuen's Hyakuzawa, they're not putting Kaedehara Taichi on the court?"
"Hmph, it'll be hilarious if Seijoh ends up losing here."
"There's no way they'll lose, right? Isn't Taichi just watching from the bench?"
"Do you think…maybe...
2025-04-08 16:56:04 +0000 UTC View Post[June 2nd, Sendai City Gymnasium]
The place bustled with noise. High school students in a wide variety of school uniforms crowded the venue, and the air was thick with the smell of pain relief spray.
"...Kaedehara Taichi—why isn't he in the starting lineup?!"
"If Taichi's not playing, what's even...
2025-04-07 16:53:19 +0000 UTC View Post"Ahh, we're finally back!"
"Even though we got one day off, playing matches every day is seriously exhausting."
"I don't see what's so great about Tokyo. Miyagi's still the most comfortable place."
On the night of May 7th, the entirety of Aoba Johsai's team safely returned from their Tokyo training expedition. Excluding the one...
2025-04-07 16:52:38 +0000 UTC View PostSmack!
Libero Teragane Gō's first touch was clean, and Ōki Kazuki set the ball to the right wing. Moritake Kazuya jumped for the spike.
"Double block!" Yamabuki Yūjin and Yūki Yōji leapt up.
"Don't underestimate me just because I'm a first-year!"
Boom!
The ball pierced...
2025-04-07 16:51:45 +0000 UTC View PostHe's just a second-year too—how could the difference be this big…?
The players of Takezō Academy couldn't wrap their heads around it. Still, they didn't want to dwell on it any longer. All that mattered now was giving it everything they had in the second set, and playing Aoba Johsai seriously.
However—
Kaede...
2025-04-06 16:01:31 +0000 UTC View Post[May 6th – Takezō Academy, Tokyo]
"We're playing that Aoba Johsai today, right?"
"Yeah, I think so. The upperclassmen already left…"
The first-years of Takezō Academy's volleyball club were chatting casually while going through their training routines.
"Did you see their faces? They di...
2025-04-06 16:00:14 +0000 UTC View PostDays of continuous matches had left Aoba Johsai's players physically and mentally drained. To help them relieve stress and recover their strength, Coach Irihata introduced the team's second perk of their Tokyo trip—a full day off for sightseeing.
Come to think of it, despite participating in the Nationals twice last year, Aoba J...
2025-04-05 15:21:11 +0000 UTC View Post"Bokuto-senpai, now that the little rookie you were looking after is off the court, can you finally go all out?" Kaedehara Taichi straightened his posture, stepping forward slightly. A glimmer of both provocation and anticipation flickered in his gaze.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing what you've learned in the pros." 2025-04-05 15:19:45 +0000 UTC View Post
At some point, the spectators on the sidelines realised something—this match was no longer just a battle between the two aces.
It had become Bokuto Kōtarō VS Kyōtani Kentarō.
Sarukui Fūto stood frozen in place.
Bokuto Kōtarō had always been the player he aspired to surpass. Kaedehara Taichi was the opponent he...
2025-04-04 15:59:57 +0000 UTC View PostKyōtani Kentarō never had a clear-cut career plan like Bokuto Kōtarō did, but when it came to his love for volleyball, he would never lose to anyone.
After clashing with his upperclassmen and being ostracised, Kyōtani was forced to leave his team. From that moment on, he had always been alone in the world of volleyball...
2025-04-04 15:58:54 +0000 UTC View PostSarukui Fūto served the second ball.
The volleyball targeted Kyōtani Kentarō in Aoba Johsai's backcourt corner.
It had to be said—very few first-years could deliver such a threatening serve.
Smack!
Kyōtani barely managed to receive it.
Yahaba Shigeru stepped in to cover and set the ba...
2025-04-04 15:57:59 +0000 UTC View PostBoom!!!—
The volleyball traced a perfect arc through the air.
An extreme sidespin!
Smack!
The ball struck Kunimi Akira's arm and flew out of bounds.
Bokuto Kōtarō scored directly with his serve!
[Aoba Johsai 0 – 2 Fukurodani]
...
2025-04-03 16:15:03 +0000 UTC View PostSarukui Fūto's growth rate far exceeded that of his peers.
Ever since elementary school, when he first watched his older brother, Sarukui Yamato, play volleyball, Fūto had been captivated by the sport. Not only had he inherited his brother's athletic talent, but his sense of the game was also exceptional.
On top of that, he had bui...
2025-04-03 16:13:54 +0000 UTC View Post"Fūto, didn't I tell you not to talk to Taichi before the match?"
After settling down Bokuto Kōtarō, Akaashi Keiji spotted Sarukui Fūto chatting with Kaedehara Taichi and quickly jogged over.
"Sorry, Akaashi-senpai," Sarukui Fūto said obediently, his usual arrogance nowhere to be seen. "But I wanted to see for myself what kind o...
2025-04-02 16:38:11 +0000 UTC View PostMay 3rd.
The Aoba Johsai volleyball team sat aboard a bus heading toward Fukurōdani Academy.
For Aoba Johsai, last year's Spring Nationals quarterfinal match against Fukurōdani had been an incredibly tough battle. In terms of intensity, they had even found it more gruelling than their final against Itachiyama.
<... 2025-04-02 16:37:23 +0000 UTC View Post"This is such a hassle…"
Watching as the players in the gym grew more and more hyped under Bokuto Kōtarō's influence, Kozume Kenma muttered to himself, instinctively keeping a slight distance from the commotion.
But with Kuroo Tetsurō keeping a close eye on him, there was no escape. Besides, while it looked like he...
2025-04-02 16:36:28 +0000 UTC View PostAoba Johsai's second stop was Nekoma. Compared to rivals, the two teams felt more like friends.
Although during last year's Spring Nationals, an emotionally charged Kozume Kenma had once lashed out at Kaedehara Taichi (a moment Haiba Lev frequently mimicked afterwards—earning himself quite a few beatings), Nekoma's overall ...
2025-04-01 16:01:29 +0000 UTC View Post[Aoba Johsai 25 - 20 Ichibayashi]
[Aoba Johsai 25 - 23 Ichibayashi]
Though the match ended in a 2-0 victory, Aoba Johsai's win wasn't an easy one.
To be precise, the second set had been particularly gruelling. Ichibayashi gave them the impression of a version of Nekoma with enhan...
2025-04-01 16:00:22 +0000 UTC View Post[Aoba Johsai 25 - 19 Itachiyama]
[Aoba Johsai 34 - 32 Itachiyama]
Aoba Johsai secured a 2-0 victory in their first practice match upon arriving in Tokyo.
After adjusting their strategy in the second set, Itachiyama managed to keep pace with Aoba Johsai, with Sakusa Kiyoomi leading th...
2025-03-31 16:08:25 +0000 UTC View Post"I—"
For the first time in this match, Araki Kōsei felt an overwhelming surge of emotion, so much so that he almost let a curse slip.
That was a desperation save. To be honest, even getting the ball over the net without an attack seemed impossible...
"Is this guy a monster?" Matsuo Satoshi clutched his chest. "He's a mon...
2025-03-31 16:06:59 +0000 UTC View PostItachiyama's lineup adjustment wasn't just about staggering the rotation of Sakusa Kiyoomi and Kaedehara Taichi in the front row—it was a direct countermeasure to a crucial factor behind their first-set loss: Kaedehara Taichi's serve.
Serve switch—Aoba Johsai's serve.
Kaedehara Taichi stepped onto the service li...
2025-03-31 16:05:30 +0000 UTC View PostThe serve rotated, giving Aoba Johsai possession again. Kaedehara Taichi returned to the front row.
"That guy…he still looks completely at ease." Sakusa Kiyoomi scowled at him.
Kyōtani Kentarō launched a powerful jump serve, the ball cutting through the air.
Smack!
"They received it again!" 2025-03-30 16:01:07 +0000 UTC View Post
As the teams returned from the timeout, the match stabilized, with both sides exchanging points.
Sakusa Kiyoomi made several aggressive plays, disregarding his stamina in an attempt to close the score gap. However, Aoba Johsai countered each of his attacks with Kaedehara Taichi and Kyōtani Kentarō's powerful spikes.
Aoba Johsai was...
2025-03-30 16:00:20 +0000 UTC View Post[Aoba Johsai 11 – 5 Itachiyama]
The timeout ended, and the match resumed.
It was clear from the players' expressions that Itachiyama's adjustments hadn't been particularly effective. That was hardly surprising—Itachiyama boasted an over 90% win rate in various practice matches and tournaments across Tokyo, yet th...
2025-03-29 16:01:03 +0000 UTC View Post"Sakusa's serves are still as nasty as ever. If we played against Itachiyama again, would we have a way to handle him?" Matsuo Satoshi asked the person beside him.
"Why are you looking at me? I can't do it. Go ask Yukimitsu or something," Araki Kōsei replied shamelessly.
"Can you not just casually dump the responsibility on a first-...
2025-03-29 16:00:16 +0000 UTC View Post