The Birth of A Volleyball Legend

"Can he aim his serve this accurately all the time?" Kawaki asked the old man, inquiring about Yuki's ability.

"Oh yeah, he can do that consistently every day," Sekine replied, the grin on his face likely the widest anyone had ever seen on the old man. "He achieved this with a creative training regimen he devised by himself, even before he met me. That boy's brain is something else."

After hearing the explanation about the self-training method Yuki developed, Kawaki was left jaw-dropped in disbelief. Even though such training methods for improving serve control were common among professional teams, Yuki's ability to think of it himself demonstrated his intelligence.

Seeing Kawaki's reaction, Sekine nodded in satisfaction. Kawaki was the new coach for the U-19 team, having replaced the former coach who had been promoted to manage the first team. Sekine knew that while Kawaki respected his name, the boy still questioned some of his decisions regarding the introduction of new players. This would at least help him recognize Sekine's ability to identify talent.

However, the old man didn't want to stop there. He wanted to overwhelm the boy with something even more impressive, and he knew just how to do that.

Enjoy more content from empire

"Oi, Yuki!" Sekine suddenly raised his voice. "Don't hold back; show everyone all the weapons in your arsenal!"

Yuki was taken aback, yet a grin suddenly broke out on his face when he realized what the old man wanted him to do. For a moment, everyone was confused, while Kawaki stood stunned. If his guess was correct, the boy likely had more than one serving technique in his arsenal, and if the quality was anything close to his control, it would only mean that the blonde boy had the potential to become a serving specialist for the team.

Before Kawaki could shake himself from his daydream, Yuki took a moment to calm his nerves. He understood that the old man wanted him to show off his abilities; the more tense his body was, the worse the result would be. When Kawaki finally blew the whistle, Yuki tossed the ball quickly and jumped as if he intended to hit it as hard as he could.

However, while in the air, Yuki glanced briefly to the other side of the net. When he saw his opponents step back unconsciously, as if preparing to receive a powerful serve, a small, mischievous smirk formed on his face.

'Well, too bad for you, because this is what I'll do!'

He adjusted his stance flawlessly, even mid-air, changing his intention from a sidespin serve back to his best weapon: a floater serve.

Thud!

Tondo and Miyahara were taken aback, not expecting a weak, wobbling serve. They rushed forward immediately, trying to get to the ball. However, luck seemed to favor Yuki, as the ball hit the net slightly before bouncing back to the spot they had just vacated.

"What?!" The two were dumbfounded, watching the ball pass right by them. Before they even realized it, the sound of the ball hitting the floor echoed throughout the building, followed by a sudden round of applause from the sidelines.

"Damn, that was a good serve!"

"Are you another player introduced by Sekine-sensei?"

"The floater is good, but your aim is risky. You need to improve if you want to succeed."

This time, it wasn't just Tondo and Miyahara who were confused; Yuki and Riku were also taken aback. One moment they were in the middle of the game, and the next they were surrounded by strangers who were asking questions and offering unsolicited advice. How long had those spectators been there without them noticing?

"Don't worry, they're just players from the main team," Sekine quickly came to the rescue.

Yuki and Riku's eyes widened in shock when they heard this. "WHAT? FROM THE MAIN TEAM?!"

Compared to Tondo and Miyahara, they recognized that the players in front of them were the real deal. They were the professionals who fought on the court regularly, with their lives depending on it. Just based on their presence, it was clear that their skills far exceeded Yuki and Riku's expectations.

"Oi, Jiisan!" one of them suddenly turned his attention to Sekine. "Do you think I can receive the end of his serve?" He pointed at Yuki.

The bespectacled boy was taken aback by the blunt challenge, and he could hear the gasps from the two players who had been his opponents a moment ago. Riku seemed to share the same surprise, his eyes fixed on the man.

While Kawaki was astonished by the sudden initiative from the main team players, he turned his focus back to Sekine, deferring the decision to the old man. As for Sekine, the grin on his face kept growing, starting to hurt his facial muscles. "Do what you want, Kenzo! Just be prepared for whatever the boy will show you!"

The man Sekine referred to as Kenzo grinned and immediately bowed to the old man. "Thank you, Sensei!"

After discussing the matter for a while, it was finally decided that Kenzo would replace Miyahara. Tondo himself was in a daze, still pinching his arms, questioning whether this was a dream. For him, joining the Tokyo Thunder was the first step toward fulfilling his dream of becoming a professional volleyball player. Now, the opportunity had finally come for him to play with one of the main players, and if he didn't seize this chance to impress them, he would regret it forever.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

'I'm sorry, you two. If before I tried to maintain a friendly face with Sekine-sensei, this time is different. I have to give it my all, so please don't blame me for being ruthless.'

Yuki and Riku suddenly shivered, not expecting to receive such a hungry, predatory gaze from their opponent. From just two regular U-19 team members, they were now facing one professional player from the main team and a hungry U-19 player who was motivated to excel. They knew the difficulty of the test had suddenly escalated to an astronomical level.

However, instead of feeling depressed, their excitement spiked upon realizing their opponent had become stronger. Kato, watching from the sidelines, could only sigh helplessly.

'Why would they be happy when their opponent gets stronger? Damn, boys will always be boys…'