The Birth of A Volleyball Legend

Unaware of the support in the stands, Riku took a deep breath while wandering around aimlessly like a headless chicken, trying to loosen the tension in his body. Even though he always acted tough and unbothered in these situations, inwardly, he always experienced intense nerves before pivotal moments like this. He was just a normal teenager; naturally, the thoughts of various 'what-ifs' scenarios played in his mind. He chose to stay calm, knowing that panic wouldn't look cool in front of the fans.

When his eyes caught sight of Yuki sitting on the bench, a small, smug smirk suddenly formed on his face. While they were best friends, Riku and Yuki were also rivals, always competing to outdo each other. Right now, he was in the lead since he would debut in the game before his bespectacled friend.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Unfortunately, that happiness vanished instantly when Riku saw a taller blonde boy approach him from the other side of the court. "So it's just you and not your buddy, huh?" It was Haruo, the opponent's middle blocker. "Why isn't Kobayashi-kun here? Does that mean your team has a better player than him?"

Riku scowled at the sarcastic remark thrown by the taller blonde, choosing to ignore him. However, that only infuriated Haruo further as he continued, "Oh, have you already embraced your Thunder side? Treating us poor Giant Bear players with hostility? Interesting…"

Riku decided to keep his ears shut tight and ignored Haruo's babbling, knowing that this was the taller blonde's usual method to get under his opponent's skin. He couldn't understand how Yuki could be friends with Haruo.

"You okay, Agostini?" Shou's voice snapped Riku from his thoughts. "You've been standing there for a few seconds without doing anything. Are you nervous? It's okay to feel that way. I was also a bundle of nerves during my debut, you know?" The team's captain said, trying to reassure the blonde boy.

Knowing that the captain misunderstood the situation, Riku shook his head immediately and answered, "Nothing like that, Senpai. I'm just a bit frustrated about that bastard over there." He pointed at Haruo.

"Ah… Him…" Shou nodded in understanding. Even though he didn't know the relationship between Haruo, Riku, and Yuki, he was sure there was some tension between the two blonde boys. Ironically, Yuki always acted like a clueless third wheel in these situations. "Well, it's good to have you motivated like this, but don't let it blind you, okay? Keep your head calm and composed, and I'm sure you'll do great." He patted the younger boy's back firmly.

"Yes, Captain!"

-0-

A few minutes later, everyone was ready to start the game. For Tokyo Thunder, alongside Riku as the setter, they had Shou and Miyahara as opposite hitters, Kojima and Uehara as outside hitters, and Tondo as the middle blocker. It wasn't their best squad considering some of their main players were injured and others had been promoted to the main team, but this was the best they could field in the current situation.

After a quick coin toss between the captains of both teams, it was decided that Thunder would serve the ball first. As the most powerful player on the team, Uehara took on the responsibility of starting the serve, something they had discussed long before.

The bun-haired boy took a deep breath, bouncing the ball up and down while waiting for the referee to blow the whistle. When it finally came, he tossed the ball slightly before leaping into the air, hanging there for an impressive few seconds before unleashing a powerful serve straight to the Giant Bear player on the bottom right.

BAM!

"Oh! A powerful serve right from the start!"

"That's Uehara for you!"

The Giant Bear player was unable to receive the ball properly as it flew back to the Thunder's side. Miyahara easily picked up the ball, sending it straight to Riku. This would be the first matchup between the two blonde boys from opposing teams.

'Come on, you bastard… Don't be stubborn; move…' Riku muttered.

This was the part he hated most when playing against Haruo. The taller blonde boy wasn't easily provoked and would always wait patiently for Riku to make a move before he followed up. The play usually evolved into a battle of patience, with Haruo often coming out on top.

'Damn it, bastard!' Riku clicked his tongue in annoyance as he had no choice but to pass the ball. In the end, he decided that his first attack would go to Shou, who was the most stable player on the team.

"Nice pass, Agostini!"

Shou leaped forward as the ball reached him. Haruo also reacted quickly. Together with another Giant Bear player on the right, they jumped simultaneously, closing the area for Shou to spike the ball.

Riku sighed, thinking the ball would likely get blocked. He was already slumping his shoulders when he saw the blockers' swift reactions and wasn't even willing to watch the process. However, he forgot that he wasn't with his Tsunemori teammates right now, and Otsuka Shou wasn't like any spiker he had partnered with in the past.

Even facing two formidable blockers, Shou didn't panic at all. He remembered the scouting report they had on Haruo and knew that the tall blonde boy in front of him was cocky and lacked experience facing hitters who could adjust mid-air. So, he focused on the left side, and once he was sure Haruo caught his movement, he changed his approach, swinging his arm and hitting the ball to the right.

BAM!

Incredibly, Haruo still managed to react, moving his arm quickly, his hands able to touch the ball. However, due to his unfavorable position, he couldn't position his block properly, resulting in the ball bouncing off his hand and wildly out of bounds.

"OH! First point!"

"That's our captain!"

"Good job, Shou! Keep it up, and you'll make the main team soon!"

As the cheers exploded from the audience, Shou turned around to find that Riku was staring at him, mouth agape. "Y-You? Him? What? How?" Riku stammered, his mind confused about what had just happened. The boy was a mess, and Shou couldn't help but laugh.

Read latest stories on empire

"He might be amazing for a high schooler, but don't underestimate your senpai, brat!"