100 The Rising Ace
"Left open!"
"Okay! Here!"
Raising his hand up into the air, Haruto called out for the last ball and was given a pass from Daichi who tried his best to keep the ball as far away from the net as possible since the angle he was currently at was a bit awkward.
Watching the ball that was behind him, Haruto slowed down the tempo of his approach while also paying a portion of his attention to the blockers in front him.
'This is good.'
Briefly thinking about what he should do, Haruto proceeded to swing high at the ball but as he followed along with his swing, his right arm remained straight. By doing this he was able to use his wrist to dictate where the ball should go and aimed for the empty right corner.
"Ugh this game is making my stomach c-churn."
Yachi's face turned sour to one of relief when she saw that Haruto was able to safely get the point for Karasuno.
"If only we had managed to get that last set." Mahiru gave out a sigh when she thought about the third set.
After Haruto had locked the game for Karasuno in the second set, the set that followed after was an intense one where neither side wanted to let any points go.
With the one block Haruto did against Ushijima, it looked like Ushijima took it as a challenge and gradually started to put more effort in mercifully breaking down any blocks that came his way. Some instances were him bouncing the ball off the blocks and smashing it down while others were caught by Haruto, completely shutting down the spike.
This sort of challenge had brought the third set into the late 20s where Shiratorizawa had managed to win [27-29] due to a faulty serve that had rolled off the tip of the net, landing on to Karasuno's side.
"OHH! HE BLOCKED USHIJIMA'S SPIKE ONCE AGAIN!!?"
Mahiru heard a sudden shout near her and saw that one person was pointing towards the court where Karasuno was celebrating winning the point.
"Who would have thought I would see the day where Washijou's star player being blocked by a person from Karasuno."
"U-Ukai-sensei!"
""H-Hello!""
Hearing the voice that suddenly appeared behind them, Tsukishima's brother Akiteru and the two other adults from the neighborhood association stiffened up.
"It's nice to see the alumni cheering on the younger generation."
"W-We also trained some of them so it's natural that we cheer them on."
"Yeah!"
"Hmm, is that so?"
Ikkei Ukai placed a small smile on his face when he heard the words of his former players and chuckled a bit, feeling like it was just yesterday where it was just him and them practicing their receives with him blasting the ball at them.
Ukai looked at the board and rubbed his scruffy chin when he noticed the score for the 4th set was [15-14] where Karasuno had a slight lead in points.
'One mistake can turn that difference in points right around if they're not careful..' He placed his fingers against his lips and began to quietly watch how Karasuno would continue to play.
"Goshiki get the last one!"
Shiratorizawa's libero called out as he gave an underhand pass towards Tsutomu since it was the final ball and they needed it over.
Quietly licking his lips, Tsutomu proceeded to start his approach from outside the sidelines and saw how Kageyama and Tsukishima managed to quickly set up a block that sealed the line.
'My goal of becoming an ace is still valid even with Ushijima here.'
Tsutomu held in his breath as he twisted his body forwards and continued to stare at the tiny gap between Kageyama's block and the outside antenna. He waited for just a bit before swinging his hardest through that tiny gap he saw.
Haruto who was guarding the sharp cross, watched as Tsutomu was able to thread the ball through the gap and eventually get a point for their team.
"This guy…"
An annoyed smile formed when he looked to see Tsutomu shooting him a prideful grin and seemed to boast at him showing how great his line shot was.
"My bad, I thought I closed the line enough."
"Don't mind."
Kageyama briefly apologized as he didn't think it was possible for the ball to go through that tiny gap.
After getting a point for their team, Shiratorizawa's rotation turned and the three people at Karasuno's defense saw Ushijima bouncing the ball. Haruto, Daichi and Nishinoya inhaled and quickly emptied their lungs as if to prepare themselves for the upcoming serve coming their way.
"HUFF!"
Throwing the ball up, Ushijima twisted his upright torso forward before bringing his entire left arm through the ball in front of him. Feeling the solid contact between the ball and his palm, Ushijima brought all the air out of his lungs and followed through with his swing.
'This guy never stops huh?!'
Haruto mentally screamed in his head as he lowered his center of gravity in order to create a very solid base that can absorb the serve coming his way.
Feeling the heavy pressure on his forearms, he leaned his body backwards and after making brief contact with the ball, he broke his passing platform in order to absorb all the force that he could and transfer it elsewhere.
Seeing that his serve had been passed, Ushijima continued to place a maniac grin on his lips and the thought of thoroughly crushing the person in front of him appeared deeply in his mind.
"Nice pass Haruto."
Kageyama gave a look of amazement when he saw the cannon serve from Ushijima get passed right to him. He looked at the available players as Haruto was currently out of formation but he suddenly felt a hard look coming his way.
'Is he sure he could do it?'
Thinking about whether or not he should do it, Kageyama decided to test it out as the person himself said he was confident enough to perform it.
Following his gut, Kageyama jumped up and watched how.Tsukishima was approaching powerfully to his front side.
'The middle is coming strong…' The blocker in the middle thought out as he carefully watched Tsukishima run after the potential quick coming his way.
Seeing that the other players were not moving, he decided to jump up and do a solo block challenging Tsukishima.
"!!!!"
"HAHAH! it's the move the brat has been practicing with our setter."
"It really is…"
One of the players from the Kaji Wild Dogs suddenly burst out laughing when he saw the move Tsukishima did as it was one Haruto suggested learning as it was a technique he found that was very tricky.
"A one man time difference…" Akiteru felt a bit happy knowing that his offer in practicing with his team had brought his brother to learn something that was now being used in his game.
"Tsk."
The blocker clicked his tongue when he noticed that Tsukishima suddenly paused his jump and after waiting for him to come back down, he then decided to jump and hit the meter ball Kageyama set to him.
Tsukishima spiked it down and it landed right in front of the attack line where the back row was unable to pass the ball.
"You finally decided to use this move huh."
"I haven't used it at all so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to."
Haruto went up to Tsukishima and began to slap his back since it was a nice plan since it was able to catch the blockers off guard.
Following the point Karasuno began to gradually build up their momentum but Shiratorizawa didn't allow that since Ushijima had begun to steadily increase his power, as if his engine had fully turned on.
"Watch the left!"
Daichi called out to the front row since he was able to see the set being given to Ushijima once again.
*BOOOM!
"Ahh it hurts!?"
Hinata who was blocking the cross court felt his fingers inflate as he was able to get a touch off of the spike Ushijima did.
Haruto clicked his tongue as he was unable to join the block due to being in position 2 where he was stuck in receiving and needed to wait for a bit in order to switch over to the side where Ushijima was.
[22-23] was the current score with Shiratorizawa being in the lead since it was a tough last few points where people were starting to feel some exhaustion catching up to them.
"Come let's pass this!"
Daichi quickly encouraged his team as it was currently a very tight moment for them and Shiratorizawa was close to be the ones who reached the match point first.
He took in a deep breath as this could mean a complete finish if they managed to let them get consecutive points off this. Watching the person at the service line bounce his ball they eagerly awaited the sound of the ref's whistle.
*Tweet
Hearing the high pitch sound, the people who were passing tensed up a bit before finally relaxing and kept a steady gaze on the ball coming their way.
The person at the service line threw it up in the air and placed all his power into serving the ball across the net.
"Mine!"
Daichi called out as he leaned forwards to get the serve and after placing a knee onto the ground, he managed to pass it upwards for Kageyama to use.
"Nice pass."
Feeling a drop of sweat roll down his face, Kageyama quickly used Hinata as bait and gave a set behind him where Haruto was ready to hit.
Seeing the blockers eagerly ready for him to hit, Haruto carefully watched the line before twisting his shoulder and swinging down that path trying to kill the ball early and make it land closer to the attack line.
"Humph!!"
"My bad!" The libero watching suddenly dove for the ball that was in front of him and watched how the ball came back onto Karasuno's side.
"Chance ball!!"
NIshinoya quickly called out and placed the ball back into the air and Kageyama gave a minus tempo set to the middle where Hinata was already up in the air.
"Touch!
"Dammit."
Hinata cursed when he watched how Tendo managed to place his hands on the ball. Luckily he wasn't able to fully knock it down but placed it back onto Karasuno's side.
"One more time!!"
Hinata quickly adjusted himself and restarted his approach to run down the middle once again. Kageyama looked at the ball that was given to him once again and jumped up to set the ball.
"!!!"
Kageyama's eyes opened wide when he saw that the set he gave Hinata was slightly off course and floated just above the tip of the contact point.
"Ufff!"
Daichi quickly responded to the mis-matched set and dove over, trying to bring the last touch over to the other side.
The ball touched the tip of the net and slowly rolled along the brim before it finally decided to roll back onto their side.
"Lucky!!"
"ONE MORE!! ONE MORE!!"
Shiratorizawa celebrated after seeing the error Karasuno made and the cheers from the spectators on Shiratorizawa's side reached its all time high seeing that they were close to winning.
"My bad I–."
"It's fine, the game's not over yet. The last ball hasn't dropped."
Kageyama was about to apologize but was stopped when he heard Haruto's words.
"The setter is the one who contacts the ball the most, exhaustion must have started to reach him first…"
Takeda mumbled under his breath when he saw what just happened and thought how Kageyama was the one who was setting up all the plays, ranging from the passes that were out of formation to using his entire body for his precise sets.
Kageyama squeezed his hands aftering thinking about his mistake and after a while, he slapped his face hard on both sides.
"My bad, I will fix it." Feeling the sharp sting on his face, Kageyama talked in a calm voice which surprised most of the people near him.
'His mental strength is incredible.' Haruto praised him highly on the inside as normal players would usually crumble under the pressure of the last point, blaming themselves for losing even if the game hasn't ended yet.
Feeling the heavy pressure of getting this serve, Karasuno felt their body weight on their toes, thinking of using their entire body to do whatever it takes to get this ball.
*Tweet
The server on the other side spun the ball in his palm before doing a hard serve to potentially end the entire match.
"Got it!"
Daichi quickly reacted and got under the ball to pass and with some swift movements, he managed to pass the ball up to Kageyama.
"Don't tell me you're tired!!"
"Shut up!"
Hinata yelled out as he ran towards the middle to hit and Kageyama cursed as he placed his full attention to the condition of his body.
Contacting the ball in his hands, Kageyama placed a precise set to Hinata who managed to contact the ball and hit off the blockers by the net.
"Jump! It's coming to the top!"
Tsutomu suddenly called out when he saw the ball bounce off the hands of his blockers and go towards the top of the net in Haruto's direction.
Seeing that only one blocker was in front, Haruto jumped upwards and joasted the ball with him. Tensing his core, Haruto pushed forward but also swiped his hand towards his right side and managed to place the last touch on the blocker in front of him, which went out.
"Haruto nice!!!"
"Let's go!!"
Karasuno celebrated as they had gotten the point and managed to stay in the game a bit longer.
"Win us this set."
Kageyama spoke to Haruto who was now going to the back row as it was now his turn to serve. Feeling the tense gaze that Kageyama tried to hide, Haruto gave him a relaxed smile and turned around.
"Don't worry. I plan to do just that."
With each step towards the service line, Haruto was able to feel the intense pressure continuously stack on top of him as this was a serve he couldn't miss. He rolled his arms to relax himself but he was still able to feel the thrill that made his concentration reach its highest.
The sounds of people cheering were present which he tried to drown out but one voice in particular managed to reach his ears.
"NICE SERVE HARUTO!!"
The sweet tone of Mahiru cheering him on caused him to briefly glance in her direction and a small smile graced his lips when he saw Mahiru yelling her hardest.
"I guess I should show her my cool side."
Haruto mumbled under his breath as he exhaled all the air in his lungs. Placing the ball right by his forehead he began to think of the image of the angel that did her best to cheer him on.
*Tweet
The sharp sound of the whistle entered the ears of Haruto and he opened his calm eyes to see the entirety of the court.
Discarding the pressure that was currently on him, Haruto threw the ball into the air and added the side spin that he usually did.
'This ones nice…'
Watching the toss he threw, Haruto pulled his arms back and carefully watched the ball that was in front of him. Using his left foot to transfer the momentum of his feet towards the upper portion of his body, he leaned his upright torso forward and swung through the ball strongly.
The ball crossed over the net and with its strong curve that added to its rapid speed, the serve ripped over to their side and landed onto Shiratorizawa's court without anyone touching it.
*Floosh
"OHHHHH!!"
"NO TOUCH ACE!?!"
"Haruto!!"
Karasuno began to rush at Haruto who was standing by the line and started to cheer him on as he was able to get an ace when they needed it the most.
"Get another one."
Daichi passed the ball to Haruto and he nodded his head before going towards the line to serve again. Bringing himself to serve once again, Haruto ripped the ball once again but this time it was touched by the back row.
"Shit! It's going long!"
One of them cursed as he wasn't able to properly bring himself to pass and saw it going long.
*BOOOM!
"Asahi nice!!"
The ball was suddenly smashed down when Asahi took the opportunity to hit it directly and by doing so he was able to secure a point for Karasuno and bring it to a game point for them.
"He managed to turn the scores around with his serve…"
Akiteru and the other adults who sat with him, felt their throats turn dry seeing how Haruto was able to bring his serve into Karasuno's favor.
"Points like these are what causes even the most dire circumstances into the most favorable ones." Ukai who was sitting by Akiteru, felt a smile grow on his face, thinking about the incredible scene he had just seen.
Haruto looked at the score and saw how it was currently [25-24] and they just needed one more point to continue onto the final fifth set.
*Tweet
Hearing the whistle once again, Haruto exhaled while he felt the ball though his fingertips and decided on what to do during this last serve.
The people on Shiratorizawa's back row felt their bodies tense up when they watched Haruto jump up for the serve but their eyes shook when they saw what happened next.
"It's short!!"
They watched how Haruto lightly tapped onto the ball instead of blasting it over, catching the backrow off guard. The front row quickly reacted as they managed to place a hand on the ball and brought the ball towards Ushijima for him to use.
*BOOOM
Transferring his intense power through the ball, Ushijima blasted it through the blocks that were set up in front of him and watched how it flew away.
"I got it!!"
Nishinoya felt his body rush as he quickly reacted to the ball that flew off the block and passed it high up towards Kageyama.
'Who will it go to? The middle or to their number 13… It could also go to the person with the long hair…'
The blockers at the front felt their minds rush as they tried to think of where the ball would go. They watched how all the people except the libero began to start their approach and they decided to go where they thought the setter would choose.
Haruto jumped before the attack line and flew in the air. He saw how two of the blockers decided to jump to block him but Haruto just smiled at their actions. The ball that was supposed to come his way had gone past him and landed to Daichi who was ready to hit from the right side.
The ball proceeded to go down the sidelines and touched the right side corner of the court.
*Tweet!
"Yess!!!"
"They pushed the game to the fifth set!!"
The spectators raised in volume as Karasuno managed to bring the tide into their favor and bring the 4th set to a close in their victory.
"Just one more."
Haruto suddenly mumbled when he saw how the people at the scoreboard turned all the numbers back to zero. He felt his palm burn up and he squeezed it strongly as if to ready himself for the final stretch.
***
"Damn! Does this guy have endless stamina?"
Yachi began to squeeze the railing as she watched Ushijima smash the ball once again down the line and made it bounce off the shoulders of Nishinoya.
She began to doubt if this person was human as his power didn't diminish even after hitting the ball countless times.
"I feel like they would exhaust themselves before they even reach the 25th point…"
"Luckily that won't happen for now."
"What do you mean?"
Yachi looked at Ukai who was seated near them and he patiently explained as he continued to watch Karasuno play their final set.
"The fifth set is only up to 15 points so it will be a bit shorter but that will depend on how each team will fight for the points since you still need to win by two points if they managed to reach that mark at the same time."
Listening to his words Yaichi nodded her head and hoped in her mind that they would continue to function without tiring themselves out.
"Watch this serve!"
Haruto called out as he saw how Shiratorizawa called for a substitution and it seemed to be their pinch server. The person continued to bounce the ball in their hands and waited for the whistle to guide them off.
*Tweet
With the whistle guiding the set, the person threw the ball in the air but this time it was just a few spaces in front of him.
"It's a float!"
Haruto quickly adjusted himself when he saw the toss the the approach the server did and moved himself closer to the net.
However the ball didn't go towards him but to Nishinoya who frowned when he saw the ball shifting greatly in the air.
"Ughf, sorry it's going short!"
Nishinoya called out as he tried his best to pass the ball but the float was too unstable for him to properly control. It floated towards the left side where Kageyama ran after the ball, feeling the warm sweat drip down his face.
Watching how Haruto was already thinking of what to do with the possible set made him push himself even harder.
'Until this damn bastard says he's tired, I'll still go.'
Kageyama grunted as he reached over towards the ball and used one hand to set the ball behind him. Haruto who was approaching, grinned when he saw Kageyama pushing himself to get the ball to him and he returned the favor by jumping in the air.
Faced with many different paths at where he should go, Haruto rotated his flexible shoulder and hit the ball straight down. Hitting a sharp angle cross towards the side lines.
"Watanabe is at the top of his game."
Takeda clenched his fist seeing how they were able to gradually carry the momentum from the previous set into the fifth one. He looked at the score and saw that it was [9-8] and they just needed a few more points to win.
The set continued and both sides kept battling for the ball, not letting the other team get the slight chance to score themselves.
"Ushijima-san!"
Shooting a set behind him the setter gave a set to Ushijima who was beginning to bring out all the power that he could.
*BOOOM
Haruto looked over at Ushijima who had a stoic face but the challenging and intimidating eyes made him pull on the corner of his lips creating a challenging look back.
Haruto looked over and saw that the score was [13-13].
"Hinata, nice serve."
Hinata who was currently bouncing the ball in his palm, tossed the ball into the air and placed all the pressure he had into the serve to try and get it over.
"Got it!"
The libero on Shiratorizawa's side quickly dove in to pass the serve that quickly flew over after passing the middle of the court.
Passing it high up the setter gave a set towards the outside where Karasuno's blocks were able to quickly adapt to the movement of the ball.
"Touch!"
The two blockers called out as they had a touch on the ball but it was brought back onto Shiratorizawa's court where they managed to recycle. The setter continuously gave a ball to each of his members but the persistent blockers on Karasuno's side didn't let up.
'Their number 13 is guarding the line at the back… so why don't I set the ball closer to the middle so Ushjima could directly avoid him…'
The setter began to churn his mind as fast as he could and after reaching a decision he impulsively gave a set that was closer to the middle for Ushijima.
He saw the unusual set and shifted his body more towards the middle to adjust his approach and finding the open cross he swung his hardest down that path.
*BOOOOM
*POOOMF
The setter felt a chill down his spine when he heard the sound of the ball meeting the floor after Ushijima had spiked it. He looked over his shoulder and saw a blonde guy with glasses breathing heavily as he looked at the place where the ball had landed.
'Haruto's presence of persistently blocking and constantly picking up his spikes had placed a huge pressure on the setter for him to open up the path for Ushijima.'
Tsukishima began to continually list his observations in his head but the feeling of him blocking the ball began to completely overshadow his thoughts.
Clenching his hand hard, Tsukushima continued to think of that moment and began to imprint it deeply in his head.
"TSUKISHIMAA!!!!"
"OUHHHHH!"
"THAT GUY ALSO BLOCKED USHIJIMA!?"
Karasuno began to rush towards Tsukishima who was quietly breathing and trying best to keep a calm face. But Haruto was able to see the gaze he was sending as he continuously looked past the net and clenched his palms together.
'We have another volleyball idiot on our team now.' Haruto thought as he began to continuously slap Tsukishima on the back.
"Shirabu"
"Yes!"
Ushijima called out the setter with his deep voice and he flinched slightly when he heard his name get called out.
"I'm able to handle him."
With a blank tone in his voice Ushijima said a brief sentence which caused the setter to turn stunned. Digesting the words he had heard, he slapped his face and calmed his mind down.
"I understand."
Continuing to the onslaught of attacks Ushijima managed to show his reputation as a top 3 ace since he wasn't discouraged after getting blocked but continued to pummel the ball downwards everytime he got set.
The rapid rallies of each team persisted but two certain people continued to call out for the ball.
"Here!"
"Here!"
"Left side is open!"
Haruto and Ushijima continued to call out for the ball and each time they managed to score a point for their team either by Ushijima's immense power or Haruto's tricky and precise hits.
"Haah….Hahhh."
Breathing deeply, Haruto looked at the score and saw that it was [20-19] and all they needed was one more point to win.
"Come one….Come on…:" Haruto began to mumble to himself as he repeatedly squeezed his palms together, eager for the ball to come over.
*Boom!
A hard topspin serve from Tsutomu came over and Haruto bent his leg to create a steady platform for him to receive.
Kageyama using the pass given to him, gave a set behind him where Asahi was ready to blast the ball from the back row.
"Touch!
Tendo hurriedly yelled out as he was able to slow down the momentum of the ball that arrived against his arms. Using that ball Shiratorizawa's setter gave a high toss behind him where Ushijima was ready to hit.
*BOOOM
"Touch!" Haruto yelled out as placed his arms to block the ball and it flew back onto their side of the court.
"Haruto!" Trusting the person who had brought them out of even the hardest of situations, he placed his full concentration into giving him the best set he could.
Watching the toss given to him, Haruto ran up with relaxed shoulders and brought his body up into the air.
*BOOOM
'This damn guy' Haruto placed a vicious smile on his face as he was able to see Ushijima jump up to block his spike.
'Give it to me.'
Running backwards once again Ushijima's presence placed a huge pressure on the setter and the setter was able to fully respond to his request.
"Touch!"
Haruto yelled out as he placed his palms on the ball but clicked his tongue when he saw that it went back onto Shiratorizawa's side.
'Again.'
Feeling the message being sent, the setter gave the best set that he could. Ushijima glanced at the high toss, proceeded to run up and flung his elbow back to break down the block that Haruto had placed in front of him.
'I got it.'
Haruto jumped up again and swung his arms to get more height into his block. Feeling the eyes of Ushijima, he got in front of his hitting shoulder and applied a heavy pressure into his finger tips.
Watching the ball get hit, Haruto moved and adjusted his arms to match the course of the ball and pushed his body forward while he tensed his strong core.
*BOOOOM
Feeling the pressure of the ball meeting the area of his forearms, Haruto readjusted his shoulders and rotated his body towards the inside of Shiratorizawa's court.
*Tweet
The court was quiet and the sounds of people heavily breathing was the only thing audible to Haruto's ears. He quickly looked up at the ref and saw his arm raised and went towards the side of….
Karasuno
The ball had landed inside Shiratorizawa's court where the fifth set had finally finished [21-19]. With Karasuno winning 3 sets in total and gaining the overall victory.
"OHHHHHH!!!!"
"KARASUNO WON!!!"
"THEY WON! THEY REALLY WON!"
Haruto drowned out the noise and looked upwards with his eyes closed. Feeling the hot sting still present in his forearms, he thought back to this same moment that happened during the Inter Highs.
He remembered his frustrations from that time, his desire to get better. He thought back to the practices he had during the training camp in Tokyo where he learned many new skills and his training at the rocking climbing place in order to add more explosive movement into his form.
The various matches he faced coming up to the finals. All for this single moment of satisfaction in replacing this frustration he's held onto from that time during Inter Highs.
"It is [1-1]."
Haruto heard a deep voice and he opened his eyes to look at Ushijima who was staring right at him.
"It is [1-1]. I will make sure to win the next time too."
"I will hold you onto that. But that time you will be the one who will lose."
"We will see."
Haruto went up to Ushijima and raised his hand while Ushijima accepted the raised hand that was offered and the two of them shared a firm handshake before turning their back away.
"HARUTO WE DID IT!!"
"Oi you idiot! Stop running around!"
Haruto smiled weakly when he saw Kageyama and Hinata coming his way. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi followed behind and tried their best to calm the two of them down.
"You guys…thank you…."
Walking towards the bench, all the third years felt tears start to run down their eyes as they hugged each and everyone of them. Showing that this moment was a big and important deal to them.
"Daichi we still have our goal of winning nationals so don't thank us yet."
Daichi's eyes widened slightly when he heard Haruto's simple words. He thought back to the time where he told them his goal of going to nationals and to even win it if they could.
"Yeah…we still have nationals to win right?" Daichi's mouth formed a huge grin and he laughed out loud, spreading it towards the other third years.
The whole team gathered around and Ukai guided them towards the line where he tried his best to wipe the tears that were pouring out of his eyes.
[WE WILL NOW PRESENT THIS AWARD AND CONGRATULATE THE VICTORS, KARASUNO HIGH IN WINNING THE MIYAGI PREFECTURE SPRING HIGH FINALS.]
[REPRESENTING THE MIYAGI PREFECTURE AT THE SPRING HIGH NATIONAL TOURNAMENT, PLEASE GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.]
Hearing the voice of the announcer through the speakers, Karasuno bowed their heads down and patiently waited for their medals to be hung around their necks.
As the presenter walked down the line, Haruto saw him lift a shiny gold medal that had the symbol of a volleyball engraved into it. He felt the weight of the medal around his neck and traced his fingers along the material.
Daichi walked forward and accepted the trophy that came along with the medals and they proceeded to walk towards the stands where the spectators were situated.
"You guys did a fantastic job!!"
"Congratulations!"
"Kei!! You made me so proud!!"
People ranging from the neighborhood association to the Kaji Wild Dogs began to shout out their hardest, cheering for Karasuno's victory.
Haruto looked upwards and his eyes met with Mahiru who's eyes seemed to drip with tears. He was a bit surprised by her current image so he just placed a wry smile on his face.
Yui had also stood up and took out her phone camera, trying to snap pictures of Haruto who had the medal around his neck.
Mahiru wiped her tears from pouring as she was happy to see Haruto standing up at the front with a gold medal around his neck. She used the sleeves of her arms to wipe the rest of her tears off and placed a beautiful smile on her face while mouthing her words of congratulations.
'You did amazing…'
Haruto read her lips and scratched his neck as he was a bit embarrassed by her honest praise.
'I guess an angel's blessing before a match works wonders.'
Haruto chuckled to himself before he walked up towards the bench where he would quickly gather his stuff and meet with the angel who gave him said blessing.
***
Biggest chapter I have ever written lol. Anyways that is the end of the Spring High Arc and it sure was a long one. I will be slowly transitioning back into some slice of life elements (cultural festival, winter season activities, etc.). I also want to thank you guys for reading as I have reached 100 chapters!! I wanted to do a long chapter for this so yeah. Once again I would like to thank you guys for reading this fanfic despite its flaws and I hope you enjoyed this long chapter. And as always Peacu
