Chapter 6 -Training Game

During the class break, the seven players met on the school rooftop to talk:

"Let's go over today's plan everyone. This game will be for gaining experience but also to test the weapons you've been developing. Let's review them one by one."

"Sekimukai, so far your weapons are the receives you've been practicing and your jumps, right?"

"Yeah, I did that hellish physical training and the vertical jump stuff you talked about," said Sekimukai, slightly irritated.

"But it's giving results, isn't it? You don't need to be tall to jump high, I was living proof!"

"Well, that said, now you're tall or do you perhaps want to go back to being on the short team?" asked Sekimukai.

"Nah, I'll leave the little giant title to you now, chase after it with all your heart!" said the boy pointing to his heart with a determined expression.

"Screw you," said Sekimukai angrily, though not denying the idea of being a new little giant.

"And what about Kawashima (Opposite), Daisuke (Middle Blocker), Tatsuya Mori (Middle Blocker), did all of them follow the same training regime with you to jump higher and increase stamina and receiving ability, right?"

"Yes, you said it would benefit all of us whether for attacking or defending during blocks," added Izumi.

"Then everything's set for later, except for one thing..."

"Show us those beauties!" said Sekimukai.

Then Daniel grabbed a box behind him and started to open it:

"Here are the team uniforms!!" he said, pulling out the classic green uniform they used in the anime, his shirt showing number one which he decided to keep instead of number 10 because he wanted to symbolize always striving to be the best among all, and the rest of the numbering was:

Saiya Suzuki – 2

Yūki Kawashima – 3

Tatsuya Mori – 4

Kōji Sekimukai – 5

Yukitaka Izumi – 6

Daisuke Narumi - 7

"Now we're ready!" said Sekimukai cheerfully.

A short while later, they arrive at the gym a bit before schedule to warm up and prepare, and they quickly notice the net:

"Looks like we'll be playing with the net lower than we would in an official tournament," observed Izumi.

"Alright, let's test it, each of us will jump as if we're blocking to see how well we do," challenged Sekimukai.

And so it happened, one by one each player took their jumps trying to reach their arms as high as possible above the net.

"Well, from what it seems, when Hinata jumps the white top part of the net is at chest level, unbelievable! You're really jumping high after your height increased," observed Izumi.

"When Daisuke jumps it's at neck level, that's really good, it means that if you jump at an official net, you'll be able to block easily," he continued.

"Now as for the rest of us... Sekimukai and I had the net at head level, which is enough to make blocks on this net since our arms go completely over but on an official net we'd only get our wrists over, making blocking very limited, and as for the newcomers they only managed to get their hands over this type of net, so I don't think they could block anything on an official net... We need to improve..." noted Izumi.

"We're doing well, if we had done this test before training, many of us wouldn't have been able to block at this net! Everything will work out!" said Daniel to cheer up the newcomers who seemed to have their morale dropping while Izumi spoke.

A while later, the girls' team arrived and the two captains went to greet each other:

"Let's have a good game!"

"Absolutely!" said Yumi Sasaki.

The game started with the girls' team serving, where a number 4 girl did a float serve that went towards Suzuki but dropped a bit before reaching him, but the libero was able to dive and put the ball in play towards Izumi who thinks about the play and tries to risk a difficult ball to Hinata in position six at the back of the court who jumped and hit the ball that flew to the back of the court at the limit of the court line.

"Damn, it's hard to hold back when you're anxious to test your skills," he thought.

"Nice point, Captain!" praised Suzuki.

"Nice receive"

1-0 Boys

After scoring it was Kawashima's turn to serve, the boy just puts the ball in play with an overhand serve that was easily received by the girls' team libero who managed to set the ball

to Sasaki who is the setter who passed the ball to the wing spiker who jumped and tried to make a cross-court attack.

Sekimukai, Izumi and Daisuke were at the block and the ball was easily blocked by Sekimukai.

"YEAH! I'M AWESOME!" celebrated Sekimukai.

"Hold on there, remember the net is low," warned Izumi.

"Can't even celebrate anymore..." said Sekimukai dejectedly.

The ball went back to Kawashima who again served the same way and was again received by the libero but this time the setter made a feint deceiving the boys' team block and made a dump shot that wasn't seen in time by Suzuki.

1-1 Tied

"Ah, damn!" said the boy.

"Relax, you'll get it next time"

In the next rotation it was the opponent's number two's turn to serve which was received by Hinata who passed to Izumi who set to Daisuke who was at the net and could easily attack over the girls' team block.

2-1 Boys

Then there was a sequence of two points by the boys' team scored by Hinata and by Kawashima who managed to attack off the block's fingertips and score.

"Good job using the strategy I told you about," said the orange-haired boy.

"Thanks," thanked Kawashima.

It was time for Sekimukai to serve:

"Watch how a genius serves," he said while tossing the ball up and then serving with all his might but ending up hitting the net.

"HAHAHA"

"When others make mistakes they receive messages of support, when I make mistakes I only receive laughter from my teammates, what a cruel life, God!" he said.

4-2 Boys

After another combination attack from the girls' team that this time fell outside the court it was Hinata's turn to serve.

5-2 Boys

"I have to hold back... I have to hold back," he thought while preparing to serve, tossing the ball and doing his standard serve that went towards the libero who couldn't defend it hitting her wrist and going out of bounds.

"What a powerful serve this boy has!" observed the coach.

"Really, that was very good, Hinata," praised Izumi.

"Wait, why are they impressed with this, it was very weak, I don't think I'll be able to serve worse than this and score... And why do they have a coach and we don't," thought the boy.

6-2 Boys

After that, he served several more times scoring five points in a row, leaving everyone on court amazed at the performance of his serves.

"I don't think it will be productive if I keep doing this, I don't like not playing seriously and missing on purpose but it will be necessary," he said while deliberately serving harder than he should and the ball going out.

11-2 Boys

The game proceeded normally ending with a victory for the boys' team 25-7 with highlights for Hinata and Daisuke but with the block managing to score points and all the newcomers managing to score at least once, with the scoring being:

Hinata - 11 points

Daisuke - 7 points

Sekimukai - 4 points

Kawashima - 2 points

Mori - 1 point