The Birth of A Volleyball Legend

"Come on, young man! Buy the corn dog, don't let yourself starve!"

"Orange juice, orange juice! The best around here!"

"Buy the Castle's latest jersey! Show them your best support!"

Yuki had to stiffen his yawn as he waited outside of the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium for his friend, trying his best to ignore the uncles in the stalls around him. The sky was pretty dark by then, but the crowds seemed to get bigger. He even started to feel that coming here was a mistake.

Fortunately, the boy he had been waiting for finally appeared. "Kobayashi-kun, here!" It was Yuuji Tanaka who greeted him, his partner during the training camp in Konan High. "Come on, we need to exchange our ticket first!"

It might seem strange for Yuki to hang out without Riku or Kato. However, this was the prize Daiki Sato gave them both for being the winner of the mini-tournament during the training camp back then.

"Man, I cannot wait for the game to start!" Tanaka bounced in excitement. "I really want to see Kaneki-san on the court!"

For those who were wondering, they were currently waiting in line to enter the building to watch the biggest volleyball game of the year in this country, the final of the V-League. After 17 regular games and about 8 playoff games for each team to get through, the confrontation of the two best teams in Japan was the climax any volleyball fans could hope for in the final. The match between Kyoto Castle and Nagano Eagles was a match made in heaven for them all.

That was why the moment Yuki entered the building, he was greeted by a sea of people waving yellow scarves in unison while on the other side of the stand that was dominated by red color, people chanted together to intimidate their opponent.

"Come on, Eagles! Destro the Castle!"

"Fuck you, Eagles! Die here!"

"Come on, Sawamura! Don't let your opponent score!"

"Kawamura, kill that middle blocker!"

"We rely on you!"

The support shout kept buzzing in the air, threatening to destroy anyone's eardrums in a second. Yuki had to walk over to find his seat while covering his ears, and Tanaka also followed quickly from behind.

"Damn, this is crazy!" Yuki muttered as he joined the Eagles' crowds. "Can volleyball really gather so many people like this?!" Unlike his time here during the Inter-high before, it was a full-house situation now. Not a single seat left as everyone is jostling around in such a close space, trying to get a better sight of the court. Everyone was singing and chanting for their favorite team while also trying to intimidate their opponent.

This was one hell of an experience for the two teenagers.

"Fortunately, Sato-sensei gave us a ticket with a pretty good view here." Tanaka nodded in satisfaction. "Now, we don't have to lean sideways like the others on the south stand."

Still, 10,000 people gathered in a building just to watch a volleyball match seemed to be a bit too much for Yuki. Or… That was what he thought.

As the match began, Yuki felt a thrill run through him. The referee blew the whistle, and the game started. The ball soared through the air like a rocket, and Yuki watched it in awe. If before, he thought that the U-19 game was tough, this was on a completely different level. All the players there were far stronger than Lucas from Konan or Nitta from Kyoei Gakuen, quicker than anyone he had ever seen before, and definitely smarter than him and Riku. He finally knew why even with so many amazing players on the U-19 team, there were not a lot who managed to be promoted to their main one.

BAM!

"Cover the left, Sakamoto! Cover the left!"

"I got this! Be careful of their blocker! I will set it up!" Yuki heard one of the players – Sakamoto it seemed – yell as he tossed the ball into the air. Another player jumped high, swinging his arm down with a powerful slam.

BAM!

"That's how you score!" The player – Sakamoto – shouted, landing back on the court.

"Did you see that, Kobayashi?!" Tanaka yelled in excitement. "He is so fast! And he didn't let his opponent react at all! The setter is also amazing! He can make a quick emergency plan in a second and make his teammates coordinate accordingly without even saying anything! The Castle is crazy!"

Yuki had to wince at Tanaka's bluntness. Although he didn't mind his friend picking up a side here, he just hoped the bald boy still had a clear mind to realize that it was a bad idea to support Kyoto Castle while they were in the middle of the Eagles' supporters.

"It is more likely a code-based offense." Yuki pointed out. "Their team has already had a system they trained for a long time to deal with a chaotic situation like before, from who would pick up the emergency pass and how the spiker should act when that happened." Still, he had to give a prop toward the Castle's setter for being quick enough to think of a way out while avoiding the Eagles' blockers.

"You are right! Damn, Kobayashi! You are so smart!"

As the match continued, Yuki kept noticing the differences between his U-19 games and the men's league. The plays were faster, the teamwork was tighter, and everyone communicated in quick bursts. "Watch out! I'm setting!" a player shouted just before the ball was tossed perfectly into the air again.

Yuki leaned forward, mesmerized. "And here I thought Riku's serve is good. Damn, that is the smoothest set I have ever seen!" he said, scribbling notes in his mind.

The crowd erupted when one player made a spectacular dive, saving the ball just before it hit the ground. "YEAH!!!" Tanaka screamed, his hands raised in the air. "That was insane!"

As the game rolled on, Yuki experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. He felt the tension when the score was close, and he laughed when the players celebrated their points with high-fives. "Man, no wonder there are so many people who want to watch this game! The atmosphere is insane!" He laughed out loud. This was the first time he watched the game from the audience's perspective, and it would be a lie if he said he didn't enjoy it.

When the match ended, and the winning team – Kyoto Castle – finally lifted the trophy, Yuki couldn't stop smiling, following the other supporters giving his best applause toward both teams.

'I thought I had gotten better now, but it seems that the professional players are still on a different level. I need to get better in the future.'