The Birth of A Volleyball Legend

"Hey, hey, I know we've talked a lot of trash about this team, but are you sure they still represent Giant Bear's name?"

"I know, right? This is embarrassing!"

"I've never seen our team get humiliated like this!"

The atmosphere on the Giant Bear bench was grim. Almost everyone had their heads bowed, shoulders slumped as the criticism from their supporters continued. Yet that wasn't the main reason for their depression.

No, it was the fact that more than half of their supporters had already left the arena, believing there was no way for them to mount a comeback. Honestly, they would rather face harsh scolding and criticism than be abandoned like this. It felt as if the supporters were giving up on them, a sentiment that hurt the players who hadn't even reached 20 years of age yet.

Sadaharu, the team's coach, was speechless, unsure of what to say to lift the mood. Honestly, moments like this made him question the management's decision to put him in charge of the U-19 team. After all, while he excelled in tactics, he struggled with dealing with players' emotions, more often than not exacerbating the situation. This was why he had spent over 15 years of his career as an assistant rather than as a head coach.

Still, he couldn't give up now, especially when the team needed a leader the most. After racking his brain for a moment, he made a controversial decision: "Besides Haruo-kun and Goro-kun, everyone else will be replaced by the bench players."

For a moment, silence fell over the bench as everyone stared at him in disbelief. When they saw the old man's serious expression, the first to protest was the captain. "Sensei, are you going to give up on the game?"

While the other players didn't voice their opinions, they, too, stared at Sadaharu intently, creating a heavy and tense atmosphere as they awaited the coach's response.

"No, this is not me giving up on the game." Sadaharu spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully. "Contrary to what you believe, I still think that this game is salvageable. Hell, even if we end up defeated, I don't want to be humiliated more than this."

"… Then why are you replacing most of the main players?" Goro asked hesitantly.

"Because you lot are the first to give up entirely!" Sadaharu roared, his eyes blazing with fury. All the players were taken aback by the sudden outburst, quickly looking away to avoid meeting their coach's fierce gaze. "Senta! You're the team's ace! How dare you give up just because you can't score! Don't forget why you're one of the team's pillars! Once you crumble, everyone will follow your lead, goddammit!"

Ojiro Senta bowed his head as deeply as he could, not daring to meet Sadaharu's fury.

"Izuki!" Sadaharu barked, shifting his focus. The setter flinched when his name was called, whimpering in fear under the coach's intense glare. "You're our control tower! Your task is not just to serve Senta all the time! Grow a backbone, you little shit!"

"Tomoaki! …"

"Kentaro! …"

It was clear that Sadaharu was on a warpath, scolding the four main players mercilessly as if there were no tomorrow. If anyone had looked closely, they would have noticed some players shedding tears in response to the harsh words from their coach.

After a while, Sadaharu finally finished his tirade. His chest heaved as he struggled to calm down. Even his assistant coach didn't dare to approach him, not wanting to cross paths with him in such a volatile situation. Fortunately, it seemed that Sadaharu needed to vent his emotions, and once he calmed down, his demeanor shifted.

"Sorry, I overreacted," he mumbled. "But my point still stands, though. Even if we admit that the Thunder is playing well, our performance today is unacceptable. Therefore, I will replace you four to remind you that you are not invincible in this team, and that you can't do whatever you want. Who knows, maybe watching the bench players try hard to claim your spot will knock some sense into you."

-0-

"You okay, Haruo-kun?" Goro suddenly asked the middle blocker as they were about to go into the court for the third set. "You dozed off for a moment." He said, sounding concerned.

Haruo shook his head, trying to rouse himself from his daydream. Seeing the concerned gaze from his captain, he pondered for a moment before asking a question that had been bothering him. "Why hasn't the coach said anything about me?"

"Huh?" Goro was taken aback by the sudden question.

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"I also didn't play well in the first two sets, so why hasn't he said anything?" Haruo repeated his question. "Does he really hate rookies so much that he doesn't want to give feedback at all?"

Goro winced, unsure how to respond. Even among professional teams, Sadaharu had a reputation as a rookie killer. The coach would not hesitate to bench rookies for a full year simply due to their lack of experience, forgetting that without giving them a chance, they would remain inexperienced.

'Well, no wonder he's asking the question. He must be worried about his future on the team,' Goro thought.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Still, after considering the situation for a moment, Goro felt that it was different this time. He patted the middle blocker on the back reassuringly before saying, "Don't worry about it too much. The fact that you're still here means that Sadaharu-sensei appreciates your performance today. Didn't you hear? He's scolding everyone so harshly because they gave up too quickly and only spared us both out of his mercy. That means whatever performance we displayed meets his standard, so don't complicate things in your head."

That was a valid point, something that Haruo had never considered. For a moment, his eyes wandered toward the opponent's side, particularly where Yuki and Riku sat, listening to their coach. Honestly, he didn't know what to think about those two. At first, he viewed them as worthy opponents for the future, but he never considered them a threat. However, as time passed, he began to see their development, and it would be a lie to say he wasn't scared.

Still, Haruo sensed deeper feelings within himself. The fact that those two were in a much better environment than he was to develop their careers didn't help him feel any better. It felt as if the universe was doing its best to aid them, while he was destined to be a spectator of their success.

'Man, this is so unfair….'