Chapter 14: New Weapon
"Taiichi, you're spacing out by yourself again," Oikawa Tooru said, sidling up.
For some reason, Oikawa always felt this underclassman was somewhat out of sync with the team. He seemed smart, trained diligently, and was polite to his seniors, but there was a sense of detachment from the rest of the squad.
Oikawa often saw him observing himself, the team, or just staring off into space.
That won't do. As captain and senior, I, Oikawa Tooru, must save this introverted kouhai! With that resolve, Oikawa threw an arm around Kaedehara Taiichi's shoulders from behind. "Taiichi, want to make the starting lineup? How about I teach you a few tricks?"
Kaedehara Taiichi subtly slipped out of Oikawa's arm-around-shoulder move, smiling. "Sure, Oikawa-senpai. I've got some new stuff I want to try out. When you set, could you toss it a bit higher, and then…"
Oikawa, slightly deflated by Taiichi's dodge, perked up at his words, nodding eagerly. The other first-years gathered around, discussing strategies for the upcoming 6-on-6 match, since the starting lineup was at stake—not everyone was as secure as Oikawa Tooru.
Seeing Kaedehara Taiichi interact normally with the others, Oikawa sensed something had genuinely changed. Not bad, not bad. My guidance is pretty effective.
*Tweet!* The coach's whistle sounded. "Both teams, take your positions. Match start!"
The match began, with the upperclassmen and underclassmen teams clashing fiercely. Coach Irihata and Manager Mizoguchi analyzed the players from the sidelines, tactical boards in hand:
Hanamaki Takahiro and Matsukawa Issei, as third-years, had well-rounded skills and kept mistakes to a minimum. Having played longest with Oikawa and Iwaizumi, their synergy was unmatched—often, a single glance from Oikawa coordinated their movements for a tactical play.
Second-year Watari Shinji's receiving was solid, but as a libero, he lacked the clutch ability to anchor the team in crises, a fatal flaw against strong opponents.
The first-years each had unique strengths but glaring weaknesses. Their incomplete skills made them vulnerable to being targeted, though used well, they could be a surprise weapon.
"Stop him!" Iwaizumi Hajime, Hanamaki Takahiro, and Matsukawa Issei, three third-years, jumped in unison to form a triple block.
"Ugh, the third-year senpais are brutal," a player muttered.
"Triple block!" Oikawa Tooru shouted toward Kaedehara Taiichi, who was about to spike. The first touch was shaky, and Oikawa's set was a bit low. Against a triple block, there was little chance of success.
Oikawa stepped back, ready to dig a blocked ball.
"Chance ball! One more!" Kaedehara Taiichi yelled. Facing a poor set and the triple block, he knew the spike wouldn't get through, so he aimed for the top edge of the block.
Luckily, it worked—the ball hit the blockers' hands and rebounded into the underclassmen's side of the air.
An accident? Oikawa watched Taiichi prepare to spike again. Maybe not. This kid—is this the new move he wanted to try?
Watari Shinji received the first touch steadily, sending the ball to Oikawa's position.
"Go for it, spike again!" Oikawa set the ball to Kaedehara Taiichi perfectly this time.
"No way!" The opposing trio jumped again.
Kaedehara Taiichi extended his body in midair. With the previous shot as a setup, he felt in top form! He aimed for the side of the block and spiked hard.
The ball struck Hanamaki Takahiro's wrist on the far left, ricocheting out of bounds.
Hit out off the block—Kaedehara Taiichi scored!
"Aaaaah!" Taiichi shouted in excitement. Though slightly off from his intended target, he'd found the feeling. Oikawa-senpai's sets were way better than his self-tossed spikes.
"Nice spike," Oikawa praised, raising his hand for a high-five.
Taiichi leaped to slap Oikawa's hand enthusiastically. The last time he scored was using Tendou Satori's player experience card during the Karasuno practice match, where he'd struggled just to keep up with Hinata Shoyo.
This was Kaedehara Taiichi's first victory in an intense aerial battle relying on his own skill. The moment encapsulated volleyball's allure, sparking a longing for more such instances, craving the unique joy in every jump and every rally.
Oikawa caught Taiichi's expression and froze slightly, keenly sensing his urgent hunger for more victories and challenges—a relentless, insatiable drive.
Coach Irihata nodded approvingly from the sidelines. After observing a few more plays, he turned to Mizoguchi Sadayuki. "What do you think, seeing this kid?"
Mizoguchi, knowing Irihata likely meant Kaedehara Taiichi, pondered briefly. "Kaedehara Taiichi has good ball sense and blocking talent, but his fundamentals are still far behind. He has a lot to learn…"
"I'm putting him in the starting lineup," Coach Irihata interrupted.
Mizoguchi Sadayuki blinked. "Why? In terms of skill, the third-years are the most balanced. Even among first-years, Kindaichi and Kunimi, coming from Kitagawa Daiichi, are more immediate contributors than Kaedehara Taiichi."
Irihata waited calmly for Mizoguchi to finish, then looked at him meaningfully. "Do you remember Kaedehara Taiichi from two weeks ago?"
Mizoguchi froze, racking his brain. He realized he had little impression of Taiichi from two weeks prior—probably just a fast but average player.
Irihata smiled. "Don't underestimate the growth rate of young players. They can transform like that, breaking out of their cocoon."
"But…" Mizoguchi still felt uneasy. "We could use Taiichi in key moments, like the Karasuno practice match. With less than two months until the Inter-High preliminaries, sticking with players with stronger fundamentals is safer."
"Sadayuki! Playing it safe—we've tried that, haven't we? It didn't beat Shiratorizawa," Irihata's tone grew heavier. "To evolve, we need a new weapon!"
"A new weapon?" Mizoguchi murmured, his gaze shifting to the court, where Taiichi's spike faced another triple block.
Would it be another hit out off the block? Taiichi had made several errors this match, Mizoguchi noted, watching his movements closely, eyes widening suddenly.
A soft shot!
Kaedehara Taiichi dropped the ball behind the triple block into an empty zone. Back-row players Yahaba Shigeru and Onita Heisuke dove to save it but were too late, looking up at Taiichi from the floor.
Witnessing this, Mizoguchi Sadayuki suddenly understood what Coach Irihata was after.