~Back In The Game~

~Chapter Twenty-Five~

-Last Time-

"No getting nervous!" Kageyama scolds Hinata.

'We get to play...against The Ace!!' Hinata thinks excitedly, ignoring Kageyama.

"This is going to be good!" You whisper.

–-

Suga sets the ball to Takinoue, who spikes it and earns a point for their team.

"Yeah! Not bad, not bad! Nice set." Takinoue praises Suga.

"Thank you!" Suga responds happily.

"! Ooh!! Suga-san's quick set is awesome!" Hinata says admiringly.

"Well, Suga is a pretty darn good setter, you know!" Daichi boasts.

'Somebody sounds really happy.' Tanaka and Ennoshita think as you and Kageyama look at Suga in awe.

"Awesome set, Suga-san!" Noya praises.

"! Thanks! But it's more like the municipal team guys are just that good at syncing up with me. You can tell they've been playing for a long time. My setting could still use improvement. But... I have to keep using fast attacks and make sure to set up an aggressive strategy. Otherwise, this will turn into just another game where I dump all the weight on the Ace."

"Suga-san! You've gotten even more awesome than before!"

"Huh? R-Really? You think so? Wow, Nishinoya. It makes me happy to hear that from you." The setter replies bashfully. The game starts again. Hinata and Kageyama do their quick attack and earn a point. This leaves the other team astonished.

"Whoa!! What the heck was that?!" Takinoue asks.

"Did you see him jump?!" Mori asks.

"That set was dead perfect...!" Shimada points out.

You look at Coach Ukai, he has a shocked expression. Takeda is behind him acting giddy as he watches the coach intently. You smirk at Ukai. 'There's the look. I knew you'd react that way. Now let those gears turn and look to the future.' You think. You notice Asahi looking down while thinking.

"...I do." He begins as Nishinoya walks by him. The Libero stops and looks at him questionably. "No matter how many times I get stuffed... I do want to keep trying. I do want to spike it again." Asahi finishes standing tall and with determination. Nishinoya looks at him with wide eyes as you smile proudly.

"...That's good." Nishinoya begins, causing Asahi to look at him. "That's all I wanted to hear." Your smile grows with Nishinoya's statement. 'It's starting to get better.' You think as Hinata serves. Shimada receives it sloppily and asks for cover.

"Hey, Mr. Ponytail! Just send it over!" Mori says passing the ball to Asahi. Tanaka, Suga, and Asahi look nervous and shocked as the ball flies toward Asahi. 'C'mon Asahi, you got this.' You think. Asahi runs to the net getting ready to spike.

"Stop him!" Kageyama shouts.

"Don't order me around, Your Majesty." Tsukishima responds.

"Give it everything you've got Asahi-san!" Tanaka shouts emotionally. Asahi jumps as Daichi watches in shock and Hinata in awe. Ashai is blocked and everything seems to slow. The ball is falling and Asahi is upset, then out of nowhere, Nishinoya saves the ball by sliding his hand right under the ball at the last second. The ball hits the top of his hand and goes flying up. Everyone is surprised. Tanaka thinks back to his conversation with Noya when he learned Noya was practicing blocked ball retrieval.