Spring High Semi-Finals: Yukihisha vs. Tokyo Central

Yukio Kami
Spring High Semi-Finals: Yukihisha vs. Tokyo Central

It was the fourth day of the Spring High Tournament, the last major one of that school year. Fukui High (Fukui Prefecture), Yukihisha Institute (Hokkaido Prefecture), Masashige Academy (Tokyo Prefecture) and Tokyo Central High (Tokyo Prefecture) were the teams that had gone through to the day’s semi-finals, with one match having already been completed and, hence, one finalist having already been decided - Masashige, one of the Tokyo Representatives, that won against Fukui in four sets (25-22; 23-25; 25-23; 25-20) and was now in prime position to repeat the first place they achieved at Nationals.

Only the game between the high school from Hokkaido and the last remaining one from Tokyo was now left.


"Yuuuuuukio-chan", he said in a teasing manner while sitting next to the first year.

No reply from the setter, who just continued to put on the white, purple and golden home uniform of the team.

"Yuuuuuuuuuuuuukio-chan", the teammate repeated once again in the same tone.

Still in silence, the boy now took his time tying up his shoes.

"Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-", this time he couldn’t finish, being interrupted by a soft chop to the head from another member of the team who had approached them.

"Kento, stop being annoying", he had a slightly lower voice, one of a stern third year.

"I just wanted to know how our little talent feels about facing the best setter in the country! Don’t you want to know that, Takeru-kun?", the second year asked with his characteristic playful tone.

"No", Takeru said with no hesitation.

"It’s the same as always", Yukio spoke for the first time while getting up, "We just have to go out there and win."

A fourth voice was added to the mix, followed by a fifth.

"Didn’t they get third place in the Nationals?", asked Masaki, a second year student.

"Yeah, while we lost in the quarter-finals…", commented a first year, Osamu, looking at his own hands with an horrified expression that indicated that he was having some type of war flashbacks.

Behind them, someone placed both of his hands on their shoulders. It was Ryouta, a student in his third year.

"That was in September and we are in January", his voice was one that overflowed with positivity and friendliness, "Yukio-kun is just confident in the work we did between now and then, so let’s trust his resolve."

The boy that kept his Quirk a secret scratched the back of his head, looking to the side as if to avoid the smile coming from Ryouta.

"I don’t think I like that type of pressure..."

"You were the one putting it on yourself in the first place.", interjected another boy while closing his locker.

"Shut up, Shun", quickly replied Yukio, starting a now common fight of words between the two first year students.

After some time of more locker room banter between all 11 of the team’s 12 members, long-time team coach Yuuto Ishida came in with the first year female manager Maki Aragaki.

It was time to go to the court.



There was quite a crowd still left from the previous game at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium and all their eyes were on court where the starting members of the Tokyo Central High and Yukihisha Institute teams were about to be introduced.

Announcer 1: "Number 1, Kami Yuukio, Setter. Number 5, Captain Sakai Ryouta, Middle Blocker. Number 7, Nishimura Takeru, Wing Spiker. Number 8, Ito Osamu, Middle Blocker. Number 9, Takahashi Masaki, Opposite Hitter. Number 11, Kobayashi Kento, Wing Spiker. And also Number 2, Matsumoto Shun, Libero."

Announcer 2: "Tokyo Central High is a team that, in both offense and defense, could be summarized with the word 'power', isn't it?"

Announcer 1: "Yes, definitely. Nishimura Takeru has been a spiker whose raw strength has been terrifying opposite teams during all these past three years and both third year Sakai Ryouta and his first year protegée Ito Osamu have revealed themselves to be a defensive partnership that other teams must find a way around from in order to win."

Announcer 2: "Right, right. But recently these 'foxes', as they are known, have also shown a capacity to be quite graceful, haven't they?"

Announcer 1: "Exactly, and that is key for this team moving forward. The additions of the very promising young setter Kami Yuukio and of the unique lengthy libero Matsumoto Shun have given coach Ishida an opportunity to shape his team around when needed, but it's quite a shame that we still remain unable to see more of them with the amazing Ono Akio."

Announcer 2: "A shame indeed! As we've mentioned before during the tournament, Akio was one of the most sought out and exciting spikers coming into high school this past year, but he has been sidelined since the knee injury he took during Tokyo Central's quarter-final match at Nationals against the eventual second place holders Sarudana High."

Announcer 1: "We'll hope to see him next year after his safe recovery! Now, for Yukihisha Institute..."

While the announcers moved on to name the players of the Hokkaido squad that were entering the court in their light blue and gray uniforms, two faces that were familiar to anyone at Tokyo Central met in the stands.

"Yo, Akio", the older one said, sitting down and waving with one hand while the other held a pamphlet.

"Haruma-senpai, you came", the side-lined first year said a bit in surprise, "Paused your studies for a bit?"

"Yes, I had to. Couldn't miss this match for anything, analysing the biology of Quirkers can wait."

Haruma Mori was now a university student, but the prior three years he had not only been the starting setter of Tokyo Central, but one of the top ones in the entire country, a status he was carrying successfully to the college level of volleyball. In normal circumstances he wouldn't know any of the current first years, but he was the type to keep in touch with the squad and occasionally show up at workouts when the schedule allowed.

"Do you like our chances?", asked Akio.

"It's going to be tough, they have some amazing players", both looked at the court while talking, "I've seen some of their matches and they have a suffocating pace, it can be totally relentless."

"Masaki will have to run today then, I'm sure he'll enjoy that", the spiker said sarcastically.

The players were now beginning to assume their positions on the court, with Yukihisha serving first.

"It'll be really difficult, Ishida-sama will have to make sure the boys don't break."

"I'm sure that Maki and Kento will also be able to help with that."

"Yeah", a slight pause, "I'm also worried about Yukio. Facing that guy...", Haruma focused his vision on Yukihisha's number 4, "...it's going to be a lot of pressure to deal with."

The players were in position, the referees ready, the coaches patiently waiting, the cheer squad of both teams competing in a battle of noise. Anticipating the first serve of the game, Yukio Kami couldn't help but to read the banner that had been put up by the Yukihisha supporters and students: 'Freeze Their Passion'.

The game was about to begin.


"I've never seen a first set this intense, we're giving them trouble", Akio said to Homura as the squads headed to their benches to talk in between sets.

"No, this is actually a worst case scenario", the worry in the voice and expression of the university student was clear as day, which took the first-year by surprise.

"Why? We seem on point at all ends and Yukihisha's last two points could've really gone either way", he pointed out he's reasoning, which was totally accurate, "I'd say it's likely that we can win the next set."

"Look at this", Homura said while opening the pamphlet he had been holding and that showed the detailed bracket of the tournament, "What do you see in common in all of Yukihisha's games so far?"

Akio analyzed for just some brief seconds and was quick to reach the conclusion that his senpai was hitting at.

"They always lost the first set...", his voice changed, his tone now matching more the one of concern that Homura showed.

"And now look at the scores of the next two sets in all of those matches."

"They completely demolished the other teams as if the first set meant nothing..."

Homura closed the pamphlet as both him and the Tokyo Central student looked at the huddle of the opposing team.

"They use the first set for information. They are fine with giving it up in order to have a full assessment of the other team and tactically push the pace dramatically in the next two sets according to the circumstances."

"But here they have put the foot on the gas from the very first point...", the boy concluded.

"Plus, not only did they still win but they did so in a long, gruelling set."

"And because these are the semi-finals they play five sets, not three."

"Exactly. If this keeps up...", Homura focused his eyes on his former team, "...the boys might break without even winning one."


The referee's whistle signaled Yukihisha's Institute 25th point, which in turn marked the end of the second set - an utterly defeat for Tokyo Central High.

Announcer 2: "Yukihisha Institute and their unceasigly intense style of volleyball gets them another set!"

Announcer 1: "Yes, it's really unbelievable how their players simply do not get tired and keep pushing and pushing. You can see that there is a lot of training and preparation for them to be able to make such a harsh style seem so easy to accomplish and apply."

Announcer 2: "Totally! Being on the other side of it must feel like drowning! The question now is if Tokyo Central has what it takes to come back from this hole, having now to win all remaining three sets."

Announcer 1: "Of course that nothing is impossible in volleyball, but I highly doubt it. Osamu's guess blocking has been totally neutralized by the always incredible setting abilities of Yukihisha's Okuma Yuuji, leaving the rest of the defense having to compensate a lot and both Kobayashi Kento and Nishimura Takeru have had difficulty in going through the known Twin Towers of Hokkaido..."

Meanwhile conversations were going on in the middle of heavy breathing and visible sweat as the Tokyo Central players headed to the huddle and the bench players met them halfway.

"Man, I'm so bad, I really am the worst middle blocker in the country", almost yelled Osuma, hands covering his face while he looked at the ceiling out of desperation.

"Don't worry, don't worry, you'll do better this set", smiled Ryouta as he patted his first year in the back.

"Yes, because otherwise I'll have to sub in for you and show everyone how it's done!", added Gakuto Suzuki, a second year middle blocker.

"Takeru-kun, how fun is it to go against the big Arai Twins?", asked the always cheerful Kento.

"I like to score, so it isn't fun at all", a typical Takeru style answer.

More conversations went on: third year libero Hiroto Sato giving some tips to Shun, Takahashi praising Mitsuki Yoshida - the team's second-year pinch server - for his service ace and second-year setter Daiki Nakano checking in on Yukio's condition.

As all of them reached the bench together, the coach spoke at the same time that Maki made sure that everyone got a water bottle and a towel.

"Do you all think we can still win this match?", a direct question met by some surprised looks, but an immediate answer from Yukio.

"Of course. The game is not over, so we can still win."

"That sounded too much like Takeru", a weirded out Takahashi pointed out.

"Riiiiiiight??? You're spending too much time with him, Yukio-chan!", said Kento.

"I agree", added Takeru himself, only to be looked at by Yukio with eyes that yelled the word 'traitor'.

A burst of laughter took over the entire team as a consequence of that moment. As if this was exactly what coach Ishida intended, he proceeded his talk with a smile.

"Okay, so this is what we'll do..."

With the game planned reworked, it was time for the teams to take to the court again and begin the third set. Much like before, Akio and Homura continued to talk in the stands.

"Their team's motto is awfully accurate, isn't it?", asked Homura.

"Yeah, 'Freeze Their Passion'...", read Akio much like Yukio had done before, "A type of volleyball that makes the other team forget why they even love the sport."

Akio looked over at his former teammates and at the newcomers as they took to the court tired, but their spirits clearly not broken - quite the opposite.

"But I think our school's motto also fits quite well", Homura added.

Akio looked over at the flags that their supporters were waving, visualizing the words he had already listened to a thousand times even as a first year: 'Only Tomorrow Matters'.

"No matter what...", as he talked, Homura looked specifically at Yukio, "...we just keep moving forward."


"Yoooosha!", Takeru yelled in a resolute manner after scoring a decisive point to give Tokyo Central the third set, a scream that made all his teammates on court run to him.

"Let's go!", yelled Yukio, who had just set up the ball for Takeru's point from a point where it seemed almost impossible to do so.

Announcer 1: "The Ace Nishimura Takeru gives Tokyo Central High another life!"

Announcer 2: "Unbelievable, this is what we meant when describing Tokyo Central as a team that at its root is all about power! With an amazing form the third-year Wing Spiker took the two man block of second-years Nobuo and Yasuo Arai head on and broke through with sheer strength and determination!"

"Takeru-senpai, you're amazing!", yelled Akio from the stands, to which his older teammate reacted with a closed fist up in the air.

Announcer 1: "And what about that amazing half-save, half-pass from out of the court by Kami Yukio?"

Announcer 2: "Extraordinary! Being able to have that precision and whereabouts to not only save that loose ball but serve it up in a perfect manner for the spiker to hit with no trouble is nothing short of amazing. I've been a little disappointed to see the young setter of Tokyo High be outshined so much by Okuma Yuuji so far, but it seems like he finally showed up!"

Announcer 1: "Right at the perfect time, I'd say!"

Announcer 2: "Yes! Against a team like Yukihisha winning the set isn't the only thing that is important, but, like Tokyo Central learned in the first set, you also have to make sure that you don't get drawn out into a long battle of deuces. This point at this time was of the most absolute importance if they are to have a chance in the next set and want to pull a miracle comeback!"

"Took you long enough", Shun approached and told Yukio as they were headed to the bench, "Finally decided to get Mr. Big Shot out of your head?", he was referencing Yukihisha's number 4, the setter Yuuji Okuma.

"Yeah, I'm good. We keep the main thing the main thing..."

"...and that's winning", the libero and setter said at the same time.
"...and that's winning", the setter and libero said at the same time.

In the meantime, Akio and Homura continued to talk about the game.

"Shun is feeling himself right now", said Homura.

"Yes, he's really on point today. If it wasn't for both him and Takahashi on the receiving end we might've been heading home right now."

"Hmhm", Homura nodded, "And having Osamu refrain his instinct to guess block and become more coordinated with Ryouta has also forced their spikers and Yuuji to do things they haven't been doing up until this point. It was a good decision by Ishida-sama".

"You think we can take the fourth set from them?"

"Depends on how much longer we can take that suffocating pace... And it also depends on our wildcard."

In the huddle, Kento Kobayashi sneezed.


Kento was looking at his own hands, almost as if in disbelief to what he had just done. After a short silence that seemed to fall above the entire arena, basically everyone erupted in noise, the type a crowd makes when they witness an unbelievable play. In the center of the chaos - the court - Yukio and the others were as shocked as everyone else.

"Osamu, I think Kento just read my mind."

"Yeah...", with his mouth wide open, the first year middle blocker couldn't reply anything else.

"Scary", Takeru verbalized what everyone was thinking.

"I have to agree, Takeru-kun", added Ryouta.

Then, out of nowhere, having just realized what he did was real.

"I am...", he threw his hands in the air while shouting the next word, "INCREDIBLLEEEEEEEE!"

"KEEEEENTOOOOOOOOO", also yelled Takahashi as he jumped into the arms of his teammate.

Announcer 2: "Kobayashi Kento has just forced a fifth set!"

Announcer 1: "What a fantastic single person block, the second year wing-spiker showing that he can do it all!"

Announcer 1: "I was about to scream at how perfect that move by Okuma Yuuji was, but full-stopping a spike on your own with so much at stake and after such a magnificent feint by the best setter in highschool volleyball deserves all our attention!"

While the Tokyo Central High players celebrated, while the Yukihisha Institute players silently walked back to their bench, coach Ishida and first year student and manager Maki talked with one another.

"Coach... What just happened?", asked the girl.

"That kid...", he smiled at the sight of his boys celebrating that point, "Okuma Yuuji feinted that he was going to spike the ball, attracting the eyes of our blockers, but in his brilliance he changed it at the last second to a perfect pass to the other side of the court. Yukio realized this right before it happened, but he was too tired to make his body respond to the information his brain had just processed."

"Okay... But then how did Kento realize it and changed direction fast enough to reach the spiker on the other side?"

"Kento's eyes were never on the ball or on Yuuji. He was staring at Yukio the whole time."

"So, right now when Yukio said that Kento read his mind..."

"Yes, Kento essentially trusted Yukio more than he trusted himself to analyze the situation and when he understood that Yukio wouldn't be able act it out he was quick to react and do it in his place."

"Are you saying that Kento knew what was going to happen just by looking at Yukio's expression?!", Maki asked even more surprised than before.

"There's certainly more to it. Instinct, pattern recognition, practice... But, at the end of the day, Kobayashi-san is a simple person who only cares about two things: his friends and having fun, so for him it's easy to act on those two feelings without giving it much of a thought. Winning, losing, pressure, being tired... I don't think any of those things really affect him."

In the meanwhile...

"Was he also like that when you played with him in his first year?", Akio asked Homura.

"Yes. I actually fully believe that if anyone in that team was to have a Quirk it would be Kento."

Akio laughed at the possibility of such a scenario.

"So, they reached the final set, it's anyone's game."

"Yes, but...", Homura was hesitant in accepting Akio's statement, "...I also have the feeling they just put a Villain into a corner", he looked at Yukihisha's Yuuji calmly drinking water, "and Villains in that position have nothing to lose, the Heroes are always at a disadvantage there."


Serve by Takeru Nishimura. Powerful, precise, a great serve right to the corner of the court. Received well enough by Yukihisha's libero, but straight into Tokyo Central's side - a chance ball. Received by Takahashi, who passed it to Yukio.

"In this position, at this time, they expect all our power... That's why, instead..."

A perfect, non-telegraphed and unexpected set-up for Osamu. A good, high spike to go past any blocker.. but read by Yuuji, who positioned himself to receive it when no one else on his team expected the ball to go there. Their libero came out to set up the ball to their ace - number four ranked high-school spiker Hikari Watanabe - who did a perfect cross-shot.

"Damn it, move...", everyone on Tokyo's side collectively thought as their stamina was on zero.

"Mine!", Takahashi yelled, jumping to the floor and saving the ball directly to Yukihisha's side.

Okamu Yuuji was the one that went for it.

"Kami Yukio, you're a great setter."

"He's going to pass it directly to Hikari, he doesn't want to give us any time to rest!"

Right near the net, Yuuji was just under the ball, his posture and form flawless for the perfect pass.

"But..."

A sudden bad feeling in Yukio's stomach.

"What is he..."

"...that is still levels below me."

A dump. Like it was nothing, Okamu Yuuji simply gave the ball a slight touch and watched it slowly fall as Tokyo Central's players could look in despair knowing that no one would be able to reach it.

It was the end of the game.


Announcer 1: "Okamu Yuuji just killed all the hopes of Tokyo Central's epic comeback! It's the end of the game!"

Announcer 2: "The perfect setter strikes again, this time in a way we thought he wouldn't! Not only is this his first dump in the entire tournament, it's the first point he scored himself! Of course no one on Tokyo's side expected it, not even we did! What a devious player to save that for this moment!"

Announcer 1: "Yukihisha Institute is moving on to the finals against Masashige Academy despite the glorious effort of Tokyo Central High!"

"Akio, let's go downstairs, they'll need us", Homura calmly said.

"Yeah, sure...", Akio replied, still shook by the feeling of losing in yet another tournament... and yet again when he wasn't on the field.

After that final ball everything was just a bluer for Yukio. He could see tears in Maki's eyes, Shun kicking the bench and throwing a bottle to the ground in pure rage, Ryouta looking up and exhaling loudly, Takahashi and Osumu lying exhausted on the ground, Takeru with his head down heading towards the coach with Kento following, the rest of the guys in the bench not wanting to believe in the lost.

"Yuuji", he called out Yukihisha's setter on the other side of the net, "We'll meet again."

Not looking behind, Yuuji kept walking away, simply replying...

"I know."

After the players thanked each other and the supporters for the match, it was time to head back to the locker rooms. As he was heading out, one thing caught Yukio's eyes, the last thing he read before exiting the court:

'Only Tomorrow Matters'.

Notes: If you made it this far I hope you enjoyed your read!!
Words: 3932 yes, you read that right
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