"I'm sorry, senpai!"
The match was over. Karasuno had already exited through the players' tunnel when, not long after, Hinata Shoyo appeared, his face half-wrapped in bandages, voice trembling with emotion.
As a first-year, he knew very well just how much the third-year seniors had sacrificed for this shot at Spring Nationals.
The time spent at summer training camps was one thing.
But to compete in the Spring Inter-High meant giving up precious time meant for preparing for the university entrance exams held in February and March.
If they had made it to Nationals, it would've all been worth it. But now, Hinata had personally destroyed that dream. The guilt gnawed at him, unbearable and all-consuming.
Still in a daze, the third-years, Sawamura Daichi and the others, froze when they first heard Hinata's voice. But when they turned and saw his current condition, their stupor shattered.
"W-Whoa! H-Hinata, are you okay?! What did the doctors say?!"
Takeda Ittetsu, walking behind Hinata with a medical report in hand, stepped forward and answered, "The doctor said there's no serious damage to his brain. It's just some injury to the nasal cartilage. He'll need some rest, but he should be fine. Hinata was worried about the match result and asked me to bring him here first."
"Is that so? Thank goodness…"
Relief washed over the team, but the mood soon grew heavy again.
After a moment of silence,
Coach Ukai cleared his throat and broke the somber atmosphere. "Ahem. Well, since Hinata's okay, let's go get ready. The award ceremony's starting soon."
"He's right," Daichi added with a faint smile. "Hinata, you don't need to blame yourself so much. Aoba Johsai was really strong this year. And besides, getting eliminated early isn't necessarily a bad thing. At least now, we can focus on our entrance exams."
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The award ceremony was held at the Sendai City Gymnasium.
Although it was just a qualifier, the organizers still awarded 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, along with titles like "Best Spiker of the Season," "Best Setter," and "Season MVP."
Before the actual presentation began, a line of officials came up to deliver ceremonial speeches.
After all, even though this was technically a prefectural-level qualifier, in Japan, prefectures are equivalent to provinces, so this was far from a small event.
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"Hey, are you sure you're okay?" While the officials droned on, Oikawa Tooru suddenly patted Akashi Asuka's shoulder and asked casually.
"Huh? Okay about what?" Akashi blinked, confused.
Oikawa didn't answer right away. Instead, he tilted his chin toward a certain direction. Following his gaze, Akashi saw Hinata standing among the Karasuno lineup, his face half-covered in bandages.
In that instant, Akashi understood exactly what Oikawa meant.
"If you're worried I might feel guilty about Hinata getting injured, then you don't have to. That was a pure accident. And the root cause wasn't me, it was him. If his fundamentals had been stronger, that ball would've been an incredible receive instead of an unfortunate injury."
Oikawa stared at him in disbelief. "Wow… You can be seriously cold when it counts, huh."
Akashi didn't respond.
Truthfully, for most high school athletes, causing an injury like that, intentional or not, could leave a mental scar. Some might've broken down at the mere sight of all that blood.
But Akashi had experienced far more intense situations back in his university basketball days. If someone got hurt due to his mistake, he would definitely feel guilty.
But Hinata's case?
It was like going up to block someone mid-air during a dunk and getting wrecked by their body in mid-flight. In that kind of situation, no one blames the dunker, and sometimes, they even brag about how powerful they are afterward.
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Eventually, once all the speeches were finished, the awards were handed out.
Team Awards:
1st Place: Aoba Johsai
2nd Place: Karasuno
3rd Place: Shiratorizawa
Individual Awards:
Best Spiker: Ushijima Wakatoshi
Best Setter: Oikawa Tooru
Season MVP: Akashi Asuka
These were prefectural-level honors, not huge, but not insignificant either. For many regular players, these awards could become valuable points for university applications or athletic recommendations.
But for the likes of Akashi Asuka, Oikawa Tooru, and Ushijima Wakatoshi, none of these accolades mattered, only the Nationals ticket held real value. Everything else was just a consolation prize.
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After the ceremony, Aoba Johsai followed tradition by sitting for a short interview with a monthly sports magazine. But unlike last season, their victory this time didn't cause much of a stir.
The first win had shocked everyone.
The second time? It just felt… inevitable.
After the interview, the team returned to Aoba Johsai for a quick break before Coach Irihata dismissed them to go home.
Even though school was still in session, the volleyball team had just won a championship. Taking a short break was more than justified.
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Back at Sangou apartment,
Only the landlady was home. The other residents hadn't yet returned from school or work.
Akashi greeted the landlady, then went straight to his room. He showered, changed clothes, and collapsed onto his bed.
After all, they had just finished four grueling sets. The match lasted almost two hours.
Even someone with Akashi's stamina was feeling the fatigue.
When he woke up again, it was already past 3 PM.
The office workers still weren't home, but Tomoko Horiguchi (the college student) and Koichi Kudo (a clubless "go-home" student) had returned.
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"Congrats, Akashi!" Koichi, who was gaming in the living room, offered his congratulations as soon as he saw him.
"Thanks," Akashi replied with a nod.
"Tomoko, however, looked confused. "Huh? What are you congratulating him for?"
"For his club winning the championship, of course!"
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria