The scoreboard glowed above the court.
Seiwa 13 — Arakawa 11
Two points.
That was all that separated Seiwa High from the state finals.
And yet, it felt impossibly far away.
Renji bent forward slightly, hands on his knees, trying to steady his breathing. Sweat dripped from his chin onto the polished floor beneath him. Around him, his teammates looked just as exhausted.
But no one looked ready to quit.
Across the net, Nao Yamasaki stood perfectly still.
Calm.
Watching.
Waiting.
---
The Fox's Final Trap
The referee handed Nao the ball.
The entire gym seemed to hold its breath.
Renji narrowed his eyes.
Nao bounced the ball once.
Twice.
Then served.
The ball flew faster than before—not with wild movement, but terrifying precision. It curved sharply toward the seam between Arai and Kenta.
For a split second, both hesitated.
Mine? Yours?
That moment was enough.
The ball struck the floor untouched.
13–12.
Nao didn't celebrate.
But Renji understood immediately.
It wasn't just a serve.
It was a reminder.
One moment of doubt could destroy everything.
---
Tension Rising
The next serve came even harder.
Kenta barely dug it up.
The backup setter scrambled underneath, sending a rushed set too close to the antenna.
Yuuto stood from the bench instinctively, shouting, "Careful!"
Arai adjusted midair and tipped instead of swinging.
Saved.
Arakawa transitioned instantly.
Nao sprinted forward, eyes sharp.
Renji saw the attack forming.
Left side.
Fast tempo.
He moved before the set even left Nao's hands.
The spike came—
And Renji dug it clean.
"Chance ball!" he shouted.
The crowd roared.
---
A Team Holding Together
The rally exploded into motion.
Kenta attacked crosscourt.
Blocked.
Arai covered.
The setter reset.
Another swing.
Another save.
Every player on the court looked like they were running on instinct alone now.
But Seiwa's voices never stopped.
"I'm here!"
"Left side!"
"One touch!"
Renji heard all of it.
Felt all of it.
This wasn't just volleyball anymore.
This was trust made visible.
---
Nao's Challenge
The rally ended with Arakawa barely scraping the ball back over the net.
Renji stepped forward to set—
Then froze.
Nao was watching him.
Not the ball.
Him.
He was waiting for Renji to choose the obvious option.
Yuuto.
The ace.
The finisher.
Renji's heart pounded.
Then he remembered something Coach Sato once said:
> "The strongest setter isn't the one with the best hands. It's the one who believes in every player on the court."
Renji inhaled sharply.
And changed the play.
---
The Unexpected Choice
Instead of setting Yuuto's replacement hitter on the outside—
Renji dumped a lightning-fast set into the middle.
Kenta reacted instantly.
Jump.
Swing.
BOOM.
The ball slammed into Arakawa's floor before the blockers could even close.
For the first time all match—
Nao looked genuinely shocked.
The whistle blew.
14–12. Match point.
The gym erupted so loudly Renji could barely hear himself think.
One point.
One final point.
---
The Final Rally
Arakawa refused to fold.
Their ace delivered a brutal serve that clipped the tape and dropped awkwardly.
Renji lunged.
Barely got under it.
The pass drifted dangerously close to the net.
Too tight.
Nao moved instantly.
He jumped for the interception.
And suddenly—
Everything slowed down.
Renji saw the angle.
Saw the opening.
Saw Nao's intent before it happened.
Nao tipped softly toward the empty corner.
But Renji was already there.
He dove.
One hand stretched forward.
Save.
The ball flew high into the air.
The entire gym gasped.
Yuuto slammed his hand against the bench. "RENJI!"
The backup setter chased it down and sent a desperate set toward the outside.
Arai jumped.
Three blockers rose with him.
No opening.
No clean angle.
Impossible.
Then Arai smiled midair—
And tipped.
The ball brushed the fingertips of Arakawa's block.
Deflected backward.
Nao dove.
Too late.
The ball hit the floor.
---
Victory
The whistle rang out.
SEIWA WINS.
For a second, nobody moved.
Then chaos erupted.
The bench stormed the court.
Yuuto grabbed Renji from behind, nearly tackling him to the floor despite his injured wrist.
Arai screamed at the top of his lungs.
Kenta collapsed onto his knees laughing breathlessly.
And Renji?
He just stood there.
Staring at the scoreboard.
Trying to process it.
They had done it.
They were going to the finals.
---
Across the Net
As the noise slowly settled, Nao walked toward him.
No smirk.
No cold expression.
Just tired honesty.
"You changed," Nao said quietly.
Renji met his gaze. "Yeah."
Nao looked around at Seiwa celebrating together.
Then back at Renji.
"I used to think emotions made players weak."
His voice was calm.
"But maybe… I was wrong."
For the first time in years—
Nao Yamasaki smiled.
Small.
Faint.
Real.
And Renji smiled back.
---
End of Chapter 79
To Be Continued