The Birth of A Volleyball Legend-Chapter 397: Jimmy’s Turn! The Start of the Counterattack!

"Oh, is it Jimmy's turn?"

The source of this c𝓸ntent is freewebnøvel.coɱ.

"Come on, Jimmy! Don't you dare to mess this up!"

"Show them all what it means to be Tsunemori!"

As Ogawa came off the bench, his name was resounding throughout the building. By now, his real name was buried in the past already, replaced by the nickname given by Sekine in the past. Ogawa himself didn't mind about it, accepting the change gracefully. He wouldn't admit that this new nickname brought him more luck as he was approached by some girls in his class because of the cool nickname.

"Okay, Asa, I know you are hungry for acknowledgment, but what you did right now will harm your reputation more rather than improve it. You need to be more patient and follow the team's arrangement, okay?" Ogawa said to the captain right after he entered the court.

Everyone was dumbfounded at how blunt Ogawa was to the captain. Even though they all thought the same, no one dared to say it out loud since Asahi was the captain and had always been stable in the past. They didn't want to know what would happen if they were being too truthful and hurt the captain's feelings here.

However, no one knew Asahi's feelings better than Ogawa. They both were just support players for the team, always being the number two. In block, they were not better than Hirano. In attack, they couldn't compare themselves to Koji or even Yuki and Riku. In defense, Kaede and Yuki's presence was unmatchable. Compared to their teammates, it was no wonder they felt inferior and wanted to get acknowledgment for more than just being a support player.

In the end, Asahi just heaved a sigh and nodded begrudgingly, knowing full well that he was the one on the wrong side here. "Sorry, everyone. I get too impatient before." He apologized, which gained astonishment gazes from the other players.

They weren't astonished by Asahi's apology, but more by how Ogawa approached their captain and consoled him so easily. If only they knew this could work, they would've asked their sensei to put Ogawa on the court earlier.

"Okay, since one problem is solved already, now we need to focus back on the game." Ogawa clapped his hands to gain his teammates' attention. "Now, we are down by eight points, which is pretty bad for us. However, we still have a chance. Yuki, Riku, after this, do more of your combination attack. Don't worry about your position, Kaede and I will cover it for you!"

"Sure! The defensive specialist gave a thumb up toward his kouhai.

"I know it is not fair to put the burden on your shoulders, but now, you both are our best offensive players. We need to be more aggressive, so we have to rely on you both to attack in the next play. Can you do it?" Ogawa asked his two kouhai solemnly.

In return, Yuki and Riku only needed to exchange glances for a second before they nodded simultaneously. "Don't worry, Senpai! Leave it to us!"

-0-

Kotaro took a deep breath, trying to contain his excitement. He knew this game was still far from over, but he couldn't help it. After about twenty minutes since the game began, everything was going in their favor. They managed to get out of their nervousness for having to play under so many eyes, and now, they were thriving to steal the first set from the home team. So, who would blame him for getting excited?

Still, he didn't dare to get careless.

Usually, an eight-point difference would be pretty safe to win a set. However, the one they faced right now was Tsunemori High, the team that created so many miracles this year. Their opponent was even named the most dangerous underdog team of the tournament due to their achievement of beating Shimoyawata High and Kyoei Gakuen, two powerhouse teams in the last Inter-high. This alone should've told Oyama High how dangerous Tsunemori High was.

"Come on, Soichi! Give us a good one! No need to risk it, remember! Steady and safe!" He shouted, encouraging his teammate.

Soichi, the opposite hitter who was about to serve the ball nodded, taking a deep breath while waiting for the referee to blow the whistle. Once everyone was ready, he tossed the ball slightly before slapping it gently, just barely enough to cross the net.

Thud!

This was probably the biggest weakness Oyama High had. Just like any mediocre team out there, they lacked power in the team. The fact that Tsunemori High who one year ago was just as mediocre as they were now had two or even three pinch servers with unique qualities was definitely not something they could use as a standard.

"Yuki!"

"I got it!"

The ball flew straight directly to Yuki, and the glasses boy received it without problem. Still, that was Oyama High's intention. They knew the combination attack of Riku and Yuki was dangerous to face, so rather than having to guess who would set and who would attack, it would be better to target one of them to make sure they knew what kind of role those two would have in the next attack.

Just like right now, after receiving the ball, they knew Yuki wouldn't be able to set up an attack. That way, even when they saw Yuki was rushing forward, they didn't have to worry about a trick play the two freshmen from Tsunemori could pu –

Thud!

'Eh?'

Kotaro and some of the Oyama High players on the front line blinked confusedly when they saw the ball fall behind them. It took everyone in the building about three or four seconds before they realized what happened, and right after everything sunk in, cheers exploded throughout the building.

"Oh! What a dump!"

"That's it, Riku! You should've done that since the beginning!"

"Come on!"

Riku just smiled smugly as he was basked under cheers from the stand. All the other Tsunemori players also jumped on him, celebrating the point while waving their hands wildly to encourage the supporters to get louder. Meanwhile, on the Oyama's side, Kotaro clapped his hands vigorously, trying to encourage his teammates.

"Come on, everyone! It is just one point! We are still up by seven, we can do this!"

Unfortunately, Ogawa who was the next player to serve wasn't going to let this momentum go away easily. He had learned some tricks during the summer break, and now, he was ready to show the result of his effort to the world.

BAM!

When the ball he served dropped on the front line of the court without any Oyama High players able to receive it, Ogawa roared, punching his chest wildly as he celebrated the point.

"COME ON!"