The atmosphere in the Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium was as electric as ever as the third set of the match prepared to begin.
The crowd buzzed with anticipation, and the energy from both sides pulsed through the court like a current.
Both teams returned to the court, taking their positions and preparing mentally and physically for the next set.
On Hikari and Mei's side, the team formed a tight huddle.
In the centre, Rin raised her voice with determination:
"Ladies, we're in the third set now! Forget the first two – treat this like it's 0-0 again! Every point matters. Make it count!"
Hikari, Mei, Mio, Atsuko, and Kayoko all nodded, their faces lit with renewed fire.
"YES!" they replied in perfect unison.
Up in the stands…
Hikaru sat alone, glancing at the empty seat beside him.
He frowned.
"Damn it. Where is this guy?"
Suddenly–
"LET'S GO!"
Hikaru flinched and turned quickly.
Teshii was there – sitting right beside him, as if he had materialized from thin air.
"T-Teshii?!" Hikaru blurted.
Teshii glanced over at him with a smirk.
"You, Sunshine! Couldn't let a phone call make me miss Hikari shine out there."
Hikaru just stared at him, stunned and slightly unnerved.
"H-How…?"
Teshii raised an eyebrow behind his crimson glasses.
"What do you mean 'how'?"
Hikaru shook his head, trying to dismiss the question from his mind.
"Never mind. What did Satoshi call about?"
Teshii crossed his arms casually.
"Oh, you know… just the usual Elemental stuff."
Hikaru narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly not convinced, but chose not to push further.
Instead, he looked back toward the court.
"If you say so."
Back on the court, Hikari moved into her position, eyes scanning the opposing side.
Then – something caught her attention.
"Huh?"
Mei, standing nearby, noticed her confusion.
"What's wrong, Hikari?"
Hikari kept her gaze fixed.
"Did they make a substitution?"
Mei and the others turned to look – and gasped.
The opponent had indeed made a change.
Standing at the net was a new player: their middle blocker – a towering girl with black hair and a focused expression.
Even Rin, usually unshaken, blinked in surprise at the blocker's height.
But she quickly regained her composure.
She turned to her team, voice firm:
"Ladies! I don't care how tall their blocker is. What matters is that we win this match. Got it?"
The others responded with fire in their eyes.
"YES!" they shouted together.
Their unity was unshakable. No matter the opponent, No matter the height.
This third set had just begun – but for Hikari and her team, the battle had already turned into something deeper.
5 Minutes Later…
The scoreboard now read: 3-3, a deadlock early in the deciding set.
Sweat glistened on every player's skin, breaths came fast, knees bent, eyes sharp.
Every movement had weight.
Every point was a battle.
On serve receive, Hikari crouched low, eyes locked on the server.
The ball came flying – and as always, she was ready.
A clean dig.
Mei moved with practiced grace, hands rising, already visualizing the court before the ball even reached her.
She sent a fast, high set across the court.
Rin, already in motion, sprinted into her approach.
"Perfect. I'm gonna bury this," she thought.
She launched off the floor, wind whipping past her face, her body a whip of force and motion.
Her hand snapped forward.
But–
Thump!
The sound wasn't the usual satisfying crack of a successful spike.
It was harder.
Sharper.
Like hitting a wall.
Out of nowhere, a fresh face had appeared at the net – the opponent's newly substituted middle blocker.
Taller than the rest.
Arms outstretched like a fortress summoned from the eart.
The ball slammed against her hands and dropped straight back onto Rin's side.
Point. 4-3.
The opponent had now taken the lead.
Rin landed hard, staring at the net, eyes wide in disbelief.
"What the–?!" she breathed, turning toward her teammates. "Where did she come from?"
Across the court, the opponent's bench erupted in cheers as their substitute gave a cool, silent nod to her teammates.
CHARACTER INTRODUCTION
Name: Saki Sugimura
Age: 21
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Height: 6'1
Weight: 132lbs
Occupation: Professional Volleyball Player
From the stands, Hikaru and Teshii saw exactly what had happened.
Hikaru gritted his teeth.
"Damn it! With her on the court, it's going to be a difficult to get points now."
"Saki Sugimura…" Teshii muttered.
"Huh?" Hikaru glanced at Teshii, who had opened the match programme and was flipping through it.
"Saki Sugimura," Teshii continued, reading. "Known to be a super-sub whenever her team is in a tough situation. Her biggest advantage is her height."
Then–
Teshii smirked.
"I wonder how Hikari, Rich Girl, and the others are going to handle her."
25 Minutes Later…
The scoreboard glared: 24-19, red numbers screaming pressure.
Set point.
Match point.
All around them, the opponent's bench was already on their feet, half-celebrating. Their coach wore a confident smile.
And in the centre of it all stood Saki – their towering substitute middle blocker – sharp-eyed, focused, and absolutely relentless.
She had flipped the momentum the instant she entered the court.
In just a few rotations, she'd blocked Rin twice, shut down Atsuko, and even deflected a quick from Mio.
It was like spiking into a moving wall of steel.
Rin clenched her jaw, fists trembling in frustration.
Mei's expression was still calm – but her gaze had turned stormy.
Even Kayoko, normally steady, had begun hesitating – her eyes flicking toward Saki every time she stepped to the net.
The momentum was gone.
From the stands, Teshii stood up abruptly, gritting his teeth.
"If the opponents score just one more point," he muttered, "they win this set."
He turned to Hikaru.
"Sunshine – if Hikari's team wins the next set, that would make it 2-2, right?"
Hikaru nodded, arms crossed. "Yeah. Then they'd play one final set to decide the winner."
Back on the court, the tension was high. Rin approached the net again – a spike coming.
Saki was ready – already raising her hands to shut her down.
Then–
Hikari's eyes widened.
She spotted something.
There was distance – a small gap – between Saki and the net.
An opening.
Enough space for the ball to drop if they aimed just right.
Saki successfully blocked Rin's spike, but the deflection went out of bounds.
"RIN! ATSUKO! MIO!" Hikari suddenly shouted.
The three turned to her, breathless. "Huh?!"
"I have an idea!"
From the stands, Teshii narrowed his eyes behind his crimson glasses. "Oh? Lokos like Hikari's cooking something up."
Then–
Mei began the play, calm and fluid as always.
She received the pass and immediately set it to Mio.
But Mio didn't spike.
Instead, she redirected it – a clean flick toward Rin.
Rin sprinted into the approach, keeping her eyes on the towering Saki. Saki raised her hands for the block, timing her jump perfectly.
But Rin smirked.
Instead of a power spike, she adjusted her wrist at the last moment – tipping the ball gently toward the narrow space between Saki and the net.
Saki's eyes widened. "What?!"
Boom!
The ball hit the court clean.
Point! 24-20!
The crowd exploded.
It wasn't over.
But exposing Saki's blind spot had just shifted everything.
24-21.
24-22.
24-23.
24-24.
24-25.
25-26.
The gymnasium erupted.
Set over. Comeback complete.
The scoreboard now read: 2-1 in favour of Hikari's team.
If they could win the next set… they would win the match.
From the stands, Teshii threw an arm around Hikaru, pumping his fist in triumph.
"LET'S GO! One more set, and they win the match overall!"
Hikaru nodded, eyes never leaving the court.
"Yeah."
Back on the court, both teams were back in formation.
But this time?
It wasn't the same tense standoff from earlier.
Hikari and Mei's team stood tall – confidence radiating from their stances, from their smiles, from the way they moved.
The opponent's side?
Shaky. Rattled. Even Saki, once a towering wall of dominance, now looked unsure – a flicker of doubt shadowing her face.
Then–
Teshii turned to face the readers.
A mischievous glint behind his crimson glasses.
"Alright, guys! I think we all know where this match is headed – so we're gonna skip straight to the end!"
Hikaru gave him a side glance but didn't say anything.
Not even surprised anymore.
34 Minutes Later…
The referee's whistle pierced the air.
"Point! Set! 25-14!"
The crowd erupted.
The match was over.
Hikari's team had won.
Coach Emi and the substitutes stormed the court, cheering and hugging the starting players.
Across the net, the defeated team – heads bowed – began their quiet walk to the changing room. Even Saki couldn't hide her disappointment.
From the stands, Hikaru and Teshii were on their feet, applauding.
"They're… amazing!" Teshii said, awe in his voice.
Hikaru smiled and nodded.
"Yeah."
Teshii's eyes remained fixed on the court – on one player in particular.
"Hikari… you're an amazing person."
Both teams lined up, bowed in mutual respect, then turned to leave.
The losing team walked toward the tunnel when–
"Saki!"
Saki paused, glancing back.
"…Huh?"
It was Hikari.
"You're an amazing player, Saki!" she called out, a sincere smile on her face.
Saki blinked, stunned. Her cheeks turned a deep shade of pink.
"U-uh… thanks, Hikari."
She quickly turned away, walking off toward the changing room – but not before casting one last glance behind her.
Then–
"HIKARI! MEI!"
The girls turned toward the crowd.
From the stands, Hikaru was waving wildly – Teshii beside him, waving just as enthusiastically.
Both Hikari and Mei blushed, heat blooming in their cheeks.
Rin caught the look and smirked.
"Who are they? Could it be… your boyfriends?"
The rest of the team turned with interest.
"Boyfriends, where?" Mio asked, peering up into the stands. "Isn't the blonde guy, your brother, Hikari?"
Hikari nodded.
"Then…" Mio turned her gaze to Teshii. "That red-haired guy must be your boyfriend, Hikari."
Mio's eyes widened slightly, cheeks tinged with colour.
"Woah. He's really good-looking…"
As the team giggled and nudged each other, still teasing, one person lagged behind at the edge of the tunnel – casting a glance over her shoulder.
It was Saki.
But she wasn't looking at the boys.
She was looking at Hikari.
Her cheeks still pink, Saki smiled to herself.
"Hikari Nozomi…"
She turned back down the hallway.
"…She's cute."
After the Match
In the locker room, the team erupted in celebration.
Laughter echoed off the tiled walls. Towels were tossed, water bottles clinked, and every high-five hit with a satisfying smack of victory.
Mei turned to Hikari, a wide grin stretching across her face. "You did great out there."
Hikari smiled back, cheeks still a little flushed from the adrenaline.
"You too."
Then–
Mei reached into her bag and pulled something out.
Two amusement park tickets.
Hikari blinked. "What's this?"
Mei's grin turned sly. "A reward."
"For what?"
"For winning the match… and for finally admitting that you have a crush on Teshii."
Hikari choked on air.
"W-When did I admit that I have a crush on Teshii?!"
Mei raised an eyebrow, that smug look never leaving her face. "When Mio thought Teshii was your boyfriend… and you didn't deny it."
Hikari's face turned red.
Brighter than any sunset.
Mei pushed the tickets into her hands. "Take him to the amusement park. Go on a date."
"D-date…" Hikari echoed, still stunned.
Mei nodded and gave her a firm pat on the back. "Good luck."
And just like that–
Hikari found herself standing in the middle of the locker room, holding two tickets to a date.
She looked down at them.
Then…
She smiled.
Because…
The thought of going on a date with Teshii.
It made her happy.
TO BE CONTINUED!!!