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Chapter 156: The Spring High Opens
🕑 Added 2025-01-15 16:00:17 +0000 UTC[August 11th. The Spring High tournament begins]
However, this day had little to do with Aoba Johsai. As the prefectural champions of the Inter-High tournament, their Spring High matches wouldn't begin until the representative playoffs in October.
"Why do I have to spend the first day of vacation scouting Karasuno for that guy, Taichi?"
Oikawa Tōru's complaints echoed down the street as he walked toward the gymnasium with Iwaizumi Hajime.
"The so-called 'vacation' you're whining about is just a break from club training, idiot Oikawa," Iwaizumi retorted, delivering a swift kick to Oikawa's calf.
The situation stemmed from something that had happened in early August.
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Kaedehara Taichi had received a call from his parents, asking him to stay in Hawaii for a while.
He hesitated. On one hand, his focus on volleyball training made him reluctant to disrupt his routine. On the other, he wasn't sure how to reconnect with his parents after such a long time apart.
In the end, their insistence—and the promise of passionate volleyball activities on the island—convinced him.
His parents even offered to arrange for him to join a local club, which sealed the deal.
The next day, Taichi happily set off for Hawaii to begin his overseas adventure.
When he arrived, he was immediately captivated by the island's unique tropical charm: the endless blue of the sea merging with the sky, the salty tang in the breeze, and the rhythmic crashing of waves.
Communication with his parents went smoother than expected. After initial conversations filled with affection and nostalgia, Taichi turned to his main objective—volleyball training.
To his surprise, the volleyball scene in Hawaii was even more vibrant than he had imagined.
Volleyball wasn't just a sport here—it was a lifestyle deeply intertwined with local culture and energy.
But when Taichi arrived at the club his parents had chosen, he noticed something unusual.
It was a beach volleyball club.
The club was situated on an open stretch of sand, surrounded by palm trees, with the sparkling Pacific Ocean in the background. Taichi stood frozen at the entrance, his thoughts in disarray.
He should've realized it earlier.
The club's name, "Hawaiian Beach Warriors," was a dead giveaway!
With no other option, he reluctantly accepted his fate.
To his relief, the club turned out to be more professional than he had anticipated. It attracted passionate volleyball enthusiasts of all ages and even boasted several former professional players as coaches.
Taichi's arrival drew attention, and a muscular, dark-skinned man approached him with a broad smile and an outstretched arm.
"Aloha! I'm Coach Kuno. Welcome to the Beach Warriors. I hear you're a volleyball prodigy from Japan. Looking forward to seeing what you've got!"
Taichi, fumbling slightly, pulled out his phone and opened a translation app. "Aloha, Coach. I'm Kaedehara Taichi. Uh…I've only ever played indoor volleyball before."
"Oh?" Coach Kuno raised an eyebrow but nodded. Understanding that Taichi was a beach volleyball novice, he placed him in the youth training group.
The training area was set up on the expansive beach, with crisp court markings drawn in the sand. A makeshift canopy provided shade for rest and gear storage.
Club members wore matching training outfits; some were warming up, while others engaged in practice matches. The backdrop of crashing waves and the rhythmic "thud" of volleyballs striking hands created an atmosphere unlike anything Taichi had experienced.
Training started with basic adaptation exercises. Unlike the hard floors of indoor courts, moving and jumping on sand required significantly more power and technique.
Beach volleyball's two-on-two format also meant that each player had to cover an entire half of the court. Receiving, setting, spiking—every aspect demanded mastery.
For Taichi, this new environment highlighted his weaknesses: receiving, setting, and jumping. Initially planning to tackle these issues one by one, he now found himself forced to face them all head-on.
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[Back in Japan, Oikawa and Iwaizumi arrived at the match venue]
Standing by the entrance, Oikawa let out a long sigh. "Taichi better appreciate this. Otherwise, I'm dragging him back from Hawaii myself!"
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Training began.
On the first morning, Taichi didn't even get the chance to spike. Instead, he spent hours repeating drills focused on quick movements, jumping, and diving saves in the sand.
The soft sand proved far more troublesome than he had anticipated. Its yielding nature dulled his steps, making even routine saves a struggle. The instability of the terrain demanded greater core strength and quicker reflexes than indoor courts ever had.
Realizing his clumsy movements weren't working, Taichi paused and quietly observed the players around him.
After some time, he began to pick up on subtle techniques for sand mobility. Thanks to his solid fundamentals and adaptability, he soon found the key to moving efficiently on the sand.
By the afternoon, when Coach Kuno checked on Taichi, he noticed a dramatic improvement in the young player's balance and movement efficiency.
"What a terrifyingly quick learner," Kuno muttered to himself. "His indoor volleyball skills must be exceptional."
Over the next few days, Taichi gradually mastered the nuances of beach volleyball. His movement, receiving, and setting improved to a level close to his indoor capabilities.
With this foundation in place, the coach introduced him to more advanced technical drills and team-based exercises.
Beach volleyball presented another set of challenges: the relentless sun and ocean winds.
Long hours under the scorching heat and the constant breeze tested both his stamina and endurance.
Surprisingly, this fresh start reignited Taichi's passion for volleyball and his hunger for growth. The thrill of tackling something new pushed him to train even harder.
As time passed, Taichi's teamwork and ball control reached a commendable level. On his tenth day at the club, he was finally given the opportunity to participate in a match.
His partner for the game was a local boy named Norton.
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The match began with Taichi serving.
He tossed the ball slightly lower than usual, took a short run-up, and then dropped his stance suddenly, planting his feet firmly in the sand before exploding upward. The elastic resistance of the sand combined with his raw power launched him into the air.
Mid-air, Taichi channelled the strength from his core, whipping his left arm back and snapping it forward.
His wrist flexed sharply, imparting both speed and spin to the ball as he aimed precisely for a difficult spot.
Smack!
The opposing team's No. 1 reacted quickly, but the ball ricocheted off his arms and out of bounds.
No. 1: "???"
Even the spectators were baffled by the unexpected spin and speed of Taichi's serve.
Without changing his serving hand, Taichi continued. His training had significantly enhanced his core strength, and he could now generate even more spin with his left hand.
Three consecutive points from serves!
In beach volleyball, the softer, slightly larger ball and the smaller court make powerful serves less effective than in indoor volleyball, meaning the first receive is usually easier to handle.
Yet Taichi's left-handed serves broke that norm, earning him enthusiastic cheers from the onlookers.
Thud!
The opponent's serve came flying in. Taichi stepped in to receive it, sending the ball toward Norton with solid form.
Norton quickly adjusted, setting the ball high into the air.
Since tipping the ball is prohibited in beach volleyball, Taichi made the decision to attack with full force every time.
With a strong run-up to the net, he repeated the jumping technique he had practised tirelessly.
His body soared into the air, and he unleashed a ferocious spike.
Boom!
The ball slammed into the opponent's court, sending up a plume of sand as it hit the ground.
After the match, the spectators finally uncovered Taichi's secret: the remarkable spin and power generated by his left-handed serve.
From that day on, the court buzzed with talk of the Left-Handed Magician from Japan.
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This newfound reputation granted Taichi opportunities to face opponents with a variety of playing styles, from which he gained invaluable match experience.
Taichi gradually settled into the rhythm of volleyball training in Hawaii.
At dawn, as the first rays of sunlight illuminated the golden beach, he was already immersed in his morning regimen: long-distance runs, beach push-ups, frog jumps, and core-strengthening exercises. He relished the tangible growth in his fitness and power.
On the evening of August 12th, Taichi's phone buzzed with a message from across the Pacific:
"The Spring High has begun. In the preliminaries, Karasuno and Date Tech have advanced."
A ripple of emotion stirred in Taichi's previously calm heart. The Spring High was truly underway.
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