As Akira called a timeout after Matsumoto scored from the spike through Hirano and Ogawa, his heart sank at the sight of his yers slumped on the court, their faces clouded with despair.


    Each one had cast away the spark that had once ignited their teamwork and tenacity; instead, they wore expressions of defeat, shoulders heavy beneath the weight of a relentless ten-point deficit that had left them reeling.


    He could feel the tension in the air, thick and suffocating, as he nced from one dejected face to another. The echoes of the crowd faded into a distant murmur, leaving only the deafening silence of their self-doubt.


    Even though Akira said before that they could give up and rest when the opponent had more than ten points lead, when that finally happened, he couldn''t help but curse out loud. He desperately racked his brain for words to lift their spirits, to reignite their passion, but the reality of their struggle loomedrger than any motivational speech he could muster.


    In that moment, he felt helpless, a ship adrift in choppy waters, longing to steady the course but unsure of how to guide them back to the game they loved.


    "Why do you all look so depressed?" Sekine suddenly asked, breaking the silence. Everyone turned their head, just to turn it away when they saw the disappointed look from the old man. "You walked into this building already convinced that your opponent is invincible, that their reputation alone is enough to scare you off before the first serve.


    You let their des cloud your vision and overshadow your own skills. So, I don''t think you guys have the right to feel depressed here. Only those who fight to their fullest and still lose have the right to do so. You all deserve to lose today."


    Each word felt like a jolt of cold water, but the sting of truth lingered heavier in the air. With a sharp exhale, Sekine shook his head in disappointment, disillusioned by the sight of their defeated spirits. He turned and stormed off, the bench''s atmosphere shifting from despair to a tense stillness, leaving the team to grapple with his words.


    "Sekine-jiisan…" Megumi rose from her spot and followed the old man, didn''t want to get involved in this mess too.


    The moment Sekine''s footsteps faded into the distance, the bench erupted in a storm of usations, each yer turning on their teammates like a pack of wolves.


    "If you all didn''t make those stupid mistakes, we wouldn''t be in this mess!" barked Riku, ring daggers at all of his senpai, whose shoulders tensed at the criticism.


    "Us? Look who''s talking! You two tried to y as a hero and ignored us in thest y! Look at where it brought us right now!" retorted Koji, his voice rising with frustration.


    "Well, at least we tried! What can you say about you, huh?!" Riku argued back.


    The atmosphere thickened as more voices joined the fray, each yer desperate to shift the me as if that would somehow absolve them of their own failures. Some mmed their palms on the bench, while others clenched their fists, their eyes zing with rage rather than determination.


    The cacophony of shouts and grievances drowned out their collective sense of purpose, turning camaraderie into chaos. Tension crackled in the air like static electricity, and as usations flew, it felt as if the bond that once united them was fraying at the seams.


    "Okay, enough!" Akira finally raised his voice, tired of the ming game. "We are in a bad situation already, don''t make it worse!" He hissed, ncing at the referee. Noticing this, everyone also did the same, just to be wilted by the re sent by the referee. They suddenly realized that all the eyes were on them, scrutinizing every movement they made.


    "They are fighting with each other."


    "Yeah."


    "Well, it is bound to happen."


    "Yes, it is either this or the whole team gives up before the game is over. That wouldn''t be the first time a team does that against Konan."


    "It is pity, though. They put a decent fight in this game."


    All the yers couldn''t help but bow their heads deep, ashamed when they overheard the murmurs echoing in the building. Of course, they also entertained the thought of giving up. However, it was easier said than to be done.


    Even though there was no shame in giving up against Konan and they wouldn''t be the first team to do that, it still hurt their dignity when they thought about resigning officially to the referee.


    Not that there was so much dignity left inside them, of course.


    "Well, I know what is inside your mind right now. You are probably thinking that this will be yourst game with the team and it is impossible to reverse the situation, so what is the best way to leave the court without embarrassing yourself or something like that, is that right?" Akira asked.


    Everyone was taken aback, didn''t expect that their coach would be able to read their mind so easily like that. However, what he said next attracted their attention more.


    "Well, what if I tell you there is a way to leave with a bang?" He smirked at the intrigued expression that was far from their frustration a few moments ago.


    "Just look at them." He used his head to point at Konan''s bench. There they saw all the Konan yers chatting andughing with each other. "Even though you did well in the first set and managed to ssh some troubles for them, based on their reaction right now, it seems they still didn''t take us by heart.


    I bet that after the game is over, they would forget about us and move on to their next game Not that we can me them, of course, since we yed a shitty game in the second set. However, since we are on the same page here and thought that it is impossible to reverse the situation, why not make the best team in the country remember about us?"


    THAT was a good idea. Making sure the best team in the country remember their name before they were disbanded as a team would be an epic way to leave. However, there was a big question ring in front of them here. How?


    Seeing the depression and frustration vanish from the yers'' expressions, Akira nodded, satisfied with the change. He knew that this was going to be hisst day as their coach, and while he felt sad about it, he suppressed his emotions for now and wanted to guide the team onest time. He wanted to make sure that everyone here remembered how awesome his team was even for a short period.


    As for how to do that, he had already had an idea in his mind.


    "Well, I know you all think it would be hard to do so. However, we can make a strong impression just by doing what we are best at." The smirk was back on his face.


    At first, everyone was confused, not knowing what the coach meant. However, it was Yuki who got it first. "Sensei, you mean…?"


    "Oh, yes, Yuki." The smirk turned into a wide grin as he confirmed the sses boy''s guess. "Listen carefully since this is going to be ourst mission as a team! Remember the Tsukumi University training camp we held a few weeks ago? You know the rule! We are back to the basics, don''t let the ball fall to the ground and drag the game to hell! Can you do it?!"


    All the yers nced at each other with enlightened expression. Gone was the gloomy atmosphere in Tsunemori''s bench, reced with excitement. Even though they all knew this was going to be thest time they stepped into this court, they all were on the same page now, determined to finish thest mission their coach gave.


    With that thought in mind, there was only one appropriate answer to Akira''s question.


    "YES, SIR!"