Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 377: Is That All You Wanted to Say?

"Taichi, I heard from Coach Irihata that you're working on your professional career plan?"

A familiar voice rang from the other end of Kaedehara Taichi's phone.

"Well, that's a surprise. Oikawa-senpai actually called me on his own." Taichi replied airily, "Is this your way of giving me a heads-up before you fly back to Japan?"

"Hmph, someone sounds a little salty, Taichi." Oikawa Tōru's tone was laced with a smugness impossible to miss. "I passed the trial at Club San Juan! I'm officially a signed professional player now!"

"But I heard you're still just a benchwarmer?" Taichi asked innocently.

Oikawa: "....."

Didn't he specifically tell Coach Irihata not to let that part get around? How did everyone already know?!

Taichi paused for a moment, as if realising that maybe he was raining too hard on Oikawa's parade. So he switched gears—

"Wow, Oikawa-senpai, that's so amazing." he said in the flattest voice imaginable.

"You—! Can you sound a little more sincere?!" Oikawa roared on the other end of the line.

"Ahem, anyway," Taichi cleared his throat, "what's this about? You didn't call just to brag, right?"

"I saw what a world-class wing spiker looks like." Oikawa's tone suddenly turned calm. "Facundo Conte—the ace of San Juan Club. His spike reach is 3.68 meters. His top serve speed is 114 km/h. His fastest spike was clocked at 128 km/h."

"Standing on the same court as him...I finally understood what those numbers really mean."

Taichi quietly listened to Oikawa's account. Beneath the calm tone, he could hear the deep impression those stats had left. He could imagine the shock Oikawa must've felt facing such a powerful player during his trial.

"Taichi, I know how strong you are. And I truly believe you'll step onto the professional stage too." Oikawa said seriously. "But you mustn't fall into the trap of thinking 'you're already strong enough'."

"I know I'm doing Aoba Johsai a bit dirty by saying this, but I have to:"

"Taichi, if you get the chance—step into the professional world, and even the global stage, as early as possible."

High school volleyball would always be one of Oikawa's most cherished memories—training hard with his teammates, growing together step by step, defeating tough opponents, and eventually standing on the national stage. That sense of camaraderie, that kind of journey…could only be found in high school.

Compared to that, going pro a year earlier might not seem as emotionally satisfying—but it meant gaining experience sooner. And in the professional world, opponents were no longer just kids your own age. Winning would become significantly more difficult.

Oikawa knew this was a tough decision to make...

Which was why, even when the silence between them dragged on, he didn't try to interrupt Taichi's thoughts.

"…Is that all you wanted to say, Oikawa-senpai?" Taichi said with a natural smile. "I wasn't planning on staying in high school until graduation anyway."

"I mean, sure, not being able to win three consecutive Spring Highs is a tiny bit of a regret—but if I can make up for that with a world championship, I think I'll manage."

Oikawa: "…"

"Pfft—" Oikawa burst out laughing, louder than he'd expected. He'd almost forgotten—this was the same guy who declared he'd defeat Shiratorizawa and make it to nationals the moment he got into the starting lineup.

"…But Taichi, this time I'm ahead of you."

"No problem," Taichi replied lightly. "I'll let you 'run' ahead for a bit."

-----

Two teams representing the same prefecture in nationals—this was a first in Miyagi's history.

After the tense atmosphere of the Interhigh Prefectural Qualifiers had passed, peace settled over Miyagi. Aoba Johsai and Date Tech now stood as joint representatives of the region, carrying with them the hopes and expectations of their peers. Everyone looked forward to their performances on the national stage, hoping they'd bring even more glory to Miyagi.

Unlike the often proud and tense inter-team dynamics in Tokyo, the relationship between Aoba Johsai and Date Tech had long since become one of friendly rivalry. Over the years, they had shared numerous practice matches—in fact, they even trained together under the Shiratorizawa alliance just last year.

Boom!!!

"Tweet—!"

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With the final ball hitting the ground, the referee's whistle blew.

The match was over.

[Aoba Johsai 25 - 21 Date Tech]

"Ugh—I'm done, I'm done." Futakuchi Kenji collapsed weakly onto the court.

The Interhigh National Tournament was scheduled to begin on June 29th. Although on paper there were still three weeks left after the Miyagi qualifiers, there were only two weekends in between.

Every weekend, Date Tech would take the bus to Aoba Johsai for full-day joint practices.

Four total rest days. Eight sets per day.

The final tally: Aoba Johsai 25 wins, Date Tech 7 wins.

Which, of course, meant that Date Tech lost 25 times.

What frustrated Date Tech the most wasn't just that they had a win rate of under 25%—but that in the seven games they did win, Kaedehara Taichi hadn't even played.

Not that Taichi was getting any kind of special treatment.

Coach Irihata wanted to give the rookies as much court time as possible, hoping to broaden his rotation for nationals. From day one of practice, the team had been rotating through the full tournament roster. The most extreme lineup even featured just Kaedehara Taichi and Kindaichi Yūtarō playing alongside five first-years against Date Tech.

And yet, with Taichi going all out in the final set, they still clinched the win.

[Aoba Johsai 35 - 33 Date Tech]

Neither team could block the other by the end. It had turned into a gruelling battle of stamina.

Coach Irihata had watched the match with great amusement—but under the resentful gaze of Coach Oiwake Takurō, that particular lineup was never repeated again.

"We're heading to Tokyo for nationals next week," Oiwake said with a chuckle as he looked at his players sprawled across the floor. "To be honest, I'm probably just as nervous as this bunch."

"Yeah…I still remember that tension from the first time I led a team to nationals twenty years ago," Coach Irihata added with a nostalgic sigh.

Oiwake: "…"

Mizoguchi Sadayuki: "…"

Great. Coach Irihata was flexing again.

"Looks like Aoba Johsai is aiming for the national title again this year," Oiwake said with a note of admiration. "I've never seen a player like Taichi before. Even calling him a 'genius' doesn't feel like enough."

"Yeah, his growth has been staggering. Three years of high school almost feel too long for him," Irihata said with a hint of reluctance.

"…You mean—?" Oiwake suddenly got the feeling he'd just heard something huge.

"Haha, I don't know," Irihata quickly walked it back. "After all, the decision is entirely up to him."

"Feels like we're witnessing the birth of a miracle." Mizoguchi Sadayuki suddenly murmured.

The two coaches beside him paused, then exchanged a glance—before breaking into knowing laughter.

That was exactly what it felt like. Though whether it would be a blessing or a curse for the rest of his generation…that remained to be seen.

———

"You guys better bring your A-game at nationals, alright? Don't go down as easily as you did today," Yahaba Shigeru sneered.

"Hmph, we'll definitely do better than you did your first time at nationals," Futakuchi shot back.

"Aone," Taichi chimed in, "make sure to show the whole country what 'Date Tech's Iron Wall' really means. There's more to blocking teams than just Kamomedai."

"Mm!" Aone Takanobu gave a firm nod.

"See you around!"

"See you at nationals!"

_________

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