"Selected? Selected for what?" The Aoba Johsai players wore puzzled expressions.
"Heh, this is big news! None of the other teams know yet!" Mizoguchi Sadayuki's excitement had clearly gotten the better of him; he had run all the way from the office to deliver the news.
Now that he had caught his breath, he was intent on building some suspense.
"Mizoguchi-san! Please, just tell us!" The players, ever cooperative, bowed in unison.
"Ahem, listen up, everyone!" Mizoguchi cleared his throat, then solemnly announced,
"Tōru Oikawa has been selected as an official member of the National U19 Youth Team!"
The gym went silent for a moment.
"The National Youth Team?!"
"An official member of the U19 team?!"
"That's incredible!!!" exclaimed Kindaichi Yūtarō, his jaw practically hitting the floor.
"The U19 Youth Team is the national representative team for players under 19, right?" Even Kunimi Akira, usually calm and composed, couldn't hide his surprise.
"Doesn't that make him the same as Ushiwaka?" Matsukawa Issei murmured.
"But Ushiwaka was already a reserve member of the Youth Team, wasn't he? He officially became a regular player earlier this year," Iwaizumi Hajime added.
Mizoguchi nodded. "Yes, and this is largely thanks to Coach Washijō and Ushijima Wakatoshi. During the Inter-High Nationals, Oikawa's outstanding performance caught the attention of the U19 staff."
He continued, "Since he's a third-year, they consulted with Ushijima and Coach Washijō before granting him this exceptional opportunity."
Mizoguchi paused, then looked directly at Oikawa. "There might still be individual assessments for you after you join, but I'm sure you'll handle them just fine."
Oikawa stood frozen in place. This was completely unexpected.
For someone who had always measured himself against Ushijima, the significance of the Youth Team was not lost on him.
Unlike Ushijima, who had already achieved national recognition, Oikawa had never even competed on the national stage.
Was he not good enough?
Did he lack potential?
These thoughts had often haunted him, filling him with self-doubt.
But now, it felt like a layer of ice in his heart had melted. His expression shifted from shock to gratitude to excitement, before settling into a nonchalant mask—albeit one that couldn't fully hide his joy.
"Didn't Mizoguchi-san also mention Taichi earlier?" Hanamaki Takahiro suddenly pointed out.
"Ahem, onto the second announcement!" Mizoguchi teased, relishing the suspense. "The National Youth Team has invited Taichi Kaedehara to attend next month's intensive training camp!"
Even though they had somewhat anticipated it, hearing it confirmed left the Aoba Johsai players stunned.
This was the standard pathway to becoming a regular member of the U19 team. Excelling at the training camp would pave the way for Taichi to join the team in the future officially.
Only the rarest, most talented first-years were ever scouted for this camp.
While Oikawa's face earlier had displayed a whirlwind of emotions, Taichi Kaedehara remained composed.
"Oh, okay," Taichi replied casually.
"Taichi! This is the National Youth Team we're talking about!" Kindaichi seemed more thrilled than Taichi himself.
"Yeah, I know," Taichi said with a slight smirk, glancing at Oikawa.
Though he was a bit happy, he couldn't let himself get as flustered as Oikawa.
"You little—!" Oikawa immediately picked up on Taichi's thoughts and moved to chase after him.
"Ahem, the third announcement." Mizoguchi once again redirected everyone's attention.
The entire team turned to him in unison.
"Coach Washijō is organizing a prefecture-wide intensive training camp for first-year players in early December. It's one of many efforts aimed at improving the overall level of volleyball in Miyagi. Think of it as a localized version of the National Youth Team's training camp."
"This camp is specifically for first-years, and both Kindaichi and Kunimi have been invited," Mizoguchi announced.
"Me—?!" Kindaichi stared in disbelief.
"Of course, you were invited." Iwaizumi laughed and clapped Kindaichi on the shoulder. "You two helped defeat Shiratorizawa in front of Coach Washijō. He clearly saw your potential."
Kunimi shot a glance at Kindaichi. This idiot spends so much time around Taichi, he's completely lost faith in himself.
"These invitations aren't mandatory," Mizoguchi continued. "But I strongly encourage you all to go. It's a great chance to compete against other top-tier players your age from across the nation."
Just then, Coach Irihata entered the room. These announcements had been jointly arranged by him and Mizoguchi, though the latter had rushed ahead to share the news.
"All of you should go," Irihata said, "and use this opportunity to see what kind of competition awaits you at the national level. Sooner or later, you'll have to face them all."
"Of course we'll go! It's a chance to scout the competition we'll eventually crush," Iwaizumi said with a grin, his confidence practically radiating.
"Yes!" The players nodded, their resolve clear.
"I'll go call them back now to confirm!" Mizoguchi exclaimed, looking as excited as if he himself had been invited. He dashed off again, leaving Irihata shaking his head.
"Ah, youth..." Irihata sighed with a smile.
"All of these camps start after the semester ends in early December," Irihata addressed the team. "Until then, we'll stick to our regular training. Remember, winning the county championship was just the first step!"
"What's our ultimate goal?"
"To dominate the nation!!!" The Aoba Johsai players shouted in unison.
"Excellent." Satisfied with their enthusiasm, Irihata left the room, trusting that this group needed little supervision to stay motivated.
Two weeks had passed since the finals of the Spring High Representative Tournament qualifiers.
"All the handover work has been completed..." Shiratorizawa's vice-captain, Sengawa Jin, was wrapping up the day's training session when—
"Wait, I'd like to say a few words."
The sudden sound of Ushijima Wakatoshi's voice startled Sengawa.
"Yes! Of course!" Sengawa immediately stepped aside, allowing Ushijima to address the team.
Ushijima walked over to stand before the first and second-year players. He stood silently for a moment before beginning.
"Here!" Kawanishi Taichi was caught off guard but responded promptly.
"With Tendō gone, your blocking will become the core of our defence. You need to have more confidence in yourself," Ushijima said in a calm, steady voice. "Also, focus on improving your serves."
"Yes, understood!" Kawanishi responded loudly.
"From now on, the responsibility of organizing the team's offence falls entirely on you. There are no weak spikers in Shiratorizawa. Use them effectively. Also, work on sharpening your defensive skills."
"You need to stabilize your positioning. Never slack off during training."
"Focus on improving your reaction speed at the net."
"Is Ushijima planning to go through the entire team?" Yamagata Hayato chuckled.
"Well, he's always been attentive to everyone," Tendō Satori replied, his usual playful grin in place.
"H-Here!" Goshiki Tsutomu stiffened as he answered.
In the brief silence, waves of regret flooded him.
Serve receptions, blocks, mental fortitude—there was so much he needed to address. How could he have the audacity to call himself the ace up until now?
Ushijima's gaze softened as he looked at Goshiki. His normally stern expression eased, and his tone carried a rare warmth.
"The team will be in your hands from now on."
There was no additional advice. Entrusting the team to Goshiki was, in itself, the most profound guidance Ushijima could give to Shiratorizawa's future ace.
"Yes, sir!!!" Goshiki's voice cracked as he shouted, tears streaming down his face.
The third-years watched their typically boisterous junior with tender smiles.
Seated at the back, Coach Washijō observed this passing of the torch.
With just a single sentence, Ushijima had encapsulated the unwavering trust and expectations of the seniors for Goshiki.
As Kawanishi watched this unfold, a memory of what Semi had once said to him during a match surfaced.
"Even if they don't show it, the ones who care about you guys the most are Tendō and Ushijima..."
[T/N] - If you guys want to read 50 Chapters in advance of the current story, you can support me on my . Trust me, it's awesome!
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