Best Mistake (Iwaoi)

Chapter 9

Chapter 9:
The Fallen Powerhouse

The Spring High-Miyagi Prefecture Representative Playoffs' Semi-Final match between Karasuno and Seijoh was well underway. The former leads the match by a set to love. If the boys in orange and black jerseys get their hands on this set as well, that would mean the end of the match and a ticket to the finals.

"It's the scaredy-cat pinch server from that Wakunan match, again!" The crowd began to murmur as the officials blew the whistle, indicating a substitution for Team Karasuno.

"Yamaguchi! Get ten points!" Hinata pumped his fists in excitement, as he patted Yamaguchi on his shoulders.

"But that would end the match."

"I'd forgive you." Hinata smirked, and Yamaguchi found a little motivation from his teammate.

Eight seconds. A server has eight seconds to think the whole serve through. You went to Coach Ukai on your own, and that makes you a whole different player already. Makoto Shimada's words played and replayed inside Yamaguchi's head over and over again.

He heaved a deep breath, as he made his serve, his heart still pounding inside his chest, hopeful for a positive outcome.

"Out!" Shinji Watari, Seijoh's libero called out but Yamaguchi's serve took an unexpected fall onto the line on the last millisecond, registering a no touch ace and a point for Karasuno.

"NICE ONE, YAMAGUCHI!" Karasuno's six commended their newly-fielded teammate, as Yamaguchi started to build confidence in his serves.

Yamaguchi racked up points with his serve until Seijoh figured out a way to stop his jump floats. Oikawa tossed the ball up high to Zone 6 where Iwaizumi went for the kill.

Yamaguchi was able to keep the ball in play when he received it with his body. His save paved way to Tsukkishima, who swiped the ball past Oikawa's fingertips. The crowd cheered and Oikawa gave Tsukki a dirty look, as the tension started to build between the two.

Their coach called for time out, as they talked things over. True enough, a serve is a solitary play in which you are given the chance to score on your own, and Yamaguchi displayed and used that weapon all throughout the tournament. All Seijoh's concern at the moment is to put an end to it, as another service ace was registered, courtesy of a net drop.

"Let's calm down!" Oikawa exclaimed in a jolly manner, as he opened his arms wide, causing his teammates to look at him in disbelief.

"I am calm." Iwa replied nonchalantly, as Makki and Issei agreed. "We'll get the next one. That serve was hard to stop."

"You guys are so great, you're making your captain blush!" Oikawa squealed, earning a smirk from Iwaizumi, as they settled inside the course.

Karasuno kept pushing through, as Asahi scored with an off-the-block hit from Oikawa. The ace from the other side answered back with a back row attack, finally ending Yamaguchi's serving reign.

"Next time, I'll get ten points." Yamaguchi hissed, as Hinata and Nishinoya looked at him in awe.

A series of point exchanges, courtesy of Asahi and Iwaizumi's showdown, made the match really tight. Iwaizumi noticed that Kindaichi was not his usual self, so he approached him nicely and said, "Your movements are stiff, Kindaichi." The senior whispered what seemed out of the blue to the first-year player, who grimaced.

"Stop thinking about unnecessary things. You have to focus your mind on the ball in front of you." Iwa smiled, calming Kindaichi's jittery nerves.

The fight between the two teams was a thriller, and there was no guarantee who'd be bagging the set until the very end. Seijoh finally had a breather, establishing a run of their own, and zooming past Karasuno in the scoreboard, leading them by two, and pocketing the second set 28-26.