The locker room was silent.
Not the heavy silence of defeat—but the fragile quiet that comes before something breaks… or heals.
Yuuto sat on the bench, his right wrist wrapped thickly in white tape. He stared at the floor, jaw clenched so tight it looked painful. Across from him, the backup setter nervously adjusted his jersey, eyes darting around like he didn't belong here.
Renji stood near the lockers, hands resting on his knees, breathing slow and controlled.
This was it.
Final set.
Fifteen points.
Everything they'd built this season balanced on a razor's edge.
---
Yuuto's Guilt
"I screwed up."
Yuuto's voice was rough, barely louder than a whisper.
No one spoke.
"I should've said something earlier," he continued. "I felt it after the third set. But I didn't want to be the weak link."
Renji looked up.
Yuuto finally met his eyes. "You pulled me out anyway. Even when I asked you not to."
Renji nodded once. "Because you're not replaceable, Yuuto. You're irreplaceable. And that's exactly why I couldn't let you destroy yourself."
Yuuto swallowed hard.
Asuka knelt beside him, her hands tightening briefly around the towel in her lap. "You always carry everything alone," she said softly. "You don't have to anymore."
Yuuto let out a shaky breath. "Guess I'm still learning that."
---
Stepping Into the Void
Coach Sato cleared his throat. "We don't have time for regrets."
He turned to the backup setter. "You're in. You don't need to be perfect. You just need to trust your teammates."
The boy nodded quickly. "I—I'll do my best."
Renji stepped forward then, his voice steady but warm. "You're not alone out there. Follow my calls. If something feels off, say it. We'll adjust together."
The setter looked at him, surprised. Then nodded again—this time, more firmly.
Yuuto cracked a weak grin. "Look at you. Giving captain speeches."
Renji huffed softly. "Don't get used to it."
But there was no denying it.
This team was looking at him now.
---
Before the Storm
As they lined up to return to the court, Renji lingered for a second behind the others.
Asuka stepped up beside him.
"You're scared," she said quietly.
Renji didn't deny it. "Yeah."
She smiled gently. "Good. That means you care."
She reached out and squeezed his hand. "No matter what happens… I'm proud of you."
Renji felt his chest tighten.
"I won't let them fall," he said.
Asuka shook her head. "You don't have to hold everyone up. Just keep them together."
---
Across the Net
On the other side of the court, Nao Yamasaki watched Seiwa regroup.
No smirk.
No taunts.
Just calm focus.
But his eyes lingered on Renji.
The quiet boy from the past was gone.
In his place stood someone different.
Someone dangerous.
---
Final Set Begins
The whistle blew.
The fifth set had begun.
The backup setter delivered his first set—slightly high.
Arai adjusted mid-air and slammed it down anyway.
Point. Seiwa.
The bench erupted.
Renji clapped his hands. "Good! Keep breathing!"
Arakawa answered immediately with a brutal spike.
1–1.
No momentum. No mercy.
Just battle.
---
Heart Over Fear
Midway through the set, with the score tied 7–7, a long rally unfolded.
Dig after dig.
Block after block.
Nao dove for a save that should've been impossible.
Renji chased the ball to the edge of the court, barely keeping it alive with a one-handed bump.
The backup setter hesitated.
Renji shouted, "Now!"
The set came.
Yuuto wasn't there.
But Kenta was.
And Kenta smashed it down.
8–7. Seiwa.
Yuuto jumped up from the bench, pain forgotten. "YES!"
Renji didn't smile.
Not yet.
---
Healing in Motion
As the game pushed on, something incredible happened.
The backup setter grew more confident.
The team adapted.
They weren't playing like a broken unit.
They were playing like a whole—each piece compensating for the other.
Renji felt it in every receive.
In every shout.
In every trusting glance from his teammates.
This wasn't the volleyball he'd fallen in love with because it was safe.
This was the volleyball he loved because it was shared.
---
End of the Chapter
The score ticked up.
12–11.
Seiwa leading.
The gym roared.
Nao stepped back to serve, eyes sharp, posture perfect.
Renji crouched low, heart pounding—but steady.
This wasn't about fear anymore.
It was about heart.
And Seiwa had never had more of it than they did now.
---
End of Chapter 77
---
To Be Continued