Irihata Nobuteru had changed.
He was no longer the easygoing middle-aged man with squinty eyes and a perpetual smile for everyone.
On the fourth day of the "hell training–" Irihata suddenly increased the intensity. Before, during the "controlled bump" drill, the Aoba Johsai players were penalized with a 500-meter cross-country run for every five mistakes.
Now? It was every three mistakes.
After three days of training, the Seijoh players had just barely started adapting to the rhythm, only to be knocked straight back to square one overnight.
But the ones hit hardest were the newcomers, Oikawa Tooru and Kyotani Kentarou. Though both had solid fundamentals and ranked among the best in Aoba Johsai, it was natural for them to stumble a bit when first tackling the drill.
As a result, just one hour into special training that day, they had already run three full laps.
By the time the team got their mid-session break, the cheerful smiles had vanished from both their faces.
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Tanji Washijo had changed, too.
In the past, Washijo was known for his strict Spartan-style training, but he still adhered to a methodical pace, unbothered by outcomes.
But ever since 8 a.m., when the Aoba Johsai players showed up at the beach, it was as if this little old man had been lit with the fire of his youth.
With a broad swing of his arm, he shouted heartily:
"Add another lap!"
And just like that, Shiratorizawa's punishment drills increased from one long-distance lap to two.
A quick explanation: Shiratorizawa's punishment laps were around the perimeter of the seaside inn they had rented. Since the Aoba Johsai base was close by and the accommodations were of similar size, both teams had nearly identical routes and distances for these endurance runs.
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Then Irihata Nobuteru changed again.
If Shiratorizawa could push harder, so could they.
Without hesitation, he declared that Seijoh's punishment runs would also be extended to two laps.
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Then Washijo escalated again.
More training. More punishment.
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And so it went.
Two coaches, both in their sixties, glaring at each other like ancient warlords, locked in a silent, explosive duel of willpower and ego.
Meanwhile, their players lay sprawled across the sand like dead dogs.
"Huff... huff... What's going on? Was Coach always this petty?" Shirabu Kenjirou gasped, bracing himself with both hands in the sand. The back-to-back sessions and three brutal 500-meter laps had left him breathless.
"Damn it... Who knew we'd end up training side by side with Seijoh... huff, huff..."
"What about it? We've played against them before, haven't we?"
"Obviously, but back then we never lost to Aoba Johsai... huff!"
Shirabu Kenjiro took several deep breaths to calm himself, then muttered, "You're underestimating Coach's pride. Ever since we lost to Seijoh in the qualifiers, he's been quietly brooding. This joint training session is probably the perfect chance for him to vent all that frustration."
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On the other side, Seijoh's players were just as confused.
Especially Oikawa Tooru and Kyotani Kentarou, who looked utterly dazed.
"Huff... huff... Wait a second, this is how you've been training these past few days?" Oikawa asked, disbelief written all over his face.
The others simply gave the two a side glance, then looked away. No one had the strength left to even answer.
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And in the afternoon?
As expected,
Irihata and Washijo clashed again.
The result? Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa faced off in another match.
Don't get the wrong idea,
This wasn't a fight, just a volleyball match.
The only difference from yesterday's game was this:
The losing team would be punished with five full 500-meter laps.
The moment this rule was announced, both teams sat up straight, eyes wide with disbelief.
Except for Akashi Asuka, who looked positively thrilled.
"Oh-ho? If we lose, I'll have a legitimate excuse to overtrain? Sounds like a great deal to me!"
The others: Something's wrong with you!!
Irihata Nobuteru narrowed his eyes, clearly seeing right through Akashi's 'devious little plan,' and added another rule:
"The entire team will take the punishment, no exceptions."
In an instant,
Akashi's scheme to sneak in some extra training was crushed.
After all, the fun in overtraining was in doing it secretly. If everyone was doing it, then what was the point?
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Unlike yesterday's indoor match, today's showdown was on the beach.
Once both teams finished their warm-ups, they began stepping onto the sand court.
When Hajime Iwaizumi entered the game, Oikawa immediately sensed something was off.
"Hey, Iwa-chan! You're in the wrong position."
"I'm not."
Iwaizumi shook his head and took a deep breath, then turned to the entire Seijoh team and announced loudly:
"Starting today, I'll be taking on the role of support opposite hitter. Please take care of me!"
"Wait, what?! You're not going to be our ace anymore?!"
His sudden declaration stunned the entire team.
Iwaizumi let out a long breath. There was a calm, resolved look on his face as he said:
"No. With Akashi and Kyotani on the team now, our offense is already strong enough. If we want to go further at Nationals, we'll need to strengthen our defense too."
This was a decision Iwaizumi had been contemplating for a long time.
To be exact, he'd been thinking about it ever since the end of the National Tournament.
Before reaching Nationals, he still held on to hope that he could continue being the team's core attacker. But once they were there, he came face to face with his own limitations.
Throughout the entire tournament, Iwaizumi's contribution on offense had been almost nonexistent.
Against high-level national opponents, his attack power had little impact. Not once did he deliver a critical point. Sure, he managed to score here and there, but only through perfectly timed sets from Oikawa.
So who really earned those points?
Was it Oikawa or Iwaizumi?
It was a harsh truth, but his physical limitations had become an undeniable barrier to growth.
He hesitated for a long time.
But after yesterday's practice match against Shiratorizawa, he'd finally made peace with it.
Aoba Johsai was a team.
And as this team climbed toward its peak, not everyone could be the shining sun. Someone had to stand in the shadows, silent, reliable, and unwavering.
As vice-captain, Iwaizumi believed it was his duty to be the first to make that sacrifice.
"Let me be the foundation on which Aoba Johsai stands at the top of the nation."
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