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Tamaki Commercial High School Girls’ Volleyball Club
Former Captain
POV: Ichikawa Makiko
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Second day of the training camp. Technically, things shouldn’t start until the afternoon today too, but I decided to help out from the morning.
I-it’s not like I had any ulterior motives or anything! Right, this is purely to repay the volleyball club that helped me so much! All the senpai before me also came to help from the morning! I’m just following their example! It has nothing to do with Angel-chan!
Then, when I walked into the gym, I found Angel-chan with her hair in her usual bun, looking all downcast by the sidelines.
Inside the gym, the team was in the middle of intense 2v2 training. I could guess what happened.
This training involves spiking too, and Angel-chan’s spikes are downright brutal. I doubt many could handle one of those head-on.
The people who can receive her spikes are all fairly advanced players, but if you pair Angel-chan with one of them, then it’s her own lack of receiving and tossing skills that ends up making the training ineffective.
Sure, compared to back in June, Angel-chan has gotten better in both areas, but unlike spiking or blocking—which can be managed with athletic ability—receiving is something you improve by steadily piling on practice. It doesn’t get better overnight.
…Though, one of Matsujo’s two aces—Murai-san, I think?—for some reason already has a pretty solid receiving form. That must be an exception.
Even Coach Kumada looks troubled. Our training style at Tamaki Commercial is all about developing all-around players, so maybe it’s just not a good fit for someone like Angel-chan, who’s highly specialized.
“Oh, Ichikawa. Just the person I needed. I was waiting for you.”
The first thing Coach Kumada says when he sees me is something ominous. I had a bad feeling about this.
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That bad feeling? Completely off. YEEEEEESSSSSS!!
“Ichikawa-senpai, I’m sorry to trouble you, but please take care of me.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine. I don’t think of it as a bother at all.”
Right. Not even a little bit. Honestly, I’d be begging to take this on!
“Ichikawa, could you look after that little one for a bit? You’re good with people. I’m sure you’ll manage.”
And just like that, I got the chance to coach Angel-chan one-on-one!!
HECK YES!!! MASSIVE VICTORY!!!
“Since it’s a joint training session, why don’t we do something unique to Tamaki Commercial?”
“Unique to Tamaki Commercial?”
Angel-chan tilted her head cutely. She’s just too adorable.
“Following our 2v2 and coordination drills, here comes the third Tamaki Commercial Girls’ Volleyball Club specialty: One-Man Receive!”
Angel-chan’s face turned visibly unenthusiastic. I mean, that’s the usual reaction.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. Sure, some schools use one-man receive as a form of punishment, but ours actually has a proper purpose.”
She tilted her head again, just as cutely.
“There are two main things you build with one-man receive. First, the ability to handle balls that come right at the edge of your reach—because you have no choice but to go for them yourself. Second, the skill of predicting the next ball. We’re trading the ball directly, right? During one-man, you’ll need to pay close attention to my hands, my eyes, my body position—everything. From there, figure out where I’m going to send the ball next. Especially for you, Yuuri-chan, your reaction to the ball is already really sharp. If you can get better at predicting where the ball’s headed, you’ll improve a lot more. Got it?”
Angel-chan nodded with a little bob of her head. So cute! I even brought my bath kit with me today. Maybe we could bathe together later?
“Alright then, let’s start by gauging your current level. We’ll do a drill that mixes underhand and overhand catches. I won’t tell you which to use—if you think it’s better to go under, go under. If it looks better for an over, take it with an over.”
I begin by testing her abilities. Hmm...
“Next is receiving practice. I’ll hit the ball toward you, so imagine I’m the setter and return the ball to my spot.”
We move on to receives. I throw in some lobbed balls, then try a few light attacks...
She returns the lobbed balls accurately to my spot. Even the light attacks come back decently.
“Okay, now I’ll start moving it a bit side to side. Stay sharp and keep those receives clean!”
Now I start testing her with lateral movement. Angel-chan reacts quickly—but...
“Hmm. For now, I’d say your biggest weakness is clear, Yuuri-chan. Your judgment between underhand and overhand is really off. Even though your reactions are good, you hesitate between techniques and end up receiving with your chest a lot.”
“I know... I’m trying to fix it.”
Ah, so she’s aware.
“Then let’s settle it right here. Yuuri-chan, which do you prefer? Under or over?”
“If I had to choose... overhand, I guess.”
“Good. Then from now on, when in doubt, go for overhand. Okay?”
Considering her height and lower center of gravity, underhand isn’t a bad option—but if she’s aiming for a higher level of play, she’ll face more float serves, and overhand receives are more stable in those cases. The worst thing is hesitating and taking it with your chest. Even if she knows that, putting it into practice is hard. But sometimes, being told firmly by someone else helps people make quick decisions. I hope this will be a turning point for her.
“This next issue isn’t as bad, but... you often just reach out with your arms instead of moving your whole body to center the ball. You’re fast, Yuuri-chan. Don’t get lazy—always bring the ball to your core for the receive.
So, during one-man, I’m going to keep mixing in two types of balls:
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The ones where you hesitate between under and over,
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And ones that require a bit more footwork to receive at your center.
Got it?”
In the end, Angel-chan’s weaknesses are the same ones everyone has. And the only way to get past them is to practice. So, we’ll practice. One-man receive is perfect for that kind of focused, repeated work.
And then...
“There! Step forward! Overhand’s your strength, right? You are better at it! So step in!”
“No! Don’t slack on that last step! Don’t receive outside your center!”
Angel-chan’s reactions are exceptionally sharp. She’s probably learning to read my hands and body to guess whether I’ll spike or feint. Even when I move side to side, her reaction to the ball is solid.
Add to that her speed, and she’s able to get to even some of the wildest balls I throw. Her actual receives still need work, but teaching her is genuinely fun. No matter where I send the ball, she chases it down!
And then there’s this bonus perk!
“Alright? Even against strong hits, there’s no need to change your form. Just keep your arms out like this. Don’t swing them—use your knees—”
While giving underhand tips, I sneak up from behind and gently wrap my arms around Angel-chan. Perfectly legitimate coaching contact!
Wooooo!!
Her arms! So soft and smooth! Her back is small, soft, and seriously just wonderful!
And up close—she smells amazing!
And then, again, under the guise of instruction—
“Okay, hold that position. You received the ball from this spot earlier, right? But if you’d taken just one more step—”
As I say that, I gently guide her leg into position. “See? One more step and you could’ve received the ball in front of your body.”
…Sorry. I just really wanted to touch her thigh...
“Yuuri-chan! What do you do in that situation? Overhand, right? And there you go again—receiving right here!”
With that “right here,” I give her chest a couple light taps.
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This kind of coaching—if Kumada-sensei did it, he’d 100% be arrested for sexual harassment—went on for a while. The dreamlike time was brought to an abrupt end by Yacchin.
“Hey, Maki! Are you having fun bullying a first-year from another school?! How long are you gonna keep this up without even taking a break?!”
Huh?
I instinctively looked at the clock. It had been an hour and a half since I started the one-on-one session with Angel-chan, and nearly an hour since we started serious one-man receive drills. For reference, one-man receive usually maxes out your stamina after 10 to 15 minutes per set.
No wonder it looked like bullying from the outside… Wait, what?!!
“S-sorry, Yuuri-chan. That must’ve been rough, right? I’m sorry for not noticing…”
Crap! This is the classic pattern for getting hated—combine sexual harassment-level coaching with overwork!
“? I’m totally fine. Actually, could we keep going?”
She was breathing heavily through her shoulders, but answered with a beaming smile.
…Huh? What are you saying?
Don’t tell me… Is Angel-chan the kind of girl who feels good when she’s forced to do painful or tough things?
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Perspective shift
POV: Tachibana Yuuri
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Tch...
Just when the one-on-one practice with my hot senpai was heating up and starting to feel really good, we got forced to take a break. Well, it is summer, and the gym is hot. I guess a break is necessary to prevent dehydration or heatstroke.
While I was rehydrating with a sports drink prepared by the manager from the other school (jealous—wish Matsujo had a manager too), Hina and Sayaka came over during their own break.
“Yuuri-chan, you okay? Looked like she really pushed you pretty hard.”
“Totally fine. The beach volleyball we did recently that aired on TV was way tougher. Compared to the All-Japan training camp, this is nothing.”
That’s the truth. Sure, beach volleyball courts are smaller, but you’re running on sand. This gym’s hardwood is way easier to move on. Plus, during that time, I was playing back-to-back matches for what felt like a solid two hours nonstop.
Not to mention, volleyball maniac Mai-san didn’t show any signs of fatigue till the end. I was like, I’m a guy, I can’t be the one to give out first! So I just kept going, running around on the sand. Compared to that, this is a walk in the park.
And the All-Japan camp that pushed me to my physical limits? That goes without saying.
“W-wait, Yuuri-chan, you really went to the All-Japan camp?”
“Yup. Yuu-chan got invited to the women’s national team training camp with Mika-nee the other day.”
“As a guinea pig, though. I could barely keep up with the drills.”
That camp was great from a skills standpoint, but all the older girls there were total pervy ladies—it was tough.
Compared to that, my hot senpai’s sincere attitude is in a whole different league!
Like, when she was coaching my receiving form, she got behind me and said—
“This is how you receive.”
—literally guiding me step-by-step. She was so close behind me that her chest was pressing against my back.
But when I glanced at her expression, it was the usual calm and composed look. Even while touching my arms and legs, her face didn’t waver at all.
“Yuuri-chan, don’t drop your hips so low. You won’t be able to move quickly like that.”
Even when she lightly smacked my butt…
“Hey! Yuuri-chan! In that situation, you’re supposed to go for an overhand, right? You’re receiving it like this again!”
…And smacked my chest, she still had the same serious expression.
If it were Mana, Sayaka, Yumi-san, or anyone else, they’d be grinning like a creep. But there wasn’t even a hint of that vibe from her.
To her, things like boobs or butts probably have nothing to do with volleyball and aren’t even worth paying attention to. Even when she was pressing her chest against mine, she didn’t seem to notice at all.
It’s like that time during Obon break when Mika-nee was helping me practice. Her chest would press up against me, too, and—
“Huh? My boobs touched you? Don’t worry about stupid stuff like that, we’re sisters. Focus. You’re here to play volleyball, right?”
—that’s what she said. Meaning, just like Mika-nee, she’s seriously coaching me. Even though I’m just some random student from another school! What a great person!!
Such a dedicated and skilled player—my hot senpai. But—
“Saya-nee. Ichikawa-senpai’s gonna quit volleyball after high school, right?”
“Yeah. She said so herself. Kumada-sensei said, ‘If she were just 5cm taller, she could play at the college level…’”
It’s true. She’s really good at volleyball. But compared to the people selected for the All-Japan camp, she’s just a step below. At her current skill level, she won’t be able to move to the next stage. Or maybe she could if she had more height.
You need both the skill and height of someone like Mai-san to continue beyond high school.
I was reminded of how harsh the world of volleyball really is.
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