Interlude – Arimura Yukiko

 

It’s a big mistake to assume that everyone in sports clubs has a cheerful and energetic personality.

I’m living proof of that.

My name is Arimura Yukiko.

It’s sad to admit, but I’m not what you’d call cheerful, and I’m not the type who takes initiative either.

As for volleyball, I only started back in elementary school because an older girl, two years ahead of me, who walked to school with me as part of our group commute, was playing it and invited me along.

Later, after that girl moved away, I couldn’t bring myself to say I wanted to quit. And since joining a club was mandatory in middle school, I just picked volleyball because I’d already been doing it.

That’s why it’s a problem when people expect me to be a “lively high school girl who’s in a sports club.”

“Hey, hey! Yukki, weren’t you at Sunagawa Middle? I feel like I saw you in the prefectural finals last year—right before Nationals! Oh, I’m from Rokuzaki Middle, by the way.”

“Chika? What’s going on?”

“Masami! Don’t you remember this girl? Not this June, but last June! The girl from Sunagawa in the prefectural qualifiers for Nationals!”

“Oh! The really skilled libero! Even when I was in my third year, no one else in the country could pick up my spikes like that!”

…Please, let me speak at my own pace. I can’t keep up with such rapid-fire conversation. And calling me “Yukki” right off the bat when we just met…

“You two, calm down a little. Arimura-san looks overwhelmed. I’m sorry about this. They’re really good kids, just… full of energy.”

＝＝＝＝＝＝

Two weeks before the National Sports Festival, commonly called the Kokutai.

Today and again next week, I’ve come to Himesaki High School for a meet-and-greet and joint practice session.

In the girls’ volleyball division for the youth category, the selection process differs from prefecture to prefecture. In some places, the school that advanced to the Inter-High tournament represents the whole prefecture. In others, like ours, a team is formed from selected local players.

In my prefecture, it’s the latter—a team made up of local selections.

That said, the base team is still Himesaki High School’s girls’ volleyball team, which reached the top four at Inter-High. Players from outside the prefecture are excluded (Himesaki has enough players from within the prefecture to form multiple teams), and I’m the only outsider joining them.

Once practice started, the level was definitely high. We had a training camp at the end of August with Tamaki Commercial and strong public schools from other prefectures, but this group is a few steps ahead of even that.

When Yuuri came back from the All-Japan camp, she said, “Volleyball that’s aware of the next move.” These girls really play that way. The facilities are excellent, too. And in November, we’ll be playing against them...

“Arimura-san. Do you have a moment?”

The one who spoke to me during a break was Saori Nishimura, the captain of Himesaki’s girls’ volleyball team.

She was also the one who helped me out when I was overwhelmed by everyone talking to me so quickly the moment I walked into the gym.

“How’s our practice?”

“Everyone’s really good. Looking back, I realize we only held our own back in June by sheer luck.”

“No need to be so modest. You were super annoying to play against in that match, and from what I saw today, that wasn’t just a fluke.”

I think she’s being considerate.

I’m an outsider who usually doesn’t practice with them. They’re probably wondering how I’ll fit in, and what they can do to make that easier. I’m making them go out of their way, and I feel bad about it.

“You don’t have to worry about that, Arimura-san. I’m only captain in name, so I have to at least do this much.”

“Captain in name…?”

“Yeah. I didn’t even make my debut in official matches until I was a third-year, and even then, I shared playtime with first-years. But since I’m a third-year, they still made me team captain.”

She added with a wry smile that she’s not the game captain because she doesn’t always play, but to me, she seems very capable.

Losing your spot to younger players must be frustrating. Even so, she hasn’t gotten discouraged, and she still fulfills her role as captain while looking out for outsiders like me.

And even though she downplays it, she’s good at volleyball, too. Nishimura-san is a setter. Compared to Hina or Mirai, who play the same position on our team, she’s clearly on another level overall.

“Ah! There you are! Yukki!”

The one calling out to me from afar was Okino-san, a fellow first-year. She told me to just call her “Chika,” but… we’ve only known each other half a day.

“Hey, hey, are you free after this? We were thinking of having a little welcome party for you—just us first-years.”

“Just the first-years? Why?”

“Well, there are things you can’t say when the upperclassmen are around, right? We’re only teammates during the Kokutai, but I thought we could use this chance to get to know each other better.”

And this, too, leaves me at a loss. Asuka talks about the Himesaki girls like they’re sworn enemies or something, but in reality, they’re all really nice. It’s fine for now, but when I think about facing them in the qualifiers for Spring Nationals in November… it weighs on me.

＝＝＝＝＝＝

And so, the day of the first round of the girls’ youth volleyball division of the National Sports Festival arrived.

Pomf

“Nice receive, Yuki!”

I dug out a spike that came flying at us. It drifted a little to the right, but I managed to return it to the setter.

“Chika! Left!”

Tokumoto-san, our left-side hitter, called for the ball. Okino-san, our setter, responded with a toss to the left.

But the opponent jumped to block, completely covering the spiking lane—

Smack!

What looked like a fully shut-down path still had a tiny opening, and she drove the ball straight through it, just brushing the sideline.

A sharp, clean spike down the line.

Tokumoto-san wasn’t a regular at powerhouse Himesaki for nothing, even as a first-year.

Tweet!

And with that, the match was over. We had won our first-round game.

The Himesaki girls really are good. Even when they block, they don’t obstruct my line of sight as libero—they don’t just focus on blocking the ball, but on the whole picture.

Their coordination is also far smoother than ours.

“Nice play out there. I’m starting to regret not trying harder to recruit you last year.”

That’s what Coach Akai said to me after the match. I know exactly what she means by “starting to.”

Then, looking over the whole team, Coach Akai said:

“First, congratulations on the win. Great effort, everyone. The second round is tomorrow. Make sure you do your stretches and cool down properly so you’re not sore. Dismissed.”

And with that, we were free to go. I—

“Yukki! We’re taking the bus to cheer for the adult women’s team after this. Want to come too?”

I couldn’t ask for anything better. I really do want to go.

＝＝＝＝＝

The women’s volleyball adult division, held at a different venue from the high school division. The match start times were staggered, so we just barely made it.

“But hey, Yuki-chan. Sorry for inviting you like this, but are you sure you wanted to come? We came to cheer because we’ve got OGs playing.”

“I wanted to cheer too. My friend’s older sister is on the team.”

“Oh, right. Your teammate’s the younger sister of Tachibana-senpai.”

“Hey, you two. It’s starting.”

The match began. In the adult division of volleyball, regardless of gender, corporate teams are the main participants. Normally, the corporate team from my area isn’t very strong, but…

In the match unfolding before us, they were dominating the opponent.

“Shigeno-senpai, that was amazing!”

“That was Kawamura-senpai just now, wasn’t it? Can you believe she did a quick attack from that spot? Chika, could you do that?”

“No waaay.”

The reason for the domination was clear—the addition of three players from the prefecture to the corporate team. Each played a critical but different role: ace scorer, setter and playmaker, and libero as the defensive anchor.

All three were graduates of Himesaki High School, and all were on the U-23 national team.

The one I was watching most was Hina’s older sister, Tachibana Mika.

In volleyball, it’s generally said that shorter players have the advantage when playing libero.

That’s because being closer to the ground makes it easier to dig the ball before it hits the floor, and a lower center of gravity provides greater stability when receiving with an underhand form.

And yet, internationally, liberos are getting taller. Why is that? The answer was playing out right before me.

The opposing spiker surprised the blockers with a feint instead of a strong hit. Our team’s defenders, who were positioned deep expecting a power spike, couldn’t reach it in time. At least, that’s how it would’ve gone if I were on the court. But—

Hina’s sister, Tachibana Mika, launched herself forward with a flying receive, closing the gap in a single step. She’s tall, so even just the width of her palm managed to slip under the ball!

She picked it up cleanly and eventually the team sent the ball back to the opponent’s court with a spike.

Another point added to the lead.

Even if I tried my hardest, I couldn’t reach that ball with a flying receive.

Taller players have an advantage—not just in reach, but in how much ground they can cover in a single step.

“I regret not trying to recruit you last year… just a little.”

Coach Akai had said that. And I can’t blame him. If you want a team strong enough to keep winning nationwide, you can’t settle for a short libero like me—you need someone tall.

But… that’s just making excuses.

Height alone might’ve been manageable.

But Tachibana Mika is something else entirely.

She lowers her hips more than anyone else, staying low and ready for the ball, always in the most stable position on the court.

Like Yuuri, her reaction speed is lightning fast.

And above all—her receiving is exceptional.

It’s not just about being tall. She has natural ability, she’s trained, and she’s mastered the skills. That’s the kind of libero coaches like Akai want—liberos like her...

“Whew. Shigeno-neesan is as incredible as ever.”

“Chizuru. You’re noisy. Be quiet for a bit.”

“Aw, what’s with the grumpy face? Don’t tell me you’re scared of Kawamura-neesan’s play?”

“I will smack you.”

That’s the kind of conversation drifting over from nearby.

The attention and praise may go to the ace or the setter, but in volleyball, where you don’t lose as long as the ball doesn’t touch the ground, the libero—the heart of the defense—is the one who truly determines victory or defeat.

The match ended without ever letting go of the lead. The team with Tachibana Mika, the one we came to cheer for, won.

I knew it already, but Tachibana Mika really is amazing. It was overwhelming. That kind of player will probably be the new standard in the volleyball world going forward.

After the match, I figured we’d head straight back to our accommodations, but the Himesaki players said they’d be talking with the OGs before returning.

Well, that has nothing to do with me. I decided to leave the venue early—

“Ah, wait! Are you… Arimura-san, by any chance?”

Just as I was about to leave, I was called out—by none other than Hina’s sister, Tachibana Mika.

＝＝＝＝＝

"I heard from Hina and Yuu, you know. They told me that their teammate, an incredibly skilled libero, would be playing in the National Sports Festival, and that if I met you, I should say hi."

After that, I ended up talking one-on-one with Hina and Yuuri’s older sister, Tachibana Mika-san, a little ways away from the others.

"Um, are you sure it’s okay? Talking with me alone like this?"

"Hm? Oh, are you worried about the Himesaki girls? Don’t worry. I’ll have plenty of chances to talk to them later. But with you, Arimura-san, this might be the only chance, right?"

...I guess that makes sense.

"More importantly, is Yuu doing okay at school? I don’t think there’s anything to worry about when it comes to Hina, but I’m not so sure about Yuu managing things properly."

Ah, right. I remember Yuuri said she came to Japan last September, and only really started living here in earnest from November. As a family member, it’s natural to feel concerned about how she’s adjusting.

"Yuuri is doing fine. Her Japanese is so fluent you’d think it was her native language, and she’s blended in well. Academically, she’s always ranked in the top ten."

"Really? That’s a relief. Oh, but you don’t need to flatter her just because you’re talking to me. What’s the real story?"

"I’m not exaggerating. She’s very familiar with Japanese norms too...

Ah, but sometimes she surprises people with a few tactless comments. It’s strange, considering how well she’s adapted to Japanese customs and culture...

To be honest, sometimes she behaves a little like a boy."

...Was that rude of me to say? Mika-san’s expression clearly dropped when I said it.

"I see... Thanks. I’ll make sure to drill some proper girl’s manners into her next time she’s home. Anything else?"

"...I think it’s probably due to the culture in her home country, but she’s not very fashion-conscious. It’s a shame, given how good her 'raw materials' are.

She doesn’t pay much attention to how she dresses. I saw some pictures from Hina once, and I thought the outfits you and the others dressed her in suited her really well..."

"Honestly, that’s already a big improvement from how she used to be. But I get it. By the way, the clothes we dressed her in—was that from August?"

"I’m not sure if it was, but—"

・
・
・
・

"I see. Got it. I’ll give Yuu a good talking-to when I see her next. Now then, Arimura-san, I want to ask about you this time. Honestly, you’re struggling with volleyball right now, aren’t you?"

After I finished telling her how Yuuri was doing at school, Mika-san suddenly asked me that.

"...Why do you think that?"

"Hmm, just a hunch. I kind of feel like the current you reminds me of how I was in my first year of high school."

What should I do? Should I tell her or not? But this is the first time we’ve met. It feels a bit too heavy to dump serious stuff on her all of a sudden.

"I wouldn’t say I’m struggling... more like I’m unsure."

The words came out before I could think them through.

"Unsure about what?"

"Unlike everyone else at Matsubara Girls’ High, I feel like I’m the only one who doesn’t have any more room to grow..."

"Well, that makes sense. I heard from my sister that aside from you and one other person, the rest of your team were all beginners or had long breaks, right?

So of course, at the beginning, even small improvements make them seem like they’re getting really good, really fast.

But don’t worry, that growth spurt won’t last forever. And you? No room to grow? That’s nonsense. Just with receiving, for example—do you think you're the best receiver in the world?"

I shook my head.

"Right? Then that’s your room to grow. And to grow in that area, the only thing you can do is practice.

Spikes and stuff like that are somewhat influenced by natural athletic ability, like with Yuu, but receiving is different.

Some people may improve faster than others, but if you don’t practice, you’ll never get better."

"But in the end, physical ability still matters, right? I’m small..."

"Hmm... Arimura-san. How far do you want to go with volleyball? Do you want to go pro, compete in the Olympics, and make a living off of it? If that’s the case, then honestly, you should transfer to a powerhouse school as soon as possible."

"I haven’t thought about it that far."

"Right? Me neither. Until recently, I wasn’t thinking about the future at all. I was just focused on what was in front of me.

Maybe you should try that too? At the high school level, I think you’re more than skilled enough. I mean, you’re here as the best high school libero in the prefecture, aren’t you?"

"But that’s just high school level. It’s not something that leads to a future."

"Yeah, true. So then—why are you playing volleyball?"

"......"

Why, indeed? Out of habit? The atmosphere? Because someone invited me?

"If you’re just doing it on a whim, then maybe you should quit. This is secondhand info from my sister again, but you practice a lot every day, right? It’s physically and mentally demanding.

You push yourself to the limit every day, and unlike at Himesaki, your school could hold you back a year if you don’t get good grades.

And your classes are more advanced too, right? If you weren’t doing club activities, maybe you’d have more time to study, and your high school life could be a lot easier.

You could have fun. Or get a part-time job with all that free time. There must be lots of things you want to buy, right? Or you could just relax at home."

...

"That might be true. But... I don’t know how to explain it, something about that doesn’t feel right."

When I said that, Mika-san smiled gently.

"I figured you'd say that. And I agree. Let me be clear—you love volleyball, Arimura-san. Probably more than you realize right now."

...Is that true? I’m not really sure.

"If you don’t know right now, then work hard so you won’t regret it when the day comes that you do.

The real fun of volleyball starts when you’re skilled enough to control the game.

And one more thing—

You have incredibly low self-esteem, but you’re actually really good. You should have more confidence in yourself. You should be proud that you were chosen to be here."

I don’t fully understand. But there’s one thing I do know.

"Um... Mika-san, you didn’t come talk to me just to ask about Yuuri, did you? You wanted to tell me that."

"...Now, what do you think?"

＝＝＝＝＝＝
Perspective Change
POV: Tachibana Yuuri
＝＝＝＝＝＝

Right in front of me, the final event of the school sports festival—the third-year pole-toppling finals—just ended.

A girl who looked an awful lot like someone I knew climbed on top of the pole her team had protected until the end and let out a victorious cheer.

That’s gotta be someone else. Definitely not one of my seniors from the volleyball team.

Shiver!

Huh?

My phone buzzed from inside my jersey. What was that?

Looked like there was an update on one of my social media apps.

Curious, I checked it...

[You are now friends]

That message came with a photo of Yuki and Mika-nee together.

...Wait, what the heck happened!?

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