ONLY ME || Haikyuu x Male

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Ren was tall, he knew that. Being 5'11 and 180 centimeters was a good amount above average in Japan. But now that he was staring up at Kakugawa's two meter tall player, he suddenly felt really, really small.

He chewed on his lip, resting his hands on his thighs as he stood in an athletic stance. They'd moved over to this game against Kakugawa high school not long after they finished up with Ohgi Minami. Unlike before, he was beginning the match on the court this time, taking Tanaka's place as a wing spiker. There was an abundant amount of pressure on this one game, and Ren could only try his best to not let it overwhelm him.

If we win this match, we'll advance past the first round of the prelims. Who gives a shit if that guy's two meters tall. I'll outjump even his highest point!

They couldn't lose. It simply wasn't an option.

The referee blew the whistle, snapping Ren out of his head and back into focus. Kakugawa was setting the ball towards their tall hitter, and he rushed over to perform a three-person black with Tobio and Hinata. It was a perfect block, with ample jumping power and speed.

But Ren's fingers just barely grazed the bottom of the ball as the two-meter-tall hitter slammed the ball down onto their side of the court.

He landed with a scoff, blood boiling as he marched back over to his spot with spite in his step. Maybe it did matter that the guy was super tall. But Ren would earn that point back. He had to.

The tall player went to hit again during the next rally, and yet again, it went over their block. But Nishinoya dove, saving the ball from dropping to the ground, though it went spiraling off in an awkward direction.

"Someone cover!"

Ren lurched over, seeing as he was closest, sliding down to his knees to get his hands beneath the ball, setting it backwards. "Finish it off, Hinata!"

He wasn't able to see the first-year leap, as he was still recovering from his awkward move. But as he turned around, he saw Hinata attempt to feint, only for the ball to be shut down completely by the opposing team's block.

Oh dear.

Hinata's hit wasn't the only to be denied. Ren attempted a wipe, but with the opposing team's crazy height, he'd only managed to get it to fly directly above the net. And given their disadvantage up front, they were unable to push it over. The only way they got a point was from Kakugawa serving the ball out. It was a weak victory, and it was quickly overturned by the tall player scoring a point from above the block.

We're going to have to do something about that.

Ren shifted to face the bench, giving a gesture to the coach to call for a time out. If they weren't able to block the opposing team, then they had to focus their attention elsewhere. Otherwise they'd be fighting an uphill battle that they were guaranteed to lose.

Hinata leaped over into their huddle, appearing rather exhausted and as if he'd aged twenty years. "No matter how high I jump, he keeps hitting from above me! What should I do?"

It was Noya who chimed in to respond, and from the grin on his face and that look in his eye, Ren figured that his friend had come to the same conclusion as he. "There's more to volleyball than just fighting at the net, Hinata."

"He's right." Ren stepped forward, feeling a sudden surge of confidence. He'd never experienced such an emotion before, but if he was right, if it all worked out, he'd have figured out Karasuno's path to their next win.

And boy was that a big leap from being the team's deadweight.

"Based on how they're playing, it seems as though Kakugawa's number nine can't control where he hits the ball. He only does shots in the direction he's facing. As long as we can get past that, we can beat them."