Hero or Villain?

The match was in a critical state. We had a dominant lead. Due to some minor mistakes on my part, the score in the first set was 10-22. Although I mostly scored with my serves, there was also Sawamura-san's contribution in the remaining points we won with his sets.

Some of the students, even those who had no interest in volleyball, seemed to be watching with fascination. Additionally, a few groups of students who heard the echoes around the school didn't miss the chance to come watch us.

I learned that there was a system called 'Rotation' in volleyball. We were constantly changing positions at regular intervals clockwise. Since I moved to the front of the net, the opposing team's attention had been entirely on me.

They constantly obstructed me every time I tried to spike. Even if I activated my <Physical Skill> and <Strength > abilities, I couldn't escape Tanaka-san's premonitions. Just as I was about to find an opening to hit the ground, Tanaka-san quickly closed the gap and blocked my shot.

"Ara~ Ara~, Kohai-kun. Can it be that you're only good at serving?" Tanaka-san was trying to irritate me further and divert my focus.

I turned my head in a nonchalant manner, not really caring about what he said. Seeing that I didn't care, Tanaka-san got even more infuriated and was on the verge of losing it.

This time, it was the opposing team's turn to serve. Kageyama stepped into the designated area for the serve, and with a blow of Kiyoko-san's whistle, he delivered a powerful serve. Just as the ball was about to hit the ground, Sawamura-san flew towards it, preventing it from touching the floor, then passed it to Daichi-san.

At that moment, the ball floating in the air was descending towards Daichi-san. I thought Daichi-san was going to spike it, but instead of hitting it, he gently nudged it, allowing it to land gracefully.

"Nice save, Sawamura!"

With Daichi-san's score, the situation was now 11-23. We needed two more points to win the set. I closed my eyes for a moment lost in thought.

"What am I doing? Just a few days ago, I was thinking of becoming a famous chef in the future, and now, what am I doing here? But... but I can never describe the feeling I get when I hit this ball."

Despite Kiyoko-san blowing the whistle several times for the serve, I didn't use it. Many people asked if there was a problem, but I didn't pay much attention to what they were saying. Because all I could think about was the feeling this ball gave me.

I started to hold the volleyball with one hand and toss it into the air. After tossing it up, I hit it hard again, and the ball glided through the air, sticking into the opponent's half.

One more point!

Ignoring Tanaka-san's intimidating gaze, I walked towards the serving area.

"Ouuaa, Intimidating!" This was what Sawamura-san said when he looked into my eyes.

"He seems completely focused on the game while playing volleyball," I heard what Daichi-san said. He was right, winning or losing didn't matter, but I still wanted to win with all my performance.

I twirled the ball a few times in my palm, and with the sound of Kiyoko-san's whistle, I executed the serve that won the set once again.

I could hear the applause from the stands and my name being called.

Daichi-san approached me with a satisfied smile, leaned his hand on my shoulder, and said, "Unstoppable Serve Ace!"

After winning the first set, I lost my focus. I fell to the ground, out of breath, and stayed still for a few minutes.

The others were talking while looking at me from the opponent's side.

"Man, you got so caught up in the game, I couldn't tell if you're a hero or a villain!" Hinata, as energetic as ever, was babbling something again.