A/N: Hello, readers! Welcome to another chapter! Enjoy!

edited on december 19th, 2021 @ 2:21am

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CHAPTER FORTY-NINE - LEFT VS AMBIDEXTROUS

"DON'T MIND, NOYA-SAN! NEXT, NEXT!" Atsushi shouted at his upperclassman, giving him a high five.

"Yeah." Nishinoya agreed, returning the high five.

Atsushi watched as Sakamoto was up to serve. The silvery-white haired male threw the ball up as it headed towards Daichi, who thought it was out, but it ended up being in.

"Yeah!"

"Sorry!"

"Nice serve, Sakamoto!"

TWEEET!

"Sakamoto, one more! Nice serve!" One of his teammates shouted in encouragement as the ball hit the net.

"Got it!" Atsushi and Asahi shouted in unison.

"Atsushi!" Tsukishima shouted at the same time.

The ball fell to the court once more, getting Shiratorizawa another point.

"Sorry!" Atsushi apologized.

"My bad!" Asahi said.

"Don't mind!"

Shiratorizawa was now three points ahead of Karasuno. "Damn it. This is bad. We need to think of something, and quick." Atsushi thinks to himself.

"Calm down!"

Atsushi winced as he heard Sugawara's voice from the sidelines. "There's no time to self-destruct! What the hell are you so nervous about?! The TV crews? Quit messing around!" Sugawara shouted.

"Atsushi, are you nervous because you're going against your older brother?! What happened to all your confidence?! Get your head in the game, damn it!" Sugawara shouted at the first-year, making him yelp.

The referee gave Sugawara a dead panned look. "Got it! We got it, Suga, so calm down!" Daichi told him.

"Suga-san's scary..." Atsushi thought, gulping to himself. 

"I'm so sorry!" Daichi apologized to the referee.

TWEEEET!

Sakamoto was up to serve again. He hits the ball up as Daichi kneeled down to receive it. Kageyama tosses to Tsukishima who spikes it but Goshiki ended up saving it.

"Wakatoshi!" Leon shouted, receiving the ball as Wakatoshi jumps up and spikes the ball. Nishinoya tried to receive it but Shiratorizawa ended up getting a point as Nishinoya looked irritated.

"Give me three." Nishinoya spoke up, holding up three fingers. "I promise I'll get used to it."

Daichi and Asahi both smirked and nodded. The game continued on as Daichi received the ball. Wakatoshi jumped up and spiked past Asahi, Tsukishima, and Kageyama, earning another point for Shiratorizawa.

"Bring it!" Atsushi shouted, jumping up and spiking past Tendou and Wakatoshi, earning a point for Karasuno as the cheering squad cheered.

Asahi was up to serve as he was given words of encouragement. He did his jump serve as Yamagata saved it. Ushijima spiked the ball and gained another point for Shiratorizawa.

Atsushi took a look at the score.

Shiratorizawa

08

Karasuno

03

There was a buzzer sound that went off as Karasuno gathered around Ukai. "Blocking all comes down to timing! If they get through the top, it'll be difficult to prepare to receive, as well. You need to touch the ball, even if you can't stop it! Make Ushijima feel that there's a wall." Ukai announced.

"Right!"

Atsushi looked down at his left hand as unwanted memories played in his mind.

"You're spiking with your left hand?"

"Stop trying to be like Ushijima-san!"

Then, he remembered what Bokuto had told him during the training camp.

"You know, Atsushi! Ambidextrous players are rare in the volleyball world. You have a much better talent and you're hiding it. What are you so afraid of?"

Atsushi sighed. "My seniors on my junior high team always scolded me for spiking with my left hand. Even though it's more powerful than my right. I'm tired of constantly being compared to Toshi-nii. As I said when I wanted you to mentor me." He responded.

"Who cares? You'll be giving your team the advantage they need. Don't try and hide it. Use your talent wisely."

Atsushi clenched his fist as the buzzer sounded again as Karasuno headed back onto the court. "Tobio." The brunette began as Kageyama glanced over at him.

"When you get the chance, send the ball to me." Atsushi told him. "It's about time I show my Nii-san he isn't the only Ushijima on this court, and he definitely isn't the only one who can spike with his left hand."

"Huh? Atsu, are you sure?"

"Why not? I've been holding back my power for too long." Atsushi smirked, giving him an 'okay' sign. "Just send the toss and leave the rest to me, okay?"

The game continued on as Asahi spiked the ball and Yamagata was able to receive it. Shirabu tossed the ball to Wakatoshi who spiked past Daichi, Tsukishima, and Asahi. Atsushi tried to save it but it was too late as the ball had already hit the court. He took a look at the scoreboard.

Shiratorizawa

11

Karasuno

05

"Damn it!"  Atsushi thinks to himself.

"Shiratorizawa has Ushiwaka." Nishinoya began as the team looked at him. "Then... Karasuno has me."

Ukai let out a laugh. "Right." He agreed. "Stopping all of Ushijima's attacks, or even picking them up, is impossible. But..."

Ukai slapped his hand onto the whiteboard. "All you've got to do is make those impossible spikes possible." He continued.

"Hm?" Hinata hummed, tilting his head in confusion.

"Total defense." Ukai explained. "Ushijima's really good at angle shots, as we've seen in past games, so we're going to tighten up our block on those, and place Nishinoya where the now opened straight path would be. We're going to set it up so he's hitting to our libero."

Ushijima went up to spike again as Daichi, Tsukishima, and Asahi jumped up to block him. He spikes the ball as Nishinoya received it, making the ball go out and Shiratorizawa getting another point as Nishinoya released a breath.

TWEEET!

Goshiki was up to serve as he tossed the ball up and did his jump serve. Atsushi quickly dived down to receive it.

"Chance ball!" Yamagata shouted.

"Damn it! I'm sorry!" Atsushi apologized as Yamagata received the ball.

Shirabu tossed the ball as both Sakamoto and Wakatoshi jumped up. Tsukishima and Asahi went to block him, but their timing was too fast as Wakatoshi ended up scoring a point.

Atsushi looked over at the score.

Shiratorizawa

13

Karasuno

05

Sakamoto spiked down the ball, earning another point for Shiratorizawa as they were now at 15 points. "We've been focusing too much on Toshi-nii and stopping him. We need to focus more on the others as well." Atsushi thought.

Sakamoto was up to serve as he threw the ball up, but the ball touched the net and getting Karasuno the point.

"Sorry!" He apologized.

"Don't mind!" Leon reassured him.

Asahi was serving next as he threw the ball up in the air and did his jump serve. As Wakatoshi was about to jump up again, Tsukishima jumped up to block him. Wakatoshi spiked the ball past Tsukishima and scored a point. The buzzer sounded once more.

"You were so close, Nishinoya!" Ennoshita informed Nishinoya, who was gulping his water. "You're actually able to react to Ushiwaka's spikes!"

"The spike that I was actually able to touch is definitely not his full strength." Nishinoya stated. "He's probably still warming up his engine, and concentrating on getting his spikes over our blocks."

"He's definitely not at his fullest." Atsushi added in, making Ennoshita, Hinata, and Nishinoya glance at him and noticing that he was taping his fingers on his left hand.

"You're taping your fingers?" Nishinoya questioned.

"Yeah. I normally don't do it during matches. Coach Washijo used to constantly yell at me about that." Atsushi responded, sweat dropping as he remembered the so-called "demon coach" yelling at him.

"Why only your left hand?"

"You'll see." Atsushi replied to Hinata's question. "If Toshi-nii is going to give it his all, then I might as well, too."

"Now that I think about it, I haven't played seriously since junior high." Atsushi thought as the buzzer went off and both teams headed back onto the court.

"Guys! Your faces are stiff! Relax! Relax! Rel—"

Takeda paused when he saw that Wakatoshi was up to serve as he was bouncing the ball. Once the whistle blew, Wakatoshi threw the ball up and did his jump serve. Daichi tried to receive the ball, but it bounced off his hands as Shiratorizawa gained a point.

"Sorry! We'll get the next one!" Daichi informed.

"Right!"

Wakatoshi was up to serve again as Nishinoya stayed focused. "Come on, bring it!" He challenged as Wakatoshi jumped up in the air. He spikes the ball as both Daichi and Nishinoya headed for the ball. Nishinoya ended up receiving it as the volleyball went back up in the air.

"It went up!"

"All right! Perfect!"

"Finish it!"

Kageyama jumped up, acting like he was going to hit it. "It's time!" Atsushi thought as he began running up.

Kageyama turned his body and sent a toss to the brunette. Atsushi jumped up with his right hand going up first, making the audience gasp.

"Is he—?" Saeko began.

"Spiking with his left hand?!" Shimada and Takinoue shouted in unison.

Atsushi swung his left hand and spiked the ball. In a flash, it was on Shiratorizawa's side of the court, landing onto the ground with a powerful bang.

"All right!" Nishinoya shouted, giving Atsushi a high five.

"Hey, Atsushi! When were you going to tell us you were ambidextrous?" Daichi exclaimed, whacking the brunette on his head.

"Ouch! You never asked, Daichi-san! Only Tobio knew!"

"He went to set from a spike motion." Shirabu explained. "Nothing less from Oikawa's junior."

"Huh? He is?!" Tendou questioned. "That sucks!"

"Not to mention, Atsushi spiked with his left hand." Shirabu continued. "Ushijima-san, did you know about your brother being ambidextrous?"

"Yeah." Wakatoshi responded as his team looked at him.

"Actually, I did as well." Sakamoto raised his hand. "Sushi-chan used to use his left hand to spike back in junior high, but he had stopped."

"You seem pretty relaxed, considering we're playing against Shiratorizawa." Atsushi informed.

"Well, no one scares me more than Oikawa-san for the time being." Kageyama stated.

Atsushi laughed. "I see!" He exclaimed as Nishinoya had switched out with Hinata.

The buzzer sounded as Atsushi saw that Sugawara was being switched in with Tsukishima.

TWEEEET!

Sugawara let out a breath as he served the ball in which Leon receives it. Shirabu tosses the ball to Tendou who jumps up and spikes it, getting a point for Shiratorizawa. Tendou cheered as Hinata looked irritated. Tsukishima switches back in with Sugawara.

Shiratorizawa now had 18 points with Karasuno having a measly 9. Leon was up to serve as he jumped up and spiked the ball. But the ball ended up being an out.

Kageyama was up to serve next as he did his jump serve and gains a point for Karasuno in which they cheered.

Once the whistle blew, Kageyama did another jump serve but this time, Leon had crouched down and saved it as Shirabu covered for him.

"Goshiki!" He shouted at Goshiki who jumped up and spiked past Hinata and Kageyama.

"Let's go, Kageyama." Hinata told him.

"Yeah." Kageyama agreed as Atsushi looked at the score.

Shiratorizawa

24

Karasuno

16

The game resumed as Asahi spiked the ball and Leon received it. "Ushijima-san!" Goshiki shouted, sending the ball to Wakatoshi.

Wakatoshi jumps up and spikes past Hinata and Kageyama, but Nishinoya dived in and saved the ball on time.

Atsushi quickly covered for Nishinoya as he received the ball. "Hinata, get the last!" He shouted, giving the ball to Hinata.

Hinata ran up before jumping up and spiking the ball, hitting it against Tendou and Goshiki's block.

"Once more! Once more!" Asahi shouted, tossing the ball into the air.

Hinata ran up once more and jumped up. He spikes the ball past Tendou but Wakatoshi crouched down and received it.

"Ushijima-san!" Shirabu called out, sending a toss to Wakatoshi who jumped up and spiked the ball, getting a point.

TWEEEET!

Shiratorizawa had taken the first set as both teams walked off the court.

"There's no reason to panic. They just happen to take the first of five matches. And about this match... Ushijima scored eleven points, so he scored almost half of the points." Ukai began as Hinata looked irritated. "But the fact that the ball is going to Ushijima so often means you're frustrating Shiratorizawa that much. Ushijima is also human. He'll eventually reach the end of his stamina. He'll eventually start to feel even the attacks that he's not making himself. Don't forget that!"

"Right!"

TWEEEET!

The second set had finally begun as both teams headed back onto the court.

"Bring it!"

Goshiki was next to serve as he bounced the ball a few times. The whistle blew as Goshiki threw the ball up and did his jump serve and Daichi went over to receive it.

Karasuno then began their synchronized attack. Kageyama tosses the ball into the air as Daichi spikes it. Yamagata tried to save the ball but it was too late as the first point went to Karasuno as the cheering squad cheered once more.

"Daichi-san, nice serve!" Atsushi encouraged. Daichi served the ball and Leon received it.

"Nice receive!" Shirabu complimented as he tosses the ball towards Sakamoto who scores a point for Shiratorizawa as Nishinoya was late on receiving it.

"Nice." Sakamoto told the second-year setter, giving him a high five.

Asahi spikes the ball, getting another point for Karasuno. He was up to serve next as he bounced the ball a little. The whistle blew as Asahi did his jump serve in which Goshiki crouched down to receive it but it was off.

Shirabu quickly covered for him. "Ushijima-san!" He shouted, sending the ball towards Wakatoshi.

Wakatoshi spiked past Kageyama, Tsukishima, and Atsushi, getting a point for Shiratorizawa. "Damn it..." Nishinoya cursed.

"Don't mind! Don't mind!" Daichi told him.

The whistle blew as everyone on Karasuno was on high alert. Wakatoshi threw the ball up in the air, doing his jump serve as the ball bounced off of Atsushi's arms. The ball landed on Shiratorizawa's side as Yamagata was late on receiving it.

"It's just as I planned!" Atsushi exclaimed.

"You're tearing up." Tsukishima informed in a dead panned tone.

"Well done, Atsushi!" Daichi complimented.

Tsukishima served the ball up in the air once the whistle blew. The game resumed as the ball was in the air.

"Chance ball!" Atsushi shouted as Tsukishima saved it on time.

"Give it to me!" Hinata called out as he jumped up. However, he got blocked by Tendou, leaving both Kageyama and Hinata in shock as the ball dropped to the ground.

Tendou looked at the duo. "If you want to beat Wakatoshi-kun, you're gonna have to beat me, first." He declared.

"Ya know?"

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A/N: Another chapter is done! Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 2484 words.