Coach Kurosu lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then reached out to call Kita Shinsuke over.
This made Hinata even more panicked.
He knew he hadn't performed well in this set, but he felt he still had room to make a comeback.
But now, not only is Atsumu-senpai unhappy, but the coach is even planning to sub him out for the Kita Team..
Before Hinata could even hold a moment of silence for himself, the notification sound rang out from the sidelines.
Kita Shinsuke stood by the sidelines holding the number 17 sign, quietly watching Hinata.
Hinata shrugged his shoulders, but he could only jog over to take his number from the Kita Team.
He kept reflecting on his performance during this set in his head, trying to find a way to apologize from A to Z.
Unexpectedly, Coach Kurosu simply patted the empty spot beside him to signal him to sit down, while Coach Omimi sat down on the other side after handing over a water bottle and a towel.
Coach Omimi crouched down, checking the condition of Hinata's leg muscles once more. "Get some good rest; you've had a high workload these past few days."
Coach Kurosu said nothing, quietly waiting for Hinata to steady his breathing and heartbeat, allowing his whole body to cool down.
He could certainly sense Hinata's panic and confusion, but this wasn't actually Hinata's fault.
Although there was no way to win back the score in one go through aggressive spiking, Inarizaki's current rhythm was very good and very stable.
Hinata naturally had no objections to the current way of play, would even feel happy if he managed to make a good receive.
Because becoming an all-around Ace was his dream, both offense and defense were part of his own responsibility.
The problem mainly lies with Miya Atsumu.
Because he wouldn't allow his own masterpiece to suddenly lose more than half of its value.
Rather than seeing Hinata working hard over there to receive the ball, both Miya Atsumu and the others from Inarizaki would much rather see Hinata's figure soaring through the sky.
—Because the sun belongs in the sky.
Oikawa Tooru had grasped Miya Atsumu's personality and thoughts with great precision, which was why he wanted to provoke him by using a playstyle that suppressed Hinata.
This is where Seijo's current playstyle differs from Nekoma's.
Nekoma wants to suppress the setter by using a decoy to provoke the opponent's setter, whereas Seijo simply wants to provoke them.
No matter how calm and intelligent a person is, once they are completely provoked, they will lose their prideful thinking and reason.
And the more hot-headed one becomes, the more impatient they will be, which will likewise lead to mistakes.
As long as Seijo can achieve this while having the advantage of the initiative, it will be enough.
After all, the playstyles of defending and attacking are completely different.
But as a coach, Coach Kurosu would not directly throw cold water on Miya Atsumu's fighting spirit.
Switching to Kita Shinsuke's forced fireproofing was merely a temporary measure.
What he needs to do is guide them.
He needed to make the players understand how to achieve what Miya Atsumu wanted in a more rational and feasible manner.
Coach Kurosu rested his hands on his knees and spoke softly.
Does Shoyo know how the setter will help Miya Atsumu out of a predicament at a time like this?
Hinata's answer came quickly: "Set a high ball."
This was the simplest method; most of the time, Atsumu-senpai used to do exactly that.
And his own jumping and hang time were enough to support him in completing the high ball spike process perfectly, though the difficulty of scoring still remained.
Coach Kurosu nodded in satisfaction. "That's right, it's a high ball to Position 3."
But that was also the problem.
High balls at Position 3 are not only disliked by Kindaichi for spiking, but it is the same for any spiker.
Because they are under too much scrutiny, the restrictions they face are essentially the highest. No matter which direction they spike, there is a very high probability the ball will be received.
Unless there is sufficient cover from both sides, Miya Atsumu will not frequently choose to set a high ball to Position 3.
That was precisely why, under normal circumstances, the standard procedure was to use one or two high balls to signal to the opponents that we would be spiking, then dump the entire burden of pressure and decoy duties onto the suppressed spiker all at once.
Sacrificing one person to the maximum extent to ensure the smooth movement of others—it was cruel, but extremely effective.
Coach Kurosu pressed further, guiding Hinata's thoughts: "Then in this situation, what is the essence of a High Ball?"
Hinata lowered his eyes to his slightly reddened fingers, thinking seriously about this question.
In this situation, a high ball wouldn't necessarily be used just to overpower the opponent, so why is it being used so frequently at a time like this?
Thinking about it from another perspective, what does he need when he is being suppressed while trying to receive the ball?
—Adjusting the reaction time.
Having reached a conclusion, Hinata replied, "High balls are meant to extend the ball's trajectory, giving the spiker a chance to take their approach run after the set.."
His voice grew quieter and quieter as he spoke.
When he looked up, he met Coach Kurosu's gaze, which was equally filled with approval and appreciation.
"It looks like you already have your answer," Coach Kurosu said with a hearty laugh.
Hinata's eyes lit up, his previously furrowed face transformed into an expression of sudden realization.
He lunged forward and gave the coach a big hug: "I completely understand! Thank you, Coach!"
Coach Kurosu patted his back, gesturing for him to get up.
It wasn't that he disliked being hugged by Hinata; as a sports coach, he naturally wouldn't mind the sweat on the children.
Rather.. he had been sitting for too long these past few days, his condition was poor from staying up late to organize materials, so his old back was struggling to hold up.
Hinata reluctantly parted ways with the coach, his face already filled with eager excitement.
Exchanging a glance with Coach Omimi on the other side, Coach Kurosu gave a helpless smile.
He had always known that Hinata was actually a clever child.
In the past, his limited knowledge had deprived him of the opportunity to think, but now Hinata is already able to skillfully combine the current situation to find the right playstyle for himself.
As the setter at the core of Inarizaki, Miya Atsumu would not overindulge the spikers; maintaining composure at all times was what he should do.
And what Hinata had to do was take those extra steps, which should have been completed by the setter, transfer them onto himself.
Having completely regained his focus, Hinata looked up, watching the Seijo players' spiking motions with intense concentration.
—Extending the ball's trajectory to provide reaction time isn't something only a setter can do; he can do it himself as well.
To counter him hitting into the front court, Seijo mostly used dumps or soft hits most of the time.
And this kind of ball itself isn't difficult to receive; it's just that the placement is a bit tricky, but that is all.
If he could predict the trajectory of the opponent's ball, or increase the success rate of his decoys like before, he could preemptively find the right position to move toward the ball.
As long as his first receive is high enough, he will be able to give himself the chance to adjust his positioning.
Even if he were forced to go into a diving save, it wouldn't be a major problem; he has a lot of confidence in his own speed.
As Hinata crouched behind the Coach's bench to stretch and get himself into condition, Omimi asked Kurosu in a low voice, "Won't this be spoiling Atsumu too much?"
Kurosu shook his head. "But that is what Shoyo wants, isn't it?"
Upgrading the Speedster into a Dragon King is the brilliant move right now.
Chapter 193: The One Hundred and Ninety-Third Fox
While the match on the court was still at a stalemate, Hinata was already doing calisthenics in the open space behind the Coach's bench while watching the game.
Stretching his thigh muscles and massaging his calf muscles.
Promoting blood circulation is beneficial for more flexible attacking and movement in the subsequent matches.
Sitting in the stands, Komori didn't even know what to say: "This is the first time I've ever seen someone rest like this."
Resting is meant for replenishing physical strength and allowing an overheated brain to cool down.
It's not like running around aimlessly like Hinata!
Sakusa leaned against the back of his chair with his hands in his pockets. "It's a way to maintain my touch. If things go completely cold, they become difficult to play."
That's not the point," Amatori said, raising a hand to cover his face. "Just how much has Inarizaki's Little One learned? This gymnastics.. why does it have such a professional feel to it..
As soon as he finished speaking, the ball that Aran had used to tool the block slammed against the railing below their area with a loud thud.
Amatori's face was deathly pale.
For some reason, he always felt that Itachiyama was having a run of bad luck.
This is no time to be out and about; one should be back at the hotel, lying down.
They were sitting near the exit and far enough to the edge, so it would have been absurd to almost get hit in such a position.
It is hard to say whether Inarizaki was being intentional or not.
After Coach Kurosu signaled for Kumagai to go up and serve for Oori Ren, Hinata, who had been standing in the back, suddenly squeezed himself between the two coaches.
Under the dazed gazes of the two men, Hinata said excitedly, "Coach, Coach! That fierce Middle Blocker senpai—when he spikes, his body orientation is actually quite obvious!"
Coach Kurosu nodded. "Mm, although Matsukawa's spikes don't have a very obvious direction, he doesn't use that many different types of ball paths, so you can summarize them yourself."
Watching Hinata cheer joyfully after being affirmed, Coach Kurosu couldn't help but smile.
But when Hinata looked over, he returned to his serious and earnest expression.
“How is it? Are you adjusted and ready to take the court?”
To the surprise of the two, Hinata shook his head. "I want to watch a little longer."
He felt that Atsumu-senpai and the others were in decent shape right now; with the Kita Team on the court to bolster the defense, Aran-senpai wouldn't be targeted too heavily.
Although the reduction in offensive options meant they couldn't score points as quickly as before, the situation on the court remained balanced, staying much like it was at the start of this set.
And the only change was.. Atsumu-senpai was noticeably more taciturn.
On the court, Miya Osamu raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead.