---
The gym did not feel like theirs today.
It never really had.
But today—
It felt taken.
Hinata noticed it the moment he stepped inside.
Voices.
Not just echoes.
Not just their usual small, scattered sounds.
Different voices.
Confident.
Relaxed.
Belonging.
He stopped near the entrance.
His team followed behind him.
Fukuda frowned immediately.
"…We got visitors?"
Mori narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…Not visitors."
Takeda adjusted his glasses nervously.
"…Another team?"
Sato leaned forward.
"They look… organized."
Nakamura said nothing.
But he stepped a little closer to Hinata.
Instinctively.
On the far side of the court, six players were already warming up.
Clean passes.
Sharp footwork.
Controlled movements.
No wasted energy.
Hinata's chest tightened slightly.
That feeling again.
The one from the tournament.
But this time—
Closer.
More immediate.
A man stood near them, arms crossed.
Not a teacher from their school.
Different posture.
Different presence.
A coach.
He noticed Hinata's group.
Walked toward them.
"You're from this school?" he asked.
Hinata nodded.
"Yes."
The man looked them over.
One by one.
Not judging.
Measuring.
"…Good."
Fukuda raised an eyebrow.
"Good?"
"We needed a court."
Mori stepped in.
"You are here to practice?"
The man nodded.
"Practice match."
The words landed instantly.
Practice match.
Not a tournament.
Not official.
But real.
Controlled.
Intentional.
Fukuda smirked slightly.
"…You want to play us?"
The man didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
Silence.
Takeda swallowed.
Sato shifted.
Nakamura tensed.
Hinata stepped forward.
"…We will play."
The answer came before doubt could form.
The coach nodded once.
"Good. Ten minutes."
He turned and walked back.
Like it was already decided.
Because it was.
---
The team gathered quickly.
Fukuda cracked his knuckles.
"…Well. This is convenient."
Takeda looked pale.
"Convenient?!"
"It is practice."
"It is pressure," Takeda corrected.
Sato rubbed the back of his neck.
"They look stronger than the last team…"
"They are," Mori said.
Everyone looked at him.
"You can tell?" Fukuda asked.
"Yes."
"How?"
"They are not just trained," Mori said. "They are used to playing together."
Silence.
That mattered.
More than anything.
Hinata felt it too.
Their spacing.
Their timing.
Their communication—
It was natural.
Not forced.
Not learned yesterday.
Built over time.
He clenched his fist.
Good.
This is what we need.
He looked at his team.
"This is not about winning."
Fukuda snorted.
"Then what is it about?"
Hinata's eyes sharpened.
"Testing."
Mori nodded slightly.
"Yes."
Takeda took a breath.
"…Okay."
Sato forced a grin.
"Let's try not to get destroyed."
Nakamura whispered,
"…Let's not freeze."
Hinata nodded.
"Positions."
---
They stepped onto the court.
Again.
But this time—
It felt different from the tournament.
Less overwhelming.
More direct.
Because now they knew what failure looked like.
And they were still here.
The opposing team lined up.
Calm.
Focused.
Ready.
The whistle blew.
"Begin."
---
The first serve came.
Not explosive.
Not overwhelming.
Controlled.
Targeted.
It went straight to Nakamura.
Time slowed.
Hinata saw it.
The hesitation.
The fear.
That familiar pause—
"Mine!"
Nakamura shouted.
Early.
Clear.
He moved.
Connected.
The ball popped up.
Not perfect.
But playable.
Hinata moved instantly.
Position.
Hands up.
Set—
Clean.
Fukuda jumped.
Hit—
Blocked.
The ball came back fast.
Sato reacted.
Too slow.
Point.
Silence.
But—
Something was different.
Fukuda landed.
"…That was good."
Hinata nodded.
"…Yeah."
Nakamura stood still.
Then whispered.
"…I moved."
Hinata glanced at him.
"…You did."
Small.
But real.
---
The second rally began.
This time, Sato received.
Better angle.
Better control.
Hinata moved early.
Set—
Slightly off.
Mori adjusted.
Tapped it over.
The opponent reacted instantly.
Fast set.
Sharp spike.
Takeda flinched—
Then moved.
Got a touch.
The ball deflected upward.
Messy.
But alive.
Hinata chased it.
Set again.
High.
Fukuda ran in.
Jumped—
Connected.
The ball slammed across.
Out of bounds.
Silence.
Then—
Fukuda exhaled.
"…Close."
Hinata clenched his fist.
Closer.
---
The match continued.
Point by point.
Rally by rally.
And something became clear.
This team—
Was not overwhelming.
Not like the tournament.
But they were consistent.
Every receive had direction.
Every set had intent.
Every movement had purpose.
They did not panic.
They did not rush.
They simply played.
And that—
Was enough to keep control.
Hinata felt it.
Every time they got close.
Every time they built momentum.
The opponent stabilized.
Reset.
Took it back.
Like it was natural.
Like control belonged to them.
---
Midway through the set—
Something changed.
Hinata set the ball.
Perfect height.
Perfect timing.
Fukuda jumped.
Spiked—
Clean.
The ball hit the floor.
Point.
Silence.
Then—
Their side reacted.
Sato grinned.
"YES!"
Takeda clenched his fists.
"We got one!"
Nakamura looked stunned.
"…We scored."
Mori nodded.
"Good."
Fukuda smirked.
"…Finally."
Hinata stood still.
Watching.
Feeling.
That point—
It was different.
Not lucky.
Not broken.
Built.
From movement.
From trust.
From timing.
From decision.
His chest tightened.
This is it.
This is how it works.
---
The next rally started.
Energy shifted.
Slightly.
Subtly.
But real.
They moved faster.
Called earlier.
Adjusted sooner.
Still flawed.
Still messy.
But connected.
The rally stretched longer.
Back and forth.
Mistakes almost happened—
But were saved.
Nakamura dove.
Sato held position.
Takeda stepped early.
Mori adjusted.
Hinata set—
Again and again.
Fukuda finished—
The ball landed.
Point.
Silence.
Then—
Fukuda laughed.
"…Okay. That felt good."
Hinata exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah."
Two points.
Not much.
But enough.
To prove something.
---
The opponent responded immediately.
Faster.
Sharper.
More precise.
Three clean plays.
Point.
Just like that.
Control returned to them.
Hinata watched carefully.
They didn't react emotionally.
They didn't force anything.
They just—
Adjusted.
That was the difference.
Not just skill.
Stability.
---
The set ended.
They lost.
Clearly.
No surprise.
But—
Not the same as before.
Not collapse.
Not chaos.
A fight.
A real one.
---
They stepped off the court.
Breathing hard.
Sweat dripping.
Muscles burning.
But no silence.
No emptiness.
Fukuda stretched.
"…That was way better."
Takeda nodded quickly.
"Yes."
Sato grinned.
"We actually played."
Nakamura looked down at his hands.
"…I moved every time."
Mori crossed his arms.
"Improvement confirmed."
Hinata said nothing.
He was thinking.
Watching the opponent again.
They were already resetting.
Already focused on the next match.
No celebration.
No reaction.
Just—
Consistency.
That level again.
Still far.
But—
Closer than before.
---
The coach approached them again.
"You improved mid-set."
Hinata looked up.
"Yes."
"You adjusted."
Mori answered.
"We tried."
The coach nodded.
"Good."
Fukuda smirked.
"That is it?"
The coach looked at him.
"What else do you want?"
"…Advice?"
The coach paused.
Then pointed.
"You."
Hinata blinked.
"…Me?"
"You are the setter."
"Yes."
"You hesitate."
The words hit instantly.
Hinata froze.
"I—"
"You think too much after the ball leaves your hands."
Silence.
Because it was true.
The coach continued.
"A setter does not control everything."
Mori glanced at Hinata.
Echo.
Same lesson.
Different voice.
Stronger impact.
"You control the next decision," the coach said.
"Not the outcome."
Hinata swallowed.
"…Understood."
The coach nodded once.
"Good."
Then he turned and walked away.
Just like that.
---
The gym grew quieter again.
The other team left.
The court returned.
Empty.
The same as always.
But not the same.
Not anymore.
Hinata stood at the net.
Looking across.
Seeing something that wasn't there.
Opponents.
Movement.
Possibility.
He clenched his fist.
"We are getting closer."
Fukuda stood beside him.
"…Yeah."
Mori joined.
"Slowly."
Takeda smiled slightly.
"But we are moving."
Sato nodded.
"Forward."
Nakamura whispered.
"…Together."
Hinata looked at all of them.
Six players.
Still flawed.
Still incomplete.
But now—
A team.
"…Tomorrow," he said.
No hesitation.
And this time—
Everyone nodded.
---