Inside the packed gym, the two teams finished their warm-ups and moved into position. The starting players walked onto the court, tension hanging thick in the air.
Karasuno's starters: Jin, Kageyama, Hinata, Tanaka, Daichi, Asahi.
Across the net, Nekoma's starters: Yamamoto, Kuroo, Kenma, Inuoka, Yaku, Fukunaga.
Because of Jin's presence, a ridiculously powerful attacker who could change the flow of any game, Coach Ukai had been forced to alter the usual Karasuno formations.
He had divided the team into two possible lineups:
Combination A: the high-risk, high-firepower unit. With Kageyama, Hinata, Tanaka, Daichi, Asahi, and Jin, every single one of them had the ability to score, creating a relentless offense.
Combination B: a more balanced unit, with Hinata and Tanaka subbed out for Tsukishima and Nishinoya. Defense-heavy, slower-paced, meant to grind opponents down.
But for the opening set of a practice match, Coach Ukai had no doubt. It had to be Combination A. Show them your firepower first.
---
The whistle blew.
Hinata was up first at the service line.
Kenma adjusted his hair out of habit and muttered quietly to Kuroo behind him, "Don't let his size fool you. That one's dangerous."
Kuroo's eyebrow rose. For someone like Kenma who rarely called anyone "dangerous", that was enough to raise alarms.
Hinata inhaled sharply, tossed the ball… and sent a stiff, fluttery serve over the net.
It wasn't powerful, not like Kageyama's and Jin, but at least it stayed in bounds.
Kuroo frowned. "That's it? Doesn't look dangerous at all."
Kenma was already in position, receiving the ball cleanly. He glanced at the block, scanned his spikers and then froze.
For just an instant, he felt it. A piercing stare, sharp and unblinking, locked directly on him. As if Jin could see right through him, predicting his toss before he even made it.
Kenma hesitated, shifting the ball mid-motion. He feinted left, then sent the toss right instead.
But even then, Jin had already moved a step.
He could've chased it, could've closed the block. Instead, he stood there watching, lips curling into a grin.
'Interesting.'
Nekoma's spiker slammed the ball down. First point, clean.
Jin's eyes gleamed. 'Very inyeresting.'
---
Kuroo retrieved the ball and headed to the service line. Passing Kenma, he smirked. "That kid's sharp. He's the one I met yesterday… he's a first-year but 'he's' ace."
Kenma's eyes flickered. "I can already feel it. His reads are dangerous."
For someone who didn't talk much, the admission weight differently.
---
Kuroo tossed the ball high and launched into his jump serve. The ball cracked through the air.
Asahi barely managed to receive it, staggering backward. The receive was messy, disrupting Karasuno's formation.
"Second ace! Here's your chance to shine!" Tanaka called, forcing the ball up in a desperate high set.
Jin sighed. 'Some toss that is. If it was any higher, it'd touch the ceiling.'
But he adjusted, taking his run.
Across the net, Kuroo barked, "Fukunaga, shift to right!"
The left side was wide open, Kuroo's call was all instinct, but his teammates trusted him.
Jin leapt, twisted, and swung.
*Boom!*
The ball slammed into Fukunaga's hands, bounce wildly into the backcourt.
Jin landed, blinking in surprise. 'I hid that angle perfectly. How the hell did he still read me?'
If not for Fukunaga's last-second block jump, that spike would've scored clean.
"One touch!" Kuroo's voice rang from behind the net.
Jin's blood roared. His whole body tingled, adrenaline rising again. He grinned wide, heart hammering.
"Everyone's so interesting!"