For the first time since coming to this world, Jin found himself playing rock–paper–scissors as if it were a serious match.
Tendō's eyes gleamed with mischief, but his stance was sharp, almost predatory. It wasn't just a game for him. He was reading every twitch of Jin's muscles, every hint of hesitation. That was the terrifying part about Tendō Satori, he could turn even the simplest game into a battlefield of instinct.
"Alright, let's start! Fist out first!" Tendō announced like a referee, voice bouncing with that singsong tone of his.
Jin clenched his hand and matched the movement. The crowd's noise in the gym around them faded, leaving only Tendō's voice echoing in his ears.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors!"
On the last word, their hands shifted.
Inside his mind, Tendō was already calculating. Jin's personality was cocky, aggressive. A guy like him wouldn't play it safe. Scissors fit him perfectly sharp, direct, attacking.
"He'll throw scissors. Definitely scissors," Tendō thought, lips curling into a grin. Without hesitation, he changed his hand to rock.
But when their hands shot forward.
Jin's hand was wide open. Paper.
Tendō blinked, then laughed out loud. "Hahaha! As I thought! Scissors is too obvious, so you changed it at the last second, huh? But still, rock beats scissors, paper loses to scissors, everything circles around. Interesting, interesting!"
Tendō didn't look discouraged. If anything, he looked more excited. 'So this is what makes him terrifying,' Jin thought. 'He really can predict people just off tiny things. Instinct like that isn't normal…'
Normally, Jin would rely on his reflexes and wit. But here, in front of Tendō's eyes, he felt like every fake and every shift was being read before he even moved.
He clicked his tongue. 'If I don't use it here, I'll lose.'
Eye of Insight activated.
A rush of clarity flooded his vision. Tendō's movements slowed, details standing out like highlighted frames. The slight narrowing of his eyes, the twitch in his cheek, even the flex of a tendon in his wrist, everything was visible.
Jin exhaled slowly. 'It can only be used three times a day… and I'm wasting one on rock–paper–scissors. Damn it. But there's no way I'm losing.'
"Round two!" Tendō stretched his fingers dramatically, voice rising like he was narrating a circus act. "Let's see if you're still lucky, silver-hair~"
"Come on," Jin smirked, though his mind was already whirring.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors!"
As they moved, Jin's vision locked onto Tendō's hand. At first, all his fingers were spread, a fake-out movement. But Eye of Insight caught the truth, his fingers curled in ever so slightly, preparing to pull into paper.
'Got you.'
Jin instantly shifted from rock to scissors, timing it perfectly.
The result…
Both of them threw scissors.
A draw.
"Ehhh? You caught that?" Tendō tilted his head, wide grin on his face, but his forehead was beaded with sweat. He had deliberately baited with a fake motion, something that should've tricked anyone. Yet Jin had followed him down to the finger twitch.
"This guy…" Jin muttered under his breath. Even with Eye of Insight, it wasn't easy. Tendō's feints were outrageous, like he was built to confuse.
Tendō laughed again, but his laugh was higher-pitched now, less carefree. "Scary, scary! You're not just fast, you can see things, huh? That's no normal reflexes. What are you, some kind of monster?"
Jin shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe."
Around them, a few students had stopped to watch, whispering at the sight of Karasuno's silver-haired first-year squaring off against Shiratorizawa's wild middle blocker over something as dumb as rock–paper–scissors. Yet neither of them looked like they were playing around.
"Alright, one more! Final round!" Tendō said, bouncing on his toes. His grin was still there, but his eyes were sharp. He didn't want to admit it, but his intuition wasn't enough. Against Jin, it felt like someone was peering straight into his core.
"Fine." Jin clenched his fist, Eye of Insight still active. 'This one decides it.'
They raised their fists.
But before the call could start.
"Tendō."
That heavy, commanding voice cut in.
Both of them turned. Ushijima Wakatoshi stood there, calm as a mountain. His presence alone felt like a wall closing in.
Jin relaxed his fist. "Ah. Saved by the captain."
Tendō pouted, leaning back with exaggerated disappointment. "Ehh, but I was having fun~"
"Don't waste energy before the match," Ushijima said flatly. Then his eyes shifted to Jin. "We'll settle it on the court."
That was all, but it carried weight.
Tendō tilted his head, then chuckled again, the tension slipping away. "Hehe, guess I'll let you go this time, silver-hair. But remember! Next time we meet, it won't be scissors or paper I'll be breaking." His hand clenched into a fist. "It'll be you."
Jin smirked, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Looking forward to it."
Tendō lingered for a while to tossed a final sing-song over his shoulder. "See you soon, silver-hair~. Don't embarrass yourself before we get to you!"
"Tendō," Ushijima called again.
As Shiratorizawa's duo walked off, Jin deactivated his Eye of Insight. A faint ache spread behind his eyes.
'Damn. That was just rock–paper–scissors, but it felt like a war. If Tendō can pressure me like that in a game, what will he be like on court?'
The thought sent a chill down his spine, and a thrill of excitement through his chest.
This was only the beginning.