The next morning, the gym was still half-lit when Hinata burst through the doors like a man on a mission. "Akira! Aya! Operation Find-the-Ace is a go!"
Aya was sitting cross-legged on the bench, sipping from a can of coffee, silver hair slightly messy from barely getting up on time. "You really woke me up for this…" she muttered, yawning.
Akira leaned against the wall, hands in his jacket pockets. "I was already awake. But… why are we meeting here if we don't even know where Asahi lives?"
Hinata grinned, holding up his phone. "Nishinoya texted me an address! Well… kind of. More like a landmark near his place. Something about a bakery?"
Aya perked up slightly. "Bakery? …I'm in."
The three set off, the chilly Miyagi morning air biting at their cheeks. Hinata kept up a brisk pace, bouncing on the balls of his feet, while Aya walked like she was on a leisurely Sunday stroll. Akira split the difference, occasionally pulling up his scarf.
"So, what's the plan when we find him?" Aya asked.
Hinata clenched his fist dramatically. "We tell him he's the ace and he needs to come back! We'll inspire him with our volleyball spirit!"
Akira smirked. "Or we could just drag him to practice."
Aya snorted. "You can't just kidnap your ace."
"Watch me," Akira replied without missing a beat.
By the time they reached the bakery, Hinata was practically bouncing through the door. A warm smell of fresh bread hit them, and there behind the counter was a middle-aged woman who immediately smiled.
"Oh! You must be here for Asahi?" she said.
Hinata froze mid-bounce. "…How did you know?"
The woman chuckled. "Nishinoya called ahead. He said you might need directions."
Aya leaned on the counter. "We do. And maybe a croissant."
Following her instructions, they made their way to a small apartment building nearby. The three of them stood outside Asahi's door.
Hinata knocked. "Hello? Asahi-san? We're here to—"
The door cracked open a sliver, revealing a tall man with long hair tied back, wearing a hoodie. His eyes widened when he saw them. "…Nishinoya sent you, didn't he?"
"Yes!" Hinata beamed. "I'm Hinata! This is Akira and Aya! We're here to bring you back to Karasuno!"
Asahi rubbed the back of his neck. "I… I don't think I'm—"
Akira stepped forward. "You're the ace, right? Then you belong on the court. Whatever happened, we can fix it."
Aya added between bites of her croissant, "Also, you're huge. We need that."
Asahi's lips twitched like he didn't know whether to laugh or shut the door. "It's… not that simple. I let everyone down before."
Hinata shook his head furiously. "You can't let us down if you're not even there! We need you to try again!"
For a moment, Asahi just looked at them—the fiery kid, the lazy-smiling silver-haired newcomer, the quiet one with steady eyes—and something in his expression softened.
"…I'll think about it."
On the way back, Aya walked between the two boys, still munching her croissant. "That wasn't so bad."
Akira shrugged. "He'll come. I can tell."
Hinata grinned. "And when he does, our quick's gonna be even scarier!"
Aya tilted her head at him. "Only if you keep your eyes open, shrimp."
Hinata puffed his cheeks. "Hey—!"
The three of them dissolved into easy laughter as they headed back toward the school, completely unaware that Karasuno's revival had just taken another big step forward.