The sun outside was already dipping into gold by the time the whistle blew for the next drill.
"Six-on-six!" Coach Ukai barked. "Game pace. Let's see if our ace still remembers how to swing!"
Tanaka whooped. "Oh, he remembers, Coach. I saw that spike earlier—it was beautiful."
Aya, perched on a ball cart, called out, "Yeah, and I'm betting Akira makes him look even better."
Akira just smirked and cracked his neck like he was loosening up for a show.
The rally began with Kageyama serving hard down the seam. Yamaguchi dug it up, and Sugawara—filling in for second setter—tossed a clean high ball to Asahi.
It was high, but the block was already forming—Hinata on the opposite side could see it. Akira called across the court, "Use me!"
Asahi didn't question it. He swung not at the open spot, but at Akira's side, knowing the silver-haired wing would redirect the ball midair.
It was a ridiculous quick readjustment, the kind that shouldn't have worked—except it did. The ball smacked the floor just past Nishinoya's dive.
The court went silent for half a second, then exploded in cheers.
Kenma, who had been leaning casually against the doorframe, raised an eyebrow. "That's not bad for a first real link-up."
Kageyama glared. "What are you doing here?"
Kenma shrugged. "Akira said there'd be interesting volleyball."
"See?" Akira tossed Kageyama a look that said told you so.
From the sideline, Aya had somehow roped Nishinoya into a ridiculous pigeon impression to distract Tanaka mid-serve receive. It worked—Tanaka shanked the ball into the wall.
"HEY!" Tanaka spun on them. "I had that until you—"
"Excuses," Aya said sweetly.
Asahi's next chance came in transition. Kageyama set quick to Hinata, who—eyes open again—spotted the triple block and tipped over it to Asahi, who had shifted behind.
The timing was perfect. Asahi's follow-through was clean, the ball whistling off the floor. He didn't even hear the cheers—he was too busy blinking, realizing he'd just pulled off a coordinated play mid-rally.
By the end of the scrimmage, Asahi's shirt was sticking to his back, his chest heaving—but his eyes were bright. He had been in the flow.
Daichi watched from the bench, arms folded, and leaned toward Ukai. "Feels like the offense is… balanced now."
Ukai grinned. "Balanced? It's borderline unfair."
As the players started cooling down, Akira slung an arm around Asahi's shoulders. "See? You belong here. Always did."
Hinata bounced up beside them, sweat dripping but smiling wide. "And now we're gonna crush everyone."
Kenma, still in the doorway, deadpanned, "Assuming Kageyama doesn't blow a fuse first."
Kageyama snapped, "I heard that!"
Aya, walking past with the ball cart, smirked. "Good. Maybe it'll keep you on your toes."
The gym still smelled faintly of varnish and sweat when the last of the lights were turned off. Karasuno's players spilled out into the cool evening air, their post-practice chatter buzzing like the cicadas in the trees.
"Food?" Hinata asked instantly, his eyes bright even after hours of drills.
Asahi hesitated, but Akira had already hooked an arm through his and steered him toward the street. "That wasn't a question. We're getting food."
Aya appeared at Asahi's other side, wheeling her bike like she'd been waiting for this moment. "If we're eating, I'm picking the place. None of your mystery ramen shops, Akira."
"They're not mystery shops—"
"They're literally in alleys no one can find twice," Aya cut in.
Kenma, who had somehow been trailing them without anyone noticing, spoke up. "If there's food, I'll come. I was going to head back, but… priorities."
Hinata blinked. "Wait—why are you still here?"
"Free entertainment," Kenma replied flatly. "Watching your setter get mad at me was worth staying."
Kageyama, somewhere behind them, muttered, "I'm not mad."
They ended up at a cozy street-side soba place with a faded curtain in the doorway and a faint smell of grilled fish in the air. Aya claimed the corner booth and immediately ordered enough food for a table twice their size.
Halfway through slurping noodles, Akira noticed a group of Karasuno's first-years pass by the window, doing exaggerated bowing motions as if mocking someone. Tanaka and Nishinoya were at the center of it, clearly re-enacting a block.
Aya smirked. "You know they're gonna try and mess with us at practice tomorrow."
Asahi swallowed his bite, a little sheepish. "They've already been making jokes about me being 'the fragile ace.'"
Akira's eyes narrowed playfully. "Oh? Fragile? Guess we'll just have to prove them wrong."
When they finished eating, the group wandered toward the park before heading home. The air was crisp, and the streetlamps cast soft circles of light on the pavement.
That's when they noticed the pigeons.
A whole squad of them, perched on the edge of a park bench, heads tilting in eerie unison. Aya unwrapped the leftover fries she'd smuggled from the restaurant and sat down—instantly, the pigeons advanced like a slow-moving army.
"Don't feed them," Asahi warned.
Aya popped a fry in her mouth. "Too late."
Within seconds, Akira had been roped into a mock "pigeon battle," shooing them off while Hinata narrated dramatically like it was a war documentary. Kenma filmed the entire thing without comment, occasionally zooming in on Akira's deadpan face as a particularly bold pigeon tried to steal from his pocket.
Eventually, the chaos fizzled into laughter, and the group flopped onto the grass.
"You know," Kenma said lazily, scrolling through his phone, "you three should see Date Tech's new defensive drills. They've been calling themselves the 'Iron Wall 2.0.'"
Akira smirked. "Sounds like fun to break."
Aya leaned back on her elbows. "They were talking trash about Karasuno last time I heard. Said the ace was gone for good."
Asahi's brows knit. "Guess they haven't heard I'm back."
Hinata bounced forward, eyes lit. "Then let's show them!"
Kenma looked between them, amused. "I can set it up. Four versus four. Their best defenders against… you guys."
Akira glanced at him. "And you're playing."
Kenma groaned. "…Fine. But if I do, we're winning."
By the time they split off for the night, the deal was set. Team A—Akira, Hinata, Asahi, and Kenma—versus Date Tech's core defense.And though Hinata didn't know it yet, this was only the beginning of his next evolution.