The next morning, the sound of sneakers was sharper, more focused. Ukai's whistle split the air."Alright! First drill—Kageyama, Hinata, front court! We're starting on the open-eye quick!"
Hinata groaned but jogged into position. Kageyama tossed a ball up, his eyes narrowing."You're not blinking this time. If you miss it—"
"—I'll hit you in the face to make sure you learn," Akira interrupted, casually spinning a ball on his finger. His grin was light, but his tone wasn't.
The toss came—fast, precise. Hinata's eyes stayed wide—he saw the blockers. His instinct screamed just hit, but he hesitated, adjusted, and slammed down the line.Wham!
"Out," Daichi called.
Hinata clutched his head. "Ughhh—this is harder than I thought!"
"It's called learning," Akira said, stepping forward. "Again."
They ran it over and over. Hinata started reading blocker hands instead of just swinging blind. He began choosing—cross, down the line, sharp angle. The ones that landed in-bounds made Kageyama's grin sharpen dangerously.
Meanwhile, on the other court, Asahi was hammering serves at Nishinoya."Come on, Noya! Faster reaction!"
"I am reacting fast!" Noya barked, diving to snag another missile.
Aya watched from the sideline, jotting notes. "Asahi's no longer hesitating on high balls. He's attacking before the blockers can even fully set."
Akira leaned over. "He'll need that. Date Tech won't be the only wall we face."
By the third day, the gym was alive with rhythm. Tanaka and Yamaguchi were running serve-target drills, Kuroo had dropped by to spar with Akira in blocking battles, and Hinata was finally landing clean open-eye quick kills.
During water break, Daichi gathered them. "We're facing Yamagata West first. They're not ranked, but they've got a tricky left-handed ace. Second round—Johzenji. They're fast and reckless, so expect chaos."
Hinata wiped sweat from his face. "And then—"
"—Aoba Johsai," Kageyama finished, his voice low.
Akira smirked. "Guess I'll have to outshine my dear big brother."
Aya rolled her eyes. "You mean you're planning to embarrass him."
"Semantics," Akira said.
The final practice before the tournament ended with a full scrimmage. Every point was loud, sweaty, and vicious. Hinata's eyes stayed open on every quick. Asahi was a wall-breaking machine. Even Ukai couldn't hide his grin.
When the whistle blew, the air hung heavy with heat and anticipation.
"Rest up," Daichi said. "Tomorrow—we start our climb."
The gym lights dimmed as they packed up. Somewhere in the quiet, Hinata muttered to Akira, "I can't wait."
Akira's smile was small, but sharp. "Neither can I."