The final whistle blew.
Team A – 25-14, 25-17.
The practice match had come to an end. Karasuno's players stood frozen for a moment before cheers erupted from Team A's side. Despite it only being a practice game, the energy in the gym felt like an official match.
Nishinoya wiped the sweat from his face, his expression shifting from frustration to admiration. "Damn, you guys really didn't hold back."
Tanaka chuckled, placing his hands on his hips. "You expected us to go easy on you?"
Asahi sighed, exhausted but smiling. "I should've known Kageyama and Hinata would be this crazy together."
Across the court, the Karasuno Town Team members gathered, catching their breath. They weren't sore about losing; in fact, they looked nostalgic.
Yūsuke Takinoue ran a hand through his hair and grinned. "Man… it's been years since I played in a match like this."
Makoto Shimada nodded in agreement. "Feels like we're back in high school. I swear, Daichi and Sugawara have the same energy we used to have."
Hidenori Uchizawa chuckled. "Yeah, but those two are monsters," he gestured toward Hinata and Kageyama, who were still discussing plays despite the match being over.
Yukinari Mori, still catching his breath, sighed.
The nostalgia in their voices was thick. Even though they had lost, they weren't disappointed—they were proud.
Shimada clapped Daichi on the shoulder. "You guys are lucky. I can already tell Karasuno is going to be insane this year. Keep pushing forward."
Daichi grinned. "We will. And thanks for the match, senpai."
The town team members gave them words of encouragement before gathering their things and leaving. The Karasuno players bowed respectfully, thanking them for the game.
Once the seniors were gone, Ukai called for a team huddle. His sharp eyes scanned over each player, analyzing their performance.
"Well," he started, arms crossed, "I can say one thing for sure. You guys have potential. But potential alone won't win us matches."
The players straightened at his serious tone.
Ukai pointed at Hinata and Kageyama first. "Kageyama your sets are already at a very high level. You need to focus on analyzing and use the other attackers. You cant always rely on Hinata he needs a break as well. You can use him as a decoy. And Hinata, You serves are great, your spikes are great, you are receives are great and your blocks too. You are probable the best player around your age group in the country. There isn't much I can teach you but I can only Impart my experience."
Kageyama nodded, unfazed. "I'll work on it." And Hinata just said thank you.
Ukai turned to Nishinoya and Daichi next. "Your receives have improved, but against a real powerhouse school? You'll get overwhelmed. Just like how you were overwhelmed against Hinata. You need to get used to higher-speed spikes and serves. This is where you are very lucky, you have Hinata and Asahi to practice. If you get adjusted to them, I can safely say you will the nationals."
Nishinoya grinned. "That means more spikes from Hinata and Asahi, right?"
Ukai smirked. "Exactly."
He then looked at Tsukishima. "Your blocks are decent, but you hesitate. You need to read the opponent better and commit to blocks faster."
Tsukishima adjusted his glasses, clearly unimpressed. "Noted."
Ukai's gaze swept over the rest of the team. "From now on, our practices are going to be structured. No more random drills. Everything will have a purpose."
Tanaka pumped his fist. "Three hours of hell, huh?"
Ukai smirked. "Three hours of growth."
-----------------
The next fourteen days were brutal.
Each morning, they gathered in the gym before school, running laps and doing mobility exercises.
The first hour of practice was grueling. Ukai pushed them through receive drills, making Nishinoya and Daichi handle spike after spike from Hinata and Asahi. Kageyama consistently tossed, while Tsukishima and Tanaka worked on blocking.
Tsukishima hated the focus on blocking.
"Sensei, you expect me to block that?" he muttered as Asahi's spike nearly blew past him.
"Yes," Ukai replied bluntly. "Figure it out."
During the second hour, the players split into specialized training.
Daichi and Nishinoya focused purely on receives.
Kageyama drilled precise tosses.
Tsukishima and Tanaka worked on blocks.
Hinata and Asahi attacked relentlessly.
Hinata's spikes were monstrous.
"I swear, he's cheating," Tanaka muttered after failing to block another of Hinata's impossible angles.
The third hour was the most intense.
Scrimmages.
And these weren't casual games. Every mistake was punished.
Every play was analyzed.
Kageyama's sets got sharper. Nishinoya's receives became faster. Tsukishima's blocks improved—if only by a fraction.
Hinata?
He was terrifying.
Even Ukai had to admit it.
Watching him toy with space, mix up his spikes, and dominate the air—Ukai knew.
This kid was monster.
The hard work paid off.
Two weeks flew by, and before they knew it, they were on their way to the house they were going to stay during the training camp after practice.
Excitement buzzed through the air—especially from Nishinoya and Tanaka.
"The rooms are gonna be sick!" Tanaka grinned.
"The baths are huge!" Nishinoya added, eyes shining.
"You guys have been there before?" Hinata asked, tilting his head.
"Not really," Nishinoya admitted. "But I can imagine!"
"More importantly," Tanaka nudged Nishinoya, "Shimizu is coming, right?"
Nishinoya straightened like a soldier. "YES."
Sugawara sighed. "Please don't embarrass us."
As they made their way toward the house.
----------
The moment they arrived at the camp, Tanaka and Nishinoya sprinted into the house.
"This place is amazing!" Tanaka yelled, running through the halls.
"The BATHS!" Nishinoya practically cried in joy.
Daichi sighed. "Can you two act normal for five seconds?"
"I am normal!" Nishinoya argued.
Hinata and Kageyama, meanwhile, were already enroute to bedrooms.
"How come second years behave like first years?", Daichi asked Sugawara.
They really are the Mom and Dad of the group.
That night, after exploring the house and bathing in shifts, the team finally settled down.
Lying on the futons, exhaustion washing over them, they all had the same thought.
Tomorrow, it begins.
Karasuno was here.
And they were ready to fight.