---
The Karasuno gym pulsed with the heat of practice, hardwood gleaming under the slanting amber light of late afternoon.
Sneakers squeaked, breaths came sharp, and Daichi's voice rang out like a command bell.
"Front line—3-on-3. Tsukishima, Hinata, Suga, you're one team. Kageyama, Tanaka, me, the other. Net's up—go hard!"
The air thickened with effort and anticipation as the teams squared off.
Hinata bounced at the net, orange hair wild, eyes bright with challenge. Beside him, Tsukishima stood tall, jaw tight, glasses catching the light—Hinata's words from yesterday still echoing.
Behind them, Sugawara wore his usual calm smile, but his eyes were razor-sharp.
Across the net, Kageyama's frown was thunderous.
Tanaka grinned, rolling his shoulders and cracking his knuckles, and Daichi stood steady—Karasuno's unshakable anchor.
The whistle blew.
The gym snapped into motion.
---
Sugawara opened with the serve—a smooth toss and clean strike, low and controlled.
Daichi received with practiced ease, popping it to Kageyama.
The setter didn't hesitate—set high and wide.
"Smash 'em, King!" Tanaka shouted mid-air. His spike ripped toward the back line.
Hinata's eyes flicked to Tsukishima. "Timing—meet him at the peak! Power—push through!"
Tsukishima tracked Tanaka's form, jumped late—hands raised, but fingers soft.
The ball clipped his fingertips and dropped with a thud.
"Take that, twig!" Tanaka crowed.
Score: Tsukishima-Hinata-Suga 0 — Kageyama-Tanaka-Daichi 1
---
Tanaka's serve shot over, wild and quick. It targeted Sugawara, who absorbed it cleanly and transitioned into a soft set.
"Go!"
Hinata shot up like a rocket, his spike splitting the defense and slamming down with a crack past Tanaka's late hands.
"Yes!" he shouted, fist pumping. Their team regained the serve.
1-1
---
Hinata stepped to the line, bounced the ball once, then launched it—an unpredictable spinner veering toward Kageyama.
The setter handled it, fluidly setting to Daichi.
Daichi rose, poised to strike—then tipped instead.
Tsukishima flinched, hands not quite firm, the ball falling behind him with a soft thump.
"Gotcha, four-eyes," Tanaka laughed.
1-2
---
Daichi's serve came low toward Hinata, who absorbed it with solid form. Sugawara set high to Tsukishima.
"Your turn!" Hinata called, voice urgent.
Tsukishima swung, aiming deep cross—Tanaka blocked, and the ball rebounded.
Hinata dove, scraping the floor for the save. Sugawara reset, quick hands flicking to Hinata again.
He soared—no block this time—thwack. Clean point.
"Nice!" Hinata beamed, clapping Tsukishima's shoulder.
They held the serve.
---
Tsukishima served, a high arc drifting toward Tanaka.
He misread it, shanking it high. Kageyama, unfazed, tracked the ball and set to Tanaka again.
"Power—push!" Hinata barked mid-air.
Tsukishima leapt beside him, arms tight, fingers stiff—blocking the spike square, the ball crashing back.
"Damn it!" Tanaka spat as it hit the floor.
Kageyama's glare darkened.
Tsukishima served again, clean and controlled toward Daichi.
Kageyama surprised them—setting to himself.
"What?" Tsukishima's eyes widened.
Kageyama leapt for a one-touch spike, but feinted, tipping just over the net.
The ball dropped dead.
"Too slow," Kageyama smirked. Tsukishima landed hard, jaw tight. "Tch."
Serve switches
Kageyama's serve was a bullet aimed at Sugawara.
The third-year braced, received clean, and set back to Hinata.
Tanaka read it, rose to block—but too late.
Hinata's spike slammed between hands and floor with a crack.
"That's it!" Hinata cheered.
Tsukishima watched quietly, mind ticking. He's relentless.
Hinata served—a tricky, spinning shot aimed at Tanaka. He wrangled it, Kageyama setting again to Daichi.
Another feint.
Tsukishima lunged, almost there—almost.
The ball dropped soft behind his fingers.
Daichi gave a quick nod. "Mix it up."
Tanaka's serve came fast at Hinata. He held firm, popping it cleanly to Sugawara.
"Go!" Hinata urged, eyes flicking to Tsukishima.
This time, Tsukishima powered through, spiking past Daichi's block with a crisp smack.
Tanaka blinked. "Getting better, huh?"
No answer—just a subtle nod.
Tsukishima served, this time aiming at Kageyama.
The setter set clean to Tanaka, who spiked cross again.
Tsukishima and Hinata jumped as one.
Tsukishima's timing sharpened, hands like a wall—crack—block clean.
Kageyama stomped. "Enough!"
Tsukishima exhaled through his nose. "Problem?"
But his mind wasn't on Kageyama anymore.
"You'll fall in love with it…"
That sound, that feel—the block reverberated through his arms, deeper than muscle.
The whistle blew. Drill over.
Hinata's team had edged ahead, though it was tight.
Tsukishima had stumbled—fooled by feints, misreading tempo—but sharpened with every rep.
Hinata spiked fearlessly, blocked alongside him, encouraged without flinching.
On the other side, Kageyama's scowl deepened with every point.
Tanaka's voice grew louder, frustration clear.
Daichi stayed grounded, reading the court like a veteran.
Hinata clapped Tsukishima's shoulder. "You're getting it now. Our blocks—starting to feel like a wall."
Tsukishima shrugged. "Tch. Don't get carried away."
But as he trailed off the court, towel around his neck, sweat clinging to his shirt, something lingered in him.
"A moment you fall in love…"
The words weren't just Hinata's anymore.
They were starting to feel like his.
---
To be continued…
---