Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Shouyou, I have to tell you something," Hinata Akari said to her eldest daughter with a sad look on her face, "We have to return to Japan in two weeks from now. My job... they decided to transfer me back there since I'm the only Japanese worker there."

Hinata Akari was a 39 years old woman with short, bob-styled black hair and a pair of honey-hazel eyes and a single mother with two beautiful daughters. She was originally a homemaker but after her husband's death, she had to take over his place and provide for her children.

Akari's job demanded her to move from place to place, which was exhausted her physically and mentally. But she remained strong, thinking only of her daughters' well-beings at stake.

When she first received the news of her transfer to Brazil, she was upset. She just lost her beloved two months prior and her youngest daughter, Natsu was only five months old. She was worried, who would visit her husband's grave while they are overseas? She had zero experience in travelling to another country, and doubted that she could speak a foreign language. She didn't want to leave her daughters behind, of course. Shouyou and Natsu were her utmost priorities.

Her mother-in-law assured her that she would do well at the other side of the world, that it would be a great experience for her and her grandchildren. It wasn't often that countryside people gets to live in another country and learn their cultures and languages. It would be a great opportunity for Shouyou and Natsu to learn new things outside of Miyagi Prefecture and Japan.

She told her that she had faith in Shouyou that she would achieve greatness at Rio de Janeiro and she said that confidently. Akari asked her what does she mean by that and her mother-in-law only gave her a mysterious smile in response.

Hinata stared at her mother for a brief moment, a flash of sadness and shock in her eyes before she covered them with a bright smile on her lips. "Oh? That's great, I guess! It's been awhile since we left Japan. I wonder how Granny and and Gramps are doing!" She said.

Akari's eyes watered, kneeling in front of her daughter to match her eye-level and grasped her upper arms gently. "I'm so sorry, Shouyou..! I know that you have a great life here! You are a top beach volleyball player in the country and the youngest one ever at that! You were the youngest player among the other U-17 players and I'm so, so proud of you for that!"

Matching honey eyes stared at each other. "Now I understand what your grandmother meant when she said you will achieve greatness here," she smiled softly, "She believed in you, that you would become a great beach volleyball player like your father used to be."

Tears welled up in Hinata's eyes at the mention of her deceased father. Hinata Haru was a professional beach volleyball player in Japan and was well-known in the international circuits. He died in a tragic accident that also killed 287 others after their plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean. She grew up watching his games and vowed to continue his legacy.

"I... I don't want to leave my friends and teammates behind...," she said in a small voice. "Pedro, Heitor, Coach Lucio... they all helped me become the player I am today. I knew that just because I'm dad's daughter doesn't mean I'll become an amazing athlete like he was."

"Yes, I know. You earned the nickname 'Ninja Shouyou' based on your hardwork and skills alone," her mother said as she wiped away the tears on her daughter's face soothingly, "Honestly, you don't have to force yourself, Shouyou. You are already amazing just the way you are. You don't have to become the next Hinata Haru. I'm sure your father would say the same thing if he was here with us," she said firmly.

Hinata took a deep breath shakily and nodded. "Thank you for telling me, mom. I'll talk to my friends and Coach Lucio about it," she said.

Her mother smiled softly, stroking her daughter's soft ginger locks, so much like Haru's. "Take your time, Shouyou."

"No way! You're going back to Japan in two weeks?!" Pedro, Heitor and Coach Lucio stared at her in disbelief.

Pedro was two years younger than Hinata and wasn't a professional player. He and his family were their neighbours next doors and they got along quickly. He was a huge fan of animes and always shared his interest with her. He also always accompanied Hinata to the beach when she wanted to play while he read mangas on his phone.

Heitor was her senior by four years. His parents were professional players like her father so he immediately recognized her by her hair and surname. However, unlike her, he didn't have any interest to pursue the sport professionally, admitting that to him, beach volleyball was just a job. Hinata supported him no matter what, and they always trained together to sharpen each other's skills. They had a brother-sister relationship.

"Yeah. My mom had to move because of her job and she didn't want to leave us behind. I don't want to burden her, of course. Natsu will be starting her elementary year at Japan so I have to go with them," she said in a fluent Portuguese. "I'm going to miss everyone here. Reading mangas and watching animes with you, Pedro. Training and play beach volleyball with you, Heitor. And don't think I forget all the times I had to be the third-wheel whenever you went on dates with Nice," she joked, making a mocking exasperated look on her face, which they laughed at before that look melted away as she continued, "Beach volleyball isn't all that common in Japan so there's a chance that I might not be able to continue playing since only few people are interested to play it," she said sadly.

Pedro, the ever introverted one, surprisingly was the first to cry as he sniffed. "I'm going to miss you, Shouyou! You're the only one who was willing to hear all that anime theories I shared with you!" He sobbed as he lunged forward before wrapping his arms around her. "I got to learn Japanese because of you too!"

"Actually, my mom taught you that. I'm Japanese but I'm pretty sure I'm going mix Japanese and Portuguese when I speak after I go back there soon," she laughed as she patted his back and head warmly.

Heitor was the next one to speak. "Damn, it never cross my mind that I would actually have to see you leave us, Shouyou," he said with a sad smile. "Nine years are long enough for me to think that you're one of us and not actually from Japan. Now, I wish that I get to play beach volleyball with you longer," he wiped the tears that began to well up in his eyes before they can pour down his cheeks. "I don't want you to stop playing beach volleyball after you made me realize that it's more than just a job."

"Actually, Shouyou can still continue playing volleyball even though she's going to return to Japan," Lucio finally spoke after he had been silent since the beginning.

They all turned to him. "What do you mean, Coach?" Hinata asked.

"There's only one way for you to continue playing volleyball and that is by switching to indoor volleyball," he stated.

The three of them went silent as the redhead stared at her coach in bewilderment. "Indoor volleyball...?" She repeated dumbly.

He nodded. "You see, Shouyou, I was once a transfer student in Japan when I was in high school. I'm a Shiratorizawa alumnus. I played indoor volleyball and won the nationals before I switch to beach after I graduated," he explained.

"What?! Really?! You never told me about this before!" Hinata whined adorably as she pointed an accusing finger at her coach.

"Well, now I'm telling you," Lucio replied cheekily, which made her puff out her cheeks in response. "I think my bull-headed coach is still coaching the volleyball team there. I swear that old man isn't going to die anytime soon if he can still shouts at the players," he chuckled, remembering the strict coach.

"Bull-headed coach--" Pedro and Heitor chortled before they looked away to hide their laughter.

"Anyway, what I'm going to say is that I'm going to train you about indoor volleyball for these two weeks before you return to Japan so you'll adapt with the changes easier. The regulations and rules in beach and indoor volleyballs are different so I'll teach you about them after this. After you arrive there, go find Shiratorizawa Academy and search for Coach Washijou and said that Katou Lucio recommended you," Lucio explained to her.

Hinata gasped. "You're going to recommend me to Shiratorizawa Academy? It sounds like a prestigious school!" She exclaimed.

"Hold up, you're going to make her meet the bull-headed coach?" Heitor looked at the beach volleyball coach incredulously and horror. "What if that guy bully our precious Shouyou here?!"

"Don't worry, Washijou may be a strict and mean old man but he means well. He just believe that strong players are those with height and natural powers," he shrugged. "But I'm sure Shouyou will prove him wrong, right? It's okay if you don't get accept into the academy. You can still go to other schools and join their team."

"Yeah! I'm going to show them that Ninja Shouyou is dangerous on the court just as she was on the sand!" Hinata grinned with an intense look in her eyes, one that thirst for challenge and promising victory.

"That's the spirit, Shouyou!" Lucio exclaimed happily as he ruffled her hair.

Hinata trained for indoor volleyball for two weeks under Coach Lucio's teaching. On the sand, her specialties were receives, shots, sets, serves and blocks. However, her setting skills were decent and still needed a few polishing. Her height was average for beach volleyball, only 165cm but she was as skillful as those who are taller than her. She was quite nervous to switch to indoor but her coach reassured her that she would do exceptionally well on the court as beach volleyball will hone her skill there.

She started playing beach volleyball when she was 7, it turned out that the apartment where they were staying was located near a beach. Every evening, her mother would take her and Natsu there so they can play. One day, she saw a crowd gathering around a volleyball match. She watched in amazement as the players moved around the sand so smoothly and tried to imitate them the next day.

After that day, every time they went to the beach, Hinata played beach volleyball with other kids her age, she even joined a group of adults playing an informal match. They all were awed by her speed and praised her skills. That was where she met Heitor for the first time. She saw him playing with his parents.

She played with him several times and he was impressed by her. Then, he introduced her to Katou Lucio, a man who trained beach volleyball players and a coach to junior indoor volleyball team. Lucio was all too happy to take her under his wings, recognizing her as the daughter of the famous Hinata Haru. He said she was the most disciplined player he has ever met.

Under his guidance, Hinata became popular among the locals as she grew older, the way how she was unpredictable in a match and her almost inhuman speed earned her the nickname 'Ninja Shouyou'. She defeated locals and foreigners alike and became widely-known in the country.

After the news that she and her family will be returning back to Japan spread out, they all were sad to hear the news. They had grown attached to not only Hinata, but also her mother and sister. The story of how a single mother raised her two young daughters alone in a foreign country earned sympathy among the locals.

At the airport, the small family said their last goodbye to the neighbours, friends and teammates. They received souvenirs and gifts from them, Hinata received the most of them since some of them were from her fans.

Pedro claimed that he was her first fan and told her to never forget him. She giggled and promised that she would still keep in touch with him and the others.

Nice, Heitor's girlfriend, bawled her eyes out, crying that she will miss her sister figure and pulled poor Natsu into the group hug as well, which made everyone laugh.

Lucio and Heitor have her a few last advices and tips about volleyball and reassured her that everything will be fine. The former even gave her a special edition of the national volleyball team's jersey that was signed by the Brazil ace himself, Nicolas Romero, which she happily accepted with stars in her eyes.

After they landed safely in Japan, where their family and relatives were waiting, Hinata's mother told her that she would be entering her first year in high school in the middle of the year, July to be exact. She was lucky that by the time they arrive, they all just finished their final exams and she didn't have to join them as she was only a new student.

She asked her mother where they would be staying since their old house was sold to someone else. Apparently, their new house was located near Karasuno High so that's where she would enroll at.

Hinata sighed as she collapsed onto her bed and closed her eyes, hoping that tomorrow will be a good day.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Hinata kissed her mother on the cheek and kissed her sister on the forehead before ruffling her hair before she headed towards Karasuno High, which was 10 minutes away from her house.

After she placed her bike next to the others, she made her way towards the administration office. As she did, she ignored the curious looks from other students and teachers. She knew she was a peculiar sight to behold.

Wavy, bright ginger hair that reached her neck, doe honey eyes adorned with long lashes, sun-kissed skin and plump red lips. Line of lithe muscle added definition to the curves of her arms and legs. Hinata always had a curvaceous body, something that she inherited from her mother, but being an athlete made her features somewhat more alluring.

Because the dress code wasn't strictly reinforced, she opted to wear a simple white blouse, cream sweater, a red ribbon and grey skirt.

The secretary in the office told her that if she wanted to join the volleyball club then she would have to meet its advisor, the modern literature teacher, Takeda Ittetsu.

"I'm allowed to join the boy's team even though there's a girl's team?" Hinata asked, blinking her eyes in shock.

The serious-looking woman chuckled. "Yes. Five years ago, after the last time Karasuno advanced to the nationals, the board of governors and staffs agreed to change the volleyball team into a co-ed team so that everyone can play but unfortunately, only boys have made it into the team. But now that you're here means that you'll be able to play," she explained. "Don't tell anyone else this but I was a fan of Hinata Haru back then and I was very devastated when I heard the news about the accident," she said softly, which Hinata only nodded with a wistful smile, "so when I watched the sports news and saw a young Japanese girl that looked so much like him played the same sport, I was shocked. It's sad that beach volleyball isn't as famous here as the other countries but you're considered a national athlete now, you know, even if you lived in a foreign country before," she pointed out.

"Really? I could've sworn that I may be a nobody here," the ginger laughed. "But even if I'm a national athlete, I'm still a student and I have to work hard, if not harder!" She exclaimed.

The secretary nodded in approval. "That's good to hear. If only all students here are just like you, Hinata Shouyou," she sighed tiredly before handing her the class schedule and the club's registration form.

Hinata smiled before bowing gratefully. "Thank you so much, Yoshiade-san!"

"Yes, yes. Off you go now," the older woman shooed her off with a teasing smile.

"Takeda-sensei, I'd like to join the volleyball team," Hinata said seriously, handing him her registration form.

The dark-haired man gasped, fixing his spectacles with a trembling hand as he slowly grasped the form with another trembling hand. "Is it true? Ninja Shouyou will be joining our team?!" He exclaimed in astonishment.

"Uh, of course! Why wouldn't I be?" She asked in confusion.

"B-But you're a national-level player...! Surely the other schools recruited you to join them! We're just a normal school, if not unknown," he said sadly.

"Well, my former coach was a Shiratorizawa alumnus so he recommended me to his old coach. But then, I declined the offer, because I don't want to stay in the dorms and away from my mom and sister," she admitted truthfully.

Takeda sputtered by the honest response. "Y-You declined Shiratorizawa, the powerhouse team?!"

She shrugged. "To be honest, I don't pretty much care about powerhouse team or not. All I care is standing on the court and play volleyball. Having to switch from beach makes me really sad but I realized I have given an opportunity to discover new things about indoor volleyball!" She exclaimed with a bright smile. "It might take a while for me to adapt with the changes but I won't give up!"

"Besides, the stronger the opponent team is, the more excited I get to crush them," her lips curled into a deadly smile, the look in her eyes were sharp.

The poor advisor trembled from seeing the predatory look on the usually sunny girl. He recognized her from the news and magazines and knew her father. She was dangerous on the sand but he saw that she had more potential inside her that has yet to be unlocked, a possibility that she could be a greater player than her father.

He cleared his throat, drawing her attention. "Since you just returned here in July, that means you missed the chance to play in the Inter-high, sadly. We lost in the semi-finals to Aoba Johsai and in the end, Shiratorizawa won in the finals and advanced to nationals. So right now, the team's morale are quite low given the circumstances. However, I just received the news from Coach Nekomata from Nekoma in Tokyo that they would be holding a training camp with several other teams from Tokyo. He invited Karasuno as well since he was close friends with the former coach, Coach Ukai before he retired. Now, his grandson is the current coach of the team," he told her. "However, you do have several months before the Spring High which will be in January. I think you would make a great secret weapon for the team."

"Is it okay that I don't have to do a try-out?" She asked unsurely.

"Of course! You already proved yourself to be a great player way long before you joined us! Though, the only vacant position we have right now is the middle blocker position," Takeda said with a small grimace.

Hinata giggled. "I don't mind, Sensei. Blockings are one of my specialties anyway. Just because that means I will be the shortest non-libero player doesn't mean I can't block as good as a normal middle blocker," she said.

Takeda smiled. "Brilliant! The training camp will be held next week. The students just finished with their exams and are waiting for the results today. Those who didn't pass will have to go through supplementary lessons. You're lucky that you didn't have to go through that process," he teased.

Hinata gasped, a mocking look of hurt etched across her face. "I'm offended, Sensei! I do keep up with my studies when I was in Brazil, you know!" She said.

He chuckled. "I'm kidding!" He waved his hand before reaching out the other hand for a handshake. "Welcome to Karasuno, Ninja Shouyou," he said.

The ginger-haired girl grinned brightly, grasping his hand in hers firmly as they shook hands. "Thank you, Sensei."

Before Hinata will be introduced to the entire team later that day, Takeda introduced her to Coach Ukai and explained everything about her.

Coach Ukai asked her if she knew the rules to indoor volleyball which she replied that her former coach in Brazil already trained her so she was used to it. She knew all the regulations and rules already and even practiced with the junior indoor team under Coach Lucio's wing. She added that some of her habits from beach volleyball might not disappear though, which the blonde-haired man only chuckled and said he was okay with it.

"Alright, guys! Gather around! Takeda-sensei have an announcement!" Coach Ukai blew his whistle, signaling for them to pause in their current activities and gather around him and Takeda.

"What is it, Sensei, Coach?" Daichi asked, wiping his face with the towel wrapped around his neck.

"Before that, I just want to say Kageyama," Takeda paused as the boy in question stiffened while a tall blonde snickered, "Unfortunately, you didn't pass so you have to take supplementary lessons. I'm sorry," he said with a small smile.

Kageyama glared down at the floor, grumbling under his breath. Yachi jumped in fear from the dark look on his face and went to hide behind Kiyoko while Yamaguchi had a wary look on his face as he scooted slightly away.

"As you all know, we only have one middle blocker in the team and that is Tsukishima. Even if we have other tall players in the team, it's not enough to strengthen our defense. So, you will have a new member on the team and fill the empty spot," he continued.

The whole team was shocked, murmurs of curiosity and confusion filled throughout the gym. "A new member? Just before the training camp?" Sugawara asked.

"Yup! But don't you guys worry! This player has an experience playing volleyball for a long time. I think they will make a great addition to the team!" Takeda smiled.

"Who is it?!" Nishinoya asked, buzzing in excitement with Tanaka.

"It's a girl." The teacher continued, his smile unwavering.

"A GIRL?!" They all exclaimed in surprise (happiness from the two second-year troublemakers).

"Ah, now I remember. We're a co-ed team. I've played with guys for a long time that I forgot," Asahi scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

The managers, Kiyoko and Yachi were smiling in relief that they finally have another girl in the team.

"A GIRL?! IT'S A GIRL, RYU! THE GODS HAVE BLESSED US!" Nishinoya exclaimed with comical tears leaking down his face.

"YOU'RE RIGHT, NOYA-SAN! I BET SHE'S ANOTHER GREAT BEAUTY LIKE OUR GODDESS KIYOKO-SAN AND CUTE YACHI HERE!" Tanaka pressed his hands together in a praying motion.

Ennoshita smacked the back of their heads for their stupidity.

"Wow, now I'm really curious! Can you tell us who is it, Sensei?" Sugawara asked with an eager look on his face.

Ukai smirked while Takeda turned to the door and said, "You can come in now!"

All members of Karasuno turned to the door as it opened and a very beautiful girl with bright ginger hair stepped into the gym wearing a white shirt with black jacket of the team over it and matching black pants. She had a radiant smile on her face as she bowed.

"Olá! Meu nome é Hinata Shouyou! (Hi! My name is Hinata Shouyou!)" She said.

There was a brief silence from the team for a moment before all hell broke loose.

"WHAAAAAAATTT?!?!?!?!" The shout of the volleyball team can be heard throughout the school.

"Holy shit! It's Ninja Shouyou!" Sugawara exclaimed in surprise.

"Ninja Shouyou?! Whoa, that's a cool nickname!"

"I've heard that she returned to Japan but I never expected her to join our school."

"Whoa..."

"Wait, aren't you the daughter of Hinata Haru, the famous beach volleyball player?" Tsukishima asked.

"Yeah, he's my dad. Well, was my dad," Hinata said, a brief sad look flashed in her eyes before it disappeared.

"Why did you change to indoor volleyball? I thought you love playing beach volleyball, if you don't mind me asking," Daichi asked with a bashful look.

She giggled. "It's okay. Don't get me wrong, I love playing beach volleyball, but my mom's job demanded her to move from place to place so I didn't want to burden her if I decided to stay behind. I know that letting go of my career just like that might be a waste but I have a responsibility to take care of my younger sister in case mom have emergency meetings. Besides, I can't imagine myself separating from them," her face redden as she fidgeted with the zip of her jacket.

"I've been told that I can still play volleyball by switching to indoor so I agreed. Indoor volleyball may be different from beach volleyball but it doesn't sound bad to me. Besides, I can learn and experience new things from indoor volleyball too!" She said with an optimistic aura around her.

The players' look of curiosity and confusion slowly melted into one of understanding and respect.

"So you're saying you want to give indoor volleyball a chance, huh?" Sugawara asked with a smile.

"Yup! I don't mind playing beach or indoor, as long as it's volleyball, I don't care!" She grinned.

Kageyama narrowed his eyes at the potential rival but nodded his head in respect. Tsukishima scoffed but smirked nonetheless.

'Woah, she's so cool!', Yachi thought in admiration at the gingerhead.

"So you're the other middle blocker? But you're... short. Like, you're slightly taller than Nishinoya-san," Yamaguchi said nervously.

"What was that, Yamaguchi?!"

Hinata puffed out her cheeks. "Don't underestimate me just because I'm short. My newest jumping reach is 340cm," she told them confidently.

"340cm?! Is that even possible?!" Tanaka exclaimed in shock.

"Are you sure you're not half-kangaroo or something?" Tsukishima commented with a small smirk, which she stuck her tongue out in response.

"I'm not lying. I'm used to jumping on unstable surface like the sand for so long that I can jump easier on the court."

"Well, I believe you. I'm Sawamura Daichi, the team captain and third year," Daichi said with a warm smile on his face.

"My name is Sugawara Koushi and the vice-captain, I'm also a third year," Sugawara grinned.

"A-Azumane Asahi. Also a third-year," Asahi stuttered nervously before yelping when Suga smacked him on the back. "Don't be such a wimp, Asahi!"

"He's also the team's ace!" Nishinoya exclaimed proudly.

"Really?! Whoa, so cool!!" Hinata stared Asahi with starry eyes, as if he hung the moon himself. The poor shy ace blushed beet red from receiving an earnest look from the new member.

"I'm Ennoshita Chikara, second year," Ennoshita introduced himself politely.

"Kinoshita Hisashi, also a second year," Kinoshita smiled.

"I'm Narita Kazuhito, a second year as well," Narita said politely.

"What a lame introduction! Watch this! I'm Karasuno's Guardian Deity and libero, Nishinoya Yuu! I'm a second year!" The libero exclaimed loudly with a dramatic pose at the end.

"Yo! I'm Tanaka Ryunosuke! I'm also a second year!" Tanaka also followed his teammate's footsteps by posing at the end.

"We're the reliable senpais!" The finished in unison.

The others shook their heads and rolled their eyes while Hinata only smiled cutely in response.

"Ohh! Tanaka-senpai! Noya-senpai!" She chirped brightly.

The two second years immediately stepped back, clutching their chests as if they were struck by Cupid, lips trembling. "We have been blessed, Ryu!"

"You're right, Noya-san!"

"Tch. Tsukishima Kei, first year." The tall megane introduced himself briskly.

His friend smiled nervously. "Sorry about him. He's always like this. I'm Yamaguchi Tadashi, also a first year," he said.

She shrugged before finally turning to the last player that has yet to introduce himself. She blinked her eyes when she saw the dark glare directed at her.

"Uh... did I do something wrong?" She asked.

"No," he snapped before grimacing when he realized he sounded rude. "Sorry. I'm not good at this."

"Oho, the king's shy?" Tsukishima mocked.

The setter glared at him while Hinata looked confused. "King? Is that your title?"

"U-Uhm... Hinata! I think it's better if you don't ask!" Suga tried to interject with a nervous smile.

She tilted her head innocently. "Why? I think it's great nickname! It must be because your skills, right?" She turned to Kageyama with a positive look on her face.

He scowled at her, partly in confusion. "They call me King of the Court," he admitted.

"Wow, I think it's a badass name! What's the story behind it?!"

"You're mistaken, Hinata. He was called King of the Court because of he acts like a king who only thinks of himself," Tsukishima answered with a smirk.

"Oh, so you mean he's a demanding type," she blurted out honestly which made Kageyama and the others flinch. "Don't worry, I'm used to it. I had a teammate that was very mean and selfish at first but soon enough, he became a better person the longer we played together. I think I can manage myself here," she said.

"Tch, I'll be looking forward to see that day."

Hinata turned back to Kageyama who stood frozen when she gave him a piercing stare, a shadow casted over her eyes. "So? What's your name?"

He stared at her for a moment before he smirked challengingly. "Kageyama Tobio, first year."

Chapter Text

Not even a week after Hinata joined the team, she already got along with all of the members, yes including Tsukishima.

The third years doted on her like a little sister even though she was the oldest first year. Daichi and Suga made sure she didn't force herself to her limits and made sure she was well.

The second years also shared a close relationship with the gingerhead. Especially Tanaka and Nishinoya. Those two constantly pulled Hinata to join their pranks, much to Daichi and Ennoshita's chagrins. Sometimes they made Hinata speak to the other members in Portuguese and they translated into either something dirty or bad even though it was the opposite.

With the first years, Hinata was close with Yachi the most, which was understandable, since they were both girls. They and Kiyoko looked after each other since they were the only girls in the team. Other than Yachi, her relationship with Tsukishima was somewhat decent. His snarky comments didn't affect her in the slightest and their playful bickerings was a testament to that. If he said something rude to her, she only responded in Portuguese with a smug look on her face, because he intepreted that she swore at him in another language. Yamaguchi and her was pretty normal. She would encourage him whenever he lacked confidence and sometimes they shared serving tips.

With Kageyama, one would get confused by looking at them. Were they best friends or rivals? It turned out that Hinata was telling the truth that she was used to a player like Kageyama and she was unfazed whenever he shouted at her for making mistakes. She would usually smacked his head and berated him like a disappointed parent in response. Despite their constant bickerings, they both respected each other. Kageyama respected Hinata for being an all-round player and admitted that she was the easiest one to communicate with on the team. In return, Hinata respected Kageyama for having a natural talent, his setting skills. Sometimes they would compete with whoever has the most devastating serves because he couldn't compete with her in terms of speed and vertical jump.

Because Kageyama had to take supplementary lessons, he wasn't able to go to Tokyo with them. However, Tanaka reassured him that there was another way for him to join them in Tokyo; his older sister Saeko will drive him after he finished with all of his classes. The boy was quick to agree, not knowing the danger he would face all the way to Tokyo due to Saeko's driving.

With Karasuno, they all arrived in Tokyo and the members walked down the bus. Tanaka and Nishinoya gasped in shock while looking at something. "Is that...?!" "I think it is, Noya-san!"

"THE SKY-TREE!!" They both exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Nah, it's a regular transmission tower," Nekoma's vice-captain, Nobuyuki Kai corrected with a smile on his face. Next to him, the team captain, Kuroo wrapped his arms around his stomach as he bursted out laughing. The sound was quite unpleasant to hear.

However, he soon stopped laughing as he noticed an unfamiliar face among the crows and a missing player on the team. "Oh? Where's the first year setter, Sawamura? And who's that? A new member?" Kuroo asked the crow captain.

"Well, Kageyama failed his test so he had to take supplementary lessons. I think he'll arrive here by afternoon. As for the second question, yes that's our new member," Daichi answered.

Kuroo couldn't see their face since they were wearing a face mask but he assumed that they had an androgynous appearance since they had ridiculously long lashes and  feminine body and a member of a boy's team.

Inside, after Karasuno found their rooms (Hinata was assigned in a room with the managers, including those from the other schools. They were pleasantly surprised to see a girl playing on a boy's team and gushed about her beauty), they walked into the gym where the other teams were waiting.

Hinata took off her face mask and her jacket, revealing her identity as she chatted with Yachi and Kiyoko. A loud squawk from Yamamoto attracted everyone's attention as he pointed at the three female crows' direction.

"WHAT THE HELL?!?! THEY HAVE THREE GIRLS ON THEIR TEAM?! THAT'S SO UNFAIR!!" He shouted with comical tears leaking down his face. "Do they can even have three managers on their team?!"

Hinata giggled. "I'm not a manager, I'm a player," she corrected him. She even wore the jersey handed to her for the practice match as proof.

"What?!" Shocked exclamations can be heard throughout the gym.

"Hey, I know you! You're Ninja Shouyou!" Yaku said after recognizing.

"Bwahahaha! We've got Ninja Shouyou on our team!" Tanaka bragged to the bewildered Nekoma, a delinquent look plastered on his face.

"Yeah, we're going to kick your asses!" Nishinoya continued.

Nishinoya was correct with his declaration. Karasuno won all today's practice matches despite the absence of their starting setter, thanks to Hinata.

Even as Nekoma's new player, Haiba Lev slammed the ball down with his whip-like spike, she received the ball easily without breaking a sweat and passed the ball to Suga, who tossed the ball to Asahi, earning them a point.

When Suga tossed the ball quite high, much to the opposite team and other teams' surprise and confusion, Hinata jumped off the floor with a loud sound, her form paused in mid-air for a brief second before slamming the ball down with a powerful spike that left Yaku taken aback when he tried to receive it but it bounced off his arms.

She was also very observant. When Nekoma's setter, Kenma tried to do a setter dump, she immediately reacted the moment she saw he dumped the ball over the net, diving to the floor and brought the ball back on air. She rose to her feet with a competitive grin on her face.

"Bet you didn't see that, weren't you?" She said sweetly.

He blinked for a moment before a small smile appeared on his face. "No. I guess they didn't call you a Ninja for nothing."

In the end, Karasuno won the match 2-1. Hinata approached Kenma and reached out a hand. "Olá! You're Nekoma's setter, right? My name is Hinata Shouyou!"

Kenma shook her hand with a small smile on his face. "I'm Kozume Kenma," he replied.

"I saw the game you played before! My friend in Brazil also likes playing games and anime!" She said brightly.

"Really? Can you tell me more about this friend?" Soon, Kenma and Hinata walked off to talk somewhere else as they all were having a break. The Nekoma team watched their introverted setter left with his new friend with shocked looks on their faces except a few.

Yaku sniffled as he wiped a tear away using a tissue handed to him by a smiling Kai. "Kenma has grown up! He's making friends on his own! I'm so proud of him!" He sobbed.

"No fair! Our shy Kenma's talking to a pretty girl and I'm stuck with having zero girlfriends!" Yamamoto whined.

"But on a serious note, seriously professional players are on another level," Inuoka said in awe. "Did you see how she spike passed Kuroo-san and Lev? How high she jumped? I could've sworn she was flying."

"Yeah, her serves and spikes are almost like Ushiwaka's. I felt like my arms are about to ripped off," Yaku groaned, rubbing his sore arms.

"If she's that skilled in first year, I can't imagine how strong she will get in her third year," Kuroo commented.

"Hey, Hey, Hey! Kuroo bro! What was that?! Karasuno was ruthless! And who was that girl?" Bokuto approached them with Akaashi on his tail.

"I feel like I just played 10 sets of a match, that's what," Kuroo sighed, his teammates nodded in agreement. "That number 10 was Karasuno's new member. She was a professional beach volleyball player in Brazil before switching to indoor. They call her Ninja Shouyou," he explained.

"Whaaatt?! She's a pro?! Wow! Akaashi! I can't wait for our match with Karasuno tomorrow!" Bokuto exclaimed.

"Whatever you say, Bokuto-san," Akaashi said before turning to Kuroo. "You said she was a professional beach volleyball player, right? Is she, by any chance, the daughter of the famous beach volleyball player, Hinata Haru?" He asked.

The cat captain widened his eyes. "Wait! How the hell did I miss that? They have the same surname for gods' sake!"

"Who's Hinata Haru?" Lev asked curiously.

"He was a famous beach volleyball player in Japan. Although beach volleyball isn't really popular here, he was considered a national treasure because he brought victory for the country several times. He was also well-known in the international circuits. I guess Hinata got her speed and jumping skills from him," Yaku stated.

"What happened to him?" The grey-haired boy continued, earning him a small glare from his senpai.

"When he was on the way to the US for a tournament, the plane he was on crashed into the ocean, killing everyone, including him. It became a huge news at that time. It was on every newspaper's headlines for weeks. She must be around 6 or 7 years old when it happened," the libero said with a sad look. "If anything, try not to bring up that topic around Hinata. I heard that she was really close with him."

They all murmured in agreement and decided to follow what he said.

"Whoa! You're a top 5 aces in Japan?! That's so cool!" Hinata showered Bokuto with praises, which left him very flattered.

"You're amazing too, Hinata! You're a professional player! Even I'm not a pro even though I'm the ace!" He laughed as he ruffled her hair.

"But I don't play beach anymore, you know. I'm back to square one," she said bashfully.

"Be that as it may, to become a professional athlete at such a young age. How did you manage that?" Akaashi asked the girl with interest.

"It's not as stressful as you think but it was pretty hard to balance my studies and beach volleyball," she giggled sheepishly, "But I have my family and friends helping me so it wasn't a big problem! It was really fun too! I partnered up with a lot of amazing players and faced off against strong challengers! Though, most of them are boys since they allowed coed teams," she said.

"How are you adapting with the changes? I heard beach and indoor volleyball are different," Bokuto said as he sat next to Hinata on the floor with Akaashi on the other side of the gingerhead. From a brief glance, it looked like the two players from Fukurodani were the parents while the small player from Karasuno was their child.

"My old coach in Brazil taught me about indoor volleyball and trained me for two weeks prior my return back here so I'm still getting the hang of it. In beach volleyball, there's only two players to attack and defend the court so we pretty much did everything. That's why I can do receives, blocks, serves, shots. Though my setting skills are not as good as Kageyama's and yours, Akaashi-san," she pouted adorably, which made the handsome setter chuckle. "It was pretty hard to move and jump on the sand at first, but finally I mastered the sand and the wind!" She exclaimed with sparkles around her.

"Uwoooh! So you're like real ninja?! Akaashi, I wanna master the elements too! I want to master the fire and earth!" Bokuto said excitedly to his setter.

"I don't think it works like that, Bokuto-san..."

The next day, it was a fierce match between Fukurodani and Karasuno, even though it was just a practice match.

Now that Kageyama finally joined them, he arrived in Tokyo yesterday with a pale look on his face and Tanaka's sister who didn't look apologetic in the slightest, they were finally to utilize their two strongest players.

Akaashi tossed to Bokuto, who jumped into the air and moved to spike the ball. But instead of slamming the ball down, he did a feint that caught Tsukishima and Asahi off guard as they couldn't block him.

However, Hinata managed to save the ball by diving to the floor and saved it with the back of her hand before tipping it back up into the air to Kageyama, who tossed it to Tanaka and spiked it down to the floor, earning them a point.

When Hinata jumped into the air to spike the ball tossed by Kageyama, she saw Fukurodani's blockers jumped to block her, she smiled mischievously before she landed on the floor without spiking before Asahi suddenly appeared behind her and slammed the ball down after the other team's blocker landed on the floor after her, unable to block the attack.

It was a neck-to-neck match, but at the end, Fukurodani came out as the victor with a barely 3-2. It was only because Bokuto was slightly more experienced than Hinata, in terms of indoor volleyball.

"That was good game, Bokuto-san, Akaashi-san!" Hinata bounced up to the two players with a bright smile on her face, unfazed by the loss.

"Thank you, Hinata-kun," Akaashi replied with a soft smile.

"Hahaha! Thanks, Hinata! Though, you caught me off-guard with that save after I tried to pull a feint!" Bokuto praised with a wide grin.

"Yeah, I saw that you changed your stance so I knew that you were going to do a feint," she said bashfully, "It may sound creepy but even for an observant person, I can see even the smallest detail in a player and know if they're going to do something unpredictable."

By the time she said that, not only Bokuto and Akaashi looked at her in shock, the whole Fukurodani team gaped at her. Even the coach and managers.

"Damn, Hinata. You are too OP for your own good," Bokuto blurted out.

After they finished with the last practice match of the day, the coaches rewarded them with barbeques for their hardwork and allowed them to do whatever they want for the rest of the day, as long as it was safe and legal.

Hinata helped the managers preparing the meals, even though they insisted that she didn't have to because she was a player. However, the gingerhead reassured them she was used to cooking for her sister so it wasn't a problem. In the end, they conceded.

They all had a good time eating together, making friends with other players from other teams. Hinata fed Tanaka and Nishinoya, who gladly accepted the meat with their mouths wide open and provoked Yamamoto for unable to have a pretty girl feeding them like they do. Daichi smacked them for messing around and advised Hinata to not follow whatever they said too much.

Other than Kenma, she also made friends with Inuoka and Lev. It was as if they met their matches as they spoke in a gibberish language, much to the others' confusion.

"Uwooah! You're so amazing, Hinata-chan! The way you dived to save the ball was like gwaaahhh! And then it went up like zooommm!!" Inuoka exclaimed with an earnest look in his eyes.

"You too, Inuoka-kun! The way you moved to block was like schwooom!! Then you jumped like bwaahhh!!" Hinata replied with a matching look in her eyes.

"Yeah, I agree with Inuoka! The way you jumped high was like fwooomm!! Then when you slammed the ball down it went like booommm!!" Lev joined in with the same look in his eyes.

"I feel like I'm slowly losing my braincells from hearing their conversation," Tsukishima commented next to Sugawara.

"Don't be like that, Tsukishima! I think it's cute!" The third year setter laughed.

"Você é tão legal, Kuroo-san! Eu gostaria de ser um bom bloqueador como você!" Hinata said with an angry look on her face. Kenma asked her to prank Kuroo by talking to him in Portuguese and made him think she was insulting him.

The cat captain blinked his eyes, perplexed. "What?"

"Você é tão esperto! Eu gostaria de conseguir bons resultados como você também!" She continued angrily. Inwardly, she patted herself for being a good actress.

"C-Chibi-chan! If I ever did anything to you, I'm sorry!" He cried out as he began to kneel in front of her while she continue to speak in Portuguese to him. The other Nekoma players were confused but snickered at the sight of their team captain kneeling in defeat in front of the gingerhead.

"Aaand cut. Thanks, Shouyou," Kenma said and thanked her after he finished recording the video with his phone. It was only after that, Kuroo realized he was pranked by Hinata and his childhood friend.

"Kenma?! You planned this?!"

"Yes," he replied with a deadpan look.

"Sorry, Kuroo-san! Kenma made me do it! If it makes you feel better, I wasn't actually insulting you! I just said you're a good blocker and smart and I wish to be just like you!" Hinata giggled, patting the poor captain on the shoulder.

His eyes lit up at that, a hopeful look etched across his face. "Really?! May the gods bless you, chibi-chan!" He wailed dramatically as he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried her face into her stomach, which she only patted his head in response.

"Oi, Kuroo! Hinata may didn't insult you but I'm going to swear every curse known to mankind if you don't let go of her any second now," Yaku threatened him darkly. Next to him, Suga had a sport shoe belonged to someone ready in his hand, ready to throw it at the bedhead anytime.

Chapter Text

Soon after, the training camp came to an end. Nekoma made a promise with Karasuno to meet again at the nationals so they can finish with their ultimate showdown, 'Battle of the Garbage Dump'. Hinata was amazed by the cool title.

Hinata kept in touch with Bokuto and Akaashi, who were looking forward to see her again in the nationals and shouted at Karasuno to defeat Shiratorizawa so they can face off against each other sooner.

Because the preliminaries for the upcoming Spring High tournament are coming soon, the team told Hinata about the teams they faced in the Interhigh before so she can learn about their opponents and analyse them before coming up with a counter-strategy.

"Didn't you say before that you met Ushijima once, Kageyama-kun?" Hinata asked him as they were walking home together from school.

"Yeah. He really lived up to his title as the top 3 ace but I wasn't intimidated by that, of course. I challenged him and said Karasuno will defeat Shiratorizawa in the finals and go to nationals," he said.

"Oooh, that's big coming from you!" She teased, dodging a smack aiming her head.

"Shut up! Now that you've joined the team, I believe we have a bigger chance to win," he grumbled.

She gasped. "I'm touched, Kageyama-kun. You really think that?" She smiled softly.

He scowled, averting his gaze. "Yeah, yeah. I told you before. You're the easiest spiker to work together with. In a sense, we're like the Miya twins but not related by blood," he said.

"Whoa, really?! Do they have some sort of telepathic power between them?! Hey, Kageyama! Do you know what I'm thinking right now?!" She grasped his head before bumping their foreheads together. "I know what you're thinking! You're thinking about buying a milk at Sakanoshita store after this, aren't you?!"

"Quit it!" He shoved her away lightly, a tint of pink spread across his cheeks in case anyone saw what they did. Don't get him wrong, he wasn't attracted to Hinata romantically, though he admitted that she was incredibly gorgeous and attractive. However, he wasn't focusing on dating anyone at the moment. In fact, he only saw her as his first friend, if not his best friend. Like a platonic soulmate. "As if you're not thinking about grabbing some meat buns there!"

"Oho! So we do have telepathic power like them! Let's show them who's the superior setter-hitter duo, Kageyama!" Hinata said enthusiastically, her hands curled into fists.

"You're a middle blocker, not a spiker," he corrected bluntly.

"Bahh! Who cares about that?! As long as we have a good chemistry, I think we can pull off a 'Miya twin' move, too." She brushed him off with a wave of her hand.

"To be honest with you, I'm kinda nervous to face Shiratorizawa," she admitted after a long silence between them.

"Why? Don't tell me you're scared with Ushijima?" Kageyama asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nah, it's not him. Well you see, I was recommended there by my old coach because he was a student there but I declined the offer."

"What?! Why?! Don't you have any idea how hard it is to be able to join Shiratorizawa?!" He exclaimed.

"I know that, geez. I just didn't want to separate with my family. I have to help mom taking care of Natsu, you know," she glared at him, which he closed his mouth at that, looking somewhat guilty, knowing her background.

"Besides, I heard Shiratorizawa's playing style is focusing every player's strength to support their strongest player, which in this case, Ushijima. I think it's a pretty cool playing style, just it doesn't suits me," the ginger hummed thoughtfully, "I like Karasuno's playing style more! We focus on teamwork and individual strength!" She beamed brightly.

He nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think so too," he said with a small grin on his face.

Days passed by, and finally August 11 came for the preliminaries for the upcoming Spring High tournament. Because Karasuno almost won their last match in Inter-high, the name of the volleyball team continued to spread among other teams. Before, people called them a former powerhouse who can no longer fly, or how beautiful their manager was.

But now, things have changed.

They were no longer called flightless crows. Almost everyone talked about how they almost defeated Seijoh or now, they were curious about the new addition in the team, which they were pretty sure wasn't with them during the Interhigh preliminaries.

"Look, they got Kitagawa Daiichi's 'King of the Court'," a guy said to his friend. "And Chidoriyama Middle's Nishinoya on their team."

"The one who won best libero in middle school?" His friend asked in awe.

"Yup! But y'know, aside from the libero, there was one other guy who did solid receives on serves from Seijoh's Oikawa. Probably their captain."

"Still, Karasuno's members aren't that tall, on the whole."

"There was one around 190cm but I don't think he stood out much during Interhigh prelims."

"Then, there's those two scary left-side guys. They sure seem like power spikers," he said, glancing nervously at Tanaka and Asahi who were leaning against the wall, sporting their most intimidating faces.

Unbeknownst to those guys, only Tanaka was actually looking intimidating. Asahi was actually very nervous on the inside though it contrasted against the intense look on his face.

"There's that too, but man, their manager's so cute!" They gushed with blushes on their face, staring at Kiyoko and Yachi, though mostly the former.

"More like beautiful! Or sexy!" His friend added.

Then, they noticed a new face among the crow team. The ginger-haired player was leaning against the balcony, watching the match below with a serious look on her face. Sheer strength radiated from her small frame.

"Who's that? Do they have another manager?"

"What the - are you kidding me?? No way! It's really her! Ninja Shouyou!" Another guy exclaimed in excitement after he recognized the bright ginger hair and slightly tan skin.

Hinata, who heard the sound of her name, turned around to the guy and gave him a warm smile as she waved her hand in greeting. The poor guy short-circuited with a deep red face as he passed out.

Another guy, probably his friend, was flustered as he had to hold his unconscious friend while averting his gaze away, unable to look straight into the ginger-haired beauty's eyes.

"Oho! My kouhai is out here collecting fans already?!" Tanaka cackled as he walked up to her before slinging his arm around her shoulder. "At this rate, you'll dethrone Oikawa in no time!"

"Stop it, Tanaka-san!" Hinata giggled, knowing the Seijoh captain and his popularity through her teammates, especially Kageyama.

"Jaa~ now, now. Stop messing around, guys! Our match is next!" Daichi clapped his hand to gather their attention. The players gathered around their captain obediently.

As Karasuno walked into the court, preparing for the game, their opponent was confused.

They knew that the crow team was a co-ed team. While it was rare, but it wasn't unusual. This was the first time they've seen a female player among black-and-orange-clad male players. They did know that Karasuno has a new member, a female one at that, but they didn't know who it was. The ginger-haired player was wearing the same jersey as the others, except hers was more fitting, knee-high black stockings and kneepads.

Apparently, not all high school volleyball players knew about Hinata's reputation. At least, those who didn't do enough research.

Because of that, they decided to underestimate Karasuno, believing they were foolish for claiming that they will defeat Shiratorizawa, the strongest team in the prefecture.

Of course, it turned out to be a grave mistake.

Karasuno wasn't joking when they said they would win. Ohgiminami was entirely annihilated by the murder of crows. Kageyama's magnificent serves, Asahi's powerful spikes, Tsukishima's amazing blocks.

What took them by surprise the most was their newest member. Hinata, in an impressive show of speed and reflex, jumped diagonally and slammed the ball down so fast before they could even react.

In the end, it came to no one's surprise when Karasuno won 2-0.

"Ehh? What are you guys watching?" Hinata asked as she took a bite of her protein bar, noticing Asahi, Tanaka who was munching on a banana, and Yachi were watching a match with anxious looks on their faces.

"That guy... he's 2 meters tall!" Yachi exclaimed in fright just as the redhead walked up next to her. She turned around to the match just in time to see the massive player pushed the ball over the net effortlessly, scoring a point as the blockers from the opposite team could only watch helplessly.

"Urgh... what a weapon. That height's a dangerous weapon," Asahi muttered nervously, sweat dribbling down his face.

In the end, the team with the 2 meter player won the match and advanced to the next round.

"Our next match has been decided," Kageyama said gruffly while chewing on his protein bar with a grumpy look on his face.

Hinata didn't say anything. She only watched the green-clad team leave the court with an unreadable look on her face.

Remembering all her times as a beach volleyball player, she did met several tall players. Heck, even her good friend Heitor was 195cm tall. She practiced with him in the evening every day, both as partners and opponents.

For the first few times she played against him, she was no match to his incredible height. Her spikes were easily blocked by him and his spikes went over her head even though she raised her arms to block the attacks. In order to cheer her up, Heitor gave her a few tips on how to counter-attack opponents who are a foot taller than her.

"If we can win the next match, we'll make it through the first preliminary and continue on with the representative battle in October," Daichi told the team. "We're definitely gonna make it through."

"YES!" They all responded, except for Hinata and Tsukishima. The latter only gave a silent nod in response.

With Hinata, she was just giving her stuffs in her bag a final check a few feet from them before nodding to herself after realizing everything was in order.

She smiled to herself and turned around to return back to her team before she squeaked in surprise when she bumped into a hard wall, or rather, a person. The collision was hard enough to make her lose her balance and she almost fell on her back if it wasn't for two large hands gently grasping her upper arms.

Hinata looked up to see a towering figure looking down at her in concern. It was the 2 meter player himself. He had short black hair in partial buzz cut near the bottom half of his scalp and dark grey eyes. He seemed to realize that he was still holding her arms and quickly pulled his hands back shyly as a blush spread across his cheeks.

"Uhm... sorry about that. Are you okay?" He asked shyly. His teammate next to him blinked his eyes in shock from seeing the taller boy's strange behaviour.

Hinata recovered from her stupor and blinked her eyes, realizing that he was asking if she was okay. A dazzling smile appeared on her face as she looked at him. "Oh! Yeah, I'm okay. I'm sorry, I didn't look where I was going!" She apologized.

His blush deepened from seeing her smile. "O-Oh, don't be. It's my fault," he replied quietly. His teammate only looked at their interaction in amusement.

She smiled, noting mentally to herself that he was pretty cute. Despite his domineering height, he was actually soft-spoken and quite shy. Ah, it seems that Nice was rubbing off on her. "Well, it's fine," she started before she heard Daichi was calling for her. She turned around to look at her team and back to their soon-to-be opponent, "I have to go now. I'll see you on the court!" She said brightly as she waved her hands before jogging back to join her team.

"Wow, Hyakuzawa. I'm pretty surprised. You never talk to the girls at our school and yet you blushed from seeing Hinata Shouyou," his teammate, Asamushi finally spoke as they continued walking. "You do know she's going to be our next opponent, right?"

"What? Really?" Hyakuzawa looked at him in surprise, eyes widened slightly.

Asamushi raised an eyebrow at the response before sighing. "I already told you--never mind. You're so whipped that you forgot. I mean, I don't blame you. I'm gay but even I admit that Hinata is very attractive," he raised his hands coolly.

Kakugawa was a few points ahead of Karasuno, which came to no surprise to the audience. It was understandable. They fully intended to use Hyakuzawa's height to the maximum level to win the match.

Karasuno was slowly getting frustrated by the massive player. They couldn't stop him and getting pass through him. Even though they did a triple block against him, it was unsuccessful since he was able to spike the ball over their heads. Hinata tried to perform a tip as a test, which she wasn't surprised, when the ball only managed to land directly to his palm before he just pushed it over the net.

In the end, Karasuno asked for a time-out. They began to discuss the strategies on how to counter-attack Hyakuzawa.

"Based on the earlier game, warm-ups and these first few rallies, from what I can tell, I pretty sure number 9 doesn't know how to make different shots," Daichi said.

Nishinoya nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I noticed that too. All he's doing is hitting a cross in whichever way he he happens to be facing," he added.

"I bet he only started playing recently. I guess he's just like Nekoma's Lev in that sense, though he doesn't have Lev's speed and dexterity," Coach Ukai said, putting his fingers on his chin in thought.

"So whenever it looks like he's setting up to hit, we just have to ignore the line shots and defend the cross," Hinata said with a small smirk.

With Kakugawa, they were pretty suspicious and wary with the crows. Hinata, in particular. While it was obvious that she couldn't be compared to Hyakuzawa in terms of height, but she made up for it with her jump and speed. So far, they noticed she was holding back, as if she was waiting for something.

"I think we need to keep a close eye on number 10. She may be new to indoor volleyball, but we're talking about a former professional beach volleyball player," the captain, Komaki told his teammates. "Don't slack off just because she's a girl."

Asamushi cleared his throat. "You heard him, Hyakuzawa. No slacking off," he said while wiggling his eyebrows at him with a knowing look.

"I wasn't slacking off," Hyakuzawa said indignantly, trying to hide the blush on his cheeks while the rest were looking at them in confusion.

"What? What's this about?" The libero asked.

"Our Hyakuzawa here has a crush on no.10," Asamushi answered with a small cackle.

The others and the coach were looking at the tall player with raised eyebrows. "I understand your feelings, Hyakuzawa, but right now is not the time," Komaki said sternly.

"Yes, I know that..!" Hyakuzawa replied.

Their coach chuckled softly. "Ohoho, don't be so hard on him, Komaki-kun. Hinata Shouyou is truly very admirable. Becoming a professional player at such a young age at a foreign country at that, facing against powerful opponents from overseas and became one of the best is something to be admired. Her passion in volleyball is incredible!" He praised.

"Wow, even though I only learned about this now, I think it's cool as heck!" One of the players exclaimed.

Hyakuzawa blinked. She really did all that? The small ginger? Up until now, he always thought volleyball was simple. Even though he still sucked in passes and other stuffs. Could it be... that he was wrong? There's only one way to find out.

The match continued. Komaki set the ball to Hyakuzawa, who swung his arm to spike the ball. The ball passed through the block, however this time, Nishinoya managed to receive it easily. Him, Asahi and Kageyama all shifted to cover the cross.

Kageyama tossed the ball in a high arc. In an instant, Hinata crouched slightly before jumping sideways in an impressive height and slammed the ball down so fast before any player of Kakugawa can react.

"Uwooooh! There is it!! The Ninja!" A random guy in the crowd who was watching the match cried out excitedly.

Hinata's eyes met Hyakuzawa's before she stuck her tongue out teasingly, as if she's taunting him.

At that moment, he was pretty sure that his heart was stolen by Hinata Shouyou.

Chapter Text

The match continued. Even though Kakugawa tried to take the points back from Karasuno, the crow team still managed to stop their tallest player's attacks either with receives or blocks.

Hyakuzawa was slowly getting frustrated as he tried to stop Hinata from scoring another point, but the ginger-haired girl still jumped higher than him, slamming the ball down, earning Karasuno another point. I know she's far more experienced than me and I'm just a rookie who just started playing volleyball a few months ago, but I'm 6'7 and she's just 5'5! So why..?!

Why is that she's always above me?! He thought as he raised his arm again in a desperate attempt to block her, but the force of her spike caused the block to break and the ball landed on the court floor.

Karasuno noticed that Kakugawa seems to protect Hyakuzawa whenever he rotates to the back row to avoid making him receive the ball so they used that to their advantage.

Hinata grunted as she received the ball from Hyakuzawa's spike from the back row set. The receive was quite short that it bounced back to their side of the court. A spiker from Kakugawa tried to finish it off but he was blocked by Tsukishima.

For the rest of the set, both teams were making steady progress but when Karasuno reached the set point, they managed to win the set by using the minus tempo attack.

When it was time for the second set to start, a few of them looked at Hyakuzawa nervously, freaked out by the intense look on his face.

Hinata had a huge smile on her face. It seems that she managed to get the massive player get into the groove, after all. She noticed that he was thinking that volleyball was simple and it made her determined to prove him wrong.

It took Karasuno by surprise when Hyakuzawa managed to score a point by slamming the ball so hard that it broke the block and the ball was unable to received by Nishinoya. For the next few points, he did the same thing and they still couldn't stop the new wave of attacks.

Tch, Hinata thought as she landed on the floor after another failed attempt of blocking the tall player. It wasn't something unusual for her. She have faced taller opponents than her before. She looked up to Hyakuzawa as her lips formed into a competitive grin and the look in her eyes changed. So, that's how you wanna play, huh?

Hyakuzawa felt his heart beat faster when he saw the look on her face. He didn't know what he was supposed to feel. He was having a storm of emotions inside him. "Uhm... why are you looking at me like that?" He asked.

Her smile widened. "Oh, nothing. I just can't hold it back anymore. I want to beat you so let's see who will win? 5'5 or 6'7?" She said sweetly.

He felt blood rushing to his face by what she said despite the threatening edge behind her words. "Sure. I'm not going to lose that easily," he replied.

"Alright then, Hyakuzawa-kun," she shot him a flirtatious smile before walking off to the back row for a rotation.

Asamushi walked up next to their only first-year and noticed how he stood frozen, staring at the female player's back while blushing deeply. "Oh my God, Hyakuzawa. I know that she's hot but get a hold of yourself," he snickered. "I can't with the sexual tension you both radiated throughout the game."

The tall first-year whipped his head to his senpai, scandalized. "What?!"

The sound of whistling filled the court before the match continued. Karasuno was at the set and game point while Kakugawa only scored 19 points so far.

All we need is one more point, Daichi thought as they all took positions while Kageyama went up for his turn to serve. He gulped when he saw the ominous aura Hyakuzawa radiated. Yet, I can easily see them catching up if we loosen up even for one second!

"Daichi-san, Tanaka-san, I have an idea," Hinata spoke between the two wing spikers. "I learned this from my friend back in Brazil. He's really tall, even taller than Tsukishima! So he told me if we can't stop the ball, then we'll just have to direct it instead."

"Okay!"

Kakugawa's setter tossed the ball to Hyakuzawa who raised his arm to smash the ball down as Hinata, Daichi and Tanaka jumped in unison to block the attack, their hands leaning backwards. As expected, the ball bounced off the gingerhead's awaiting palms, giving Karasuno a chance to save the ball.

Tanaka did an emergency set while shouting. "Hinata! The last touch is all yours!"

"Right!" Hinata said as both her and Kageyama ran up to the ball. She leaped into the air, arm pulled back to spike the ball.

Hyakuzawa expected her try to hit the ball down to the ground but instead, she did something else. For a brief second, it was as if everything came to a halt while Hinata is still in mid-air while he raised his arms upwards to block.

Everything happened in a slow motion. His eyes widened when her lips curled into a blinding smile, her face glowing brightly. It was as if he was gazing directly at the sun itself. He snapped out of his stupor when he felt the ball hit his fingers, the force behind it forcing the block to break and it went into their side of the court.

Kakugawa's libero desperately tried to save it but it was futile. The ball landed on the floor before the sound of whistle pierced through the air.

Karasuno won the match and would be advancing to the qualifiers. The whole crow team cheered and screamed, Nishinoya and Tanaka being the loudest while Asahi lifted Hinata on his shoulders while she pumped up her fists happily. "YEAH!!"

"Uwaahhhh!! They did it! They defeated the Two-Meters!" The crowd looked at crow team in a mix of shock and amazement.

Hinata stared at Hyakuzawa's back as he walked off with his team, both of the teams all separated to their own ways to the exit of the court. She smiled to herself. He was pretty scary today. I don't doubt he will be dangerous if we meet again as opponents on the opposite sides of the court.

After they all changed into their casual clothes and preparing to head back to school, Hinata was walking down the stairs with Yachi when she suddenly gasped in shock, startling the poor blonde.

"Oh no!"

"W-What is it, Hina-chan?!" Yachi cried out worriedly, seeing the panicked look on the other girl's face.

"I forgot my lunch box! It's my baby sister's so I need to get it back! I'll be back real quick!" The gingerhead quickly went back upstairs to find the missing item, leaving Yachi bewildered.

Hinata wondered if Kiyoko-san found her lunch box while she went to check if they left anything behind. She frowned when she noticed the gym was almost empty as everyone had already left.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder, startling her as she turned around to see who it was. Three players from an unknown school she didn't know of, they were all incredibly tall, not as tall as Tsukishima but still taller than her.

Usually, she doesn't feel any fear when she meet tall players, in fact she feels determined to beat them. But these guys... they looked like delinquents. Are they truly volleyball players? She could've sworn she saw one of them had a tattoo on his arm. Not that she mind if volleyball players have tattoo, but high-school students? Is that even possible?

An awkward smile slowly appeared on her face. "Uhm, can I help you?" She asked nervously, clutching her hands close to her chest as a form of protection when they leered down at her lecherously.

"Oh, we were just wondering if you can give us your number. You're Hinata Shouyou, right? The former beach volleyball player? Also known as 'Pixie of the Beach'?" The guy from the middle, most likely the leader, spoke with a flirtatious smile on his face.

She blinked. She knew from her years of playing beach volleyball, aside from 'Ninja Shouyou', the Brazilians also called her 'Pixie of the Beach' because of her exotic looks. Apparently, her looks doesn't match with the usual Japanese beauty standards---dark hair and pale skin---instead she looked more like a mixed Japanese, which was somewhat true.

Her father was half-Japanese and half-Irish. Her grandfather was a Irish man with deep ginger hair, which was passed down to his son and granddaughters. Along with her grandmother, they moved from Ireland to live in Osaka. He speaks Japanese very fluently and embraced their culture warmly.

Back to her current situation, she didn't know what to say to the delinquent-looking players. "Uhm... yes, that's me! Uh - sorry guys, but I really need to go!" She tried to escape but the leader guy grabbed a hold on her arm harshly, making her yelp in surprise and pain.

"W-Wha--?"

"Aww c'mon, cutie. Don't be shy! I heard you lived in Brazil! What were those guys like?" He asked her suggestively.

She was confused by the question while shaking in fear. "Huh? They're very nice and friendly," she said.

He chuckled while his friends laughed. "No, sweetie! I mean, what were they like in bed?"

Hinata blushed deeply in mortification by the true meaning behind his words and glared at them. "What are you talking about?! I didn't sleep with them! They're my friends!"

"Oh? Really? Then, how about we show you how to do it?" His grip on her tightened to prevent her from escaping while leaning his face closer to her.

"No! Stop! Get away from me!" Hinata cried out in fear as she turned her head away while struggling to pull her arm away from his painful grip.

"Don't be like that, babe--"

"What are you doing?"

A deep voice asked from behind the three players, resonating throughout the hallway. The dangerous edge behind it surprised all of them, including Hinata.

They all turned to see who it was and her eyes widened when it was Hyakuzawa, still wearing his jersey with his team jacket over it. He was staring at them darkly with a neutral look on his face, particularly the guy who had a tight grip on her arm. He was radiating an incredibly ominous aura, completely different than the one in the game.

"It's the 2 meters guy!"

"What's he doing here?

The guy who was holding Hinata's arm unconsciously loosened his hold as he was distracted by the new arrival, which gave her the opportunity to dart away from them. She surprised them and Hyakuzawa himself when she went to hide behind his sturdy body, shielding her away from the delinquent-looking guys who were shocked by her speed.

"O-Oi, we're not done yet - "

"I'm pretty sure her answer is obvious," Hyakuzawa said after he regained his composure. Anger swelled in his chest when he saw the light bruise on her skin where the guy gripped her arm. "You're harrassing her."

The leader guy stormed towards them as he scowled. "This has nothing to do with you. Stay out of our way, Goliath," he snapped rudely. His two friends looked at him and Hyakuzawa nervously, scared that the massive player beat the crap out of them.

Hyakuzawa didn't even looked intimidated at the very least. "You think I'll just leave and let you continue bothering her? What will happen if I report this incident to Karasuno and the authorities?" He asked, staring down at them as if they were tedious bugs.

The three of them went silent, and Hinata peered slightly from the tall wing spiker's back to see them all looking frustrated but hesitant.

"Kitazawa-san. Just forget about it. Let's go back," one of the guys spoke to the leader guy, trembling in fear.

"Y-Yeah. If everyone knows about this, we'll be in a big trouble. The coach will kill us," the other guy agreed with a nervous look.

"Tch," the leader guy glared at Hyakuzawa one last time before scoffing and turning away. The other guys followed, not even bothering to look back.

When they all disappeared in a corner, Hinata finally let out a huge sigh of relief and moved from her position. She looked up to Hyakuzawa just as he turned around to face her.

Her lips curled into a bright smile. "Thanks for saving me, Hyakuzawa-kun!" She said genuinely while bowing.

"Oh, uh, it's nothing," he blushed. His usual shy and awkward demeanour returned. "I came just in time to see him gripping your arm and tried to kiss you while saying all those things. Are you okay?"

"Uhm," she looked at the bruise on her arm and grimaced while scrunching her nose cutely, "Geez, he actually left a bruise," she pouted, before giving him an assuring smile. "But I'll be fine! Don't worry about it!"

He nodded, the pink dust on his cheeks still visible just ever so slightly. "Well if you say so, then. Though I just want to say, you don't have to think what that guy said. I think you're more than just your looks, if you ask me..." he trailed off shyly, blushing deeply.

Hinata lit up, her own cheeks flushing. "Oh! That's so sweet of you, Hyakuzawa-kun!" She giggled. "And yes, I will listen to your advice. I was actually going to find my lunch box but now I think it's been a while since I ran off to find it. My team must be worried right now," she explained, resting her cheek on her palm worriedly.

"I can take you to them if you want. But before that, to be honest, I wanted to see you before I leave with my team," Hyakuzawa admitted with a shy look on his face. He scratched the back of his head, "I wanted to ask you for your number."

She blinked in surprise. "Oh."

"You see, I played baseball back in middle school and I just started playing volleyball half a year ago. My senpais scouted me into the team because of my height. After I started playing, I'm used to smashing the ball down easily because no one can match my height. I was told that being 6'7 makes me the strongest in my team and it makes me think that volleyball is simple," he said. "At least, that's what I used to think until today."

"I admit that I underestimated you because of your height but then, you were always above me even though I jumped. I realized that I was wrong and it makes me want to work harder," he continued bashfully.

"That's good! I'm glad you think that! However, I think you're still a good player despite being a rookie and I'm sure that you will be a tough opponent if we play against each other against next year," Hinata grinned.

"R-Really? Thanks..."

"Here! Give me your phone so I can give you my number!" She said, reaching out her hand.

"Seriously?!" His eyes widened as his cheeks dusted in red.

"Mhm! That way, we can communicate with each other easier! I can teach you a few moves if you need help!" She smiled brightly.

Her smile was so contagious that it also made his lips curled into a small smile. "Thanks, I really appreciate that," he said before pulling out his phone and gave it to her.

After she finished adding her contact number in his phone, they both heard someone was calling for her.

"Hinata!" It was Kiyoko, who jogged up to them with a worried look while holding something. Hinata recognized the item immediately.

"My lunch box! Kiyoko-san, you found it!" She chirped happily, her eyes sparkling.

"Hinata, we're so worried! You've been gone for 20 minutes! Are you okay?" The third-year manager asked in concern before noticing the bruise on her arm. "Why is there a bruise on your arm?" Then, she noticed Hyakuzawa's presence and glared at him. "Did he do that to you?"

The giant wing spiker frowned, offended by the accusation. To his relief, Hinata immediately came to his defense. "No! Hyakuzawa-kun didn't do it! I was harrassed by some guys and he saved me!" She exclaimed.

"Oh, I see. Well, we have to go. Coach said we need to leave now," Kiyoko said gently before shooting him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry for accusing you."

He nodded. "It's fine."

Hinata turned to him, looking at him with a hint of sadness before it shifted into a cheerful look. "Well, I'll see you later, Hyakuzawa-kun. If you need anything, just call me!" She said, waving her hand in goodbye before she walked off with the manager.

He smiled softly, waving his hand in return. "Yeah, see you," he said with a hint of longing behind his voice.

Chapter Text

Flashback

In the training camp before the Spring preliminaries started, all of the players from different schools were enjoying the barbeque session they earned from the coaches.

" Bokuto-san, you told me that you're one of the top five aces, right? That makes you a sennin! But though you're more like a mentor, so you're my shishou!" Hinata said to Bokuto as they both chewed on the juicy meat with Kuroo and Lev. Well, they all  chewed   but the Fukurodani ace gobbled down like a glutton.

"Fhank yfou, chibfi-chanf!" Bokuto said through his bites, which made her sweatdrop.

"Geez, take it easy, bro," Kuroo looked at his friend in a mild disgust from seeing his spit flying everywhere.

"Bokuto-shishou!" Hinata chirped brightly with a giggle.

The owl captain swallowed his food and let out a booming laugh. "BOKUTO-SHISHOU?! I LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT! AREN'T I AWESOME, CHIBI-CHAN?!"

"Very awesome!" She praised, giving him two thumbs-up with both of her hands and a cute smile. "The most awesome!"

"Don't flatter the airhead too much, chibi-chan. Personally, I think you're cooler than him," Kuroo interjected with a teasing smirk when Bokuto squawked in outrage. "Besides, he's only in the top five. There are other guys above him."

"Feh!" The Fukurodani ace scowled while crossing his arms in front of his chest. The last bit of Kuroo's statement caught Hinata and Lev's attention.

"That means, there's another three players, right? Who are they?" Lev asked.

Kuroo's expression immediately turned serious. "Ushiwaka, in the Tohoku region in the north-east, Kiryuu in Kyushu to the south and Sakusa, in the Kanto region in the east. Those three are this year's best aces," he revealed.

"Wow," Hinata murmured in amazement. A few feet behind her, Tsukishima raised an eyebrow and complained. "Of all places they could be, one of them just had to be in Miyagi."

"That means, if we can beat those guys, then we can be the best, right?" Lev asked his captain eagerly.

"I don't know about you, Lev. I do think you can be the nation's top scrub though," Kuroo teased the tall first-year. "However, I believe Bokuto and chibi-chan might give them a hard time if they play against each other."

Bokuto cheered in agreement, "Heck yeah!" while Hinata only smiled. "You're overestimating me, Kuroo-san. We're talking about national aces here. I may be popular in beach volleyball, but in indoor, I'm still a nobody," she said.

"No, no, no, chibi-chan! While you may be right but I still stand by my statement. If Karasuno beat Shiratorizawa in the finals and make it to the nationals, that means you defeat Ushiwaka!" Kuroo placed his hands on his hips while looking at her sternly, as if he was her parent.

"Easier said than done," Tsukishima interjected, giving the cat captain a deadpan look.

"Be more optimistic, Tsukki! Chibi-chan, please beat Ushiwaka and go to nationals so we can finally put an end to the Dumpster Battle!" The dark-haired male begged.

She blinked her eyes in shock. "Well, I can try, I guess. I mean, I do want to defeat at least one of those three aces," she said, trying to placate him.

Kuroo nodded in satisfaction. "Good. I believe in ya, chibi-chan," he grinned before ruffling her hair. He laughed when she playfully slapped his hand away for messing up her hair.

End of flashback

Hinata stared at the humongous campus in front of her in astonishment. She re-read back the paper in her hands, trying to see if she went to the wrong school. When she saw that she was correct, she marveled in awe at the glorious buildings of Shiratorizawa Academy.

So this is the famous Shiratorizawa! Coach Lucio was a student here! She thought in amazement. She was surely impressed by the facilities in the prestigious school but she still loves where she studies at right now just the way it is. Shiratorizawa is amazing but she will always prefer Karasuno more.

Two days after 16 teams were announced to advance to the qualifiers, that night, Hinata received a call from Lucio who congratulated her for making it to the qualifiers before informing her that his old coach requested for her to go to Shiratorizawa and watch their team practice. He added that the elderly man watched her games in sports channels and was impressed. Although he was disgruntled that she rejected the offer to Shiratorizawa, he was still willing to let her learn something by watching the strongest team in the prefecture.

She accepted the request and informed her team the next day. The news really took them by surprise. Kageyama sulked and was jealous of her, but congratulated her nonetheless. He told her to watch them closely so they can learn their secrets, which Nishinoya and Tanaka nodded vehemently, agreeing with the setter. She laughed and promised that she would do just that.

She was wearing casual clothes, but still sporty. A simple yellow and green t-shirt with black sweatpants. She adjusted her sling bang over her shoulders and stepped inside the campus.

"Olá, Coach Washijou-- I mean, hello!" Hinata sputtered in embarrassment, realizing that she spoke to the strict coach in Portuguese and mixed with Japanese. "I'm sorry, force of habits!" She bowed in apology.

The younger coach, Saitou, chuckled softly while Washijou grunted in response. "Nice to meet you too, Hinata Shouyou. I've heard a lot about you from Lucio," the elderly man said.

She smiled sheepishly. "All good things, I hope," she replied, fidgeting with the sling of her bag.

Washijou's lips twitched in amusement. "Yes. All good things. He spoke highly of you, saying that you're the most disciplined player he has ever met," he said in approval.

She beamed. "Really? Thank you! I'm really glad to have him as my coach too!" She said before pulling out a souvenir she brought from Brazil and gave it to the old man. "Oh, before I forgot, he asked me to give you this, Coach Washijou. He said he's been wanting to give you that for a while."

Washijou sweatdropped as he looked at the mini size version of the Cristo Redentor statue in his hand. "I can see that little shit hasn't changed," he said bluntly.

Saitou turned to the older coach in horror while Hinata chortled. "Washijou-sensei!"

"What? For your information, I've received the same thing for years since he graduated. God knows how many of these I have in my house. Even my wife is getting pissed off by it," he snorted. "Even though I changed my address, he still managed to sent them to me."

Hinata made a noise in realization. "Oh, so that's why he had this mischievous smile on his face when he gave me that thing before I boarded the plane," she added, remembering the shit-eating grin the Brazilian man had while he gave the souvenir to her.

Washijou sighed, "Never mind about that. There's no stopping him," he said as he placed the statue on his desk. "Now, back to the main business here. You know why you are here, correct?"

She nodded. "Yes, Coach!"

"Good. It's a shame that you rejected the offer to our school but nevertheless, I understand that your style of playing is far different than what we do." He continued with a thoughtful nod. "I've watched all of your games and matches when you played beach volleyball and I must say, I don't think there has ever been a female athlete that can be on par with a male athlete in a game. It may sound sexist, but it is the reality. It is a well-known fact that male athletes are stronger and taller while female athletes are slightly weaker and more fragile."

Hinata nodded seriously, she wasn't going to correct him. He was right. That was the reality.

"However, for the first time in history, you proved them wrong. Your former partners and your opponents were mostly male, and yet you were able to be on the same level as them and even beat them even though they are taller than you," Washijou said with a solemn look on his face. "I used to believe strong players are those who with height and natural powers. But that old man Ukai told me that I was wrong. He said 'while those who have height and good athleticsm have more advantage, it doesn't mean that those who are shorter can't find ways to fight back' and you, Hinata Shouyou' is the human embodiment of his statement." He finished with a smile.

She blinked her eyes in surprise. "W-Wow! To hear that from you, Coach Washijou, it's an honour!" She bowed earnestly.

He chuckled. "Well, remember it carefully 'cause I ain't saying it again. Now, for today's activity, the team will be having a practice match against a college team for the qualifiers. Since you are still quite new to indoor volleyball, I think this is a great opportunity for you to learn a few things from us," he said.

Saitou looked at the older coach in confusion. "But wouldn't that mean you will be revealing our secrets to another team, sensei?" He asked.

"I'm well aware of that. Shouyou, you will only observing them playing, so that means you won't be playing against them. I want to see if the lessons you learned will be useful when you face against the strongest team in the prefecture. I'm also looking forward to see a battle between you and Wakatoshi," he shrugged.

Hinata felt a sense of responsibility and determination surged through her body from his words. "I'll do my best!" She declared. "My goal is to defeat at least one sennin, and that person would be Ushijima!"

Washijou nodded in approval while Saitou chuckled. "A sennin? Why's that?" He asked.

"Because Coach Lucio always told me if I'm a ninja, then my more experienced and stronger opponents are sennins. For me, the top aces are sennins too!" She answered brightly.

"I see. Now, let's head to the gym, shall we?"

"I want you all to meet Karasuno's no.10, Hinata Shouyou, also the only female player in their team. She's here to watch you all practicing for the qualifiers so she can pick up a few things from you. Am I making myself clear?" Washijou said to the Shiratorizawa players who stood in front of him in a semi-circle. They were all looking at the gingerhead standing next to their coach curiously.

"Yes, sir!" They all replied in unison.

"So, it means she's spying on us, but in a legal way?" Tendou asked, tilting his head while blinking owlishly.

Hinata grinned. "When you put it that way, yeah!" She said before bowing. "Nice to meet you guys! I heard about this school because of my former coach who's an alumnus here!"

"Amazing! So you really lived in Brazil for nine years?" Goshiki asked with sparkly eyes.

"Yup! So I apologize in advance if I suddenly speak Portuguese with you guys. I keep mixing up Japanese and Portuguese sometimes," she laughed sheepishly.

"Brazil?" The Shiratorizawa's ace finally spoke, looking somewhat intrigued. "Where is that?"

Everyone looked at him in confusion, even the coaches. Hinata blinked her eyes. "Uhm, it's a country in South America, on the other side of the world," she explained slowly with an awkward smile on her face.

Ushijima furrowed his eyebrows. "On the other side of the world? How is that possible? Did you hang upside down all the time?"

"HUH?!?!?!" All Shiratorizawa players cried out in bewilderment from their captain's question.

Washijou face-palmed at the olive-haired player's stupidity while Saitou sighed tiredly.

"Ushi-sennin," the ginger-haired girl gasped, covering her mouth with her hand, "Are you... are you one of those flat-earthers? Do you think that the Earth is flat?"

"No," he answered confidently, contrasting against his earlier questions.

Reon slapped his forehead. "I can't believe this guy," he muttered. Next to him, Taichi coughed in an attempt to hide his laughter while Hayato snickered.

Semi patted Ushijima on the shoulder. "To answer your question, Ushijima, no, she didn't hang upside down, she lived normally like how she is now in Japan," he answered for Hinata.

"I see," Ushijima nodded before turning to the female crow again. "Why did you call me a sennin? I'm not a sennin."

"Oh, that's just a nickname derived from my title as a ninja," Hinata smiled sheepishly. "I refer all the top aces as sennins because you guys are the coolest and highly-experienced!" She cried out excitedly.

They looked at Ushijima to see his reaction to that and was surprised to see a fond look in his eyes. He patted her head gently. "I see. Thank you, Hinata Shouyou." He said softly, earning smiles from the others.

Goshiki was jealous that he couldn't get a headpat from Ushijima but at the same time he didn't want to babied by him, thinking that he would be underestimated. But seeing Hinata's blindingly bright face as she glowed in happiness from receiving an acknowledgement from the top ace made him scowl in jealously.

"USHIJIMA-SAN, I WANT A HEADPAT, TOO!" He finally cried out.

"I don't think so. Don't bother him, Goshiki," Shirabu snapped snidely with a sneer. "He'll give headpats to whoever he likes."

"What are you? His spokeperson or something?" Tendou teased the setter, earning a dark scowl from the second-year.

"Alright, alright! Enough messing around, you brats! Get ready for practice! The college team will be arriving in any minutes now!" Washijou barked at his players, who immediately sprinted to their positions. Then he turned to Hinata. "Shouyou, you will be sitting with us and observe them carefully. Make sure to watch their every moves and don't miss every details," he instructed.

She gave him a mock-salute in response. "Yes, sir!" She smiled.

Chapter Text

Less than two months later, October came and it was the first day of the Miyagi Inter-high Qualifiers. Karasuno learned that their first opponent would be one of the top teams in the prefecture, Johzenji, also known as 'the party team'.

Judging by the game tapes they watched, Johzenji was known for its reckless playing style and different from the other teams. They were unpredictable but that didn't make them any less dangerous.

When Johzenji's captain, Terushima, hit on Kiyoko, calling her 'Megane-chan', her two bodyguards, Tanaka and Nishinoya were furious. Hinata laughed as she watched the two lunged forward to the blonde-haired captain only to pause in mid-air when Johzenji's manager emerged from the players and apologized profusely on their behalf.

"It's amazing how they can float in mid-air," Yamaguchi commented next to Tsukishima.

Inside the Sendai City Gymnasium, Hinata watched in amazement at the players donning different uniforms scattering around the building. This would be her third official indoor volleyball match after beating Ohgiminami and Kakugawa in the preliminaries and she was grinning in anticipation at the idea of meeting more teams and stronger opponents.

She excused herself from her teammates and informed Sugawara that she wanted to go to the restrooms. Yachi meekly asked if she wanted her to accompany her but she reassured her that she was fine going alone.

After she was finished, she was making her way back towards her team. The hallway was a bit crowded so there were many players filtering around so when someone bumped into Hinata's back, she yelped and turned around to see who it was.

She raised an eyebrow when it was Seijoh's captain and ace, Oikawa and Iwaizumi respectively. The former had a look of superiority on his face while the latter was looking at her with small adoration in his eyes.

"Uhm, you guys are Seijoh's captain and ace, right? Oikawa Tooru and Iwaizumi Hajime. Nice to meet you," she greeted politely.

Iwaizumi waved his hand in response. "Nice to meet you too. You just joined Karasuno a few months ago, right? You weren't there during Summer Inter-high," he said. "I saw you guys beat that 2 meters guy by the way, good job!"

She nodded with a smile. "Thanks!" She chirped. But before she could say anything else, Oikawa leaned forward and leered down at her in an obvious attempt of intimidation, making her lean back awkwardly.

"Oho~ so you're the famous Shouyou that switched from beach to indoor. You must be really talented to earn a spot in the starting lineup even though you're a rookie in indoor volleyball," the brunette taunted. Behind him, Iwaizumi shot him a murderous look before giving an apologetic look to Hinata.

Hinata was unfazed. "Oikawa-san, you're Kageyama's senpai, right? Well, since his nickname is the King of the Court, that makes you the Grand King. He told me a lot of great things about you, but seeing you act like this kinda makes me think that he was wrong," she said sweetly with a cute smile on her face, though the smile held a sharp edge to it.

"Pffft---good one, Hinata!" Iwaizumi bursted out laughing, throwing his head back.

"Haaaaahhhh?!?!?!" Oikawa made an ugly glowering face at this. "Why you-- ! Don't think that I won't hesitate to fight you just because you're a girl!" He exclaimed.

"I'm going to destroy you on the court and off the court, just you wait!" She countered with the same sweet smile. "Filho da puta idiota, burro feio e cara de pau!"

Oikawa was stunned and confused at the latter part of her statement. Iwaizumi snickered before it melted into an amused grin. "Oooh, I don't know what she just said but I just know that she roasted you!" He cackled.

"Iwa-chan! So mean!"

Before Oikawa could counter back, a deep voice reveberated through the hallway. It turned out the hallway was almost empty and they didn't realize that.

"Hinata Shouyou, Oikawa, Iwaizumi," Ushijima greeted in a monotonous tone.

Hinata immediately perked up in delight at the sight of the ace. "USHI-SENNIN, HI!!"

"Hello."

"Ushi-sennin?!?! A nickname?! Since you and Ushiwaka are close, chibi-chan?!" Oikawa exclaimed in surprise, eyes darting from Hinata and Ushijima frantically.

"None of your business!" She stuck her tongue out while crossing her arms indignantly. Then she turned to Ushijima and tugged on his sleeve, "Ushi-sennin, this guy was bullying me," she pointed at a squawking Oikawa with a pout.

"WHAT?!"

The Shiratorizawa ace looked at Oikawa in disapproval. "Don't bully another player outside the court, Oikawa. It is not a good show of sportsmanship," he chastised as if he was scolding a child. "We, volleyball players, must respect each other."

Iwaizumi snorted in amusement while Oikawa bristled. "You're not my dad! So don't use that tone with me!" He cried out indignantly.

Hinata huffed, putting her hands on her hips. "Tch, anyway I'll be heading back to my team now. See you later, Ushi-sennin, Iwaizumi-san," she narrowed her eyes at Oikawa threateningly, "Grand King." She waved her hands at the two aces as they waved their hands in response.

"Damn, this is the first time I've seen a girl that hates your gut, Shittykawa," Iwaizumi commented after Hinata disappeared from their sight.

"Iwa-chan!"

With Hinata, she was walking down the hallways and rounded a corner and immediately crashed into someone. "Oof!" She cried out before staggering. After she regained her balance, she blinked her eyes and looked up to see Dateko's middle blocker, Aone, looking down at her in concern. He bowed in apology.

She immediately understood him and quickly followed his action. "O-Oh! I'm sorry, too! I wasn't paying attention!" She apologized profusely.

He waved his hand in a placating manner, as if he was saying that it was all right. She smiled. "Well, sorry again. My name's Hinata Shouyou and I'm Karasuno's number 10!" She introduced herself cheerfully.

Aone blinked his eyes in surprise before noticing the school logo on her jacket and nodded. "Aone Takanobu from Dateko High," he said quietly.

"Nice to meet you, Aone-san! But I have to go find my team now! They're waiting for me! See you later!" She waved her hand as she jogged down the hall. The middle blocker waved his hand silently.

Hinata finally arrived to her team. "Hinata! Finally! I was getting worried that you got lost!" Sugawara exclaimed after noticing she was there, sighing in relief. "Where were you?!"

"Oh, I bumped into Iwaizumi-san, Grand King," she made a face at this, "Ushi-sennin and Aone-san from Dateko on my way here!" She answered.

"I still can't believe you gave Ushijima a nickname," Yamaguchi muttered with a pale face at the image of the intimidating ace with a nickname.

"Huh? You met Oikawa-san?" Kageyama asked.

"Yeah! He tried to intimidate me but then I insulted him in Portuguese!" She said with a nod, proud of herself.

"Really? What did you say, Shouyou?!" Nishinoya and Tanaka asked eagerly.

"I told him I will destroy him on and off the court and I called him a stupid, ugly, cocky-looking bastard," the gingerhead said with a wide grin.

The third-years gaped at her, dumbfounded while Nishinoya and Tanaka cackled gleefully, proud of their kouhai. Tsukishima looked mildly amused but didn't say anything, Yamaguchi looked both amazed and scandalized while Kageyama had a small grin on his face.

"You didn't!" Daichi exclaimed in astonishment.

"I did," she replied with a solemn nod.

"Atta girl, Shouyou!" Nishinoya ruffled her hair with a laugh.

"Tch, it's nice to see someone other than Iwaizumi-san put that guy in his place," Kageyama commented with a snort.

"Okay, guys, knock it off. The matches are going to start now," Sugawara called while clapping his hands. The others followed him to the stands where the others teams waiting for their turns to use the courts. "So Shiratorizawa's game is on Court A, Seijoh is on Court B and 'the Queens' will play on Court C."

Hinata turned to him curiously. "The Queens?" She asked. She looked down at the court to see a group of Amazonian-like girls making their way to their assigned court. They looked like models, with lean muscles and were very tall.

"Yeah. Niiyama Joshi. An all-girls school. They have been Miyagi's female representative on Nationals for years now," he explained. "Honestly, their school would be the best choice for you to go there if you didn't choose us, Hinata," he added with a small smile.

"Hmm. I've played with male players for a long time that I got used to them. It would be great if I get to play on a women's team after graduation," she said, clasping her chin with her fingers in a thinking pose.

"Oh? You already thinking about what to do after graduating high school, Hinata?" Asahi asked sadly before his eyes teared up. "Don't grow up too fast. You still have two more years to go."

"Asahi-san! Don't cry!"

"Why are you getting emotional right now, Asahi?" Daichi teased him good-naturedly. "Are you her dad or something?"

Suddenly, Tanaka lunged forward to the balcony with a look of childish excitement on his face, startling Yachi and Yamaguchi. "Niiyama Joshi?! Where?!" He asked. "HEY!" He shouted down to the Niiyama girls, to someone in particular, only to receive a dirty glare from their captain.

"You know someone from there, Tanaka-san?" Kageyama asked curiously.

The bald player smiled smugly. "Well of course! You see, I trained Niiyama's upcoming ace myself!" He proclaimed with a hand on his chest, looking very proud.

"Stop exaggerating. You guys were just childhood friends," Daichi interjected with an unimpressed look, arms crossing in front of his chest.

Hinata's eyes were trained on the female players, "Does your friend have short black hair, Tanaka-san?" She asked without glancing at Tanaka. When she received a confirmation from him, she continued. "Oh, she was the only one who didn't look up when you shouted earlier. So I figured that she's really shy."

That made the second-year player's mood dropped comically, which made Daichi and Sugawara laugh.

Not long after, they were called by the coach to get ready for their match against Johzenji.

At court A, as both teams were warming up, the third-years were very nervous since it was the day of the qualifiers.

"Wow, Tsukishima! Your new glasses are so awesome!" Hinata gushed enthusiastically after noticing the difference on the other middle blocker's appearance.

"Hn," he grunted in response, earning rolled eyes from the gingerhead. Yamaguchi sighed as he watched the two.

Luckily, her outburst along with Tsukishima's focused expression calmed the third-years, easing their nerves.

The match started. Asahi did a killer serve, which Numajiri barely able to save as the ball bounced off his arms, Arata passed the ball to Terushima who was running towards the end line.

Karasuno thought it was going to be a free ball when Terushima suddenly jumped before spinning around, spiking the ball and scored.

"What the hell? He spiked the ball all the way back from the end line!" Tanaka exclaimed.

"Usually, that's where you're supposed to dig the ball to send it safely back over the net," Tsukishima added.

The match continued. Asahi received a serve from Johzenji, passing the ball to Kageyama who tossed to Tanaka. The wing spiker slammed the ball down but Johzenji was able to save it, though the ball flew to the net and was going to fall down.

Futamata tried to save it with his hand to no avail so he used the tip of his foot to bring the ball back into the air. Kageyama and Tsukishima were surprised to see Izaka suddenly jumped and smashed the ball to the floor, earning another point.

"Geez, it's hard to grasp the rhythm of their plays," Hinata commented with a small pout as she watched with the others from the sidelines.

"I know right? Everything they do is spontaneous!" Yamaguchi exclaimed.

After that, Hinata was subbed in as it was Tsukishima's turn to serve. Johzenji scored a point with a quick set.

Then, it was their turn to serve. The ball brushed over the net and almost fell down. "Woot☆ a let serve!" Terushima said in trumph.

"Oh no you don't!" Tanaka gritted his teeth as he dived forward to save the ball, bringing it back on air. Unfortunately, the ball was too high, almost reaching the stands.

Suddenly, Hinata jumped incredibly high and saved the ball after it veered toward the audience and brought it back to the court, surprising everyone except her team.

"She flew?!"

Yachi gasped when she realized something. "Hina-chan! Watch out!"

"She's going to crash!"

A small smirk graced Hinata's lips as she leveraged herself against the wall with steady feet and propelled herself sharply back onto the court without breaking a sweat, making the audience gaped at what had transpired.

"W-Woah!"

"That was a Spiderman move!"

"A Ninja!"

Nishinoya brought the ball over the net and scored a point for Karasuno.

"Johzenji isn't particularly tall or have some superstar ace on their team, but still they're a nasty team to play," Obara commented as he and Sakunami approached Aone and Futakuchi who were watching the match on the stands.

"They suck at some things too like blocking," Futakuchi scoffed, "They're way too quick to jump, bite on almost every fake and decoy Karasuno throws at them."

On the court, Hinata slammed the ball down so fast before anyone on Johzenji could react. She cheered with a delighted grin as her teammates patted and ruffled her hair.

"See? Even Karasuno's number 10 is having a field day against them," Futakuchi continued with a nervous smile. "Not surprising since she's like, way better than them."

Meanwhile, Johzenji continued on with their tricky plays. Tsukishima was dumbfounded when their setter ran to the back row while a back row player set the ball to him before he spiked the ball before Tanaka could block him.

"Whaaa?!" The bald wing spiker yelled in rage.

Then, the match continued. Unfortunately, Kageyama got himself injured after trying to block a setter dump and got a bloody nose as a result.

"Don't die on me, Kageyama!" Hinata cried out dramatically before giggling when he tried to swipe at her.

After a few protests from him, Kageyama was finally subbed out and Sugawara was subbed in.

The match continued with Karasuno steadily earning points thanks to Hinata, whose spikes radiated sheer strength and abnormally fast that Johzenji players couldn't block or receive.

"Man, it's like playing against Ushiwaka but way faster!" Arata complained as he rubbed his sore arms that would surely bruise by the end of the match. "And we never played against Ushiwaka!"

"I know right! Like, I could barely see the ball and the next thing I knew, Karasuno already scored a point!" Bobata exclaimed.

When Karasuno performed a synchronization attack successfully, even though their main setter was absent, Johzenji tried to do the same only to fail after Terushima tried to spike the ball but it went over his head.

"Pfft," Hinata muffled her laughters behind her hand as her teammates could only watch, dumbfounded. In the end, they won the first set.

The second set started, Kageyama returned to the team, looking fine as usual. Though he wasn't subbed in immediately.

It seemed that Johzenji was slowly getting serious and no longer messing around. Halfway through the set, Coach Ukai smirked. Finally, now it feels like round 2.

After Johzenji was slowly catching up to Karasuno, Hinata decided to do a feint to catch them off guard. She wanted them to be unable to adapt with her spikes. As a result, Karasuno was on match point while Johzenji was still on 20 points.

Johzenji attempted to do another synchro attack which seemed to be successful as Terushima slammed the ball down. Unfortunately, he put too much power behind the spike and it went out of the line.

Karasuno won 2-0 and proceeded to the quarter-finals.

Chapter Text

The next day, Karasuno would be facing off against a team called Wakutani South. A team with a good defense and flexible offense abilities that can be comparable as Nekoma's.

Daichi shook hands with Wakunan's captain, Nakashima Takeru as the others were warming up.

On the stands, Saeko approached Yachi and Shimada. "Nice to meet 'cha! Thank you for helping Ryunosuke all the time! I'm his sister, Saeko!" She introduced with a cheeky wink.

Then she noticed Tanaka. "Ryu! Hey, Ryu-chaaaannn!!" She cried out enthusiastically, much to her brother's embarrassment. Though Nishinoya greeted her back with the same fervour. "Saeko nee-chan!"

Saeko also noticed Hinata, who was doing warm-up stretches with Kageyama. This was the first time she saw the female player. "Oh? Is that the new crow that Ryu told me about? Hinata Shouyou?!" She asked Yachi and Shimada.

"Yeah, don't just look at her height. Kid's got some jumps, speed and physical strength inside that small body. From what Takinoue told me, her spikes are like Ushiwaka's but a lot faster," the latter shuddered in fear, remembering the inhuman speed of the attacks she pulled off in the yesterday's game.

"Uwoooh! Amazing!" The female Tanaka exclaimed in awe. It seemed that Hinata heard her name was mentioned so she waved her hand at the older female in greeting with a huge smile on her face, which Saeko responded just as happily. "Aww, and she's a real cutie too!"

Unbeknownst to Saeko, Yachi was staring at her large chest and patted her own with a stunned expression on her face. Her eyes shifted to Kiyoko and saw the older girl's willowy figure and choked in jealousy. Then she gazed at Hinata and saw the gingerhead's curvaceous body, especially her large chest and wide hips and her thick thighs and that was it for the blonde-haired girl. Tears comically ran down her cheeks. Why?! Why do the gods have forsaken me?!

The game started. Wakunan's setter served the ball and Daichi received it nicely. The ball was tossed to Kageyama who set to Hinata. In an instant, she slammed the ball down past their blocker.

However, Wakunan didn't seem surprised by the freak quick, which didn't surprise Hinata as well. She could only smile challengingly, remembering what Coach Ukai told her yesterday.

"Did you know, Hinata? There was this player in Karasuno who wore the same jersey number as you now and he was almost as tall as you. He was one of the best players in the prefecture a few years ago and they called him 'Little Giant'," Coach Ukai said to Hinata after the others returned home. Takeda nodded with a smile.

"In a way, you're just like him. Short, but dangerous on the court. There are players who were inspired by him like Nakashima Takeru from Wakunan and Hoshiumi Kourai from Kamomedai," he continued.

"Nakashima's play style is closest to Little Giant's but Hoshiumi, he's an all-rounder just like you. Now that you'll be facing off against Wakunan tomorrow, why don't you show them that you can be Karasuno's next Little Giant, wouldn't you?" He finished with a grin.

Her lips curled into a bright grin as she curled her hands into fists and pumped her arms. "Heck yeah!"

Hinata stared down at Nakashima, both of them having challenging smiles on their faces.

Karasuno is the craziest team in the whole prefecture and now they got Ninja Shouyou on the team! Man, how lucky we are to get to play them. That's so awesome!, Nakashima thought with a smile.

The game continued. Kageyama went up to serve. The ball was bumped into the air by Nakashima, making the setter scowl.

Hinata watched with sharp eyes as Wakunan's hitters moved forward as their setter tossed the ball into the air. Out of the corner of her eyes, she immediately noticed the player with ponytail dashed from the back. In a blink of an eye, she immediately reacted by sprinting from behind Tanaka and blocked the attack that she expected with a 'roof'.

"Waahhhh!!! Hinataaaaa!!" Tanaka cried out proudly with Nishinoya joining him. "Shouyou!! Nice block!!"

"Wow, the pineapple-head guy is fast but Karasuno's number 10 is way faster!" A guy in the stand exclaimed in awe.

"Tch. Finally you act like a middle blocker," Tsukishima commented with a small frown.

"I'll take that as a compliment!" She beamed up at the tall megane.

With Wakunan, Tabi was dumbfounded. "Gah! I should be mad that I was blocked but how could I be when I was blocked by a hottie?!" He cried out to his teammates, who jumped in surprise.

"Tabi! Get a hold of yourself!" Nakashima slapped him on the cheek to wake him up.

Then, it was Wakunan's turn to serve. The ball was received by Karasuno and passed around before Tanaka slammed it down only for the other team to dig it. The ball was tossed to Nakashima and Karasuno quickly prepared a three-man block.

However, the Wakunan captain surprised the crow team by doing a block out, aiming the ball purposefully to Daichi's arm, scoring a point.

The game continued on like that. Karasuno wasn't falling behind but Wakunan wouldn't let them grab the lead either.

Hinata noticed that Wakunan had a strategy to put one middle blocker to commit block her. I guess it isn't necessarily to stop me but to limit the places I can go with the ball and to make it easier for the defense to dig up the ball.

A triumphant smile curled up her lips. Oho, I guess you're too focused on me, she thought as she slammed the ball down successfully before Wakunan's defense could stop her.

After she pondered about that, Wakunan did the exact same thing as before, marking Hinata as she jumped to spike. However, the ball was tossed to Asahi who smashed the ball down past their two middle blockers.

However, the next rally was the longest rally yet. Both teams tried very hard to score a point. Nakashima pulled off another block out, making Daichi immediately chased after the ball.

Then, a collision happened. When Tanaka dug the ball at the end of the rally, he and Daichi ran into each other, knocking the captain out.

Some of Karasuno players immediately went towards their captain. "Daichi-san!" "Sawamura!"

"Ouch," Daichi grunted as he slowly sat up with the help of Takeda and Coach Ukai. It was decided that Daichi would be subbed out so he could go to the infirmary and check if he got a concussion, though he protested at first.

Tanaka apologized profusely to him, which he brushed it off and reassured him that thanks to him, they reached 20 points first.

Then, another player was subbed in to fill Daichi's shoes and acted as their substitute captain. "Ennoshita-san!" Hinata chirped when she saw the second-year wing spiker stepped onto the court with a nervous look.

"I figured it'd be you, Ennoshita-san," Tsukishima said.

"Ennoshita-san, are you okay with me putting the ball up for you fast right from the start?" Kageyama asked.

"Uh? Oh, yeah," Ennoshita said.

"Yo, Chikara! Wakunan's no.1 likes to send the ball zinging out of bounds, so be on watch for it, 'kay?!" Nishinoya exclaimed energetically with a bounce.

"O-Okay," he answered, slowly getting overwhelmed and surprised by the amount of people who beginning to depend on him.

"Ennoshita, sorry," Tanaka apologized.

At that moment, something inside Ennoshita was switched open. "Sorry for what? Sorry that you accidentally ran into Daichi-san? After that collision, it wouldn't have been strange if both of you had gotten hurt. Sure, now that after Daichi-san ran into you, he has to sit out for the whole game after this but looking from where the rest of us are standing," he trailed off before looking at Asahi, "Asahi-san? Take it away, please?"

"We're just glad you didn't get hurt too!" The third-year cried out passionately, rendering the bald wing-spiker speechless.

"Got? Good, now get moving. We already lost some firepower with Daichi-san out. We can't have you in the dumps too," he pushed him forward to get him moving.

The game continued. Wakunan gained two points and slowly catching up to Karasuno. Then Coach Ukai decided to sub in Yamaguchi to replace Tsukishima.

He succeeded in scoring a point for Karasuno with his jump floater, though the ball barely went over the bounds. However, the next try was unsuccessful as Wakunan dug the ball and proceeded to attack. He tried to save the ball when it came to his direction but he trembled so much that his legs couldn't move and in the end, Ennoshita dug the ball. They won the first set.

The second set was won by Wakunan. Hinata and Nakashima were having fun with their intense battle on who was the better aerial combatant. Skill-wise, both are equally skillful but experience-wise, the ginger-haired girl was better. However, even though the crows lost that set, Hinata was slowly getting recognized as a lethal player on the court.

The third set started. Wakunan was on the lead with several points ahead of Karasuno. Nakashima did a block out again and Ennoshita desperately chased after the ball. He almost didn't reach the ball but luckily, Hinata was there and she reacted by digging the ball and brought it back up on air. Karasuno gained a point thanks to Asahi.

Ennoshita tried to take his breath as he drowned himself in dilemma. He barely registered what was happening around him before he was pulled out of his stupor when Hinata reached out her hand to let him stand on his feet.

"That was close, Ennoshita-san! Don't mind!" She flashed him a bright smile.

"Yeah...," he said with a weak smile. With Daichi-san out, our defense has been a little shakier but Hinata seems to be able to fill his shoe as the pillar of defense better than me. No! I can't think like that! She has other things to do than just saving the ball! If I couldn't dig the ball a few more times, then what am I doing here?!

"Ennoshita-san, I know that guy is really good but that's not the problem here," the ginger-haired girl said seriously, startling him. "The problem is what are we gonna do about it."

He blinked his eyes at her in surprise before slowly, his lips curled into a small smile. At that moment, an idea suddenly appeared inside his mind.

"Hey, guys! Do you have a sec?" He asked to the others.

In the end, when Nakashima sent the ball flying with a block out again, this time Ennoshita successfully dug the ball and brought it back to the team. Nishinoya passed the ball to Hinata, who ran up two steps before jumping, smashing the ball down through Wakunan's blockers, breaking their blocks.

When Wakunan received the ball, it was coming down above the net. Nakashima and Kageyama both aimed to smash it down in a joust, which the latter almost succeeded because of his advantage of being taller, however Tabi managed to save the ball, giving Wakunan another chance to score.

For the final stretch, Karasuno decided on a counterattack that caught Wakunan off guard. Kageyama sent the ball to Ennoshita, who managed to score, knowing that Wakunan would mark Asahi tightly since Hinata was at the back-row.

Karasuno was on match point. It was Wakunan's turn to serve. Tabi served the ball but it hit the net and went over the bounds. Nishinoya saved the ball and send it to Kageyama. The setter was slightly panicking at that moment so his toss was too high so Hinata couldn't spike the ball with more power.

This gave an opportunity to Wakunan to catch up so Nakashima went to spike the ball. Hinata, knowing that he would do a block out again, purposefully adjusted the angle of her right arm as she went to block. The Wakunan captain didn't know it was a trap so he just spiked the ball to her arm, sending it flying...

...exactly where Ennoshita was waiting to save the ball. He jumped while raising his arm to send the ball that was still in the air to the team. Hinata scored that last point for Karasuno with a powerful spike that bounced off Wakunan's defense even though they received it.

Karasuno won 2-1 and proceeded to the semi-finals.

After the match with Wakunan ended, Karasuno went to another court where the match between Dateko and Aoba Johsai take place.

"Daichi-san!" Hinata cried out happily when she saw their captain making his way towards them bashfully with Yachi behind him. Overall, he looked fine except for the faint bruise on the left side of his face.

"D-Daichi-san! Y-You're all right!" Of course, out of all Karasuno players, Tanaka would be the most relieved one. They were all glad to see their captain well.

Then after exchanging a few words with Ennoshita, Daichi ushered them to go take a rest for the next game. They took their seats on the stands and watched as Aone stuffed Kindaichi with a commit block.

"Kyah! Aone-san seems really gentle off the court, but on the court he's pretty scary!" Hinata gasped as she took a bite of her protein bar. Next to her, Kageyama was slurping on his juice very loudly that it began to annoy her. "Quit it, Bakayama! It's annoying!" She shoved her elbow to his gut, almost making him spitting out his juice.

"Ouch!"

"Stop it, you two!" Daichi gently nudged Hinata's head but smacked Kageyama's harshly.

"Eh? Dateko has a new rookie? I never saw him in the game tapes," Sugawara commented, pointing his finger at the player number 7. "Man, he's really tall."

"Woah! And he's a setter! A giant setter!" Hinata exclaimed excitedly as she watched him tossed the ball to his teammate.

"Hahaha! I know right?! He's Dateko's new weapon, Koganegawa!" Moniwa suddenly joined her, startling all of them as he suddenly appeared next to them. "You're a rookie too, right? Nice to meet you!"

"Uh, hi!" Hinata said through her shock, waving politely. "He's really tall..." she trailed off before sweatdropping when she saw him tried to do a setter dump but Aoba Johsai noticed it and saved the ball without breaking a sweat.

"Ah, don't mind him! He's still a 'baby' compared to his teammates in skills and experience but once he got a hang of it, I'm sure he'll be a terrifying weapon!" Moniwa laughed.

It was an intense match between the two powerhouses but at the end of the match, Aoba Johsai won thanks to Iwaizumi who smashed the ball through the wide gap between Koganegawa's arms.

"Well, at least now we know who we'll facing up against in the next round," Daichi muttered next to Asahi and Sugawara.

"Oi, Karasuno! Beat Aoba Johsai for us, would you?!" Kamasaki pointed at the crow team, mainly Asahi.

"No need to tell us twice! We're gonna get our revenge!" Tanaka exclaimed loudly with Nishinoya whooping in agreement. "Hell yeah!"

A feral smile curled up Hinata's lips as she shivered in excitement. "I can't wait to play them. Let's beat them so we can beat Shiratorizawa next, Kageyama," she said to the setter.

Kageyama smirked as they both stood up. "Yeah."

Chapter Text

Finally, it was the time for the semi-final match between Karasuno and Aoba Johsai. To the former, this was their only chance to take revenge after they lost to the other team in the Inter-high tournament.

Hinata didn't know Aoba Johsai players personally, only knowing about them through stories from her teammates and game tapes. Out of all players, their setter and captain, Oikawa Tooru, would be the one they had to look out the most. Though they need to keep their eyes on their ace, Iwaizumi as well.

To Hinata, she actually kind of looked up to the Seijoh ace, thinking he was a very cool ace (Sorry, Asahi-san! I still think you're awesome though!). While she may have declared that she would destroy Oikawa if they ever meet on the court, she couldn't do that alone. She would need her team to back her up.

She watched in amusement as Kageyama and Oikawa fought over a ball. They exchanged a few taunting words before the Seijoh captain suddenly let go of the ball, making the former stumble and fall on his back. Next to her, Sugawara sighed tiredly. "It's too early for him to let Oikawa get under his skin," he murmured, causing her to burst out laughing.

"Hey, Kindaichi," Yahaba said to his kouhai as he stared at something, or someone.

"Yeah?" The first-year middle blocker asked his senpai.

"I've noticed that Karasuno seems to have more girls on their team this time. And one of them is even a player too!" The second-year setter exclaimed in jealousy. "Look, the manager is a cutie and number 10 is so pretty and hot!"

Kindaichi looked to where he was looking at. Hinata was having a conversation with Yachi while tying up her ginger hair in a short ponytail. It was as if flowers literally bloomed in the background as they both let out bubbly laughters.

"Isn't number 10 is the same person that Iwaizumi-san told us about? The one that insulted Oikawa-san in a foreign language?" He asked Yahaba after noticing the female player's appearance. "But yeah, she's pretty hot, I guess. The fact that she's teammates with Kageyama kinda annoys me though."

"Okay. Here we go," Yahaba purposely throw the ball gently to the two first-year girls' directions to draw their attentions. Kindaichi could only watch incredulously at what his senpai just did. "Excuse me! Could you get that ball, please?"

Yachi only nodded with a smile as she bowed down to grab the ball that landed next to her feet before there was someone shouting in alarm.

"Look out!" Hanamaki cried out after a ball bounced off his arms after Iwaizumi spiked it. The ball was flying towards the two girls' direction fast.

Much to everyone's surprise, Hinata easily caught the ball with one hand without breaking a sweat. "Don't mind, don't mind!" She said sweetly as she passed the ball back to the two Seijoh third-years.

"Wow, are you sure that was the same girl that insulted Oikawa?" The peach-haired teenager asked his friend after the gingerhead left. "She's a badass though."

"Yeah. She also used to play beach volleyball professionally so we're kinda dealing with a professional volleyball player here," Iwaizumi said, making the other third-year grimace.

Then, the match started. Oikawa went up to serve and did his usual wicked serve, which Daichi received almost easily. This made both captains pissed off because it happened the exact same back during Interhigh.

However, the ball went over the net, giving Seijoh a chance to score as Kindaichi smacked the ball down but Kageyama saved it before it landed on the floor. Because the setter made the first contact, he couldn't set so the ball was given to Nishinoya who tossed the ball to Asahi. The third-year ace slammed the ball down, scoring a point for Karasuno.

The set continued. Karasuno was leading ahead with 6 points while Aoba Johsai had 5 points. Daichi dug the ball that was spiked by Iwaizumi, raising it high into the air. Kageyama tossed the ball to Hinata, who ran two steps before jumping her normal vertical height and smashed the ball down.

The sheer power she put behind the ball caused Seijoh's block to break as the ball was sent flying in a blue and yellow blur to the audience. A dumbfounded spectator quickly duck his head to avoid the incoming ball.

Aoba Johsai stared at Hinata both in awe and shock. They couldn't believe a petite girl have spikes that can rival Ushijima's.

"Damn, what monstrous strength," Matsukawa muttered in amazement. Hanamaki nodded in agreement with a slow whistle.

"Owww!" Kindachi cried out in pain as his arms throbbed from where the ball hit his arms.

"Yeoww, Hinata! That was so cool!" Tanaka whooped as he gently grabbed her in a headlock and ruffled her hair, making her laugh.

"Uwaah!! Chibi-chan can be scary sometimes!" Oikawa exclaimed while shivering in fear.

"Well, she did say that she will destroy you. I fully support that idea," Iwaizumi said casually, ignoring the squawks coming from the brunette.

The game continued. Karasuno was leading but Aoba Johsai wasn't that far behind either. The latter was planning to limit Hinata's shot. When Hinata moved to spike again, she noticed Matsukawa was marking her and judging from where he positioned his body, it seemed that he was trying to stop her from doing a cross shot and forcing her to do a line shot, hitting the ball directly to where Kindaichi was waiting, she noticed from the corner of her eyes.

Oh? You want to limit my shot, huh? Okay, I'll do what you want. Let's see if you can dig the ball, she thought seriously as she hit the ball in a line shot like Aoba Johsai expected. But unbeknownst to them, she increased the power behind her spike, making it impossible to receive.

Kindaichi felt the air was knocked out of his lungs when the ball hit his chest before bouncing up high outside the court. "Gah!" He coughed as he tumbled on his back, trying to catch his breath. "I think I'm gonna die!" He said to Kunimi.

"He's fine," the other first-year said to the others in a deadpan tone.

"It feels like we're playing against Ushiwaka all over again," Hanamaki complained to Oikawa, who pursued his lips in thought.

When it was Seijoh's turn to serve, Oikawa surprised them all with a leveled-up version of his wicked serve. However, he put too much power behind it and was declared out of bounds.

That was practically a long-distance spike!, Daichi cried out inwardly despite him assuring his team with a smile on his face. "Lucky break for us, guys. Let's go score again."

"Wowww," Nishinoya muttered in awe, his eyes sparkling.

Amazing! I wish I can do serves like that someday! Maybe like Ivan Zaytsev!, Hinata thought in excitement, a tinge of pink appeared on her cheeks.

Right at the end of the first set, Seijoh subbed out Kunimi and subbed in a second-year player with a very fierce expression on his face dubbed as 'Mad Dog'. He seemed to be capable of doing nasty spikes, though they were too aggressives as one of them landed outside of bound, giving the first set to Karasuno.

However, when the second set started, Aoba Johsai seemed to lead with a few points ahead of Karasuno thanks to Mad Dog who was capable of doing incredible cross shots from the edge of the court. Hinata noticed that he was making many flashy attacks in a row and knew this time it could be any player other than him.

"Tanaka-san, keep your eyes on number 16. I wanna see if someone other than him will hit the ball this time," she whispered to the bald wing spiker, who nodded.

Her plan worked. Tanaka jumped to block Mad Dog, knowing he wouldn't the one that spike the ball. When Kindaichi slid up from the sides and jumped and hit the ball, Hinata already reacted by slamming down the ball back to their side, stuffing him mercilessly.

"What?!" Kindaichi and Oikawa looked at Hinata in shock. How could she possibly seen through that?!

"Hinata, you smart girl! You knew number 16 was a decoy!" Sugawara cried out proudly as the others gaped in surprised awe.

"At this point, she's like Shiratorizawa's Guess Monster and Dateko's Iron Wall," Kunimi commented quietly.

"Man, there's no stopping number 10," Matsukawa sighed tiredly.

Even though Hinata was impressively observant, she was still human. Seijoh managed to earn a point after fooling Karasuno with a botched pass.

But that didn't deter the crows at all as Hinata took the point back with a long-distance spike after Kageyama did a back-row set.

Aoba Johsai was leading with three points ahead of Karasuno. It was only added more with Oikawa's killer serve, this time landing inside of the bounds.

Man, his serves are really nasty. I wanna do serves like that too!, Hinata thought with a feral grin.

The second time he tried another service ace, unfortunately the ball hit the net, killing its momentum and speed. Nishinoya quickly dug the ball, bringing back on air, the ball was passed to Tsukishima who tossed it to Tanaka who immediately slammed the ball down through triple blocks.

After that, Karasuno made a switch. Sugawara was subbed in while Tsukishima was subbed out. Thanks to the vice captain, they managed to catch up with Aoba Johsai after they made sure Mad Dog couldn't score.

However, soon enough, they managed to adjust with the crows' strategy. Seijoh reached 20 points first while Karasuno was still on 17 points.

Hinata watched with rapt attention as Mad Dog moved forward to spike as Oikawa prepared to toss the ball. She deliberately ignored Matsukawa who dashed from behind his two teammates. I know what you're trying to do, Seijoh. You want to distract me from number 16. Not gonna work on me!, she thought as she stuck her tongue out on her upper lip in concentration while jumping up high, raising her arms upwards and blocked the attack by the second-year wing spiker.

"Tch!" Kyoutani growled as he was stopped by the gingerhead.

"Nice block, Hinata!" Daichi praised while Kageyama gave her a fist-bump, nodding his head silently.

"Gah! Does she have some magical eyes or something?! I swear that's not natural!" Oikawa grabbed his hair in frustration.

"You can say she has 'God's Eyes', Hanamaki commented, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Yeah. Or maybe like the 'All-Seeing One'. Hoho, that sounds so cool!" Matsukawa joined as he snickered.

After that, Hinata was subbed out so Yamaguchi could be subbed in, a decision that surprised Aoba Johsai, since the female player was one of the crow's most dangerous weapon on the court. To be subbed out by another player...what was Karasuno planning?

Hinata smiled as she watched Yamaguchi prepared to serve. She gladly went to the sidelines to watch this important moment.

Yamaguchi served the ball with a jump floater. Because the ball was going to land near the bound, Seijoh's libero, Watari called that as 'out' but he was wrong. The ball was in.

Yamaguchi let out a happy shout as they all roared in celebration. "YEAAHHHHH!!!" They cried out happily.

"He did it!" Hinata clung to Sugawara like a koala as they (well, he) jumped in celebration.

The others were confused by the amount of celebration when it was just one point. But for Karasuno, that one point was a life-changing one for their pinch server.

The second time he did a jump floater again, the ball flew to Kyoutani's direction who quickly positioned himself to receive it. However, the ball was heading towards his face causing him to instinctively raised his arm, sending the ball landing on the floor.

The third time he served again, Hanamaki received the ball with an overhand pass. The ball was passed to Oikawa who tossed it to Iwaizumi. The Seijoh ace slammed the ball down but it was saved by Yamaguchi, who used his chest. Karasuno scored a point after Tsukishima did a block-out against a three-man block.

Then it was Karasuno's turn to serve again. Yamaguchi tossed the ball but it brushed against the net before rolling over the net. They earned another point due to the let serve.

Karasuno was the first to arrive at match point after Asahi spiked the ball but he was stopped by Seijoh, though the block was too aggressive that the ball landed outside of bound on the crows' side.

The crows reached match point first, followed by Seijoh. It was as if the two teams were playing tags. If Karasuno scored a point, then the other team would score the next point. However in the end, Seijoh won the second set.

"I swear the more I see it, his serves are getting stronger," Yamaguchi noted.

"I think your serves are great too, Yamaguchi!" Hinata flashed him a bright smile as she patted his back.

"Okay, guys! This is the final set so stay focused!" Daichi told the team.

"Yessir!"

The final set started. The first few minutes were intense. Tanaka and Kyoutani seemed to have a fierce battle against each other, which went unnoticed by Tsukishima as he purposefully swapped places with the bald wing spiker at the last second to block the other wing spiker.

Then Kyoutani was subbed out, looking angrier than before. Karasuno was familiar with Kunimi, especially Kageyama so they knew how to deal with him. However, it wasn't long before Kyoutani was subbed in again, much to Karasuno's confusion.

"Geez, Oikawa is a sadist," Sugawara commented next to Ennoshita.

Like before, Oikawa tossed to the wing spiker who dashed from the edge of the court, spiking the ball with a cross shot. Soon enough, Seijoh caught up with Karasuno, though the crows were still one point ahead of them.

"Okay, Kageyama. I can see why you really respect the Grand King. He's pretty amazing," Hinata said to the setter as she walked up next to him.

Her statement only made Kageyama became sour. I know that Oikawa-san is incredible from the beginning. But I can't just let that fact overwhelm me...

"But why's that matter, anyway?" Her voice snapped him out of his stupor, jumping in surprise when her hand rested on his shoulder and pressed it firmly.

"As long as I'm here, you'll be the greatest!" She exclaimed with a bright grin on her face.

He blinked at her in surprise at first before a small smirk appeared on his face. "Tch, yeah sure." He playfully tousled her hair in response.

"Woah, that was a cool one-liner," Iwaizumi said in awe as he watched the two crows' interaction.

"You got that right." Oikawa agreed.

The game continued. Karasuno scored a point after Hinata dumped the ball on the attack line where no one can dig the ball. However, Aoba Johsai did a counterattack and scored a few points ahead.

Hinata jumped up again to spike, her arm swinging as if she would hit a line shot before she promptly dumped the ball next to Matsukawa who was prepared to block her.

Then, when it was Oikawa's turn to serve again. He did a killer serve with an impressive accuracy, giving Seijoh a match point.

However on the next try, Daichi dug the ball after he served again, bringing the ball back on air. The ball was passed to Kageyama who tossed to Asahi. The third-year ace slammed the ball down, earning a point for Karasuno.

Sugawara was subbed in while Tsukishima was subbed out. The vice captain prepared to serve the ball as they all went to their positions. He tossed the ball, which was bumped by Iwaizumi. However, because the ace was out of position, it would mean someone else will do the attack.

Hinata gazed at the entire Seijoh team with a piercing stare. A stare that said I can see everything and I'm watching each one of you, which sent shivers down their spines.

She deliberately ignored Kindaichi who jumped to spike and marked Kyoutani whom she knew would be the one to spike the ball. He jumped before her and swung his arm to spike the ball but she suddenly emerged with two arms raised up high and slammed the ball back to his side.

"You know, if it wasn't for number 10's pretty face, I could've sworn I saw her asserting dominance over Kyoutani," Matsukawa said to Hanamaki. "Like, she stared at him right in the eyes and showed him who's the real boss."

Karasuno scored another point after Kageyama caught Seijoh off guard with a setter dump after fooling them with a synchronization attack.

Seijoh went for a time-out before continuing the game. Oikawa surprised everyone with an up-speed, super long set from the side of the court. Iwaizumi spiked the ball and Daichi quickly received it, though it bounced off his arms. However, Tanaka managed to dig the ball and keep the game alive.

The last rally was incredibly intense. Both teams wouldn't give the other the chance to score and kept bringing the ball back on air. Come at me with the best weapon you've got, Tobio!, Oikawa thought as Kageyama tossed the ball to Hinata, who jumped.

Three blockers appeared in front of Hinata, prepared to block her but she only saw one thing. She deliberately slammed the ball to Kyoutani's fingertips, aiming for a block-out and it bounced off Oikawa's arms, even though he was there to receive it.

Karasuno won 2-1.

Chapter Text

The other players in Seijoh had tears rolling down their cheeks, even Iwaizumi. Oikawa only stared at Kageyama right in the eyes and told him that now they were even.

Then he turned to Hinata and his demeanor became more relaxed and playful. "Well, I must say, chibi-chan, that you are one quite terrifying player, even for a girl. If this is how you play in the men's league, I don't know how you will play in the women's league one day," he smirked. "You used to play beach volleyball in Brazil, right? Any plans of returning there one day in the future?"

"Hmm, I'll definitely going to visit my friends and old coach there if I can," she started, pursuing her lips in thought. "But if we're talking about professional career then I'm not sure yet. I miss beach volleyball but I kinda like playing indoor now," she finally said, pouting after thinking really hard.

He laughed. "Well, it's okay if you're not sure yet. You do still have a few more years to decide your path," he said.

Hinata tilted her head at him curiously. "Why? You already decided what path you want to go, Oikawa-san?"

"Yes, in fact I do already plan what to do next after finishing high school," the brunette lifted his nose in the air arrogantly, earning a snort from the Karasuno player. When he saw her staring at him blankly, he whined. "C'mon, at least pretend that you're curious or something!"

"Okay," she replied bluntly. "Let me guess, you're planning to apply for a professional team out there."

He gasped. "Oh my god, how did you know?! Was I that obvious?!" He cried out dramatically.

"No, but your reaction right now is proving that," she scowled at him, crossing her arms in irritation.

"Hahahaha! Oops, well let's keep this a secret between us, shall we? You see," he leaned down to whisper in her ear, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "I'm planning to go to Argentina to pursue my volleyball career. But don't tell anyone else about this, especially Tobio-chan."

She looked at him in shock as he pulled away. "For real? Wow. That's a really huge step you're taking," she commented.

"I know," he said smugly. "If fate allows it, maybe one day we'll see each other again there, given how close those two places are."

Hinata stared at him before her lips curled into a smile, understanding what he meant. "Yeah sure, you better be famous by then so I can recognize you," she said.

"Of course! That'll be a piece of cake!" Oikawa waved his hand in playful manner before his demeanor turned serious. "You better beat Shiratorizawa and go to Nationals, chibi-chan. Iwa-chan and I will be watching the match tomorrow and we'll be rooting for you. I repeat, rooting for you," he stated.

"Oof, first Kuroo-san and now you. You guys are pressuring me too much," she pouted. "But I guess I'll try to win against Ushi-sennin and Shiratorizawa!" She smiled.

"That's the spirit!" Oikawa grinned.

The next day, it was the final match for the qualifiers. Karasuno was extremely anxious but also determined at the same time to win against Shiratorizawa. They kept reminding themselves of what the other team does and Ushijima's play style after Hinata told them about what she learned from them.

Hinata texted Lucio that night, telling him that she'll be facing against his old high school team tomorrow. She even added whom will he rooting for, her or Shiratorizawa. Lucio replied that he will be rooting for her, of course and can't wait to rub it on Washijou's face that the fact his student will win against the other man's players.

She also received a text from Hyakuzawa that night. He told her that he would be supporting her even though he couldn't personally come to watch the match because of school. She blushed and thanked him, even declaring that she will win to hide her feelings, not that he could see it through the text.

She was ecstatic that her mother will watch the match. However, Natsu sulked that she couldn't watch the match because of school but their mother promised that she would be able to watch her sister in the Nationals with their grandparents who lived in Osaka. The younger gingerhead immediately lit up and stopped sulking.

"I checked the calendar and saw that the Spring Tournament clashes with my meetings so I won't be able to watch the games, Shouyou, though I will still be in Tokyo given that the meetings will take place there. I already informed your grandparents and they said if you win the finals, then they'll come to watch your matches in Tokyo and accompany Nacchan," Akari said to her daughter as they walked down the gymnasium. The team already arrived ahead after Hinata told them she will be riding there with her mother. "They sent their hugs and kisses and pray that you will win."

"Uwaaahh! Then I'll have to work harder in order to win! I haven't got to see them for a while!" Hinata exclaimed, determination burning in her eyes.

Then, the mother-and-daughter duo had to separate, Akari went to the stands while Hinata went to join her team at the court. She walked in just in time to see Karasuno was being chaotic, Nishinoya and Tanaka who were shouting in envy how Shiratorizawa got real cheerleaders, Kageyama was excited from being at the center court, Yamaguchi and Asahi were a bundle of nerves. Daichi was shouting at the two troublemakers to shut up. Takeda was stuttering while trying to tell them to stay focused.

"Hey, guys!" She greeted cheerfully as she bounced up to them.

"Hinata! Just in time!" Sugawara said in relief. The others on the sidelines deliberately ignored what was happening on the court, pretending that they didn't know them.

"Wow! That's Shiratorizawa for you!" Hinata said in amazement as she watched the choreography and chant from the cheerleaders.

On the stands, Saeko caught Akiteru who was believed to be a spy from Shiratorizawa and dragged him to Takinoue and Shimada.

"W-Wait, I'm Kei's older-- I mean, Tsukishima's older brother!" He tried to explain.

"What?! You're Tsukishima's brother?!" Shimada and Saeko yelled in unison, shocked.

"Shh! He told me he didn't want me to come!" He said with a finger on his lips before glancing over his shoulder and flinched when he noticed his brother's dark aura.

"Hello! Are you guys relatives of the players from Karasuno?" A beautiful woman in her late 30's approached them with a friendly smile on her face. She was wearing a white blouse with ruffles and a cream long skirt. Her honey-hazel eyes reminded them of someone.

"Ah yes! Though, not all of us. This is Saeko-san, Tanaka's older sister, the player wearing number 5 and Akiteru, Tsukishima's older brother, the player with glasses. I'm Shimada and this is Takinoue. We used to play in Karasuno back in high school," Shimada introduced them with a smile. Saeko and Takinoue waved their hands while Akiteru smiled shakily in greeting, still afraid of his brother.

"Oh! I'm Hinata Akari, Shouyou's mother! Nice to meet you!" She introduced herself politely.

"What?! You're Hinata-chan's mother?! Wait-- ah, now I realized that you both share the same eyes," Saeko exclaimed. "I thought you were her sister or something. You look really young!"

Akari flushed, a tinge of red appeared on her cheeks. "Oh thank you! But yes, Shouyou got my eyes and her father's hair. The same goes with my youngest daughter," she said with a fond smile.

But before either of them could reply, they were interrupted by screams coming from Shiratorizawa's side. Apparently, the players were finally making their entrance, fashionably late though.

Hinata smiled challengingly as her eyes met with Ushijima's, Tendou's and Washijou's.

Now, this is the time for you to show what you have learned, Hinata Shouyou, the old coach thought with a smirk on his face.

"Oh? I'm looking forward to play against Little Red! I heard she stopped Seijoh many times using a combination of guess blocking and read blocking!" Tendou crooned with a feral look in his eyes.

"Give me everything you've got, Hinata," Ushijima said with a hint of a smile.

"You bet I will, Ushi-sennin!" Hinata exclaimed with a cute angry look on her face as she craned her neck to look up to him, hands on her hips.

"Oho! It's like watching a big scary wolf interacting with a cute little puppy!" Tendou gushed happily as he watched the wholesome interaction, earning incredulous looks from Semi and Reon.

Then the match started. Karasuno seemed to let their nerves got the better of them as Shiratorizawa scored two points in a row. It wasn't until Sugawara exploded and yelled at them, though he earned a dirty glare from the referee for that.

Hinata watched as Nishinoya tried to receive Ushijima's spike but failed after the ball bounced off his arms due to the power he put behind it. There it is, Ushi-sennin's 'Southpaw'. I wanna receive that!, she thought, curling her hands into fists.

Nishinoya was more determined to dig his spikes, growling to himself. She slowly moved closer to him. "Noya-senpai, will you give me the chance to dig his next spike? I wanna test something that I learned from playing beach volleyball," she whispered.

The libero grinned, patting her back. "Okay, Shouyou! I think you have a better chance of digging those nasty hits anyway!" He said.

Soon, Shiratorizawa was leading several points ahead while Karasuno only scored 3 points so far. They tried to go for the total defense strategy that Coach Ukai told them yesterday, Tsukishima, Asahi and Daichi jumped in unison to force Ushijima hitting a line shot, which he did with his usual brute strength. The ball was heading towards the floor fast.

Suddenly, Hinata appeared from behind the three blockers and crouched so low, stretching her arms out for a receive. She grunted when the ball hit her forearms before bouncing off and flew into the air, the ginger wasn't even fazed by the brute force behind the spike, catching everyone by surprise. Not everyone could perfectly receive Ushijima's spikes without losing their balance.

"Nice bump, Hinata!!" Daichi shouted as the ball was passed to Kageyama. The setter tossed the ball to the hitters, which appeared to be either Asahi or Tanaka. However, Hinata suddenly emerged from behind them, catching Shiratorizawa's blockers off guard as she slammed the ball down before anyone can blink.

"HINATAAAAA!!!!" Karasuno cried out happily after she scored, including those who were on the sidelines, coaches and managers. Even those who watched on the stands were in awe.

"Huh? Why are we so worried about? If Shiratorizawa has Ushijima, then we have Hinata," Shimada said, sighing in relief.

"But seriously, did you see her hit the ball? I could've sworn she didn't move like the other hitters and yet she was already flying and slamming the ball down," Akiteru shivered. "Even Shiratorizawa didn't see her coming."

Akari smiled. "Shouyou isn't called a ninja for nothing, you know. She always appear where you least expect her to be. On top of having incredible agility, she can move from one side of the court to the other without losing her speed," she said proudly.

"That's why Hina-chan is the fastest player in Karasuno!" Yachi exclaimed with sparkly eyes.

Soon enough, Karasuno was slowly but steadily catching up to Shiratorizawa, gaining points thanks to Hinata's magnificent defense skills. Even though sometimes the ball would bounce off and flying outside the court, she still chased after it and kept the ball alive.

Kageyama, not wanting to be outdone by her, also scored a few points for Karasuno with service aces. From what Hinata told him, Ushijima rarely do serve receives, his teammates usually would do it for him. So he deliberately aimed his serves to the ace, though like what the gingerhead said, Reon always dig those instead of his target.

Coach Ukai smirked as he watched his two strongest players. "Trust Hinata and Kageyama to be settled in like this is any other game already," he remarked.

Washijou watched the match with calculative eyes. She crouched so low for receives and yet, she maintained her agility and jumped as if she wasn't just on the floor a few seconds ago. Lucio... just what on earth did you teach that girl?, he thought with a small competitive smirk.

When Ushijima came forward to spike again, Hinata was preparing with Daichi and Tanaka to stop him. Almost everyone in Shiratorizawa's cheering section expected them to fail because this was the notorious Shiratorizawa ace they were talking about.

It all happened in a slow motion. Hinata purposely jumped one second late after Daichi and Tanaka, even though Ushijima was already swinging his arm to hit the ball. The others were already had their arms raised upwards to block while she raised hers just in time the wing spiker hit the ball, slamming it back down to his side.

"Waahhhhh!!! That cute number 10 is on the roll today!" A male spectator cried out excitedly.

"She stuffed Ushiwaka?! How's that possible?!" Students from Shiratorizawa murmured in shock. The spectators were stunned except for those who supported for Karasuno.

However, Shiratorizawa won the first set thanks to Tendou's guess blocks in the few last rallies, though Karasuno wasn't far behind with the scores.

"Ohoho, is this going to be a battle of guess blocking experts, Little Red?" Tendou playfully taunted the gingerhead.

Hinata scrunched her nose cutely before sticking her tongue out. "I don't know, Tendou-san. You tell me!" She said.

The interaction was pretty much harmless and playful, though the rest of Karasuno was still pissed off by him and Ushijima and bristled. Tanaka made an ugly intimidating face behind Hinata and almost flashing his middle finger at the middle blocker if it wasn't for Daichi yanking him by his collar.

The second set started. Karasuno was having the first momentum by scoring a few points ahead of Shiratorizawa, though not by a large gap. Hinata watched as Ushijima moved forward as if he was going to spike before coming to a halt. She reacted in an instant by stuffing Goshiki instead, whom she saw moving to spike the ball from the corner of her eyes.

"Mphgrr!" The first-year wing spiker grumbled in frustation upon being stopped, though he acknowledged that her block just now was very amazing.

"You know, both Hinata and Tendou use guess blocking but at the same time their definition of guess blocking are different, you get me?" Reon said to Shirabu.

"What do you mean, Reon-san?"

"Like, Tendou's guess block is more of guessing where the setter sets the ball and his body just went along with it. Well, in Hinata's case, I think her guess block is more of a read block but she sees everything that's happening on the court in slow motion," he explained. "Like, just now she saw Wakatoshi stopped moving and knew Goshiki would spike the ball instead. Not to mentioned, her amazing reflexes made it easy for her to react in less than two seconds."

"So you're saying our every moves are being watched in great detail by her?" The setter slowly glanced to the gingerhead and flinched upon seeing the intensely sharp look in her eyes. "Great, I feel like God is watching me sinning."

Tanaka successfully scored a point next, after Goshiki tried to receive it but stopped upon seeing Hayato was doing the same, not wanting to collide with the libero.

"THAT WAS TSUTOMU'S BALL, YOU IDIOTS!" Washijou barked angrily, making all Shiratorizawa players, especially the boy in question, flinched in fear. "If you're just gonna stare, then at least stare at a girl! Or maybe Hinata!!"

"Why am I being dragged into this?" Hinata blinked her eyes innocently, confused on what was happening.

Goshiki shivered in fear. But I'm gay though!, he cried out inwardly. "YESSIR!", he shouted. Tendou chortled a few feet away.

For some reason, Tendou and Tsukishima seemed to develop an intense rivalry between each other, which was different from Tendou and Hinata's playful rivalry. After Yamaguchi was subbed in as a pinch server, Karasuno thought they had a chance because of Shiratorizawa's botched pass. However, as long as the ball was in high arc in the air, it was enough for Ushijima.

"Baki baki ni ore? Nani wo? Kokoro dayo~ Konna gonna ni kudake, nani woo~" Tendou sang from where he stood at the sidelines after Shiratorizawa scored another point. "Seishin wo dayo~"

"Tendou! Stop singing that song!" Semi smacked him upside the head.

Both Karasuno and Shiratorizawa were chasing each other's tails. Neither of them wanted the other to win this set. Hinata kept the ball alive even after Ushijima sent it flying, Nishinoya digging his spikes after he finally get the hang of it. The gingerhead scored a few points in the last few rallies, her spikes were getting stronger and faster as it continued on.

"Man, that pretty number 10 of Karasuno's pretty much doing everything in this match so far. Blocking, scoring, digging Ushiwaka's spikes. I understand she used to play beach volleyball, meaning that she's used to doing everything in a game but I feel like what's the point of that glasses guy if he isn't doing anything?" A spectator remarked to his friend.

"I know right? She's shorter than him and yet she still stuffed Ushiwaka many times way more than he ever did," his friend agreed.

Unbeknownst to them, Tsukishima heard every word they uttered. He didn't care of course. He knew Hinata was way better than him and was more capable of blocking Ushijima than him. He knew she was leagues above him. He was aware of that fact.

At that moment, he recalled what they talked together about yesterday.

"Tsukishima, let's beat Ushi-sennin together," Hinata said as she plopped next to him to take a quick break.

"What? Aren't you way more capable of doing that than me?" He turned to her, an eyebrow raised. "Kuroo-san asked you to beat him, not me."

"I know but I don't think myself would be enough to stuff him all the time. I have my own limits too, you know. Besides, as much as I love blocking, receiving, all that stuff, I love spiking the most," her lips curled into a soft smile, patting him on the shoulder, "So I want to leave the blockings to you."

"You're a middle blocker too, you know," he deadpanned.

"Hey, I know that!" She said indignantly before her expression turned mischievous. "But at least put some of the lessons that Kuroo-san taught you into use, would you? I heard that you had private sessions together with him in the training camp. Only you and him," she said with a knowing smile.

A tinge of pink began to creep up his cheeks before he hid it with his sneer. "The hell? Well, as if I don't know what's the deal with you and the 2 meters guy." He shot back.

"Oh please! At least I didn't get private lessons from Hyakuzawa-kun!" She rolled her eyes before her expression melted into a serious one. "But seriously, try stuffing Ushi-sennin a few times. It'll give you a thrill knowing that you just blocked one of the top aces."

He stared at her for a few moment before averting his gaze with a grunt. "Fine. I'll try."

When Shirabu accidentally made a mistake with his set to Ushijima, though the wing spiker was still able to hit the ball, Tsukishima surprised everyone with his merciless 'roof' after purposely fooled Ushijima with an open gap.

Tsukishima recalled what Bokuto said to him during the training camp in Tokyo.

"But if...just if that moment comes for you, that will be the moment volleyball hooks you."

He let out a victorious cry, which caught all of Karasuno off guard. It wasn't even one second later that they joined him.

"TSUKISHIMAAAA!!!" Nishinoya and Tanaka tackled him into a hug, Daichi held Asahi back from joining them, worried that the blond snapped into half. Kageyama shot the blocker somewhat a wary gaze, knowing what he did for that block to happen.

From the sidelines, Yamaguchi yelled the loudest, followed by Hinata. "HE DID IT!!" She cried out cheerfully. It was thanks to him, Karasuno won the second set.

Akiteru was bawling his eyes out, earning worried looks from Akari, Yachi and Saeko. "Is he...is he okay?" The dark-haired woman asked Shimada and Takinoue, who chuckled.

"I guess his baby brother's block really made him happy." The former answered with a small laugh.

"Ah, I understand. I was like that too when Shouyou did a successful attack against an opponent team, resulting her team to won the match," she said with a fond look in her eyes, remembering the happy face of her daughter who was only seven at that time.

Chapter Text

In the third set, Shirabu made up for the error he did in the second set before and continued setting to Ushijima as if he wasn't wavered that Karasuno took the set. It wasn't long before Shiratorizawa took the third set, though it was a close call since Karasuno was only several points behind thanks to Hinata.

"I noticed Hinata's spikes are getting stronger and faster as time goes by. At this point, I feel like my skin will get ripped off if I continue to dig those," Hayato remarked with a shudder.

"Yeah, I noticed she only did normal serves, jump serves and jump floaters. I thought she would actually score service ace by now," Semi added.

"Don't jinx it, dude! I don't wanna imagine that!" The libero shoved him lightly.

At the start of the fourth set, they had a good laugh when Goshiki accidentally sent the ball flying out of the court during his turn to serve, which the coaches facepalmed at. It became an inside joke among Shiratorizawa, especially Tendou who called him 'Spaceman Tsutomu'.

Both teams were getting into the groove as they steadily earned points. Kageyama and Tsukishima surprised everyone with their teamwork, a delayed spike, which earned an angry squawk from Tendou.

Hinata noticed her team left a gap wide open at the front behind the blockers, which made her eyes widen. No, that's exactly what they want us to do!, she thought. Her theory was proved to be correct as Ushijima switched his spike into a dink. She immediately reacted by lunging forward and dug the ball, bringing it back on air.

Washijou smirked. So she noticed, he thought.

"Good call, Hinata!" Daichi praised with a pat on her back. The ball was passed to Kageyama who tossed it to Asahi. Karasuno took the set and now both teams were even.

The fifth and final set began. It was Hinata's turn to serve. She held the ball in her hands and took deep breaths. Then she crouched on the floor and shook the ball with both hands, something that she did because she was accustomed of shaking the sand off of the ball back in the beach.

"I noticed Hinata-chan always do that whenever she's going to serve. What's that?" Saeko asked Hinata's mother.

"It's Shouyou's pre-service routine. Usually those things aren't all that common. She was used to shaking the sand off of the ball when she played beach volleyball and the whole crouching thing serves as a distraction to the opponent team," Akari answered with a smile.

Hinata threw the ball upwards, making a small run up before jumping up high. Then she promptly slammed her hand on the ball, transferring all pressure into it for a brief second and sent it flying towards Shiratorizawa's side.

Hayato jolted in surprise when the ball suddenly appeared right in front of his face before he quickly dodged it and tried to dig the ball, but it hit his shoulder and flew outside the court. He mentally cursed Semi for jinxing him.

"Yo Hinata! That was a whole missile!" Tanaka let out a boisterous laugh.

"Yes Hinata! Do that again!" The others encouraged.

She did her pre-service routine again and did that killer serve again. This time, the ball sailed toward the other team's side stronger and faster. The sheer power behind it made it incredibly hard to receive.

She continued to score 7 points from no-touch aces in a row. The last two serves were jump floaters though.

Asahi jolted in surprise and fear when the ball barely brushed over his head during one of Hinata's spike serves, shuddering when he felt the ball zipped past him in a high speed that made it hard for Shiratorizawa to dig. God, I can't imagine if it hit the back my head! I would probably die! If not, I have to say goodbye to my memory!

It was only after the 8th try that Shiratorizawa was finally able to counterattack, though only because she decided to use a normal serve.

"Wow, that number 10 is on fire today! She's unstoppable!"

At a more hidden side of the stands, Iwaizumi glanced at Oikawa, who was gaping down at the court. "Wow, she scored 7 points only by service aces. That's like more than a half of the set!" The brunette exclaimed. "I knew I rooted for the right player!"

"You're rooting for Karasuno?" Iwaizumi asked.

"Correction. I'm rooting for chibi-chan only," the former Seijoh captain said with a huff.

"Shiratorizawa's catching up though. I think that Tendou guy is having too much fun messing with Karasuno's vice captain," the other boy remarked, watching as Sugawara was stopped by the crimson-haired blocker.

"Psh, Karasuno has more tricks up their sleeves," Oikawa noted. They both watched as Sugawara dug the ball, which meant he couldn't set. Instead, the ball was tossed by Nishinoya before the setter spiked the ball past Tendou, who looked somewhat pissed. "See?"

Once again, Hinata blocked Ushijima, though this time it was only a soft block because she didn't have much time to jump. Still, it was effective as the ball sailed over the net towards Shiratorizawa's court.

"Ah, I love watching that bastard Ushiwaka getting stopped so many times by the same player," Oikawa sighed dreamily, before yelping when Iwaizumi smacked his head.

"You're really are a jerk!"

On Shiratorizawa's side, Goshiki was slowly getting frustrated that Karasuno was leading ahead. He was becoming more aggressive and as a result, Karasuno gained another point after he accidentally touched the net when he was blocking Daichi.

Nevertheless, they reached game point first after the first-year wing spiker served the ball with a jump floater, the ball was slowly heading towards the floor as it sailed over the net. Nishinoya quickly dug the ball but it flew directly into Ushijima's hand who merely slammed it down before anyone could react.

But Karasuno wasn't giving up that easily. They caught up with them. It was a neck-to-neck match. Both teams were gaining up on each other closely. What took everyone by surprise was when Nishinoya dug the ball twice, first when Shirabu served and second was when Goshiki spiked the ball. In the end, Karasuno reached game point first. They just needed one more point to win the whole game.

Hinata panted, her lower body was slowly reaching its limit. Her legs were throbbing and screaming for her to rest. No, I'm not going to rest unless we win this game first, she thought as she gazed at the court with a piercing stare, a shadow casted over her eyes.

A feral smile creeped up her face. C'mon, Shouyou. This might be it. You might actually beat a top ace, a sennin! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! I won't get to play against Ushi-sennin anymore after we all finish high school. I may not decide my path yet but I do know this is the only time I can face him in an official match, she continued, exhaling deeply. She stuck her tongue out on her upper lip in concentration

Asahi served the ball and Reon received it. The ball was passed to Shirabu, who was prepared to set. Which one is it? Is it Goshiki-kun? Tendou-san? Or Ushi-sennin? Tendou-san stopped running and Goshiki-kun slowed down...so it's Ushi-sennin!, Hinata thought as she made an immediate reaction to block him. Urgh! I'm late!

She knew she wouldn't be successfully block the ball so she came up with something else. She went for a joust.

"Hinata!" Daichi and the others quickly gathered near, preparing to dive for the ball if she lost.

Ushijima was already releasing the ball when he felt it being shoved back into his hand. He turned to see Hinata's determined face staring back him, the intense lust to win burning in her eyes. He widened his eyes slightly. Amazing...

Washijou watched the joust in anticipation. He had been implementing a rigorous training regiment on his players for years, ever since he started coaching the volleyball team in the 90's. He assumed that Lucio, being a former player of his, would implimented the same training regiment on his student, Hinata, though it must have been adjusted to fit her style as a beach volleyball player.

However, playing on the sand and on the court were different. The former's environment was stricter and harder to get adjusted with, since it was nature they were dealing with. He assumed that Hinata's lower body was conditioned thoroughly to adapt with the sand, meaning she had better stability and jumping power in her legs than Ushijima.

Back to Hinata and Ushijima, the former had raised her legs and let the pressure built up in her arms. She transferred all that pressure into the ball and Ushijima, making the super ace taking all of her weight.

"You can do it, Hinata!" The players, coaches, managers and all of Karasuno supporters shouted out their words of encouragement to her.

"Shouyou..," Akari pressed her hands together, lacing her fingers together and put them close to her lips in a prayer. "C'mon sweetheart, mama believes in you."

"She's doing a joust against Ushiwaka! Oh god, tell me when it's over, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa clung to Iwaizumi close, hiding his face in the other boy's shoulder.

It felt like hours, but it was only less than two seconds ticked by. Hinata gritted her teeth and let out a battle cry as she used all of her strength to shove the ball back to Shiratorizawa's side.

Ushijima could only watch in defeat as the ball landed next to him just as he landed on his feet first. I lost...but I admit she proved herself to be a skillful player on the court just as she was on the sand. Hinata Shouyou, you're going to be a dangerous player in the future. I'm glad that I got the chance to play against you.

There was a brief silence hanging in the air for a moment, before all hell broke loose.

"WHAAAATTTT?!?!?!?" The entire gymnasium cried out in unison.

"We lost?! You're kidding me!" Some of the Shiratorizawa students murmured to each other in disbelief.

"HINATAAAAA!!" All of Karasuno players tackled the gingerhead into a dog pile, even those who were in the sidelines joined them. "You did it!"

"You just beat Ushiwaka in a joust! You're crazy!" Tanaka yelled loudly.

"Shouyou!!! That was so cool!!" Nishinoya wrapped his arm around her shoulders tightly.

The third-years were hugging each other tightly, grateful that they get the chance to play in the Nationals before they graduate.

"That's my girl!" Akari cried out as she sobbed. Saeko pulled her and a wailing Yachi into a comforting hug although she was screaming in joy.

"Iwa-chan! She did it! She beat that bastard Ushiwaka in a joust! A fucking joust!" Oikawa cried out excitedly after he heard the entire gymnasium lose their shit. "I've truly seen it all!"

"Yeah, gotta admit that last point was awesome. But we gotta give credits to the others too. That rookie glasses guy's masterful blocks, Kageyama's quick thinking," Iwaizumi remarked with a small grin.

"Ah, I was actually surprised Little Red won the joust," Tendou said as he walked next to Ushijima. "But then again, I'm not mad we lost, you get me, Wakatoshi-kun?"

"Yes, Tendou. I feel the same thing as well," Ushijima agreed with a small smile.

"Oh Wakatoshi-kun! You keep making me falling for you deeper and deeper!" The red-haired player let out a high-pitched giggle with flushed cheeks like a high school girl.

"Hinata! You and Tsukishima are the MVPs of this game!" Coach Ukai exclaimed as he clasped the two said players on their shoulders.

"Tch, I gotta admit that last point was impressive," Kageyama remarked with a small pout.

"Thanks, Kageyama-kun! But you were also incredible in this game too! Everyone did their best and played beautifully!" Hinata flashed him a bright grin after they got their medals and heading towards the exit of the gymnasium to eat at a restaurant to celebrate their winnings.

"Hinata Shouyou, Kageyama Tobio," Ushijima's voice greeted them in the hallway, making both of them turn around in surprise.

"Ushi-sennin!"

He turned to her, his eyes had a fond look in them. "It is very disheartening that we get to play each other this once and don't know if we are able to do it again in the future, in case you plan to pursue your volleyball career in the women's league. So I want to say, I had fun today," he stated.

"Really?! Me too!" She cried out with sparkly eyes.

Then he turned to Kageyama, who stood rigid, and his intimidating demeanour returned. "Kageyama, the next time we play, I will win," he declared.

"I'll make sure that you will say I'm better than Oikawa by then!" The other boy exclaimed challengingly.

The super ace only nodded his head before turning on his heel, walking back to his team, not before waving goodbye at Hinata.

"Tch, I can't believe he's only nice to you," Kageyama muttered as they continued walking.

"Hey! He's a nice guy, okay! He's just socially awkward! Like you're any better, baka!" The gingerhead came to Ushijima's defense.

The two began to bicker again before Hinata's mother approached them. Kageyama left to give them privacy but not before informing Hinata to join the team at the restaurant.

"Shouyou! I'm so proud of you!" Akari cried out as she pulled her daughter into her arms, pressing an affectionate kiss to her forehead, running her hand through her hair. "You're going to the Nationals!"

"Thank you, mom!" Hinata beamed as she soaked up all of her mother's affection. "But y'know, I'm kinda scared," she admitted, her demeanor changed.

"Why? What's wrong?" She asked worriedly.

"It's just...since we got back here and after I joined the team, we haven't lost one match. So I'm kinda scared when it actually happens," she murmured meekly. "I'm scared that if we lose, I let my team down."

"No, Shouyou," her mother spun her around to make her directly facing her, "Losing a game is inevitable, but when it happens, it doesn't mean that it's the end of the world. It could mean the start of something. Your team will evolved into something stronger, your teammates will get stronger and you get to learn something too. It's okay to cry when you lose but don't ever lower your head in shame because of it. Raise your head up high proudly so you can show everyone that you did your best, that you did everything you can to win," she said softly.

"If only your father is here with us, he would also say the same thing," she finished with a proud smile.

Images of her father flashed through Hinata's eyes.

A handsome man with wavy red-orange hair and deeply tanned skin, chuckled as a 4-year-old Hinata passed the ball back to him. When they finished, he scooped her into his arms and lifted her up in the air.

His words still rang inside her mind.

"Shouyou, when you pursue your career in volleyball professionally, I want you to do it because you love playing the sport, not because of me. Just because I'm a beach volleyball player doesn't mean you have to also become one when you grow up."

"What if I like beach volleyball?"

"Then it's up to you. Even if you switch to indoor, you can still play volleyball. To be honest, I prefer that when you make a name for yourself, it's because of your hardwork and not because you're my daughter."

After his death, she grieved immensely even though she was very young. She refused to play volleyball because it only made her sadder but at the same time, it was the only thing that reminded her of him.

I'll remember your advice, dad. I will follow my heart wants.

Chapter Text

It was already mid-November, about two months and a half before the Springs Tournament in Tokyo. The team had their measurements taken for the tournament pamphlet. It was a loud and rowdy session per say.

The first measurement taken was their height. Tsukishima was widely regarded as the tallest player in the team and somehow finally reached 6'3. Hinata only grown 1cm, making her overall height 166cm, which she shrugged it off. Yachi joked that the ginger-haired girl was still taller than her by a few inches. The poor blonde cried at the unfairness of it all, how she was the shortest person in the whole club - even Hinata and Kiyoko were around the same height!

When it was time for them to measure their vertical jump height, everyone was looking forward to see Hinata's newest record.

The gingerhead applied the chalk powder on her palm, stretching her hand as she did. Then she made a short run-up to the basketball net before bending her knees slightly for a brief second, gathering pressure in her leg muscles before she pushed her feet off the floor and soared into the air.

The basketball players who were watching from the other side of the court stood frozen and speechless by the height of the jump, but those who knew Hinata who used to play beach volleyball were excited to see her in action in front of their eyes.

She smacked her powder-covered palm to the basketball net, leaving a white handprint on the glass before she landed back on the floor.

"Wahhh! That jump looks higher than before!" Nishinoya cried out.

"How high is it?!" Kageyama asked in a demanding voice, making Yamaguchi scold him for being impatient as he held the ladders firmly to avoid Yachi from falling.

Yachi audibly gasped, drawing attention from the others.

"345cm!" She exclaimed in shock, much to their surprise.

"I swear to God, you have some sort of springs in your legs," Tsukishima remarked while squinting his eyes at her.

"I don't know Tsukishima, I think my legs are also capable of choking someone to death," Hinata grinned toothily as she patted her thick thighs, toned after years of conditioning her body to boost her jumping power and speed.

Sugawara bursted out laughing. "Yeah, Tsukishima! Sorry about this, but if you and Hinata were to get into a physical fight, she has a better chance of winning," he added while ruffling her ginger locks.

Tsukishima was offended by that but didn't retort. He was fully aware that Hinata had more muscles than him and yet he was a guy and taller than her. God, he need to work out sometime soon if this continues on.

"Check this out! Daichi-san also has thick thighs!" Tanaka patted said captain's muscled thighs, before wheezing when he was karate-chopped on the back of his neck by Daichi himself.

"Please refrain from talking about your kinks around here, Tanaka," the third-year captain said with a dark smile.

"Y-Yessir!"

The rest of the day continued with measuring their blocking height and standing reach, which was uneventful.

Until later, when Takeda entered the gym breathlessly, as if he was running from his office all the way to the gym. "Good afternoon, everyone!"

They all bowed, calling a loud "Good afternoon, Sensei!" that rang throughout the gym.

"I have two things to announce to you guys. Firstly, Kageyama," his eyes landed on the dark-haired setter who immediately stood still upon hearing his name, "you have been invited to the All-Japan Youth Training Camp!"

"All-Japan?!"

"Like that Japan?!"

"Wow! That's the same youth camp that Ushi-sennin went to!" Hinata exclaimed, looking starstruck. "He was qualified to stay until the very end and earned that representative sport!"

"There's no guarantee that Kageyama will make it that far though," Tsukishima piped in.

"He's right. It's from players nominated today that they'll pick Japan's actual U-19 representatives one to two years from now, for the world team," Ennoshita stated. "To prepare for that selection in two years that Japan looks over in all its 15 and 16 year old volleyball players and invites a bare handful of best of the best for special training!"

"You should go, Kageyama-kun!" Hinata slapped her hand on his back.

"But what about Hinata? Isn't she supposed to get invited, too?" Kageyama managed to blurt out after wheezing from her slap. She used her goddamn spiking hand, for God's sake!

Takeda smiled. "Well, that's the other news I was going to tell you! There's a training camp in Shiratorizawa that invites all of the promising rookies in Miyagi. It was conceived with the idea of improving the overall level of volleyball play in our prefecture! And what makes it more interesting that two of players have been invited to this camp!" He announced with a wide grin. "Congratulations, Hinata-kun and Tsukishima-kun!"

"Waahhh! Hinata and Tsukki are some of the best rookies in our prefecture!" Yamaguchi exclaimed happily.

"Well, they were the MVPs in the Shiratorizawa game, after all," Sugawara commented.

At the end of the day, they finally finished with practice. The players were sprawling around the gym, trying to take a quick rest before they head home.

"Not gonna lie but I think you deserve to also get the invitation to the All-Japan camp," Kageyama spoke after he plopped next to Hinata, who was leaning against the wall with a white towel covering her face. "I heard they got a player in the current Olympic team to train us."

"Baka, I'm grateful to get an invitation. Better than didn't get any at all," she replied, her voice muffled from the fabric on her face. Then she pulled the towel away. "Huh, but I admit that I wish I get a special training from an Olympic-level player too," she said dreamily.

Before he could reply, Hinata stopped him with a raised hand after she noticed her phone was buzzing inside her bag next to her. She looked at the screen to see Coach Lucio was calling her. Odd, usually he preferred texting over calling because of the prize of international phone calls. Must be something important.

She pressed the green button and put her phone next to her ear. "Hello?," she greeted in Portuguese. "Coach, this is the first time you call me. Is there something wrong?"

"SHOUYOU!", came Lucio's voice that rang so loudly through her speaker. She grimaced then pulled her phone away for a second before putting it back next to her ear. What's up with him? He sounded more excited than when he learned her team beat Shiratorizawa, which in his point of view, he beat Coach Washijou because his former player beat his old coach's players.

Her lips twitched in amusement when she saw Kageyama's questioning look. He always did that whenever he heard her talking in Portuguese. He thought it was an alien language - poor guy, how is he going to to play in  the international tournaments like this?

"I have an exciting news for you! Holy shit, you're gonna love this! I'm losing my mind as we speak!" Lucio continued with obvious delight in his voice.

"Yeah, I can hear that. You called for the first time when you told me you wouldn't call because of how international phone calls are expensive and you screamed in my ear," she said dryly before switching her tone into a curious one. "So what is the exciting news you're gonna tell me?"

"Hohoho, remember Nicolas Romero? The ace in the Brazil's national team that you idolized so much and gave you a limited edition of his autographed jersey?" Lucio's voice held a smile in it. She can actually imagine he had a gleeful smile plastered on his face as he said that.

"Of course I remember him!" She said indignantly. She was very proud of the fact that she got that jersey. She even showed it off to Kageyama - who seethed in jealousy. He didn't talk to her for two days because he was sulking, and Ushijima - who had a forlorn look on his face when she told him about that.

Of course they would be jealous! All volleyball nerds knew that Nicolas Romero was a world-class ace! They all worshipped him - figuratively, and wished to play against him if he ever play in Japan's V-League.

"Well that's the thing! Nicolas Romero just called me earlier and told me he would gladly take you under his wing to improve your skills in indoor volleyball! I sent him the link of your matches in the qualifiers and he was very impressed!" Lucio finally blurted out, unable to contain his excitement anymore.

"WHAT?!" She shrieked in Japanese while immediately standing up to her feet, scaring the bejeezus out of her teammates, especially Kageyama. Ignoring all the questioning and downright unimpressed looks from them, she continued. "Seriously?!"

"Yes!! Now that he's done with the World League, he has a long break before the next season start! He said you don't have to travel all the way to Brazil because instead, he'll be travelling to Japan with his wife and baby boy for a trip. Have you been to invited to any other training camp?" He asked.

"Uh yeah, there's one. Shiratorizawa is going to have a training camp for rookies in my prefecture in the beginning of December. I have been invited with my other teammate," she informed him.

"Oh wow, that's a first," he remarked before continuing. "Anyway, your training with Romero will start at the end of this month, so you have enough time to prepare for the training camp. Are you fine with having two training sessions in less than a month?"

"Of course! I'm more than happy to practice harder for the Nationals, with Nicolas Romero on top of that!" Hinata replied with an excited grin. Kageyama threw her a curious look, recognizing the name of the Brazilian ace the came out from her mouth.

"Great! I'll text you later about the details! I also gave your number to him so don't be surprised when he suddenly calls you!"

Her eyes widened for a moment as she squeaked in surprise. "Thanks for the early warning. I'll keep that in mind."

Lucio laughed. "Well okay then. Talk to you later, Shouyou. I'm so happy for you!"

She smiled. "Thanks, Coach!" She replied happily, bidding him goodbye before ending the call.

"Oi Hinata, who was that? Your friend from Brazil?" Tanaka asked, speaking the question that was lingering inside their mind.

"Oh, that was my old coach! He never called me before, only communicating through texts so it was surprising to see him call," Hinata answered with a smile.

"Oh, what did you guys talk about? You sound so happy about it, if you don't mind me asking," Sugawara said politely.

She shot them a blinding smile, flashing a peace sign victoriously with her hand. "I'm going to receive special training from Nicolas Romero himself!! Isn't it so cool?!?!" She blurted out.

Kageyama who was drinking suddenly spat out his water in shock. "WHAT?!"

The others also gaped at her in disbelief, their jaws hanging open. "Seriously? The Nicolas Romero? The ace of Brazil's national team? The world-class ace? That Romero?!"

She nodded her head vigorously. "Uh-huh! And he said that he'll come to Japan to train me himself!" She exclaimed before pointing a finger to Kageyama's direction with a smug smile on her face. "Hah! I'm going to receive special training from an Olympic-level player too, Bakayama!"

He seethed, face contorting with jealousy before whipping his head to Daichi. "Can I not go to the All-Japan training camp? I rather go training with Nicolas Romero," he complained.

"Now, now Kageyama. You already agreed to go. You can't just cancel your decision like that," Daichi scolded him sternly before turning to Hinata. "Congratulations, Hinata. Don't forget to inform Takeda-sensei about this."

"I will!" She said with an eye-crinkling smile, still happy with the news.

In the end, Hinata promised Kageyama that she would get him Romero's autograph to placate him, which he agreed.

On November 21st, she headed to the place where Romero and his family was staying, Kyoto. She was immediately greeted warmly by them, which made her smile at the familiar gestures. It has been a while since she was greeted in such way since Japanese culture was different than Brazilian's.

According to Romero, since he would be teaching her while spending time with his family at the same time (he told her that he would be spending two weeks in Japan), they wouldn't have to do any physical practice that would affect her performance during the Miyagi First-Years Intensive Camp in Shiratorizawa.

While they can still do a few one-vs-one matches, the main objective was to teach her tempos, rhythms, manoeuvers and secret lines. He declared that by the end of their practice, she would be able to predict where the ball goes in a game.

Of course, Hinata soaked it all up like a sponge. Any tips thrown by Romero, and his wife Amanda who occasionally joined their practice sessions, were all imprinted inside her mind.

The 25-year-old woman was actually a professional volleyball player like her husband, a part of Brazil's women's national volleyball team. However, she suffered a severe injury in her knee that made her unable to play anymore, forcing her to retire. She was very upset by that, but when their son Rubens was born, Amanda revealed that she no longer think about it, instead focusing on their baby boy and her current job, a sports doctor.

While Romero taught her how to be stronger and do crazy but effective moves in volleyball, Amanda gave her tips on how to avoid injuries or any unwanted permanent accidents that would affect her career.

When there was a break between the practice sessions, Hinata would play with 8-months old Rubens, who seemed to be infatuated by her, for some reason. He screeched when he was taken from her arms and turned quiet when he was nestling comfortably in her arms. Romero joked that he liked her more than his own mother, which Amanda playfully countered that their son would grow up to be a playboy like his father, which immediately shut him up.

Soon enough, Hinata's training with Nicolas Romero and his wife came to an end. Though they wouldn't be leaving until three days later, the gingerhead still had to return to Miyagi to prepare for the training camp in Shiratorizawa. They took Hinata for some drinks and snacks as a treat before they eventually had to go to their separate ways.

Yes, she did actually got Romero's autograph for Kageyama.

And of course, not wanting to be defeated, she took a few selfies with the ace and his wife, making a few funny poses with Rubens in some of the pictures. She even got Romero to sign her volleyball - heck yeah!

The beginning of December had finally begun. Hinata and Tsukishima stood along with other first-years and some middle school third-years in Miyagi in the volleyball's gym in Shiratorizawa.

"Welcome to the Miyagi's First-Years Intensive Training Camp."

Chapter Text

Hinata stood next to Tsukishima as they lined up with the rest while trying to ignore the curious look shot by the other first-years. She knew she was the odd one out, being the only female player among them but hey, Coach Anabara stated that it was a co-ed training camp.

There were a few familiar faces among the campers that she recognized. Kindaichi and Kunimi from Seijoh, Koganegawa from Dateko, of course there was Goshiki since he was a student here in Shiratorizawa and finally, Hyakuzawa from Kakugawa.

She was pleasantly surprised to see he was invited as well while he seemed to didn't expect her receiving an invitation as well. Not that she blamed him, she purposely kept it as a secret and even told Tsukishima to not spoil the surprise, which he couldn't care less, according to him.

"Welcome everyone to the Miyagi First-Years' Intensive Training Camp. And hello to some of the third-years from middle schools in the prefecture. You are gathered here to improve your skills in volleyball and as well improving our prefecture's volleyball play. We want to make sure by the end of this training camp, you all will be players that could bring honour to our prefecture," Coach Anabara started as he scanned the line of players in front of him. "You all were selected because you all are the best rookie players in the prefecture."

He noticed that most of them were casting curious and questioning looks at the ginger who began to fidget under their curious gazes. The other Karasuno blocker shot them a cold glare for staring.

"Ah, I see that most of you are wondering why is there a female player here. Well, Hinata here is the sole female player of Karasuno, a co-ed team and is their 'unofficial' ace," Coach Anabara explained.

"Hi," Hinata waved her hand in greeting and received shy waves in return.

Then after Coach Anabara was finished with their briefings, Coach Washijou - who had been standing behind him from the beginning, stepped forward. His sharp eyes swept through the group of players standing in front of him.

"I've got nothing much to say so I'm just gonna make it short. Normally, you all are opponents and you only play each other in tournaments. But while you're here on this court, in this camp, you aren't enemies," his grating voice sounded sharper than ever. "Doing something out of the ordinary is an important experience. Watch. Learn. Still what tricks you can and go home better. That's all."

Hinata sweatdropped. Straight to the point as always, she thought.

"Okay! We'll start with passing drills as an ice-breaker. Pair up and introduce yourselves to each other," Coach Anabara instructed. "Oh, and try to pick someone with as different a skill level from yours as possible!"

There was a scuffle as the players moved around in the gym, trying to find their partners among each other. Hinata was actually starting to move to find a partner before someone else beat her to it. Her eyes widened and a smile graced her lips as she greeted the person in front of her.

"Hyakuzawa-kun! Hi!"

The giant wing spiker smiled softly. "Hey, Hinata. I didn't expect to see you here," he said.

She giggled. "Sorry, but I was keeping it as a surprise! I even told Tsukishima to keep his mouth shut!" She scratched her neck sheepishly, feeling the faint brushes of her hair on her collarbone. Hmm, seems like her hair was starting to grow rapidly. Should she cut it or not? Well, not yet at least.

"Well you did caught me by surprise," he said before his expression turned into one of nervousness. "Uhm, I was hoping you could help me with these drills. You're a very skilled player so I hoped that I could learn a few things from you."

"Oh! Sure, sure! Let's start, shall we?" She spun the ball in her hand with a grin.

Hyakuzawa was well aware that he was the least experienced player compared to the rest of the campers. Even the third-years from middle schools were far experienced than he was.

Hinata, on the other hand, was widely regarded as the strongest player among them, even though she was a girl.

Everyone acknowledged the fact that she was Coach Washijou's favourite among the other players - no matter how hard the old man tried to hide it, they knew he was fond of her just as much as he was fond of Ushijima. Both of them were his favourites.

Which was understandable. Both Hinata and Ushijima shared many similarities. Being players that give their 100% into every game, whether it was a normal practice or practice match and take every piece of advice to hearts, was one of them. That was why they were the model players that every coach doted on.

During the passing drills, Hyakuzawa was doing pretty decent with his passes, since Hinata went easy on him. However, he did a few mistakes with his posture but she corrected him gently and continued doing the drills.

In the next spiking drills, Hinata volunteered to be the one who set the ball while Hyakuzawa would do the spiking first. She told him that it was a good opportunity for her to test her setting skills. So far, her tosses were pretty accurate and she knew where to pass the ball to him, which was quite a feat since he was enormous.

However, no matter how hard he tried to catch up with her and the others, he was still lagging behind. As if there were vines that tied his limbs and prevented him from improving.

Was it because of he was distracted by Hinata? Probably.

He was sure his heart skipped a beat when he saw her and Tsukishima stepped inside Shiratorizawa's volleyball gym, her tufts of fluffy reddish-orange hair could barely seen from the lanky figure of her teammate before her face popped out from behind him and God, her face practically lit up when her eyes landed on him, glowing radiantly and she looked so damn beautiful and precious--

That night, when the others were asleep, Hyakuzawa deliberately ignored Asamushi's blatant complaints as he called him in the middle of the night and continued to pour out his feelings, freaking out how he was in the same camp with his crush and he was going to spend several days with her.

"But how am I supposed to improve myself if I always get distracted, Asamushi-san?"

"Hyakuzawa, bro, it's 3 a.m. Why can't you just text me or wait until tomorrow morning?"

It was a disaster. He was a disaster.

The next day, they all continued doing the same drills again. Hinata gladly volunteered to receive the balls that Hyakuzawa spiked. It was incredible, the way she moved all over the court, waiting with outstretched arms to keep the ball alive. It was as if she knew where the ball would go.

Then in the afternoon, they received a huge surprise from the arrival of Shiratorizawa's third-years and alumni. Apparently, they were brought in by Coach Washijou to have a practice match against the first-years.

"Uwooh?! I spy Karasuno's number 10! I'm going to make you cower in fear!!!" Tendou exclaimed exuberantly.

"Bring it on!!" Hinata countered with the same fervour, making small angry noises like an angry puppy.

It was a good practice match. Hinata was having a good time, almost on par with the entire Shiratorizawa third-years as she and her teammates held their grounds against them.

Although in the end, the opposite team won, causing them to do diving laps as their penalty.

The second practice match started. It was Hinata's turn to serve. She looked down at the ball as she stood behind the lines. Then she did her pre-service routine.

Ah shit, here we go again, Hayato thought as they watched the ginger squatted on the floor while shaking the ball with her hands as if she was getting rid of something on the ball. He mentally prayed to the higher beings above as she pierced them with an intense stare.

Koganegawa watched Tsukishima covered the back of his head with his hands questioningly, wondering why he did that.

As if he could read his thoughts, the Karasuno middle blocker glanced at the giant setter. "She's going to do the same service aces that scored more than a half point in the final set during the finals," he explained.

"I--"

"Give us a good serve, Hinata!" Goshiki cried out, relieved that he was on the same side of the net with her this time.

Hinata threw the ball upwards, running up to match with its pace before jumping up high. It was as if the ball was floating in the air in a slow motion before she slammed her hand into the ball, sending it rocketing towards the third-years' side in a blur of blue and yellow.

Koganegawa only blinked his eyes once when he watched Hinata served the ball before all he knew was that the ball was already on the opponent team's side. "Whaaa--?!"

Everyone was stunned at what just happened. One second, they saw Hinata jumped as she spiked the ball and the next second, it already landed on the floor in a dangerous position, directly above the white line.

"W-What was that?" Coach Anabara blinked his eyes, flabbergasted. "That serve was almost the same as Seijoh's Oikawa and her setter, Kageyama but the speed..."

"It is possible that we just witnessed one of the fastest serves in the world," Coach Washijou had a small proud and competitive grin on his face. "If only we could measure how fast that was."

"It was nice knowing you guys," Hayato said to his teammates as he pressed his hands together in a prayer. He couldn't care less if they lose the match, he just wanted to return to his dorm in one piece.

"Stop being so dramatic, Yamagata! It's not like we're going to die!" Semi said, though his trembling eyes and nervous sweat contradicted against his words.

"Ah, I pity whatever team she choose to do that against in the Nationals soon," Tendou remarked next to Ushijima, watching as some of the players from the other team gazed at Hinata, awestruck. "I hope it'll be Inarizaki. I hate that flexible middle blocker of theirs."

The ace nodded his head in agreement.

"Hey Hinata! Did you learn that from Oikawa-san?!" Kindaichi asked with a small laugh.

"I sure did! Don't worry, I'll make sure to give him credits!" She winked.

Then, the practice match ended and the third-years began to head back to their dorms.

"Ushi-sennin! Wait!" Ushijima turned around when he heard his name was called by the gingerhead, pausing along with Tendou.

Hinata skipped towards them while holding a neatly folded jersey in her hands. "Here! I got this for you!" She flashed him a sunny smile as she handed him the jersey.

He blinked, holding the jersey awkwardly before recognizing there was an autograph on it. Tendou leaned over his shoulder, also looking at the jersey. "Oh? What's this, Little Red?"

She looked very proud of herself. "That," she pointed at green and yellow jersey, "is a jersey of Brazil's national team signed by Nicolas Romero," she stated with a smug smile.

Ushijima's eyes slightly widened as he examined it and realized it was true. "Amazing. How did you manage to get it?"

"Two weeks ago, he came to Japan with his family for a trip and trained me at the same time!" She said excitedly, pulling out her phone and showed them one of the selfies she took with the Brazilian ace.

Tendou whistled. "Damn Little Red, so you're his student now?"

She wiggled her eyebrows. "Of course!" She exclaimed proudly.

"Bokuto-san won't be happy if he heard that," Tsukishima's voice came from the other side of the gym.

"As if!"

Ushijima cradled the jersey to his chest protectively, cherishing the gift. "Thank you, Hinata," he nodded with a hint of a small smile. If it was any normal person, they would've freaking out because they got too happy from having something that reminded them of their hero but this was Ushijima, so this was his way of expressing his happiness.

She grinned. "No problem, Ushi-sennin!"

It was day 3 at the training camp, Koganegawa and Kunimi had a bit of a scuffle since the latter wasn't trying chase after the ball that could've been done by anyone, much to the giant setter's dismay.

"You know, Hina-chan, I don't like that guy," the Dateko setter blurted out as he drank from his water bottle.

Hinata looked up at him as she tied her short wavy hair in a ponytail. "Who? Kunimi?"

"Mhmm! We're all out here playing our hearts out but he's kinda just hanging out like he doesn't care!" He whined.

"Yeah, but that means he still has energy left even at the end of long games," she pursued her lips, rubbing her chin in thought. She remembered how the usually lazy boy got fired up back in the semi-finals, he acted way different back then, "It was pretty nasty when he got serious in the back of half of set 3."

"Nevertheless, in my opinion, it's a really good idea to chase after a ball that you think you can get," she finished with a firm nod.

Koganegawa became more pumped up. "I know right?! He totally tries to take it way too easy!"

As soon as he said that, she gasped as a look of realization flashed across her face. "Take it easy. Oh!"

At the other side of the gym, Hyakuzawa leaned against the wall as he folded his legs close to his chest, a disappointed look written across his face.

He was aware that he was getting left behind, his plays were getting sloppier. He knew just how many really bad mistakes he made. Even though Hinata had graciously gave him tips and advices, correcting his postures and everything, he still got them wrong.

He can feel himself getting more and more depressed. Geez, he was a fucking mess. Not only he sucked at volleyball, he felt like he was a burden to Hinata.

Asamushi was right. She was way out of his league. She was blessed with talent and amazing athleticism, she was so gorgeous, passionate, kind, hardworking, inspiring and many more positive qualities that he can describe.

When she showed him that her skills can beat his height, he was enamoured by her immediately at that moment. Her perfect form was one of the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and he wanted to see more of it.

When she was harrassed by those guys, he had never boiled with so much rage before. He was a guy that would avoid violence at all cost but seeing the girl he was head over heels for looking distressed and left with an ugly bruise from that good-for-nothing guy, his hands were twitching to murder someone.

Every day, they texted each other. Hinata sent him motivating and positive messages that brightened up his day. When she told him the updates of the qualifiers, feeling all too bubbly and happy that her team won, a smile appeared on his face although she couldn't see it.

In the training camp, she helped him and taught him without asking anything in return and he felt bad. She was trying her best to help him and he wasn't still improving.

Huh, should I quit? Would that make me happier?, Hyakuzawa thought as he raised his head just as slightly, seeing Hinata passing the water bottles around like an angel she was. I told her I would work harder but no matter how hard I tried, I'm still left behind.

He dropped his head with a loud sigh. God, he was a mess. His volleyball career was on a brink of collapse and he continued to hurt himself more with the negative thoughts of his possible unrequited love.

"Hyakuzawa-kun! Are you okay?" He jolted in surprise, quickly looking up to see Hinata was crouching in front of him cutely with a worried look on her face. Her eyes then turned into a hopeful look in them as she handed him a water bottle with a radiant smile. "Here, have some water!"

He slowly took the bottle. "Thanks," he murmured with a faraway look in his eyes.

She frowned at the obvious change in his behaviour. "Hey, what's wrong? Don't mind what those guys said. I think you're just amazing as the rest of us," she said, remembering the unkind comments from some of the campers.

He snorted bitterly before meeting her gaze. "But I'm just tall, that's it--" he was cut off by something that he never expected to happen in his life.

"Huh?!!" She cried out before cupping his cheeks and made him look at her straight in the eyes before leaning forward slightly. His breath hitched in shock, a part of it because of the close proximity and another part was because of the piercing look in her usually sweet honey eyes. "Listen to me. If I were to choose between your height and my jumping ability, I would choose the former in an instant. Why? Because I can improve my jumping reach if I practice hard enough but height is not something that can be changed easily."

"Hyakuzawa-kun, your incredible height is one of the best talent one could have. Remember that," she patted his cheek gently as he sat still from the close proximity.

His heart was beating so fast, he can feel the heat rising up to his cheeks. Her words echoed inside his mind along with the scarily serious look on her face. "W-Why are you doing this?"

Hinata pulled back slightly as she removed her hands away from his face, which made him feel kinda upset since he liked the feeling of her surprisingly soft hands. "Well, first, it's because I want to play you again and beat you," she said with a competitive grin. "And second,"

"I can't just let the boy that I like feel sad for so long."

Her voice was so soft and low, that only the both of them can hear her. When Hyakuzawa froze like a statue as he tried to process her words, he watched with a stupidly stunned look as the gingerhead slowly stood up and walked away but not before sending him a wink with a flirty smile on her lips.

Koganegawa approached him next, worried and confused. He was worried that the giant player was blushing beet red on the face as smoke seemed to seep out from his head and confused by what the pretty redhead said that made him acted this way.

"Oi, Hyakuzawa! Guys, I think he's not breathing!"

Chapter Text

While Hinata and Tsukishima were busy improving their skills in Miyagi, Kageyama was doing the same thing as well in Osaka.

He met several other national-level players, doing practice games with different teams and partners and even playing as a hitter.

Since there was no one that he was familiar with, he decided to stick with one player whom he knew, Chigaya from Shinzen. Though the other boy was having a hard time by how often the Karasuno setter was targeted by some of the players.

Miya Atsumu from Inarizaki called him 'a goody two-shoes' with that annoying smile on his face.

Sakusa Kiyoomi, one of the top 3 aces from Itachiyama was still unable to move on from the fact that Shiratorizawa lost in the finals. He confronted Kageyama about it, wondering if Ushijima was not on his best condition that day.

Then there was Komori Motoya, Itachiyama's libero and Sakusa's cousin. He was a cool guy, with laid-back personality and all. He was friendlier than his stoic cousin so he had no problem getting along with him.

And lastly, Hoshiumi Kourai from Kamomedai, who had been dubbed as the Little Giant by some people. He was similar to Hinata in a sense. Both were incredibly well-rounded players and sharing the same height, though the white-haired boy was 4cm taller.

Kageyama was doing well at first at the training camp. He was in a pretty good mood, satisfied that Hinata had fulfilled her promise that she got Romero's autograph for him, even sending him a photo of it as proof.

While he was secretly jealous of her for being chosen by the Nicolas Romero himself to train with, he was happy for her at the same time. It meant that Hinata's talent and skills were beginning to get recognized in the indoor volleyball's leagues. He was pretty sure that in the future, she would play in Brazil's superliga for one of their team clubs there.

He was actually kinda proud for how far she had come. While Hinata joined the team late and filled the middle blocker position, most people doubted her at first. It wasn't that they thought she sucked or something, it was because she was a girl.

From the beginning of her career, Hinata told him once, she was underestimated by some of her former partners and opponents for being short and for her gender as well. While there were other female beach volleyball players like her, they had this stereotype about Japanese people who rarely spent their time at the beach.

She told him that the world thought Japanese people were much more conservative and reserved, thinking that they typically have dark hair and light skin tone. Every time she introduced herself, people didn't believe her because of her exotic looks, which leaned more to the European side than the Asian side.

Nevertheless, she proved them wrong by conquering the court and mastered the sand and wind. It wasn't long before people started to take her seriously.

Then there was another problem. Female beach volleyball players had to wear sports bras and bikini bottoms in the games. While most people genuinely watched their matches because they were impressed by their skills, there were also some people who only went there to see their faces and bodies, excited at the thought of seeing exposed skin and curves than actually watching the games.

Hinata herself had faced this kind of problem several times in her life, but since she was a minor and there were people who sexualized her, her mother and her friends quickly reported those people to the authorities and demanded to take actions. After that, she no longer faced any problem other than a few minor ones, but she took care of them pretty well.

When she first played indoor volleyball in official matches, Hinata had no problem of blending in with the team. They were relieved to have a player that can cover for all of them if they were unable to since she was used to doing everything in a game back in beach volleyball. It was thanks to her endless drive to win, her unbelievable speed and power that they won those matches.

Now, other teams began to take Karasuno seriously, no longer thinking that they were fallen champions or flightless crows.

During dinner at the training camp, Kageyama was eating peacefully and having a formal but polite conversation with Chigaya when Sakusa approached their table, followed by Komori.

"Yo. I haven't watch the game tape yet but how come Shiratorizawa lost? Was Wakatoshi-kun hurt or something?" He asked with a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"He looked in perfect form to me," answered Kageyama.

"Then how did he lose?! What trick did you use?! Or what? Did someone actually stuff him?!" Sakusa fired out questions after questions.

A mishievous gleam glinted in the setter's eyes as he smirked. "Yeah, we did stuff him. One of our middle blockers even successfully stuffed him more than once."

Sakusa narrowed his eyes as he leanes forward slightly. "Who was it? What's his name? What year is he--"

"Hey! Sorry about him! This guy is utterly the most pessimistic person you'll find on the whole planet!" Komori cut in after noticing how disgruntled Kageyama looked by the rapid questions. "As soon as he thinks somebody might be a threat to him, he just has to know all he can about them."

"I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist," his cousin defended himself.

"Sakusa-san, you haven't gotten serious yet in this camp, aren't you?" Kageyama asked the ace.

He stared at him for a moment before he replied. "What makes you think that?"

"Well this is just my feeling but compared to the image that I had of you, you seem awfully normal so far."

Chigaya let out a horrified gasp while Komori chortled, quickly turning away to hide his laughter. "Pfft!"

Boy, Sakusa wasn't too happy by that remark.

The next day, after they done with another practice match, Hoshiumi approached Kageyama while they were doing cool-down stretches.

"Hey. Spit it out. Where have you seen me?" Hoshiumi crossed his arms in front of his chest as he looked down at Kageyama.

The dark-haired setter furrowed his eyebrows questioningly. "I've only seen you since we got here."

"That's not what I meant. I wanna know if you have seen my game tape before."

"No I haven't."

Then his behaviour immediately changed 180°."Then where was your surprise?! Why didn't you stare?! Gape in shock?!" He cried out while flailing his arms. "Every time you look at me you just have this dumb 'Oh, that's interesting' look on your face!"

Chigaya and Kageyama shot him incredulous stares as he continued.

"I meant seriously?! What's with you?! Most guys seen my height and think I suck! Only when they see me play do they finally realize how scary I am! That's just how things go! How they're supposed to be!!" He shouted.

"Honestly, I'm not that scared of you," Kageyama bluntly replied, much to the seagull's dismay. "My teammate is just like you, but better."

"HUHHH?!?!" Hoshiumi's face contorted in rage as he stomped forward and glared at him. "What did you say?!?!"

Oh shit, Chigaya thought. He just had to say that in front of him. Then he realized which teammate Kageyama was referring to. "Wait a minute. Are you talking about Hinata, Kageyama?"

The setter nodded but Hoshiumi turned to him angrily. "Who is this Hinata and why did you say he's better than me?!" He demanded, eyes flicking back and forth between them.

"Err...," the Shinzen first-year began but he was stopped with a raised hand from Kageyama.

He turned to the older boy who was waiting for answers. "Hinata is my partner in the team. Hinata's position is middle blocker but Hinata can play any position if needed to. Hinata can move really fast on the court and jump really high like you, Hoshiumi-san. Hinata is also the same person who stuffed Ushijima-san the most in the finals and helped bringing our team to the Nationals," he explained.

Sakusa, who was just passing by, coincidentally heard the words that came out from his mouth and immediately stormed towards them. "What?! This Hinata guy was the one who stuffed Wakatoshi-kun?! Who is he?!" He demanded.

"Hey, back off. I was here first!" Hoshiumi growled at the taller boy before turning back to Kageyama. "So your partner is just like me, so why did you say he was better than me?!"

The crow shrugged. "Hinata can jump higher," he said nonchalantly.

"How high is his vertical jumping?!"

He shook his head. "I'm not telling you. You have to wait until the tournament."

This made the white-haired boy getting more pissed off. "Fine!! Anyway, why the hell you kept repeating his name?! You can just refer to the guy as 'him'!"

Kageyama huffed, his shoulders shaking silently as he slowly stood up. Chigaya didn't like whatever was going to happen next.

He stared at them with a small competitive gleam in his eyes. "That's where you're wrong. Hinata is a girl, not a guy," he corrected.

Hoshiumi and Sakusa froze as they stared at him in astonishment, the former gaping at him in shock.

"What?! Seriously?!"

He nodded before his eyes shifted to Sakusa. "She was the one who beat Ushijima-san in a joust for the match point. It became the talk of our town for almost a week," he boasted with a smug smile.

Sakusa furrowed his eyebrows, trying to process his words, opening his mouth to say something but nothing came out from his mouth.

"What's her height?!" Hoshiumi asked.

"She's 5'5. Only slightly shorter than you, Hoshiumi-san."

He practically vibrated in his spot at this point. "Wow! I'm gonna watch the game tape after I get back! I wanna see what she's like!" He exclaimed, no longer remembering that Kageyama compared him to her. He was looking forward to meet someone who was so similar but different than him at the same time soon.

"Well, well, looks like somebody sure has guts, ey?" Another voice crooned teasingly as Atsumu made his way towards them with an eye-crinkling smile on his face. "I can't wait to see this Hinata-chan who defeated Ushiwaka."

"Oh, by the way Tobio-kun, despite the prickly first impression you gave," the smile on his face turned dark as he stared at him, "ye sure are a sweet goody two-shoes on the court, aint'cha?"

Kageyama scowled at him, perplexed and bristled in hostility. He was pretty sure that wasn't a compliment but at the same time he was wondering why the hell he sounded so... flirty when he said that.

Hoshiumi was confused by what Atsumu said, Sakusa gave them a look of disgust while Chigaya was freaking out by the tense atmosphere.

All these national-level guys sure are scary!

"Take it easy, Hyakuzawa-kun!"

All it took was those simple words that changed his view in volleyball. Since then, Hyakuzawa slowly becoming more confident in himself and thus, defeating his opponents.

Soon enough, the training camp came to an end and they all began to head to their homes.

Kindaichi approached Hinata and asked how it was playing with Kageyama. The girl cheerfully answered that they were pretty close, sharing a chaotic friendship, and supportive while sharing a rivalry with each other at the same time, which baffled the Seijoh first-year.

She told him she was aware of Kageyama's past since the setter told her himself and told him not to worry about him because it was normal to get into fights with teammates. Hinata herself had witnessed Kageyama's edgy mode that turned him into a demanding, tyrannical person but she wouldn't take any of his shits and said that if he used that tone with her, she wouldn't hesitate to beat him up.

That took Kindaichi off guard before he threw his head back and barked a laugh. Even Kunimi huffed, which was his own expression of showing that he too, was laughing as well. The two Seijoh players hoped that she could keep Kageyama in line since he was taught to respect women by his sister.

Hyakuzawa watched in amusement as Koganegawa was all too eager to get Hinata's phone number, which the ginger-haired beauty agreed. What made it more entertaining was that he caught Goshiki shot them envious looks, which wasn't all too subtle. Well, he wasn't blind at the fact that the Shiratorizawa wing spiker was having a crush on the giant setter.

And according to Hinata, Tsukishima had something going on with Nekoma's captain, who was his mentor at the summer training camp. She told him that she saw Kuroo shooting looks at her teammate when he thought no one was looking and teased the blonde middle blocker although he made snarky remarks to hide his flustered face.

Wow, so everyone around them are falling in love left and right. Heh, he was one to talk, he said to himself as he watched Hinata waving goodbye to their friends and sprinted towards him. Apparently, they both were heading towards the same destination, the train station. Hyakuzawa was all too happy to accompany her, since he could kill two birds with one stone; spending more time with Hinata while keeping her safe.

"Hyakuzawa-kun, let's go!" She chirped as she placed her hand on his arm after bidding one last goodbye at Tsukishima, who returned it much more passively.

They talked all the way to the train station, well mostly Hinata, being the talkative girl she was. She talked non-stop but Hyakuzawa listened to every word she uttered in a rapt attention without caring if what she said make sense or not.

Inside the train, it was packed with passengers since it was 7pm and people began to return home from work. Because there was no vacant seats left, they had no other choice but to stand.

Hyakuzawa seemed to attract a bit of attention from other passengers due to his imposing figure. While normal people held onto the straps hanging inside, he had to hold onto the pole that hung the straps instead, his head reached past the metal pole. Hinata giggled when she saw heard him grumbled under his breath.

But he got his payback when she had to hold onto him instead, since his arm was above her head and she couldn't reach one of the straps, making her pout her lips in dismay. The two began to converse on the way and when the train made an abrupt stop even though it already slowed down, the force sent the girl straight to his body. She squeaked in surprise when her face crashed into his chest and his other hand instinctively rose to wrap around her mid-back.

Both of them froze from the sudden occurance, blushing deeply. More passengers came in, pushing the two closer to each other to the point of almost being squashed to each other.

Hinata gripped onto Hyakuzawa's jacket as she buried her face in his chest in embarrassment. Despite the cold weather outside, he radiated warmth and protection and it made her feel safe. "Sorry, Hyakuzawa-kun," she whispered.

Hyakuzawa's fist clenched around the pole, his knuckles began to turn white from how hard he gripped the metal. Because of their point-blank proximity, he could feel her body pressed against him and it was driving him crazy.

"It's okay..," he managed to choke out.

Then she looked up at him from where her face was pressed against his chest. "You know, I kinda like being in your arms. It feels so warm and it makes me feel safe," she flashed him a beautiful smile that almost kill him right then and there.

Goddamnit, Hinata. You're making me falling in love with you deeper and deeper, he thought with a flustered look on his face.

Chapter Text

Weeks before the Spring tournament, the Karasuno team invited the team with the strongest blocking in the prefecture, Dateko for a practice match.

They all bowed to each other in greeting, the more friendly ones being louder than ever. When Dateko bowed in unison to Karasuno after introducing themselves, most of them shifted nervously from the intimidating aura they radiated.

"Tsukki! Hinata-chan!" Koganegawa exclaimed loudly, making his teammates looked at him in exasperation and some of them were downright irritated and told him to shut up, which he deliberately ignored.

"Kogane!" Hinata returned the greeting with the same fervour while Tsukishima just casually walked away without greeting him back.

"Aone-san, hi!" She bounced to the quiet giant and bowed in greeting, which he returned shyly. The other Dateko players were surprised by this, wondering how their teammate knew Karasuno's number 10.

"How did you know Karasuno's number 10, Aone?" Futakuchi asked after the girl returned back to her team.

"I bumped into her during the qualifiers," he answered bluntly, which the brunette sweatdropped at.

"Oh, okay."

Hinata was on her period, which started a few days ago and should be ending soon. However, for her sake, she didn't join the practice match under the managers' advice. The coaches and her teammates understood and wished she get better soon.

From her spot at the sidelines as she watched the game, Hinata noticed there was something wrong with Kageyama. Ever since he came back from All-Japan training camp, his scowl became more prominent than ever, and he often looked as if there was something bothering his mind.

Even though she already gave him Romero's autograph, which he requested, he only accepted the gift with a scowl and a grunt of thanks.

Throughout the first set of the match, everyone could feel the intensity of his frustration. The first sign was when he snapped at Nishinoya in a not-so-gentle tone, which luckily the libero noticed his own mistake and brushed it off even though he was ready to start a fight at first. And as the match went on, he snapped at anyone who failed to hit his sets and couldn't score. Tanaka and Tsukishima didn't hesitate to express their irritation at his attitude and Asahi, the most sensitive one, just patiently kept quiet.

At the end of the first set--which they lost, Asahi approached Kageyama who was silently fuming. "Uhm, Kageyama, listen--"

"It's not my fault!" He yelled angrily. "I'm just putting the ball up the way you want it! So stop screwing around and just score already!!"

As soon as he said that, he immediately closed his mouth shut, realizing what he had done. The entire team watched in a shocked silence, except for Hinata who was giving him a calculating look and Tsukishima who shot him a smug grin.

"Well, well. If it isn't his Royal Highness, back in his kingly form."

Memories of what happened in middle school flashed through his mind and he bowed his head down in shame. "I-I'm sorry..."

"You know, Kageyama, this have been bothering me for a while now," Hinata piped in as she walked up to them, shooting a piercing stare at the setter, "what's wrong with being called a king? Honestly, I think it's a pretty cool name."

"Is it because you're egoistical, tyrannical? Who cares? If I don't like the way you talk to me, then I won't listen."

"I second that," Tanaka added.

"Same here," Tsukishima agreed as he wiped his glasses.

Kageyama looked at them, dumbfounded while Coach Ukai only smiled as he watched them from the back.

"Tanaka says that but you know he'll listen, grumpily but he'll listen. He's just picky about making sure his friends are respected," Sugawara commented. Daichi nodded in agreement next to him.

"True."

"Uhm...personally, I'd prefer if you put it more gently," Asahi said with a nervous smile.

"The best way to put up the ball is the way that's easiest for the hitters to spike it. It involves a lot of communication with your teammates but no one said you can't argue about it," Coach Ukai spoke to Kageyama with a small smile.

The raven-haired setter looked down to the ground as he pondered about his teammates' and coach's words.

"You have a kingly attitude. Just accept it already, baka. I mean, try change a few things like your tone and choice of words but don't change yourself. I think you're already fine the way you are. Fighting among teammates are normal," Hinata continued as she patted him on the back. "If you have something to say, then we'll lend an ear to listen."

He nodded his head. Then, everyone jumped in surprise when the redhead smacked him harshly on the head. "That's for talking rudely to Asahi-san," she said with a huff. Kageyama held the back of head in pain, swearing mentally because she used the same force when she spike a ball.

Nishinoya howled with laughter while the rest gawked in disbelief. "Tell him, Shouyou!"

"And thus," Kageyama flinched when he saw Hinata's hand aimed towards his head again before realizing that she was just ruffling his hair and he slowly relaxed, "a new King of the Court has been born!"

"Looks like he got over it," Coach Ukai remarked as he watched Tanaka and Nishinoya approached the setter and followed Hinata's action.

Then everything was fine with Kageyama afterwards as they continued with the game. They also managed to win some sets. While he was still struggling to express his feedback in a more gentle manner - Tsukishima was still annoyed and Tanaka almost lost his temper again - but everyone in Karasuno could see that he was trying.

In the end, both teams won four sets each by the time they finished the match.

The days passed by and soon enough, it was January 4, one day before the Spring Tournament, which started on the 5th. The whole Karasuno team would be departing from Miyagi one day earlier so they could prepare for the big event tomorrow.

As promised, Natsu would be watching her big sister playing indoor volleyball in a national tournament. Their mother drove Natsu to Tokyo to meet their grandparents, who were looking forward to see their eldest granddaughter in action.

Unfortunately, Hinata wouldn't be able to stay with her family as she would have to stay with her team in another inn. Natsu sulked throughout the day because of that. Luckily, the inn where the team stayed at wasn't that far from the inn Hinata's family stayed so she was allowed to visit them that night.

Tsukishima was forced to keep an eyes on Kageyama who wanted to go on a run by Ennoshita. He watched Hinata walked inside the inn where her sister and grandparents stay and waited until she was inside before he turned to Kageyama and nudged him with the tyre of the bicycle to get moving.

"Grandpa, Grandma, I'm here! Nacchan!!" Hinata called out cheerfully to her family. Before her mother went to the other side of Tokyo, where her meeting take place, she already wished the best for her daughter and prayed that everything would go well in the tournament, even kissing her forehead before she left. She informed that her meeting would be taking one week so they had a lot of time to explore the city.

One of the door flung open and a small patter of footsteps can be heard from the end of the hallway. Hinata smiled as she opened her arms wide just in time Natsu leapt and barrelled to her chest. "Nee-chan!" She cried out happily.

"Natsu, didja miss me?" She asked as she ran her hand through her sister's curly hair.

"Of course! I was bored because you're not staying with us, Nee-chan!" The younger girl puffed out her cheeks as she pouted.

"Ouch, I'm offended. Do you not like spending time with us that much, Nacchan?" Another voice chimed in. Both ginger turned around to see their grandparents walked up to them with smiles on their faces.

"Uh..." the little gingerhead trailed off, unable to answer the question. Luckily someone else saved her from having to answer it.

"Shouyou! It's been a long time since we last saw you! You've already grown!" Their grandmother cried out happily as she swooped her granddaughters into a bone-crushing hug, drawing giggles from them.

Hinata Hatsumi was a cheerful woman with the warmest smile ever existed, the same trademark smile that was inherited by her granddaughters. The 61-year old woman was still able to walk around freely as if she was in her 20's. She was a head shorter than Hinata and appeared to be younger than her age, which there were only a few strands of grey hair mixed with her brown ones.

"Hey, don't leave me out of this!" Their grandfather said grumpily as he wrapped his arms around them. He deliberately ignored Natsu's whine of being suffocated and tighten his hold on purpose.

"Wow, Gramps! You still haven't change! You're still strong as ever!" Hinata gushed with sparkling eyes after he finally let them go.

He puffed out his chest proudly. "Of course! Someone's gotta be strong to look after you girls!" He exclaimed, flexing his muscles.

William Blackthorn was an Irish man, the progenitor of the ginger hair in the family. During his younger days, his ginger hair was very striking that it passed down to his son, who had the same hair in a lighter shade but the striking shade returned when his granddaughters' were born. His passion for Japanese culture often made people forgot he was a foreigner.

He also experienced in volleyball, playing for a local neighbourhood team once and now, he was a coach for a junior indoor volleyball team. As a result, he was quite for fit for a 63-year old man.

"I don't need protection, Gramps!" Natsu exclaimed indignantly. "I'm a big girl already!"

"Nuh-uh, you're still a newborn baby to me," he teased, hazel eyes twinkling with laughter. He barked out a short laugh when the girl growled in response.

Then Natsu smiled mischievously as she turned to her sister. "And I don't think Nee-chan needs protection too," she added, voice laced with humour.

William and Harumi shared questioning looks with each other before turning to their granddaughters.

Hinata shot her a nervous smile, not liking where this was going. "Hmm? What do you mean, Nacchan?"

"Nee-chan has someone else protecting her! A guy! So she doesn't need your protection, Gramps!" The little girl gave the old man a shit-eating grin as she said that.

Harumi gasped in delight, blurting out a loud "Who is it?!" while William shot Hinata a mock hurt look, playfully placed his hand on his chest, gasping dramatically. "Shouyou! What is the meaning of this?! You have a boyfriend?!"

For a brief second, Hinata closed her eyes and wondered that if she regretted telling her little sister about Hyakuzawa. It was normal that the two sisters tell each other everything but sometimes the younger gingerhead can be a little shit if you look deeper than her angelic appearance.

She opened her eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling after that and curled her lips into a sweet smile. "Here, why don't we all take a seat? It's going to be a pretty long night and we have a lot to catch up," she suggested.

Harumi nodded her head in agreement and quickly ushered all of them into their room. "Anyways, Shouyou, congratulations for winning the finals and made it here! I was a bit worried at first since you switched from beach to indoor but I know you could handle everything," she said with a bright smile.

Her husband lit up enthusiastically. "Yeah, I can't wait for tomorrow! I'll be cheering for you the loudest, just you wait!"

Natsu immediately piped in. "No way! I'm gonna be the one who cheers the loudest for Nee-chan! I'm going to scream on the top of my lungs too!" She exclaimed. And with that, the grandfather-and-granddaughter duo bickered with each other while exchanging competitive declarations.

Harumi sighed as she watched them bickering while Hinata smiled, feeling somewhat nostalgic and remembered how her father used to act the same way as Natsu with his parents. She was a little girl back then, clapping her hands because she was entertained by her father and grandfather's playful but violent fight and how her grandmother only watched them while sipping on her tea.

The next day, it was the first day of the Spring Tournament. The tournament took place in Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium and it was highly-anticipated by spectators and fans since it attracted the most media attention.

Hinata's grandparents and sister already went ahead while she went to the venue with her team. They already wished her good luck before they went inside the building.

"Woah," Hinata remarked in awe as she watched the large crowd that filled the area around the gymnasium and wondered how many more it would be inside the building. She could see several teams from other schools, looking intimidating and serious.

Suddenly, she yelped in surprise when a body bumped into her, causing her to stumble forward before Kageyama quickly steadied her by grabbing her arm before she could fall.

The others quickly turned around in alarm when they heard her yelp. Nishinoya and Tanaka immediately bristled and growled at the guy who almost made their precious kouhai fall.

"That guy is gotta be 6 and 1/2 ft tall," Tsukishima muttered as he watched the white-and-blue clad giant walked off with his team.

Hinata pouted as she rubbed her back. Hmph, that guy was as tall as Hyakuzawa but the latter was more well-mannered.

"Hey you! Get back here! How dare you make Shouyou almost fall and not apolog--" Nishinoya was held back by Asahi before he and Tanaka could make a scene, the latter was restrained by Ennoshita.

"Geez, you crows just never give it a rest, aren't you? Didja see the real Sky Tree?" A familiar voice drawled from behind them. Daichi twitched in irritation as they all turned around to see who it was.

Their eternal rival, Nekoma.

The participating teams were gathering at the main hall, waiting for the signal to begin the opening ceremonies. Murmurs rang throughout the room as players conversed to each other, teammates to teammates, friends to friends and rivals to rivals.

Kuroo and Daichi both were exchanging taunting words to each other, not knowing they both were sweating nervously at the same time so they weren't one to talk.

Meanwhile, Hinata were having a friendly conversation with the girl's team representative for Miyagi, Niiyama Joshi. They all clicked instantly , sharing the same interest and being female volleyball players that represented the prefecture.

"Hina-chan, how does it feel to be the only girl in a boy's team?" Yonezawa Maiko, who reminded Hinata of Goshiki because of their similar bowl cuts, asked curiously.

"Well, it's quite an experience," Hinata said with a small laugh. "Luckily I'm not that alone, I have Kiyoko-san and Yacchan, the managers so it's all right. They're understanding too! Like when it's the time of the month, they wouldn't allow me to play and told me to rest until I get better!" She grinned.

"Wow, amazing! It's rare to see boys that can be understanding!" Another Niiyama player gushed.

The captain, who glared at Tanaka back at the prelims, tilted her head. "How about relationships? You've met a lot of male players, right? So do you have any interest with some of them?" She smiled teasingly.

"I--," heat creeped up the red-haired girl's cheeks as an image of a certain giant wing spiker from Miyagi flashed inside her mind.

"Aww, there is! Who is it?!" Amanai Kanoka, Tanaka's childhood friend gasped, eyes twinkling in delight.

"Well, I do like this one player," she started and some of the Niiyama players squealed, "but the rest are just my friends. I only love them platonically, I'm also like a sister to most of them. Some of them are even in a relationship, I think, but never confirmed so far."

"Wait, my fujoshi heart can't take it!" Niiyama's libero cried out, grabbing her jersey over her chest.

Then the signal that said the opening ceremony was about to start blared throughout the room, notifying the players. "Well, I guess we'll see you later, Hinata-san. It's a shame that you didn't join our school and become one of us but then again, we wouldn't be able to see what you are like from the stands," Niiyama's captain said with a small smile.

"Then I hope we get to see each other again soon and play together in the future!" Hinata exclaimed with sparkling eyes. "Good luck, everyone!"

"Thanks, Hina-chan/Hinata-san!" The Niiyama players cried out in response.

"See you later, Shouyou!" Kanoka waved her hand along with Maiko who grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

"You too, Kanoka-san, Maiko-san!" The gingerhead grinned as the Niiyama players soon disappeared from sight, blending in with the crowd.

Chapter Text

Karasuno would be playing in the first round, facing a school from Kanagawa Prefecture, Tsubakihara.

They all were jittery and nervous since it was their first time playing in a big tournament. Even Hinata, who had experience playing in the international level, was all antsy. After all, it was also the time the world would see her as an official indoor volleyball player.

20 minutes before the match started, both teams were warming up. As the others were stretching their limbs or doing passing or spiking drills, the gingerhead was staring up at the ceiling, noting how bright the lights were.

She clicked her tongue as she crossed her arms. This was different from gymnasiums in Miyagi, which didn't have such advanced facilities. Years of playing on the sand gave her the advantage of being cautious of ceiling serves, where beach volleyball players used the sun as a distraction. In indoors, players would use the lights on the ceiling instead.

"There she goes again, going into her 'God's Eyes' mode," Sugawara commented as he watched Hinata scanned the entire arena with hawk eyes. "It's all cool until those eyes are directed on you."

"What's with the nickname, Suga-san?" Ennoshita asked with a small snort. "Are you sure you're not exaggerating there?"

He shook his head. "No, I heard Seijoh's Matsukawa and Hanamaki came up with the name themselves. Even the setter from Shiratorizawa was left shaking in fear when he saw the look in her eyes even though it wasn't directed at him. If it was that lethal to the non-target, I'm not sure those who are actually the target managed to not cower in fear," he stated.

Not long after, the match has officially started. Tsubakihara was leading with several points ahead while Karasuno was still trying to adapt with the new environment. Kageyama couldn't do his usual precise sets until he get the hang of it so they decided to hold things together until he get his accuracy back on track.

"Forget the quick set! Focus on their left!" A player from Tsubakihara said to his teammates.

"Huh?" A feminine voice said, making him turn to see Hinata giving him a piercing stare, her now slightly longer fringes casted a shadow over her eyes, "Why wouldn't we use quick sets?"

He shuddered in fear. This is the same girl who beat Ushiwaka in a joust we're talking about!, he reprimanded himself.

After she said that, it was true Kageyama tossed the ball to the left, to Asahi who slammed it down even as Hinata leapt at the right side.

The match continued, Kageyama set the ball to Hinata again, grimacing when he realized it was too high but it was still enough for her to smack it down in full force, sending it flying to the stands.

"Yuh! Get into it, Hinata!" Tanaka barked gleefully at the sight of the look of wary and disbelief on Tsubakihara's faces.

"There she is, folks! Karasuno's number 10 and only female player, Hinata Shouyou! She's the shortest attacker in this year's tournament but she's not someone to be taken lightly!" The commentator exclaimed.

"Shouyou!!!" William shouted gleefully over the cheers with Harumi clapping her stick-like balloons with a wide smile. Natsu was screaming on the top of her lungs, yelling, "That's my Nee-chan!!"

Minutes later, Kageyama finally gained his accuracy back and tossed the ball exactly in front of Hinata's hand before she hit it down before Tsubakihara could react.

"And it's finally here! Karasuno's lethal weapon, the freakishly fast quick set of rookies Kageyama and Hinata!" Another commentator remarked with a smile. "We've finally got to see it!"

"Sorry for making you wait," said Kageyama to Hinata, who only smiled and patted his back in response.

"Good to have you back, Kageyama."

Then the match continued. Karasuno soon began to closing in on Tsubakihara, racking points after points but the other team wasn't going to give them the chance to surpass them that easily.

Kageyama noticed that Tsubakihara's blockers didn't pay attention on Hinata, even though she was approaching the net. They didn't want her to distract them.

Paying attention to her, deliberately not paying attention to her, neither are right, he thought as he raised his arms to prepare for a toss before he surprised everyone with a dump.

Karasuno scored another point, just behind Tsubakihara after Hinata slammed the ball down after the ball was tossed directly into her hand before Tsubakihara could react.

From the stands, Atsumu observed Kageyama's cool expression curiously. "Whaaaa?! That totally ain't the way he looked back at camp! Geez, that's guy's almost scary!" He exclaimed.

And it ain't just him, he thought as his eyes wandered to the ginger-haired player standing next to her captain. It wasn't that hard to recognize her, his team watched the game tape after all. It was the same player who contributed the most in defeating Shiratorizawa during the finals, the one who beaten Ushiwaka, the super ace with monster stamina. That number 10 is way too dangerous, even more than Ushiwaka.

Soon after, Karasuno rotated and Hinata was at the back row, making Tsubakihara and their supporters sighed in relief. However, their captain still thought it was a nasty rotation because Tsukishima was at the front row. They needed to be careful with his aggravatingly persistent blocking.

It was true, Tsukishima didn't allow Tsubakihara hitters get clean shots without deflecting the ball, pissing them off. In an attempt to counterattack, they sent the ball to their ace, Teradomari who began to approach to spike.

Karasuno did a triple block to stop him, but he did a line shot using the gap between Tsukishima's arm and the antenna, sending it straight to the floor.

But Hinata suddenly appeared out of nowhere and dug the ball without breaking a sweat, passing it to Tanaka who sent it to Asahi. The ace won a joust with Tsubakihara's player and pushed it down to their side.

Then, when it was Tsubakihara's turn to attack, their player did a tip instead of smacking the ball, catching Tsukishima off guard.

But Karasuno didn't have to worry because Hinata was already there to save the ball, passing it to Daichi who sent it to Tanaka, earning them another point.

Tsubakihara's setter deliberately dumped the ball straight into Kageyama's hand for an attack, forcing Karasuno to narrow down their options for offense. In the end, Tsukishima did a decent high toss to Asahi who slammed the ball down, sending it flying outside the court.

Kageyama, pissed by what happened earlier, retaliated by setting the ball to Hinata, who had already jumped earlier from the back row and smashed the ball down while still in mid-air. The ball landed on the floor first before she was, showing how fast the spike was.

"Even from the back row, Hinata's attacking speed is unbelievable!" The commentator exclaimed excitedly. "That set was like a speeding bullet!"

"That wasn't just fast, but it also had very impressive height. Even at that speed, the ball was still put up precisely at the hitter's highest contact point. Hinata-kun knew the ball would come right there and waited for it mid-air. Her balance in the air was incredible too," his partner added.

In the end, Tsubakihara was forced to ask for a time-out before the set ended. After time-out ended, the match continued.

It was Hinata's turn to serve. Tsubakihara players immediately straightened up, keeping their eyes sharp. Out of all Karasuno players, her and Kageyama were the most powerful servers. If the latter could do powerful spike serve in a scary accuracy, the former's spike serve was also powerful but moved in an incredible speed.

However, Hinata had no intentions of using a spike serve.

She did her pre-service routine, threw the ball upwards and jumped less than two seconds later before sending the ball to Tsubakihara's side. Because they didn't expect a jump floater, they couldn't react quickly before the ball landed on the floor.

It continued on that way until Karasuno was one point ahead of Tsubakihara, only one point away from reaching set point.

Karasuno rotated again and it was Kageyama's turn to serve. Tsubakihara players could only moan in despair. Damnit, does it have to be his serve right now? First number 10 and now him?

However, Kageyama was too aggressive with his serve and was too close to the net, hitting it as a result. Hinata, deciding to be a little shit, laughed tauntingly at him, dodging his hand as he tried to smack her. She snickered even though he was glaring murderously at her.

Tsubakihara subbed in a first-year pinch server, Himekawa, who appeared more nervous than Yamaguchi and Kinoshita once. He did an underhand serve but because his nerves got the better of him, he accidentally nailed it to the back of his teammate's head, giving the set to Karasuno.

While everyone was laughing at Himekawa's mistakes, even his own teammates teased him and messing with him, there was only one player who took his earlier action seriously.

"Alright! For set 2, I want us at full throttle right out of the gates!" Coach Ukai told to the team in front of him.

"Osu!"

While the others were discussing moments from the earlier set and strategies for the next one, Hinata approached Daichi with a serious look on her face.

"Daichi-san, I think if Tsubakihara sub out number 14 again, we need to be careful," she said, making the others to look at them.

"What do you mean, Hinata?" Coach Ukai asked instead.

"What number 14 tried to do earlier was an underhand serve. It's a beginner level's serve so experienced players tend to not use it. He failed because he was too nervous but I think once he gets over it, it'll turn into a ceiling serve," she explained as she gazed up at the ceiling, the others followed suit. "We still haven't acclimated to the wide space so I reckon Tsubakihara will use that to their advantage."

"Hinata is right," Coach Ukai agreed. "Ceiling serves may be not that fast that you can't react nor it's impossible to dig but it's pretty effective. Keep your senses sharp if number 14 is subbed in."

"Okay! Excellent observation, Hinata!" Daichi ruffled her hair with a proud smile, like a proud father.

She giggled. "It's nothing!"

Then the second set started. Karasuno and Tsubakihara were gaining on each other tightly, racking points after points. The crow team was two points ahead but the opposing team wasn't going to let them widen the gap.

Soon enough, Himekawa was subbed in again. Karasuno immediately straightened up and sharpen their gazes.

Just as Hinata predicted, Himekawa got over his anxiety and did a ceiling serve. Daichi told the others to get back, saying that he got it. But easier said than done, the glaring lights on the ceiling limited his vision, causing him to unable to see the ball before it began to fall above his face, he reacted too late before the ball landed on the floor.

"Aggh!! I'm sorry!" He exclaimed, hiding his face in his hands.

"Daichi-san, it's okay!" The others tried to reassure their captain.

"Hinata! The next serve, the ball is yours. You got more experience about it more than us," the third-year said. "We're counting on you."

"Okay."

After that, Himekawa did a ceiling serve again, but this time, Karasuno had Hinata to easily bump the ball and sent it to Kageyama, who tossed it to Asahi who scored.

"Karasuno may not be fond of ceiling serves but they got Hinata Shouyou, a former beach volleyball player! So it was to be expected that they had Hinata-kun to bump the ball since she's used to skyball serves more than the others! A pretty good strategy!" The commentator said. "Back during her days as a beach volleyball player, Hinata-kun was widely regarded as one of the best defenders on the sand, so we've got an amazing matchup here!"

"I forgot number 10 used to play beach volleyball," Tsubakihara's coach buried his face in his hands in shame.

Both teams weren't giving up that easily and as result, both of them reached 20 points. It was only a matter of time before one of them won the set.

Each team put up a big fight. Tsubakihara's captain did a setter dump and at one point into the set, Sugawara was subbed in and he managed to save the ball that was sent flying by one of Tsubakihara's hitter.

And after reaching the match point, Karasuno fooled Tsubakihara's blockers by putting Hinata as a decoy, resulting them to jump early since they thought she was going to hit the ball. Instead, the ball was sent to Asahi who smashed it in full force, earning them the final point.

Karasuno won 2-0 over Tsubakihara.

Then, the crows was free for the rest of the day. Some used that free time to rest or sleep like Tsukishima, some were eating like the third-years and some even wandered to somewhere else like Hinata and Yamaguchi.

Since she couldn't see her family with the amount of people filling up the gymnasium, she could only spent her free time with her teammates.

After watching Nekoma won against their opponents and advanced to the second round, Hinata and Yamaguchi went around for shopping.

The pinch server was impressed by how fast the gingerhead slithered through the crowd, avoiding from bumping into people left and right in an amazing show of reflexes. She is a Ninja, after all, he thought with a sweatdrop.

In Court E, Fukurodani was having trouble because of their ace. Bokuto suddenly plummeted into one of his mood swings, complaining that he wanted to play on the main arena.

His teammates, especially Akaashi reassured him that the court where they were playing was just as good as the others. The setter was slowly succeeding in lifting up Bokuto's mood.

"And look, your mentee is here to watch you win!" He pointed a finger to Hinata, who was lifting 'The Way of an Ace' shirt up high with Yamaguchi clapping his hands next to her.

"Ah, he's looking at our direction! Bokuto-san!! You better win, alright?!" She cried out exuberantly, waving the shirt around.

And that was it, the final push for Bokuto to return to his usual mood. Fukurodani won 2-0 over Eiwa.

Then, the two crows moved around again, exploring the arena. It wasn't long until the fateful meeting.

Hoshiumi and Hinata. Two formidable and versatile players.

Yamaguchi stood on the sidelines nervously as he watched the intense stare-down between the two players.

Hinata was the first to break the stare, giving him a friendly smile. "You're Hoshiumi Kourai, right? It's nice to finally meet you!" She said. "I've heard a lot about you!"

"Is it true then?! That you beat Ushiwaka in a joust during the finals?!" The white-haired boy promptly asked as he leaned forward, causing her to recoil back instinctively.

"Uh, yeah."

"Damnit! I wanna be the first one to beat that guy in a joust!" He cried out while stomping his feet childishly. "How did you do it?!"

"Err...," before she could respond, someone else beat her to it.

"Oh, Hoshiumi-san. Hello," Kageyama greeted coolly as he approached them after he was finished with his shopping. "I see that you've finally met Hinata."

"Hi," was his only reply before he turned back to Hinata. "What position do you play?"

"Middle blocker," came her response.

He furrowed his eyebrows from her answer but didn't say anything. From the game tape he watched, she was a pretty amazing blocker along with that megane teammate of hers. "I know you're 5'5. Kageyama told me."

Hinata wasn't happy to hear that and kicked the raven-haired setter on the back. "Baka! Telling people about my height! Really makes a girl feel special!" She seethed, kicking him on the bum this time, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Ouch! I'm sorry!!"

"Baka! Kageyama baka!"

"Forget about him!" Hoshiumi interrupted. "What's your running vertical?! That guy refused to tell me!"

The gingerhead shot a raised eyebrow at the setter who flinched before turning back to Hoshiumi. "345cm."

"What?! Seriously?!" He cried out in disbelief. "Damnit, that's like 3cm higher than mine!"

Then another player from Kamomedai showed up, a tall handsome brunette named Hirugami Sachirou. "Kourai-kun, what are you doing? The match before us is almost over."

"Sachirou! This girl has a higher running vertical than me!" He pointed an accusatory finger to Hinata who didn't look too impressed, he acted as if she just insulted his entire bloodline.

Hirugami immediately recognized who she was, watching her games at the beach on television during his free time and nodded in acknowledgement. "You idiot. Don't go pointing fingers to someone else, it's rude," he reprimanded before turning to Hinata with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about him, he's just sulky about someone being better than him."

"Of course I am!"

"Well too bad for you, I guess. Now it's time to get back," he grabbed him by the scruff of his collar and dragged him along as he walked away.

"So that's the new Little Giant? He's pretty interesting," Hinata commented after they left.

Chapter Text

In the evening that day, the crows made their way back to the inn they were staying.

Daichi glanced to his left and noticed that the girls from Niiyama Joshi were also heading back towards their own hotel, which was the hotel next door that they first saw yesterday.

The Niiyama Joshi players all smiled and waved their hands at Hinata, who returned the greeting with the same fervor.

"They're staying at the hotel next door? Talk about preferential treatment," Sugawara commented in envy as he watched the group of girls disappeared into the large building.

"They are seeded right? They must've just finished their practice," Asahi added nervously.

"Sheesh! They really are royalty," Sugawara finished, scrunching his nose.

"Stop it, you two. They won the Girl's Inter-high after all," Daichi sighed.

Then silence enveloped them as the third-years shifted their gazes to the hotel where Niiyama Joshi players were staying and to their own inn, comparing the two buildings and finally to their one and only female player, who tilted her head innocently, wondering why they were staring at her.

"We're so sorry, Hinata!" Sugawara was the first to break as he collapsed to the ground on his knees, startling the others. "We are horrible senpais!"

Asahi followed suit. "We couldn't provide a good place for you to stay just like them!" He cried out, sobbing.

"I'm such a bad captain! They get to stay in a comfortable place while you have to suffer in a run-down inn with a bunch of good-for-nothing guys!" Daichi buried his face in his hands in despair. "And yes, that includes myself as well!"

"D-Daichi-san, Suga-san, Asahi-san!!" Hinata sputtered, cheeks tinted red as she hurried over to her crying senpais. "W-What are you talking about?!"

"I agree with you guys. Shouyou deserves to stay in that luxurious hotel along with Kiyoko-san and Yachi!" Nishinoya agreed while nodding vigorously.

They were too focused on the third-years' dramatical theatrics that they didn't notice Tanaka approached Kanoka after noticing she was calling for him. Everyone except Ennoshita, Narita and Kinoshita, who looked at the bald wing spiker in jealousy.

That night, all Karasuno players along with the managers gathered in the main room, where Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei were waiting to discuss counterattack strategies for tomorrow's game. After that, they were all free to do whatever they wanted.

Hinata, Kiyoko and Yachi, were having a bath together in hot springs, gossiping and chattering while exchanging a few small laughters and giggles then and there.

"Ah, Hina-chan, your hair is getting longer, isn't it?" Yachi said, noting the the ginger waves, now wet and straight from the water, reached over her shoulders to her chest. "Wow, I could've sworn it was short a few months ago."

Hinata sighed. "Yeah, my hair grows pretty fast. Even though I cut it, it still grow longer before I could notice. I was thinking of cutting it again soon, but my sister strictly forbade me from doing so," she said with a small laugh.

"Hmm? Why's that?" Kiyoko asked.

"Because she loves to experiment new hairstyles on my hair than her own, though I don't know why. When I was younger, I had a really long hair and she kept playing with it more than myself. I think she loved it more than me," she giggled, remembering how Natsu wept when she first saw her sister with short hair after the older girl had to cut her hair due to her career.

"Well, I think I can agree with her. You don't have to cut your hair. You can keep it long. Female pros with long hair keep their hair in a ponytail or a braid during the games, you know," the older manager suggested.

"Yeah! I want to see what you look like with long hair!" Yachi nodded in agreement.

Hinata smiled. "Okay, then I won't cut my hair then," she decided, much to the two managers' satisfaction.

Then they continued with their conversation and soon, the topic changed into each other's love lives.

"Wait, wait, wait! Let me get this straight! Yamaguchi-kun has a crush on me?! Really?!" Yachi exclaimed with a flustered face.

Hinata nodded with a teasing smile. "Yeah, I noticed he doesn't treat me the same way he treat you. Like, I can feel that the way he treat me is how a guy treat his female friend but with you, he acts like you're the love of his life," she stated.

The blonde manager sputtered and lowered herself into the water to hide her embarrassment.

"I think Hinata's right. You two act like a dorky couple, which is cute," Kiyoko added with a smile.

Yachi finally emerged from the water, cheeks tinged pink--whether from the heat of the water or her embarrassment, they didn't know--and pouted. "Oooh, that's not fair! But enough about me! What about you and that--that two meters guy, what's his name again?"

"Hyakuzawa," the older manager added helpfully.

"Yeah, him!"

Hinata blinked her eyes for a moment before she relaxed. "Is it possible to say that you're in love with someone? Like--it's more than just as crush," she uttered shyly.

The two managers gasped in a shocked delight. "You're in love with him?! Oh my god!!" They squealed in unison.

"Shh! Don't tell the others about this yet! I don't want them to know yet!" The gingerhead cried out. "Except for Tsukishima since he's observant as usual so he knows about it."

"Okay."

"Wait, wait! How did you know that you're in love with him? Like how did it happen and why?!"

"Well," Hinata twiddled with her fingers as her face turned beet red. "When we first faced him back in the preliminaries, I found him to be quite attractive so I flirted with him a few times during the game. Like he came off as a very serious guy but turns out he's just shy and awkward."

"Then, when I was harrassed later that day, he came to my defense and protected me. The look on his face...I remembered it until now. He looked so murderous and furious that I felt like he could harm them if he wanted to."

Yachi gasped. "Seriously? And I thought Kageyama-kun's glares are already scary."

"Nah, it's just Bakayama being his usual self. He even said he was born with that face," Hinata shrugged.

"So it was true that he didn't put that bruise on your arm. I admitted I was wrong for accusing him. I just took one look at him, a massive guy standing next to a girl and thought he harmed you," Kiyoko said solemnly.

She shook her head. "No, it's okay, Kiyoko-san. He already has forgiven you. But like I said, Hyakuzawa-kun would never harm me. Whenever he's around, I feels secure and safe," she said softly as she folded her legs together, pressing them against her chest. "Because we rarely got to see each other, I felt so happy as soon as I got to see him back at the camp."

"And he had his lowest moment there. Some guys were making unkind comments about his lack of skills and that made him depressed," she said with a scowl, remembering the crestfallen look on Hyakuzawa's face.

"Oh no, poor guy," Yachi gasped, feeling sorry for him.

"Yeah, and luckily, I got him to become more confident by telling him to take it easy! At first, he made a lot of mistakes because he was panicking but after that, he began to improve slowly but steadily," Hinata said with a bright smile. "He should realize that his height is his greatest weapon, that he can hit any kinds of sets and appreciate himself more!"

"So how did you know that you're in love with him?" Kiyoko asked.

"Uhm...he just treated me differently unlike other guys, you know. Like, he treated me with utmost care but acknowledging my strength at the same time, you get me?" She asked the two girls.

"Yeah, we get it," Yachi answered with a smile.

"And he gives the bestest hugs! Like how can someone's body be that warm?! I feel so happy and comfortable every time I ended up in his arms!" Hinata finished happily.

Kiyoko smiled. "So when are you planning to confess to him?"

As soon as she said that, a thunder struck the gingerhead. "Well..," she twiddled with her fingers again as she grimaced. "I don't know if he feels the same way, you see."

"WHAT?!?!" The two managers gawked at her in disbelief.

"Shhh!"

"Hina-chan, after you said all those things, you don't think he feels the same way?! What?!" Yachi asked incredulously.

"Wait--I mean, I guess he has a crush on me--but love? I'm not sure!" The gingerhead tried to correct herself.

Kiyoko stared at her before nodding. "Well, true...but at least give it a try. Give it a chance to see if he loves you the same way you love him," she suggested calmly.

Hinata nodded. "Yeah, okay. But not now," she rubbed a hand across her face, face turning serious. "Right now, I want to focused on winning the games."

Outside the inn, Kanoka just stared down at the ground, her gaze became blurry as tears welled up in her eyes.

Moments earlier, she sneaked outside to see her childhood friend pacing in a circle in front the inn he was staying. They greeted each other and soon, they both fell in a conversation as they tried to caught up with each other after not seeing each other for years.

At one point, she was really close to confess her feelings for him when her cousin suddenly showed up. As a result, Ryu-chan misunderstood them as a couple and sprinted back inside the inn before she could say anything.

But even though she was talking to her cousin, surprised to see him, she clearly heard what he said.

"I'm sorry but my heart is set for another!"

Well, that hurts. She just got rejected before she could confess.

Even though she told her cousin that she came here to win, she couldn't help but think about what he said. She could only wish nothing but the best for Ryu-chan and the girl who had stolen his heart.

With tears still poured down her cheeks, the dark-haired girl started to move numbly as she began to head back to the hotel.

Suddenly, she yelped in surprise when she bumped into someone. The person she bumped was not happy at all. He was pissed.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" The person growled. From the corner of her eyes, she could barely place where she had seen those dark curls and moles and a white face mask.

She turned around with tears still running down her cheeks and apologized. "I-I'm sorry...," she hiccuped.

Sakusa flinched, immediately felt bad that he was so rude that he made a girl cry, not knowing that she was actually crying because of something else. "Err... I didn't mean to make you cry. Uh, here," he handed her a tissue.

"Thanks..." she sniffled, taking the offered tissue and wiped her tears.

"Uhm...are you okay now?" He asked slowly, trying to be careful with his choice of words. "Sorry about earlier."

"Oh it's okay... it's my fault for not looking where I was going," she said with a weak smile, her eyes puffy and red.

Sakusa stared at her for a moment before he scratched the back of his head bashfully. "Look, you seem to be having a bad day so why don't we take a walk together? At least to get your mind off from whatever thing that makes you upset. I was actually taking a walk to avoid my pestering cousin," he suggested, cheeks tinted pink from behind his mask.

Kanoka blinked her eyes at him before smiling. "Sure, I'd love to," she said with a nod.

It seemed that not only she got her heart broken, but also fixed back together in one night.

The next day, Karasuno woke up early to warm-up before the gymnasium opened. Then they had a hitting and serving drills on one of the courts after it opened.

They needed to be work harder because their next opponent was Hyougo's representative, Inarizaki. They won third in last year's tournament, placed second during the Inter-high and won a set during the finals against Itachiyama. In other words, they were one of the seeded teams and were the crowd's favourite to win the match.

The Miya twins, especially, garnered many attentions from female fans. Their good looks combined with their skills were one of the many factors. They were pretty much regarded as the 'idols' of high school volleyball.

However, Karasuno also had their own star player who had garnered both male and female fans. Devoted as the Miya twins' fans may be, but no one can defeat Ninja Shouyou's fans. They were loyal to their goddess and wouldn't hesitate to start a riot if someone messed with her.

Hinata was touched. She thought she lost her popularity after switching sports but her fans seemed to love her as an indoor player just as much they loved her as a beach volleyball player.

In the sub-arena, Karasuno and several other teams were practicing before their matches started. Hinata watched as Atsumu and Kageyama exchanging taunting words and challenging each other.

Next to her, Tsukishima scoffed. "Disgusting," he remarked. Apparently, he also noticed that Atsumu was flirting with the raven-haired setter, lacing his taunting words with a flirty tone. Kageyama looked extremely confused while his cheeks tinted pink.

"Tsukki, why do you sound homophobic if you're gay yourself? Just admit it, you have something going on with Kuroo-san," Hinata snickered and continued when she saw he opened his mouth to retort, "and don't try to deny it. I've seen the way you two looked at each other. You both think you're so slick, aren't you?"

He turned silent after that. "Don't tell anyone else about this," he said after a few minutes later.

"Keep your mouth shut about Hyakuzawa-kun and myself and we have a deal," she said sweetly with a wink.

"...Fine."

Soon enough, it was time for the battle between crows and foxes. Because Inarizaki's jerseys were also black, Karasuno had to change into an alternate version of their jerseys.

Hinata was teased by the others for looking like a walking tangerine because her hair almost matched with her jersey.

Then they made their way to the court where they would be playing and most of them were stunned by the large amount of spectators and Inarizaki's band and cheering section.

"Geez, I thought Shiratorizawa's cheering section was grand but Inarizaki's definitely took the cake," Sugawara commented.

As the others watched Inarizaki's band's performance, Hinata turned around to Karasuno's own cheering section and saw her grandparents and sister among the spectators and immediately waved her arm happily. They returned the gesture warmly.

"Shouyou!!"

"Shouyou, you look beautiful as always!!"

"Hinata-chan!!"

She immediately lit up, eyes twinkling in delight. Her fans took most of the middle section of the seats on the stands, gazing at her in admiration. "Hi, everyone!! Thank you for supporting me and my team today!!" She flashed them a blinding smile.

"Kyahh! She smiled at me!"

"She noticed us?!"

"Anything for you, Shou-chan!!" The fanboys yelled passionately.

The other crows stared at her fans, impressed. Nishinoya and Tanaka took the opportunity to join in as they kneeled in front of the gingerhead and pressed their hands together in a prayer. Kiyoko whistled in awe while Yachi gaped.

Takeda-sensei sputtered nervously. "O-Oh, it seems our Hinata also has her own fanbase!" He exclaimed, feeling intimidated by the amount of spectators on their side.

Coach Ukai smirked as he crossed his arms. "They must've heard Hinata switched into indoor volleyball and saw the broadcast of yesterday's game and came to watch her play. It may seems over the top but I'm sure Hinata appreciates her fans like her friends," he stated.

"Hey, you guys are Nee-chan's fans, aren't cha?" Natsu asked the loyal supporters, who immediately recognized who she was.

"Natsu-chan, hi!"

"Oh, it's Shouyou's sister!"

"Yeah!!"

A mischievous grin creeped up her face as she peered up at them. "I read somewhere that the opponent team's cheering section uses a strategy that benefits their players and distract the opposite players. I'm not going to let them 'boo' Nee-chan! Let's show them not to mess with her!" She pumped her fists in the air.

"Yeah!!!"

"No way in hell!!"

William barked out a deep laughter while Harumi put her hand on her chest in shock. "Oh dear, I never knew Shouyou is very popular."

Takinoue and Shimada grinned as they watched the interaction. "If we combine force, we'll be unstoppable!"

Just you wait, Inarizaki.

Chapter Text

Finally, it was time to begin the match. Inarizaki got the first turn to serve. Atsumu stood behind the white line as he prepared to serve. He raised his hand upwards before curling it into a fist, signalling for the cheering section to turn silent.

Hinata was amused. So he really hated it when his concentration is interrupted. Unlike him, she preferred that the whole gymnasium to be loud so the atmosphere became livelier.

He threw the ball upwards, made a small run-up before he jumped--

"OOOOooOooooOoOOOOLÉ♡!" Two fangirls of his squealed.

--and smacked the ball, sending it flying to Karasuno's side. Nishinoya, Tanaka and Daichi stood frozen as the ball landed just next to them, giving the first point to Inarizaki.

"Oh, he's not happy," Hinata commented from the sidelines, noticing the dark look on the setter's face.

"Don't ever interrupt my serve again, you squealin' pigs", screamed the venomous glare Atsumu shot to the two fangirls who cheered for him.

Then, he served again. Unfortunately, the ball went out of bounds this time, giving the point to Karasuno.

"Graaahhh!!" He complained.

"Loser," Osamu remarked.

"Shut yer trap!"

When it was Asahi's turn to serve, Inarizaki's cheering section immediately began to 'boo' him. Karasuno realized it was one of their strategies. He was distracted by their shouts and ended up making a mistake with his serve.

"I won't let Nee-chan gets treated like that when it's her turn to serve!" Natsu exclaimed before turning around to her sister's fans. "Isn't that right, guys?!"

"Yeahh!!!"

"No one can mess with our beloved goddess!!"

The match continued. Kageyama tossed the ball to Hinata, who stopped for a second to gather pressure in the muscles of her legs before jumping upwards in an impressive height, but it wasn't her highest jumping vertical. She smashed the ball down over Inarizaki's blockers.

"Yeah! Yeah! Nice kill, Shouyou!!" The shouts of her fans echoed throughout the entire court after she scored. Meanwhile, Inarizaki's band and cheering section gawked in disbelief.

The next point went to Inarizaki after Atsumu tossed the ball even though it was only the first contact. He was scolded by Aran because he caught him off guard.

Next, it was Suna's turn to serve. He deliberately served the ball just as the referee blowed his whistle, trying to give Karasuno zero chance of getting settled.

However, Hinata was there to brought the ball in the air in a clean bump since Daichi reacted quite late, passing the ball to Kageyama. He whirled around and rebounded the ball in one move. Nishinoya dug the ball this time.

Hinata ran all the way to the edge of the court and leapt just as Kageyama tossed the ball into her hand and smashed it down, scoring a point for Karasuno.

"Yeow!" The Miya twins exclaimed.

Once again, the crowd was rendered speechless by the inhuman speed that they just witnessed. On the stands, Hinata's fans hollered loudly for their idol. "Yeahhh!!!"

"Hinata Shouyou zips to the edge and scores! What an eye-opening speed! Karasuno's rookie tandem strikes with a precision slide attack!!"

All the way from the railings, rivals and friends from other teams watched the match.

So she's the one who had beaten Wakatoshi-kun, Sakusa thought as Komori marveled in awe at the attack.

"Huh? Huhh?!?!?!" Hoshiumi exclaimed in shock from what he just saw. Hirugami only mouthed a small "Wow."

"Hahahaha! Looking good, Hinata!!" Bokuto shouted gleefully while Akaashi watched warily. Pure fear, their strikes are always lethal.

Inarizaki was leading with several points ahead and slowly widened the gap. Their cheering section switched their strategy, trying to mess with Karasuno players.

Luckily, Saeko and her crew arrived just in time, adorning traditional clothings and taiko drums. Their arrival lifted up Karasuno's mood.

"Whoa, all these guys are Shouyou's fans?! Awesome!" Saeko cried out in awe as some of the fans grinned and waved at her. Seems like Hinata's fans were friendly like their idol, though she was pretty sure they can be nasty if provoked.

It wasn't long before came Hinata's turn to serve. Natsu approached Saeko with a big smile. "Saeko-nee, right?! Mama told me about you!! I'm Hinata Natsu!!"

Saeko smiled. "Ahh!! You look exactly like Shouyou! So cute!!" She gushed along with her other female crews.

"Thank you! But Nee-san, can I make one small request, please?" The youngest Hinata asked shyly, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

"Of course, sweetie! What is it?"

"Uh..can you do a traditional ninja theme song? Like the ones in Naruto! Our friend in Brazil used to play those kind of songs during Nee-chan's games and it helped her score a lot better!" She uttered with pleading eyes.

"Hmm...I don't see why not," Saeko smirked as she prepared to instruct her crew. "Let's show to the world that Ninja Shouyou is still a formidable player."

"Let's do this!!"

On the court, Hinata was taking deep breaths to calm her nerves. She was planning to try the jump serve that she used in the practice match with Shiratorizawa third-years back at the training camp, but faster.

She remembered Romero's words, "A good nasty serve isn't always the wicked ones where players fail to receive. In my opinion, a good nasty serve that doesn't give the players a chance to bump or dig it at all."

She was squatting on the floor, doing her service routine when the sound of a familiar tune echoed throughout the court. She whirled around in shock before smiling happily, cheeks tinted pink in excitement.

Some of Karasuno players and Inarizaki players were perplexed, even the crowd was confused.

"Huh? What's with the traditional flute song?" Atsumu asked.

"It's a ninja theme song, dumbass," Osamu answered.

Upon hearing the grey-haired player's answer, Karasuno smirked.

"Give us a good serve, Ninja Shouyou!"

"You can do it!"

Hinata grinned. I thought I was a Ninja only on the sand, but now I'm going to show them I'm still a Ninja even on the court!

She threw the ball upwards, made a small run-up and jumped. It was as if everything was moving in a slow-motion. She gathered pressure in her arm and slammed her hand into the ball, channeling all momentum into the rubber before sending it flying towards Inarizaki's side.

Everything ended in a blink of an eye.

No, it was way faster before one could blink their eyes.

The ball skyrocketed to the foxes' side over the net and landed on the floor before neither of them could see the ball was heading their way.

There was an utter silence that surrounded the court before all hell broke loose.

"WHAT?!?!?!!!"

"What was that?!?!" Both Karasuno and Inarizaki were bewildered. The crowd roared in a mixture of disbelief and awe.

"What?! What's happening?! Why is everyone freaking out?!" Bokuto was whipping around back and forth in confusion. There was a loud buzzing sound ringing throughout the court as he turned around to his setter, who looked both horrified and awed. "Akaashi?!"

"Bokuto-san...Hinata-kun's serve just now...it's--"

"Ladies and gentlemen!! I believe we just witnessed a history and world-class record being made!! It seemed that Hinata Shouyou's serve just now...was THE FASTEST SERVE IN HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL HISTORY!" The commentator exclaimed enthusiastically, unable to believe his eyes as he looked at the computer-calculated record.

"131km/h!! That's only second after the Italian player, Ivan Zaytsev's record!! That's crazy!!" His partner added with the same enthusiasm.

"HINATAAAAA!!!" Her teammates on the court grabbed her into a group hug, patting her back and ruffling her hair. "That was amazing!!"

"I-I did it!" Hinata finally said after regaining her sense. She let out a surprised laugh. "I did it!"

"Yeah, you did it!" Tanaka cackled gleefully.

She whirled around to the cheering section and raised her fists in the air. Her grandparents were cheering along with Natsu and her fans. Even Saeko's crew along with Takinoue and Shimada were freaking out. "YEAHHHHH!!!!"

"Sheesh, it's not like we win the whole match or anything," Coach Ukai smirked. "But I admit that was one hell of a nasty serve."

"Holy shit, I knew she's way scarier than Ushiwaka," Atsumu muttered.

"Agreed," Osamu nodded.

Then Hinata continued on with her service aces. The fox team failed to bump or dig her serves no matter how hard they tried. It was as if the ball moved at the speed of light.

Karasuno racked up points after points and reached the two-digits first as a result. It was only when Hinata served the ball again and it hit the net this time that Inarizaki could finally take a moment to breathe, though the force she put behind the ball almost made the net hit Ginjima right on the face and Asahi cowered in fear when it zipped past him.

"Wow! This is sure quite a way to show that Hinata Shouyou is lethal on the court just as she was on the sand! The speed of her serves are unbelievable! I wonder how fast the last serve was though," the commentator remarked.

"Only the net knows," his partner added solemnly.

"I...I can't do this!" Ginjima cried out, traumatized from what happened. "I almost died."

"Hey, Ginjima. Captain is looking at you," was all Suna said that immediately made the wing spiker straightened up, though he was still shaking.

Inarizaki slowly gained back their momentum and began to closing in on Karasuno. Atsumu tricked them with his steps, showing them that he was going to do a jump floater before changing it into a jump serve.

Then the Miya twins did an attack that was awfully similar to Kageyama and Hinata's quick set, which pissed them off.

"Hey, Kageyama! Try to keep your boyfriend under control, would you?!" Hinata barked at her partner.

"Hah?!?! What do you mean 'boyfriend'?! He's not my boyfriend!!" Kageyama denied with his cheeks tinged pink.

"Ouch, I'm hurt, Tobio-kun. I thought we have something special," Atsumu gave him a mock hurt look and put his hand on his chest playfully.

Even though at one point, Hinata was stuffed by Inarizaki's blockers, that didn't deter her from continue scoring by smashing the ball through the gap and touched Atsumu's fingers.

The Miya twins did the quick set again but this time, they were stopped by Tsukishima. "I've always wanted a chance to roof that stupid quick set," was all he said as his teammates praised him.

"Tsukki!" Hinata gasped dramatically, not actually offended knowing that's just how he was. The more irritated he was, the more she would try to annoy him.

At one point, Kageyama tossed the ball to Tsukishima in a high arc, which pissed him off. Luckily, the attack was successful but they still glared at each other, leaving Suna to watch them in confusion.

Hinata, unhappy that the twins stole the team's trademark attack, mercilessly stuffed Osamu who spiked the ball, slamming it down back to the foxes' side.

"Oh shit, she's angry. This is all yer fault, Tsumu," Osamu accused his twin.

"Hah?!" His twin didn't believe him.

It was until Hinata beat Osamu in a joust after shoving the ball back into his hands and made him take in all of her weight, like how she did with Ushijima, that Atsumu believed him.

He deliberately ignored the dark glare his twin shot him.

"First, Ushijima and now Miya Osamu?! Hinata Shouyou continues to show that she's one hell of a 5'5 player!" The commentator exclaimed.

Soon Karasuno was closing in on Inarizaki. Hinata once again showed them how scary her blocking was by purposely limiting Osamu's lane attack, forcing him to do a line shot, which was bumped cleanly by Nishinoya.

Back at Aoba Johsai, Kindaichi shivered in fear, remembering how his breath was knocked out from his lungs by how hard the ball hit his chest after Hinata smashed it straight towards him on purpose after Matsukawa did the same to her.

Then although there was a tiny mistake from Asahi, whose timing was a bit off, he still managed to score a point for Karasuno.

Inarizaki subbed in a pinch server, Kosaku. He passed the ball in an impressive serve that was bumped by Daichi, though it wasn't a clean one.

As a result, Kageyama ran back and forth around the court to bring the ball back on air. And in the end, Asahi was there to finish the last hit.

Karasuno's momentum was good but then Inarizaki came up with a strategy to targeting Tanaka. They stuffed him twice in a row, forcing him to do a hit that went out. And Tsukishima's decision to send the ball to Asahi instead of him stung him a bit, although it was a good decision for the whole team.

Kanoka watched her childhood friend in worry before blinking when she noticed Hinata approaching him.

"Tanaka-san, blocking in the middle means you get stuck all by yourself, fight? So it feels really awesome to have someone zoom in and help out!" She exclaimed with a bright smile, eyes sparkling.

He smiled at that.

After that, Hinata jumped alone to block Osamu again. The grey-haired fox thought he got a chance since she was a single blocker before Tanaka appeared next to her, forcing him to do a line shot once again.

But soon enough, Tanaka got a chance to redeem himself by doing an insanely sharp cut shot, which helped Karasuno won the first set.

Several minutes later, set 2 began. Inarizaki took the lead this time, scoring a lot of points but Karasuno wasn't that far behind either. The fox team had 14 points so far while the crows had 10 points.

For some reason, Atsumu targeted Nishinoya on purpose, knowing the libero's main weakness was overhand pass. Not to mentioned, he was unpredictable with his serves, causing Nishinoya to unable two bumps in a row.

While any other person would've mentally weaken by this, for Nishinoya, it only made him angrier and strive to be better. To the point of suddenly doing finger push-ups as his penalty, according to Kinoshita.

He managed to bump Atsumu's third serve, but it became a long pass and Inarizaki scored another point thanks to Suna's flexibility.

While Atsumu and Nishinoya had a server versus libero battle between them, Tsukishima and Suna were also having a blocker's battle of their own, the two exchanging snarky remarks to each other.

Luckily, Hinata was there to help her teammates. She received Atsumu's devastating serves with ease and bumped the ball spiked by Suna and Aran, the former was more because of how Tsukishima knew she would be there to cover for him.

Inarizaki subbed a first-year pinch server, Heisuke who actually did well on his serve. Karasuno bumped the ball, passing it around before tossing it to Hinata who scored a point for the crows.

Inarizaki's cheer band's jeering towards the poor wing spiker was drowned by Hinata's fans, who hollered loudly for their favourite player.

However, the second set went to Inarizaki this time, after their coach subbed in the team captain, Kita. He was no talented player with elite skills by any means, but he was capable of doing his job properly, covering up mistakes his teammates did. He was also the one who kept them at bay, in order to prevent them from getting sloppy in the next set.

Chapter Text

The third and final set started. Inarizaki scored the first point thanks to Atsumu's serve but Karasuno scored the next point thanks to Asahi's spike. Both teams were getting more serious than before.

Next, it was Asahi's turn to serve. Atsumu dug the ball, passing it to his twin. Osamu feigned his jump as if he was going to spike the ball to trick Tsukishima who moved to block him before he suddenly tossed the ball to Aran.

The Inarizaki ace slammed the ball but suddenly he was stopped by Kageyama, earning Karasuno another point.

Karasuno's began to get in the groove. During the short break between set 2 and set 3, Hinata and Tsukishima discussed ways to counter Suna's counter-cross shots. They planned to do the same thing they did in the second set.

A good bump followed up by a good blocking.

Suna stared at Tsukishima warily before saying, "Hey, thanks for giving me a nice, clear hitting lane every time." Yep, he was totally being sarcastic.

Tsukishima looked at him for a moment before a sardonic smile curled up his lips. "No, no. Thank you for hitting exactly how I expected you to every time," he shot back.

Suna felt a vein twitched in his temple in irritation. Yep, deliberate.

Karasuno subbed in Kinoshita to serve the ball. His attempt was to no avail as Inarizaki easily bumped the ball and scored through another attack. As a result, he became upset with himself.

In order to avenge for his friend, Nishinoya was finally able to receive Atsumu's jump floater with an overhand pass, passing it to the others who did a synchro attack and scored.

Halfway through the match, Tanaka's sharp cut shot was stopped by Omimi. Then the Miya twins did their own version of back minus tempo, catching Karasuno off guard.

However, Karasuno was tenacious. Kageyama's wicked serve caused Inarizaki to botch their bump but they managed to make up for it by digging the ball that Daichi spiked.

Hinata's observant eyes noticed that Atsumu was planning something as the ball began to fly above his head. He jumped and raised his arms upwards. He's trying to bait us, she thought. He's making it as if he's going to do a dump to make us stuff him and lose a point by a reach over.

Sheesh, why does setters are so scary? Kageyama, Oikawa-san and now him?

Hinata immediately grabbed the back of Tanaka's jersey, startling him and the others, preventing him from jumping and stuff him.

Atsumu, caught off guard, had no choice but to made a botched set to Osamu, which was a bit messy, causing him to be blocked by Hinata. She saw me?! She freakin' knew what I was going to do?! Did she read my mind or somethin'?!

Kageyama smirked. One of the advantages of having Hinata on your team is that she can see what kind of trick the opponent's planning before they can actually pull it off. An ability that only she has, for some reason, he thought.

It was Inarizaki's turn to serve. Atsumu accidentally made his serve too fierce that when Daichi bumped the ball, it was sent flying back to their side of the court before they could react.

Then, it was Karasuno's turn to serve. Hinata wanted to put a gap between the two teams so she used her trump card again. The thing is, not only her spike serves were fast but they also had a scary precision on where exactly she wanted the ball to land. She even purposely aimed for the white line to make them think the ball was going to go out but it actually went in. Karasuno was leading ahead with 17 points while Inarizaki only had 12 points.

"Yeah, yeah, Shouyou!! Do it again, Shouyou!!" The crowd cheered.

The Men's Olympic team's coach, Hibarida Fuki watched Hinata destroying Inarizaki with her serves with a small smile on his face.

Hinata Shouyou, started playing beach volleyball at the age of 7 and became a professional athlete when she was 10. As a beach volleyball player, she was widely regarded for her incredible defense on the sand, her killer serves and a powerful aerial combatant.

It's been known that playing beach volleyball helps an indoor player improves their skills, but in Hinata's case, it only made her unstoppable.

Now, the world has seen how dangerous she is on the court, playing against male opponents and under men's volleyball rules no less.

Ah, I'm jealous that the women's team gets to scout her into their team instead of us.

Meanwhile in Shiratorizawa, Tendou relished in the frustrated looks on Inarizaki players' faces, especially Suna's. He was happy that he finally got his wish; Hinata using that devastating serve on Inarizaki. Ah, what a good day to be alive.

After Hinata finally switched to a normal serve, Atsumu didn't wait for the ball to bumped before he passed it to his twin. Tsukishima thought Osamu was actually going to spike before he set it for the second time to the actual hitter, Aran.

"Miya Osamu sets for the second time and Karasuno didn't see this coming!! Karasuno's blockers are left in dust!!"

Aran smashed the ball down, but Hinata received it perfectly and sent it up in a high, lazy arc. Karasuno moved in sync and Asahi spiked the ball, which Atsumu bumped and passed it to Ginjima.

Ginjima spiked the ball through the triple block, sending it flying towards the cameramen outside the court. Suddenly, Hinata was already there, keeping the ball alive as she jumped in front of the camera.

"KAGEYAMAAAAAA!!!" She yelled as she sprinted back to the court. Inarizaki's blockers tried so hard to not be distracted but they reacted too late before Kageyama tossed the ball to Tanaka who slammed it down.

But Inarizaki still kept the rally continue on, Akagi managed to save the ball with his foot, sending it back on air. Atsumu lazily sent it over the net which Karasuno was too late to save it before it landed on the floor.

Coach Ukai asked for a time-out. They all gathered around with a gloomy look on their faces.

"Hey! Cheer up, guys! By the way, did you see how I jumped in front of the camera?! The cameraman looked so funny when he was scared!!" Hinata was the only one who wasn't upset, still able to crack jokes to lift up their spirits.

"Obviously, since he doesn't want to see your fat ass blocking the view of his camera," Kageyama snorted.

"Hmph!!"

The others slowly smiled as they watched the two bickering.

The match continued. Inarizaki subbed in Kita again. They were slowly began to closing in on Karasuno.

Kageyama accidentally made a mistake when he tossed to Tsukishima, giving Inarizaki one point ahead of them.

Kageyama began to apologize but Tsukishima stopped him, admitting his own mistake.

"Shut up. I'm the one who misjudged the height, it's my mistake," the setter insisted, crossing his arms with a dark look on his face.

"It's amazing how you make it sound like the exact opposite," the megane blocker said.

Asahi scored a no-touch ace with his serve. Then after an intense rally between the two teams, Daichi finally managed to score after Inarizaki thought Kageyama would toss to someone else since he was the one who bumped the ball.

But Inarizaki scored the next point after Atsumu did a dump.

Tanaka was disheartened that he was stuffed many times by Omimi, even telling Kageyama not to set to him. But the raven-haired setter refused.

"We need you as an attacker, Tanaka-san."

It wasn't an encouragement nor he was trying to hype him up.

It was a threat.

Kageyama tossed the ball to the very edge of the court, Tanaka jumped and positioned his body as if he was going to do a cross shot again.

Everyone was baffled when he did an insanely sharp line shot instead, the ball landing directly above the line.

"Yeahhh!!!!" The whole team cheered.

Hinata watched with a proud smile as Kageyama stared down at his hands before clasping them together.

The Birth of the Serene King.

Atsumu also stared at him in surprise. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where'd sweet lil Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes go? Who is this kid? What happened in the few weeks since camp?

Meanwhile in somewhere else, Oikawa watched the match on his phone with a frown on his face. So his kouhai finally grew out of his tyrannical title and turned into a more proper setter. Tch, good for him.

Anyways, he was still proud that sweet, little Shou-chan scored many no-touch aces using his own serve as inspiration. She did inform him through a call after the training camp in Shiratorizawa that she was able to do a spike serve like him, but even faster. As promised, she even credited him and thanked him for being her inspiration.

He was ecstatic when she became trending on social media. A large part of it was because she created a record for having the fastest serve in high school volleyball and the other part of it was because the world finally discovered that she switched sports and acknowledged her to be an indoor volleyball player.

He doesn't care what anyone else says. He only acknowledged Shou-chan to be his student, Tobio-chan be damned.

Back to the match, Kageyama's serve helped Karasuno reached the match point first after doing a jump serve on his first try, which was unable to bump by Inarizaki and second, switching his serve at the very last second, giving them an opportunity to score.

The third time he served the ball, Inarizaki finally managed go get it up on air and scored thanks to Ginjima and his amazing line shot.

Both teams were now even.

When Ginjima spiked the ball again, Nishinoya dug the ball, sending it upwards. Unfortunately, it was a long pass, causing Kageyama and Suna to go for a joust. The latter won though, pushing the ball back to their side.

But Hinata wasn't going to give Inarizaki a chance of getting break point. In an impressive show of balance and reflex, she saved the ball with her foot, and sent it over the net to Inarizaki's side of the court.

"Shouyou!!!" Her fans and the crowd cheered loudly. Natsu was one of the loudest, screaming on the top of her lungs.

"Yeah! That's my granddaughter!!" Their grandfather exclaimed proudly.

Kageyama scowled as Hinata celebrated with the others. "Complain already, damnit!"

"Why?" She looked at him, confused. Then her face shifted into a bright grin, her eyes closed. "Gimme the next one too!"

Atsumu, who saw what she said, smiled. I think I'm actually moved, Shouyou-kun.

The next point went to Inarizaki, thanks to Atsumu and his serves. The next bump by Daichi sent the ball flying back over the net, but Kageyama got his fingers on it and tossed it to Hinata, who was already swinging her arm to spike from an impressive height.

Then he smiled smugly at Hinata, who looked at him incredulously. I win, he thought. "Nice kill," he said.

"Geez, try saying it with a nicer look on you face, will you?!"

Atsumu was stunned by what happened. "Hah!"

Osamu turned to him. "What?"

"That ain't no faith. She doesn't trust her setter. Nuh-uh. She expects it. She expects the ball to be up there for her, right on time. She looks at him and say 'You're gonna do it, right?'" The blonde-haired twin explained.

You have my sympathies, Tobio-kun. That's one scary partner you've got there.

Suna moved to spike and Tsukishima jumped to block him. As expected, the Inarizaki blocker bent his torso and spiked but Hinata was there, waiting for the ball so she could receive it.

The ball was bumped and Hinata moved to attack with the rest. She jumped but the ball was tossed to Asahi instead. He spiked the ball but Akagi bumped it.

Atsumu tossed the ball to Ginjima who spiked it through Tsukishima's block, though the latter managed to deflect it. Tanaka saved the ball and sent it to Kageyama. The raven-haired setter tossed to Asahi again.

This time, the third-year ace shifted his timing on his hit. He waited for the blockers to fall before he actually spiked the ball. Karasuno reached match point first.

But Inarizaki wasn't far behind to catch up to them. Both teams racked up points back and forth, resulting for the crow team to start rushing to score in desperation.

Coach Ukai yelled at them to calm down, to take it easy, but his words didn't reach them.

"I got it!!" A bright voice chirped as Hinata passed the ball lazily in a high arc. She watched it move on the air with a big smile.

At Aoba Johsai, Kunimi widened his eyes slightly.

At Dateko, Koganegawa, who was watching the match with his teammates, also widened his eyes in recognition at what Hinata just did.

At Hyakuzawa's house, the giant wing spiker watched in surprise at what she just did. A smile began to formed on his face as he let out a short laugh, shaking his head.

"Take it easy."

Those words rang inside his mind since then.

Back to the match, Karasuno and Inarizaki was having an intense rally,  not giving the opposite teams a chance to score that easily.

The Miya twins launched a super fast, back row attack, which Karasuno barely had the time to react. However, Hinata and Kageyama were the only ones who reacted slightly faster, blocking them together.

Ginjima and Akagi tried to save the ball but it was too late. Kita only watched in defeat as the ball landed on the floor.

Karasuno won 2-1 over Inarizaki.

"I think we were messing around too much, Samu."

"Yeah, I think so too, Tsumu."

Then the two teams shook hands before they line up. The captains shook hands, the aces, the setters.

"See you later then, Tobio-kun," Atsumu said as he grasped Kageyama's hand.

"Yeah," said the Karasuno setter.

Hinata was making her way back to the others after she finished shaking Inarizaki players' hands before pausing when she heard the older Miya twin called her.

"Shouyou-kun," he raised his arm and pointed a finger towards her, "I'm going to toss to you one day. Even if we're going to be in different leagues," he declared.

She blinked her eyes lazily as she processed his words before nodded. "Okay, I'll make sure to remember that," she smiled.

"But before that, we're going to beat you in the next Inter-high."

He turned his back towards them after he said that. His twin teased him for trying to look cool even though they lost, which caused a fight to break out between them.

After that, Karasuno was allowed to rest for the rest of the day. They rested at the baggage area, where several other players were also laying around and sleeping.

Because Hinata was the only girl there, she rested next to the wall with her teammates surrounded her as a barrier. Like most of her teammates, she dozed off from exhaustion.

Daichi smacked Tanaka's head for being half-dressed even though Hinata was asleep.

They were all looking forward for tomorrow's game.

Karasuno versus Nekoma. Battle of the Garbage Dump.

Chapter Text

That night, the crow team watched the news coverage of their game against Inarizaki.

They all made fun of each other, cracking jokes about what the commentator said about them, shots of their faces.

Tsukishima twitched in annoyance when they made a particular comment about his blocks against Suna, about how he was unable to stop him.

Yamaguchi immediately came to his defense. "Hey! It was on purpose, you know! Boo!"

"Yamaguchi, shut up." He didn't have to look back to say that to him.

"Oh! Oh, look it's me!!" Suga pointed out as his face appeared on the screen. Unfortunately, it wasn't a nice shot since the look on his face was quite feral.

"What kind of face is that, Suga?"

There were also shots of Kiyoko watching the match from the sidelines anxiously and shots of Hinata throughout the game, looking all badass and majestic. Both of them radiated sheer beauty that would make any viewer's heart melt with their shots.

"Is it just me or are they showing a whole lots of shots of Shimizu-san and Hinata?"

"So beautiful."

Next, a shot of Asahi preparing to serve came up, the look on his face was very intimidating. "Wow, Asahi-san. You look like you've killed a man in that shot. Cool!" Nishinoya praised.

"No way. Do I really look like that when I'm concentrating?!"

In the girls' room, Hinata was talking on the phone with her sister and grandparents while Kiyoko and Yachi were taking a bath.

"Tomorrow's going to be one hell of a day for you, Shouyou. Playing two matches in one day. I hope you're mentally and physically prepared for it. We don't want to see you get hurt," her Gramps advised her seriously, the look on his face was stern through the video call. "Are you okay so far? You're not showing any symptoms, right?

She gave him a small smile. "Yes, I'm okay, Gramps. I'm just feeling tired and sore from today's game," she answered.

He nodded. "Good, good. Don't forget to do your meditations as usual. Remember, if you feel unwell during the game, tell your teammates. I don't want to see you collapse on the court," he added.

She nodded lazily. "Okay," she replied. After that, her sister and Granny took over, asking their own questions and giving their own advices before wishing her goodnight.

The next day, it was day 3 of the Spring Nationals Tournament. It was also the day where Karasuno and Nekoma would decide which one of them would come out on top in the Dumpster Battle.

Kuroo and Daichi shook their hands to wish each other before the game, gripping each other's hands tightly with tight smiles on their faces. The poor referee was left confused and terrified by the two captains.

Akane blinked in surprise when she saw the large cheering section of Karasuno. She thought Nekoma would have a bigger section since they were from Tokyo and the tournament was taking place at there before she noticed most of them were Hinata's fans. Well, she's a famous player after all.

"LET'S DEVOUR EVERY LAST SCRAP OFF THEIR BONES!!"

The match has begun. Kageyama served the ball, which Nekoma bumped. The ball was passed around and Lev spiked it but it was received by Nishinoya.

Kageyama tossed the ball to Hinata who already jumped.

"Kenma, you said you really didn't like volleyball that much, right? Well, I'm going to change that," Hinata said to him just before Karasuno began to head back to Miyagi during the summer training camp.

"Next time, we're gonna play you real hard and make you get really determined. And we're gonna win and I'll make sure that you will say something other than just an 'it was okay'."

Hinata slammed the ball down in brute force that it bounced off Kenma's arms even though he tried to bump it.

"Playing against you is interesting, Shouyou. But now I kinda want to play a different kind of game against your team," said Kenma.

"What is it?"

"It's instantly game over. You know, the kind where if you lose--"

"HERE IT IS! WE GET OUR 'INSTANT GAME OVER' GAME, KENMA!!" Hinata declared loudly through the net after she scored.

A cunning smile creeped up Kenma's face at that.

After that, both teams scored points slowly but steadily. Nekoma took Karasuno by surprise by doing a synchronization attack. Kai spiked the ball and it was deflected by Tsukishima.

When Karasuno countered with a synchronization attack with five attackers, Kuroo saw what they were trying to do and stuffed Daichi.

"You sure you aren't getting blown through because you put your arms straight up?" Kuroo taunted Tsukishima with a Cheshire cat smile. "I told you, you wanna put them forward, Mr. Justin Klubb."

"Handing out advices to opponents again? I see that you're still as self-confident as ever," Tsukishima shot back.

"Nah, I just do it to mess with you," the cat captain shot him a flirty wink.

A vein of annoyance twitched in Tsukishima's temple at that. Stupid handsome, rooster-head bastard.

The match continued. Nekoma scored a few points thanks to Fukunaga and Kuroo's blocks but Karasuno was still on the lead thanks to Hinata and her super-strong hits.

"You know, I never thought I'll challenge someone whose better than me and win. I mean, me? Outdo you? Ha ha ha, I could never," Tsukishima said to Kuroo after he was subbed in.

"Well, at least I'm pretty sure that I couldn't beat you on my own anyway."

After he said that, Yamaguchi scored a point for Karasuno through a service-ace. Even though Nekoma bumped the next one, their attack was stopped mercilessly by Tsukishima.

"Hey, Tsukki. How's volleyball been for ya lately?" Kuroo asked curiously.

"Thanks to everyone's help, once in a while, in a very great while... it's actually kind of fun," a serene smile appeared on Tsukishima's face as he answered that.

The cat captain's eyes widened slightly before he barked out a short laugh. "Ah, you're so cute, Tsukki."

"Be quiet."

The match went on. Nekoma was slowly closing in on Karasuno. Nishinoya bumped the ball but it wasn't a clean one. However, Kageyama surprised everyone by setting from the back row.

Luckily, Hinata was already waiting in mid-air before she slammed it down, the ball was sent flying after hitting Yaku's arms.

Soon, the two teams reached 20 points and both were gaining on each other. Lev served the ball and aimed it at Hinata. She bumped the ball and passed it to Kageyama. She knew that they planned to shut her down so she wouldn't able to use the quick set.

So when Kageyama tossed to her, she deliberately switched her hit at the very last minute and pulled off a block out on Kuroo's hand, catching Nekoma by off guard.

However, in the end, the first set was won by Nekoma. Kenma took advantage of the fact Karasuno was too focused on attacking, which led them to make a mistake of hesitating to move to prevent collision and used it against them.

The second set started. As Karasuno expected, Nekoma's strategy was to make Hinata drop a knee and make it hard for her to pull off a freak quick, like how the crows used it against Aran.

Fukunaga served the ball and Hinata bumped it. Knowing she couldn't move to the back and approach the net in a short amount of time, she followed the momentum of her bump and ran across the court, jumping diagonally and slammed the ball down after the ball was set to her.

Everyone but Kenma was surprised. He only smiled at her, though he was radiating an intimidating aura that even made her recoil like a cat whose hackle rose up when it felt threatened. "Shouyou. Stay interesting, kay?"

It was a back and forth battle between the crows and the cats. Nekoma kept clinging onto Karasuno while Karasuno furiously tried to shake them off. Tanaka and Asahi were beginning to get so tired that they thought they already played five sets.

"But it's only the beginning of set 2, though? We still get to play for a while yet!" Hinata exclaimed with a sparkly aura.

"Right. There's a lot of game to go," Kageyama agreed.

"Grr. You two take your stupid energy and get lost! Shoo!" Tanaka kicked Kageyama away while pushing Hinata somewhat gently.

When it was Karasuno's turn to serve, Kageyama sent the ball flying towards Fukunaga, the force he put behind it so hard that the wing spiker was send tumbling on his back before Yaku managed to save it.

The ball was passed around before it was sent to Kenma for the last hit. The setter sent the ball over the net up front, leaving Daichi and Tanaka scrambling to save it.

But Hinata reacted in an instant, diving to bump the ball and sent it to Kageyama. The raven-haired setter tossed it to Tanaka who spiked it.

Nekoma managed to deflect the attack but when Yamamoto was going to hit the ball, his attack was shut down by Hinata, who moved so quickly before they could realize she was already there.

But she realized there was something not right. Ever since the beginning of the set, after she did a slide attack, she had gotten fewer hits so far today than usual. Nekoma not only forced her to bump serves but also used Nishinoya to block her path to shut down any chance of a slide.

She let out a short hysterical laugh. As I thought, setters so are scary.

On the stands, Natsu and her grandparents were anxious for Hinata. They noticed how she didn't do much in the second set so far and how slowly Nekoma began to pluck Karasuno's wings one by one.

Forcing Hinata to do a lot of receives, limiting her from making a full approach, pressuring her to score a point only to end up doing an error. She was like a crow locked in a cage, unable to fly. Soon enough she will crumble and it would affect the whole team, leading them to defeat.

It was a cruel plan.

Kuroo noticed there was something bothering Kenma. "Your plan worked. So why do you have that look on your face?" He asked.

"I'm simply lamenting the fact that Shouyou's interesting side is going to end," was his only answer before walking ahead of him to rest on the bench.

Just as things were about to favour Nekoma, another surprise happened.

"FOUR!!" Kageyama shouted. Then he tossed the ball up high in the middle. Hinata approached to spike and jumped.

Even though Nekoma's blockers were already there to block her, she slammed the ball over them and sent it flying over Lev. Everyone on Karasuno and Nekoma's jaws dropped as they gawked at her in disbelief.

Kenma's eyes were unusually wide as he stared at her. Could it possibly that she had broken out of the cage?

"Yeow! That was one nasty spike by Hinata Shouyou! And what incredibly vertical jump that was! I could've sworn there were wings on her back!!" The commentator exclaimed.

"NEEEE-CHAANNN!!! THAT'S MY NEE-CHAN!!!" Natsu yelled gleefully as her grandparents cheered alongside her.

Karasuno's cheering section, along with Hinata's fans roared loudly in triumph, some of them even sent smug looks at Nekoma's cheering section.

Akane scowled at them, mainly at Natsu. The flame-haired girl smiled smugly at her.

Even though Inuoka was subbed in to make Nekoma's defense stronger, Hinata still managed to score by deliberately aiming at their fingertips.

Soon enough Karasuno reach set point first. Nekoma passed the ball around and sent it to Yamamoto. He did a very nasty spike that could've end the whole game right then and there--

--but Hinata shut down their chance of winning by receiving the ball in one clean move. Although it sent her falling on her back, the force he put in his spike was enough to send the ball back to their side of the court.

The second set was won by Karasuno. Both teams were currently 1-1.

Karasuno were having a discussion when they saw Nekoma players were cheering out of nowhere. Not wanting to be outdone by them, they also cheered and celebrating for no reason.

Then the third set began. Hinata was left awestruck by Nekoma's strategy. She was spiking the ball and noticed that Nekoma deliberately left a hole open in their defense so the ball would go straight to Yaku.

At one point through the set, Tsukishima and Kuroo went for a joust but the latter ended up winning it. Then the two began to exchange remarks that sounded awfully like a bickering couple.

"Geez, not the right time for a lover's quarrel, stupid," Kenma muttered under his breath.

The puddinghead setter pulled off a dump and Hinata reacted a bit too late. Nishinoya was already diving to save it but the ball went over his hands. In an impressive show of reflexes, he raised his foot to send it upwards and over the net, scoring a point.

Everyone was bewildered and awestruck by his move. "Uwaaahhhh!!!" Hinata gushed happily with sparkling eyes. Even Yaku and Fukunaga were impressed.

Both teams were playing intensely, reaching the two digits and closing in on one another. They both wouldn't allow the other to take the lead.

Sugawara was subbed in. He served the ball and was bumped by Nekoma. Kenma tossed to Lev who spiked the ball, which Sugawara received. The ball was passed around and the attackers began to move in sync, including the vice captain.

In the end, Daichi would be the one who will spike so Nekoma immediately switched to their floor defense to prepare for his back row attack. The crow captain thought this gave him plenty of targets to aim at but unfortunately, he was a bit off with his timing, resulting for the ball to barely brush over the net and landed on Nekoma's court.

Nekoma's reserve setter, Toshiro did a ceiling serve that was safely bumped by Daichi. The ball was passed around and Asahi spiked the ball through Nekoma's block, sending it flying towards the edge of the court.

However, Fukunaga managed to keep it alive as he jumped over a bench, sending it back to his team. Because it was a long pass, Kenma began to plan what to do next. He decided on doing a dump knowing the risks before suddenly Kuroo appeared and slammed the ball down.

Luckily, Nishinoya received it and passed it to Kageyama, who tossed to Hinata. The gingerhead leapt and made it appear as if she was going to go for a dink, which Kenma saw and immediately move forward.

However, instead of a dink, she pushed the ball hard enough that it flew over his head, touching his fingertips as he reached to save it before it was too late. The point went to Karasuno.

Kenma tried to rise up from the floor before he flopped. Kuroo, worried that he was injured, approached him. "Kenma, are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

"That was fun."

Kuroo and the others were confused by his answer except for one. Hinata suddenly cheered loudly, satisfied that she finally got Kenma to say the words and proud of herself. "Yeahhh!!! Awwrighttt!!"

The match continued. Karasuno was leading ahead with several points but Nekoma wasn't that far behind. Both teams were having a back and forth battle but soon enough the crows reached set and match point first.

Both teams weren't giving up that easily, the rally was going to turn into the longest rally yet. Pass, toss, receive, block, spike. The ball wasn't going to land on either's side of the court soon.

Until, when Kenma attempted to set, the ball slipped off his hands because the sweat. Fukunaga and Kai tried to save it but they were too late. The ball had already landed on the floor.

Karasuno won 2-1 over Nekoma.

Soon, the players collapsed on the floor in exhaustion. Even Hinata was sprawling on the ground, Sugawara went towards her and ran his hand through her hair soothingly, praising her for her hardwork.

"Thanks for getting me into volleyball, Kuroo. I like it," Kenma uttered to his childhood friend.

The cat captain and the others stared at him in surprise, as if he just declared that he was going to win Nationals.

After the players recovered, Hinata approached Kenma with a huge smile on her face. "Kenma--"

"Let's do that again," Kageyama suddenly interjected.

The gingerhead kicked his back with her knee angrily. "You stole my line, baka!"

"Hah?!?!"

She ignored him, turning to the puddinghead setter. "Anyway, let's do this all again next year!!"

He tilted his head and smiled. "Yeah. Let's."

Hinata grinned brightly at that.

Bonus scene

While Nekoma and Karasuno were having an intense match on the court, Akane and Natsu had some sort of unspoken rivalry between each other, which made Alisa and Saeko watch in light amusement at their strange bantering.

Every time Karasuno scored, especially if the one who scored was Hinata, Natsu would tell her older sister's fans to scream as loud as they could.

In return, Akane would ask Nekoma's cheering section to do the same thing every time Nekoma scored. Bonus if the one who scored was Yamamoto or Kuroo.

Natsu and Akane shared one thing in mind as they glared at each other.

My Nee-chan/Onii-chan is the better scorer!

Chapter Text

After that, Karasuno and Nekoma watched as Fukurodani won against their opponent.

After the teams dispersed, the three captains, Bokuto, Daichi and Kuroo were challenging each other as soon as they saw their fellow captains.

Hinata popped up and jumped into Bokuto's arms. "Bokuto-shishou! That line shot was so cool!!" She exclaimed.

"Thank you, my disciple!! You were awesome yourself!! Second fastest serve in the world?!?! That's insane!!" He let out a boisterous laugh as they both hyped up each other.

Because they would also play in the quarterfinals on the same day, Coach Ukai told all of the players to eat and get a good rest.

After eating lunch together, the crows soon began to sleep one-by-one. Except for Hinata. While her teammates were deep inside their dreamland, she was meditating only in her freshly-changed white t-shirt.

It became a ritual for her since she started playing beach volleyball and soon it turned into a habit. Usually, she would meditate before she meet up with her teammates at school but now that they were far from school, she had no choice but to do it here.

Meditation helped her a lot after these years. It helped increase calmness and physical relaxation, improving her psychological balance, and enhancing overall health and well-being.

She shut her eyes closed, relaxing her body and mind. The buzzing sounds coming from her surrounding soon turned into faint, low noises and were completely blocked out by her as her mind drifted to somewhere else entirely.

In her meditation state, she felt as if she was sitting at the shore of the Flamengo Beach in Rio. Rays from the sunset carressing her skin softly, the gentle breeze of wind cooling her, the ocean laid widely in front of her, the sound of the water splashing against each other became a lullaby for her. The vast horizon in front of her made her feel humbled because of how small she was compared to Mother Nature.

About an hour later, the players were now wide awake and began to discuss about their next opponent.

Kamomedai. One of the best blocking teams in the whole country. They had the high-level player Hoshiumi, the 6'8 Hakuba and the 'Immovable Hirugami', the core of their impressive defense.

Both teams began to warm up several minutes before the match. While the rest were already heading towards the court, Hinata stayed behind for a bit to have a brief pep talk from her sister and grandparents.

"Nacchan, do you have a spare hair tie?! I think mine is going to snap anytime soon!" The older Hinata sister asked, waving her worn out hairtie to prove her point.

Natsu leaned forward, looking down over the balcony. "No, I don't. Sorry!!" She apologized with a sheepish smile.

Hinata pouted before sighing, tying her hair up in a bun. "Well okay then. Guess I have to wear it a little longer."

"Shouyou! Have you eaten?? Sleep well??" Harumi asked worriedly as she rushed to the balcony.

"Yes, Grandma!! I even did my meditation so don't worry!!" She gave her a thumbs up.

"Good luck, Shouyou!! I'm counting on you!!" William cheered as he raised his arms upward in the air, which Hinata returned just as vigorously. The other spectators eyed him warily, wondering who the hell is this hyper old man that doesn't look or act like an old man.

Meanwhile the other crows watched Hinata interacting with her family. "Wow, Shouyou's grandpa is a foreigner!!" Nishinoya exclaimed. "He looks way cooler than my gramps!"

"Grandpa?! He looks pretty young for his age," Sugawara remarked. "I mean, I've never seen a fit old man."

"I guess the red hair in the family comes from him," said Daichi with a small laugh.

After Hinata finally arrived at the court, she scanned around Kamomedai players and gasped when her eyes landed on one, realization dawning on her.

The others immediately whirled around to her. "What? What's wrong?"

"He's the one who bumped into me on day one and didn't even notice!!" She exclaimed loudly, pointing a finger at Hakuba's direction.

"What?!!" All the crows began to shoot dark looks at the 6'8 wing spiker.

Hakuba only noticed that he was receiving murderous glares from Karasuno when Hoshiumi nudged him and shot him an accusing look. "What did you do this time, Gao?"

"Huh?" He turned around and recoiled in fear when he saw the venomous looks from the crow team, all of them radiating a dark, cold aura except for Hinata who crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks petulantly. "What did I do?"

"Oh so you're the guy who almost made my beautiful kouhai fall and didn't apologize? You think you're a tough guy because you're so damn tall, hah?" Tanaka stomped forward, sporting his intimidation face.

"What if she did fall? Would you be responsible if she gets hurt?" Sugawara added, a poisonous smile appeared on his face.

Hakuba trembled in fear while Hoshiumi gasped in outrage. "You bumped into her and didn't even notice her?! She's got red hair for God's sake!" He smacked his back. "Stupid tall people."

"Sorry about this guy. He's awfully cocky about his height even though he sucks," the white-haired boy apologized on his behalf.

Hinata gave one look at Hakuba before she turned around with a 'hmph!' before turning to Hoshiumi with a friendly smile. "It's okay. I experienced the same thing back during the prelims. A 6'8 guy bumped into me. They also share the same height!"

He gasped. "There's someone like him," he jabbed his finger over his shoulder at an offended-looking Hakuba, "out there?! There's more of him?! Who is he?!"

"Oh, he's my friend! We played each other during the preliminaries and we had a hard time against his team even though he's still new to volleyball!" She answered. "But I can tell he's way different than your teammate."

The white-haired boy sniffed. "Well, if he's better than dumbass giant here, I guess I'd better see this guy soon."

"Kourai! Are you trying to replace me?! After all what we've been through?!" Hakuba placed a large hand on his chest, feigning a hurt look on his face. "Oh, the betrayal!"

Hoshiumi only stuck his tongue out in response.

Hinata's eyes flicked back and forth to the two wing spikers curiously. "Oh, are you two dating?" She asked innocently.

"What?! Huh?!" They whirled to her in unison, mouth agape.

Hoshiumi was the first to snap out of his stupor. "What, me? Dating this guy? As if!" He crossed his arms in front of his chest with a grimace.

Hakuba shot him a mischievous smirk. "Now, now, Kourai. We don't know if that changes in the future?" He winked.

"Yeah?! Okay, I'll date you if you earn yourself a spot in the national team in the future!!" The other second-year challenged, oblivious to the hidden intent behind Hakuba's smile. "If we both become teammates in the future again, I'll go out with you!"

Hinata inwardly smiled when she saw the determined look in the giant wing spiker's eyes. "Oh, I'm going to make that happen for sure," he vowed half-seriously, half-teasingly.

Hoshiumi was ready to throttle him right then and there for messing with him, though he himself briefly wondered that why the hell deep inside, he knew it will happen - before their captain called them over.

"Wait, Hoshiumi-san!" The white-haired player turned to see Hinata reaching out her hand with a smile on her face while his teammate went ahead.

"Let's have a good game, shall we? This match is going to be a showdown between the two shortest attackers in the tournament so I'm looking forward to play against you!" She cocked her head to the side innocently, smile widening.

He nodded, clasping her hand in his for a handshake before jumping slightly when she gripped his hand. His eyes widened when her smile turned sharp and the shadow caused by her fringe casted over her eyes, which for some reason, were glowing predatorily.

"I'm not going to lose that easily so you better watch out," she said, the threatening edge in her tone made her sound so intimidating. If it was any other player, they would've trembled right there on the spot.

But Hoshiumi Kourai wasn't just any other player.

A grin finally cracked across his face as he gripped her hand and gave it a firm shake. "Oho, let's see who is the more superior short attacker!" He declared, his large eyes turned sharp.

"You bet!" They exchanged feral, competitive grins.

The match finally began. Kamomedai's setter and captain, Suwa started with a jump floater. Daichi managed to receive it with an overhanded pass, though it was quite short and sent it to the others.

Takeda-sensei's words rang inside their minds.

"Go out there and prove to Kamomedai and everyone in the gymnasium that the crows of Karasuno who rule the sky."

Hinata ran forward and sailed towards the net, arm pulled back to spike as Kageyama tossed the ball to her. She slammed it down to Kamomedai's backcourt over Hakuba and Hirugami's fingers.

"Hinata Shouyou, you beauty!! She just hit that ball over blockers!!" The commentator hooted gleefully. "And one of the blockers is 6 and 1/2 ft too!!"

"SHOUYOU!! Nice, Shouyou!! Score, Shouyou!!" The spectators on Karasuno's side of the stands cheered.

"Did you see how high that jump was?!" Hoshiumi's eyes practically sparkled as he gawked at the ginger.

"Of course I saw that. We knew she was coming and that was sure fast," Hirugami sighed before he glanced at Kageyama. He knew that we knew that it was coming, but he still did it anyway.

The next serve went to Kageyama, who did his terrifying jump serve as usual. Kamomedai managed to dig it and passed to their setter. Hoshiumi and Hakuba both shouted at the same time.

"Right!"

"Left! Left!"

Unfortunately for the giant wing spiker, he was ignored as Suwa tossed the ball to the other wing spiker.

Hoshiumi stretched his arms backward, poising to hit before he jumped incredibly high and spiked the ball past Karasuno's blockers. Both teams had one point each.

"The match has only just begun and already the sparks are flying between the two smallest spikers!!" The commentator exclaimed as Hinata and Hoshiumi both staring at each other challengingly, exchanging feral smiles and grins.

When it was Kamomedai's turn to serve, Hoshiumi served the ball, trying to do the same jump serve as Kageyama's. Unfortunately, he failed as the ball hit the top of the net as it sailed towards Karasuno, making it a free ball.

The ball was passed and once again, Hinata approached and jumped, Daichi and Tanaka also approached but they didn't jump.

At least, that's what the crowd thought until the ball was passed to Tanaka instead.

However, Hirugami was already expecting that Hinata was just a decoy so he moved to block Tanaka and killed his attack successfully.

"Tch!" Kageyama and Hinata both were shooting dirty looks at Hirugami, the former was more of a glare.

Hoshiumi served again and this time, Daichi bumped it. The ball was passed around and the players all approached the net in unison. Hinata jumped but Kageyama sent the ball to Tanaka, who spiked the ball. Suwa tried to bump it but failed.

Kamomedai's turn to serve. Hirugami did a jump float serve. Tanaka managed to receive it and passed it to Kageyama, though it was a long one.

Hinata sprinted forward and sailed towards the net. Then, she was slightly caught off guard when Kamomedai's blockers moved to bunch read block her, which she smiled at. She slammed the ball down by aiming the tip of Bessho's fingers, executing a block out.

Then, it was Karasuno's turn to serve. Hinata went to prepare for her serve as Tsukishima rotated to the front row. "Give us a good serve, Hinata!!"

Kamomedai watched, their bodies tensed as they prepared to save the ball. Kageyama's serve may be slightly better result-wise, but Hinata's had a scary combination of brute force, speed and accuracy.

She tossed the ball upwards and sprinted forward before jumping. She swung at the ball and it sailed towards Kamomedai's side of the court in the speed of light.

Poor Hakuba had no idea where the ball went before he got his answer when it knocked him straight on the forehead in full speed, sending him crashing to the floor. Karasuno still earned a point, though.

Hinata curled into a ball on the floor, burying her face in her hands in embarrassment. "I'm sorry!!" She cried out, ashamed. Some of her teammates patted her on the back and head, reassuring that it was fine and she still scored them a point.

The rest were snickering at the fallen Kamomedai player who was swarmed by his teammates. Hoshiumi was also enjoying what happened as he howled with laughter. Even the others were amused.

"Hinata, nice serve!" Tanaka cackled.

"Are you okay, Gao?! Do you still remember where we are?!"

"Am I already dead? The last time I remember that I was killed by a missile."

Hoshiumi gave Karasuno and the crowd a thumbs up. "He's fine!! Nothing to be worried about!" He called.

The match continued. Hinata served again. This time, she put less power behind her serve and this gave Kamomedai a chance to dig the ball.

"Get 'em, Tsukki!! Show them you win this battle of the blockers!!" Kuroo cheered from the stands.

"I'm sorry but according to the rules, it's the hitters who battle the blockers," Kenma perfectly mimicked Tsukishima's expression and voice.

"I can so hear him saying that," Kuroo snorted.

Tsukishima managed to deflect Kamomedai's attack, giving Karasuno a chance to counter. The ball was passed and Asahi jumped to spike the ball. Kamomedai's blockers were waiting him with a double block, but the ace was still able to score.

Next, the most interesting thing that happened was when Hoshiumi was stopped by Karasuno's blockers, led by Tsukishima.

"Gah! That was too fast!" He complained. Most teams took longer than that to acclimate to me!

"I guess Hoshiumi-san's surprise time is over too. We won't go back to it either," Kageyama said smugly.

A crack of lightning struck comically at the wing spiker as he glared at the setter. "I only half get what you just said, but whatever it meant, don't give stupid names like that!!"

Then he noticed Tsukishima was staring at him before a small grin cracked on his face. "Hah! I bet you wouldn't be surprised by the 'too short hitters' too, aren't 'cha?!"

The match continued and Kamomedai soon began to gaining up on Karasuno. The most impressive thing that happened during those rallies was Hoshiumi sending the ball to Hakuba from the back row in a perfect set.

Hinata scrunched her nose and pouted. "Geez, that emergency set was soo coooool!"

Hoshiumi, of course, heard that and puffed out his chest proudly. Hirugami shot him an unimpressed look. Yeah, it's painfully obvious that went right over his head.

Then, it was Kamomedai's turn to serve, which was Hoshiumi and he successfully scored with a service ace. On the second try, Karasuno got the ball and Tanaka scored with a line shot.

But Hinata was unsatisfied. Hirugami still didn't pay attention to her. Her face darkened in determination. I'm going to make you pay attention to me, just you wait.

Kamomedai passed the ball and sent it to Hoshiumi, who was at the back row and jumped. He slammed the ball down in the opposite direction he was facing---

---straight to the empty spot where no one was there before Hinata suddenly appeared in a blink of an eye and brought the ball up in a clean bump. Karasuno scored a point thanks to Asahi.

However, Kamomedai showed why they were called one of the best blocking teams when they stopped Tsukishima's attack with a stack block.

The set went back and forth and in the end, Kamomedai took the first set.

Chapter Text

The second set has begun. Kamomedai got a good start by racking up a few points ahead of Karasuno.

Hinata observed the ball as it was passed around. She briefly glanced from the corner of her eyes that Kamomedai was still going to do a stack block as they marked Asahi.

Then, she sprinted across the court all the way to the edge before jumping. Kageyama sent the ball to her and she slammed it down in a cross shot, earning one point. There's no way any stack block is going to keep up with a slide attack from me!!

The next attempt on doing a slide attack, Kageyama caught everyone by surprise with a dump. Kamomedai's blockers growled in frustration.

Harumi propped her chin with her hand as she rested her elbow on her knee. "Karasuno's only got two hitters up front, but their setter being front too means it's legal for him to dump. Then, they've got their captain in the back for defense. Looks like a pretty strong rotation for me," she commented.

Her husband crossed his arms. "It does look pretty strong, yeah, but the whole time Shouyou is out there, she'll be stuck facing the other team's best blockers. The brunette will be up there with her for two ticks and their goliath for all three," he refuted.

Natsu listened to her grandparents' conversation and narrowed her eyes at the match below. Yeah, that's not a wall every hitters want to throw themselves at.

William's face was deadly serious as he uttered, "Karasuno is pitting their 'sharpest spear' rotation against Kamomedai's 'stoutest shield' rotation."

Back to the match, Asahi served the ball which Kanbayashi managed to bump, passing it to his teammates.

Hinata positioned herself, ready to block as she watched the players move. To her, it was like they were moving in slow-motion. She saw Hakuba and Hirugami approaching the net but then her eyes drifted to Nozawa who was preparing to jump.

In less than a second, Hinata raised her arms upward and moved them to the right at him, stuffing him mercilessly.

Kamomedai was in disbelief. Nozawa was in dilemma. He was blocked but he was blocked by a gorgeous girl. Oh, his poor heart. Did a girl finally pay attention to him?

Karasuno hooted in celebration at the impressive show of game sense and reflexes by Hinata. Tsukishima was smirking smugly at the frustrated and lost looks on Kamomedai players' faces.

"Amazing! She predicted that number 4 would hit the ball instead of the Immovable and their goliath!" Yamaguchi exclaimed excitedly.

The blonde blocker grunted in agreement. I bet Kamomedai expected that Hinata would be distracted by their imposing players approaching the net. Too bad, she isn't easy to fool with. There's only a few enormous guys that caught her off guard. So far, those were Hyakuzawa, Ushijima and Kuroo-san.

The match continued. Hinata rushed to the edge of the court again and jumped, spiking the ball before Kamomedai's blockers could gain up on her. Even Hirugami shanked the ball even though he tried to save it.

Karasuno's turn to serve. Kageyama served the ball which Kanbayashi managed to bump, though resulting in a long pass. The ball was passed to Suwa who tossed it to Hoshiumi at the back row.

Hoshiumi nailed the ball by aiming straight at Tsukishima's hand in a perfect block out but Karasuno wasn't going to let the rally end that easily. Hinata sprinted all the way back and dove, foot first and knocked the ball over her head in a perfect A-pass straight to Kageyama, impressing everyone in the gymnasium. Kageyama tossed the ball to Tanaka, who scored after Kamomedai reacted a bit late.

"What was that?! That was so cool!!" Hoshiumi exclaimed, awed.

Kamonedai switched their blocking into a shade, pitting Hakuba against Asahi. Hoshiumi served the ball, Daichi bumped it quite roughly. Because of that, Nishinoya had to make an emergency set and sent the ball to Asahi.

The ace saw Nozawa in front of him so he switched into a cross shot instead but he was stopped by Hirugami. Apparently, he was too focused on Nozawa that he didn't notice the brunette blocker.

For the next few rallies, Hirugami targeted Asahi to dampen his spirit. It wasn't until the Kamomedai blocker's serve went out that he could finally sigh in relief.

Hinata rotated to the back row to serve, which made Kamomedai's supporters relaxed slightly, thinking there's no way Karasuno could score with her at the back.

She executed her deadly jump serve, which Hakuba barely managed to save, causing him to make an ugly pass. The ball was sent to Bessho who tried to score but the ball was deflected by Tsukishima and Kageyama.

Hinata saved the ball in a clean bump and passed it to the others.The rest approached the net except for her but Kageyama sent the ball to her instead.

She approached the ten foot line and jumped before she went beyond the line, slamming the ball straight down into Kamomedai's back court.

"Goodness, Karasuno got some promising rookies in the team! I'm looking forward to see how they are in 2 years! Surely it will be terrifying for their opponents!"

Then, after Kamomedai and Karasuno both gained a point each, Kageyama stepped to the server line to serve. He threw the ball upwards and hit it with a softer force, surprising the commentators and Kamomedai.

The ball headed straight to Hakuba, who called it as his to dig, but then he hesitated. In the end, he and Nozawa both were left sitting around in a campfire as the ball landed on the floor.

Kenma narrowed his eyes. He baited them into that.

On the other side of the court, where the Miya twins were watching the match from one empty spot at the balcony, they were making their own comments about the match.

"Look at 'im. He's playin' around out there," Atsumu scoffed.

"Huh? Who?" His twin asked.

"Tobio-kun. Never mind that they already dropped set 1, never mind that they're neck and neck in set 2. He's still messin' around and testin' ways to up his game," the older twin explained before sighing. "Seriously, where'd all this come from? He's totally way different back at the camp! Ugh!"

Back to the match, Kageyama served again, this time returning back to his usual jump serve. Hoshiumi managed to bump it, though it was a messy receive. Nozawa spiked the ball off Tanaka's hands.

The bald wing spiker managed to save the ball and passed it to Tsukishima, who sent it to Asahi. However, the ace was stopped by Kamomedai's blocker in a brutal way.

For the next few rallies, Asahi was targeted by Kamomedai. He was close to his break point after he was blocked again until Nishinoya dug the ball before it could land on the floor. Karasuno earned a point after Tsukishima scored.

Then, the match paused for a moment as Sugawara was subbed in while Tsukishima was subbed out. The grey-haired setter served the ball straight to Hoshiumi to make him have the first contact.

The ball was passed to Suwa, who sent it to Hakuba at the back row. He thought that he would score easily but Karasuno's blockers was able to deflect his attack with a soft block.

Daishou, who was watching the match with his girlfriend, Mika, raised an eyebrow. Is it me or Karasuno has been taking Kamomedai's goliath totally in stride for like, this entire game? Even if they watched the tape and set a plan ahead of time, it still takes time to adjust when you're actually standing across the net from him.

It's not like you'll find guys over 6 and 1/2 ft tall at our age just anywhere, he thought. Unbeknownst to him and a fact that Hoshiumi had forgotten, Karasuno did face a player like Hakuba once.

Inside the storage room of the volleyball club in Kakugawa, Hyakuzawa watched the match on his phone intently.

"Hyakuzawa! Mind if I ask you to lock up the gym after you're finished?" His captain asked.

"Yeah, sure," he nodded.

"Are you watching Karasuno's game again?" Komaki asked after hearing the commentator's voice through the speaker and caught the name of the school that had defeated them.

At the giant first year's nod, he chuckled. "Well, it's good that you actually get hooked into volleyball. Try not to fanboy whenever Hinata Shouyou appears on the screen too much. It's getting painfully obvious that you're absolutely smitten with her."

A tinge of pink dusted his cheeks. "Y-Yes, sir," he replied with a stutter.

After his senpai finally left, he continued to watch the match. A soft smile curled up his lips when the camera showed Hinata on the screen, looking absolutely radiant despite the sweat on her face as she cheered happily with her teammates when Asahi finally scored a point for the team.

Back to the match, Kageyama tossed the ball in a high set. "Azumane-san!" He called. Asahi approached the ball and jumped.

Kamomedai was quick to react with a triple block waiting for him. However, Asahi tricked them that he would smash the ball and pushed the ball slightly in a dink instead.

"ASAHI/ASAHI-SAN!!!!" The entire Karasuno team tackled him in a dog pile in celebration.

In the next rally, Asahi finally returned to his top form after he scored the point for the crow team after a long and exhausting rally. The ball landed on the floor even after Kamomedai moved to block him, trapped between the net and Hirugami's body. A waterfall ball.

The match continued, both teams racking up points back and forth. Hoshiumi's service ace helped Kamomedai reached the 20th point, making them and Karasuno tied.

Hinata, not wanting to be left out, was determined to score a point with a new minus tempo attack, nodding at Kageyama. She sprinted forward before bending her knees slightly to tighten her legs muscles before releasing them with a snap, boosting the power behind her jump as she leapt higher than her max vertical jump.

At that moment, the ginger's hair tie finally snapped, freeing her hair and causing it to move wildly around her. Combined with her fierce expression and as a battle cry escaped from her lips - at that moment, it was as if a lion roared to their faces, or a lioness, in this case. Hirugami and Hakuba choked on their spit in astonishment as Hinata smashed the ball down over them straight down to the ten-foot line.

"What an unbelievable leap from Hinata Shouyou!!" The commentator cried out excitedly. "It was as if wings sprouted from her back!!"

On Karasuno's side of the cheering section, Hinata's fans and family, along with the crowd were losing their mind of the beautiful move that she had done. "Shouyou!! Go, go, Shouyou!!"

Hoshiumi grinned through gritted teeth, challenged by what just happened as Hinata stared him down, crying in triumph as she smiled victoriously. It was a movie-worthy shot by the cameras, the competitive aura they both radiated along with their intense expressions were enough to make the crowd excited.

"Quick! Quick! Find something to tie her hair or else it'll get in the way!" Sugawara ushered them. "Asahi, do you have a spare hair tie?!"

The poor ace jolted in surprise. "Uh, yeah--"

"Nah, lemme just--" Kageyama yanked Hinata's hair painfully to tie it without using any hair tie, which pissed the ginger off.

"That hurts, you moron!" She head-butted his chin with the back of her head angrily.

"Don't fight, you two! Kageyama, be more gentle next time, will you?!" Daichi reprimanded, smacking the setter on the head.

After that, the match continued. Both teams were intent to grab the second set. Hoshiumi jumped to smash the ball again, not wanting to be outdone by Hinata, but this time, Tsukishima deliberately dodged the ball, causing it to fly out of bounds. The second set went to Karasuno.

Hoshiumi bristled when Tsukishima grinned smugly down at him.

The third set began. Kamomedai got a good start by leading with several points ahead of Karasuno, though the crows weren't that far behind.

The rallies were long, intense and exhausting. Both teams were really good, not wanting to be outdone by one another.

Hinata sprinted all the way to the edge of the court again. Kamomedai's blockers tried really hard to not get distracted by her movements but then she suddenly swivelled her direction and approached the net instead and jumped.

Because it all happened really fast, Kamomedai's blocker failed to stop her after reacting too late. She landed back to the floor with a victorious grin at the frustrated look on Hirugami's face. So it's working, after all. I'm going to break your system. Just you wait.

Once again, Hinata moved so fast that she was already soaring into the air in the next rally, making Kamomedai blockers only stared at her flying form in disbelief. She smashed the ball down with a nasty spin shot, making it impossible to dig or save.

Next, the rally was intense. Asahi served the ball, Hoshiumi bumped it, sending it to Suwa. The setter passed it to Nozawa who spiked the ball, but he was stopped by Hinata.

Suwa managed to save the ball but since he made the first contact, he couldn't set. The task was left to Hoshiumi instead, who tossed the ball to Hirugami. The brunette blocker slammed the ball down but it was flying straight into Nishinoya's awaiting arms.

Karasuno began to counter-attack. Hinata ran back to the ten foot before turning around and dashed forward in a run-up. Kamomedai's blockers tensed when they saw her approaching the net again.

The really fast one again? Back to back?, thought the blockers as they frantically watched Hinata's movements. Hirugami's body twitched when she jumped again, wondering if he should block her or at least, deflect the attack.

In the end, he shifted his weight ever so slightly over towards Hinata.

Checkmate, she thought in triumph as Kageyama tossed the ball to Tanaka, who scored a point thanks to the distraction made by the ginger.

Kamomedai took the next point thanks to Hoshiumi, who performed a dink instead of slamming the ball down.

However, Karasuno wasn't giving up that easily. Hinata dashed forward to the net again. Kamomedai's blockers braced for another minus tempo attack again but they were caught off guard when she jumped diagonally. They reacted quite late to block her but she wasn't the one who would hit the ball.

Tanaka got a free shot thanks to Hinata doing her excellent job as the greatest decoy.

Hinata rotated to the back row and prepared for her turn to serve. Kamomedai braced for her devastating serve. No need to be so tense, everyone. Let's just have fun, shall we?

She threw the ball upwards, dashing forward before she jumped and swung at the ball. This wasn't the same serve that she did in the match against Inarizaki yesterday, no, this was a different one. It had less power but instead, she replaced it with a nasty spin that make it impossible to receive.

Kamomedai wasn't expecting the new serve so they shanked the ball as a result. It continued on for the next three serves, earning points for Karasuno. Finally, Hinata switched into a let serve by sending the ball flying over the net ever so slightly, aiming at Kamomedai's front court.

Hakuba was able to dug it but it was send flying back to Karasuno's side. There was no time for both teams to react but Suwa predicted that Kageyama would perform a dump, which he actually did, and pushed the ball back over the net.

Miraculously, the ball landed on Daichi's foot so he kicked it over the net back to Kamomedai's side. Hinata laughed at the stupefied look on the captain's face.

Kamomedai tried to counter-attack but it was deflected by Tsukishima. The ball was sent flying outside the court but Hinata was already there, waiting and successfully saved it without breaking a sweat and passed it to her teammates.

Tsukishima spiked the ball through Kamomedai's block but it was bumped cleanly by Hoshiumi. Hakuba approached the net and jumped. Tanaka growled in frustration when he easily hit the ball over his head but Hinata was already there, crouching so low and arms stretched out to keep the ball alive and sent it to Kageyama in a clean pass.

Just as she was trying to catch her breath, she saw Kageyama made eye contact with her in a knowing look and she grinned. In an instant, she jumped into the air from the back row as Kageyama sent the ball directly into her palm.

She smashed the ball down in an incredible speed that left Kamomedai stiffening in surprise and disbelief, even though their blockers moved to stop her.

Soon enough, both teams reached 20 points and from then on, their movements were all erratic. Each team scored a point after one another. Tsukishima's leg suddenly cramped as he went for a spike before he collapsed and the ball he was supposed to hit landed on the floor.

Even as he was escorted out of the court by Kiyoko, he still gave them instructions. Hinata watched him left with an unreadable look. Tsukishima, this is the first time in this few months, I see you make that expression on your face.

Even as Kamomedai reached set and game point first while Karasuno was still on 23 points, she only had a serene look on her face compared to her teammates's desperate looks.

For Hinata, she felt a thrill that she had never experienced before back when she played beach volleyball. It gave her a chill when she realized that this was how indoor volleyball truly looked like.

Beach volleyball only had two players while indoor volleyball had six or more. On the sand, she only had her partner to celebrate the victory with but on the court, she celebrate with her teammates.

When she and her partner were close to losing, she couldn't bare to watch the crestfallen look on their face so she worked harder to help them win and it worked. For years she did the same thing over and over again.

In her attempt of making her partner happy, she didn't realize that she was torturing herself mentally by burdening herself with their expectations. Her mother realized what was happening to her and quickly pulled her away and told her it was all right to lose a game.

Don't get her wrong, she was happy all the time she was a beach volleyball player but at the same time, it was slowly killing her on the inside.

She took her mother's words to heart and carried it with her until now.

So as she watched the long rally by both teams, she smiled. She was so happy to be standing on a prestigious court, surrounded by strong and amazing players everywhere, sensing the emotions pouring out of each one of them. The determination, the tenaciousness, the desperation.

'Ah, I really love volleyball.'

After Hoshiumi spiked the ball down, which Nishinoya tried to save but shanked, the sound of the referee's whistle pierced through the air. Hinata's eyes fluttered close in defeat as she sighed.

Kamomedai won 2-1 over Karasuno. Karasuno lost in the fourth match in the third day of the tournament, placing them as the top 8 team in the nation.

Chapter Text

Despite the loss, Karasuno players held their heads up high, stood straight as they lined up in front of the crowd in the gymnasium and bowed in gratitude. "THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!"

Nekoma players who watched the game from the stands, along with Bokuto and Akaashi from Fukurodani clapped their hands as they looked at the black-and-orange clad crows. "It was a good game, guys!!"

Then, the teams shook hands before they dispersed. Hinata and Hoshiumi shook their hands with bright grins on their faces. "That was a good game, Hoshiumi-san! I had a lot of fun, too!" She laughed. "You're the true Little Giant."

"No," he corrected her seriously. "We both are Little Giants. We may be different but that means we're good in our own ways. Besides--!" A smile tug on Hoshiumi's lips. "I don't give a damn what anyone else think but I'm pretty sure we both are the best smallest hitters in the tournament, don't you think? I'm excited to see what kind of player you'll be in the future, Hinata Shouyou!!"

A bright laugh escaped from her lips as she patted their clasped hands. "Me too, Hoshiumi-san! Let's conquer the world together, shall we?"

His grin became wider and more feral. "You bet!!"

After they made their way to the concourse, the team made a few small exchanges between each other.

Asahi and Nishinoya discussed about the last dig, which the ace reassured him that if he wasn't able to dig the ball then the rest of them couldn't stand a chance either - except maybe Hinata, or Daichi, he added.

Meanwhile, Daichi asked Tsukishima if his leg was fine, which the blonde megane confirmed that he was okay. The captain continued that if it wasn't for his block along with Hinata's joust then they wouldn't have made it to the Nationals.

Tsukishima made a statement that he wanted to study some of Kamomedai's game tape as soon as he got home, much to the third-year's surprise.

Daichi ended up bawling his eyes out, sputtering incoherently about 'baby seals', much to Tsukishima's confusion. Asahi chimed in and helpfully translated that his friend was saying that the first-years were growing too fast.

Kiyoko was following behind the team when Tanaka approached her and offered to carry her bag. She hesitated for a few seconds before she smiled, allowing him to help her.

"Don't let the scores fool you. That wasn't a close loss. They had us completely beaten," Daichi told to the team as they gathered around him in a semi-circle. The coaches stood a few feet away next to them. "Top eight in the nation. That we made it that far on our very first trip to Nationals might seem nearly miraculous but I'm confident that you guys can go further, a lot further."

"But..." Kageyama spoke, as the others shifted their attention to him. "I wanted to take this team further."

They all stared at him in astonishment, remembering how his past self claimed that the games were stepping stones to his goal, how he rather do everything all by himself - showcasing his selfish self. But that all changed after these few months.

"It's worthless if you don't win the game. Lose and that's where it all ends!" Sugawara exclaimed loudly, tears welling up in his eyes. "But hearing that from you makes it feel like coming here was worth something! I don't care what anybody says. This was worth it! If you feel that way about this team, then I'm sure you can feel that way about your next one. And the one after that and the one after that. All your teams even way to the future."

"Seals. Every one of them," Daichi muttered as he covered his face with his hand.

"Well, I guess then it's time to--" Takeda started before he was politely interrupted by Daichi.

"Hang on, Sensei. One last thing, please," he took a step forward to the head coach. "We would've never made it this far just by guts and enthusiasm."

"Securing the gym for long practice sessions, setting up practice games against good teams, convincing Coach Ukai to join us. If it wasn't for you, none of this was possible. Having you as our advisor, Sensei, was the biggest stroke of luck we had this entire year."

The head coach was quiet for a brief moment before he finally spoke. "All I can say is...that I'm proud of all of you. You had no idea how overjoyed I was when the famous Ninja Shouyou decided to join our team," Hinata beamed as she nodded her head, "Yes, we lost. Yes, it was a painful lesson of the level of our skill now. But it was not a sign you are weak in any way!"

"Nothing is over! Nothing! Not one thing for any of you has ended today! Tomorrow, the day after! For the rest of your lives, you can do anything your set your mind to!" He finished.

All of them immediately bowed in gratitude and he also bowed in return. 

"THANK YOU VERY MUCH!"

"Thanks!"

Coach Ukai finally approached them with a smile. "Okay, let's go eat."

The next day, Hinata requested to stay behind while the rest of the team headed back to Miyagi. She informed them that she would like to spend a few more days in Tokyo with her family and will be returning to Miyagi after her mother was finished with her meetings.

The coaches agreed to give her permission and told her to take care and be careful. Her teammates cheerfully bid their goodbye, telling her that they would be waiting for her at school as she watched the bus left the inn they were staying for the past three days before it disappeared out of her sight.

Hinata sighed, cool vapour escaped from her nose and lips as she began to made her way to the inn where her grandparents and sister were staying.

"Shouyou!" The ginger whirled around when she heard her name was called. Her eyes lit up when she saw Kanoka waving her arm with a bright smile as she jogged up to her. The Niiyama player was wearing her signature red and white winter coat, hiding her jersey underneath. Her team must have advanced to the semi-finals.

"Kanoka-san! Hi! What are you doing here?!" She greeted warmly.

"Hi! I just finished my morning run just now and I still have two more hours left before my game start," she explained. "I watched your games yesterday, you know. Against Nekoma and Kamomedai. I also watched the match against Inarizaki. You were absolutely incredible!"

"Thanks! I couldn't have made it this far with my team!" 

"And...," the dark-haired girl trailed off, hesitated. Slowly, a soft smile adorned on her lips. "I saw what you did with Ryu-chan. You cheered him up when he was at his lowest moment. I'm thankful for that."

Hinata blinked. Ryu-chan? Oh, she must've meant Tanaka-san. "Oh, that. I didn't do nothing much. It's all Tanaka-san himself, you know. And Kageyama and his never-ending faith in him. He was really cool with that cut shot of his." She said, scratching the back of her head bashfully.

Kanoka shook her head with a smile. "Put some credit on yourself too, Shouyou. You helped like, a lot. Anyways! I'm here because I received a call from my coach just now and she said that she wanted to meet you!" She clasped her shoulders with a bubbly laugh.

The ginger gasped. "Wha--Why?!"

The enthusiastic smile was still plastered on the Niiyama player's lips. "I don't know, but I heard the head coach for the U-18 women's national team will also be there! C'mon!" Then she promptly pull the surprised younger girl with her.

"W-Wait! Kanoka-san! I need to inform my family first!!"

Two months later, the third-years have finally graduated. Ennoshita was now officially the new team captain.

It was an emotional ceremony. Hinata and Yachi sobbed their eyes out as they both hugged Kiyoko tightly, the former manager rubbing their backs soothingly as she comforted them.

Tanaka was also bawling his eyes out. Whether from Kiyoko graduating or his senpais graduating, they'll never know.

Nishinoya clung onto Asahi like a koala and refuse to let him go until Daichi and Ennoshita had to separate them. The libero promptly shrieked that the power of their love was too strong and no other force can separate them, even till death. Asahi wasn't helping that much either - he was too busy crying his eyes out.

A week later, Hinata went to Takeda's office nervously, knocking on his door with a slight hesitation.

"Hinata-kun? Is there something wrong?" The head coach blinked his eyes, surprised as the girl fidgeted with the hem of her skirt.

"Uh, Sensei. I have something to tell you," she said quietly.

He raised an eyebrow at the quiet voice coming from the usually sunny girl. "Oh, sure. Here, take a seat." He ushered her to the area where there were two small black leather couches a few metres away from his desk.

After they both took a seat, facing each other, he finally asked her. "What was that you're going to tell me, Hinata-kun?"

"Sensei, I have been recruited by Niiyama Joshi," she finally blurted out.

He blinked. Surely he heard that wrong. "What?" He asked dumbly.

Hinata shifted in her seat nervously. "Two months ago, after you guys headed back to Miyagi, I was going to the inn where my family was staying when Amanai Kanoka from Niiyama approached me. She informed me that her coach wanted to meet me along with the head coach of the U-18 women's national team." She started.

"I followed her back to the hotel where her team was staying and it was true. At the lounge in the hotel's lobby, Niiyama's coach was there with the U-18 national team's coach. After she introduced me to them, she went somewhere else to meet her teammates." She continued.

"Niiyama's coach offered me a spot in their team because the third-years in the team were graduating and she saw the game against Nekoma and Kamomedai and thought I was the perfect candidate to join. She gave me a chance to think about the offer until this month before I will have to make my decision," she finished.

There was a brief silence in the office as Takeda registered her words. "So what's your decision?"

"I would like to take the offer." Her voice sounded shaky as her lips trembled. Her eyes were glistening with tears. "I discussed it with my mother and she said she would be glad if I transfer to Niiyama. We agreed that it's a good chance for me to start getting used to the women's league now because it's not like I can play with those guys professionally in the future."

"I admit that I grew comfortable playing in a men's team but now, it's time for me to move on and explore new opportunities," her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to keep her gaze steady, "Being in a women's team sounds very incredible and I'll get to see more amazing female athletes out there."

Takeda stared at her with an unreadable expression. "So why are you crying, Hinata-kun?"

As if a dam finally broke, Hinata bursted into tears as she buried her face in her hands. "Because I'm going to miss the team! I'm going to miss the soon-to-be third-years and my own batchmates! I'll never get to play with them anymore and I know that is the harsh reality!" She sobbed, pouring out all of the sadness she had bottled up.

The Karasuno head coach lowered his gaze. Just before a few days before the third years graduation, there were complaints from some of the conservative parents about Hinata being the only girl on a boys' team. They claimed that it was inappropriate that she joined a boys' team, surrounded by hormonal teenage boys. They demanded why she didn't join the girls' team and accused that she was too egoistical for refusing to join a much weaker team. The worst part was a parent even accused Hinata for sleeping with the players in the boys' team and even the coaches to earn her spot on the team.

To say Hinata Akari wasn't furious was an understatement. The dark-haired woman was super close to beating the shit out of the stupid bastard who insulted her daughter by calling her a whore. It took Takeda and the basketball team's coach's combined effort to stop her from starting a bloodbath in the office. Luckily the ginger was absent that day.

She then demanded that her daughter would be pull out from the team and transfer to Niiyama Joshi instead. She was really straightforward - stating that Shouyou has a brighter chance to go to the Nationals with Niiyama than Karasuno girls' volleyball team.

The principal along with the more open-minded individuals inside the room tried to persuade her to let Shouyou remain with Karasuno but the woman stood firm on her decision.

The principal and the board of governers decided with a heavy heart that Karasuno's volleyball team would be no longer a co-ed team.

"I wanted to play with the team a bit longer, standing on the same court a bit longer. But I realized it's impossible." Hinata sniffed as she wiped her tears away before a small smile curled up her lips. "Nevertheless, I'm really thankful for what you and Coach Ukai did for me for the past few months. You both taught me a lot of things and I also learned a lot from the team. So thank you, Sensei." She bowed in gratitude.

Takeda felt a smile tug on his lips. "I don't have any rights to stop you from chasing your dreams, Hinata-kun. If you are happy with your decision then I'm happy for you. I promise I will keep myself updated with your progress even after you leave. Even if you will be no longer a crow, you will always be one of us." He said seriously.

"The others...do they know about this?" He asked.

She shook her head mutely. He decided to change the topic after seeing her hesitation.

"Well, try to tell them as soon as possible, okay? I know it hurts but you have to tell them the truth," he said gently. "But enough about that, I remember that you mentioned the coach for the U-18 national team in your story. What did she say to you?" He asked.

Hinata smiled happily, no longer crying, although her eyes and nose were red. "She told me there was an empty spot in the team after one of the players moved on to the senior women's team. She said I can start practicing this weekend. Kanoka-san from Niiyama is also on the team."

"That's great, Hinata-kun! I'm happy for you!" Takeda smiled sincerely.

Chapter Text

Hina-chan, Yachi thought, was the strongest girl she had ever met. Even stronger than Kiyoko-san.

She lost her father, her hero and idol at a young age, she only had her mother and little sister with her when they first moved to a foreign country.

Because her mother was a single mum, she had to fill in her father's shoe to provide for her and her sister. As a result, Hina-chan took care of her sister when her mother couldn't be there for them. This was proven when sometimes, the flame-haired girl came to practice late and the first to leave as soon as practice was over to pick up her sister from school, when she was found shopping for ingredients at a store to make dinner, and more.

Growing up in a foreign country would sound cool to anybody but Yachi knew the downsides of it. Having no one but your family to rely on to, facing prejudice from the more conservative people and many more.

Hina-chan and her family moved to Brazil while they were still grieving for the patriarch of the family's death. It all happened so fast but they still managed to go through it despite the pain and heartache.

Natsu-chan was only a few months old when Haru died, so she didn't have any clue what kind of person her father was, only learned about him through stories from her older sister and mother.

From what Yachi heard, Hina-chan was very close to her father and the most affected after his death. She locked herself in her room and refused to eat for a week. But after her sister was born, she finally went outside and became a better person, promising to herself that she would not let the newborn experience the pain like she did.

And she was only 6 at that time.

Yachi sometimes wondered if all those bright smiles, bubbly laughters, radiant sparkles emitted from Hina-chan were just a façade, but she was proven wrong when the redhead remained calm and collected when Karasuno lost in the quarter-finals. Hina-chan herself reassured her, with a soft smile, that she was still the same cheery and bubbly Hinata everyone knew, and she wasn't just covering up her pain to avoid pity looks from other people.

The first time Yachi saw Hina-chan became all gloomy and sullen was when it was announced that Karasuno's volleyball team was no longer a co-ed team, and that she would be transferring to Niiyama Joshi to join their team.

It seemed that only Takeda-sensei and Coach Ukai knew about it, judging from the grim looks on their faces. Not even the freshly-graduated third-years knew about it.

When it was revealed that some people accused Hina-chan about many things, the team was enraged, especially Nishinoya and Tanaka.

"What the fuck?! Shouyou isn't like that!! She's not what those people said about her!" Nishinoya roared.

"Yeah! Hinata is like our sister, bro! We're like a family!!" Tanaka added, which the others agreed.

"Do those people know that some of us are gay?" Tsukishima murmured under his breath with a dark look on his face.

Yamaguchi nodded in agreement. "Yeah! Guys and girls can be friends without being romantically attached!" He cried out before his eyes met Yachi's and they both blushed.

"What the hell?! Hinata is an important player in the team!" Kageyama shouted.

Coach Ukai raised his hands to placate them. "Guys! Calm down! We can't do anything about it! Hinata's mother has already made her decision! Hinata herself also agreed to join Niiyama Joshi team on her own!" He explained.

"I think it's a good opportunity for me to explore the women's league. I know I won't actually play in the men's league in the future...I just didn't expect it to happen a little earlier," Hina-chan finally spoke after she had been quiet from the beginning. "I think joining Niiyama Joshi team would be a good start."

They all went quiet after what she said. Her statement was true, painful but true. The rules in professional volleyball league are much more stricter, meaning that she wouldn't be allowed to play in the men's league.

"It'll be hard for me to join another team even though I only joined this team for half a year ago, but I want to continue fighting using my own strength." She finally raised her head to meet their eyes. Honey eyes hardened with determination despite the swell and redness around them. "Thank you for all those times we've spent together and I'm sorry for leaving the team like this." She bowed.

Ennoshita let out an audible sigh after moments of silence. "Well, not all teams are like Karasuno, right? It's unfortunate but we don't have any other choice. Despite the circumstances, I hope we can still see each other on the court after this, Hinata," he said, his lips formed into a small smile.

She nodded with a smile. "Sure! I'll see you guys again at the prelims and qualifiers! And if given the chance, let's meet at the Nationals stage again next year too!" She opened her arms wide.

After she finished her speech, some of the emotional people who had been tearing up from the beginning finally bursted into tears. Yachi was the first to cry as she tackled her friend into a hug. Yamaguchi was second, followed by Nishinoya and Tanaka. Then the trio, Ennoshita, Narita and Kinoshita joined them.

Only Tsukishima and Kageyama were left.

"This is it, huh?" The former muttered solemnly.

Hina-chan nodded. "Sorry, Tsukishima. Guess I couldn't bother you anymore." She pouted, batting her long lashes obnoxiously just to annoy him.

"Tch, whatever." He turned his head away to avoid making eye contact with anyone. He wanted to hide the pain inside his heart, his friend and teammate was leaving the team because of some prejudiced old coots.

"Oi, Kageyama!" She turned to the grumpy setter, pointing a finger at his direction. "Right now! I'm one step ahead of you!" She declared.

"Hah?" His face contorted in confusion. He was hurt by the news but he understood the circumstances. He knew even if Hinata join another team, it wouldn't be the end of their friendship.

"I'm going to be a member of the U-18 women's national team starting this year so I'll be going ahead of you!" She exclaimed victoriously.

"Haaahhhh?!!" Kageyama shouted, his loud voice drowned the rest's cries of shock.

"Congrats, Shouyou!! Your senpai is so proud of you!!" Nishinoya wailed.

"Me too, Hinata!! Say hi to Kanoka for me, would ya?!" Tanaka cried.

Kageyama grumbled under his breath but congratulated her nonetheless. "I'm going to catch up with you, I swear." He vowed. Just because Hinata is one step ahead of him doesn't mean he would be left far behind and do nothing.

Hina-chan raised her fist at him, which he bumped with a small smirk. "Then don't take too long or I'll leave you behind."

Yachi smiled as she watched the platonic soulmates' interaction. Yup, Hina-chan was truly the strongest girl she ever met.

The other teams that knew Karasuno and played against them were surprised by the news. They all were offended by the accusation thrown at Hinata on her behalf and were glad that she transferred to another school. Some, who were looking forward to play against her, were a bit disheartened that they didn't get the chance to play against her.

After Hinata left Karasuno, she took the girls' league by storm with Niiyama Joshi. Only two months passed after she turned 17, she was already ranked as one of the top 3 best female players in the nation. Not to mentioned, she made a reputation for herself on the U-18 national team. She was one of the youngest player on the team and yet, she became one of the most feared player in the world.

Hinata walked down the hallway in Sendai City Gymnasium, where the qualifiers took place at. She left to the bathroom shortly after her team was finished with their own game, now she was on her way to return to her team.

Honestly, she wanted to see the Karasuno versus Shiratorizawa in the quarter-finals but the court where her current team played at was located on the other side of the gymnasium, far from the court where the match took place at.

She ignored the curious looks casted by the other teams and the murmurs that came from them. She didn't think she was that intimidating - well, except on the court, maybe, but that was different. But their reactions made her feel as if she was the second coming of the messiah. A messiah whose name was Ushijima Wakatoshi.

"Hinata."

She paused in her steps and turned around. Her eyes widened when she saw the familiar half-lidded dark grey eyes and towering figure of Hyakuzawa Yudai.

"Hyakuzawa-kun!" She greeted with a lovely smile. They still kept in touch with each other, even though she was no longer playing in the men's league.

On his birthday on April, she made him a homemade yakisoba, his favourite food. Since Niiyama Joshi was only less than 10 kilometers from Kakugawa, Hinata was able to visit Hyakuzawa more often than she was at Karasuno.

She even went to his house and met his parents. On the contrary belief, his parents weren't as tall as him - though his father was over 6 feet tall. They also treated her warmly and often teased them - his mother joked that she was already looking forward to the wedding.

On her own birthday in June, Hinata received many gifts from her family, former teammates and current teammates, friends from Brazil and even from players from the teams she played against.

However, Hyakuzawa's gift was the most meaningful for her. It wasn't nothing grand, he only took her to the popular spots in Sendai but she still enjoyed every single second with him. They got to know each other better, it was as if they were in their own world.

But they still weren't officially dating, much to the others' dismay.

Yachi used to tell her to confess to him already with an exasperated look. Even the blonde manager herself was in a relationship with Yamaguchi after the latter confessed to her during a cultural festival at school.

No matter how obvious the signs were, Hinata still had her doubts. She had zero experience in relationship so she could be a bit dense and oblivious and she was nervous because if it was true, then it would be her first relationship.

Back to the present time, Hinata tilted her head to the side curiously at the embarrassed yet determined look on Hyakuzawa's face. He strode down from the end of the hallway, making his way to her. People immediately began to move out of the way to clear his path, worried that he might crush them.

She blinked at the intense look in his eyes. "Hyaku--" The rest of his name was swallowed by the owner's mouth himself as he swooped her lips into a passionate kiss, wrapping his arm around her waist, a large hand rested on her cheek.

Because of their height difference, Hyakuzawa scooped her into his arms before he kissed her, lowering his head as she was pulled to stand on her toes - scratch that, her feet just left the floor. He was actually lifting her while kissing her.

"He just lost but he scored himself a girl! Get it, Hyakuzawa!" Asamushi's loud hoot pierced through the air. "Look at him go!"

Hinata pulled away slightly, just enough to unseal their mouths as she stared at Hyakuzawa in surprise. Her face was awfully red. "H-Hyakuzawa-kun?" Her voice came out hoarse and strangled. They were only inches apart, all eyes on them, but her eyes only saw at the giant wing spiker at the moment.

"I'm in love with you." He blurted out, feeling his face go hot. As if he just realized what he just done but there was no backing out now. "I think I've been in love with you since you defeated me in the preliminaries last year. I can list off the reasons but right now, all I could think is that I love how you're so bright, so passionate, so committed about volleyball. Your smile is as bright as the sun's. When you fly, you look like an angel. You stayed by my side even I was at my lowest and you helped me to improve my skill and now, I've also fell in love with volleyball."

Hinata pulled him back to press their lips together again - this time, she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders while he tightened his hold on her waist. They ignored the sound of whistling and hollering from the people who witnessed their confession scene.

She pulled back again, to rest her forehead against his as her lips curled into a blinding smile. "I love you too. I've been in love with you since you saved me, how you're always there for me when I needed you. I like how you treat me with utmost care while acknowledging my strength, I like how I always feel safe and secure whenever you're around and you give the best hugs in the world!" She reasoned.

Hyakuzawa felt a grin tug on his lips, adjusting his hold on her waist. "Hinata Shouyou, will you be my girlfriend?"

She nodded her head vigorously even before he finished his question. "Yes...YES!" She buried her face into his shoulder as he buried his own into her hair. She even lifted her leg in a foot pop from how giddy she was.

Unbeknownst to Hinata, her teammates from Niiyama Joshi had been watching the confession scene from the beginning, squealing and giggling at the romantic scene. "Go get 'im, Shou-chan!"

Hyakuzawa's teammates were unfazed but happy for him nonetheless. "He actually did it." Komaki said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep."

"That bastard. We lost and he got himself a hot beauty as his girl. When do I get the chance?"

"We won the game but why do I feel like we're the one who lost?"

"Agreed."

Chapter Text

At the Summer Inter-high, Karasuno didn't make it to the Nationals after losing to Dateko in the finals. It was Dateko's first time of going to the Nationals in 11 years. The 'Iron Wall' team became the top 16 team in the nation.

Next, on the national stage during the Spring Tournament, Karasuno faced Inarizaki again in the third round. This time, the fox team took the victory.

The next year, Karasuno made to the Spring Tournament for the final time. They made it to the semi-finals and stood on center court. They lost to Itachiyama, placing third in the nation.

Hinata watched them from afar, and it was more than enough for her. She was truly happy for them, they made it this far even without her and it showed that they were just as persistent back when she was on the team.

She was also a third-year herself now, adorning the captain's number after Kanoka graduated. The former captain joined a top women's team in the V-League right after she graduated. The ginger was also planning to skip college and go straight into the professional league after graduation.

Now that she already turned 18, she could no longer join the U-18 national team. Instead, she was recruited into the senior women's team. She hadn't decide her club team yet - although she still received offers from many teams inside and outside the country.

She still remembered the first few days of joining Niiyama Joshi a month before her second year. She was the only girl in the team who had long hair compared to the rest of her teammates who had short, cropped hair.

A senpai who showed her true colours after the third-years graduated, demanded Hinata to cut her hair - or expected her to be reformed by the end of week and accused her for not showing commitment for the team.

Kanoka defended Hinata, stating that the school doesn't strictly force them to have short hairs - it was only believed to be an unspoken rule.

Hinata confronted the mean senpai and loudly retorted in front of the whole team that her appearance had nothing to do with what she does and what she'll achieve. "If you think that appearance is the indicator of our attitude towards volleyball then you are sorely mistaken. I was a pro for nearly 6 years. I know if anything that indicates of our attitude towards volleyball - it's what we do," said the ginger confidently.

"I've played in the boy's league for only several months, but I learned a lot from them."

"Hey, hey, hey, Hinata!! That cross shot you did was super cool!!"

"Uwahh!! Thanks, Bokuto-san! Your cut shot was awesome too!!"

"Someone please separate them. My eardrums are ringing because of how loud they are."

"I learned to find the fun in volleyball because it shall be my strength and inspiration from Bokuto of Fukurodani."

"Did you know? The Miya twins had a fight once. It was pretty serious too. Apparently, Osamu plans to quit volleyball after graduating high school and Atsumu didn't take it too well. I heard Osamu plans to open a restaurant, if I remember correctly."

"Why was Atsumu so angry? Shouldn't he support his brother's dreams?"

"Well, they have always been together since elementary. Atsumu as a setter and Osamu as a spiker. They've been a pair for years and in the end, they became one of the best setter and spiker duo in high school volleyball. But in the end, I guess Atsumu loves volleyball more than Osamu does."

"Oh yeah, I've heard about that from Kenma! Atsumu-san has always been very dedicated about volleyball!"

"I learned to love volleyball even when others don't have as much as love to give from Miya Atsumu of Inarizaki."

"Kenma, I've heard many things about Sakusa-san. He sounds like a really great ace! How did he do that?! I asked Bokuto-san but he refused to answer me and sulked."

"Heh, typical Bokuto. Anyway, I heard from his cousin, Komori, that he strived to become the ace he is now because of Ushijima."

"Ushi-sennin? Why?"

"Apparently, Sakusa's team played against Ushijima's during a junior high tournament and they lost. Komori said ever since that day, Sakusa dedicated himself to improve in every way he could to beat Ushijima. Instead of only practicing his spikes, he practiced his receives and blocks until he became one of the best defenders on the court. That's why he's a good all-round player. It's all because he wants to defeat Ushijima."

"Wow, so cool!!"

"I learned to dedicate myself so my actions will not leave any regrets from Sakusa of Itachiyama."

"You know, before my grandpa passed away, he always said 'if you become strong, then strong people will come to you'. I admit that I did a lot of mistakes back in junior high and caused people to lose their trust in me. Since then, I tried to improve myself - doesn't matter if it's skill-wise or not - I want to become strong so strong people find me."

"I guess you're the first strong person that came to me and I was really grateful. I didn't disappoint my grandpa."

"Wow, Kageyama. That is one of the most touching things that I've ever heard from you."

"Shut up. Because there won't be another time I said that."

"Hah?! Say it again! Say it again! I wanna record it!"

"Shut up! Go away!"

"Bwahaha!! Kageyama is a tsundere!"

"I learned to improve myself - skill-wise or not, even in solitude because if I'm strong, then strong people will come to me from my former teammate, Kageyama."

She cocked her head to the side innocently as she pinned down the senpai with a blank, cold stare. "I can list off more players that I learned from. Do you want to hear about them, senpai? I'll gladly tell you more."

Kanoka and the other members of the team cheered for Hinata, showing their support for her.

Since then, the mean senpai quitted from the team and never to be heard again.

"There she goes again!! There's no stopping Hinata Shouyou at all!! The top ace jumps higher than any other blockers or hitters and easily scores the points for Niiyama Joshi!!" The commentator exclaimed. "Niiyama Joshi just need one more point to advance to the final round!!"

"Who will it be?! The reigning champions of Niiyama Joshi from Miyagi or the solid and strong Fujimi from Shizuoka?!"

From the stands, four alumni from Karasuno watched the flame-haired girl who once played for their team sailed towards the net and slammed the ball down over the opponent team's blockers. Fujimi's libero botched her receive as the missile of a ball was sent flying outside of the court, giving the victory to Niiyama Joshi.

The crowd exploded with cheers as Niiyama was announced to advance to the final round.

"She really has bloomed so much, hasn't she?" Sugawara remarked with a fond smile as Hinata cheered triumphantly with her teammates, grinning widely as she was pulled into a group hug with her team.

The ginger had changed over the past two years. She looked more comfortable in a girl's jersey - the red and white colours of Niiyama suited her, she still wore her long black stockings and kneepads and matching long arm sleeves instead of normal elbow pads like the rest of her teammates. She also had grown out her hair, now tied in a braided ponytail.

When the former Karasuno third-years heard about what happened, Sugawara exploded in an instant and the poor second-years and first-years were forced to face his wrath. Almost everyone except Kiyoko and Yachi had to combine force to calm the raging setter who was this close to burn the whole school down.

Not that he have to do anything much. The school received quite a backlash from the society, especially from the younger and open-minded people. Boy, her fans weren't too happy to hear that their idol was pressured by the conservative parents to quit the volleyball team. The parents who accused Hinata were sued by her family and were pressured by her fans to apologize to her. Karma, as one would say.

Daichi slung an arm over his boyfriend's shoulders. "Yep. She's definitely has become one of the best players in high school volleyball. Also, I'm glad that she finally get to experience staying in a five-stars hotel," he added the last part as a reference to their first Spring Tournament.

"Are you guys going to watch the final match tomorrow? Their final opponent will be Umigame from Kagoshima," Kiyoko asked while reading the brochure in her hands. "Ryu said he and Noya will come to watch tomorrow."

Sugawara shook his head. "I still can't believe you and Tanaka got together," he said bluntly.

Asahi chuckled. "Don't be like that, Suga. I think they're a good match! Shimizu's the only one that can keep Tanaka in line!"

"To answer your question, Shimizu, I'm sorry but I won't be able to join you guys tomorrow because I have practical training at the academy," Daichi answered with a sigh. He was currently studying to become a police officer. "But you guys will watch it right, Suga? Asahi?"

The two nodded. "What about Ennoshita, Narita and Kinoshita?" Asahi asked. The trio were now college students.

"Unfortunately, they also won't be able to make it. They're going to have their mid-term test starting tomorrow." Kiyoko informed.

The next day, it was a long and exhausting match between Niiyama and Umigame. Both teams were playing their very best. In the end, Niiyama Joshi won 3 sets while Umigame 2 sets.

Niiyama Joshi won the Spring Tournament for the girls' category for 6 consecutive years.

"Waahhhh!!! Congratulations on winning the MVP award and the 'Best Scorer' award, Hinata-senpai!!" A first-year hitter on Niiyama congratulated the ginger captain.

Hinata beamed widely. "Thank you, Takahashi-chan! Could you hold the trophy for me? Thanks! My hands were getting really full back there!" She handed the champion trophy to the taller girl. Yes, she was the second shortest player in the team even though she was the captain, only being slightly taller than Tomiya-chan, the second-year libero.

"Sho-Sho, we did it!!!" A player from her batch wailed as she draped herself over the flame-haired ace. It was one of the team's middle blocker, Nitta Machiko.

The team's setter, Nakisuna Aoi, rolled her eyes at her teammate's dramatical theatrics. "You acted all calm and collected in front of the seniors but after they graduated, you became like this. I don't know if I should be concerned of not."

"Don't fight, you guys! Let's just celebrate our last victory in high school before we graduate!" Hinata crooned affectionately at the two girls. Nitta already let her go after she was yanked away by the setter for making the ace taking all of her weight. "Did your brothers came to watch the match too?" She asked, remembering that Nitta had an older brother who played for VC Kanagawa and played the same position as she was and Nakisuna had a younger brother who also played setter for his middle school team.

Nitta shrugged. "Nah. Big bro is busy with practices for his upcoming matches, but he said he'll watch the broadcast later."

Nakisuna made a face at the mention of her own brother. "As much as I hate to say it, the little shit is here," she groaned and glanced at the crowd gathering outside the court from the corner of her eyes, "he even skipped school to come and watch the match. He was really eager to meet you, Shou-chan. I swear he infatuated with you, for God's sake."

Nitta barked out a laugh. "Does he know that Sho-Sho has a boyfriend?!"

"I'm pretty sure I already told him and I even said that he's not even her type but he didn't believe me and he had the audacity to say and I quote 'that I'm in the way between him and his Queen'," she rolled her eyes at the last part before giving Hinata a pointed look, "But you are a Queen, Shou-chan. It's just my idiot of a brother doesn't deserve to breath the same air as you."

The ginger sputtered and slapped the other girl's arm playfully. "Do you have to phrase it that way?!"

Nakisuna grinned. "What? It's true!"

Hinata shook her head but before she could say anything else, she heard Coach Okayama called her name. "Shouyou, call the others, would you?! It's time to take group photos!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

The thing is, because Niiyama Joshi was known as 'the Queens' by other teams, it became a tradition between the players to use royal phrases among each other. They would refer the captain as the Queen of all queens, making small comments about the boys' teams - if the male player was a heartthrob, they call him a King and if he was a jerk, they call him a commoner, and more.

Today, Hinata would show you another example.

The ginger-haired captain and ace scanned the crowd to find some of her teammates were already lost among the crowd while the rest were staying close to her. She cupped a hand around her mouth and took a deep breath before she called out to her teammates.

"OKAY LADIES, LET'S GET IN REFORMATION!!!"

The crowd was extremely perplexed by the sudden shout and soon after that, red-and-white-clad female players shoved their ways through the crowd and began to head towards their captain immediately.

"Good! You're all here! Coach is calling us to take Niiyama party photos!"

The Niiyama players all hooted loudly as they followed their captain and coach to find a spot to take photos.

After they finished with the photo-taking session, Coach Okayama informed them that they would be having a small gathering in an expensive restaurant in Tokyo that was sponsored by their school as a reward for being the reigning champion.

After the Niiyama players went to the locker room to fresh up and changed their clothes into a more comfortable ones, Hinata noticed the Karasuno alumni who were there and immediately went to greet them and started to chatter animatedly as they tried to catch up with each other. Only Asahi, Sugawara, Kiyoko, Tanaka and Nishinoya were there while the rest were busy with their current exams. The third-years already returned to Miyagi after they lost to Itachiyama and won bronze medals. Nevertheless, they still communicated with each other through video calls.

After that, Hinata followed her team to the restaurant where the small gathering would take place. When they arrived there, it was already crowded with family and closest friends to the Niiyama players although their coach rented the place for the rest of the evening.

Even their former seniors who already graduated were there.

"Amanai-senpai/Kanoka-san!!" The girls squealed as soon as they saw the short-haired woman.

"Hi, guys! Congrats on winning the Nationals again! I knew you guys could do it!!" Kanoka greeted with a cheerful smile. A few meters away from behind her, Hinata noticed there was a dark presence lingering behind the former Niiyama player, sitting all the way from the other tables, alone while crossing his arms in front of his chest.

She blinked when she recognized the dark curls and white face mask. "Sakusa Kiyoomi?" She blurted out.

Sakusa turned his head to her and nodded in greeting. "Hinata-san, hello."

"What are you doing here?" She asked curiously, wondering if he was related or friends with her teammates. Then, she remembered the time Kanoka shyly informed her that she was in a relationship with a Tokyo boy after she got her heart broken by Tanaka. "Oh, are you here with Kanoka-san?"

A tinge of pink spread across his cheeks that didn't went unnoticed through his mask. "...Yes. She was very excited to be here and I didn't have the heart to refuse when she invited me along," he explained.

The ginger laughed. "I see. Well, it's nice to meet you! Are you playing in the V-League already, Omi-san?"

He cocked an eyebrow at the nickname but didn't say anything. At least it was way better than whatever nickname Miya gave him. "Not yet. I'm still playing in a college team with Wakatoshi-kun. However, I do plan on joining the V-League after I finished with my studies."

She nodded in thought. "Oh, so you didn't skip college! Well, I'm still deciding whether to go straight into the V-League or playing in a college team first!" She scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

"Kanoka herself skipped college to be a pro right after high school but that's her choice. It's up to you whether you are ready to play in the V-League or not. Many pros also played in college teams before they went into the league," the former Itachiyama ace explained.

Hinata puffed out her cheeks as she whined. "Oh man, this is so hard! I still don't know what to choose!"

"Calm down. You still have three months left to decide. Better think about thoroughly before you make your decision or else you'll regret it."

"Thanks a lot for the advice, Omi-san!"

Then, the feast had begun and all of them began to dig in. It was a bright and lively atmosphere as everyone enjoyed themselves. Loud laughters, chatters and even small banters filled the whole place.

12-year-old Natsu flaunted the awards and gold medal her older sister earned as if they were her own much to everyone's amusement. Their mother was both amused and exasperated by the youngest ginger and their grandfather cooing at her proudly. Their grandmother was busy sobbing into her handkerchief as she cried about how proud she was to her elder granddaughter.

"Yuh! Get into it, Natsu-chan!" Nitta whooped as she snapped a few photos of the little ginger.

"Hinata-san! I'm a huge fan of yours! Can I take a picture with you?!" Nakisuna's younger brother, Ao, exclaimed enthusiastically. "I even skipped school to come and watch your game!"

"What? Don't do that!" Hinata gasped.

"I already did!" He exclaimed proudly before yelping in pain when his older sister smacked his head.

"Move! You don't deserve to breath the same air as the Queen!" Nakisuna barked.

"Then you don't deserve it too, big sis!"

"Excuse me?! I'm literally one of the Queens! You, on the other hand, is just a commoner! So move your ass!"

Hinata watched in concern as the two siblings began to start a fight with each other in the middle of the restaurant. Then, she felt someone came up from behind her and plopped on the seat next to her.

"It sure is noisy in here," Hyakuzawa remarked as he slung an arm over her shoulder.

She gasped in delight when she saw him. "Yu-kun! You're here!!" She squealed before kissing him on the cheek in greeting.

He smiled as he tucked a ginger lock behind her ear. "Yeah, I was just finished meeting with the Warriors' coach and recruiter but then I got your message so I decided to come here."

She smiled as she stared at her boyfriend. Like everyone else, he already changed so much. Ever since he got more confident, he improved greatly in volleyball and was slowly getting recognized for his height and skills. While he may have never went to the Nationals, he still made a name for himself as one of the star players from Miyagi.

He even grew his hair out, which she noted in satisfaction. She remembering seeing some of the pros who had mohawk hairstyles and undercuts so she was curious to see how it look on him. As a result, he looked more handsome with the spiky undercut.

Hinata remembered that he informed her a few weeks ago that he was recruited by a Division 1 team in the V-League, two days prior he said he was going to meet with the recruiter and the coach in Tokyo while she was busy with the Spring Tournament.

"So, what did they say?!" She asked eagerly.

Hyakuzawa's smile shifted into a small grin. "I got in."

She shrieked as she tackled her boyfriend into a bear hug. "Aahhhh!!! Congrats, Yu-kun! I'm so happy for you!!!" She peppered him with kisses all over his face.

"S-Shou--" he blushed from the public show of affection but who was he to talk after their confession scene that looked straight out of a drama last year?

"Hyaku-nii! Hey! Did you got in the Warriors team?!" Natsu chimed in as she sprinted towards them with a sparkling look in her eyes.

"He sure did!" Hinata answered for him with a gleeful smile after finished showering him with affection, looping her arms around his neck while he wrapped an arm around her waist with a fond smile.

"Woaahhh!!! We've got another thing to celebrate, guys! My big sister's boyfriend got accepted to play in the Japan Railway Warriors team!!" Natsu whooped in joy, drawing laughters and smiles from everyone.

"More drinks for me! Hell yeah!" Nitta hollered.

Chapter Text

Hinata leaned against the grey stone as she spoke. "It's been awhile since we talked like this, isn't that right, papa?"

"I'm sorry that it took a long time for me to visit you. I hope that you're not angry with me." She continued, trailing her fingers over the cold, hard surface.

"Actually, I came here to tell you that I'm officially regarded as a professional indoor volleyball player now!" She exclaimed with a bright smile. "You told me to make a name for myself because of my skills and follow what my heart wants. I took your advice by heart until now and I decided to play indoor volleyball  now."

"Don't get me wrong, I still love beach volleyball. It's the only thing that reminded me of you, papa. But mama's words made me realize that perhaps I love indoor volleyball slightly more than beach volleyball," she informed.

"So my graduation ceremony is tomorrow and yet, I still haven't decided whether to join a college team or pursue my volleyball career professionally and skip college. My best friend, Kageyama, the one I told before - he's going to straight into the V-League and now he's a part of the men's national team. Hmph, that baka sounded so smug when he told me through a call," she puffed out her cheeks, crossing her arms petulantly.

"Even Yu-kun is going straight into the V-League and will be start playing with the Warriors soon!" She whined in a child-like tone before gazing at the stone and sighed.

"I need your help, papa. Should I go pro or go to college first? Mama said she's okay with whatever decision that I make but I don't know if I can separate with her and Natsu for a long time," she slumped in defeat, bumping her head against the stone. "I'm not used to being away from them for a long time."

Silence ensued after that. Only the sound of the birds chirping and the wind blowing in the sky filled the air. Hinata slowly pulled away and sat up straight as she gazed at the gravestone in front of her.

Here lies, Hinata Haru, beloved son, husband, father and friend. 1966-1996.

"If you were alive, what would you do?" The ginger murmured softly under her breath before shutting her eyes closed.

She was feeling peaceful as she enjoyed the nature around her, deep in her own world. It was as if she was entering her meditation state.

Then, at that moment, she felt a warm hand clasping on her shoulder and a familiar voice rang inside her head.

"My little sunshine, you're a big girl now. Only you know what your heart truly wants. If you're worried about your mother and sister, I'm sure they will be fine. Do what makes you happy. Make sure to set your goals very clearly and do your best to achieve it. You know what's the best opportunity for you."

Her father's voice soon faded and slowly, her eyes fluttered open. She barely registered the tears streaming down her cheeks as she stared at the gravestone with an unreadable look.

Then, a smile slowly graced her features as she wiped the tears away. "Thank you, papa. For everything."

After that, Hinata finally came up with her decision as she left the cemetery.

Akari stared her oldest daughter in shock. "You're taking up the offer of one of the foreign teams??" She asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, Sesc Jaguars in Brazil! It's based in Rio so I can meet Pedro, Heitor, Nice and all of my friends there again!" She answered.

"For how long?"

"I'm planning to stay there for three seasons at most. Then I'll join one of the women's team here, probably Hikari Koshinyaku Red Rabbits. I'll probably stay for two seasons."

The older woman sighed. "If this is what you truly want, then I'm not going to stop you."

Hinata smiled. "I am! I visited papa's grave a few days ago and I asked for his advice. This might sounds crazy but I closed my eyes for a few seconds and I felt his hand on my shoulder! I also heard his voice inside my head, I swear!" She cried out. "He said do what makes me happy and only I know what's the best opportunity for me!"

Akari blinked her eyes as she registered her daughter's word before her lips curled into a small smile. "That's wonderful. Your father would also say that if he was still alive. I believe you, Shouyou." She cupped her hand on the ginger's flawless cheek affectionately.

Hinata's smile widened as she nuzzled against her mother's warm hand. "Thank you, mama."

Natsu, who have been watching quietly from the beginning broke down into tears as she lunged at her older sister and tackled her into a bear hug. "Nee-chan, I'm going to miss you a lot!!" She wailed.

The older ginger laughed as she wrapped her arms around the smaller ginger. "Me too, Natsu. Don't be so sad, okay? I'll come back here when you will be entering your first year in high school."

Natsu pulled her head back slightly enough to look at her sister's face, her eyes red and a snot running down her nose. "Promise? I'm planning to play volleyball like you too, Nee-chan."

"I promise! And that's great, Natsu! Maybe when you grow older and finish with high school then we can play together in the professional league!" Hinata suggested.

The younger ginger immediately perked up in delight at the idea of playing in the same team with her sister. The only way to do that was practice hard enough that people will start recruiting her into the cool teams and join her sister. "OKAY!! WAIT FOR ME, NEE-CHAN!! I'M GOING TO STAND ON THE SAME STAGE WITH YOU ONE DAY!!"

"Of course! Don't take too long, okay!!"

Akari chimed in. "I fully support your dreams, but Natsu dear, try to lower your voice next time," she sternly said to the girl in question who pouted but nodded nonetheless. Then, she turned to her older daughter. "Shouyou, I only have one condition before I allow you to go to Brazil."

Hinata blinked at the serious tone in her mother's voice. "Yes, mama. What is it?"

"I want you to have a companion while you're there, even if there's Pedro, Heitor, Nice and all of your old friends."

"Aww, he's so cute!!" Yachi cooed at the small animal in Hinata's arms. "Look at him! How old is he?"

The ginger smiled as she stroked the fluffy grey and white fur of the Siberian Husky puppy that was nestling comfortably in the crook of her arms. "7 weeks old. My mom gifted him to me as a companion when I go to Brazil next year."

"What's his name?"

"Takeo! He's going to be a hero when he grows up," Hinata informed with a smile, pressing a peck on the puppy's head.

Yachi propped her elbow on the table and cradled her chin on her palm. The two young ladies were meeting in a cafe in Miyagi, having a pleasant girls day out with each other. Kiyoko was absent due to her busy schedule as a final-year student in a university in Kyoto.

"Among the volleyball players that I know, only you and Yaku-san from Nekoma are the only ones who will play in the foreign leagues. It sounds pretty incredible but kinda scary at the same time, you know!" The petite blonde shuddered. "I can't imagine myself living alone in a foreign country!"

The other young woman laughed. "That's why I choose Brazil! I have my old friends there and besides," she lifted Takeo in her arms and showed him to Yachi proudly, "I have a protector with me, remember?"

Takeo yipped in agreement, little tongue lolling out of his mouth in a giddy smile.

The former Karasuno manager chuckled. "Yeah, I know. By the way, does everyone know that you're going to play in the Superliga next month?"

Hinata pursued her lips in thought as she gently placed the puppy back on her lap. "Hmm, I informed my family first. Then, I talked to Yu-kun about it - I was actually worried about his reaction first, you know?"

"Why? Is he against the idea of you playing in a foreign country?" Yachi asked as worry lined her features.

Hinata shook her head with a small laugh. "Oh no, he's very supporting about it. It's just I'm worried that our relationship is going to be a long-distance one and you know how most of those kind of relationship doesn't end well, you get what I'm trying to say?" A grimace flashed across her face as she said that, to which the blonde nodded vigorously. "But Yu-kun reassured me that we won't end up like those relationships. We plan on calling each other at least once a day through the video calls and he promised that he'll visit me when he's free." She relaxed back in her chair with a smile.

"I'm glad to hear that. And don't worry too much about it, Hina-chan! Hyakuzawa-kun is completely loyal to you and no one else! Besides, you two are absolutely smitten with each other that it's so sweet and sickening at the same time," Yachi rolled her eyes at the last part.

"Hey!" The ginger threw a fry at her playfully in response.

"Don't do that!" The blonde laughed. "Anyways, who else knows about it?"

"Oh uh, after Yu-kun, I informed Kenma - which I'm sure he told the entire Nekoma team about it. Then, the third years, second years senpais from Karasuno. I already told you guys - Tsukki, Yamaguchi and Kageyama through the OG First Years groupchat, then my friends and teammates in Niiyama. Oh! And I informed all of the coaches that taught me and the ones I've met! The rest will find out about it soon enough, I guess. Whether through social medias or the news passing from one person to another."

Yachi nodded. "That's good. I think you'll do great in Brazil, Hina-chan," she smiled. "It's one of the best countries in volleyball, after all. When you come back here in 2 years, I'm sure you'll be one of the greatest volleyball player here."

Hinata grinned. "Thanks, Yacchan! I'm going miss you a lot!"

"Me too!"

For the rest of the year, Hinata mentally and physically prepared herself before she continued with her plan to go to Brazil. She already made her research and practiced diligently to be able to match with the powerful Brazilian players.

Even though she played with Brazilian beach volleyball players when she was young, that was different. Those players were incredible but they were only children and young teenagers.

In the Superliga, the players she would be playing with was far different than the ones she played with before. She would be playing with senior players, who were far more experienced and matured - stronger and forces to be reckoned with.

Luckily, her Portuguese was still excellent - she bet that as soon as she landed in Brazil, she will have no problem of speaking in Portuguese compared to her first time of returning back to Japan when she was 15. It took her about 3 to 4 months to stop mixing up Japanese and Portuguese in her speech.

Soon enough, the day of her departure to Brazil came. Her family, friends and teammates from Karasuno and Niiyama Joshi and finally, her boyfriend gathered at Narita Airport to send her off.

Hinata patted Natsu's head soothingly as her sister wept into her chest. "NEE-CHAN, I'M GOING TO MISS YOU A LOT!! WAIT FOR ME, OKAY?! AND I'LL MAKE SURE TO VISIT YOU WITH MAMA!!" She wailed as she pulled back to look at her sister with a sniffle.

The 19 year-old ginger giggled at the exasperated look sent by their mother because of the younger ginger's volume. "Me too, Natsu. And I promise that I will wait for you. So stop crying and practice hard, okay? You're a big girl now." She smiled.

"You hear that, Gramps?! I'm a big girl now! So you can't treat me like a kid!" Natsu said to their grandfather.

"I won't stop and you can't make me!" William let out an obnoxious laughter as he placed his hands on his hips.

Harumi rolled her eyes at her husband's theatrics before turning to her eldest grandaughter. "Take care of yourself, Shouyou, even though you have Takeo to protect you." She said softly.

"I will, Granny." The ginger reassured her.

"Say hi to Pedro, Heitor, Nice and Coach Lucio and the others for us!" Akari added with a smile. Natsu nodded her head vigorously in agreement.

After she was finished with her family, her friends and teammates' turns came.

"Shouyou, if you go to the Rio festival, send us a few pictures, will you?!" Nishinoya asked with an eager look. Stars practically sparkled around Tanaka at the thought of the joyous festival.

Hyakuzawa's cheeks tinged a slight red as an image of his girlfriend wearing a revealing samba outfit appeared in his mind. He hid his face with his hand while still holding Takeo's leash with his other hand - the now 11 months old Husky puppy gave him a weird look.

Daichi smacked both of their heads. "You idiots!"

Hinata laughed. "I'll see what I can do, senpai. I promise I'll bring souvenirs to all of you! I already have what kind of souvenir especially for you, Tsukishima!" She gave him a shit-eating grin, already knowing exactly what the souvenir will be.

Grimace flitted across Tsukishima's handsome features. "No thanks."

"See ya at the Olympics, Kageyama!"

The dark-haired setter nodded. "Hn."

"Ey, Sho-sho! If you know some Brazilian hotties, try to introduce them to us!" Nitta piped in enthusiastically. "I heard that Brazil has a lot of handsome men and hot ladies!"

"Oh God..." Nakisuna moaned in mortification at her friend's request.

"What?!" The taller woman queried. "It's a reasonable request! Oh, I'm so jealous of you, Sho-sho! Get me Bruno or other hot volleyball player's autograph for me, please!" She winked.

Hinata's plush lips twitched in amusement. Her friend had been acting like this since she learned that she will be going to Brazil. But before she could open her mouth to reply, Nakisuna beat her to it.

"I doubt even Giba would want your crazy ass, Machiko."

Some of the other girls snickered, or smothered their giggles with their hands. Kanoka coughed into her hand to hide her laughter - indirectly agreeing that Nitta's rowdy and loud behaviour was too much sometimes. Maiko was outright cackling.

Nitta grabbed at the front of her clothes dramatically, a mock hurt look plastered on her face. "Aoi-chan! The betrayal! Oh, the pain!" She playfully collapsed into the arms of one of the other girls, who caught her with an impassive look - suggesting this was a normal occurance to her.

Nakisuna snorted, before turning to the ginger. "I wish you good luck, Shou-chan. Go do your best out there. Show them that you're one hell of a Japanese player in the Superliga." She said with a crooked grin.

Hinata's smile was no less competitive and her eyes flashed in determination and challenge. "You bet I will, Aoi-chan."

After she was done giving her final words and exchanging hugs with her friends from Niiyama, she turned to Hyakuzawa, at last.

His eyes were filled with pride and his soft smile unwavering as he spoke. "No words can express how much I'm proud of you, Shou. You truly are amazing. I don't know if I truly deserve you."

Shit, she promised to herself that she wouldn't cry. Heck, she even stopped herself from crying when her family and friends hugged her. But her boyfriend had to make it difficult for her. "Don't say that. You're amazing yourself too." Her voice was practically wobbling, she was sure of it.

"I knew you're still having doubts and worry about what will happen to our relationship after this, so I got this for you," he reached for the pocket at the back of his jeans and pulled out a small velvet box - his other hand gently placed Takeo on the ground for what will happen next.

"Oh my God." Someone muttered from behind them as the giant middle blocker kneeling on the ground on one knee.

"Hold on."

"Wait a damn minute."

"Wow, seriously?"

"Help, I'm gonna cry."

Hinata stared at her boyfriend in shock. "Yu-kun? W-What is the meaning of this?"

Hyakuzawa opened the box and pulled out a small silver ring with a simple yet luxurious-looking ember stone on it. "Don't worry, I'm not going to propose to you yet, but I want to give you this ring as a promise that I will stay loyal and faithful to you even with the large distance between us and this ring will be only temporary until I'll find the right one when I propose to you for real." He said confidently.

Hinata couldn't hold herself anymore and tackled him into a warm hug. "I promise that I'll return to you and love you no matter what!!" She cried out with tears running down her cheeks.

Hyakuzawa chuckled warmly as he wrapped his strong arms around her waist. "Me too, Shou. You know what this means, right?"

She pulled back slightly enough to see his face, no longer crying but her tanned cheeks tinted red. "Huh? What is it?"

His lips curled into a tender smile. "That I'm serious about marrying you some day." He leaned forward to capture her lips in a chaste kiss. He could feel her smile through the kiss.

"I love you," she whispered breathlessly after breaking the kiss for a moment.

"I love you too," he smiled when she kissed him on the lips in return.

After he finally put the ring on her finger, the others applauded their hands, congratulating the couple.

Takeo barked happily at his owner and her boyfriend's new development in their relationship.

"I agree with you, Takeo! I'm about to start barking too!" Nitta chimed in.

"Please don't." Nakisuna was quick to stop her.

"My shoujo-loving ass is living for this!!" Maiko squealed.

When the announcement of the time for the passengers of Hinata's flight could head to the plane was heard, she bowed to everyone in gratitude. "Thank you for everything!"

"Good luck, Shouyou!"

"Take care of yourself!"

"Kick their asses, baby!"

"Nee-chan, wait for me, okay?!"

She smiled as she straightened her body and looked down at her companion. Crouching to his level next to him, she gently grabbed one of his paws in her hand and waved at them. "Say goodbye to everyone, Takeo!"

The puppy let out a short bark - his own language of saying goodbye.

Hyakuzawa smiled. "Take care of Shou for me, would you?"

Takeo stood on all fours, wagging his tail and barked again, his eyes filled with determination. He promised to his owner's boyfriend to keep his owner safe and he wouldn't disappoint him.

"See you guys again soon!" Hinata waved her arms with a warm smile as she and Takeo began to head to the boarding gate.

"See you, Shouyou!!"

Chapter Text

It took almost 12 hours for Hinata to finally arrive at Brazil. She cooed at Takeo as they walked down the passageway to the arrival gates in Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport. "We're finally here, Takeo! Are you excited?!"

The adolescent puppy barked happily in response, moving around his owner to show how giddy he was but careful not to forcefully tug on his leash.

Hinata walked out of the arrival gates along with the other passengers only to see familiar faces waiting outside the gates, ready to celebrate her arrival. Honey eyes immediately lit up in joy as she recognized them.

"HEITOR! NICE! PEDRO! COACH LUCIO!" She cried out happily as she sprinted towards them along with Takeo.

"Uh-oh," was all Heitor and Pedro could mutter before they were tackled by a blur of ginger. Nice cackled as the two males crashed into each other while happily returned Hinata's gesture.

"Shouyou! Faz algum tempo (It's been awhile)! Estou tão feliz em te ver de novo (I'm so happy to see you again)!" The voluptuous blonde chirped brightly as she warmly looped her arm around the other young woman in a side-hug. "And you've grown so much! You've gotten hotter!"

"Nice!" Hinata laughed. "E você ainda não mudou muito (And you still haven't change much). But you also have gotten more beautiful."

Nice grinned, pleased by the compliment. "Oho, why thank you, Shouyou!"

Lucio slid up next to them while Heitor and Pedro still recovering from the collision. The sly bastard was able to avoid Hinata's tackle at the last minute. "If it isn't my star student and player, Shouyou Hinata herself! Tell me, Shouyou! How's ol' Washijou doing?"

Hinata briefly remembered what the Shiratorizawa's coach told her before she came here. "He's doing well. And he asked me to do this," she raised her hand and smacked the back of his head, startling the others. "He said that's for being a little shit and sending a hundred of Cristor Redentor mini statues to him every year."

( "Smack him on the head for me, will ya?" Washijou requested to Hinata when she visited him in Shiratorizawa to inform the news of her joining a foreign club in Brazil. )

Lucio chuckled as he rubbed the sore spot. "Yeah, I believe you. I probably deserve that."

"You have a dog, Shouyou? What's his name?" Pedro asked, noticing the Siberian Husky puppy who was staring at them curiously.

"This is Takeo! He's 11 months old!" She introduced, ruffling the top of his head affectionately.

"Ah! He's so cute! Who's a good boy? Yes, you are!" Nice cooed as she crouched to Takeo's level and rubbed the puppy's fur. The grey and white-furred puppy wagged his tail happily as he keened from all the attention he received from the blonde.

"So where will you be staying, Shouyou? You're joining the Sesc  Jaguars, right?" Heitor asked.

Pedro answered for her. "I already informed Aunt Bella about Shouyou's return and she gladly rented her family's old apartment for her. You have no idea how ecstatic she was when she heard Shouyou was coming back!" He exclaimed.

"I don't blame her. Our very own Shouyou is slowly becoming well-known in the volleyball world, especially indoor volleyball." Lucio laughed as he patted Hinata's head fondly. "Don't be surprised when you receive extreme attention from the locals later, Shouyou."

Hinata smiled. "Of course I won't!"

Nice stood up after she was done playing with Takeo. "Enough chit-chat in the middle of the airport! C'mon, Shouyou! We've got a lot to catch up!" She linked her arm with the ginger's and dragged her away. Takeo immediately followed the two women.

"Wait! Where are we going?!"

"Your apartment, of course! The people from our street already lent a hand in upgrading your apartment and made it look as new! You've gotta see it! We split our money to buy the furnitures and stuff!"

Hinata blushed, touched by their kindness. "You guys are too kind! I don't know how I can repay you!" She whined adorably.

"Don't worry about that, Shouyou! We'll always be happy to help!"

Hinata was very glad to meet the residents in the apartment she lived in again. It had been almost 5 years since she last seen them. They were still friendly and kind like before but there were also several things happened after she and her family moved back to Japan.

She learned that Pedro's parents moved to live in the countryside - in a house where his grandparents left for them. Surprisingly Pedro managed to live alone despite being underage. He refused to join his parents in the countryside and preferred to live in the city. His parents respected his decision and often sent him allowance each month for his studies and living.

Heitor and Nice lived together in a nice house they rented together few streets away - which wasn't surprising to Hinata.

"Tia! Como você está? (Aunt! How are you?)" Hinata greeted the landlady sweetly.

"Shouyou sweetie! You've grown so much! You've become so beautiful and tall!" Aunt Bella crooned affectionately as she pulled Hinata into a hug. The landlady shrieked in delight as soon as she saw the ginger.

"Aunt! I only grew 2cm taller! I don't feel any different!" Hinata giggled, wrapping her arms around the pudgy old woman warmly. It was true, she was only 168cm tall - which didn't make any much difference than during her time in high school. She hoped that she would at least reach 170cm soon because her sister was growing too fast and soon would reach 163cm.

"Oh shush! I bet you'll grow taller in a year. How are your mother and sister doing? Are they well?"

"Mhm! They sent their regards to everyone and promised they'll come and visit!" She answered brightly.

As she and the others made their way to her apartment, she kindly greeted the other residents whom she grew up with. They all were happy to see her again - their very own Ninja Shouyou, now a famous volleyball player.

"Here's your apartment, Shouyou!" Pedro exclaimed exuberantly as he opened the door.

Hinata marveled in awe at the inside of the apartment. It looked way different than the home she grew up in.

It had a modern design with striking textures and earthy, warm styling. The walls were in soft cream and grey colours, the furnitures were in black, dark brown, soft beige, bronze and almond brown.

The decorations were also organized and minimalist - the way her people were used to back in Japan and still used it until now. Even her mother kept the interior design of their old apartment organized and as minimalistic as possible.

"Since you'll be the only one who lives here, we changed you and Natsu's old bedroom into a guest room in case you have a guest come over," Heitor explained as he scanned the room. "Nice almost went overboard with the kitchen but we were able to stop her." He joked.

"Hey!" The blonde playfully shoved her boyfriend with puffed out cheeks.

"We also repaired the old stuffs your family left behind in case you want them again for, you know, sentimental values and purposes," Pedro added with a small smile.

"Thanks, Pedro," Hinata flashed him a bigger smile.

"How do you like it, buddy?" Lucio asked Takeo as he looked down at the adolescent dog.

Takeo let out a short, loud bark in response, sticking out his tongue.

"Me too, Takeo! I like it very much! Thank you so much, guys!" Hinata bowed in gratitude to the four Brazilians. The Husky puppy followed her action and bent his body slightly.

"No problem, Shouyou! Think we'll get to hear how you were doing in Japan anytime soon? I figured that you may be tired from the long flight so you want to take a rest first," Nice patted her cheeks in her hands.

"Thanks, Nice. I think tonight might be great."

"Awesome!" She grinned.

That night in Hinata's apartment, the five of them had a pleasant and loud conversation that went on until midnight. Hinata told them how her life had been during her time in high school. Half way through the conversation, Nice even got drunk after she drank too much alcohol that she brought with her.

"*hics* Shouyou~, do you have a boyfriend now~ *hics* ?" Nice drawled in a drunken manner, cheeks tinted red showing how much alcohol she consumed throughout the night.

The ginger smiled softly at the mention of her giant middle blocker lover. "Yeah. In fact, he's the 2 meters tall player that I told you guys about."

Nice spat out her alcohol to Heitor, spraying the liquid directly to her boyfriend's face. Pedro howled with laughter at the look of resignation on the tall man's face. "Really?! Holy shit!" She gasped, turning sober immediately as if she wasn't wasted a few seconds ago.

"What does he look like?! 2 meters?! That's a few inches taller than you, babe!" She said to Heitor.

"Ouch," Lucio snickered teasingly.

"Here," Hinata showed them one of the photos she took with Hyakuzawa in her gallery. It was the latest photo of them on a date when they went to an amusement park. In the photo, Hyakuzawa rested his chin on the top of the ginger's head while his arms wrapped around her waist. Hinata, on the other hand, placing one of her hands on his hand on her waist while her other hand cupped his jaw tenderly. She was smiling radiantly while he had a smitten look on his face as he looked down at her.

"Oh my God, he's so handsome!" Nice squealed. "Ehem, not as handsome as Heitor though," she added cheekily after noticing the dark-skinned man sulked at her comment.

"Whoa, his hairstyle is badass!" Pedro remarked.

Hinata laughed. "I know right? But he said many people were intimidated by him at first glance and thought he was a Yakuza because of his neutral expressions." It was true. He often received looks from people whenever they went out together because of his imposing height and serious face.

Lucio smiled as he took another look at the photo. "Judging by his height and your story, I assume that he plays volleyball professionally, yes?"

She nodded. "Japan Railway Warriors. That's the name of his team. He played as a wing spiker in high school and now his position is middle blocker."

"I'm not surprised though. You played as a middle blocker in high school and now you play as an opposite hitter. It's as if you guys switched positions," he chuckled.

"Speaking of which, when will you start your practice with your new team, Shouyou?" Heitor chimed in with a curious look.

"The day after tomorrow. I probably won't start practice right away, maybe getting to know of the players on the team first. I already know the coach though," Hinata said.

He nodded with a smile. "I wish you good luck then."

"Thanks!" She grinned.

Hinata made sure to inform her family and friends about her arrival in Rio in an appropriate time where they were awake. She sent a few photos of the apartment to her mother and sister and they were ecstatic and impressed by the new look.

Because she was free the whole day, she spent her time with Takeo - buying a new crib and food for him since she only brought a few stuffs with her. He was an energetic puppy, a compatible companion for her. She took him on a jog with earlier that morning, even having a small race competition with each other, which he won and earned delicious snacks as a reward.

She also made sure he was familiar with volleyball. Even before they came to Brazil, he came to love playing volleyball like she did ever since he saw her practicing in the lawn. Takeo made a good partner for her. He learned to pass the ball to her and receive it with his snout at first and soon enough, he became capable of setting the ball.

The next day, Hinata took Takeo on a morning jog before she washed up and changed her clothes when they got back to the apartment. Since she was unable to brought him with her, she left him in Pedro's care while she went to meet her new team. Luckily, Takeo got along with Pedro well and patiently waited for his owner to come home from practice.

Hinata chose to wear a denim jacket over a simple grey shirt and jeans, her mid-back length hair was tied into a high ponytail before she quickly rushed to chase the next bus to her destination.

The Sesc Jaguars' gym training facility was located on the other side of the city, so it took about 1 hour and a half for her to finally reach there. Luckily, Coach Antonio was an understanding man, stern when needed to.

"Shouyou! It's a great pleasure to have you! I've heard many things about you from the locals!" He grasped her hand in his and shook them firmly with a grin. "It's very rare that a Japanese player joined the Superliga, much less a freshly-graduated high school player but hey-- we know you're not just any high school player!"

Hinata flashed him her usual winning smile. "Thank you for having me, Coach! I chose to pursue my volleyball career here because Brazil is the best option for me!"

A deep laughter rumbled in his chest, pleased. "I see. We are more than happy to have you with us!"

She smiled before it shifted into a bashful one. "So do I have to go through a try-out first, Coach? I don't remember the Chairman mentioning any try-outs in the phone call before," she said nervously.

An offended noise escaped from his lips. "Of course not! Ninja Shouyou doesn't need to do try-outs! The players and I have watched all of your games, from your beach volleyball days until your highschool days and we were astounded!" He shot her a teasing smile. "Now, the players are doing a 6-on-6 match and will continue after lunch break. I think they can take a small break from the practice to introduce you to them."

Hinata bit her bottom lip nervously. This was it. She was going to meet the players of the strongest team in the women's league. A few of them were even part of the national team. She hoped that she could at least meet their expectations, figuring they might be serious and strict.

She followed Coach Antonio to the main court where the match took place. She watched from the door as the coach blew on his whistle to gather their attention. Tall, Amazonian-like players approached him, some had curiosity etched across their faces while some had serious looks on them. He explained that the new player has arrived and would be introduced to them now.

"Everyone, meet Hinata Shouyou, also known as Ninja Shouyou."

Her legs never felt heavier than before as she stepped forward to the other players. She hesitantly glanced at their faces to see their reactions and was pleasantly surprised to see they were all looking at her in genuine curiosity and recognition, some even gave her friendly smiles or waves or gave encouraging nods.

She felt a heavy burden lifted up from her shoulders as soon as she saw those looks.

Stopping next to the coach, she bowed politely before standing again and a radiant smile tug on her lips. "Hello! My name is Hinata Shouyou and I'm 19 years old! I will play as an opposite hitter so it's an honour to be a part of this team and I can't wait to play with you guys!"

It was a beautiful start of Hinata's professional volleyball career.

Chapter Text

Hinata easily blended in with the remarkable players in Sesc Jaguars than she originally thought. They immediately recognized her from the international-level tournaments and her reputation as Nicolas Romero's protege.

They treated her as if she was their long-time friend, casting away all the formalities and became good friends despite their age differences. Captain Maria da Silva was the oldest player on the team - being 30 years old but her warm smile on her usually serious face reminded Hinata of her grandmother from her mother's side. 

Setter Natalia Rodriguez was different than other setters that Hinata knew or played with before. The setters she was accustomed with were calm and collected, often pulled off the craziest stunts and sometimes came up with the scariest strategies. But instead, Natalia had this odd yet amazing ability. With one look at her hitters, she immediately knew what kind of toss she would send to them. The stronger they are, the more precise the toss will be.

Hinata briefly lamented the fact that she was the shortest player on the team, even shorter than the libero, Isabella Costa. The 23 year-old woman was also a foreign player like her, originally from Colombia. Isabella once expressed that she was very glad that the team had another defensive specialist other than the libero. Apparently, South American volleyball's play style often focused on attacking instead of defending - which is good since they're one of the best countries in the world, but according to the libero, receives are the backbone of a team, which the ginger agreed.

The tallest player on the team, Linda Oliveira, had one of the coolest hairstyles Hinata had seen before. The 194cm tall woman's dreadlocks were dyed in platinum blonde - which made her look like the black version of Daenerys Targaryen. She also reminded her of Tendou, a blocker who used guess block as her main weapon.

If Hinata were to choose the most handsome player on the team, it would be Lucinda Souza, or Lucy by the others. The 22 year-old wing spiker's dark brown hair was cut short to her nape and slicked back, emphasizing her intense icy blue eyes. Boy, the red-orangette almost questioned her sexuality because of the mysterious aura she radiated.

Out of all of them, the player who was the closest to Hinata would be Gabriella Moreira. Like any other wing spiker Hinata knew, she was the rowdiest, loudest and the troublemaker of the team. A disgruntled Maria revealed that Gabriella went to jail once because she became too wild when she was drunk and did unspeakable things that the captain refused to remember at all. Since then, they forbade her from drinking alcohol at all costs.

"Oh c'mon, Cap! It was only one time! Once!" The brunette squawked, her extremely frizzy hair bounced wildly as she stomped her feet childishly.

Maria shot her a dark look. "And once is enough. Don't taint Shouyou with your... wild actions. She's just a kid." 

Apparently, the captain found out that she secretly invited their newest member to a night club in middle of the city. Boy, she wasn't too happy to hear that. 

Maria didn't hesitate to throw her shoe at the rebellious wing spiker. Linda was all too happy to record the video of Gabriella running away from their captain who chased her with a shoe.

While the chaos was happening, Lucy covered Hinata's eyes with her hands. "Huh? What's happening, Lucy? Is that Gabriella screaming?"

"....Nothing is happening here, Shouyou. This is normal."

For the rest of the year, Hinata along with the Sesc Jaguars carved a path to victory in various competitions. The Superliga, the South American Club Championship, Brazilian Cup, Campeonato Paulista. By the end of the season, they were ranked as the strongest women club team in South America.

Hinata was very satisfied and proud of her achievements so far.

Hinata whooped in joy after she looked at the calendar. Today is the beginning of the off-season break for her. She finally had free time for herself.

She walked out of her room to see Takeo playing with his ball toy that she bought for him not long ago. Now, Takeo is 1 and a half year old. And yet he has grown so big. He took most of the space on the couch, even draping his upper torso on her lap.

"Takeo~ how's my baby doing today?" She cooed affectionately as she scruffed his fur and ears before pressing a kiss on the top of his head.

A short, energetic bark was her answer. The now adult Husky dog looked up at his owner and a tongue poked out of his mouth as he licked her jaw.

"I see. Today's is the first day of my off-season break so I'm free for a while. Do you want to do something, Takeo? I know you miss me a lot because I'm too busy playing volleyball!" She cupped his jaw while making an exaggerated pout with a sad look as he whined. "Huh? You already have something in mind?"

"Arf!" He barked before stepping towards the window and barked again as his eyes laid upon something. Hinata followed his eyes and saw what he was looking at.

"You want to go to the beach?" She concluded as she looked down at him. He wagged his tail enthusiastically as he circled around her. Stopping in front of her, he looked up to her with pleading eyes before standing on his hind legs and pawed at her stomach.

"Whoa, okay, okay!" She laughed as she almost lose her balance from his weight. "Okay, we'll go to the beach today, Takeo," she smiled, running her fingers through his fur.

Takeo let out a delighted howl in response.

The apartment was located next to the beach, only separated by the road. It was the same beach where Hinata finally returned to doing something she loved again - playing volleyball after months of staying away from the sport because of her immense mourning of her father's death. She saw a gathering of people around a court on the farther side of the beach, a few players - two on each side of the court passing the ball to score and she watched in admiration from the way they move, how they had the intuitive sense of where the wind would shift, how they used the blaring light of the sun as a weapon.

It's really great to finally come back here, she thought with a wistful smile as she gazed around. The beach was pretty much still the same - saved for new facilities that have been added throughout the years.

Her eyes drifted to the same court she once saw and played for countless time. As if she was 7 years old again, she was drawned by the crowd and the match that is currently happening.

"Takeo, let's go check this out! I want to watch the game for a moment!" The Husky barked in agreement, walking next to his owner as they made their way towards the match.

They came to a stop at a spot where there was space that they could see the game clearly. Hinata watched the match with a small smile, reminiscing her time as a professional beach volleyball player.

Soon enough, the match came to an end and the players shook hands - opponents to opponents and patted their respective partner's backs in a great show of sportsmanship.

Hinata was going to walk away along with the crowd when someone cried out her name.

"Holy shit, is that Ninja Shouyou?!" 

She blinked in surprise before turning around to the one who called her. Takeo made a low growling noise at the unfamiliar person who called his owner.

"Hi, that's me!!" She gave them a cheerful smile as she waved her hand in greeting.

Some of them approached her with sparkling eyes, starstruck. "It's really you!! Are you here to play beach volleyball again?!" A tall local boy cried out enthusiastically.

"Dumbass, she doesn't play beach volleyball anymore. She plays indoor volleyball now and a part of the Sesc Jaguars!" His friend smacked his head. "How can you not know?! It's everywhere in the sports news!"

"Ah yeah, I don't play beach volleyball professionally anymore but I still play occasionally to hone my skills," she added with a smile.

"Uwaah!! So, can you play a game with us right now?! It'll be a great honour for me to play against the Ninja Shouyou!" The tall local boy suggested, much to everyone's shock. Even his friend was surprised by his bold suggestion.

Hinata blinked again before a smile graced her lips. "I don't mind. But is it okay if my dog play as my partner? He's a very reliable setter and receiver."

Takeo puffed out his chest proudly at that.

The boy nodded vigorously. "Of course! Anything for you! It'll be only just one set! One set is enough for me!"

Hinata was worried he would get a seizure from how excited he was. "Sure! Yeah!" She replied before his friend grabbed his collar and dragged him away from the ginger.

"Sorry about him, Ninja Shouyou! He got too fired up from getting to play against you!" He apologized.

Later, the two local boys introduced themselves as Ronaldo and Eduardo. Ronaldo was the taller, more excitable one who would be playing as setter and blocker while his friend, Eduardo would be playing as hitter and receiver.

Hinata was so glad she wore a long-sleeve dri-fit and bottoms instead of skimpy bikini. Yu-kun would have a heart attack if he saw her wearing such outfit. He already begged her not to wear samba outfits if she go to Rio festivals like what Tanaka and Nishinoya asked her to.

When she teasingly said that he was possessive, he didn't deny it and shyly admitted that he didn't want others to see her exposed skin.

Hinata shot her opponents a competitive grin before looking at Takeo. "Let's do this, Takeo!" She cheered.

The Husky barked loudly in response. She already unclasped his leash so he could move freely but kept his collar.

The match has finally began. To no one's surprise, Hinata still hadn't lose her touch despite no longer playing beach volleyball professionally. Her spikes, her jumps and her speed, they were all unbelievable.

The sand didn't restrict her movements at all, if anything she looked like she was gliding on it like a figure skater would move on an ice rink.

What's more impressive was Takeo's ability to set and receive the ball. Because his owner was in charge of the aerial battle, he made sure to guard the court with his speed and sharp precision. It was incredible to watch him toss the ball accurately to his owner like Hinata's former setters did for her. 

They could even pull off a quick attack - the legendary attack that made Karasuno recognized by other teams.

In the end, it came to no one's surprise when Hinata's team won the match with 25-18.

"Ah, I'm so happy that I got to play against Ninja Shouyou that I don't care that we lost," Ronaldo said with a dreamy look on his face.

"I hope you realize that not only we lost to Ninja Shouyou, but also to her dog." Eduardo deadpanned.

"Who cares?! He's got better setting skills than me!"

"Hey cheer up, boys! I had fun just now! Did you guys have fun too?" Hinata chimed in with a bright smile as she approached them with Takeo following her.

"We sure did, ma'am!" They answered in unison as they straightened up.

"I'm glad! Now if you'll excuse me, Takeo is very excited to play in the water!" She bid them goodbye as she walked away from the court with a cheerful wave.

Hinata watched as Takeo sprinted towards the water and dived into it before emerging with a splash. She played with him for an hour in the water before pulling out her phone from her pocket and took a few photos and videos of their fun time together.

In Japan, Hyakuzawa was resting on a bench during practice with the Warriors before his notification went off. He pulled out his phone to see his girlfriend sent him several photos and videos of her and Takeo at a beach, clearly having fun.

Shou🌞: Wish you were here to join us in the fun, Yu-kun♡

A smile tug on his lips at her message. His eyes gazed on one of the photos she sent. A selfie of her and Takeo in shallow water, both of them were wet - courtesy of the Husky and she was smiling brightly while Takeo had his tongue sticking out of his open mouth in his own version of smiling.

Damn, he missed her so much.

Hinata's second season with Sesc Jaguars was replaced with the Summer Olympics that year. Out of all her teammates, only Maria and Linda who made it into the roster for the national team.

Which means Hinata would face off against her Sesc Jaguars teammates as opponents from the opposite side of the court.

It's also Hinata's first tournament with the senior women's team. Kanoka was recruited into the team a year before her. They were all amazing and hardworking players, willing to guide each other while seeking to improve themselves.

After almost three weeks facing off against several countries, the prestigious tournament came to an end with Japan placed 4th and 6th in women's league and men's league respectively.

Hinata and Kageyama (who also played in the Olympics for the first time with the senior men's team) both made a name for themselves in the Olympics. The latter was known because of his service aces that crushed France while the former was known because of her unbelievable jumping reach and spike speed.

Unfortunately, the two best friends weren't able to meet each other because of their tight schedules. Nonetheless, Hinata still showed her support by yelling out "That's my bestie!!" whenever there's a highlight of Kageyama's service aces on the TV or crying out "That's Ushi-sennin!" whenever there's a highlight of Ushijima's spikes. She also called Kageyama and share their stories of their games to each other.

Her mother and sister fulfilled their promise to visit her in Brazil by watching the matches live in the stadium. Even Hyakuzawa was there since the V-League was on a long break to make way for the Olympics.

They all had a great time there. After Hinata was done with the tournament, she stayed in Brazil while the rest of the team returned back to Japan. She took her family and boyfriend to meet her friends. 

As Nice had expected, both Heitor and Pedro were intimidated by Hyakuzawa, even though the former was a mountain of a man himself.

Akari and Natsu were both squealing in delight along with Nice as soon as they saw each other. Hinata giggled at their comical reactions.

The ginger took them to the beach to play beach volleyball. It was her and Natsu versus Heitor and Hyakuzawa. Of course, the two sisters came out as the victors because they had better chemistry than the other pair.

Apparently, Natsu did pursue volleyball in middle school and now playing as a setter. The younger ginger vowed to become the best setter in the world and not even Kageyama or Atsumu or even Oikawa can defeat her.

It was all fun and laugh but the main highlight of the year was that Hinata actually met Oikawa again in Rio. 

"Yu-kun, it's been only two days since you went back to Japan and I miss you already!" Hinata cried through the video call with her boyfriend. It had been two days since Hyakuzawa returned to Japan and a week after her mother and sister left after the Olympics ended. She collapsed on the couch dramatically before Takeo dashed towards her and licked her face in comfort.

"Thanks, Takeo!" Her lips curled into a smile at the endearing gesture the Husky made.

"I miss you too, Shou. But I have to prepare for the upcoming season with the Warriors," Hyakuzawa responded with a wistful look in his eyes. "Just hold on a bit longer, yeah? You only have one year left before you join the V-League, right?"

She pouted. "Yeah. But one year is so long!" She sniffled with teary eyes. Yup, her homesickness began to kick in now.

The giant middle blocker looked worried now. "Love, why are you crying? Please don't cry."

She sniffled, hastily wiping her tears away. "No, I just feel really homesick right now," she said with a teary laugh, "It's been two years since I came here and now my homesickness decided to kick in, geez."

He was unconvinced. "Do you want to sleep? It's really late there, you know." In Japan, it was 11 a.m but in Rio, it was 11 p.m. But even though it's late, Hinata knew there are some people playing beach volleyball at the beach right now at night.

"I'm not feeling sleepy yet. And I haven't dinner ," she giggled sheepishly. "I've forgotten to cook today because I missed you too much!" She pouted adorably.

Hyakuzawa smiled fondly at her through the screen. "Well, you shouldn't have. You should think about yourself more, okay?" 

"How can I continue on with my day knowing that you aren't well because of me?"

He sounded so cool that she covered her flustered face with a loud squeal. "Kyaa! Yu-kun really knows how to make my heart beat so fast like boom boom!" She rolled around on the couch before falling to the floor with a loud thud. "I'm okay!"

He chuckled. "You almost gave me a heart attack, Shou. You're going to be the death of me one day, I swear." He said as his broad shoulders relaxed. He was startled when the screen went distorted and he heard a loud thud on her side.

He wasn't ready to hear her next reply.

"I'm going to make sure that cause of death is because of me if you know what I mean~" She said with a sultry smile playing on her lips and a seductive look in her eyes. 

Hyakuzawa's face immediately flushed beet red as he covered his face with his large hand. "Shouyou!" He said a bit too loudly because he was too baffled by her seductive behaviour.

Hinata's entire body shook with laughter. "I'm sorry! I was just kidding...unless...?" She trailed off with a teasing smile.

His next reply was unexpected and took her off guard. 

"Don't do something that you'll regret later, love. I've been trying to hold back. You don't want to know what happens if I lose control now, would we?" 

His low voice sounded huskier and darker, his usually soft smile promised nothing but danger, the look in his eyes made her knees tremble, but not from fear.

"I..." She was left speechless by the new side of her boyfriend that she was witnessing right now.

"I hope you're ready when the time comes, baby, because I won't go easy on you," he continued with the same dangerous smile before bidding her goodbye and a "Love you" before he ended the call.

Hinata blinked her eyes as she tried to process what happened before she turned to Takeo, who was leisurely resting on his bed.

"And I thought he's the shy one."

In the end, Hinata went to buy her dinner from a nearby restaurant. She really likes to buy her food there because the foods are good, cheap and healthy too.

"Takeo, I think I may have awakened something inside my boyfriend and it's not good," she was still unable to accept the fact that she successfully made Hyakuzawa lose his composure.

Takeo only barked in response, not understanding what she meant before suddenly he growled.

She didn't notice the sudden change in the Husky and wasn't looking where she was going before she bumped into someone when they turned a corner.

Luckily she was quick to balance herself and saved her dinner. "Oh, sorry about that-- Grand King?!"

Oikawa's handsome features briefly morphed into shock before he smiled mischievously down at her. "Heyya, chibi-chan. Fancy seeing you here!"

Chapter Text

Hinata couldn't believe her eyes. Oikawa was actually in Rio. With friends, she noticed. Two tall foreign men shot her friendly smiles and waved in greeting. "Oh? It's Shouyou Hinata!" One of them exclaimed. 

She also recognized them to be volleyball players in the Argentina team. Ah, so these two must be Oikawa's teammates.

"Hi!" She greeted them back before turning to Oikawa. "I can't believe I actually meet you here, Oikawa-san." She said.

"Didn't I get famous enough that you can recognize me? I'm hurt, chibi-chan!" He placed his hand on his chest playfully while feigning a hurt look on his face.

Before Hinata could reply anything else, the brunette player let out a girlish shriek as Takeo growled and barked angrily at him. He even clung onto one of his teammates who looked amused at the exchange.

"Argh!! I thought I'm done dealing with Mad Dog in high school! Now I meet another Mad Dog here!" He cried out.

Hinata pouted as she kneeled next to her companion. "Hey, Takeo is a sweetheart, okay? He's just wary of strangers! Isn't that right, Takeo?" She nuzzled her cheek against his fur.

The Siberian Husky immediately turned docile as he nuzzled back against his owner affectionately, as if he wasn't just threatening Oikawa a second ago.

"I think he just doesn't like you, Toto," one of Oikawa's teammates, the one that he didn't clung on, laughed.

To prove his point, Takeo even went towards him and allowed the Argentinian man to pet him.

"Now that's just unfair!" Oikawa whined as he slowly let go of his teammate before quickly hiding behind him in fear when the Husky growled at him.

Hinata laughed. "Don't mind him, Oikawa-san! Anyway, what are you doing here?" She asked.

"Our team have a practice match with one of the local teams here so we're staying here for a week," he answered from behind his teammate's body. He perked up. "Hey, you're familiar with this area, right? Can you show us where to get some good meals?!" He asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, I know a good restaurant nearby. I just returned from there actually, since I forgot to cook dinner," she raised up her own plastic-wrapped food to emphasize her point with a sheepish smile. "I can take you there."

The three men's faces lit up in delight. "Great! Let's go!"

After that, Hinata took them to the restaurant where she bought her dinner. She snorted to herself because in the end, she had dinner there with the dinner she bought. She spent her time catching up with Oikawa, learning how he actually managed to earn himself a spot in the Argentina team while his two teammates sometimes joined in to tell funny stories of the brunette setter since he joined their team.

Then the topic switched to the recent Olympics. "Did you watch any of Kageyama and Ushi-sennin's game lately, Oikawa-san?" Hinata asked with a knowing smile, trying to get a reaction out of him.

Oikawa made an ugly face at that. "No," he denied. The resemblance he had with Kageyama was pretty amazing. Like teacher, like student.

She giggled in response. Then her ears picked up the sound of the local people playing beach volleyball at the beach nearby and a light bulb appeared next to her head. "Oikawa-san, wanna play beach volleyball with me after this?" She suggested.

He raised an eyebrow. "At night?" His eyes drifted to the people, old and young, playing beach volleyball happily at the beach. "Oh wow, you guys play volleyball at night? Brazilians are something else." He remarked.

She crossed her arms while waiting for his response. "So? What do you say?" She smiled cockily.

He squinted his eyes at her playfully. "Oho, are you going to show off your beach volleyball skills, chibi-chan? Do you want to show you're superior than me?" 

She shrugged. "Maybe. I no longer play professionally but I still play beach volleyball occasionally. Maybe those guys out there are greater than me now. I don't know."

"C'mon, do it, Toto. We want to see Ninja Shouyou play with our own eyes." One of Oikawa's teammates nudged him. The other one nodded his head in agreement.

"Toto?" Hinata caught the nickname and chortled. 

Oikawa heard her. "Chibi-chan!" He whined. "You're the same like Iwa-chan! He also laughed when he heard that name! He hasn't let me live ever since without bringing up that name!" He pouted petulantly.

She laughed before rising to her feet. "What, you and Iwaizumi-san are together now? By the way, let's go now! Those guys might play until midnight but I need to take Takeo to bed early! He's an early sleeper!" The Husky barked in agreement next to her. He really appreciated his sleeping schedule, thank you very much. He knew when to be active and when to go to bed.

"Me and Iwa-chan? Who knows?" He smirked.

"They are. His boyfriend confessed first through a phone call while he's at California. Toto was a crying mess in the middle of practice," his teammate chimed in helpfully with a mischievous smile.

"Diego!"

They headed to the beach where Hinata happily greeted the locals who recognized her. From young children to the elder people, they greeted the ginger as if they had known each other for a very long time. They knew her as both Hinata Shouyou, who grew up in their neighbourhood and Ninja Shouyou, the former beach volleyball player who now played in one of the top indoor volleyball teams.

Wow, it's like she's a celebrity to them. Well, they're not wrong, Oikawa thought with a sweatdrop as he watched the locals swarmed Hinata as she calmly spoke to them one by one.

Then Hinata perked up when she saw two familiar faces. "Hey, Gabriel! Gino!" She greeted cheerfully as she waved her arms.

Two Brazilian men walked up to the group with smiles on their faces. "Hey, Shouyou!" Gabriel greeted. Gino waved his hand in greeting.

"Who's this Jackie Chan?" The older brother asked, pointing to Oikawa, who squinted his eyes in offense.

Hinata bursted out laughing. "No, this is a friend of mine who plays in the Argentina volleyball team. He's a Japanese player on the team, so he's not your common tourist or average player," she explained before turning to Oikawa while smiling, "He thought you were a Chinese."

"Excuse you, I'm a Ken Watanabe!" Oikawa gasped in outrage. His teammates snorted from behind him.

Gabriel looked skeptical. "Uh, okay? So whaddya need, Shouyou? You wanna treat us to some drinks?" He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

She snorted. "Actually, I wanna play a set with you guys. My friend here will be my partner," she pointed a thumb to the confused Oikawa. "He'll buy you guys drinks if we lose," she smiled mischievously.

Gabriel nodded. "Ah, no problem!" He grinned, giving her a thumbs up. Then he patted Oikawa on the shoulder with a friendly smile. "No hard feelings, kay?" He said before he left with his brother to prepare for the game.

"Who are those guys, chibi-chan?" Oikawa asked curiously.

"The buy-me-beer brothers, Gabriel and Gino. The one with the cap is Gabriel, the older brother and the other one is his younger brother, Gino. They're known for making bets with their opponents to buy them drinks when they win around here. Luckily, I never lose against them," she explained. "But, you on the other hand, have to watch out because you have to buy their drinks if we lose."

"WHAT?! Why only me? Why aren't you included?!"

"You're the only one who isn't familiar with beach volleyball like the rest of us. Real sorry about that." She said solemnly.

"Chibi-chan!"

Like Hinata predicted, their team lost. But it was a close one, thanks to the ginger. Gabriel and Gino had a hard time against her. Unfortunately for Oikawa, he was beaten quite roughly since he face-planted in the sand several times, much to the brothers and his teammates' amusement. Hinata actually felt sorry for him for a moment. As promised, the brunette setter had to buy the brothers their drinks.

But even though he lost, he learned something while he played with Hinata. He learned that volleyball was fun. A simple but important fact that he had forgotten for a long time. Hinata had unknowingly bring back the feeling that he lost after years of practicing and conditioning himself to overcome his limits.

In Japan, Kageyama stared at his phone for a long time, trying to what was happening. He had to close his eyes for a second then reopened them to see that the picture was actually real.

Hinata Shouyou: Look who I found in Rio!!

Underneath the message was a selfie of Oikawa and Hinata at a beach in Rio. Both of them had their noses scrunched up and their tongue stuck out playfully; Hinata made a small peace sign and Oikawa made a devil sign.

(At least, Hinata looked good while doing it but Oikawa, good God, if Iwaizumi saw him, he would've stared at him as if he was crazy.)

He was so confused and surprised by the selfie that he even showed it to Ushijima. The former Shiratorizawa ace furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at the picture, as if he was trying to unveil the mysteries of how Oikawa and Hinata met.

A week later, Oikawa and his team headed back to Argentina. Before that, he met Hinata one last time to say goodbye.

"Well then, take care of yourself, chibi-chan," he said.

"You too, Oikawa-san." She smiled. "Thanks for stopping by anyway. I was beginning to feel homesick after Yu-kun went back to Japan a few weeks ago and I met you. I've had a lot fun by the way!"

"No prob. It was a pretty refreshing change of pace for me too. Heck, it felt like I'd gotten a second chance to play volleyball for the very first time. Thanks." He said with a hint of wistful tone in his voice.

Hinata blinked her eyes in confusion but didn't say anything.

"Anyway, you're going back to Japan in a year, right? Your contract with the Sesc Jaguars is ending soon." He continued.

"Yeah, why?"

"M'kay, just remember," his brown eyes darkened as a shadow casted over his eyes. "I'm going to beat everyone. Be ready." He said seriously.

Her lips curled into a challenging smile. "Oh? Am I included too, Oikawa-san? Even though now I play in the women's league?" She asked.

"Men's league, women's league, it doesn't matter. You know you're a special kind of player, aren't you? I'm looking forward to see you grow in the next few years," he chuckled.

"Thanks!"

"Ah well, see you later then." He bid his goodbye before turning around and left.

Hinata watched his back until he disappeared from her sight before she went back to her apartment, determination coursing through her veins.

I'm not going to lose!, she thought with a smile.

Hinata spent her final year and season with the Sesc Jaguars before she went back to Japan in March 2018. Her team won the top spot on the ranks once again and achieved many victories in many games.

Heitor and Nice also had gotten married that year, after the latter proposed before her boyfriend could.

Lucio joked that they finally tied the knot after being together for a long time. "I thought they were already married from the first time I met them!" He exclaimed.

Hinata was assigned to be Nice's Maid of Honour while Pedro was Heitor's Best Man. The poor anime lover was teased by everyone because he was too shy when he danced with the ginger, trying to look everywhere but her.

Hinata was surprised by herself when she managed to catch the bouquet unintentionally after it landed directly into her arms. She didn't even tried to catch it, it just happened to land in her hands!

Nice was more than happy to take pictures of the flustered gingerhead and sent them to Hyakuzawa through Hinata's phone. She even claimed that she would make sure to come to her wedding in the future.

Hyakuzawa's response only made her face burned hotter.

Yu-kun💘: I didn't know we plan to have a beach wedding, love. I'm looking forward to get my revenge. You still remember it, right? ;)

Lord, please have mercy for her.

Though she secretly felt that her heart fluttering at the thought of marrying Hyakuzawa, fidgeting with her promise ring given by him with fond eyes and soft smile.

On her final day with the Sesc Jaguars, she exchanged tearful goodbyes and hugs with her teammates, promising to meet again on the court whether as teammates and rivals. Gabriella made a scene by clinging onto her legs and refused to let go even though Linda and Lucinda tried to pull her away. It was until Maria threatened her with her shoe again that she finally let Hinata go.

Even Coach Antonio sobbed like a baby when she came to thank him for taking care of her and guided her. He said it was like watching his little cub finally went to hunt on her own independently.

At the airport, Hinata stood in front of her friends and neighbours to bid her goodbye. "Pedro, make sure to eat your vegetables, okay? And don't stay up too late watching animes." She advised.

He sniffled. "I will! Good luck, Shouyou! I will watch all of your games on the internet, I promise!" He wrapped his arms around her in a hug as he wept.

She giggled before giggling louder when he added. "And don't forget to get me Kodzuken's autograph, please!"

"I will, I will!"

"Shouyou!" Nice was next. "Don't forget to invite us to your wedding!"

"Nice!" Hinata whined with a flustered look. "I'm only 21 and about to turn to 22 this year! I'm still young!"

"Yeah, let her and her boyfriend enjoy their boyfriend-and-girlfriend phase for a long time before they tie the knot. It worked for you two," Lucio remarked.

"Aw poo," the blonde pouted. "Oh well, when it finally happens, don't forget to call us!"

"Yeah, yeah."

She hugged and thanked Heitor and Lucio, along with her neighbours for helping her throughout the two years she spent in Rio.

She even let Takeo said his goodbyes as he soaked up all the attention he received from everyone, the dog's eyes were closed in content as they petted his head. He really loved it when people pet his head, especially his owner.

No, he still hadn't warm up to Oikawa. For some reason, he wasn't fond of him.

After she boarded the plane, Hinata stroked Takeo's fur as he snoozed on her lap as she gazed down at the official website of her soon-to-be new team.

Hikari Koshinyaku Red Rabbits, also known as Light Pharmaceutical Red Rabbits. A top women's team in the V-League.

Chapter Text

After the 12 hours flight, Hinata and Takeo finally arrived back in Japan in the late evening that day. She smiled when she saw Yamaguchi waiting for her and Takeo at the airport. He was the only person who had the time to pick them up. Tsukishima was busy with his upcoming season in Division 2. The same goes to Hyakuzawa and Kageyama in Division 1. Yachi was busy as an intern at her mother's company. 

The former Karasuno first-years actually planned to keep her return to Japan a secret from everyone else, especially Natsu. Kenma and her mother were the only ones who knew that she would be coming back today, other than them.

"Yamaguchi!! It's nice to see you again! Man, it's been awhile!!" She greeted happily as she walked up to him with Takeo next to her.

"Hey, Hinata! Yeah, it's been awhile. I'm glad this time you're actually coming back for good!" Yamaguchi chuckled. He looked different than he was back in high school. His dark green hair was now short and his physique has gotten more muscular even though he's the only Karasuno former first-year who didn't play volleyball professionally. Yachi received jealous looks from others because of how lucky she is.

Then he noticed Takeo and ruffled his fur. "Hey there, big guy. You've grown up so big!" He grinned when he received a proud bark from the Husky. "I'm serious, Hinata. He's a giant." It was true, Takeo have grown so much that he reached to Hinata's thighs, he was no longer the small puppy that would doze off in her arms easily as she carried him everywhere.

"And he's still growing," she added proudly before changing the topic. "Are you going to drive back straight to Miyagi right now? I mean, it's really far and I don't mind if we sleep one night in Tokyo first before we head back. I was actually thinking of sleeping at Kenma's for the night. Is that okay with you?"

He nodded. "Sure, no problem. But I'll sleep in my relative's house since they live here in Tokyo too. But seriously, are we going to keep your return as a secret from everyone? Won't Hyakuzawa get mad?" He raised an eyebrow questioningly before offering to pull her luggages instead since her hands were full of her snacks, phone and hand fan and holding onto Takeo's leash.

"Of course! Even my mom agreed to this! I wanna see how they react!" said Hinata before she laughed nervously. "About Yu-kun, I'm sure he won't get mad, but I'm also sure he won't react kindly about me keeping my return a secret from him," she shuddered, remembering how he promised to get his revenge from her. 

Yamaguchi looked confused but didn't say anything. "Okay..," he trailed off before changing the topic. "Anyway, did you get souvenirs for us?" He asked teasingly.

She laughed. "Of course! I even got Tsukki a special souvenir, just for him! No one else has it!" A mischievous smile tug on her lips, remembering the item that she bought specifically for Tsukishima.

Yamaguchi looked curious and interested. "Ooh, what is it?"

Hinata told him what it was and he bursted out laughing. "You know he's going to kill you for that, right?" He snorted.

The flame-haired young woman brushed it off with a wave of her hand. "Meh, as if he can." She looked down at Takeo, noticing that he was beginning to get restless from the long flight and eager to get out of the airport. "Oops, sorry, Takeo. We'll head out now! Let's go, Yamaguchi! To Kenma's house!"

"Right!"

Kenma welcomed Hinata and Yamaguchi into his house with open arms. The former cried out Kenma's name loudly before tackling him into a hug and proceeded to make a scene at the entrance of his house as she bawled her eyes out. Kenma and Yamaguchi had to drag her into the house before they could receive noise complaints from the blond's neighbours. It took 15 minutes for her to finally calm down. She explained that she got too emotional after finally get to see familiar faces of her friends after spending a long time in the overseas.

"You didn't even tear up when you saw me!" Yamaguchi exclaimed.

"I talked with you in the groupchat with the others almost every day!" Hinata replied.

"You messaged Kenma too! And called him at least a few times!"

"I am right here," the mentioned person muttered as he stroked his cat's fur, which he was ignored by the other two.

"Hey, you can't blame me for missing Kenma! He's my best friend!"

"I thought Kageyama is your best friend?!"

"Bakayama is my platonic soulmate, unfortunately. The braincells we both have, no, I have all the braincells between the two of us. But Kenma is my bestest, closest friend."

"Doesn't make any much difference to me," Yamaguchi muttered.

"It does, excuse you!"

Before they could continue bickering, Kenma pointed out that it was getting late and Hinata still hadn't change her clothes and had dinner yet. Yamaguchi snorted before excusing himself and informing Hinata to get ready to head back to Miyagi tomorrow and left to his relative's house.

After Hinata took a fresh bath and changed her clothes for the night, she walked to the living room to see Kenma ordered Korean foods as their dinner. They looked scrumptious to the hungry woman, who drooled slightly at the sight in front of her.

The two friends ate their dinner while chattering with each other, trying to catch up what they had missed over the years. Meanwhile, Takeo and Kenma's pet cat, which is a black cat named Apple Pie, played with each other at the corner of the room.

"Kenma, thank you for sponsoring me throughout these 2 years! Although it was kinda unfair that I'm the only one on the team that was sponsored by your company!" Hinata grinned. Apparently, Kenma owned a company named Bouncing Ball Corp. that sponsored volleyball players. However, only certain players earned sponsorships from him, one of them was Hinata.

He shrugged as he took a bite of his tteokbokki. "It's nothing. It means that I support your dreams, right? Playing in the foreign leagues. It's not my fault I choose to sponsor Japanese players only," he said.

She scrunched her nose cutely at his response. "One of my teammates thought I have a sugar daddy for god's sake!" She admitted with a whine.

Kenma choked on his tteokbokki before quickly drinking his water. After he finally swallowed it, he stared at her for a brief second before he bursted out laughing.

"It's not funny!" She cried out as she playfully slapped his arm. "She was so convinced by her theory that she even stalked me through my social accounts!" Gabriella was too focused on finding out the reason behind of Hinata's sole sponsorship from a Japanese company rather than practicing that Maria and Coach Antonio threatened her with 200 laps around the gymnasium.

That only made Kenma laughed harder to the point he started wheezing. Hinata shot him a dirty glare while Takeo gave him an incredulous look. Even Apple Pie looked at her owner as if he grew a second head.

It was until 2 minutes later that his laughter finally ceased. "Sorry," he gasped out, feeling hard to breathe since he laughed so hard for quite a while, "It's just too funny!"

"Not for me," Hinata pointed out with a small grumble.

The college student finally regained his composure and smirked. "But seriously though, do you think an aro-ace like me could become someone's sugar daddy?"

"Huh? Why do you ask me that?" She gave him a suspicious look.

"No reason," he teased.

She scowled at him before checking the time at her phone. 10 p.m. It was actually the time for them to get to bed. Even Takeo started to get sleepy as he lazily moved to sleep on the floor next to Apple Pie's area. But it also meant it was 10 a.m in Brazil.

"Hey, Kenma."

"Yeah?"

"My childhood friend in Brazil is a big fan of yours. He even asked me to get your autograph for him."

"Sure, I can do that."

"Thanks! But before that, I wanna do something else first."

"Hey, Shouyou! I'm glad you got back to Japan safely! How are you doing?" Pedro said through the video call. In the video call, he was currently studying (but Hinata knew he was watching One Piece rather than actually studying).

"Hey, Pedro! I'm doing okay, though my body feels a bit sore and tired from the long flight. I arrived at the airport pretty late even though I wanted to head back to Miyagi so I stay over in a friend's house over the night!" said Hinata with a bright smile.

"That's good! Tell Auntie Akari and Nacchan I said hi! Oh, and the others too! They send their regards!"

"Sure! I'll tell them!" Her smile turned mischievous and playful. "Hey, Pedro. I did say I stay over in a friend's house over the night, right?"

The Brazilian otaku cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"He's not just any friend, you see. He's my best friend!" She continued, still having that playful smile on her face.

"Uh... that's great, Shouyou! But what does that have to do with me...?" He asked.

"Because~," she sang before Kenma's face popped up next to her, "that best friend of mine is the Kodzuken!"

"Olá," the puddinghead waved his hand with a small smile.

On the other side of the video call, Pedro was shrieking and yelling incoherently in Portuguese that made Hinata howled with laughter as he fell down from his chair in astonishment and stared wide-eyed at his phone screen as if he couldn't believe that the popular streamer was right there.

"K-K-KODZUKEN?!?! What-- Shouyou-- I--" he sputtered as he placed his hand on his head in disbelief. "You said that your best friend was the guy who sponsored you!"

"Yeah! And Kenma is that best friend!" Hinata exclaimed cheerfully as if she didn't just drop a bomb at her childhood friend. "He really has more than one job... which is very impressive." She patted Kenma on the shoulder. "As you should, hun. Go get that bag."

The puddinghead snorted.

Pedro was absolutely starstruck, staring at Kenma with sparkly eyes and flushed cheeks. "Kodzuken! I'm your biggest fan! I'm sure Shouyou told me about you!"

Kenma raised both of his eyebrows in shock, impressed by his Japanese. "Wow, your Japanese is really good," he praised.

"Yeah, he learned it from One Piece and other animes that he watched," Hinata added with a smile.

Pedro puffed out his chest proudly at that. "Shouyou also taught me along with Lucio!"

The trio spent the next 2 hours chattering through the video call. Hinata finally ended the call after admitting that she was getting very sleepy, which Kenma and Pedro quickly ushered her to go to sleep since she would be heading to Miyagi tomorrow, which was another long journey. The video call was ended after they both bid their goodbyes to Pedro who happily returned the gesture with a satisfied smile on his face.

The next morning, Hinata got ready to head back to Miyagi as Yamaguchi waited for her in the living room of Kenma's house. When it was finally time to go, she thanked the puddinghead for his hospitality, which he smiled with a nod and responded that he wish her good luck with her debut as a V-League player.

Takeo gave a friendly bark at Apple Pie as his own language of saying goodbye, which the black cat responded with a quiet meow. The two animals got along with each other even though it was only one night.

A 15-year-old teenage girl with ginger hair walked down the stairs sleepily before heading to the kitchen for breakfast. "Mama? What's for breakfast?" She asked with a yawn, still feeling sleepy.

"Mama?" Natsu looked around, searching for her mother although her eyes still felt heavy and drowsy. She rubbed her eyes to see better.

Then she noticed her mother was in the living room, talking to someone. She went towards them and they both stopped talking when they saw her. When she saw a familiar face she hadn't seen for a year in real life, she froze.

Akari smiled knowingly at her astonished daughter.

The younger gingerhead stared at the person in disbelief. She wasn't expecting to see them today, in the house, right in front of her.

After a moment, she finally spoke with a shaky voice.

"N-Nee...chan?"

A soft smile tug on Hinata's lips as she opened her arms for a hug.

"Yeah. It's me, Natsu. I'm home."

Tears welled up in Natsu's eyes at the sight of her beautiful older sister, now back in Japan. Her loving sister who worked hard to be where she is now, practicing tirelessly and cared for others' well-being more than her own. She often called her through video calls even though she was busy and tired from practices and games. She promised that she would return to see her enter high school and she fulfilled her promise.

"Oh dear," Akari sighed as she braced for the incoming reaction.

"NEE-CHANNN!!!" Natsu screeched as she sprinted towards her older sister and tackled her before coiling her arms around her tightly. The force of her jump caused Hinata to fall on her back with a 'Oof!' as she wept. "YOU'RE BACK?!?!! WHEN DID YOU GET HERE?!! THIS ISN'T A DREAM, RIGHT?!! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!!"

Hinata smiled fondly as she patted her back soothingly before placing a kiss on top of her head. "I missed you too, Natsu. I'm here now."

Takeo thought Natsu tackling Hinata was a game so he joined them to form a group hug as he licked their faces affectionately.

"Takeo! You're so big now! Hey! That tickles!" The younger ginger-haired girl giggled when he licked her cheeks and nose.

"Don't lick Natsu too much, Takeo. She hasn't take a bath or brush her teeth yet," Akari said with a playful smile as she watched them with fond eyes.

"Mama!"

Hinata laughed when Natsu whined at their mother. Even after 2 years, she still hasn't changed much.

Ah, she's so glad to be back home now.

Hyakuzawa stared at his phone in worry, wondering why his girlfriend hasn't been answering his calls or replying to his messages for two days now. He called her mother, who said that she was fine and probably just busy with preparations for her transfer to the V-League, which he wasn't convinced much.

He called her close friends and none of them were helpful. Kenma said he also haven't heard from Shouyou for a week and Kageyama was way worse than him. The Adler setter blatantly answered that he didn't know her.

For a genius setter and a formidable opponent in volleyball, he was an idiot off the court.

The giant middle blocker clasped a hand over his mouth. Was Shouyou avoiding him? Did he scare her during their last video call? He was pretty sure that she said many times that he wasn't a scary person despite his imposing figure.

Was it because he lost control? It wasn't his fault that he almost gone crazy because his adorable and sexy girlfriend seduced him. They also hadn't even slept together despite being together for almost 5 years! They only have done heavy make-out sessions at most! And those were before she went to Brazil!

Hyakuzawa felt that they could take their relationship to the next level since he turned 20 but he figured that Shouyou wasn't quite ready yet since she was at overseas and busy with her team so he waited patiently.

When she seduced him that night, he thought that she was finally ready like he was. But seeing that she hasn't respond to him for days made him feel as if he was the one too eager that he scared her off.

He dropped his head sullenly, a gloomy and depressed aura radiated from him as some of his teammates shot him amused and concerned looks.

"Hey, you okay there, Hyakuzawa? You look pretty stressed over there," one of his teammates spoke as he changed into his jersey.

"Yeah, man! Cheer up a little bit, will ya?! We won against the Hornets!!" Another teammate piped in cheerfully.

"Yeah, and we'll be facing against VC Kanagawa next. Don't be too happy. I'm not fond with their setter," another teammate grumbled as he fumbled with his stuffs in his bag.

"What are you guys talking about? Hyakuzawa is being sulky because he couldn't contact his girlfriend," their team captain stated with a teasing smile. He was sitting next to the middle blocker and happened to saw one of his messages to Shouyou.

"Huh? Why?"

"Nah, it's nothing. I guess I accidentally scared her a bit too much during our last video call," Hyakuzawa answered as he lifted his head with a small frown.

"Scared her how?"

He couldn't answer that one so he kept his mouth shut as his ears and cheeks burned hot in embarrassment.

A more observant and blunt teammate of his spoke. "So you wanted to get sleep with her but you got her scared instead," he stated.

"WHAT?!"

"Ichiro, bro! You can't just say something like that!"

"Yeah, man! Have some decency!"

"Actually guys, let's all stop talking about this. It's not our business what Hyakuzawa does with his girlfriend," the captain said sternly after noticing how uncomfortable and embarrassed said man looked.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that, Hyakuzawa," they apologized.

"It's okay, guys. No harm done," he reassured them.

"Now that's settled, hurry up, guys! We need to practice for our upcoming game against VC Kanagawa!"

"Right!"

An hour and a half later, Hyakuzawa headed home first after practice ended. After showering to get rid of the sweat and changed into more comfortable clothes, he drove home in a depressed state.

Finally he arrived at the apartment and made his way to his house. As he walked, he fished out his phone from his bag to see there were no signs of calls or texts from Shouyou or signs of her responding to him.

He sighed before putting back his phone. He rounded a corner and saw someone was standing in front of his door, fidgeting with their fingers. He came to a halt when he recognized the reddish-orange hair of his girlfriend.

"Shouyou...?" He whispered.

Because the hallway was empty and silent, the sound of his whisper reached to them and the mentioned person looked up.

Plump red lips curled into a soft smile as doe honey eyes landed on his figure.

"Yu-kun..."

He took a step forward as he breathed shakily. "Is it really you? I'm not dreaming, right?" His usually half-lidded eyes were opened wide.

Hinata nodded reassuringly, soft smile still plastered on her lips. "I kept my return as a surprise from everyone except my mom, Kenma, Yacchan, Yamaguchi, Tsukishima and Kageyama. So surprise~"

Hyakuzawa was briefly irritated at the mention of Kenma and Kageyama's names but he pushed the feeling away as he stormed towards Hinata and pulled her into his arms in a tight hug.

He buried his face in her red hair and smelled the faint scent of vanilla, sweet and seductive just like her. "I missed you so much. I missed having you in my arms," he mumbled.

She smiled against his chest, pressing a hand to his heart, feeling it beat wildly against her palm. "I missed you too. I missed you so much that I always think about you every single day. Your touches, your kisses, your hugs, I missed them all," said the ginger softly.

The massive man slowly loosened his hold to gaze at her properly. "At least we actually managed to get the long-distance relationship successful," he said jokingly. He coiled his arms around her again and pressed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "God, I missed you so much. Is that why you didn't answer my calls or texts? Because you wanted to surprise me?"

"A part of it. I managed to surprise Natsu and I did! Now that I got you surprised too!"

"What about the others?"

She shrugged. "They'll find out sooner or later. But for now, I'm concentrating on something else." The look on her face changed as the sweet and soft look in her eyes was replaced with passion and yearning.

Hyakuzawa stiffened as he felt her running her hands on his pecs and abs seductively before grabbing the back of his neck and pulled his face closer to her. "A-And what is that?" He stuttered slightly, his heart was beating wildly in his chest and he felt his mind was slowly getting drowsy with lust.

Holy shit, are they finally going to do it?!

"You said that I shouldn't do something that I'll regret later because you've been holding back. I'm sure you've been holding back for a long time aren't you, baby? You must've waited for so long," she tip-toed and brushed her lips just ever so slightly against his.

He couldn't restrain himself anymore and pinned her to his front door, trapping her and slammed his hands on either side of her to prevent her from escaping. She squeaked in surprise at the sudden change of position before looking up to see the look on his face changed into the one like before. The expression of a predator that just found their prey and waiting to devour them.

"You're playing a dangerous game here, love. Coming all the way from Miyagi to Niigata just to surprise me and seduce me afterwards. Is that why you're wearing this outfit?" He drawled, his already deep voice dipping down an octave as he stroked  her neck, exposed shoulders and collarbones with his hand.

Hinata was wearing a form fitting, off-shouldered black top with long sleeves and denim shorts. Her long hair was worn down.

"Is it working?" The ginger-haired woman didn't back down as she pressed her body against his seductively, lifting one of her arms to brush her hand with his undercut.

He clicked his jaw as veins popped in his neck and forearms, feeling himself slowly losing control. But he needed to make sure if she was consent to what was coming next.

"Are you sure? Once we start, I might not be able to stop."

Her eyes softened as her lips brushed against his teasingly.

"Yes."

Chapter Text

Thick, long brown eyelashes fluttered open before they squeezed shut briefly as blinding ray of the sunlight hit them. They slowly reopened before blinking lazily, still drowsy and tired from last night's activity.

Memories from last night hit Hinata like a truck before she buried her face in the pillow to hide her burning face. She didn't regret or ashamed of what they have done but she couldn't help but to feel somewhat shy about it.

She slowly turned around to the other side to see her boyfriend was still sleeping soundly, the blanket covered his lower half, showing his bare chest.

A fond smile tug on her lips. He must have been really tired since he was busy with the V-League. Deciding to let him sleep a while longer, she slowly made her way out of the bed to make breakfast. She was getting a bit hungry... and sore, but she couldn't laze around and do nothing.

Wearing only her undergarments and one of Hyakuzawa's shirts, which was extremely large on her body with the hem of the shirt reached her mid-thighs. Tying her hair into a simple low ponytail, she made her way to the kitchen and started her mission.

Hyakuzawa woke up to a smell of grilled fish, which made him very confused at first. Then, he realized that he wasn't alone and his girlfriend was in his house with him that he shot awake in bed in realization.

He turned to the right side of the bed - which was empty - meaning that Hinata must have woke up earlier than him and was the one making breakfast in the kitchen. He rubbed his face with his hands slowly, scolding himself for making his girlfriend doing all the work even though she came from afar and possibly sore and tired.

The giant middle blocker moved away from the bed and wore a simple black sweatpants since he couldn't find his shirt anywhere. He scratched his head. Did he lost it? He forgot where he put it the last time.

Ignoring that for now, he left his bedroom and made his way to the living room where he was greeted with a sight that made his heart beating wildly in his chest as his cheeks tinged pink in happiness.

Hinata, only clad in her undergarments and his shirt (Oh, so that's where his shirt have been), making herself busy as she prepared the table for both of them. She just finished arranging the dishes when she noticed him. Her face lighted up before smiling brightly.

"Good morning, Yu-kun! Did you get a good sleep?"

How can she be absolutely radiant and practically glowing despite waking up in an early morning, he will never know. But seeing her made herself comfortable in his home made him feel awfully giddy.

"Ah, good morning. Well I guess I'm glad to sleep a bit longer after waking up early for two weeks straight," he answered as he scratched the back of his head bashfully. "You should've woken me up, you know. I feel bad that you're the one who makes breakfast after travelling so far."

She shook her head. "I don't mind! I'm used to waking up early and make breakfast back in Rio!" She pouted. "You don't have to be so formal about it, Yu-kun. I may be your guest but I'm also your girlfriend!" She said proudly.

He moved closer to her and pecked her lips before pulling away with a fond smile. "I feel like I don't deserve to have someone like you. But now that I actually have you, I feel so lucky to have you in my life." He said.

Hinata wrapped her arms around his torso and leaned her head against his chest. "Me too. I'm really lucky to have you as well." She said shyly.

They stayed like that a few more minutes before she slowly pulled away. "Now, let's go eat! I'm starving, and I don't want the dishes to get cold!" She puffed out her cheeks childishly.

"Okay, okay." He chuckled.

Hinata had really done herself. She made a complete set of the traditional Japanese breakfast - with steamed rice, miso soup, natto, grilled fish, tsukemono, nori and kibachi - for the two of them and they tasted absolutely divine. Growing up while being an athlete and fulfilled her duty as an eldest daughter and sister really helped her to become a self-reliant person.

"So when will you start playing with the Rabbits?" Hyakuzawa asked as they both ate their breakfasts.

"Probably the next season after this season ended. Practices start in May though, so I can get used to the team's dynamic," Hinata answered with a smile. "Kanoka-san is really eager to have me in the team."

"Your former high school senpai, right? Is she also the same woman who's dating Sakusa-san?"

"Yeah, that's her."

"They really make a good couple," he remarked. "And quite popular too. People keep saying that they're a power couple or something. I guess it's because they both were the top aces in high school."

"Wow, I thought people don't gossip around much in the V-League." She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

He shook his head with a smile. "Oh, it's the opposite. People in the V-League make bets about potential couples or secret couples. They gossip about many other things as well, like if a player got himself into a scandal or got viral for something. Right now, the MSBY Black Jackals have the most players who often got viral." He said.

She bursted out laughing. "Let me guess, it's because of Bokuto-san and Atsumu-san?!" When he nodded, she laughed harder.

"Sometimes Sakusa-san got viral too, but it's mostly about him and his girlfriend. I pity their captain. Even my own team captain feels sorry for him." He chuckled. "Other than the Jackals, the Adlers got viral pretty often too. Of course, most of them are because of Hoshiumi-san. Ushijima-san sometimes got viral too but it's mostly because he promoted and reviewed Tendou-san's chocolates for no reasons. And Kageyama is currently viral because of his curry commercial."

"Ah, I know that one. He looks pretty stupid in the commercial. Can't he read the lines any flatter?!" She slapped her forehead in exasperation at her best friend's idiocy. "This is why Miwa-nee sometimes doesn't admit him as her brother."

"I still can't believe he outright said that he doesn't know you when I asked if he heard any news about you a few days ago. I guess he was really dedicated to keep your return a secret." He snorted as he took a sip of his water.

The flame-haired woman buried her face in her hands with a groan before she shot up in realization. "Wait, speaking of Kageyama, is he and Atsumu-san already together yet? He didn't tell us anything."

Hyakuzawa shook his head. "Nope. But they do playful banters here and there during practice games and real games." He leaned forward slightly with a small smirk. "Let me tell you, their sexual tension is worse than us. Even the entire V-League agrees."

She giggled. "Yeah, we're way better than them. By the way, do they know about us being together? The V-League?"

"I think so. My team knows that I have a girlfriend but they don't know that it's you. I guess aside from our friends, none of them really knows about us." He said. "I don't care pretty much if they know or not. It's not their business to mind about our relationship."

"True," she nodded as she took the final bite of her grilled fish. "But enough about the V-League. Your birthday is next month, right? Is there anything you want?" She propped her elbows on the table and cupped her face with her hands as she stared at him with sparkling eyes. "Do you want to go somewhere? Or any particular things that you want to do?"

He rubbed his chin, deep in thought before his eyes landed on her. A soft smile tug on his lips. "No, I don't have anything in mind in particular. I already got this year's birthday present from you." He said.

She cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Eh? What do you mean? I didn't give you anything."

"Yes, you do. My only wish this year is to have you back in Japan and here you are." His smile shifted into a small grin. "You're my birthday present this year, Shou."

Hinata's face burned bright red. "Wahh, Yu-kun really knows how to say things that make my heart goes crazy!" She cried out, though she was incredibly happy from his answer. "You gave me this promise ring," she raised her left hand where the ring was placed on her ring finger, "so it's only fair that I give you something in return!"

He laughed lightly as he stood up and leaned forward to take her hands in his. He slowly led her to stand up and walked around the table before sitting on his lap. "Like I said, having you back in my arms in more than enough." He said, looking up to her. Then he placed his large hand over her smaller one, intertwining their fingers - his thicker and longer ones engulfing her dainty ones - as he gazed at the ember ring on her finger. "And seeing you wearing our promise ring makes it even better."

She pouted but didn't refute his statement, opting to wrap her arms around his shoulders and straddle him properly. "If that's what you want, then I'm also okay with it." She mumbled out as she leaned her head against his lovingly.

Hyakuzawa smiled, burying his face into her neck and coiled his muscular arms around her curvy waist. "Thank you, Shouyou."

They stayed in that intimate position for a long time as they were deep in their own world.

Nevertheless, the two lovebirds celebrated Hyakuzawa's birthday with a simple but meaningful date - travelling around Niigata together with the Hyakuzawa as Hinata's tour guide.

Time flew by and soon enough, May has arrived. Hinata will start her first practice with her new team today and get to know the members. Kanoka had graciously told her about the players a few weeks before but today, she would officially meet them one by one.

Hikari Koshinyaku Red Rabbits was a Division 1 women's team based in Shizuoka prefecture. One of the top teams along with Ibaraki AquaPixies from Ibaraki prefecture. The Rabbits and AquaPixies have been rivals for years and their rivalry was equivalent to the MSBY Black Jackals and Schweiden Adlers' rivalry.

Her new coach was a very experienced woman who coached foreign clubs in Europe and most of them won the top ranks, a fairly fit Turkish woman named Yasmin Aydin. She had chin length brown hair with side-swept bangs, thick eyebrows, warm dark brown eyes and a small mole underneath the left side of her lips.

According to Kanoka, she can be quite motherly but stern when needed to, especially during practices.

"Hinata! I'm so glad you're finally here! Amanai talks a lot about you!" Coach Aydin greeted in a fluent Japanese with a huge smile as the two women shook hands.

"Does she now? Goods things or bad things?" Hinata joked.

A small laugh escaped from the older woman. "Don't worry, she only said good things about you!"

"Oh thank God, I was worried if she told you about how I made a former senpai of mine quit the team because of what I said to her," the ginger whispered playfully to her.

The coach gasped, hand covered her mouth. "Really? What did you say to her?"

Hinata told her the full story and Aydin laughed. "I'm glad you did the right thing. If a senior of mine talked like that to me, I'll have her kicked out of the team in an instant. Besides, you were more valuable than her anyway."

"But enough about that. The whole team is going to start practicing soon so why don't you go change into your jersey and get you introduced to everyone afterward?"

Hinata smiled. "Sure, sounds good!"

After Hinata finished changing into her Red Rabbits jersey - white with red thick stripes on each side and the jersey number was also in red, black-and-white checkered patterns on the lower part of each side. The shorts were black in colour with red thick stripes on the sides.

Her jersey number when she was in high school - both Karasuno and Niiyama Joshi - had been number 10 for two years, except for her final year. She had been appointed as team captain at that time so she wore number 1 on her jersey.

Even after she finished high school, she still kept wearing her long arm sleeves and long black stockings with kneepads. For the final touch, she tied her long reddish-orange hair into a braided ponytail. Most of the times she wore her hair like that but if there wasn't enough time to braid her hair, she would just tie it into a high ponytail.

The door to the locker room suddenly ripped open, startling Hinata, before a familiar dark-haired woman popped up from the door.

"Hey, Shouyou!" Kanoka greeted cheerfully with a wave of her hand.

"Kanoka-san! You surprised me!" Hinata gasped as she placed a hand on her chest.

The other woman grinned sheepishly. " Sorry," she apologized. "I finished getting ready first before the others and I heard from Coach Yasmin that you're already here so I went to check out and there you are!" She explained.

She giggled. "You ditched the others all because of me? Won't they get mad?"

Kanoka huffed. "Nonsense! They're looking forward to meet you too!" She exclaimed before perking up in realization." Oh! Just a heads up, by the way, most of our teammates are senior players but there are also familiar faces that you've met before."

"Really? But I'm pretty sure you and I are the only ones from Niiyama Joshi who play for this team. Machiko-chan and Aoi-chan are in the Ibaraki AquaPixies." She briefly remembered the shit-eating grin on Machiko's face upon learning that she would be playing with Aoi again. The poor setter had a traumatized look and could only accept her fate.

Kanoka nodded. "That's right. Actually, they're players that you've met as opponents on the court before." She said.

"Wahh!! Now I'm really curious to find out who they are!!"

The two Niiyama Joshi alumni walked to the main court where they would be having their practice there. Tall and lean women stood at the court, waiting for their coach. There were 25 players in the Red Rabbits, including the reserved players but only 7 to 8 players that were included in the starting lineup in most of the games. Hinata followed Kanoka as they approached the other teammates. She could see some of them already turned around at her direction, serious gazes changed into curious stares.

"Amanai, where did you go? You suddenly disappeared after you finished changing." A woman that can be assumed the team captain spoke. Hinata immediately recognized her. The woman had long brown hair tied in a ponytail with matching brown eyes. Her posture and aura screamed confidence and leadership. But judging from her features, she was related to a certain middle blocker whom she played against before.

Then she noticed Hinata behind Kanoka and greeted her with a roguish smile. "Hey, you're the new Rabbit, right? Nice to meet you! I'm Hirugami Shouko. Team captain and opposite hitter." She introduced herself.

I knew it, Hinata thought to herself. She was the older sister of the Immovable Hirugami. From what she heard, she was four years older than him and he also had an older brother who's also a professional player in the V-League. She vaguely remembered that he played for the Schweiden Adlers, a team with Kageyama, Ushijima and Hoshiumi in it.

"Hi! I knew I recognized you somewhere! You're the Immovable Hirugami's sister! My name is Hinata Shouyou, by the way!" The ginger-haired woman bowed politely with a grin.

Shouko chortled. "What? Do people still call him that now? Wow, I'm so going to tease him about this later! You have no idea how much he hates that nickname!" She laughed.

"I'm not really sure but I call him that because of how annoying he was when I played against him before. He wasn't fooled by decoys unlike other blockers," Hinata rolled her eyes, remembering many efforts taken in order to make Hirugami move, even for the slightest bit! The moment he shifted his foot was still fresh inside her mind because she finally managed to grab his attention.

"Is that a bad thing? I mean, you got me fooled for 2 years straight, Hinata," another woman stepped up with a smirk. She was the same age as Kanoka. Her bright blonde hair tied in a bun with one long strand hanging above her left eye. Dark blue eyes twinkling with mirth.

Hinata's eyebrows shot up in surprise as she recognized who she was. "Wait a sec. Is that you, Shimane-san?!" She exclaimed in shock.

Shimane, or her full name was Shimane Noriko used to play against Niiyama Joshi during her high school days. She was from Wakana Joshi in Tokyo. When Hinata and Kanoka faced against her team during their high school days, Shimane had short pixie cut hair and was quite rowdy like a tomboy. She played as middle blocker.

"Hell yeah! Don't tell me you don't remember me now, Hinata?! I didn't know staying in Brazil for 2 years could affect your memories!!" Shimane cried as she grabbed Hinata's shoulders and shook them wildly. "I'm too awesome to be forgotten!!"

"S-Shimane!" Kanoka tried to stop her with a sweatdrop.

"Oi! Stop that!" A woman with short, straight dark green hair and piercing yellow eyes smacked the blonde on her head. "You're going to scare off our new teammate!"

"Ouch!" Shimane yelped as she stopped shaking Hinata to rub the sore spot on her head. "Sorry about that, Hinata!" She grinned sheepishly.

"It's okay, Shimane-san. No harm done," she smiled nervously. Then she turned to her savior and immediately brightened up. "Woah, Kobayashi-san! Is it just me or you've gotten fitter?!" She exclaimed as she pulled the taller woman in a friendly hug.

Kobayashi, or her full name was Kobayashi Saki was two years older than Hinata and a year older than Kanoka and Shimane. She was an alumnus of Fujimi, a team that was well-known for their blocks. In fact, she was acknowledged to be one of the best blockers in the country and for that reason, she was recruited into the national team along with Hinata and Kanoka.

Kobayashi pulled away with a slight smirk. "Of course. I never stopped working out, you know!" She uttered proudly while pointing to herself.

"Yeah, I can attest to that," the libero of the team, Fujiwara Mai spoke. She had long, salmon pink hair tied in a simple ponytail and light blue eyes that were usually kept closed, for some reason. Her voice was laced with visible exasperation. "This woman is a fucking menace in the gym, I tell you." She shot her a dirty glare at this statement.

"Oi! Don't make it sound so bad! You only accompanied me! You didn't even do anything!!" The tall woman said, offended.

"Yeah, chill, Fuji-san! There's nothing wrong with Kobayashi working out a lot in the gym! Look!" Shimane piped in as she popped up next to her fellow middle blocker, startling the other woman and grasped her biceps, feeling up the muscles underneath the skin. "Man! Look at those veins! She could choke slam a guy and accidentally kill him!"

The libero was unswayed, only snorted.

"Is that an insult?" Kobayashi's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"I'm complimenting you, girl!" came Shimane's swift reply.

"Hey, don't fight now. Geez. You're not making a good example of yourselves to our new teammate." A fairly tall foreign woman with short blue hair, the bangs was held up by a hair clip, revealing large dark green eyes, stepped between the two blockers before they could start a fight. She placed her hands on her hips and gave the two players a stern look. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"Sorry, Evans-san," both Kobayashi and Shimane murmured apologetically, the latter more petulantly.

"Good," the bluenette nodded in satisfaction before turning to Hinata with a beaming smile, dimples appeared on her upper cheeks. "Hi, so sorry about these two. They're a bit handful sometimes. I'm Jessica Evans, by the way. I'm a setter." She introduced herself. Like Coach Aydin, she spoke in fluent Japanese.

"Don't be fooled by her. She's actually the 'team mom' by the way. Even more than Hirugami-san--ACKK!!" Shimane yelped in pain when Shouko smacked her upside the head.

"Shimane," Kanoka began sternly, trying to save her from Shouko's incoming wrath.

"Okay, but did I lie?" Shimane countered with a smirk before cackling madly as she avoided a swipe from the brunette captain.

"Crazy ass bitch," Kobayashi remarked in mirth as they all watched Shouko chased after Shimane.

"Language," Evans scolded.

"Sorry, mom."

Kanoka looked at them in mild exasperation before turning to Hinata with a small smile. "Well, this is what the Hikari Koshinyaku Red Rabbits are. Welcome to the team!" She laughed lightly.

Hinata gave her a bright grin, eyes twinkling with laughter. "Glad to be here!"

Chapter Text

Hinata clasped a hand over her mouth to contain her shocked gasp. "Is it true? You're going to join Niiyama Joshi's volleyball team?" She managed to ask after pulling her hand away.

Natsu nodded, thumbing at her chest proudly. "Yep! The coaches back in junior high often praised about my sets so they recommended me there! Well I agreed, of course, since you also went there!"

The older ginger smiled fondly. Her little sister looked up to her more than anyone else and declared that she would stand on the same stage with her one day, whether internationally or nationally. "I'm glad to see that you're slowly getting closer to your dreams, Natsu. I'm sure by the time you play national tournaments, everyone would already know how dangerous you are on the court." She stroked her hair softly.

The younger Hinata leaned against her hand, beaming widely. "I hope so. I'm gonna be one of the best setter they ever seen. Even more than Kageyama-nii, Atsumu-san and Oikawa-san!"

Hinata lifted both eyebrows in surprise. "That's a pretty huge dream you have there!" She exclaimed before a proud grin stretched across her face. "But I know you can do it!!"

Natsu mirrored her grin and coiled her arms around her in a warm embrace. "Thanks, Nee-chan!!"

"When I'm not busy with practices, I'll come and watch your games!!" She added.

"Me too. Even if I'll be busy for this season, I'll still find a way to come and watch everyone's games live. Yours, Yu-kun, the Jackals, the Adlers, the Raijins and many more!" Hinata promised.

The 2018-2019 season soon began. The Division 1 teams, both men and women, were busy with preparations for their games this season. Even the Division 2 and Division 3 teams  worked hard despite the attention mostly went to the Division 1 teams.

For the Division 1 men's teams, the players and crowd were looking forward for the first match of the season. It was none other than a game between two destined rivals, MSBY Black Jackals and the Schweiden Adlers.

The same goes for the women's teams. Everyone was anticipating for the game between Hikari Koshinyaku Red Rabbits and Ibaraki AquaPixies. Both teams had promising and powerful players that rivaled the male players.

"Man, I really want to go and watch the Jackals vs Adlers match. My old mentor plays for the Adlers," Hinata said to her teammates during a break in one of their practice sessions.

"Who? Bokuto?" Shimane recalled how the eccentric ace and the flame-haired player used to refer each other as mentor and disciple. She actually really liked the former Fukurodani ace. He was a funny guy. They could actually be good friends.

"Bokuto plays for the Jackals, dumbass." Kobayashi is merciless when she talks to Shimane and Fujiwara. The three of them often exchange insults and rude remarks to each other in a playful way.

"Oops." The other middle blocker stuck out her tongue sheepishly.

"It's Romero, you guys. Sheesh." Shouko shook her head in disappointment.

"Don't look at me like that, Hirugami-san!" Kobayashi feigned an offended look. Then she mustered up the most innocent look she could offer and placed her hands on her lap primly. "I'm way smarter than Shimane."

"Fuck you, Kobayashi!" The blonde threw a towel at her angrily, though there was a smirk stretched across her lips. She had already used the towel and now it was soaked with sweat.

The other woman dodged the dirty fabric and it hit on Fujiwara right on the face as a result. The libero shot them a murderous glare as she yanked it roughly away from her face. "I'm going to kick your ass, just you wait."

A fake sweet smile flitted across Shimane's features. "And how are you going to do that? Your fist won't probably even reach to my shoulders."

Fujiwara roared and sprinted after the middle blocker who already took off the moment she finished saying that.

"If you both get tired when we continue our practice, don't come and complain at me!" Coach Aydin barked at the two players from her spot at the whiteboard, where she was writing the team's strategy.

Evans chose to ignore the chaos and turned to Hinata. A mildly concerned look flitted across her features. "So you're going to watch the JackAdlers game? I'm pretty sure our own game's gonna start not long after theirs. It'll be pretty tiring to travel all the way from Shizuoka to Miyagi and back to Shizuoka again."

Hinata shook her head and gave her a wide grin. "I'll be fine! Don't worry! I'm going to travel there with the train anyway." She looked at Kanoka next, who was talking with Kobayashi. "Kanoka-san!" She called, grabbing her attention, "Wanna come with me to watch the JackAdlers game? You probably haven't watch Omi-san's games live."

Kanoka gasped, cheeks tinted pink. "Don't expose me like that!" She pouted before answering her question. "Yeah, sure. I'm going to surprise him!" An idea already formed inside her head as she smiled mischievously.

Kobayashi, who had been watching their conversation, sighed wistfully. "Damn, I wish I have a boyfriend too."

"Maybe if you behave more appropriately then you might be in a relationship by now," Shouko quipped.

"Ouch! As if you're any better, Hirugami-san! I don't know how your boyfriend is still in love with you!"

"Fiancé," the brunette captain corrected with a smug grin. "He proposed to me earlier this year."

"Congratulations, Hirugami." Evans said calmly with a small smile before turning to a sulky Kobayashi. "And if I remember correctly, Kobayashi, didn't you have something going on with that middle blocker from VC Kanagawa?"

Hinata and Kanoka immediately threw suspicious looks at the flustered middle blocker. Seems like Evans hit a sore spot. "Middle blocker from VC Kanagawa? The latter repeated slowly.

"Yeah, the one with the man-bun." Evans continued cheerfully. "What's his name again? Nitta, I think?"

That was enough confirmation for Hinata and Kanoka as they both let out loud shrieks and looked at Kobayashi in astonishment. "What?!! Kobayashi-san!! Is this true?!"

"Wait, why didn't I knew about this?!" Kanoka shot her a betrayed look.

Before Kobayashi could open her mouth to reply, Shimane and Fujiwara slid over to them. They finally stopped fighting after getting an earful from their coach and were going to join them when they heard Hinata and Kanoka screaming and freaking out. "Oi, oi, what's all the ruckus?"

"First of all, you have no right to say that after what happened just now." Shouko said while giving her a flat look. "And second, Hinata and Amanai are freaking out about Kobayashi's secret boyfriend, for some reason."

"Wait, Kobayashi has a boyfriend? I didn't know that." Fujiwara commented as she plopped on the floor next to Evans. 

"He's not my boyfriend!! We just flirted with each other here and there, that's all!" Kobayashi finally blurted out, her face burning bright red.

"Oh I don't know about that, Kobayashi. He looked pretty smitten when he talked to you. That doesn't look like mere flirting to me," said Shimane after she finally connected the dots about what the topic was about as she sat next to Hinata.

The other blocker didn't say anything, keeping her mouth shut as steam practically came out from her head as she blushed beet red.

"Wait, we're talking about the same guy, right? Nitta Tomohiro from VC Kanagawa. That's him, right?" Hinata looked at them one by one, completely lost.

"Yeah, how do you know about him, anyway?" Shouko asked.

It was Kanoka who answered instead. "You guys know Nitta Machiko, right? The one in the AquaPixies. She's our former teammate in Niiyama." She started slowly.

They all nodded. "Yeah, of course I know her. She's my rival, you know!" Shimane added with a huff.

"Machiko-chan is the younger sister of Nitta Tomohiro." Hinata finished.

Fujiwara who was drinking her water spat out her drink immediately. "Say what?!"

"For real? I thought they just happen to share the same last name." Shouko commented with wide eyes.

The ginger shook her head. "Nope. Machiko-chan told us about her older brother who plays in the V-League. I saw them together once. The resemblance is uncanny." She explained.

Kanoka agreed. "Sometimes, he even visited our school to see his sister so that's how we know him."

The others listened to their explanations and nodded before Shimane bursted into laughter. "Hoo boy, I wonder what's going to happen  when we face the AquaPixies. I'd say good luck to you, Kobayashi. Now Nitta's going to be more determined to win against you!"

"Gee, thanks for the moral support." Kobayashi said dryly with rolled eyes.

"Okay but how did this all started? Hello, can somebody fill us in?" Kanoka motioned her hand to herself and Hinata. They both were lost at how their teammate was somewhat connected to their friend's brother.

Kobayashi stared at them for a second before sighing. She shot a small glare at Evans. "This is all your fault, you know."

Evans shrugged. "Sorry not sorry."

The green-haired woman clicked her tongue and turned to Kanoka and Hinata's eager faces. "Okay, so everything started when we..."

They all spent the rest of their break listening to Kobayashi's story.

November finally came and the new season for the V-League has finally began. The Jackals vs Adlers match happened to scheduled right at the beginning of the season. Men's division started first, followed by the women's division.

Since it was a highly anticipated match, the tickets had already sold out as soon as the sales had begun. Hinata and Kanoka managed to earn their tickets thanks to Maiko, who worked with the V-League association after retiring from volleyball in highschool.

The match took place at Kamei Arena Sendai, which formerly known as Sendai City Gymnasium. The gymnasium itself had been upgraded over the years.

Hinata and Kanoka departed from Shizuoka earlier that morning and arrived in Sendai in 2 hours before the match started. Luckily they didn't miss the train because their other teammates kept bothering them to tell them about the match when they return later. Especially Shouko, who told them to pass a message from her to her brother, who was the captain of Schweiden Adlers.

In the end, Hinata grumbled since it was decided that she had to pass the message after losing in a paper-rock-scissor game with Kanoka to decide who would have to do it.

The two ladies conversed as they walked across the gymnasium and it's surrounding areas. The weather was quite chilly since it was autumn.

"But seriously, I still can't believe Machiko's brother and Kobayashi-san are together you know... though they're not officially dating." said Kanoka before taking a sip of her hot mocha. The dark-haired woman looked lovely with her dark brown turtleneck, plain black long ruffled skirt and a light cream trench coat. She also carried a black purse with her.

"I know right? Do you think she'll ever find out about them? Honestly, I don't think she'll care that much about it since it's her brother's business." Hinata replied as she fumbled with her scarf. Like Kanoka, she looked stunning with her white dress coat and brown belt. She wore a grey scarf around her neck. She also had thigh-length leather boots and carried a small brown sling bag. Her reddish-orange hair was tied in a low braid over her shoulder.

"Are you sure? This is Machiko we're talking about here," the other woman forced a nervous laughter, recalling their eccentric friend was very close with her brother. "I'm worried that she'll pick a fight with Kobayashi-san if she knows that the blocker she hates is with her brother."

"Hate is a strong word, Kanoka-san. I'd say she... isn't very fond of her. If that's the correct word," the ginger muttered under her breath at the last part.

Kanoka's concern was understandable. Machiko was very competitive with other blockers, especially Shimane and Kobayashi. However, her rivalry with Shimane was considered to be friendly because of their guess blocks and they both considered to be close friends.

But with Kobayashi, their relationship was more intense. Machiko respected her as a more experienced and high caliber blocker. During their games in the past, when Niiyama Joshi played against Fujimi, Machiko was fixated more on competing against Kobayashi rather than the whole team itself. She often attempted to shut down Kobayashi's attacks and completely stuffed Fujimi's hitters by herself. It was a scary experience for both Niiyama Joshi and Fujimi.

Both Hinata and Kanoka thought there was something more behind it but only Machiko herself knew the reason why.

Kanoka snapped out of her stupor when Hinata nudged at her sleeve. "Kanoka-san, look! I see Bokuto-san, Komori-san, Aran-san and Kageyama!" She looked at the direction she was pointing at, a large poster of the male players from the Division 1 teams. "Ooh, there's Nitta-san too, speaking of the devil." They noticed him at the bottom right of the poster.

"Hey, why isn't my Yu-kun on the poster? This is outrageous!" Hinata exclaimed heatedly after taking several pictures of the poster and a few selfies with Kanoka in front of it. "I don't see any representative from the Warriors on this poster!"

"Maa, maa, calm down, Shouyou." Kanoka crooned sweetly as she placed her hands on her shoulders. "I think it's better this way or many people will admire him. I'm sure you'll get jealous if he has many fangirls." She sighed. "I already experienced that with Kiyoomi. His fangirls are crazy!"

Hinata pouted. "You're right."

The two women went inside the gymnasium and weren't surprised to see the large number of people inside the building. Food stands and vendors lined up across the main lobby. Banners of the Jackals and Adlers could be seen hanging from the ceiling.

They bought some of the souvenirs - Kanoka chose the Jackals scarf and balloon-like sticks since she was obviously supporting for her boyfriend. Hinata decided to mix since her friends and mentors were in both teams to be fair.

After walking around the gymnasium for an hour made them feel hungry and thirsty so they went to buy some food and drinks before the game started. They split up - Kanoka went to buy drinks while Hinata went to buy food.

The ginger-haired woman was lining up to buy onigiris when she heard her name was called from behind.

"Hinata?"

She turned around to see who it was and happiness written all over her face. "Oh, Yamaguchi! Hey! What are you doing here?"

Yamaguchi grinned as they both exchanged hugs briefly. "Came to watch the match, of course. People are looking forward to see this showdown." He said.

"You came here with Hito-chan?"

He nodded. "And Tsukki too. You should've seen his face when he saw the shirt you got for him." He snickered, recounting the pinched look on his best friend's face when he saw the hot pink shirt filled with glitters all over it.

She sniffed. "I don't regret buying him that shirt anyway."

"So did you come here alone? I'm not actually surprised to see you here, you know. I figured you might actually came because there's a lot of people you know in the Jackals and Adlers."

They both moved forward slightly as the person at the front of the queue got their onigiri. "Damn, Yamaguchi. I didn't know you can actually read people's minds." She joked. "But you're not wrong though. And no, I came here with my senpai and teammate, Kanoka-san."

He nodded in understanding. "I see. I think the others came too. The former third years, the second years except for Nishinoya-san." He said.

"Whoa, I wish I can see them later after the match."

Yamaguchi grinned. "Why don't we see them after the game with Tsukki and Hito-chan?"

"Sure, sounds great!" Hinata returned the grin. Before she could say anything else, someone beat her to it.

"No way... Hinata Shouyou?" They both turned to look at Osamu, who was looking at them in surprise. "I can't call ya Karasuno's number 10 anymore heheh. Oh, and yer the one with the nasty jump floaters!" He pointed to Yamaguchi.

"Uh yeah, hi." They both greeted somewhat awkwardly. Yamaguchi didn't expect one of the Miya twins to remember him while Hinata was actually surprised to see Osamu was here, managing a food stall.

She finally understood when she noticed the name of the shop 'Onigiri Miya'. Why hadn't she noticed before she lined up?

"So what are ya both doing here? I can understand... what's yer name again?" Osamu squinted his eyes at Yamaguchi who jumped in surprise.

"Uh...Yamaguchi?"

"Right, Yamaguchi. I guess ye wanna see yer old pal Kageyama play huh?" The dark-haired man asked.

"Well, yeah." He nodded.

"What about ya, Hinata? I didn't expect to see ya here. Figured that ye might busy with yer upcoming game soon."

Hinata grinned sheepishly. "Well today's game is going to be good, you know? Both teams have amazing setters and spikers. My old mentor now plays in the Adlers so I wanted to see him play with my own eyes. And Kanoka-san wanted to surprise Omi-san," she said.

Osamu nodded. "I see. Well, nice to meet ye both here today. I think I'll see more familiar faces today since everyone is eager about the match." He leaned forward with a mischievous smile. "I bet something's gonna happen today."

Hinata and Yamaguchi raised their eyebrows. "Good or bad?"

He shrugged as he pulled back. "I don't know but something tells me that my idiot brother's gonna snap today. Seriously, he and Kageyama need to get their shits together, for fuck sake." He groaned.

Yamaguchi sniffed in understanding. "Yeah, I know right?"

Hinata laughed at their reactions. "Well, I guess we have to see it ourselves soon.

Chapter Text

Hinata and Kanoka quickly went to their seats, bringing their snacks and drinks along since the match would begin in less than a minute. Their seats were located in the middle row of the stands.

As soon as they plopped onto their seats, the announcer's voice rang throughout the court. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 2018-2019 Season V-League Division 1 - Schweiden Adlers home game here in Sendai Arena!!"

"It's starting! Ah, how exciting!!" Hinata exclaimed enthusiastically as the lights starting to dim. There was also an upbeat music playing in the background from the bleachers as the crowd waited for both teams to come out.

"Now, to introduce your Schweiden Adlers' starting lineup!!" A tall bearded man wearing the Adlers' white jersey walked out while raising his arm, waving at the crowd with an easy-going smile on his face. He looked like an older version of Hirugami Sachiro. "Number 2, the team captain, Hirugami Fukuro!!"

"I guess the team captain position runs in the family. If I remember correctly, their youngest brother was also team captain in his final year in highschool." Kanoka commented as she munched on her onigiri.

The other Adlers players were also introduced and soon, familiar faces showed up as their names were called.

"Number 11, Ushijima Wakatoshi!"

"Ushi-sennin!! Woooohh!!" Hinata hollered loudly along with the crowd as she applauded with her stick-like balloons.

Kanoka giggled at the display.

"Number 16, Hoshiumi Kourai!"

"Oh, he looks different now!" Hinata remarked as she looked at his new appearance. Apparently, Hoshiumi cut his hair short and now it looked normal. "I wonder how tall he is now. He must be taller than me." She added with a pout.

"I'm sure even if it's true, your heights would be pretty much close. Like there's not any much difference," said Kanoka.

The ginger gasped loudly. "Yes it does!"

"Number 20, Kageyama Tobio!"

"Boo!! What kind of hairstyle is that?!" Some of the spectators shot Hinata odd looks for that. When they realized who she was, they turned back to the court. Everyone knew Kageyama and Hinata were close friends so obviously she was just joking around.

"Not his hairstyle!" Kanoka tried to stifle her laughter.

Then, out of nowhere, Bokuto made an eccentric introduction of himself by doing flips even though the commentators were just about to introduce the Black Jackals.

That earned him a smack from an angry Meian.

"Silly old Bokuto-san!!" Hinata giggled.

Then after the Black Jackals were finished with their introductions (except for Bokuto because he already introduced himself), both teams were preparing to toss the signed balls to the crowd.

The Adlers started first. "Team captain number 2, Hirugami Fukuro. His big mitts can snag out any spike out of the air, earning him the nickname 'Spider Hands'!!"

"If Hirugami-san was here to hear the introduction, she would say and I quote 'This nickname is fucking disgusting. Why would they name him that?'" Kanoka said to Hinata, who laughed out loud.

After Sokolov's introduction, the next player made Hinata very excited. "That's my mentor, Romero-san!!" She squealed happily.

Soon enough, the Adlers were finished and now it was the Jackals' turn.

"Hey, there's Omi-san!!" Hinata pointed at Sakusa while nudging Kanoka with a teasing smile. After the commentator introduced him, she was quite surprised. "Wait, he's still a rookie?"

Kanoka nodded. "Yes, Kiyoomi joined the Jackals recently even though he's pretty well-known in the V-League. Even his cousin, Komori-san joined the Raijins earlier than him joining the Jackals. I think it took him a bit while before he finally decided to join the Jackals because there's a chance he could face off against Ushijima and wants to beat him." She explained.

Hinata nodded in understanding. "I see. Hey, the game's starting!!" She said and the two women fell into hushed whispers.

She was right. The game began with a serve from the Adlers. In fact, it was Kageyama's turn to serve. And of course, the setter would perform his usual service ace, the same one that destroyed the France team.

"Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting," Hinata commented with a feral smile.

"Shouyou, you're not one to talk. You destroyed a lot of teams too with your service aces," Kanoka added with a snort.

"That's different!"

But luckily, the Black Jackals' libero, Inunaki Shion managed to bump the ball and passed it to Atsumu. The faux blonde then tossed it to Jackals' own cannon, Oliver Barnes, who then slammed the ball down before the Adlers blockers could shut down his attack.

Kanoka whistled. "Wow, the Jackals are on fire today. They must be really dedicated to defeat the Adlers."

Hinata nodded in agreement. "Yup, and we will have to do the same when we face off against the AquaPixies." She replied, earning a murmur of agreement from the other woman.

Then it was the Jackals' turn to serve, which would be done by Atsumu. Even after he graduated from highschool, he still did his usual routine - ordering the band and the cheerleaders to be quiet when he serve. Of course, despite all the grand display, his serve went out of bounds, giving the point to the Adlers.

"Heh, same old Atsumu-san." Hinata smirked, remembering the time when Karasuno faced off against Inarizaki. 'Must have got too excited.'

Then, the next serve was given to the Adlers, which would be done by Romero.

"Uwaahhh, it's Romero-san!!" The red-orangette hooted loudly. She cheered louder when he got the first service ace for today's game. "Wahhhh!!"

Soon enough, both teams were getting into the groove. Bokuto served, Hoshiumi received it before passing the ball to Ushijima, who slammed it down with his incredible strength, causing the ball to bounce off of Inunaki's chest.

"Boom goes Japan's biggest cannon, Ushijima Wakatoshi! He bounced that one right off of Inunaki, the libero!" The commentator exclaimed.

"That he did!! His strength is on par with the strongest in the world!" His partner added.

Next, Adlers's turn to serve. Hirugami Fukuro served the ball right on the whistle, much to Meian's chagrin, and before anyone knew it, the ball was right in front of Bokuto's face. Luckily, he managed to bring it up and passed it to Atsumu, who set it to Sakusa.

Sakusa spiked the ball past the triple block, sending the ball right to the floor. Kageyama suddenly appeared and received it but the ball bounced off of his arms before it went sideways outside the line, giving the point to the Jackals.

"Kyahhh!! That's my boyfriend!!" Kanoka exclaimed happily as she cheered alongside the Jackals supporters.

"Woah, it looked like Kageyama actually got the ball! But Omi-san's spikes are something else!! Those nasty spins he put on the ball," A competitive grin formed on Hinata's lips.

But it didn't just end there. Both teams were neck and neck throughout the first set. Romero doing a perfect spike for the last hit even though his back was to the net. Barnes dropping the ball in front of Romero for the last hit but the Brazilian player managed to turn the motion of his dig into his approach. He actually turned what was supposed to be an attack that shut him down into a beautiful quick set.

Hinata swooned on her seat. "It's only the first set and I already feel tired. Romero-san's attack just now," she sniffed behind her hand, "that was so beautiful." She sobbed dramatically.

"You good there, Shouyou?" Kanoka chuckled as she patted her back.

"I'm okay!!" She jerked upwards on her seat, clearing her throat as she regained her composure.

The first set soon came to an end. The Black Jackals took it after reaching set point ahead of the Schweiden Adlers. Although they didn't won the set, the Adlers put up a good fight with Ushijima's incredibly strong hit. They also had seen a quite amusing moment a few minutes before - Bokuto using his chest to bump the ball that was spiked by Romero.

The second set began and this time, the Adlers racked up several points ahead of the Jackals. Soon enough, it seemed that the second set belonged to the Adlers after Kageyama continuously had the Jackals dancing to his tune.

Meanwhile from the stands, Hinata was having a headache from watching Kageyama throughout the set. Kanoka was very amused and amazed by the expressions she had on her face. It was a mixture of impressed, disgusted, angered, confused and perplexed. In the end, her lips stretched into a smirk as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

'So the beast has finally awaken,' she thought. Unbeknownst to Hinata, there was another person who shared the same thoughts as her. It was none other than the setter of the Black Jackals himself, Miya Atsumu.

'Damn ya, Karasuno,' Atsumu swore internally. 'Especially ya, Hinata-chan. But yer still one of my favourite spikers though.'

Damn it all. Atsumu still remembered how sweet goody-two-shoes Tobio-kun who fell over himself tryin' to please his hitters. It was at that moment, Atsumu had been attracted to the dark-haired setter at first sight. How desperate and naive he looked when he asked for feedbacks, the innocence radiated off of him.

Of course Atsumu being Atsumu, would piss someone off, even if they were his crush. That's what he's good at. He wasn't someone who would do something traditional like flirting to gain someone's attention. That's so lame in his opinion.

He had been pleased from seeing the annoyed look on Tobio's face when he called him out. Poor Tobio.

Even Sakusa and Hoshiumi called him out for messing with the first-year setter too much at that time. The former had even called him a bully while the latter had been a bit more ruthless - calling him a sadist for trying to gain his crush's attention by making him mad.

But then when Atsumu met Tobio again during the Spring Tournament, when their teams shared the same gymnasium to warm-up before the matches, he noticed he somewhat have changed.

This time, Atsumu stepped up his flirting game by insulting and complimenting Tobio with a flirty tone and he was very pleased and amused to see the flustered and confused look on the other setter's face. How adorable.

During Karasuno's first game against Tsubakihara, Atsumu saw that Tobio had become more relaxed and no longer tried to please his hitters. Instead, the hitters had to adapt to his sets.

If that ain't the hottest thing Atsumu had seen in his life. He still remembered the exasperated look on Osamu's face, unimpressed by his childish glee but who cares?

Then when Karasuno faced off against Inarizaki, Atsumu was having the time of his life. He had too much fun with his twin brother, experimenting new moves that they had never practiced before, much to Aran-san's chagrin. He could've sworn that he saw a few grey hairs on his poor senior.

Shouyou-chan was also an incredibly powerful player herself. Atsumu still remembered how she created a world-class record and made history with her nasty hell of serves. He shuddered as he recalled how his team struggled, scrambling around the court, trying to bump the ball like a bunch of headless chickens.

When Kamomedai's Hakuba got hit by the cannon of a ball right on his forehead, Atsumu briefly prayed for his soul, knowing that it was painful as heck, judging by the bright red mark on the middle of his forehead.

Yeah, Kourai-kun had a good day laughing at his teammate for that.

Back to Tobio-kun, Atsumu was impressed when he purposely set the ball very high - which was quite uncommon in games, you see - to give Shouyou-chan a chance to rise up from the ground after those kitty cats prevented her from scoring for the team.

Then on the next year, he and Osamu were disappointed when Shouyou-chan no longer played for Karasuno after they learned about the case. It was dumb as hell, in his point of view. From what he had seen, he thinks Japan should have more coed sports like volleyball or any other sports out there. He believed no matter what gender the players have, they should have a chance to compete equally.

And just because there's only one girl in a team full of boys doesn't mean she sleeps with them. Idiots. Conservative idiots. Even Kita-san's grandmother was far more open-minded than them. Bless her heart.

To be honest, playing against Karasuno without Shouyou-chan was less fun than what Atsumu expected. But they were still ferocious as ever, especially Tobio-kun. And that tall megane middle blocker of theirs.

After that, Atsumu graduated high school and joined the MSBY Black Jackals soon after while Tobio-kun became a third-year. It was fun watching him and the other crows winning their way up to the top ranks until they were defeated by Itachiyama.

Oh, how Atsumu hated those weasels. He still remembered Omi-kun's smug face behind that white face mask of his.

After Tobio-kun graduated, he went straight into the V-Leagues and joined the Schweiden Adlers. Atsumu thought they were meant to be since the Jackals and Adlers were rated rivals.

( "I sincerely think that Tobio -kun and I were meant to be rivals! The gods have written in their wills! I should fulfill my destiny, ain't that right, Osamu?!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. And could ye stop barging into my restaurant for no reason?! Yer scaring off my customers with that ugly face of yers ."

"We're twins, ye dumbass!"

"And I still resent the fact until now.")

Atsumu stayed in touch with Tobio until now. They hang out together sometimes - he thought they were dates but the other setter thought they were normal outings - and they got close to the point that they knew each other's family.

Kageyama Miwa was the sister that Atsumu needed, not his stupid twin brother.

("The feeling is mutual, Tsumu ," Osamu's voice can be heard inside his head.)

But despite they were getting chummy and all that - damn Wan-san for noticing and snitched on him to the others - they were still opponents on the court and they didn't plan on showing mercy.

Atsumu grumbled under his breath when he realized the Adlers have caught on the fact that he had been using quick sets many times after Meian was stuffed by Fukuro.

But do I care? Noooope!, he thought cheerfully as he passed the ball to Meian once again and this time, they earned a point. Fukuro scowled at them after failing to block him.

Back to Hinata and Kanoka, the former was marveling at the beautiful move that Hoshiumi pulled off just now.

The white-haired man was going for a block-out but he noticed that the blockers noticed that he was going to do that and turned it into a straight spike in the last instant.

She watched as Hoshiumi grinned smugly at the other players, both opponents and teammates. His grin saying, You see that? That's how you fight in the air. Welcome to being small, you six-and-a-half-foot small guys. Understand?

Said 'six-and-a-half-foot small guys' had uncomfortable smiles on their faces, as if they understood those words were meant for them.

Meian - 6'4, Barnes - 6'9, Thomas - 6'7, Sokolov - 6'7, Fukuro - 6'4.

She crossed her arms in front of her chest as she recalled his words during his interview a few years back. "Being short is a disadvantage but it isn't a sign of incompetence."

Damn. I think I still have more ways to go, she thought with a challenging grin on her face.

A proud sob escaped from Kanoka's lips as she watched Sakusa successfully bumped Ushijima's serve. "To think that he got where he is now because he wants to stop Ushijima at all costs. I'm so proud of him!" she wailed as her friend patted her on the back with a small laugh.

In the end, the Jackals won the third set after the Adlers took the second set. Now, they were anxious for the final set. Which team will win?

"Dear Kami-sama, that last set just now was intense. Did you see Romero-san's face just now? Whew!" Hinata fanned herself with her hand to get rid of the adrenaline that ran throughout her body during the entire set. "This is my first time seeing him in his serious mode. Usually he's a playful type of guy."

The final set began and soon enough, the Jackals took the lead with 18 points while the Adlers had 15 points. Heiwajima bumped the ball served by Atsumu, passing it to Kageyama. The dark-haired setter positioned his hands as if he was going for a dump, causing the Jackals players to run forward.

Which was exactly what he wanted them to do before he pushed the ball harder into their court. Sakusa tried to save the ball but it was too late.

A power tip?!, Hinata gaped at him before rolling her eyes as she remembered who they were talking about. Kageyama was just as crazy as her. Who are they kidding?

Atsumu openly gawked at Kageyama with a tint of pink on his cheeks. I should be frustrated right now but that was just too hot, he thought to himself.

Kageyama noticed his staring and shot him an incredulous look before turning his back to him while Meian smacked him on the head, scolding him not to get distracted in the middle of the game.

Both teams have reached the end of the game with the Jackals reaching the match point first. If they scored the next point, they will win the entire game while the Adlers need two more points.

"Dear Kami-sama, who will win the game?!" Kanoka was freaking out as both Jackals and Adlers looked like they were not going to give up soon. Serve, bump, pass, spike, block. The rally looked like as if it was going to go on forever.

Hinata, who need to let out the steam that she had been holding in for the entire game, stood from her seat and shouted on top of her lungs. "LET'S GOOOOO, MSBY AND ADLERS!!! DO YOUR BEST!!!!"

Everyone was bewildered by her sudden action. Those who knew her smiled and grinned in response and soon enough, the crowd began to follow her lead as they also cheered for the players. It didn't matter whether you support the Jackals or Adlers or what the results will be. They were all having a good time together.

On the court, the players have each other knowing looks, feeling grateful that the spectators gave them the final push. In the end, Bokuto scored the winning point for the Jackals after the Adlers was distracted by Barnes.

MSBY Black Jackals won 3:1 over the Schweiden Adlers.

The crowd roared happily, congratulating the victors and thanking the players for giving them a good game. Hinata plopped on her seat tiredly as she and Kanoka applauded for them.

Suddenly, there was another roar from the crowd, especially female fans who squealed loudly at the sight in front of them. The two women tried to see what's going on and screamed when they saw with their own eyes.

Atsumu and Kageyama were openly kissing each other passionately right in front of everyone and the cameras. And it didn't look like they were going to stop soon.

"Holy shit!!" Yamaguchi yelled. Osamu-san's prediction came true!

Said man was howling with laughter, earning weird looks from onlookers. Osamu patted himself on the back for his accurate prediction. "I should be a shaman if I can come up with another prophecy." he snorted.

"Ew." Sakusa gave them a stink eye for their public display of affection. "Disgusting."

"That sounds awfully homophobic of you, Omi-omi!" Bokuto commented. "Not cool!"

"No, I'm disgusted by the fact that they're kissing each other when both of them are sweaty. Who knows what kind of germs they're carrying with them right now," he shivered in disgust.

"Oh my God, stop it already! Don't y'all need to breathe?!" Hoshiumi's shout drew laughter from everyone.

Finally, the two setters pulled away from each other. "I never knew you had it in ya, Tobio-kun. I knew ye were infatuated with me." Atsumu wiggled his eyebrows at him.

Kageyama scowled at him before slapping him on his chest. "Don't make me regret the decision I made just now."

"Aww, I'm just messing with 'cha! Ye love me right?! Right?!" He promptly chased after the other setter like a lost puppy as he tried to get back to his team.

Kageyama pretended not to know him as if they weren't just sucking off each other's faces a few seconds ago.

Chapter Text

After the game ended, people began to scatter around the court. Players greeted their fans, old friends and acquaintances met each other again after a long time, lovers who were too busy to see each other again finally reunited again.

"Romero-sannnn!!!" A blur of reddish-orange zoomed past the crowd of people. The Brazilian player barely recognized the familiar voice of his pupil before his vision was filled with brightness by the young woman.

"Shouyou! My old pupil! Good to see you again!!" He greeted Hinata warmly in Portuguese as he coiled his arms around her waist and pulled her into a friendly hug, patting her back gently. "Your games with the Jaguars were amazing!! I can't wait to see you play with the local team soon!"

"Thank you!!" she beamed at him before noticing the small familiar figure hiding behind his legs shyly. She gasped in shock. "Is that you, Rubens?! You've grown so big now! Hey, it's me, Shouyou!! Remember?!"

Romero chuckled at his son's behaviour. "This little guy always watched your old videos back when you used to play beach volleyball. He became a big fan of yours since then. We told him that he does know 'Ninja Shouyou' but he didn't believe us." he ruffled his hair playfully as Rubens pouted. "We showed him one of the pictures we took back then and he was surprised." he leaned forward to whisper at her. "He keeps a picture where you hold him when he was a baby in his room. That's his most valuable thing right now."

"Papai!!" Rubens whined loudly, couldn't hide his embarrassment any longer. "Stop embarrassing me in front of Shouyou!!"

"Oh now you call her Shouyou?! You always called her 'Amo-- OW!!" The father yelped when his son stomped on his foot. "Fine! Fine!"

Then Rubens turned to his idol. "Shouyou!! Can I have your autograph please?!" He asked cutely as he held out his blank notebook and a marker pen.

Hinata flashed him a bright smile, eyes crinkling in the corner. "Sure! Anything for my biggest fan!" She signed the notebook and handed it back to him but not before surprising the poor boy with a peck on his head, almost making him pass out on the spot.

"Oh my! So many new relationships discovered today!" Romero joked.

Hinata rolled her eyes before shooting an unimpressed look at her former mentor. "I have a boyfriend, Romero-san." she reminded him.

"Oh yeah. The guy with the undercut in the Warriors, right? He's pretty scary with his blocks. Kourai was pissed that he had been stuffed so many times." he chuckled as he recalled how Hoshiumi squawked in rage when Hyakuzawa blocked him in a game. The shorter man almost made a scene when he swore loudly while the taller man shot him nervous looks. Their captain had to hold him back before he could start a fight.

While Hinata conversed with Romero and Rubens, Kanoka went to see Sakusa, who was cooling down at one of the empty spots around the court. He was surprised to see her there. "Kanoka? What are you doing here?"

"To surprise you, of course!" she smiled at him. "Shouyou wanted to watch the game in person because she wanted to see her old mentor and friends playing against each other so she invited me too. Look! I brought a merchandise of you too!" she showed off the Black Jackals scarf she bought and the balloon-like sticks with his name and jersey number on them.

A hue of pink made an appearance across his cheeks as he watched his cute girlfriend. "Thanks. I'm worried that you'll get tired since your own game is near though..."

She brushed him off with a wave of her hand. "Oh don't worry about me, silly! You should be worrying about our opponents! We have a new weapon to pit against them soon!" she boasted, obviously referring to Hinata.

His lips quirked into a small smile at her words. "I'm looking forward to see it."

After Hinata finished talking with Romero and Rubens, she approached Fukuro next. "Excuse me, Hirugami-san." she said, drawing his attention.

The brunette man blinked his eyes when he heard someone called him and it turned out to be the ginger-haired woman. He recognized her from the news that she was joining his sister's team and remembered that she once played against his younger brother in high school. "Yes, what can I help you, Hinata-san?"

"Hirugami-san, I mean, my captain, Shouko-san asked me to pass this message to you when I told her that I was going to watch this game." she said earnestly with innocent eyes.

Dread began to fill his chest at her words. Shit. He knew what kind of person his sister was. "Um that's okay--"

"But she said it was really important to pass the message to you! I didn't want to disappoint her!" her eyes turned sad at the mere thought of disappointing her captain.

Fukuro would've cried because of her pure heart if it weren't for the dark intentions of her captain.

"Geez, Captain. Don't bully her too much. That's not very gentlemanly of you." Heiwajima, Adlers' libero, slid up next to them, startling both his captain and Hinata.

"Boo. Not cool." Sokolov added fuel to the fire from behind them with a naughty smile.

"Fine! Yes, Hinata-san!" Fukuro snapped at them before shooting an apologetic look at Hinata. "What's the message?" He asked nervously.

"Well, she said *beep* *beep* and to think that *beep* *beep*. And finally she said *beep* *beep* *beep*. That's all. I don't understand what she meant though." After she finished conveying the message, she looked up and was surprised to see Fukuro looking like as if his soul just left his body while Heiwajima and Sokolov gaped at her.

"Seriously? She said that?" the libero asked for confirmation and she nodded. When he realized she was telling the truth, a low whistle escaped from his lips. "Man, I knew your sister is scary, Captain but I didn't know she's fucking brutal." he said to Fukuro.

"Shouko-san isn't that bad. She's a strict captain, that's all." Hinata spoke up, trying to defend her captain.

"Oh, you sweet, naive child." Sokolov sobbed as he clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Oi, Hinata!" the gingerhead turned around to the person who called her name and a wide grin adorned her lips.

"Heyya, Kageyama! Finally we meet again and not through video calls!" she excused herself before the three senior players - Fukuro was still out of this world as his teammates were trying to wake him up - before she went to the Adlers setter.

"Thanks for covering me back then but Yuu-kun wasn't too happy about your acting though. He was annoyed," she informed, remembering how Hyakuzawa was somewhat annoyed by Kageyama's failed attempt of fooling him.

"Hah?! What do you mean?! My acting was good, okay?!" came his indignant response.

"Yeah right. Telling him that you don't know me. Real convincing acting right there." she said sarcastically as she clapped her hands together.

"Tch, shut up," he shoved her lightly as a small tint of pink made an appearance on his cheeks. "I tried my best, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I appreciate it! No worries!" she patted his arm with a bright smile before she changed the topic. "Anyways, you didn't win the game but at least you won a boyfriend today. I'm so proud of you!"

"BOKE HINATA BOKE!!" Kageyama tried to swat at her but she easily dodged him as she ran towards the Jackals next, passing Hoshiumi and Ushijima as she did so. "Hoshiumi-san, Ushi-sennin!! Hi!!"

"Hello, Hinata." Ushijima calmly greeted back with a raise of his hand.

"Hinata Shouyou! It's good to see you back in Japan! How's Brazil?!" Hoshiumi asked next.

"Wait just a second please!" Hinata said to Hoshiumi as she paused in her run before she spun around and sticked her foot out just as Kageyama reached her, causing him to trip on her foot and crashed into Atsumu, who just happened to walk by since he was going to greet her.

"Tobio-kun! Ya didn't have to fall for me, literally, when I asked why ya fall for me!"

"What?! This is Hinata's fault!"

Said woman only stuck her tongue out as she placed her hands on her hips playfully. "You're welcome, Bakayama!" she snickered before leaving the two lovebirds alone and went to Hoshiumi, who was cackling by the display that happened just now.

"HEY HEY HEY HINATAAAA!!!" a loud cry from a certain owl sounded from afar before Bokuto joined their group.  "My disciple! It's great to see you again!"

"Bokuto-shishou! Hey!" Hinata returned his greeting just as enthusiastically.

"Hinata! You're going to play against my big sis soon, huh?! Damn, I don't know if I should root for you or her!" he whined. Bokuto has two older sisters. His eldest sister is a volleyball player like he is - she was one of the reasons why he play volleyball - and his other sister works as an accountant in a fairly large company.

"Sucks to be you! I'm going to root for both Hinata and Shouko-nee since they're in the same team!" Hoshiumi said proudly.

"Hey, what about me?!" Kanoka piped in with a small pout as she approached them followed by Sakusa, who had his hands in his jacket pockets. "I'm also one of the Rabbits!"

The white-haired man, who had a sheepish smile on his face, apologized while scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, Amanai."

"What are you guys talking about? What's this about Bokuto's sister?" Sakusa asked.

"Amanai and Hinata will play against Ibaraki AquaPixies, a team which has Bokuto's sister and Hirugami-san's sister in it." Ushijima kindly explained for him.

"Not just them, there are also a few others whom we know in that team so we're looking forward to the game. Especially since we Rabbits have an ace up our sleeves right here!" Kanoka added while slinging an arm around Hinata's shoulder with a proud grin.

"Nitta-san's sister, right? The one that sometimes looks kinda unhinged," Sakusa flinched when his girlfriend smacked his shoulder for the comment. "But yes, she's a very good blocker."

"Nitta? You mean the yakuza-looking guy in VC Kanagawa?" Hoshiumi scratched his head as he tried to remember him. He only knew Sakusa's former captain, Tsukasa played in that team as a setter.

"Ah yes, I know him. He's in the national team as well," Ushijima nodded in confirmation.

"Nevertheless, I can't wait to watch the game! My disciple is playing against my big sis! Hoo it's going to be an awesome game!" Bokuto said cheerfully.

"Whaaa? Bokkun's sister? I never knew ya have a sister, Bokkun?" Atsumu slid over to them after he and Kageyama recovered from their crash a few minutes ago.

"I have two sisters, Tsum-tsum! One of them is a pro like me! She's one of the inspirations that made me choose volleyball!" the dual-colour-haired man exclaimed with a huge grin.

Kageyama tilted his head to the side curiously. "Is she just like you, Bokuto-san? Her play style, I mean."

"Yup!"

"Oh God, a female version of Bokuto." Sakusa buried his face in his hands in mock despair. "How do her teammates handle her? Even Captain gives up on you."

"Hey! Captain loves me!" Bokuto said indignantly. As if trying to prove his point, he spun around to face Meian who was chatting with Barnes and Coach Foster and shouted his name.

"Meian-san! Do you love me?!"

All eyes were directed between the two Jackals players as soon as Bokuto finished shouting. Sakusa was having a second-hand embarrassment while Atsumu was snickering behind his hand.

Some of the players from their rival team didn't hold back as much as they did. Hoshiumi was howling with laughter along with Romero who was chuckling.

The look on Meian's face was enough to make Inunaki spat out his water before he wheezed in laughter while Thomas tried to pat his back.

"What's this? Are we discovering another relationship today?" Coach Foster, being the boomer he is, tried to understand the situation. His question didn't exactly help the situation either.

"Bokuto-shishou! Context!" Hinata quickly reminded her senpai about his mistake.

"Oh! Wait-- I mean, do you love me as a teammate, Captain?! I'm trying to prove a point to Omi-omi here!" Bokuto realized what he just did before quickly correcting his earlier question.

"Fuck, don't drag me into this," Sakusa hissed when some of the attention were directed on him afterwards.

"It's partially your fault too, Sakusa," Ushijima frowned.

"You're absolutely right, Wakatoshi-kun," if there's anyone who can make the germaphobe shut up other than Kanoka, it would be Ushijima. Not even his own cousin, Komori can make him listen.

"Simp," Hoshiumi blurted out as he pretended to cough before quickly moved away from a swift kick from the other player.

"To answer your question, Bokuto, I respect you as a player." Meian answered with a polite smile.

"But don't you love me?" he probed further as he tried to make himself look pitiful.

"I said, I respect you as a player." the team captain's smile turned dangerous as he flashed a menacing look at him.

"Right! Thank you, Captain!" he immediately understood that look and bowed, knowing not to push his button further.

After watching the funny spectacle by the Jackals as usual, the players scattered around to greet the other familiar faces who watched the game.

Kageyama and Hinata had a brief but meaningful reunion with the Karasuno alumni and coaches, especially the former first years. They exchanged smiles and laughter among each other - and an emotional praises coming from a tearful Takeda-sensei.

"I have nothing to say but other than the fact that my kouhais are now famous athletes and spreading out their wings overseas." Sugawara sobbed proudly as he looped each of his arm around Kageyama and Hinata. "I can't wait to brag this fact to my colleagues and my students."

Tsukishima made a face at a part of his statement. "Did you just purposely said 'spreading out their wings' as a reference to the fact they were part of Karasuno, a murder of crows? Unbelievable," he shook his head in exasperation.

Tanaka cackled as he clapped him on his back, making the tall blond wince from the force of his hit. "Hey, once a crow, always a crow, Tsukishima! Don't try to hide your heritage! Remember who made you love volleyball again!" he exclaimed.

The Sendai Frogs blocker scowled but didn't refute his statement, knowing that he was right. Karasuno along with the 3rd Gym Squad helped him to embrace the sport again. 

Especially a certain former Nekoma captain, whom he was certain was lurking around the court since he knew he'd watch the game because of Bokuto and his job.

Yup, he'd rather not to meet him today. Who knows what kind of bullshit he's up to now?

He already managed to avoid him when he saw him approached Hinata and Kanoka and held back the urge to snort out loud when he heard Sakusa and Atsumu's comments of him.

Hmph. Serves him right. He deserves that for walking around with that ugly tie of his.

Unfortunately for them, all good things come to an end. Hinata and Kanoka had to leave early to prepare for their upcoming game but not before meeting a few more important people and bidding goodbye to everyone.

On the train on the way back to Shizuoka, there were a quiet but pleasant tension between the two women before Hinata broke it.

"After watching the JackAdlers game today, I'm more determined for our own game against the AquaPixies," she said, honey brown eyes darkening with determination.

A smile flitted across Kanoka's face. "I've been thinking the same thing as well. I feel really excited to play them again even though I've already played against them several times before," she admitted with a small laugh, "I think it's because now that you're finally in the V-League, people are looking forward to see the current you after you returned from the Superliga."

In other words, people are wondering if Hinata will continue giving them a great challenge just like how she did when she first became well-known during her time in Karasuno. When she played against male players, she wasn't intimidated by the tall players and followed their rules even though she was the only female player at that time. In fact, the male players themselves had to be careful of her despite her small stature thanks to her monster skills.

After she moved to Niiyama Joshi and switched to women's league, it took her a while to get used to a new environment where the players and  regulations are different but similar in terms of power and skills nonetheless.

She jumped as if she was against 2 meter tall players and the tallest players at the time were only around 185 - 190 cm tall. She spiked the ball as if she's against powerful middle blockers. The speed and strength of her spikes rendered liberos speechless and horrified.

As a result, many of the teams Niiyama Joshi played against at that time preferred to avoid playing against them and could only pray that Hinata wouldn't be included in the games, which was impossible since she was a starter and their main weapon.

Not to mentioned, there were times they received complaints that Hinata was 'too harsh' to them and claimed that she treated them as if they were like the male players she used to associated before. Of course, Niiyama Joshi and the public backed her up by counter them with statements such as:

"If you think the way Hinata Shouyou play is too harsh for you and claimed she mistreated you, that means you are not fit to be a volleyball player."

"If you think her play style is too strong and intimidating for you, then how you will survive in the international leagues?"

"Japan women's volleyball players need to step up their games. Teamwork is important but individual strength is also important to help a team achieve victory."

"Hinata Shouyou's skills are insanely strong to the point that many foreign players respect her as one of Japan's top volleyball players. Every team she joined won many games, that's how strong she is."

"If there are more female players with monster skills like Hinata Shouyou , then it can be assured that Japan will earn a top rank among other countries. In fact, it might be possible we can even reach to top 3 in the world."

And many more statements. Thanks to their positive reactions and supports, many professional female players earned more recognition and gained more fans than before.

And Hinata could finally meet her fellow players with monster skills before she graduated high school such as Kobayashi and Shimane.

Back to Hinata and Kanoka, the former had her lips stretched into a feral grin. "Ah, I can't wait to play. It was different back when we were in the U-18 national team, you know. These women are more experienced and have been playing longer than me since I only started playing indoor volleyball when I was 15." She leaned back against her seat as she sighed. "I hope that I can meet everyone's expectation in that game." She murmured.

The dark-haired woman leaned forward and patted her hand softly with her own with a firm nod. "I know you will."

Hinata shot her a grateful smile in return.