――What is it that I'm missing?
Hinata asked himself, though deep down he already knew the answer from the very beginning. The things he lacked.
They were: practice, experience, and a coach.
It might sound like "just three things," but those were the most important of all, and none of them were easy. Still, Hinata believed that if he kept stacking them up, he would one day reach, even catch up to, his middle school partner—Kagami.
And yet, what he still yearned for the most, what he still couldn't let go of, was height.
But no matter how hard he tried, that was one thing forever out of reach. Height simply couldn't be changed. Hinata knew all too well just how important height was in volleyball. He had tried everything—drinking milk, jumping, bouncing around—he'd been doing it his whole life. But the effects were minimal. By high school, there was nothing left but to leave it up to fate.
So what now?
The answer was simple: train relentlessly, gain experience, and keep building up step by step. That was all Hinata could do.
And when he finally began to think seriously, wholeheartedly, about those things, he truly understood what Kagami had been trying to tell him all along. The foundation came first. The basics of volleyball. And to keep at them, endlessly. Continuation is power.
When Hinata told him that, Kagami had only laughed.
"I told you that a hundred times already."
That's what he said, smiling.
From that day on, Hinata never complained, not even once. If the girls' volleyball team would let him in, he joined them. If it was a neighborhood moms' team, he joined them too. And when he was alone, he still kept a ball in his hands.
"The ball is your friend. You've heard that before, right, Shouyou? That's why you should always be touching it. In volleyball, you only touch the ball for an instant. You can't hold onto it. So you need to be ready, anytime, anywhere, to respond to any ball. Treat it like it's part of your own body."
Those were Kagami's words. That Hinata still wasn't "familiar" enough with the ball. Hinata had thought he'd been playing with the ball ever since childhood, ever since the day he saw the Little Giant.
It's hard to really feel it, but just shifting your awareness changes everything. The Hinata now, and the Hinata before—it makes all the difference. Always keep imagining. Always visualizing. During practice, after practice, before bed, when you wake up—it's volleyball, all the time. At least, that's how I did it. That's why I am who I am now.
It carried incredible weight.
Hinata had caught a glimpse, in that match, of the hidden strength Kagami had been holding back. But now he realized it wasn't just "hidden power"—it was the result of all that steady accumulation.
Hinata's resolve burned brighter than ever. But at the same time, there was something that crushed his spirits.
"By the way, Shouyou. Volleyball is important and all, but… shouldn't you be studying for the entrance exams? Karasuno's cutoff isn't that high, but are you above the bar?"
That one sentence hit him like a spike to the chest. His reliable partner, who was supposed to be practicing just as much as him, somehow had grades far, far better than his. (Or at least that's how Hinata saw it—the truth was simply that his own grades were way too low.)
Still, he grit his teeth and worked hard.
For high school. For the place he wanted to be. His choice, his dream school was, of course—Karasuno.
Miyagi Prefectural Karasuno High School.
"Karasuno's close to my house, and Hinata's going too, so it's perfect for me."
That's what Kagami had said.
Hearing that fired Hinata up even more. He would get in alongside Kagami. He would win matches with Kagami.
But… there was still one worry.
Between training and studying, he had too much on his plate. And because of that, there was one thing he had never asked outright.
Whether Kagami planned to actually play volleyball in high school.
He had never gotten a clear answer. Kagami had only said, "I'll practice with you." He might have told Kageyama something else back then, but Hinata couldn't remember the details clearly anymore, so he couldn't be sure.
But still—Kagami was that good. He was skilled, he practiced with Hinata whenever he could, even tried his hand at being a coach (though he insisted he wasn't good at teaching). For someone like that not to play volleyball? Impossible! At least, that's what Hinata convinced himself, pushing the doubt aside.
Time passed, and it was spring of their first year in high school. Entrance season.
Hinata Shouyou had successfully cleared the toughest hurdle of his life: the entrance exam. Crying his eyes out had become a precious memory. He had promised himself not to cry, not even at the graduation ceremony, and he'd held back his tears—even when parting with friends headed to other high schools. He had held back then, too. "That's when you should cry," people had told him, and that too became a fond memory.
And finally, Karasuno High School.
Wearing the all-black school uniform, fitting for a school named after a crow, Hinata biked thirty minutes over a mountain and at last arrived at the place where his idol, the Little Giant, once stood.
"Heeey, Seiyaaa! Let's go to the volleyball club!"
The door to Class 1-5 burst open.
Hinata, by the way, was in Class 1-1.
Apart from club recruiters, barging into other classrooms like this was rare—yet here was Kagami, striding in like he owned the place.
"Still as energetic as ever…"
"Quit spacing out, come on! Volleyball club, volleyball club!"
"Wait, hold on—I still haven't decided yet!"
"――What!?"
The words Hinata had been waiting for, ever since that very first match and their crushing defeat, finally came back to him. But in the worst possible way.
"Wh-what do you mean!? You said we'd do it together, didn't you!? Tell me you said it! Seiyaa! Don't abandon meeee!"
"Whoa, calm down, Shouyou! This isn't home! Besides, look at this."
Trying to pacify Hinata, Kagami pulled out a huge stack of papers.
Fan letters? That's what it looked like—a pile of them. Hinata, calming down a little, couldn't help making a complicated face.
"Don't make that face."
Kagami gave him a light chop and showed him the papers one by one.
They weren't fan letters at all. They were club recruitment flyers.
Even on the first day, upperclassmen had noticed Kagami's physique and targeted him. The handwriting was cute, unmistakably from girls. Older girls, inviting him to join.
Who could say no to that?
"I didn't get in on an athletic recommendation, but I still got all these. I plan to at least show up at every club. I can't just reject them outright."
"Grrr… but in the end you'll choose volleyball, right!? You will, won't you!?"
Hinata was about to demand a firm promise, when—
"Hey, Kagami. Sorry, but could you come to the AV room? I forgot to give you one of the handouts earlier. I'll pass it to you there."
"Ah, sure thing, Nakamura-san."
Kagami stood up as the teacher called him.
"Anyway, later, Shouyou."
"Wait, I haven't heard your answer yet!"
"If you don't hurry, the volleyball club might close up shop. Well, you could always go tomorrow, since the day's not over yet."
"Ughhh, no way! It has to be today! Fine, I'll be back later!"
Hinata stormed off with such force it practically made a sound effect.
The classmates of 1-5 thought: despite having the name "Hinata" (sunlight), that boy was more like a storm.
"Haha. What's this about 'closing'? It's not a food stall. …Sorry, Shouyou. I'm still not sure."
Scratching his head, Kagami left for the AV room.
Now let's rewind a little.
The third floor, where the senior classrooms were.
Today was more chaotic than usual. Why? Because the third-year captains of every sports club were fired up, eager to snatch up the promising new students. The atmosphere was stiflingly intense.
After finishing up his business in the AV room, Kagami headed back.
Among the seniors waiting were Karasuno's own third-years and second-years, also eager to see what kind of rookies they'd get. But…
"Here, Sawamura. These are the applications we've got so far."
The one speaking was Shimizu Kiyoko, Karasuno's third-year volleyball manager. One of her jobs was to collect applications and hand them to the coach and captain. The thin stack carried an air of sadness.
Sawamura Daichi, third-year captain of the Karasuno volleyball club, took it.
"…So few. There used to be more… I thought I was prepared for this, but it stings."
"Don't worry about it, Daichi. Numbers will go up."
Encouraging the disheartened captain was Sugawara Koushi, the third-year vice-captain. His words were meant to cheer him up, but even Sugawara's face was tight with worry. The lack of members was serious.
And yet, among them, there was one who wasn't looking at the thin pile of papers at all. He was looking only at Shimizu.
Tanaka Ryuunosuke, second-year.
"Kiyoko-san! You're beautiful as always!!"
Normally, second-years had no reason to be in the senior area. But on big occasions like this—recruitment day—he had a reason. Or rather, an excuse.
And of course, his real aim was Kiyoko. Opportunities to see her outside of club activities were rare. He wasn't about to miss it.
"… …"
But if you asked whether his efforts were paying off—objectively, the answer was no.
"Complete indifference! That gets me fired up!!"
Still, Tanaka looked absolutely satisfied.
"…Man, Tanaka's always full of energy. Hm? Wait a second."
"You noticed, Sawamura?"
"Th-that name… it couldn't be?"
"I double-checked. No mistake."
"…Seriously?"
Sawamura's previously lifeless eyes widened in shock, regaining their spark. Shimizu gave him a confirming nod.
Because in the pile of applications, there was a name they knew. A name worth double-taking at.
And yet, that surprise was only the beginning.
"Also, there's no application yet, but there's one more—"
Thanks to Shimizu's words, the volleyball team — who at first were as gloomy as a funeral, save for Tanaka — suddenly turned into a lively festival.