Haikyuu - I Am A Different Hinata!

"Hinata? What are you doing standing there?" asked Daichi, accompanied by the third-years who, this time, were the first to arrive, along with Kageyama.

"Going out sometimes is good…" Hinata murmured, still seeming to be in a trance, contemplating Kiyoko's words as if they were some kind of puzzle he needed to solve.

"There's something wrong with him… normally he's really dumb, but he usually responds when called…" Kageyama analyzed, hand on his chin and a serious expression on his face.

"RELAX! THIS IS JUST THE EFFECT OF LOVE, AND IT'LL RESOLVE ITSELF!" Tanaka shouted while giving Hinata a solid slap on the back of his head, which instantly made him turn around.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Hinata asked, glaring at Tanaka with an irritated look.

"You're standing there like a cone by the door, practice is about to start!" Kageyama complained.

"Hmm… it'd have to be a tall, orange cone to match the character!" Tsukishima teased, chuckling to himself.

"Alright, enough chit-chat, let's start practice!" said Ukai as he walked past everyone and into the gym, handing out jerseys as the players filed in.

"Since we started putting your new skills into practice yesterday, it's time to test them out for real. So don't forget to use them without fear!" Ukai encouraged the Karasuno players.

The game went as usual, with the players without jerseys facing off against those with jerseys. Everyone focused on using their new weapons, but what followed wasn't exactly inspiring—especially for Ukai, Kiyoko, and Yachi, who watched a series of mistakes from all the players. Hinata kept missing the ball or barely grazing it, Tanaka sent multiple balls out of bounds, Asahi mistimed his hits or failed to sync with Kageyama, and Nishinoya jumped too early at the line, sending sets in the wrong direction and hitting nothing.

"Honestly…" Ukai sighed after observing the string of errors from his players.

"Take it easy, Ukai-kun… this is what they call taking a step back to take three steps forward. In time, they'll sync up and become even better!" Takeda commented, having arrived mid-game to offer his optimistic take on the situation.

"Man, we're really bad right now!" Nishinoya laughed after the game ended, taking a swig of water.

"Yeah, we can't say that was one of the prettiest or cleanest matches we've ever played…" Daichi admitted.

"This isn't working—I need more practice! Kageyama, send me some sets!" Hinata asked, frustration evident in his voice.

"Tsk! Fine!" Kageyama reluctantly agreed, annoyed whenever Hinata specifically messed up his sets, especially since it wasn't his fault.

"Suga-san… I know it's time to go, but I need to practice too!" Tanaka said, almost on his knees.

"We can do that… but the next ice cream is on you…" Sugawara replied with a mischievous smile.

"Look at them, staying after practice… that doesn't happen too often…" Takeda observed, amused by the scene.

"It's good that they're eager to improve, but overtraining and getting injured is dangerous too. Listen up—just thirty more minutes, and that's it!" Ukai shouted authoritatively.

"See you…" Tsukishima said, clearly uninterested in pushing his limits, already heading out with his bag slung over his shoulder.

"Hey! Tsuki! Wait for me!" Yamaguchi called, hesitating for a moment before grabbing his bag and following Tsukishima.

Days passed with the Karasuno volleyball club members alternating between practicing their new skills and testing them in practice matches, slowly improving bit by bit.

Hinata could be seen with some kids at the spot where he had met Ikkei Ukai days earlier.

"BOOM!"

After Hinata hit the ball using his circular swing, the sound of the ball violently hitting the dirt ground could be heard, while the kids watched in awe.

"That's amazing, Hinata-senpai… when you hit the ball, it's like, Boom!" said one of the younger kids, clearly impressed.

"Hmpff, Hinata-senpai said he'd teach me how to spike like that, but he hasn't said anything yet!" complained another kid, who seemed to be the older brother of the younger one.

"Sorry, when I get back from Tokyo and have some time, I'll help both of you!" Hinata said, giving them a thumbs-up.

"Hey! Hinata!" called Ikkei Ukai, who was harvesting some crops.

"Coming!" Hinata replied as he approached and started helping the old man.

"So, you're heading to Tokyo tomorrow, huh?" Ikkei Ukai asked.

"Yeah… I wish I had mastered the circular swing you taught me, but I still mess up sometimes…" Hinata admitted.

"Kid, your growth rate is scary. This isn't the kind of thing you change overnight, especially when you've been using the same form for so long!" Ikkei Ukai scolded Hinata.

"I know!" Hinata said with a mischievous grin.

"Anyway, make sure to show the power of Karasuno, especially to that old cat. He always brags when he wins, so don't let him have that satisfaction!" Ikkei Ukai ordered.

"Understood, General!" Hinata joked, saluting.

The next day, Hinata left his mom, who had once again listed all the dangers of Tokyo, at home and headed to Karasuno in the middle of the night.

"I think we could've practiced a bit more before leaving!" Hinata complained as he boarded the bus.

"Not everyone's a training maniac like you!" Tsukishima shot back.

"Hinata, when we get there, we'll go straight to practicing volleyball. There was no need!" Sugawara explained.

"Alright, everyone! I'll start driving, and then Ukai-kun will take over!" Takeda announced, getting everyone's attention.

"That is, if I don't fall asleep first…" Ukai said, already making excuses.

"Let's get going!" Takeda declared as he started driving the bus toward Tokyo.