Haikyuu! Reaching New heights

The match against Mayu's team had exposed all our weaknesses.

Our defense was shaky.

Our attacks were predictable.

And worst of all—we lacked a real system.

But that was exactly why we needed this match.

Because now?

We knew what to fix.

And we were ready to level up.

The day after the match, we were back in the gym.

Kenji groaned. "Can't we have a break?"

Izumi sighed. "We almost died yesterday."

I grinned. "That's why we need to train today."

Kōji muttered, "Hinata, you're a menace."

Matsuda-sensei walked in, clapping his hands.

"Alright, kids. You wanted to take volleyball seriously? Then get ready, because today's gonna hurt."

Kenji muttered, "Oh, great."

"First problem—your defense is garbage," Matsuda-sensei said bluntly.

Izumi sighed. "Yeah… we know."

Matsuda-sensei smirked. "Good. Because we're fixing that right now."

Drill #1 – The Receive Gauntlet

We had to dig, dive, and chase after balls while Matsuda-sensei spiked at us from all angles.

The result?

Kenji got hit in the face. Kōji tripped over his own feet. Izumi yelled, "I WASN'T READY!" at least five times.

It was brutal.

But little by little—we improved.

By the end of the session, our reaction time had doubled.

Kenji panted. "I… hate this."

I smirked. "But we're getting better."

Izumi wiped sweat from his forehead. "Barely."

Next, we focused on fixing our offense.

"Hinata, you're fast," Matsuda-sensei said. "But speed alone won't win games."

I nodded. "Yeah. I need to be unpredictable."

Matsuda-sensei smirked. "Exactly. So let's add some new weapons."

New Attack Moves:

✔ Delayed Spikes – Jump, pause mid-air, then hit.

✔ Soft Touch Tips – Instead of power, use precision.

✔ Cross-court Fakes – Aim one way, hit the other.

Kenji raised an eyebrow. "That… sounds like a lot."

I grinned. "No one said this would be easy."

Final problem?

We weren't playing as a team yet.

Matsuda-sensei made us run drills until we could predict each other's movements.

At first?

Total disaster.

Kōji ran into Kenji. Izumi yelled, "MINE!" and then missed the ball. I tripped because I was moving too fast for them.

But after hours of practice…

We started moving in sync.

Kenji muttered, "We're actually… improving?"

Izumi grinned. "Hell yeah, we are."

I clenched my fists.

'This is it. This is what a real team feels like.'

Just as we were catching our breath, Matsuda-sensei dropped a bomb.

"You've got a new match in two weeks."

We all froze.

Kenji blinked. "Wait, WHAT?"

Izumi groaned. "Already?!"

Matsuda-sensei smirked.

"This time, you're facing a real volleyball team."

I felt a rush of excitement.

'A real test. A real challenge.'

I grinned.

"Bring it on."

....

The gym was filled with the sounds of exhaustion.

Izumi was sprawled on the floor, barely breathing.

Kōji sat against the wall, staring at the ceiling like he saw his ancestors.

Kenji muttered, "I think I died three times today."

And me?

I was fired up.

Because Matsuda-sensei had just told us something insane.

"You've got a new practice match in two weeks," he had said.

And not just against any team.

Against a real volleyball club.

Kenji groaned, sitting up. "Okay, who are we playing?"

Matsuda-sensei smirked.

"Chihaya Middle School."

Izumi blinked. "Wait. A real volleyball school?!"

Matsuda-sensei nodded. "They've been playing together since elementary. They're not just skilled—they're experienced."

I felt a rush of excitement.

'A real test.'

Kenji, however, looked like he wanted to throw a volleyball at my head.

"You're smiling. Why the hell are you smiling?"

I grinned. "Because this is exactly what we need."

Matsuda-sensei tossed me a folder.

"Here. Their recent match reports. Study them."

Kenji muttered, "What are we, spies?"

Izumi looked over my shoulder. "Wait, their captain's name is Rintaro Seki?"

Matsuda-sensei nodded. "Yeah. And he's a monster."

I scanned the report.

Rintaro Seki – Chihaya Captain

✔ 6'0" (tall for a middle schooler).

✔ Dominates the net with blocks and spikes.

✔ Insanely smart—he reads the game like a pro.

My fingers tightened around the paper.

'A tall, smart captain? That's… exactly the kind of opponent I need.'

Matsuda-sensei clapped his hands.

"Alright, listen up. If you want to stand a chance, we're leveling up your training."

Kenji groaned. "We just did hell week!"

Matsuda-sensei smirked. "Then get ready for hell month."

New Training Focus:

✔ Breaking Through Blocks – Because Chihaya's front line is a wall.

✔ Reading Opponents Faster – If we can't predict Seki, we're done.

✔ Quick Attacks – We need to be faster than them.

Izumi sighed. "Great. More suffering."

I grinned. "More growth."

That night, after practice, I stayed behind.

Alone.

Jump. Land. Jump. Land.

Over and over.

My legs screamed.

My arms felt like lead.

But I couldn't stop.

'Seki's tall. He's strong. If I don't push myself further…'

I jumped one more time.

And for a moment—I felt like I was flying.

I landed, panting.

Then I smiled.

'Just wait, Seki. I'm coming for you.'