---
They were winning more now.
Not easily.
Not cleanly.
But consistently.
---
That should have felt enough.
But it didn't.
---
Hinata felt it before the match even started.
A pressure.
Different from before.
---
Not on the team.
---
On him.
---
The opponent stood across the net.
Not flashy.
Not intimidating.
---
But sharp.
Focused.
Watching.
---
Fukuda rolled his shoulders.
"…They look serious."
Sato nodded.
"Yeah… not messing around."
Takeda adjusted his glasses.
"…They're watching closely…"
Nakamura whispered,
"…Feels like they're studying us…"
Mori spoke quietly.
"They are."
---
Hinata narrowed his eyes.
"…Good."
---
The whistle blew.
---
First rally.
Serve.
---
Takeda received.
Clean.
---
Hinata moved.
---
Paused.
---
Watched.
---
Set—
Fast.
---
Fukuda jumped.
Spike—
---
Blocked.
---
Clean.
---
Point.
---
Silence.
---
Fukuda landed.
"…That was early."
---
Hinata nodded.
"…They read it."
---
Second rally.
---
Serve again.
---
Sato received.
---
Hinata moved.
---
This time—
Set high.
---
Sato approached.
Waited.
---
Jumped—
---
Hit—
---
Blocked.
---
Again.
---
Point.
---
Sato frowned.
"…They're not biting."
---
Mori confirmed,
"They are reading the setter."
---
Silence.
---
That word—
Landed heavier than expected.
---
Setter.
---
Hinata.
---
Third rally.
---
Takeda received.
---
Hinata moved.
---
He hesitated.
---
For the first time—
Not to trick.
---
But because—
He didn't know.
---
Set—
Late.
---
Fukuda adjusted.
---
Hit—
Out.
---
Point.
---
Fukuda clicked his tongue.
"…Too slow."
---
Hinata didn't respond.
---
Because he knew.
---
This wasn't about the hitters.
---
It was him.
---
Mid-match—
The pattern became clear.
---
No matter what he chose—
Fast.
High.
Delay.
Fake.
---
The opponent—
Adjusted.
---
Because they weren't reacting to the hitters.
---
They were watching Hinata.
---
Every movement.
Every pause.
Every decision.
---
And they were reading it.
---
Faster than he could change it.
---
Fukuda stepped back after another block.
"…They're locking onto you."
---
Hinata nodded.
"…Yeah."
---
Sato looked uneasy.
"…So what do we do?"
---
Mori answered calmly.
"The setter must evolve."
---
Silence.
---
Hinata clenched his fists.
---
Because that—
That was the problem.
---
His decision-making—
Was becoming predictable.
---
Even with variation.
---
Even with chaos.
---
Because in the end—
Everything flowed through him.
---
Another rally.
---
Takeda received.
---
Hinata moved.
---
This time—
He didn't pause.
---
Set immediately.
---
Fukuda jumped.
---
Spike—
---
Blocked.
---
Again.
---
Fukuda exhaled.
"…Didn't matter."
---
Hinata stepped back.
Thinking.
Fast.
Too fast.
---
No matter what he did—
They were there.
---
Because they were reading—
Him.
---
Mori stepped beside him.
"You see it clearly now."
---
Hinata nodded.
"…I'm the limit."
---
Silence.
---
No one disagreed.
---
Because it was true.
---
Sato spoke carefully.
"…Not just you…"
---
But even he—
Didn't sound convinced.
---
Hinata exhaled.
"…No."
---
Then—
"…It's me."
---
Fukuda crossed his arms.
"…So fix it."
---
Simple.
Direct.
Brutal.
---
Hinata looked at the court.
Then—
"…I stop deciding alone."
---
Silence.
---
Takeda blinked.
"…What?"
---
Hinata turned to them.
"…You call it."
---
Sato frowned.
"…Call what?"
---
"…The attack."
---
Fukuda raised an eyebrow.
"…Mid-play?"
---
Hinata nodded.
"…Yes."
---
Mori nodded slowly.
"Distributed decision-making."
---
Nakamura whispered,
"…We choose?"
---
Hinata nodded.
"…I follow."
---
Silence.
---
Because this—
Was new.
---
The setter—
Giving up control.
---
Fukuda smirked slightly.
"…Interesting."
---
Sato grinned.
"Sounds fun."
---
Takeda hesitated.
"…That's… risky…"
---
Hinata nodded.
"…Yeah."
---
Then—
"…But staying like this is worse."
---
No one argued.
---
They reset.
---
Next rally.
---
Serve.
To Takeda.
---
He received.
---
Hinata moved.
---
But this time—
He didn't decide.
---
"…Left!"
Sato called.
---
Instant.
---
Hinata set—
To Sato.
---
Fast.
---
Sato jumped.
---
Hit—
---
In.
---
Point.
---
Silence.
---
Then—
Sato grinned.
"…That worked!"
---
Hinata nodded.
"…Again."
---
Next rally.
---
Nakamura received.
---
"…Back!"
Fukuda called.
---
Hinata set—
Back.
---
Fukuda jumped.
---
Spike—
---
Point.
---
Fukuda smirked.
"…Yeah, that's good."
---
The rhythm changed.
---
Not centered.
---
Distributed.
---
Hinata still moved.
Still set.
---
But the decision—
Was shared.
---
The opponent—
Hesitated.
---
Because now—
They had more variables.
---
More voices.
---
More possibilities.
---
The final rally came.
---
Score close.
---
Serve.
To Takeda.
---
He received.
---
"…Right!"
"…No—left!"
---
Two calls.
---
Conflict.
---
A split second.
---
Hinata chose—
Left.
---
Set.
---
Sato jumped.
---
Hit—
---
Blocked.
---
Point.
---
Silence.
---
Fukuda exhaled.
"…That's the problem."
---
Hinata nodded.
"…Yeah."
---
Too many voices.
---
No clarity.
---
The match ended.
---
They lost.
---
Again.
---
But different.
---
Fukuda stretched.
"…We're close."
---
Sato nodded.
"Yeah… really close."
---
Takeda added,
"…We changed it…"
---
Nakamura whispered,
"…But not enough…"
---
Mori concluded,
"Setter evolution incomplete."
---
Hinata stood still.
Looking at the court.
---
For the first time—
He wasn't ahead of the problem.
---
He was inside it.
---
His role—
His decisions—
His limits—
---
All exposed.
---
He clenched his fist.
---
"…I'm not done."
---
Fukuda smirked.
"…Good."
---
Because now—
The next step wasn't about the team.
---
It was about him.
---
And if he didn't grow—
Everything else would stop too.
---