---
The gym felt the same.
Same floor.
Same net.
Same players.
---
But something—
Was different.
---
Hinata stepped in.
Ball in hand.
Eyes calm.
---
Fukuda noticed first.
"…You look weird."
Sato tilted his head.
"Yeah… something changed."
Takeda adjusted his glasses.
"…Your movement…"
Nakamura whispered,
"…It's sharper…"
Mori watched quietly.
"…Show us."
---
Hinata nodded.
"…Okay."
---
They took positions.
---
First rally.
Serve.
---
Takeda received.
Clean.
---
Hinata moved.
---
No hesitation.
No signal.
---
Set—
Instant.
---
Fukuda jumped.
---
Half a step late.
---
The ball flew past him.
---
Dropped.
---
Silence.
---
Fukuda turned.
"…What was that?"
---
Hinata blinked.
"…Set."
---
Fukuda frowned.
"…Too fast."
---
Second rally.
---
Sato received.
---
Hinata moved.
---
Same motion.
---
Set—
Different direction.
---
Sato reacted—
Late.
---
Missed it completely.
---
The ball hit the floor.
---
Sato laughed awkwardly.
"…I didn't even see that."
---
Silence.
---
Takeda looked uneasy.
"…That was… hard to read…"
---
Hinata's grip tightened slightly.
---
Because that—
Was the point.
---
But now—
---
It was a problem.
---
Third rally.
---
Nakamura received.
---
Hinata moved.
---
Same posture.
Same approach.
---
Set—
At the last second.
---
Takeda moved—
But too late.
---
The ball dropped between them.
---
Silence.
---
Fukuda crossed his arms.
"…We can't follow that."
---
Hinata didn't respond immediately.
---
Because he already knew.
---
He had removed his tells.
---
But the team—
Relied on those tells.
---
Sato scratched his head.
"…Before, we could kinda guess…"
---
Takeda added,
"…Your shoulders… your hands…"
---
Nakamura whispered,
"…Now there's nothing…"
---
Mori spoke calmly.
"Information removed completely."
---
Hinata looked at them.
"…Yeah."
---
Fukuda stepped forward.
"…So what now?"
---
Silence.
---
Because this—
Wasn't like before.
---
Before—
They needed him to be unpredictable.
---
Now—
They needed him to be readable again.
---
But not to the opponent.
---
To them.
---
Hinata exhaled slowly.
---
"…We rebuild."
---
Sato blinked.
"…Again?"
---
Hinata nodded.
"…Yeah."
---
Mori stepped forward.
"Shared language."
---
Takeda nodded slowly.
"…Signals…"
---
Fukuda smirked.
"…So we cheat?"
---
Hinata shook his head.
"…We synchronize."
---
They reset.
---
Hinata raised his hand.
"…New rule."
---
They listened.
---
"Calls stay."
---
Sato nodded.
"…Okay."
---
"But not for direction."
---
Silence.
---
Fukuda frowned.
"…Then what?"
---
Hinata answered.
"…Timing."
---
Takeda blinked.
"…Timing?"
---
Hinata nodded.
"…You call when you're ready."
---
Nakamura whispered,
"…Not where… but when…"
---
Mori nodded.
"Temporal communication."
---
Understanding started forming.
---
Not "set to me."
---
But—
"I'm ready now."
---
They started again.
---
First rally.
---
Takeda received.
---
Hinata moved.
---
"…Now!"
Fukuda called.
---
Instant.
---
Hinata set—
To Fukuda.
---
He jumped.
---
Perfect timing.
---
Spike—
Point.
---
Silence.
---
Fukuda grinned.
"…That works."
---
Second rally.
---
Sato received.
---
Hinata moved.
---
"…Now!"
Sato called.
---
Set.
---
Sato jumped.
---
Hit—
In.
---
Point.
---
Sato laughed.
"That's way better!"
---
The rhythm returned.
---
Different.
---
But real.
---
Hinata still moved the same.
---
Unreadable.
---
But now—
The team inserted their timing.
---
Their readiness.
---
Their presence.
---
The system adapted.
---
Not relying on Hinata alone.
---
But not separating either.
---
They met in the middle.
---
The pace increased.
---
Faster.
---
Sharper.
---
More precise.
---
Nakamura started calling too.
---
"…Now."
---
Quieter.
But clear.
---
Takeda adjusted.
---
"…Now!"
---
His timing improved.
---
Mori watched.
---
Then added,
"…Now."
---
Even he joined.
---
The system expanded.
---
Not just Hinata leading.
---
Everyone contributing.
---
The final rally began.
---
Takeda received.
---
Hinata moved.
---
No signal.
---
"…Now!"
Fukuda called.
---
Set.
---
Fukuda jumped—
But adjusted mid-air.
---
Hit—
Blocked.
---
The ball came back.
---
Sato saved.
---
Hinata moved again.
---
"…Now!"
Sato called.
---
Set.
---
Sato jumped.
---
Hit—
Returned.
---
Again.
---
Nakamura moved.
---
"…Now."
---
Set.
---
Nakamura hit—
Soft.
---
The ball dropped.
---
Point.
---
Silence.
---
Then—
Fukuda laughed.
"…That was clean."
---
Sato dropped to the floor.
"We actually matched it…"
---
Takeda nodded.
"…I could follow…"
---
Nakamura whispered,
"…We moved together…"
---
Mori concluded,
"System re-synchronized."
---
Hinata stood still.
Looking at them.
---
This—
Was different.
---
Not just him evolving.
---
The team—
Had to evolve with him.
---
And they did.
---
But it wasn't perfect.
---
Not yet.
---
Because even now—
There were delays.
Moments of confusion.
---
Gaps.
---
He clenched his fist slightly.
---
"…We're still slow."
---
Fukuda smirked.
"…Then we speed up."
---
Hinata nodded.
"…Yeah."
---
Because now—
The problem wasn't being unreadable.
---
Or being predictable.
---
It was something harder.
---
Being unreadable—
To the opponent.
---
And perfectly readable—
To your team.
---
At the same time.
---
And that—
Was a level they hadn't reached yet.
---
But they were close.
---
Closer than ever.
---
"…We keep going."
---
Fukuda grinned.
"…Of course."
---
Because now—
They weren't chasing strength.
---
They were building something precise.
---
Something sharp.
---
Something—
Dangerous.
---
And soon—
They would test it again.
---