---
The weeks blurred into a relentless rhythm of sweat and determination. Hinata trained daily—dawn to dusk—pushing his fifteen-year-old body to mirror the skill of his pro self.
The cracked concrete of the park court bore the scars of his spikes, serves, and endless drills.
By the time spring was in full bloom, his arms were leaner, his legs stronger, his jumps sharper.
He wasn't the pro Hinata yet—not physically—but he was damn close, and the fire in his chest burned hotter than ever.
Kitagawa Daiichi's shadow still lingered, but it wasn't a weight anymore. It was fuel.
The first day of high school crept up fast. Hinata woke before his alarm, the creak of his bed a quiet farewell to his junior high self.
He slipped into his Karasuno uniform—crisp, black gakuran—and stared at his reflection.
Same wild orange hair, same wide eyes, but something had shifted.
A steadiness. A maturity earned through years he hadn't yet lived in this timeline.
"Here we go," he muttered, grinning.
"Time to shake things up."
The ride to Karasuno blurred by, the wind whipping past as he sped down Miyagi's winding roads.
His heart pounded—not with nerves, but with anticipation.
He knew this day.
He'd lived it before: the shock of seeing Kageyama, their explosive first clash, the vice principal's wig flying. But this time? He'd rewrite it.
He skidded to a stop outside the gym, its familiar red roof and weathered walls stirring a wave of nostalgia.
Voices drifted out—shouts, laughter, the rhythmic thump of a ball. Hinata took a breath and squared his shoulders.
"Mature," he reminded himself. "Stay cool. You're not that kid anymore."
He slung his bag over one shoulder and stepped inside.
The gym smelled of polish and sweat, just as he remembered.
His eyes scanned the court.
Daichi Sawamura stood near the net, arms crossed, his calm presence grounding the room.
Sugawara Koshi chatted beside him, silver hair catching the light, a warm smile on his face.
Tanaka Ryunosuke was mid-rant, shirt half-tucked, gesturing wildly as he hyped himself up.
And then—there he was. Kageyama Tobio. Tall, dark-haired, his piercing gaze locked on the ball he spun between his hands, aloof to the noise around him.
Hinata's stomach flipped, but he held steady. No yelling. No charging in like a lunatic.
Not this time. He dropped his bag by the wall and walked over, hands in his pockets, keeping his stride casual.
"Hey," he said, voice steady despite the teenage crack.
"First years start today, right?"
Daichi turned, eyebrows raised as he sized him up. "Yeah. You here for tryouts?"
"Yep. Hinata Shoyo." He flashed a grin—bright but controlled, not the manic one he used to wear.
Sugawara tilted his head, intrigued, while Tanaka bounded over and clapped him on the shoulder.
"New meat, huh? You better bring it, shorty!" Tanaka laughed, ruffling his hair.
Hinata didn't flinch—just nodded, letting the familiarity settle over him. These were his senpai—his team—and he already knew how much they'd come to mean to him.
Kageyama's head snapped up at the name, eyes narrowing. "Hinata?" he said, voice low and sharp.
He stepped forward, ball stilling in his hands. "From Yukigaoka? The guy who couldn't do anything?"
The gym fell silent. All eyes shifted toward them. Hinata met Kageyama's stare, unwavering.
He remembered this moment—the old him would've snapped, shouted, challenged him on the spot.
But now? He shrugged, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"That was then," he said simply.
"Things change."
Kageyama's brow furrowed, clearly thrown. He opened his mouth to speak, but Daichi cut in.
"Alright, save it. We're warming up. First years. Let's see what you've got."
---
Hinata moved onto the court, his pulse steady despite Kageyama's gaze burning into his back.
Then came the test.
Daichi clapped his hands. "Kageyama, serve. Let's see how he handles it."
Daichi has seen kageyama serve before hinata came here and he is impressed with kageyama as there were none in the team who could do jump serve so he decided how hinata could handle the serve.
He had seen them during thier tournament and he was impressed by them and now looking forward to see how much these two have improved.
Kageyama stepped to the baseline, and the air shifted.
Hinata knew that serve—pinpoint, punishing, a bullet that had humiliated him in junior high.
The old Hinata had flailed, barely touching it, laughter echoing from the sidelines.
Not this time.
He moved to the back, knees bent, eyes sharp and locked on Kageyama's hands.
"Bring it," he muttered.
The gym fell still. Kageyama tossed the ball high—shoulders squared, form crisp, arm snapping back like a loaded spring.
He launched, and the ball screamed over the net, a missile zeroed in on Hinata's corner.
Fast. Too fast for a typical first-year. But Hinata wasn't typical.
He moved—precise, instinctive. His feet slid into position, arms locked, body low.
The ball slammed into his forearms with a sharp thwack, but he didn't flinch.
It soared upward in a clean arc—high, controlled, perfect. A textbookreceive.
The gym erupted.
"Holy crap, rookie!" Tanaka whooped.
Sugawara's jaw dropped.
Even Daichi blinked, visibly impressed.
And Kageyama—Kageyama just stood there, mid-step, eyes wide, his scowl cracking into something unreadable. Shock? Suspicion?
"Huh," Daichi said, arms crossed. "You don't see that from a first-year every day."
Sugawara elbowed him, grinning. "Looks like we've got ourselves a dark horse."
Tanaka slung an arm around Hinata's neck, laughing. "You're full of surprises, huh? Where'd you learn that?!"
Hinata rubbed his stinging arms, forcing a sheepish smile. "Just… practice."
He glanced at Kageyama. The setter's eyes hadn't left him, narrowed now—dissecting him like a puzzle that didn't fit.
Hinata held his gaze a second longer, then turned away, heart thudding. That one moment had shaken them.
That was the plan.
Drills continued, but the air had shifted. His senpai were watching now—closer, quieter.
Kageyama's serves came faster, sharper, testing him.
Hinata returned each one cleanly, steadily, letting his pro training shine through just enough to stir curiosity without giving too much away.
That first receive had done its job—it planted the seed.
When practice wrapped, Daichi gathered them near the net. "Good work today. Hinata, Kageyama—you're both on the team. Don't slack."
His voice was firm, but there was a glint in his eye, like he knew something bigger had just started.
Tanaka pumped a fist. "Hell yeah! We've got fire this year!"
Sugawara clapped Hinata on the back. "Looking forward to seeing more from you, kid."
Hinata nodded, a warmth blooming in his chest. These guys—he'd missed them. Even if they didn't know it yet.
He grabbed his bag, avoiding Kageyama's stare as they filed out.
The setter hadn't said a word since that serve, but Hinata could feel the gears grinding behind those eyes.
Let him wonder.
Outside, the evening air was cool, the sky painted in soft streaks of pink and orange. Hinata paused, breathing it in.
Day one—done.
No wig incident.
No chaos.
Just a clean start and a quiet shockwave. He'd shown them a glimpse—just enough to rewrite who he was in their eyes.
"Kageyama's still a monster," he muttered, grinning. "But I'm not the same guy he remembers."
He kicked a pebble, watching it skitter down the path. Tryouts were just the beginning.
Tomorrow, he'd build on this—steady, focused, ready to fly when the moment came.
To be continued…
----
So let me know how can I improve and are you satisfied with hinata ?
Let know in the comments and I've decided kiyoko as love interest but it'll be slow
Also give me some ideas how this should go on
Update Schedule : 7 Chapters / Week