Haikyuu: Reborn in Karasuno

Jozenji, rattled and slipping further behind, finally called a timeout when Karasuno hit 16 points.

Even as they huddled, the players tried to keep their spirits up.

"C'mon, we'll figure it out!"

"Yeah, we just need to push harder!"

But deep down, they had no answers. Karasuno's offense came at them from every angle—Hinata's lightning quicks, Asahi's thunderous back-row spikes, even coordinated combination attacks with the entire team surging forward. And looming over it all was the knowledge that Hayato—Karasuno's other Ace—wasn't even on the court.

Manager Misaki Hana exhaled sharply. She had seen this coming. Before the former third-years graduated, their captain, Okutake, had warned her: "When the team's in rhythm, they're unstoppable. But the moment they face real setbacks, they'll crumble. That's when you need to kick their butts."

On their best days, Jozenji was strong enough to reach the IH semifinals. But rhythm was fragile. Once Karasuno seized control, panic had crept in. Mistakes multiplied. Their "fun volleyball" had soured into frustration.

"All right—just attack harder!"

"Yeah! If we fight, we can still catch up!"

Misaki suddenly stepped forward, her voice sharp as a whip.

"And how exactly are you planning to attack harder?!"

The boys froze. Misaki, usually calm and gentle, now stood with arms crossed and eyes blazing.

"You rely too much on hype and adrenaline. Matches always have rough patches—when you're behind, when nothing's working. Can you still smile then? Still call it fun?"

Her frown deepened.

"If anyone can, they're not normal—they're just weirdos."

The blunt words left them speechless. Even the coach blinked at her in surprise.

"Misaki, what's gotten into you?"

"I'm sorry, Coach. But if someone doesn't tell them straight, they'll never face their weakness. Okutake asked me to do this—to give them a good kick when they started falling apart."

The players gawked.

"Hana-senpai… actually said the word butt?"

Terushima, however, didn't deny it. He smiled ruefully.

"She's right. We can't just pretend to be happy right now. Karasuno's freer than us, and I hate to admit it."

He remembered Okutake's words too: "To have fun, you need a playground first. Push through the tough parts—and then you can really play."

While Jozenji regrouped under Misaki's fire, Karasuno watched curiously. Hinata even tilted his head, whispering to himself.

"Did their manager just say… butt?"

That would normally spark Tanaka and Nishinoya into begging for a "kick," but with Kiyoko already claimed, the famous scene never happened. Instead, Hayato draped his arms around them with a grin.

"Their manager fired them up. How about I kick you guys instead?"

"Not a chance! You're not a beautiful manager!"

"Yeah, if you do it, I'll have nightmares!"

They shoved him away in disgust.

Karasuno's huddle stayed calm. Coach Ukai only reminded them: "Stay sharp. Keep hydrated. Don't give them an opening."

The timeout ended. Jozenji stormed back onto the court with renewed fire, and Ukai's expression tightened.

"The second set's past halfway. From here, every rally's going to get tougher."

Their energy was immediate—Jozenji's setter tricked the block with a sudden dump, stealing a point. Then, feeding off the momentum, they pressed forward. Karasuno's receive held, but Jozenji adapted: a feint here, a back-row spike from Terushima there. Consecutive points fell their way.

"Ahh, fooled again—back-row!" Sugawara muttered, frustrated.

The stands roared. Even Karasuno's classmates noticed the shift.

"I feel like Jozenji looks different after that timeout," Kohane said.

Hitoka nodded. "Yeah… if even Koyuki sees it, their momentum must really be building."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" Koyuki puffed her cheeks.

Still, Uki, the quiet blue-haired girl, kept her gaze steady. "Even so… Karasuno hasn't lost composure. We still hold the lead."

Her words proved true moments later—Tsukishima read their attack perfectly and slammed down a kill block. The ball ricocheted hard to the floor.

"See?" Uki murmured, smiling faintly.

"Wahh! Amazing, Tsukishima-kun!" Koyuki cheered, pom-poms shaking wildly.

But Jozenji wasn't finished. Terushima huddled his team as Hinata rotated forward.

"If we can't block number 10's quicks, then we'll just focus on receiving."

When Hinata flew, only one blocker rose. The rest spread wide. The libero got a hand on it—badly, but enough. Terushima dashed in and, with a wild grin, lifted the ball with a kick. The ball soared, giving his wing spiker the perfect chance to smash it down. Point, Jozenji.

Terushima's eyes lit up. Play doesn't mean ignoring your brain. This is what Misaki meant.

Across the net, Hinata seethed. "I hate being blocked… but I hate being ignored even more." He tugged Kageyama's sleeve. "Set the next one to me."

Kageyama obliged. Hinata launched again, this time reading the court and hammering the ball into open space. The sheer speed of his quick left no hope of recovery.

"Nice one!" Hitoka squealed, relief flooding her face.

The scoreboard ticked: 22–18. Jozenji was creeping closer, but Karasuno still led.

Hinata went again—but this time Terushima anticipated it, meeting the quick with a firm overhand receive. Jozenji countered instantly, spiking for another point.

Hinata gritted his teeth. "We've got to score the next one."

Daichi stepped forward, steady as ever.

"Hinata. Don't forget—you've got other special moves too."

Hinata blinked—then grinned, remembering. He'd been so obsessed with slamming the ball, he'd forgotten the subtler weapons.

The next set came. Hinata rose high, selling the posture of a devastating spike—then, at the last instant, his fingers softened and tipped the ball instead.

A perfect dump.

The Jozenji defender dove too late. The ball kissed the floor.

"Yesss!" Hinata pumped his fists, laughing. "We did it!"

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