---
The first mistake came early.
Too early.
"Mine!"
Fukuda stepped in for the receive.
Solid.
Clean.
Better than before.
Hinata moved into position instantly.
Feet set.
Hands ready.
This is good.
This is working—
He set the ball.
Too far left.
Sato jumped.
Missed the timing.
The ball brushed his fingers and dropped behind him.
Silence.
Then Fukuda clicked his tongue.
"…Too wide."
Hinata clenched his jaw.
"I know."
Sato scratched his head. "I thought it would come closer…"
"It should have," Hinata said.
The words came out sharper than he intended.
Sato flinched slightly.
"…Sorry."
Hinata looked away.
"…Reset."
---
The second mistake was worse.
Takeda moved early like they practiced.
Good.
But the receive came shorter than expected.
He overstepped.
Missed it completely.
The ball hit the floor.
Fukuda groaned. "Too early."
"You told me to move early!" Takeda shot back.
"I said early, not blindly!"
"I thought—"
"Stop thinking wrong!"
"Enough."
Hinata's voice cut in.
Too loud.
Too harsh.
The gym fell quiet.
Takeda lowered his gaze.
"…Sorry."
Hinata exhaled.
"…Positions."
But something had shifted.
The rhythm from yesterday—
Gone.
---
The third mistake broke everything.
A simple rally.
Easy ball.
Something they should have handled.
Nakamura hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then moved.
Too late.
The ball dropped between him and Sato.
Neither called it.
Neither committed.
Point.
Even in practice—
It felt like a loss.
Fukuda threw his hands up. "Call it!"
"I thought you—"
"No, you did not think at all!"
"I did!"
"Not fast enough!"
"Stop!"
Hinata stepped forward.
His chest was tight.
His thoughts racing.
Why is this falling apart?
We just improved.
We just—
He looked at them.
One by one.
Fukuda, frustrated.
Takeda, shaken.
Sato, confused.
Nakamura, shrinking.
Mori—
Watching.
Always watching.
Hinata swallowed.
"…Again."
But this time, no one moved immediately.
---
Practice continued.
But it was wrong.
Forced.
Disconnected.
The system they built yesterday felt unstable.
Like it could collapse at any moment.
And slowly—
It did.
Fukuda started forcing receives.
Takeda hesitated again.
Sato drifted out of position.
Nakamura avoided the ball.
Mori adjusted constantly, but even he began missing small details.
And Hinata—
Hinata made more mistakes than anyone.
Sets too high.
Too low.
Too obvious.
Too late.
Every error hit harder now.
Because it was not just his mistake.
It affected everyone.
Every bad set ruined an attack.
Every hesitation broke momentum.
Every misread caused confusion.
This is my fault.
The thought crept in.
Unwelcome.
Unavoidable.
He set another ball.
Too close to the net.
Fukuda barely avoided touching it.
"Watch it!"
"I said I know!"
"Then fix it!"
"I am trying!"
"Trying is not enough!"
The words snapped something.
Hinata stepped forward.
"What do you want me to do then?!"
Silence.
Fukuda stared at him.
"…Set it right."
"I am learning!"
"So learn faster!"
The gym froze.
The words hung heavy.
Too heavy.
Hinata's hands trembled slightly.
Not from exhaustion.
From pressure.
From expectation.
From responsibility.
Mori stepped in.
"That is enough."
No one argued.
Because they needed it to stop.
---
They took a break.
Sat along the wall.
No one spoke at first.
Just breathing.
Just space.
Hinata stared at the floor.
His thoughts loud.
Too loud.
I cannot do this.
The realization hit quietly.
But hard.
I am not good enough to control this team.
Not yet.
Maybe not at all.
He clenched his fists.
I was better before.
At least I could hit.
Now—
I am failing everyone.
Mori's voice broke through.
"You are overthinking."
Hinata looked up.
"…No."
"Yes."
Mori's tone stayed calm.
"You are trying to control everything at once."
"That is what a setter does."
"No."
The answer was immediate.
Firm.
"A setter controls flow. Not perfection."
Hinata frowned.
"…What does that mean?"
Mori leaned back slightly.
"It means mistakes will happen."
"They should not."
"They will."
Silence.
Fukuda scoffed. "That is obvious."
Mori continued.
"You are reacting to every mistake like it is failure."
Hinata looked away.
Because it felt like failure.
Mori's gaze stayed steady.
"That pressure is spreading."
Hinata's chest tightened.
He glanced at the others.
Takeda still looked nervous.
Sato avoided eye contact.
Nakamura sat quietly, smaller than before.
Fukuda rubbed his neck, frustrated.
They were all feeling it.
Him.
The weight he was creating.
"…I am making it worse," Hinata said quietly.
No one answered immediately.
Then Mori nodded.
"Yes."
Honest.
Direct.
Necessary.
Hinata exhaled slowly.
"…Then what do I do?"
Mori's answer came without hesitation.
"Focus on the next ball."
Hinata blinked.
"…That is it?"
"Yes."
"That is not enough."
"It is everything."
Silence.
Mori leaned forward slightly.
"You saw that setter yesterday."
Kageyama.
The name flashed instantly.
"Did he panic after mistakes?"
Hinata shook his head.
"No."
"Did he try to fix everything at once?"
"…No."
"He played the next ball."
The words settled.
Slowly.
Deeply.
Hinata looked down at his hands.
Still shaking slightly.
Focus on the next ball.
Not the last mistake.
Not the next ten plays.
Just—
The next one.
He closed his eyes briefly.
Then nodded.
"…Okay."
---
They stood again.
Positions.
Same as before.
But something was different.
Not perfect.
Not fixed.
But steadier.
The ball came.
Fukuda received.
Clean.
Hinata moved.
Set—
Not perfect.
But playable.
Sato hit it over.
The rally continued.
Takeda moved early.
Adjusted.
Better.
Mori covered a gap.
Nakamura hesitated—
Then called.
"Mine!"
He got it.
Messy.
But up.
Hinata moved again.
Set.
Higher this time.
Fukuda jumped.
Hit.
The ball landed.
Point.
Silence.
Then—
Fukuda smirked.
"…That worked."
Hinata exhaled.
"…Yeah."
Not perfect.
But it worked.
And that was enough.
---
They continued.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Mistakes still happened.
A lot.
But the reactions changed.
Less panic.
Less blame.
More adjustment.
More focus.
On the next ball.
By the end of practice, they were exhausted again.
But calmer.
More stable.
Fukuda stretched.
"…You still suck at setting."
Hinata nodded.
"I know."
"But… that last one was good."
"…Yeah."
Takeda smiled slightly.
"I felt less confused."
Sato nodded.
"Same."
Nakamura spoke quietly.
"…I was less scared."
Mori looked at Hinata.
"You are learning."
Hinata looked at his hands.
Then at the net.
Then at his team.
"…Yeah."
Not there yet.
Not even close.
But not lost either.
---
That night, Hinata stood outside the gym again.
Looking in.
Same as always.
But now—
He understood something new.
Control was not about being perfect.
It was about staying steady.
Through mistakes.
Through pressure.
Through failure.
He clenched his fists.
"Next ball."
The words came out quietly.
But firmly.
Because that was the path.
One play at a time.
No shortcuts.
No escapes.
Just forward.
---