Natsuki's POV
The first test of Cross Court v.2 is... ugly.
Beautiful in concept. Clumsy in execution.
Sho slips on the left-hand rotation. Haru forgets to call the shift. Rio overcommits on net coverage. Aoi tries to cover everything—and nearly twists her ankle doing it.
But no one yells.
No one storms off.
They just reset.
And that's the real upgrade.
Aoi's POV
It's weird running a formation that isn't Mirai's.
Even weirder running one that came from me and Sora.
But the more we test it, the more I feel it—this isn't a replacement.
It's a remix.
It's softer on the edges. Built around recovery, not dominance. Around trust, not timing.
It's meant for teams that aren't perfect.
It's meant for us.
Sora's POV
I film every rep.
Take notes. Track rotations.
Even if I'm not on the court, I'm inside the play.
And every time someone adjusts—even if it's small—I mark it with a check.
Because progress isn't perfect.
It's just real.
Rio's POV
I still miss Mirai when we run these drills.
But now it's different.
I'm not trying to be her.
I'm just trying to be here.
Present. Useful. Part of something that doesn't have to carry her name to honor her memory.
The old serve is still mine.
But the play?
The play belongs to all of us now.
Coach Kubo's POV
They don't know I'm watching from the top of the bleachers.
They don't hear me mutter every time they miss the switch or leave a corner open.
But I see it:
Kaimei 2.0.
Still messy. Still raw.
But learning.
And more importantly?
Listening.
Haru's POV
The sixth round of drills finally clicks.
Sho makes the pass.
Tanaka fakes the block.
Rio draws the front line forward.
Aoi closes the back and lands the final hit down the right edge.
It's clean.
Unscripted.
But somehow exactly what it needs to be.
We stop. Look around.
No one speaks.
But everyone smiles.
Final Scene – Aoi's POV
After practice, I flip through the new strategy binder with Sora.
She adds a post-it note to the cover:
"Cross Court v.2: Rain and Sunlight."
I nod.
Because even if it took failure to find it…
This is our purpose now.