Aoi's POV
It's the last thing I haven't changed.
My footwork is cleaner. My grip more balanced. The team's formation is different. My mindset… evolving.
But my serve?
Still hers.
Still that high toss, sharp snap, left-side shoulder lean that I copied by heart.
And it's been fine. More than fine.
But every time I step up to serve, I feel like I'm borrowing a voice that isn't mine.
That ends today.
Haru's POV
Coach calls for solo serve drills.
Everyone rotates through, focused, consistent.
Aoi stays back.
Watching.
Thinking.
When her turn comes, she doesn't step into her usual position.
She adjusts.
One foot back. Shoulders lower. Different toss angle.
Then she serves.
The ball bends—not like Mirai's twist serve, not like Rio's topspin bomb.
It curves low, precise.
Controlled.
Hers.
Sora's POV
She does it three more times.
Each one smoother than the last.
The old rhythm is gone.
This isn't a memory.
It's a declaration.
And when she turns toward the team—hair loose, eyes bright, racket at her side—I don't see a shadow of my sister anymore.
I see Aoi.
Fully.
Finally.
Natsuki's POV
I film it.
No music.
No narration.
Just the sound of the ball.
Clean. Crisp. Personal.
I title the video:
"Serve Reset – Minami Style."
And I send it to the team.
No one replies.
They just watch.
Tanaka's POV
I save the video.
Not because it's historic or anything.
But because it's proof:
We're not rebuilding the past.
We're building something that's never existed before.
Final Scene – Aoi's POV
After practice, I sit alone on Court Three.
The racket feels different in my hand.
Lighter. Looser. Real.
I close my eyes.
Toss the ball.
Serve.
And this time, it doesn't echo anyone else's name.
It carries mine.