So much stuff happened in today’s amazing Haikyuu episode, which makes sense given that it was the climax of the entire thing. But the turning point of the episode was a beautiful little exhale, resulting in one of the most important moments in the series.

“Let’s take it easy, Hyakuzawa!” is a lovely scene at the beginning of Season 4 in the Ballboy arc, where Hinata teaches Hyakuzawa to be patient and calm and use his gifts to their optimal advantage.

He’s a shining light to Hyakuzawa here and it is no exaggeration to say that his words help reignite Hyakuzawa’s passion for volleyball after the latter found his first real hurdle in development. It’s very beautiful how Hinata helps him here.

And he ends up using his own advice, in a moment where everyone in the game is rushing and desperate to score, tunnel-visioned and impulsive. Thanks to the broader perspective he gained during the Ballboy arc, Hinata has learned the value of taking a moment. In life and in sport.

The one character who you’d expect to be the most immature and headstrong ends up showing the most restraint, and it’s all because of what he learned in the humblest of beginnings from watching Kunimi and Hyakuzawa whilst acting as a ball boy.

It was a very little and seemingly insignificant moment, but it bore fruit in the biggest way - on the grandest stage of them all, with the highest stakes, against some of the best players in the country - leading to his team’s victory.

It’s an example of how setting aside one’s pride and ego and starting with the seemingly mundane basics can be the first rung on a ladder to a genuine summit. It’s inspirational, and it’s a big part of why Hinata is so easy to love. He’s imperfect but unrelenting in his hunger.