Haikyu: Nah, I'd Adapt!

Last year...

A rumor had spread like wildfire that a single player had singlehandedly dominated the infamous Aoba Johsai. Many dismissed it as nothing more than exaggerated gossip.

After all, such a feat sounded impossible.

But those who had been present at the tournament—especially the fans had remained unusually quiet. They avoided the topic altogether, as if even speaking about it would make it real.

Their silence only added fuel to the fire.

Still, skepticism lingered.

Considering how little evidence there was, most chalked it up to an urban legend, a fleeting story created to explain an uncharacteristic loss. Especially after Karasuno's very next game against Date Tech High, where the so-called "player" didn't appear, and Karasuno was crushed in a landslide defeat.

Even Date Tech scoffed at the idea.

They had been eager to face Karasuno's supposed ace, but after that underwhelming match, they dismissed it as nothing more than a myth.

Months later, curiosity got the better of them.

Once the recordings of that tournament were made available, Date Tech wasn't the only team eager to dig into the footage. Every coach and team poured over the tapes, wanting to see what had happened during that fateful game against Aoba Johsai.

What they saw left them stunned.

It wasn't a rumor.

It was real.

The tall frame, the dyed gray hair, and the commanding presence on the court—they were unmistakable.

Karasuno #9, Tsunayoshi Matsumoto!

His feat spread like wildfire among the professionals while the public still argued whether it was real or just a rumor. 

A presence that seemed to materialize out of thin air, only to vanish just as quickly—like he had never existed.

"That unnatural gray hair…"

"Yeah, it has to be him."

"But, uh… why does he look so… chill?"

In the videos, his bloodthirsty grin seared into their memories.

The crowd who were in the hallway were all players, and most of them had seen the footage as well. And compared to his currently bored expression...

"Now that you mention that, he looks kinda chill..."

"..."

It made them question whether this was really the same person—the one they had all heard whispers of.

'The Shooting Star...'

Futakuchi stood frozen, his sharp eyes locked onto the gray-haired player standing just a few feet away.

It was like seeing a ghost.

'It's him,' Futakuchi thought, his stomach twisting as a chill ran down his spine.

For months, rumors had circulated—speculations that Tsuna had been in a terrible accident, that his career as an athlete had been cut short before it could truly begin.

Those whispers had seemed plausible, especially after his sudden disappearance from the scene.

But now…

Now, that rumor crumbled before their very eyes. Not only was Tsuna real, but there he was, standing menacingly in a Karasuno uniform.

'He's the real deal too...'

Futakuchi felt somewhat pressured, knowing someone this good was on the other side of the team.

He glanced at Tsuna, who was looking at them one by one like they were a pie tart.

'Wait, is it just me, or does he look like he's imagining us as… food?'

The ridiculous thought popped into Futakuchi's head, leaving him momentarily speechless as he immediately shook it off.

Now, he needed to return the jab...

"Well, you sure know how to talk big…"

Futakuchi faked a smile, trying to regain his composure. He glanced back at his teammates, some of whom were still staring at Tsuna with wide eyes.

Turning to Aone, who hadn't moved a muscle and was still staring dead ahead at Tsuna, Futakuchi clapped a hand on his shoulder and nudged him forward, "Come on, Aone. We've got to get to the locker room."

"..."

Aone didn't respond immediately, his serious gaze fixed on the gray-haired player. But after a moment, he gave a slight nod and followed as Futakuchi led the way.

As the Date Tech players strode past, Futakuchi glanced back over his shoulder, "But you know…"

"We've defeated your team before, and we'll do it again. So get ready. You're going to lose… again."

"Hey! You guys are way too rude!"

Moniwa scolded while glaring at his teammates. His words lingered in the hallway as the Date Tech group disappeared around the corner.

"..."

Tsuna didn't say a word. He simply stood there, watching them leave.

"Uwahh, that was kinda scary..."

Suga muttered while letting out a nervous laugh.

He stared at the spot where Date Tech had vanished before turning toward Tsuna with a sigh, "Besides, did you really have to say those words to them?"

Suga knew Tsuna didn't sugarcoat things, but his bluntness had only added fuel to the fire, sparking hostility before the match had even started.

"Why not?"

Tsuna shrugged nonchalantly, "They didn't seem to take it seriously anyway."

Suga groaned, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"Yeah, well, now everyone's staring at us," he grumbled, subtly gesturing to the surrounding crowd.

"They're pointing fingers at us..."

The hallway, once buzzing with chatter, was now eerily quieter. Dozens of curious eyes darted toward Tsuna, and fingers pointed as whispers circulated.

Hinata mumbled, "Uwahh the attention is too much…"

The little guy nervously behind Kageyama as the setter immediately growled, "Don't use me as a shield, you moron!" 

Nishinoya glanced around as well, "Yeah… they're totally staring at us."

"..."

All eyes seemed to fall on Tsuna now which made Karasuno's players feel quite awkward under the sudden shift of attention from the surrounding crowd.

"Are you alright, Asahi?"

"Uh, oh, yeah, why?"

Asahi blinked his eyes toward Daichi who looked at him in surprise.

The captain thought Asahi would be shaken but it seemed like his concern was unwanted as he nodded.

Still, Daichi also noticed the uncomfortable atmosphere which made him scratching the back of his head, "All right, everyone. Let's get changed..."

The team nodded as they began moving toward their locker room with their footsteps echoing faintly down the hallway.

"Sawamura!"

A voice suddenly stopped them in their tracks and everyone turned to see a figure approaching.

"Oh!"

Seeing the person approaching, Daichi's eyes widened in recognition as a smile spread across his face, "Ikejiri!"

It was Ikejiri from Tokonami—Karasuno's opponent in the first round of the tournament. The sight of him brought back a flood of memories from junior high, where the two had once played side by side.

The rest of the team exchanged curious glances, unsure of the connection between the two.

Daichi turned to his teammates with an apologetic look. "Sorry, everyone. Can you guys go on ahead without me?"

"Alright, sure," Suga said with a nod before motioning for the others to keep walking.

"Don't be too late, Daichi..."

Asahi added as the group waved and continued toward the locker room, leaving Daichi and Ikejiri alone in the hallway.

As the teams prepared for their match, the gymnasium was getting livelier as spectators filled the stands along with their chatter.

"Yo, isn't that Aoba Johsai?"

"I thought they had a game today?"

"They're seeded in, so probably not. Guess they're here to watch."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd as a group of players in pristine white tracksuits with turquoise accents casually entered the gym. They walked through the audience, unbothered by the attention, and found an empty section of seats.

Oikawa raised an eyebrow as he noticed a new commotion brewing. He leaned back in his seat, smirking slightly, "Ah, looks like they're here..."

The noise swelled as Date Tech made their entrance. The crowd erupted in cheers as the players in their green and white tracksuits jogged to the far side of the court.

But contrary to the spectators, Aoba Johsai's players weren't paying much attention to Date Tech.

Their eyes were fixed on the other side of the gym.

"Karasuno," Iwaizumi muttered, his sharp gaze narrowing as the orange-clad team stepped onto the court.

"..."

Kindaichi's eyes darted to the familiar figure among them as he furrowed his eyebrows, 'Kageyama...'

"Oh, it's the turnip head!"

Hinata's loud voice pierced through the noise, drawing immediate laughter from Aoba Johsai's players.

"Pfttt...!"

They couldn't help but chuckle as their gazes turned toward the source—a certain little orange-haired player who had surprised them with his freak quick combo with Kageyama.

However...

Kindaichi blinked in confusion as he glanced around. Seeing his response seemed to fuel his teammates' laughter, which made him ask, "...Huh? What's so funny, guys?"

"Yeah, Kindaichi..."

Kunimi, seated beside him, patted his shoulder with a sly grin. "He's talking about you."

"Wha—?! Since when am I a turnip head?!"

Kindaichi's face turned bright red as his voice rose in protest, only making his teammates laugh harder.

"Keke..."

Oikawa shook his head while smiling at the scene, but his eyes soon drifted toward someone else at the court.

It was the tall figure with gray hair standing among the Karasuno players.

With a playful grin, Oikawa raised a hand and called out, "Tsuna-chan! I came to watch!"

"...?"

Tsuna froze in place, his expression shifting to one of utter confusion as he turned his head only to see Oikawa waving his hands at him.

The rest of Aoba Johsai turned to their captain in bewilderment as well. Iwaizumi stared at Oikawa in surprise as he mumbled, "Tsuna..."

"...chan?"

The players echoed the unfamiliar honorific, glancing between Oikawa and Tsuna as if trying to piece together an unexpected puzzle.

Wasn't their relationship supposed to be like water and fire? Yet here Oikawa was, casually throwing out an affectionate nickname like they were old friends.

Meanwhile...

"...Did he just call me 'chan'?"

Tsuna's expression darkened at the unexpected honorific.

Without saying a word, he turned his back on Aoba Johsai's captain and strode toward the court, joining the warm-ups with the rest of his teammates.

"Ah..."

"I think he just ignored the captain," Kindaichi mumbled under his breath. His words were barely audible, but they earned a few muffled chuckles from the rest of Aoba Johsai.

"Oh, come on..."

Oikawa, however, simply waved off the awkward moment with his usual charm. Shaking his head, he laughed, "He's just shy!"

The rest of Aoba Johsai exchanged skeptical looks, unsure whether to take Oikawa's words seriously or not.

"What the...?"

Iwaizumi stared at his captain with disbelief, 'Why is this guy acting all buddy-buddy with the very same monster who traumatized him for an entire year?'

That thought lingered in Iwaizumi's mind, his unease growing with every second.

"Oikawa, you're not taking any drugs, right?"

"Huhh?"

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Hey guys, umm, I think I'll be busy for the whole week.

You know I've been unemployed, right? So, the unemployment phase for me has been... ugh, too relaxing?

Like waking up in the morning, walking down the rice fields, sipping a fresh coconut before going down to the beach to see them jiggling.

Oh damn, phrasing!

You see, I play beach volleyball too, after all.

I took a boat and went on a hike up the mountain nearby. Life seems great, but oh my god, I feel too relaxed—I'm scared.

So, after finding out a friend of mine had been taking care of this for a few weeks, I decided to sip a coconut together with the guy he knew, and I hired myself in for the next two weeks to help out for a little fee. (It's a lot 😈)

But yeah, since I kinda rushed into a moving train, I have to catch up on a lot of things.

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