Haikyuu: Rise of Sengoku

"Ah, la la~~"

"Hey, you first-year rookies, need some help from the seniors?"

Tooru Oikawa sauntered over to Akashi Asuka with a teasing grin and a playful tone.

But before he could finish, a fist came flying from behind, It's Iwaizumi's punch landing squarely.

"Don't go picking fights with the newcomers, you childish Oikawa."

Bam!

"Ow! That hurt!"

Oikawa immediately clutched his forehead, the mischievous smirk wiped off his face and replaced by a pitiful look.

"Iwaizumi-san, aren't you being too nice to the rookies?"

"You're wrong, you idiot Oikawa. I'm not being nice to the newcomers, I'm just not nice to you."

It was like a dagger to Oikawa's heart. He froze on the spot.

A breeze blew past.

The statue of him crumbled to dust, which Iwaizumi casually brushed aside before walking straight over to help Asuka pick up volleyballs.

Oikawa: "······"

"You were practicing just now?" Iwaizumi asked.

"Yeah, I had a little time, so I practiced some serves." Asuka replied.

"You're training a lot. Take care of yourself."

"Thanks for the concern, senpai. I've been training like this since Junior High. I guess my body's just tough, I haven't had any problems so far."

"I see."

Iwaizumi nodded but said no more.

Their conversation ended there.

Without their voices, the whole gym fell quiet.

Come to think of it, 

Neither Asuka nor Iwaizumi were big talkers. Though one was good at tactical provocations and the other was a natural at taking down Oikawa, socially, they were just average guys.

But the quiet didn't last long before a certain social butterfly spoke up.

"By the way, Akashi, didn't you originally turn down the coach's offer? Why did you end up coming to Aoba Johsai after all?" Oikawa poked his head in.

"Akashi?" Asuka's lips twitched. "Because Aoba Johsai offered me the highest scholarship."

"Scholarship?" Oikawa blinked, then looked at Iwaizumi. "Iwaizumi-san, do we still get scholarships for special recruits these days?"

"No way, you idiot Oikawa. He's not talking about the club's scholarship, but the one from the school itself."

"School scholarship? Isn't that only for the top 100 in the county entrance exams?"

"Yeah! I was lucky this time, I ranked 29th."

Oikawa: "······"

Iwaizumi: "······"

Those words silenced them both instantly.

…

After tidying up the gym equipment,

Asuka headed back to his apartment complex called Sangou-so, where he rented a room.

When he got home, the landlord, Akashi Kana, and two other tenants, Tomoko Horiguchi and Koichi Kudo, were already having dinner. Only Mizuki Koyanagi hadn't gotten off work yet.

After all, the term "corporate slave" wasn't a joke.

"I'm home!"

Asuka called out politely after entering.

"Welcome back."

Kana smiled and said, "Your dinner's ready. Go wash up quickly, then come eat!"

"Got it!"

Asuka replied and quickly went to his room to wash up before returning to the dining table.

He was starving.

Without wasting any time, Asuka grabbed his bowl and started eating with big mouthfuls.

Next thing everyone saw was what "really eating" looked like.

A bowl of rice with a few bites of side dishes disappeared in just three mouthfuls.

Everyone was stunned.

Even the well-experienced landlord covered her mouth in surprise.

"Big sis, is the beef I asked you to prepare ready yet?"

"Huh?"

Kana paused, then quickly said, "Y-yes, it's ready. I'll bring it over now."

She went to the kitchen and soon came back with a big plate of simply roasted beef, at least two pounds worth.

"Thanks!"

Asuka took the plate and started tearing into the meat.

The beef was well cooked, lightly seasoned, but flavorful enough to enjoy.

Before long, all two pounds were gone.

And yet Asuka still didn't feel full.

"Has my appetite increased again?"

Asuka thought bitterly.

No doubt, with training ramping up in high school, his hunger had expanded yet again.

The dining room was dead silent.

Watching their little brother devour two pounds of beef plus multiple bowls of rice, Kana was pretty dumbfounded.

Koichi Kudo nervously held a piece of fried chicken with his chopsticks, feeling an inexplicable pressure.

Tomoko Horiguchi stared at Asuka's flat stomach with sparkling eyes, wondering how she could learn to eat so much without gaining weight.

The landlord had initially been shocked, but soon her face softened into a warm smile.

"Asuka-kun, are you full? If not, should I bring you some more rice?"

"Oh! That would be great, Grandma."

"No problem, no problem!"

The landlord chuckled as she headed back to the kitchen.

If Asuka could see "affection points." he'd probably see a steady stream of +1's floating above her head.

Among many older folks, the idea of "being able to eat a lot is a blessing" was deeply rooted.

Sometimes, "good kids" were practically synonymous with "kids who eat well."

After a satisfying dinner,

Asuka returned to his room and continued editing his novel.

….

Time passed.

Before he knew it, 

It was Saturday.

Location: Karasuno High.

Due to various events at the start of the term, Karasuno's freshmen had also organized a special welcome match.

Unlike Aoba Johsai, their event was freshmen versus freshmen, not seniors versus rookies.

Among the freshmen was Miki Oda, who, although reluctant, was dragged into the game...

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