Haikyu: Nah, I'd Adapt!

"Damn, look at them go..."

"It's nice to be young, eh? I'm kind of envious," Shimada said, shaking his head at the over-the-top celebration following Asahi's spike. Even their supposed opponents had joined in to celebrate.

After a while, everyone returned to their positions, and the game continued. The pace had picked up ridiculously, especially with Asahi's newfound energy.

Meanwhile, from the sideline, Keishin crossed his arms and nodded thoughtfully, "Hmm, alright, besides their receive, they're actually not that bad..."

"Yeah, I don't really understand much about volleyball, but I think I agree with you," Takeda added, a wide smile on his face.

He had watched them train hard, and their practice game against the top four teams in the prefecture had really impressed him. Despite not being an expert, he added, "They're all talented players. And with Ukai-kun as their coach, they'll definitely go further."

"Uh, let's hope that'd be the case..."

Keishin scratched his head at the unexpected compliment, then returned his attention to the game.

The atmosphere was upbeat.

Most players had wide smiles, fully immersed in the excitement of the game. But in the middle of it all, one player was slowly being swallowed by the intensity of the moment.

"Tanaka-san!"

Kageyama's voice rang out across the court, followed by Tanaka's eager shout. "Yeah! Bring it on, Kageyama!"

The setter tossed the ball toward Tanaka, who leaped into the air and swung his arm with all his might.

The impact reverberated through the gym.

But...

"Keke, don't yell too much, young man..."

Shimada's voice came from the other side, just as his hand appeared over the net and blocked the ball with ease.

It ricocheted back toward their side with a sharp thud.

"...!"

Tanaka's eyes widened in disbelief. Realizing his spike had been perfectly blocked, he groaned loudly.

"Aghh, shit!"

Shimada simply watched Tanaka, who was throwing a tantrum, and shook his head with a small smile, "He really is yelling a lot, huh?"

Kageyama stood still for a moment, staring at Shimada's back. He frowned, thinking, 'Maybe... I should've tossed it to Tsuna-san.'

His gaze shifted to the other alumni. They were all good.

None of them were flashy, but their skills were solid. It was hard to find any weak points, almost as if they had none at all.

'Maybe...'

An idea sparked in Kageyama's mind.

He glanced over at Hinata, ready to call out for their quick attack combo.

"Hinata... huh?"

But...

"...!"

Kageyama froze.

He saw Hinata's expression—completely different from his usual bright and energetic self. His shoulders were slumped, and his eyes were focused on the other spikers, not with excitement, but with a strange, distant look.

Kageyama's words stuck in his throat. Something was off.

"Shit... I should've realized..."

Kageyama's mind raced as he slowly started to understand what Hinata was going through.

Even as a setter, Kageyama often felt the weight of Tsuna's presence.

And now, with Asahi as the addition—the pressure looming over the court was no joke—Hinata, who played a similar role, must have felt it even more.

'Everyone's... looking so tall today...'

Hinata stood quietly, his eyes on Asahi across the court.

The tall figure seemed imposing, the power behind his spikes was incredible, and every time he hit, his teammates grew more fired up.

'I wish that could be me...'

Hinata's thoughts swirled. He couldn't focus.

His gaze followed Asahi as he leaped for another spike. His eyes widened as the ball rocketed through the block formed by Tsukishima, Tanaka, and even Kageyama, slicing through the air toward their side.

'Another point...?'

Hinata blinked, but then something caught his attention. A shadow darted forward, cutting through the air to receive the spike.

"Tsuna-senpai?"

That's right. There was someone else, with a presence just as overpowering.

Someone who lingered in his thoughts every time they practiced together.

"..."

Tsuna clicked his tongue as he absorbed the full force of Asahi's spike. It was unlike anything he'd faced before, even with his newly honed receiving skills.

The ball veered off to the side, and the opponents claimed another point.

"Not enough... I need more of this..."

He had to improve, to level up even more!

Hinata heard Tsuna's mumbling and let out a small, amazed sigh.

Kageyama had always been a force to be reckoned with and everyone seemed to be aware of this since his presence was hard to ignore.

Hinata had known that since middle school.

But Tsuna...

His presence was hard to ignore too, but it was a bit different. It was almost suffocating, like the whole team revolved around him.

The center of everything.

'The ace...'

Hinata thought of Karasuno like a solar system, with Tsuna as the sun. He, too, wanted to be the kind of player who was the center of the team, just like Tsuna.

'But I don't have the height... I don't have the strength...'

A knot of frustration twisted in Hinata's chest. He couldn't stop thinking about how much easier it would be if he were just a little taller.

He glanced again at Tsuna and Asahi, their presence dominating the court.

His eyes landed on Tsuna, who was slowly rising. Hinata couldn't help but think, 'Being the ace... that's so cool...'

"Huh? What are you looking at, Shrimpy?"

"Shrim...py?"

Hinata blinked, staring at Tsuna as he walked back to his position, not saying another word.

This made him scratch his head, feeling a bit confused as he asked, "Senpai, what's it like to be the ace?"

"The ace? Who, me?"

Tsuna's face showed genuine confusion, and Hinata couldn't help but yelp in surprise, "Y-You didn't even know...?"

"Ha... I couldn't care less about that..."

"...!"

Hinata froze, his eyes widening as he stared at Tsuna's grin. There was something intense in Tsuna's gaze as it locked onto both Asahi and Nishinoya.

Hinata suddenly understood. 'He seems like he's... having a lot of fun...'

"I know what you're thinking..."

A voice suddenly cut through the air, making Hinata jump in surprise, "Uwaah! What the—Kageyama, you idiot! Why are you sneaking up on me like that?!"

Kageyama didn't seem to care about Hinata's reaction. He continued with a flat tone, "You can't ever be the ace with Tsuna-san on the team..."

"...!"

Hinata's face twisted with frustration at these words as his expression crumpled like a piece of paper.

Everyone around them noticed and looked up in surprise.

"Huh?"

Tsuna glanced over, as did the others, murmuring with concern.

"Shouldn't we stop him?"

"I think we should..."

The team turned to Daichi for guidance, but the captain simply shook his head, signaling them to let Kageyama finish.

"You'll never be taller than them, so it's useless to worry about that."

"What's wrong with being jealous of that!" Hinata snapped frustratedly.

He looked away while muttering under his breath, "Someone tall like you wouldn't understand how it feels to be short like me..."

"Just shut up and let me finish!"

Kageyama barked, grabbing Hinata's bottom half of his face with one hand.

"Mhmm!!"

Hinata's face puffed out comically as he immediately tried to push Kageyama's hand away.

But it was useless. Kageyama kept talking, ignoring Hinata's flailing. "You might be short. Your spikes might be weak. And you don't contribute much with your terrible receives..."

"..."

Everyone's expressions darkened as Kageyama's words hit hard.

They all could see Hinata shrinking back, his shoulders slumping, feeling smaller with each harsh comment.

"That guy might be the sun..."

Kageyama's voice rang out as he jabbed a finger toward Tsuna. His words carried a strange intensity that silenced the murmurs around them.

"...But right now," Kageyama continued, his voice rising, "this is the nighttime!"

"Do you understand what he means?"

"Uh, somewhat?"

Confused whispers rippled through the team as everyone tried to piece together Kageyama's words.

Tsuna, being unable to use his right hand somewhat, allowed the team to showcase their worth. Still, Hinata clearly didn't understand as he blinked cluelessly while staring at Kageyama in surprise.

"The night is for the stars to shine!"

Kageyama exclaimed, his voice filled with conviction. "Asahi-san is one of them. Nishinoya-senpai too. Everyone's shining at night!"

Kageyama let go of Hinata who went quiet.

"And with me here," he declared, "you will be the brightest among them all!"

"...!"

Hinata's breath hitched. His eyes went wide as his lips trembled. He couldn't help but feel intense emotions threatening to spill over.

Slowly, he turned away, biting his lip, trying to compose himself.

The rest of the team watched in silence, their tense expressions easing. They were relieved that Kageyama's blunt yet heartfelt words seemed to reach Hinata.

But Kageyama wasn't done and suddenly announced, "I will toss the next ball to him..." 

"Wait, what?"

"Is he serious?"

The declaration was so unexpected that it sent a ripple of surprise through both teams. The opponents exchanged wary glances, unsure if Kageyama was bluffing.

The game resumed.

The ball sailed toward Karasuno's court once again as it went toward Tsuna.

'The sun, huh?'

Tsuna muttered under his breath as he received the ball, absorbing its impact and sending it cleanly to Kageyama.

He saw Hinata immediately rushing toward the net and drew immediate reactions from the opposing blockers.

"For someone from a different school..."

Tsuna's voice trailed off as he watched Hinata abruptly pivot, cutting to the opposite side of the net causing the blockers to stumble to keep up.

Tsuna's expression twisted into a smile as he added, "They're truly compatible with each other, aren't they?"

The ball left Kageyama's hands, slicing through the air like a bullet. Gasps rippled through the gym as the sheer speed of the toss registered with everyone.

'I too... will also shine like a star!'

Despite the swirling emotions coursing through his small body, Hinata swung his arm with his eyes open. He was looking over the net as the ball made contact with his hand and a sharp pop reverberated through the gym.

The ball sailed over the net and crashed onto the opposite court with a thud.

"...!"

Everyone's mouths hung open in awe. No one had managed to react in time as their eyes glued to the ball as it rolled to a stop on their court in disbelief.

"What in the world just happened?"

On the sideline, Keishin's eyes widened in shock.

"See, it's impressive right!?"

Beside him, Takeda looked like a proud parent as the club advisor was practically bouncing in place.

"..."

Tsuna's gaze lingered on Hinata and Kageyama. He could see the relief etched on their faces, their tense shoulders relaxing as the point sank in.

'I don't understand that... but there is something I need to address...'

The whistle blew, signaling the start of the next rally.

After a quick turn, Tsuna's eyes sharpened as he noticed the ball once again floated high into the air, spiraling toward Kageyama.

Tsuna's gaze immediately locked on the setter as he spoke, "It might be nighttime right now..."

A ripple of tension spread through the opposing team.

"...!"

There was a sudden pressure that seemed to hang over the court. It wasn't something they could see or hear—it was something they felt deep in their gut.

The blockers at the front exchanged glances as they instinctively adjusted their positions.

Even though they didn't fully understand what was coming, their instincts screamed danger!

"But be it day or night..."

Tsuna's voice carried on as Kageyama reacted without hesitation.

It was as if Tsuna's words had flipped a switch inside him that made his hands move automatically, sending a perfectly calculated toss toward where Tsuna was rushing.

The ball sailed high, and everyone's gaze followed the ball as a figure launched himself into the air.

"Stop him!"

Takinoue shouted as the blockers were all jumped up to block the spike.

For a split second, Tsuna's figure seemed to hang there, suspended in midair as he he swung his left arm with full force.

Pop!

The sound of contact echoed through the gym. Immediately, the ball exploded off his hand like a rocket, hurtling toward the blockers who had scrambled to intercept.

They braced themselves, hands raised high, fingers spread wide.

But...

"Fuck!"

The ball tore through their hands as if ripping through paper, leaving them wincing in pain.

It whistled past their fingertips and slammed into the court with a deafening thud, kicking up a faint cloud of dust where it struck.

"..."

Everyone held their breath as they saw Tsuna land smoothly on the floor and finish his sentence, "...the sun will keep burning."

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