Haikyuu: Nah, I'd Adapt!

After going through the usual post-game formalities, Karasuno packed up their stuff and started walking out of the stadium.

"Uwaa... that was stressful,"

Tanaka grumbled loudly, and the others just silently nodded.

They might have won by a landslide, but they somehow felt more stressed out than in their usual matches. It might have had something to do with Aoba Johsai seemingly bringing out the beast in Tsuna and making them realize just how puny they were in comparison.

But either way, they were tired.

"Sigh..."

All of them sighed at the same time before turning their heads toward Tsuna.

"Ah, you're not coming back with us?"

"Un, my dad told me he'd pick me up. But why are you asking that? I thought you came here by bike?"

The chatter between Tsuna and Shimizu was heard, making veins bulge on their foreheads.

"This guy..."

Daichi felt his lips twitching furiously at the sight.

Though, deep down, he admired Tsuna's casual way of approaching Shimizu, striking up a conversation with her, and keeping it going—something none of them could manage to do.

Most could only ask a simple question before falling into silence and felt their whole soul cringe from the awkwardness.

"Is this... the formidable chit-chat skill of people from Tokyo?"

"I thought that was basic skill?"

"Oh please, Suga. You can't even hold a conversation with her for more than three turns."

"...Why are you getting personal?"

Daichi rolled his eyes at Asahi and Suga's murmurs in the back and sighed again. "...I guess... it's a basic skill we don't have."

Talking to pretty girls.

"Hey, hey, Tsuna-kun..."

"...Why are you talking to Shimizu-san on your own, huh??"

Tanaka and Nishinoya suddenly lost all their fatigue as they immediately latched onto Tsuna, making him click his tongue in annoyance.

"...These idiots."

"..."

Shimizu's lips curled up slightly. She seemed to enjoy watching him get bothered by those two as usual.

However, Tsuna narrowed his eyes at her, and she immediately looked away.

"Huh? Did you just call me a genius, Tsuna-kun?" Tanaka raised his voice sarcastically.

Nishinoya clearly heard Tsuna as well and played along. His smile widened into a grin as he added, "Hmph, seems like you still know respect, don't you, Tsuna?"

"Sigh..."

Knowing his conversation with Shimizu had ended, Tsuna rolled his eyes at these two clowns who could barely speak to Shimizu themselves yet always got in his way. He asked, "...What do you want?"

"Kekeke..."

Both of them laughed mischievously as they kept pestering Tsuna. His annoyed expression, combined with the antics of these two goofballs, amused everyone else, who silently enjoyed the scene.

Suga smiled at the sight before looking ahead again. He thought about their next match and mumbled, "Shouldn't we be focusing on our next game? We're playing another strong team, right?"

"Ah, who are we playing again?"

"Date Tech High..."

Asahi rubbed his chin and mumbled, "Hmm, Date Tech, huh? What are they called again... umm, Iron Wall, I think?"

"Yeah," Daichi nodded. "They've been called the Iron Wall because of their tall players and exceptional blocks."

Tsuna suddenly asked, "Are they really that good?"

"Hmm, yeah, supposedly." Suga glanced at Tsuna before answering, "I've heard they've got a good seeding this year, so technically, they should be better than before."

"Oh?" Tsuna's eyes gleamed slightly. He was intrigued. Recalling their earlier opponents, he asked, "How good are they compared to Aoba Johsai then?"

"That..." Suga frowned as he fell into thought.

Daichi and Asahi also began pondering the question. It wasn't easy to answer. Aoba Johsai was undoubtedly the strongest contender against Shiratorizawa, the best team currently in Miyagi prefecture.

But when it came to blocking, Daichi couldn't help but answer hesitantly, "Hmm, I think Date Tech should have better blockers, no?"

The truth was, they didn't know much about Date Tech's blockers.

Karasuno hadn't faced many strong teams before because they had always lost, even to weaker teams, last year. Considering how their club had been on its last legs back then, they didn't have the resources to look into team information either.

As they discussed their next opponent, Date Tech, everyone began noticing eyes on them. Some spectators were even pointing. No, it wasn't exactly at them—it was more like they were pointing at Tsuna.

"..."

Tsuna could see the team was feeling self-conscious. He glanced to the side and saw Shimizu, who still had her calm expression.

That made him chuckle softly.

Looking at the sun, which had dimmed considerably and was about to turn a soft orange as it prepared to set and make way for the moon, Tsuna quietly thought, 'Maybe I should bid my farewell here... huh?'

However, Tsuna suddenly stopped as he felt his phone vibrate.

"Why'd you stop?"

"Tsuna?"

Everyone else stopped as well, turning to look at Tsuna, who took his phone out of his sports bag and flipped it open.

He mumbled, "...My dad texted me."

"Uh... isn't that normal?"

Tanaka tilted his head, noticing that Tsuna was frowning at the notification. Tsuna turned to them and spoke with a serious expression, "It might be for you lot, but not for me..."

"...Why?"

Nishinoya voiced the question everyone was thinking.

"Because he never does..."

"..."

They fell into silence.

Suga couldn't help but turn his head away, covering his mouth in sadness. Beads of tears started to form in his eyes as he mumbled, "That's so sad. I didn't know you had this kind of life, Tsuna. Is this why you turned out this way?"

"What way...? I grew up healthy, alright..."

The others looked at him with pity, which left Tsuna speechless at their exaggerated reaction. Clearly, they had misunderstood.

He shook his head before opening the message. As he read it, Tsuna frowned even deeper, feeling hands on both his shoulders.

He glanced up to see them blatantly peeking at his screen, "Don't you guys know what privacy is?"

"Hehe, come on, Tsuna. What if this dad of yours, who barely gives you love, is abusing you?"

"...You've watched too many family dramas."

Tsuna shook his head at Tanaka's remark and turned back to his phone.

Suga suddenly asked, "Uh... he said you've got a letter coming? What's that about?"

"Huh?"

Hearing that, Tsuna reread the text message.

Sure enough...

[From: Stupid Dad

Message: Yo, Tsuna. You got a letter coming home today. I didn't know that shit still existed. What the hell is even that?]

"...And why would a dad say these words to his kid?"

Daichi asked with a serious expression.

Everyone looked at Tsuna in concern, as if he were a victim of an abusive father. They all knew no Japanese dad would ever speak so crudely to his child.

"Shit, I gotta go home now, guys. Bye!"

Tsuna wasn't about to explain his situation to these idiots.

He suddenly started running off but turned to Shimizu, shouting as his figure grew smaller and smaller in the distance, "Kiyoko, I expect you to fulfill your promise tomorrow!"

What mattered now was that a letter was coming today!

"Un."

Shimizu quietly nodded in response, watching Tsuna's figure disappear into the distance. She stood in silence, while the others exchanged suspicious glances.

"...Should we call the police?"

"I don't know if we should..."

"But his dad sounded like a gangster..."

"...Yeah, but..."

They were totally concerned about Tsuna's well-being, imagining all sorts of scenarios involving this so-called "abusive" father.

Meanwhile, Tsuna ran up to his bike, parked just beside the massive stadium, chained to the parking dock for bicycles. His smile was huge.

'If it's a letter, then...'

That could only mean it was a letter from Fujikawa Shoten!

There was one thing no one knew about him, Tsuna had been secretly writing a light novel on the side. The main reason was that this might be the only way to bring in some money and possibly help his family's situation. 

Doing well in school wouldn't bring cash in the short term, after all.

And writing light novels, especially if he was able to get a contract, would bring in plenty of cash for someone of his age which was good enough for him.

Tsuna grinned, "Fujikawa Shoten..."

Fujikawa Shoten was a well-known light novel publisher under Kadokawa Corporation, which would undoubtedly bring massive exposure to his work!

He had written a story about a superhero.

[Wisdom chases him, yet it never reaches him as he's faster. The world might not need him, but he exists anyway. The Flosh!

With his speed, he shall be the fastest!]

The story was originally written in English, but since he used a pen name of "Humble Japanese" which was a dead giveaway of his origin. Fujikawa Shoten managed to grab his email through the platform and contacted him a while ago.

They told him they were interested in his story and asked him to send a compiled draft formatted according to their stylesheet in Japanese, which he had done.

If they weren't interested, they could've just ignored him completely. But they did send him a letter.

Receiving that letter was definitely a good sign. It was old fashioned way, but such was Japan. They're so rigid with the formality stuff!

"Wow, I can't believe I'm so excited for this!"

Tsuna giggled to himself as he unlocked his bike and immediately rode off, speeding toward his house.

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