Haikyuu: Nah, I'd Adapt!

"Oikawa, get a grip," said Iwaizumi, number #4, and Oikawa's closest friend. He placed a firm hand on Oikawa's shoulder.

He pointed to the ball and added, "It'll be our turn next as soon as we get the ball. Let's focus on taking them down."

"...You're right."

Oikawa's gaze shifted to the scoreboard. His fists tightened. "We haven't lost yet!"

Dominating an opponent was one thing. But being dominated? That was a bitter, unfamiliar feeling for Aoba Johsai.

But they wouldn't let it end like this.

A new determination settled over Aoba Johsai's players, the shift in their mood unmistakable. The air around them crackled with tension, and even Karasuno could feel the sudden change.

The crowd picked up on it too, their cheers growing louder as they sensed the game was far from over.

"Let's go, Seijo!"

"Karasuno! Karasuno!"

The excitement in the stadium was through the roof as the game was about to be continued. It was clear to everyone watching—this was not over yet!

As the stadium was getting heated, Tsuna was lost in his thought.

It was just a few months ago, when his life turned upside down. 

He remembered that very day vividly. The faint smell of burnt meat lingered in the air as he got out of bed, wondering if something had caught fire.

"Oh, Tsuna! You're up! Haha, come on, it's time for breakfast!"

His father's cheerful voice echoed from the kitchen. Tsuna walked in and saw his goofy ahh dad, Ichiro, wearing a pink apron and standing over the stove.

The sight made him sigh.

His dad's hair was just starting to turn gray, and there were a few wrinkles around his eyes.

"...Dad, are you really in your forties?"

Tsuna asked, his tone flat.

Ichiro was always more childish than Tsuna, and it wasn't amusing—not to him, at least.

"Haha, of course! I look younger than my age, don't I?" Ichiro said with a grin.

Tsuna rolled his eyes as his dad placed a thick steak on the table in front of him. He sat down, eyeing the steak with a frown. It looked overcooked, almost charred. With a sigh, he picked up his knife and fork, cutting into the meat.

"This isn't even well done," he muttered under his breath.

It was more like congratulations.

Still, Ichiro's words earlier made Tsuna pause and look at his father again. The wrinkles around his eyes, the few gray hairs scattered on his head. Tsuna chewed slowly, realizing that his dad looked older than his years.

"Oh, shit! Hot, hot, hot! Ow!"

A sudden shout jolted Tsuna from his thoughts. He looked up to see his father flailing around the kitchen, clutching his hand.

It seemed like he'd burned himself as Ichiro rushed to the sink, running cold water over his fingers.

Tsuna sighed once again and muttered to himself, "He's in his forties, looks like fifties, and acts like a teenager."

"Fuck, I burned my hand again..."

"Watch your language, old man..."

"Oh, shut up. I'm older, so I can still say whatever the fuck I want."

"Yeah, whatever..." Tsuna replied, his voice trailing off as he looked out the window.

The city skyline stretched out before him, and the first hints of dawn were creeping in, bathing Tokyo in a soft, orange glow.

They lived in a comfortable apartment in the heart of the city.

His father owned a logistics company that specialized in helping businesses ship their products—large and small. It was a family-run business that Ichiro had started with his wife.

Tsuna's eyes drifted to the corner of the room, where a framed photograph of his mother stood, surrounded by burning incense.

A beautiful women with pitch black hair like Tsuna, with a gentle smile that always seemed to shine through the photo. No wonder his dad had fallen for her.

But as Tsuna glanced back at his father, who was grinning goofily while chewing the overcooked steak, he couldn't help but twitch his mouth in disbelief.

His dad was, honestly, pretty average-looking.

"...Dad, how did you even get Mom to like you back then?"

Tsuna was genuinely confused.

"Huh? Looks aren't everything, son," Ichiro replied with a shameless smile, clearly not bothered by his own lack of good looks as he began to keep rambling on his 'love life' that Tsuna didn't bother to listen to.

Tsuna shook his head and looked down at his reflection in the knife he was holding and mumbled, "Thank god I mostly got Mom's genes."

He turned to the portrait and smiled, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Thanks, Mom. Hope you're happy I look like you up there."

As he said it, a thought crossed his mind. It was about time they visited her grave. She was originally from Miyagi Prefecture, and she had always told his dad that she wanted to be buried where she had grown up—among the familiar mountains and forests.

"Dad, aren't we going to visit Mom tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we do. But hey, you don't believe me, do you?"

Ichiro frowned, noticing how Tsuna was barely paying attention to his story. Tsuna just rolled his eyes again, which only made Ichiro laugh even louder.

"Oh, come on! One day, you'll get it, son. Love works in mysterious ways. You just have to be persistent enough to make them like you back."

"...Persistent? What kind?" Tsuna asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you actually stalk her and force her to like you?"

"Nonsense!" Ichiro's face twisted into a pout, clearly dissatisfied with the accusation. He shook his head firmly. "Of course not! Your mom was the most beautiful girl back in college. I was just a pebble on the sidewalk. But I kept trying, I followed her every—"

He paused mid-sentence, his eyes widening as if something had just clicked in his mind.

"Hmm... now that you mention it, maybe I did do a little... stalking," he admitted with a sheepish smile.

Tsuna blinked, then slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. The familiar ring of a dial tone filled the kitchen as he brought it up to his ear.

Seeing this, Ichiro scratched his head in confusion.

"Who are you calling?" 

"...The cops."

"Hey!"

It was quite a playful morning. 

Tsuna could remember it all vividly—the normal day as he went to school. It was one of the top international schools in Tokyo.

He also remembered the conversation in the car that morning.

"So, how's school going? Doing great, right?" his dad asked, glancing at Tsuna while pulling the car up to the school's drop-off area.

The tall school buildings loomed just outside the window.

In response, Tsuna pulled out a stack of answer sheets from his bag, spreading them like they were wads of cash.

"What do you think?"

Ichiro's eyes widened as he glanced at the papers. "Damn son, 100s in everything? Are you fucking Einstein?"

"...Language!"

Tsuna happily said while grinning. He stepped out of the car, waving as his dad drove off, still laughing.

"Oh! Tsuna! Let's play volleyball today!"

As he walked through the school gates, a few classmates rushed up to him, excitement clear in their voices. Tsuna frowned a little, muttering, "Again? Can't we play something else tomorrow? I'm getting bored of volleyball."

"Eh? But you're our best player! We need you if we're going to beat the class next door!"

Tsuna sighed. He wasn't really into sports, but he didn't mind when he was good at them. Winning was always a nice feeling. The school had it all—swimming, soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, even golf.

For Tsuna, it was just something to do. And back then, school was just a routine. Another day, another game.

Nothing special.

However...

That afternoon, as Tsuna waited for his dad to pick him up, he realized something was off. His dad didn't show. Instead, one of his father's business associates arrived at the school.

"...Tsuna-kun, your father is a bit busy today," the man said with a strained smile.

Tsuna didn't think much of it at first, but when he returned to their apartment, he was met with a strange sight—strangers packing up their belongings, carefully placing everything in boxes. He wasn't given any explanation.

Confused and uneasy, he sat on the couch, waiting.

When his father finally came home.

Tsuna asked, "Dad, what's going on...?"

But his father didn't answer.

Instead, he pulled Tsuna into a tight hug. It might have been his imagination, but his dad looked different—his grey hair seemed a bit more noticeable, and there were new lines on his face, as if he had aged overnight. In a quiet, shaky voice, his dad whispered, "Tsuna, let's go visit your mom tomorrow."

Tsuna later found out that his father had been betrayed—scammed by a close, trusted friend. The financial damage was severe, and the lawyer said bankruptcy was almost certain.

They would lose everything.

"...Sure," Tsuna mumbled, his voice hollow.

He didn't care much about the company, but he knew how much it meant to his dad.

After that, everything changed.

They had to leave Tokyo, selling off whatever they could. His dad decided they'd move to Miyagi Prefecture, where life was cheaper. There, they could stay with his mother's family and try to start over with a small business—something that could keep them afloat.

These were unimportant to him, seeing his dad stopped being goofy ahh dad was making his heart pained. And seeing how his dad seemed to aged overnight, Tsuna decided to follow along and dyed his hair grey.

Fast forward a few months later, and now here he was...

...in Miyagi Prefecture, attending Karasuno High School while trying to adjust to a new life far from the city he'd known.

Whistle!

A sharp whistle echoed through the stadium, jolting Tsuna from his thoughts. Aoba Johsai had called their last timeout. As the noise from the crowd settled, Tsuna's eyes drifted to Shimizu before he turned to head back to the bench.