Haikyu: Nah, I'd Adapt!

Meanwhile...

"Here we go again..."

Tsuna muttered under his breath as he stepped out of a taxi, his gaze fixed on the bustling street ahead.

The familiar sight of Fujikawa Shoten's building loomed before him, its sleek, modern exterior standing out in comparison with other buildings in between.

He stopped for a moment, looking up at the large banner adorning the front of the building—a banner displaying the cover of his own work.

However...

"Hmm? Isn't that...?"

His eyes caught a new banner just off to the side. There wasn't such a banner last time he was here so he was quite surprised, even more so seeing the title.

Metronome in Love.

"It should be that crazy girl's, no?"

Tsuna's brows furrowed slightly as he processed the name.

He recalled it belonged to Kasumigaoka, the writer he'd crossed paths with not too long ago during a heated discussion over buying out Jackson's contract from Yes Press.

"I thought she was just some crazy newcomer," he murmured, his voice tinged with amusement.

Memories of Kasumigaoka blurting out her intrusive thoughts when she introduced herself gave him quite an impression, which was why he still remembered her.

"But it seems like she's actually a pretty capable writer."

Shaking his head, Tsuna adjusted the strap of his bag and stepped forward.

The automatic doors slid open with a soft whoosh, welcoming him into the busy building. Inside, people bustled about—editors carrying stacks of manuscripts, writers clutching coffee cups, and assistants darting between desks with urgent expressions.

"Ah... Matsumoto-kun?"

As Tsuna was about to step into the lift, a surprised voice called out from behind him. He turned to see someone familiar sitting on one of the lobby sofas.

She was wearing a traditional Japanese school uniform, her dark hair neatly framed around her face. In her hands was a light novel—his light novel.

Tsuna raised an eyebrow as he thought, 'Speak of the devil...'

"Oh, hi there. Uh... Kasumigaoka-san, right?"

"Yes!" she replied quickly.

"..."

Tsuna studied her for a moment before his eyes flicked to the coffee cup on the table in front of her.

The liquid had gone cold, judging by the lack of steam as he then asked, "Are you waiting for Machida-san?"

"Right. Uh, I think she's in a meeting with the head director. I'm not entirely sure. They told me to wait here..."

"Well, to make their new favorite author wait this long, they must have something important going on," Tsuna remarked while glancing around the busy lobby before shaking his head.

"Ah, n-new favorite?"

Kasumigaoka's eyes widened in surprise. Her cheeks turned crimson as she quickly shook her head, "I-I think you're mistaken. I'm just a newcomer..."

"A newcomer whose work got placed front and center on the building," Tsuna said, "That's a pretty clear sign they have confidence in you, Kasumigaoka-san."

"Y-You noticed...?"

She stared at him, completely caught off guard.

Her favorite author knew about Metronome in Love?

Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively looked down, clutching the book in her hands as if it could shield her from her growing embarrassment.

'What am I doing!?'

Her thoughts screamed in panic.

She felt like she was completely out of character, fumbling her words and letting her nerves show. 'He must think I'm so weird!'

Tsuna was oblivious to the turmoil in her mind as he continued, "I remember Machida-san introducing your pen name and your work to me the first time we met. Don't you remember?"

"Ah... so you remember that too...?"

Kasumigaoka's voice was barely above a whisper. She could feel her heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst from her chest. She bit her lip, recalling what she had blurted out during that first meeting.

The memory alone was enough to make her want to hide under the sofa.

'Well, of course, you said something quite crazy after...'

Tsuna looked at her with his lips quite twitching.

However...

"...!"

As she realized how long she'd been sitting there, her eyes widened slightly. She jumped to her feet, clutching the light novel in her hands.

"M-Matsumoto-kun," she stammered, gesturing toward the sofa across from her. "If you don't mind... could you wait here with me? Uh... please?"

"Please?"

Tsuna repeated, blinking at her awkward phrasing.

"Ah... um..."

Kasumigaoka's cheeks turned a bright shade of red as she fumbled with the book in her hands, gripping it tightly. "Could you... sign my light novel? I'm a big fan..."

"Well..."

Tsuna raised his eyebrows at this.

Machida always told him to come straight to her office when he arrived, never leaving him to wait in the lobby. This situation was just another reminder of how differently Fujikawa Shoten treated him compared to others.

Still, Kasumigaoka's potential wasn't lost on him. Seeing her light novel displayed so prominently on the building's banner earlier had piqued his interest.

Making a connection with her might not be such a bad idea.

"Sure," he said, stepping forward and sitting down on the sofa opposite her. "Do you have a pen? I didn't bring one."

Kasumigaoka's eyes lit up as she fumbled through her bag, pulling out a sleek black pen. "Here!" 

She seemed to be quite excited and relieved as Tsuna took the pen before opening the book to the title page and asked, "Who should I make it out to?"

"Just my name is fine... Utaha Kasumigaoka," she said, her cheeks still slightly pink.

As he signed the book, he thought to himself, 'She might be a bit odd, but she's definitely sincere.'

Tsuna decided to stay in the lobby a little longer. He figured there wasn't much point in heading up to Machida's office since she was still busy.

Surprisingly, talking with Kasumigaoka turned out to be easy. As fellow writers, they found plenty of common ground, sharing stories about deadlines, brainstorming, and the occasional frustrations of working with editors.

Before they realized it, time had flown by.

"Well, I'd better head up now."

Tsuna glanced at his watch and decided it was time to go as he stood up.

"Ah...?"

His sudden movement caught Kasumigaoka off guard. She looked up at him, startled. "You're going up already?"

She was feeling somewhat disappointed that Tsuna was about to leave. It was quite enjoyable to talk with him. However, she also couldn't help but feel a bit of jealousy as she had learned about his privilege as Fujikawa Shoten's star author.

"Yeah, it's about time."

Tsuna shrugged casually.

Then, with a small smile, he added, "I have to say, though, this was probably the best thirty minutes I've ever spent in this building. I rarely talk to anyone here except Machida-san and the head director. It was nice getting to know you, Utaha."

"Un..."

Kasumigaoka's cheeks flushed instantly at the sound of her first name. They had decided earlier to drop formalities after discovering they were the same age, but hearing him call her that still made her heart flutter.

She stammered, "Y-yes, it's nice knowing you too, T-Tsuna-kun..."

The way his name rolled off her tongue felt strange, but in a good way. Butterflies danced in her stomach as she fidgeted with her hands, trying to gather her courage.

"Uh, Tsuna-kun...?" she called hesitantly, just as he turned to leave.

He stopped mid-step, glancing back at her. "Yeah?"

Kasumigaoka's fingers fiddled nervously with the edge of her light novel. She looked down, then to the side, before finally summoning the strength to meet his gaze.

Her voice wavered as she asked, "S-should we... maybe grab a coffee together af—"

"Tsuna-kun? Ah, just in time!"

Machida's voice cut through the moment like a sharp knife. Kasumigaoka froze, her unfinished question hanging in the air.

"...?"

Tsuna turned to see his editor approaching, clipboard in hand. She seemed mildly irritated, gesturing toward the elevator. "Didn't I tell you to wait in my office?"

Tsuna shrugged nonchalantly, pointing at Kasumigaoka. "I was keeping Kasumigaoka-san company while waiting..."

"Ah, I see..."

Kasumigaoka's face turned bright red as Machida blinked, "Well, Kasumigaoka-san, could you wait a bit longer? I just need to finalize the contract with Tsuna-kun. It won't take too long, and I'll get back to you afterward."

"...Okay."

Kasumigaoka managed a weak nod as the two disappeared into the elevator.

Once they were out of sight, she let out a deep breath and slumped back onto the sofa.

"...That was so close," she muttered under her breath, clutching her light novel tightly against her chest.

Her mind raced with conflicting emotions—relief that her question had been interrupted and regret that she hadn't been able to ask it properly.

What if he had rejected her?

Or, what if he had said yes?

She wasn't even sure what she would've done then.

The mere thought sent a surge of heat to her face.

Her lips twisted into a frustrated pout, "Ahhh! Why did I even ask that?!"

The sudden scream tore through the quiet atmosphere of the lobby, startling everyone nearby. Heads turned in unison, eyes locking onto her with confusion.

"…Oh no, was that sounded like a confession?"

Kasumigaoka froze, her cheeks burning bright red as she realized what she'd just done.

"Ackkk...!"

She began thrashing against the sofa, kicking her legs like a child throwing a tantrum.

It was the universal reaction to recalling an unbearably embarrassing memory—complete physical denial.

"I'm such an idiot! Why did I say that?!" she groaned, her voice muffled as she buried her face in the cushions.

The other people in the lobby exchanged awkward glances, some shaking their heads as they went back to what they were doing.

A young receptionist whispered to a coworker, trying to stifle a laugh.

Meanwhile, Kasumigaoka stayed sprawled out on the sofa feeling totally embarrassed as she mumbled, "…I should just disappear…"

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