Haikyu: Nah, I'd Adapt!

BAM!

Another powerful spike tore through their blocks, the force sending a sharp sting through Ikejiri's hands as he gritted his teeth.

Not from the searing pain nor the fact they lost another point.

'This guy...'

Ikejiri felt his fingers trembling as he glanced at Tsuna, who stood there with an unbothered expression as if the game was nothing more than a casual warm-up.

The ball hit the court with a resounding thud, the sound echoing through the gym. Another point for Karasuno.

Still...

"Hey..."

Ikejiri's voice was low as he slowly approached Tsuna. His face was twisted in frustration, his brows furrowed, and his fists clenched at his sides.

"...?"

Tsuna turned to him with the same expression as if he was expecting him to state his business clearly.

"..."

The silence between them was heavy, and Ikejiri's chest tightened. He stared at Tsuna, his voice trembling slightly as he asked, "...Are we really that insignificant to you? Do you even care enough to play seriously?"

"I thought you'd say something, but it's about that, huh?"

Tsuna blinked, his eyebrows knitting together in mild confusion. He tilted his head slightly as if the question didn't quite make sense to him.

Then, in a tone so casual it was almost infuriating, he asked, "Are you strong?"

"What...?"

Ikejiri's jaw tightened, his veins pulsing visibly at his temples. He bit his lip hard, trying to keep his anger in check.

"Do you think we'd be in this state if we were strong!?"

"You seem to understand your team well..."

Tsuna's expression didn't change. He simply shrugged and repeated, "So, you're weak, no?"

"...!"

Ikejiri froze. His mouth opened, but no words came out.

Was this guy serious?

He stared at Tsuna, his frustration and confusion swirling together in a storm of emotions.

"Get stronger, then," Tsuna said in such a flat tone that it sounded unbelievable.

Before Ikejiri could respond, Tsuna turned his back, shaking his head slightly. "Maybe then I'll actually try."

"...!"

Ikejiri's mouth opened, but no words came out.

"Ah, s-sorry, Ikejiri!"

He was still processing the ridiculousness of Tsuna's statement when Daichi suddenly stepped in, his figure shielding Tsuna.

"Sawamura...?"

Ikejiri stared at Daichi's awkward smile. He could see sweat dripping down his temple as Karasuno's captain was clearly unsure how to handle the situation.

Still...

He could only look down as he slumped his shoulders in defeat, his voice barely above a mumble, "No, actually... he's right..."

"...!"

Both of them went into silence while on the side...

"Did he just say, 'If you're homeless, just buy a house'?"

Tsukishima sarcastically commented while adjusting his glasses. He was at a loss of words from Tsuna's response to Ikejiri's question.

"..."

Kageyama, who usually disagreed with Tsukishima on principle, couldn't help but nod slightly, "That's not exactly what he said..."

Asahi scratched the back of his head awkwardly at the escalating tension, "It's not what Tsuna said, but... it definitely has the same vibe."

"Yeah, it's not the same, but it's close enough!"

Nishinoya, standing beside Asahi, nodded vigorously.

"..."

The atmosphere grew heavier, the tension thickening like a storm cloud. Then, Tanaka's voice exploded from the sidelines, breaking the silence.

"Tsuna, you elitist! You can't just say, 'Go buy a home' when you're homeless, you idiot!"

Tanaka shouted, his face red with frustration. He pointed a finger at Tsuna, who simply frowned in response.

"I didn't say that, though..."

Tsuna replied while tilting his head, clearly confused by Tanaka's outburst.

"Arghh, you idiot! You've got a high IQ but zero EQ, you dumb idiot!"

Tanaka yelled still, his voice rising as he struggled against Suga, who was holding him back by the arm.

"Tanaka, calm down!"

Suga sighed as his grip on Tanaka's arm tightened as the latter tried to lunge forward.

Unfortunately...

Whistle!

The sharp sound of the referee's whistle cut through the chaos. The entire gym seemed to freeze as the referee glared at Karasuno's bench with a stern expression.

"Enough! Keep it down, or I'll issue a warning!"

"Ah...!"

Tanaka immediately froze, his face turning pale as he realized what had just happened. The rest of the Karasuno team looked equally mortified, their faces burning with embarrassment.

The crowd, however, didn't seem to mind.

"Keke..."

"Seems like Karasuno's in trouble."

A wave of chuckles spread through the stands, the spectators clearly amused by the rare sight of a team getting scolded for being too loud during an official match.

"What's the deal with that guy?"

Tsuna shook his head as he didn't seem to be bothered by the referee's warning.

Meanwhile...

'These people...'

Ikejiri stared at the rest of Karasuno's players, his grip on his jersey loosening slightly.

A small, unexpected thought crept into his mind, '...They're normal people too.'

Well, besides Tsuna, obviously.

"Sorry, Ikejiri," Daichi's voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to reality. "Tsuna was quite blunt, but he definitely didn't mean any harm..."

"Don't worry about that, Sawamura..."

Ikejiri turned to his old friend, a wry smile tugging at his lips, "I understand that..."

"Eh, really?"

Daichi blinked, surprised.

He had expected Ikejiri to be more upset, but the look on his face was genuine.

"Besides..." Ikejiri shook his head, his gaze drifting toward the referee, who was still glaring toward Karasuni's troublemakers.

His face was red, his mouth moving rapidly as he scolded Tanaka, who stood there nodding sheepishly, a small, embarrassed smile on his face.

"...You seem to have it tough, Sawamura," Ikejiri added with a tinge of sympathy.

"Ikejiri..."

Daichi's eyes widened for a moment before he sighed, his shoulders slumping.

A dark cloud of exhaustion seemed to hover over him as he muttered, "...Yeah, these people are sometimes too much."

"..."

For a moment, the two of them just stood there, the tension of the game fading into the background.

Then, almost at the same time, they chuckled.

To the rest of Karasuno, seeing this side of Daichi was rare.

But to Ikejiri, this moment only confirmed what he already knew—Daichi was still the same person he had known in middle school.

The sound of the ball hitting the floor echoed through the gym, followed by the murmurs of the crowd.

The squeak of sneakers against the polished court filled the air, but as the game dragged on, those sounds began to fade into the background for Tokonami High.

'We've never stood a chance against them...'

They slowly understand their chances of winning were nonexistent from the start.

"..."

Ikejiri felt his body moving on its own. His legs carried him across the court, but his mind was elsewhere. He didn't have the energy to think, to push himself consciously.

It was as if he were on autopilot.

The same went for the rest of Tokonami.

Their movements were sluggish, their faces blank. The fact that they were wearing their jerseys was the only thing keeping them going.

It wasn't about winning anymore—it was about responsibility.

They had to finish the game, no matter how they felt.

"..."

On Karasuno's side, Daichi's gaze lingered on the Tokonami players. His eyes eventually landed on Ikejiri, his old friend.

'I understand what you feel, Ikejiri...'

Daichi truly did.

Back when Karasuno was just a small, struggling team, defeat had been their routine in every tournament.

The frustration, the helplessness—he knew it all too well.

"Daichi-san!"

Hinata's voice snapped Daichi out of his thoughts. He looked up just in time to see the ball coming toward him.

Instinctively, he lowered his stance, his hands cupped and ready.

The ball made contact with his fingers with a soft plop, sending it flying upward toward Kageyama as he shouted, "Kageyama!"

'I know... It must've been suffocating, Ikejiri...'

Daichi's thoughts were racing as he watched Kageyama receive the toss.

The setter's hands moved with precision, sending the ball floating toward Daichi, who was already running into position.

He leaped into the air, his eyes locking onto the net.

Below him, Ikejiri and another Tokonami player jumped to block him, their hands stretching out to form a wall.

'But I know it'd suffocate even more if I didn't give it my best!'

Daichi's mind screamed as he swung his arm.

The ball slammed into the blockers' hands with a loud plop, the force sending their arms tumbling.

The ball bounced off, flying further into Tokonami's court.

"..."

"Cover!"

Ikejiri's shout echoed across the court.

Tokonami's players scrambled, their feet sliding against the floor as they desperately tried to reach the ball.

But it was too late.

The ball hit the ground just outside the court with a loud thud, earning another point for Karasuno.

A long whistle blew, signaling the end of the first set.

"Huh?"

"Ah, the set is already over...?"

The sound caught everyone in Tokonami off guard as they turned to the scoreboard. Their eyes widened as they realized how quickly the set had flown by.

25 - 13

The score they unconsciously avoided to check the whole set was finally revealed to them.

For Tokonami, it was a harsh reminder of the gap between them and Karasuno.

"..."

For Daichi, it was a bittersweet victory. He glanced at Ikejiri one last time with a complicated expression.

The game wasn't over yet, but the first set had already left its mark.

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Imma sleep for a while, the work on another chap! Oh, good news is the second set only ends in one chap 💀

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