Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

The Tokyo sunset cast long shadows of the stadium, like a giant python ready to swallow you whole.

The training camp has ended.

For Karasuno and his team, the memories of the past few days were filled with muscle soreness and the feeling of being thoroughly dominated by Nekoma and Fukutani. Although they managed to steal a few games in the last few practice matches thanks to Rikuren's chaotic "Chimera" tactics, the gap in raw skill was like an insurmountable chasm between a pay-to-win player and a free-to-play hardcore player.

The bus engine was idling, emitting a dull groan.

Tanaka and Nishinoya were vying for the "king's throne" in the last row, while Hinata Shoyo, that stamina monster, was still waving goodbye to Kenma, even though the latter just wanted to get back to playing games. Sawamura Daichi was counting heads, his reliable face filled with the relief of "Finally, I don't have to clean up after these bastards anymore."

Lu Ren, carrying a sports bag, stood in front of the car door and glanced back at Yinju's gymnasium.

Next time I come, this place will no longer be a newbie village, but a slaughterhouse for max-level characters.

He twitched the corner of his mouth, turned around, and got into the car.

The carriage was filled with the smell of sweat, the unique fermented scent of youth unique to high school boys. Lu Ren didn't crawl to the back; his gaze swept around like radar, finally locking onto a seat by the window.

Tadashi Yamaguchi was sitting there.

The first-year student was huddled in his seat, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible, clutching a half-eaten bag of potato chips, looking like a frightened hamster.

Lu Ren walked straight over and plopped down next to him.

The chair let out a groan of despair.

"Lu...Lu Ren?" Yamaguchi jumped in surprise, nearly dropping the potato chips in his hand. "Um...isn't Senior Yazhi sitting with you?"

"She's up ahead discussing skincare tips with Senior Jiezi." Lu Ren put his bag on his lap, turned his head, and stared intently at Yamaguchi with his dead fish eyes. "What, not welcoming me? Afraid I'll steal your potato chips?"

"No, no!" Yamaguchi quickly handed over the bag. "Please eat!"

Lu Ren didn't stand on ceremony. He reached out, grabbed a handful, and stuffed them into his mouth, chewing them with a loud crunching sound.

"Yamaguchi."

"yes!"

"You and that Tsukishima guy have known each other since you were toddlers, right?"

The topic jumped so quickly that Yamaguchi paused for a moment, then nodded: "Yes, we've been together since elementary school. What's wrong? Did Yue say something hurtful again? I apologize on his behalf..."

"Stop." Lu Ren raised his hand to interrupt his spellcasting animation. "He didn't provoke me. Or rather, I wish he could have."

Lu Ren leaned back in his chair, his gaze passing through the gap in the seat in front of him and landing on the blond head wearing headphones diagonally in front of him. Tsukishima Hotaru was dozing with her eyes closed, exuding a cold aura that said, "Keep away, strangers."

"Do you know what I saw during this training camp?" Lu Ren suddenly asked.

Yamaguchi shook his head blankly.

"I saw a top-of-the-line computer with Minesweeper installed." Lu Ren pointed to the back of Tsukishima's head. "That four-eyed guy is smart, tall enough, and has one of the best basketball IQs on the team. But he's locked himself in."

Yamaguchi tightened his grip on the bag of potato chips.

"Lu Ren, A Yue... he's just a bit calm," Yamaguchi whispered in defense. "He's not as passionate as Hinata, but he trains seriously too."

"Seriously?" Lu Ren scoffed. "That's 'passing grade' mentality. Aim for 60 points, no more, no less. On the field, he's like a civil servant, clocking in on time, never working overtime. Facing a monster like Mu Tu, his first reaction isn't 'How to stop him?' but 'If I can't stop this ball, I'll give up.'"

Yamaguchi fell silent. He couldn't refute it, because he had seen it all too.

"You saw it too, right? That 'Chimera' tactic." Lu Ren continued, his voice low, only the two of them could hear. "I want to create a multi-core system, to make us an unbreakable nut to crack. But this system has a fatal flaw."

Lu Ren held up a finger and waved it in front of Yamaguchi.

"There's no rational filter. Hinata has animal instincts, Kageyama is a single-celled organism, and I'm a data stream but have to take care of the backline. The network needs a commander who can calmly analyze and coordinate the defense. Tsukishima is the only candidate."

"But right now, he's just a figurehead." Lu Ren said mercilessly, "He's afraid. He's afraid that even if he gives it his all, he'll still lose miserably, so he simply doesn't try in the first place, so that if he loses, he can say, 'It's just a club activity anyway.'"

Yamaguchi lowered his head, his bangs covering his eyes.

"I know..." Her voice was barely audible.

"You know?" Lu Ren raised an eyebrow.

"I know what Yue is thinking." Yamaguchi's voice was tinged with bitterness. "But I... I'm just Yamaguchi. I'm just a substitute whose serves depend on luck. What can I say? Yue is so smart. How could I possibly change his decisions?"

That deep sense of inferiority overflowed from the freckled boy like a tide.

Compared to the brilliance of genius Kageyama, monster Hinata, and max-level character Riku Ren, Yamaguchi Tadashi is indeed as ordinary as a passerby NPC.

"Tsk."

Lu Ren clicked his tongue in annoyance.

The next second, he suddenly reached out and grabbed Yamaguchi's wrists tightly with both hands like iron clamps.

"Whoa! Lu Ren?!" Yamaguchi was so startled he almost jumped out of his seat.

"Look at me." Lu Ren leaned closer, his usually lazy face now filled with seriousness, even a hint of ferocity. "Listen, Yamaguchi Tadashi. In this team, only you have this authority."

"W-what kind of permission?"

"Administrator privileges." Lu Ren stared into his eyes. "What we say, Tsukishima will ignore, will be taken as the ramblings of hot-blooded idiots. If Kageyama says it, it will only turn into an argument. If Hinata says it, he'll be mocked for his intelligence. Only you."

Lu Ren increased the pressure on his hand, squeezing Yamaguchi's wrist until it turned white.

"You're the only one who's ever seen his 'true self.' You're his external conscience, his safety net. If even you think 'I'm just Yamaguchi,' then Tsukishima Kei will only ever be a civil servant who clocks out and goes home."

"But……"

"No buts!" Lu Ren growled, grabbing Yamaguchi's hand and placing it on his chest. "Why do you think I'm sitting here? Because I can't handle that arrogant bespectacled guy. My data analysis can't cure his heartache, and my tactics board can't draw up his fighting spirit. You're the one who has to fix this thing."

Yamaguchi looked at Lu Ren's hands, which were being held tightly, and his heart pounded violently in his chest.

No one had ever given him such an important task before.

Can we save Karasuno's rational mind? Can we untangle Tsukishima's inner knot?

This sounds like an epic quest that only heroes can take on, and he's just a villager A with a wooden stick.

"I can't..." Yamaguchi's voice trembled. "What if Yue hates me? What if he says 'What do you know?'?"

"Then beat him up," Lu Ren said confidently.

"ha?!"

"Use your words, your fists, your weakness, anything goes." Lu Ren released one hand and patted Yamaguchi's shoulder. "Even grabbing him by the collar and crying 'You idiot!' is fine. As long as you can shatter that turtle shell he calls 'calm'."

Lu Ren leaned back in his chair, took a piece of chewing gum from his pocket, popped it into his mouth, and resumed his carefree demeanor.

"After this trip back to school, there will probably be some time before the next expedition. This period is your mission deadline."

Lu Ren turned his head to look at the Tokyo street scene rushing past the window, the streetlights streaking across the glass, leaving flowing light trails.

"Yamaguchi, whether Karasuno can evolve into its complete form, whether it can go to the bigger challenge of the National Tournament and dominate the weaker opponents, the key is not in Kageyama's hands, nor in mine."

He turned his head and pointed to Yamaguchi's freckled face.

"It's here with you."

The bus entered the highway, and most of the passengers were already asleep. Hinata's snoring filled the air, while Tanaka mumbled incoherently in his sleep.

Tadashi Yamaguchi sat there, still clutching the unfinished bag of potato chips. His palms were sweaty, and the spot where Lu Ren had just gripped his hand still felt hot.

He looked towards Tsukishima Island diagonally in front of him.

That figure that always walked ahead of him, proud and intelligent, yet deliberately stopping in his tracks.

He's really handsome, Yue.

but……

Yamaguchi recalled the moment of hesitation Tsukishima showed when he faced Bokuto's spike during today's match. It wasn't a hesitation stemming from a lack of ability; it was a retreat after calculating the gains and losses.

If we don't change anything, will that silhouette really stay there forever?

"...I'll give it a try."

A long time passed, so long that Lu Ren thought the kid had been scared out of his wits, when a faint but clear voice came from the side.

Lu Ren closed his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Speak louder, haven't you eaten yet?"

"I'll do it!" Yamaguchi took a deep breath, his voice still trembling, but much stronger. "Since Lu Ren said I'm the key... then I'll try to open this lock!"

"That's right."

Lu Ren reached out and ruffled Yamaguchi's messy hair, turning it into a bird's nest.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it if anything happens. If he dares to bully you, I'll add ten sets of burpees to his training regimen."

Yamaguchi gave a wry smile, but the fear in his eyes dissipated considerably, replaced by an unprecedented determination.

The bus sped through the night, heading towards Miyagi Prefecture.

The wheels rolled on, as if pushing this flock of crows, not yet fully transformed, toward the cruel battlefield called "summer".

Lu Ren pulled the hoodie over his head to cover his eyes, preparing to catch up on some sleep.

The system patch has been distributed.

Installation package: Tadashi Yamaguchi.exe.

Target: Hotaru Tsukishima.

Next, let's see if this seemingly weakest installation package can break through the firewall called "self-esteem".

"Don't let me down, Yamaguchi."

Lu Ren silently recited a phrase in his mind before his consciousness sank into darkness.

Beside him, Tadashi Yamaguchi stared intently at the back of the chair in front of him, the bag of potato chips in his hand crushed to pieces, as if he were crushing the self that always wanted to hide behind others.