Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

After the tactical review was over, the blackboard covered with names was wiped clean, leaving only a few specks of white dust dancing in the light.

Daichi Sawamura clapped his hands, pulling everyone's attention away from the heavy atmosphere of "we were facing the Avengers."

"Alright, that's roughly the situation." Sawamura's voice was steady and powerful, echoing in the somewhat empty old classroom. "Although the other side has some 'personal grudges' with Kageyama and even Rikujin, ultimately, this is our Karasuno's first battle after its reorganization."

He looked around, his gaze lingering on each person's face for a moment.

"Aoba City West is one of the top four schools in the prefecture, a truly strong school. This Saturday's match is both practice and a chance to get to know each other better. I don't need you to beat them immediately, but I hope everyone can show the results of your training over this period. Don't let them look down on you."

"yes!!!"

The sound of the crowd's response made the glass windows tremble slightly. Hinata Shoyo's cheeks were flushed with excitement, as if he was about to rush out and spike the ball at any moment.

Once the order to disband was given, these overly energetic creatures immediately began their routine operations.

"Kageyama! A few more balls! I want to catch that fast break again!" Hinata, holding the ball, bounced around Kageyama like a tireless perpetual motion machine.

Kageyama Tobio was pulling up his knee pads when he heard this. He just gave him a cold glance, but his eyes clearly said, "That suits me perfectly." He picked up his water bottle and took a swig: "Do two sets of receiving before that. Your receiving is terrible."

"Stop nagging! I'll pick it up!"

On the other side, Ryunosuke Tanaka also took off his shirt and waved his arms, saying, "Then I'll spar with you! How can a senior like me lose to a first-year kid!"

Sugawara Koji smiled and shook his head, then walked onto the court: "Then I'll help too."

The entire stadium instantly became lively again, with the sounds of balls hitting the ball and the screeching of shoes scraping the floor all mixed together.

Lu Ren stood on the sidelines, watching this scene, and felt his calves twitching slightly.

Today's training volume has far exceeded the limit. In particular, in order to simulate Oikawa Tetsu's playing style, Yazhi forced him to do several sets of high-intensity passing drills. Now his stamina bar is probably down to a sliver of health, flashing a red warning light.

"If I keep training like this, my durability will drop," Lu Ren muttered to himself, then decisively turned to grab his backpack. In this world full of "stamina monsters," an ordinary player must learn to manage their sanity and stamina scientifically.

He had just reached the door when he saw a tall, thin figure carrying a bag walking out.

Short blond hair, black-rimmed glasses, and an aura that exudes "keep away" even from behind.

Hotaru Tsukishima.

Lu Ren raised an eyebrow and quickly followed, saying, "Oh, you're leaving already? Not staying to grind some experience points?"

Tsukishima stopped and turned his head. His eyes, hidden behind his glasses, held a detached indifference that seemed to see through everything, and even a hint of faint mockery.

"You mean like those single-celled organisms in there, pointlessly wasting energy?" Tsukishima hung his headphones around his neck, a cold smile playing on his lips. "It's just a club activity. If it's not for getting into the national team or the professional scene, then why work so hard?"

Lu Ren was taken aback. In the world of shonen manga, such remarks were practically like an NPC suddenly awakening self-awareness and starting to question the rationality of the game's script.

"And..." Tsukishima glanced at Hinata, who was leaping high in the gymnasium, and Kageyama, who was making a precise pass, "Anyway, there are those two geniuses, aren't there? That short guy who can jump that high just by instinct, and that setter who is called 'King'."

He paused, his tone growing even colder: "Since such monsters exist, the team can just rely on them to carry the team. We mere mortals should just avoid dragging the team down and get by peacefully. Why bother trying to compete with geniuses in terms of effort?"

After saying that, without waiting for Lu Ren's response, he put his headphones back on, put his hands in his pockets, and strode into the night.

Lu Ren stood there, watching Tsukishima's disappearing figure, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

That's so true... it's infuriating!

Although Lu Ren himself is often described as a "casual player," that's to maximize his efficiency in clearing levels. Tsukishima's approach, however, seems more like... a self-preservation mechanism? Because he believes he can't win, he simply doesn't even enter the race?

"What's wrong? Are you annoyed by that sarcastic, bespectacled guy?"

Qingze Yazhi walked over at some point, carrying two cans of newly bought chilled Ramune soda. She pressed one of the cans against Lu Ren's cheek.

"Hiss—cold!" Lu Ren shrank his neck, took the soda, and said, "It's not that I'm angry. It's just that I feel like all the NPCs in this game have such twisted personalities. That guy clearly has the best body model, but he's a total slacker."

The two walked side by side on the slope leading home.

A cool night breeze carried away the smell of sweat. The streetlights cast long shadows of the two people, and the occasional "Welcome!" from a convenience store broke the silence of the night.

Lu Ren opened the soda bottle, and with a "pop," the glass bead fell to the bottom of the bottle, causing bubbles to rise.

"Seriously, don't you think that Tsukishima guy is a bit strange?" Lu Ren took a sip of soda, the carbonation exploding on his tongue. "I've observed his movements. Although he doesn't seem very motivated, his hand shape when blocking, the timing of his jump, and that intuition for judging the trajectory of the ball... he's definitely not a novice."

"Indeed." Yazhi nodded, holding a vocabulary book in her hand, reading it as she walked by the light of the streetlamp. "I've seen his application to join the club. He started playing volleyball in elementary school. Logically speaking, with so many years of playing experience, he shouldn't be so indifferent to volleyball."

"It's like he's using a max-level account to AFK in the newbie village," Lu Ren complained. "With his height and wingspan, if he played well at the net, he would definitely be a top-tier blocker. But the way he plays now is like... a 9-to-5 civil servant. He feels like he's missing out if he jumps even one centimeter more."

"This must be what they call 'energy conservationism,' right?" Yazhi closed her vocabulary book, turned to look at Lu Ren, and said, "Since you care so much, why don't you ask Yamaguchi? That freckled boy, his name is Yamaguchi Tadashi, right? I see him following Tsukishima around all day long, like a piece of tethered equipment. He must know something."

Lu Ren tossed the empty soda can in his hand, mimicking a basketball shot, and accurately tossed it into a roadside trash can.

"Never mind. I'll go ask what's going on."

Lu Ren put his hands behind his head and looked at the sparse stars above him: "I'm not his parents, nor am I his confidant. That's their private matter. Besides, I'm just a freshman who just joined the club, and we don't know each other well yet. It's too impolite to ask about someone's psychological trauma so abruptly."

More importantly, Lu Ren didn't want to get involved in such troublesome side quests. His current quest log already had enough headaches just from the main quest "Conquer the West of Qingye City".

"cut."

Yazhi suddenly stopped and raised a long, slender middle finger at Lu Ren.

"Huh?" Lu Ren almost choked on his own saliva. "What kind of gesture is that? Be civilized! You're supposed to be a high school girl!"

"If you don't want to get involved, then why have you been nagging me the whole way?" Ya-zhi rolled her eyes, looking at me with disdain. "You keep saying 'this is a private matter' and 'we're not close,' but aren't you secretly thinking about how to squeeze out that bespectacled guy's fighting power? You're a typical coward who loves to worry."

Lu Ren was taken aback, then awkwardly rubbed his nose: "I was just... thinking about the team's composition. Think about it, Kageyama and Hyuga, those two offensive monsters, their defense is full of holes. If Tsukishima, that tall guy, can't hold up the block, what are we going to use to play against that 'version' player, Oikawa Tetsu, on Saturday? Rely on our shamelessness to receive the ball?"

"In the end, you still treat him as a tool to complete the game." Yazhi snorted and continued walking forward. "However, with Tsukishima's personality, unless he comes to his own senses, it's difficult for outsiders to interfere. Some bugs, the more you try to fix them, the more they break down."

Lu Ren followed and sighed, "That's true. You can't force things. Forcing those who are just slacking off to work overtime is a violation of labor laws."

"There's always a way out." Yazhi crumpled the empty soda can. "Anyway, this Saturday's match is mainly about whether you, the 'fake Shiratorizawa Ace,' will get crushed by that smiling tiger, Oikawa Tetsu. As for Tsukishima... he's the boss of the next round, there's no use worrying about him now."

"Hey! Can't you wish me something good for once?" Lu Ren protested. "I did my research!"

"Yes, yes, yes, the great one from the strategy team." Yazhi waved her hand dismissively. "Let's hurry up, we have to get up early for our morning run tomorrow. If we're late, Captain Sawamura's face is more terrifying than any boss's."

When the topic of morning runs came up, Lu Ren's face immediately fell.

"These damn mandatory daily tasks..."

Their voices faded into the distance, disappearing into the noise of the street. Not far behind them, the golden figure wearing headphones emerged from the convenience store, holding a box of strawberry cake. He glanced in the direction the two had gone, a cold glint in his glasses, before turning and walking down another side street.