Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

"Alright, that's enough warm-up, right?" Wu Yang Xixin clapped his hands, his voice ringing out crisply in the empty gymnasium, like a starting pistol that instantly drew everyone's attention back.

He put his hands on his hips, scanned the field, and finally stopped on the short guy with spiky hair on the sidelines who was stretching his legs out of boredom.

"Hey, you over there with the spiky hair," Wu Yangxin gestured with his chin, "you're a free agent, aren't you?"

west Gu Yu paused for a moment, then pointed to her nose: "Huh? Uncle, you're calling me?"

"Who are you calling 'uncle'! Call him 'coach'!" A vein throbbed on Wu Yang's forehead, and he waved impatiently. "What's wrong with you? You've been standing there motionless since just now. Are you injured?"

Sawamura Daichi's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stepped forward. The reason Nishiya refused to play was entirely due to that stubborn vow: "I won't practice until Asahi-senpai comes back." If the new coach thought he was throwing a tantrum or being difficult, his first impression score would definitely plummet.

"Um, Coach..." Daichi tried to organize his thoughts, "Nishiya isn't injured, he's just a little..."

"What's wrong? Constipation?" Ukai Shishin frowned, looking puzzled. "If you're not injured, get moving. Perfect timing, the town's free agent is too busy with overtime deliveries to make it here, so we need a defensive anchor. You, go over there."

He pointed to the group of adults who were stretching.

"Huh?" Nishitani and Daichi both exclaimed in confusion.

"What?! How can we play a match if we don't have enough players?" Ukai Shishin said matter-of-factly. "Since you're a free agent, wouldn't it be perfect for you to fill in over there? Or are you afraid to play against adults?"

This provocation was simple and crude, but it was extremely effective on a single-celled organism like Nishitani Yu.

Nishiya's eyes widened instantly: "Scared? Ha! Scared? Since it's the coach's order, I'll reluctantly go help those old men!"

With that, he lifted his knee pads and swaggered toward the town's guild, completely forgetting the "no returning to the guild" principle he had just been adhering to.

Lu Ren stood to the side, his lips twitching. Watching Nishiya's triumphant back, he couldn't help but think to himself: Is this the legendary plot-driven death? No matter how stuck he was on the side quests, a single word from the main NPC would force him to skip the entire level. It seems that in front of the high-ranking "Coach," Nishiya's little temper is nothing more than a level 1 slime.

"Alright, the free agents are taken care of." Wu Yangxi nodded with satisfaction and started counting heads again, "One, two, three... Tsk, still not enough. These corporate slaves, they always let us down at crucial moments."

He scratched his blond hair and looked at Karasuno with annoyance: "Hey, can you lend out two more people? Outside hitter or middle blocker, it's fine."

The stadium was quiet.

Just then, a gasp broke the silence.

"ah!!!"

Hinata Shoyo, as if he had discovered a new continent, pressed himself against the side window of the gymnasium, his face contorted in the pressure, and shouted, pointing outside, "It's Asahi-senpai!!!"

That shout brought everyone back to their senses.

Everyone's eyes turned to the window.

Outside the window, a tall figure with a small mustache and hair in a bun stood frozen in terror. Higashimine Asahi clearly hadn't expected to be discovered so openly by Hinata; now he was caught in an awkward situation, unsure whether to advance or retreat, wishing he could disappear into the ground.

"...this guy found out again..." Dongfeng Xu's lips trembled as he spoke through the glass. "Um...I was just passing by..."

Ukai Shishin followed Hinata's finger and raised an eyebrow.

He strode to the side door and flung it open with a bang.

The cool evening breeze blew in, ruffling Dong Fengxu's slightly disheveled hair.

"What's going on?" Ukai Shishin looked the high school student in front of him up and down. He looked more like a grown-up than himself. "Are you late? How come students these days have no sense of time at all? They're so undisciplined."

Dong Fengxu was stunned by this sudden aura, and coupled with his heart, which was more fragile than glass, he subconsciously shrank back: "Uh... no, that..."

"What position are you playing?" Wu Yangxi interrupted him without giving him a chance to explain.

"Main...main attacker," Dongfeng Xu answered reflexively.

"Oh? The main attacker." Wu Yangxi's eyes lit up, as if he had found some rare equipment. "That's perfect! Come on in! We're short-handed here, hurry up, don't dawdle!"

Without waiting for Dong Fengxu's consent, he grabbed the other man's arm and dragged him into the stadium.

"Eh? Wait...wait! I didn't say I wanted to..." Dong Fengxu looked desperate, but his resistance seemed so pale and powerless in the face of that irresistible force.

Inside the gymnasium, Daichi Sawamura and Koji Sugawara exchanged a glance, a barely concealed smile flashing in their eyes.

"Now everyone's here!" Tanaka Ryunosuke clenched his fist excitedly. "Asahi-senpai is finally going to take the stage!"

Looking at Dong Fengxu being forcibly dragged into the dungeon, Lu Ren couldn't help but sigh: "This is the gears of fate. Even if you hide outside the invisible wall, the system will still register you and pull you into the combat area. This is what's called forced entry into a dungeon, the kind without even a refuse button."

Dong Fengxu was dragged to the center of the court and stood there helplessly. He glanced at his familiar teammates around him, then at Xigu who was grinning at him from the opposite side, and finally his gaze settled on the blond coach.

"Alright, we have a main attacker now." Wu Yangxi clapped his hands, seemingly without any remorse for his act of drafting players. "Now we still need a setter."

His gaze swept around the field, finally settling on the two guys who looked like setters.

"Although I'd love to go up and play a couple of rounds myself, I need to observe the skill level of you kids from the sidelines." Ukai Koshin pointed at Sugawara Koji and Kageyama Tobio, "You two, one of you come over here and play setter."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

This is not just a simple matter of making up numbers.

This is about the competition for the starting setter position.

Kageyama Tobio didn't move. He just stared intently at Ukai Koshin, his eyes revealing a stubbornness that said, "I want to play, but I don't want to go to the other side."

On the other side, Sugawara Koji lowered his head.

His bangs obscured his eyes, making it impossible to see his expression. But his hands, hanging at his sides, slowly clenched, his knuckles turning white from the force.

The few seconds of silence felt like an eternity.

Sugawara suddenly raised his head, his face bearing his usual gentle smile, but there seemed to be something different about that smile.

"I'll go."

He spoke softly, but clearly.

After saying that, he started walking towards the direction of the town's guild.

Just as he passed by Kageyama, a hand suddenly cut in his way.

Kageyama Tobio lowered his head, his voice terrifyingly low: "Sugawara-senpai."

Sugawara stopped and turned to look at this exceptionally talented junior.

"Are you letting me have this?" Kageyama suddenly raised his head, his deep blue eyes burning with a kind of offended anger. "If it's out of pity or seniority, there's no need for that. I don't want to get a starting position through this kind of charity."

The atmosphere inside the stadium instantly plummeted to freezing point.

Tanaka opened his mouth as if to say something, but Daichi stopped him by raising his hand.

Lu Ren stood in the back row, holding a water bottle, his eyes filled with amusement. So this is the legendary "battleground"? But this isn't some melodramatic love triangle; it's the brutal elimination mechanism of "competitive sports."

Sugawara looked at Kageyama's face, which was filled with pride and resentment, and suddenly smiled.

That wasn't a bitter smile, nor a fake smile, but a sense of relief.

"Kageyama," Sugawara's voice was calm, "after you joined Karasuno, my feelings were actually quite complicated."

He turned around, facing Kageyama and everyone else.

"On the one hand, I am indeed very unwilling. I want to compete with you for the main setter position. I want to stand on that court and control the rhythm of the game. This is every setter's instinct."

Sugawara paused, then looked past Kageyama towards Higashimine Asahi, who was standing on the other side of the net.

"But on the other hand... to be honest, I also felt relieved."

Everyone was stunned when he said that.

"The setter is the core of the team's attack; they must be the most solid and reliable player." Sugawara placed his hand on his chest, his tone becoming somewhat somber. "But... I'm afraid to pass the ball."

"Last year's match, that scene is still etched in my mind. No matter how I passed, no matter how I organized the attack, Xu's spikes would be blocked. That 'bang' sound was like it hit my heart."

Higashimine Asahi's body jolted, and he abruptly raised his head to look at Sugawara.

"I'm always worried that my passes will cause the outside hitter to get blocked again. I'm afraid to see that happen again." Sugawara chuckled self-deprecatingly. "So, when I saw you with your overwhelming strength, I actually felt at ease. I thought, if it were Kageyama, he would definitely be able to pass the ball that can't be blocked. I can hide behind you and not have to face that fear anymore."

Kageyama was stunned. He never expected that his always smiling senior would harbor such fear.

"but……"

Sugawara suddenly changed the subject.

He raised his head, and in his light brown eyes, a light called "enlightenment" shone.

"The thought of the outside hitter being blocked still makes my hands tremble, it still makes me scared. But..." Sugawara took a deep breath, his gaze piercing through the net and landing directly on the tall guy who was still in a daze, "I want to pass the ball to you one more time, Asahi."

Dong Fengxu's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but the lump in his throat blocked his words.

"That's why I'm joining this side." Sugawara turned his head and looked at Kageyama again, a provocative smile playing on his lips. "Kageyama, I'm not going to give up my starting position so easily."

Kageyama Tobio paused for a moment, then a ferocious smile appeared on his tense face: "I won't lose either, Sugawara-senpai."

"Hmph, that would be best."

Sugawara strode past Kageyama and went straight to the town's meeting place. He walked up to Nishitani Yuu, suddenly raised his fist, and lightly punched Nishitani in the chest.

"Nishinoya, I'm counting on you to catch the ball."

Nishitani Yu grinned, tucking her thumb behind her back to reveal a set of white teeth: "Leave it to me! Sugawara-senpai, no matter how heavy the ball is, I'll catch it and deliver it to you!"

Hinata Shoyo jumped up excitedly, his eyes shining: "Asahi-senpai is back! That's great!"

Kageyama Tobio looked at the opposing lineup. Although his expression remained serious, his eyes revealed a fighting spirit eager to try: "Ah, although it's only temporary, he has indeed returned."

Lu Ren stood on the sidelines, watching this touching scene of "reconciliation after a broken relationship," slowly wiping away non-existent tears, and letting out a long sigh: "Wow, what Sugawara-senpai just said was a textbook example of a heartfelt confession. I was almost moved to tears, I almost thought you two were going to exchange rings and walk down the aisle the next second."

Dong Fengxu, who was still in a somber mood, suddenly turned bright red and froze on the spot like a giant plaster statue.

A vein bulged on Sugawara Koji's forehead, and his previously gentle aura vanished instantly. He kicked out, which Lu Ren nimbly dodged, but his tone was clearly tinged with embarrassment and annoyance: "Lu Ren! You brat! Don't say things that ruin the atmosphere at such a serious time!"

Lu Ren chuckled, dusted himself off, and stood in his place again: "Yes, yes, yes, then please, 'groom' and 'bride,' take your positions quickly. Shall we begin our 'returning to the bride's family' drama?"

Uoshiki watched from the sidelines, shaking his head, but the subtle chemistry between these kids did lighten his somewhat heavy mood considerably. He picked up his whistle and blew it loudly.

"Enough talk! Let the match begin!"

With the sound of the whistle, the previously noisy stadium fell silent instantly. The tension of "competition" in the air reached its peak at that moment.

Hinata, Kageyama, Tanaka, Daichi, Rikujin, and Tsukishima—the six on this side quickly lined up in front of the net. The opposing town team consisted of Sugawara, Nishitani, Higashimine Asahi, and a few other seemingly experienced older men.

"Although it's a hastily assembled 'ragtag army'," Lu Ren stared at Sugawara and Nishiya opposite him, cracking his knuckles, "this setup is practically a highly targeted villainous BOSS squad."

Nishitani Yu stood in the backcourt, her body slightly crouched, her eyes fixed on this side. That beast-like focus made Lu Ren feel a layer of fine goosebumps on his back.