Haikyuu: Reborn in Karasuno

With only one day left before his trip abroad, Hayato completed his morning training session with Hinata and—as always—made him drink the banana-flavored protein shake. Sensing the rhythm of the routine now, Hinata politely excused himself afterward and pedaled off on his bike.

Hayato wasn't in a rush. He understood that athletic growth—whether technical or physical—didn't happen overnight. There was still a full week before the summer training camp, and he had unshakable faith in Hinata. Once the summer was over, the Hinata Shoyo that returned would absolutely be one to surprise everyone.

On the walk to school, Kiyoko-nee looked a little worried.

"Did you pack everything?" she asked gently.

Her concern was endearing.

Hayato gave a confident pat to his chest. "All good. I'm ready."

She nodded, satisfied, and didn't pry further.

As for the confession misunderstanding from yesterday... Hayato had reported it to her that same night. A man should never keep such things secret. When he finished explaining what happened, Kiyoko actually burst into laughter. The way she laughed—mature yet amused—made Hayato feel both embarrassed and oddly relieved.

Someone like Hayato, usually so sharp, getting tripped up by such a vague note? It was almost adorable.

Hayato felt seriously wronged. Who writes a club recruitment letter and disguises it as a love confession?

Kiyoko had actually known someone planned to confess to him. But here in Japan, girls didn't get upset about things like that. To them, someone else liking your boyfriend was just proof he was desirable—it was something to be proud of. Face and reputation meant everything.

Strangely enough, in this culture, it was common for wives to berate husbands who came home "too early," as if returning on time meant they weren't working hard enough. Neighbors even gossiped about it. It was baffling.

Back in class, Hayato yawned through history lecture. Two days of waking up early to train Hinata had cut into his sleep, though he wasn't at his limit yet.

Next to him, Tanaka wasn't faring so well—his head bobbed like a nodding bobblehead, his eyelids halfway closed. Exams were over, and he'd clearly started coasting.

Lunchtime came as a welcome break. Hayato opened his bento box—Kiyoko-nee cooking was, as always, well-balanced and thoughtful. Today's highlight? Simmered potato stew.

"Damn it, she made that for you again?" Tanaka nearly drooled, biting his chopsticks.

"Want a bite?" Hayato offered with a smirk.

Tanaka took the offer like it was a sacred gift from heaven.

After eating, Hayato hoped to catch a quick nap—but before he could drift off, the teacher called him over to help carry notebooks to the faculty office.

Sighing, he accepted the task.

While carrying the stacks through the hallway, Hayato bumped into two familiar girls.

"Yahoo! Good afternoon, Hayato," chirped a cheerful voice.

It was Hatogaya Koyuki, accompanied by her friend—a girl with a long golden ponytail and an embarrassed expression.

"Good afternoon," Hayato replied politely. "This isn't that heavy, don't worry."

Looking at where they came from, he guessed the two girls had just left the restroom. Girls rarely moved alone, after all.

Hatogaya offered to help, but Hayato politely declined. Judging by her petite frame, she probably didn't have the strength to carry much.

The golden-ponytailed girl flinched a little when she heard Hayato's name, her expression tight with guilt. She clearly knew about yesterday's misunderstanding.

After a brief exchange, Hayato excused himself to complete the errand. The girls watched him leave.

Once he was out of earshot, the golden-haired girl narrowed her eyes at her friend—and flicked her on the forehead.

"Ow! Uki-chan, what was that for?" Koyuki whined, rubbing her forehead.

"You airhead! That letter yesterday—what were you thinking?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Don't act innocent. That looked exactly like a love confession. You even put it in his shoe locker. What guy wouldn't misinterpret that?!"

"Ehh? It did?"

"Yes, it did! Do you know how awkward that was for him? And you talked to him just now like nothing happened!"

Koyuki looked stunned. Her friend—Sarawatari Yuki—sighed in defeat. Honestly, this girl was hopeless.

"Should I explain it to him again?" Koyuki asked, voice small.

"Forget it. Let's just make it up to him at the Spring High prelims."

"...With the basketball club?"

"No! With the Cheerleading Club. You are our president, remember?"

That's right—besides being the basketball team's manager, Hatogaya Koyuki was also the president of Karasuno's unofficial Cheerleading Club. With fewer than five members, they hadn't earned official club status yet. And since Karasuno wasn't exactly known for star athletes, the cheerleading club never found much momentum.

Sarawatari gave her friend a final forehead rub and the two girls returned to their classroom.

After completing his delivery, Hayato made it back just in time to squeeze in a refreshing power nap. He woke up energized and focused on afternoon classes.

After school, he approached his homeroom teacher and requested a leave of absence for the following day. Since final exams were over and his grades ranked in the top three, permission was granted without hesitation.

He texted Kiyoko-nee right away:

"Leave's approved."

Her reply came moments later:

"Mine too 🐱✌️"

Laughing, Hayato tucked his phone away and made his way to the clubroom.

Inside the girls' changing room, Karasuno's other team manager, Yachi Hitoka, glanced curiously at Kiyoko.

"Kiyoko-senpai... you've been smiling all day."

"Have I?" Kiyoko blinked, touching her cheek involuntarily.

Yachi nodded and held up a small mirror. Sure enough, Kiyoko's lips were curved into a soft, unmistakable smile.

"Alright," Kiyoko said, lowering her voice. "But you have to keep this a secret, okay?"

Yachi instantly nodded, curious.

"So... you're going to Hawaii with Hayato? That's amazing!" she gasped, hands clasped in front of her chest.

"But... if he invited you, then does that mean you two are...?"

Yachi didn't finish the sentence, but the implication was clear. Two childhood friends, spending three days and two nights together abroad—it didn't take much imagination to fill in the blanks.

Kiyoko coughed, her cheeks tinged pink. "We'll talk about that later. For now, let's focus on the Spring Tournament."

Yachi nodded earnestly, all excitement now redirected to the upcoming matches. The idea of Karasuno reaching Nationals had become more than a dream—it was a shared belief.

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POWER STONE!!!

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