Haikyuu: Reborn in Karasuno

"Good morning."

"Morning."

Inside the classroom, Tanaka greeted Hayato energetically, while Hayato yawned, looking a bit sleep-deprived.

"Hey, hey, it's only Monday, the first day of school. Why are you so listless?"

"I was studying video recordings of Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa's matches last night, so I slept a bit late."

Yawning again, Hayato rubbed the corners of his eyes. The night before, he had asked Kiyoko for match footage of both schools to get a deeper understanding of their styles. He ended up taking notes while watching, losing track of time, and only went to bed after 1 AM. This morning he was so tired he hadn't even done his usual workout.

"Oh, I didn't expect you to be so diligent, Hayato. So, anything important?"

Pulling a chair over and sitting backward on it, arms resting on the backrest, Tanaka asked with curiosity.

"Of course. I took plenty of notes."

Hayato pulled a thick notebook from his bag and opened it for Tanaka to see. It was crammed with details on the players from both teams.

"That much?"

"What do you think? I stayed up past 1 AM for this."

He yawned again, and Tanaka's brow furrowed with concern.

"You look exhausted. Want me to ask for a leave from morning practice?"

"No, let's go."

Slapping his cheeks to wake up, Hayato perked up slightly. The two grabbed their sports bags and headed out.

After morning practice, the combination of fatigue and a slow lecture nearly knocked Hayato out in class. He managed to hold on until lunch, though half-asleep, he barely tasted his food before collapsing onto his desk.

When Kohane returned from eating with Uki, she spotted him and asked Tanaka curiously,

"Tanaka-kun, is your training really that exhausting?"

On the very first day of school, Hayato was already napping at noon. She assumed the Volleyball Club's morning practice had been intensified for the new semester.

"Ah, no. He stayed up late watching match videos and analyzing other schools' data. He'll be fine after a nap."

"Oh, I see."

By afternoon club activities, Hayato was recharged. Before practice began, he took out his notebook and began sharing his detailed scouting reports on Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa.

"Everything Kuroba wrote is important," Coach Ukai said. "I went through it earlier, and today, instead of regular training, we'll have Kuroba explain it to everyone."

Ukai rolled out a mobile whiteboard, half a volleyball court already sketched on it. Magnetic markers labeled with player positions were in place. Hayato stepped forward, writing notes while explaining each player's tendencies.

Some teammates raised their hands mid-lesson, and Hayato answered each question thoroughly. It took almost the entire session to finish covering Aoba Johsai alone.

Hinata's eyes were wide with awe.

"Hayato-senpai is amazing! You remembered all this in one night?"

"If you're willing to watch enough footage, you can learn too."

Hinata scratched his head. "Ah… I think I'll stick to practicing on the court."

"I figured," Hayato chuckled, giving him a light pat on the back.

Later, Hayato approached Kiyoko.

"Sorry, Kiyoko-nee, I kind of took over your role today."

"It's fine. You're doing it for the team. Honestly, your summaries are better than mine—I should learn from you."

"Then I'll teach you tonight."

Hitoka, overhearing, perked up hopefully, only for Kiyoko to smile and pinch her cheek.

"Don't worry, I'll teach you too."

That evening, before Hayato had even finished cooking dinner, Kiyoko arrived at his house with a bag of videotapes.

"Kiyoko-nee, at least let me finish eating first."

"Sorry, I was impatient."

After a quick meal, they set up in front of the TV, shoulder-to-shoulder, notebooks open, pausing the footage whenever needed to jot down details. Since only 16 teams were in the qualifiers and not all were strong, the workload was manageable.

Over the next days, Kiyoko began presenting the scouting reports herself, with Hitoka learning by her side. The team covered one school every two days. The biggest threats remained Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa, followed by Jozenji, Wakunan, and Date Tech.

When Jozenji's player photos went up on the board, Hayato's expression soured—he remembered "that punk." Tanaka and Nishinoya recognized him too, the one who had provoked them earlier. The three quietly agreed they'd settle that score… though Daichi warned them to keep such talk off the court to avoid disgracing Karasuno.

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