Haikyuu!!: Can a reclusive genius fall in love?

The following day's club activities included the most tedious yet most demanding physical training day of the week. The gymnasium was filled with a different kind of tension than on competition days—a silent confrontation against one's own limits.

"Twenty sets of shuttle runs! Thirty-second rest intervals! Start!" Iwaizumi's voice, like an unquestionable command, broke the silence of the venue.

The team members shot off like arrows. The rapid, rhythmic screech of their shoes against the floor, accompanied by increasingly heavy breathing, formed the main theme of the training. After several sets, many team members were flushed and drenched in sweat, especially second-year student Yakinibu Hide and first-year student Kunimi Hide, whose faces clearly showed signs of pain.

"Kunimi, don't slow down!" Iwaizumi's shout rang out at just the right moment.

"Yes—" Kunihiro replied in a drawn-out voice, but his pace quickened slightly, though his expression seemed more like that of someone going to his death.

On this field permeated with a sense of fatigue, Yukimura Tsukihiro's presence stood out starkly. His white hair swayed slightly as he ran, yet his breathing remained steady, his rhythm perfectly maintained. The high-intensity shuttle run seemed like a mere warm-up to him, showcasing his exceptional cardiovascular fitness and the solid foundation laid by his boxing training. He even had the energy to subconsciously adjust his stride and weight transfer during the intervals between runs, making them more efficient.

Following closely behind, Oikawa Tetsu looked at the seemingly tireless figure ahead, raised an eyebrow, and whispered to Iwaizumi beside him, "Wow, Iwa-chan, did you see that? Our Yuki-chan is practically a physical monster."

"Stop talking nonsense, trash Kawa, mind your own business!" Iwaizumi Ichi, though also unsteady on his feet, still roared back with full force, but when his gaze swept over Yuebai, he couldn't help but let out a hint of amazement.

After the shuttle run came core strength training. Plank, ab wheel roll, back muscle stretches... After a series of exercises, the team members almost collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain.

"I can't take it anymore... I can feel my abs burning..."

"Please spare me, Iwaizumi-senpai..."

Yukimura Tsukishiro quietly completed each movement, his form as perfect as a textbook example. Although fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, his condition was clearly much better than the others. After finishing his set, he even looked around at his teammates, who were slumped over, with a slightly bewildered expression, seemingly not understanding why everyone was in so much pain.

Oikawa Tetsu slumped down next to him, wiping his sweat haphazardly with a towel, panting as he said, "Yuki-chan... tell me the truth... you're actually a robot, right? Sent here specifically to crush us mortals..."

Yuebai turned her head, a hint of genuine confusion in her emerald eyes: "...No."

"Ugh...really..." Oikawa Tetsu exaggeratedly fell backward, landing on the floor. "Lord Oikawa has suffered a shock and needs to replenish his sugar levels to recover..."

The grueling physical training finally ended. The team members sat on the ground in twos and threes to relax their muscles, the atmosphere heavy with fatigue.

Just then, Oikawa Tetsu suddenly sprang to his feet, a familiar, slightly mischievous smile returning to his face: "Alright, alright! Seeing how hard everyone's been working, Oikawa-sama is being kind, how about we play a game to relax a bit?"

All eyes were on him, filled with wariness and curiosity.

"It's a volleyball passing game. Two people team up and pass the ball to each other. The team with the most consecutive passes wins." Oikawa Tetsu pulled out a volleyball from somewhere and twirled it between his fingers. "The losing team... well, they'll treat everyone to juice~ How about that, easy, right?"

This suggestion immediately piqued the interest of some people, especially first-year students Kindaichi and Kunimi. Iwaizumi Hajime snorted but did not object, tacitly approving of this way of easing tension.

The group assignments were quickly decided. Oikawa Tetsu naturally sidled up to Yukimura Tsukishiro: "Yo, Yuki-chan, Oikawa-sama will take you flying~"

Yuebai looked at him without saying a word, but simply nodded silently.

The game began. Several teams found their positions and started counting the balls as they passed them. The arena was filled with the dull thuds of volleyballs hitting forearms and the occasional sound of counting. The atmosphere was indeed much more relaxed, with laughter and exclamations rising from time to time.

The pairing of Oikawa Toru and Yukimura Tsukishiro was progressing surprisingly smoothly. Oikawa Toru's passing was precise and consistent, while Tsukishiro, although more adept at smashing, learned extremely quickly thanks to his excellent athleticism and reaction speed. He was soon able to steadily receive every ball passed by Oikawa and accurately return it to his opponent's comfortable position.

"27, 28, 29..." A teammate helped count.

Oikawa Tetsu looked at Yukimura Tsukishiro, who was intently following the volleyball's trajectory with a serious expression and focused eyes, and a sly smile flashed in his brown eyes. As he counted to "30," the ball he set suddenly deviated by an extremely slight angle and increased in speed a little.

This change was extremely subtle, but for the quick-reacting Yukimura Tsukishiro, it was enough to make him subconsciously move his feet and adjust his posture to pass the ball back—however, just as Oikawa Tetsu's arm was about to touch the ball, he seemed to slip slightly, exaggeratedly exclaimed "Oops!", and failed to catch the ball that Yukimura Tsukishiro had passed back, his movement slightly exaggerated.

The ball floated lightly to the ground.

Oikawa Tetsu immediately pounded his chest and stamped his feet, looking as frustrated as if he had lost a world championship: "Ah—I lost! It's all Oikawa-sama's fault for slipping just now! Yuki-chan, your touch was so accurate, I couldn't even react!"

He sighed dramatically, then waved his hand, a bright smile spreading across his face: "But a bet's a bet! Come on, vending machines, gather here, Lord Oikawa's treating!"

The team members let out a small cheer; the fatigue from training was instantly dispelled by the anticipation of chilled juice. Laughing and joking, they crowded around Oikawa Toru and headed towards the vending machine outside the stadium.

Oikawa Tetsu naturally slowed his pace and walked alongside Yukimura Tsukishiro. He took a few coins out of his sweatpants pocket and stuffed them into Tsukishiro's hand without saying a word.

"Yuki-chan," he leaned closer, lowering his voice with a sly smile, "can you do me a favor, Oikawa-sama? I need to talk to Iwa-chan about some club matters. Could you buy me a bottle of grape-flavored Fanta? Oh, right," he added, as if suddenly remembering something, "what would you like to drink? Ramune? Or milk?"

Yuebai looked down at the coin in her palm, still warm from the other person's body, then looked up at Oikawa Tetsu's smiling eyes, which held an undeniable air of refusal. After a few seconds of silence, she whispered, "...milk."

"OK~ No problem!" Oikawa Tetsu smiled even more broadly, and casually ruffled his white hair again. "Hurry up and go, or Kindaichi will steal all the grape flavors if we're late~"

Yukimura Tsukishiro gripped the coin tightly, nodded, and strode towards the vending machine not far away. Oikawa Tetsu followed leisurely into the noisy group, listening to his teammates excitedly ordering the drinks they wanted, a lazy smile of smug satisfaction playing on his lips.

Iwaizumi walked up to him with her arms crossed and bluntly called him out: "You're doing this again? Deliberately losing the game just to find an excuse to buy him a drink?"

"Iwa-chan, what are you saying~" Oikawa Tetsu immediately put on a wronged expression, gesturing exaggeratedly, "It really was an accident! The floor was too slippery! And you see how hard Yuki-chan trains, it's only right that she gets some sugar!"

"...Idiot." Iwaizumi scoffed, too lazy to bother with him anymore.

A short while later, Yukimura Tsukishiro returned with two bottles of drinks. He silently handed the chilled grape-flavored Fanta to Oikawa Tetsu, while holding a carton of milk in his own hand.

Oikawa Tetsu took the drink, the condensation on the can instantly bringing a refreshing coolness. He clicked open the tab, took a large, satisfying gulp, and then looked at Yukimura Tsukishiro, who was quietly sipping his milk with a straw next to him.

The afterglow of the setting sun streamed gently through the gymnasium windows, bathing the two of them. The surrounding area was filled with the boisterous laughter and playful chatter of their teammates; the air was thick with the unique scent of sweat, rubber flooring, and sweet fruit juice, creating a simple and direct sense of satisfaction characteristic of adolescence.