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

At 5:30 a.m., Aoba Josai High School was still shrouded in a thin mist, but the volleyball hall was already lit up, and the sounds of shoes rubbing against the floor and the powerful impact of volleyballs could be heard from afar.

When Yukimura Tsukishiro arrived ten minutes early, he found the arena already occupied. Oikawa Tetsu was stretching on the sidelines, his long, slender limbs relaxed like a lazy cat; Iwaizumi Ichi was carefully checking the height of the net in the center of the court, each movement precise like a soldier's. Hearing the door open, the two looked up simultaneously.

"Oh my, Yukimura-chan is here so early~" Oikawa Tetsu smiled and waved, the morning light shining through the high window onto his brown hair, spreading a warm golden halo.

Xuecun Yuebai nodded gently and quietly walked to the sidelines to put down his backpack. He took out the disinfectant spray he carried with him and began to wipe down the sports shoes he was going to change into, each movement as meticulous as if he were performing some kind of ritual.

Iwaizumi glanced at him, said nothing, and continued adjusting the net, but his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Other team members arrived one after another. Kindaichi Yutaro came running in, panting, his school uniform tie askew, clearly having rushed here; Kunimi Hide followed slowly behind, his eyes still half-closed, as if he hadn't fully woken up from a dream.

"Sorry I was almost late!" Kindaichi Yutaro said loudly, his voice echoing in the empty hall.

"There are still two minutes until the official assembly time." Iwaizumi glanced at the clock on the wall, his tone as stern as ever. "Since you're all here, let's start warming up."

Morning training began with a run around the track. Yukimura Tsukihiro ran in the middle of the group, his breathing steady, his steps light and springy, his white hair swaying slightly with each movement, gleaming silver in the morning light. His excellent cardiovascular fitness, honed through years of boxing training, made this basic warm-up effortless.

Oikawa Tetsu deliberately slowed down and ran to his side: "Does Yukimura-chan usually have a habit of exercising in the morning?"

"...Hmm." Yukimura Tsukishiro answered briefly, his gaze still focused ahead. "Boxing."

"Boxing?" Oikawa Toru raised an eyebrow, a glint of interest flashing in his brown eyes. "No wonder his explosive power is so strong. But volleyball requires different muscle groups and endurance, you know~"

During the subsequent stretching session, Yukimura Tsukishiro displayed astonishing flexibility and control. Every movement he made was textbook perfect, but it lacked the fluidity and coordination characteristic of volleyball players. It was as if each joint was operating independently rather than as an organic whole.

"Relax your wrist a little more," Oikawa Tetsu naturally reached out to adjust his posture. "Volleyball requires a flexible wrist to control the ball..."

Just as Oikawa Tetsu's fingers were about to touch his wrist, Yukimura Tsukishiro froze abruptly. He instinctively took a half step back, a hint of wariness and discomfort flashing in his emerald eyes, like a cat whose sore spot had been touched.

Oikawa Tetsu immediately withdrew his hand, his smile unchanged: "Sorry, sorry, I was too impulsive."

Iwaizumi watched from the side, his brows furrowed, but he said nothing.

After the basic training, Iwaizumi Hajime divided the team into two groups for receiving serves practice. Yukimura Tsukishiro was assigned to a group with Kindaichi Yutaro and Kunimi Hideaki.

"Yukimura-kun, nice to meet you!" Kindaichi Yutaro said earnestly, his voice tinged with nervousness.

Kunimi Hide raised his hand lazily and yawned, "Nice to meet you..." His tone was so drawn out that it sounded like he might fall asleep at any moment.

Once practice began, the problems quickly became apparent. Yukimura Tsukishiro's individual technique was impeccable—his movement was swift and precise, his judgment accurate, and his saves clean and efficient, showcasing exceptional athletic talent. However, he rarely communicated with other teammates, and when receiving the ball, he always chose to handle it alone, even when his teammates were in better positions, he rarely showed any awareness of passing the ball to them.

On one occasion, Oikawa Tetsu served the ball straight into the gap between the two players.

"I'll take it!" shouted Kindaichi Yutaro, already ready to catch the ball.

But Yukimura Tsukishiro had already moved first, making a beautiful save with a precise movement, but because the angle was too tricky, the ball flew directly out of bounds.

"It would have been better for Kaneda to receive that ball," Iwaizumi pointed out, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable authority. "Your position was too far off; you misjudged the situation."

Yukimura Tsukishiro nodded silently, his emerald eyes revealing no emotion, but his fingertips tightened slightly.

In the following practice, he tried to make changes, but seemed hesitant. During a clear out-of-bounds ball, which he had already determined he didn't need to catch, he instinctively reached out after hearing Kindaichi Yutaro's "I'll catch it," resulting in a collision between the two.

"I'm sorry!" Kindaichi Yutaro apologized hastily, his face turning bright red.

Yukimura Tsukihiro shook his head and stood up. His expression remained calm, but the tips of his ears were slightly red, revealing a hint of embarrassment.

Oikawa Tetsu walked over, his voice light and cheerful: "It's okay, it's okay! You'll get used to it after a few more bumps~ Iwa-chan and I used to crash into each other all the time during training!"

Iwaizumi snorted coldly: "That's because that piece of trash Kawa always makes the wrong judgment."

"Iwa-chan is so mean!"

Training continued. On the other side of the court, Matsukawa Kazushige and Hanamaki Takahiro practiced their coordinated teamwork, understanding each other's next move with just a glance, showcasing the tacit understanding cultivated over years among third-year students. Oikawa Tetsuya roamed the entire court, sometimes instructing the first-year students, sometimes exchanging tactical ideas with Iwaizumi Hajime, clearly the core and soul of the team.

Under Tetsu Oikawa's deliberate guidance, Tsukishiro Yukimura began to try simple teamwork with his teammates. Although he still rarely spoke, he learned to communicate with his eyes and gestures, and began to pay attention to his teammates' positions and movements.

In a brilliant defensive play, Kunimi Hideki unexpectedly and nimbly saved a powerful spike, sending the ball flying towards the net. Yukimura Tsukishiro instinctively leaped up, gently lifting the ball in mid-air and softly placing it in the perfect position with his wrist. Kindaichi Yutaro smashed the ball down without hesitation, scoring the point.

After a brief silence, Oikawa Toru was the first to applaud: "Beautiful teamwork!"

Kindaichi Yutaro excitedly turned to Yukimura Tsukishiro: "That was a great message!"

Yukimura Tsukishiro paused slightly, then nodded gently in response. A barely perceptible glint flashed in his emerald eyes, like a star suddenly appearing in the night sky.

As morning training ended, the sun had fully risen, its golden rays bathing the entire gymnasium. Team members walked in twos and threes toward the locker room, their conversations and laughter echoing in the morning light.

Yukimura Tsukishiro stayed behind last, and as usual, he began to organize the equipment. He carefully wiped each volleyball clean, sorted them by color and degree of wear, and neatly placed them back in the basket, his movements meticulous.

"Yukimura-chan is so clean~" Oikawa Tetsu's voice came from the doorway. He leaned against the doorframe, laughing as he tossed a sports drink over. "Here you go, as a reward."

Yukimura Tsukishiro accepted the drink and said softly, "...Thank you."

"Your teamwork today was great." Oikawa Toru took a few steps closer, but maintained a proper distance. "Although there are still many areas for improvement..."

He paused, his brown eyes turning serious: "But I believe that one day, Yukimura-chan will become Qingcheng's sharpest weapon."

Yukimura Tsukishiro looked up and met Oikawa Tetsu's gaze. Morning light streamed in through the high window, casting dappled patterns of light in his emerald eyes, like the morning sun filtering through the leaves of a forest.

He didn't answer, but gently tightened his grip on the beverage bottle, feeling the water droplets condensing on the cool bottle surface with his fingertips.

At that moment, in the empty stadium, two figures were elongated by the sunlight. One was as bright as the midday sun, warm and dazzling; the other was as cool as the early morning moonlight, mysterious and tranquil, yet they strangely formed a harmonious balance.

Oikawa Tetsu's smile deepened, and his tone returned to its usual lightness: "Well then, see you tomorrow, Yukimura-chan~"

He turned and left, humming an off-key song, his voice fading into the distance.

Yukimura Tsukihiro stood there until the figure completely disappeared into the bright light outside the venue, then whispered very softly:

"...See you tomorrow."

The sound was so soft it was almost inaudible, yet it echoed clearly in the empty stadium in the early morning, like a quiet promise.