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

Tuesday's training session was originally scheduled to take place outdoors, but the sky suddenly darkened without warning. Just as Iwaizumi finished leading the warm-up exercises, large raindrops suddenly began to pelt down, turning into a torrential downpour in the blink of an eye.

"Quick! Retreat to the gymnasium!" Iwazumi shouted, and the team members immediately covered their heads and rushed towards the nearest roof.

Amidst the chaos, Oikawa Tetsu, while running, couldn't resist joking, "Did Iwa-chan secretly pray for rain again? Just to make the training more difficult?"

"Shut up, trash Kawa! Don't make me hit you!" Iwaizumi retorted irritably, while urging the team members behind him, "Hurry up, don't get wet!"

Yukimura Tsukishiro lagged behind the group. Unlike the others who rushed, he walked at a leisurely pace, letting the rain soak his short white hair and sportswear. While everyone else huddled under the eaves of the stadium to avoid the rain, he stood alone at the edge of the crowd, gazing absently at the rain-blurred sky.

The dense raindrops pounded against the metal roof of the stadium, creating an irritating noise. Yukimura's face was paler than usual, a cloud of gloom clouding his emerald eyes. His body was slightly tense, his fingers unconsciously clenching the hem of his clothes.

The patter of rain tapped on a dusty door deep in my memory. That rainy night when I was five, the rain sounded just like that—dense, cold, and relentless. The discomfort of my soaked clothes clinging to my skin, the rapid breathing as I ran in the dark, the smell of mud and rain, and the burning pain in my back…

He abruptly closed his eyes, trying to dispel these uninvited fragments of memory. But the body's memories were more honest than the brain's: his heart raced, his breathing became shallow and rapid, as if he had returned to that helpless rainy night, stumbling and running alone on unfamiliar streets, not knowing where he was going, only knowing that he had to escape.

As Oikawa Tetsu wrung out the water from his soaked hair, he inadvertently noticed Yukimura Tsukishiro's unusual state. He stopped joking with his teammates, a hint of concern flashing in his brown eyes.

"Wow, you're soaked to the bone!" Oikawa Tetsu said casually, taking a clean sports towel from his equipment bag. Instead of handing it directly to Yukimura Tsukishiro, he casually tossed it over his shoulder, letting it gently cover the other's wet white hair.

"Tsk, you'll catch a cold if you get wet, Yuki-chan." Oikawa Tetsu's tone was casual and natural, as if it were just an unintentional gesture. "If you get sick, who's going to catch my super-perfect pass?"

A warm, dry towel was suddenly placed over his head, warding off the cold dampness and interrupting those unsettling memories. Yukimura Tsukishiro was visibly startled, his emerald eyes widening slightly, seemingly bewildered by this unexpected act of care. Rain dripped from his hair, slowly being absorbed by the towel's fibers.

The sound of rain in my memory gradually faded away, replaced by the bright voice of Oikawa Tetsu in reality. It was no longer that cold and terrifying rainy night, but now, under this damp yet safe roof.

After a few seconds of hesitation, Yukimura Tsukishiro slowly raised his hand and gently grasped the edge of the towel. He didn't remove it immediately, but let it cover his head, as if it were a soft shelter, temporarily separating him from those unpleasant memories.

"Thank...thank you," he said softly, his voice almost drowned out by the rain, but Oikawa Tetsu still caught it.

Iwaizumi watched this scene from the side, and unusually, he didn't complain about Oikawa Tetsu's unnecessary actions. He simply took out another towel from his bag and handed it to the other team members who were soaking wet.

The rain was pouring down harder and harder, showing no signs of stopping. The team members sat in twos and threes under the eaves, some drying their hair, others chatting to pass the time. Oikawa Tetsu sat naturally not too far from Yukimura Tsukishiro, neither too close to put pressure on him nor appearing deliberately distant.

"This kind of weather is perfect for watching game recordings at home." Oikawa Tetsu said, as if to himself, but also as if to everyone. "I have some really exciting international matches playing. We can watch them together at the next club event."

Yukimura Tsukishiro gently dried his hair with a towel, his movements slow and delicate. The warm fabric seemed to dispel some of the gloom around him; his shoulders were no longer so tense, and his expression softened considerably. The sound of rain no longer only reminded him of that terrible night, but also began to connect with the sense of security he felt at this moment.

"Ah, speaking of which," Oikawa Tetsu suddenly remembered something and turned to Yukimura Tsukishiro, "what kind of volleyball matches does Yuki-chan like to watch? International ones? Or high school leagues?"

Yukimura Tsukihiro remained silent for a moment, and just when everyone thought he wouldn't answer, he said softly, "...Watch it all."

Oikawa Tetsu's eyes lit up: "Really? Then we can analyze tactics together next time! Iwa-chan always says I have too many ideas, but I think Yuki-chan will definitely understand my brilliant strategy!"

Iwaizumi snorted: "That's not strategy, that's wishful thinking."

"Iwa-chan is so mean!"

Amidst the sound of rain, their banter seemed all the more endearing. Yukimura Tsukishiro watched them quietly, the towel on his head acting like a small tent, partially obscuring his vision but also giving him a strange sense of security. Fragments of memories from those rainy nights gradually faded, replaced by the reality of the present: the laughter of his teammates, the smell of sports equipment wafting from the gymnasium, and the warmth of the towel on his head.

Twenty minutes later, the rain gradually subsided, and the sky began to brighten. Iwaizumi stood up and announced, "Today's outdoor training is canceled; it will be replaced with indoor tactical analysis. Everyone, assemble in the gymnasium."

The team members stood up one by one, shook off the water droplets, and entered the gymnasium. Yukimura Tsukishiro was the last to stand up. He carefully folded the towel neatly and handed it back to Oikawa Tetsu.

"Thank you." This time his voice was clearer, and the gloom in his emerald eyes had dissipated considerably. The memories of those rainy nights were still there, but they no longer troubled him as intensely.

Oikawa Tetsu took the towel with a bright smile: "You're welcome~ Remember to run faster next time it rains, Yuki-chan."

Yukimura Tsukishiro nodded slightly, then followed the others into the gymnasium. Oikawa Tetsu watched his departing figure, noticing that the other man no longer kept his distance from everyone as usual, but naturally blended into the group.

Iwaizumi walked up to Oikawa Toru and whispered, "Surprisingly thoughtful, you rubbish Oikawa."

Oikawa Tetsu raised an eyebrow smugly: "I've always been very careful, okay?"

"Only for those who are interested." Iwaizumi glanced at him, his tone carrying a hint of deeper meaning.

Oikawa Tetsu didn't deny it, but just smiled and stuffed the towel back into his bag: "Let's go, Iwa-chan, it's time to explain your 'no wishful thinking' tactics to everyone."

Inside the gymnasium, the team members were already seated in a circle. Yukimura Tsukishiro chose a spot against the wall, but no longer in a corner. As Oikawa Tetsu began explaining the tactics, his gaze followed intently, occasionally nodding slightly, as if he truly understood those "brilliant strategies."

The rain outside the window had completely stopped, and a ray of sunlight shone through the clouds, casting warm patches of light on the gymnasium floor. The gloom brought by that rainy day seemed to have quietly dissipated with the rain's cessation, replaced by a quietly growing connection and understanding. For Xuecun Yuebai, the rain was no longer merely associated with past traumas, but also began to form a new connection with the warmth and sense of security she felt at that moment.