Haikyuu: Zero to Almighty

In Japan, the period around May 1st is also referred to as 'Golden Week'. From April 29th's Showa Day to May 5th's Children's Day, people get a week-long break to rest and recharge. This is also a famous period in Rom-Com anime where the male-lead triggers various 'events' to get close to the female-lead.

Even though Taichi considers himself the main character of this world, sadly he didn't have such fortune.

Alternatively, this period is also famous for hosting summer camp-arc in Shounen-anime.

After their practice match with Shiratorizawa, Coach Irihata gave the team a day off. The respite was much needed, as the gruelling five-day training camp—a staple for sports clubs—was set to follow immediately.

For Kentarō Kyōtani, this camp marked the final chance to integrate fully with the team if he wanted a spot in the Inter-High lineup.

That's why Coach Irihata pressed Tōru Oikawa to make a decision quickly. Time was tight, and any changes needed to start "now."

"Not having to adjust my schedule feels amazing!" Taichi Kaedehara stretched out lazily in his small house's garden after breakfast.

Taichi hadn't had the chance to meet his parents in this life. From what he could recall, they were often away for work.

During middle school, he had lived with his grandmother in the countryside.

After being accepted into Aoba Johsai High, his parents rented him a small house with a yard near the school. Judging by the generous allowance they sent monthly, they were likely well-off.

This carefree, worry-free lifestyle suited Taichi perfectly. He had little interest in dealing with complicated family dynamics or the expectations of adults.

For now, all his focus was on volleyball.

"Taichi!" A familiar voice called from outside the gate. It was Tōru Oikawa.

After discussing their plans last night, they had agreed to meet Coach Irihata this morning. Once they secured his approval, they'd immediately set out to bring Kentarō Kyōtani back to the team.

Naturally, the ones assigned to this task were the ever-determined captain, Oikawa, and Taichi, who had volunteered to tag along purely for the excitement.

Though he was sulking for quite a while when both the coach and the captain rebuked him for wanting to bring a tub-of-popcorn along.

Near a convenience store close to Aoba Johsai High, a blond-haired boy with a buzz cut stood out. His distinctive black streaks at the sides of his hair gave him the air of a delinquent.

This was none other than Kentarō Kyōtani, a second-year member of the Aoba Johsai volleyball team.

With a bag of fried chicken—the kind he loved from FamilyMart—Kyōtani casually walked toward the local town gymnasium. Yet, he couldn't help but feel conflicted lately. Lawson's new "Fried Chicken-Kun" had been giving his favourite chicken some serious competition.

For various reasons, Kyōtani hadn't participated in club activities for a while. Not that it mattered to him; he found the team atmosphere frustrating. The endless rules and interactions with teammates felt stifling.

Instead, he spent his time at the town gym, playing volleyball with a group of older men. While he knew they weren't particularly fond of him, as long as he could enjoy volleyball to his heart's content, nothing else mattered.

As soon as he stepped into the gym, a familiar and irritating voice reached his ears.

"Yo, Mad Dog-chan!" said a grinning, sharp-featured young man.

Finding Kentarō Kyōtani turned out to be surprisingly easy—or perhaps it was just that his habits were predictable. Taichi Kaedehara and Tōru Oikawa asked around at the sports facilities near Aoba Johsai, and by the third location, they had his whereabouts.

"Stop calling me weird names. Also, we're not close," Kyōtani snapped, brushing past Oikawa to set down his bag.

"Oh? Is that so?" Oikawa replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

[Kentarō Kyōtani. Overall stats: 87, Height: 178 cm, Strength: 90, Jump: 88, Stamina: 83, Speed: 86, Specialty: Spikes—88]

Taichi noted silently, reading off Kyōtani's system-given attributes.

As expected, he was an offensive powerhouse. Stat-wise, his 87 was second only to Oikawa within Aoba Johsai.

Ignoring the two entirely, Kyōtani greeted one of the older men in the gym before joining a team for a match.

The game began almost immediately.

"Wait, aren't we here to convince Mad Dog-senpai to rejoin the team? And that's all you're going to say to him?" Taichi Kaedehara asked as he stood on the sidelines with Tōru Oikawa, watching the match begin.

"We're not there yet. I need to see how his skills are right now," Oikawa replied, glancing at Taichi.

It was hard to gauge Taichi's level of politeness. On one hand, he casually called someone he had just met 'Mad Dog'. On the other hand, he still remembered to add 'senpai' at the end.

"Hello there. I'm Nobu Shimizu, sort of a regular at this gym. Are you students from Aoba Johsai?" An older man approached and struck up a conversation with Oikawa.

"Ah, hello, Shimizu-san! Yes, we're from Aoba Johsai's volleyball team. We're friends of Kyōtani," Oikawa responded with his usual charisma.

Shimizu felt a twinge of disappointment at being called "Shimizu-san" instead of his usual nickname, 'Shimizu-aniki', used by the gym's regulars.

Still, the mention of Aoba Johsai and their claim of being Kyōtani's friends piqued his interest.

"When Kyōtani first showed up here, he had this 'don't come near me' vibe, and his fierce expression didn't help. Thankfully, we're all adults here, so no one really bothered him about it.

"He said all he needed was a place where he could practice freely. Some people found it odd—why wouldn't a high schooler just join his school's club?

"But soon enough, it became clear. Someone as hot-headed as him? He's not exactly built for teamwork."

Shimizu sighed and continued, "Not many people here like him because of his personality, but his skills are undeniable. We're always short on players, so I often invite him to join our matches."

After a pause, Shimizu added with a wistful expression, "Honestly, he reminds me of my younger self. That's probably why I'm a bit biased toward him. But Kyōtani is strong. Take him back to your team—he'll be a real asset."

Bang!

Kyōtani slammed the ball with a powerful spike, earning his team another point. With him on their side, their offensive strength was on a whole other level. The score was now 5-8, and his team was leading.

"Mind if we join in for a bit?" Oikawa suddenly called out to the players on the court, completely ignoring Shimizu's remarks.

The players paused, glancing at Shimizu for confirmation.

"They're from Aoba Johsai's volleyball team. Let them have a try," Shimizu nodded toward the players, giving his approval.

"Thanks! I'm a setter, and he's a middle blocker," Oikawa said, motioning to Taichi as the two of them swapped places with the players on the court.

Across the net, Kyōtani glared at Oikawa with his trademark ferocity. It was clear he didn't trust Oikawa's intentions.

"Oikawa, stop interfering with my game!" Kyōtani growled.

"Here's the deal, Mad Dog-chan. If you can score a point against us, we'll leave the court. How does that sound?" Oikawa taunted, his smirk as infuriating as ever. "How fast we leave depends on how fast you can score. Oh, and by the way, this is Taichi Kaedehara, a first-year rookie."

Taichi gave a polite nod toward Kyōtani. "Nice to meet you, Mad Dog-senpai."

The vein on Kyōtani's temple visibly twitched. These two—he already hated them both!

_________

[T/N] - If you guys want to read 50 Chapters in advance of the current story, you can support me on my Patreon. Trust me, it's awesome!

Link - (P)atreon.com/Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]