The gymnasium smelled like fresh wood and sweat.
Riku stood at the edge of the court the next afternoon, hands at his sides, heart steady. Around him, the upperclassmen stretched and chatted. The clack of volleyballs against the floor echoed like a heartbeat.
This is it. My first official step into the world of Haikyuu.
He spotted familiar faces.
Daichi Sawamura, the captain—grounded, dependable.
Kōshi Sugawara, with his gentle smile and sharp eyes.
Asahi Azumane, towering and quiet like a gentle bear.
And then—
Her.
Kiyoko Shimizu stood near the benches, clipboard in hand, scribbling attendance. Even now, she hardly spared him a glance. But that was fine. He wasn't here to impress her—yet.
First… I need to survive.
The team gathered at the center court as Daichi called them to order.
"Alright! Let's warm up and run basic drills. We've got a few first-years today, so let's not scare them off just yet."
Laughter echoed.
"Introduce yourself, new guy," Sugawara said, gesturing at Riku.
He stepped forward.
"Riku Amagami, first-year. I'm here to learn and contribute."
"Got any position in mind?" Daichi asked.
"Not yet. I've never played officially."
A silence fell.
Even Sugawara blinked.
"…You've never played volleyball before?" Asahi asked gently.
"Not even once?" a second-year whispered.
Riku cleared his throat. "No. But I'm here to change that."
Kiyoko looked up briefly, just once.
Daichi shrugged. "Everyone starts somewhere. Alright, Amagami—you're on serve practice. Let's see what you've got."
[Quest Started: "Complete 100 Serves (0/100)"]
Bonus XP for First Clean Serve: +0.5
Riku stepped to the baseline. The court stretched in front of him, a simple white line separating potential from humiliation.
He tossed the ball.
And completely missed it.
Thud.
It dropped at his feet.
Silence.
"…Let's try that again," he muttered.
He tossed it again, higher.
His arm swung like a baseball bat—awkward, wide.
Thunk.
The ball flew.
And slammed directly into the net.
Attempt 1/100 – Fail.
A few players chuckled.
"Bro, that's not how you swing."
"Wrist! Use your wrist, not your whole shoulder."
Even Sugawara winced. "You're… very ambitious."
Riku swallowed his pride. He'd once debated Nobel Prize winners. Closed billion-yen deals. Now he couldn't even serve a ball over the net.
This is different. This isn't intellect. This is skill. Timing. Feel.
[SYSTEM ALERT – Skill Training Assist Available]
Activate: "Trajectory Tracker" (Level 1)?
This visual overlay will highlight optimal hand position and ball arc for 10 minutes.
Cost: 5 Focus Points.
Activate.
Suddenly, his vision shimmered. A glowing blue arc traced through the air in front of him. A semi-transparent ghost of his hand hovered where it should strike. He felt his body adjust subtly, automatically aligning to the assist.
He tossed the ball again.
This time, his hand met the ball cleanly.
Whap.
It cleared the net. Barely. Wobbly, but in.
The gym fell silent.
Then someone clapped. "Yo! He did it!"
"Lucky shot?"
"Maybe. Try again!"
[Progress: 1/100 Serves Completed – Clean]
+0.5 XP Gained | Technique: F → F+
The system pinged, a quiet pulse in his mind. He could feel his form locking in, the tiniest percentage of improvement taking root.
Slow progress is still progress.
Over the next 30 minutes, he continued serving.
Some failed. Some bounced. A few barely grazed over. But every one fed data to the system. Every attempt made him feel a little more aware of his limbs, his control, his timing.
He was drenched in sweat by the time Daichi called a break.
"Not bad for a beginner," Sugawara said as he handed him a towel. "You've got good body mechanics, just no muscle memory."
"I'm building it," Riku replied, panting slightly.
"Why volleyball, though?" Sugawara asked curiously. "You could've joined any club."
Riku looked at the court.
"I want to learn how to fight for something I'm bad at. To grow. Not just win."
Sugawara blinked. That wasn't a normal first-year answer.
"…You'll fit right in," he said, smiling.
Kiyoko passed by then, quietly checking equipment. Riku turned to her.
"Excuse me."
She glanced up.
"Thank you for organizing everything. You're the backbone of this team."
She paused mid-step. Her eyes flicked to him—just for a moment.
Quest Update: "Compliment her without sounding like a simp" – SUCCESS.
Progress: 1/3 Tasks Complete.
"…I'm just doing my job," she said softly.
Then she walked away.
Back at home that night, Riku collapsed onto his bed, muscles aching. His right shoulder felt like it had been punched repeatedly by a gorilla.
I've never been this physically drained. And I've fought CEOs for control of an entire tech firm.
The system pinged.
[Daily Training Summary]
Serves Completed: 38/100
XP Gained: +2.4
Technique: F → F+
New Passive Unlocked: "Focused Form Lv.1" – 5% chance to auto-correct minor form mistakes
Mental Focus Points: 12/20
Riku sat up.
Just like chess or coding—volleyball has a logic to it. Rhythm. Sequence. Cause and effect.
He checked his skill tree. His Mind path had opened slightly.
Mind Path – Tier 1:
Anticipate (Passive): Slight increase in reading opponents' movements.
Analyze (Active): Short-term boost in court awareness.
Tempo Control (Locked): [Requires: Position Set | Match Play Experience]
I'll build my game around reading the court. Not brute strength. I'll be the mind that controls the flow.
He fell asleep with a new feeling stirring in his chest—not pride. Not arrogance.
But hunger.