ONLY ME || Haikyuu x Male

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Ren found them.

The other gymnasium was alive with activity when he entered. Three people were practicing inside, and when he stepped through the threshold of the room, one of them turned around, and Ren recognized him as Akaashi, Fukurodani's setter.

"Oya? You're Hasegawa, right?"

Ren nodded, feeling a little anxious as the other two also shifted to look at him. He recognized Kuroo, who was in the process of giving him a rather unsettling smile. And as for the third boy, he'd only ever heard of him through word of mouth. Bokuto, Fukurodani's famous and infamous ace.

For someone so well known and so capable, Bokuto seemed rather friendly. In fact, he grinned from ear to ear when he caught sight of Ren, bolting over to say hello. "Oh, you're Hasegawa! I've heard of you! You're like, crazy good. It's so nice to meet you."

He shook the ace's eager hand, smiling stiffly. The guy seemed rather excitable, and Ren wasn't especially good at dealing with such extroverted people, especially in such a new environment. "It's nice to meet you too."

"Hasegawa-san, why are you here?" Akaashi stepped forward, peering around Bokuto's frame. His tone wasn't malicious, and he seemed only mildly confused. "You haven't ever sought us out before. I didn't even know you were aware that we practiced here."

The question made Ren release Bokuto's hand and clear his throat. He wasn't quite sure why he was here either, but he had a good idea. With what Tsukishima had said to him, and his recent struggles, there was clearly only one reason why the blonde first-year would send him over. "Tsukishima said to come here. He told me that you guys might be able to help me."

Kuroo tilted his head, a lilting hum slipping through his lips. "And what would we be helping you with, all rounder? Are you seeking some sage, elderly advice, perhaps?"

Ren smiled lightly, appreciating the Nekoma blocker's attempt to lighten the mood. "Well, I'm sure that you are all at least aware of my condition called psychosis, given that you all know who I am. And recently, I've been able to put it on a leash, in a way. But it seems as though controlling my condition is draining my focus out of playing, and I can't perform as well as I did before. I was hoping you had some insight on this."

Bokuto crossed his arms, his expression morphing into one of deep thought. Thinking too hard seemed to be difficult for the ace. Or maybe Ren was just a confusing enigma. "Tensai-kun. Does your condition hurt you?"

Ren blinked at the nickname. He wouldn't consider himself any form of a genius or prodigy. The title seemed more suited to someone like Kageyama. But he didn't really feel like correcting the ace either. Maybe it was for his own ego, or maybe it was that bright look in Bokuto's eye. But either way, he wasn't about to argue.

"Not physically. Not anymore. But there are some instances where it could cause me to accidentally hurt others."

Bokuto waved him off. "Ah, no matter! I only asked if it would hurt you. And seeing as it doesn't, then I think I have the perfect solution for you."

The ace clapped a hand on Ren's shoulder, pulling him into a side hug. "You just gotta relax, Tensai-kun! Let me tell you, I got my own condition. Sometimes I'll get really down in the dumps, and I can't play as well. I'm basically a lump on the court, not doing much. I get upset over it sometimes, sure, but I just go with the flow, and eventually, everything's back to normal and I'm awesome again!"

Ren opened his mouth to retaliate, to argue that at least Bokuto didn't have to worry about hurting his team with his mood swings, but he got cut off before he could even speak. "And I know that this has made it difficult for my team, but we've gotten used to it! Because we're family. And Karasuno is your family too! They'll work with you, I just know it. You just have to accept that maybe sometimes, you'll have accidents, and you should just enjoy as much of the volleyball experience as you can because you love this sport, no? And you become a star when you don't restrain yourself, no? Then just let it happen. Your team will take care of you when you're weak, and you can return the favor by being absolutely amazing when you recover."