ONLY ME || Haikyuu x Male

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

Ren slept peacefully that night. Well, as peacefully as he could when he was about to experience the most important volleyball game of his life.

With the tension between him and Tobio finally settled, at least temporarily, he was able to get the proper rest that he so desperately needed. And when he stepped out of the bus that dropped them off for their final qualifiers match, he was as ready as he would ever be. Maybe. Not really, but he was trying to gaslight himself into thinking he was.

It was mid-morning, and the late autumn chill swept over the group, causing Ren to tug his club jacket tighter around his body, bundling in the warmth. He hovered around the edge of his clustered teammates, quietly running through all the strategy that they'd discussed the prior afternoon, along with cross referencing some of it with details that Shirabu had shared with him before. He wanted to be properly prepared for this crucial match, so he was desperately trying to focus on remembering all the specific tactics that they were to employ against this formidable team.

Emphasis on trying.

Because he was failing.

Terribly.

Less than a few minutes after he got off the bus, an excited scream burst from behind him and then someone had launched themselves at him, latching onto him from behind with their arms wrapped around him in a tight embrace.

wat da fuck-

"Hasegawa!" The familiar cry of his name was accompanied with someone's hands forcefully spinning him around, and he was met with Bachira Meguru's bright gaze boring into his. "Surprise! Aren't you excited? Happy to see us? We're here to cheer you on!"

"Huh- what? Who's we?"

The soccer player eagerly gestured to someone behind him, and Ren peered over, catching sight of none other than Itoshi Rin who awkwardly waved when they made eye contact. "Everyone at school has been buzzing about your match, so we decided to come support you in person! Isn't that fun?"

Ren laughed, pulling Bachira into a hug and giving Itoshi a nod of gratitude. "It's lots of fun. Thank you, both of you, for coming. This means a lot to me."

It really did. Probably more than it should. This told him that he had friends who were willing to go out of their way to cheer him on. The fact that people genuinely cared about him was still something he was getting used to, and this gesture was making him smile so hard that he wasn't sure he would ever be able to stop.

But the three of them had to part ways, unfortunately cutting the heartwarming moment short. Bachira and Itoshi hurried their way to the stands in order to claim seats with a decent view while Ren rushed to follow the rest of his team inside, trying not to lag behind. He couldn't get lost, not when nationals was on the line.

Immediately after the crows entered the building, they were greeted with humongous hordes of people milling about. The crowds were so thick that it actually took a bit of force to muscle their way through despite the fact that many tried to clear a path for them. Ren had never seen such a large amount of people congregate together before, and it was honestly a little overwhelming. Especially considering that at the end of the day, this was a highschool volleyball match. The notion that so many cared about adolescent athletics was absolutely astonishing.

While he was busy marveling at the immense audience, the rest of his team was getting caught up in their own shenanigans. It wasn't long before Tobio and Hinata started bickering, their squabble drawing a lot of judgemental eyes. In the meantime, Noya and Tanaka were fantasizing about the women who would be in the stands, contracting even more unwanted attention as they acted out their delusions.