I'm only a weakling | haikyuu

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗡𝗶𝗻𝗲: 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

You kept your usual nonchalant expression, but you were actually zoning out a bit.

Coach Saito noticed something was off. He saw the strain on your face when you blocked Kiryu's spike. He walked over, bent down in front of you, and checked your fingers—the old injuries hadn't healed, and now there were new ones.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and pulled out a new tube of ointment from his bag. He started changing your bandage and applying the medicine.

You were reminded by his actions and slowly took off the bandage from your joint—just as you expected, it was red and swollen.

Goshiki, sitting next to you, widened his eyes and frowned at your obvious injuries. "You—! Your hand?!"

You squinted a bit, raised your eyebrows slightly, and showed a little pain while Coach Saito changed the dressing, but your voice stayed calm:

"Ah, it's nothing, I'll rest after the game."

You were telling the truth. You'd been through this in your past life, and you knew it was just a strain. The injury looked scary, and Coach Saito's medicine was pretty fancy and strong, so applying it hurt.

... Even though it wasn't your money or medicine, you still felt a bit upset.

Maybe that's just the thrifty instinct of someone who's been through the grind.

Semi frowned when he saw your injuries, and so did the usually straightforward Goshiki and Ushijima. Their identical expressions, like they were cut from the same mold, made you laugh.

Shirabu's expression darkened. He didn't expect you to be so harsh, not just to others but to yourself too. Even though you were clearly hurt, you still wore that mocking smile, like you were saying, "You're scared of just a little injury?"

In the stands, the girls holding banners with your name looked worried. Hibari, a quiet presence among them, noticed the concern in everyone's faces. His usual gentle demeanor vanished as he carefully watched you on the court, muttering softly to himself:

"Is he injured? That ointment... it must be serious."

The pink-haired girl next to him looked at Hibari with teary eyes. "Injured?! How could this happen! I won't be able to see him play?"

"I've gotten more confident lately by watching him dominate on the court. I'm not as timid as before!"

"Yeah, same here! He looks so cool when he plays... When I'm exhausted from studying, watching him gives me the boost I need to get back to my boring reality... Don't you feel the same?"

A mature woman nearby nodded, "Absolutely. Watching him rule the court is really inspiring. It makes me, tired from work, feel the energy of youth again."

On the other side, a girl with a nose stud, who looked tough, was more blunt. She sneered, "Huh? If he's injured and can't play, maybe I should go injure the opponent. Fair's fair, right?"

"No way! That's not how it works!!"

Listening to the girls talking like they were saying their last goodbyes, Hibari sighed and rubbed his forehead, sounding exasperated:

"He just has a joint strain, probably from overtraining. He'll be fine after some medicine and rest."

"Training too hard? That's dedication!"

"Whoa! I suddenly feel like I can ace the test!"

"...No, please don't get too excited so fast..." Hibari was starting to feel dizzy from the girls' mood swings.

The mature woman, who had been quiet until now, touched her chin thoughtfully. Her sharp eyeliner and heavy eyeshadow made her cold eyes look even more intense as she thought out loud: