Haikyuu!! RPG — Joint Training Camp

Joining Karasuno's volleyball club wasn't some grand dream.

You simply wanted to have fun.

After becoming a first-year student at Karasuno High School, you joined the boys' volleyball club, received the team's black jacket, and officially wore jersey No. 13.

As a wing spiker...

You were one of the substitute players.

Much like Ennoshita Chikara, Narita Kazuhito, Kinoshita Hisashi, and sometimes even Yamaguchi Tadashi.

The starting lineup usually took the spotlight.

Meanwhile...

You stayed on the bench.

Honestly?

You never thought too much about it.

Volleyball was enjoyable.

Practicing with everyone was enjoyable.

Being part of the team was already enough.

There was no reason to overthink things.

Interhigh Preliminary Tournament. Karasuno High vs. Aoba Johsai High

The match eventually came to an end.

Karasuno... lost.

Silence lingered throughout the gymnasium after the final whistle.

Some players lowered their heads.

Others clenched their fists.

Frustration.

Regret.

Sadness.

Jealousy.

Disappointment.

Every member of the team processed the defeat differently.

You quietly watched from the bench.

Losing wasn't fun...

But that's what sports were.

Sometimes you won.

Sometimes you lost.

There wasn't much else to say.

That defeat became a turning point.

The months that followed were filled with relentless practice.

Morning training.

Afternoon practice.

Weekend scrimmages.

Running.

Serving.

Receiving.

Blocking.

Spiking.

Everyone pushed themselves harder than before.

One afternoon, after another exhausting practice session...

The players rested inside the gym.

Shimizu handed out towels.

Yachi hurried around carrying bottles of water while trying not to trip over volleyballs scattered across the floor.

Then...

The gym doors slid open.

Coach Ukai entered alongside advisor Takeda-sensei.

"Everyone..."

"We have some good news."

"Karasuno has received an invitation..."

"...to participate in a Joint Training Camp."

The gym immediately erupted with excitement.

Several Days Later... Joint Training Camp

Schools from across the prefecture had gathered beneath one roof.

Numerous courts stretched across the massive gymnasium.

Practice matches took place nonstop.

Whistles echoed through the building.

Volleyballs flew endlessly across the air.

Everywhere you looked... another rally was happening.

For the starters...

It was a chance to improve.

For the substitutes...

It was a chance to learn.

You spent most of your time quietly watching from the sidelines.

Different schools.

Different techniques.

Different strategies.

It was honestly... pretty interesting.

Several days passed.

Late at Night

The dormitory had grown completely silent.

Every member of Karasuno had already fallen asleep after another exhausting day.

Only the faint chirping of insects and the cool night breeze remained.

You couldn't sleep. because bored

After lying awake for what felt like forever, you quietly slipped out of Karasuno's room, careful not to wake anyone.

Maybe you'd find something to eat.

Maybe just take a walk.

Leaving the camp entirely?

...Yeah, no.

Coach Ukai would definitely kill you.

Takeda-sensei would lecture you for an hour.

Yachi would panic.

Shimizu would probably give you that disappointed look.

And Tanaka would never stop teasing you afterward.

"...A walk it is."

With your hands tucked inside your jacket pockets, you began wandering through the quiet training camp beneath the moonlight.