I forgot to schedule the chapter, my apologies.
The bonus will be ready in fifteen minutes. I'm currently tweaking some stuff and it's not ready yet.
Anywa...
Enjoy the chap!
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"Ohoho, either way, I'm so glad to see this..."
Nekomata chuckled before placing his hands behind his back as he glanced across the gym.
His eyes fell on his team who had gathered in a huddle as their conversation with Keishin came to an end.
A smile spread across his face, "We have a worthy rival once again."
"...!"
Karasuno players stiffened for a moment upon hearing those words. Then, they turned to look at Nekoma players on the other side as their gazes met across the gym.
It wasn't hostility—far from it. They were just... fired up to meet and play against each other again!
"I'll see you next at the Nationals," Nekomata continued, "It's a place whirling with emotions, filled with throngs of spectators. In a shiny... spotless... and huge gymnasium."
"..."
Tsuna's interest perked up.
He looked at the odd old man as a thought ran through his mind, 'Would that be a place where I can have even more fun...?'
A small smile crept onto his face at the thought. It sounded like an exciting place to be!
Nekomata seemed to catch the look on Tsuna's face and chuckled, "And that'll be the place where we'll have our most ultimate Dumpster Showdown ever!"
"...!"
Everyone in Karasuno straightened at these words as a burning fire of determination ignited in their eyes.
The practice game against Nekoma had been tough and exhausting, but it was fun. Meeting someone who pushed them to their limits, someone who could bring out the best in them—that was what made this experience worth it.
They stood taller as they shouted, "Yes, sir!"
"..."
Nekomata's grin widened at their response. His eyes scanned their faces, noting the resolve etched into each expression.
It pleased him more than words could express.
With that, both coaches were done giving their final pep talks.
Soon, the teams were instructed to finish their post-game chores—collecting stray balls, wiping down the court, and stacking chairs—before leaving the gymnasium.
As the players cleaned up inside the gymnasium, outside near the entrance...
"Nekomata-sensei, thank you so much for making such a long trip today!"
Takeda bowed deeply.
Nekoma was based in Tokyo, while Karasuno was tucked away in Miyagi Prefecture—a long journey that wasn't easy to make.
Takeda fully understood how big of a favor Nekomata had given them, and for that, he felt truly thankful.
"No, no, thank you!"
Nekomata waved his hand dismissively with a small chuckle as he watched Takeda's flustered expression.
"Ah..."
The sound of Nekomata's laughter confused him as Takeda glanced up, only to see the older coach smiling warmly at him.
"It must've been difficult, setting up practice games without the right connections…"
"...!"
Takeda froze, his mouth slightly open in surprise.
How did Nekomata know?
"Why, you called me multiple times," Nekomata said, raising an eyebrow as if to emphasize the point. "You even blurted out that you were willing to meet me in person, didn't you? Of course, I know."
Takeda's eyes widened further, "I-Is that so...?"
Nekomata chuckled again at the teacher's reaction, "Don't worry, I understand. It's not easy, is it? I've been there myself."
He looked up at the sky for a moment as for a moment, it felt like he was staring into the past.
Building up Nekoma hadn't been easy for him, either. Before he'd earned the respect of other coaches and built his connections across the nation, it had been a long, uphill climb.
"Ah…"
Takeda felt sweat bead on his forehead. He scratched the back of his neck nervously and stammered, "I-I'm sorry if I was... pushy."
Nekomata shook his head, "No need to apologize."
He placed a hand gently on Takeda's shoulder and looked him straight in the eye, "Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm. Even if you're inexperienced, as long as you keep working hard, your passion will inspire your students to follow."
"…!"
Takeda felt a rush of emotion well up in his chest.
The countless hours of effort he'd poured in suddenly felt acknowledged as tears pricked the corners of his eyes.
He then bowed deeply, "Thank you so much, Nekomata-sensei!"
"Ohoho…"
Nekomata chuckled, shaking his head fondly at Takeda's awkwardness. His gaze lingered on the teacher for a moment before shifting toward Keishin.
"And you—get it together, Keishin," he said, a teasing edge to his voice.
Keishin groaned, scratching the back of his head in exasperation. "Right, right…"
He couldn't help but think how Nekomata was just as naggy as his grandfather.
"Sigh… We played three games, and you didn't even win a single one."
"…!"
Keishin, who was about to say something polite, stiffened. He shot a glance at Nekomata, whose wide, teasing smile was practically mocking.
It was the kind of smile that made Keishin's eye twitch.
His lips twitched in irritation as he forced out a reply. "Next time, we'll beat you guys in straight sets…"
"Oh?"
Nekomata raised an eyebrow, his amusement was evident. He added as his grin widened, "I hope that's not just empty talk, Keishin,"
"…!"
Naoi flinched at Nekomata's habit of stoking the flames.
Leaning in close, he whispered nervously to the old coach, "N-Nekomata-sensei, maybe don't rile him up too much…"
"Ha!" Nekomata scoffed, waving him off with a smirk. "It's his fault for looking so much like his stinky old man."
Keishin couldn't take it anymore.
His frustration boiled over as he pointed a finger at the older coach, "Just watch, you stinky old man! Next time, we'll crush you!"
With that, he spun on his heel and stormed off, his irritation visible in every step.
Takeda's face turned pale as he hastily bowed to both Nekomata and Naoi, fumbling out apologies.
"I-I'm so sorry about that!"
Before either of them could respond, Takeda hurried after Keishin, calling out, "Wait, Coach Ukai! Please don't be mad!"
'I was originally wanted to slip away since I've got her number already after this, but...'
Keishin's expression twisted into anger as he clenched his face with an annoyed smile as he declared silently, 'Just you wait, old man!'
Meanwhile, Nekomata chuckled to himself, clearly entertained. "Still has the same fire as his grandfather… What a stubborn one."
"Sigh… Are you doing that on purpose, Nekomata-sensei?"
"Who? Me?"
Nekomata shrugged his shoulders innocently, his grin just wide enough to look mischievous as Naoi could only shake his head in response.
"..."
As their conversation paused, Nekomata's gaze shifted toward the gym.
His expression softened, and his lips curled into a thoughtful smile.
Naoi noticed the change and followed his line of sight, landing on Tsuna, who was quietly picking up a stray ball on his own.
"Ah, The Shooting Star, huh?" Naoi murmured.
He raised an eyebrow curiously before asking, "You seem to be quite fond of that particular player, Nekomata-sensei…"
"Of course," Nekomata replied with a chuckle, "Isn't a player like him fascinating?"
Nekomata's gaze turned toward the others, who were already forming connections in their own unique way.
"That's awesome, Shoyo! I'm Inuoka, a first-year too!"
"Ohh, you're so tall, but you sure can boom! and vroom!"
"No, your swoosh, even though you're small, is more impressive!"
Hinata and Inuoka were practically bouncing like kids at a candy store.
On the other hand, Tsukishima looked thoroughly unimpressed by their exchanges as he muttered under his breath, "Vroom? Are you a car?"
"Ahaha, those two really are speaking the same language, huh?"
Kuroo was standing beside Tsukishima as he smirked after overhearing the blond's grumble.
"You mean Alien language?"
Tsukishima clicked his tongue, "Yeah, for sure..."
Kuroo's amusement only grew at Tsukishima's sarcasm, and his grin widened as he watched the chaos between Hinata and Inuoka continue.
The gym buzzed with life, laughter echoing from every corner.
But amidst it all, Tsuna stood quietly at the edge, observing the lively scene with a faraway look in his eyes.
Nekomata's gaze settled back on him as he spoke softly, "He might be wondering… Why is it so easy for some people to get along with each other? How can they understand each other faster than he ever could?"
"..."
His teammates laughed, shouted, and formed connections that seemed effortless. Yet he stood apart, quietly doing his chores by himself.
"And then, he started to ask himself…" Nekomata sighed, "Why is he so different from everyone else?"
"To be blessed by his talent..."
Nekomata tilted his head slightly, watching as Tsuna moved quietly across the gym floor as he continued, "but cursed by its very own existence."
"It is just the nature of his existence," Nekomata murmured.
He glanced up, his gaze meeting the soft hues of the setting sun, which streamed through directly and lit up his face.
Nekomata chuckled faintly as if he was talking directly to Tsuna, "But do understand, young man. When you're exceptional, you're bound to be different from everyone else."
"..."
Naoi looked at him in surprise. He didn't expect the head coach to have such a high opinion of Tsuna.
"But well... it seems like I was worried for nothing..."
He laughed softly as he turned his attention back toward the gym.
Nekoma's players had finished their chores and were gathering together, their gazes suddenly focused on one person.
Tsuna.
"…What?"
Tsuna asked, blinking at the odd way they were looking at him.
Their collective stares were making him uncomfortable. But, before he could say anything else, one of Nekoma's players broke the silence.
"Rizz God-sama…"
Nekoma players all bowed in unison, holding out shiny copies of a light novel.
Their faces were lit with excitement, practically sparkling as they shouted, "Please sign our light novels!"
'Ah… I did reveal my identity earlier, didn't I?'
A wave of regret washed over him. His lips twitched in disbelief as he watched their enthusiasm grow.
Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed quietly, 'Why did I have to use that ridiculous name in the first place?'
It was totally his curse.