Haikyuu: Reborn at Karasuno

Before the atmosphere could grow any more ambiguous, the train finally arrived at the station. With a soft chime and the hiss of the doors opening, Kiyoko—like a startled deer—immediately let go of Hayato's sleeve and turned away, careful not to let him see her flushed cheeks.

She hadn't even realized she had grabbed onto him.

They walked out of the station side by side, silent for a moment. Eventually, it was Kiyoko who broke the silence.

"Hayato… have you prepared dinner yet? Would you like to eat at my house?"

Hayato caught the hint—she was trying to steer the mood back to something less charged. He followed her lead and replied with a smile.

"I brought a few quick things to cook. Worst case, I've got some instant noodles at home."

"That won't do!" she scolded gently. "Volleyball practice is intense—you need a proper meal. The vegetable shop should still be open. Let's pick up some ingredients for you. By the way… can you cook?"

"I can handle simple dishes," Hayato replied.

Relieved, Kiyoko seemed to forget the awkward moment from earlier and immediately pulled Hayato toward the shopping street. She went into full shopping mode, leading him from stall to stall until he was holding two full plastic bags of groceries.

As they walked, Kiyoko glanced at the bulging bags and stepped closer to reach for one of them. But before her hand could even touch the handle, Hayato shifted the bag out of her reach.

"I can't let Kiyoko-nee carry anything. These are heavy."

"But you can't carry everything by yourself," she countered.

Neither wanted to fully back down, so they compromised: she held onto one side of the left-hand bag, and they carried it together.

Their linked hands, school uniforms, and easy familiarity made them look just like a newlywed couple. Passersby on the shopping street smiled at the scene with warm, knowing expressions. Shopkeepers grinned. Children whispered.

The two teens noticed the looks, but trying to change their behavior now would've only made things more awkward. So they kept walking, cheeks slightly pink.

Little did they know—by the next morning, gossip would sweep through the street: "Kiyoko-chan from the Shimizu family has a boyfriend!"

They finally arrived at Hayato's house.

Both let out matching sighs of relief as the front door closed behind them. Though the stares earlier hadn't been malicious, they'd still felt a little overwhelming.

After neatly placing her shoes by the entrance, Kiyoko watched Hayato carry the grocery bags into the kitchen. She paused, then glanced down at the two pairs of shoes—side by side.

Her mind wandered back to the fish vendor who had asked earlier with a wide smile, "Kiyoko-chan, shopping with your boyfriend today?"

Before the blush could fully rise to her cheeks again, Hayato's voice called out from the kitchen.

"Kiyoko-nee! Which shelf does the meat go on?"

Gently patting her cheeks to calm herself down, Kiyoko composed herself and headed for the kitchen.

After checking in with her parents, Kiyoko decided to stay and help Hayato cook dinner. Since there was leftover rice from before, they only needed to rinse it and start the cooker.

To her surprise, Hayato was far more skilled in the kitchen than he'd let on.

With practiced efficiency, he washed, chopped, and prepped every ingredient. Kiyoko had intended to help, but she quickly realized she wasn't needed—Hayato moved through the recipe with ease and rhythm.

The sound of sizzling oil filled the kitchen as Hayato added dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, and scallions to the wok. As the aromas bloomed, he added the deep-fried chicken breast cubes and stirred them in.

Though not entirely authentic, a fragrant plate of Spicy Chicken Diced was soon complete.

Hayato wasn't quite used to Japanese cuisine yet, and without all the traditional Chinese spices on hand, he had to improvise. Still, the result was respectable.

He had intended to taste-test the dish, but when he saw the subtle anticipation in Kiyoko's expression as she scooped rice into her bowl, he changed his mind.

With a playful grin, he picked up a piece of chicken with his chopsticks, supporting it with his free hand.

"Kiyoko-nee, want a taste?"

Perhaps because she was hungry—or perhaps because something unspoken lingered between them—Kiyoko didn't refuse. She tucked her side bangs behind her ear, revealing the beauty mark below her eye, and opened her mouth to accept the bite.

Hayato froze for half a second. The simple motion—her delicate fingers brushing her cheek, the soft curve of her lips—sent an uninvited wave of warmth through his chest. He quickly shook it off.

Kiyoko covered her lips lightly as she chewed and swallowed.

"It's delicious… but a little spicy!"

She quickly poured herself a glass of water, gulped it down, and began fanning herself with her hand while sticking out her tongue to relieve the heat.

The expression—half-comical, half-cute—made Hayato's brain briefly short-circuit. His heart raced. Maybe it was his younger body, or maybe it was just her, but he definitely wasn't used to this kind of Kiyoko.

He turned back to the stove, scooped the rest of the chicken onto a plate, and called over his shoulder, "Drink more water, and bring the rice. I'll finish plating."

Unaware of Hayato's inner turmoil, Kiyoko grabbed the rice and followed.

After confirming her preferences, Hayato quickly whipped up a second dish: Tomato Scrambled Eggs, sweet and comforting.

With everything on the table, they clapped their hands together.

"Itadakimasu!"

Hayato dug into the spicy chicken; Kiyoko, predictably, went for the milder tomato eggs.

"This is so good!" Kiyoko said, beaming with her hand resting on her cheek. "You're too humble, Hayato—you're a great cook!"

Watching her eat with such enjoyment, Hayato smiled to himself. If Tanaka or Nishinoya saw this scene, they might faint from jealousy.

Kiyoko's appetite was small, though, and she was full quickly. She set down her chopsticks and watched as Hayato, still going strong, finished off everything on the table—plus an extra heaping bowl of rice.

"Whew~ I'm stuffed," Hayato said, stretching after draining his water glass.

"You've worked hard," Kiyoko replied softly, then stood to gather the dishes.

As she tied on an apron, Hayato moved to stop her.

"I can wash those. You've done enough—"

Kiyoko turned back, smiling playfully.

"You've already done the cooking. Let your big sister take care of this."

Caught off guard by the wink she threw him, Hayato couldn't refuse. He flopped onto the sofa and turned on the TV, lazily watching while she washed up in the kitchen.

From the sink, Kiyoko wore a small smile.

This really does feel like we're… a married couple.

Realizing what she just thought, her cheeks flushed pink again. She shook her head quickly, trying to dismiss the idea.

It's all Hayato's fault, fighting me over those grocery bags… everyone misunderstood…

She puffed her cheeks in frustration—a rare and utterly adorable sight.

Once the dishes were done, Kiyoko announced it was time for her to head home. Hayato walked her to the door, yawning slightly.

Seeing his sleepy face, Kiyoko flicked his nose again.

"Don't sleep yet. Final exams are coming, remember? Coach said anyone who fails doesn't get to go to the training camp."

Hayato, now more alert, raised two fingers in a confident V-sign.

"Don't worry, Kiyoko-nee. I'm not bragging, but I've always been near the top of my class."

It wasn't an empty boast—his grades in this life had consistently ranked top 10 in his year and top 3 in his class. The knowledge was burned into his mind as clearly as muscle memory.

"Is that so? Good. Then I won't worry."

She smiled. "Get some rest. I'll be going now. No need to walk me back."

Despite her words, Hayato still saw her to the door. He waited outside until she safely entered her house. As she turned the doorknob, she glanced back—and he gave her a small wave with a smile.

Only after her door clicked shut did he return inside.

Turning off the living room light, Hayato stretched his arms above his head and yawned again.

"Still... better to do a little review, just in case."

Sitting down at his desk, he flipped open his textbook and began studying under the quiet hum of the desk lamp.

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POWER STONE!!