Slow-Witted [Haikyuu!!]

At the end of her second year of high school, Lin Xiu earned a place at the University of Tokyo based on her top-three academic standing and brought home a stack of trophies, medals, and certificates, led by the national first prize in the Information Olympiad. Only then did Ushijima Wakatoshi truly understand what the “genius” the relentlessly talkative biology competition student had meant, as he recalled the report card once shoved beneath his backside and her remarkable achievements as acting manager.

A genius doesn’t need to burn through their life to shine brilliantly in the night sky.

Bright and everlasting, they make the stars around them, who keep throwing themselves into the fray just to leave behind one dazzling moment, seem all the more tragic.

They are perfect and alone.

Oikawa Tooru had always thought he was talented, at least on the volleyball court. The arrival of Kageyama Tobio, the undisputed volleyball genius, shattered his pride into pieces. Like a cornered beast, he struggled through a battle with himself while maintaining a flawless facade in front of others. The arrival of Lin Xiu, a transfer student, gave him a moment to breathe when he was at his lowest, but also dealt him a blow on an entirely different level. He decided to leave that environment and seek his own answers. After parting ways with Lin Xiu, Oikawa seemed to gradually find himself again, while that dazzling star remained so far beyond his reach, whether or not he chose to let go.

But he wasn’t afraid anymore.

So what if he was slow-witted? Even if he had to burn through his life, he would shine as brilliantly as the stars.

Reader’s guide:

1. This story mainly takes place off the volleyball court. I’ll do my best to respect the original, so please forgive some slight OOC.

2. Some details about Japan and certain professional aspects may differ from reality. Feel free to treat them as an alternate universe, and please be kind.