Ostracism by Pottery Shards Under Democracy and the Server-Transfer Player Named "Fate"

The commotion beneath the shade trees continued. Sugawara Kōshi was practically hanging off Kageyama, both hands locked tightly around the hotheaded genius's arm. His expression was even more twisted than it would be before facing the Final Exam.

"Let me go! Senior Sugawara! If we just put a little pressure on that guy's CPU, he'll reboot successfully!" Kageyama was still trying to charge toward the restroom, his eyes as fierce as if he were about to solo a dungeon boss.

"That's murder! It's absolutely murder!" Sugawara turned and shouted at me. "Lu Ren! Stop watching the show! Go bring Hinata back! If he doesn't come back soon, Kageyama is really going to lose it!"

Lu Ren sighed and pulled his hands out of his pockets. The main storyline of this game always came with all kinds of troublesome fetch quests.

"Got it. I'll go check on the guy who crashed because of Graphics Card Overheating."

With a wave of his hand, Lu Ren turned and headed toward the public restroom nearby. Tanaka Ryūnosuke's booming voice rang out behind him. "Kageyama! Calm down! Violence can get you suspended!"

The moment he entered the restroom, a chill washed over him. In front of the sinks, an orange head was buried beneath a faucet, water rushing noisily over it. Hinata Shoyo braced both hands against the edge of the sink, looking exactly like a middle-aged man recovering from a bad hangover.

He suddenly raised his head. Droplets streamed down from his chin, and though his face was still pale, some of that ashen, about-to-drop-dead look had faded.

"Yo, still alive?" Lu Ren leaned against the doorframe and looked him over. "Need me to call an ambulance? Or should I contact the crematorium directly and reserve you a furnace?"

Hinata stiffened all over, mechanically turning his head and forcing out a smile uglier than crying. "Lu... Lu Ren. Th-that won't be necessary, right? I'm just a little nervous. An ambulance is way too much..."

"Too much? Back on the bus, it looked like you puked your soul out." Lu Ren pointed outside. "Come on. Even if you're only at half your usual condition right now, if you don't go back soon, Kageyama will probably come in here and dunk your head in the toilet to help you clear your mind."

At the mention of "Kageyama," Hinata shuddered. The buff called "survival instinct" instantly covered his entire body.

"I... I'm going right now!" He wiped his face haphazardly and walked out with the wrong arm and leg moving together.

"Don't worry about the details." Lu Ren patted his stiff shoulder. "Senior Tanaka's pants have already been sacrificed, anyway. The worst has already happened. Whatever comes next can only be a rebound from rock bottom."

By the time they returned to the bus with Hinata, the atmosphere there had become rather strange.

Tanaka Ryūnosuke had changed into a slightly loose pair of spare track pants. With his hands in his pockets and his chin raised high, his already somewhat fierce-looking face now practically screamed, "I'm in the mafia." Kageyama Tobio stood beside him, his face dark as he radiated a low-pressure aura that warned strangers to stay away.

Across from them stood two boys dressed in white sportswear. One had a hairstyle like a leek, while the other was a delicate-looking boy with side-parted hair. They wore Aoba Johsai uniforms and were being forced step by step backward by Karasuno's "evil forces."

No matter how he looked at it, it resembled a school thug extorting well-behaved students.

"So these are the students from that elite school or whatever?" Tanaka tilted his head, his lips curling into a provocative grin. "They don't look like much."

The Leek Head boy swallowed. Though his legs were trembling, he still forced himself to retort, "D-don't get so cocky! And wipe that expression off your face!"

"Huh? What did you say?" Tanaka took a step forward, bringing that face even closer. The veins bulging on his forehead were practically visible.

"Pfft."

A soft laugh shattered the tense atmosphere. Tsukishima Kei stood nearby with his arms folded, a glint flashing across his glasses as his voice dripped with sarcasm. "Senior Tanaka, let it go. Look how badly you've frightened these elite students. It wouldn't sound good if they cried before the match even started. After all, we're just 'fallen powerhouses' from the countryside. We wouldn't dare offend a prestigious school."

This guy's tongue was as venomous as ever. His level of snide mockery was practically maxed out.

Lu Ren glanced at the Leek Head, and the other boy's information popped into his mind—Kindaichi Yutaro, Kageyama's middle school teammate, and the one who had refused to spike Kageyama's sets.

So this had triggered the side quest, "Meeting an Ex."

Lu Ren stepped forward and positioned himself between Tanaka and Tsukishima. He put on the signature fake smile of a villainous boss entering the stage in a game, then lowered his voice. "Hey, hey, hey, stop picking on them. We're not demons, after all. We just came for a friendly practice match... though our faces do look a little antisocial."

At the sound of Lu Ren's voice, Kindaichi, the Leek Head, abruptly turned around.

When his gaze landed on my face, his previously nervous expression froze instantly. Then his pupils shook as though he had seen something unbelievable.

"You..." Kindaichi pointed at me, his finger trembling. "You're... that 'Baki Hanma'?!"