#stying

 TRANSLATORS NOTE:

 Please do NOT repost this translation ANYWHERE. If I see the whole thing elsewhere I will stop translating novel chapters and delete all chapter translations I have done. Sharing small snippets are okay but not the whole thing. Please link back to this Tumblr post if you want to share it.

     Asahi looked over at the startled two apologetically, “H-hey…”

He approached them timidly and both of them didn’t hold back, “What do you mean ‘Hey’. You scared me!”

“What are you doing glooming up the place? I thought I found a portal to an extraterrestrial world!”

Sawamura turned to look at Sugawara, “What do you even mean by that?”

“I don’t know, it just seemed like the air was warping…”

“You talking about that distorting black fog?”

“Yeah! That!”

Azumane spoke to cut through their pointless conversation, “….How’d you guys do? For the standardized tests, I mean.*"

 Standardized tests.

 This was about the standardized tests from yesterday. Sugawara and Sawamura, who were in the advanced classes, looked at one another.

“Huh… well, I guess normal?”

“Yeah… not too good but not too bad, just normal.”

Upon hearing their answers Azumane’s expression darkened, “…doesn’t that mean you both did well? We’re at club practice every day… how, when, do you even study..?” The giant bent over lamenting, “I could not do well in the test…” he reported formally.

“How about… we head to the clubroom first?” 

“Let’s do that.”

Exchanging glances the captain and vice-captain of the volleyball club took the ace by the arms.

                                                                     ***

 “Ways to study, huh…”

When asked for some study methods by Azumane, Sawamura sat down in a chair, nodding in thought.

When it came to term tests, which were made by the teachers themselves, listening closely to what they said during classes was important. Then just before the test, you had to make sure to look at your notes and revise the main points. Beyond that, there wasn't any particular way to study. That being said, what's done is done so telling Azumane to "listen closely" now would be a bit pointless.

“Let’s see…” Sawamura crossed his arms and thought, “If I had to say something… it would be that I move around while I study.”

“What do you mean by ‘move around’? You mean like while you’re muscle training or something?”

Sugawara, who was changing looked over, “I saw on TV that an actor walked around while memorising their lines. Don’t remember who it was though.” he piped.

“No, not quite like that.” Sawamura began, “Like, when I’m vacuuming?”

Upon hearing the captain’s words, Azumane and Sugawara’s eyes grew big.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Do you write test questions on the vacuum cleaner or something!?”

“Or you write questions on rubbish and vacuum it up when you’ve solved it?”

“What are you talking about, Asahi?”

“You know, like when you eat the page of the dictionary once you’ve memorised it, that.”

“What on earth. Treat your body and dictionaries with respect, Asahi!”

“It’s not like I actually do that! Hey, ouch! Don’t punch my stomach!”

Watching the two getting carried away with their extreme study methods, Sawamura scratched his head, "No, that's not it. It's nothing amazing, just when I vacuum the clubroom I try to remember English grammar and phrases. That's all."

“Huh? Sorry, come again, I don’t quite understand.”

Sawamura directed his explanation at Sugawara who had finished changing and was sitting on the floor, “So, for example: ‘I soon as I clean*’”

“Becomes ‘As soon as I clean’, right?” Sugawara, being a current entrance exam taking student, replied reflexively.

“That’s right!” laughed Sawamura who continued, “‘I am ready to move my desk*’.”

“Ready to move… is ‘be ready to’ …so “I am ready to move my desk”. Is that right?”

“I think so.” Sawamura nodded and Sugawara’s eyes lit up.

“This is so neat! I’m going to start doing on-the-spot drills!”

“It’s great right? Go ahead!” 

When Sawamura replied proudly Azumane sighed, “That doesn’t have to be when you’re cleaning though.”

 “Now that you mention it, you’re right.” Sawamura rested his elbows on the table, seriously considering an alternative before clapping his hands together, “How about you do it while solving math problems? You can study both English and math at the same time! Like one rock two birds*.”

Sugawara cut in immediately to scrap the idea, “Better quit before you end up studying neither of them. That being said doesn’t that last part seem like something Hinata would say?”

“Totally. I can see it all the way to the point where he can’t think of a name for his super move. ” Azumane laughed jokingly, “He’d be muttering to himself… ‘twin …..bird…..?’ or something like that.”

“He’d be making such a ridiculously serious face too!”

Watching Azumane and Sugawara rolling on the floor laughing, Sawamura stood up.

“What? What is it with you two? It’s just that I read somewhere that Marie Curie would solve math problems when she was tired from her experiments, just for a change of pace.”

“But that wasn’t particularly while she was doing her experiments though.”

“Cleaning. Just study while cleaning. You know, being a guy that can do house chores scores a lot of points. ”

“R-really? But… what kind of points are you talking about?”

                                                                 ***

 While the third years were getting fired up inside talking about study methods there was a first-year listening intently outside.

“Me… and the captain… the same? Does that mean… I could be captain? Has my time.... finally come?!”

It was Hinata Shoyou.

And he was making a ridiculously serious face.

   TRANSLATION NOTES:

Standardized test: every six months there’s a test all students in Japan take which compares the overall performance of students between schools. These are really serious and can sometimes contain questions that are unexpected.

As soon as I clean: This was basically in Japanese and then the answer again in English. I have no other way of translating since Daichi’s translation is 10/10 correct.

I am ready to move my desk: Same deal here

One rock two birds: In the original Japanese text it says 一石二鳥, “One rock, two birds” which is basically “killing two birds with the one stone” but this is of English origin and apparently the proper, non-childish Japanese is 一挙両得 “One attempt and you will attain both”.

As a small disclaimer:  I have taken some liberties in translation to make the novel read smoothly. So please don’t quote specific words as canon. That being said I tried my best to stay faithful to the original.  For this reason I will not allow translations into another language using this as the base text. I apologise to anyone who is keen on sharing it in another language but please do so using the original Japanese text.

Anyway, if you enjoyed this chapter please consider supporting Haikyuu and buying a copy of this novel (volume 11) ! I may consider doing more novel translations in the future!