Chapter Text
It all started when Tendou got bored during one day’s training break.
“You know what would be fun, Semi-semi?” He perched himself against the pole as he casually struck up a conversation with his favourite setter, “You know what would be re-ally fun?”
“I have no idea and I’m not sure if I want to know.” Semi stared at him blankly. Tendou was good at coming up with interesting games and whatnot, but they’d usually involve some sort of rule-breaking or danger-seeking. It was not that Semi was actively against those things, no sir, he had too much rock’n’roll in him to be a tight-ass stick-in-the-mud. He wouldn't mind leave that role to Shirabu Kenjirou.
The thing was – right, it was a bit embarrassing to admit. The thing was that Tendou was much better at not getting into trouble than him, and Semi did not like getting into troubles.
“Come on,” As if sensing his hesitation, Tendou egged him on, “I promise it’s not going to be dangerous. And you only need to listen to me. Please, Eita-kun?”
Of course Semi gave in, because who was he to say no to the fun that Tendou Satori could bring. The guy was the most interesting character he’d ever had the pleasure of knowing, and he doubted if he’d ever meet anyone who’s as interesting as him. Okay, maybe he had a little bit of a crush on him, so what? Everyone had a little bit of a crush on someone in high school, it was not a crime.
Even Ushijima did. Semi could not believe it the first time Tendou told him that. But his opinion had long changed after years of watching their captain mooning over his counterpart from Aoba Johsai.
That would be irrelevant now, though, as he tentatively watched Tendou, waiting for him to spill the beans. It seemed that Tendou was just as happy to receive his attention, as he immediately started,
“You do know that Seijoh and Karasuno are coming over for the training camp next week, right?”
Right. Semi did not understand why it was happening – the training camp, he meant, and why it was Seijoh and Karasuno who'd be joining them. Well, Seijoh was understandable to an extent, for their rivalry against Shiratorizawa went way back. But he didn’t see how Karasuno managed to get a spot. He’d heard about the legend of the two first-years’ fast attack, but he failed to see how that would make the team strong enough to be considered on par with their team.
That should not be his concern though. He nodded and motioned for Tendou to continue.
“So, the training camp. For a whole week, the chosen ones will be enjoying the hospitality of Shiratorizawa. Eita-kun, what shall we do to, let’s say, entertain our guests?”
“Oh no.” Semi answered, “No, no, Satori. You are not going to prank them.”
“Why not?” Tendou blinked, “Semi-semi, I’ve already promised it’s nothing dangerous. You know me, don’t you? I just want to have some fun! Maybe I could even make Wakatoshi’s crush less grumpy. Don’t you want to help our poor Wakatoshi out a bit?”
“Alright.” Semi shook his head, “Just tell me what you have in mind. If it’s anything too risky, I’m going to put a stop to it.”
“You will like it.” Tendou carried on with a twinkle in his eyes, “Eita, have you heard of The Rules?”
Semi was confused for a while, for he’d never thought that anything rules related could spark any interest in someone like Tendou. That was until Tendou explained to him that The Rules was a popular subgenre of Creepypasta, which, he had to say, had succeeded in wiring him up.
“So, basically, the protagonist went somewhere, and they found a list of very peculiar and specific rules that they must follow. Some of them obeyed, and some of them didn’t. In most of the cases, the protagonist would meet their tragic end if they unfortunately broke one or too many rules.” Tendou struck his fingers on the pole, “I think it would be fun to make it a real-life experience, right?”
“Probably.” Semi hesitated. It sounded like a good prank. It wasn’t harmful, either, just a fun little thing to keep their rivals on their toes.
“Oh, by the way, Eita-kun.” Suddenly, Tendou leaned in much closer than usual, startling Semi out of his contemplation, “I want it to be fair, too. You know, if the others are all losing their sleeps because of some weird rules, it would look suspicious that our guys are not affected at all.”
Semi’s eyes widened.
“Please keep it a secret, Semi-semi?” It was unfair for Tendou to ask for such a thing as he flashed a dazzling smile that made Semi’s knees go weak. He nodded somewhat stiffly, before realising that he had thrown everyone under the bus for his silly crush.
Alright, whatever. Love is adventurous, and Semi Eita was more than ready for a bit of that.
On the winding hill roads drove an unassuming school bus. It was like any other school busses you’d find – loud, bubbling, stuffed with overexcited high school kids on an excursion. This bus, though, was not just any bus. It was Karasuno’s bus.
Takeda sighed as he rubbed his buzzing ears. The kids were good kids, really, but sometimes they simply had no idea how to control their volume. Luckily Sawamura was able to deal with them rather well. He was still impressed by the authority the captain had over the whole team, for even he himself, as the advisor of the volleyball club, would sometimes have trouble getting a couple of them to listen.
He turned to Ukai, their driver, who was admirably unaffected by the entire situation going on at the back.
“Ukai-san, I’d have to admit that I’m quite surprised to receive Shiratorizawa’s invitation, out of all schools in Miyagi.”
The coach nodded, his expression unchanged as he focused on the road, “I know. It is surprising to me as well, but it’s also a great opportunity.”
“It definitely is.” Takeda agreed, “I still remember how they used to turn us down all the time, that’s all.”
“In fact,” Ukai spoke in a curious tone, “I don’t quite remember Shiratorizawa hosting any sort of training camps in the past. They prefer playing against college teams anyway, but it is still strange for a powerhouse like that to never host anything.”
“Yes.” Takeda responded, “I wonder what could be the reason of that.”
“No idea. Maybe they believe their time is too precious for other high school teams.” Ukai shrugged. They left the conversation like that, for Takeda was called upon when Hinata got sick all over Kageyama’s outfit. Asahi wasn’t feeling well either after hearing a story about Shiratorizawa’s haunted dorms.
Despite the eventful journey, the bus arrived at the campus without any major issues. The camp would officially start tomorrow on Monday, giving the two visiting schools enough time to settle down. A welcome dinner was to be held in the evening for the students to break the ice before training started.
Sawamura wondered if it was necessary. He’d say that Karasuno and Seijoh had already acquainted each other – although if they were on a friendly term remained undetermined. Seijoh and Shiratorizawa should be on the same page. That left only them and Shiratorizawa. Well, he didn’t need another reminder that Karasuno had never made to the finals in the prefecture before.
“What’s that?” He heard Hinata’s voice calling out on the other side of the room. The kid was almost constantly fascinated by something, so he paid it no attention, focusing on unpacking his bag instead. The second years were off to fetch the supplies. He was certain that Asahi had tagged along, leaving only the first years in the room for him and Sugawara to watch over.
“It’s a note, boke.” Answered Kageyama, unsurprisingly, “It says…”
He trailed off, sounding somewhat hesitant. Their exchange seemed to have attracted others’ attention as well, for soon Sawamura could hear a discussion going on in their corner. Sighing, he straightened himself to walk over, clapping his hands as he commanded the first years’ attention, “People, have you done unpacking yet?”
“Sawamura-san!” Hinata snapped his head around at his speech, holding out a piece of paper in his hand, “Please take a look at this!”
Arching an eyebrow, Sawamura took it over. There was nothing out of the ordinary with the piece of paper itself, an A4 white sheet with what appeared to be a list printed on it. A short piece of message was typed at the top, which read,
Dear visitors of the Shiratorizawa Academy,
Welcome to our beautiful campus and we wish you an enjoyable stay. To ensure your safety and wellbeing during your visit, we sincerely recommend you to carefully read the list of rules attached and follow them to the letter. Shiratorizawa Academy would not be held responsible for any physical or psychological harm that might be inflicted upon you if you fail to adhere to these rules.
Okay, he thought, the wording seemed rather intense, but it was normal for a school to have their own code of conduct and expect their visitors to behave accordingly. He nodded to himself and continued reading.
Rule #1: On the first evening of your stay, you will be invited to a dinner party. You MUST bring over a token and exchange it with the person sitting directly across of you, no matter who they are. It does not matter what you bring, but it has to be something of personal value.
In the duration of your stay, keep the token on you AT ALL TIMES. It is important that you make the exchange AT the dinner party, NOT before or after it. You MUST also follow the seating arrangement and make NO attempt of switching seats.
“They sure have strange rituals around here, don’t they?” Sawamura muttered to himself.
“I wonder if this is their idea of making friends.” At some point Sugawara came over, and was currently peeking over his shoulder, “A token? Something of personal value? It almost sounds like a dating scene.”
“What would be something of personal value, Kageyama?” Hinata poked the taller boy next to him.
Kageyama appeared to have trouble coming up with an answer. He glared at Hinata as if that would give him some clue, and only answered unsuringly after a couple of seconds, “…A volleyball?”
Behind them, Tsukishima snorted.
“Yeah, I’m sure whoever sits across of you will be very happy to carry a volleyball wherever they go for the whole week.”
“Excellent point, Tsukishima-kun!” Commented Sugawara, “So, find something that is personal and easy to carry around. We can start from here.”
Sawamura did not say anything. He had already moved on to the next paragraph.
Rule #2: A curfew is implimented from ten p.m to six a.m. the next day. Once the lights are out, NO ONE is allowed to leave the bedrooms. If you happened to linger too late in another room, seek shelter there and DO NOT make any attempt to leave. The corridors are not safe at night.
If you must use the bathroom during the night, make sure to check the clock and ONLY go between twelve to one a.m. DO NOT bring any source of light, and remain as quiet as possible. You do not want THEM to notice you.
“Alright, this is starting to give me the creeps.” Sugawara chuckled, “Really, it’s quite impressive already.”
Hinata was quiet and pale.
“Yeah, impressive.” Sawamura flipped the paper to see how long the list went and was glad to find that it was only one page long. There were ten rules in total. It was impressive that someone had taken the time to joint down all of these to pull a prank on them. He appreciated their effort.
“Oh, I assume that by ‘them’ it means the teachers?” Tsukishima faked a yawn, “This is boring. Please excuse me, but I've got things to unpack. Let’s go, Yamaguchi.”
Yamaguchi looked as if he wanted to stay and listen. In the end, though, he followed Tsukishima to the other side.
“Sawa-Sawamura-san.” Kageyama stuttered, “Would you mind…”
“Sure, I’ll keep reading.” Sawamura let out a hearty laugh, untouched by Tsukishima’s sharp remarks. The kid was always like that, and he believed that he’d still be listening from the distance. After all, this was a pretty funny prank, and the rules were quite intriguing. He wouldn’t mind spend a little bit of time going over them all.
Rule #3: During the night, you might hear footsteps and knockings coming from the corridor. Ignore them and DO NOT investigate. You might even hear murmurs directed at you, pleading for you to open the door and let them in. It does not matter whose voice you hear, DO NOT open the door for them.
“Wow, this is getting good!” Oikawa squealed in delight, “I would like to meet the person behind this. The Rules in real life? It’s going to be so exciting that even Ushiwaka’s face will become somewhat tolerable!”
“I don’t understand how someone can be so exhilarated by a prank.” Hanamaki said in wonder, “Especially when said prank is targeted at them. You know they’re fake.”
Aoba Johsai had arrived here roughly twenty minutes ago. While Iwaizumi took the responsibility to organise their team to arrange the living quarter, the other third years were mesmerised by a piece of note that they’d found sticking to the back of the door.
Matsukawa did not even get through the message before Oikawa fervently snatched it over and gave it a quick scan, declaring that this was obviously an elaborated prank, a knock-off of some Creepypasta that were dubbed The Rules.
Hanamaki was not surprised that Oikawa, out of all the people, was an enthusiast of such morbid things.
“Oh, we don’t know.” Oikawa wiggled his finger, “Sometimes people write them down as jokes, and then the rules suddenly become real, and they’d get into troubles for not following them. I’ve read a couple of articles like that.”
“They are called fictions.” Hanamaki sighed.
“Whatever!” Oikawa yelled in frustration, “Let’s keep going and see what they are. At least they are fun to read.”
Rule #4: Your day will start around seven a.m. You MUST arrive at the canteen before eight a.m., breakfast time. Feel free to grab yourself a bite, but if you see a tray of cupcakes, STAY AWAY.
“I’m glad it says cupcakes instead of profiteroles.” Matsukawa shook his head, “Or milk bread.”
“If they seriously go through the trouble of baking a tray of cupcakes just to prank us, I’ll make sure to try one.” Hanamaki pondered.
“No, don’t do that, Makki.” Oikawa grabbed his friend’s arm, “What if they poison them just to prove the point?”
“I don’t think that’s legal.” Matsukawa smirked, “But who knows, they might sprinkle the batter with laxatives.”
Rule #5: The bathroom closest to the gym is at the end of the corridor out of the entrance to the left. If you see another bathroom in the middle of the corridor to the right, DO NOT ENTER under any circumstances.
“Yup, laxatives.” Hanamaki nodded, “Who do you think is behind all this?”
“Not Ushiwaka.” Oikawa grumbled, “He’ll never be able to come up with something so fun.”
“Why do I hear disappointment?”
“What is that supposed to mean!”
“If you ask me, I’ll bet that it’s Tendou’s doing.” Matsukawa said nonchalantly, “He has the vibe of someone who’d plan something like this.”
Rule #6: If you unfortunately break rule #5 and enter the wrong bathroom, you will find three stalls inside. You MUST enter the one in the middle immediately and lock the door behind you, then turn and face the door.
You will then hear a voice coming from either side of you, giving you an instruction. If it comes from your right, ignore it, wait for ten seconds and leave. DO NOT do what it says. If it comes from your left, you MUST act according to the instruction. If it is not something that can be done immediately, wait for ten seconds and leave. You have until ten o’clock this evening to perform your task.
It cannot be guaranteed that the task is harmless, however, whatever harm it may cause will look merciful comparing to the fate you will suffer if you fail to complete it.
Hanamaki burst out laughing, “Okay, now this is what we call an overkill. I hope they do have an abandoned toilet at this location, because I’ll be quite disappointed if I don’t get to see the haunted toilet.”
Oikawa was about to say something when a pillow flew across the room and hit him square on the head.
“Shittykawa!” Iwaizumi bellowed, “What the hell are you doing here? I told you to unpack the luggage, damn it!”
“Alright, mom!” Oikawa rubbed his head as he dodged another incoming attack, “I’m sorry, Iwa-chan! But you have to come and see this!”
“See what?” Iwaizumi stomped over, pulling the list free from Oikawa’s grasp.
Rule #7: It is advised that regardless of the situation, DO YOUR BEST to keep to your schedule. Your visiting has a purpose, and it won’t look good if you don’t fulfill your duty. DO NOT let your personal issue interfere with your performance, for we at Shiratorizawa hold everyone to a very high standard.
“Finally,” Shirabu commented in a flat tone, “A piece that’s not utterly trash.”
Semi shot the unpleasant kid a glare, but refrained from voicing his opposition when he felt Tendou’s arm subtly brushing against his own. Well, if he was in for it, he’d better stick till the very end. In his opinion, though, Tendou had done a pretty good job putting together a list like this, and it was everything but trash. Kawanishi and Goshiki’s expressions were enough of a proof.
He was not good at acting, and Tendou would automatically seem suspicious if he was the one who “discovered” the rules. Luckily, there was one person who would always be credible, and it was not difficult to plant the list somewhere for him to find.
It was Ushijima who had found the list. He frowned at it in silence for a long time before Goshiki rushed to his side, eagerly jumping up and down to take a sneak peek. When he enquired about the content of the note, Ushijima simply passed it to him. “This does not appear to make much sense,” He said, “I don’t remember ever seeing any rules like this.”
“It is also directed at the visitors.” Ohira added, also having read a few lines with Ushijima, “Are we bind by this, too?”
He turned to give Tendou a wink, as if he had already guessed the identity of the perpetrator. To Semi’s amazement, Tendou acted so innocent that if he didn’t know better, he’d have thought that the redhead had nothing to do with this at all.
“Why, that is a possibility.” He tilted his head and chuckled, “There must be a reason why we found the list to begin with. Tsutomu, what does it say?”
And just like that, Goshiki started to read off from the list, with Shirabu making snide remarks along the way.
Rule #8: There is safety in numbers. We recommend that wherever you go, go with at least one other person. Those who wander alone tend to get lost, because the rooms love to play games with loners. We cannot be sure how long it would take for us to find you. There are missing cases dating back to the eighties that still remain unsolved until now.
“I’ve never heard of any missing cases.” Yamagata said with mild interest, “Have you?”
“No, Yamagata-san, because there are no missing cases.” Shirabu was trying very hard not to roll his eyes. Beside him, Kawanishi voiced his disagreement, “Or maybe it is because they were covered up.”
“We are too old for this kind of middle school level stupidity.” Shirabu eyed him disapprovingly, “All except for Goshiki.”
“I-I’m not falling for this!” Goshiki yelled in protest, “I’m just reading what’s written here, I don’t believe any of them to be true!”
“It makes no sense,” Ushijima said.
“Exactly –”
“…That someone would go through all the trouble of constructing a list only for the purpose of entertainment.” Ushijima continued before Shirabu was able to finish, “I believe the safest option is to not break the rules.”
Shirabu looked as if he wanted to smack his head against the wall.
“Yea-yeah.” Goshiki swallowed, “Ushijima-san has a point.”
“Don’t you guys know prank exists?” Yamagata laughed in good spirit.
“Well, I do, but…I agree that it’s safer to assume that it’s not a prank, I guess?” Kawanishi suggested, “Plus, if all three schools get them, we can observe how the others react to them and see if they get in any troubles for breaking them, right?”
Ushijima stood up.
“I will have a talk with the other captains.” He said, his face grim. It almost made Semi feel guilty, but he held his tongue.
“Wait, Wakatoshi-kun.” Tendou cleared his throat, “How about you go after hearing the remaining piece?”
Rule #9: No matter what you do, NEVER, EVER enter the attic.
“And we don’t even have an attic.” Shirabu announced before turning to his captain, “Ushijima-san, this is not a serious matter that requires your attention. I’m certain this is a prank, and whoever responsible for this is now here in this room.”
Poor Ushijima, thought Semi, he looked genuinely lost. It was almost cruel to watch him turn to their direction with complete trust, “Tendou, what do you think?”
“Ah, I wouldn’t try bothering the others.” Tendou answered sheepishly, though Semi could tell that he was now feeling as bad as himself, “Wakatoshi-kun…”
That was when things took an interesting turn.
“Uh, guys, there is a final rule here,” Goshiki said with uncertainty in his voice, “It says…”
Rule #10: From Monday seven a.m. to Friday seven p.m., the main entrance to the gymnasium building will remain locked at all time. Your sleeping quarters, the canteen and a bathroom are on the second floor of the building, while the gym itself and another bathroom are on the first floor, so this should not impact your normal routine. DO NOT attempt to get out or call for help, as you will find no signals on your cell phones.
At seven p.m. on Friday, the entrance will be opened. Those of you who successfully follow all of the nine rules above will be able to leave safely. The same, however, cannot be said for those who fail.
“Okay…” Semi shuffled as he exchanged a discreet look with Tendou. This was not right. He was certain that they had only made up nine rules for everyone to follow, unless Tendou put in an extra without notifying him. But that was unlikely, for they had went to the print room together and he was very sure that there were only nine rules on the lists then.
“Tell you what, Wakatoshi-kun,” Tendou stood up, dragging Semi along with him, “Eita-kun and I are going to have a talk with the other schools in your place. What do you say?”
Ushijima looked relieved, and everyone else except for him and pure little Tsutomu eyed them knowingly. Semi was trying very hard not to show his embarrassment. Or confusion. Or both.
It was only when they were several feet away from the room that Semi voiced his concern.
“Tendou, you didn’t add that final piece there without my knowledge, did you?”
“No.” Semi appreciated how relaxed Tendou seemed at this moment, even if he could tell that he was also feeling the tension, “I don’t remember doing so. It doesn’t make sense anyway. We can’t really lock that entrance, so the whole thing will be instantly busted.”
“But…” Semi blinked, “What do you make of this then?”
Tendou paused. Semi watched as he leaned in closer and closer, until he reached a distance that was definitely not good for his heart. He watched Tendou’s face bloomed into a smile, and heard him whispering,
“Don’t you think you trust me a little too much, my dear Eita?”
By God, Semi thought, he wished he could kiss him now.
But then Tendou pulled away, and the spell broke. Semi pinched his own arm in an attempt to calm himself down, “Am I wrong in that?”
“Unfortunately, no.” Tendou sighed, “That rule is not mine. I’m not sure what to do about it, but first thing first, we need to go check on the other schools to see if the same piece of rule appeared on their lists as well.”
“Yeah.” Semi nodded, still feeling dazed. Their innocent prank had gotten mysteriously out of control, so he really should be concentrating on that. But for now, all he could think of was the things he wanted to do with this certain someone walking alongside him down the corridor.