[haikyuu 393]

“the world is both fair and unfair”

in a single image, furudate manages to completely encapsulate the meaning of that sentence. hoshiumi stands next to hirugami and ushijima, who are blessed with height in a world that welcomes it.

at a single glance, the image reminds you of the obstacles that hoshiumi has to go through to compete with people with height. the world is unfair because hoshiumi wasn’t gifted with the advantages others had.

however, it doesn’t change the fact that hoshiumi IS standing next to them. that even with his height, he is able to compete at the same level as these 190cm players. or, you know, maybe even surpass them.

the world is unfair because we are not born with the same qualities. our circumstances will always be unique to each other.

however, the world is fair because we are all born with the ability to adapt under those circumstances.

that’s exactly what hoshiumi does- “adapt.” while he laments over his height, his mother questions him. is there really no way to fight back? will hoshiumi let his height dissuade him from pursuing the place he desires to stand at?

udai once said that the higher you go, the better your opponents become, and that anyone can practice techniques and skills, regardless of height.

what sets hoshiumi apart is the knowledge of his weakness, which, ironically, is his strength. it’s TASK FOCUS that he has executed his whole life. and it’s this acknowledgment that gives him a clear mindset during matches as he terrifies both allies and opponents on court.

it is also that knowledge that justifies his extreme thinking when he says “if i can’t make this count, i won’t have a place on this court tomorrow.” in the grand scheme of things, a mistake like that won’t matter.

however, it doesn’t lessen the significance of that mistake in the moment as well. to hoshiumi (and hinata), who has worked much harder than anyone to stand on their level, a mistake is more detrimental to him than most players.

a mistake from hoshiumi won’t kill anyone. but it will have repercussions on hoshiumi’s expectations of himself anyway.

the world is both fair and unfair.

fortunately, hoshiumi kourai is a shining example of how to adapt to that world and excel in it.