Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

  “What do you think is going to happen… When it’s all over?”

   A fall breeze blew past, providing a chilly yet comforting atmosphere. The sky was still light, though before long the sun would begin to droop, signifying the end of the September day. 

 “What do you mean?” Hinata asked, and Kageyama watched as his friend set down the handful of dead leaves he had been holding. Kageyama averted his eyes and stared out to the distance, leaning back on his hands. He felt a few leaves crunch as he scooted his legs ever so slightly closer to his chest.

 “I mean… We won’t be on Karasuno forever,” the setter thought aloud, simply musing over the idea. “Sure, we’re still first years, but the third years will be graduating soon. Soon enough we’ll replace them, and then after that, we’ll move on too.” Hinata went quiet for a few moments as if pondering his response to the statement.

 “I can’t say… I’ve ever really thought about it,” Hinata picked up a few more dead plants and tore them all in half before continuing. “I don’t like to think about it. I like the way things are now. All I know is that... I want to keep playing volleyball. As long as I can, I want to stay on the court. Whether that’s on Karasuno or some big league team, I want to keep playing. That’s what matters to me.” Kageyama couldn’t say that Hinata’s answer surprised him. The ginger had always been so motivated, always striving to be the best. Kageyama did not doubt that the other boy was going to make it big someday.

 “I guess I’m just not ready for everything to change,” Kageyama admitted. In response his friend simply flashed him a small smile, and a sympathetic look. Kageyama felt better instantly. Hinata had always been a fun person to hang out with, though the thought pained the dark-haired male. Hinata was energetic, rambunctious, and loud. But he also cared, and his passion was almost completely unmatched. “Everything has been going so well lately. Our team is better than ever. I don’t know if I’m ready for that all to end.”

 “I get what you mean,” Hinata sighed. “Our team is so cool! I’ve never been a part of anything like it. I don’t want to give it up. I’m excited to see what happens next though.”

   Kageyama nodded, then watched as Hinata pulled out a small phone from his pocket. The middle blocker flipped it open and then let out a groan. “I’ve got to go, my mom wants me home for dinner. See you at practice tomorrow?” He stood up and dusted himself off, little bits of nature scattering and falling to the ground. 

 “Of course,” Kageyama stood up as well. He waved goodbye to Hinata who had already begun to jog down the hill, stretching his short legs out as far as they could go. 

  Kageyama knew he and Hinata were similar in their love for volleyball. It’s what brought them together. From the game in middle school to joining Karasuno, to every game and practice since volleyball is how they had become a team.

   What a dumbass, Kageyama thought, slowly beginning his descent down the hill and back to his house. The sunset was causing all the shadows to shift, and the wind was picking up speed. 

  The setter stuffed his hands in his pockets as he walked. 

  Sure, Hinata was an idiot, but he was also Kageyama’s friend. They had already been through so much together, and Kageyama had to admit that he was looking forward to making more memories with his friend. 

----

  “I’m home!” Kageyama called into his house, opening the door. He instantly retreated to his room, setting down his stuff in the corner. He knew he should probably pull out his homework, but he didn’t feel like it. So against his better judgment, he left it in his bag and walked over to his bed. He sat on the edge, the mattress squeaking so quietly he could hardly hear it. 

  He picked up the volleyball he had left on his pillow that morning and began to fidget with it, setting it to himself. The slight sting of the ball as it rhythmically hit his hand calmed him, and he continued doing it for a while before flopping back. As his head hit the soft fabric of his pillowcase he thought back on his conversation with Hinata from earlier.

  God that kid is so hopelessly positive, it’s annoying, he sighed and stared up at his ceiling. Kageyama supposed that Hinata was right though, there wasn’t a point in being constantly worried about what came next. 

  Confident in the thought, the boy reached over and flicked his lamp off, sealing his room into darkness. He didn’t even bother to change out of his clothes before he fell asleep. 

----

“Morning you two!” The vice-captain of the team, Sugawara, greeted as both Hinata and Kageyama raced around the corner to the gym the next morning. Kageyama heard the third year laugh as the two of them skidded to a halt, kicking up dust next to the path.

  “I… Won… Again,” Kageyama, hunched over, completely out of breath. Hinata just glared at him, too busy trying to regain his composure to speak. Kageyama stuck his tongue out at the other first year as he stood up and stretched.

  “Glad you’re here on time,” Sugawara said sarcastically when they had recovered, checking his watch. Kageyama pulled out his phone only to discover that they were not on time, but fifteen minutes early. “Cmon I’ve got the key. I had a sneaking suspicion that you guys were going to show up early again.” 

  “It’s not exactly a suspicion when they do it nearly every day,” a new voice spoke from behind them. Kageyama whipped his head around to see the team captain walking up with a yawn. “Morning guys,” he greeted as he grabbed the key out of Sugawara’s outstretched hand. 

  “Daichi! Why are you here?” Kageyama heard Hinata ask, the energetic boy bounding up to the gym door and impatiently waiting for the third year to open it. 

  “I just figured that if members of my team were showing up for practice that it’s my duty as your captain to make sure that I’m there as well,” he flashed them all a smile before flicking the lights on. “Now you came here to practice, right? What are you waiting for?”

  Fifteen minutes later, all four boys were sweating. Kageyama grabbed his water bottle and lifted it, feeling the cold liquid fill up his mouth. He swallowed it slowly, using his arm to wipe off his forehead. Just as he was about to head back onto the court, the gym door opened. Kageyama looked over to see Coach Ukai standing in the entrance, frozen in place for a brief second. The adult blinked, then shook his head and smiled. 

  “Got an early start today eh?” He stepped into the gym and set his stuff down by a chair. 

  “Yes sir,” Kageyama turned his head back towards the court began jogging over to where Hinata was standing. He picked up one of the volleyballs on the floor and paused for a second before tossing it to Sugawara.

  “Can you throw this so I can set it to Hinata?” He asked the third year, who caught it and got into position. Kageyama watched as Hinata’s eyes widened in excitement and the boy ran his tongue over the top row of his teeth in anticipation. Kageyama signaled to the third year that they were ready. Sugawara threw the ball at a perfect angle, probably thanks to his abilities as a setter. Kageyama didn’t even have to move other than to slightly switch his footing. He quickly measured the distance between him and Hinata in his mind, and when the ball was at precisely the right place he set it towards the small ginger, relishing the sting of the ball in his palms and fingertips that he had grown to love so much.

  Hinata raced forward right up to where the ball was and adjusted his feet. It was so fast that someone unaccustomed to working with the bright-haired first year would never notice. The middle blocker leaped off the ground with the power only he knew how to use and connected with the ball, slamming it down to the other side of the court with perfect accuracy. 

  “All right!” Hinata cried in excitement. He rushed over to Kageyama and held his hands up for a high-five. The setter hesitated for a moment before awkwardly returning it, smiling slightly, though he knew from experience that it probably looked like a grimace to the others.

  “Just as awesome as ever you two,” another new voice called from the entrance. Kageyama looked up to see Ennoshita standing there, who waved before going to add his stuff to the rest. 

  Before long the rest of the team arrived, and within minutes the gym became filled with the loud sounds of volleyballs connecting with skin and slamming into the floor, cheers echoing around the room. Coach Ukai would occasionally shout something, and there was the quiet chat of the teammates getting a drink or standing off to the side. 

 By the time practice was over, everyone was sweating. 

  Kageyama quickly left to change into his uniform for school. Though by the time he got back, there were still voices echoing in the gym, and Kageyama peaked in curiously to see who still lingered. 

  The first person he spotted was Kiyoko, who was in the corner wiping up some spilled water with a rag. However that wasn’t where the voices were coming from, and so he continued his search until he found the source of the noise. Hinata stood near the scoreboard, his back to the entrance, talking rapidly with lots of hand motions. Coach Ukai and Takeda listened with serious expressions on their faces. Takeda said something and Coach Ukai nodded, and Hinata let his shoulders drop. 

  What’s going on?, Kageyama thought, only slightly concerned. He was too far away to make out what they were saying, and so it was all just left up to speculation. 

 “What’re you doing?” Someone called from behind Kageyama, causing him to jump. He shifted around to see Ennoshita standing there, now in his school uniform, looking slightly puzzled. 

 “I was uhh… Looking for Hinata,” he stuttered out, caught off guard. The answer wasn’t completely false, he was wondering where his friend had gone. 

 “Ah ok,” Ennoshita gave him a small smile. Something was off about his look, his eyes seemed almost… Teasing. Kageyama brushed it off and looked back into the gym. “He said he wanted to talk to the two of them about something,” Ennoshita continued, peering in slightly as well. “I wouldn’t worry about it too much, probably just some new technique he wants to work on.”

 “Yeah,” Kageyama agreed. He couldn’t help but feel that something about it was off, but he couldn’t quite place a finger on it. He shook his head to clear the feeling. When his vision re-focused he saw that Hinata was heading towards him, his usual excited smile upon his face.

 “What’s up Kageyama?” Hinata asked when he was close enough. Kageyama felt the back of his neck grow hot, it probably looked like he was trying to listen in on his conversation. He rubbed his head awkwardly, debating on if he should ask Hinata what he was talking to the two adults about. 

 If he already caught me eavesdropping I might as well, he decided, shifting his gaze down.

  “So uh… What did you want to talk to the coach and Mr. Takeda about?” His voice came out as a slight mumble. 

  “Oh I just wanted to update them on my new training regimen and ask them for advice on it,” Hinata informed quickly. A little too quickly. Kageyama could tell Hinata wasn’t lying, but there must have been more than just that. However if Hinata wasn’t going to tell him, he wasn’t going to push it. 

  “Class is about to start guys, what are you doing?” Coach Ukai exclaimed, stepping out of the gym. Takeda and Kiyoko were behind him, Kiyoko still holding her rag and Takeda a clipboard. 

  “Oh crap you’re right,” Ennoshita pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time for himself. “I gotta run, see you all at practice later!” He darted off in the direction of the school.

 “You two better hurry up!” Takeda smiled at them before lightly jogging towards where Ennoshita had just gone, heading off to teach his class. 

 “Sir!” Kageyama heard Hinata call from beside him. He looked over at the small first year, who looked right back and smiled. “Cmon Kageyama we gotta get to class, the sooner class is over the sooner we can get back to practice.” 

------

  Ugh finally over, Kageyama thought, standing up from his desk and pushing his chair in. Not that he had really paid attention, but the idea of sitting in that classroom for a moment longer made him want to throw something. He was more than ready for practice, and he practically leaped out of the room the first chance he got. 

  When Kageyama arrived at the gym, there were only three other people inside. Kiyoko was in the middle setting up the net, Asahi was over in the corner attempting to work on his serves, and Sugawara stood on the court close to the entrance, setting the ball to himself. Kageyama set his water bottle and sweat towel down in the corner where they usually placed them. 

  “Are you ready for practice?” Sugawara asked, signifying to Kageyama that he saw him walk up with a glance. Kageyama nodded, looking at the cart full of volleyballs in anticipation. This had become the thing that was most important to him. Before he had nothing. Back in middle school, he was alone. He had volleyball still, but it was different back then. Back then it was him and the volleyball versus everyone else. There was nobody but the king of the court and his “loyal” subjects. 

  He would never forget the moment when he realized that he was truly alone. He had never been that smart socially, but he still had fully believed that his teammates wanted the same thing he did. They wanted to win, they wanted the victory. And Kageyama had just been pushing them towards that. He thought his words were encouraging, trying to help them get better. He thought they had realized that. 

  Bam, Kageyama shivered as the ball hit the floor behind him. He had subconsciously picked up a volleyball from the cart and set it, completely lost it thought. But as the ball hit the floor, memories of his past continued to surface. That wasn’t the first time nobody was there to spike his set. His mind whirled as he remembered the darkness that had overwhelmed him at his teammate’s betrayal. The day that a hole had opened up in his heart, the day that a gap was torn between him and everyone else. Though, the more he thought about it, the more he realized the gap had always been there.

  I had just always failed to notice it, Kageyama desperately shook his head, trying to get rid of the thought that threatened to overtake him. He didn’t want to remember, he didn’t want those feelings to come back. He stared and the volleyball that had just hit the ground. It was slowly rolling away towards the gym door. Someone reached down and picked it up, and Kageyama shifted his eyes up to see Hinata, now in his gym clothes, holding the un-spiked volleyball.

  “Uh Kageyama? You dropped this,” he teased lightly, water bottle and rag tucked under his arm. He threw the volleyball back towards the setter, who caught it and began walking towards the young teen. 

 “Shut up dumbass,” Kageyama rolled his eyes. His mind was still slightly shaken, but having his closest teammate there made him feel more reassured. Hinata set his stuff down, yawning. 

 “Class was so boring!” The first year groaned, reaching down to touch his toes. His hair fell in his face in a fluffy pile, covering his eyes from Kageyama’s vision. 

 “Maybe it wouldn’t be so boring if you paid attention,” Kinoshita teased, walking over with Nishinoya and Yaichi. The three of them set their stuff down and headed out onto the court, greeting different people or beginning to work on different techniques. 

  Everyone was now there, they were just waiting on the coach. Kageyama flashed Hinata a glance and the small boy nodded as if he could read Kageyama’s mind. The two of them rushed the court in sync, and within seconds the ball that Kageyama had been holding was up in the air, being passed back and forth between the two of them. 

 “Alright guys I got plans for today,” Coach Ukai called, stepping through the door ten minutes later. Everyone paused what they were doing and looked up, both nervously and with excitement. Kageyama was curious, usually, they did something interesting when Coach Ukai came in with a plan. “We’re gonna play a game with our team. A six-on-six game, there’s enough of you here. Nothing too serious, just a way to test your skills and add in a bit of fun to mix up your usual training.” 

  A six on six game? Kageyama looked around the room, counting his teammates. Sure enough there were twelve of them there. Their expressions ranged from joy to anxiety. Hinata looked ecstatic, whereas Narita looked tenser than usual. 

  “All right!!” Kageyama heard Tanaka cry in excitement. Sugawara laughed, and Kageyama barely registered the sound of Tsukishima sighing. 

  “The shop was barely busy today, so I already wrote out the team assignments,” Coach Ukai continued when they had quieted down. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small scrap of paper. “Team one will be Kageyama, Asahi, Narita, Ennoshita, Yamaguchi, and Daichi,” he read off the list. “Team two will be Sugawara, Tanaka, Nishinoya, Kinoshita, Tsukishima, and Hinata. 

   Huh this seems like an odd match up, Kageyama thought through the teams. Usually he and Hinata worked together as a pair, and this was splitting them up. What is the coach thinking?  

  “I want to test both your guys’ adaptability and your skills as individuals. Some of you have a person that you work well with, and I want to see how your skills play out without their help.” He looked over at Hinata as if directing that last comment at him. “Alright we don’t got all night, you guys have five minutes to discuss with your teams before we begin,” Coach Ukai finished the announcement and walked over to the scoreboard where he stood to wait. 

  Kageyama raced over to where his team for the game was beginning to meet. Daichi was talking rapidly to Yamaguchi, giving him instructions on something. Narita was already there, and Asahi got there about the same time Kageyama did. Ennoshita joined them shortly after. 

 “Alright guys,” Daichi began once they were all gathered. “This isn’t like a normal game, we’re up against opponents whose strengths and weaknesses we know, and they know ours,” Kageyama watched as Daichi’s eyes scanned the group, assessing their abilities. “It’ll be difficult for sure, but I have no doubt we can win.” He put a hand on both Yamaguchi and Narita, the two players closest to him. “I want Kageyama, Narita, in the front along with Asahi,” he decided after a brief pause. “Me, Ennoshita, and Yamaguchi will take the back positions as we start.”

  “Kageyama will play setter, right?” Narita asked Daichi, as if he was just reassuring himself. Daichi nodded. 

  “I know Coach wants us to test our abilities, and I agree with that,” he explained looking directly at Kageyama now. “That being said, we should also focus on training the abilities we’re going to use. So for you Kageyama, this will be a challenge for you to set to people other than you’re used to.”

   Narita, Yamaguchi, and Ennoshita will be the biggest variables, he thought, looking at each member in turn. They don’t usually play and I don’t know their strategy styles yet. He turned his gaze to Daichi and Asahi. It’s good to have those two though, I can always rely on them if things get too out of hand. 

  “I can see you’re already working hard,” Daichi tilted his head toward Kageyama with a smile. He then turned his attention to Yamaguchi. “I know you’ve played before, and you do well in practice. That being said, your serve is your strong point. Regardless, this is a chance for you to work on your other skills. I’ll have you serve the first ball, and then after that, I want you to focus on your receives and attacks. I doubt Kageyama will give you anything you can’t hit, and the rest of us are here to back you up, okay?” Yamaguchi swallowed and nodded. It didn’t take a genius to sense that he was nervous. 

   I'll have to be careful setting to him , Kageyama noted in his mind. One wrong move could damage his spirit, hindering his usefulness in the game. Kageyama was distracted from his mental ramblings by Daichi’s voice once again:

  “Now, you two,” he looked at Narita and Ennoshita in turn. “I know you don’t get many chances to play on the court. Well, this is your time,” he smiled confidently as if attempting to transfer the feeling upon the two second years. Show me what you’re made of.” Ennoshita nodded determinedly and Narita took a deep breath before smiling. 

  “Time’s up!” Coach Ukai called out. Kageyama looked up to see the other team getting into place. Tsukishima and Hinata were taking their positions in the front along with Sugawara, and Nishinoya, Kinoshita, and Tanaka made up the back row. Kiyoko and Yaichi sat on the side next to the scoreboard, with “team one” and “team two” written under the scorecards. 

  “Let’s win this,” Daichi gave a final statement of encouragement before running to take his place. Kageyama ran up as well, moving swiftly into position on the front right side of the court. He heard his teammates coming up behind him, and he took a look around to see all five of them ready with determined looks on their faces. He nodded, satisfied, before turning his eyes back towards the net. 

  The flip of a coin determined that Kageyama’s team would be serving first. The volleyball was passed to Yamaguchi, who fumbled with it and nearly dropped it before he was in place. 

  “You’ve got this Yamaguchi,” Kageyama overheard Daichi call as the nervous first year adjusted his footing. 

   I certainly hope he does. 

  The loud SMACK of Yamaguchi’s hand connecting with the ball rebounded off the walls with an echo, and just like that the ball was in play. Yamaguchi’s serve had been excellent, and it nearly hit the ground, earning them a point. Unfortunately, as talented as he was, Nishinoya had received it and sent it back into the air. 

  “GET IT KINOSHITA,” he called from the floor. Kageyama kept his eyes on the ball as it soared towards the blonde-haired second year, who stepped forward and hit it as hard as he could. The angle was a bit off, however, and it didn’t go far before falling and colliding with the ground. Tanaka had made a dive to save it, but he missed by just a few centimeters, and the bouncing of the ball could be heard throughout the gym.

 “You’ll get it next time,” Kageyama heard the reassuring words from the third-year setter. Within seconds everyone was back in position, and the ball was returned to Yamaguchi once again. Kageyama kept his eyes facing forwards as the first year served, slightly less skillfully this time. Despite that, the ball still soared over the net and was quickly received by Tanaka who sent it soaring to Sugawara.

  “Tsukishima!” Sugawara called out in a demanding voice. Kageyama’s gaze shifted to the tall first year who leaned forward in preparation. He was standing right in front of Kageyama, whose mind was turning rapidly.

   I’ve got to block it, he decided, shifting his weight to his back foot so that he was ready to jump. 

 Kageyama jumped at about the same time his opposing first year did, and the volleyball slammed off his palm and reverberated back to land on team two’s side of the court. 

  Kageyama pounded back onto the floor, not once taking his eyes off the ball. It soared over and Kinoshita quickly received it. Although he hadn’t made it super clean, the ball was back in the air. Nishinoya sent it back to Sugawara, and Kageyama saw him make eye contact with Hinata. 

   Oh no you don’t, Kageyama thought, signaling to Asahi that Hinata was going to spike the next ball. His prediction was right once again, however this time they weren’t quite able to stop it and the ball slammed into the floor on their side of the court. 

   Dammit, Kageyama cursed angrily. He turned towards Asahi, about to tell him off when he stopped. No, it’s not his fault. It could’ve happened to anyone. He turned away and pressed his lips together instead, trying to keep his cool. We’ll get the next one.

-----------

  Twenty minutes later, the teams were still fairly evenly matched. Kageyama’s team was two points ahead, and the scoreboard read 16-18. Both teams were sweating, a few of the members who were less accustomed were completely out of breath. 

  “Keep it up you guys” Coach Ukai called from the side lines as the team Hinata was on scored another point. 

   This really was a good idea, Kageyama forced himself to admit. He looked around at his teammates who all looked exhausted but excited. Everyone was stepping outside of their comfort zones and it had been going surprisingly well. He snapped himself out of his thoughts when he saw a serve from Tsukishima heading right towards him. He received it with ease, the stinging in his forearms satisfying him. Serving had never been the edgy blonde’s strong suit, and he had nearly sent it right into Kageyama’s arms. The ball soared towards Narita, who had rotated around and was in the front again. Narita spiked it with an unusual talent and it soared over the net, narrowly avoiding Hinata’s block. Kageyama watched as Nishnoya received it with ease, however, and within seconds the ball had almost made it back to Sugawara. 

   Who’s he going to send it to, Hinata or Tsukishima?” Kageyama asked himself, watching as the ball landed in Sugawara’s palms. Even though the setter wasn’t in the starting lineup, he had skill. Before Kageyama could even register what was happening, Hinata’s hand connected with the ball and slammed down on the court. Ennoshita and Daichi had both dived to save it, but it bounced and rolled away, earning the opposing team a point. 

  “ALL RIGHT!” He heard Kinnoshita exclaim in excitement. Tanaka joined in the cheering as well, and Kageyama could hear Sugawara laughing. 

   Shit, Kageyama groaned. The score was now tied. 

  “Hinata? Is everything okay?” Takeda call from the edge of the court, worry creeping into his voice. Kageyama looked up from his frustration in confusion. The small first year was hunched over, a pained expression on his face. He was breathing heavily and his legs looked slightly weak. 

  What happened? It was taking everything in him not to race over and pull Hinata up, inspecting him personally. Maybe he landed wrong after that spike, Kageyama tried to calm his worries. He stood there, fighting off the panic that was crawling up his throat as Hinata didn’t look up.

 Takeda set down his clipboard and rushed over, kneeling in front of the ginger, looking up to his face. Coach Ukai followed and pushed Hinata’s teammates, who were beginning to crowd around him, back. There was some whispering that Kageyama couldn’t quite make out before Hinata slowly stood up. Kageyama blanched at the expression on his face. He looked completely drained and worn out, more than the game should have caused. His eyes looked duller than usual and when he spoke to Takeda his mouth shook slightly. 

  “I’m okay,” Kageyama finally heard Hinata say. He spoke forcefully as if trying to make sure there was no room for doubt. He watched as his friend shook his head roughly and gave a small smile. “I just didn’t eat enough for lunch today and I guess that caught up to me.”

  “If that’s all,” Sugawara said, stepping forward past Coach Ukai’s blocking and looking up and down at the small middle blocker. “But maybe you should sit out for a little while, just until you get your strength back.” Kageyama saw Hinata about to open his mouth in protest but Coach Ukai cut him off. 

  “No I agree with Sugawara,” he placed a hand on Hinata’s back, leading him over to the sidelines. “You need to rest,” Kageyama swore he saw something flash between them as Coach Ukai spoke. Something said in that glance caused Hinata to back down. The first year nodded sadly and walked over to where he kept his water, still looking slightly shaken. 

   What was that all about? Kageyama wondered, still on edge. He could verify that Hinata had not eaten that much for lunch, but would that really mess him up that badly? Kagyama couldn’t figure out the answer to that. 

  “So uh.. Now we’re kind of unevenly matched,” Ennoshita noted, looking around at the people left. Everyone looked around in confusion, thoughts of the game had been momentarily forgotten. 

  “I’ll step out,” Daichi volunteered. Kageyama whipped his head around to look at the team captain. “I’m one of the most experienced players here, and you’re used to having me as your captain. It’s time to see how you guys work without me,” he smiled as he said it, but the mood was off. But Kageyama saw Sugawara nod, eyes locked with Daichi.

  “That settles that then,” Sugawara concluded as the other third-year stepped off the court. Kageyama’s eyes followed the captain as he walked over to where Hinata, Takeda, and Coach Ukai gathered in the corner. He saw Daichi bend down and begin conversing with them, though they were too far away for anyone to hear. Kageyama peeled his eyes away and looked at his remaining teammates. 

  The atmosphere had shifted from the high energy that it had been before, to a somber one. Everyone looked tenser than usual. 

  “C'mon guys, we’ve got a game to play!” Sugawara spoke excitedly, in a seeming attempt to up the mood. “Nothing good is going to come from worrying now, so let’s play our best. Don’t think we’re gonna go any easier on you now that you’re missing your captain,” the setter winked at Kageyama’s team and then returned to his position on the court. 

  Everyone seemed to snap back into place, and in just a few minutes the game was on. The gym was once again filled with the sounds of screeching shoes and volleyballs making contact with hands, forearms, and the floor. Though the air was still heavier than it had been before the pause, everyone moved back into a rhythm quickly. Kageyama took a deep breath and emerged himself back into the game he loved so much. 

----

  We lost, Kageyama looked down in defeat. They had played a tough game, but in the end the opposing team had beaten them. He had gotten confident when they had taken the first set, but soon enough the other team had taken the second, and then the third. 

  “Good game guys,” Narita looked around at all of them, his mouth curved up in a small smile. Kageyama couldn’t miss the disappointment on his face however, he was sure it matched his own.

  “Come over here,” Kageyama turned his head to see Ennoshita waving them all over. He joined the group curiously, wondering what the second year was up to. “I agree with Narita,” Ennoshita began once they were all gathered, and he nodded towards his friend. “You all played an amazing game and I couldn’t be more proud.” The wing spiker's eyes swept over the small team, pausing on each of them in turn.

  “But… We lost,” someone voiced what Kageyama currently thought. Yamaguchi's eyes were wide as if he had spoken without thinking. Kageyama heard Ennoshita sigh slightly. 

  “We did,” Ennoshita agreed, meeting Yamaguchi’s gaze. “We did. But it was a tough game, and we all did well. We put up a strong fight, and I’m sure we improved so many of our abilities, which was the point of this exercise,” Kageyama watched as he looked at each of them again. “But I mean it when I say I couldn’t be more proud of you all. You’re all very skilled players, and you’ve come so far. We’ll get the next one alright?” He locked eyes with Kageyama who silently moved his head in agreement. 

   There won’t be another one like this, he argued with Ennoshita in his head. This was our chance. He knew the game didn’t really matter, after all it was just practice. That was logical. But the emotional side of him couldn’t help being upset. He had wanted to win. He looked around his small team and saw them all looking more reassured after Ennoshita’s small speech. Yamaguchi looked relieved but still slightly torn.

  Kageyama knew they all handled loss differently, and Ennoshita must have known that as well. Kageyama watched as the second year pulled Asahi and Narita to the side, instructing them on something.

  “You think Hinata is okay?” Someone asked from beside Kageyama. Yamaguchi stood there awkwardly, looking concerned. 

   Hinata. Kageyama looked over to where the small teenager was sitting. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he felt worried. He had been distracted in the game ever since his friend had stepped out, continually casting worried glances over to where Hinata was resting. 

   Maybe that’s why we lost .  He left Yamaguchi, whose question was still unanswered, and walked over to where the first year was sitting. The teen was on the floor, back up to the wall, sitting beside Coach Ukai’s chair. He was talking rapidly to the coach, his eyes wide and excited. The color had come back to his face and he looked so much more like the Hinata that Kageyama remembered. 

  “Hey,” he mumbled as he approached. Hinata stopped mid-sentence and looked up instantly.

  “Great game Kageyama!” He exclaimed looking excitedly at the setter. “You guys were so close!” Kageyama didn't give a response to the statement. He didn't feel like talking about the game.

  “Uhh… How are you?” He asked sheepishly. He caught Hinata looking slightly annoyed as he averted his eyes. 

  “I’m perfectly fine now, see?” Kageyama saw a flash in the corner of his eye as the older boy jumped up to demonstrate. 

  “I don’t think you should-” came the voice of Coach Ukai, but he was quickly interrupted by Hinata:

  “I told you it’s fine,” he said, on his feet now. Kageyama looked up to see Hinata and Coach Ukai staring at each other, it was borderline glaring. Takeda and Daichi looked on in concern, and Yaichi peered over Kiyoko's shoulder in confusion. The air seemed tight, and Kageyama could tell that even the players who weren’t standing near could tell that something was going on.

  “Hinata,” Daichi began, standing up and walking over. He placed a hand on Hinata’s shoulder and spoke in a calm voice, though Kageyama could tell the third year was certain about what he was going to say. 

 “I said it’s FINE,” Hinata brushed off the captain, stepped back a few times, and took a deep breath. He spoke more forcefully than Kageyama had ever heard him before, and his voice cracked halfway through his statement. Hinata shifted his eyes away and walked off, not taking any further arguments. 

  “Sorry guys,” Dachi sighed when Hinata was out of earshot. “I shouldn’t have interfered. I’m just... You know,” he trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. Kageyama watched as Takeda nodded understandingly. 

  “I know, we all are,” Takeda comforted. The teacher and Coach Ukai shared a look, and a mutual thought seemed to pass between them. Suddenly Takeda looked up as if just noticing that Kageyama was standing there. He did a double-take and then turned towards him, almost nervously. 

  “What’s going on?” Kageyama asked. 

   I’m not stupid, clearly there’s something they aren’t telling me. He met Takeda’s gaze, determined to get to the bottom of whatever was happening. 

  “Look Kageyama, I know you’re worried but we need to leave Hinata alone for now. He’s had a rough day.” The teacher spoke quietly, peering over Kageyama’s shoulder as if checking to make sure Hinata couldn’t hear him.

   He has? Kageyama looked at Takeda, confused. Sure he had complained about classes and sitting out for most of the game must’ve sucked, but it wasn't that bad. Against his will, the setter shrugged and decided to drop it. If it was important, Hinata would tell him. Right?

----

 “Goodmorning Kageyama!” Someone called the next day. Kageyama turned to see Hinata running towards him, as bright and cheerful as ever. The tall first yea stared into the amber eyes of the small ginger and his nerves instantly settled.

 “Morning dumbass,” Kageyama responded with a yawn. They were once again heading to practice early, eager to get as much work in as they could before the next real game. While it was still pretty far away, they could never start too early. 

 They raced up to the gym again a few moments later, Kageyama nearly colliding with a post from the path next to the room. He breathed heavily, the race robbing him of a lot of his energy. 

  “I win… Today…” Kageyama looked over to see Hinata, panting, one hand on his chest. He lifted his head and gave Kageyama a smirk of satisfaction before bending over once again in an attempt to recover. 

  “I’m not even surprised anymore.” Kageyama whipped his head around to see Sugawara, Daichi, and Asahi walking up. It was Sugawara who had spoken, and his tone was slightly teasing. Even so, Kageyama could detect a tinge of exasperation in it.

 “You two just don’t know when to quit, do you?” Asked Daichi, a laugh embedded in his voice. 

 “Never would have made it this far if I did!” Hinata exclaimed, finally recovered from his bout of exhaustion. He picked his gym bag up from where he had thrown it on the ground and dusted it off, tossing it over his shoulder. “Can we get to practice already?”

----

   This is perfect. Kageyama looked around himself. Practice was nearly over, but everyone was still hard at work. He closed his eyes for a moment, relishing in the comforting sounds of the sport that he loved. This is home. He had never felt like he had a place before now, there had always been something about him that stuck out. Even when he had begun to play volleyball, he was different from the rest of them. Power hungry and eager, he didn’t fit in with the rest of the players who were just there for fun.

  “So close!” Someone next to Kageyama swore in frustration. He opened his eyes to see who had spoken. Hinata stared out towards the other side of the court, watching a ball slowly roll away. “I’ve almost got it down but something isn’t quite right,” the setter watched as Hinata muttered to himself. The small teen bent down and picked up a volleyball, rotating it a couple of times in his hands. 

 “Uh, what are you doing?” Kageyama couldn’t help but ask. He had been so caught up in practicing on his own he hadn’t been paying attention to the people around him. Hinata looked up, slightly confused. His face brightened the way it usually did when he saw Kageyama. 

 “I’m working on my serve,” he said happily. “I know it’s not one of my strong suits but if I’m going to be half as good as the Tiny Giant I want to be skilled in all areas, not just spiking.” The way he spoke made Kageyama feel light like all his problems vanished. He could just focus on what the ginger was saying. Because in that moments, whatever his friend had to say was the most important thing in the world.

   Home. The word popped into Kageyama’s head without his consent, but the second he thought it he knew it was true. It wasn’t just volleyball that made Kageyama feel at home, it was the presence of his teammates. 

  “That’s uh… Cool,” Kageyama stuttered out, suddenly remembering that the middle blocker probably expected a response from him. Hinata just nodded, turning back towards the court. Kageyama watched his friend’s form as he attempted to gracefully serve the ball, but he came up short and the ball rebounded off the net. It landed in the court for sure, but it was on the wrong side. 

  “Dammit!” Hinata swore, shaking his head in annoyance. “I’ll get it soon,” he stated, running to go get another volleyball.

  “Actually, practice is about over,” Coach Ukai called, standing by the cart of volleyballs and shifting it slightly out of Hinata’s grasp. 

  “Aw c'mon, one more?” Kageyama heard Hinata plead, but the coach wouldn’t budge.  

  “You guys know I’m all for training,” he began, addressing everyone but looking directly at Hinata. “That being said I’m also for making sure your health is okay because you can’t play if you’re injured or sick. So I’m not going to let you overdo it, because that’s going to do more harm than good. And that’s final.”

  “Boo,” Hinata pouted dejectedly. He walked back over to Kageyama, who noticed the very apparent scowl on the slightly older boy’s face. 

  “He’s just looking out for us, you know?” Kageyama tried to reassure, slightly out of character. “Especially after yesterday, he probably wants you to take it easy.” The words flew out of Kageyama’s mouth before he was able to process them. 

   Shit, he cursed himself when Hinata frowned. I didn’t mean to bring it up. But Hinata just smiled a moment later and walked closer to Kageyama. Close enough to punch him in the arm. 

 “Awww Kageyama, are you worried about me?” He asked as his eyes met the setter. There was so much emotion in them, too much for Kageyama to decipher. Hinata, who was usually such an open book, had an air of unread-ability about him at that moment. It made Kageyama shiver, feeling slightly uneasy.

 “What are you talking about?” He retorted, rubbing his arm where the other first-year had punched him. “Of course not.”

 “Sureeeee,” Hinata responded with a laugh. Just like that, the moment was over. Hinata looked like his usual self again, with nothing other than excitement hiding behind his eyes. Kageyama turned away to collect stray volleyballs so they could go home for the night. He still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going on, but if nobody was going to tell him he wasn’t going to waste his energy trying to find out.

---- 

  For the rest of the week, everything passed smoothly. Classes were as boring as ever and practice just as exhausting, but everything was roughly the same. There wasn’t anything in the week that Kageyama found worth noting until it was over. 

  “Alright everyone I’ve got an announcement,” Takeda called into the gym near the end of that Friday’s practice. He looked slightly disheveled and out of breath as if he had run there.

 Probably did, Kageyama thought, his curiosity increasing. He watched as the teacher adjusted his glasses and looked around at the team. 

  “I understand this is really short notice,” Takeda began once everyone was paying attention. “And I understand if all of you can’t make it. But,” he continued, seeming eager to get to the point. “We’ve been invited to stay at Nekoma and participate in their training camp over the weekend. We would leave early tomorrow morning, and then spend the night at a room near there. We’d be sure to return here in time for classes on Monday.”

   A Nekoma training camp? Kageyama looked around, trying to gauge everyone’s thoughts. They didn’t have too much going on, the next games in the Spring Interhigh tournament were still about a month and a half away. They had already won two games back in August, allowing them to continue to compete in the National qualifying event in October. But it never hurts to get in more practice I suppose, he conceded thoughtfully.

 “That sounds like a wonderful idea Specs!” Coach Ukai walked over to the other adult and patted him on the back. “So, is anyone available? I’ll make a few calls tonight, I should be able to snag us a bus if enough people want to go.” Kageyama checked the dates in his head. After determining that he didn’t have anything planned for either of the two days, he raised his hand.

 “I should be able to go sir, I just have to double-check with my mother.”

 “I’m not missing out!” Hinata called from beside Kageyama, who turned to look at him. The boy was staring at Takeda and Coach Ukai in excitement, like a dog who was just offered a treat. 

 After some discussion, everyone was able to go except for Yaichi, who had previously made plans with her mom that she couldn’t back out of, and Narita, whose parents had already asked him to keep an eye on their pets over the weekend. 

  “All right that’s that then,” Coach Ukai looked around at the group, and Kageyama could tell he was just as excited as the rest of them. “Meet here tomorrow at six am sharp.”

 “Yes sir!” Came the team's excited response before they split up to finish cleaning the gym. 

  Kageyama looked up from where he was picking up a volleyball that had rolled to the corner of the room. Hinata was walking towards him, barely managing to hold three volleyballs in his arms.

 “You’re so dumb,” Kageyama sighed, and he grabbed one of the balls out of Hinata’s hands once the first year was close enough.

 “Thanks Kageyama!” Hinata looked up at the other first year, who turned away feeling slightly warm. 

 “Whatever,” he mumbled and he began walking over to the cart to dump the two volleyballs he was now holding inside it. He heard footsteps behind him as Hinata ran to catch up. 

  “An overnight training camp with Nekoma,” the small teen sighed in awe. “That’s so exciting! We’ll get to go up against lots of really strong players! We’ll get to see Kenma as well! I haven’t talked to him in a while.” When Kageyama looked up he saw Hinata’s eyes widen in thought. “Oooh, maybe I should text him tonight! What do you think Kageyama?”

  “Uhh do whatever you want I guess,” Kageyama shifted on his feet awkwardly. He wasn’t sure why, but the idea rubbed him the wrong way. 

   I just don’t want him getting too close to someone from a rival team, he decided after a few moments of pondering it. That’s all.

  “Make sure you guys get plenty of sleep!” Coach Ukai called after them as the last few remaining team members walked out.

  “Don’t forget to pack your bags as well, preferably tonight so that you don’t forget anything!” Takeda added, stepping out the door behind them. “And don’t be late!”

----

  “It’s too early,” Yamaguchi yawned the next morning, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Kageyama didn’t respond, too busy trying to shake himself awake. He looked at his phone to see that they still had about five minutes till everyone was set to arrive. Most members had already arrived, they were just waiting on Kinoshita and Tanaka.

 “Hurry up,” Kageyama heard Coach Ukai mutter under his breath. He looked over to see the coach leaning against the hood of the bus that he like he said he would, had managed to grab the team to transport them to the other prefecture. 

  “We’re going to Nekoma!” Hinata’s voice called from behind Kageyama, who turned around to see the first year and Nishinoya staring at each other in nothing but pure excitement.

 “It’s gonna be AWESOME!” The libero agreed with a small bounce.

 “Don’t waste all your energy before we even get there,” Daichi called. He was leaning against the side of the bus, staring at the two younger students with amusement. 

 “Anyone still have their bags?” Someone called from the back of the bus. Sugawara popped his head out from where had been stacking their stuff.

  “Oh here,” Ennoshita pulled his bag off his shoulder and handed it to the third year.

  The atmosphere was light anticipation, and even closed-off people like Tsukishima seemed a little less harsh. The air had a slight chill and Kageyama shivered, rubbing his arms in an attempt to warm up. The sun had just begun to rise, casting small shadows on the ground around the team.

 “Sorry I’m late!” Kinoshita walked around the corner towards the bus, yawning. “I forgot to pack some stuff last night and so I was kinda caught up in getting everything this morning. And then I ran into baldy over here,” he gestured to Tanaka, who was walking drowsily behind him. 

 “As long as you made it on time it’s all good,” Coach Ukai said with a smile. Kageyama sensed that he was still a little annoyed but he didn’t bring it up. Kinoshita and Tanaka loaded their bags into the back with the help of Sugawara and Asahi, and then they were off.

  The car wide was long and certainly not uneventful. Kageyama quickly grew irritated with most of his teammates' actions and was almost regretting the decision to come. 

 “Are we there yet?” Hinata asked, pushing past Kageyama to look out the window. The sun was almost fully up now, signifying that noon was approaching fast. 

 “You’ve asked that seven times in the last hour,” Coach Ukai called back from the front.

  “You were counting?” Kageyama heard Takeda respond, barely holding back a laugh. The coach simply grunted in response. 

 “That doesn’t answer my question,” Hinata groaned, leaning back in his seat. He began swinging his legs back and forth in impaitence.

  “I’m sure we’ll be there soon enough,” Sugawara spoke, and Kageyama craned his neck to see him sitting with Daichi and Ennoshita in the back of the bus. “Nekoma is about five hours away and we’ve been nearly driving for that amount of time. I bet we’ll be there in the next fifteen minutes.”

 “I can’t wait!” Nishinoya called from in-between the two groups where he was sitting with Tanaka and Asahi.

  “Me neither!” Hinata chimed in, also twisting around in his seat. 

  “You've already said that,” Kageyama sighed, going back to staring out the window. “You don’t have to keep repeating it.”  Leaves had been scattered across the ground, littering the side of the road. 

  “You’re no fun Kageyama,” Hinata grumbled but the setter simply ignored him.

   Is he ever NOT annoying?

   A few minutes later than the gray-haired third year had predicted, the bus rolled up to place the would be staying. It was within walking distance of Nekoma high school. Kageyama slowly stood up and stretched, stepping out into the aisle. Hinata and Nishinoya had already darted out of the bus followed by Kinoshita and Yamaguchi, and Kageyama looked out the window to see the four of them looking around in awe.

  “It’s not like you guys have never been here before,” Coach Ukai opened his door and got out, stretching and yawning. Takeda did the same, shaking out his hands to release the cramps from holding the wheel for so long. 

   It’s been awhile though, Kageyama looked around. The view from the place was nice. If the dark-haired first year squinted slightly he could see Nekoma High School, with trees lining the entrance to the academy. The building itself stood tall and gave off an air of superiority. The grass shimmered with dew that made the school seem mysterious. 

  “I love visiting places,” Kinoshita exclaimed in excitement, turning towards the school eagerly. 

  “I’m just excited to get settled in,” Daichi's voice called from the back, where he had opened the doors. He was beginning to remove bags and toss them out on the road. Kageyama made his way around and picked up his stuff, slinging the black strap over his shoulder. 

  They all rushed to bring their items inside the room they would be staying in. It was a fairly simple building with a few separate rooms and a set of bathrooms. Nothing too fancy, but something that certainly met the team’s needs. 

  “Hurry up you guys, let’s head over to the gym!” Coach Ukai called once everything but their volleyball equipment was securely off the bus and inside the building. 

   Man he seems irritated today . 

   Kageyama stared up at the entrance to the gym a few minutes later, looking at various posters and notices posted on the door. Takeda opened it and called in, making sure the opposing team was ready for them. He must’ve received a signal because he pulled out the door the whole way and gestured for the team to follow him inside. 

  The gym was huge and brightly lit, with high ceilings and windows lining the walls. The net was already set up in the center, and there were a few players on it hitting a ball back and forth. 

  “Welcome! Glad you guys could make it!” A voice called from the side of the court. Kageyama turned to see Nekoma’s coach smiling at them warmly. 

  “I’m glad we could as well,” Coach Ukai stepped out from behind Takeda and walked up to the other coach. 

 “Hey Tsukishima!” Kageyama turned his attention to the players as Kuroo walked up to the blonde middle blocker, who simply nodded and scowled slightly. “Hello to the rest of you guys as well! Welcome!” The Nekoma captain smiled at the opposing team, shifting on his feet and placing a hand on his hip. “Guys come to greet our guests!” Kuroo called over his shoulder to his team.  

  As the two teams were mingling, Kageyama stood off to the side awkwardly. He had never been that into socializing, and although he knew some members of the Nekoma team he didn’t feel like talking to them. He looked around, trying to find something else to focus on. Ginger hair caught his gaze, and he looked at Hinata, who was usually pretty good at distracting him. 

  Except for this time, Hinata was looking at someone else. The first year was talking animatedly to someone, but it wasn’t Kageyama. Kenma was standing in front of the bright-haired middle blocker, nodding along to whatever Hinata was talking about. Kageyama could tell he wasn’t fully paying attention, as had his phone out and was probably playing some game.

   Hinata is talking to him, the idiot could at least care about what he’s saying, Kageyama rolled his eyes and turned away, not wanting to watch anymore. He locked eyes with Sugawara, who paused for a moment. Kageyama watched as the third year’s gaze flashed between Hinata and him, looking confused. Then his eyes widened and Kageyama saw him press his lips together, trying not to smile. 

  “Why don’t you wanna talk to the rest of the team?” Sugawara ditched Daichi and Asahi who he had just been chatting with. Kageyama shrugged and averted his eyes. 

  I don’t like meeting people, he answered the question to himself. He had always struggled socially, and at this point he wasn’t really in the mood to try again. 

  Fifteen minutes later, everyone was still just hanging out. There were even a couple of people on the volleyball court, including Kuroo, Nishinoya, Tanaka, a few Nekoma players, and-

   Is that Tsukishima? Sure enough Tsukishima was on the court, practicing some technique with Kuroo. Wonder how he got him to do that, Kageyama questioned in confusion. 

  “Alright everyone it’s practice time!” Came a call from the center of the gym. It made Kageyama jump slightly and he looked up to see the coach of Nekoma standing and motioning for everyone to gather around. Kageyama stood up and ran over to join the rest of the group.

  The camp had begun. 

---

  “That… Was exhausting,” Kinoshita sighed, laying out his sleeping bag on the floor of the room and sitting on top of it, taking a drink of his water as he did so.

  “You can say that again,” Ennoshita agreed, looking up from where read a book from the dim light on his phone.

  “I can’t wait for tomorrow!” Nishinoya chimed in. Kageyama looked up to see the smaller boy stretching in the corner, probably trying to stop his muscles from getting stiff. They were all winding down after the long day, and Kageyama agreed with Kinoshita, it had been exhausting. The two coaches had kept the athletes on their feet all day, and training had been relentless. The team captains had hardly been any better, shouting instructions constantly. All that being said, it had been a good day and Kageyama was looking forward to the next. 

 “Did you see the serve I did today?” Hinata rolled over on top of his sleeping bag to face Kageyama from where he had just been chatting with Sugawara. His eyes lit up the way they did whenever he became excited, and he had a grin plastered on his face that was both sheepish and proud.

  “Uh.. No. I didn’t,” Kageyama admitted. It was true, he hadn’t. He hadn’t even been paying attention to Hinata that much that day at all. He figured he was busy working with Kenma. 

  “Wait seriously?” Hinata asked, jolting up to a sitting position. His face fell when Kageyama nodded. “Aw man, I was hoping you were! It was really good!” He flopped back down, narrowly missing his pillow and slamming his head on the floor. “Ouch!” He exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head. 

  “You are such a dumbass.” For once, it wasn’t Kageyama who had said it. He looked up to see Tsukishima wiping off his glasses and rolling his eyes. 

  “Whatever Tsukishima,” the ginger stuck his tongue out at the other student who simply let out an exasperated sigh. He flopped back on his bed properly this time, and Kageyama watched as he rested both his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. “This… This is what I love,” he stated, turning to look at Kageyama who stared back, confused.

 “What are you talking about?” 

 “I mean… I don’t know how to put it into words,” the middle blocker began, staring directly into Kageyama’s eyes. “I love volleyball. Everyone who knows me knows that.” He paused as if trying to fit the words together. “But it’s not just the volleyball part that I love. Sure, the feeling of stepping out on the court for the first time is amazing. The adrenaline rush as you score a point. The stinging in your hands that makes you… I don’t know, come alive?” He asked, looking to the setter for confirmation.

   I completely understand, that’s how I feel too, Kageyama thought. But he didn’t say anything, just simply waited for Hinata to continue. 

  “It’s just… There’s more to it than that,” the setter watched as Hinata averted his eyes and looked around the room, at all the other members of the team who were all doing their own thing, whether that be reading, listening to music, or chatting in small groups of two or three. “I guess… Being a part of a team is what I love. Knowing there are people I can fall back on when I need them the most. Being able to take trips just like these, is what volleyball is to me. I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said the other day,” Hinata looked back at Kageyama. “About what I’m going to do when it’s all over. But I can only hope for one thing, that whatever team I move onto next, will be just as amazing as this one.”

  “Well said Ginger,” Coach Ukai walked up, eavesdropping. “Now, I think it’s time for the two of you to go to bed. That goes for all of you. We need to make sure you’re all well-rested, tomorrow is gonna be another long day.”

 “Yes sir!” Came the responses of the students who were still awake. Tanaka and Asahi were already asleep, and Kinoshita looked like he was on the verge of drifting off as well.

  “Night Kageyama,” Hinata yawned, turning away. The first year couldn’t help but smile to himself at all the awkward angles the other teen’s hair stuck out at. He stared at his friend’s almost sleeping form for a few moments, feeling peaceful for the first time since they had arrived. He relished in the feeling for a minute or two before he turned over to sleep for the night.

  Except for he didn’t stay asleep the entire night.

   What was that? Kageyama sat up in bed and rubbed sleep out of his eyes. He had been restless for a while, but he must have at least been out for some amount of time. From the sounds of breathing that the setter heard, everyone else was fast asleep. But that wasn’t why he had woken up. Something must have woken him. What was it?

  He heard the sound of a door shut and he realized what it had been. Someone must have opened the door that led outside. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Kageyama looked around to see who it might have been. It didn’t take a lot of searching, the sleeping bag next to his was empty. 

   Where’s Hinata gone off to? Kageyama stood up, pulling his hood up on the jacket, trying to keep the cold out as he removed himself from the warmth of his sleeping bag. He walked up to the entrance, carefully stepping over Asahi and Yamaguchi. Once he reached the door he cracked it open, trying to make sure it didn’t make too much noise. He peered out through the tiny gap, trying to figure out where Hinata had gone.

  The person who he was looking for was standing outside, his back to Kageyama. He had his head tilted and shoulder up, the way someone usually did if they were on the phone. The dark-haired teen pulled the door open further slightly, debating on himself if he should go out or not. He settled for listening in for a few moments.

  “Hey mom,” Hinata said in a low voice after a second. “Sorry my phone was on silent, I didn’t want to wake anyone else. I just got your texts. What’s up?” 

   His mother? Kageyama tilted his head in confusion. Calling your mom was a pretty normal thing for a teenager to do while they were away from home, but it was extremely late. 

  “They’re… They’re in?” Kageyama looked back up to see Hinata pacing, looking down at the ground. He pulled himself back a bit, hoping the shadows would conceal him. “Still not conclusive, huh?” There was a note of bitterness in Hinata’s voice that Kageyama wasn’t used to detecting, and he saw the small ginger biting his lip, almost as if in pain. 

   What? What’s going on?

   “Now? Really?” Hinata’s voice went on after a slight pause, probably giving his mom time to respond. “But- the training camp- I promise I’m being safe! Can’t it wait?” the small teenager's voice rose slightly, and he shivered. “Okay,” he seemed to sigh, but it was hard for Kageyama to tell in the darkness. “I’ll tell the coach.” 

  Kageyama quickly retreated back inside, trying to avoid being noticed. He returned to his sleeping bag and waited for Hinata to return.

   What was that all about? Kageyama was more confused than ever now. What about the training camp? And what does he have to tell Coach Ukai? He waited for a few more minutes, but Hinata hadn’t come in yet. It was taking everything in him to not go running out there to check on him, to make sure his friend was okay. But he stayed put. Soon the warmth of his sleeping bag caused his eyelids to droop, and as much as he fought he eventually couldn’t win. He drifted off to sleep, his last thoughts about how he’d get all the answers he needed tomorrow. 

---

 “What do you mean he’s gone?!” Kageyama stared at Takeda the next morning in disbelief. 

 “He had to leave last night, something came up at home and his mom came and got him,” Takeda wouldn’t meet his gaze. “I’m sure everything is fine, let’s not worry about it okay? Just focus on camp and you’ll see him again before you know it.” Kageyama turned away, trying to hide his concern.

   Should I tell them about the phone call? The thought popped into his head but he quickly dismissed it. No Hinata said he was going to tell Coach Ukai, so whatever is going on the adults must already know. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, the thought made Kageyama bitter. After all, Hinata was his friend. He wanted to know what was going on. It wasn’t right that they weren’t telling him anything. Everything is probably fine, I’m just overreacting. 

----

  Practice that day was long and hard, and Kageyama was easily distracted. He kept messing up his serves, and he knew he was disappointing the team and Nekoma as well. He lost his temper a few times too many, and some people were still in a bad mood when they all boarded the bus that evening after saying goodbye to the rival team.

  Kageyama ran a hand through his hair in frustration. The weekend was supposed to be an intense training camp, and instead, it became plagued with confusion and misfortune. He still couldn’t figure out why Hinata had left. Maybe something had happened to his sister?

  He didn’t want to go. The thought both reassured and scared Kageyama. It meant that Hinata didn’t abandon him and the team on purpose, but it also meant that something serious must have gone on. Kageyama leaned against the window of the bus, trying to sort through his thoughts. He had never been good at it though, and his emotions confused him more than he’d like to admit. 

  The sounds of snoring distracted Kageyama from his musings, and he looked around at his teammates. Moonlight dimly lit the bus in phases, flashing in and out as they passed under bridges and trees. Kageyama saw Sugawara and Daichi asleep in the back, with the former gently resting on the latter’s shoulder. Tsukishima sat awake near the front of the bus with his headphones on, and Yamaguchi sat next to him with his forehead resting on the seat in front of him. As far as Kageyama could tell he was asleep.

  Ennoshita was asleep with his chin in his hand, leaning against the window in the row across from Sugawara and Daichi. Asahi sat by himself in a middle row, looking out the window. In the row behind him sat Kinoshita, Tanaka, and Nishinoya, who were all asleep, leaning on each other in a pile. Kageyama had to squint to find Kiyoko, who sat by the very front of the bus. Her black hair blended in with the darkness, but he could still see her leaning against the window daintily.  

 From their postures, Kageyama could tell that Takeda and Coach Ukai were exhausted. They were making casual conversation in whispers, probably trying to not wake the team. 

  We must nearly be back now , Kageyama checked his phone again. It was nearly ten at night now, and they had left Nekoma High School at around five. He returned to looking out the window, impatient. He wanted to see how Hinata was doing, and he wanted to be home so that he could go to sleep. Once he was asleep time would hopefully pass by quickly, and he could talk to Hinata on the way to school the next day. 

  Except things didn’t exactly go as Kageyama had planned. He didn’t run into the ginger teen in the place he usually did at the front of the school, and by the time he arrived at the gym, there was still no sign of him. He peered into the practice room anxiously, looking for any sign of his friend. 

 “He’s not here,” someone put a hand on Kageyama’s shoulder, making him jump. He spun around to see Daichi standing there, voice lower than it usually was. His eyes bore an expression that Kageyama couldn’t quite make out. It made Kageyama feel unsettled, and he couldn’t figure out why. 

  He looked behind Daichi to see two people walking up. He figured it was probably Sugawara and Asahi, as sometimes the third years liked to arrive together. But as they got closer Kageyama realized he was wrong.

   Takeda and Coach Ukai wore the same expressions as Daichi. 

  “We need to talk,” Coach Ukai informed when he was close enough. He sounded almost like he was pitying Kageyama, which made the setter even more uneasy.

  “What’s going on?” His voice shook slightly. Was this about Hinata? What happened to him? Is he okay? He looked back and forth between the three older people, desperately scanning for answers.

  “Let’s go find a place to sit,” Takeda motioned for the group to follow him. They didn’t go far, just to a back area around the corner of the school where some students ate their lunch. There were a few tables scattered around, and the teacher led them to one and had them all sit down. 

  “What’s going on?” Kageyama repeated his question from earlier. Anxiety had crawled its way into his throat, making it feel tight. His chest felt unusually light and his head was spinning slightly. He needed answers. Too many weird things had happened lately and he couldn’t take the confusion anymore. “Just tell me! I want to know.” 

  “Well…” Daichi looked at the two adults, as if unsure that he should be the one to break whatever news they had. Coach Ukai cleared his throat and looked at Kageyama, with a completely serious tone.

  “Hinata is in the hospital.”

  “WHAT?!” Kageyama jumped up, slamming his hands on the table. The world seemed to pause for a minute as he tried to process it. “What happened?” He could tell his voice was shaking slightly but he didn’t try to stop it. 

  “Sit down again and I’ll tell you,” the coach's voice was understanding yet firm. Kageyama knew that to get the answers he needed he had to listen. So he did as Coach Ukai said and sat back down on the bench hesitantly, not once taking his eyes off the adult. “It started a while ago. He was having some issues breathing and so he and his mom went to get it checked out, and… Well…”

  “Well what then?” Kageyama asked, trying his best to keep himself calm. He'll fine, he has to be. Coach Ukai stopped talking, the words seeming to physically pain him. Takeda noticed this and continued for the coach, who was looking at his hands which sat folded tightly on the table.

  “They couldn’t find anything and the doctors just recommended that he should be careful, but it was probably nothing.” The teacher could hardly keep Kageyama’s gaze and he kept looking down as if to regroup himself.

  “So it’s nothing? He’s fine then?” Kageyama’s breathing quickened.

  “Well… Not exactly,” Daichi butted in, looking directly and Kageyama. “The issues got worse. He told me that he sometimes has to take frequent breaks when he practices at home he said that sometimes it feels like his heart is going so fast that it’s going to break. So…Hinata’s parents thought it would be a good idea to go back to the doctors.” Kageyama didn’t know how to respond, he just nodded, intent on hearing the whole story. 

  Takeda continued after Daichi paused. “They took a bunch of tests on different things for him. That was about a week ago, they went early the morning after the practice where he was forced to step out.”

   I ran to school with him that morning, he seemed a little tired but it was early and I didn’t think much of it, Kageyama cursed himself. How could I not ask? How stupid am I? His entire world felt like it was falling apart. He had a lot of past memories related to hospitals that made him uncomfortable around them, and now one of his closest friends was ill? He didn’t know what to think, how to feel. It didn’t feel real, like any moment he’d wake up and could just forget any of it happened. “Did he get the results back?” He managed to squeak out.

  Takeda nodded. “That’s why he left Nekoma in the middle of the night. His mom got a call that she got the results back, and called him. She came and picked him up and they went to the hospital. He’s been there since.” He attempted to lock eyes with Kageyama who looked away. He knew what his next question was, but the thought of it left his tongue dry. He didn’t know how to force it out, and it was a good few seconds before he finally managed to quietly ask:

  “And…? The results…?” Ukai finally looked up at the question. Kageyama noticed that adult's face was strained with stress. So this is why he was so uptight at the training camp.

   “Apparently they were inconclusive,” Ukai gazed off to something behind Kageyama. “But we were going to pay a visit to the hospital after practice today and you’re welcome to join. But per Hinata’s request, we’re not telling the rest of the team yet. So I trust you’ll keep your mouth shut.”

  Kageyama nodded, not fully understanding but he wasn’t going to put up a fight about it. “Why do you know then?” He asked Daichi, a little confused. 

  “I’m the captain,” he said with a matter-of-fact tone. “You know that six on six-game? When I stepped out? While yes, I wanted to test your skills without a captain, I also take on the responsibility to check on my athletes. Takeda and Coach Ukai filled me in then, but I also swore not to tell anyone. Not even Sugawara or Asahi,” he smiled slightly. “You know how Hinata is, he doesn’t like to worry people. Chances are he’ll probably be fine, and everything will work out okay. No need to cause unnecessary stress on the team.” The expression on his face did not match his words, and Kageyama could tell he was trying to convince himself as much as the first year. 

 “Well… Thanks for telling me,” Kageyama stood up, trying his hardest to not fall over. His world still felt slightly unsettled. Everything felt unbalanced, out of the ordinary. He walked off with his world still lopsided, heading to the locker room to change. 

  The entire day felt… Weird. Kageyama couldn’t focus on either volleyball or school, annoying both his teachers and teammates. Daichi would flash him worried glances in the hall, and throughout practice, he felt Coach Ukai and Takeda’s eyes on him, though they did a good job at keeping up the act. Both Sugawara and Ennoshita had come up and asked him if he was doing all right, and there had been a few teasing remarks from Tsukishima, Kinoshita, and Nishinoya, but other than that the team left him alone. 

   Finally, Kageyama thought looking at his phone. Practice was over, and they could go visit the hospital. The day felt like it had gone on forever, and he was more than ready to see Hinata. He had already texted his mother over lunch break, and she was willing to let him ride with Daichi, Takeda and Coach Ukai.

  The way there was silent, each member completely enveloped in their thoughts. Kageyama stared out the window, (something he had done a lot lately) and tried to sort through his feelings once again. He couldn’t get a grip on anything though, everything just felt so surreal. He was going to wake up, race to school with Hinata, have the best volleyball practice, a normal day of classes, another amazing volleyball practice, home, then repeat. That's how he was expecting the day to go. 

  Instead he was sitting in a car he had never been in before, heading to a destination he had never wanted to go to again. Hospitals were always unsettling, they were either too clean, too quiet, or both. The whole place felt like it sucked in the universe, nothing existed when you were inside them except the room you were in. It smelled so clean that it would burn your nose, and the people inside it hardly felt like people at all. Kageyama had been multiple times in his second year of junior high. The feelings he got when he was inside made him never want to return. 

  Now Hinata, a literal ball of life, was inside it. Kageyama shivered, not wanting to think about what it would do to Hinata’s light. That place sucked the excitement out of people, what would it do to someone full of it? He didn’t want to think about it. 

  They rolled up to the hospital a few minutes later, and Coach Ukai locked the car door behind them. They all seemed to flash Kageyama a few worried glances as they walked into the massive building, but the setter just pretended to not see them and kept a completely unreadable expression as he entered a place he had hoped to never return to. 

  Kageyama sat in the corner in a chair as Takeda checked in. Daichi looked like he wanted to say something but Kageyama turned away, pointedly directing his shoulder at the captain showing he wasn’t interested in the conversation. He wasn’t sure what he’d say anyway. Too many emotions were floating around inside him, he wasn’t sure where he’d even start. So they sat in silence until Takeda came back, with a visitor sticker for each of them. Kageyama fastened it to the shirt that he wore under his school uniform, not even glancing at it. Details seemed like such a trivial matter, ones that Kageyama couldn’t concern himself with. 

   The halls were just as Kageyama remembered, surreal and reeking of cleanliness. Nurses and doctors rushed past them, heading off to their next work destination. All the passages and rooms blurred together, and Kageyama completely lost his sense of direction as they rounded one corner after another. He just blindly followed the people in front of him, trying not to think about what came next. 

  Before he knew it, or maybe it had taken forever, they stopped at a door. Takeda looked up and knocked, waiting till he heard a response. He opened the door after a few moments and motioned for the group to follow him inside. 

 Hinata sat on a large hospital bed, one that made him look even smaller if that was even possible. Kageyama cringed when he saw the middle blocker's left arm hooked up to some wires, and he turned away, instead of focusing on the small teen's face. From his expression, Hinata couldn’t decide whether he was happy to see them, confused as to why they were there or upset they were worried about him. He gripped a video game console in his left and a bottle of water sat next to his right. His eyes were as bright as Kageyama remembered, which made him internally sigh in relief. 

  The ginger’s hair was an absolute mess, and the hospital gown fit loosely on his body exposing one of his shoulders and making it look super baggy. The grey sheets of the bed lay twisted at his ankles and he was leaning against a stack of pillows that kept him propped up.

  Hinata smiled awkwardly at them. “Uh, hey guys, what’s up?” 

  “I told you some people were coming to visit,” Kageyama looked over to see Hinata’s mom sitting in a chair in the corner, legs crossed politely. They all bowed when they stepped inside, and Daichi walked right up to Hinata and started talking. Coach Ukai instantly went to go talk to Hintata’s mother about something, leaving Takeda and Kageyama standing right inside the doorway. 

  Takeda turned to Kageyama, a challenge in his voice. “Well, you said you wanted to see him. Here you are.” Kageyama felt frozen in place. Hinata didn’t look any different, but Kageyama couldn’t help but think that things had changed. He knew it was a stupid thought but it still made him nervous. He swallowed his anxiety and walked up to the bed, looking at his friend with a sour taste in his mouth. 

  Hinata and Daichi were already deep in conversation about volleyball. Daichi was nodding along to Hinata’s rantings about a new technique he had stormed up. Kageyama just stood there awkwardly for a few minutes, hands in his pockets, shifting back and forth on his feet uneasily. Eventually, Hinata turned towards the other first-year after exhausting his previous topic of conversation. 

  “Hey Kageyama,” one side of his mouth tilted up, almost like a smile but it wasn’t fully complete. It ended up looking a little more like a smirk. 

  “Hey,” Kageyama grunted his usual response and looked at the floor, face feeling flushed.

  “What, not used to seeing me like this?” Hinata teased. His voice sounded light, but Kageyama could detect a twinge of salt in it. He looked up to see the ginger sitting fully upright, arms in the air.

  “Shouyou you really shouldn’t do that,” Hinata’s mom called, peering past Coach Ukai and scolding him. Hinata stuck his tongue out at her and flopped back into the bed with an exasperated sigh.

  Hinata carefully crossed his arms in an attempt to not mess up whatever machine he sat attached to. “This is so unnecessary, I’m fine,” he grumbled, though he didn’t look angry, just annoyed. 

  “You and I both know it’s better safe than sorry Ginger,” Coach Ukai walked up to the bed and leaned against the frame. Takeda walked up behind him, nodding. 

 “You better listen to your coaches,” Hinata’s mother chimed in. She was now looking at something on her phone, occasionally lifting her gaze to look at the group. “This is the only way you’re gonna be able to go back to practice.”

  Hinata looked crestfallen. “That’s not fair!” 

  “Nope I agree with her,” Daichi addressed Hinata directly, making sure to make eye contact. “As your captain, you’re not stepping back out on the court until the doctor’s clear you, and that’s final.” Hinata’s only response was to look away sadly. Kageyama couldn’t even begin to imagine what was running through the small teen’s head at that moment, he wasn’t even sure what was running through his head. Although the day had improved now that he had seen Hinata for himself and reassured himself that the middle blocker was alright, everything was still unsettled. 

  Hinata didn’t look too different. But Kageyama still felt like he wasn’t as bright as he used was before. It made him more uncomfortable than he wanted to admit, and he was honestly ready to leave. So he felt relieved when, after a while, Coach Ukai checked his phone and sighed. 

  “Alright we should probably head out, I promised to take both of them home.” The coach gestured to both Daichi and Kageyama, who were still lingering by the edge of the bed. “Keep us updated okay?” He directed the question at Hinata’s mother who agreed. 

  Kageyama turned to follow the older people out. Right as he was about to exit the room, he whipped around. “When are you going to come back?” He blurted out, not planning on voicing the thought. Hinata opened his mouth to answer but his mom got to it first.

  “He should hopefully be back tomorrow,” she looked directly at Kageyama, addressing it mainly to him. “On doctor’s orders he can’t do anything strenuous, including volleyball, but he’ll still be at school. All of this is just a precaution though. The doctors agree that this is all probably nothing, but we want to get it all checked out anyway.” 

  Kageyama couldn’t come up with a good response, so he just didn’t give one. He was happy that Hinata was coming to school the next day, but he knew it would be hard on the boy to not play the sport they both loved. He attempted to make eye contact with Hinata before he left but it was no luck, the other teen had already turned away and returned to whatever game he had been playing when they arrived. Something about the sight gave Kageyama a lump in his stomach, but he ignored it and left the room. 

  Nobody had much to say on the way back, quite like on the way there. Even if Kageyama had wanted to talk, there was nothing he could say that could describe the way he was feeling. So he kept everything to himself, closing his eyes and for a few moments wishing it all away. 

  When the setter arrived home, his mom was making dinner, and the scent overwhelmed Kageyama as he stepped through the door. It made him slightly nauseous, and he passed by the kitchen without even saying hello. He roughly chucked his bag on the floor, not caring where it landed.

  He wandered over to his unmade bed and flopped on it. He covered his eyes with his arm, sighing. The day had felt so much longer than any other Monday, and he was more than ready for it to end. His mind was at war with itself, he couldn’t decide whether he was tired or not. His brain felt permanently exhausted, but his body was rejecting rest. After a few minutes of debating, he decided he had to get up and do something; he would suffocate if he sat there any longer. 

 As much as he tried, he couldn’t grasp the concept of his homework. His mind kept drifting in too many directions, and he had to read each sentence a minimum of three times before he finally knew what it was saying. 

  “This is stupid!” Kageyama exclaimed aloud, slamming his head into his desk. A sharp pain shot through his forehead and he heard his pencil snap. He sat up to see he had slammed directly on top of the pencil, breaking it in half. 

  “Is everything going alright in here?” The door to Kageyama’s room opened, and he looked over to see his mother standing in the door, looking baffled. 

  Kageyama set his head back on the desk, more gently this time. “Yeah,” he didn’t feel up to talking, and he could sense that his mother had a lot to ask him about. He tried to signal with his body language that he wasn’t up for conversation, but he heard her step into the room anyway, shutting the door behind her. 

  She walked up to the teenager and rested a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look up at her. “How’s your friend doing?” She looked concerned, and Kageyama didn’t blame her. 

  “Fine,” Kageyama couldn’t quite meet her gaze, and instead focused on a strand of hair that fell out of her loose ponytail. The truth was that he didn’t know. He had no idea how Hinata was doing. People kept trying to reassure him that he was fine, that this was just a false alarm, that everything was going to work out and there was nothing to worry about. However, something about the way they said it, the way they couldn’t look at him directly in the eyes, the tone of voice, something about their words always made Kageyama suspicious that there was something bigger going on. 

  “Okay well… Keep me updated alright?” Kageyama knew his lie didn’t go across well, but he appreciated that his mother didn’t press it. He nodded, and she ruffled his hair before leaving the room to finish dinner. 

  Kageyama set his forehead back down on the desk, barely avoiding the lead that had come out of the pencil. Focusing was pointless, homework felt like the least important thing in the world at the moment. His chest ached and he couldn’t quite figure out why. He scrunched up his face, trying to distract himself from it. 

   Everything will be okay, it has to be. Kageyama knew nothing could keep Hinata down for long; the small middle blocker would be fine. Before either of them knew it, he would be standing back on the court, as powerful and intimidating as ever. Karasuno just wasn’t Karasuno without Hinata. He’ll be back on his feet soon.

----

  “Morning Kageyama!” Sure enough, running up was exactly the person Kageyama had wished it would be. The second the dark-haired teenager saw him, everything fell back into place and his nerves settled. The small ginger rushing towards him filled him with a hope he wasn’t sure he’d be able to describe. Hinata always just had a presence that Kageyama was sure everyone around him could feel. It made whatever they were doing at that moment feel like the most important thing in the world. 

  “Morning,” Kageyama responded when Hinata reached him, his voice not even carrying a fraction of the emotion he was feeling at that moment. He knew he’d never be able to express just how excited he was to see the other boy, it would be too awkward. He looked Hinata up and down, trying to spot any signs of his recent hospital visit. But other than looking slightly tired, the smaller boy looked completely normal. 

  “I can’t wait to get back!” Hinata bounced on the balls of his feet eagerly. His outfit was slightly disheveled, as if he hadn’t washed it, and his hair still stuck up in a few odd directions. But despite that, this was Hinata. Hinata was back.

  “You were only gone for a day idiot.”

  “But it felt like forever ,” Hinata drew out the last word with an exasperated sigh. “I wanna know everything that happened! How was the rest of the weekend with Nekoma? How were the practices yesterday? How was class, did I miss any homework? Wait, don't tell me that I don’t want to know-” Kageyama zoned out of Hinata’s rambling as they walked to school. It was a surprisingly relaxing morning. They were nearing mid-September, but the temperature hadn’t gotten too cool yet. The ground was still scattered with leaves, and Kageyama had to keep reminding himself that he was too old to go around jumping in leaf piles. 

  They arrived at the gym only five minutes before practice was set to start, a new late record. Kageyama quickly went to change, leaving Hinata to enter the gym by himself. He supposed there was no point in Hinata getting into his gym uniform, he wasn’t able to play anyway. The thought was sour but true. Kageyama had heard the doctor and Daichi’s orders, and Hinata knew better than to disobey. The minute he was in top shape again he would be allowed back out on the court.

  Still, when Kageyama entered the gym for practice it felt like a punch in the gut to see Hinata just sitting on the sidelines in his school uniform. It wasn’t natural. He was so used to Hinata being right behind him, that the court always felt empty without him. Hinata still looked as excited as ever though, and Kageyama felt reassured, knowing he’d be back soon. 

  Practice went better that day than the day before. Kageyama, though still slightly distracted, was able to keep himself focused on his work. Some of it was sloppier than usual but it was significantly better than not being able to do it at all. Both Sugawara and Daichi noted that to him, and Kageyama accepted their praise with a nod. Hinata shot up as soon as practice was over and ran over to where Kageyama was putting the last volleyball away. 

  “That was awesome!” He waved his arms enthusiastically as if imitating something Kageyama had done during practice, though if he was Kageyama couldn’t figure out what.

  “Uh… Thanks?” His voice must’ve carried his confusion, because Hinata looked exasperated.

  “When you went bam! And the ball whooshed better than it usually did and you must’ve done something special with your hands because when the ball landed it went whack !” Kageyama had no idea what the ginger was going on about, but he nodded anyway. 

  A few people came up to Hinata after practice to ask him why he wasn’t participating, but Daichi stepped in between them and simply said that they’d explain later. Hinata nodded, face falling slightly. Kageyama knew why, the idea of telling his teammates that there might be something wrong with him must stress Hinata out. But he must know that they wouldn’t just drop it without an explanation. 

  “Are you sure you’re up for it?” Daichi asked when the three of them were alone. His question was directed at Hinata. “I know telling people stuff like this is hard and I-”

  “Nah it’s fine,” Hinata cut him off, looking at the captain. “You’d make it sound way more serious than it is. The doctors have some minor concerns about my health and asked me to sit out for a few practices to not push myself while they work out what’s going on. That’s all it is, it’s not like I’m dying.”

  “Well, if you’re sure.” Daichi shrugged in compliance. “I’d like to do it sooner than later though, maybe before practice starts after school?” 

  “Won’t that cut into practice time though?” The first year asked, looking uncomfortable.

  “Yeah but this is more important,” Daichi retorted. The two of them bickered for a few minutes before Daichi finally won. Hinata was still muttering about it as he and Kageyama walked to class, complaining about how he didn’t want to waste any of the team’s time. The Spring High wasn't too far away, and Kageyama agreed with Hinata when he said that they needed to be at the top of their game. 

  “I wish everyone wouldn’t worry about me so much,” Hinata muttered. “Everyone seems to baby me and I don’t get it, is it because I’m short?” Kageyama looked over at his friend who was reaching a hand above him as if measuring his height against the other players. Kageyama couldn’t help but laugh slightly at the sight. Hinata was always so… Warm, even when he was complaining. 

  “I’m sure that’s not it, dumbass,” Kageyama rolled his eyes as Hinata stood on his toes to try to seem taller. “If you think people are babying you it’s probably because they think you’re immature, which you are.”

  “Oh like you’re not?” Hinata cut back in annoyance. 

  “Hey! I’m way more mature than you!” 

  From an outsider's perspective, their conversations may have sounded like bullying. But to Kageyama at least, it was just a part of their friendship. He’d tease Hinata, and Hinata would tease him right back. He never fully meant it, even if some of the things he said were true. He wouldn’t trade their easy conversations for anything. 

----

  “Kageyama, did you hear me?” The classroom was stuffy and Kageyama was, once again, having a hard time paying attention to anything his teacher was saying. 

  “No ma'am,” he focused his eyes on his desk. 

   He heard his teacher sigh in exasperation, “please try to pay attention.” Kageyama nodded and apologized, and answered the question she had asked him to. He went right back to staring out the window afterward, contemplating on what lay ahead. He wondered how the team would take the news.

   What news? He asked himself. It’s not like anything is really wrong with Hinata, he’s right. It’s not like some big, newsworthy story. It’ll probably take less than a minute, Coach Ukai won’t even call a meeting for it. Maybe it was just an attempt to calm his nerves, but in that moment he believed it. He had always been prone to overreacting, and he knew that’s what this was. 

  The moment the bell rang he practically leaped out of his seat, scaring the kid who sat behind him. He apologized curtly before roughly slinging his bag over his shoulder and setting out for the gym. He met up with Yamaguchi and Tsukishima in the hallway, and they joined him as he headed over. That annoyed Tsukishima, Kageyama noted when he saw the look on the tall middle blocker’s face.

 Yamaguchi paid no mind to his friend and instead turned to Kageyama. “Hey, where was Hinata yesterday? He wasn’t at practice and he sat out this morning, what’s going on?” the other first-year questioned the setter with a concerned look on his face as they walked.
  “You’ll find out in a minute,” Kageyama answered shortly. He swore not to say anything, and he knew he would probably make it more dramatic than Hinata wanted. He didn’t like being one of the only ones to know though, and he was kind of relieved that it wouldn’t be a secret anymore. That only made Yamaguchi look more concerned, however, but Tsukishima whispered something in his ear that made him relax again. Kageyama walked away before he could even begin to imagine what Tsukishima had said. He rushed to get changed and head to the gym, where Hinata was once again there. This time he was chatting with Takeda. He wasn’t as animated as usual, but he still seemed excited to be there. 

   Kageyana walked over to the court and sat down to stretch, absentmindedly focusing his gaze on Hinata. He couldn’t wait for his partner to be back on the court. He secretly agreed with Hinata’s earlier statement, it seemed like it was ages since they had played together, even though it had only been a few days.

   I hated him at first, Kageyama pondered, remembering their first-ever game. They met in front of the bathroom, Hinata nothing but a scrawny kid with dreams bigger than he could ever even hope of achieving, and Kageyama, himself, strong but afraid, facing the betrayal and loss of his teammates, but still having way too much ambition regardless. It was an unfair match-up. Kageyama knew that right away. But that didn’t stop him from giving the match everything he had, and as a result, he thought he made one of the biggest rivals he would ever have.

 So it certainly came as a surprise when Hinata walked through the doors of the Karasuno high school. Kageyama had been prepared to bring Karasuno back and beat Hinata once again, but all those plans vanished into the air the second he made eye contact with the other teen. 

  They had gone through a lot together since then, from practice games to homework, from lazy Sunday afternoons to intense games, texting conversations, sitting under the tree on the hill, to invading Coach Ukai’s shop. Kageyama didn’t want to admit it, he was afraid of being vulnerable. But deep down he knew that Hinata was his closest friend, he might even venture to say his best friend. He didn’t know who he’d be without Hinata, and he was determined to keep the other boy in his life as long as their career paths would allow. They were a team, and he didn’t want anything to change that. 

  Kageyama snapped out of his reminiscing to the sound of Coach Ukai’s voice calling the team around. 

   I guess I was wrong, he is calling a meeting, Kageyama got to his feet despite not stretching at all. He could feel his nerves rising again and he took a few deep breaths to steady them before running up to join the group gathering in the back of the gym. Hinata was standing off to the side awkwardly, his distress at being the concern apparent on his face. The whole team was there now, attention focused on the coach and Takeda.

  “What is it Coach?” Sugawara asked in confusion.

  “We just need to have a quick talk is all,” Coach Ukai addressed the group, his tone more serious than usual. Everyone snapped to focus, as something was going on. Kageyama watched as Coach Ukai looked at Hinata, and an unspoken question passed between them. After a second, Hinata stepped forward.

 “Uh, I suppose you’ve all been wondering why I sat out practice this morning,” the middle blocker looked unusually nervous, and he appeared to not be able to decide which foot to rest his weight on. The young teen paused for a few seconds before continuing; “It’s nothing big, some people are just being cautious, but I’ve had a few health issues lately and the doctor told me to lay off the physical exercise for a bit while they double-check.”

  He said it so seriously that even Kageyama began to believe it. Hinata would be back soon, they just needed to focus on training for the October Spring Interhigh qualifiers. 

 “Oh alright, thanks for letting us know,” Ennoshita was the first one to respond after a few moments of silence. “I understand, make sure you rest up okay?” A few other people chimed in with words of encouragement or condolences before the team split up and headed off to practice. Hinata stayed on the sidelines to watch, and Kageyama caught a glimpse of the longing look on his face before he turned away and headed off to the court. 

  He knew he wasn’t going to help Hinata by just sitting around and waiting, it would help for him to simply be on the top of his game, so that when his friend returned to the court, Kageyama would be able to make up for any physical abilities that he may lack from sitting out. Though in the back of his mind Kageyama knew that Hinata was probably keeping up some training regimen at home, even though the doctor had probably told him not to. If he was smart he’d just rest up so that he could be in the next competition, but Hinata wasn’t the smartest. Kageyama sighed to himself at the thought. 

  There were multiple things he was planning on working on with Hinata, but all that had been put on hold. The most important thing was for Hinata to get better. Kageyama picked up a ball and twisted it around in his hands a few times, trying to decide what to work on first. Right at that moment, they had some free time to work on whatever skills they wanted to, and most people split up to work in groups of two or three. Typically Kageyama and Hinata would work together on serves and receives, but since the setter was alone he decided to just practice his serves. He spent a good five minutes launching volleyballs across the room, trying to nail each one to a direct spot. He was mostly successful, with only a couple of them landing slightly off. He ran to pick them up, collecting them in the center before scooping as many as he could carry and walking them back to the cart he got them from.

  As he was walking back he caught a glimpse of Sugawara in the corner. Kageyama turned to see the pinch setter crouching down, talking to Hinata in a seemingly hushed voice. Daichi stood beside him, observing and nodding his head now and then. 

   I can’t wait for things return to normal. He thought, turning his gaze away from the sight.

  Practice went essentially the same as it had that morning, except for a few less stray glances to Hinata’s area. The small ginger had been hanging out with the managers and would alternate between ranting excitedly to Yachi and shouting encouraging things out to the players on the court. He was a great teammate on and off the court, and his energy still radiated throughout the room even though he wasn’t participating in any of the drills. Kageyama felt at peace during practice that day, something his life had been lacking the past couple of days. So when Hinata came up to him for a high-five after practice finished, he accepted it with a small smile. He felt his palms tingle when they broke away, and he found himself wishing they could do it again. Kageyama went home that night excited to head back to practice the next day.

----

  “Guess what guess what guess what?” Something crashed into Kageyama, knocking him off-balance. He stumbled, trying his hardest not to fall into the grass and leaves on the side of the path, but was unsuccessful. He plummeted to the ground into a sitting position, cringing when he felt the morning dew soak into his pants.

  “What was that for?!” He shouted, standing up and brushing soggy leaves off himself. They were nearing the end of September, and October’s wet and chilly presence loomed, drawing ever closer. It had been nearly two weeks since Hinata’s visit to the hospital, and he had become more and more restless every day. Kageyama always kept one eye on him during practices, ensuring that the first year was doing what he was told; over the few weeks, he had gone from sitting quietly to nearly leaping out of his seat every time someone did something cool. Kageyama also noticed Coach Ukai keeping an eye on him, and panic flashed across the older man’s features every time Hinata did something potentially dangerous.

  However despite all that, the time went by completely uneventfully. Kageyama received no update about his friend’s health, leading him to assume that Hinata was okay. There was only one way to know, however, and that was for Hinata to get back on the court. Kageyama was getting impatient, he wanted to know if his friend was alright one way or the other. When he looked up from cleaning himself off and saw Hinata smiling brighter than ever. Kageyama's eyes widened when he realized what the other boy must have been smiling about. His anger at being pushed over disappeared instantly.

  “Are you… You… Able? Able to?” His breath caught on every word, and he felt time freeze. He broke into a grin when Hinata nodded excitedly, pulling something out of his pocket and holding it up for Kageyama to read. It was a small note, with just a few words on it. But they were the words that felt like they put everything back in its proper place.

   Shouyou Hinata is clear to take part in strenuous activities again. Kageyama read it a few times in excitement. This meant that Hinata was officially back, and officially okay. 

  “I gotta go tell Coach!” Hinata took off at a run, his shorter legs stretching out as far as they could to make as many big strides as he could on the way. Kageyama called after him and raced to catch up. The race felt even more significant than usual, and Kageyama didn’t realize just how much he had missed them. Since the doctor had banned him from any exercise too physically exhausting, they had walked to the gym together instead of running. It was peaceful and quiet, but that wasn’t what Kageyama liked. He liked that Hinata made him challenge himself. Before, the young setter was driven by nothing other than his ambition and self-hatred. Since Hinata had come into his life he had another motivator. Hinata forced him to grow like never before. He forced them to grow together in their play styles, and he forced Kageyama to grow as a teammate and a person. He didn’t like to admit it, but he didn’t know where he would be without Hinata. 

  They arrived at the gym quickly, panting. Hinata looked more worn out than usual, but he hadn’t exercised for two whole weeks so it was understandable. The ginger looked at Kageyama, his eyes lit with exhilaration. 

  “I won! Ha! Two weeks without exercise and I’m still better than you!” He challenged light-heartedly. 

  Kageyama turned up his nose in indignation, “you had a huge head start! You’re just a cheater is all!” 

  “Whatever!” Hinata twisted around, stretching, then he began to head over to change. “Coming?” Kageyama nodded and followed, beyond excited to get back to practice. They changed quickly and rushed over to the gym, where they were greeted with a stern look from Daichi.

  “And what do you think you’re doing?” The captain glared down at Hinata, who immediately held out the note he brought with him and held it out to the third year, who grabbed it and looked at it closely. 

  “That’s great news Hinata!” He exclaimed when he finished reading it. Kageyama watched as he handed it back to the small ginger, who couldn’t help but give a small jump of happiness. 

  “Isn’t it?” Hinata pushed past Daichi and headed over to where Takeda and Coach Ukai were chatting. Kageyama watched him go, a smile still resting lightly upon his face. He turned to the captain and his smile quickly dropped when he saw the other male with a slight frown on his face.

  “Uh… Is something wrong?” Kageyama asked before thinking twice, causing Daichi to jump.

  “I’m just a little paranoid is all,” Daichi scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “I’ll probably keep an eye on him for a few more days, just in case. If the doctor cleared him I’m sure he’s fine. But still, going to the hospital for breathing problems is nothing to take lightly when you’re an athlete.” Kageyama wasn’t sure what to think of the statement. On one hand, he was relieved he wasn’t the only one with anxiety over the teen, but on the other, it made him nervous to think it might not be over. He couldn’t think of a good response, so he didn’t give one. 

 As soon as he set his stuff down he heard Hinata’s footsteps come up behind him, and he turned around and made eye contact with his friend. The middle blocker practically begged the other teen to set for him immediately, and Kageyama quickly agreed. He’d never say it out loud, but he was just as excited as Hinata was.

  They pulled Yachi over to throw a few balls for them. Kageyama got into position and signaled to Yachi that he was ready whenever she was. As soon as the volleyball was up in the air Kageyama ran to meet it, getting ready and waiting for it to fall in his outstretched palms. He rapidly checked to make sure he knew where Hinata’s position was and launched it, sending it up in an arc. Before Kageyama could even blink, Hinata leaped up with power only he possessed and made contact with the ball. He looked so graceful as if he was flying. His feet had left the floor with barely a squeak, and the force of the jump caused his ginger hair to ripple slightly in the breeze he had created. He looked so elegant and free that Kageyama couldn’t tear his eyes away, even when the volleyball slammed down on the other side of the court. 

  Hinata met the ground a second after, landing lighter than seemingly possible for how high he jumped. Kageyama watched as his friend's eyes lit up, surely feeling the excitement at the successful quick attack. Hinata stared at the volleyball rolling away for a few moments longer before running over to Kageyama and holding his hands up, apparently hoping for another high-five. Kageyama complied, holding up both his hands and connecting them to his partners with a loud smack .

  “THAT WAS SO AWESOME!” Hinata bounced on his feet again, not able to contain his ecstasy. “I never want to not be able to do that again.”

  “Great grammar genius,” Tsukishima called from where he was observing on the sidelines.

   Something was wrong with his grammar? Kageyama was momentarily distracted from his excitement to look in confusion at Tsukishima, who just grunted in disapproval. 

  “That was great you guys!” Sugawara walked up to Kageyama and put a hand on his back. “I’m glad you’re back Hinata, we’re gonna need your help at the next competition.” Hinata looked even more excited at the statement if that was possible. 

  “I’m sure we’ll do amazing! We still don’t know what team we’re up against, right?” The first year looked up at Sugawara, who had taken his hand off of Kageyama’s shoulder and rested it on his hip, shifting his footing to support it. 

  “That’s right,” Sugawara nodded. “We’ll probably find out soon enough when they send out the brackets. Only one team from the prefecture is eligible to compete at Nationals, so we’ll have to fight to claim the spot for Miyagi. As you know, we beat two teams back in August. But it’s not over yet. We made it this far in the last Interhigh before we lost to Aoba Joshai. We’re not going to make the same mistake again. We’ll probably have four matches, and if we win them all then we’ve got our ticket to Nationals. There are some tough teams still in the competition though, so we’re going to make sure to keep up the practice,” Sugawara continued his lecture, now addressing anyone close enough to hear him.

  “You can say that again,” Asahi came up behind Sugawara, looking determined. 

  Sugawara flashed Asahi a small smile. “It'll be difficult, but look around,” Kageyama watched as the third year opened his arms as if gesturing for them to follow his instructions. “We’ve got a great team here, one that I’m honored to be a part of. So make sure you work hard, and I’ll do the same. I’ve got no doubt we can do this. We’re going to Nationals!” A few scattered claps followed Sugawara’s impromptu speech, to which the vice-captain bowed to in good nature. Kageyama saw him jump as Daichi came up behind and put a hand on the grey-haired setter's shoulder.

  “Exactly what he said,” Daichi reinforced the other third-year’s statement. “We’ve got a better team here than we’ve had in years, one that I could not be more proud to lead. We’ve got so many people with so many skill sets, and we’ve accomplished so much already. We’re able to make it far, I believe in you guys.”

  “Alright!” Tanaka cheered, pulling Kinoshita and Noya closer to him in an awkward, energetic hug. This caused Ennoshita and Sugawara to laugh, which in turn broke the serious atmosphere the third years had just created.

  “When will we get to know who we’re up against?” Narita called from the back of the room, looking both interested and nervous. Daichi looked over at Takeda, who shrugged.

  “Probably soon,” he pulled his phone out of his pocket, presumably to look at the date. “The start date is almost exactly a month away now, so at the latest, we’ve got two weeks.”

   Two weeks till we know who we’re going up against, Kageyama noted. Knowing their opponent was vital to practice. It meant they could specifically train for what they needed to depending on their opponents strength and skill sets. Until then, they would have to continue working on basic drills and improving their overall talents. 

  “I can’t wait!” Kageyama looked down at Hinata, whose expression matched his statement. He was looking around the team wildly as if trying to judge everyone else’s excitement levels as well. 

  “Alright as much fun as it might be to stand around and chit-chat, back to work everyone!” Coach Ukai called, and he received enthusiastic responses from the team. Hinata and Kageyama instantly ran to practice the quick attack as many times as the coach would allow before going into hard-core drill sessions. 

 Every time Kageyama set a ball that day felt more significant than it ever had before. He relished in the feeling, and he gave out a lot more high fives and fist bumps than he cared to admit. The entire day felt like it reset something significant, and even the sky felt brighter. Finally, everything was back to normal. 

  Hinata and Kageyama walked out of the gym together after waving goodbye to the team that remained. Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and Narita had already left, and a few people were hanging out inside the gym as well as in front of it, but that was usual. Within seconds of stepping outside to the slightly chilled air, the two teens were off once again on their race to the front of the school property. They always raced to the gym, but not always away from it. But that night Kageyama was grateful they did. It just reassured him that his friend truly was okay, if he still had energy after all that practice.

  “I win!” Kageyama triumphantly shouted when they reached the large opening that served as the entrance to the school. Hinata’s only response was to pout, and he turned his back on Kageyama, muttering some insults under his breath as he went to retrieve his bike. 

  “I’ll win next time!” Hinata retorted as he pulled his bike out from the rack and glared at Kageyama. He smiled a few seconds later, however, and waved as he began his return home. Kageyama turned away and began to head back to his own house. He had his gym bag slung over his shoulder, applying a slightly uncomfortable pressure. He looked around at the darkness that surrounded the area where he lived, but he found it somewhat peaceful. 

  He didn’t used to think that way however. Kageyama sighed at the bittersweet memories. 

   Tiny Kageyama sitting alone in the dark, wrapped up in his small blanket, clutching his pillow tightly. Everything around him was dark, he couldn’t see anything and he felt like he was suffocating. Without meaning to, he began to cry, clutching his pillow even tighter as if it could help him ward off the looming blackness. Someone heard him, however, as Kageyama heard his door creak open, a dim light flooding in. He sniffed, desperately trying to wipe the tears off his face. 

  “Tobio? Is everything okay?” A husky voice called in through the gap in the door, sounding concerned.

  “Kazuyo!” Tiny Kageyama cried when he realized who it was. He hastily detangled himself from his sheets and leaped out of bed, running over to his grandfather and hugging his legs tightly. He looked up at the older man, who knelt to tiny Kageyama’s level. 

  “What’s going on Tobio?” He asked, pulling Kageyama in for a hug. “Are you okay?” Tiny Kageyama didn’t know how to respond. He simply gestured around the room blindly, then buried his head back into his grandfather’s shoulder. “Is it too dark in here?” Kageyama nodded. “Well, I’ve got just the thing to fix that, follow me.”

  Tiny Kageyama did as instructed, and followed his grandfather out of his bedroom and into the hall. He stood there silently as the old man opened a cabinet and pulled out a box. He set it on the ground in front of the boy and sat beside it. Kageyama sat next to him, looking curiously at the box in the dim light of the hallway.

  His grandfather opened it gently, his hands slow and steady. Inside was an assortment of random items, from batteries to old school worksheets. Tiny Kageyama watched as his grandfather rummaged around for a bit, searching for something. After a few moments his grandfather’s eyes lit up, and he pulled out a small object with a triumphant cheer. He held it out to Kageyama inviting him to take it. Kageyama grabbed the item and held it up to look at it. It was a small sun, with a cartoon smile on the front. It was gold and see-through, and its eyes looked on pleasantly. Inside the sun was what looked like a light bulb, and when Kageyama flipped it over to look at the back he saw an electrical plug, presumably so that it would light up. 

  “What’s this?” Tiny Kageyama asked when he finished inspecting it. He looked up at his grandfather who took it from the child's hands and stood up.

  He held out his hand to Kageyama. “C'mere, I’ll show you,” he said, and when Kageyama grabbed his hand they headed back to the room. His grandfather entered first, pulling an uncertain child behind him. Kageyama looked around nervously, afraid of being surrounded by the darkness again. They walked over to the outlet beside Kageyama’s bed, then stopped. Kageyama’s grandfather bent over and securely placed the sun’s plug into the wall, flipping the small switch on the side as he did so. 

  Tiny Kageyama let out a small “whoa,” as the sun began to glow, casting a small area of warmth to combat the darkness.

  “There,” Kageyama’s grandfather said in satisfaction. Then he turned and picked up the child, who couldn’t help but let out a small giggle. He set him down in bed, and Kageyama snuggled under the covers. His grandfather sat on the edge of his bed and smiled down at him. “You see that light Tobio?” He asked Kageyama, who nodded, uncertain as to where this was going. “That light will protect you. Your little sun friend is going to keep you safe, alright? He’ll always be here to watch over you.” 

  Kageyama nodded again, yawning. “Thank you Kazuyo,” he buried further under the covers until just his head stuck out. “See you in the morning.”

  “See you in the morning,” his grandfather patted him on the head, before leaving the room quietly. Tiny Kageyama looked over at his new sun nightlight, already feeling more at ease. 

  “Goodnight sun,” he yawned again, before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep. 

    Before Kageyama had even realized it, he was standing in the doorway to his home. He slipped off his shoes and stepped inside, quickly retreating to his room and setting his bed down in its usual spot. He walked over to his nightstand and squatted down, looking for a very specific thing. 

   Of course it’s still here, he reached out and grabbed the small object, pulling it off the wall. There in his palm sat the small sun nightlight from all those years ago. He blew on it, removing a layer of dust that had built on top of it. He wasn’t much for re-arranging his room, and he had completely forgotten that the small sun was there. He flicked the switch to turn it on and plugged it back into the wall, letting it flood the space under his nightstand with its warm glow. It had the same effect that it did years ago, Kageyama felt safe. 

-----

  “All right!” Hinata cheered as he landed, and Kageyama heard the satisfying slam of the ball landing in on the other side of the court. It had been a few days since Hinata’s return, and Kageyama could see that the young middle blocker was already right back to his usual skill level.

  ‘Nice job Ginger!” Coach Ukai called from the sidelines with a nod of approval. “You too Kageyama.” 

  “Thank you sir!” The two teens replied in unison. 

  “Now c'mon over, let’s run some drills!” 

   “Sir!”

----

   Kageyama slid down to the floor, exhausted. Coach Ukai had worked them to their breaking points. Kageyama was grateful, they needed the training. But that didn’t stop him from leaning his head against the wall, shutting his eyes in an attempt to control his breathing and get his strength back. All of his limbs felt shaky and his entire body felt covered in sweat. 

  “Tough practice, eh?” Kageyama looked up to see Sugawara standing beside him, stretching. He looked nearly as exhausted as Kageyama felt, and he could see the teen’s grey hair plastered to his head. The dark-haired setter was too out of breath to formulate a response so he just nodded and closed his eyes again. He could hear the different conversations going on around him, of his teammates either ecstatic over the rough practice or grumbling about it. 

  “I should've stayed home today,” Kageyama heard Kinoshita complain.

  “Gonna quit again?” Narita teased his friend good-naturedly. 

  “Nobody is quitting,” Daichi’s voice chimed in. 

   “Man that was fun,” Kageyama looked up at the sound of Hinata’s voice, and he quickly spotted the ginger-haired teen chatting with Tanaka and Nishinoya. The two second years nodded enthusiastically. Kageyama noted that none of them looked as exhausted as a normal human would be, and he couldn’t help but roll his eyes at their stamina. Once he regained his breath he stood up and walked over to their little group. Nishinoya was going on a tangent about something he had done on some trip, and Tanaka and Hinata were listening intensely. Kageyama hesitated to interrupt, but he wanted to get at least one more quick attack before heading home for the night. It was Saturday night, meaning they didn’t have practice the next day. 

  Once he was close enough to the group he awkwardly cleared his throat, trying to get Hintata’s attention. When the ginger didn’t look up at him he tried again with an uncertain “hey,” Tanaka looked up, apparently the only one to hear him.

  “Yeah Kageyama?” He asked, looking slightly confused. He then saw where Kageyama was looking and smirked. “Ah, I see.”

  “What?” Kageyama asked, and Nishinoya paused his story and turned to see what was going on. “I just wanted to see if Hinata wanted to practice a few more quick attacks before we’re kicked out. 

  “Sureeee,” Tanaka smiled, but it wasn’t exactly pleasant. If Kageyama had to use a word to describe it, teasing would fit best. “C’mon Noya I see where we’re not wanted.” Tanaka began to walk away with Nishinoya, who still looked lost, in pursuit. 

  “What was that all about?” Hinata asked, looking baffled. 

  Kageyama shrugged. “Beats me.”

  “You said you wanted to run through the quick attack?” 

  “If you’re up for it,”

  “Of course I am!” Hinata dashed off to pick up a volleyball off the floor, one of the few that hadn’t been put away yet. He raced back to Kageyama, clutching the ball in his hands in anticipation. 

  “Not too many guys, we have to close up the gym soon!” Takeda called from his position on the side of the gym, and the two boys nodded, already rushing towards the court. 

  They did more than just a few, getting easily lost in the familiar pattern of sets and spikes. Kageyama felt more alive than ever when he was performing with Hinata, something always made him feel unstoppable. 

    But that’s what we are, aren’t we? Kageyama remembered the nickname they had been given when they began to get the hang of the freak quick. We’re Karasuno’s unstoppable weapon. The name wasn’t exactly literal in the sense that nobody could ever beat them, it was more the idea that nothing would be able to keep them down for long. And that’s exactly how Kageyama felt. The two of them had been through a lot together, both good and bad things. Even if they had only joined the team less than a year ago, it already felt like they had been worked together forever. They had won games together and lost games together. They had fought more times than Kageyama could count, but they had also built a lot up together. Kageyama couldn’t imagine his life without Hinata, or the team. 

  “Alright you two, that’s enough!” Kageyama looked up to see Daichi standing at the entrance to the gym sternly. Kageyama looked around to see the room nearly empty except for the two teens still standing on the court, and Daichi and Sugawara standing in the doorway. 

  “Haven’t you practiced enough for the day?” Sugawara stepped out from beside the captain, yawning. “You must be tired.” 

  “Not really,” Kageyama shrugged, though the moment he said it the exhaustion hit him and he yawned. 

  Daichi just sighed.  “Whether you are or aren’t isn’t the point, you both need to get home.”

  “Yes sir,” they both responded. The teens rushed to finish cleaning everything up with the help of the two third years. 

  “Alright, see you both on Monday!” Sugawara called to them, shutting the gym doors and beginning a casual stroll to the front of the school. Daichi nodded to back up his friend’s statement, and then he too left the first years standing by the gym in the darkness. 

  “Practice was amazing today,” Hinata said blissfully, securing his gym bag on his shoulder. 

  “It was if you like being totally wiped out,” Kageyama teased, though he felt the same way.

  “Hey I didn’t get as tired as you did! You looked about ready to collapse!” Hinata retorted, looking annoyed. Kageyama refused to let that slide.

  “Well excuse me, I’m not an endless ball of energy!”

  “Are too!”

  “Did you just… Compliment me?” Kageyama barely suppressed a chuckle. 

  “Shut up Kageyama!” Hinata pouted again, and Kageyama could tell he was getting more agitated. They began to walk towards the front of the school, their exhaustion finally setting. It was quiet, quieter than usual. Kageyama couldn’t tell if it was because of how tired they were, if Hinata had something on his mind, or simply the atmosphere. But whatever it was, Kageyama wasn’t complaining. They reached the point where they usually split up sooner than Kageyama would have liked, he didn’t want their walk to end. He didn’t feel quite ready to say goodbye to the ginger, and he suddenly had an idea. 

   “Do you… Maybe wanna hang out tomorrow?” He asked, breaking the silence. Hinata, who had just been reaching for his bike handle, stopped and turned to face the dark-haired setter.

  “Uh… Sure! The usual place?” Hinata asked, looking up towards Kageyama, who thought he saw a tinge of color on the older teen’s cheeks. 

   It is getting kinda cold out, he thought, looking away from Hinata, the sight of the flush on his friend’s face making him slightly warm for some reason. We should probably hurry home. “Yeah.”

  “Awesome! What time?” 

  “Doesn’t matter, I’ll text you later and we can figure it out then.” Kageyama didn’t feel like setting up any specifics, he felt weak and exhausted, and he could tell Hinata was too just by looking at him. 

  “Alright!” Hinata returned to his task of securing his bike in his grasp and wheeling it out of where it had previously been stored. “See you tomorrow then!” 

  “See ya.”

-----------

   “Where is he?” Kageyama muttered as he checked his phone for the fifth time in the past minute. A quarter of an hour had passed since their arranged meeting time, and Hinata still hadn't arrived. Kageyama was trying not to stress out over it too much, but the first year was usually early to things, so it was concerning for him to be so late. 

  He was just about to head down the hill and over to Hinata’s house when he heard panting coming from the other side of the tree. Kageyama rushed over to see his friend racing up the hill, a light grey hoodie shifting as he moved. 

  “H... Hey,” he breathed, reaching the top of the hill. 

  “Where were you?!” Kageyama tried not to shout, but some of his concern must have leaked into his voice because the orange-haired teen looked up, slightly apologetically. 

  “Sorry Kageyama, my mom wanted me to help Natsu with something and then I was messing around with the volleyball in my yard and I just kinda lost track of time,” Hinata fidgeted with his sleeves, looking sheepish. “Why, were you worried about me?”

  “Of course not!” Kageyama turned away indignantly, heading back to the tree. He flopped down at the base, leaning against the trunk and picking up a few scattered leaves from the ground. He kept his gaze fixed on the brown and orange dying plants as he heard Hinata sit down beside him. 

  The tree on the hill was their usual hangout spot. When they first joined the volleyball club, they were enemies. It took Kageyama awhile to see that Hinata was on the same side of the court as him and that they weren’t truly adversaries anymore. At least for the time being, they were allies. They began to hang out at school, sometimes meeting up to eat lunch, and often walking to practice together. 

  It wasn’t until a few months later that Hinata invited Kageyama to hang out outside of school. 

    “Hey, I know this is sudden, but I was wondering if you wanted to hang out this weekend.” Kageyama looked up to see Hinata staring at him, fidgeting with the volleyball that he was supposed to put away. 

  “Uh… Why?” He asked bluntly, not thinking about how rude it may have come off. 

  “I don’t know,” Hinata looked more uncertain, staring down at the volleyball nervously. “I just figured since we’re ya know... Kinda friends?” The small ginger paused as if he wasn’t sure the term applied to the two of them. “I don’t know, I thought we could work on some techniques or just talk or something. It was just an idea, you don’t have to say yes.” 

  Kageyama agreed without thinking about it further. Something drew him to the teen, and something in his gut told him that pursuing a friendship with this person in front of him was the right decision. 

  So a few days later, Kageyama found himself checking his phone once again to make sure he had the meeting place right. He looked up to the sound of a volleyball connecting with something, and he saw his teammate standing on top of a hill with a large tree, bouncing a volleyball off the trunk and attempting to receive it. Kageyama stood and watched for a few minutes before the ginger noticed him.

  “Kageyama! Come up here!” Hinata shouted, tucking the volleyball under his arm and waving excitedly. 

    Since that day, Kageyama had made many trips to the tree on the hill with his teammate-turned-friend. There was no specific reason they would go there, just whenever they both felt like it. Whatever they did depended on the day too. Often one or both would bring a volleyball and they’d practice techniques, someone constantly running to retrieve balls that would roll down the hill. Other days they’d just sit under the tree and chat, about practice, about the team, about the school, whatever came to mind that day. There were even some days they did nothing at all, just sitting under the tree in comfortable silence until someone had to leave. 

  No matter what they were doing, the days they spent upon the hill with the tree were special to Kageyama. When they were on top of it, Kageyama felt like they could conquer anything. 

  Hinata interrupted Kageyama’s reminiscing. “What do you think is gonna happen at the game?” He asked, looking over at the setter. Kageyama earnestly thought for a moment, trying to gauge his thoughts. 

  “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I’m pretty confident we’ll win, and I know we can. But I guess it also depends on who we’re up against, we should figure it out in about a week or so. So I can only really give you an answer when I know that. Whoever it is though, I know we can beat them. We just have to play our cards right.” Hinata looked thoughtful, taking in the other first year’s words. 

  “I guess that makes sense,” he responded rationally. “I guess I’m just a little worked up. The third years seem so confident that we’re going to win, and I want to believe them. After all, they’ve sacrificed so much for us, I feel like we owe it to them to do well. But still… After the Aoba Johsai game…” Hinata trailed off, and Kageyama wondered if his friend was remembering the same events as he was. 

   It wasn’t easy to forget the frustration he felt after returning home from the game they lost a few months back, and after they were so close too. The victory was in reach, and yet they still ended up losing. Kageyama remembered replaying moments of the game over and over in his head that night, wondering what he could have done better, what he could have fixed, the areas where if he had just been a little better- but that was no way to go about things. They had lost, and eventually, Kageyama realized that no matter how many what-ifs he came up with, it wouldn’t change the outcome of the match.

   All they could do was work harder, practice more, and get better for their next game. Which they had been. Kageyama had never worked harder on something in his life, practicing constantly just for the upcoming games in the tournament. And he knew Hinata had been too, excepting the weeks he just had to sit out. So looking at it logically, they were more than ready.

   Still, Kageyama understood why Hinata was stressing so much about the game. This was the last tournament they’d ever play with the third years. They had already won against two schools, but that meant it was just getting harder. They had to win these four upcoming games or their hopes of ever getting to Nationals would be destroyed quickly. They had to do it now, or it might not ever happen.

   “There’s no point in stressing about it before it happens,” Kageyama attempted to comfort his friend. He knew the statement was hypocritical, as he was severely stressed about it himself. But it was the only thing he could think of to say, he had never been the best at words.

  “I guess you’re right,” Hinata sighed. The setter watched as his friend tilted his head up, watching a leaf slowly fall to the ground. “We just have to bring our best, and then some more.” 

  “Exactly.” 

-------------

   Kageyama woke up the next Saturday and rushed to get ready. It was an important day, October 6th, the day they would be figuring out the lineup for the next phase of the tournament. He shoved breakfast down before racing out the door, eager to receive the news that could drastically affect the team's morale. 

  He headed to school as fast as he could without exhausting himself. He kept up a light jog to the spot he met Hinata, who was putting his bike in the rack.

 “Hey Kageyama!” The ginger turned to face the taller teen after locking up his ride. Kageyama lifted his hand in a slight wave, too caught up in his anticipation to worry about carrying a proper conversation. Hinata must have sensed this, because without beginning his usual chit-chat he took off, rushing towards the gym without giving Kageyama time to respond. 

  The race was on. Kageyama extended his legs as far as they could go, desperate to catch up to the middle blocker. It was the beginning of October, and Kageyama could feel the air beginning to chill slightly with each inhaled breath. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to signify that they were well into fall.

   In the end, Kageyama’s efforts weren’t enough and Hinata beat him. They both collapsed to the ground, panting heavily in an attempt to regain their stamina. Multiple teammates passed by, which was strange since Hinata and Kageyama were usually the only ones there at that time, but Kageyama paid them no mind. 

  After a few minutes of resting Kageyama got back up and lifted his bag that he had chucked. He threw it over his shoulder and began to make his way to the club room to change. He was so preoccupied with thoughts on who they were going up against that he didn’t bother to see if Hinata was following. 

  The teen methodically went through the rhythm of getting changed into his gym clothes, leaving his bag in the room and only bringing his sweat rag and water bottle. 

  Kageyama could feel the anxiety clawing its way up to his throat as he entered the gym, his eyes flitting around the room to take note of its occupants. The three third years were stretching in the corner. Asahi had his back to the tall setter so he couldn’t see his expression, but Kageyama could see the excitement and nervousness resting on both Daichi and Sugawara’s faces. 

   Next Kageyama turned towards the sound of voices, quickly spotting Yachi and Kiyoko chatting by the scoreboard. Takeda was lingering there along with Coach Ukai. 

   Nearly everyone is already here, Kageyama counted in his head. He didn’t know what he was expecting, everyone must have been feeling as excited as he was. Kageyama stared at the club advisor for a little while longer, scanning the man up and down for any notice of the announcement. 

  Usually the team could have just checked online, but the list wasn’t officially posted on the internet till the next day. So Kageyama paced impatiently, waiting for everyone to arrive in the gym. Soon more people started coming through the doors, including Hinata, who headed over to stand next to the setter. Kageyama noticed the teen could hardly keep his excitement contained, as he occupied himself with his habit of bouncing on his toes.

   This was just one of the things Kageyama had noticed about the small middle blocker since the day they had met. Hinata had a lot of mannerisms that were unique to him, like the little movements he did when he became excited, or the odd choices of words he would use to describe things that made him happy. At first, Kageyama had thought everything Hinata had done was weird, but now, as he watched him in the middle of his antics, Kageyama realized they made him smile.

   “Alright gather around!” The slightly husky voice of the coach called the team to the side of the gym. Kageyama quickly followed the instructions, the sound of squeaking shoes alerting that the rest of the team was doing the same. 

    There’s still a lot of us in the running, Kageyama pondered as he sat down. There’s no way to fully predict what team we’ll be up against. The best we can do is hope that we aren’t matched up with the strongest teams right away.

   “Alright,” Takeda took the front of the room, looking out towards his team. Kageyama saw him hold up a piece of paper, reading it over before speaking again. “I’m sure you’re all dying to know who we’ve got first,” he began, lifting his eyes from the paper. 

  “Who is it?” Hinata called out prematurely, causing Daichi to sigh. The teacher took a deep breath before announcing: 

  “Our first match is against Johzenji high.”

  “I haven’t heard much about them, what are they like?” Sugawara spoke up after a few seconds of silence. Takeda fixed his gaze on the third-year setter as if contemplating his answer. 

  “Well, I was reading up a bit on all the teams we’d possibly be going against last night,” he paused briefly to walk over to his stuff, pulling a notebook out of the front pocket of his bag. Kageyama stared at the little book, his curiosity climaxing. The adult returned to his position and continued:

  “All the information I could find about their school is they’re wilder than any of the other teams we’ve played. They’re chaotic and unpredictable, completely different from the well-oiled machines that teams like Nekoma and Date Tech are. This may sound like we have the advantage, but I don’t know if that’s the case. Since they play so freely, they’re also extremely adaptable. They’re good at trying new things in the middle of a match, and nobody can compete with them in spirit. Their team consists of second years, all of their third years excepting their manager left after the last Interhigh tournament.” Takeda read off his notebook without taking a breath, trying to get as much information as he could into the team. 

   Unpredictable, huh. Kageyama took a mental note of the teacher’s words. They didn’t sound impossible to beat, which made him hopeful. 

  “Is that all?” Kageyama heard the captain speak up from where he was sitting. 

  “Uh-huh,” Takeda rubbed the back of his head and frowned slightly “sorry that’s all I got. There were a lot of teams to cover so I didn’t have time to get a ton of information on all of them.”

  “No no no that was amazing, thank you so much,” the third year stood up and walked up to the front of the gym, lightly resting his hand on the teacher’s shoulder in a gesture of appreciation. Takeda gave a small bow in thanks, then gave Daichi the spotlight. 

  The captain turned to face the team, and the excited chatter that had begun to surface at the announcement settled down as the team gave their full attention to the Daichi. 

  “Alright guys,” the wing spiker looked out at the team, making eye contact with many of them, including Kageyama. In that moment of looking at each other, Kageyama could tell that the older teen was dead serious about whatever he was about to say. “I know we’re all stressed, at least, I know I am. But we are a team. A good one at that. It’s like Sugawara said the other day. Keep the same energy towards practice, and I do not doubt that we can win this.” 

  The speech wasn’t long, nor did it go in-depth, but Kageyama could tell it took its effect on the entire team; they were looking around at each other with the air of determination weighing down on them. Within a few minutes, the entire team was back at work. Something about it felt livelier than usual. Kageyama wasn’t sure whether it was the announcements, the anticipation of the upcoming events, or simply all being together as a team, but everyone seemed like they giving it their all that night. It was one of the best practices they had in a while. 

--------

   Kageyama became so enveloped in practices that before he knew it, it was already October 24th, the night before the first day of the tournament. They had spent countless days in the gym, visiting pretty much every day. A few members of the team would arrive hours early, or stay hours later. They had kept up the adrenaline that they were hoping to, and everyone was making great progress. 

  But as usual, Kageyama and Hinata were working harder than anyone. They had gotten into trouble with the adults and older members of the team more times they could remember, always getting warned about over practicing. But that never stopped the two motivated teens. Even if they couldn’t practice at the gym, they would still spend their time working on whatever they could. Their trips to the tree had significantly increased, and they would even go there after practice ended to work on their techniques late into the night.

  And that was exactly where they were heading at that very moment. Hinata rolled his bike beside him, and Kageyama strolled on the other side. The practice had ended a few minutes before, but the setter wasn’t content. Coach Ukai had left them with strict orders to go straight home and rest as much as they could before the game tomorrow, but the dark-haired first year didn’t feel like he would be able to sleep easily. And Hinata must have felt the same way because when Kageyama invited him to the tree on the hill once again, the middle blocker accepted without hesitation. It was rare for the two boys to not be exchanging playful banter or insults, but Kageyama was so wrapped up in his thoughts of the next day that he didn’t engage at all. 

   After a few minutes they arrived at the base of the hill. Kageyama knew they couldn’t stay too long, otherwise, they would get in more trouble than he felt like dealing with. The setter watched as Hinata leaned his bike against the base of the hill, and then the two of them began to climb, the silence between them still lingering. 

  The ginger first year had a volleyball tucked under his arm, and as soon as they reached the top of the hill he tossed it to Kageyama. 

  “Set for me?” He asked, breathing slightly heavily from the uphill climb. Kageyama agreed with a nod and spun the ball around in his palms a few times to remember the feel for it. He was feeling strangely good at the moment. He would often get in this mode, where everything just felt like it was in the right place. The ball would fit in his palm better, his shoes would form to his feet better, and even his hair would fall nicer than on any other day. All Kageyama could hope for is that this feeling would carry on until the next day, allowing him to bring his best to the match. 

   The first year tossed up the ball, curving his hands to prepare for a perfect set. Perfect it was. The ball landed in his palm at directly the angle he had predicted it would, and he set it towards Hinata in a perfect arch. The setter’s gaze flashed towards the middle blocker just in time to see the young teen’s face light up, before leaping up to spike the ball. Kageyama watched his form intensely. Something seemed slightly off about it but he couldn’t place it. Hinata seemed smaller than before, but maybe it was just in contrast to the giant tree that loomed behind him. 

  “I’ll get it!” Kageyama blinked. He had been completely focused on Hinata to the point where he didn’t pay attention to the ball at all. He wildly looked around to see where it had gone, only to see it picking up speed as it rolled down the hill, the ginger-haired boy chasing after it. There was a mark on the ground where the volleyball had slammed to the grass, tearing up a few blades. 

  They were powerful, and at that moment Kageyama felt reassured about the next day. If the two of them simply stuck together, their attack could get through anything. So when Hinata arrived back on top of the hill, panting harder than usual, Kageyama suggested they headed home for the night. And while Hinata complained, he eventually complied.

  The two teens went their separate ways, and Kageyama rushed home quickly to make sure he got as much sleep as he could before the next long, and stressful day.

--------

   “Everyone ready?” Takeda checked his clipboard to ensure everyone was there, quickly doing a headcount of the students. He nodded his head as if to confirm everything matched up, and then gestured for everyone to get on the bus. It was finally the day of the tournament. Kageyama looked down at his hands as he boarded the bus, feeling the nervousness building within him.

  His teammates chatted excitedly, the noise rocketing around the bus. Without too many hiccups they were on their way. On their way to their first match of the spring tournament. Just by the amount of noise everyone was making, Kageyama could tell that the people around him were feeling the same things that he was. 

   The ride to Sendai city gymnasium was loud, hectic, and eventful. Conversations were going on the entire way, from challenges to a discussion about the opposing teams to talking about the area they would be playing at. Kageyama mostly kept to himself, too distracted trying to make plans in his head to make any more conversation other than a few smart remarks or complaints here and there. 

  They arrived quicker than Kageyama had expected to. He was so caught up in the anticipation that the time flew by quickly. There was a lot of shuffling of bags and limbs as the Karasuno team got off their ride, and the setter tried to escape the mess as quickly as could. Once they were outside, he took a look at the place they were about to compete at. 

  “We’re finally gonna get our revenge.” Kageyama looked around to see who had spoken, and he saw Hinata standing there, looking breathless and slightly pale, but more determined than ever. As the dark-haired teen gazed around the team, he could their mentality matched the first year's words. The defeat of the last Interhigh was devastating, but they had worked so hard for this. So no matter what happened, no matter who they were up against, Kageyama knew they were prepared. 

  His internal monologue was cut off by a flash of ginger that passed by him. Kageyama blinked, confused, before realizing that Hinata had taken off towards the gym, his hair rippling backward in the motion he was creating. 

  “Hey that’s not fair, slow down!” Kageyama shouted, not hesitating another second before taking off after the other first year. He could hear the disapproving sighs of his teammates but he paid no mind to them as he rushed after his friend. 

  He skidded to a halt and began to walk, noticing the scene that was going on before him. Hinata had collided with some kid in a yellow jacket, who was now looking over the short teen's shoulder and straight at the rest of the Karasuno team. Around the guy were a bunch of other people in the same attire, probably one of the teams there to compete that day. 

  The stranger lifted his hand in a wave, and Kageyama looked back and forth between the two teams, trying to figure out who he was waving at. His question didn’t take long to be answered, however, as the dude who looked like trouble spoke in a joyous tone:

  “Hey glasses girl! You didn’t give me your number the other day!” Kageyama looked back at his team and saw Kiyoko looking away, slightly annoyed. He realized that this was bad news, as he knew two members of the team did not take well to people hitting on their precious team manager. 

   Oh this should be interesting, Kageyama smirked to himself, and took a step back to be out of the line of fire. Daichi tried to stop Tanaka and Nishinoya, and even Sugawara looked slightly distressed as the two second years charged towards the guy who had just flirted with Kiyoko.

  “Hey stop! I’m so sorry about my team, they get carried away sometimes,” a new voice spoke, and Kageyama looked back at the team in yellow to see a girl in the same jacket as the rest of them bent in a low bow. She stood upright and Kageyama could tell she meant what she had said. 

   Huh, is that girl their manager? The setter tried to piece together everything that was going on. Hinata had stepped back and was now standing right next to Kageyama, who looked at his shorter friend. Hinata looked slightly shaken by the encounter, and his mouth hung open as he too observed the scene that was unfolding before them. 

  The rest of the opposing team made their way inside, except for the girl who had just spoken and the guy who had hit on the Karasuno manager. The dude looked Hinata and Kageyama up and down before he also turned his back to them and began heading inside. 

  “See you in the first match, Karasuno.” He drew out their team name as he walked away, adding an infectious tone to the statement. Kageyama turned towards the lineup board that had been placed near the front of the school and scanned his eyes over it till he found their school. Sure enough, it had been listed right there. 

  “Karasuno vs. Johzenji,” Hinata read aloud, and Kageyama saw his eyes widen in realization. “You think that was them Kageyama?”

  “Has to be,” The tall teen turned back towards the line up, trying to study it.

  “You know…” Hinata continued, “Every team here is at least decent. I mean, they made it here after all.”

  “But we’re going to beat them,” Kageyama randomly felt a burst of motivation. He stepped away from the board and took off towards the entrance to the building. He heard Hinata cheer behind him before the two of them entered the doors to where they were competing. 

   “Whoa…” Kageyama heard Hinata breathe as the two teens looked around the venue. The entire place was lit up with colors, people stood all around wearing different colors, and there were brightly colored bags lining the ground. The chatter of excited athletes drowned out almost anything else that was going on. The room was filled with lots of hustle and bustle, and there were lots of people scrambling as well as many athletes relaxing, as it probably wasn’t their time to play yet.

  The entire thing felt like a completely different world. They had gone to an Interhigh tournament before, but it had nearly been five months since that had happened, plenty of time to forget the high-paced atmosphere that was the entrance hall to competitions. 

  “It’s magnificent, isn’t it?” Sugawara walked up behind the two energetic first years, who nodded enthusiastically. The third-year laughed and then sighed. “I’m so glad I decided to come back. I'm glad I get the chance to stand here like this, with my team, even if it's for the last time.” There was a note of wistfulness in his voice that reminded Kageyama once again of the short amount of time that they had left with their third years. They had to make this competition count. 

  “I’m… Gonna go to the bathroom,” the setter looked down to see Hinata looking even paler than before, his excitement of being in the room quickly getting replaced with stress. 

  “Don’t spend too long in there!” Yamaguchi called, looking slightly concerned as Hinata ran off.

   “Every competition,” Tanaka rolled his eyes. “You’d think he’d eventually get used to it.”

  “Relax Tanaka, he’s still fairly new at this,” the grey-haired third year shrugged. Kageyama tried to figure out how the rest of the team was feeling. All the third years were standing off to the side, looking calmer than Kageyama felt. Yamaguchi and Kinoshita on the other hand looked completely stressed out. And there were a few people who fell in between, like Tsukishima, who had a completely blank expression, and Narita, who looked slightly nervous, but was still staying fairly composed. 

  “Alright everyone, gather around,” Coach Ukai motioned for the team to close in. Takeda stood beside him, gripping the sheet of paper with the team lineups on it. He stepped into the circle huddle that was forming and handed the paper to the team captain. 

  Daichi grabbed it and looked it over, as if trying to take in every detail on the sheet. 

  “It’s been updated,” his eyes widened as he stared at the piece of paper. “We now know who’s playing where, and when.” Sugawara peered over the other third year’s shoulder, intent on looking for himself. 

  “So who’s up first?” Ennoshita spoke. The second-year looked mostly calm, though Kageyama suspected that it may just be an act. Daichi nodded in response to the question and pointed to the sheet. 

  “Of the teams we know,” the captain began, looking down the list as if to double-check. “Shiratorizawa is on court A, and Seijoh is playing on court B. Our game is directly after theirs, as soon as one of the courts frees up.”

  “Based on current rankings, I’d say we’ll be on court A,” Asahi stepped behind the two shorter third years and stared at the piece of paper as well. “I’ve never even heard of the team Shiratorizwa is up against, so I doubt they’ll last very long.”

  “You’ve got a point Asahi,” Coach Ukai commented, and Kageyama looked up to see the coach smirking slightly. “But it’s the same as our case. Nobody knows much about us, half the teams here have probably never even heard our name before. But does that mean we’re going to lose today?”

  “No sir!” Karasuno responded enthusiastically. Their presence felt more powerful than ever, Kageyama could tell. Something felt strange about the tournament. He wasn’t sure what it was, he wasn’t sure whether it was good or bad. But either way, he knew something was going to be different that day. 

  “What did I miss?” Someone called from behind Kageyama, causing him to jump.

  “Don’t sneak up on people like that dumbass,” Kageyama snarked, feeling really hot suddenly. 

  “But I didn’t sneak up on you,” Hinata looked confused. 

  “Shut up dumbass.”

  “Did you just use the same insult twice?” Tsukishima spoke up, pulling his headphones down to his neck. 

   “You shut up too!” 

----------

  Kageyama jumped up and down, trying to get some more feeling into his legs. They had just about finished warming up, and it looked like Shiritorizawa’s game was going to be over soon, just as Asahi had predicted. 

   “I’m so excited!” Hinata stood beside Kageyama, shaking his hands, emphasizing his statement. The two of them had run over their quick attack as many times as the captain would allow before the game began.

  “Alright everyone line up!” Takeda shouted, drawing the attention of the entire team. They did as they were told, getting into formation and exiting the practice area to begin heading over to where they would be playing in their official match. 

  The gym was huge, with high ceilings and many rows of seats. There weren’t a ton of people in those seats, but there were still enough to draw out another gasp from the middle blocker who walked behind Kageyama. The setter rolled his eyes but the small sound from the ginger made him feel more at ease. His anxiety about Hinata hadn’t dropped since his visit to the hospital, and he didn’t think it was going to change anytime soon. His nerves had gone down slightly every practice that his friend had proved that he was okay again, but he wasn’t sure it would ever fully leave. 

 So when they split up in the gym while everything got set up, Kageyama kept his eyes on Hinata, who had gone over to talk to Yamaguchi but instead found himself next to Tsukishima. The setter watched as the teen animatedly talked to the other middle blocker about something. Hinata looked healthy enough. Nothing about him had changed drastically, other than him looking a bit paler than usual. But Kageyama simply chalked it up to the weather changes and moved on, still clinging to the fact that everything was going to be okay.

   A few minutes later they were called to bow in, and they quickly moved to do so, getting into formation once again. Kageyama rhythmically went through the motions, hardly listening to anything that was going on around him. 

  Once all the formalities had been taken care of, Coach Ukai called them into a huddle one final time before the game started. “We’re finally here. From further research, this team was one of the best at the Interhigh prelims. This may sound a bit scary, but I think it’ll make for a more interesting match. So go out there and do your best, alright?” The coach waited until he saw the team nod. “Alright Asahi, you’re up first. Get a good serve in, alright?” 

  Kageyama quickly headed out to the court, his heartbeat matching the squeak of his shoes hitting the ground. 

   Coach was right, we’re here. He couldn’t say for certain he knew exactly what it meant, but it reminded him that nothing else mattered at the moment. Nothing else matters right now but this game . 

-----------

   “Nice receive Daichi!” Tanaka called out. Kageyama panted slightly, his eyes quickly flitting around the court, trying to find the ball. They were about fifteen minutes into the match, with a score of 10 to 10. The score was tied. Karasuno still hadn't used the main weapon in their arsenal, however.  

   There! Kageyama spotted the ball moving through the air, and without thinking twice about it he shifted his feet towards it. Is it time yet? Is he ready? No! No time to think about that. Hinata’s got this. Kageyama sent the ball directly towards the tiny middle blocker who had already leapt off the ground without hesitation. 

   Will it make it? Was that good enough? Kageyama landed and turned quickly, then watched as the ball soared through the air and connected with the palm of the ginger teen. The ball slammed down on Johzenji’s side of the court before the opposing team had time to react.

   “ALRIGHT!” Hinata landed and raced towards Kageyama, a huge grin on his face. He looked out of breath and more flushed than usual, the excitement completely lighting up his face. He held his hands out for a high-five, to which Kageyama met with a little too much aggression, judging by the look of pain on the middle blocker’s face. 

  “Awesome work you two!” Daichi gave the duo a thumbs up. “Let’s keep going at them just like that, there’s no way we can lose.”

  “Right!”

   Kageyama returned to his spot, intent on performing with the same level of skill. He could feel the sting in his palms, but whether that was from the volleyball or the high-five he couldn’t tell. Either way, the feeling comforted him, and he got the next few sets in with ease, hardly letting the other team get a chance to earn any points or to stop their attacks. The other team seemed like they were falling apart slightly, their players constantly crashing into each other and making such a racket that Kageyama could hardly believe they were playing in an official match.

  Soon enough Karasuno had a two-point lead on the team in yellow, with a scorecard that read 19 to 17. The other team’s chaos led Kageyama to feel like he had more freedom, and he took advantage of that to see how many crazy attacks he could help to make. He felt satisfaction coursing through him when they succeeded, leading him to feel more and more confident that they had this game in the bag. 

  Suddenly Kageyama saw a ball heading straight towards the player in front of him, and without thinking twice he jumped up to prevent the ball from reaching Karasuno's side of the court. The block was successful, and it even earned their team a point, however it came with a cost.

  Kageyama landed on the floor, wincing. He felt something dripping out of his nose and he lifted a hand to investigate, feeling pain rushing to his face. 

  “Time out!” Takeda called, and Kageyama brought his hand down to see it completely covered in blood. 

  “Oh my god Kageyama are you okay?” Hinata looked completely in distress, shaking slightly. 

  “Yeah I’m fine,” Kageyama wiped his nose with his hand again, attempting to clear away the blood so they could get back to the game. “See everything-”

  “Kageyama no, you gotta sit out!” Daichi interrupted, and his expression told Kageyama that it wasn’t up for debate. The setter ignored that, however, and persisted:

  “No Daichi I swear I’m fine!”

  “How can you even say that?” Tsukishima looked at him, disgusted. “At least step off the court until you stop bleeding.”

  “But-”

   “No, none of that,” Kageyama was interrupted once again, by Coach Ukai this time. “Go get yourself looked over, you can rejoin the game once the bleeding stops.

  “Don’t worry Kageyama, I’ve got this!” Hinata looked slightly weak but determined despite that. 

  “But I-”

   “C’mon Kageyama,” it was Yamaguchi this time, and the first year went behind the setter and began to push him off of the court, not up for any more arguments. 

  “Don’t worry, leave it to your upperclassmen,” Kageyama craned his neck to see Sugawara smirking. He finally relented, and let Yamaguchi drag him off the court and to the medical area. 

  It didn’t take long for the bleeding to stop, and Kageyama rushed back to the gym as soon as he could, with Yachi, who had taken Yamaguchi’s place taking care of the setter, trailing behind him. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw Narita standing on the court when he returned, and to see Hinata off of it. He quickly informed Coach Ukai that he was alright, and then followed instructions to go stand in the benching area. 

   Usually that would have bothered him, but he was too curious about the switching of players to mind. 

 “So I recall you said that you had this?” The dark-haired teen asked once he was standing next to Hinata. The ginger seemed tired for some reason, but it was nearly completely masked by his excitement. 

  “Coach wanted me to watch some of Narita’s playstyle,” Hinata explained without taking his eyes off the court. “I wanna be able to do everything he can and more!” Kageyama didn’t know how to respond so he just nodded and turned his attention back to the game. 

  He couldn’t help but wonder if that was the reason the coach had taken the middle blocker off the court. Sure, Narita was a well-rounded player and there were probably some things that Hinata could learn from him. Still, this didn’t feel like a good time for that.

   So was he really just concerned about Hinata overworking himself? Kageyama pondered, his eyes hardly taking in any of the match before him. Did something happen? Did the coach notice something? Or am I just being paranoid? He shook his head violently, trying to get his focus back on what mattered at the moment. 

  “YES!” The three first years who stood in the benching area cheered as their team scored another point. They were still in the lead by two, but by the time Kageyama had left and came back the scorecards were all the way up 23 to 21 points.

  “We’re not going to lose this game!” Kageyama and Hinata shouted at the same time. The setter looked down at the shorter teen and smiled, and Hinata returned the expression. 

  A few seconds later they were at set point, and Narita was up to serve. Kageyama watched as the middle blocker sent the ball over, but it was quickly received by Johzenji’s Libero. The other team's player sent it up towards the setter and then-

   “Are they trying to do a synchronized attack?!” Kageyama nearly shouted, completely bewildered by the sight.  

  “What the-” Ennoshita exclaimed, sounding equally confused. All they could do was watch as the ball soared in a perfect arc towards the moving captain, who jumped as high as he could to connect with it. 

  Except things didn’t go as planned, at least, not as it was probably planned. The ball soared a couple of inches over the captain’s fingertips and crashed to the floor with a thud.

  “ Huh…?” Ennoshita questioned, still sounding completely baffled. 

  “What made them think that was a good idea?” Kinoshita looked like he couldn’t decide whether to smack his forehead or laugh. 

  “Whatever made them think it was… Was obviously wrong.” Yamaguchi chimed in, causing the group to laugh slightly. And just like that, the first set was over. They had won, 25 to 21. They quickly raced to change sides, the excited banter of the team continuing as they went.

  “Seriously what was that?” Narita questioned from where he was walking beside Kageyama, his voice relaying his uncertainty. 

  “I guess it’s in their play style,” Sugwara shrugged, sounding just as lost as the rest of them. “Either way we won the set, so it’s good for us.” 

  “You’re right,” Daichi agreed. “We can definitely use their recklessness to our advantage.” 

  “Your captain is right,” Coach Ukai called them all to gather around once again. “Now I know we just took the first set, which is good, and I’m proud of all of you.” He looked around at each of them confidently. “Now don’t let that cause you to drop your guard. This is still anyone’s game, and I need you guys to keep up the same energy you had for this set in the next one, alright?”

  The team responded enthusiastically, and Coach Ukai nodded his approval. “Now get back out there!” 

  At the sound of the whistle blow the team raced back out the court with their starting lineup. Kageyama could hear Hinata jumping up and down in place once they were on the court, probably trying to get himself psyched up. The small first year started yelling slightly in excitement, and Kageyama joined in with his own:

  “We’ve got this!” 

  “Make sure you stay calm you guys!” Sugawara shouted from the sidelines, and Kageyama took his words in and took a deep breath, trying to keep his excitement in check. 

  They were going to win this set, and then the next game, and one after that.

  This time, they weren’t going to lose.

----------

  The entire arena felt deadly quiet. Not a single sound could be heard, it was if the entire gym was holding its breath. The silence was only broken by a thunk , the sound confirming the Karasuno team’s spot at Nationals.

  It had officially been two days since the section of the Spring Interhigh had begun, but at that moment it felt like it had passed in the blink of an eye. 

   We won. 

 Kageyama had to repeat the words to himself over and over before he could feel his body again. 

   We won.

   They did it. They won the Johzenji game a few days ago. They won their next match with Wakutani fairly easily, even though Daichi had to step out of the match for a while because of an injury. They even won the Aoba Johsai game that Kageyama had been dreading, afraid to face his adversary Oikawa on the court once again.

  But nothing could ever compare to the indescribable rush of emotions that Kageyama was feeling after the ball that won them the Shiratorizawa game hit the ground. His head felt light, and the world slowly faded away as he tried to process what had happened. The setter looked down at his hands, which were shaking slightly from exertion. Everything felt unreal like it wasn’t actually happening. The sound of a whistle reminded him that it was. 

  There was screaming, so much screaming. Kageyama couldn’t tell who it was or where it was coming from. The entire gym had gone wild at the crow team’s victory. It was a loud, jumbled tangle of noise, too chaotic to pick out any distinct sounds. The world around him felt light. 

   We won.

  Something tackled him, and Kageyama blinked, trying to ground himself back to existence. Tanaka had his arms wrapped around both the numbers nine and ten, pulling them together as tightly as he could. The dark-haired teen could only stand there, still too numb to react as someone else joined in their group hug. 

   We won. 

   It was official. The match had been called. The sounds of screaming still continued, drawing Kageyama slightly further out of his deluded reality. 

  We actually won. 

  He was hardly aware of his actions as he walked over to line up; his body moved completely on his own as he helped Nishinoya drag an exhausted Hinata behind him. The middle blocker looked completely drained but Kageyama was too wrapped up in his own world to pay any attention to it. 

  They walked off the court that Saturday afternoon with their heads held high. There were lots of tears, and Kageyama remembered Coach Ukai giving a speech, but he was still too lost in his own head to respond to anything. It wasn’t a bad feeling, the entire world just felt a little brighter. It was like it was covered in a layer of fog, but the fog was the most pleasant thing he had ever experienced. 

  “Hinata Shoyo, Kageyama Tobio,” someone called from behind the two first years, who were the only two left standing in the gym. 

  If there was anything that could snap Kageyama out of his trance, it was the voice of his competition. The two boys whipped around to see Ushijima standing there, the same expression on his face as always.

 “We’re going to beat you next time,” the captain looked down at the two of them, his face completely unreadable. Hinata began to shout some things at the man, his voice rising slightly as it often did when he was angry. 

  “I’ll prove to you that I’m better than Oikawa!” Kageyama shouted, his frustration at the tall opponent getting the best of him.

   Huh? Where did that come from? To be fair it had been a long couple of days, but the setter wasn’t completely sure why he had brought the brown-haired captain into the equation. 

  Ushijima simply nodded, then began to walk away, leaving Hinata and Kageyama to stand by the scoreboards alone. 

  “I wonder what that was all about,” Kageyama looked down towards the middle blocker, who had his hand on his chest. The teenager still looked pale, much to Kageyama's discomfort. But he simply chalked it up to exhaustion from the competition. 

  “I dunno,” the tall teen shrugged, turning away. “But the rest of the team is probably waiting for us, we should get going. 

  The rest of the day passed by in a blur. Kageyama could hardly remember anything that had happened. The second the team had boarded the bus again, he was out. The setter rested his head against the window in his usual fashion, feeling the relief wash over him once again. 

   We won. 

  A little while later, the entire team sat at a table in their usual after-competition restaurant. Everyone still looked exhausted, drained from the long days of work. Kageyama himself could hardly keep his eyes open, even when food got placed right in front of him. 

  ‘You all need to decide whether you’re going to eat or sleep,” Coach Ukai sighed, and even without looking over Kageyama could tell he was rolling his eyes. 

   Those who ate did it mostly in silence; nobody had the energy to keep up with a conversation. Kageyama glanced down to see Hinata knocked out, his head resting against the table. 

   Good, let him rest.

  They finished their food quickly, then headed back to the school. Within a few hours, Kageyama was finally back in his bed after a long shower and some new clothes. 

   We won. 

   He was still repeating the words to himself, unsure if it had just been a dream. It certainly seemed unbelievable enough that it had happened. They had beaten Shiritorizwa. They were going to Nationals. He let the thought sink in as he clung to his pillow, wrapping his arms around it tightly. 

    We did it.

----------

  “Hhhhm…?’ Kageyama rolled over in bed, feeling all of his muscles screeching in protest. What was that?

  Something was really loud. Persistently loud. Kageyama clamped his hands over his ears, trying to get whatever the noise was to stop. He was trying to sleep. 

   My phone.  

  Reality set in for the teen and he sat up in bed, reaching out to his left drowsily, attempting to get a grasp on his phone that was insistent on ringing. He picked it up and flipped it open, rubbing his eyes. 

   What in the world could someone possibly want at three in the morning? He answered it anyway, his gut telling him it was something important. 

  “Hello?” He mumbled into the phone, trying his best to not yawn.

  “Oh thank god you picked up,” a voice said on the other end, sounding relieved. 

 “Mr. Takeda?” Kageyama felt his heart skip a beat. Why was the teacher calling so late?

  “Look, don’t freak out,” the club advisor spoke in a slow tone as if trying to ease whatever was coming next. Kageyama instantly felt more awake, desperate to know what was going on. 

  “What is it?”

  “Hinata’s at the hospital again.”