Chapter Text
It was summer vacation and there wasn’t a cloud in sight letting. The sun was blazed away at the noisy city. The streets were hot and the air felt heavy. It was one of those days when no one wanted to be outside in the heat but despite that, all shopping centers and public buildings were full because no one wanted to stay at home. The malls were swarming with people enjoying the space stopping by mostly for the free air conditioning but staying for the shopping. Kageyama Tobio was one of those people.
He had just finished grade school and had already submitted his high school applications. Was he going to miss anything from his older years? Probably not, just the worry free days when he never studied that hard for anything and still got a decent grade. Was he going to miss his old volleyball team? He enjoyed playing and it wasn’t like Tobio wasn’t going to miss them, more like regret it. He used to get along with everyone else on his team but something happened and… well, Kageyama changed. His teammates started to slowly steer away from him and he couldn’t blame them for doing so. He only realized how different he became when he found out that they deliberately did not jump for his tosses and when he found out he lashed out at them. Sooner or later he was sitting out for games a lot more. The first time he was called out made his heart stop and every single time he was taken out afterward made him feel frustrated especially when his side lost. Watching them win though was a whole different story.
It made him realize he wasn’t so special which made him want to practice more and now, he just hated playing in a team and wished for a way to play volleyball as a single person sport. He knew it was wrong to think that way and wanted to fix that but it’s hard when you didn’t want to socialize with anyone. He knew he wasn’t very social and after a while, he felt fine the way he was but deep down he wanted to talk to someone.
If only people weren’t so annoying, than socializing wouldn’t be so difficult.
As for the school he applied for, he was planning to go to Shiratorizawa but let’s just say he was too good for that school and failed their entrance exam. So he settled for second best, Karasuno. He heard rumors that their old coach was coming back and he wanted to be part of the come back of Karasuno and maybe be able to attend to a power house school.
The only reason why he was in this mall anyway was because his mom said he only did two things. Volleyball and not socializing. (technically he was only doing one thing though) He found nothing wrong with only doing volleyball, it was summer break and school was over which meant there was nothing for him to worry about. When he tried to explain this to his mom she shook her head and said that he needed to do normal things too like talking to other people instead of playing with a ball all by himself, she said it wasn’t healthy. He didn’t really understand what she meant, if you talked to someone there is a higher risk of getting hurt then if you didn’t. In order for him to stay mentally stable, as his mom said, she sent him out with a grocery list so he could interact with the world outside and deliberately told him to go to the grocery store near the mall because it was busiest and perhaps bump into someone he knew and talk for a bit. He groaned and took the chore anyway so he could prove to her that he could do other things besides volleyball. In fact, he had a few hobbies that no one knew about.
1. He sometimes sang which he was kinda shy about. There is a very good reason why no one knew about this past time of his and please stop smiling at him it makes him nervous.
2. He collected candy wrappers. The only reason why he had so much was because he didn’t like littering.
3. He could bump any type of ball into any hole. That wasn’t a hobby was it.
He was a loser for volleyball wasn’t he. Sadly yes and he was totally unaware of how deep he has gotten into the sport. Even if he knew about his obsession he wouldn’t really care.
He had his hands in his pockets listening to people chatting away and watching salesmen try to sell phone services that nobody needs. He had already bought everything that was listed for him to buy, but there was one thing left for him to do.
He stared at the flyer he had in his hand, he was staring at it for five minutes now. He was contemplating on whether or not he should buy four liters of strawberry milk.
It was too much for a family of three to handle and the rest would get expired and thrown away and he did not want to see perfectly good milk going to waste. He was going to set the flyer down but the flyer wouldn’t shut up.
‘Buy two for half the price of one’ it whispered.' ‘TWO FOR HALF THE PRICE OF ONE.’ Tobio whispered back.
Four liters of anything was amazing anyway so he was going to buy it. He was going to buy four frickin liters of strawberry milk, there was no stopping him. He walked over to the dairy section ready to punch anyone who gave him a weird look for carrying four liters of pink milk.
XXXxxxXXXxxxXXX
He came out of the store with all the things he wanted his mom to buy, last minute he realized he didn’t have enough money to get the milk and was all angry and pissed. He growled at anyone who stared at him. He wouldn’t need to spend any more money on milk for a whole month if he bought it, he’d eat his cereal in strawberry milk, with so much milk he could open a cheese store that sold strawberry cheese. One part of him looked on the bright side, at least he saved him a lot of effort from bring so much dairy home it said. The other eighty percent of him wanted to kick the Kageyama from an hour ago for not bringing extra money. WHAT THE HECK DUDE, WHY DIDN’T YOU BRING YOUR WHOLE WALLET?!
With a bag of groceries in hand he made his way out pushing the revolving doors and was reluctantly pushed out by the cool air conditioning of the building and was soaked into the blazing summer heat outside. He ran a hand through his hair thinking how long his bangs had grown. He should probably have it cut or have something hold his bangs out of his face. He hated haircuts cause the damn barber could never do it right. Was it only him or every time you get your haircut it just never looks the same and you just hate it.
He sighed and joined the busy sidewalk making his way to the train station. He wondered why there were so many people outside at this time of day. He shielded his face from the sun that was high in the sky. Fortunately, everything was close by here in downtown so he wouldn’t have to take so long to get the closest train station in this smoldering heat, there was one around every corner. He waited at a crossing before a busy street and waited for the crossing light to give him his go to get across the street. The streets weren’t as busy as the sidewalks he noticed.
He looked around at the people around him, they all seem to actually try to enjoy the nice weather outside unlike him, he hated such harsh heat, all extreme weather at that. Everyone around him looked liked they were outside with someone or making their way back to work after their lunch break which was different from him, he was just trying to waste time… Maybe he should join some volleyball team at a community center or something, just so his summer wasn’t so uneventful. He was surprised he didn’t see anyone he knew, like his mother planned.
He spotted something odd though, some kid that looked really confused and probably lost. He looked like he was out here for no reason, his hands in his pockets minding his own business, he looked as if he were in grade school and Kageyama noticed how dangerously close he was standing to the curb of the sidewalk, across that a busy street. He hoped he wouldn’t do anything idiotic, hoping that he could see through those shades of his. He admired his red hair marveling at how it sticking out in strange places and looked like it was ruffled up on purpose. The color of his hair looked as if it were unnatural at first but once you stare for a bit it kind of suits the little guy. He wondered how old that kid was and tried guessing his age… probably eleven or something? Tobio was definitely taller than that kid when he was eleven. He knew he had gotten noticeably taller comparing himself from last year and he was grateful for that. He just wanted to be taller than any girl he saw, there was no reason for him to think this way he just felt more secure.
At the corner of his eye someone was being impatient and ran across the street nearly getting hit by a car which was dumb, the light was going to change anytime soon.
But then he noticed that the boy he was looking at had started to cross the street too, following the other person’s lead not noticing the car that was trying to get by a yellow light. Kageyama’s heart dropped.
“Move out the way!” Someone yelled but the boy didn’t seem to hear it. The car started to honk at him and the boy froze probably scared out of his mind when he realized what he had done.
Kageyama’s mind ran from one thought to another in less than half a second. He looked at the distance between him and the kid, he was too far away from the street to even do anything to help. He had a few milli seconds left to do something and just before he decided not to move, his instincts took the best of him like lightning jolting through his body. He dropped the bags he was holding and without thinking he was sprinting towards a car going seventy kilometers per hour.
Everything else happened real quick. With his heart suddenly thudding away in his throat. Tobio pushed by the people who were by standing the scene and sprinted for the boy as if he were running for a ball that was about to drop. The horn was getting louder real fast and the kid was about to run the other way but Kageyama knew that the kid wouldn’t be fast enough to dodge the car that was already so close.
His body was prepared to take any pain that was going to come next if he came in contact with the car. His mind playing predictions of what he would receive if he didn’t move in time. The feeling of an enormous piece of metal crashing into his side and unbearable pain shaking his body at the back of his mind.
With the sound of a car horn screaming in his ears, Tobio grabbed the boy’s collar and yanked him as close to the sidewalk as he possible could. If he screws this up he might never be able to use his legs again and the thought of never being able to play volleyball chilled him. He shut his eyes too scared to see what was coming for him, the sound of the horn screaming louder and louder. The car getting closer and closer.
His heart stopped.
The car whipped past him, the wind smacking his face taking his breath away with it. He stood there with his heart in his throat staring at the car that could have taken his life run away just as fast as it came. The world paused for a bit. He let out a shaky sigh falling down to the floor.
He was fine.
The people around them were silent but then roared applauding him for his heroic actions. He held his hand at his chest feeling how fast and hard it was beating, disregarding the crowd behind he turned around to look at the boy. He remembered how close his face was to the car and that if he were any closer he could have gotten his arm ripped off.
The redhead was on his knees trying to get up and Kageyama sighed relieved to see that nothing was broken on the kid.
“Should I call an ambulance?” Someone asked behind him. He looked the kid over looking for wounds that he might have gotten from coming in contact with the car, he looked fine and just as winded and scared as the blacked haired boy was. Kageyama stood up checking if he had hurt anything himself, he stood up just fine. “No, it’s fine” He said. He went over to the kid steadying him to stand up properly holding him up by the shoulders.
He pulled the boy back onto the sidewalk picking up the groceries he left behind on the floor and examined the other noticing how short he was compared to himself now that they were closer. His skin was a lighter tone, he had a head full of thick messy red hair and looked as if he were about to puke. He felt small under his hands and it felt like Kageyama had to protect the kid who was shaking just as hard as he was. He never let go until he felt the shaking stop and both their heart rates slowly calmed down. Kageyama squeezed the boy's shoulder hard enough to hurt.
“Watch where you're going dumb ass!” Kageyama yelled now shaking him back and forth to grab his attention. When the boy had his senses back he held Kageyama’s arms signaling him to stop shaking him so much.
“Thank you!” the boy said bowing his head fixing the shades he had on his face.
“Pay attention next time, you almost died!” Kageyama scowled and the boy nodded, his hair bobbing up and down
“I’m sorry, thank you very much” and Kageyama smacked the kid across the head warning him not to do something as dumb ever again. He smacked him again for almost killing him. He looked him over one more time ignoring the scrape he got from when he fell. Once he confirmed he was fine he left for the train station.
Why the heck would a kid that young be in the middle of downtown all by himself anyway, does he even know where he’s going? And even if he was a kid, why did he still want to hold that kid by the shoulders and smack some sense into him, how reckless could you be walking across a busy street, he wasn’t even running across to dodge the car, he was walking. Was he okay? He took a quick glance back at the redhead.
He was shuffling back and forth on the spot being careful not to bump into anybody, he looked worried and frantic probably dazed by what just happened to him. Kageyama groaned turning back towards the boy.
“Hey!” He called. The kid whipped his head towards his directions “Are you okay?” He asked and the younger one nodded
“Yeah, I think I scraped my knee when you pulled me but besides that I’m fine. Thank you again!”
Well, that was a relief, if he had to bring him to the hospital after all it was going to take a lot of work and responsibility. He’d have to call this guy’s parents, and there’d be stuff like trying to remember the guy’s license plate that almost hit the both of them. Then he’d have to deal with his frantic mom who just got a call from poor Tobio to pick him up from the hospital. Imagine how scared she’d be and how much she’d baby him. He didn’t regret giving the kid a few scrapes anyway, he got that in exchange for the coalition he could have had. Tobio was about to leave it at that but the kid still looked nervous about something and it dawned on Kageyama.
"Do you even know where you are?” He asked and the other tensed up at the question awkwardly laughing
“Ha ha heh… no?” And Kageyama face palmed, his assumption being true
“You almost died and now you're lost?”
“Yeah” he nervously answered
“Dumb ass” He growled hitting him on the head.
“Sorry” the other mumbled rubbing his head.
“Where’re you going?” He asked hoping this kid at least knew how to travel around a bit because he was not looking forward to babying this kid all the way back home. Even if this guy was a dumb ass idiot he wasn’t just gonna leave him be after the scene they just had, he might cross a street again and without him there he might actually get hit by a car.
“The closest subway station” He answered. Oh, this was going to be a lot easier than Tobio thought it’d be
“You could just follow me then” He said and the other smiled
“Thanks” He said once more and the two made their way to the station.
XXXxxxXXXxxxXXX
“Warn me when we’re at the sixth stop” He said and Kageyama rose an eyebrow, was this all a very big coincidence that they were heading in the same direction or …
“Are you following me?” He asked and the other sat up in his seat waving his hands around in front of him “W-what?! No! Why would I want to do that?!” Kageyama stared at the kid realizing that he recognized him from somewhere, maybe he passed by him in the convenient store or something? Since they got off at the same stop he probably saw him around the neighborhood at some point.
The train was abnormally empty, Tobio was use to a full train where there was literally nothing to grab onto because it was so full, unless you were okay with touching a total stranger. It was either that or you had to try your best not to fall over and knock over another person who was doing the same thing. Both of them got seats next to each other which Kageyama didn’t hesitate to take. He wasn’t like one of those dumb asses who looked like they were too cool to take a seat when there were plenty of seats to pick from. Sit your ass down, you're just taking up more space if you stand!
The train grumbled under their feet and slowly started to make it’s way out of the station.
“Thanks again, I would have been dead if it weren’t for you” He said and Kageyama nodded. Maybe this kid was kinda cute, just kinda.
“Just be careful next time---”
“Seriously though” he said again overjoyed “I can’t thank you enough” Okay. This kid was cute but was getting really annoying.
“It’s fine.” Kageyama reassured which the other didn’t hear and kept on rambling.
“I literally couldn’t live without you, I almost saw a shining light for a second there” He said and Kageyama was tempted to throw the redhead out the window and actually kill him for good. He needed to shut his mouth!
“I don’t know how I should repay you” He said all excited, Kageyama was pleased to solve his predicament.
“It would help a lot if you shut u---”
“I know!” The kid exclaimed his voice raising making him jump.
“I will pay you with my life” He said and Kageyama blushed shaking his head frantically aware of the attention he was getting from around him. “No” He said his finger to is lips but the other kept on rambling.
“Yeah that’s what I’ll do, I owe you my life” He said looking all determined “You were so awesome when you saved me, I gotta do something back!”
“SHHHHH!” He hissed, desperate to get him to keep quiet. He saw a woman who was quietly giggling to herself giving him a reassuring smile. His eyes widened, his face going red and looked away.
“When you grabbed me you were all like ‘WHOOSH!’ And I was all like ‘look out for that car!’ But you dodged that too!” He said retelling the incident, Kageyama wanted to die. “Then everyone was cheering for you and you were all like ‘Nah, it’s nothing’. Your so awesome and---”
The train started to suddenly slow down and to their displeasure the train slowly came to a stop though they haven’t arrived at a stop yet, then the PA came on.
“Hello passengers” It started, anything that was said on that damn PA was never good, Tobio prepared himself. “Due to signal problems all trains on the east and westbound side will momentarily be stopped” Kageyama groaned and the other expressing his thoughts to this announcement with a really loud “WAHH?! Seriously?!” “We will try to resolve this problem as soon as possible, we are sorry for the inconvenience” Now their trip home was going to be twice as long and he was going to be stuck on the trip with this guy. It wasn’t as if he had anything to do at home but still, anything but this guy.
“Thanks again for saving me back there” The redhead started for the fifteenth time, okay, kid I know you’re grateful that you're alive but just shut up, I know already. Kageyama growled.
“If you say the ‘T’ word one more time I might start regreting saving your dumb ass” and the other winced.
“Sorry” he said
“That too.” Kageyama snapped, how many times did he have to apologize? All he got out of him within the fifteen minute time frame the had together were apologizes and his ‘Thank you’s. It’s nice after the first three times but after that, it’s like your annoying him on purpose.
The other smiled tauntingly “Sorry for saying sorry” He was doing this on purpose.
He smacked the back of his head already pissed that the train wasn’t moving. How immature was he?
“What grade are you in anyway?” Kageyama suddenly asked so the time they had together wasn’t just the kid’s gratitude towards him and Tobio wanting to shut the other up. Once the question left his mouth though the boy’s expression turned from cheerful to flat out pissed and pouty
“What, do I look like I’m in middle school?” He said crossing his arms which took Kageyama aback, what?
“Are you not?” He said which added more salt to his wound which he enjoyed.
The other’s face reddened with embarrassment and mostly anger “NO!”
“Awww, little dumbass is having a tantrum” Kageyama taunted a smirk plastered on his face. Here he was taking advantage of his age and height bullying a ‘little kid’ and he couldn’t care less. The redhead was annoying so he was going to get his own revenge.
“I’m about to go to high school!!!” He yelled and Kageyama blinked
“Really?”
“YES!” Honestly, Tobio was surprised, he was expecting him to be eleven or something but he was the same as himself.
“Am I really that short? Do I look that young?!” He exclaimed
“Yes.” He dead panned and the other one gave him a look of disappointment
“To which question though?”
Kageyama leered “Both”
“Well I’m working on it!” he snapped “and I may look like a little kid but you sound like an old man.” He said and Kageyama made a face at his remark, no one called him that before
“What kind of insult is that, I do not”
“Yeah you do, you sound like you could lecture me on not running with scissors or 'go to university or you’ll live on the streets' ” that earned him a smack upside the head, the redhead trying his best not to laugh. He did not sound like an old man, his voice wasn’t even that deep, was it? There he goes again, being self-cautious.
“How old are you even, nineteen?” He asked which shocked Kageyama, did he really look that old or did the apparentlynotanelementarystudent have very bad observation skills, sure he was tall but really? He’d expect that guess from a six year old, come on!
“No, I’m about to turn fifteen!” He growled and the other looked astonished with Tobio’s answer then broke out in full gasps, what the frick was so funny about his age?!
“I’m older than you” He sing song-ed, wait WHAT?! No way was this shrimp shorter then him but be older than him.
“When was your birthday?!” He exclaimed
“I turned sixteen on June twenty first” He said rubbing the truth in his face. “Suck it loser.”
Kageyama couldn’t help but be jealous, he always thought how unfair it was when people move on to the next grade and people's next birthdays were already coming up and he just had his. He sympathized with anyone who had their birthday from September to December. Raise your hand if you feel Tobio. Anyway, he shouldn’t be so affected by his age, the redhead was hella short and Tobio could brag about his own height.
“I’m still a lot taller than you” he pointed out the other made a face but was still taunting.
“I’m still older so bow down to your superior you young’in” He said and Kageyama shoved him into a wall telling him he went too far with that one, the other laughing anyway.
“What school are you going to” Tobio asked wanting to change the topic and shut the redhead up. When you give him something he could take a little pride in he shoves it in your face.
“uhhh…” He started suddenly calming down “I don’t think you’d know the school”
“Tell me anyway” he demanded noticing the different reaction, becoming more curious, the other squirmed in his spot.
“Ross Oak, heard of it?” He answered.
Kageyama pondered the name in his head, where did he hear that name before? It rang a bell but wasn’t so familiar to him. It was probably in the list of schools he could apply to but didn’t think anything of them. Ross Oak High… He couldn’t remember if any of his old classmates submitted for that school.
“What about you?” The smaller of the two asked
“Karasuno.” He answered not thinking much of it and the other beamed
“Didn’t that school go to nationals once for volleyball?” He asked and Tobio nodded surprised the other knew, his heart skipping at the possibility that the other played volleyball as well, he was annoying but maybe they had something in common?
“Yeah, you play volleyball?” He questioned and the other smiled
“Yeah I do though… I’m not very good ”
“What position you play?” He pressed on ignoring the fact that he wasn’t as talented in the sport than him. Well of course he wouldn’t be so good if he were that short.
The other sighed still smiling but looked a little sadden at the question
“I don’t have a position, my school doesn't really support the sport but I really like being a spiker. I’m guessing your a blocker?” He said.
What kind of school didn’t support volleyball as an extra curricular? Most schools didn’t have swimming because it was expensive but volleyball was nothing but. He found that strange.
“No, I set” Tobio glared at him, what gave him the assumption that he blocked, maybe his height? The other beamed “You set? That's pretty cool.”
“What made you think I blocked?” He asked interested in what made him think that.
“You’re always shoving in my face how much taller you are then I am.” He said pouting again and Kageyama smirked. Well yeah.
“Why do you like spiking anyway ” He asked since they were on the topic of height. “You must be having trouble trying to reach a ball that high---” “Hey!” He snapped cutting him off.
“I may look short” He started “You are short---” “BUT!” He cut him off once more telling him to stay quiet so he could speak,
“I may be short but I can jump” He said and Kageyama chose not to press the matter anymore so he wouldn’t be cut off anymore, it was getting really irritating.
The train then felt as if it came back to life and started to move, the pause the train was in didn’t take that long, probably because he wasn’t alone this time.
They talked about volleyball most of the trip and at some point one of them brought the topic of their height and age up again and things became a little more violent. Kageyama was almost about to throw the other one across the train car just to prove how small he was. In no time flat they had arrived at their destination and almost forgot to get off, too immersed in their conversation. In that short time Kageyama forgotten that he had just met this person a few moments ago and here he was acting as if he knew the person ever since they were kids, he felt comfortable around the other despite the fact that he didn’t even know his name yet. Did they really not introduce themselves yet?
They walked out the train station and Kageyama was right, they did live in the same area which was why he had recognized the other. The sun was still out and he had forgotten how hot it was outside as they made their way home, he was getting use to the nice cool air conditioning that was inside. They continued their fight outside and soon they made it to an intersection. Both of them stopped telling the other that they were going their separate ways from there.
“What’s your name?” The other asked and it was kind of awkward to hear him say that even though they were almost gonna punch each other's faces a few moments ago. They must seem kind of reckless, who would pick a fight with a total stranger and be totally cool with it.
“Kageyama Tobio.” He answered waiting to know the others name
“I’m Hinata Shouyou.” He said, he was about to stick his hand out but there kind of was no point to that anymore.
Hinata Shouyou, he committed the name to memory as the red head who was short and annoying and was also dumb.
“Are you doing anything tomorrow?” Hinata asked and Kageyama’s expression lightened up surprised with Hinata's response “No I’m not”
“Let's meet up then” He said and Kageyama tried his best not to look delighted at the other’s invitation.
“Sure” He never expected their encounter to be anything special but the fact that he might see this person again made his heart jump, he actually might have made a friend (that was annoying as hell but still) on his own free will. And out of no where to, they just kinda met in the strangest situation.
“Be here by one tomorrow then.” He said and Kageyama nodded
“Ok” He noted down to keep his afternoon free, he wondered what they’d do, Hinata probably had something in mind cause he was the one who asked to hang out.
“Bye Kageyama” He said “See you tomorrow”
“Bye” He said in return delighted to hear his name come out of the other’s mouth for the first time. He loved his name even more when he said his name.
The other then turned the other way which lead to a steep climb up a hill. He realized how much it sucked to make your way to the top everyday especially in this heat.
“I hope you trip on your way up dumb ass” He said
“I hope you choke on something” He shouted the distance between them growing more
“I can’t choke while I’m walking, I’m not that dumb”
“That’s what you think---” He was cut off when he tripped over nothing and Kageyama smirked
“Dumb ass”he yelled for the other to hear
“Shut up!” The other shouted his face red from embarrassment and dusted himself off and went on his way, he did the same.
“See you tomorrow Hinata” He said whispering his name to himself.
He wondered how he could have met someone like him on such a normal and boring day. He was kinda glad he went on his mom's shopping trip... Not that he'd ever tell her that she was right about talking to other people. He might even be happy about almost being destroyed by a car just to meet the red head.
And that was the day he first met Hinata Shoyou.