Chapter Text

“Tch”. Tsukishima clicked his tongue, panting hard as he tried to chase Hinata, but to no avail. Frustrated, he bent and held on top of his knees, catching ragged breaths after reaching the gymnasium’s front door.

Hinata, on the other hand, doesn’t have any single sign of being tired from his sudden marathon with Tsukishima. Full of victorious feeling, he yelled, fists pumping in the air, “Yoooosh!!! I win!” and he jumped high enough to reach the top of the shed of the way leading to the door of the gym.

“Hmp. Fair enough.” The blonde commented as he tried to regain his composure by doing a self-inward slight inhale-exhale drill. Well, he has pride to protect. Hinata knows that his childhood friend would never, ever in his life admit a loss that easily. And the redhead being practically a running mess, tried to do a fake sarcastic taunt to the blonde. “You’re just frustrated ‘cause you did not beat me, right, Tsukki-chan?” he said as he put his hand and puffed his cheek, snickering to supplement his remark.

Somehow, a tick became visible to Tsukishima’s forehead, but still ignoring the shorty’s attempt-taunt as he pushed his glasses and started walking to the front door of the gym. “Heh. Don’t get too full of yourself, shrimp. I just did that because I know that it will hurt your pride so much if you lost.” He said and did a head-shaft and creased his eyebrows in a mocking manner just to provoke the shorty. He won’t admit defeat, of course. Especially when it’s about throwing insults. It’s his ‘special ability’ aside from being a rational and intelligent person.

He saw Hinata’s pulsing vein in his forehead. 'Ah. Now the shorty’s angry. Satisfied.' He smirked and turned to the front door, reaching for its knob, when he heard the shorty growl from behind him. He stopped to take a quick glance.

“Grr!” Hinata growled, face down as he gritted his teeth hard, almost crushing every single one of them. The boy is now obviously irritated at the blonde’s never-ending verbal abuse to him. He stood straight, acting high-and-mighty, put his left hand on his hips and abruptly raised his right arm and pointed his pointer finger at Tsukishima (It means that he wants to challenge the blonde and it’s rude). Creasing his eyebrows in a way it looked like an ‘i-challenge-you’ image, he declared, “Then how about we make a bet!” and put on the brightest and widest grin he could make in his face. “I’m giving you a handicap. It will be about studies. Whoever tops the midterm exams will be given a reward of a week’s worth of meatbuns. The loser will be the one to treat him everyday for a piece of it. It will last until the seventh day.”

“Heeeh." Tsukishima snorted knowingly. "You sure are confident huh? Fine. I accept.” He pushed his glasses, and stayed silent for a moment. Then a sudden idea came to mind. “But, I don’t want the prize to be just a week’s worth of meatbuns. Let’s make it more fun. We’ll add another prize.” He smirked inwardly. The redhead felt that something bad will happen, and he shivered at the thought.

“The other prize will be..” Tsukishima paused for a moment, giving a sense of thrill, and Hinata gulped a little, expecting something out of this world request from the blonde. “.. a master-slave award.” Tsukishima tilted his head and showed Hinata his ever-so-irritating smirk.

“Eh? Hinata, horrified by the blonde’s revelation, froze in his position and became petrified. “..master-slave..?” he managed to at least ask this question.

“That’s right. A master-slave award.” Tsukishima repeated. “The one who tops the exam will be the master, and the loser will be his slave. For a week, too, of course.” He explained, making sure that the whole thing crosses the redhead’s now frozen-state-of-mind.

Realizing that Hinata is nowhere in the state where he could properly give an approval, Tsukishima used it to his advantage and made sure that the shorty will not back-down with the deal.

“Okay? So don’t you try to back out on your own challenge, shrimp. Because it will be my 'default win' if you do. And you're not so cowardly as to do that, right?" He said sarcastically and snorted. "I will make sure that you will lose and you will eat your own words.” 'You’ll definitely regret starting this stupid bet. I will definitely top the exams. That’s a sure win. I’ll have those meatbuns and you’ll be my one-week-slave.' He added as a thought, still wearing his usual smirk, turning to a temporary grin that is plastered on his face. He couldn’t help the thought, though. ‘This will be so much fun.’

Hinata was now walking his bike, on the way home. ‘Tsukki said he’ll be going somewhere later, so I need to go home by myself today. And thank god he did.’ He walked in the best slow-pace that he can manage, in deep thoughts. ‘Thinking back on it, I kinda regret making that deal… ugh. And it’s Tsukki of all people! But he was too much! It was at the spur-of-the-moment.. argh! What should I do?! It’s a week’s worth of meatbuns, too! My precious allowance! Ugh.’ He shook his head repeatedly, mulling over his allowance that has a great chance of being gone just because of meatbuns. ‘meatbuns… eh? It feels like I forgot something.. something..’

Hinata stopped. His eyes widened at the sudden realization that was brought to mind. ‘Oh. No. How could I forget! It wasn’t just the meatbuns! Craaaaap! There was still this master-slave award that Tsukki added!’ He shivered and bit his fingers, dreadful thoughts started circling in his mind as he remembered the blonde’s words:

“ ‘That’s right. A master-slave award. The one who tops the exam will be the master, and the loser will be his slave. For a week, too, of course.’ “

‘W-what should I do? Ugh.’ he closed his eyes hard and bit his lower lip. ‘ Nononono! I should not admit defeat that easily! It can’t be helped. What’s done was done. There’s no turning back now! I will definitely win and top the exams. I’ll just have to study harder from now on!’ And with a determined look and an added smile to convince himself, he yelled, “Yosh! Bring it on! I will never admit defeat, idiot Tsukki!”, he pumped his fist and the air and hopped on his bike and started pedaling faster than he always does, suddenly becoming motivated and wanting to reach home faster so he could start his study marathon.

(a really, really far-flung time skip)

Weeks passed by quicker than they expected, and it won’t be more than two days before the midterm exams. The two friends’ days went by still the same: going to class, eating together, having some random bickers and quarrels, and they even managed to enter the Karasuno men’s volleyball club as starter players, both in middle-blocker position.

But they have never forgotten the ‘deal’ that will happen after the exams.

Hinata kept on studying hard. He even stopped dozing off at classes that bores him every time. It surprised even his other classmates and teachers. Tsukishima, on the other hand, was still calm and collected. Though, he admits that he also uses his free time in school or at home to study.

The next day, the redhead and the blonde went to different route to school for morning practice. Knowing that only a day is left before their most-awaited day of battle-for-week-worth-meatbuns-and-slave comes, they felt like they needed to compose and prepare themselves. And not being together for this day is the solution.

Hinata arrived first at school. He left his mommy-bike on its usual parking-place, near the gym and went to the gym’s entrance door.

“Oh, Hinata. Good morning!” Sawamura Daichi, a third year-student and the volleyball club’s captain, turned and smiled to greet the redhead as he opens the door of the gym from outside.

Hinata, who was clutching his body-bag and has his head down, flinched at the voice that greeted him with enthusiasm. “o-oh, Good morning, Captain.” He stuttered a little and laughed it off nervously.

Sawamura stared at him for a second, as if trying to read through him. “Hm. What are you thinking, Hinata? You look troubled.” He asked the redhead. Damn, this captain is a very keen-observer.

“A-ah, it’s nothing. I was just into studying too much these past few weeks. Ehehe” Hinata said and scratch the back of his neck to drop the nervousness. He learned that their Captain is a very cunning person, but when it comes to his teammates, he will act as their father if necessary. And Hinata didn’t like him to worry too much. ‘I hope he doesn’t ask anything more..’ he thought.

“hmm.. if you say so. Well, I kinda understand you. It’s midterm exam tomorrow after all. Do your best!” The captain said and gave the shorty a pat on the head and his reassuring grin which made Hinata return it with his beaming sunny smile. “osu!”