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It's in their second year when it happens.
Tension is at an all-time high since first string members are starting to be picked for this year's tournament.
Oikawa and Iwaizumi are a sure shoo-in for the first string, since they are third years, and Kageyama will most likely be a sub.
Kindaichi isn't really sure if he'll get that high up the list, but Kunimi's been doing that weird thing where he sighs everytime he opens his mouth.
It's a bit annoying, but they've been friends for a while, so he just clams up and glances around the gym.
Iwaizumi-senpai and Oikawa-senpai are in the middle of the gym, talking to the coach and pointing around at certain members—probably choosing the first string—and out of the corner of his eye he turns to see Kageyama off in a corner by himself, practicing receives on a wall.
Brushing his pants, he sits up from the ground and turns to Kunimi.
Nudging him lightly with his foot, he asks, "You gonna come with?"
To which said person groans and flops over to his stomach, "No. 'M tired."
Snorting, Kindaichi turns away and starts walking towards where Kageyama is.
As he nears him, he can hear Kageyama quietly muttering one word to himself, like a mantra.
"Faster."
The ball ricochets off the wall, and Kindaichi steps out to catch it in his arms, all the while greeting Kageyama.
"Hey," he hands the ball the Kageyama, who is sweating quite a lot—how long was he practicing?
Kageyama accepts the ball, returning his greeting with a breathy, "Hey," as well.
He grips the volleyball in his hands as he begins to sit down, and Kindaichi chooses to squat instead.
He's been sitting too long with Kunimi to sit back down again.
Placing his hands on his thighs, he waits until Kageyama catches his breath to question him.
Watching Kageyama take a sip of water, he asks, "Why're you practicing so hard today?"
Kageyama is still drinking his water, and he blinks up at him as he lowers it.
He tilts his head—like he always does when they ask him anything that confuses him—and answers with a bewildered tone.
"Why wouldn't I? The first string is going to be picked this week."
Grinning at Kageyama he teases him, "So you're going to try and take Oikawa-senpai's spot?"
The response he gets makes him guffaw in laughter, nearly toppling toward the ground from his squat.
Kageyama looks at him incredulously—completely offended even—and he busts out into laughter again.
He's pretty much collapsed onto the ground now, and ninety-percent sure that they're being stared at.
He barely manages to compose himself as he hears the blow of a whistle—signaling that they line up—and Kageyama still looks somewhat offended as he reaches his hand out to help him up.
A small chuckle escapes and he walks toward the area surrounded around where coach was earlier.
Kindaichi comes to a stop, Kageyama straight behind him, and listens as the coach begins to explain how the first string isn't going to be chosen.
Oikawa-senpai is off to the side, making faces—Iwaizumi-senpai looks like he might just smack him right then and there if not for the fact that it wouldn't interrupt coach—and Kunimi somehow managed to wander into the crowd and ended up smushed between Matsukawa-senpai and Hanamaki-senpai.
Glancing at Kageyama, he can already tell how he's zoned out as coach goes onto speak about grades.
His eyes are glazed over, and with the way that his hands are fiddling with the volleyball—it's pretty obvious.
Kindaichi doesn't really get what grades have to do with sports, either, but he's proud to say he's better at chemistry than their resident genius setter.
He's so busy thinking about his chemistry grades—he needs something to be proud of—that he doesn't notice that the impromptu meeting ends until Kunimi collapses his head against his back.
Snapping out of his stupor, he knocks his head backwards, hitting Kunimi—who barely flinches—and he steps forward.
Kunimi's head is still attached to his back like a limpet, though.
He careens to the side, Kunimi finally shifting his entire weight onto him, and notices that Kageyama seemed to vanish back into his corner again.
Said person is somehow shoved into his corner by enthusiastic first years—looks like someone is crying again today—and has the worst frown on his face.
Kindaichi murmurs to Kunimi, "Kageyama's just been cornered again."
They just about make it to the bleachers and Kunimi finally replies by shoving his cheek into his spine to turn and look—Kageyama's managed to scare them off—and wiggles his head back in place as they sit down.
All Kindaichi can feel is the slight vibrations of a huff, and he knows Kunimi finds it as funny as he does.
The tiny first years had scrambled away, quietly gossiping, and coach suddenly appeared to berate them.
Laughing at how the first year's trembled in their shoes with coach's—admittedly light—scolding, he's taking a gulp of water when he hears a loud voice shout, "Would you go out with me, Kageyama-kun!?"
He spits out his water, ignoring Kunimi's protests about how gross it was, and he whips his head to the side—Kageyama's corner—and sees Kageyama staring at the tiny girl who confessed to him.
She's up to about Kageyama's shoulder—which is saying a lot because Kageyama is shorter than him and Kunimi—and of all things she's holding out a volleyball.
A volleyball.
Kunimi seems to have spotted it too, and is desperately shaking against him, and he chokes out between his breath, "A true girl after his heart, really."
And Kindaichi would laugh too, but he's honestly too bewildered to do that.
Kageyama is still awkwardly standing there, and the girl shuffles her feet as she looks up—she flinches—and Kindaichi finally notices how quiet the gym got and how everyone is staring at the two of them.
Hanamaki-senpai and Matsukawa-senpai are jabbing Oikawa-senpai in the ribs with sly grins, coach is quietly sitting in his chair—smiling that old smile he has when he teases Oikawa-senpai about his fan base loudly cheering for him at games—and Iwaizumi-senpai looks ridiculously cross.
Scanning the room, every other member seems to be stuck in shock as well.
Turning back to the spectacle, Kindaichi thinks that he can't blame them.
He thinks he might be in shock too.
Kageyama finally opens his mouth to respond—the girl was looking like she was going to run out the doors at any moment—and his response will be something that haunts his dreams until he dies.
The nonchalant, and absolutely unreal, "Okay," that leaves Kageyama's mouth has shaken him to the core.
Okay?
Okay?
What does he mean by okay?
Kindaichi is numbly watching as the girl lights up, but is quickly interrupted as she bounds forward to Kageyama—who seems to have snatched the volleyball from her without anyone noticing—by the man himself stating loudly, "After club ends, I'll see you."
The girl scurries away, like demons were on her heels, and Kageyama turns back to the wall—like nothing ever happened.
Kindaichi himself is shocked beyond belief.
He turns to Kunimi, who's mouth is opened into a small "o" shape—which is the equivalent of him gaping—and he can't help but mutter a quiet, "What the just happened?"
Kunimi mutters, "What the fu—"
And only Kindaichi's sudden grip on his shoulder stops him from completing his sentence.
Kindaichi can't help but stare back at Kageyama in his corner—as he grabs onto Kunimi for mental support—casually receiving again.
He repeats himself.
"What just happened."