Chapter Text
“Then, if everyone is ready, I’ll begin.”
The atmosphere, which had already been bleak and depressing before, seemed to settle more heavily over what was left of Karasuno’s organization as they gathered around the kitchen table.
It was so strange to not see Narita and Kinnoshita sitting together, and the feeling was so foreign that Hinata, the most superstitious of the group, had to take their chairs and placed them in the basement in an attempt to settle everyone’s nerves.
There was one chair, however, that none of them could bear to remove from the table.
Akaashi sat at the head of the table, the spot usually reserved for Daichi. The latter was seated on Akaashi’s left, looking grim and ten years older than he already was. Sugawara sat next to him, the table hiding the way his hand stretched out to the Boss in an attempt to console him. Daichi took a deep breath, before grasping Sugawara’s hand gratefully.
Across the two, Asahi and Nishinoya sat, locked together in a discreet conversation. They looked worried as they talked in hushed tones, occasionally shooting Akaashi suspicious looks.
Next to them, Tanaka and Ennoshita sat together, the latter looking the gloomiest of the group, as he had been with Narita and Kinnoshita the longest. It had been more than a week since the incident in Tokyo, but even so, the memories were as fresh and painfully vivid as if it had happened only yesterday.
Beside Sugawara was Kiyoko, who was holding a cup of tea in her hands. She had picked up a habit of drinking tea every now and then, though occasionally, one of the members would catch her pouring liquor in her cup instead of her standard oolong tea. Yachi sat in front of her, holding a similar-looking cup, but filled with coffee. Her insomnia, which she was struggling with even in her early high school days, stemmed from her tendency to overthink and worry about several matters, and had come back in full force after the incident with Shiratorizawa. One could typically find her sitting in the living room at 2 in the morning, browsing the internet, reading a book, or watching TV.
Tsukishima sat in between her and Yamaguchi, trading his usual spot for the latter’s, as he would have sat by the edge of the table. At the other head, facing Akaashi, was an empty chair that nobody occupied, and Tsukishima still didn't have the heart to be near it.
Hinata sat across him, noting how he constantly took off his glasses, wiped it (even if it was already clean), and put it back on. He came to a conclusion that it was a habit of Tsukishima’s that came out whenever he was on edge or worried. Hinata was concerned about him, of course; he had been the closest to Y/N, the only girl he’d ever truly loved, and nearly had secured a future with her. But his concerns were stretched beyond their normal boundaries for the person sitting next to him.
Kageyama had been spending time in the basement lately, despite Yachi nagging him about the mess and the dust in the room. Sometimes, they could hear him, playing heart-achingly beautiful music on the piano, enough to reduce anyone to tears if they listened long enough.
He had been at his worst for a couple of days after he went to Tokyo to visit Kuroo Akihiro and Haiba Alisa. Initially, he had refused to talk about anything regarding them, but finally agreed to do so when Akaashi came over.
He glanced at the chair next to him, feeling her absence now more than ever. It felt so incomplete without her, that it actually pained him to even hear her name. When he looked at Tsukishima, noting the way the latter was staring at the chair she once occupied, he knew the feeling was mutual.
Kageyama’s attention was turned to the other end of the table, as Akaashi began to speak.
“Several months prior, we received reports that Shiratorizawa was getting more aggressive in our region,” Akaashi began. “They weren't targeting civilians, but they were eliminating other mafias and conducting deals with other yakuza groups.”
“Um, excuse me,” Yachi piped up, rather timidly. “There’s one thing that bothers me. How would you differentiate yakuza groups and mafias?”
“Simply by how they operate,” Akaashi said. “I don't know the full details myself, because we’ve never gotten the chance to speak to any yakuza members. But, to the best of my knowledge, I believe yakuza groups are far more complex in terms of organization and operations, and have access to information that even the government does not have. Simply put, they are more advanced mafias.”
When Yachi nodded in understanding, Akaashi took it as a sign to return to his original topic. “Bokuto-san is the son of one of the Emperor’s advisors,” he said. “So, we are tasked to eliminate any disturbances the government feels threatened with. Shiratorizawa’s increase in activity was one of them. We did our research, sent out our spies and deployed our men, and we came back with more information than we expected.”
Akaashi cleared his throat. “Ushijima Wakatoshi and Kuroo Tetsurou had sealed a deal that involved eliminating mafias that posed a threat to them. If you recall, they had Datekou surrender to them after devastating losses, and the same happened to similar groups. But their main goal was to eliminate one group in the north; a mafia that had overwhelming potential, was growing in both power and strength, and had a member that most other mafias would kill to recruit.”
“It’s us, isn't it?” Sugawara said.
Akaashi nodded. “Both Ushijima and Kuroo were threatened by your group, worried that you would somehow take their places as one of the top mafia groups in Japan. But they also wanted one thing; one person, to be exact.”
“Y/N,” Nishinoya said.
“Correct,” Akaashi agreed. “Y/N, as you all know, is a top-level fighter and is brilliant at whatever she does. But aside from her talent, what drew other mafias to her is that she is the daughter of two leaders in Japan’s third largest yakuza group: the Inagawa-kai. If someone were to claim her as their own, they could have access to unimaginable power and numbers.”
“But Y/N’s parents are dead, aren't they?” Yamaguchi asked. “They left her when she was a kid, right?”
“No, they lived until she entered her first year at university,” Akaashi replied. “According to reports, they were killed in action.”
“So Y/N should be the leader of the Inagawa-kai, if it works that way,” Tanaka said.
“Technically, yes, she should be,” Akaashi answered. “But from what she told me, she let go of her claim to the role. Said she didn't want it. So, the Inagawa-kai should have chosen a different leader by now.”
“Wait,” Yamaguchi interrupted. “She told you ? How do you know Y/N?”
At this, Akaashi looked visibly embarrassed. “Ah, Y/N and I—”
“Were a thing, back when she was in Nekoma,” Tsukishima finished, in a bored tone. “Kuroo and Bokuto-san were bickering with each other, and sent her and Akaashi-san to fight each other. One thing lead to another, and it was a full-blown affair. She was with Kuroo at the time. She felt so guilty about it, she broke up with both of them and ran straight here to us.”
When the others looked shocked at the way he had said everything so nonchalantly, he simply shrugged. “I'm over it. Doesn't matter.”
Akaashi smiled crookedly. “That just about sums it all up.”
“That sounds like something out of a shoujou manga,” Asahi said. “But what I really want to know is why Y/N gave up her spot as a yakuza leader. She’s more than qualified for that role. She might become the most powerful one.”
Kageyama’s memories flashed back to the scene in the warehouse, where Tendou Satori had her by the neck, taunting her with all the things and lies she had told.
“I didn’t…” Y/N coughed. “Didn’t…want to…hurt…anyone…”
“She didn't want to hurt people,” he said out loud, causing them to look at him.
“Yeah,” Nishinoya said. “I remember her saying that, too. But she still ended up in Nekoma…”
“Which brings me back to that,” Akaashi said. “Basically, Kuroo was working with Shiratorizawa to eliminate you, and retrieve Y/N. He had no intentions of working with Karasuno; he just wanted her.”
“Well, he failed, didn't he?” Kageyama said, rather bitterly. “Shiratorizawa’s now leaderless and down to a critical number of members, and Y/N’s…”
He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.
“Well, that’s true,” Akaashi said. “So I think it’s safe to say that Kuroo’s plan was foiled.”
“I don't think so,” Daichi said, finally speaking after a while. “Akaashi, Tendou mentioned something about the “new world”. Do you think…”
“Ah, that,” Akaashi said, rather grimly. “Yeah, I think that’s it.”
“What is?” Ennoshita asked.
“It was a part of Kuroo and Ushijima’s plan,” Akaashi explained. “They’d brought in several mafia bosses to discuss it. Of course, nobody accepted. It was too absurd.”
“Daichi,” Sugawara said. “You were in on this?”
Daichi nodded. “It was too risky. No, it was an insane idea. And I feel like refusing Kuroo’s idea made him...you know. Plot against us.”
“That could be it,” Akaashi said. “But Kuroo had no intentions of working with you from the beginning, Daichi-san.”
“Well, neither did you,” Nishinoya said. “Fukurodani was against us, too. Or have you forgotten what happened in that alleyway?”
“Nishinoya,” Sugawara said, warningly.
Akaashi held up a hand. “It’s okay. I’d like to apologize to you about that, as I have done for Tsukishima-kun. We were quite desperate to find Y/N at that time, and I got carried away by Bokuto-san.”
Tanaka scoffed. “So you want Y/N too, huh?”
“Of course we do. I’d be lying if I said we weren't interested in her talent,” Akaashi said smoothly. “But it’s clear that Y/N had chosen the place she calls home. For someone who never stays in one place for so long, who was I to pull her away?”
He shrugged. “All our efforts were put into looking for Y/N. I wanted to save her, get to her before Kuroo did. And...I suppose we failed. All of us did.”
“So,” Ennoshita said. “The times we fought…”
“Even going as far as to break my ribs…” Kiyoko added.
“That was for Y/N,” Yachi finished. “You tried to save her, but we retaliated.”
“I don't blame you,” Akaashi said. “It’s a natural response. But I want everyone to understand right now: we are not your enemies. Bokuto-san agrees, as well. We need to work together to stop Kuroo and Nekoma.”
“What’s he planning, then?” Hinata said.
Akaashi turned to him, a dark look in his usually composed features. “He’s about to repeat history,” he said. “And seize control of the highest power in the country.”
He was in a dark room, filled with nothing but an empty chair under a cheap ceiling light. He turned around, searching for anything that could tell him where he was.
There were no windows, no doors, no means of letting anything or anybody in. But suddenly, he felt a presence behind him, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
He whirled around, and saw a familiar brunette that stood a few inches taller than him. A familiar smirk was on his face, and was further illuminated as he stepped into the only light source.
Kageyama’s throat closed up. “...Oikawa-san.”
“Hello, Tobio-chan,” the younger-looking Oikawa Tooru said, putting emphasis on the honorific for endearment. “I’m glad you agreed to do this.”
“W-what?”
Oikawa gestured to something in Kageyama’s hand, and he lifted up to see that he was holding a gun.
“What is this?”
“Your ticket to a new world,” Oikawa said, his voice suddenly shifting into a deeper one. It was so strange; one moment, he sounded like himself, the next, an entirely different person. “A world that accepts people like us.”
“Oikawa-san, I...I don't—”
“Well, then, let’s begin,” Oikawa said, as if he didn't hear Kageyama. “All you have to do...is shoot her.”
“I...who?” Kageyama looked at the chair, which was now occupied by a figure. Since Oikawa had referred to it as a “her”, he had to guess that it was a girl.
“No,” he said immediately, feeling the gun grow heavier in his hand.
“I take it you know her?” Oikawa smirked devilishly, as he crouched behind the chair. “This is the person that’s holding you back from what you can truly become. She’s holding you down, Tobio-chan. Let go of her.”
“Absolutely not,” Kageyama said, trying to let go of the gun, but it seemed to be stuck to his hand. He growled, trying to get it off, but failing.
Oikawa traced the outline of her exposed shoulder. “Oh, come now,” he chided. “She’s the reason why you can't be the best sniper in Japan. You could be that person. You could surpass me. You could be the best.”
“I don't want to surpass you,” Kageyama retorted. “I’m not going to be like you, Oikawa-san. Let her go.”
“No, you're the one who has to let go,” Oikawa said. “She’s...how do I say it...dead weight.”
Kageyama’s eyes widened.
He brought the gun up, loaded it, and pointed it Oikawa. He was breathing heavily, but the latter was smiling.
“You owe it to her, don't you think?”
He froze.
He pulled the trigger, but Oikawa was already gone.
Kageyama wiped the sweat from his brow, trying to settle his nerves. He had been here before, he knew what he had to go through…
But why did it feel so different this time?
“Why?”
She spoke, and just a single word sent chills down his spine. He looked down at her, breath hitching as he found her already staring up at him.
Her eyes.
The same eyes, that had hooked into his soul deep enough to make marks, were drilling into him now with an intensity that left him breathless. It was a look he had missed for so long; an almost animalistic look that he had been craving all this time.
“Why?” she repeated. “Why did you leave me?”
Kageyama swallowed thickly, trembling from head to toe as he struggled to meet her gaze. “I—I couldn't—I’m sorry—”
“Sorry doesn't cut it,” she interrupted coldly.
He inhaled sharply, and his head snapped up to look at her.
The room had shifted again, and this time, he was the one in the chair.
Y/N emerged from the darkness, holding him captive with her gaze as she walked over.
It was her, Kageyama was sure of it. Her hair, seemingly longer than before, rippled around her as she moved, resembling long, dangerous whips. He could practically feel the tension that rolled off her body: poised, and yet, still ready to fight. She looked terrifyingly beautiful, the kind of beauty you'd see in a gleaming knife before it tore the life away from you.
But somehow, he couldn't feel the same aura from her. She projected one that put him on edge, and not at ease like she always did.
“How mean, Tobio,” Y/N said mockingly. “Leaving my dead body out there to rot. All because you didn't want to burden yourself with yet another failed relationship.”
“That's not it!” Kageyama protested. “I didn't want to leave you—honest, I just—”
“Couldn't bring yourself to do it?” A finger pushed his chin up, forcing him to face her and the smirk she wore. “All you had to do was bring me back home.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, feeling his chest tighten at her words. She loathed him, there was no mistaking it.
“Hmm.” Suddenly, she was behind him, sliding her arms over his shoulders. He tensed, as she pulled him to sit up straight. “I suppose I could forgive you, if you could do one thing for me.”
“And...and what is that?”
Y/N hummed again, and his breath hitched as he felt her lips ghost over the side of his neck, trailing all the way up to his ear. “Release me.”
“W-what?”
“You heard me,” she purred, and he looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He immediately wished he hadn't done that; she was looking at him with such an enticing, seductive stare, that he nearly caved right then and there. “Let go. Let me take control.”
“Control...of what?”
“Of you, Tobio,” she answered, and he bit back a groan as he felt one of her hands travel down his front. “Oikawa was right. I’m holding you down because you don't accept me. Deep down, you're scared of me, aren't you?”
She laughed, and the sound made his heart race.
“You have every right to be scared,” she continued. “I can make you do things you never realized you could do. I can give you power beyond your wildest dreams. I could help you surpass all boundaries known to man. All you have to do...is accept me. Let go.”
“No,” he said, trying to sound firm.
“Oh?” Y/N smirked as she hooked her fingers onto the hem of his shirt, and slowly pulled it up, enjoying the way he gasped as her knuckles grazed across his stomach. “But don't you want to avenge me? Don't you want to make up for your mistakes?”
“I do,” he answered, struggling to regain composure. “But I could kill you. I could hurt people.”
“Yes, you would,” Y/N agreed. “But you'll have me. And you'll have power. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?”
“But—”
Suddenly, she was in front of him once more. This time, the gun he was holding was in her hand. She smiled, loaded it, and pointed it at him.
Call him a masochist, but he thought there was nothing more beautiful than Y/N holding a gun to his face.
“Release me,” she said calmly.
Kageyama sighed, and braced himself. “I said, no. The real Y/N wouldn't want me to hurt anyone.”
She smiled once more, and he nearly smiled back.
“Too bad,” she said, as she raised the gun to her temple.
Shock coursed through him. “Y/N, no!”
He reached out for her, but she had already pulled the trigger, and stumbled into his arms, dead as a doornail.
“No!”
Kageyama shot up, panting heavily. He was drenched in sweat, and from the state of his bed, he had been thrashing around in his sleep.
Next to his bed, Hinata had stirred; he poked his sleepy head out of his fort of pillows and blinked in the darkness. “Kageyama?” he called sleepily.
“S-sorry,” Kageyama answered, trembling. “Just...had a nightmare, that’s all.”
“Really?” Hinata said, rubbing his eyes. “I’ve been having them, too.”
“Yeah.” Kageyama placed his head in his hands, trying to steady his breathing and regulate his heartbeat.
“Hey.” Hinata’s voice was quiet, soothing. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Kageyama lied. “Sorry. Go back to sleep.”
“Okay. Get some water if you can't sleep.”
In a few seconds, the orange-haired sniper was snoring away.
Kageyama laid back down, after picking up the pillows he had thrown in his sleep. He’d never dreamt something like that before; at least, not in a long time. In fact, he’d noticed that his dreams were getting even more and more intense, with the same ending every single time.
Maybe he should take a leaf out of Kiyoko’s book and help himself to some tequila every now and then.
Let go. Let me take control.
Not happening, he thought, as he rolled over. Not in a million years.