Work Text:
Spring is around the corner.
The chillness of fall is still present, biting at Kageyama's nose, cheeks, and ears, making it a painful red. Warm breath escapes from his nose, forming a cloud around him, so much that Hinata called him kettle. That earns a smack on his head.
The morning chill did nothing to defer their morning practice, and Kageyama is thankful for a way to produce heat without the layers of cloth around him that restricts his movements. He's beathing hard due to the morning run, skin cold because of the wind but his inside's warm from adrenaline.
"What will you do this spring?" Sugawara opened that morning's short break with a simple question.
"Train." Kageyama answered in a quick sentence. He doesn't even need to think about it.
"What? You'll be studying about trains?" Sugawara asked, a playful glint is present in his eyes, teasing.
"I'll be training for volleyball," Kageyama said, so obviously they should have known. Tanaka and Nishonoya snorts. Sugawara shook his head.
"No, no, Kageyama. Spring is a good time to start a hobby, not just train. Read a book, write a song, try to dance. Do something beside volleyball!" He encourages. Kageyama wants to ask why Sugawara wants him to divert his attention to other things when the tournament is right around the corner when of a sudden, Tanaka interrupted.
"Romance is good during spring!" Nishinoya shouted beside him.
"Woah! Ryuu! This is our chance!"
"Study says 99% of that is bullshit." Tsukishima chimes in. Yamaguchi laughs beside him. Kageyama wonders about the 1%.
Coach Ukai blow on his whistle, signaling the end of the break. Kageyama wipes his mouth after drinking water. Romance in general is full of bullshit.
Maybe studying will be great, his Literature teacher prankly told him after handling a nine over fifty scored test paper that noon. Kageyama sighed, he definitely need help.
Third years are prepairing for their college entrance exams. Second years are busy for their requirements. Hinata is out, since he is dumber than him. Yachi is prepairing for her competition piece for a small contest. Tsukishima isn't willing. Yamaguchi... Yamaguchi might help.
He corners Yamaguchi that afternoon, when the other is buying a lemon juice for himself and strawberry milk for Tsukishima beside the vending machine. Yamaguchi reluctanly agrees and Kageyama offers to buy him his lemon juice. He laughs as he accept it.
Tsukishima could suck his fake strawberry milk with his dumb face.
Kageyama's Literature score increased by twenty points and his teacher praised him so much his ears burn when his classmates gave him a standing ovation. It's his first time scoring near the passing score of thirty. He missed a point to pass the test but still, it's better than a single digit score. His teacher actually cried a bit, thinking his lesson finally reached Kageyama. To be honest, Yamaguchi made him remember the rules like hand signals in the volleyball court.
When Yamaguchi learned his score, he actually called him a volleyball idiot.
In return for his better grades, Kageyama teached Yamaguchi to be a better spiker. Overall, Kageyama knows he is better in volleyball than Yamaguchi is, but he never thought he is a better player. Yamaguchi's growth in the sport is remarkable. it shows his passion for it.
It's the first time he enjoyed a lunch practice without the shrimp jumping around the net.
Yamaguchi said learning is better with friends but Kageyama begged to disagree. Hinata is dumb. Yachi is overthinking, Tsukishima is a plain jerk. Yamaguchi tries to make Kageyama focus on the subject but the shrimp just keep on yapping, it was for a good ten minutes until Kageyama finally exploded.
In the end they didn't learn anything, just jabs flying around the circle and Yachi pacifying it. Yamaguchi laughs at the scene, giving up on actually teaching.
Kageyama feels the almost warm wind touched his cheeks, dusting it a cherry red hue. Yamaguchi's laugh joins the crowd that's also went to flower viewing. The world is lively with vivid colors. The animals sing with the crowd as Yamaguchi laugh and laugh and laugh. The tone mellows everything. Finally.
Kageyama's spring has come.