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He was in a bad mood. Granted, it was his factory setting anyway but he got kicked out practise. Not just by Yahaba, but coach Mizoguchi too. If Irihata was there, he was sure he would've been allowed to stay but when Mizoguchi was left to his own devices, he was very hard on people. Specifically him and Kunimi, who had left earlier for that very reason while Yahaba's back was turned. That had also had a turn in turning the poor captain sour.
Yahaba had only been captain for a few weeks and he had been finding it incredibly difficult. That wasn't Kyoutani's problem.
The third-years would occasionally come around and help, but it was getting increasingly rare. Both Oikawa and Iwaizumi were studying for college, so they spent most of their time on studies. Everyone respected that, but it was always welcome whenever they did end up coming, even if Matsukawa and Hanamaki just ended up joking about.
His eyes were hard and brows furrowed as he charged through the door of the clubroom. The door swung hard to hit the wall behind it and he made a 'tch’ sound. There was a dent forming in the wall and when Yahaba first saw it he went ballistic. He turned on the lights, completely missing the flinch of the first-year sitting on a chair in the middle of the room, elbows rested on his knees.
He immediately recognised it as Kindaichi, if the hair was anything to go by (not that he could talk) and when he looked up from his hands, Kyoutani didn't fail to notice the redness and tears in his eyes. Ugh. He was terrible with crying. He considered turning and walking out, but the middle blocker was already quickly wiping his eyes. “K-Kyou..tani!”
Kyoutani rolled his eyes. Thanks, Oikawa. Kyoutani was pretty sure he was the only one Kindaichi didn't address the same. It didn't bother him, not really, but the nickname Oikawa so lovingly gave him was not fading with time. No-one said it to his face anymore, but 'Kyouken’ was staying.
“S-sorry, I was just going.”
He didn't know what Kindaichi was apologising for, but he just grunted in return. “Didn't look like it to me.”
The look Kindaichi gave him was something between guilt and annoyance. It was a look Kyoutani got from him a lot, although it was more so the annoyance. He apparently annoyed him fairly often. Not unexpected, he frequently pissed off everyone. He figured it was because of the way he spoke. That's what Iwaizumi used to tell him, anyway, so he had increasingly tried and failed to be kinder, if not by tone then by wording.
The two stood in an awkward silence for just a few moments, then Kindaichi huffed. It was a worn, tired huff. Kyoutani wondered what had him so upset. Iwaizumi had told him to try having conversations with people. He very easily noticed the rift between him and the first-years, never mind Yahaba. He had been paying attention, and Kindaichi was pretty high on the list of people who avoided him most often.
“What? Your dog die or something?” A little blunt, maybe. But it garnered more than a purely negative reaction from the middle blocker. He twitched, grip tightening on the phone in his hand.
“H-” Kindaichi bit his lip, turning his face. Kyoutani blinked, frowning.
“Just fucking say it.” Oops. Kindaichi flinched at his tone. That was aloud, wasn't it?
A weary sigh made its way through the first-year's lips. “Well… yeah.”
Kyoutani got it in one. He was only joking. Being the proud owner of a dog himself, he knew the feeling of having that unconditional love his dog showed him. The way his tail left bruises on his shins when he was excited, the way he greeted him every day when he got home without fail. Losing that would break his heart. He wasn't made of iron. He would most definitely cry. Alone in his room when no-one was around, he would cry.
“Who am I kidding? You don't care.” Kindaichi said bitterly. Kyoutani had to hold back a growl at that because tears began falling from Kindaichi's eyes.
Well. That was a bold statement. This kid knew nothing about him. “You're right. I don't.” A lie, but if that's the impression he gave, then he was going to act like that.
It wasn't worth saying. The middle blocker let out a sob, balled his hands into fists and went to storm out, leaving all of his stuff behind. A hand flew out to stop him.
“Oi.”
Kindaichi's head whipped to look at Kyoutani. His face looked angry, but his eyes were just tired and sad and he reminded him too much of his own pup. “What?!”
Kyoutani's eyes glanced a few places as he searched for the word he knew he needed to say. “Sorry.” It was a gruff mumble, but his tone was genuine. “I didn't mean that.” His teeth were gritted and he didn't look Kindaichi in the eyes. Man, being sorry was hard.
Kindaichi sniffled a couple of times, breaths hiccuping. The world was playing some trick on Kyoutani, he was sure, because he was stuck in this cold-ass room with a grieving first-year that didn't even like him and he had the overwhelming urge to hug him like he hugged his dog when he was left to himself in the house.
Lowering the hand on Kindaichi's chest, he stepped further into the clubroom to go to his locker. It was easier to talk without the eye contact. “You going or what?” You’ll freeze outside with just your kit on.
“You really care?”
Kyoutani snorted. Most of what he said was true, for reasons like just now. “I have a dog.” He opened his locker and began changing, listening as Kindaichi went to his own locker. At least he had stopped crying.
“W-What would you do… If… Y'know?”
“She kicked it?” Say what you mean. I can't read your mind .
There was a pause where Kindaichi made an abrupt noise. Yeah, Kyoutani knew that noise. It meant he didn't have to put that so bluntly. “Yeah.”
“Nothing you can do. She's dead.”
“H- He's dead.”
Ah. He . Kyoutani grunted. He didn't have to correct him.
Kindaichi hadn't moved since taking his shirt off. Kyoutani felt eyes on him but he refused to turn around before he finished putting the rest of his uniform on.
“Yours is a girl?”
Another grunt. He struggled with his tie, tying it until it looked generally OK and turned as he threw on his blazer. “Yeah.” He felt his features mellow out thinking about her, and watched a surprised look pass over Kindaichi's features. Yeah, his face wasn't glued in a frown all the time. Was it that hard to believe?
Iwaizumi probably meant well when he told Kyoutani to try to hold a conversation for more than a few seconds, but everyone gave the distinct feeling that they didn’t really want to listen to him. This was probably the first time someone was actually interested in listening in what he had to say. “Do you have a picture?”
Kyoutani raised an eyebrow and looked Kindaichi over. “You gonna get dressed first?”
“Ah! Y-Yeah, sorry.” Kindaichi turned around to finish dressing but Kyoutani didn’t miss the flush on his back and he let out a grunt of a laugh. He himself got to rummaging in his bag for his phone. His wallpaper actually happened to be a picture of him and his dog when they were younger. He liked it a lot. The lighting gave it a warm feeling and he remembered the day well.
“How old was he?” Kyoutani swung his bag over his shoulder and shut his locker to lean against it, crossing one foot over the other while flicking through his phone for a more recent picture.
It was all too easy to get lost in the pictures in his phone and he only looked up when Kindaichi moved closer. He raised an eyebrow in question before realising that he was dressed already.
Kindaichi looked a little trapped, lips hurriedly falling into a line. “You went quiet.”
“Here.” Kyoutani turned his phone around to show Kindaichi, crossing his arms as the first-year took the phone to get a good look.
Kindaichi’s eyes showed a range of emotion in only a moment and Kyoutani couldn’t place any one of them. It was kind of interesting, because although tears were still gathered in Kindaichi’s lashes, he smiled. A wide smile showing teeth. “She’s cute.”
“Yeah, she is.”
The look Kindaichi gave him was not dissimilar to the one he gave earlier, surprised and a little wondered. He passed the phone back carefully, sparing a last glance. “Thanks.”
Kyoutani resisted the urge to tilt his head. A you’re welcome played in his mouth, but it ended up unsaid. He shrugged and pocketed his phone. “Go pay your respects.”
“Huh.” It was a small noise as Kindaichi turned and adjusted his bag on his shoulders, wiping his eyes a last time.
“What?” Kyoutani found himself asking as Kindaichi opened the door to leave.
“You might not be so bad after all.”
It took him until after Kindaichi left to realise that was a pretty big compliment coming from the guy who almost walked out just for him just being there.