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Chat log 1.
Kenma: Kuroo showed me your tiktok.
Hinata: You should do that too, Kenma! Noya says the dance helps people grow!! ୧(＾ 〰 ＾)୨
Kenma: I think he's joking around, Hinata. That's the theme song from Super Mario Odyssey, 'Jump Up Superstar'.
Hinata: WHAT.
Kenma: (links)
Hinata: AAAAAAAA
Chat log 2.
Hinata: Oh wow, Kenma, your stream went viral!!
Kenma: It's silly.
Hinata: Not really, you've been talking about that mythical rare item for a while… and now you're the first to find it! You should stream your gameplays now!
Kenma: But ugh, people.
Kenma eventually opened a Twitch when Kuroo made an offhand remark at how well streamers were getting paid. Hinata was one of the first three to subscribe.
When Kenma did a raffle for the first 100 subscribers, Hinata won. The giveaway was supposed to be a limited-edition figurine for one of the games Kenma followed, but Hinata was given a set of new sneakers instead.
“What?? I would have been happy with the fighter figurine!” Hinata messaged.
“I know you don’t follow the game, so I’d rather give you something useful instead,” Kenma replied. "Hope it fits. Comfy?”
Hinata replied with a boomerang of him wearing his new shoes while going through the motions of his jump move in his backyard. Kenma replied with a heart kamoji.
Before Hinata knew it, time had passed. Where once the idea of Kenma ever quitting volleyball was inconceivable, it soon became reality. And Hinata was well on his way to making his dreams come true.
He didn’t just make it to nationals in the high school division – he was still invited to play. He was soon substitute wing spiker for Japan, then he soon became the primary wing spiker. But then the clubs came calling.
It still felt like yesterday when he snuck into Shiratorizawa to prove his worth as a volleyball player.
Hinata was excited to leave for Brazil, and did nothing but talk about it to anyone who would read or listen once he accepted their offer. Kenma told him to get Duolingo to help him learn Portuguese. While Hinata downloaded the app, he didn’t progress as quickly as he’d like and it made his first month there difficult.
Being in Brazil made him realize how alone he was. He was away from his family and he even missed his moody sister’s snark. He missed onigiri. He missed green tea and fresh fish. He missed being able to randomly call up someone from Karasuno or the national team over for drinks. It was strange even for him, he realized to become emotional at the thought of full-grain Japanese rice, the locker room right after practice with that scent of menthol or body spray, and the soft cushion of his futon.
It was becoming harder and harder to be happy to see his friends’ posts about home.
Hinata had to learn to deal.
“Hey, Kenma,” Hinata messaged, “Can you recommend a good game for me?”
It was ten at night in Brazil, which made it ten in the morning in Japan. Kenma was wide awake.
Kenma: What kind of games do you like playing?
Hinata: I don’t have a lot of time…so something light and relaxing? I can’t game the way you do.
Kenma: Here, try this planting game - "Farm Star”. All you have to do is arrange your world, plant things, solve puzzles and turn what you plant into food.
Hinata: Yeah, this can work. Thanks! ^_______^
Kenma: (~_^)b
Kenma: I hope you’ve settled in alright there.
Hinata: Yeah.
After studying games and when looking at his LINE feed and Instagram became too much to bear, Hinata tuned into Kenma’s streams instead. He didn’t follow most of the games Kenma played, but he just liked watching Kenma.
Soon, Hinata memorized the little tics that made Kenma what he was. He caught the concentrated glint, recognizing it to be similar to his focused gaze on the court. While Kenma was never outright happy onscreen, there was a way he blinked his eyes and pressed his lips into an almost smile when he was satisfied over something.
Kenma: Did you like Farm Star?
Hinata: Yeah, it was just what I needed! I unlocked two more barns now.
Kenma: Nice.
Kenma: You’re playing soon, right?
Hinata: Yes! We have a mini-tournament tomorrow!
Kenma: Will they be streaming it?
Hinata: Not this one…but when we win, they’ll stream the regionals!
They didn’t win that game. Hinata recognized that their coach took a chance and pushed the newer members of the club onto the court, but it cost them several points. While Hinata was familiar with the plays, there were members who weren’t. It was uncoordinated, and Hinata felt lousy.
He bemoaned losing the game in the locker room, only to be cut off by one of his co-recruits,
“Don’t be so emotional.”
It’s what caused him to stay up late that evening.
Hinata: Kenma.
Kenma: Yea? How was the game?
Hinata: We lost.
Kenma: Oh. I’m sorry.
Kenma: It is a new team.
Hinata: Yeah… and we can still advance if the other team doesn’t do well.
Hinata: Kenma, can I ask something?
Kenma: What is it?
Hinata: Am I too emotional?
Kenma: Not ‘too’ emotional. There’s no such thing.
Hinata: Really?
Kenma: I’m not a big fan of strong emotions.
Hinata: Oh. I must annoy you then.
Kenma: No. It’s something I always liked about you.
A long pause followed.
Hinata: Thanks, Kenma. I needed to hear that.
Their team got to advance, and the game-ending scores were while Hinata was in the line-up.
Hinata: We made it!!!
Kenma: I knew you would!
Hinata: I noticed though… some people only see me as emotional when we lose. Everyone was crying and cheering and doing JUMP, BLAM, and all that, but no one thinks it’s a bad thing.
Kenma: That’s people for you. They only call on things when they aren’t good.
Hinata: I should call on more of the good stuff then!
Kenma: But not too much or it may scare them.
Hinata: Aww. Yeah you’re right.
Kenma: Don’t overthink it, Hinata. Whether they like you or not, you’re in the team.
Kenma: You’re part of the winning team.
Kenma’s words of encouragement helped Hinata through the rest of the tournament.
But their team was out of regionals by round two.
Kenma: Sorry about the game, Hinata. It was just really bad luck.
Hinata: Yeah, I guess. Did you watch?
Kenma: Yes.
Hinata: I wish you didn’t.
Kenma: I said I would… least I could do since you’re a loyal subscriber to my streams.
It wasn’t usual for Hinata not to reply, or to let Kenma know when he can’t reply.
Kenma also noticed that he’d be typing, then stop.
Kenma: Hinata? You okay?
Hinata: I had a long message about saying how much your streams meant to me since I moved to Brazil. But it may be too much so I deleted it.
Kenma: ? I wouldn’t think it’s too much.
Hinata: I’d hate to scare you.
Kenma: You never do.
Hinata: I’m going to ask something… but if you say no, it’s okay.
Kenma: What is it?
Hinata: Can we do voice chat?
Kenma: Sure.
Shortly after, Kenma saw the phone icon onscreen, and he pressed it to accept the call.
“Hello, Hinata?”
“Kenmaaaaa.” Hinata’s voice was perky. “Oh wow, thanks for allowing me to call you! It’s so good to hear from you!”
“What’s going on over there?” Kenma asked, “What’s wrong?”
Hinata was suddenly silent.
Then he burst into tears, blubbering about how hard and strange it has been, how he wonders if he really was playing as the player they wanted, how some of his teammates remark on his excitement, how they aren’t advancing in regionals. Kenma listened as Hinata bawled about how his being there being a bad idea, how he missed Japan, how it was so painful to know that he was the stranger there. Kenma only spoke when Hinata’s sobs somewhat quieted down.
“They want you there, Hinata. You just have to overcome a lot to play the way you want to.” He paused, “We miss you too.”
Another long pause, and Kenma heard some moving about on Hinata’s end. He heard Hinata blowing his nose then a sniffle.
“Watching your streams helped.” Hinata admitted to him.
“I’m surprised to see you catch every one of them. I know you don’t play video games.”
“I don’t watch the games. I watch…” Hinata sounded embarrassed, “I watch you. It’s good to see you play.”
Kenma was surprised. “I see.”
A pause.
“I may be in love with you, Kenma.”
A pregnant pause followed before Kenma spoke,“ So sudden?”
“Yeah, I know,” Hinata gave a laugh, “My heart went WOW at that admission. I thought I’d be taking that back, but I don't want to.”
A silence, then a sniffle again.
“Now I wish I didn’t say it because I know how far away you are.”
“Yeah, Hinata.”
“And you don’t have to love me back, Kenma. I don’t want you to stop talking to me because of what I just said.” Hinata’s voice was becoming strained again.
“Sure took you a while to admit that you liked me.”
At that, Hinata made a sound that was about to erupt into an impassioned spiel about how he had no idea, he was sorry, his timing was shitty, but Kenma immediately cut in,
“I’m happy that you’re there, but knowing this now makes it suck. I love you too, and I was planning to visit you – I just needed a few more streams so a sponsor could finally write a check. Stop crying.”
Hinata wouldn’t stop crying, but his sobs were now with sounds of awe, babbling about how relieved he was, how much Kenma meant to him, and how he knows Brazil will be so much fun when he visits. Kenma smiled as he listened to him.
Yes, Hinata was overemotional, but it was far from annoying.
“I can’t stop crying, Kenma, I’m sorry.”
“Do you feel better though?”
“Yeah. I love you. I really, really, really do. Is it okay if I say it a lot? I know it might get awkward if I do, so I can stop if you don’t want me to—”
“I love you too, Shouyou. I’ll be shy in saying it back in person, but I do.”
Hinata gave an appreciative whimper.
“I have to stream soon and you need to sleep. Just watch the recap after practice, okay?”
“Okay.”
They hung up.
Kenma was curious as he went about setting up his room for his stream. Based on what he heard from Kuroo and the rest, that was not how loving confessions would have gone. It did seem fast, he thought. If it were anyone else, Kenma would have dismissed it as someone being caught in the moment.
But coming from Shouyou – sudden as it was, it was true. And Kenma welcomed it.
As he angled his webcam, he checked his calendar on his PC. He also made a point to check the widget onscreen for his forex investment – good earnings so far.
Brazil was going to be amazing, Kenma knew. And he smiled as he imagined Shouyou beaming at him in welcome, and them holding hands as they go through the city.