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The Hinata household is always busy and full of life, with two hyperactive siblings running everywhere in a not-so-spacious house. The little home feels warm, joyful, and well lived-in. Visitors are always welcomed with two bright smiles and laughter swirling all over the place. Hinata Shouyou and Hinata Natsu are the suns illuminating every room they come across, and happiness always seems to double when they are reunited.
Whenever they get to spend time together, the siblings are inseparable. Where Shouyou goes, Natsu follows, like a little shadow by his side. Natsu loves her big brother the most. Since the day she was born, Shouyou has been showing her the world: exploring and admiring every undiscovered secret of the universe.
Their connection is fascinating, yet surprisingly balanced. While Shouyou teaches Natsu about kindness, passion, and ambition, Natsu teaches Shouyou about patience, sharing, and unconditional love. In the end, their stories have always been intertwined…
January 2008
Natsu is fiercely adding color after color to her sketch, pencils scattered around the tiny coffee table in the living room, when her brother enters the house out of breath. She looks up from the coloring book; his cheeks are pink and his hair is a total mess—as it always is—and a wide grin is plastered across his face. He sprints to the remote control of the television and grabs it forcefully, making some coloring pencils roll on the ground.
‘‘I hope I’m not too late,’’ Shouyou says, panting. ‘‘Natsu, you absolutely have to see this!’’
He fumbles with the remote for a little while, hands shaking from excitement. The television screen finally bursts to life and noise fills the quiet room. A sports reporter is talking animatedly about a tournament, her brother is focused on the screen, squeezing the remote so hard his knuckles turn white.
‘‘They have to show it again! They have to! Uwahhh!! I swear, Natsu, he was flying like he had wings, b-but he didn't! It was amazing!’’
Natsu looks from Shouyou to the screen, then back to him again.
‘‘Flying without wings?’’ she asks, curious.
Shouyou sits by her side on the couch, nearly stumbling on the coffee table’s leg.
‘‘Flying without wings!’’ he repeats, smiling brightly. ‘‘So high, like he could reach the top!’’
Natsu gasps and glances at the television. The sports reporter is still talking, but Natsu doesn’t understand a thing he is saying... it seems too complicated. And boring. After a couple of minutes, Natsu feels a yawn pulling her in, like an itch she can’t resist scratching.
‘‘... with today’s win, Karasuno qualifies for the National High School spring volleyball tournament! ’’
Shouyou spontaneously grabs Natsu’s hand with his free one.
‘‘There!’’ he yells, a bit too loudly. ‘‘There! They have to show him!’’
The sports reporter vanishes as a volleyball court appears on the screen, filled with players in black uniforms with two vertical orange stripes on each side. Pride written all over their faces, the players on the screen celebrate their victory, running to each other and gripping each other’s shoulders firmly. The reporter’s voice can still be heard in the background, explaining the outcome of the game and the next step for Miyagi’s representative to the next Nationals.
No memorable plays are shown as the screen skips to the next sport. Natsu sees her brother deflate by her side, looking completely disheartened and confused.
‘‘They didn’t…’’ he starts, averting his gaze from the television to the ground, biting his bottom lip. ‘‘They didn’t show him!’’
For a moment, the siblings’ eyes meet with a piercing look, then Shouyou’s grin returns as fast as it disappeared. A blast of happiness rushes through him as he releases Natsu’s hand and stands up from the couch, hands on his hips.
‘‘I wished you had seen him fly Natsu! ’’ He turns around to face her with the biggest smile in the whole world. ‘‘But that’s okay, you know why?’’
Natsu shakes her head, orange hair bouncing from side to side.
‘‘Because I will play volleyball and I’ll fly even higher! Watch me!’’
Natsu squeaks, there are sparks burning inside her heart at Shouyou’s words and she looks at him with stars in her eyes. ‘‘Tobe!’’ She jumps up, arms raised in the air as her brother catches her and lifts her above him. Their glowing laughter fills the tiny living room.
From this moment on, Shouyou was completely hooked on volleyball, it was the only thing he could talk about, alongside the Little Giant. Volleyball. Little Giant. Volleyball. Little Giant. Natsu even hears the name ‘‘Karasuno’’ a few times. It doesn’t take very long until Shouyou asks their mother to buy a volleyball so he can carry it around everywhere he goes. And he does.
Natsu watches him with curious eyes, waiting for the day he is going to fly even higher.
May 2011
For over three years, Shouyou practices volleyball in every corner he can find. Sometimes he uses a wall, sometimes a door, or sometimes he will lie on his back tossing the ball in the air. He will beg his friends, Izumi and Kouji, to practice with him since he is the only member of his club. He never—not even once—gives up on practicing. He pushes and he pushes and he pushes. Hoping, one day, he'll have his own team to play with on a volleyball court.
As he does every night, Shouyou is currently in the backyard laying on his back and tossing the ball in the air, the same one their mother bought all those years ago. Natsu is sitting cross-legged on the pavement, following the ball with attentive eyes.
Shouyou is very clumsy; the ball doesn’t obey him and falls on his face quite often, which makes Natsu laugh.
‘‘The ball doesn’t like you very much, Nii-chan,’’ Natsu says between giggles. ‘‘It likes to hit your face.’’
Shouyou stops the motion of the ball by catching it in his hands, then gazes up at the stars above him, admiring those thousands of suns shining all around the universe. He stays quiet for so long that Natsu is about to ask him if they can play with the jumping rope when he abruptly sits up.
‘‘Uwahhhh! I can’t believe tomorrow is the first time I’ll play on a real volleyball court, in a real gym!’’ Shouyou says, smiling wide. ‘‘In a real tournament! Against real teams!’’ He looks at Natsu with gleaming eyes. ‘‘Finally! Finally, I’m getting somewhere.’’
Natsu smiles back at him. She feels her brother’s happiness in every fiber of her being like it’s her own. Perhaps it is.
‘‘Finally! A tournament!’’ she repeats.
‘‘And we will win match after match after match until we earn the gold medal!’’
At this comment, Natsu makes a thumbs-up in Shouyou’s direction and grins even wider. If anyone can reach the top, it’s him.
The next morning, the sun is shining brightly through the kitchen’s window curtains. Warmth spirals inside the dining room where the siblings are having breakfast at the table. Natsu is humming while she eats, appreciating every single bite as if they were the last. Delightful.
Well, it would be even more delightful if there wasn’t a ball of nerves moving around in every direction right in front of her. Shouyou, being very fidgety and nervous, can’t stop squirming in his chair while trying to eat his breakfast. Left, right. Up, down. Repeat. Natsu puffs her cheeks in frustration.
‘‘Nii-chan! Stop moving around so much!’’
At Natsu’s annoyed voice, her brother yelps and squeezes his chopsticks. ‘‘Sorry Natsu, but I don’t think I can.’’ He glances quickly at the clock. ‘‘We have to be at the gym in three hours.’’
They are silent for a little while, only the creaking noise of the chair and the ticking of the clock can be heard. Natsu’s face softens, and she starts taking bites of her breakfast once again, humming as she munches the food.
Shouyou hasn’t touched his plate at all. He sighs.
‘‘I wonder how strong the other teams will be?’’ he says, still squeezing his chopsticks. ‘‘I bet some will be really strong. The players are going to be so tall too.’’ He slowly releases his tight grip on the chopsticks as he talks. ‘‘Doesn’t matter, though, because I’m going to jump so high they won’t be able to stop me! I’ll spike every ball my team sends me!’’
Natsu keeps humming while listening to him. She learned over the last three years that rambling about volleyball’s greatness is familiar territory for Shouyou and it calms him. It’s exactly what he needs right now.
And so, Shouyou keeps talking all morning, most of the time with his mouth full, pieces of food flying everywhere on the plate in front of him. He keeps talking until he isn’t that nervous anymore. He is enjoying himself, which makes Natsu smirk, satisfied.
It goes on like this until Shouyou has to leave for his first—and last—tournament in middle school. Natsu gives him a good luck hug, tightly gripping his green jersey with the number one spread on his back. She releases him only when she really has to; when her brother is yelling about being late and pats the top of her head as a sign for her to let go. She does, reluctantly.
Shouyou deserves this chance and every other chance he will get to play volleyball. Natsu wants this for him more than anyone else—sometimes she even wishes she saw the Little Giant flying that day. Instead, she thinks about her brother getting his own chance to fly without wings.
As she is getting comfy in her bed, Natsu skims through a volume of the manga series she has been reading recently, not really paying attention to the actual story unfolding in front of her eyes. She’s lying on her stomach, blowing some rebellious hair strands out of her forehead.
The small house is quiet when Shouyou isn’t around. It’s the calm before, well, a loud voice and a volleyball bouncing between four walls. But, Natsu wouldn’t have it any other way. She gets excited every time she watches her brother practice volleyball, and she loves spending time with him.
Natsu drowsily opens her eyes as she hears the familiar stomping of someone coming through the front door. She feels sleepy, the manga volume now abandoned on the floor next to the bed. She doesn’t know what time it is, but she hears her brother’s voice echoing from downstairs, which immediately wakes her up. Shouyou is home?
Wait! Shouyou is home! That means he played all the matches that he had planned today!
Without any further hesitation, Natsu throws the covers off and bolts to the stairs. She spots her brother’s bag by the front door with his shoes—white and red—neatly placed on the carpet. They chose them together when Shouyou begged their mother to buy volleyball shoes.
‘‘Which ones are looking better?’’ he had asked, showing multiple pairs of volleyball shoes. Natsu analyzed all of them very carefully before pointing at his current pair. He proudly smirked, saying they were his first choice, too.
Natsu notices a mop of orange hair by the kitchen table, her legs are moving before she’s aware of anything that is happening. Her front is crushed on her brother’s back, hugging him forcefully. With the shock of Natsu’s little body smashing into him, Shouyou’s laugh vibrates against Natsu’s cheek as he bends forward, lifting her from the floor. Natsu giggles happily.
As her feet find the solid ground once again, a mess of babbling questions comes out all at once: How was the tournament? Did your team win? How was the volleyball court? Shouyou’s smirk slowly fades, his face brimming with… determination instead. He has this look in his eyes, the one declaring I’m Hinata Shouyou and I can overcome any challenge; just watch me.
This specific afternoon, Natsu learns that her brother lost the first match of his middle years after a mere 31 minutes to Kitagawa Daiichi’s Volleyball Club. She learns that the city gym is huge and smells like icy hot spray (!!!). She hears, for the first time, the words ‘‘King of the Court,’’ attached to a name. The name of someone who, as she will grow to quickly notice, will play a dominant role in Shouyou's life as well as his growth in volleyball.
Kageyama Tobio.
Kageyama’s name really has an effect on Shouyou. He is more fired up than anything Natsu has ever seen. The determination boils inside his veins while he mumbles about Kageyama being strong and amazing, and about how he will beat him someday—that’s a promise. He will stay on the court longer than anybody else. To achieve this goal, he needs to go to Karasuno High School more than ever. He’ll find a coach to guide him and a good team to help him grow invisible wings.
On this specific day, with Kageyama’s name brushing his lips, Natsu watches Shouyou fall in love with volleyball for the second time in his life.
April 2012
Natsu exhales loudly as she launches herself on the bed in a star position. She looks up at the ceiling, staring at the luminescent and tiny planet stickers. It has been so long since Shouyou helped her stick these all over the ceiling. They just faintly glow in the dark now.
Natsu sighs again, bored out of her mind. Bored, bored, bored. Boooooored. She sits up right when she’s hit by a genius idea. The best thing to do when you are bored is to go annoy Shouyou in his—
BAM. There’s a loud noise coming from his room. Natsu grins; so it is the perfect time to bother Shouyou and snoop on whatever he is doing right at this moment. She jumps off the bed and hops to her brother’s bedroom. The door is wide open; Shouyou comes and goes across the little space. Natsu watches him from the door frame; the room is a big mess, some clothes are lying around, as well as his bag, volleyball equipment, pens, papers…
‘‘What are you doing?’’ Natsu chuckles. ‘‘What is this mess?’’
‘‘Huh?’’ Shouyou glances at her as if he just noticed her presence. ‘‘Oh. Huh. Getting ready for my first day of high school tomorrow.’’
Right! His first day at Karasuno.
Shouyou peeks around the room, rubbing his chin with his hand, engrossed in his thoughts, when he suddenly starts moving again. From one side to the other. Natsu invites herself into the room and sits on the bed. For a moment, she just watches her brother making an even bigger mess than before.
‘‘You’re the worst at packing,’’ she giggles.
Shouyou absentmindedly hums.
‘‘Do you need help? I could help!’’ She pushes herself up using her firsts on each side of her body.
He keeps looking around his wardrobe, completely ignoring the question.
‘‘Nii-chan, are you listening?’’
Still no answer.
‘‘Nii-chan!’’ It comes louder than expected. Shouyou startles. One hand goes limp, dropping the volleyball to the floor, as the other hand tightens, gripping his bag even tighter.
‘‘Natsu! You don’t have to yell!!’’
‘‘I do! You weren’t listening to me!’’
Shouyou’s face eases, he crosses the room to sit down by Natsu’s side on the bed. He’s definitely nervous about the big day tomorrow and he tells her so. He wants to join the volleyball team really badly, a real volleyball team with volleyball teammates. He wants to be Karasuno’s ace, just like the Little Giant.
Natsu sighs, but she can’t contain the soft smile forming on her lips as she extends her hand. Shouyou glances down, confused. She points to the bag in his hand. Smirking, he drops it in her hand. Together, they pack everything he needs for tomorrow.
Shouyou returns from school the next evening and it’s dark outside. It’s nearly Natsu’s time for bed, but she’s sitting on the couch lazily watching the television.
Her brother keeps stomping around, which means something odd probably happened at school today. Natsu hears him mumbling about having to work with the King of the Court and being kicked out of practice because of him. Natsu sleepily listens to him ramble, eyelids too heavy to stay open.
So, the King of the Court is back and he is at Karasuno too, this is... interesting considering their sparking rivalry. Natsu wonders how her brother is going to beat Kageyama now that they are teammates. She yawns.
Shouyou spots the sleepy ball of blankets on the couch and crouches at her side, running his hand through his messy orange hair.
‘‘Why are you up so late?’’ His voice is soft, all the roughness from the Kageyama-rambling erased as he addresses his little sister.
‘‘Waitin’ fo’ you,’’ Natsu tiredly mutters.
Shouyou closes the television and cups Natsu in his arms, cuddling her small body to his. He delicately lifts her from her blanket nest. She can tiredly feel the climb of the stairs and snuggles closer to her brother’s neck. When he sets her down on the bed, Natsu opens her eyes and grabs the front of his shirt.
‘‘You’re going to make the team.’’ It’s not a question.
Shouyou grins, his eyes matching the fire in his heart. ‘‘Of course I’m going to make the team.’’
Natsu tries to smile back but yawns, mouth wide instead. ‘‘And you are going to be on the same team as the King of the Court.’’
The fire in his look amplifies in a matter of seconds. ‘‘I’m going to beat him!’’ Shouyou practically growls. ‘‘We have practice tomorrow at 5 AM and I’m going to be there first! I’m not going to let him win!’’
Natsu blinks at her brother’s outburst. He has always been remarkably competitive. When they spend time together, he makes everything a competition. Winning had always given Shouyou the drive he needed to get something done, and it had pushed Natsu to get things done as well. Though, it has been a long time since someone sparked his competitiveness as much as their sibling rivalry. Looking at his tenacious features, Natsu observes that this is an even stronger rivalry. And if it gives her brother even more enthusiasm to improve—to grow his invincible wings—then she hopes Kageyama stays in his life forever.
She smiles sleepily. ‘‘He is your teammate now. You’ll be on the same team. Maybe you should work together too.’’ She closes her eyes. It’s quiet for a little while, Shouyou doesn’t say a word, but she hears the bedroom door delicately closing as she dozes off.
The first week goes by fairly quickly. When Shouyou is back from school, he practices receiving every evening. Most of the time alone, but he still asks Natsu to throw the ball at him whenever he can. She gets bored rapidly so it doesn’t last longer than thirty minutes.
Tonight, he is trying a new technique by demonstrating the correct receiving posture his senpai Sugawara-san showed him during lunch. Assuring that Natsu keeps her hips low and her hands in the perfect position, he passes the ball to her and she immediately gets bonked in the face and falls on her butt.
Shouyou laughs loudly, pointing at her on the ground. ‘‘Maybe you’re not ready to receive a volleyball yet!’’
Offended, Natsu scowls and puffs out her cheeks. ‘‘I am going to get better!’’ But her face softens when she sees her brother’s smirk brushing his lips. ‘‘Nii-chan, why are you practicing receives so much anyways?’’
Shouyou kicks the ground and grumbles unintelligible words. Then, he glances up and Natsu gives him a confused look.
‘‘Kageyama won’t set the ball to me if I don’t get better at receiving,’’ he announces louder. ‘‘Said I need to be able to receive the ball in a game in order to spike it.’’
Natsu pinches her chin, thinking. ‘‘Mmmmm, makes sense!’’
Shouyou growls. Seems like Kageyama does that to him. ‘‘I won’t lose to him!’’
The sparks are growing more intense in her heart as Natsu grins. This is the brother she knows best; he wouldn’t give up on a challenge. Kageyama doesn’t know what is waiting for him; a Hinata-storm is coming full force crushing everything in his path.
By Thursday, Shouyou returns home with the biggest and brightest smile. Kageyama finally—finally—tossed the ball to him at practice in the morning. It even feels like a victory for Natsu and she internally celebrates his glowing happiness. Her brother even admits that maybe, just maybe, he and Kageyama could become the greatest teammates as Suga-san said.
But isn’t it what they are already?
It’s Saturday evening when Shouyou returns home from his 3 vs. 3 match, completely vibrating with joy. He runs to Natsu’s room, showing off his new jacket. Karasuno High Volleyball Club. It’s black, like crows, her brother reveals. And crows have wings. Wings to fly.
It’s Saturday when Kageyama gives a new nickname to Shouyou and makes him fly with their super quick—but it’s far from being the last. They finally combined their force, setter and greatest decoy and, according to her brother, it’s the most amazing feeling. As long as Kageyama will set the ball for him, he’s going to be there to spike it.
It’s Saturday and little do the siblings know, this day is the beginning of the greatest partnership.
June 2012
The pitter-patter of the rain falling on the window produces a very much appreciated and relaxing melody as Natsu hums to a song inside her head, attentive to the task in front of her. Sitting cross-legged on the floor of her bedroom, she tries to sort the colorful shapes she has been cupping all morning.
It’s tradition, since forever, for Natsu to decorate Shouyou’s entire bedroom for his birthday. This year is going to be the best one yet with the numerous volleyball ornaments Natsu worked on the past week. She grins, admiring her hard work. He is going to love it!
A soft knock on the bedroom door shifts Natsu’s thoughts to reality. She hurries to hide all the decorations scattered all over the floor, because she knows: this is definitely her brother’s knock. Before waiting for an answer, he carefully sneaks the door open and pops his head inside the room. Natsu squints at him.
‘‘Don’t try to cheat, Nii-chan!’’ Natsu says. ‘‘You can’t see anything before your birthday!’’
Shouyou hides his eyes with his free hand. ‘‘Sorry!’’ He peeks between two fingers. ‘‘Can I come in? I’m realllyyyy bored, it’s raining outside I can’t practice volleyball.’’ He pouts.
Natsu sighs and puts everything away. She can work on the ornaments later, she still has plenty of time before her brother’s birthday. Shouyou grins at his victory and jumps inside the room. He joins Natsu on the floor, looking through the games tidied up underneath her bed, and selects their favorite puzzle.
‘‘It has been a while since we’ve done this one, don’t you think?’’ he asks.
Natsu nods, more than happy to do a puzzle. It’s a rare opportunity, usually Shouyou can’t sit more than thirty minutes before he needs to devote all his energy on volleyball. He must be coming back from practice since he seems calm, energy spent on volleyball and biking home.
‘‘Remember when we lost against the Great King?’’ Shouyou suddenly declares after being quiet for a little while.
It’s easy to remember the Great King’s title, being Kageyama’s senpai, it only made sense. Natsu considers the piece of the puzzle in her hand before answering. ‘‘What’s the name of the school again?’’
Shouyou frowns. ‘‘Aoba Johsai,’’ he mumbles and then, ‘‘it was the match Kageyama apologized for his last set to me.’’
Ah! There is the name Natsu has been waiting for. During the past three months, when there is volleyball, there is Kageyama. Even though he doesn’t seem to realize it—or he simply doesn’t want to admit it—Shouyou talks about Kageyama like he breathes air. Kageyama, Kageyama, Kageyama.
Natsu remembers the thundering frustration her brother felt when Kageyama told him the last set was a mistake. He was boiling inside. How dare he makes it sound like it setting the ball to me was a mistake. Most of all, Natsu thinks he felt betrayed and hurt by Kageyama’s words, he just conceals his emotions inside his heart. Shouyou rambles a lot about his favorite sport and his favorite person but doesn’t really talk about his feelings. Natsu knows him better than anyone, though. She has the best Shouyou senses.
‘‘We need to get better,’’ her brother announces with fiery eyes. ‘‘We need to get better so we get to the Nationals.’’
Natsu cocks her head to the side, this is unnatural from Shouyou. Usually, he would affirm victory. We will win next time. We will beat them and go to the Nationals. Natsu thinks this loss combined with Kageyama’s words may have troubled him even more than she thought. Natsu doesn’t know Kageyama apart from what her brother is willing to share—which is already a lot, even though he doesn’t notice how much he thinks about Kageyama daily—but Kageyama seems to know exactly what Shouyou needs to hear to get fired up and to push himself to the top. Since the day they met, Kageyama has always been encouraging Shouyou’s growth.
‘‘Nii-chan,’’ whispers Natsu, voice small. ‘‘Will I ever meet Kageyama?’’ Shouyou abruptly looks up from the puzzle spread in front of him, eyes widening at the question. He opens his mouth and closes it again. ‘‘You talk about him all the time. Are you going to invite him here to practice volleyball?’’
Shouyou blinks, mouth wide open once again. ‘‘I don’t talk about Kageyama all the time!’’ Natsu gives him an incredulous look. ‘‘I. Do not.’’ Natsu arches an eyebrow, disbelieving how much her brother denies his obsession over Kageyama. He snorts, then shakes his head. ‘‘Anyways, Kageyama wouldn’t come here.’’ He looks back at the puzzle, trying to fit the piece he is holding in his hand.
Natsu’s eyes never leave Shouyou’s face. ‘‘Did you ask?’’
‘‘Why would I ask him to come here?’’ His eyes are still glued on the puzzle.
Natsu feels the sudden urge to massage her temples. She doesn’t. ‘‘So you can both practice volleyball together!’’ And so I can meet him. It goes unsaid.
Shouyou doesn’t answer, but he pats the puzzle piece on the floor, deep in his thoughts.
Tap tap tap.
Natsu resumes her task at hand, she doesn’t push the conversation any further. She can’t help but wonder if her brother is as important to Kageyama as Kageyama is to him.
July 2012
‘‘Nii-chan!’’ Natsu calls as she hears the squeaking noise of the front door opening. Natsu peeks at the clock on the oven, it’s quite late, even for Shouyou. He must have stayed even longer than usual after practice. He always does. Their mother stopped being worried about him getting home late after a week or so when he joined the volleyball club. As if team practice wasn’t enough—and it’s never enough for her brother—he adores training outside official practice with Kageyama. He finally found someone who loves volleyball as much as he does, for Shouyou it is the most incredible gift. It’s a special feeling and he cherishes it a whole lot. Not that he admitted it, but Natsu knows he waited three years for Kageyama.
Natsu stays in the kitchen, munching on cookies she baked with her mother while Shouyou was gone. The entire house smells warm and delicious. Natsu beams at the plates of cookies, her brother’s nose (or stomach) will most likely bring him here in the kitchen, so Natsu waits for him to peek inside the room.
Except, he doesn’t.
Huh. This is odd. Shouyou would never pass on freshly baked cookies, especially not their mother’s cookies. He would not purposely ignore Natsu either, except if he’s lost in his own world thinking about volleyball—and indirectly Kageyama, since both are firmly related. But he is always there for her if not, well, he would definitely be there for food.
The creaking sound of the stairs echoes in the house; Shouyou is going into his room. Something is clearly wrong. Really wrong. Natsu glances at her mom who is sitting at the kitchen table knitting a sweater, as she feels Natsu’s gaze on her she looks up and shrugs, eyebrows raised.
Internal gears spinning, Natsu tries to recall anything Shouyou told her recently. Tokyo training camp? His smile was as blinding as sunlight when he yelled about it the other day, so it possibly does not involve the training camp except if they aren’t going anymore. Natsu has a hunch; she thinks it’s not the reason why her brother is upset. He would’ve still come in the kitchen pouting about it while eating cookies. What could upset him so much he turns down food? Perhaps it’s… who?
Was it Kageyama? Did something happen with Kageyama?
Natsu snatches a plate of her brother’s favorite cookies—because if she is right, Shouyou will doubtlessly need them—and bolts upstairs, gripping the plate tightly with both hands. As she reaches the front of his bedroom door, she notices it’s silent inside the room but the light is still on; there’s no sound of a volleyball bouncing around. It’s dead quiet, Shouyou isn’t even moving around like the energy ball that he is. Huh. Something really did happen with Kageyama. Something bad. It’s Natsu’s best guess.
Natsu squeezes the plate full of cookies in her hands, waiting in front of the door for a little while. Worry starts to bubble up in her heart. Shouyou is loud: he yells and growls when is upset, because he knows he lacks many skills—which he is trying to improve!—but he doesn’t close himself off very often. Especially with Natsu. They don’t tell each other everything, they each have their own little secret garden, but Shouyou is an open book and Natsu is an expert at reading him. Maybe it’s because they have similar personalities.
Natsu slowly raises a shaky hand and gently knocks on the door a couple of times. No answer.
‘‘Nii-chan?’’ Natsu questions, waiting for any sign of life. ‘‘Nii-chan, I’m bringing cookies.’’
She still meets with complete silence. Natsu’s heart falls. Shouyou is not feeling okay, but he would tell her if he really didn’t want her to come in, right? He would tell her if he wants to be left alone? Natsu settles on turning the door handle delicately, popping her head inside.
‘‘Nii-chan?’’ she repeats, softly this time.
All she spots is a ball of blankets lying on the bed with her brother’s fluffy orange hair peeking from it. There are clothes sprawled on the ground, he must’ve changed into his pajamas before getting under the covers.
Natsu hesitantly takes a step inside the room, Shouyou hasn’t said a word yet so he must be fine with her entering. He would most certainly have complained about it by now. When she doesn’t get any form of life from her brother, Natsu quietly closes the door behind her as she fully enters the room. She leisurely walks up to the bed and pauses. After a minute, Shouyou finally reveals his face from his hidden spot under the pillow. Natsu gasps at the sight: his eyes are wet and shiny. And still red. One of his cheeks is swollen.
Did Shouyou fight with Kageyama…? Or was it an accident?
He smiles, but it’s fragile and sad as though it’s going to break at any moment.
‘‘I brought your favorite cookies,’’ Natsu whispers, voice low and soft, like a faint breeze.
Shouyou doesn’t say a word, instead, he lifts up his hand from the warmth of the blankets. He grabs one cookie and chews on it like a little squirrel.
When he finishes, he lifts the covers before making space in the bed. Understanding immediately, Natsu sets the plate down on the bedside table in front of her and joins her brother under the nest of blankets, hugging him tightly. They stay this way for a moment.
‘‘Are you okay, Nii-chan?’’ He shakes his head, she feels it on the top of her head. ‘‘Did something happen with Kageyama?’’
For a moment, Shouyou freezes, then Natsu hears a sniffle. So it is Kageyama.
‘‘Do you want to talk about it?’’ Natsu keeps her voice low and calm as if she’s going to scare a frightened animal.
Shouyou sighs but keeps quiet, he hasn't said a single word since he came through the front door. Natsu doesn’t push it, it’s okay for him to guard some flowers in his secret garden until he’s ready to reveal them. Having such an age gap between them, they learned quickly about boundaries and the importance of respecting them.
Natsu knows Shouyou and Kageyama bicker all the time, she doesn’t blame Kageyama since her brother is easy to argue with. This seems different, though. Something happened between them, something that is more than harmless bickering and something that is most likely related to volleyball.
‘‘I—’’ Shouyou’s voice is rough and small at once. ‘‘I thought Kageyama and I were partners.’’ It’s the only thing he says.
Natsu frowns, partners do fight sometimes. They have to be alright. They can overcome any argument, right? Because they are Kageyama and Shouyou, and they are a set. Rivals. Partners. A force to be reckoned with. What did her brother claim everyone calls them? The freak duo.
At these last words from Shouyou, Natsu snuggles closer to him, and sleep catches up with both siblings as they doze off.
January 2013
‘‘Kaa-san!’’ Natsu yells from the living room as she settles down on the couch, hands full of snacks, ‘‘Nii-chan is playing on television!’’
Karasuno made it to the Nationals in Tokyo. Natsu couldn’t attend in any of Shouyou’s matches during his first year, but she’s determined to finally watch him fly. More than anything, she wants to witness their super quick for the very first time. She’s vibrating with anticipation. Only the strongest stand on the National stage…
Shouyou has been working so hard during the past months, especially on air-battle techniques as he calls it—that’s when he finds ways, as he flies, to get over the wall of blockers in front of him. He also worked on his receives the most.
Natsu remembers that particular night when Shouyou was practicing his Ultimate Lonely Passing Drill in the backyard. She begged him to join even though he complained it wouldn’t be lonely if she did. They could always rename the passing drills if they had to, Ultimate Hinatas Passing Drill, Natsu had suggested another day when she begged him to practice again. That night wasn’t a real success for Natsu as she fell on her butt—again—and Shouyou had laughed at her—again. When he showed her the Ultimate Lonely Passing Drill, Natsu had looked at him with fiery and attentive eyes. With all the effort in the past months, the ball stopped being a stranger to her brother and they became best friends instead.
Their first match at the Nationals is against Tsubakihara Academy. Natsu doesn’t know the team, but they must be strong if they made their way to the top of their own prefecture. Their jersey is a pastel yellow and a baby blue, they are all wearing a matching yellow headband with their school’s name written on it. Natsu giggles, thinking about Shouyou wearing a headband if his team would have them too.
The match begins with Kageyama’s serve. The whistle blows through the television and Natsu completely stops breathing. Kageyama’s killer serves are definitely the most amazing according to her brother. Well, after the Great King’s serves that is. Kageyama throws the ball in the air, Natsu clenches her hands into fists, squeezing hard, eyes glued on the screen. The ball brushes Kageyama’s fingers and hits out of bounds.
Natsu blows the air out of her lungs; this isn’t a good start. In fact, Shouyou’s team seems to be struggling during the first minutes of the match and they miss a couple of plays. The other team is getting ahead of them.
‘‘You can definitely tell that Karasuno’s playing a bit stiff.’’ The first reporter’s voice rings loudly in the living room. Natsu scowls at the screen.
‘‘Yes. It’s rare to see Kageyama-kun make very apparent mistakes.’’ The other reporter announces. Natsu frowns even deeper; these reporters are being harsh on Kageyama! They’re just getting started! They aren’t done yet!
As the match keeps going, Shouyou and Kageyama keep messing up their quick. During their first miss, her brother is able to save it with his head out of anything. It’s obvious, though... They are not syncing. This could be bad, but hope still blooms in Natsu’s heart. The fight just started, all they need to do is to keep fighting and Shouyou is the best at never giving up.
Despite the repetitive outcome, they keep trying. And trying. And trying. Kageyama can adjust remarkably quickly and he is an accurate setter; the accuracy of his tosses is even scary sometimes. Shouyou told Natsu several times about Kageyama’s talent. Other times, her brother didn’t even have to say the words as his eyes were the exact mirror of his thoughts. Shouyou is loud, except when he is not but, after years of watching him, Natsu notices a lot and his eyes reveal more than he thinks. Her brother trusts Kageyama, it’s the first thing he ever did when they became teammates and it’s the thing he keeps doing best because Kageyama never lets him down.
We can keep trying until we get it.
‘‘...looks like Karasuno’s finally gaining some momentum.’’ Natsu hears the reporter announce at the same time Shouyou returns on the court after Yamaguchi’s serves and extras points.
The match keeps going with the next play by Karasuno, and then, suddenly, the world stops spinning as Natsu witnesses the Shouyou-and-Kageyama synergy. The ball grazes from Kageyama’s to Shouyou’s fingers, right before hitting the court on the other side of the net and scoring a point. The view is breathtaking. Natsu stands up from the couch, snacks falling to the ground. The excitement, the passion… all of it blooms and overflows inside her heart. The flames burn and spread all over her body. She feels full.
‘‘Because I will play volleyball and I will fly even higher! Watch me! ’’ her brother said all those years ago.
Now, Natsu watches and Shouyou pumps his fist in the air with a proud grin. He is in his element. He is… flying without wings. Flying with Kageyama by his side.
‘‘And there it is! Karasuno’s High School lethal weapon! The quick attack of the first-years, Hinata and Kageyama! ’’
Natsu blinks at the sound of the voice resonating from the television, time takes its regular flow once again as she shifts back to reality. This is Shouyou and Kageyama. This is the result of all their hard work, their practice sessions, their bickering… It’s only the surface of their bond, the glimpse everyone can see.
The core of their rivalry is to push one another towards the same goal of reaching the top of the world and being the last one standing on the court. It is undeniably balanced with the core of their partnership: they bring out the best in each other. They lift one another, growing this remarkable potential into a fully-fledged skill of their own.
That’s simply what they do. It’s their synergy. Their dynamic.
Rivals. Teammates. Partners.
It’s all complexly intertwined and Natsu watches everything unfold in front of her, like a mystery she has been trying to solve for a very long time.
The rest of the match goes by in the blink of an eye and her brother’s team wins the match, they qualify for the next round. Her mother is about to change channels when Shouyou’s match concludes, but Natsu interrupts the movement by asking her to keep the channel on. Mom smiles warmingly at her daughter and leaves for the kitchen. Natsu's eyes are glued to the television, watching the girls’ volleyball team making their appearance on the screen. Niiyama Girls’ High, Miyagi representative for the Nationals.
‘‘Niiyama,’’ Natsu whispers quietly as if she is tasting the name on her lips.
June 2013
Shouyou’s second year of high school is when Natsu watches Kageyama gradually becoming part of the family.
It initially starts with regular text messages and her brother carrying his yellow phone around everywhere he goes. They start talking about volleyball and strategies as well as exams and studying. According to Shouyou, they can’t afford to fail a test, so they need to keep up the passing grades. When his phone vibrates, Natsu can identify if the message comes from Kageyama or a non-Kageyama by Shouyou’s expression alone. It is so subtle, but his lips gently curl into a faint smile whenever he sees Kageyama's name pop on his phone screen. Natsu thinks her brother doesn’t even realize it. It’s gross.
When the discussions are too much to keep up through texting alone, they call each other and Shouyou animatedly talks about volleyball in his room, usually while lying on his bed and tossing the volleyball around above his head. Sometimes he gets so immersed in their conversation, he yells—Bakageyama! That’s not what I meant!—and laughs loudly, unaware of all the noise he makes at late hours.
On these occasions, Natsu doesn’t hesitate to stomp in his room, fiercely opening the door, ‘‘Nii-chan! Stop being so loud!’’
He always apologizes to her and, ‘‘yeah, that was Natsu. Yeah, again. No, you shut up Yamayama!’’
Since the time Natsu asked about Kageyama visiting last year, she never brings it up again. She doesn’t have to, because right after they lose to Date Tech High in the final rounds of the Miyagi Prefecture Interhigh Qualifier, Shouyou’s 17th birthday is right around the corner, so he asks Kageyama himself if he wants to come here to practice volleyball.
Natsu immediately gets very fond of Kageyama. She immediately understands that he is a bit the opposite of the siblings; while they are loud and excited over everything, he is quiet and reserved, guarding his feelings inside. He is calm but he is perceptive, especially when it concerns Shouyou. Natsu thinks Kageyama is a secret gatekeeper, ensuring all his secrets and his most cherished memories are well protected inside his heart. Natsu wishes he would trust them enough to open himself. She wishes for the world to see Kageyama Tobio.
It doesn’t become a routine, Kageyama only visits occasionally, maybe twice or thrice a month. Outside of school and practice, Shouyou and Kageyama don’t see each other very often, but they are almost always in the volleyball gym. In the end, they do spend a lot—if not all—of their time together.
Today, on a bright-and-sunshine afternoon, all three of them are at the park close to the Hinata household. Since the moment when Natsu announced that she also wants to play volleyball, Shouyou and Kageyama let her join their practice session. Or their bickering session, whatever one prefers to call it. (Natsu calls it volleyball-and-bicker-about-volleyball-session.)
She leans against a tree trunk, firmly hugging her brother’s old volleyball to her chest. Shouyou and Kageyama are still going on with their new refined quick. Natsu can’t even count the number of times on her fingers and her toes combined. They are both monsters.
‘‘One more!’’ Shouyou yells, panting.
Kageyama doesn’t protest and sets the ball for him once again.
Natsu admires the ball as it spins with the ultimate precision and stops right in front of her brother. Marvelous. Natsu understands why Shouyou always proclaims Kageyama as amazing because he really is. He is more than amazing.
As the ball rolls to the ground and Shouyou runs to it, Natsu stands up from her corner and walks up to Kageyama. She pulls on his sleeve to get his attention.
‘‘Kageyama-nii?’’ Natsu asks quietly.
Kageyama only grunts as he peeks down at her. That’s another thing Natsu loves about Kageyama, he doesn’t use a lot of words, except when he yells at Shouyou. It makes Natsu giggle.
‘‘I was wondering if you could teach me how to serve?’’
Their eyes meet for a long moment. Kageyama pouts before answering, ‘‘I can.’’
Natsu squeals and gets in position to serve, attentive to Kageyama’s advice. Together, they go through the basics of serving in volleyball. It’s the first time Natsu sees Kageyama talk this much when he isn’t arguing with Shouyou. Natsu can see her brother watching them from the corner of her eye, holding the volleyball against his hip.
They go on for a while, Natsu listening to Kageyama’s comments after every attempt at serving. Kageyama fetches the ball every time Natsu serves. She gets a little desperate and unsatisfied when the ball doesn’t land exactly where she wants.
Suddenly, Kageyama crouches and holds the volleyball out in front of her. Natsu glances down and grabs it with both hands. She smiles up at him and he rewards her with a rare smile.
‘‘Keep at it Natsu-chan,’’ he declares, voice deep but as soft as a whisper. Probably not loud enough for Shouyou to hear. ‘‘Keep working hard so you get better.’’ There is a small pause and Kageyama exhales shakily. ‘‘If you get really good, someone even better will come and find you.’’
Natsu watches Kageyama with her round amber eyes. For a brief moment, she swears she sees Kageyama’s ocean eyes glancing at her brother as he says these words.
( art commission by Ley )
March 2015
Shouyou stumbles around in the kitchen, mumbling to himself as he tries to cook a meal. Probably egg over rice, a Hinatas’ favorite. Natsu leans against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching him move around.
After observing him drop an egg on the floor, she gives in. ‘‘Is everything alright?’’
Her brother startles and drops his chopsticks. ‘‘Natsu, what the heck?’’ He squints at her as he retrieves the chopsticks on the floor. ‘‘You scared me.’’
‘‘I’ve been here for a while, I just think you were too lost in your thoughts to notice.’’ She takes a step inside the room. ‘‘Come on, what’s on your mind?’’
He sighs and rubs his eyes with his hand. He looks tired. ‘‘Kageyama is joining the V-league next month and he didn’t even tell me until now! Can you believe this?’’
Actually, yes, she can. Both of them are the worst at communication. Volleyball is Shouyou and Tobio’s language. Words? They didn’t come as easily for them. Unfortunately.
‘‘Well, did you tell him about you leaving for Brazil for two years?’’
Her brother kicks the floor with his foot and frowns. ‘‘I didn’t,’’ he mumbles. ‘‘Not until he told me about joining V-league.’’
Natsu hides her face in her hands as she sits on the kitchen counter. They are hopeless. She can’t be hearing him correctly. Why are they like this?
‘‘B-but this isn’t the point!’’ Shouyou bursts out. ‘‘He should’ve told me when he got contacted!’’
Natsu sighs. And when were you supposed to tell him about leaving, Nii-chan? You knew about this since second year, and yet. If you are this upset about Tobio-nii not telling you, imagine how hurt he was about you not telling him about Brazil.
They are graduating soon, and Natsu knows how challenging this last year of high school was for them. It’s their last everything, but especially their last volleyball season and their last Nationals. It is filled with too many unspoken feelings.
For their last volleyball season in high school, Tobio wore the vice captain’s number with pride, just as their senpai Suga-san once wore during their first year. As for Shouyou, he wore the number 5 with glory, like Tanaka-san, both a force to be reckoned with, both reliable during hardships. With the numbers 2 and 5 spread on their back, they made it third place in the entire nation at their last Nationals. And even though everything was far from being their last goodbyes, it still felt like it was since they were all walking different paths. Natsu could sense it; Shouyou experienced various drops of heartbreak in his ocean of ambitions.
From the kitchen counter she’s sitting on, Natsu gazes at her brother who resumed cooking his egg over rice. She doesn’t want to push him since he is clearly upset over this situation with Tobio, and an upset brother rarely listens to reason. It’s better to let him calm down and clear his mind. So instead she says, ‘‘Let’s see how much you remember from your Portuguese lessons.’’
Shouyou turns to face her with a determined stare. ‘‘Bring it on!’’
‘‘What’s the first word you learned?’’ Quite predictable, really.
He grins. ‘‘Vôlei, of course.’’
Natsu giggles ‘‘Your pronunciation is still awful.’’
Shouyou starts rambling about different Portuguese words he learned during the past few months. Most of them being volleyball related—indeed, he is that predictable. Natsu observes him as he speaks; although he tries to hide it, there’s something reflecting in his eyes. Natsu can’t quite pinpoint the feeling, but she has a hunch after her brother’s last outburst. She affectionately stares at him.
Oh Nii-chan, are you in love with Tobio-nii?
March - November 2018
''I think—'' There’s a pause. ''I think I-I'm in love with Kageyama.''
It’s the first thing Shouyou announces as he lands in Japan for the first time in two years. Natsu’s eyes widen in surprise. For some reason, this is the last thing she expected her brother to reveal upon his arrival. It shouldn’t be, because Natsu has known about his feelings for his best friend since… well, probably since the first time she met Tobio. Although Shouyou has never been forward with his feelings, they were written all over his features every time he talked about Tobio. He just kept them sealed inside—until now.
Natsu looks fondly at her brother, then the softest smile curls on her lips. He seems both terrified and determined. There are no words that need to be said, Shouyou has always been one to act instead of speaking, so Natsu does just that. She closes the gap between their bodies and wraps her arms tightly around his neck for the first time in two years.
‘‘You idiot,’’ she sniffles, snuggling her face against his neck. He gasps, acting offended by the light-hearted insult. ‘‘It’s about time.’’ The words are delicate, like a leaf blown by the wind.
Shouyou chuckles and hugs Natsu back. ‘‘It is, isn’t it?’’
They stay this way for a very long time, then—
‘‘What changed?’’ Natsu asks as she takes a step back from their reunion hug. She watches her brother’s features attentively. He rubs his face with his hand.
‘‘I—’’ he exhales. ‘‘I just—really missed him?’’ Their eyes meet, Shouyou’s are full of adoration and love. ‘‘Wow. Yeah. I never said that out loud, but I missed Tobio—I still miss him.’’
Oh, Tobio, huh. Natsu grins and squeezes his cheeks between her fingers. Disgusted, he grabs her wrist and pulls her hand away. Natsu laughs. ‘‘I bet he misses you too, Nii-chan.’’ She knows he does. He most certainly does.
During Shouyou’s time in Brazil, Natsu followed Tobio’s progress very closely. Especially his debut in the Olympics (at 19 years old, too!!). He was busy with his new explosive career at such a young age; keeping in touch with his friends was hard, especially since it’s Tobio. He never was the most texting person, it always made Shouyou a little frustrated.
The first year of Shouyou leaving for Brazil was the hardest for them. It was hard for her brother because he was away from home—and far from Tobio after three years of being each other’s person. He had to adjust to a new lifestyle, a new culture, and a new language, all by himself. Even though Shouyou tried his best to bury it, Natsu knows this fight was probably one of the hardest he had to overcome.
It was hard for Tobio because he had to balance his new professional career and his personal life. He didn’t reach out much during the first year after their graduation. Except once when he texted Natsu four words forming a simple but complex question: How is he doing? How was Nii-chan doing? Natsu didn’t know where to begin, because there was so much to say, thus she simply replied: Why don’t you ask him?
The second year was a bit easier, since they finally started to video call at least every few times a month, as Shouyou told her. Sometimes, Natsu was on a call with him, and he would immediately freeze if Tobio called. ‘‘Tobio is calling! Talk to you later Natsu! ’’ She always laughed and told him it was completely fine to hang up. Most of the time he didn’t even hear that part and the call had already ended. Natsu suspected Tobio and Shouyou would catch up on volleyball stuff and their improvement. Her brother said they also maintained their tally up to date. They kept count of their points and preserved their competition despite the distance.
Distance would never ruin their ongoing rivalry since their first year of high school.
For Natsu, it is all obvious: as if distance would affect their connection. It’s different, but not completely. Some things would never change, especially not between them. Oceans aren’t enough to shatter their bond even a tiny bit.
‘‘I hope you are right.’’ Shouyou’s voice is so low, Natsu almost doesn’t hear him, but she still startles at his insecure tone as it shifts her back to the present. They are still at the airport surrounded by tons of travelers and businessmen walking right past them.
Natsu takes her brother’s suitcase and walks towards the exit. ‘‘Come on, Nii-chan. Let’s go home.’’
Shouyou beams as he jogs to join her side. ‘‘Home sweet home!’’ He drops his arm around Natsu’s shoulders. ‘‘I can’t wait to tell Yamayama I have a trial with the MSBY Black Jackals.’’
He does just that as soon as they get home. And, true to his promise all these years ago, he joins the team the same month. He makes it into the V-league, climbing one step closer to achieve his goal. Their goal.
He also learns about his debut match against Tobio on the 17th of November.
For the next following months, it's second year all over again between Shouyou and Tobio. Regular text messages. Regular phone calls. All of it makes Natsu roll her eyes at them. They obviously miss each other, but they are too dumb to see it. Or too dumb to admit their feelings yet. They are stupid and Natsu loves them.
Both the Hinatas train as much as they can during these months, one for the V-league and one for the Niiyama’s Girls’ High Volleyball Club. Two rays of sunlight, shining brightly while conquering their dreams. Shouyou is impressed by Natsu’s growth in the past two years, but Natsu is just as impressed by her brother’s newly acquired wisdom from his time in Brazil. He teaches her about the benefits of a well-balanced sleep schedule and meditation. He even lets Natsu borrow his textbooks.
Before they notice, November comes quickly and soon is the MSBY Black Jackals vs. Schweiden Adlers match. Shouyou’s debut in the V-league. Natsu can’t attend the game because of school, but she is determined to watch them play on television, cheering on both of them from far away. She knows her energy will carry to them even though she isn’t physically there.
The night before the match, Natsu calls her brother on video chat. They are over one hour in and Shouyou is about to hang up soon so he gets as much sleep as he needs for the Big Day.
‘‘This is it, then,’’ Natsu says.
This is it. Her brother’s first V-league match but, most importantly, the first time he’s going to see Tobio in over two years.
Shouyou exhales shakily. ‘‘Yeah.’’
Natsu makes a thumbs-up through the screen. ‘‘Go get it, Nii-chan.’’
He smirks because he knows she doesn’t mean victory. She means so much more.
August 2019
Natsu exhales and observes the court, attentive to the position of the opposite team. She feels a drop of sweat dripping down on her temple as she gets ready to serve, bouncing the ball on the court and throwing it up in the air at the sound of the whistle. It feels like she can see the ball spinning in slow motion while she jumps. Then, the ball slams on the other side of the court with all the precision and strength Tobio taught her.
Natsu squeezes her right fist proudly before taking another deep breath, getting ready for another serve, when—
‘‘Natsu!!!’’ Shouyou’s scream resonates through the gym. He sounds on the verge of tears. ‘‘That’s my lil’ sis’ who just scored a point! She’s the best!’’
Natsu eyes the scoring board, which displays 29-30. They’re winning this match.
She looks up in the stands and her eyes meet with an incredibly proud and teary-eyed Shouyou, both arms in the air while cheering loudly, and a smirking Tobio sending a thumbs-up her way with a rare wink. Natsu brightly grins up at them and sends a thumbs-up right back.
It doesn’t happen very often because of their professional athlete schedules, but when they can attend one of Natsu’s matches, Shouyou and Tobio are always the first ones in the stands. At the front, too. And the loudest, since her brother has quite a carrying voice.
Heart full and content, she turns back to the court, focusing on the game once again. She closes her eyes and breathes, slow and steady, just like her brother taught her when they used to meditate together. This is it. This is a match point. She can do it, she can bring her team to victory.
Natsu opens her eyes at the sound of the whistle and pinpoints precisely where she wants to serve. There. The perfect spot. She throws the ball in the air for the second time and jumps—
The ball bounces on the opposite side of the court once again. For a brief moment, it’s completely silent and all Natsu can hear is the sound of her heart beating wildly in her chest. Then, the referee finally blows the whistle, announcing their victory.
29-31.
A rush of pride swirls inside her heart as she pumps her fist in the air. Natsu’s teammates charge right at her in a team hug.
‘‘Natsu!’’ She hears the captain yell as she pats her arm. ‘‘What are you??? What even are you?’’
Someone who flies without wings.
As the team settles down after their victory, Natsu exits the locker room. She is met with a crushing hug from Shouyou and Tobio. After all these years, these dumbasses finally admitted their feelings to each other at the MSBY vs. Adlers match, and from Natsu’s perspective, it was about time.
‘‘You were so great out there,’’ Shouyou sniffles. ‘‘Your digs, they were perfect… I’m so proud of you.’’
Tobio releases her from his tight grip. ‘‘Yeah, she’s definitely better than you were in second year.’’
Shouyou quickly steps back from their embrace and faces his boyfriend. ‘‘Oi! Bakageyama! Do you really have to say stuff like this in front of Natsu? Gimme some credibility! I taught her everything she knows about receives!’’
Tobio’s fingers gently brush Shouyou’s hand. It’s such a soft gesture, most people would probably miss it. ‘‘Everything, huh?’’
Her brother frowns as he laces his fingers with his boyfriend’s. ‘‘Well, maybe not everything but that’s besides the point!’’
‘‘Is it?’’ Tobio retorts with a proud smirk. ‘‘Well, I showed her how to jump serve and it was the victory point!’’
Shouyou growls. He never liked to lose against Tobio. Their rivalry still going as strong as ever despite their relationship.
Natsu beams at them. Some things will never change and Natsu wouldn’t want it any other way. ‘‘Stop bickering, you idiots. I’m grateful for both of you.’’ Both of them influenced the way she plays volleyball and the way she fell in love with the sport immensely.
They gaze adoringly at each other after Natsu’s words and Tobio delicately kisses the top of Shouyou’s forehead, just by the hairline.
Gross, Natsu thinks as she pushes them towards the exit.
July 2021
‘‘2021 Tokyo Olympics’’ Natsu reads on the banner as she enters the Olympic stadium to attend the Men’s Volleyball match day 12: Japan vs. Argentina. She admires the view around her, amber eyes bubbling with anticipation. There are so many people. People from around the world. She takes a deep breath, then grins excitedly. The stadium is huge and it definitely smells like icy hot spray. Bet Shouyou is thinking the exact same thing. Or he’s probably thinking something closer to ‘‘Whoaaa!!’’ while looking at the spacious stadium and the people attending the match.
Natsu pats the front pocket of her jacket and reaches inside to take her ticket out, double-checking the assigned seat. She admires it for a second, proudly gazing at the Olympics logo at the corner. She softly brushes her thumb on top of it before tucking it back in her pocket. This is it. The Olympics.
The top of the world.
Being an Olympic athlete’s little sister has its advantages, Natsu thinks as she takes her seat, ready to watch her brother’s—and Tobio’s—dream unfold in front of her eyes. This is the day a promise is fulfilled and a new one is born. This isn’t the end, it’s a new beginning.
Natsu lays back in her seat, watching the players making their entrance on the court. Shouyou’s face is radiating with joy and excitement with Tobio by his side, always by his side as he’s supposed to be. A smirk curls on Natsu’s lips, the fond feeling she has for them warms her entire heart.
Suddenly, Shouyou hops towards the Argentinian team making their entrance on the opposite side of the court. Then, he hugs one of the Argentinian players. Natsu cocks her head on the side, confused. Why would her brother hug a player from the other team? When they release their embrace, Natsu reads the name on his jersey. Oikawa. Natsu's eyes widen. She remembers Shouyou telling her about his meeting with Oikawa-san in Brazil, they even had lunch together. Natsu thought it was sweet, and perhaps exactly the kind of encounter he needed at that moment. It was a reminder of home.
After his exchange with the Great King, Shouyou returns to his team by Tobio’s side, poking at his boyfriend’s frowning eyebrows. Tobio immediately bats Shouyou’s hand away from his face, a retort forming on his lips—probably something close to ‘‘Get your hands off my face, boke!’’—and her brother bursts out laughing. At the sound of Shouyou’s laugh, Tobio’s face seems to soften as a pout forms on his lips.
‘‘Hinata Shouyou, the greatest decoy! After two years of beach volleyball in Brazil, he returned to Japan and joined the V. League.’’ A voice resonates from the speaker of her phone, the commentary of the Olympics playing while she holds it in one hand. ‘‘In this, his first Olympic appearance, he gets to play alongside his old teammate Kageyama. In High School, they were feared as potent masters of aerial combat.’’
Natsu can’t contain her explosive happiness and squeaks at full volume. She hears a laugh at her side.
‘‘I’m not too late?’’ asks a feminine voice, smooth like honey.
Natsu blinks and looks up, following the sound of the voice.
‘‘Miwa-nee! Not at all, they’re about to get started!’’ Natsu grins as Miwa-nee sits by her side. They wouldn’t miss this match for anything in the whole world.
The game starts with a serve from the Great King. Natsu clenches her fist. Oikawa-san did maintain his reputation over the years and his serve is strong, but Japan gets it up. Tobio positions himself right under the ball, ready to set. Natsu feels the warmth from the flames climbing up her body, it’s coming, she knows. Her brother jumps, and it's the perfect combination. In a flash, the ball hits the other side of the net, marking the first point of the match.
‘‘Wow that was fast! Karasuno High School’s legendary tandem once again flies across the court! ’’
Shouyou and Tobio gaze at each other proudly and bump their fists together. Both the greatest rivals and the greatest partners. Number 9 and number 10 in red uniforms at the world stage.
Natsu feels tears in the corner of her eyes. Their quick is still her favorite view to witness.
They’ve come so far, not without overcoming every challenge they had to face. It never has been easy, but the path to the top of the world, the path to their love for each other and for volleyball; all of it was worth everything they’ve been through.
Their world belongs to each other, and from this moment on, it is definite: their bond will never end and they will keep playing volleyball again and again and again.