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Atsumu’s POV

On January 6th, 2013, our National Spring Tournament started and ended. Even though I lost, or perhaps because I lost, I found myself wanting to know how far Karasuno and their freak duo will go. The more I observed their matches, the more my eyes were glued to Shoyo-kun. 

Just how much energy and stamina does this guy have?

And then, during the match against Kamomedai, I saw Shoyo-kun collapse. He seemed desperate to continue, but was brought to the bench by his teammates. 

“Us foxes…The kitty-cats…And then those seagulls. It took aaalls three of us to finally bring that monster down.” I said to no one in particular.

Karasuno lost, 2 sets to 1. Disappointment washed over me. They should have won the whole thing, seeing as they beat us! Results are every-

“If you’re gonna say that results are everything…Then I guess that means all the third years here who lose are, well… Nothin’. Right?” asked Kita-san. “And me, I’m not playin’ volleyball no more after high school. So… Am I gonna evaporate, then? Vanish into thin air? Like “Poof”!” he said, staring into my soul.

“Um! I-I didn’t, uh… Didn’t mean it…. that way…really…” I answered, as Samu just looked away.

“If you’re just here to compete, then I guess there’s nothin’ wrong with saying results are everything. And maybe playin’ a good game is ultimately meaningless if you don’t win. But y’know? Sweepin’ the floors, catchin’ a stray ball, doin’ a billion squats, then eatin’ a good, solid, fillin’ meal afterwards. That’s how we grow and build our bodies. Even if I didn’t get the win, I did build a whole lotta muscle. The world can throw anything it wants at me now—I ain’t afraid.” He finished, walking away.

“The world can throw anything it wants at me—I’ll still be afraid of Kita-san.” said Samu.

I nodded, in complete agreement with him for once.

As we left the gymnasium, I realized that I never exchanged numbers with Shoyo-kun. I sent a text message to Tobio-kun asking about Shoyo-kun’s condition, but I refused to ask for his contact info from him cause wouldn’t that just be a loser move. Besides I could just get it after I crushed him in this year’s Interhigh.

The reply I got later from Tobio-kun explaining that Shoyo-kun was fine and just had a fever relieved me, even though I wasn’t sure why I was so concerned in the first place.

In the days after, whenever I was practicing my sets, I thought of Shoyo-kun. How high could I set the ball? How fast could I toss it over the whole court? How many options would this kind of set give him?

Then, during practice time.

“Oi, Tsumu, that set was way too high!”

“Oh, as if ya can’t hit that, Samu!”

I set the ball to him again. Samu missed it, the ball flying over his swing. He turned to glare at me, looking pissed. I immediately glared back.

“What was that toss, ya idjit?!”

“What are ya talkin’ ‘bout, yer the one not jumping high enough!”

“Huh?!”

He grabbed me by the collar of my shirt.

“Something’s been off with yer setting these past days. Get yer head in the game, now .” He hissed, inches from my face. 

“And yer telling me this now?” 

“We’ve been tryin’ to tell ya since it started. Ya just haven’t been listenin’.” Kita-san calmly cut in.

“Once practice ends, ya practice sets that most of the team probably can’t hit. Like you’re setting for someone else. But it hasn’t affected your setting too much when in practice until now, so we just mentioned it in passing.” added Aran.

I racked my memory. Nothing.

“I don’t remember any passing remarks, though?” I wondered aloud, my head tilting.

“Guess we shouldn’t be surprised it didn’t get through your thick skull.” scoffed Samu.

“Hey-”

“Who has been on your mind, Atsumu?” asked Kita-san, interrupting my snarky reply.

I hesitated. I looked up; everyone seemed to be waiting for my answer. The answer was obviously Shoyo-kun, but did I want to announce that to my entire team? Not that I was embarrassed, I just couldn’t get him out of my mind, even after all this time, and even I couldn’t understand why.

“No one.” 

They all shot me a disbelieving look but didn’t push any further, seemingly because Kita-san simply sighed and dropped the subject.

July 28th, 2013 finally came and so did Interhigh. I was so pumped to get that rematch, but…

“Miyagi representative: Date Tech High!”

Date Tech. Not Karasuno . I was so surprised at first, like who is this new team? Never heard about them until now. How did Karasuno lose? But then I stopped and thought about it. Their 3rd years graduated and aren’t on the team anymore. They’re an entirely new team, as Karasuno didn’t have many members to begin with, so it’s understandable that they lost. But still, they should have won, if only to meet my expectations.

Even after Interhigh, I was moody about it. And I still haven’t gotten Shoyo-kun’s contact info!

“What are ya sulking for?” asked Samu.

“I ain’t sulking! I’m mad.”

“Seems like sulking to me.”

“I just wish we could have played Karasuno. See how much that stamina monster improved.” I huffed.

“Stamina monster…? Oh. You’re talking about that shrimp, right? Er…his name was…”

“Shoyo. Hinata Shoyo.”

“Right.” He paused. “Why don’t ya just get his contact info and ask?”

“And how would I get that?”

“Ya have the setter from Karasuno in yer phone contacts, right? Just ask him.”

I frowned. Asking Tobio ?

“Hell no. I refuse to ask someone else, I want to get it from him directly! That’s why I wanted him to make it to Interhigh! And he isn’t here, so I have a right to be mad!”

“Then why don’t you go to Miyagi to see him?” popped in Suna. “It’s not like we have practice this weekend, seeing as the gym is undergoing maintenance.”

“Don’t say that, he’ll actually do-“

“Good idea!” I shouted, not registering what Samu said at all. “Samu, wake me up in the morning!”

“No.”

I texted Tobio-kun to know at what time their practice was.

“What time is your practice on this weekend?”

“? Why?”

“Because I’m comin’”

“???”

“So give me tomorrow’s practice time.”

“Okay? It’s from 9 to 6.”

As for the address of the school, I looked it up online.

That night, I was so excited about taking a trip out of the prefecture that I couldn’t sleep. Definitely not because I was nervous to see a certain ginger. Nope.

I left the house at 6am to get to the express train to Shin-Osaka and boarded the JR Tokaido Shinkansen, then once I got to Tokyo, I transferred to the JR Tohoku Shinkansen, which brought me all the way to Miyagi. During the 5 hours it took to get there, I half-slept, half watched the Date Tech vs Karasuno qualifiers final match tape to see how they lost. Whether I concentrated more on Shoyo or not, I can’t say.

I finally arrived at Karasuno around noon. After asking for directions from some girls who were at the entrance gate, I made it to the gym. Familiar sounds of sneakers hitting hardwood and volleyballs being spiked or tossed emanated from the open doors.

“Hello!” I shouted from the entrance.

This startled a blonde haired girl there, who I assumed was the new manager, as well as the coach. Both were right by the door.

“Miya Atsumu?!” exclaimed the coach.

“Yes, sir! I’m here to talk to Shoyo-kun!”

“You came all the way from Hyogo to talk to Hinata?”

“Yes. You guys didn’t make it to Interhigh, so I had to come here.”

He winced a bit at the mention of their loss, then sighed. Scratching the back of his head, he turned towards the inside of the gym and called over Shoyo-kun.

“Hinata, you got a guest!”

I watched him jog over, looking confused. 

“Hey there, Shoyo-kun. How have ya been?”

“Um, good?” he said, staring at me like a lost puppy, which was absolutely adorable. “I’m sorry, Miya-san, but… which one are you?”

Shock hit me hard.

“Ya don’t remember who I am?!”

“I know you’re one of the Miya twins from Inarizaki!”

“Ya can’t confuse me for Osamu, I’m the handsome one! I’m Atsumu!”

“Oh, you’re the one who went to the Youth training camp with Kageyama!” he said, realization dawning over his features. That morphed into curiosity. “So, why are you here?”

I paused. Why am I here? First of all, I was mad… and that feeling pushed me until here. And…

“Do ya remember our promise?” I blurted out.

“Er…What promise?”

There were two promises, but I felt it wasn’t yet time to fulfill the first one, so I didn’t mention it.

“I promised I would crush ya in our match at Interhigh. But you weren’t there, so-“ I stopped, the sudden intense look on Shoyo’s face surprising me.

“But I swear we’ll be there for Nationals.”

That. That was why I wanted to see him in person. That look of pure intensity when talking about volleyball.

“Ya better be there this time. Anyway, give me your contact info.”

“What?” he said, his body straightening in surprise, eyes opening wide.

“Don’t be so wary, I just wanna be friends. Since we’re both volleyball fanatics.”

I could swear I saw sparkles appearing in his eyes. I felt my heart almost skip a beat from the pure radiance of the smile displayed in front of me. I didn’t stop to wonder why though.

“Volleyball friends! Sure!”

Then his happy face fell.

“My phone is in the locker room, and I’m still supposed to be in practice…So, um…” he mumbled, hands moving around erratically.

I stifled a chuckle before answering.

“I’ll wait but making me wait outside would be cruel of ya. Let me join practice.” 

“Oooooh! Practicing with you sounds great! Let me ask Coach!”

He left me waiting outside while he asked his coach. After a few minutes, I heard Shoyo shout happily. His head popped out of the doorway.

“Come on in, Miya-san!”

“Call me Atsumu, Shoyo-kun. So ya don’t forget which twin I am again.” 

“Alright, Atsumu-san!”

And so, I joined their practice and, more importantly, I finally got Shoyo-kun’s contact info. During practice, I noticed that he was still struggling with some of the basics like receiving, but his reflexes, stamina, and high jumps were still mind-boggling. Also, I could see that he had improved since our last match, making me even more excited for Nationals.

It was only after practice that I realized I didn’t book a hotel room for the night, since I assumed I would just get what I wanted and then would have taken the night bus back home. The problem was 1) I stunk of sweat and needed a shower, and 2) I forgot to book a ticket for the damn night bus. 

“Hey Shoyo-kun.”

“Yes?”

“Any net cafes around here? I need a place to stay the night.”

He stared, then shook his head, frowning. 

“That’s not a good place to stay for an athlete, especially at your height!”

“Eh? What?”

“The rooms are too small for you to sleep properly, there’s often noise, and it’s just not a good place in general to stay at for anyone who wishes to keep a healthy body!”

“Oh...I see yer point, but I still need a place to stay for the night.”

“Then come over to my house!”

“Are ya sure? Like, wouldn’t that bother yer family?”

“No problem, let me go call my mom. There’s still time for her to make more food for an extra person at the table!” he turned away, towards the locker room, then immediately turned back to me, exclaiming. “Oh! But you’ll need to hike over the mountains. Or use my bike, and I’ll just run besides you.”

“That’s fin- wait, what? Mountain? By bike? Mountains?”

“Yep, that’s my routine! A 30 minutes bike ride over the mountains.”

So that’s where he gets his stamina.

“Well, if ya can do it, so can I!”

“Are you okay?” asked Shoyo-kun.

“I’m- huff- fine.” I gasped out. 

I was pedaling uphill with Shoyo-kun on the back of his bike. I felt bad making him run when he was inviting me over, so I practically shoved him there.

“Want to switch places?” he asked, clearly concerned.

“No.” I huffed out. “I can do this.” 

My pride wouldn’t let me be beat by this hill, especially in front of this little ball of sunshine. To prove my point, I started to pedal even faster, clearing the last of the hill. However, perhaps because of the lack of oxygen flowing to my brain, I forgot that where there is an up hill, there’s a down hill. 

We barrelled down at an insane speed, fear gripping my heart. But then Shoyo-kun’s laughter rang in my ears as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders so he wouldn’t go flying off. His laugh was so contagious, my fear evaporated in an instant and gave way to joy as I laughed as well.

The rest of the way to his house was uneventful, the mountain landscape a bit repetitive, yet despite that Shoyo-kun kept his arms around my shoulders, and I felt at peace. 

“Stop here!” 

He jumped off the bike as I stopped in front of the traditional japanese home. It was surrounded by trees, the leaves rustling in the wind. The breeze was nice and cool on my skin.

“Welcome to my house!” he flashed me a grin as he took his bike from me. “Wait for me here, I’m just going to put my bike in the back.” 

I barely had time to look around when Shoyo-kun came running back, flinging the front door open.

“ Tadaima! ”

“ Okaeri , nii-chan!” answered a little girl with the exact same hair color as, I assumed, her older brother. She ran towards us, sliding to a stop in front of Shoyo-kun.

“Natsu, meet Atsumu-san!”

She looked up at me.

“Hello, Natsu-chan.” I said, all smiles.

She backed up a little, eyes wide. That look reminded me of how Shoyo-kun looked the first time I met him.  

“She really looks like you, Shoyo-kun.” I said as I turned towards him, a slight chuckle escaping. Hearing hurried footsteps, I looked back in Natsu-chan’s direction to find her running away.

A sound of surprise left my mouth. 

“Why is she running away?” I asked, mostly to myself.

“I think you scared her.” answered Shoyo-kun.

“Huh? How?”

“Because you’re tall.”

“I can’t control that!”

“You could have knelt down, you know?”

“Oh.” I answered, like the smart person that I am.

Shoyo-kun walked in, removing his shoes as he went. I followed, taking off my shoes as well.

“ Ozyamasimasu.”

In the air wafted a delicious smell. We walked to the kitchen just in time to hear Natsu say to her mother: 

“He’s a giant!”  

Their mother looked over in our direction as we walked into the kitchen.

“Welcome, Miya-kun. Dinner’s almost ready, so go ahead and take a shower.”

“Oh, thank you!”

“Follow me; I’ll show you the way to the bathroom.” said Shoyo-kun.

As we walked, I remembered I didn’t pack any extra clothes because I wasn’t expecting to stay over , so I had nothing but the sweaty clothes off my back to wear after my shower. 

“Shoyo-kun.”

“Yes?”

“I didn’t pack any extra clothes. You wouldn’t happen to have something that fits me lying around?”

He tilted his head in thought. 

“Oh! I think I have a yukata that might fit you! I got it from my aunt. And put your clothes in the laundry basket, I’ll wash them with mine.” 

After my shower, we sat down at the table in the kitchen. The food was delicious, although I noticed Natsu was staring at me as I ate and talked to Shoyo-kun and their mother.

I put on the friendliest face I could, so I wouldn’t scare her again.

“What is it, Natsu-chan?”

“Where are you from? You talk weird.”

Wasn’t she scared of me? She got over her fear fast!

“Oh, I’m from Hyogo.”

“...Where’s Hyogo?”

“It’s near Osaka.”

“Oh, Osaka! That means comedians! Say something funny!”

“I need a partner for it to be really funny.” Like Aran, the perfect tsukkomi.

“Oh…” She sounded really disappointed. But then she recovered in an instant. 

“Can you cook?” 

“Kinda.” Samu is better than me at cooking, but I ain’t admitting that.

“Are your grades better than nii-chan’s?”

“I don’t know how good yer brother’s grades are, so I can’t compare.”

I looked over at Shoyo-kun, but he just looked away sheepishly.

“I assume I’m better.” I said, chuckling lightly.

“Hey! You don’t know!” Shoyo-kun immediately replied.

“The way ya looked away said everythin’ I needed to know ‘bout yer grades, y’know.”

He grumbled, going back to shove some rice into his mouth.

After dinner, I asked Shoyo-kun what he did before going to bed. Grinning, he led me to the backyard.

“Let me show you my super secret ultra-lonely pass drill!”

“Super secret ultra-lonely pass drill…?”

“Yep!”

“That sounds so cool!”

Shoyo-kun started to show me his pass drill.

“First, pass the ball straight up after one bounce. Then pass the ball straight up as you gradually go from standing to lying down. After that, while still passing the ball straight up, slowly stand back up. And then repeat.” 

He then pointed to another volleyball in the yard.

“Try it out, Atsumu-san!” 

“I got this.” I smirked.

And I did. The exercise was harder than it seemed, but I’m a genius setter! The feel of the ball on my fingertips and the way the ball left them was perfect.

“Woah! You’re awesome!” he said, eyes sparkling like earlier today. 

I nodded, still doing the drill. 

“Of course I am!” 

We continued to do the drill, silence settling in as we concentrated on our ball. Time passed by faster than I expected, as a voice startled me out of the rhythm I had going.

“You two, I think it’s time to go to bed. I already set up the futon for you in Shoyo’s room, Miya-kun.” said his mother.

“Oh, thank you, ma’am.” I replied, catching the volleyball before it landed on my face.

She smiled and said while walking away, “Good night.”

“Good night, mom!” 

Shoyo-kun caught his ball, setting it on the porch overlooking the yard. I set mine beside his, then followed him to his room.

His room was an average sized one with a desk on the upper left side, his bed on the right, and my futon in the middle. He had a closet taking up half his left wall, volleyball posters above his desk, and his gakuran hanging above his bed.  

Once we were settled into our respective beds, we engaged in light conversation.

“So, what’s your plan for tomorrow?” 

“I need to go book a night bus ticket, but otherwise I have no plans.” I answered.

“Then let me show you around Sendai after you buy your ticket at the station! I don’t have practice.” He turned around to face me. “Have you ever seen the Aoba castle ruins?”  

“Oh, isn’t that Date Masamune’s castle? I’ve never been.” 

“Then I’ll show you! The scenery is amazing, and the food is delicious!”

I hummed, my interest picked.

“Sounds great.”

The conversation ended there, as we both soon fell asleep.

Hinata’s POV

I woke up to the sounds of birds chirping, my eyes slowly opening. I looked at the time: 5 am. Time for my morning jog. I got up from my bed, yawning. I started to walk towards my closet to change when I stepped on something.

“Gah!”

“Woah!” I stepped back as a yellow blob suddenly sat up while shouting,

“Samu, ya don’t need to step on me, especially my stomach!”

“Eh?”

“Huh?”

I stared at the yellow blob, rapidly remembering yesterday. Atsumu-san stared back at me, confusion morphing into realization. I then realized myself that I had just stepped on him. With my full weight. 

“Atsumu-san! I’m so sorry for stepping on you!” I dropped down into a dogeza.

“Wha-Shoyo-kun, it’s fine, no need to do a dogeza!” 

I was so glad he didn’t get angry at me. I jumped back up into a standing position.

“Good morning!” I grinned. “Wanna join me on my morning jog?”

“Sure,” he answered, yawning.

“I’ll go get your clothes, they should have dried overnight.” I walked towards the door. As I passed through, I heard Atsumu-san say,

“Thanks, Shoyo-kun.”

“No problem!” I chirped, continuing my way towards the porch where I put out our clothes to dry.

I gathered them up and made my way back to my room, humming.

 After we got dressed, we went out and ran on my usual route, the sun already shining down on us.

“The air here feels different.” said Atsumu-san.

“It does?”

“Yeah, it’s cooler here than Hyogo.”

“Oh, how hot is Hyogo then?” I asked, my head tilting.

“Well, hotter than here, duh.” he answered, looking away. I could see a slight blush on his cheeks. “Anyway! What are we having for breakfast?” 

“Rice, miso soup, grilled fish, pickled vegetables, and I always drink milk! Would you like some milk too, Atsumu-san?”

“Nah, I’m good. You definitely need it though.” 

“I know that!” I said, slightly grumpy.

We finished our hour-long run while still engaging in light banter. As we entered the house, I made a beeline towards the kitchen, where Mom was cooking breakfast.

“Just in time for breakfast, you two. Shoyo, will you set the table?”

“Yep!”

“I can help.” said Atsumu-san.

“No no, you’re a guest. Let Shoyo handle it, he does it every morning,” replied Mom.

“It’s fine Atsumu-san, I’ll be done in two seconds flat!” I said, placing the bowls and chopsticks down in their usual place at the table.

Once everything was set, I sat down beside Atsumu-san, Mom in front of us. Natsu was still sleeping, since it was summer break.

“ Itadakimasu! ” We all said in unison, our hands joint together in front of our chests.

“So Shoyo, Miya-kun, what are your plans for today? Do you need a lunch prepared?”

I shook my head.

“No thanks, Mom. We’re planning to look around Sendai, specifically the Aoba Castle park, and eat some of the local food, since Atsumu-san has never been there.”  

“Alright then. Make sure you don’t forget your wallet as you head out. And don’t forget to bring a water bottle, it’s going to be hot outside.”

“Got it!” 

“Oh my, Miya-kun, you’re a fast eater, would you like some more?”

I looked over at his food, which was mostly gone. I wasn’t expecting Atsumu-san to be such a quick eater!

“Yes, please. The miso soup is excellent, and the fish is grilled just right. Yer an amazing cook, ma’am.” he replied, smiling.

“Oh, you flatter me. Just give me a second, I’ll get you more.”

“Thank you.”

We finished up eating relatively fast afterwards.

“ Gotisousamadesita !”

It was 7am when I got ready to go out while Atsumu-san waited at the front door. He just had a small bag with him, so he was ready to go at any time.

“ Ittekimasu! ”

We rode a bus to Sendai station, where Atsumu-san bought his ticket for the night bus. We then walked to Aoba castle park.

“Do you want to see Masamune’s statue? It’s super cool!” I asked.

“Yeah, let’s go!”

“Then follow me!” 

I took off towards the mountains, excited to show him.

“Wait for me, Shoyo-kun!” I heard him yell behind me. I slowed down a little, looking back. He sprinted to catch up to me, his blonde hair catching the sun, sparkling like gold.

“Come on! It’s not far, just got to go uphill!” 

We hiked up the mountain side. After 30 minutes of hiking, Atsumu-san put a hand on my shoulder.

“How is this ‘not far’?”

“It’s not, though?”

“Your sense of distance is strange, Shoyo-kun.”

“Just a bit more, Atsumu-san!”

Another 30 minutes later, we reached the top.

“Look!” I said, motioning to the statue of Date Masamune on a horse.

“Now that’s a statue,” replied Atsumu-san.

“Plus, look at how nice the view is from here!”

It was a beautiful view. From here, we could see the entire downtown section of Sendai. Trees were abundant, and we could see birds flying from tree to tree. The city was bustling.

“We’re so high up!” he said, his eyes wide open. 

“Yeah, isn’t it beautiful up here?”

We just stood there for a few minutes just looking at the view.

“Let’s go, there’s more to see, Atsumu-san!” 

We hiked back down the mountain, and I led Atsumu-san towards Masamune’s resting place. Going up stone steps, we reached a small temple, the Zuihoden Temple. It was surrounded by blue and white hydrangea flowers.

“Welcome to the Zuihoden Temple,” I said.

“Zuihoden… That sounds familiar…”

“It’s Masamune’s grave, Atsumu-san,” I explained, trying not to sound like it was obvious, even though it was, seeing as we had learned that in history class.

“Oh, right! Yeah, I knew that.” he said, laughing with his hand on the back of his neck, looking away from me.

After paying our entrance fee, we walked around taking photos, Atsumu-san looking around in wonder. There was a museum, as well, that was connected to the temple, and so two hours had passed by the time we left, since we went around the whole museum and lingered a bit. Well, Atsumu-san lingered. He was looking around at everything, taking photos of whatever was okay to photograph in there. 

“What time is it?” asked Atsumu-san.

I took my phone out of my pocket and checked.

“It’s 11:35 am.” 

“I’m feeling kinda hungry.” 

“Me too. Let’s go back to the park, there’s a restaurant there that has delicious food.”

We walked back there in record time, stomachs growling in hunger. 

“Here we are! Honmaru Kaikan’s restaurant!” 

“So, what’re we eating, Shoyo-kun?” asked Atsumu-san as we sat down at a table.

“Well, there’s a collaboration going on with the Date samurai group, so there’s a set I’ve been wanting to try! The Date Warlords Imperial Meal! Doesn’t that sound so cool?”

“It does!” he answered, face lighting up in anticipation.

We ordered two sets of the meal. While waiting, we talked.

“So, are you going to buy any souvenirs for Osamu-san and your parents?” 

He hummed in thought.

“Yeah, I might as well. Any recommendations?”

I thought about it, my head tilting, one hand on my chin. I hit my fist on my palm, exclaiming.

“Zunda mochi! There’s a lot of sweets you can buy, and there’s also a lot of different teas you can get!” 

“Any food I get should make Samu happy, and my parents would appreciate some new teas to try.”

“Alright! We’ll go to the shops after we finish eating then!”

Our meals came soon after I said that. Atsumu looked at the set, eyes sparkling, mouth open.

“Looks soooo good!”

“It doesn’t just look good, it tastes good too!” 

He took a bite out of the meat, humming in delight.

“What meat is this?” he asked.

I looked at the menu, just to make sure I was right.

“Grilled beef tongue.”

Atsumu-san finished the tongue in 2 bites, moving on to the boiled fish.

“And what kind of fish is this?”

 “Saury.” I answered and then took a bite out of my kamaboko .

“The food here sure is sweeter than Hyogo.” he stated, mouth full of pickled eggplant.

“What does Hyogo cuisine taste like?” I asked, finishing up the scallop carpaccio.

“Saltier! And the seasoning is heavier there than here. If you ever come over, I’ll treat you to some Kobe beef,” he answered, scarfing down the shiraishi somen noodles. 

“I’ll hold you to that!” I said, grinning. Kobe beef is really expensive, so I was happy to have Atsumu-san offer to treat me to some.

“By the way, what’s yer favorite food?” he asked before shoveling some harakomeshi into his mouth. 

“ Tamago Kake Gohan !” I answered after I swallowed my mouthful of fried shrimp. “What about you?”

“Fatty tuna,” he replied, finishing his boiled kelp.

All that was left of each of our meals was the dessert.

“What is this green mochi?” Atsumu-san asked, poking it with his chopsticks.

“That’s zunda mochi! It’s one of Sendai’s specialties.” 

Picking one up with his chopsticks, he plopped the whole mochi into his mouth. Humming in delight as he chewed, he made a face of pure bliss. 

“This is sooooo good!”

I smiled, happy to see him enjoy himself.

“Man, all of that was delicious! The seasoning was light, yet it was perfect for each dish! And the pickled eggplant was just the right amount of spicy and sour! Plus the meat! Definitely  the best I’ve had for a while!” gushed Atsumu-san.

We soon left the restaurant, bellies full. I guided Atsumu-san to a teahouse named Ochanoikeda Ichibancho where you can buy seasonal tea and Sendai sweets. The tea selection they have changes with the seasons. After he bought some summer tea bags and sweets, we left the teahouse.

“So, where to next?” 

“Well, I think we saw all that was near Aoba castle.“ I paused in thought. “Oh! There’s a shotengai near the train station that we can check and go around until it’s time for your night bus.”

“Alright, then let’s go!” 

After we took a bus back to Sendai station, we walked towards the commercial district, the shotengai . As we walked, I looked at Atsumu-san. He was tall and handsome, but the more I spent time with him, the more I thought he was...well, cute! The way he gushed about food, the way he looked around the museum like a child in a candy store…all of it was just so cute!

Probably feeling my gaze, he looked at me.

“What is it?”

“Nothing!” I squeak out, slightly surprised. He can’t read minds, right?

He raised an eyebrow but otherwise said nothing.

As we entered the shotengai , I noticed that the whole street was getting ready for the Tanabata festival. 

“What festival are they preparing for?” asked Atsumu-san.

“ Tanabata !”

“Wasn’t that back in July?” 

“We celebrate it in August, because we used the old lunar calendar’s date, here in Sendai. It’s too bad that you’re going back to Hyogo today. If you had come a few days later, we could have enjoyed the festival together!” I exclaimed, slightly pouting.

“Then let’s wait for next year.” he said, ruffling my hair.

“Yeah!”

We smiled at one another.  

We went down the street, stopping by stores that picked Atsumu-san’s attention.

“Oh, is this yer prefecture’s mascot?” he asked, pointing to a keychain of Musubimaru. 

“Yep! Isn’t he adorable?”

“I should buy one for Samu. He loves onigiri, and this mascot is literally an onigiri dressed as Masamune.” 

“It’s nice of you to think about Osamu-san.”

“I’m not thinkin’ ‘bout him, this mascot just reminded me of him!” he said, looking grumpy.

“But you’re still going to buy it for him, aren’t you?” I replied, grinning.

He didn’t reply; he just took the keychain and went to pay at the counter. Two hours passed as we went store to store, just window shopping at this point. We left the shotengai , walking towards the station when we passed in front of a game center, called Sega Sendai.

“Oh, Atsumu-san, we still have time to go in, right?” I asked, pointing at the center.

“Hm? Yeah, we got like, 4 hours left before my night bus,” he answered after checking his phone. 

“Yay! Let’s go in then!” I exclaimed, jumping up and down.

Atsumu-san smiled at my enthusiasm as we both walked into the game center. We meandered around, trying to find an arcade game that had no one already playing. 

“That one’s free,” said Atsumu-san, pointing to a shooting game.

“I bet I can beat you!” I said, picking up the model gun.

“There’s no way I won’t win,” replied Atsumu-san, a confident grin on his face. 

After one match, I put down the gun as the game announced the results. Looking over at him, I no longer saw a confident look, but a determined one.

“One more time.”

“Sure!” I replied, putting in another 100 yen coin in the machine.

Now, I knew Atsumu-san was competitive, most volleyball players are, including me, but Atsumu-san truly took the cake, in my opinion.

“Atsumu-san, this is the 7th time we’ve played this game, maybe it’s time to switch to another one?”

“But I haven’t won yet!” he said, clearly grumpy.

“You can win another game, no?”

Grumbling, he put down the model gun.

We moved on to motorcycle racing games, where the winner would switch each race. Atsumu-san’s mood would go up and down depending on the results. After around 5 races, we went to fighting games, from the classic Street Fighters to Fate/Grand Order Arcade. 

“FGO has an arcade game?” asked Atsumu-san. 

“Yes! You’ve never played the arcade version?”

“Nah.”

“Then let’s fix that! We have to go get you an IC card at the counter first, because you need it to save your account and progress in the game.” 

I helped him get started, giving a few tips that the tutoriel doesn’t give to new players.

“It’s best to save and do 10 rolls at once, it guarantees at least a 3 star Servant and 4 star Craft.” 

He nodded, eyes glued to the screen. I honestly thought it was endearing the way Atsumu-san gives his all in everything he does, whether it was volleyball or just games. I watched as he happily looked at the Mash Kyrielight card he received after finishing the tutoriel. We played a few rounds of Grail Wars until our game points ran out. 

Then, as we walked around the center looking for something else to play, I saw the DanceRush Stardom machine in the distance. Dancing was fun, not as fun as volleyball, but still enjoyable.

“Atsumu-san, let’s dance!” 

I didn’t wait for a response as I speed walked towards the dancing game machine. Reaching the machine, I set it up for two people, pausing at the difficulty selection screen.

“Are you good at dancing, Atsumu-san?” I asked as he walked over to my side.

“I’m the best in our dancing classes at school, so yeah, I’d say so,” he answered, a slightly smug smile on his face.

I set the difficulty level to 8 out of 10, my usual. I motioned at him to stand on the machine dance floor besides mine, the music starting up. The first few moves went by just fine, both of us nailing them. Then the moves came at a much faster pace, making me concentrate on the screen and my body movements so as to not fall flat on my butt.

“Shit!” I heard Atsumu-san shout. I looked over, concerned, to see him missing moves and then trip over his own foot, falling flat on his face. I stopped dancing, immediately going to his side.

“Are you okay?”

“No, Shoyo-kun, I’m not. If the floor would stop shining and just swallow me whole, I’d be fine with that.” 

“...Was this your first time playing this game, Atsumu-san?”

“Yep,” he said, still face down on the shining dance floor. He seemed resigned, like the whole world was over.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have set the difficulty level that high!”

“No, no, don’t blame yerself, Shoyo-kun. I just need more practice,” he replied, finally pushing himself off the ground. “One more time. Same difficulty.“

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

I’m not sure how much time we spent dancing, but by the time we checked the time it was, we realized we had spent 4 hours in the game center. 

“Damn, it’s already 6?! I’m gonna be late for my bus!” exclaimed Atsumu-san, sounding slightly panicked.

“Let’s go!” I said, grabbing his hand to lead him to the right station as fast as possible. His hand was warm, and seemed to fit mine perfectly, but I didn’t notice this until I let go to let him on the bus.

The next day, I went to practice.

“So, how was your day off with Miya Atsumu, Hinata?” asked Yamaguchi.

“It was fun! Atsumu-san and I went to Aoba castle park and Sega Sendai! We ate the Date Warlords Imperial Meal and-” 

As I finished babbling about my time with Atsumu-san, Yamaguchi grinned.

“You know, that sounds a lot like a date.”

“D-date?! No, no, it was just a day out with a friend!” I replied, feeling a blush coming up.

I saw Tsukishima sigh and walk away, the rest of the team busy with warm up stretches.

“Oi, boke ! Get over here so that we can stretch and get started with practice, boke !” yelled Kageyama.

“You didn’t have to say boke twice!” I yelled back.

After practice, I checked my phone to see I got a text from Atsumu-san.

“I’m finally home!” followed by another text with a photo of him holding Musubimaru up to Osamu-san’s sleeping face that said:

“They look the same!”

Since then, I get at least one text a day from him, whether I reply to them or not. Most of the time, it was what he ate that day, or how his practice games went, or how Osamu-san is not the better twin… I found myself looking forward to what text I would get that day, kinda like a daily gacha. What would Atsumu-san send today? A picture of a neighbourhood cat? A meme? With him, the possibilities were endless. 

I did my best to reply as much as possible, but some days I would get around 5 texts and Atsumu-san seemed fine with just an occasional answer from me, so we kept it going. 

Then, sometime in September after school started, during the evenings after practice, Atsumu-san started to call me.

“Shoyo-kun, hear me out on this! Samu’s a jerk, yet everyone says he’s the better twin!”

I made a sound of surprise, prompting him to continue.

“And everyone says I’m lying to make myself seem better than him, but it’s the truth! I don’t get how everyone falls for his act!”

“Well, I’ve never talked to Osamu-san, but I do know that you’re the better setter!”

“I mean, that’s just a fact of life, but being better at volleyball than him doesn’t make people see me as the better twin, somehow.”

I heard in the background of the call:

“Ya realize I’m right beside ya, ya moron?”

“Well, it’s not like I can complain about this to ya , Samu!”

“At least do it when I’m not around, ya jerkwad!”

“Shoyo-kun, I’ll call ya another time!”

I didn’t have time to reply, the call dropping amidst the sound of a fight between the twins.

True to his word, he called me the next day. And the day after that. It became a routine for us. I’d wait for his call in the evenings, and then we would talk for around 20 minutes, the time it took for Atsumu-san to walk from school to his house. If I thought the texts were random, the phone calls were just as random, if not more. I didn’t mind though. I enjoyed our conversations, no matter how off-track we would get at times.

“So, Samu bought these weird flavor chips and man, I felt like vomiting. Don’t ever try tonkatsu chocolate flavored chips.”  

“I don’t think they even sell that over here, Atsumu-san.”

“Good.”

November rolled around, bringing with it the Youth training camp. Kageyama was again selected to go, as well as Atsumu-san. I felt frustrated that my skills were still not enough to get selected, but I was also a bit bummed out that Kageyama would get to see Atsumu-san when I wouldn’t. 

When Kageyama came back from the camp, he had one thing to tell me.

“Miya-san kept asking about you.”

“He did? About what?” 

“Just random stuff about you. Like, photos, or how you act in school compared to how you act in practice.”

I felt conflicted. I was happy to hear that Atsumu-san was thinking about me, even at Youth camp, but I was also wondering why he didn’t just ask me those questions directly when we would be on the phone.

“Atsumu-san, why did you ask Kageyama questions about me when you can directly ask me?” I asked during our usual phone call that evening. “I’d be happy to send you a photo or discuss how I act in different settings.” 

“Ah. Tobio-kun told you, huh? I just wanted another point of view than yours. Different people notice different things about ya, y’know? And asking for photos of ya from ya felt weird.”

“Asking photos of me from someone else seems even weirder to me, though.”

“Then yer gonna send me some?”

“Only if you send me some too,” I answered, half-jokingly.

And thus started the habit of sending each other selfies from time to time.

“Achoo!” I sneezed, entering the gym to escape the frigid December weather.

“Don’t catch a cold now, Hinata,” said Yamaguchi.

Tsukishima chuckled.

“Idiots like him can’t catch colds.”

“Hey! I ain’t an idiot!” 

They both looked at me funny at that, but before they could say anything, Captain shouted:

“Alright, let’s start warmups!” 

 After practice, I loudly asked Kageyama,

“Wontcha toss to me for a bit more?” 

Everyone stopped and looked at me, then turned their gaze to each other. Yamaguchi stepped forward.

“Uhhh, Hinata?” 

“Yes?”

“What’s with the sudden accent?”

“Accent…? What accent?”

“It sounds like someone from Kansai,” answered Yamaguchi.

“Kan- Oh,” I replied, realizing where, no, who the influence came from. “I’ve been talking with Atsumu-san a lot lately.”

“Ever since he came to see you?”

I nodded.

“I see. Well, it’s none of my business who you talk to, as long as that person isn’t a bad influence!” 

Most of the team nodded in agreement to Yamaguchi's words, except Tsukishima, who had a “Who cares” look, and Kageyama, who just looked at me blankly. 

Later, in the evening, I picked up Atsumu-san’s call. 

“Atsumu-san, I talked with your accent in practice today. Seems like it rubbed off on me!”

“Wait, ya just now noticed?” he replied, laughing.

“Wait, you knew? Why didn’t you point it out to me?” 

“I was waiting for ya to notice yerself, y’know?”

“You’re so mean sometimes!” 

“That I can be, yup,” he agreed, still laughing.

The end of December crept up on me, bringing with it Christmas. I biked back home from practice, seeing couples everywhere on the way. Atsumu-san didn’t call that day, replacing that with a text saying:

“Going to a Christmas party with the team, can’t call today. Merry Christmas!”

Looking around at all the couples, and missing his voice, I felt slightly lonely. 

If Atsumu-san were here, I wouldn’t be lonely at all.

I stopped in my tracks at that thought. That was when I noticed that Atsumu-san had wormed his way into my heart. He now had a place in there, so deeply rooted, that looking at all these people together, in love , started to hurt.

I want to see you, Atsumu-san.

Atsumu’s POV

It was after the ceremonies at Nationals when I coincidentally saw Shoyo-kun in the crowd. 

“Shoyo-kun!” I shouted, running up and hugging him.

“Atsumu-san!” he said, though it was muffled by my chest. 

“Yer smothering him, ya buffoon,” said Samu, pulling me away from the little ball of sunshine. “We gotta go, the team’s waitin’ for us at the hotel.”

I pouted but nodded.

“See ya at our match, Shoyo-kun!” I said, walking away with Samu.

“See you!” he replied, grinning.

After a gruelling but exhilarating match with Karasuno, with Shoyo-kun , I celebrated my win with a repeat of my promise to him from last year.

“One day, I’m gonna set for ya,” I said, pointing at him.

This time, instead of a blank stare, I got a smile full of sunshine, the court suddenly lighting up as if the sun had been brought indoors.

“I’ll be sure to catch up to you first!”

After winning Nationals —the only fitting way for Samu to retire from volleyball to be honest—February came charging in, like the girls giving me chocolates on Valentine’s Day. I gave all those chocolates to Samu, seeing as I actually have to care about fat gain versus muscle gain if I want to go pro. That evening, on the way home with Samu, I called Shoyo-kun, as per usual at this point.

“Where’s your Valentine’s Day chocolate for me?” I asked, jokingly.

“Huh? I’m sure you got a ton of chocolates already, why me specifically?” he squeaked out, sounding surprised.

“I’m just kidding!” I laughed. 

“Anyway, don’t just eat sweets today, make sure to have a balanced diet.”

“Who are ya, my ma?” 

“I’m just reminding you!”

Afterwards, we talked about mundane things, like how I just happened to have my graduation be on White Day. I hung up once I was in front of my house, Samu walking in before me.

“Oi, Tsumu. Ya got a package.”

“From who?”

“Hinata Shoyo.”

“Eh?” 

I rushed to the package, opening it at lighting speed. It was a huge box of onigiri-shaped Senbei with a postcard of Miyagi that had a message written on it: 

“Happy Valentine’s Day! Here’s your salty snack to balance out the sweets! Waiting for your White Day gift! (JK).”

“Samu! What do you give for White Day?” 

“What?” He leaned over my shoulder to read the message. “Why don’t you just ask him what he wants?”

I dialed Shoyo-kun’s number on my phone. He picked up after the third ring.

“Shoyo-kun, what do you want on White Day?”

“Oh, so you got my package!” He paused, probably in thought. ”I’ll let you pick, but I’ll come and get it, so surprise me!”

“Wait, what? You’re coming over?! When?!”

“You said your graduation ceremony is on White Day, so I’ll come to celebrate and receive your gift!” 

“Gotcha. I’ll be sure to surprise you!” I looked down at the box of Senbei. “Also, thanks for the box of Senbei.”

“No problem! I hope you enjoy them!” 

I had no idea why at the time, but receiving this box made me happier than all the chocolates I got that day.

It was a week after Valentine’s day and I still hadn’t decided on what I would get for Shoyo-kun.

“Saaaaamuuuu, what do I get?”

“Make a decision by yerself for once, ya indecisive git.” 

Another week passed without any good ideas popping into my head. Samu and I were walking to school in the morning when he offhandedly said:

“There’s macarons on sale at the local pastry shop.”

I was confused.

“Since when do you like macarons?”

“Bruh, I like food. But that’s beside the point.”

“What’s the point?”

“Apparently, they make for a good gift on White Day.”

I stopped walking.

“Where is this shop?”

“Across from the train station.”

“Yer bringing me there after school.”

“Was already planning to.”

After school, I did my best to choose the best macarons for Shoyo-kun. The best looking ones, the popular flavors I’m sure that he’d like, the best packaging. The cashier smiled at me as she rang up my total.

“You must really love your partner.”

“What?” I asked out of surprise.

“Because macarons are the best return gift for Valentine’s chocolates! Oh, and make sure to put these in the fridge if you’re planning on giving them on White Day or else they’ll go bad.”

“T-thanks,” I replied, leaving the shop, meeting back up with Samu who was waiting for me outside.

A week before White Day, I received a text from Shoyo-kun.

“Protect the second button of your uniform for me.”

My brain went into overdrive. I stumbled and sat down on the bottom of the bunk bed. Eyes wide in surprise, I reread the message over and over, not believing the obvious meaning behind those words. You’d only ask for that if you were in love. In love . This text message was basically a confession! 

“What are you staring at on your phone?”

My head snapped up at Samu’s voice.

He was standing in front of me, arms crossed, looking down at me with a questioning look on his face.

I opened my mouth to answer, but no sound came out, the shock still overwhelming. I decided to just show him, turning my screen towards him. After he finished reading, he looked at me, an eyebrow raised.

“And?” he asked.

“A-and what?”  

“What are ya gonna do?”

“...I guess I’ll give him my second button.”

“Ya guess? Ya do know what that means, right?” asked Samu, frowning.

“I do! I just…”

“Sort out yer feelings and only give it if ya feel that way about him. Otherwise, yer just gonna break his heart later.”

I nodded, mulling over my feelings for Shoyo-kun.

The week went by without me calling Shoyo-kun, finding an excuse everyday to avoid phone calls until the fateful day when Shoyo-kun would come over.

Right after my graduation ceremony, I got a text from Shoyo-kun saying that he was waiting for me under the cherry blossom tree in front of my school. 

I ran out and took a breath in the shade of the cherry blossoms. The pink petals were raining down in the light breeze, enveloping Shoyo-kun, making him look like a spring fairy. Seeing him in person for the first time in 2 months, I took in his features. His hair, as bright as a vivid sunset; his honey brown eyes filled with joy and innocence and his pink, petite lips. Those same lips opened, forming a question.

“Atsumu-san?”

The sound of his voice quenched the longing I didn’t know I had till now. A week without hearing it made hearing him now all the more impactful. My heart started to beat faster, pumping blood up to my face. As a stronger wind blew past, more petals fell, almost completely hiding Shoyo-kun from my view, as if he were about to disappear with the petals. 

Don’t take him away, he’s mine.

I took another breath and realized, while pulling him away from the pink torrent of blossoms into my arms,

“Oh, I love you.” 

His breath hitched. He looked up at me, a smile as radiant as the sun illuminating his face.

“I love you too.”