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A gentle breeze tussled wild strands of bright red and let them dance in the whirls of wind being pushed from the Atlantic towards the northern part of the city. An accumulation of smaller houses – some in bright colours, others a bit run-down and shady – lined up to each side of the narrow street, forging a path to guide the visitors up the hill.
Shouyou tugged at the front of his tank top to fan a stream of air underneath that tickled his sweaty chest. Considering the heat, he had chosen to go with light shorts, the usual sneakers, and the tank top, leaving his arms bare. His skin had become noticeably tan in the past few months since his arrival in Riode Janeiro and the money he had to spend on sunscreen had rapidly increased so that he had to rethink his monthly expenses.
The fabric clung to his skin and if he could, he would run around naked, which he didn’t, for various reasons. Mainly because he would have to use more sunscreen and although he knew that being sponsored was a somewhat stable affair, he didn’t want to ask Kenma to buy him sunscreen out of all things. No, for this Shouyou would use his own money.
Thus, Shouyou bore with the sweat dripping down his temple and sides, leaving tickling trails over his rips, and smiled. If this was a price he had to pay to stay here, then he would gladly do so. He grabbed the small bag that hung around his torso, shifted it so that it was sitting once more snug between his shoulder blades and moved on.
His feet brought him further, up and up the slope that was flanked by small houses that looked pretty similar to the one Shouyou was living in himself. The clear blue sky above him let the white paint – partly brittle due to the heat – appear even brighter. Shouyou tugged at the front of the sports-visor he wore and blinked under his glasses against the sun, vying with Shouyou for the brighter vibrancy.
As he reached a cross-section from where one street went downhill while two others went up, Shouyou hesitated. He raised his hand and looked from the shimmering air down at the crumbled piece of paper. So far he had shown it to various people on his way and he had always been guided further and further up the hill. Thus,he decided to follow the way a little bit more.
With each step he took, the all-encompassing heat became more and more suffocating. A few month had passed since Shouyou had arrived in Brazil but he was still not used to the more or less unchanging temperatures or – as it slowly became ‘summer’ – the ever growing heat. Not to mention that the rainy season would start in a couple of weeks, leaving him curious and scared at the same time. Adding to the steady warmth around him, it would also become increasingly humid and just wet.
He had arrived in Brazil when it was about to become Spring in Japan, the clear air and smell of flowers and newly growing plants a symbol for a new start accompanying that image very clearly in his mind and the promise of summer was enticing. But in Brazil the temperatures hadn’t varied much so far, it was warm and humid most of the time, and all plants were evergreen.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t used to summer or didn’t like summer at all. But summers in Brazil were different than those in Japan. There were no cicadas as loud as in Miyagi, there were lots of birds and other animals he had never listened to before, not even in the zoo of Sendai when he was a kid, leaving a fascinated or terrifying expression in Shouyou. Although the heat was nearly the same, it just felt different after all.
Right now it was late autumn in Japan and Shouyou wondered how his friends dressed. They would start wearing coats and gloves and scarfs and for some reason Shouyou envied them for that. He missed the feeling of coming home after a cold day and finally getting out of the coat to warm his feet under the kotatsu.
Later, he would check his phone where he had saved all the pictures his friends had sent him recently; saved and secured, always with him, wherever he went.
The thought about his friends gave him some energy and he even made a small jump on the slope while tailing further upward. Bit by bit the Atlantic was revealed between the narrow alleys of the houses and over the small gardens; just behind the stone walls he could see a glimpse of the giant sparkling ocean and the thought of going down there later this day for a couple sets of volleyball made him smile.
After a few hundred metres, Shouyou stopped and looked down one of the streets, trying to figure out whether this was the right one to take the turn or if he had to go up a little further. If he had understood the friendly old granny correctly – and he had been proud of himself to understand her despite her heavy dialect – he shouldn’t walk as far as to reach the top of the hill but turn left just a bit before that.
He carefully leaned forward and gazed into the narrow street, studying the houses and their attached balconies. Low chatter, a barking dog, and the cry of a child could be heard, but it wasn’t that noisy. A few scattered flower pots were rearranged and cat was lazily lying in the shadow of a window sill, dozing with closed eyes.
Shouyou squinted and let his eyes trail down the street until he could see a shabby sign that showed a symbol of crossed scissors and a razor some hundred metres down the street. A sudden spark shot through his chest and he almost crowed out of joy, but kept it inside. He approached the shop, slower than before, and soon stood in front of the showcase of a hairdresser.
Shouyou fiddled with the straps of his bag that had moved again, hung in front of his chest and bit his lower lip. He bent his knee and shifted his weight to one side to carefully peek through the window into the shop, squinting a bit.
There were a few people inside, three seats with washing basins and mirrors, stools for the next customers to wait onto, and a small table that seemed to be the check-out.
Shouyou swallowed and nodded slowly to himself. This must be it: the shop Pedro had scribbled onto the corner of an old magazine before he had ripped it out. Now, it was creased and slightly damp as Shouyou kept it tight between his sweaty hands.
The building was a bit run-down but seemed sturdy enough to withstand the heat and rain. Shouyou assumed that the hairdresser was living just upstairs and glanced up at the balcony right above the entrance door; though, his view was hindered by a row of plants growing down a long pot. He looked down again and nodded once more. For his price class this was already enough.
Shouyou worried his bottom lip and grinned grimly as he kept looking through the windows, waiting for the courage to let him push down the door handle and finally step into the shop. He raised his hand, ruffled his hair that stuck out over the visor and tugged at the loose strands. It was already long enough to tie a bun but the growing summer heat of Brazil had different plans.
Even during the year before Brazil Shouyou hadn't cut his hair, only the tips that had got into his eyes when he had been working at his part time job. Now it was remarkably longer, making a visit to the hairdresser necessary.Thus, the decision to cut his hair had been made and Shouyou felt incredibly excited but nervous at the same time as he was about to cut of a part of him that belonged to the past.
He swallowed, took a deep breath, and extended his arm to grab the warmed metal of the door handle, pushing it down.
A cool breeze welcomed him like a gentle shower and Shouyou thought that there was probably an air conditioner mounted in one of the corners. He carefully looked around.
His first glance fell on the check-out table with a shady bowl for cash and a register. The painted wood had lost some colour and there were all kinds of stickers attached to it. A radio on a shelf behind the check-out played some foreign song Shouyou had never heard before. When he turned to the right side, his eyes roamed over the walls that could use new colouring and were covered by old posters showing various hairstyles from at least 50 years ago. Well, Shouyou may exaggerate in this point, but even he understood that those cuts were out of fashion by now. He fervently hoped that the hairdresser would understand his little Portuguese and not give him perm.
Shouyou wasn’t the only customer in the shop. A woman was sitting on a chair in front of one of the mirrors, animatedly talking to the hairdresser standing next to herewhile her hair was trimmed nicely to an even level to her ears. The two were engaged in a joyful chatter Shouyou didn’t understand. He grasped a few words every now and then but their conversation was so fast that it was impossible to get most of it.
He would get there, Shouyou said to himself, gritting his teeth. Being in a different country was one thing but not being able to understand the people he wanted to be around for some time was a lot more.
Not sure what he should do nor knowing any words that might be helpful right now, he patiently waited and shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he fiddled with the straps of his bag once again. He hoped that the hairdresser would notice him but at the same time he was afraid that he might talk so fast to him that he would have to clue what to do or respond.
While waiting, Shouyou studied the hairdresser more closely. He was a man in the mid 50s, had scrawny arms and a bit of a belly that was covered by a crisp white shirt. A belt was tightened around his hips and open bags were attached to it, the sturdy leather keeping all the necessary utensils he would need for his work. The jingling of a selection of scissors, metallic brushes, and combs followed every step the hairdresser took when he walked around the woman, cutting the dark brown hair neatly and with great attention.
Shouyou liked how fixated the man was while he kept on talking to the customer. The man had a friendly expression, which made Shouyou feel more at ease so that he relaxed his shoulders a little.
And then the hairdresser looked into the mirror, spotted Shouyou, and a friendly smile bloomed on his lips. The older man said something, which definitely sounded inviting, and it took some of the uneasiness Shouyou had carried with him all the way up the mountain away.
Shouyou closed the door behind him, shutting the heat out, and stepped in further.
"Uhm…," he said, unsure how to continue.
Just the night before and after training he had studied all kinds of vocabularies which would come in handy when going to the hairdresser. He had fallen asleep over his study book and his phone, still clasping to it tightly the next morning when the device had still been hot. Despite knowing that his knowledge of Portuguese was rather basic, he at least hadn’t changed his decision to come here.
Now, he was here. He had studied all of those words, he really had, but as soon as he needed to say I would like to have my hair cut, everything was gone in the blink of an eye.
But the man just kept smiling, waved to a free chair and the only word Shouyou could understand was sit. And so he did.
Closing the distance, Shouyou settled on the chair the hairdresser had pointed at and noticed that it was surprisingly comfortable. He leaned back against the small rest and noticed that the crumbled piece of paper was still in his hand. He hastily put into his bag before carefully glancing around.
The woman on the neighbouring chair caught his curious gaze and gave him a warm smile that Shouyou returned. The hairdresser went back to finishing her haircut and snipped while getting the woman engrossed in another row of chatter.
Shouyou kneaded his hands in his lap and peeked past the hairdresser’s humpy back to see a row of stools that were placed there, probably the waiting area, and there was another man who Shouyou hadn’t noticed at first due to his unassuming appearance. He seemed to doze as his eyes were closed, features slack, and his head leaned back against the edge of an old poster, its edges cracked and slightly curled.
Looking up ahead, Shouyou could observe the street with the help of the mirror. The two houses on the other side weren’t that striking, but some people walked by and the ones who turned their heads to look inside, spotting Shouyou, waved at him or grinned widely. Shouyou, perplexed by that, tentatively grinned back.
It wasn’t the first time that happened. His smile grew broader with each of these occasions.
All of those people looked different than him but maybe they weren’t that different after all.
Being in a new surrounding had filled Shouyou with a huge amount of excitement, but there was also the queasy lump in his stomach that hadn’t eased down, even though he had known for months that he would be going to Brazil for real. He wasn’t sure whether to feel welcomed by those incredible friendly people of this small neighbourhood that was in walking distance to his own, or treated as the funny stranger from overseas who had difficulties with his pronunciation.
He frowned and wanted to scratch his head when he realised he still had the visor on. He took it off, his bag as well, and stored them on the small shelf under the mirror. His eyes lingered and slowly travelled upward to gaze at his own face.
There was a very soft furrow between his brows and it reminded him of how Kageyama used to scowl at him. It made him smile. The memory of his partner let the heavy lump become a little softer and he continued to study his own features.
Brown orbs rested above curled lips, the edges of his mouth were surrounded by small crinkles. His skin was remarkably darker than a few months ago and his eyes flitted to the side to make sure that his bare arms bore the tan as his face. At last he gave his long hair a thoughtful look. Long red strands framed his face, now unrestricted since he had taken off the visor. The wild curls and gentle gleam shifted when Shouyou moved his head a little. He raised a hand and carded it through the soft hair, feeling the masses gather in his palms and the rough tips that definitely needed to be cut. He nodded, very small and shallow, and only to himself.
A faint voice shouted at him from his memories, You need to cut your hair!, and Shouyou blinked, biting his lip, and he shifted his gaze downwards to not see how the his own image became a bit blurry.
Laughter and cheerful banter brought him back to where he was and he turned to see how the hairdresser patted the shoulders of the woman, who looked at her reflection, tilting her head up and down and to each side to study the freshly cut hair. She smiled and said a few words while touching the dark tips. The hairdresser grunted and spoke a few things in return, Finally he grabbed the chair and pulled at it to help her get up.
Together, they walked to the check-out where the woman paid and turned to leave, but then she stopped in the door frame and looked at Shouyou to wink at him. Shouyou didn’t know what to do and smiled shyly before watching her leave through the mirror.
He had nearly forgotten his nervousness when the hairdresser suddenly appeared next to him to look at him through the mirror. He put his hands on his hips, thumbs hooked under the belt where all the tools were stored as he studied bright red curls.
Shouyou automatically straightened his shoulders and glanced curiously at the older man.
Shouyou swallowed; now was the time.
he stuttered in the new language, still bumpy on his tongue. His brain rapidly tried to remember the words that had started to blur behind his eyelids once midnight had passed.
The hairdresser swayed left and right and reached out to touch Shouyou’s hair, lifting single strands, carding through them and smoothing them out again. He hummed to himself while his eyebrows pinched together. He was probably thinking about how best to cut a foreigner’s hair, which definitely felt different than regular Brazilian hair.
the man said once his examination had ended.
Shouyou smiled, feeling somewhat relieved about the verdict.
The hairdresser looked at him reassuringly and patted his shoulder, whether in an attempt to give him courage or to wave the compliment aside, Shouyou didn’t know.
The next thing he saw was how the older man grabbed a coat, slung it around Shouyou’s neck, and closed the buttons at his back. The sudden rustling of fabric and the presence of the humming hairdresser right behind him let Shouyou tense up again. He gripped the arm rest of the chair and for a second, he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to find something – an item or a memory or anything, really – to ground him again.
And then…
A constant shrill of cicadas echoed through the open door into the gym, where it sounded as if the whole room had been filled with those insects. The net was set up, sweaters, water bottles, and a few scattered balls were distributed at the side of the court, and a few first-years pushed large mops around to clean up the ground after their first two sets had been played.
Opening the door had been an attempt to let in a fresh stream of air, but so far nothing had changed. Summers in Miyagi were and would stay hot, no matter what they tried.
After Yamaguchi had announced a break, the squeaking of shoes had stopped, and some of the team members had grabbed a water bottle to hide in the shadows and catch their breath in silence. The others gathered around their captain, talking animatedly.
A few first years walked through the gym, chatting about how happy they were that they were in the cool shadows or gladly accepting water bottles from Yachi, who had refilled some.
Instead of joining them or the other third years, Shouyou scanned the gym while he kneeled down to take a water bottle. Once he spotted Kageyama sitting on the steps leading to the yard behind the gym, he smiled, jumped into the air and walked towards the open door.
There, he stood behind Kageyama and for a second or two he studied the silky black hair and the averted face that seemed to observe the track field on the other side of the yard.
A tingle shot through Shouyou’s spine, sudden and pleasant, but he shook his head and closed the distance to flop down on the step just below Kageyama.
"Man, it’s so hot today!" He exclaimed and tugged at his shirt to lift it from his sweaty chest.
He turned and saw that Kageyama gave him a scowl.
"It’s summer, dumbass."
"No need to insult me so quickly." Shouyou frowned but waved it off the next second. He leaned a bit back, placed one hand on the cool stone of the stairs behind him to steady himself, and took a sip from the water bottle. He sighed contentedly and squinted his eyes as he raised his gaze into the clear sky above them, blue and hot.
The air felt slightly suffocating but there was a gentle breeze that tussled his hair and touched the soft hair on his arms, tickling it. The few trees and bushes whispered softly and even the grass started to dance.
"I have an idea!" He announced, put his water bottle between his feet and started to roll up the sleeves of his t-shirt until they sat snugly on his shoulder.
"What are you doing?"
"Huh? What does it look like? It’s hot, Kageyama, it’s better like this."
Shouyou looked at his friend who frowned. "Can you hit like that?" the setter asked, genuine concern in his blue eyes.
"Of course! Who do you think I am?"
Kageyama chuckled. "A dumbass."
"Oi!" Shouyou reached out and nudged Kageyama’s leg playfully. But both of them grinned.
Shouyou, satisfied with his work on his sleeves, took up his bottle again and wanted to drink more, when he noticed that Kageyama hadn’t averted his gaze yet. His blue piercing eyes were still resting on his arms – staring at them – but when Shouyou turned his head to directly look at him, Kageyama’s eyes darted away.
Shouyou grinned and watched how his friend scrambled for his own water bottle to drink. Instead, he started choking.
"Kageyama, what are you doing?"
Shouyou reached out to pat his friend’s back and rubbed his spine to ease the coughing that shook Kageyama’s upper body.
"Are you okay, Kageyama-kun?"
His friend swallowed and shot him a quick glance. "I’m fine," he huffed.
Shouyou frowned but shrugged. "Okay." He exhaled deeply and leaned back on both arms to look into the yard.
In the distance he could see the track team doing exercises in the blazing light of the sun. Shouyou was glad that they could train inside at least and not in the sweltering conditions the peak of the summer had decided to go ahead with this year. Summers in Miyagi were hot, but in one week they would be heading to Tokyo for their annual training camp, and although Shouyou was more than excited to meet all the new team members Nekoma would have to offer, he couldn’t forget how much hotter the summer in Tokyo could actually be.
He grinned to himself, felt his heartbeat increase in his chest in the prospect of going to Tokyo again, and his fingernails scratched over the stone as he fisted his sweaty hands.
He threw a side glance at his friend next to him, but Kageyama seemed totally unfazed by all the things which were going to happen in less than a week. Despite his neutral face, Shouyou knew that he felt just the same and as he gazed furtively at the clear blue of Kageyama’s eyes, he could see them glistening with the same amount of excitement he hadn’t vocalised yet.
"I wonder how Tokyo will be now," Shouyou sighed out, unable to hide his grin any longer.
"Tokyo?"
"Yeah. Training camp. Next week!" Shouyou tilted his head backward to look at the other. "You didn’t forget, did you, Bakageyama?" he teased his friend.
"Did not! And don’t just insult me with no reason."
"You started it!"
"Because I was right."
"And who gave you the right to proclaim that?" Shouyou looked at him challenging.
Kageyama shrugged. "It’s true, I’m right."
"Yeah, and so am I!"
Suddenly Kageyama started to snicker and the sudden change of his expression startled Shouyou that he blinked at him in confusion.
"What?"
Kageyama smirked. "You just admitted that it’s true. Dumbass ," he added and emphasised the word.
Shouyou opened his mouth but as he didn’t know what to say, he just shouted an outraged, "Did not!"
"Did too!"
They glared at each other, but there was no fire behind.
"Well whatever, I will give you this one," Shouyou grunted and grabbed his water bottle.
"What is that supposed to mean?" But Kageyama laughed and shook his head with a smile on his lips.
Shouyou chuckled. He tugged at his jersey once more before raising his hand to run it through his hair, stretching the tips. It had gotten longer and the strands in his neck were moist and a little gross to be honest. Maybe he should have asked Natsu for one of her scrunchies. A haircut would be much more convenient though, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to go that far. He had gotten used to the long hair and what if he looked weird with short hair?
His mind drifted off to the spikes he and Kageyama had been training today, but when he turned around and opened his mouth to talk about the new idea forming in his head, he noticed how Kageyama’s eyes flitted away to the other side of the yard.
Shouyou blinked. Kageyama had definitely followed the movement of his hand through his hair where Shouyou’s fingers were still buried in.
"What?" he asked, frowning in confusion. A shy Kageyama was a rarity and he loved to explore that as long as he could.
"What?" Kageyama returned, forehead wrinkling.
"You… You just stared at me! Again!" Shouyou wasn’t sure if he should’ve added the last part, but since it was true, he didn’t see why not.
"Did not."
"You totally did. What is it? Something on my face?"
Kageyama stared fervently across the yard towards the track field and Shouyou nearly asked again, when his friend glanced back at him. Shouyou noticed how the gaze of Kageyama’s eyes jumped from his bare arms up to his face and seemed to linger in his hair.
Initially baffled, Shouyou smirked. He moved to sit at the same step as Kageyama and leaned closer to nudge his shoulder with his. Their thighs were touching and there was so much warmth, from training earlier and from Kageyama’s body heat. It should’ve been gross, but Shouyou found that it wasn’t a sticky warmth, made of sweat and grime that glued to him, it was a gentle warmth. His skin encompassed the whole being of Kageyama, who hadn’t moved a centimetre since Shouyou had decided to sit next to him, and radiated a grounding feeling of assurance and steadiness.
Shouyou smiled, but made sure to not forget to tease his friend a little more.
"Na, Pouty-yama, what did you look at?"
"Nothing. And I’m not pouting."
"Course not. So what is it?"
There was a short pause in which Shouyou waited for his friend to respond and Kageyama seemingly tried to evade his curious gaze, or any other part of him for that matter. The sound of the cicadas hadn’t abated and the merciless rays of sunlight were burning on his skin, all while Kageyama remained silent. When Shouyou nearly thought that he would never get an answer, his friend slowly raised his arm.
Kageyama frowned and for a moment his arm just hovered in the air above his thigh that was touching Shouyou’s. He seemed to hesitate and almost lowered it again, then he shot a very quick side glance at Shouyou before extending his arm and touching thick red curls.
Shouyou was so surprised – though not in a bad way – that he held his breath for a few seconds. Kageyama's fingers gripped a bit of his hair and tugged gently before slowly carding through it. Shouyou didn’t speak a word, afraid that his friend would immediately retreat his hand. The touch was incredibly gentle and when Shouyou started to lean a tad into it, Kageyama pulled his hand back.
‘Why did you stop?’ Was on his tongue, but he swallowed it.
Instead, he asked, "Wh–What was that?"
Kageyama stared at him, then at his own hand, as if he couldn’t believe what his body had just done without his permission. A very soft pink hue spread on both sides across his cheeks.
"Just a dried leaf, dumbass," he muttered and averted his eyes to look toward the track field again.
Shouyou swallowed, then he started cackling. "We have summer! There are no dried leaves in summer."
"Well, there was one in your hair!"
Shouyou fell silent and looked at his friend, dumbfounded. Was that a lie?
"Here!" Something was shoved into his lap. "If you don’t believe me, there was a leaf."
Shouyou blinked down and noticed that yes, indeed, there was a leaf. But it was green and vibrant and must’ve been alive just three seconds ago, the stem was ripped off. The bush at the other side of Kageyama still jittered.
Shouyou stared at it for a few seconds before a smile formed his lips and he glanced at his friend, who busied himself once more with his water bottle.
He could tease him some more, he would’ve loved that. But he also wanted to feel that gentle touch again. If Kageyama wanted to touch his hair, Shouyou would let him, he definitely would, and he wanted to.
Shouyou had no problem with being direct, but he sensed that this was something fragile and too precious to just announce out loud just yet.
"There… are no more?" he asked quietly and carefully observed how Kageyama behaved.
"No more what?" was the response, complete with a scowl.
"Leaves. In my hair."
"Huh?"
"Check it."
"Wha–" The pink hue grew a shade deeper.
"Come on, Kageyama, check my hair again." Shouyou tilted his head and leaned it towards his friend, hair almost brushing the other’s shoulders. It wasn’t enough.
He could sense Kageyama hesitating. From the corners of his eyes Shouyou observed how he clenched and unclenched his hand, there was an audible swallow that made Shouyou smile, and he was glad that Kageyama couldn’t see it. He wanted his friend to touch his hair again, so badly that if he saw him smile now, even though it was small and soft, he would definitely misunderstand it as a trick.
"Come on, Yamayama, look if there is another leaf inside." As fresh as the first one, he added in his mind. "What will we do if there is one and it drops out during practise and I slip? What will you do without your favourite middle blocker?"
Shouyou turned his head to look at Kageyama from below, seeing him blink in surprise. He nodded very slowly and actually seemed to think about it seriously, but then he smirked.
"I would have the opportunity to practise in silence for once."
"You’re so mean, Kageyama!" Shouyou harrumphed, but he grew impatient. "Now touch my hair!"
"Wh–what?"
"Touch it, come on." Shouyou stuck his head once more in the other’s direction, offering his scalp openly.
This time he waited patiently and if he didn’t move as much, maybe Kageyama would think that he was serious for real, although he couldn’t say that aloud.
(Maybe later he would.)
He waited and waited. The cicadas were loud, there was the constant chatter from the other side of the gym, and Shouyou was about to pout when his neck started to hurt, when the time that felt like eternity passed and he noticed a shift in Kageyama’s posture.
Very slowly he saw Kageyama’s arm stretch out again and when his fingertips touched his wild strands, it was much more tender than the first time.
Shouyou nearly sighed in bliss but bit his lower lip to not let out a single sound that might have Kageyama stop again.
They had touched before, they had touched each other in so many different ways before – if it was during their little fights, their bigger fights, or their bickering. It was due to that that Shouyou knew very well how Kageyama’s hands felt like, how his leg muscles flexed and his biceps did a little jump when he extended his arm to throw up a ball for a jump serve.
But this… This touch felt totally different than all the others before.
The initial touch was tentative and feather-light. Kageyama’s fingertips lingered for a moment in the tips of his hair, as if he didn’t know what to do with them. Slowly he started to card them through red curls, tentatively and gently, before prodding at Shouyou’s scalp. Then he took a few strands, giving it a very light tug, before he broadened his hand that his palm smoothed flat through the hair.
It was a nice touch, a nice feeling to have Kageyama’s slender fingers run through his strands, so very carefully and firm. His skin was slightly sweaty but Shouyou didn’t care about that; his hair wasn’t exactly clean anymore either.
He had just closed his eyes to relish the feeling, trying to memorise all of it, but then Kageyama retreated.
Shouyou mourned the loss and when he raised his head to straighten his back, he watched how the lithe fingers were drawn back to return to Kageyama’s personal space.
The sudden spray of water jerked Shouyou out of his daydream and he whirled his head around to see what was going on.
Shouyou blinked and when he saw the hairdresser, busy with a plastic spray bottle to cover his wild red strands in a mist of water, he relaxed. He nodded slowly and tried to unclench his grip on the arm rest while he faced the mirror again.
Rapaz.
Boy.
The word resounded in his mind. It still left a somewhat sour taste on his tongue, but he couldn’t deny its truth.
Yeah, he may still be a boy. But that only meant that he had so much room to grow.
He stared at his own reflection and very slowly, his lips twitched into a smirk and his eyes gleamed in a rich molten gold.
Shouyou carefully observed everything the hairdresser was doing in the mirror.
The man hummed to himself while he continued to spray moist mist on his hair that curled slightly, even more than usually. He raised a few strands and let them drop again. It was methodic and somewhatindifferent, the water let a shudder run down Shouyou’s spine, despite it coming from a bottle that seemed to have stood in the sun for a while. The systematic sorting of his hair and the neutral expression the hairdresser wore made Shouyou think that maybe it was normal to touch someone’s hair like this, neutral and calm. The hairdresser’s hand didn’t create any pleasant trickles run through his body, his heart didn’t skip a beat, and his lips didn’t distort into a pout once careful fingers retreated.
He frowned as he kept thinking about it, and perhaps he seemed a little too caught up in himself, so that the hairdresser interpreted him as anxious. The spray of water stopped.
Shouyou blinked and found the dark eyes of the man in the mirror, who looked at him with a worried frown.
The hairdresser lifted at a strand.
"Uhm." Shouyou hurried to find the right words in the huge chaos yesterday’s studying had left in his mind. he said then, nervously laughing.
The hairdresser’s mouth broadened into a wide grin.
He placed down the bottle and searched in the bag at his belt for his tools. Shouyou observed how he fetched some hairgrips and started to create a wild style of small curls and red strands hanging low over Shouyou’s brows, at which he stared, eyes meeting in the middle.
The clatter of metal reached his ears, he swallowed, and now he could see how the hairdresser retrieved a longish scissor with a weird grip.
The older man announced happily and even if Shouyou wanted to stop it in the last second, he didn’t have any time to do that.
He watched, with a mixture of growing excitement and uneasy horror, how the sharp blades moved closer to his curls.
Shouyou straightened his back until he was sitting in an upright position again. Kageyama still sat unmoving on the same step next to him, his thigh pressed against Shouyou’s, and their elbows touched. Shouyou leaned a bit forward to get a better look of his friend’s face, but before he could do so, Kageyama turned his head to the side.
He gazed at his friend, waiting for any kind of reaction, and when he tilted his head and leaned a few more centimetres forward, he could see the previous pink hue darken on Kageyama’s cheeks.
Utterly stunned Shouyou wasn’t sure how to react at first, but the sight alone made him giddy and there was this prickling feeling rushing through his chest again.
He wanted to feel it again. This was still not enough.
Shouyou smirked, but it was so weak that it was rather a fond smile. He opened his mouth to say something and make his friend turn his head to at least look at him again, but before he had the chance to do that, Kageyama mumbled something incoherently.
"Huh, what?"
Kageyama’s eyes flitted at him and he slowly turned his body, while he rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand.
"How are your travel plans coming along?" he asked, very quietly.
Shouyou blinked and actually needed a second to register that, okay yes, Kageyama was going to ignore whatever had just happened. Maybe he didn’t see the silent plea that probably still gleamed in Shouyou’s eyes.
Deciding to be nice, Shouyou leaned back, and grinned widely.
"Great!" he announced. "Just a few things missing."
"For example?"
"For now, the visa application and getting all documents for that. You know, the usual travel stuff," he added with a shrug.
Kageyama raised his hand and smacked the back of Shouyou's head lightly. "Oi, don’t talk like you’re the expert on travelling abroad. I travelled at least as much as you have."
"Yeah? How far?" Shouyou gave his friend a challenging glare.
Kageyama blinked perplexed. Then he frowned, as if he tried to think really hard about every place he had ever been to. "I’ve been to Okinawa three years ago."
"Pff, Okinawa is still Japan, Bakageyama!" Shouyou laughed.
"I still had to take a plane," Kageyama muttered a weak defence and was seemingly flustered. He rubbed his cheeks aggressively and Shouyou, who feared that he would scratch of skin if he kept doing this, grabbed his wrist and pulled it down.
Kageyama stared at his hand, baffled. Unable to let go of his friend’s arm, Shouyou licked his lower lip and blinked down at his fingers. They were small compared to Kageyama’s long ones but now, where they were wrapped around the other’s wrist, they seemed oddly fitting.
"What are you doing?"
"No–nothing!" Shouyou let go. He smiled shyly and returned the confused glare of his friend, which slowly turned soft again.
"Anyway," Kageyama tried to change the topic and cleared his voice. "The visa is left?"
"Yep!" Shouyou angled his legs and wrapped his arms around it while he turned his head to look at his friend from the side.
"Do you have a place to stay yet?"
"Nope!"
"No flat?" Kageyama sounded surprised. "How about a ticket then?"
"A flight ticket?"
A curt nod.
Shouyou studied Kageyama. He seemed a bit uneasy, as if the topic made him uncomfortable but at the same time incredible curious. His blue eyes were fixed on Shouyou and the constant stare wasn’t exactly helpful to distinguish which emotion was possessing Kageyama right this instant.
Shouyou hummed and cocked his head to the side.
"For the actual ticket I will wait a bit more. They’re expensive now. Coach Washijou will contact his alumni first and when everything is save and sound, I will start looking for a flat. But maybe Coach Washijou knows someone, who can help me with that, too."
"His alumni?"
"Yeah."
Kageyama grunted and averted his gaze to look over the yard again. There was a frown sitting between his brows that left Shouyou in confusion.
"What’s wrong, Kageyama-kun?" he asked, a bit quieter now.
Kageyama scowled and muttered something.
"What was that?"
"It’s a long way!"
The sudden shout startled Shouyou. His eyes widened and he looked at his friend, who threw him a glance.
"I mean," Kageyama added, quiet now. "You should make sure to have a place to stay, right? It’s important."
"I’ll be fine. I could always ask the alumni for sure!" Shouyou nearly reached out to pat Kageyama on the shoulder; he couldn’t tell whether it was to reassure him, himself, or if there was an entirely different reason to reach out again.
"Good," Kageyama huffed and looked to the side. "I just… I just wanted to make sure you’ll have a place, that’s all."
"Aww, you’re worried." Shouyou grinned.
He would’ve teased a little more, now that he had the possibility, but when Kageyama straightened his back to look at him seriously, he didn’t.
"Of course I am," Kageyama said calmly. "You will be… all over there. It’s a long way."
This took Shouyou by surprise and he swallowed every other answer, which he would’ve said on a regular basis, down. This… This was different.
"I will let you know as soon as I have a place. With WiFi!"
Kageyama looked at him for a few seconds, then he nodded and his expression became softer. "I hope you do."
And Shouyou smiled.
Centimetre by centimetre red curls were cut off, adding to the slowly growing pile on the ground.
Shouyou found it weird that it didn’t hurt. For years he had let it grown out, not really caring as long as he could see the ball, but now this childish thought returned to his mind and he would’ve laughed if a stranger wasn’t busy cutting his bangs in that very moment.
He could feel how his head became a little lighter, how the long strands that belonged to his past self – his third-year self that lived in Japan and sought a new challenge – transformed him into a new Hinata Shouyou. The metallic scraping of the scissors and the small squeak the joints made whenever the hairdresser pulled the blades apart again, sounded clear in his ears.
With each centimetre that was cut off, something that had kept him down for so long, was taken off of him. Taken by an unknown man working in a shop that his new flatmate had recommended to him because it was cheap and because Shouyou didn’t want to spend that much of Kenma’s money or his own savings from his part-time job on sunscreen.
The haircut though, that was necessary, and when he had made the decision to get it cut instead of buying scrunchies, he had tugged at his strands and stared at it for a few solid minutes before grinning, grim and determined, to be prepared to take the next step towards his goal.
Maybe this thought was a little childish as well, but Shouyou didn’t mind.
Once in a while the hairdresser switched the hairgrips from one side to the other until most of them weren’t needed anymore. After using the warm water of the spray bottle, he carded through the moist red to brush out already cut hair so that it fell to the other strands on the ground.
In the mirror, Shouyou could see how the freshly cut tipscurled and he stared at it in fascination.
The hairdresser caught his gaze and laughed roughly. Then he started a conversation, but when he noticed that Shouyou looked at him, baffled and seemingly ransacking his mind for words of the language he didn’t know yet, he smiled friendly and changed to another topic, using easy words and phrases. Shouyou was incredibly grateful for this man to not leave him there, sitting in utter silence, awkward and alone with his thoughts.
Initially, with each centimetre being cut off, Shouyou heartbeat had increased, but now it grew calmer. His lips twitched and for a few seconds he squeezed his eyes shut, visualising the change and accepting himself.
When he opened them again, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. Brown orbs, big and round and molten, stared right back. There was confidence and willpower, and so much determination. He was looking forward to seeing who he would become, where he would go, and what he would be able to achieve.
Very slowly, the corners of his lips curled, and he smiled, grim and firm.
Shouyou picked up his water bottle again and took a few sips.
The conversation was still very vivid in his mind and thinking about all the changes, all the things which would happen in the near future, made him antsy and his stomach twisted uncomfortably. He scrunched his nose, let the bottle slowly sink, and gave it a thoughtful frown.
So many things were about to be different.
No more driving up and down that mountain to get to high school. No more classes. No more practise until the late hours. No more only Kageyama and him, sitting on these steps behind the gym and taking a break after a few satisfying tosses.
He wouldn’t even be in Japan anymore.
He swallowed and his grip around the bottle tightened. At times like these it was difficult to distinguish whether it was excitement of anxiety that was taking over his system, overflowing with so many thoughts at once that he wasn’t able to get a full night’s sleep or a–
"You’ll leave it like that?"
Shouyou blinked and turned to look at Kageyama, whose eyes were resting not on his, but on his hair.
"Huh?"
Kageyama lowered his gaze – blue marbles , Shouyou thought, just like blue marbles – to look him in the eyes. His cheeks were dusted with a hue of pink that gave Kageyama an endearing appearance.
"Your hair," he said, unperturbed. "It’s gotten quite long recently and you didn’t cut it since… dunno know, second year or something? If you don’t cut it soon, it will be even longer by the time you’ll be over there."
Shouyou frowned. Once he had realised what his friend had sad and was able to focus on their conversations once again, he thought about the words.
‘Over there’ sounded so vague and distant. But Kageyama was right, it was a long way from Japan to Brazil. He would be halfway around the globe in a city way bigger than his home town or Karasuno. He wondered which route the plane would fly.
He raised a hand and tugged at a strand hanging low over his forehead. "Yeah, you’re right," he said, much quieter than expected. A lump still sat in his throat and he swallowed it down.
"But I can just cut it there. If I keep it until then, it’ll be handy during the winter, y’know? To keep me warm."
"How?"
"Ah, you know, hair stuff. If you would grow some hair you would know what I mean." Shouyou smirked and nudged Kageyama’s knee with his.
Kageyama frowned, slightly irritated, but he seemed to contemplate about it seriously.
So Shouyou added, "Maybe like a beard or something" and made a vague gesture with his hand, wondering how it actually felt to have a beard.
He hadn’t reckoned with Kageyama laughing boisterously and Shouyou was so startled that he stared, wide-eyed, at his friend, who pressed a hand to his stomach.
A rare sight.
"Yeah," Kageyama finally let out once he had enough air to breathe, "because you’re the expert in beards, Hinata."
"Just you wait!" Shouyou exclaimed with a slight stutter and he felt his cheeks heat up. "I’ll come back and have the longest beard you’ve ever seen!"
Kageyama’s laughter grew quiet until his expression was calm and collected once more. His eyes rested on Shouyou and he gave him a studying look.
"It will be a long time until then," he mumbled.
Shouyou blinked once and swallowed. "Yeah," he croaked.
"I…" Kageyama bit his lower lip, clenched his fingers to fists before releasing them again. "I look forward to playing again. After."
"Yeah." Shouyou nodded slowly. "Yeah… after."
The following pause left Shouyou tense and unsettled. The uneasy feeling grew stronger in his stomach and he searched for something to ground him again. He shook his head once and turned to Kageyama, beaming at him.
"Hey!"
"Hm?"
"Are you sure there are no leaves anymore?"
Kageyama frowned. "What?"
"In my hair." Shouyou nudged the other’s thigh and tilted his head a little that most of his scalp was directed at Kageyama but he was still able to see the other’s face. "Here, look at it and… and use your hands. To make sure there are none. I want to get to Brazil in one piece and not slip on the ground. Like a said before, right?"
Instead of moving his hands, Kageyama sighed exasperated. "Jeez, there are none."
"Make sure, Kageyama!" he insisted, not intending to let up yet.
Shouyou stared at his friend and waited, waited. Kageyama’s brows twitched, his eyes were gleaming in the bright sunlight – marbles indeed – and once he noticed that Shouyou wouldn’t budge a centimetre, he sighed.
"Alright, alright, I get it." He raised his hand but before he extended it, he scowled. "Could you not stare at me like that, it’s creepy!"
"I’m not staring!"
"Yes, you are! Cut it out. I’m only touching your hair to… to check for leaves."
"Obviously."
"Yes, obviously. Now let me."
"Then get finally started!"
"I will! Just stop staring already!"
"Okay!"
"Okay!"
Shouyou gave his friend a final glare before he lowered his gaze, fixing it on Kageyama’s shorts. This time he didn’t have to wait as long as the time before and nearly flinched when slender fingers got in touch with his strands once more.
Kageyama’s touch was still deliberately slow and tentative, but every movement he made felt confident and steady. Slightly cold but soft fingertips carded through his strands, tousled the wild red and even took a few in-between the firm grip.
Familiar pleasant prickles that Shouyou had felt before ran through his body again and spread into his limbs and mind; he nearly dropped the water bottle. He tried his best not to close his eyes or let out a contented sigh, but smiled, wide and wider, under the gentle ministration.
At the end, Kageyama ruffled his tuft before retreating fully, leaving a disappointed but satisfied Shouyou. His emotions must’ve been written all over his face, because when Shouyou straightened his back, he noticed his friend’s deep frown.
"What?" Kageyama asked.
"You’re done?" (Already? It was left unsaid.)
Kageyama shrugged. "There are no leaves."
"Oh." Shouyou nodded slowly. "I see." From the corners of his eyes he saw Kageyama frown but he didn’t know what to ask so he fiddled with his water bottle instead.
The memory of Kageyama’s fingers touching his scalp, lingering in his hair and ruffling his head, made him smile to himself as he looked down at the bottle between his legs. And when he glanced to the side, just a little bit, he could see that next to him, Kageyama was smiling too, quietly and tenderly.
"Oi, Hinata, Kageyama! Break time is over!"
"Oh, captain’s call!" Shouyou shouted and turned his head around to wave at Yamaguchi, who was followed by a frowning Tsukishima.
"And here I thought I could train in silence," Kageyama muttered as he got up to his feet.
"I can be quiet!" Shouyou jumped up and gave his friend a challenging look, stretching his neck.
"Yeah? Prove it!" Kageyama’s eyes gleamed at him in the light of the afternoon sun.
"I will," Shouyou announced, grinning wide and wider still.
"Bring it on."
Shouyou blinked and watched how the hairdresser removed the coat so that he could see his familiar shorts and tank top again.
He leaned a bit forward on the chair and turned his head left and right to take a proper look at himself. The hairdresser picked up a large mirror from the cupboard and held it that Shouyou could see his neck and the back of his head.
The long strands that had been a wild mess for so long had vanished. Soft curls stuck out to all sides, still chaotic and unruly, but they were still his, red and untamed.
With his neck being free of any hair now, he felt an gentle unfamiliar breeze when the hairdresser moved behind him. The skin was pale as it had been covered by hair up so far, but Shouyou thought that now he would tan even there. He raised a hand and carded them through the short strands, noticing that there was still enough to grab them, though, less than before. The hair was also a bit wet from the water, but he was sure that once he would walk a few meters in the blazing sun outside it would dry in to time.
He smirked at his own reflection and let his hand sink.
Shouyou got up and made sure to evade the pile of red on the ground before advancing to the check-out where the hairdresser named his price and Shouyou paid. He thanked the hairdresser a few times because he knew no other words to express his gratitude before turning towards the door. He made sure his bag was sitting secured between his shoulder blades and pushed the door open.
Shouyou started to head down the street, jumping a little bit and humming to himself. It took a few more metres before he noticed how bright the sun was, even brighter than before, and then he realised that he had forgotten his visor at the store. He whirled around, ran back and could already see the hairdresser standing on the street, waiting for him with a roaring laughter in his throat to pick up his visor.
Once he had made sure that he had every belonging he actually wanted to keep with him, he once more trailed down the way he had come. When he reached the end of the street, he turned his eyes to the left to look up the hill. Fewer houses were there, only a few trees and a small garage covered the peak.
It didn’t take a second for Shouyou to make his decision before he turned and climbed the last few metres in height to reach the very top of that hill he had walked up half the afternoon.
A strong breeze tousled his short hair, tickled his neck, and tugged at his visor, which Shouyou made sure to push a bit further down his head so that he wouldn’t need to chase it. The fresh wind was filled with solid scents of something earthy and the saltiness of the Atlantic. Shouyou squinted his eyes, his lips formed an ever-growing smile the longer he watched the sparkling blue of the Ocean in the afternoon sun.
He tilted his head downward to see the many houses and their gardens, which were built at the slope of the hill. It seemed as if they were stacked above each other, neatly forming arbitrary structures and routes; here and there Shouyou could see people following the narrow streets or putting up their laundry on a washing line.
His eyes followed the hidden pathways, gazed over the green spots and open windows and caught a glimpse of people chatting with their neighbours. His gaze was guided further and further toward the foot of the hill and then… he saw the beach.
Bright brown and blue clashed against each other, and even from the distance Shouyou could make out a few people playing beach volleyball. A sudden spark shot right through his chest, he couldn’t wait to go down there later and show off his new haircut.
He smiled, bright and warm, and fumbled for his bag, opening the zipper. It was the perfect spot to take a picture, he had to show today’s result to his mother and Natsu after all.
He swiped the screen, opened the camera, and turned around so that he leaned against the quite narrow wall, careful not to flip over by chance. When he saw his reflection in the phone, he noticed that he was still wearing the visor and took it off to stuff it between upper arm and torso.
Shouyou made sure that the sky, ocean and beach were on the picture when he took a couple. Once satisfied, he stuffed his phone away, put the visor back on, and lingered for a while at the spot, gazing at the Atlantic and beyond.
After a few minutes he nodded to himself and turned around, trotting down the hill and heading home.
The streets were quiet in the late afternoon, but the heat nonetheless preserved. While Shouyou took care not to slip while stumbling down the steeper parts of the hill, he dared to look to the side where he saw glimpses of gleaming blue waves appear through the narrow alleys of the houses, and sometimes he could make out the bright spots that belonged to the beach. His smile hadn’t faltered and he was excited to go there later; for now he wanted to head back home and cook dinner.
It took about half an hour and mixing up directions before Shouyou shoved the key into the lock and pushed the door to the shared flat open. Pedro’s shoes weren’t in the entryway, which is why he didn’t hold back and whistled a bit, slightly off-key. After washing hands and getting rid of his bag and visor, Shouyou took his phone and opened the chat app.
He continued humming while sending a few messages. He wondered what his mother would say about his new haircut and he could already imagine Natsu’s wide eyes, complimenting him on it with the same excitement he was feeling.
When he started typing out the same content in another chat, his fingers twitched nervously while he chose the picture to add. He didn’t understand why since he felt confident about his cut – liked it a lot actually – but for some reason knowing that his friends would see it made his insides churn funnily.
His hand hovered over the button but he hit ‘send’ anyway before letting the phone flop on his bed and heading to the kitchen where he started preparations for a small dinner.
Keeping it simple, he soon had a bowl of rice, a salad and some fried salmon set in front of him. He sat down at the table, folded his hands and spoke his thanks before digging in.
It was quiet in the apartment. The walls were thin and so listened to the neighbours, the gargling pipes, and the chirping of birds from outside. Lately, he had gotten used to eating together with Pedro, but when their schedules didn’t meet up, Shouyou found himself at the kitchen table, left alone with his own thoughts.
After he finished, he cleaned the used tools and walked back to his room where he started gathering his gear and picked a few things to wear to the beach. When his eye fell on his phone, he tilted his head as in question and picked it up.
It was still early morning in Japan, and moreover Saturday, which is why he was surprised to see so many responses already. The messages made him grin and the lump in his stomach grew weaker.
He first checked the chat with his family and he realised that, of course, Natsu would have to get up for her club and their mother would work. It made sense that they were up that early already.
Shouyou [18:03]: look what I got today!
Shouyou [18:03]: [PICTURE SENT]
Mom [18:23]: Oh my, Shouyou
Mom [18:23]: this looks so good!!
Natsu [18:26]: AMAZING SHOU!!!
Natsu [18:26]: but I wud never :D :D
Shouyou [19:07]: I know, hehe
Shouyou [19:07]: I’m glad you like it, puh~
Shouyou smiled and read through their small conversation one more time, glad that the two liked it. Then he switched tothe other chat that showed a few new messages as well, but his fingers trembled slightly when he tapped the group chatthey had made during the second year of high school.
Shouyou [18:03]: look what I got today!
Shouyou [18:03]: [PICTURE SENT]
Tsukishima K. [18:24]: no new phone at least, it’s blurry
Tsukishima K. [18:24]: (￢ ￢)
Shouyou snickered. He couldn’t help a small pout but he was still happy that Tsukishima had replied. And as the first of all.
Yamaguchi Tadashi [18:26]: Tsukki!! come on, be nice
Yamaguchi Tadashi [18:26]: it looks Hinata!
Yamaguchi Tadashi [18:26]: *good! it looks good!
Yacchan [18:28]: WAAAAHHH!!
Yacchan [18:29]: I woke up to see this first thing in the morning
Yacchan [18:29]: so great!!
Yacchan [18:29]: amazing!!
Shouyou chuckled at Yachi's reaction, which was so similar to his sister's.
A warm feeling streamed through his body and the previous uneasiness disappeared. But there was still one person missing and Shouyou was just about to thank his friends for their words, when little bubbles appeared next to the small name of Kageyama Tobio.
Kageyama T. [19:12]: what happened?? where is your hair?
When Shouyou read it, his stomach made a small jump. Nervous queasiness and excitement coiled in his belly and he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to curl into himself or jump to try and reach the ceiling.
What if Kageyama might not like his haircut and why was the answer to this so important to him? It actually didn’t matter whether Kageyama liked it or not. It was hot in Brazil and short hair was handy for playing, especially at the beach. His hair was getting in his eyes too and sweat and sand stuck in the strands, clogging the drain. Kageyama would certainly have cut his hair too if he had had hair as long as Shouyou. He himself even found that it looked good at himself so why would he needed his friend’s confirmation?
Feeling that his thoughts became a ramble of excuses, Shouyou wriggled his hips into the mattress and waited for another reply. When non followed, he started typing.
Shouyou [19:15]: thank yu guys!!
Shouyou [19:15]: and people call it a new haircut, Kageyama-kun!
Tsukishima K. [19:16]: that doesn’t answer his question haha
Yamaguchi Tadashi [19:17]: Tsukki!!!
Tsukishima K. [19:17]: alright, I admit it…
Tsukishima K. [19:17]: looks okay
Shouyou [19:17]: thank you, Tsukishima!
Tsukishima K. [19:18]: Yamaguchi made me say it
Yamaguchi Tadashi [19:18]: i did not!
Yamaguchi Tadashi [19:18]: really, that was his honest answer Tsukki made himself
Tsukishima K. [19:19]: i did write it myself, but i can’t speak about honesty here
Shouyou [19:20]: really?
There was a minute passing by without any direct reply but Shouyou kept staring at his phone.
Tsukishima K. [19:21]: no
He immediately smiled.
Yamaguchi Tadashi [19:21]: and now he was honest :)
Tsukishima K. [19:22]: you know me too well, Yamaguchi..
Yamaguchi Tadashi [19:22]: aww, thank you, Tsukki!!
Tsukishima K. [19:22]: that wasn’t a compliment
Yamaguchi Tadashi [19:23]: TSUKKI!! explain pls
Shouyou laughed and waited for more to come but it seemed that Tsukishima and Yamaguchi wanted to continue this conversation not in their group chat. Or in the early morning. They were probably sitting over breakfast or were on their way to university or training.
Shouyou wondered why Yachi was up already since there she had no classes on a Saturday, but before he could write something, Yachi’s message was already there.
Yacchan [19:23]: when did you get it cut?
Shouyou [19:23]: 2hrs ago! about
Shouyou [19:23]: i tok the picture right aftr!
Yacchan [19:23]: today??
Shouyou [19:23]: yes!!!
Kageyama T. [19:24]: can’t you talk normal?
Shouyou [19:24]: no!!!
Shouyou [19:24]: Kageyama-kun, what d’yu think?
Kageyama T. [19:24]: that you talk too much too early in the morning
Shouyou [19:24]: it’s evening here!!
Shouyou [19:24]: and my hairrrr, what about my hair??
Kageyama T. [19:24]: it’s gone
Shouyou [19:24]: come on..
Yamaguchi Tadashi [19:25]: it looks really good on you, Hinata!
Yamaguchi Tadashi [19:25]: i guess the weather in Brazil is even hotter than in Japan, right?
Yamaguchi Tadashi [19:26]: maybe i should cut mine too, hmm
Tsukishima K. [19:26]: no!
Yamaguchi Tadashi [19:26]: Tsukki, what
Tsukishima K. [19:26]: just.no.
Shouyou [19:27]: what’s this, first fight, huh?
Yacchan [19:27]: i’m always there if you need to talk about it
Tsukishima K. [19:27]: uhm, Yachi-san, it’s not a fight
Yacchan [19:27]: oh, I’m glad!
Yamaguchi Tadashi [19:28]: we’re fine, Yachi!
Shouyou crossed his legs and leaned back against the wall, watching the group chat and the conversation of his friends, which slowed down a little as the day in Japan proceeded. He fiddled with the device and waited patiently.
And then, after a few minutes had passed in which he swiped the screen again and again so that it wouldn’t get dark, he received another message. This time it wasn’t in the group chat.
Shouyou changed chats and opened the private one with Kageyama.
Kageyama T. [19:35]: it looks knife
Kageyama T. [19:35]: *nice
Kageyama T. [19:35]: I mean it looks good..
Shouyou beamed at it and for a few seconds he just stared at the screen, grinning and warm and fluffy in the inside. Relief flooded through him, even when the next message came.
Kageyama T. [19:36]: there, satisfied?
Shouyou [19:36]: thank you!!
Kageyama T. [19:37]: do you like it?
Shouyou [19:37]: i do!
Kageyama T. [19:37]: good. you can see the ball better now
Shouyou [19:37]: right!?
Kageyama T. [19:38]: so your receives may improve
Kageyama T. [19:38]: maybe
Shouyou [19:38]: they will! just you wait!
He grinned in determination stared at the phone’s screen in the dim light of his room.
Shouyou [19:40]: so…
Shouyou [19:40]: what are yur plans for the day?
Kageyama T. [19:40]: getting out of bed to start with
Shouyou [19:40]: oh, good start indeed! :D
Shouyou [19:40]: and then?
Kageyama T. [19:41]: you want to know my whole schedule?
Shouyou [19:41]: of course!
Shouyou [19:41]: details pls
Kageyama T. [19:41]: can’t help it, huh..
And then Kageyama started to type the things he had planned for the day and Shouyou smiled warmly because his friend was doing that because he had asked him to.
Kageyama T. [19:42]: it’s saturday, so no official training
Kageyama T. [19:42]: but I’ll meet up with Ushijima-san on a field nearby anyway
Kageyama T. [19:42]: then I will cook and do the laundry
Kageyama T. [19:42]: how about you? it’s evening, right?
Shouyou [19:43]: you have a lot to do!
Shouyou [19:43]: and yes, i just finished dinner
Shouyou [19:43]: will go to the beach after and meet up with some guys i met yesterday
Shouyou [19:43]: and show off my hair of course!! hehe
Kageyama T. [19:44]: yes…
Kageyama T. [19:44]: off it is
Shouyou [19:44]: you said yu liked it!
Kageyama T. [19:44]: I do!
Shouyou [19:44]: so I have the right to show it off
Kageyama T. [19:44]:because I approved it?
Shouyou could literally see the confused scowl on his friend’s face while reading his message. But he gathered his confidence.
Shouyou [19:45]: yeah, so?
Kageyama T. [19:45]: …
Kageyama T. [19:45]: okay, yes, you can
Shouyou [19:45]: why does it sound like i needed your permission??
Kageyama T. [19:45]: well, now you have it
Shouyou [19:46]: oh, thank.you, Kageyama-kun!
Kageyama T. [19:46]: :D
They continued their early morning and late evening bickering for a while. With every sentence that went through his fingers into the phone, Shouyou felt a little lighter, and it wasn't because he had much less hair on his head. He smiled at the bubbling dots, the small remarks, the jokes and the hidden embarrassment in his friend’s text, and somehow he knew that Kageyama enjoyed this as much as he was.
Kageyama T. [19:51]: I think I will get up for real now
Kageyama T. [19:51]: have to go on my morning run
Shouyou [19:51]: alright!
Shouyou [19:51]: i need to drive to the beach soon anyway
Kageyama T. [19:51]: yes. I know.
Kageyama T. [19:51]: have fun. Hinata
Shouyou [19:52]: i will. yu too!
He was about to leave the chat when he saw that Kageyama typed some more. It took a while and he seemed to erase the text again and again before finally words were send across the globe for Shouyou to read.
Kageyama T. [19:54]:Do you want to video chat next weekend?
The message was written so awkwardly formal but Shouyou didn’t care, he was already typing his reply.
Shouyou [19:54]: yeah!
Kageyama T. [19:54]: oh. Great! So… let’s write about a time later
Shouyou [19:54]: yes! :)
Kageyama T. [19:55]: so…
Kageyama T. [19:55]: see you then?
Shouyou [19:55]: yes. see yu next week. for real, haha
Kageyama T. [19:57]: :)
Shouyou watched his screen until it went black, then he squeezed his eyes shut and let out a small happy shout that his neighbours probably heard. He grinned wide and grimly and raised his hand to ruffle his short strands before standing up.
He grabbed his sports gear and as he stood in the middle of his room with elastic pants in one hand and the phone in the other, he took a deep shuddering breath and smiled, already looking forward to the next weekend.