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They lost the preliminary.
The simple fact had really hit home for Yamaguchi. He had really believed that Karasuno was unstoppable; the momentum they had was what convinced him with all his heart that they could actually win and come out victorious over the other schools.
But the dream ended too abruptly. Aobajousai came out the stronger team that day.
All of the energy that his team mates had before the match just dissipated into nothing. Everyone was sombre or disappointed, crying even. Even Tsukishima was oddly quiet. The encouraging words the coach left them with could only do so much.
Yamaguchi gripped the volleyball tighter in his hands. He felt guilty somewhat, missing that serve at such a critical moment of the game. He could’ve gotten them that precious point but he messed up and the ball had hit the net.
He wouldn’t lie to himself. He regretted that moment. He regretted not being able to squeeze in more practice on his jump float serve before the match even though he knew he had done the best he can. He regretted feeling so nervous on the court that he might not have the required focus to make his serve work.
However, Yamaguchi knew better. Rather than dwell too much on things he couldn’t change, Yamaguchi resolved to himself to get better. His serve is his weapon. He just needed to hone it so that he could be better than the rest of the competition.
That was why he was currently behind the gym building whereas everyone else was inside. He wanted to practice where people couldn’t see his imperfect form.
After half an hour, his palm was red and sore from serving against the wall. Yamaguchi stopped for a breather. He felt satisfied so far but in all honesty, he couldn’t do this alone. For him to know that his serve is actually getting better, he needed someone to help him receive it. He needed feedback.
He was so occupied with his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed someone coming up to him until he felt a shocking cold pressed against the back of his neck. Yamaguchi yelped before swivelling around quickly to find Hinata standing behind him with two cans of juice in his hands, scowling.
“Geez, why are you so tall?” he heard Hinata grumbled before being tugged by the ends of his shirt to sit down with him on a cemented part of the ground behind the building. Yamaguchi followed dumbly, still not over the surprise of having cold juice against his warm skin.
As soon as he sat down, Hinata offered him a tin.
“This is for you. My treat.”
Yamaguchi blinked.
This was rare. He had never talked to Hinata much before but in all the instances that he managed to brought up to himself, all held the scenario of him talking to the other while someone else was present as well. Like Kageyama or Tsukki.
He guessed his confusion was apparent since Hinata got mad and shoved the tin into his hands.
“Take it, man. Hydration is important during practice!”
“Right,” was all Yamaguchi managed to reply back with. His fingers fumbled to pop the can and he gulped a few sips under Hinata’s scrutiny, a bit afraid of what Hinata would do if he didn’t. That dangerous shine in his eyes while Yamaguchi drank made him a tad self-conscious.
Hinata leaned back, satisfied that Yamaguchi hadn’t refused his offer and opened his own can of orange juice. He was uncharacteristically quiet and that made for awkward silence in Yamaguchi’s book.
Feeling like the silence between them was suffocating, Yamaguchi tried for light conversation.
“W-” Yamaguchi’s voice unintentionally cracked at the start of the sentence. Feeling his cheeks turned warm, he coughed and started again. “What are you doing out here?”
“What are you doing out here, Yamaguchi?” Hinata reflected the question back to him.
Yamaguchi was once again caught unaware. “Eh?”
“Everyone’s inside,” he said simply before taking another sip of his juice. Hinata didn’t look back at Yamaguchi. He just stared at his shoes while scuffing the ground.
A hand found its way to the back of his head, rubbing at the familiar spot whenever Yamaguchi’s feeling nervous. “Well…um…I feel a bit embarrassed practicing inside. My serve isn’t perfect yet.”
“But there’s nothing to be embarrassed about?” asked Hinata back, finally looking up to meet his eyes. Yamaguchi stared right back, his mouth agape.
“Um.”
The innocent tone in which Hinata asked the question left him speechless. Was there anything to be ashamed of in the first place? Of course there were but with the way Hinata said it made him rethink it.
“I can promise you no one inside that gym is perfect in anything they do,” Hinata said as a small smile graced his lips. “That’s why everyone’s practicing inside. Together. Join us.”
Yamaguchi couldn’t help but smile back. Hinata’s smile was the most contagious he had ever seen. Somehow he felt a little better. “Yeah, but I’d feel like everybody would be looking at me and I was afraid that I won’t be able to focus.” He put his now empty tin down. “You know?” he finished lamely, it was almost a whisper.
Hinata shrugged. “I can’t say I fully understand, but okay. Sure.”
Well, of course, thought Yamaguchi. Hinata was a ball of confidence, the complete opposite of him. Hinata wanted to be the ace and obnoxiously kept reminding everyone he had ever met about it. The boy demanded attention as much as Yamaguchi shied away from it. Which left him wondering. “Don’t you ever get nervous?”
“Nervous?” Hinata repeated the question incredulously.
Yamaguchi nodded.
Before he knew it, Hinata was roaring in laughter, doubling up and laying by his side while clutching his stomach for dear life. Yamaguchi panicked. Did he say something wrong? What was so funny that Hinata had to laugh like that?
He got his answer soon enough.
“Oh. My. God! I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!! Are you kidding me? Yamaguchi, where were you when I was practically screaming for the toilet before every match?!”
Yamaguchi blushed. He blushed so hard he thought that his cheeks were probably burned off with all the heat rushing through it. Ah, how could he ask such a stupid question? That was…That was…a mistaaaaaake!
Yamaguchi couldn’t handle it, being laughed at like that. So he did the first thing he could think of. He clamped his hands over Hinata’s mouth to shut him up.
It was all in vain, though, Hinata wouldn’t stop laughing and his muffled voice still sounded too loud to poor Yamaguchi’s ears. Hinata tried to roll away from him and ended up pulling him down as well, leaving Yamaguchi with no choice but to wrestle with Hinata on the dirty ground and trying to put him into a chokehold.
“Aaaah, alright! Alright!” gasped Hinata, grabbing uselessly at Yamaguchi’s arms across his neck. “I give!!”
“Promise you won’t laugh if I let you go?” questioned Yamaguchi, his arms threateningly tightened their hold.
“I won’t! I promise!”
“Promise promise?”
Hinata screamed back. “Pinkie promise! Now let go!”
Yamaguchi did just that.
Hinata was all out of breath and so was he. While he tried to get his breathing back to normal, Yamaguchi realised something that made him smile. He no longer felt burdened, the feeling replaced completely with something light. It was a wonder how Hinata managed to do that in minutes when he had been stewing on the problem for days. He guessed he shouldn’t expect less from the person who made even Kageyama and elusive Kenma to warm up to him.
“Did you come out just to drag me back in?”
“Hm?” Hinata perked his head up from the ground from where he lay down so dramatically after their mini wrestling match. He put his head back down after his shoulders hurt looking at Yamaguchi in that pose, his hands in his pockets. “Well no, Kageyama is being a sour grape. What a poop! I couldn’t stand being in there another minute!”
“Also!” continued Hinata. Yamaguchi stiffened when Hinata practically jumped to a squat from his lying position, grabbed one of his shoulders and shoved a fist near his face. He instinctively flinched at that.
Hinata proceeded to open his hand for Yamaguchi to see, a huge grin on his face as if he was so pleased with himself. There were only three candies hidden in that small palm, leaving Yamaguchi’s forehead creased with confusion.
“What?”
“For you. As a small celebration.”
Hinata prompted for Yamaguchi to take them with a sway of his hand.
Taking them, Yamaguchi asked. “For…what exactly?”
Hinata stood up and messed with Yamaguchi’s hair, much to his chagrin. “Idiot!~ What else? How did it feel finally being able to stand in court for the first time? Fun, right? It’s totally fun!”
That was…unexpected…to be congratulated for something trivial like that. Except that it wasn’t trivial to him and it made his heart leap by bounds. Yamaguchi felt another wave of embarrassment coming, so he ducked his head from Hinata’s heavy ruffling and pretended to eat one of the sweets. To think he’d be this happy at Hinata’s words.
“More than fun, it was horrifying!” Yamaguchi popped one candy into his mouth, still avoiding Hinata’s line of gaze. “How’d you guys even stay calm at all those times?”
Hinata let out a short chuckle, puffing his chest out. “Well you already know how I cope with that! Maybe next time we could go to the toilet together!”
“That’s not something to be proud about!” Yamaguchi whacked one of Hinata’s shins. He ignored Hinata’s following whine. “Also, I think I’ll find another way. Thanks for the suggestion though.”
“It’s not a suggestion; it was an offer that cannot be refused!”
“Yeah, yeah…”
“Welp, now that you’re all good, let’s just head back to the gym yeah?”
Yamaguchi took one look at Hinata’s outstretched hand before accepting it, grinning back up at Hinata.
“Sure.”
Omake
He let himself be pulled up by Hinata. He didn’t help on purpose even when he knew Hinata was struggling because there was something comical about a short guy trying to pull up a taller person. Maybe Tsukki was rubbing off on him more than he realised. Maybe he just liked to tease Hinata for no real reason.
“Having trouble?” teased Yamaguchi.
Hinata scoffed. “No, you’re just heavy. But I got it, I got it.”
“That’s very dependable of you,” said Yamaguchi, a hint of amusement in his voice. The amusement turned to laughter when it was clear Hinata took offence to that. That pout was not fooling anyone.
“Believe it or not, I was captain of my team back in Junior High.”
“Captain? Who’d make a captain out of someone who doesn’t know how to receive properly?”
“Shut it, Yamaguchi.”
“Sorry, Hinata.”