Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

sniffles and sobs echoed the empty bathroom.

Hinatas eyes burned as he sobbed and gnawed at his throat with his fingernails. He didn’t reach his goal. He was supposed to be at practice. Natsu wasn’t supposed to be at home.

He pulled his fingers coated with saliva out of his throat while sobbing, thinking about how much he’ll gain after this. He tasted blood.

Hinata knew that he cant live forever like this. He knew he had to eat at least *something.*

Hinata got up and washed his hands, he couldn’t bare looking at his reflection. With his previous thought, he went downstairs to make him and Natsu some food.

What he didnt expect was to find Natsu sitting at the dining table, looking down.

He didnt think much of it, maybe something happened in schoo-

“Onii-san.”

Shouyou stood still.

“Why were you crying in the bathroom?” Natsu looked up at Shouyou, with the same, pitiful, concerned look in her eyes like everyone else. He was sick of it.

“Its- nothing, uhm, i just got a bad grade is all.” he replied, trying to act as nonchalant as possible.

“What kind of ‘bad grade’ makes you cry that much?” she asked and pestered, waiting for a genuine response.

The front door opened, there was a sigh to be heard and plastic bags full of grocery being put down.

“Natsuuu!! Are you homeee? Come get these groceries!” Yelled Yuna, kicking off her shoes and putting down her Handbag.

“Oh, Shouyou! What are you doing home? Don’t you have practice?”, gasps Yuna, gesturing in the air.

“I wasn’t feeling well, so i didn’t go.” replied shouyou.

Yuna laughed, “What? You went to practice with a fever one time, im not buying your act Shouyou.” She hung her coat on the Coat rack as she looked back at Shouyou.

His head hung low as Natsu went up to her room, sensing an argument.

Yuna grabed the groceries and put them on the table, then turned around to face Shouyou.

There was a few moments of silence before Yuna spoke up again.

“Seriously Shouyou? I put so much effort into coming to your little games and paying for your practice, Just for you to not even attend practice?“, she paused for a moment and then continued,

“Is this how you repay me? You know, some parents dont even pay or- or go to stupid games. You should be grateful im giving you that.”

Shouyou didn’t dare to look up. Tears threatening to fall and expose his weakness.

“And your grades, they’re failing Shoyou. Do you know what would happen if your father found out? Do you want me to tell him about that last 23/100?”

Two silent tears rolled down his face. Weak. Boys don’t cry.

“You don’t even care about your future, You barely study and then come crying to me when you get a bad grade. “
“You…”
“Volleyball…”
“Grades…”
“Ungrateful…”

And if she rambled on after that, Shouyou doesn’t know. He stopped listening after the first sentence.

________________________________________

Hinata was bored out of his mind, staring at his so called ‘Comic’ that he was supposed to be finishing at the end of the lesson. (Which was 2 minutes away.)

He lifted his head to stare at the clock, watching how the pointers moved and how the clock made a ‘tick, tock’ sound every second.

Just as he was about to sigh, Hinata got jumpscared by his Teacher loudly speaking in the quiet, eeeeeerie classroom.

“Alright, lets wrap this lesson up. Everyone pack your stuff and off to English class!”, spoke his Art teacher, making Hinata flinch.

Hinata had 5 minutes to get to the English classroom, which was clearly enough time because the class was literally next door.

He decided to pack up his pencils and then just as he stood up, A conversation caught his ear.

“Have you seeeeenn the way Kageyama looks at Hinata?!” so-called-whispered Yamaguchi to a mysterious Blonde next to him.

Hinata sat right back down, clutching his ‘Comic.’

“Yama you do realize he’s right there, right? He might be listening.”, replied the mysterious Blonde.

Oh Hinata was listening alright.

“Gomen Tsukki.. but dont you think they need a push-“

“Off a cliff? definitely.”, finished Tsukishima. Oh, thats who he was.

“In the right direction… whatever, don’t you think we should help them fall in love?”, replied Yamaguchi with an offended look.

“Didn’t you just say they were in love already? Pick a side Yama.”, said Tsukishima as he rolled his eyes.

“I’ve had it with you! You’re always against my ideas! While YOU were playing video games, IIIII was the reason Kiyoko and Tanaka got together! You didn’t listen that time, and guess what happened!” Yelled Yamaguchi, making everyone stop in their tracks and stare at the two .. Boyfriends…

The bell saved them from further embarrassment.

Oh shit, those 5 minutes really weren’t enough!

Hinata almost threw his unfinished ‘Comic’ (there were stickmen instead of full drawings) onto his art Teachers desk and ran to the classroom next door.

________________________________________

Chapter Text

Volleyball shoes screeching the hard gym floor was heard echoing. Throw some “Nice serve!” ‘s and a couple “Don’t mind!”’s  in it, And hey, you got the whole Karasuno Volleyball package.

Just as Kageyama was about to toss to Hinata and score the final point to finish the first set, He saw him slowly leaning toward the ground.

“Hinata!” was all the boy heard before he fell head first toward the ground.

The volleyball team gathered around him, concerned looks and worried cries could be heard.

Coach Ukai, who was previously having a very .. intense .. conversation with Takeda (they were arguing over which school they should have a practice match against next, Don’t worry guys nothing related to.. PDA..) , rushed over after hearing the commotion. The boy was rushed over to the nurses office immediately.

Hinata was awoken with a glass of cold water to his face.

He jolted awake to find himself covered with a white blanket.

“….. Hinata? …. are ….. better?” asked someone with that familiar concerned tone.

His head was pounding, probably a migraine, and he couldn’t make out most of the words this person was saying to him.

“Huh..?” was all he could muster out, looking at his scraped hand. He felt something unfamiliar on his face, as he lifted his hand to touch it, someone grabbed his wrist.

“Shouyou.”

Hinata flinched, glancing at the person who said his name.

There, sitting patiently, with a serious look on his stupid face, sat Kageyama Tobio, his arch nemesis.

Okay he may have lied there. He and Kageyama were sort of, maybe, friends.

What was he supposed to say? Kageyama always avoided him, never looked him in the eye and certainly didn’t call him by his first name.

Hinata yanked his wrist away and dried his wet face with the tissues next to him.

Or well, tried to. The tissue box was hoarding the tissues hostage.

Kageyama, watching the poor injured boy struggle, helped him out. What the hell? Did he just help Hinata out?

Hinata was dumbfounded.

What’s happening? is he dreaming? Did he die? is this the afterlife?

“Yyyyyyyyyeah?” he blurted out, looking confused.

“Where am i?” he asked, letting out the main question in his mind as he looked around.

“In the nurses office, sugar. You passed out in volleyball practice. Your dear friend brought you over.” Replied the kind nurse.

“Who the hell is my dear friend?” Kageyama rolled his eyes.

“Boke, Hinata.”

“Oh.”

There was a few moments of silence, maybe a blush, before the nurse left to ‘finish some paperwork’.

“You definitely left a lot of blood for us to clean. You broke your nose, boke.”

“My bad. I can’t really control when i break my nose, you know.” The boy replied, annoyed. All he wanted to do was get back to practice.

“Whatever. I’m going back to practice.” Just as the Ravenette stood up to leave, his wrist was grabbed.

“Wait, Im coming with you, just give me a second uhhhh.” The boy immediately stood up, his vision going black from rushing himself, and the blanket getting wrapped around his legs to hinder him.

“Uhhhhhh.” The boy glanced at Kageyama to help him.

You could think that this was an anime, because Hinata could swear he saw question marks beside Kageyamas head.

“What? are you coming or not?” he asked, not getting the memo.

“Youre such a doofus.” replied hinata, getting the blanket off him with noises of much struggle.

“What are we? in the 1700’s? what kind of insult was that?” Kageyama opened the door, gesturing with his eyes for Hinata to follow.

Hinata’s and Kageyama’s voices faded into the empty corridors as they made their way into the GYM.

____________________________________

As the two boys entered the GYM, everyone once again surrounded them and asked questions. Coach Ukai told Hinata to ‘take a break’, and benched him.

Seriously? Hinata? Get BENCHED?!

That was crossing lines. Hinata sat down with a huff and kept trying to reason with no avail.

He thought that everyone was being dramatic. He just .. passed out, you know, broke his nose, scraped a few areas, it’s nothing bad. Why bench him? He can still play perfectly fine.

Everyone kept glancing at him for rest of the practice, seeing if he’d pass out again.

After practice he was forced to help clean up by Coach Ukai, But when he decided to sweep, Sugawara took the broom out of his hand.

“I’ll handle this one! You go sit down.” said Sugawara, as if it was obvious.

Next, he reached for the volleyballs on the floor, and was stopped yet again, this time by Daichi.

“You should rest. I can pick these up myself.” He stated, as if it was obvious yet again.

Hinata got pretty annoyed, and looked around to see if he could be doing anything else. As he turned around to look around, he saw everyone staring back at him sheepishly and then immediately look down. He heard Tanaka start to whistle to seem as if he was busy, busy not looking at Hinata.

That was what everyone was pretty much doing. Trying to not look at Hinata.

He sighed and went to sit down beside Yachi and hugged his knees, watching everyone clean up and trying their best not to look at Hinata.

He opened his phone to check if he had any new messages, just to get jumpscared by this big, dark, gloomy shadow hovering over him. Was this… his doom?

He slowly raised his head to look at this dark, gloomy shadow, to see that it was Sugawara. With the broom in his hand.

“Suga?” Hinata asked, curiosity creeping in.

“Hinata, you know you can tell me anything right?” he gestured onto his broken nose.

“What do you mean? i passed out, is all. It’s just a one time thing.”, he replied, lying.

“Shouyou.. i’m worried about you. You’ve been getting thinner and i … wanted to… ask..” he looked to the side and grabbed his left arm with his right hand, deep in thought.

“Is everything okay at home?” Sugawara asked, completely serious.

“Whaaat?” Hinata broke into laughter.

Sugawara felt dumbfounded. He let the broom drop, completely unaware. It made a loud ‘thump’ noise, echoing in the GYM. Which made everyone stare in their direction.

“Hey! i’m completely serious here!”

“It’s whatever Suga. I’m completely fine, see?” Hinata replied, stating the .. not so obvious fact.

Sugawara wasn’t fully convinced, he knew something was wrong but decided to let it go. He sighed.

Hinata, unsure of what to say next, stared at Sugawara with a slight smile, waiting for him to say something.

After not hearing anything from the other, they were both waiting for the other to say something, Hinata looked behind Sugawara to see that everyone had finished tidying up the GYM and were waiting for them.

Hinata grabbed Sugawara’s hand and walked towards the other’s, who were standing before Coach Ukai and Takeda.

Coach Ukai waited for Hinata and Sugawara to arrive before he bumped Takeda’s shoulder.

Takeda, getting the memo, pushed up his glasses with one finger and announced:

“I managed to arrange a Training Camp with Nekoma Highschool!” he announced with pride.

The whole team started cheering, questions like “Whattt when?” being asked every 2 seconds while Coach Ukai told them to shut up and listen.

Sugawara realized that Hinata was still holding his hand and blushed, tapping Hinata on the shoulder with his free hand.

“Ano.. Hinataa…” he asked, quietly but seeing that Hinata was busy celebrating the Training Camp announcement, Sugawara let it go. He couldn’t stop thinking about the warm hand embracing his, though.

After Takeda announced the details like how it was gonna be in 2 weeks, everyone settled down and said their goodbyes to go home.

Just then did Hinata realize he was still holding Sugawara’s hand. He apologised, embarrassed that he was holding Sugawara’s hand for so long.

“AAHH!! Suga-Senpai, i’m so sorry! I was holding your hand for so long, why didn’t you say anything?” he asked, waiting for a response.

“Ah.. i guess i didn’t realise either..” He replied, completely aware that he was lying to Hinata. He missed the warmth, but he wouldn’t admit that.

______________________________________

The sun was setting as everyone left. Hinata hurried to the gate and opened the lock on his Bike to go home.

He walked his Bike to the gate until he heard a screeching, agonising voice.

He started walking faster.

“…nata! HINATA!”

he was basically jogging now.

Unfortunately the creature with the screeching voice was faster and catched up to him.

“Boke, Hinata!” huffed out Kageyama, out of breath.

“yyyesssss…? Whatever have i done to upset the King?”, teased Hinata.

“Don’t call me that. I just uhm, wanted to ask something.”

“Yes? how may i assit thou, my majesty?”

Kageyama rolled his eyes, before he continued and looked to the side, embarrassed.

“Uhm.”

“Just ask me already! I have to get home before dark!”, Hinata pressured.

“Fine! Doyouwannawalkhomewithme?!”, blurted out the Ravenette.

Hinata stared for a moment before giving his answer.

“Kageyama your house is on the other side of mine.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

There was an awkward pause before Hinata finally spoke up.

“So umm… see you tomorrow?”

“Yup. Bye.”

Kageyama fast walked out the gate while hinata screamed internally.

*DID HE JUST ASK TO WALK HOME??? TOGETHER???????*

Chapter Text

The two weeks passed by really quickly.

On the last week before the training camp, hinata hadn’t eaten anything. He was constantly dizzy but, hey, atleast he was getting skinnier! right?

It was currently 3:40 am, and Hinata was awake, playing Roblox. He hadn’t slept from being so excited. The training camp was today, afterall.

He’d already packed his bags, he forgot to do that the day before, so he stayed up late to pack them. He couldn’t sleep afterwards, so he decided to pull an all nighter.

Suddenly, he got a text from Kenma. He immediately clicked on it.

Kozume ( +81 *** *** ** ** ) ⁰³ ⁴² ᴬᴹ
Hi. You coming today?

Shouyou pondered for a moment, then wrote his response.

Shouyou ( 81+ *** *** ** ** ) ⁰³ ⁴² ᴬᴹ
HAIAIAIAIAIA YES I AM PLUSSS WHY R U AWAKEK?????

Kozume ( +81 *** *** ** ** ) ⁰³ ⁴² ᴬᴹ
Couldn’t sleep. Wbu?

Shouyou ( 81+ *** *** ** ** ) ⁰³ ⁴³ ᴬᴹ
ME TOO AAGHHH ANYWYA IM SO TIRED SO SEE YOU TODAYAAY!!!! BAIAIA

Kozume ( +81 *** *** ** ** ) ⁰³ ⁴³ ᴬᴹ
Cya.

Shouyou then put his phone on his chest and looked at his ceiling.

He was thinking about how exciting this Training Camp was gonna be.

He slowly dozed off. So much for all nighter.

He was awoken by the sound of someone throwing up.

He was too lazy to get out of bed and turned to his side, groaning.

He checked the time, His phone read 06:03 AM. He also had 2 missed messages from Kozume, 7 Snapchat notifications, and 1 message from Yachi telling him to open her Snaps.

Instead of clicking on them, Hinata opened the wheater app. He saw that it was sunny today and decided to wear something that was appropriate for the weather. Unfortunately for him, he didnt check the weather for Tokyo.

And just then, his door opened.

“Oniiiiiii chaaannnnn…” Natsu said.

“whhhaaaaaaaat.” groaned Shouyou.

“I threw uppppp.”

“Go tell mommmmmmmmm.”

“Okaayyyyyyyy.”

Natsu closed his door and walked to the next one. Shouyou groaned and got up.

His alarm was gonna ring in 10 minutes anyway, so there was no point in falling asleep again. He leaned against his bedframe as he opened Tiktok.

He scrolled down on his phone as he heard his Mom get up and get some medicine for Natsu. He shut his phone off and listened to his Mother call Natsu’s teacher to tell him that Natsu wasn’t gonna come to school today.

This was such a boring morning. Other than his sister throwing up. He got restless from just sitting around and got up to take a shower.

The bathroom was filled with steam, Hinata put on some jorts and a red Tshirt that smelled clean , maybe, with the saying “Wednesday” on it. (it was monday.)

He grabbed his damp towel and wiped the steam off his mirror. He was shocked to see that he has the largest eye bags known to man (He wonders why).

What he also noticed was that his face was puffy. He immediately got disgusted and looked down.

After he brushed his teeth without looking at himself in the mirror, Hinata grabbed his bags and shouted a “I’m leaving! Bye!” To his mom, and he tried to escape her, he really did, but was attacked with kisses and “Be careful not to hurt yourself!” and a “I’ll miss you!!”.

He groaned, annoyed and finally left. He thought of biking his way there, but where would he park his bike for a week?
He walked his way to the Train station, sped walked to be exact, because BOY was he late.

As he arrived, he saw that everyone was waiting for him. By the Train. He blushed, embarrassed, and apologised for being late. He was scolded by almost everyone while Tsukishima laughed at him.

Tanaka and Nishinoya tried to comfort him by telling him that they’d sit together with him. “Bro’s stick together.” or some bullshit.

They then all hurried inside, which was completely full. Hinata sat in a compartment with Nishinoya, Tanaka and some rando, Who kept staring at them because The 3 boys played some game, which included slapping each others hand’s harder each time.

Hinata backed out first, his hand completely red and tears welling up at his eyes while he watched Tanaka and Nishinoya hold on for dear life.

As Tanaka screamed from pain, Coach Ukai came to their side and scolded them. (and made them all sit separately…)

Hinata was now squished between Kageyama and Asahi.

They were standing, but since the Train was so crowded, they had to stand close to one another as to not disturb other Passengers.

( switching to kageyama centric )

Kageyama was immensely warm. For some Reason.

And for some otherrr reason, Hinata smelled like cinnamon and vanilla.

Hinata leaned on his shoulder, well, his side, he was much shorter than Kageyama, and said something that Kageyama couldn’t hear. He was too focused on the closeness of the Orange-coloured hair boy.

“….yama, Are you even listening to me?” Hinata asked with an annoyed tone, as he turned to look at Kageyama.

“What?”, asked Kageyama, in his own little world.

“I saiidddd, are you listening? Or possibly thinking about how you’re gonna rule the Court? no, Earth?”, teased Hinata.

He pushed Hinata slightly, to tease him back. That made Asahi bump into some poor old man.

Hinata and Kageyama watched Asahi apologize, then turn to the two boys.

Kageyama and Hinata were sweating, awaiting their doom, because lord, was Asahi looking creepy.

“Guys, please be careful! We don’t wanna disturb the other passengers!”, said Asahi, waving his hands around frantically.

Kageyama didn’t know if he should cry or laugh. He thought he would perish right then and there.

After 3 long hours (and yamaguchi throwing up because he was ‘Train-Sick’. ), they finally landed in Tokyo.

Nishinoya and Tanaka sobbed into each others arms, Screaming:

“BRO!!!! WE’RE FINALLY REUNITED!!”

“BRO BRO BRO!! I totally got to sit beside miss’s hot stuff bro.”, barked back Tanaka.

“Bro bro what bro? IIII had to sit beside some old lady who REEEKED!!! of piss!!! She even knitted me this .. pair of socks,,, FOR BABIES!!! Which was like, totally kind, but also TOTALLY WEIRD!!!!” screamed Nishinoya in fury.

“Bro…. what if shes like.. a fortune teller… WHO DID YOU GET PREGNANT?!???”

“Dude youre like… totally right…. but… Are you the one pregnant, bro?”

“Damn you right.. should we take a test to be sure?”

“Yeah bro. Remember i’m with you through the whole pregnancy. I don’t know if i can pay child support though, im pretty broke.”, Said nishinoya, Putting a hand on Tanaka’s shoulder.

“Are you guys stupid?”, asked Tsukishima, smirking.

Yamaguchi chimed in, “I’m pretty sure what he meant is, ‘I don’t think boys can get pregnant.’ “

“Oh right.”, said both the boys in sync.

“Well, atleast i don’t gotta pay child support!”, said Nishinoya with pure happiness.

“Alright everyone gather up!”, yelled Takeda, interrupting the already finished conversation.

As Takeda counts all the Students, he finds that one is missing. He urges Coach Ukai to rush back into the train to grab the last student before the train takes off.

“Where’s Hinata?”, asks Yachi.

Everyone stands still for a moment before chaos erupts.

All the students, who were previously gathered patiently outside the train, are now back inside and panicking.

“AAGHSHDJSGSJABWODHDIDHD HINATTAAAAAA WHERE ARE YOU!!!!!”, screams Tanaka.

“Bro wait i gotta go piss” announces Nishinoya.

He definitely got a couple weird looks from the Passengers that they were harrasing. Tanaka even lifted a poor woman to look under her seat.

“Duuudeeee, seriously? now? In a moment of crisis?”, asks Tanaka, clearly annoyed.

“Sorry bro, gotta go!!”, Nishinoya runs off holding his crotch as if its gonna spill everywhere. (sorry for that detail)

He bounces up and down as he waits for the Bathroom, the stinky, pissed on bathroom, inside some random Train that was being turned upside down to find some orange-coloured hair boy, to open.

It opens.

Hinata comes out and stares at Nishinoya.

Uh Oh. The train started moving again.

“Oh shit.” they both say in sync, staring at each other.

______________________________________

The group of volleyball players arrived 3 hours later than they should’ve. Hinata was still apologising repeatedly, for taking a ‘quick’ piss.

And unfortunately for Hinata, he hadn’t brought a jacket, or any warm clothes that is. He’d assumed that Tokyo was gonna be as hot as Miyagi, but that wasn’t the case. It was gonna rain the whole week. He was the only one who was drenched in rain.

Luckily for them, excluding hinata, dinner was prepared by the Nekoma players. They sat there, waiting patiently for the other team to arrive.

After they opened the doors and put their stuff down, everyone greeted each other.

Kenma and Hinata hugged, getting glares from not 1, not 2, but 3!!! People!!!

“Why didn’t you read my messages? i sent you two.”, asked Kenma, suffocating from being embraced by the very wet Hinata.

“Ah, shouyou, you’ve gotten smaller.”

Hinata ignored that comment. But he was cheering inside.

“Oh, i sometimes postpone my replies until i forget about actually replying… Sorry!!”, Hinata said, finally letting go.

“It’s okay.”, replied Kenma, suddenly shivering.

They then sat down to enjoy the feast.

Hinata sat down, looking at the big buffet of food in front of him.

He tried his best to listen into the intriguing conversation beside him, being lead by Nishinoya. (He was talking about his sea food allergies and how he was suffocating; plot twist; he doesnt have any allergies.)

But this gnawing feeling at the bottom of his stomach made him nauseous.

“Hinata, Why aren’t you digging in already?”, asked Sugawara who sat opposite of him.

His eyebrows were furrowed and like everyone else, Sugawara gave him that pitiful, concerned look.

“Oh, im just not really hungry i guess.”, replied Hinata.

Hinata looked around to distract Sugawara, and himself, and saw Kageyama glancing at him from the other side of the table.

Hinata blinked and Kageyama was looking in the other direction. He thought he was imagining things.

He turned back to look at Sugawara.

“Ugh, i wish i bought warmer clothes with me. I only have Tshirts and a few pairs of pants!!”, Said Hinata, trying his best to distract Sugawara from the fact that he wasn’t eating. It kinda worked.

______________________________________

After dinner, everyone was urged to take a shower.

(im not gonna write the shower part 😓)

As Kageyama was drying his hair with a towel, Nishinoya and Tanaka were planning his doom.

“I bet you 10 bucks he isn’t wearing any boxers.”, whispered Tanaka.

“Ewww, dude! gross!”, replied Nishinoya.

Sugawara accidentally overheard them discussing their Masterplan, and decided to blackmail them.

“Heeeyyyyy~”, said Sugawara from behind the both guys, who were crouching behind a table.

As Tanaka was about the scream, Nishinoya put a hand over his mouth.

“Sugawara……. my arch nemesis…. what do u want?”

“20 bucks and i’ll keep my mouth shut.”

“Fine, secret agent. But you must not speak anything of this situation, every again.”

“Yes sir.”

Sugawara turned around to leave, smirking. He planned THEIR downfall. (And made 20$ profit)

Nishinoya and Tanaka sneaked up on Kageyama, still crouching, as Kageyama did his 17 step Skincare routine.

From both sides of Kageyama, crouched the two boys. Nishinoya counted down from 3 with his fingers, struggling to hold in a laugh.

3 …

2…

one.

Tanaka and Nishinoya pulled down Kageyamas pants.

Surprise, he was wearing boxers.

“WHAT THE FUCK??”, screamed Kageyama in agony.

Nishinoya and Tanaka stood up to run away, but they were both attacked.

Sugawara and Daichi pulled down Nishinoya and Tanaka’s pants down, too.

Unfortunately, Nishinoya wasn’t wearing any boxers. Them butt cheeks were out.

And boy were they plump.

All 3 of them were pantsed.

______________________________________

Chapter Text

( 2 months before )

Kageyama Tobio had always known that he felt somewhat attracted to Hinata Shouyou.

He’d loved the way that he smiled, the way he had so much energy, the way he laughed, the way he talked, the way he walked..

It was all just cliché things. He felt really corny.

He wrote all of the things he listed down on a note. And more. He bought the most expensive chocolate he could buy in a grocery store, he settled on some swiss chocolate, He even ordered some expensive dark blue glitter roses off of Instagram. He was anxious that they’d be plastic roses but thank the gods it wasn’t.

He felt prepared. He felt ready. He was gonna do this.

Kageyama Tobio was gonna confess his love to Hinata Shouyou.

He put on his black leather shoes with full confidence.

Just as he stepped out the house, he felt, empty, in some sort. He didn’t know why he suddenly had this wave of mixed emotions come toward him, but without hesitation and much thought, he threw the roses in the trash. (Damn, he could’ve gotten a refund!)

He tore the little love letter he had prepared apart and even ate the chocolate. It was damn good though.

He sobbed his eyes out. He didn’t even know why. He was confident Hinata liked him back.

He called his sister, Miwa, for advice. He didn’t even know on what. He was so prepared, so motivated, so confident, he doesn’t know why he’s suddenly feeling this way.

____________________________________

(present)

It was like… he didn’t even know. Maybe 4 AM? He was completely restless, turned every two seconds and kept huffing and puffing. He’d gotten 7 complaints, all somewhat similar to the most used one:

give it some time.

it’s gotta marinate, you know?

any moment now…

Oh come on now. Just as he was about to make a point.

Seriously? fine, he’d turn one more time. Just for spite.

“Kageyamaaaaaaaaaa. Go to sleeeeeppppppp.”, groaned someone.

There we go.

Now hand me my 20$.

What? of course we made a bet.

You’re just half awake is all. Go to sleep, you can think about it in the morning.

Whereas Kageyama can’t.

Why? you ask? Because its already fucking morning.

Kageyama, unbeknownst to him, pulled an all nighter. (Hinata only dreams of this /ref to previous chapter)

He pulled his blanket off him and got up. He was fucking tired of not being tired, so, he’ll go do something else instead.

Yay. Volleyball. Like always.

He set and tossed to some wall in the GYM of this.. idk.. Training camp they brought him over to. He only came to have that practice match against Nekoma. And for something (or someome..) else.

From his restlessness, he hadn’t realized that someone wasnt in bed. And from his restlessness, he also hadn’t realized that, that very someone was coming out the GYM bathroom. Right now.

Why is this guy always in bathrooms?

He stared at Hinata. Hinata stared back.

He was sure that he was supposed to say something, like, right now, but like, the ball totally hit his head right now and he totally embarrassed himself right now. Ironic, right?

Hinata burst into laughter, as expected.

“GOODDD I SWEAR YOUR HEAD BOUNCED BACK INTO PLACE AS IT HIT YOUR HEAD!!”, Hinata laugh-screamed, clutching his stomach.

Kageyama rolled his eyes. “What are you doing up? It’s-“, he checked the watch on his wrist, “4:45 AM.”, he finished.

“Ehh. Needed to take a piss. You?”, he answered.

God… everyone is constantly taking pisses. How hydrated are you guys?!

“Couldn’t sleep.”, he replied, trying to be as nonchalant as possible.

His stomach growled.

Yeah, don’t every try that again. Noted.

Trying his best to save this moment, He asked:

“Wanna go grab a bite with me? I’m sure we’ll find some convenience store on google maps.”, he offered.

It looked like Hinata hesitated for a second.

“Yeah, sure.”

That was all that Kageyama needed before he threw the Volleyball to some corner and quietly sneaked into the Dorms to grab his outside shoes. Hinata did the same.

“So, ready?”, Hinata asked, enthusiastic.

“Yeah. Lets go.”, Kageyama replied.

His face may have been emotionless, but he sure was happy right now.

Kageyama and Hinata found themselves in the middle of nowhere. Google maps was being a bitch and taking them through roads, not crosswalks.

They somehow made their way to the nearest Gas station. (Barely, they avoided a major car crash and Hinata almost lost a limb.)

As Kageyama and Hinata payed for some chips, Hinata decided he wanted to get a drink too. Kageyama paid for Hinata’s other stuff till he arrived. He had barely anything to pay for, really. Just a pack of gum.

Kageyama turned his back, just for 1 second, to see if Hinata was coming. When he turned back around he saw that the counter was empty.

“What? where did our stuff go?”, asked Kageyama. He was met with the cashier filing her nails.

“Helloooo? Where did the stuff i JUST paid for go?”, he pestered.

“Ohhh. Your friend took it.”, replied the cashier, unbothered.

“My friend,”, he sighed, “ is still picking a drink.”, He finished, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh no, your other one.”

The bell at the entrance of the gas station jiggled.

Kageyama immediately glanced to the door and saw some homeless hobo run out with HIS bags. The guy even turned around and mouthed a ‘THANK YOU’ and held up a peace sign.

Kageyama’s eye twitched.

Hinata came back with a skip in his step.

“Heyy! i got some of these popping pearl boba tea’s, ZERO SUGAR!! for both of u- where is our stuff? DID YOU EAT IT ALREADY?”, Hinata asked, bewildered

“No… ugh, turn around Boke.”

Hinata slowly turned around to see that some junkie was running across the streets, resulting to one honk after another.

“Damn.”, he stated.

“Ugh… lets just pay for the drinks and go.”

(ok guys im bored of rhis writing style, we’re going back to og)

Hinata and Kageyama walked back, defeated. Hinata ‘accidentally’ spilled half of his bubble tea’s left content after he shockingly read that the popping pearls had sugar. The drink didn’t.

Hinata and Kageyama got lost on their way back to the Training Camp. It was 5:25 when they finally arrived.

Coach Ukai was standing behind the door waiting for the two boys to arrive. He listened to their muffled voices getting closer and closer to the door. To their doom.

“UGH!! That stupid thief!! we should totally call the police for THEFT!!!”, barked Hinata.

Kageyama put a hand over Hinata’s mouth, “SHHH!! Someone might be listening, Boke!”, barked Kageyama.

He listened to how Hinata and Kageyama bickered. Coach Ukai was definitely sending them back home.

As the doors opened, both the boys froze.

There he was, Coach Ukai, standing akimbo before them. He threatened them, as Takeda came and tried his best to reason with him.

“If it wasn’t for Takeda sensei, You both would be in the train back home right now!”, he scolded.

“We’re sorry, Coach Ukai, Takeda sensei!”, both the boys bowed as low as they could and apologised.

As punishment, they had to prepare breakfast with the Managers.

oh buddy

“Kageyamaa! Hinata! I’m so glad you’re helping us out!”, yelled Yachi.

Kiyoko pulled out two aprons, one with the saying “I’m hotter than the food” and the other with a picture of abs on it. She put a hand over her mouth and giggled.

“You both have to wear apronss~ It’s policy~”, Kiyoko teased as she dangled the two aprons with her free hand.

“I’m never coming to a Training Camp ever again.”, Hinata was cursed with the apron that had abs on it, Kageyama with the other.

“Hey! this is your fault! If you hadn’t left to grab a drink, we would’ve been here earlier and not have faced Ukai’s wrath!”, yelled Kageyama as he angrily stirred the Bread batter.

The bread batter got clumped up into one big ball, and Kageyama tried his best to yank it off. He held the whisk a bit too loose, and..

“WHAT?! How are YOU blaming this on ME? You were the one who got us lost! Seriously, what is with you and blaming me for every-“, Hinata silenced himself as he watched Kageyama.

The whisk flew to Kageyama’s face.

Kageyama froze on the spot. The whisk slowly, full of batter, drooped back into the bowl. Everyone, in complete silence, was watching the situation unfold.

“Oh. My. God.”, Hinata whispered to himself as he slowly pulled out his phone to snap a picture.

Everyone erupted into laughter as Kageyama strangled hinata, forcing him to delete the picture.

Hinata let go of his hold on the counter to get Kageyama’s hands off his throat, he was choking!

Hinata’s back hit fhe floor. Hinata was still laughing, not noticing the other boy was pinning him to the ground.

Kageyama, cheeks covered with flour, a blush underneath it, stopped and stared at Hinata’s lips.

Hinata’s eyes were still closed, but he was now aware of the warm breath on his neck.

He slowly opened his eyes.

“Kags? you okay?”, he asked, oblivious.

“Kageyama and Hinata’s Illicit Love affair: Mission 1 complete!”, Yachi yelled as she high fived all the other Managers.

“WHAT?!”, both the boys sat up on instinct and glared daggers onto Yachi and the other managers.

Kageyama stood up first, with a blush not visible on his face. He held his hand out for Hinata to take.

Hinata took it and stood up giggling.

“You should’ve seen your face!”, he teased.

“BOKE HINATA BOKE!”

Both their voices faded into the hallways as Kageyama chased Hinata with the very whisk that was still covered in bread batter.

Everyone was in the common room, hearing the call of help from Hinata. Everyone turned to the door to see Hinata almost falling head first, looking around for a familiar face. Once he saw it, he ran toward it.

“KOZUMMEEEE!!! KAGEYAMAS TRYING TO KILL ME!!!”, yelled Hinata.

“Oh yeah totally normal. Anyway”, was heard in the room as everyone turned back to their conversations or business. Whatever they were doing.

Hinata hit behind Kenma as Kageyama found him. Kenma was busy playing Animal Crossing.

“KOZUME HES GAINING ON ME!!!”, He shaked Kenma’s shoulders. Hinata felt true fear for the first time. (/ref)

(ref…… do something…….)

Kenma stood up, being the gentleman he is, defended Hinata and scared the Ravenette away.

“Oh kozume, you saved me!”, Hinata moaned. He put the back of his hand onto his forehead and let all his weight on Kenma.

“Yesss, Kozume, my knight in shining armour!!”, yelled Kuroo.

“Kuroooo! join the hug attack!!”

“SHOUYOU!!’ Don’t encourage him!”, Kenma pleaded.

Kuroo jumped onto Kenma like he was a ball pit and hugged his shoulders. Hinata hopped on top of Kuroo, putting more weight on Kenma and doing the same.

_____________________________________

Chapter Text

After both the Volleyball teams were called over for breakfast, they all sat down in chatter. (For some reason there was no bread)

There were 2 long tables, each inteded for 1 Volleyball group. Although nobody sat like that.

The tables were linen with a white laced tablecloth, on top of them lying 1 bowl of miso soup for each seat. There were countless side dishes to be seen scattered around each table along with other utensils beside the miso soup to be used for them.

Hinata was … gonna attempt to eat. Was.

But after the incident with the poor whisk… Kageyama seemed to be avoiding Hinata. Or maybe ignoring.

He guesses that that affected his appetite.

He constantly felt Kageyama’s gaze on him, but when he turned to look in Kageyama’s direction, he was staring elsewhere.

After breakfast, Coach Yasufumi gave everyone some free time to roam the city.

Hinata followed Daichi and Sugawara into a convenience store nearby. Their quiet laughter feeling miles away even though they were just a few steps ahead.

Sugawara held up a melon soda bottle, squinting at the label. “You think this is the one Nishinoya likes?”

Daichi leaned in, peering over his shoulder. “Only if you want to see him bouncing off the walls again.”

They both chuckled. Hinata forced a smile, letting it fade just as fast.

His eyes wandered to the fridge behind Sugawara, drinks stocked to the brim.

His eyes flicked to the energy drink that Kageyama always bought, scowled about the price, then bought anyway.

Out of habit, Hinata glanced to his side, opening his mouth to say something to the Ravenette.

But he wasn’t here. He hadn’t been by his side since the incident with the whisk. Hinata hated how badly he noticed.

He grabbed a loaf of bread from the shelf, trailing behind the two guys as they walked to the Self-checkout.

The trio stepped outside, Sugawara wincing at the brightness. He lifted a hand to shield his eyes from the sun.

They stood outside the store for a moment, twisting off the bottle caps from the drinks they paid for.

The streets buzzed with people, chatter, and life. You’d head a honk every couple of seconds, the billboards reflected the brightness of the sun, and the familiar melody of a ice cream truck that passed by.

But Hinata felt like he was underwater. He couldn’t take in the fresh air of the city like Daichi and Sugawara did.

“I’m gonna go enjoy some Me-Time. “, he blurted out suddenly, forcing a grin. “You guys go ahead!”

Daichi blinked. “Are you sure?”

“Totally,” Hinata said, already stepping backwards “I’ll catch up later. “ He said, turning around to walk away.

Sugawar looked confused, caught halfway between a goodbye and concern. “Wait, Hinata, are you-“

But hinata was already halfway down the street, the soft loaf of bread dangling from his hands.

The two, dumbfounded guys stood in silence for a minute.

“I’m gonna go follow him. I feel like he’s upset. “, He stated, breaking the silence. His warm hand slipping through Daichi’s as he turned to follow the Clementinette.

“Oh… bye..” , Daichi said, unsure if Sugawara heard him from his rush.

Daichi stood there, watching them go. He swallowed the disappointment rising in his throat. He really wanted to spend time with Sugawara.

He glanced to his left, seeing the 2nd years of Karasuno walk pass him. He decided to tag along.

Hinata found his way to a bridge in a park. He carefully opened the plastic of the loaf of bread and took off a small piece, throwing it into the river.

Soon enough, a few ducks came and fought over the small piece.

He smiled, briefly. It slowly faded.

Just as he was about to throw another piece, the laughter of children interrupted him. He stared as they chased each other around barefoot. He pondered for a moment, thinking about his own childhood.

His father never let him play with the other kids. He’d pinch hinata on his shoulder when he spoke too loud. Slap his back when his posture wasn’t straight. Scold him when he slurped his food. Hit him when he acted like the kid he was.

His chest clenched unexpectedly.

Deep in thought, he glanced back at the ducks he was feeding, seeing that they were giving him pleading looks, asking for more. He ripped off another piece of bread and tossed it.

“You know,” came a soft voice from behind him, “Bread’s bad for ducks.”

Hinata glanced to his back, he found Sugawara glancing back with a slight smile on his face. The smile fell once he realized Hinata was not having it.

He threw another piece. “Mm. “, he mumbled.

Sugawara stepped closer, putting a hand on Hinata’s back.

“What’s wrong, Shouyou? “, he questioned with concern.

Hinata let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, throwing another piece. The ducks always fighted over the thrown piece, regardless of how much Hinata fed them.

“It’s Kageyama. “ he said, voice low. “He’s been… avoiding me. I think. Or ignoring me, i can’t really tell. “, He paused,

“I think… maybe Kenma scared him off or something? I don’t know. We had this moment earlier, and I really thought…”

His voice cracked. “I really thought we were okay again.”

“Do you know why he might be doing so?”, Sugawara asked, knowing far too well how Hinata felt. He’d complained or vented about Kageyama to Sugawara countless other times before.

“That’s the problem. I don’t even know if i did something wrong. Like, everything was going so well today, we had a bonding moment! And then at breakfast he was back to avoiding me. “, Hinata said, throwing his arms around. His anger overtook he sadness he was feeling mere seconds ago.

He accidentally let whats left of the loaf fall into the river, making a big splash.

Both boys peered over the edge of the railing. The ducks scattered, except one large one that grabbed the bread in her beak and swam off with it, her ducklings trailing behind.

They stood there with a comfortable silence until the ducks swam away from their sight.

“Did you try talking about it with him?”, Sugawara asked after a while.

Hinata shook his head. “No… but… maybe i should.”

The conversation ended there, both the guys watching the river flow with unspoken words of comfort wrapped in quiet understanding. A wave of sadness washed over both of them as children laughed in the background.

Daichi interrupted their moment of thought with a call.

_____________________________________

Hinata had washed his sport clothes for the practice match. They still smelled like they were freshly out the washer, a nice vanilla smell coating them.

He absentmindedly pulled the nice smelling shirt over his head as everyone else closed their lockers, heading toward the GYM.

Looking at his arms, he noticed how pale he’d gotten. He ignored it and grabbed his Volleyball shoes, putting them on as he entered the GYM.

The GYM felt alive when he stepped in. Shoes squeaking, voices bouncing off the walls, the soft thud of balls hitting the ground.. He felt a sense of comfort, of familiarity in it.

A practice match, the first one in ages.

They did a couple warmups before they were told to get in their positions. Hinata felt like everything was going too fast, or maybe too slow. He felt everything but also nothing at once.

His body moved on autopilot, muscle memory kicing. He felt like he was underwater.

His breath quickened, his knees felt weak. It was 24 to 24, just one more point and they’d win. Or maybe lose. He had to be the one who scored the last point.

The air in the GYM thickened. Every breath felt heavier. Every footstep louder. They were all counting on him.

He felt nervous, like it was his first fime on court again. It happened quickly, but not fast enough. The toss. The pass. The set.
Hinata saw it in slow motion.

The world held its breath. So did he.

He sprinted, and jumped as high as he could.

Up,
Up,
HIGHER.
Time stalled.

And then… he felt it.

His palm met the ball like lightning splitting the sky. The bam echoed through the gym.

The ball hit the floor on the opponent’s side with a sharp slap.

He scored the last point. He secured the first set.

Cheers erupted. He landed swiftly, breathless and eyes wide.

Hands clapped his back as others wrapped around him. Teammates cheered his name.

He glanced over to Kageyama. He wanted to see if he was cheering for him, too.

But then, suddenly, his vision turned black.

He felt himself leaning toward the floor, being caught just in time by the very hands that held him, cradled him.

But they felt different, sharp and unsure. Or maybe not dawg hes passing out he dgaf 😂✌️ sorry

______________________________________

Hinata came to on the bench, the harsh wood pressing against his back, his left hand limp and dangling over the edge.

Everything spun.

A groan slipped from his lips as he cracked one eye open, trying to focus. Blurry figures hovered above him, their presence casting a big shadow over Hinata. They whispered their concerns.

He heard a collective breath of relief as he managed to open his eyes further.

Then, Coach Ukai’s voice cut through the noise.

“Alright, back to practice! You lot have to stop being noisy! Go, Go!”

The footsteps retreated. The shadow leaving along with them. The air suddenly felt thinner.

Ukai crouched beside him, brows furrowed in frustration. And maybe concern.

“Shouyou.. again? Have you even been eating?” he snapped, voice low but stern. “This is the second time! I’m gonna have to report this to your guardians.”, He finished with concern taking over his anger.

Hinata blinked up at him, slowly pushing himself upright with trembling arms. The world still tilted at the edges. His teammates occasionally sneaking in a glance to see if he’s okay.

“I… I have,” he lied, fingers curling into the hem of his jersey. He felt so out of it. His eyes dull with tears slowly brimming up.

Ukai didn’t believe it. Neither did Hinata. But the coach only sighed, muttering something about getting him water before walking off.

Hinata dragged in a shaky breath.

Then he noticed it. Everyone was back on court,

Except one. One particular Ravenette.

Kageyama stood off to the side, arms crossed, watching the team scrimmage. Sugawara was setting in his place.

Hinata swallowed hard.

He got up on unsteady legs and walked over.

“You’re not playing,” he said, voice quieter than intended.

Kageyama didn’t look at him. “Sugawara-san’s doing fine.”

“Why are you here, then?”

He stood still, trying his best to focus on Sugawara’s technique.

“Kageyama.”

Nothing.

“…Why have you been avoiding me?” Hinata’s voice cracked, and he hated how weak it sounded.

That got Kageyama to turn.

His eyes were sharp, yet confused and unsure.

“I haven’t. ”, He said, as if he was telling the truth.

“You have! You haven’t talked to me since this morning! And its not just that either, you sometimes just.. decide to ignore me after we finally talk again! It’s this never ending cycle!”

Tears filled Hinata’s eyes.

They were standing in the middle of the GYM now. Neither of them noticed the way heads were starting to turn. Nekoma had paused. Karasuno had stopped. Coaches, managers, everyone was watching.

But to them, it felt like the world had shrunk.

Just the two of them. Again. Like always.

Kageyama’s jaw clenched. “What do you want me to do? Not everything revolves around you, Hinata. I can’t pretend to care about you when i’m not in the mood.”

“I..!” Hinata’s throat burned. “I didn’t ask you to pretend! I asked you to be my friend!”

“A friend doesn’t decide ignore me for days on end after HIS life decides to fuck him up!”

“It’s not my fault you’re so emotional about this!”

That shut Hinata up.

Kageyama’s voice was rising now, fists tight at his sides.

“You always make everything about you.”

Hinata’s lip quivered. “I.. I what?”

“You think I’ve just been ignoring you for fun? Maybe I’ve been dealing with my own stuff too! But no, it’s always ‘why won’t Kageyama talk to me, why is Kageyama avoiding me’ like, like I owe you something just because we’re on the same team!”

“You do!” Hinata snapped, the words breaking out before he could stop them. “We’re supposed to trust each other! You think I don’t notice when you won’t even look at me anymore?! You think that doesn’t mess with me?!”

“WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE FRIENDS!”

“Well maybe we AREN’T. ” Kageyama shouted back. His voice slowly got quieter, more unsure of what he was saying.

“You’re not the same person anymore! I can’t be friends with someone who’s changed. Someone who can’t even… spike.. properly.. anymore..”

Hinata froze.

Kageyama’s chest heaved, and for a second, he looked like he wanted to take it back. Like his brain was on autopilot, saying whatever he could.

But Hinata latched onto it immediately.

“What’s… that supposed to mean?”, He asked, his voice was barely above a whisper.

Hinata felt his heart breaking. His soul breaking down beneath his skin.

Kageyama’s mouth opened. Then closed.

“…Nothing.”

“No.” Hinata stepped forward. “Say it. Say it to my face. Say you don’t wanna be friends anymore. ”

“Hinata-”

“Say it!” His voice cracked, loud and desperate, bouncing against the gym walls. “If I’m not even your friend, then what the hell am I?!”

Kageyama clenched his jaw, eyes darting anywhere but Hinata. He looked cornered.

“It’s not about what i say, It’s about you too! you’ve just been… Off!”, He explained, voice cracking and getting louder again.

Hinata’s breath caught in his throat. He paused for a good minute.

The silence was so loud.

“You just didn’t bother to ask. You didn’t bother to care.” he whispered. He felt small. So, damn, small.

“Because I didn’t know how to!”

Another pause. Their breaths were the only sounds.

It felt like the gym had been swallowed whole.

Hinata felt anger rising from his throat. Resentment crawling beneath his skin.

“YOU ONLY CARE ABOUT YOURSELF! Even back THEN, All you only cared about was YOURSELF!”

There was a beat of stunned silence.

Kageyama knew exactly what he meant. He remembered his teammates shutting him out because he was ‘playing solely on ego’.

Tanaka stepped forward from the sidelines, a hand reaching out toward Hinata’s shoulder, gentle and grounding. “Hinata-“

“Don’t,” Hinata hissed, jerking away violently. His shoulder yanked back like the touch burned him. “Don’t touch me!”

Tanaka froze, hand suspended in the air, helpless.

Hinata was shaking now, fury bubbling in his chest like it had nowhere to go.

Kageyama’s fists were clenched. His eyes wild.

“That’s not true,” he said, low. “You don’t get to say that!”

Hinata laughed, sharp and bitter and wet with tears.

“I do, Kageyama. I do—because I’ve been standing right next to you this whole damn time and you never once looked at me unless it was about volleyball.”

“You spike to me once and then ditch me for GOD knows who!”, his voice was trembling.

“You think that’s all I care about?”

“It’s all you show! And now you’re mad at me for changing? Maybe you didn’t notice, but I’ve been trying not to fall apart—while you just stood there and watched it happen!”

“You think I wanted to watch you ruin yourself?!” Kageyama snapped, taking a step forward now. “You think I didn’t see you getting worse and worse and just stood there because I didn’t care?!”

‘I DID CARE! I NOTICED EVERY LITTLE DETAIL BECAISE I LOVED YOU!’, was what lingered on his mind. He wished oh so dearly to speak it out.

Hinata’s breath caught. His face crumpled.

Two sets of hands grabbed them, Daichi had Kageyama by the arm, holding him back. Yamaguchi had a hold of Hinata, standing behind him with panic in his eyes.

The Nekoma Team was escorted out by their Coach, being told to do so by Takeda until things settle down.

Hinata’s body sagged, chest convulsing with sobs he could no longer hold in.

“I just wanted you to care,” he choked out. “You were supposed to care…”

Kageyama surged forward against Daichi’s hold, shouting, “I do! You just..!”

But his voice cracked.

And then it died.

The air sucked from his lungs mid-sentence, the fight draining from him all at once. Like saying it out loud had taken too much.

“I what, Tobio.”

Kageyama stood there, shoulders trembling, lips parted but silent.

Everyone watched.

No one dared speak.

Daichi’s grip on Kageyama softened, slowly letting him go.

“I didn’t want to make it worse,” he muttered, almost to himself. “So I thought maybe if I gave you space…”

Hinata shook his head, tears streaking his cheeks now. “You didn’t just give me space. You left.”

Kageyama blinked, like the word had hit harder than he expected.

And that was it.

They stood across from each other like strangers, the echo of their words still hanging in the air.

The GYM was still watching, but the world felt quieter now.

Yamaguchi followed Daichi’s moves and also let go.

Hinata wiped at his eyes with the back of his now free hand.

Then, barely loud enough to hear:

“…I wish you’d just told me you didn’t want me around anymore.”

Then, he turned around and walked off the court.

Didn’t look back.

And for the first time, Kageyama didn’t follow.

Instead, he felt fucking stupid.

Chapter Text

Dinner time came and went in silence.

The cafeteria, once filled with the usual buzz of laughter and chopsticks clattering, felt painfully still. Conversations that usually bounced from table to table died before they even started.

Neither Kageyama nor Hinata showed up.

Plates sat mostly untouched. Even Nishinoya poked at his rice.

(if u didn’t read the author’s note, TW for self harm)

Eventually, the teams retreated back to the dorms.

Hinata was asleep in his futon when they arrived, curled up and face blotchy with dried tears.

Kageyama sat alone in the lounge, a book resting in his lap, but he wasn’t turning the pages.

Nobody dared disturb them.

Time passed slowly. A bit too slow for everyone’s liking. They went on about their day and did their own things, tension in the air still lingering.

______________________________________

Yachi tiptoed to Karasuno’s (Male) dorm room and poked her head inside.

“Pssst! Suga!”

She tried again, louder this time. “PSSSSTTTT!”

Nothing.

Yachi frowned and turned to Kiyoko, whispering, “Do the thing.”

Kiyoko sighed softly, then pushed open the door with a quiet swish of her long hair.

Immediately, chaos.

“KIYOKO-SANNN!!” Tanaka shouted, leaping to his feet like a knight being summoned. “WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU, YOUR MAJESTY?!”

A “Sshh!” was whispered from Ennoshita, hinting for Tanaka to look at the very much still sleeping Hinata.

Nishinoya joined instantly, dramatically fanning her with a blanket. “Your will is our command!”

Kiyoko blinked, utterly unfazed.

“Sugawara,” she said flatly. “You’re coming.”

He glanced to her ,and asked “Huh?”

She pointed at Tanaka and Nishinoya. “You two, too.” Tanaka might have blushed at that.

Then her eyes slid to Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, who were trying (and failing) to stay invisible near the back. Tsukishima saw them staring and tried to cover his face with his hand.

“…Them as well. “, She said as she put her finger down.

Without another word, she turned and walked off.

Tanaka and Noya scrambled to grab the victims. Yamaguchi yelped and dragged Tsukishima behind him. Sugawara sighed but followed quickly.

______________________________________

Sunlight spilled through the tall windows, casting long orange shadows across the wooden floor. Kiyoko held up a hand to shield Yachi from the direct sunlight. She earned a warm smile.

The echo of sneakers, laughter, and shouting from earlier in the day was gone now, replaced by silence.

Yachi stood in the center of the court, nervously twisting the sleeves of her hoodie. Kiyoko stood beside her, posture perfect, arms crossed, chin high.

The rest of them: Sugawara, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, Tanaka, and Nishinoya were spread around in loose clumps, quiet, distracted.

They kept glancing toward a very specific spot on the floor.

The spot where Hinata had screamed, voice cracked and trembling. Where Kageyama’s fists had clenched and everything had fallen apart.

Nishinoya finally broke the silence. “It’s weird without them. “, voice low.

Tsukishima scoffed under his breath. “You say that like either of them were emotionally stable to begin with.”

“Tsukki. “, Yamaguchi warned gently.

“I’m just saying. “, he muttered, pushing his glasses up. “Was bound to happen eventually.”

Sugawara let out a soft sigh, eyes fixed on the floorboards. “It still doesn’t mean it should’ve happened like that. We should’ve at least said or.. done something to prevent it from getting that bad.”

“Well Daichi and Yamaguchi tried!”, said Nishinoya, backing away, regret in his eyes.

For a moment, the air stayed heavy.

Then Yachi raised her voice.

“I have an idea. Well, a plan to be exact. “, She said, pushing up her glasses. (That she stole from Kiyoko)

Everyone turned to her.

She straightened up, hands clasped in front of her like a general giving a mission briefing. “We’re gonna sneak out.”

Pause.

Tanaka stared, dumbfounded. “Like. Break the law? Have Daichi kick our asses if he notices us gone?”

“Uh-huh. Uh.. He won’t kick our asses if he doesn’t notice, right?”

Everyone turned to her, unconvinced.

Yamaguchi blinked. “Huh? Where are you getting at, Yachi?”

She jumped, embarrassed. “We could.. uhm.. go explore the city..” , Yachi clarified, voice hushed like someone might be listening.

Kiyoko put a hand on Yachi’s shoulder, immediately making her relax her tense shoulders and take in a deep breath.

“We all need a break. Everything’s been so heavy and weird, and I thought… maybe, maybe some air would help.”

There was another pause.

“…I’m in. “, Sugawara said simply.

“I am absolutely not sneaking out. “, Tsukishima mumbled.

“Cool, we’re making you anyway! ”, Yamaguchi said at the exact same time.

“Meeting time is 00:30…” Yachi continued, unfazed. “By the front entrance. Wear dark clothes. Bring snacks if you want.. And phones. In case we get separated.”

“What about Hinata?” Nishinoya asked.

Everyone looked at each other.

“We grab him too. “, Yachi said firmly. “He needs this more than anyone.”

The group dispersed, full of hushed excitement. Night fell fast.

______________________________________

Nishinoya’s eyes flew open.

His phone was vibrating by his side. He lunged at it, missed, and it flew and hit Tanaka’s futon.

He sat up, groaning. His back hurt and the room really stank, hoarding like.. he doesn’t know, 20 of his Teammates without an open window.

He finally managed to lean over, smacking his lips, and grabbed his phone. It read 00:25 PM.

“OH SHIIIIT. I HIT SNOOZE. TWICE. “, he whisper yelled.

He practically vaulted out of his futon, stepping on Tanaka’s shoulder and someone’s hair.

He ran to his Suitcase and grabbed whatever found it’s way to his hands.

Across the room, Tanaka snored like a father of 6.

Noya grabbed the nearest slipper and threw it at his face. It missed.

He growled, leapt onto Tanaka’s Futon, and shook him violently. “WAKE UP!”, he whisper-yelled.

Tanaka snorted, groggy. “WHO ARE WE FIGHTING?! Oh hi noyaaaa…. is it morning yet?”

He glanced to the phone in his pocket before answering,

“It’s 12:28. We’re LATE!”

Tanaka gasped, remembering what they planned. “Bro I told you to punch me if I didn’t wake up!”

“I will HIT YOU WITH A CHAIR NEXT TIME.”

They got dressed in full panic mode. Tanaka shoved his shirt on backwards and jammed it halfway into his jeans. Noya was wearing one blue sock, one reindeer sock, minecraft shorts, and a dress-shirt that was supposed to be wearn under a suit. Why he brought a suit with him? nobody knows.

They bolted out the room, probably waking up a few of their teammates. One particular one, infact.

“Bro, why are we always late to our own missions! ”, Nishinoya hissed as he jogged beside Tanaka, both of them hunched and whisper-yelling.

“Because You didn’t wake me up, that’s why,” Tanaka shot back. “I told you to punch me in the face if I didn’t get up.”

“You said lightly slap!”

“You didnt even do THAT!”

Suddenly, Tanaka stopped dead in his tracks.

Tanaka squinted. “…Bro. I totally see a face over there.”

Nishinoya’s jogging slowly came to a stop.

The hallway was dim. Shadows flickered.

Tanaka gulped. “Bro its moving. If i die, you die with me.”

He launched himself at Nishinoya.

“Shut up shut up shut up don’t jinx us-“

A tall shape appeared by the end of the hallway. Nishinoya barely got any air.

Tanaka froze. “Bro…”

“GET YOUR FATASS OFF ME!”

“Bro I totally see a face over there.”

“DON’T. SCARE. ME. AND GET UP.”

“I’m serious, it’s like… a human face. Floating. Watching.“

“STOP.”

“Nishinoya Yuu, if we both die, remember that you’re my best friend. “ He held his hand up in the air as he cried dramatically.

“Aww, Bro! ”, He put a hand on his chest as he also cried.

“You always have been. You’ve showed me love like no other bro, you’re-“

And then the face spoke.

“…What are you two doing?”

They immediately stood up and screamed. Or they would have, if Asahi hadn’t appeared out of the shadows and immediately clapped his giant hands over both their mouths.

“SHHH!” he hissed. “You’ll wake everyone up!”

Tanaka and Noya blinked up at him, eyes wide.

They both yanked his hands off.

“BRO YOU NEARLY KILLED US,” Noya whisper-screamed.

“You were just standing there like Slenderman!” Tanaka added.

Asahi looked vaguely offended. “I didn’t think I needed to announce myself at the water fountain.”

“What are you doing up?” Nishinoya asked, wiping imaginary tears.

Asahi held up his bottle. “Again. Water. What are you doing?”

They exchanged a look.

Nishinoya pulled Asahi into a whisper huddle. “We’re sneaking out to the city. It’s uhm… its called uhh Healing mission!”

“I’m pretty sure it was Operation: Mood rescue! ”, said Tanaka, making a rainbow with his hands.

“Hey! When do You get to correct Me!”

“Whatever. Uhm- its super important. “, Tanaka finished.

Asahi blinked, unsure whether to be alarmed or honored.

“Sounds illegal,” Asahi said.

“It’s not if you come with us!” Tanaka said.

“Absolutely not.”

“Please.”

“I’ll get in trouble.”

“We’ll protect you,” Nishinoya promised, flexing a bicep he did not have.

Asahi hesitated.

Tanaka leaned in, whispering dramatically, “Hinata’s coming.”

Asahi blinked, hesitating.

“…Fine. But if we get arrested, I’m gonna say you kidnapped me.”

Both the boys slumped over. “Fiiiineeeee.”

Their shoes made a ‘clink’ sound, echoing through the halls as they made their way down the stairs to the entrance.

Little did they know…. someone was following them…

______________________________________

When they finally arrived at the meeting spot, everyone was already gathered, waiting in irritated silence.

Sugawara looked calm. Scratch that, he did not. Yachi was checking a list on her phone. Kiyoko had her arms crossed,

Tsukishima looked at his watch with a raised brow. “00:41. Shocking.”

Sugawara face-palmed. “WHERE have you guys been?! we said 00:30!”

“WE HAD A CRISIS,” Tanaka defended, panting. “We saw a ghost!”

“P-p-plus! you could’ve woken us up, Sugaa! ”, Nishinoya said, clinging onto Asahi’s arm.

Everyone blinked.

“Why is Asahi here?” Sugawara asked, half-concerned, half-about-to-kill-himself.

Asahi held up both hands. “Against my will.”

Their heads all turned to Hinata, who was still half-asleep and a hoodie pulled over his hair, arms crossed tight. He didn’t say much, just looked tired and small. But he was there. That was enough.

They all exchanged concerned looks but decided to play it off.

“Hey! we should go now if we still wanna do anything at all! ”, Yachi explained, huffing.

The group turned toward the front doors, excitement buzzing low in their chests.

But just as Kiyoko reached for the handle-

“Where do you all think you’re going?”

They froze. A sweat dropped down Yamaguchi’s forehead.

“I told you guys this would happen. “, Tanaka’s voice trembled.

“YOU JINXED IT! “, said Nishinoya.

Daichi stood behind them, arms crossed, eyes like a disappointed father who knew something was up the second Nishinoya and Tanaka, of all people, stood up at midnight.

They all turned around slowly, ready to face his wrath.

“Daichi-” Yachi started.

“This incident will be reported. You guys won’t be able to participate in the next Practice-Matches anymore. And you two, “, He pointed at the managers,

“I really didn’t expect this from you.”

Silence.

Then Sugawara stepped forward, calm and poised.

“Sawamura. “, he said softly. “Please.”

Daichi blinked.

“You think i will let this slide because if your pleading, Koushi? “, he said, half-assed, before sighing.

“Just this once.”

Their eyes locked.

And to everyone’s shock, Daichi looked away. A soft pink bloomed at the tips of his ears.

“…You all better be back before 3:00.”

“Hey hey! you’re coming with us, stupid. “, Sugawara snatched Daichi and took him along with them.

The doors creaked open.

“To think that our captain fancies our setter…”

“Tsukki! “, Yamaguchi elbowed Tsukishima.

“Gomen.”

And just like that, they slipped into the night.

______________________________________

“Where do you guys wanna go? “, Yachi said, turning around to face the group.

The city lights shimmered behind them as they reached a Train station.

“Nowhere far. “, Sugawar answered. “We won’t be able to find our way back.”

They walked a bit further. The wind hitting their faces.

“Bro… what is that?!” Tanaka hissed, grabbing Asahi’s shoulder.

“IS THAT TEKE-TEKE?!” he shouted. Nishinoya immediately grabbed the other side of Asahi’s arm.

Everyone froze.

Silence.

The wind groaned through the station frame.

“That’s a plastic bag. “, Tsukishima said, rolling his eyes.

Tanaka let go, clutching his chest like he was seconds away from death. “I thought that was it. I was ready. I saw my life flash.”

“Nothing flashed. “, Tsukishima muttered.

“Why do you always gotta comment on everything! “, Nishinoya said, still not having let go of Asahi’s arm.

Sugawara and Daichi giggled at him. The poor short boy trembled in fear, looking back every two seconds to see if Teke-Teke was there.

“Well,” Kiyoko said, voice soft but steady. “If we don’t wanna go far… why don’t we just explore?”

“Explore what? An abandoned building?” Yamaguchi said, half-laughing.

Everyone turned slowly.

“…What,” he blinked, raising his arms in protest. “No. No, guys, come on NOOOO-“

Yamaguchi whined as everyone dragged him off.

_____________________________________

They stood in front of the entrance like idiots, no one wanting to be the one who said it.

That they were actually going to go inside.

The wind hit their faces, warning them.
They tried to be as nonchalant as possible but everyone was sweating. Tsukishima said ‘it was from the heat’.

The building looked like it was on life support. Vines crawling from every edge, shattered windows, graffiti all over the signage, hanging low and all the letters rusty.

It looked even creepier under the moonlight.

Someone, maybe Yamaguchi, breathed out real slow. “Guys, this feels like how every horror movie starts.”

“Exactly why we should go in. Dont be a pussyyyyyy. ”, Tanaka whispered like it was obvious, creeping inside.

Sugawara reached for the door handle, but it didn’t budge.

“Locked. ”, he murmured, already leaning his weight in. “One of you tall boys wanna…”

Daichi stepped forward without a word and shoved his shoulder into it. The hard wood creaked, groaned, resisted, and then gave in with a loud CREAK.

Inside was darkness. A shelf had collapsed sideways. There was graffiti on the walls: hearts and names, weird symbols, a giant smiley face with some gang symbol on it.

“Whose idea was this again?” Yachi whispered.

Yamaguchi stared. “Not mine. DEFINITELY not-“

“Shhh. It feels illegal to be loud in here. “, Nishinoya said.

Tanaka puffed his chest. “Don’t worry. Me and Noya’ll protect you queens.” Nishinoya stood beside him, flexing a bicep. News flash: He didn’t have one.

“Cool,” Kiyoko said, walking past him first. Yachi giggled and held Kiyoko’s hand.

Tanaka blinked. “Cool. “, he repeated.

Nishinoya whispered, “She’s so cool.”

I guess they didn’t get the ‘hand-holding’ memo.

No one moved. Out of fear, probably.

Tsukishima’s phone flashlight clicked on first. Then Yachi’s. Then everyone else followed, one after the other like dominos. White-blue beams cast jittery circles on the ground, the walls, each other’s faces.

“Dude, You have a samsung? “, Nishinoya said to Tsukishima.

“It does the job. Hey, watch your step. “, He replied, suddenly scaring everyone and making them look down on the floor.

Kiyoko was the first to step inside. Of course she was.

The sound of her sneakers crunching over glass was oddly loud.

“Aww, Shimizuuuu, they were new! “, Yachi said, feeling upset over Kiyoko’s poor shoes.

“Seriously?” Tanaka hissed. “We’re just going in? Like… like casually?”

“Casually?” Tsukishima muttered, walking past him. “You’re the one who screamed over a bag.”

“I WAS SCARED! EVERYONE WAS! “, Tanaka said, defending himself.

“Shut up,” Nishinoya whispered. “You’re gonna summon something.”

They filed in, phones up, steps cautious. Dust clung to everything. The place had clearly been a pharmacy once, maybe part of an old clinic. Shelves stood crooked, some toppled and broken. Jars and pill containers were scattered across the floor, their labels faded into nothing. Cabinets with glass doors stood cracked open, filled with empty boxes and a couple of unidentifiable things in jars that no one looked at too long.

Some homeless people probably came in here and robbed the place of its contents. There was barely any medicine, and if, they were all expired in 2012.

The floor was covered in old debris, bits of plaster, crumbled tiles, and glass. Lots of glass.

Hinata lagged behind the group, No one noticed he wasn’t talking. Or breathing right.

They were all too busy pretending not to be scared.

Yamaguchi pressed close to Tsukishima, clearly not joking anymore. Every little noise made him flinch. Tsukishima didn’t say anything about it. He just kept shining his light ahead.

“I don’t like this,” Nishinoya muttered.

“You said that already,” Kiyoko replied without turning around.

“Yeah, well, I don’t like it more now.”

“Guys, i found something! “, Came from the hallway.

“Who said that…? “, Daichi asked.

They all flashed their phone lights at each other. Everyone was there.

Fear was in everyone’s throats. They were all sweating, completely scared and anxious.

“Guuuuyysss! Whoooo’s pranking uuussss! “, Asahi asked, voice cracking.

“Probably the wind. The fear is getting to yall’s head. “, Sugawara reassured.

Everyone’s shoulders slumped, relaxing. Yachi let out a sigh of relief.

Hinata climbed up a counter, inspecting the folder cabinet for some clue to why this place was left behind.

Tanaka, trying his best to act normal, ran his finger along a shelf. It came back black. “Eugh,” he groaned, wiping it on his pants. “This is so cursed. Like, a tetanus waiting to happen.”

“Good,” Tsukishima said from the other end of the room. “Then maybe you’ll shut up.”

Tsukishima shined his light on a glass door with a sign on it. It read ‘Waiting Room’.

He pushed the fragile door, flashing his lights on the inside. Yachi followed from behind, flashing her own light at some vintage magazines on the footrest.

Tsukishima saw a couch and decided to sit on it. Bad idea.

He yelped and immediately got up from disgust as he felt something squirm under his thigh.

“There was something on it,” he said, sharply. “It moved.”

“I’m not turning my flashlight on that,” Yachi said, already walking backwards. They made their way back out quickly, Tsukishima bumping into Sugawara, who was watching the scene unfold.

Sugawara chuckled under his breath, but his hands were shaking slightly.

Daichi stepped out of some examination room as he saw Hinata on a counter.

Nobody had really spoken to Hinata, afraid of breaking his bubble. Hinata did the same.

“Soooo… Hinata… have things calmed down? “, Daichi asked, trying to strike a conversation. He thought maybe Hinata would feel better after talking about the elephant in the room.

He saw Hinata give him a side eye before he answered. Wow, he actually felt offended!

“… Yeah. “, Hinata replied.

“Oooohkay.. Are you, okay? “, Daichi moved closer, expressing his concern.

Hinata seemed to do the same thing he did earlier. Daichi stared dumbfounded, waiting for Hinata’s response.

“… Yeah.” , Hinata replied, again.

“Hinata i really want to help you, but i can’t if you won’t cooperate. Do y- “, Hinata cut him off before he finished his sentence.

“I know you’re trying your best, Daichi, everyone is. You guys have stopped even looking at me. Y’all did the same exact thing back when i first passed out at practice. “, Hinata said, hopping off the counter before continuing.

“You guys baby me. Treat me like some fragile little kid who gets hurt by everything. “, Hinata put a hand on Daichis shoulder,
“I know you just wanna help, but you should really stop prying your nose in other people’s business, Captain. “, Hinata finished, walking off.

“Wait- Hinata! “, Daichi reached out, but then stopped himself, changing his mind. Maybe he *had* been actually babying Hinata. He was just afraid of being a bad Captain. He sighed, walking out to the rest of the group.

Everyone greeted him. He didn’t notice one voice too many.

Daichi crouched beside what looked like a shattered medicine counter. There were crumpled documents under the broken glass, handwritten notes in red pen, half-eaten by water damage. One read:

“DO NOT ENTER BACK STORAGE. CALL IF FOUND.”

“Found what?” he muttered. This place was really getting to him because he could swear someone was over his shoulder.

No one responded. He turned his back, looking over his shoulder. The nearest person was about 2 meters away.

That was when the slam echoed through the building.

Yachi let out a small shriek. Everyone jumped, tensing up.

“Juuussst wind!” Sugawara said way too quickly.

They all looked at each other. Nobody believed Sugawara this time.

“Do…. We… In-Investigate…?” Tsukishima asked.

“Nope!” said Yamaguchi immediately.

But they moved. As a group. Step by step. The hallway that led to the back was narrower, darker. The air got heavier the further they went, like it was pressing down on their chests.

Their phone lights flickered.

Yachi looked around frantically. Kiyoko doing the same, but she instead looked at her teammates.

Then, Kiyoko grabbed Daichi’s arm. Stopping Daichi dead in his tracks.

“H-h-hinata…. where’s … Hinata..”, she asked, her voice as low as could be.

Everyone stood still.

“Oh my god. They took him. “, Sugawara said, voice barely above a whisper.

“WHOOO TOOK HIM?!?”

_________________

After walking off, Hinata separated himself
from the group. He saw a staircase leading upstairs and decided to follow it.

He stood alone.

He’d slipped away while everyone was distracted with the couch and the creepy notes. He wasn’t even sure why. Maybe he couldn’t stand hearing Daichi talk to him like that. Like he cared. Like he understood.

He didn’t.

No one did.

He wandered down a side hall, flashlight catching on rusted carts and splintered doors. One room was half collapsed, filled with forgotten boxes and shelves of prescription bottles. He stepped inside.

And then he saw it.

A long shard of glass, half buried in the dust.

He just stood there for a second. Breathing. Not breathing. He thought of stepping out, going back to the group. Try his best to ignore the urge.

But he picked it up. He couldn’t resist. He swore it was provoking him.

His fingers shook. His breath shook aswell.

One line. That’s all he needed. Just to .. distract him. Yeah. Feel something else. Something sharp.

He lifted the sleeve of his hoodie, pausing for a second. He’d been clean for 8 months. He promised.

But one cut wouldn’t hurt.

He pressed it to the inside of his wrist. One, deep and long slash. He made it quick.

A hiss of breath. Fire under skin.

It burned.

He ignored the feeling and slashed another one.

His whole body jolted. He dropped the glass and stumbled back, clutching his wrist, sleeve yanked down immediately. His stomach twisted. He bent over, dry heaving, heart pounding like he’d sprinted miles.

Tears erupted in his eyes. One slid down his cheek, he hadn’t noticed from the pain.

He wanted to throw up from the pain. Spit started piling up at the roof of his mouth. He totally was gonna throw up.

But he swallowed it down.

He wiped his tears, Men didn’t cry.

He forced his hands still.

He then turned his flashlight back on and walked back toward the others like nothing happened. A limp in his step that he forced himself to control.

⸻

They all turned when they saw a flash of light from behind them. One nanosecond away from screaming.

“Uhh… Hey? “, Hinata said, waving.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

And then,
Yachi’s phone rang.

Loud. Abrupt. The ringtone blaring in the quiet like a gunshot. It was the nana ringtone.

Everyone stumbled, Tsukishima catching Asahi before he fell over. They looked around frantically, everyone feeling their own pockets to see if it was their phone.

Yachi looked at the screen.

“Coach Ukai? “, She announced, confused.

“What?” Daichi turned.

She answered it. Put it on speaker.

All they heard was static.

Then a voice.

But it wasn’t Coach Ukai.

Or not really.

It was distorted. Slurred. Like a voice through water.

“Where… are… you…?”

And then screaming.

Not from the phone.

From them, because suddenly all the doors in the building SLAMMED SHUT.

Yachi dropped her phone. Nishinoya yelled. Kiyoko was already grabbing people by the arms and dragging them back. Everyone held each other as they ran to the front door.

“We’re leaving! NOW!”

They ran. Full panic. Lights bouncing off the walls. Tanaka knocked over a metal stand that echoed like a gunshot. Yamaguchi screamed at a shadow. Tsukishima didn’t even bother being sarcastic, he was sprinting.

Hinata got pulled by Yachi, fast and hard.

He winced. Hard. Even hissed under his breath.

She looked down.

“Hinata- Your- Wrist- “, Yachi said, looking down.

He shook his head, but she was already dragging him again.

They didn’t stop until they were out the door, down the stairs, on the cracked sidewalk and panting like they’d escaped a nightmare.

Everyone stood there, doubled over, sweat on their necks despite the cold.

“Never again,” Daichi said, out of breath.

“Burn that building down.” Sugawara added.

Tanaka was on the verge of tears. “My ancestors are angry with me.”

“Oh my god. Yachi, Your phone. “, Tsukishima said, managing to chuckle without air.

Yachi gasped, and turned around to look at the building.

She stood there for a second. Watching the door. Everyone, sensing the tension, also stared.

Just then, the door slightly opened and kicked out a phone. Yachi’s phone.

Everyone gulped as they stared with wide eyes.

“D-did everyone just see that…? “, Nishinoya asked.

Yamaguchi’s hands were over his mouth as he muffled a “Yeah.”

Yachi pushed someone to go get it, which was Kiyoko.

Kiyoko just wiped her hands on her skirt and looked annoyed.

Everyone held their breath for a moment before Tsukishima made the first step forward. “Let’s go back. “, He announced.

Everyone followed him like dogs.

Slowly and surely, everyone started talking again. Still shook from the event, their voices were unsteady and shaky.

Yachi, slowly, gently, turned to Hinata again.

He had his sleeve pulled over his hand. Tight.

“Shouyo,” she said softly. “Back there… your wrist…”

He avoided her eyes.

“It’s nothing,” he whispered.

“Then show me.”

He didn’t.

She didn’t push it. Just nodded once.

But her fingers itched with worry.

And her phone still had one missed call.

From Coach Ukai.

Who’d never called.

Chapter Text

hiii guys!!!!!

i’m so sorry for being unactive for so long 💔 im not as interested in haikyuu as i was since i’ve found a new interest, so i won’t be publishing anymore chapters (as of now).

However i started the 7th chapter a while ago and i’m determined to finish it soon & upload it before i abandon this fic.

I will be posting fanfictions of other fandoms soon! i was thinking of a bkdk or togachako fic, or maybe one from a completely other fandom.

If you guys have any requests that you want to see in the last chapter, please comment them below! (and do it fast.. im not gonna wait)

thank you for all the support you guys have shown me ❤️ i had so much planned for this fic and im so sorry to let it go, maybe once i’m back into haikyuu again i’ll finish it one day.

if i decide that this fic will officially end and there won’t be anymore chapters, i’ll briefly spoiler you guys with what wouldve happened if i hadn’t abandoned this fic.

once again, thank you! and until the next & last chapter!