Chapter Text
Hinata then spends the next few days exchanging messages with Yoichi. It's been a good 3 days or so since the football game.
At first, it was awkward being the one who sent the first message but it's not like the soccer player had his number, so he had no choice.
Or else he won't get to talk to the other boy again,
and he really doesn't want that to happen.
He was so excited to have someone new to talk to! And that someone new was a football player, a good one! Also not a volleyball one, a football one! He can't even believe it. He's never had a friend that liked football before. Only volleyball nerds (like him) and the occasional basketball ones.
It felt really interesting. Like talking to someone who's from a whole different world than you. It felt so good weird hearing Isagi talk about his sport like Hinata talks about his. Hinata knows well that the other boy could talk chat for hours explaining football terms to him. They spent all night talking about it.
First, they were threading between "Good morning!", "How are you?", and "How are your practices going?". Hinata really tried to keep it casual and not rant to much, else he scares off Isagi or bore him.
And in one tuesday morning, Hinata's day started off with turning on his phone and seeing a 'picture sent' from Yoichi amongst his (very little) notifications.
—————
Isagi Yoichi
[Picture of a tamagoyaki on a ceramic plate doused with blue floral designs and a cup of banana milk besides it]
Breakfast:)-
Hinata Shoyou
-WOAAAH looks yummyy!!
-I had an egg sandwitch earlier...
Isn't it soppused to be sandwich?-
Also, that seems good too-
-I dont know haha
-[Picture; Angle facing downwards to feet wearing a pair of jogging shoes, walking in pavement.]
-Look im on my way to practice!!
Alright ill be on my way too. be careful ok?-
-Ok!! u too yoichi thanks
-Oh wait can i call you that?
-Yoichi?
Yeah lol ofc can i call you Shoyou too?-
Also, why're you thanking me-
-YES OK IL CHANGE UR NICKNAME
-oh yeah thanks for talking to me
[Hinata Shoyou set the nickname for Isagi Yoichi to Yoichi<33]
Thanks bye. -
[Isagi Yoichi set the nickname for Hinata Shoyou to Shoyou:)]
Isagi turns off his phone before putting it in his pocket, eating one last bite of his tamagoyaki as he finally moved towards the door to wear his shoes and exit the house.
He's been chatting with Hina, Shoyou for a short while now, he's glad he made a new... friend? A really cute one, though.
There's a small part of him that hopes it could be more, which he doesn't even understand since he hardly knows a thing about the other boy. They've only been talking for a week.
Maybe it's just him being stupid.
He also doesn't want to make Shoyou uncomfortable, it seemed like the smaller boy was enthusiastic to talk to him too, but he didn't show any signs of wanting him in that way in his chats.
After biking for about 6 minutes, he's finally enetered his classroom.
He tried to focus for the whole class, occasionally typing something in his phone he hid under the table to talk to Hinata about anything
—
Yoichi<33
-hellio im in class right now.
-we're having english lessoms
Shoyou:)
how can you chat me if your on class-
*you're-
*ur-
-im chatting u under the table hahaha did you bring a bento for lunch? whats inside?
yesyes i did ෆ╹ .̮ ╹ෆ-
i made some onigiri-
-how about u wow im sure thats good
-i didn't bring any i think i'll just buy som estuff later
—
and finally fully talking to him at his lunch break — until his practice after the end of his classes.
He walks down the stairs to the school's football field, making his way to the lockers while earning a few glances from his other (very few) teammates.
It's a common occurance. He's used to it. He's kind of known. He wouldn't say popular, Kira was the popular one. Though, people still stare even when he's been here for so long. He knows hes's called one of the best players on the team, and that almost everyone here knows him as "That soccer guy", that younger him only moved into this school because he heard there was a football field here and the team looked pretty decent. He's probably the club member who's been here the longest, along with his hazel-eyed friend.
Speaking of him, He feels a rather heavy hand on his shoulder while he was putting his belongings inside his locker. Turning to look at the direction where it came from, he comes face to face with the white-haired boy, standing a bit too close to him.
"Look who it is, Yoichi! you're early today, what's up?" Kira asks with a common, blinding smile on his face, his side leaning a bit closer to Isagi.
Kira's probably the face of this school's team since he's the most well known. The team's decent amount of donations most likely came from his fans. Which, for Isagi, is crazy. How can a highschooler have fans already? Well, it's a bit reasonable atleast. The other boy's fans were just people in the district or closer.
Isagi's aware he isn't as popular, and he understands, glad even. Most of the school knows him, and it's really hard to bother with all the attention he gets coming from random people. Sometimes it's heartwarming, most of the times he has to try hard and refrain himself from rolling his eyes at the glazed compliments people who don't even know about soccer say to him.
Sometimes, that makes Isagi feel weird. Am I being mean? Before, he thought of himself as an especially kind person. He didn't really boast about it back then, but looking at it now, It was surprising how much he tried to please people. How much he smiled uncertainly at insults, how much he worried about his own ex-teammates, and how much he tried to make sure they were shining too.
It was hard. Yoichi will forever wonder he managed that. How he still smiled when his ex-team looked at him weirdly and will have hushed-down conversation without him. Calling him names. Even if he himself adjusted, dimmed light so the others' light would be brighter.
He's suddenly pulled out of his thoughts, It doesn't matter now. Im still me, by the sound of one of the lockers being loudly shut.
"What? I came at a time I always do.." He says meekly.
He almost forgot he was talking to someone! It's better he saved those thoughts for later.
"Alright, im just playing with you!" Kira says, huffing out a small laugh while ruffling the top of Yoichi's head.
What? It wasn't even funny. But before the ravenette could respond to the teasing, Ryousuke was already dragging him through the field where everyone else was taking flexibility exercises.
Practice went pretty normally, they did a few lapse around the fields and one round of ball blocking practices before finally taking a break.
Isagi takes his phone from his locker as he wipes his sweat using his towel, opening it and immediately checking his notifications.
He was greeted with a few messages from Hinata he haven't replied to,
Shoyou:) sent 36 minutes ago
*A picture with the angle facing upwards, showing half of a volleyball net*
We're starting practice!!
Shoyou:) sent 6 minutes ago
*Picture of a wooden bento filled with onigiri and a nato cup on the side, sitting on top of a shiny wooden floor*-
hey!! were on break-
are you still on training?-
oh well good luck!-
Yoichi<3
-sorry for the late reply hahaha
-our break jst started
-im gonna go head over to a vending machine to gt something
Hwlo hi hi -no its fine :>-
our break is almost finished -jst a few minutes more-
-how did practice go?
—
Isagi closes the locker before walking towards a vending machine outside of the club house, still chatting the other boy on the way there.
—
Yoichi<33
-it was fine, went as it always did
-it was pretty tiring, but it always is i guess
-how about yours??
Shoyou:)
It was fun!! I got to spike lots of balls set by my setter (☆▽☆)-
we actualy used to fight alot back then by back then i mean a few months ago haha but noe things are great!! his really good-
-He's?
um ywah sorry-
-Lol
—
Isagi frowns, taking banana milk a pack of milk biscuits from the vending machine. 'My setter'? What did Shoyou mean by that?
Wait he's probably just over thinking, that's probably what anyone would call their teammate, right?
Isagi jerks for a moment, suddenly remembering he hadn't even asked Shoyou if he was in a relationship! Oh no, he's so stupid! How can he forget that? Was he so distracted by the other boy's looks and talking that he game his number away without even asking him if he was on the market! That's probably what people did first, isn't it?
—
Shoyou:)
It wasnt boring today! tsuki kept making fun of me but he always does and its funny-
tsuki is also a teammate btw hes rlly tall-
Yoichi<33
-Haha i wish i was that close to my teammates
-oh aslo
-wait um
-out of curiosity, are u in a relationship
-haha a randkm question that jst came up rn
-its fine if you dont want to answer btw
-um sorry
-huh why are u apologizing ಠ﹏ಠ -hahaha no im not i havent thought of being in one since im focused on volleyball^^
not that im against being in one lol-
how about you??-
——
Isagi lets out a relieved breath, clutching his biscuits to his side before sitting down at a nearby metal bench.
Then, he jerks suddenly, hearing a loudly-whispered voice coming from behind him. He looks up, and sees who he expected to see.
"Heya, who're you talking to?"
Ryousuke asks, shifting down at the left side of Isagi's head to try and see the phone's screen.
Both of their necks are now uncomfortably close. Isagi could feel his teammate's hair tickling his nape.
Isagi immediately shuffles, moving his hand down and turning off his phone before fully turning around to face the other boy. Kira had a weird look in his eyes. The boy was obviously smiling, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. Isagi could've sworn he saw one of the other boy's eyebrows raising a bit.
"Tsk," He huffs, "What do you think you're doing?"
"Woaah, relax!" Kira says, letting out a small laugh. "Sorry...I was kidding around Yoichi! No need to be that panicked, damn!"
The white-haired boy then walks around the chair to sit right next to Isagi, his arms going on top of the bench's back and support his head before sipping a can of soft drinks in his other hand.
"Soo...Who's this 'Shoyou-smiley-face' person?"
"He's a friend."
"Oh, a 'he' huh? so he's not your girlfriend?" Kira teases with a small smile on his face, though the black-haired striker could tell that it doesn't quite reach his eyes.
"Oh wait, a... boyfriend, perhaps?" Ryosuke adds, smile getting larger as a laugh's melody could be heard hiding in his words. Though, Isagi could still tell something was weird, but he didn't mind it for too long.
The younger boy huffs, "No, hes a friend. It's none of your business anyway."
"Hmm... a friend you've been chatting for days now on our rare free times?" Kira murmurs, curiosity..? or, atleast that's what Isagi thinks it is — in his face.
Isagi looks away for a moment, He's so annoying sometimes... "It's none of your busi–"
"Alright... " Ryosuke tilts his head, obviously wanting to push more, before giving up and smiling softly. It's like he could easily read what the other boy was thinking.
"Well, you should get to eating then! Let's go back to the field together," The boy grabs Isagi's packet of biscuits from his lap, opening it up and grabbing a single peice.
He motions his hand closer to Yoichi's mouth, opening his own mouth as if showing something. "Ahh, eat,".
Isagi looks at him, dumbfounded. He can't believe the audacity of –
"You're soppused to open your mouth Yoich, not pout!" Kira giggles, a delicate, proud, smile forming on his lips.
"What –" The ravenette stutters, 'pouting'? He doesn't do that!.. does he? Oblivious to him, a slight pink blush was already spreading over his cheeks, making his ears red. He immediately turns away from Kira before letting out an annoyed breath. "Stop teasing." He demanded, shooing away Ryosuke's hand before taking a biscuit peice for himself.
"Alrightt, Im sorry..."
The two of them talked and ate together for most of the break, half of it was just Kira jokingly making fun of the other boy, and the other half, was Isagi trying to hide his snickers in small smiles now and then, or trying to fend the other boy off.
The two of them have been friends ever since Isagi first transferred to this school. At first, no one really tried talking to Isagi, if not for important school or club stuff, until Kira happened. Turns out, they both went against eachother back then. With Isagi's old team winning against Kira's. To be honest, Isagi didn't even remember that match. When Kira first approached him about it in one school morning at the gates, he was confused. He straight up sold the boy he didn't know him.
It was still funny remembering the boy's face when he did.
After that, they kept talking. Ryosuke accompanied him at practice breaks, he visited him at clas breaks, and they occasionally go home together.
It felt fun conversing with Kira, it didn't exactly feel easy always having to think of a response to his jeers but surprisingly, it's easy to match his energy. The white-haired player always had a high energy when talking to people, as Isagi observed from the sidelines whenever the other was talking to his fellow teammates (and fans). But whenever they were talking to eachother, it's like a switch being clicked. Kira could suddenly match his quietness. He's still kind of cocky, sure, but it's certainly more bareable.
About 10 minutes passed, and Isagi finally stood up, motioning for Ryosuke to follow him.
"Alright, let's go. The break is over."
"Awe, too bad, I was gonna tell you more about that girl–"
The two of them walked back together, with Ryosuke letting out huffs of laughter at some of Isagi's ripostes.
A number of texts lay upon one's phone, unseen and forgetten, letting one voleyball player to give up and continue whatever he was doing before.