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Hinata questioned his life choices for a brief moment as he walked toward the bleachers of the university’s massive gymnasium. Why him? Why was he here? And why, for the love of everything holy, was he still friends with Bokuto and Kuroo?
But as expected, this existential questioning didn’t last long; no crisis in Hinata’s life ever did. It was physically impossible for him. Anyone trying to survive with the attention span of a bouncing volleyball would understand. One moment he was contemplating how high he could jump while dunking, and the next he was mourning who took the last milk bread at the cafeteria. He sighed, squared his shoulders, and marched toward the two disasters waiting for him in the stands.
Bokuto, in a typical spur-of-the-moment decision, had dyed his hair. Fitting the theme of the day, the tips of his spiky hair were now a blinding, almost neon grey. Hinata really needed to reconsider his circle of friends, considering Bokuto’s primary goal in life was to scream "Hey Hey Hey!" and his secondary goal was to gaslight Hinata into doing stupid things until his dying breath.
Before Hinata could even get close, Bokuto spotted him. He waved frantically, as if Hinata was the only person in the stands and they had just won the World Cup. At that moment, Hinata concluded once again: Bokuto Koutarou thrived on drama.
Bokuto was vibrating with an energy that suggested his veins were pumping pure caffeine and adrenaline. Seeing this, Hinata seriously weighed the "run away" option again. How big is this gym? How fast can I run? No, Bokuto is a damn athlete and Kuroo is a scheming cat; they’d catch me in less than five seconds. I can’t escape. Damn it.
Hinata glanced at Bokuto again. He remembered the high school training camp where he last saw him this cheerful. The two of them had entered a "who can jump higher" contest and ended up breaking a ceiling light in the gym.
Daichi-san had looked so terrifying that day that Hinata still woke up sweating from nightmares about it.
Finally, Hinata reached the duo. Before he could even sit, Bokuto spread his arms like an owl, grabbed Hinata, and planted him right next to Kuroo. Hinata realized his chances of escape had officially dropped to zero. He was sandwiched between them; they were acting like two predators (an owl and a cat) who had cornered their prey.
As Bokuto’s neon hair shimmered under the gym lights, a single thought crossed Hinata’s mind:
Really... is it worth it for 5000 Yen?
Kuroo looked at Hinata with an almost apologetic expression, wearing that famous smirk that was somehow also reassuring. It was the kind of smile that said, "I'm just a smart captain interested in chemistry." But the funny part was, this calm-looking guy was actually a "Tactical Chaos Specialist."
Kuroo seemed ready to record every second of this moment. For Hinata to remember later and turn beet red from shame. Or rather... for them to show Kenma so they could laugh about it.
Hinata’s shoulders tensed up, but Kuroo suddenly placed a friendly hand on his back. He started rubbing small circles, as if to say, “Come on, Chibi-chan.”
Hinata narrowed his eyes at him. Kuroo, are you a captain or a menace? Pick a side.
Bokuto pretended to watch the players on the court, but he was actually watching the panic rising on Hinata’s face.
"Look," Kuroo whispered, leaning into Hinata’s ear with that smooth, scheming voice. "You're just going to yell a little bit. 'That’s my boyfriend!' That’s it. Then it's over and done with. Just think about it... a whole month’s worth of meat bun money."
Hinata’s heart sped up for a second. The words "Meat Bun" echoed in his brain. His eyes involuntarily drifted to the court. Wearing a black practice jersey, Miya Atsumu was preparing to serve in the middle of the court with the confidence of someone who owned the world.
And the only thing Hinata could think was:
It’s not worth 5000 Yen. It’s never worth it. That guy is the monster of Inarizaki!
But Kuroo was still rubbing circles on his back, and Bokuto was struggling not to scream "HEY HEY HEY." And Hinata... was desperate.
Atsumu’s famous, perfectly dyed blonde hair shone under the lights, looking like something straight out of Hinata’s nightmares. Damn it... With his muscles flexing as he prepared to serve, Atsumu clearly stood out from the ordinary players on the court. Hinata tried to take deep breaths to stop his thoughts from drifting to very inappropriate places. Come on, Shouyou, get a grip. It’s just 5000 Yen.
Of course, the victim Bokuto Koutarou chose couldn't be just anyone. Naturally, this "Miya Atsumu" guy had to look like the setter of the Japan National Team and a walking ego. Hinata gritted his teeth and turned angrily to Bokuto.
"You forgot to mention," Hinata emphasized every syllable with rage, "that Miya Atsumu is a living service monster and a total pain in the ass."
Bokuto raised a single eyebrow (if he could) and smirked.
"I didn't pay attention to the minor details," he said in a completely relaxed tone. "Besides, if I told you... it wouldn't be any fun! Oya oya?"
Hinata’s face tightened with anger.
"I'm going to make you pay for this later, Bokuto-san," Hinata growled.
Bokuto’s answer was just a wider grin. Beside him, Kuroo snickered, muttering a quiet "Oya oya oya."
After what felt like hours, Hinata finally stood up, despite his trembling knees. He straightened up with a heavy seriousness, as if he were walking out for Karasuno's toughest match.
He started rapidly coaching himself internally: 5000 Yen... 5000 Yen means meat buns... Those hot, soft, meat-filled buns...
He took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and turned his eyes to the court. Just then, Atsumu, spinning the ball in his hands, tilted his head slightly and looked up at the stands. Their eyes locked.
Hinata’s heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest.
Beside him, Bokuto stood up gleefully to watch, and Kuroo had already whipped out his phone.
And in that moment, as he prepared to yell, Hinata thought only one thing:
I hope there’s curry to go with those buns.
Hinata pressed a hand to his chest to suppress the rhythm of his heart. Meat buns, new knee pads, 5000 Yen... For all of it, Shouyou! It’s now or never!
He took a deep breath, filling his lungs until they burned. Then, gathering all his courage, he screamed at the top of his lungs:
"THAT'S MY BOYFRIEND!!!"
The voice echoing through the stands instantly silenced the entire stadium. Balls dropped to the floor; the coach dropped the whistle from his mouth. It was so silent that for a moment, Hinata truly believed time had stopped.
Atsumu stood frozen on the court. Slowly, his blonde hair catching the light, he turned his head toward the stands. His face held no expression—but that blankness was fraying Hinata’s nerves even more.
Hinata’s throat went dry. Ah... ah, damn it. If it were Kageyama, he would have yelled 'Boke' by now. Why is he quiet?
Bokuto was doubled over, trying to suppress his laughter. Kuroo was recording the video, laughing sinisterly.
The rest of the court had started whispering:
"Did he say boyfriend?"
"Miya Atsumu's?!"
"Isn't that the Karasuno #10?"
Finally, Atsumu slowly raised an eyebrow. His eyes locked onto Hinata. It was as if the whole stadium had vanished, leaving only Hinata in the stands. He scanned Hinata with that technical, hungry, focused gaze of a setter analyzing his spiker. He looked until Hinata was practically begging with his eyes to disappear.
Then he looked away from Hinata, but not before putting on that famous, sly fox smirk.
And Miya Atsumu, as if the most normal thing in the world had just happened, asked a single word in that slight Kansai dialect:
"...Why not?"
Okay, now that was a big surprise. Kageyama would have asked, "Are you stupid?" But Atsumu? Atsumu loved chaos.
Hinata’s "freeze-reflex" kicked in again.
The crowd in the stands was silent.
Atsumu slowly placed the ball on the floor. He didn't walk toward the net; he started walking toward the stands. He took his steps in a measured, unnecessarily calm manner.
Hinata whispered in panic to Kuroo:
"He's coming. HE'S COMING. Why is he walking toward me?! Kuroo-san, protect me!"
Kuroo giggled.
"Chibi-chan, I can't interfere right now, the angle is great."
"Kuroo-san, you better send that 5000 Yen to my funeral!"
Bokuto couldn't hold it in anymore.
"HINATA! Strike a pose! He's either going to spike you or kiss you! Either way, it’s legendary!" he yelled.
Hinata gritted his teeth.
With every step Atsumu took, Hinata’s heart rate changed.
120 bpm… 150 bpm… 180 bpm.
And finally, Atsumu stopped in front of the stands.
Head tilted slightly to the side, looking at Hinata with that disturbingly handsome and arrogant smile.
Then he spoke loud enough for the entire audience to hear:
"Alright, Shouyou-kun, why so shy?"
One second... two seconds...
Then the explosion.
Bokuto leaned over as if falling off his chair.
And Hinata... Hinata formatted his brain for 7 seconds.
"I..." Hinata said, his voice cracking.
"I... For the Meat Buns..."
But his voice came out so high-pitched that the corner of Atsumu’s lip twitched almost imperceptibly.
He clenched his jaw to stop himself from laughing, then—to add the perfect seasoning to everything—he reached out his hand.
"Come down here, darling."
While Hinata's brain issued the "run" command, his legs executed the "go" command.
Bokuto wasn't laughing anymore, because he realized the seriousness of the situation and that Atsumu was going to turn this set into a goal. "Wow," said Bokuto. "Atsumu really... wow."
Hinata involuntarily stood up at Atsumu’s call.
His feet moved toward the court as if betraying him.
The crowd watching the practice started applauding.
"Miya's lover is on the court!" a voice shouted.
When Hinata reached Atsumu, he asked through gritted teeth in a whisper, his orange hair practically glowing from embarrassment:
"What is... the meaning of this? Kageyama would kill me!"
Atsumu tilted his head and smiled. His eyes narrowed.
"I don't know. Isn't this how a setter treats his spiker?"
Hinata closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Atsumu reached out to Hinata’s lips, which were trembling from tension. As he pulled the younger one into a kiss that possessed an almost golden ratio of tenderness and typical Atsumu dominance, Atsumu’s heart began to beat as fast as it did during a perfect spike.
They only pulled apart when they were both breathless. Atsumu looked at Hinata again.
And Bokuto’s voice echoed from the stands:
"You owe me that 5000 Yen, Tsum-Tsum!"
The End