Chapter Text
SPRING, SECOND YEAR
(The rumor is born.)
Spring of their second year at Karasuno arrived the way it always did—too bright, too loud, and way too fast.
The gym doors were thrown open to let the warm air in, pollen drifting lazily through the court like it had business being there. The cherry blossoms outside the windows were in full bloom, which meant Coach Ukai was in a good mood, Nishinoya was sneezing aggressively, and Hinata Shouyou felt like something important was about to happen.
Not volleyball-important.
Emotionally important.
He didn’t know why he felt that way. He just did.
Maybe it was because Tsukishima and Kageyama had been… weird lately.
Not bad weird.
Not fighting weird.
Just—close.
They stood closer than usual during drills. Their shoulders brushed more often. They stayed behind after practice to go over blocking patterns and tosses even when everyone else had already collapsed onto the floor, groaning about their legs giving out. Tsukishima, who normally acted like talking to Kageyama for more than ten seconds was physically painful, was actually… engaging.
Like, on purpose.
Hinata noticed because Hinata noticed everything.
“Oi,” Nishinoya said, elbowing him in the ribs. “You’re staring. You fall in love with Tsukishima now too?”
“No!” Hinata hissed. “I’m just… observing.”
“Creepy,” Tanaka added helpfully.
Hinata ignored them, eyes glued to the far end of the court where Tsukishima and Kageyama were bent over the same notebook. Kageyama was talking with his hands, animated and intense. Tsukishima listened—actually listened—head tilted, brows drawn together in concentration instead of annoyance.
This was new.
This was suspicious.
Hinata felt the slow, creeping horror of realization crawl up his spine.
He had seen this before.
Not in real life. In anime. In manga. In those dumb romance dramas Yachi sometimes watched on her phone during breaks.
This was the part where two characters started standing too close, sharing glances that lingered half a second too long, doing mundane things together like it meant something deeper.
This was the beginning of a slow-burn.
Hinata’s hands trembled with the weight of narrative responsibility.
Somewhere in the distance, Hinata was pretty sure dramatic shoujo sparkles were forming around Tsukishima and Kageyama.
This was how it started. This was how feelings happened.
He was not prepared to witness character development in real time.
Hinata’s brain started building a crime board.
If he had access to a whiteboard, there would already be red string involved.
He could practically hear dramatic background music swelling.
This was a mystery. A betrayal. A romantic subplot he had not signed up for.
Exhibit A: Tsukishima had handed Kageyama his water bottle earlier without complaining.
Exhibit B: Kageyama had waited for Tsukishima after practice instead of sprinting out first.
Exhibit C: Tsukishima had not once called him “King” today.
Hinata gasped. “They’re being emotionally considerate.”
“That’s not illegal,” Yamaguchi said.
“It is in Tsukishima Law,” Hinata replied.
The gym doors slid open.
Kuroo Tetsurou walked in like he owned the place.
His eyes zeroed in on Tsukishima immediately.
Not on the court.
Not on the ball.
On Tsukishima.
Hinata clocked it instantly. The way Kuroo’s shoulders loosened when Tsukishima looked up. The way his mouth twitched into that stupid soft grin he never wore around anyone else.
Hinata filed this under: Extremely Suspicious Behavior.
Kuroo didn’t even pretend to look anywhere else. He hovered like a cat that had decided one specific human was his now.
Tsukishima pretended not to notice.
He noticed.
“Hey, moonshine,” Kuroo called. “You miss me?”
Tsukishima rolled his eyes. “Unfortunately.”
Kuroo stepped closer than necessary, peering at the notebook Tsukishima was holding. “Studying without me? I’m offended.”
“You’d be useless,” Tsukishima said.
“Wow. Betrayed by my own boyfriend,” Kuroo said.
Tsukishima kicked him.
Hinata’s soul left his body.
BOYFRIEND???
Kageyama crossed his arms, scowling.
His jaw was tight. His eyes followed Kuroo’s movements with something dangerously close to hostility.
Hinata’s brain short-circuited.
Oh.
Oh no.
This wasn’t just a love triangle.
This was a love… square?
Hinata felt like he was watching four idiots orbit each other in slow motion.
No one was communicating.
This was clearly romance.
Kuroo noticed. He tilted his head. “You okay there, Tobio?”
“Don’t call me that,” Kageyama snapped.
Kenma leaned against the wall. “You’re glaring.”
“I’m observing,” Kuroo said.
“You’re observing like a territorial raccoon,” Kenma replied.
Hinata grabbed Yamaguchi’s sleeve. “Oh my god.”
“…Tsukishima’s dating Kageyama.”
SUMMER, SECOND YEAR
(The rumor reaches Seijoh.)
Summer training camp was supposed to be about fundamentals. Conditioning. Not emotional warfare.
The rumor had mutated.
By day four, it reached Seijoh.
Oikawa Tooru arrived like a curse.
“I heard a rumor,” Oikawa said. “And I cleared my schedule for it.”
“You don’t have a schedule,” Iwaizumi said.
“I graduated,” Oikawa said proudly. “I’m unemployed and dangerous.”
Oikawa pointed. “THIS.”
“I have traveled from the freedom of post-high-school adulthood to witness this tragedy in person,” Oikawa declared.
“No one invited you,” Iwaizumi said.
“The universe did,” Oikawa replied.
Hinata gasped. “So the rumor is that big now?”
“It reached Seijoh,” Oikawa said smugly. “Which means it has achieved cultural relevance.”
Oikawa clasped his hands together dramatically. “I will be taking credit for emotionally supporting this narrative.”
“You are emotionally harming everyone,” Iwaizumi said.
“We’re not dating,” Kageyama said.
“Sure,” said literally everyone.
Kuroo leaned against the wall, jaw tight.
Kenma sighed. “You’re embarrassing.”
“He handed him a towel,” Kuroo muttered.
“They are teammates.”
“It was too gentle.”
Kenma stared at him. “You need therapy.”
YEAR THREE
(The rumor becomes a legend.)
By third year, the rumor had become immortal.
“Oh, Karasuno?” someone whispered. “The tall blonde and the setter are basically married.”
Tsukishima stopped correcting people.
It was easier to let them believe whatever they wanted.
Correcting people meant explanations.
Explanations meant conversations.
Tsukishima was tired.
Tired of rumors.
Tired of explaining.
Tired of pretending his heart didn’t do something stupid every time Kuroo smiled at him like that.
Yamaguchi patted his shoulder. “This is your villain origin story.”
THE WINGMEN ERA
They decided to wingman each other.
This was a mistake.
Kageyama’s plan: “Tell him you like him.”
Tsukishima’s plan: “Compliment Hinata.”
Kageyama told Hinata, “You jump… efficiently.”
Hinata cried.
Tsukishima told Kuroo, “Your hair is… less annoying today.”
Kuroo short-circuited.
Everyone else thought they were flirting.
THE INTERVENTION
“Okay,” Akaashi said calmly. “We are having an intervention.”
“YOU’RE ALL IDIOTS,” Bokuto added.
Kuroo stepped forward. “I like you.”
Tsukishima blinked. “I know.”
“I rehearsed that for three years.”
Tsukishima sighed. “I like you too, idiot.”
Hinata screamed.
Kageyama turned red.
Oikawa collapsed to the floor in defeat.
Later, when the gym had finally emptied, Tsukishima found Kuroo leaning against the hallway wall.
Kenma stopped. “You text every day. You share playlists. You video call before bed. You get jealous over towels.”
Kuroo opened his mouth, then closed it again.
He looked at Tsukishima like he was bracing for rejection that had never actually come.
Tsukishima’s expression softened, just a little.
“You’re exhausting,” he said quietly.
“I know,” Kuroo admitted.
“You could’ve said something.”
“I didn’t think you’d want—”
“Just date,” Kenma said. “So I can rest.”
Tsukishima kissed Kuroo.
Down the hall, Hinata froze.
“OH MY GOD THEY’RE FINALLY DATING.”
Hinata dropped to his knees. “I STARTED THIS.”
Kenma’s voice drifted back. “You ruined three lives.”
“Four,” Kenma added. “You ruined mine too. I had to witness this.”
The rumor, at long last, was wrong.
And somehow, that felt like the funniest part.