Chapter Text
"Hinata, focus!" Sugawara called out in front of him. He was getting impatient with Hinata's constant glances to the other side of the room.
By order of the coach, they were each paired with an upperclassman to do some stretchesâcrutches?âto improve balance or something? He couldnât really remember what Mr Ukai had said.
"Aaaaaahh!!! Sorry, Suga-san!" he yelped.
Itâs not like he could help it! Itâs just that... Does Kageyama have to be panting so loudly from a simple stretch? Hinata doesnât understand how someone who looks so athletic sounds like heâs never worked out in his life. And not to mention that stupid damn candy in his mouth always sucking on it so gently.
It bothered him. And not because he was jealous or anything stupid like that. Itâs more like⊠watching someone youâre constantly battling with get everything youâve ever wanted, right in their hands, and they justâcouldnât care less. Wait⊠that is jealousy. Fuck.
Hinata watched from the corner of his eye, completely fixated as Kageyama went up and down, and up and down, and up and downâ
"Hinata!!!" Suga yelled directly in his ear.
"Ahh! What?! What?!" Hinata practically shouted, voice cracking.
Everyone stopped what they were doing.
Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, who were right next to him doing the same exercise, clapped their hands over their mouths, trying hard not to burst out laughing.
The wonder duo, Tanaka and Nishinoya, peeked their heads around to see where the commotion had come from, joined by Ennoshita, Kinoshita, and Narita.
Kiyoko and Yachiâwho were by the bench filling water bottlesâjumped slightly, Yachi spilling some water in surprise.
And just when the embarrassment couldnât get any worse, Kageyama looked straight at him. So did Daichi and Asahi from across the gym.
Daichi looked seriously annoyed by the noise that had just come out of Hinata's mouth. Asahi gave him what could only be described as a "Pity face."
But worst of all?
Kageyama locked eyes with him, still chewing on the white candy in his mouth. And even though Hinata knew he shouldnât be having heart flutters at this moment, he couldnât help it.
He just keeps getting all hot and bothered by the beautiful glint in those dark blue eyes.
Coach Ukai peaked his head from outside. "Keep it down, would you! Iâm on a call!"
"Sorry Coach!" they replied.
God, what is happening to him today?!
Hinataâs face flushed deep red.
"S-sorry..." he muttered, bowing his head so low it nearly disappeared into his gym pants. He wished the ground would swallow him wholeâand then spit out his rotted corpse.
Sugawara, being the nice senpai that he was, placed a comforting hand on Hinata's back and used the other to grab his wrist and pull him upright.
"Okay, it seems clear that all this springy exercise has gone to your overheated head," he said, half-concerned, half-exasperated. He clearly thought Hinata was having some kind of heat stroke-related psychosis.
Tsukishima snickered and said in a mocking tone, "Yeah, youâre right, suga-san. You know they say leaving a baby in a hot car can be fatal. We wouldnât want that happening to our precious little hitter, now would we?"
Yamaguchi, ever the lackey, joined in with a sly grin. "Wait, did anyone bring his emotional support juice box? He might crash if weâre not careful!" he added, lifting his hands dramatically like he was actually concerned.
Even though they were already on the floor, the two crashed down further, laughing hysterically.
Hinata wanted to absolutely beat the crap out of them both. But he knew not to, given his height and all.
Daichi stepped in with a swift chop to the back of both their necks, earning a satisfying groan from each. It was enough to bring a small spark of joy to Hinata.
"Knock it off, you two," Daichi said, towering over them with authority. "Unless you want to do extra drills tomorrow."
Asahi and Kageyama walked over. Asahi wore a look of disappointment, but also concern after seeing Daichiâs deadly chop.
"Though I donât agree with my friendâs... Methods of punishment," Asahi said gently, "You guys should really stop. Hinata might actually be overheated or something. Are you okay, Hinata?"
Hinata looked up at the giant bear of a Man, still flushed. He nodded so hard it looked like his head was on a bobble pin.
"Just a little⊠distracted, is all. Iâll be fine after I go home and rest. Weâre done for the afternoon, right? Although I really wish we could practice more IâI uh⊠have something to do! Yeah. I got something to... Do."
His sweat was now so obvious it was practically pouring off him.
Kageyama, the little asshole, didnât let it go. Instead of expressing normal concern, he just scoffed and said:
"If you still âneed restâ before the four-day practice matches, I swear to god Iâll never forgive you."
He walked up to Hinata so closely that their faces were nearly touching.
"Oh god. Oh god. Oh god." Hinata thought to himself.
He couldnât take this proximity, not right now. Not when he was already unraveling inside.
Okayâfine. Heâd somewhat admit that heâs been having some⊠less-than-saintly thoughts about his friend/rival/emotional backbone. But itâs not like he wants to think about Kageyama that way.
It just⊠happens.
At night, when his mom is asleep and Natsu is tucked in her room, he starts to think.
Like really think.
He wonders how it would feel to hold Kageyama's hand in public, to let people stare as they walk up the hill to school. Would his hands be sweaty?
Hinata thought that if they were to be holding hands, he would have constant sweat from them, because not only would the attention from other people make him nervous, but being with Kageyama? That would put him on edge.
He wonders what it would be like to share food with himâlike really sharing. Not the usual bickering. Not the fighting over bites.
He wants to know what it would feel like to put the food directly in Kageyama's mouth and watch him chew slowly, savoring it.
And most of all, he wonders what Kageyamaâs lips taste like.
Would they be sweet?
Hinata always sees him sucking on those dumb stupid milk candies before practice, during practice,before games, after gamesâthose Long, white, taffy-like ones he always keeps under his tongue.
Every time Ukai calls them in for strategy, Kageyama whispers to Yachi and she hands him another Candy, like clockwork.
The cycle repeats. And HinataâŠ
Hinata has jerked off so many times at the image of Kageyama's mouth folding that candy under his tongue, you would think he had a fetish.
One night, after finishing to the mental image of Kageyama tying his shoes on the outside stairsâ(His thighs had looked especially plump that day)âHinata stared down at the jizz on his hand like it had just cursed his soul.
"Youâre one fucked-up weirdo." The cum it seemed to say.
Hinata sighed and wiped the mess on his shirt, smearing it and letting it dry.
"God, I'm horribleâŠ" he whispered.
He knew it was normal to have thoughts like this sometimes, but he didnât want to think he liked Kageyama out of some twisted lust. He cared about himâdeeply. Even when he was being a complete ass, or making an ass of himself, Hinata still wanted to make sure he was okay.
But right now?
Right now, all he could think about was the fact that Kageyama was way too close, practically breathing down his neck.
Hinata backed away profusely, almost nearly dropping to the floor and scrambling to pick himself up. "Okay okay! I heard you, geez! You don't have to stand over me so⊠menacingly!"
Kageyama continued to stand over him, menacingly.
"Stop fucking up our progress by constantly getting sick or some form of it, dingus."
Just then, Kageyama walked away, presumably into the changing room, and then he came out with something behind his back. He gently tapped Hinata's head with a cold water bottle.
"In case youâre feelingâŠ. Overly hot like they said." Kageyama looked in the opposite direction of him.
Hinata just stared at the bottle. He looked like he was afraid to even acknowledge its presence. He spoke up, a quiver in his voice. "Is⊠is this poisoned?"
There was a quick moment of silence and then, "AHAHAHAHAHAH, AH, OH-OH MY GOD!!"
The second year had erupted into laughter.
"Hinata BUDDY," Tanaka quipped. "YOU THOUGHT THAT BECAUSE OUR DARLING KAGEYAMA ISâWELLâŠ"
Tanaka trailed off, laughter consuming his every bone.
Nishinoya, Ennoshita, Kinoshita, and Narita chimed in simultaneously: "BECAUSE HE'S KAGEYAMA!!"
"HE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE POISONED, OH- OH I CANâT BREATHE!"
Now everyone was laughing their heads off, giggling, and lifting their chests into the air. Even Daichi was laughing. Honestly, from Hinata's eyes, they looked like they were having a spasm. His face was even redder.
For the second time, coach Ukai popped into the gym, now with half of his body.
"Hey! I Told You to Keep. It. Down. Donât Make Me Come in There, or It Wonât Be Pretty." he blared, staring daggers into their eyes.
Still engulfed in their laughter, Ennoshita managed to give out a squeaky "Sorry, Coach!"
As Hinata looked up from the floor that he was on, he saw Kageyama's ears and parts of his face. They were redder than he was moments ago.
Before he could react, Kageyama threw the water bottle directly at his head with much force.
"ITâS NOT POISONED YOU ABSOLUTE BOOB! SORRY FOR TRYING TO BE NICE GOD! SEE IF I EVER DO IT AGAIN!!"
Kageyama walked away furiously into the changing room, leaving everyoneâand Hinataâbaffled.
Coach Ukai then suddenly came bolting in from outside. He had one angry expression on his face.
"WHAT PART OF QUIET UPS DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND!? WHICH ONE OF YOU LITTLE SHE-DEVILS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THIS NOISE?"
Oh,
So thatâs what they were supposed to be doing.
Everyone, now afraid of feeling the wrath of Coach Ukai, pointed directly at Hinata.
Hinata whipped his head around back and forth, looking at all the fingers pointing at him. He couldnât even bring himself to speak. "IâWAHâBUT!!"
Ukai stormed over to Hinata, a cigarette still in his mouthâit was lit. He grabbed him by the head, his tight grip imminent, and slowly lifted Hinata off of the ground.
If he didnât already take a piss, Hinata is sure he would have wet himself right then and there.
Ukai started to speak in a low growl. "Knowing you and your idiocy, you couldnât have made that sound by yourself, both you and Kageyama probably have something to do with that loud noise that came from in here."
Ukai looked at everybody else. "Boys, you can go change for the day. Youâre done. Everybody go home."
He let go of Hinata's head. Hinata sighed in relief.
As if his ears were made of premium gold, or maybe it was the fact that Hinata was still right in front of him, Ukai turned around, the expression of a devil on his face.
"Oh? You thought you were safe, huh, boy?"Ukai said, smoke coming out of his mouth like an automatic machine. "You, me, and Mr. Golden Boy are going to have a little chat outside."
Hinata gulped.
"Since Iâm a nice guy, I let you and your little friend change first. But after that, meet me outside."
Hinata, with fear, slowly walked to the changing room. And as if the coach was reading his mind,
"And DONâT," he began to say, pointing to Hinata from across the room, staring daggers into his eyes. "Think you can escape by crawling out a window or something. Try that and Iâll make you run laps for 2 weeks."
Hinata did wet himself at this moment. Just a little.
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The silence outside was thick. To cut it with a knife was an understatement. You could practically hear all the little bugs in the near-dead of night.
Both Hinata and Kageyama held their heads low. Maybe if their bows were low enough, they would break their backs, be sent to the hospital, and never have to get yelled at for five minutes.
Coach Ukai took a Long drag from his cigarette. The ember glowed like cold air in the night. He looked at the two, their heads still bowed down. Then, he gave a smoke-filled sigh.
"Listen," he started, taking the cigarette out of his mouth. "I don't know what kind of issues you two are having on and off the court, but it needs to be fixed, now."
Ukai was now more calm, making the boys a little less scared. He began to speak again.
"Youâ" he pointed at Kageyama. "You will not do the first day setting for our four-day trip to Aoba Johsai."
Kageyama was baffled. "WHAT?"
Hinata swallowed hard. Sure, he wouldnât get Kageyamaâs pinpoint sets for a day, but as long as he wasnât the one getting punishedâ
"And you," he was now pointing at Hinata.
Dang it.
"You're benched too. For two days."
Now it was Hinata's turn to be upset.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN TWO DAYS?? WHY DO I GET TWO WHILE HE GETS ONE?"
"Well," Ukai began, but then Kageyama interrupted him.
"WELL DUMBASS, YOU WERE THE MAIN ONE YELLING AND MAKING NOISE."
" Hey now, settle downâ"again, Ukai tried to speak, but was interrupted by Hinata.
"WELL, MAYBE I WOULDNâT HAVE IF SOMEONE WAS A LITTLE NICER TO ME, HMM?? THEN I WOULDNâT THINK THAT ANYTHING YOU HAND ME IS POISON!!"
Kageyama grabbed him by his collar. "OH, YOU THINK YOU DESERVE KINDNESS??? WELL TAKE A GUESS WHERE YOU CAN SHOVE IT."
Hinata, in retaliation, grabbed his collar as well. "YOUâRE SUCH AN ASSHOLE!"
"NO, YOU ARE."
"NO, YOU ARE."
"NO, YOUâ"
All of a sudden, both of them felt a sharp pain on the tops of their heads. Ukai had hit them both with a mean chop.
"YOUâRE BOTH ACTING LIKE ASSHOLES. SHUT UP, AND LET ME FINISH."
After a couple of Long minutes of berating, Kageyama and Hinata are now calmer, Ukai taking a Long smoke out of his cigarette.
"Tomorrow, I'm going to have something for you two to doâto help you become more tolerant of each other."
They both groaned.
Ukai shut them up with a look. "Since I don't want either of you whining about being the only ones doing it, I'll have the whole team join in."
He checked his watchâand swore under his breath. "God, itâs 8:30 PM. Get your asses home. And donât cause any trouble on the streets, you hear me?"
Hinata immediately grabbed his bike, and Kageyama followed right after.
"Yes, coach!" they both shouted as they rode off, tires humming against the pavement, vanishing down the hill beside them.
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It was quiet again.
The kind of quiet that felt like a punishment.
Hinata and Kageyama walked their bikes side by side, tires rolling slowly against the pavement. Usually, theyâd race each otherâsee who could make it to the hill first or dodge the most cracksâbut not tonight.
Tonight, neither of them was in the mood.
They rode for a while in awkward silence, then, finally, Kageyama spoke."...Did you really think I poisoned the water or something?"
His voice was low, unsure.
"You know Iâd never do that⊠right?"
Hinata turned to himâand instantly wished he hadnât.
Those beautiful midnight sky eyes looked like they were on the verge of tears, but were holding back.
Â
Kageyama let out what Hinata could only describe as a half-choked breath.
"...Right..?"
Hinataâs chest tightened.
He didnât know much about Kageyama's pastâand that fact bothered him more than he could explain. The way Kageyama reacted when someone criticized his settingâtoo high, too lowâhow heâd immediately get defensive, throwing off his whole mood.
Heâd gotten better over time, but that edge? That armor? It was still there.
Even outside of volleyball, something always felt⊠off. He didnât talk to people much. During group projects, other students avoided him like the plague, and the teachers always just assigned him to Hinata's group by default.
It annoyed Hinata. But more than thatâit made him worry.
He wanted to know Kageyama. Not just the player, but the person. What made him happy? What made him sad? Did he like milk or yogurt betterâand what kind? What made him feel good, and what didnât? What did he wish someone else would understand?
If Hinata could, heâd learn it all.
Because, if he was honest with himselfâreally honestâhe wanted to be the one to make Kageyama happy. More than he wanted to win. More than he wanted to spike a perfect set.
He wanted it almost more than volleyball itself.
Almost.
And looking at the 5 â11 (Donât ask why he knows his height from memory) Boy in front of him who looked like his puppy had just been kicked in the stomach and fell into a cannibal party, Hinata knew that he had messed up big time. He rubbed the back of his head, heart heavy, eyes on the ground.
"Yeah⊠I know."
Kageyamaâs voice cracked. "So why'd you say it?"
He was sniffling now, but still wouldnât meet Hinataâs gaze.
Hinata tried, but every time their eyes almost met, Kageyama turned away again.
"I don't know! Itâ"Hinata let out a frustrated sigh. "It was just⊠weird. Seeing you care. Especially about meâŠ"
His voice trailed off like he didnât quite believe it himself.
Kageyamaâs head snapped toward him.
"So you think Iâm just some selfish asshole, huh? Someone who canât be nice?"
Hinata stopped walking. His hands flew up in protest, like waving a white flagâhe even dropped his bike in the process.
"No! No, thatâs not what I meant!"
He groaned, bending over to grab the handlebars again.
He began to speak again. âIt was just nice to see that you were showing care in someone! You know, not being meanâŠto...EveryâŠone."
If Hinata could describe the stink eye that Kageyama was giving him, he would say it even rivaled his mom's.
A cold sweat dripped down his neck.
"I'm gonna shut my mouth now," he said.
Kageyama let out a small chuckle, "Smartest thing youâve said in a while."
There it was, his signature shit-eating grin. Hinata missed it. The smile that escaped his mouth after seeing it was sinful, his whole face shining like the Sun was up at the darkest of hours.
"That's what I meant by mean, Dummyama!"
At that moment, Kageyama pulls a small chocolate like orange from his pocket and hands it to Hinata.
"A girl gave these to me today, I don't really like chocolate that much. Do you want it?"
Hinata looked at him bewildered.
"A girl gave you these!? That's not fair! No girls ever give me things!"
Kageyama Just looked at him and scoffed,
"Do you want it or not?"
Before the man could take the sweet treat back, Hinata jumped into the air and snatched it from his hands.
"No no I want it! Chocolate oranges are my favorite! They're so good!"
Kageyama rolled his eyes before reaching into his pocket and taking out another one of those white candies. Plopping it under his tongue. From sheer flushâtration, Hinata began to ramble out a random volleyball game he had seen recently.
After that moment, the silence that was once holding them back turned into loud rambunctious rambling.
Just the way it was supposed to be.
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Â
After a Long 40-minute walk, Hinata finally reached his street, Kageyama walking alongside him the whole way to make sure he got home safely.
"Alright,"Kageyama said, hopping onto his bike, "Iâm heading home. Later, Hinata."
And in that moment, Hinata could only think of one thing to make him stay just a little longer.
Before Kageyama could push off, Hinata launched himself forward, stretching his legs as far as they could goâand wrapped his arms around him, face pressed deep into Kageyama's chest.
Kageyama froze, startled, immediately dropping his foot back to the ground. His hands lifted in alarm like he had just stepped on a bomb.
He didnât know what to do.
Then, Hinata spoke. Softly. Gently.
"Iâm sorry, Yama⊠please⊠Donât be mad at meâŠ" he whispered, nuzzling into his chest.
To Kageyama, it looked like Hinata was genuinely torn up about what heâd said earlier. That he didnât want to leave things on a bad note.
Which⊠was half true.
Hinataâs face on Kageyama's beautifully toned chest was making him really glad that he had done this, even though it was an accident. What a little pervert.
But before Hinata could let his mind wander further, Kageyamaâthe big soft babyâsuddenly wrapped his arms around him tightly. So tightly, Hinata forgot all about the fuzzy chest feelings and began focusing on one thing only:
Breathing.
"Iâm not!" Kageyama shouted, voice breaking with emotion. "I... I could never be truly mad at you."Amid Hinata gasping for air, he felt his heart tug, his eyes widened and glossed over, god, what was he going to do with all these feelings in his chest?
Before he could say anything, Hinata felt a loud buzz go off in his back pocket. "Tongue Tied" by Grouplove blared embarrassingly loud into the night air.
Reluctantly, Hinata peeled himself away and checked his phone. The contact lit up:
"Umma Wumma"
"Oh crapâitâs my mom!"
He checked the time and nearly dropped the phone.
"OH SHIT, ITâS 9:30?!"
Kageyama blinked at him. "Do you have, like⊠a curfew or something?"
Hinata slowly turned to face him, his neck twisting like an owl possessed.
Then he grabbed Kageyama's shoulders and shook him violently.
"YES!? AND YOU DONâT?"
In a frenzy, Hinata sprinted for his bike, which had previously been thrown against the sidewalk like a forgotten toy. He grabbed it, slapped on his helmet in one panicked motion, and hopped on.
"BYE, KAGEYAMA! IâLL SEE YOU TOMORROW! DONâT DIEâLOVE YOUâGOT TO GO!"
And just like that, he sped down the street like a red-orange bullet, disappearing into the night.
Kageyama stood there alone, dazed and blinking.
Maybe it was the mood.
Maybe it was the leftover hormones still rushing through his body.
Or maybeâjust maybeâit was the terrifying image of Hinata's mom that sent him into a full-blown sprint.
But one thing stuck in his mind:
"Love you." _______________________________ââ©â§âËౚà§Ëââ©â§â_______________________________________________________
Normally, Hinata would have amazing luckâspectacular luck even. One time, when he was five, he found not one but five four-leaf clovers. He showed them to his teacher and their eyes popped straight out of their heads. Yep, Hinata had the luck of a leprechaun. Doesnât help the fact that he was constantly called one, but still.
And right now, with him kneeling in front of his mother while she has a slipper in her hand, he could really use some of that luck.
"Shoyo," his mother said, her mouth turned into an unsettling smile.
Well, at least she wasnât using his middle name.
"Yes�" Hinata said as he looked at his mother, his eyes big and glossy. He looked like one of those poster kids with the propeller hat and a comically large sucker.
"Umma..?"
"OH, DONâT YOU âUMMAâ ME, MISTER! JUST WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN??"
Hinata had never seen his mother like thisâit was almost scary if it wasnât for her soft round face. Then again, that also might be the reason why people don't always take him seriously. Cursed these half-Korean genesâŠ
"Iâm sorry, Umma! I was with Kageyama and we lost track of time!" he said, leaving out the part about how he had gotten in trouble.
"Well, I don't care who youâre with! You could be with the emperor of Japan getting knighted or whatever and I still want you back in this house before 9:10!"
Just then, Natsu came bursting out of her room, holding a magazine in her hand.
"Mama! I want this dress for the weddingâ!"
The little girl stopped in her tracks as she saw the predicament her older brother was in.
You would think cute, innocent Natsu would show sympathy at this momentâoh boy, did you think wrong.
Natsu smiled a big, fat, chunky smile and started to sing a silly tune.
"Nii-Chanâs in trooouuuble! Nii-Chanâs in trooouuuble!"
Getting up from his kneeling position, Hinata sprang at Natsu, rolling on the floor and pulling her into his lap as he began to tug heavily on her cheeks.
"A little sympathy would help, you know!"
"Taeyang," his mother said sharply.
Ah. There it was. The middle name.
Hinata immediately stopped tugging at Natsu's cheeks, allowing the girl to rub them in pain.
"Sorry, maâam." he bowed his head.
Then, after listening back to what Natsu had said earlier, he lifted his head again.
"Waitâwedding? Weâre going to a wedding? When?"
His mother stood up from the couch.
"Weâre going in late June. I believe the 28th?" she began to speak.
"It's for my friendâs younger sister, Mrs. Takai Hiroyuki. Well, now sheâs going to be Mrs. Sasaki Hiroyuki. After that lovely Mr. Sasaki Masaaki. Oh, I'm so glad they found each otherâs company so lovely. You know her Donât you, Hinata! She used to change your diapers when you were little! Oh, you used to love her, youâd always cling to her arm when you were just a cute baby, all bright eyes and messy curly hair, and not missing curfew."
"Uh-huh." Hinata has never met this woman in his life.
She went into the kitchen and pulled out two plates, then put them in the microwave.
"Since you were late, I put your dinner in the fridge. We had bulgogi with rice."
Hinataâs mouth watered at the mention of bulgogi.
"Ohh yummy! Is it okay if I can have two eggs with that, please?"
His mom smiled. She was always happy to see someone enjoying her food.
"Of course, sweetheart."
She took two eggs out of the fridge, grabbed the half-warmed bowls from the microwave, and plopped the eggs right on top.
As his mother was preparing his food, Hinata was staring at the table, intensely.
Everything came flooding backâthe yelling, the arguing, the quiet ride home, and thenâ
"Love you!"
He slapped his hand to his face.
Love you? Love you??
Could you be any more obvious, Hinata?!
Eight months. Youâve known the Guy for eight months. And now youâre out here acting like youâve been writing his Name in your diary since birth?!
You havenât even told him you like him! Do you even like him? God, Hinata hoped that Kageyama thought of it as a friendly thing and not more as a " hey! Iâve secretly been in love with you for the last seven months that we have known each other, like a crazy person!" type of love.
He groaned and slammed his head onto the table.
Again.
And again.
And again.
"Jesus, I know youâre hungry but you don't have to bang your head in frustration for the food to come." his mom says as she sets his food in front of him.
Hinata lifts his head to see the piping hot bowl of rice with the side of what looks to be raw honey-cooked bulgogi. The eggsâsoft-boiled just enoughâglistened on top, one-yolk already broken and melting into the rice like butter.
Well if he was going to torture himself he couldnât do it on an empty stomach. Hinata grabbed a chopstick full of bulgogi and used it to grab a bunch of rice on his plate, shoved it into his mouth, and groaned with pleasure.
"Ughhh, so goodâŠ" Hinata's taste buds were bursting like stars, taking delight in every bite and chew.
From the sink, his mom spoke again, almost casually.
"Oh! And I agreed on your behalf to take her daughter as your date for the wedding."
Hinata choked.
"YOU FUCKING WHAT!?"
"Language! This is what happens when you come home late. You miss important decisions."
He pushed his bowl aside and marched to the kitchen, borderline panicking.
"Umma! Why?! I barely even know her! What if sheâs some weirdo?!"
His mom swatted his arm, and he yelped.
"Manners! And sheâs exactly your type!"
"I don't have a type!" he exclaimed.
She turned to face him, arms crossed.
"Please. I carried you for nine months. I know your type."
She started ticking it off on her fingers.
"Short, dark black hair."
Okay⊠fair.
Hinata had always liked black hairâespecially when it had that bluish sheen under certain lighting.
"Taller than you, with deep blue eyes."
He frowned. Tsukishima was always teasing him about liking shorter girls to "protect his fragile pride," but Hinata did like tall people. He has to think about his future kids after all. "And guess what else?" she was positively beaming now.
"She plays volleyball. For her school team!" Hinata was starting to think maybe he would like this girl. But then the next words that came out of his motherâs mouth made him realize something.
"She's what you call a sitter I believe? The one that throws the ball for everyone if I can remember correctly." Hinata froze. Wait a minute.
Short dark hair. Check.
Deep blue eyes. Check.
Plays volleyball. Check.
A setter.
âŠ
Check.
Holy shit.
His mom just described Kageyama.
From hair to height to volleyball position.
Holy. Shit.
Hinataâs type wasâŠKageyama?!
Ok, ok, Hinata knew that he may be "Like Liked" Kageyama, but for him to just suddenly become his type that even his own mother could tell?
Hinata Shoyo, youâre one big sucker and you want to be the one Kageyama licks. You dirty dog.
He looked up at his mother, face burning, scrambling for an escape route.
"T-that doesnât even make sense! Where did you get such a weird idea that I like that kind of girl?"
His mom rolled her eyes like sheâd been waiting for that question.
"When I went to grab your laundry basket, I saw a bunch of drawings and doodles of a short-haired girl stuck all over your wall. On sticky notes."
Oh.
Thatâs where she got the idea.
Hinata sighs as he looks at his mother. "Umma⊠I don't wanna take this girl to the wedding. Itâll feel weird and awkward."
His mom furrowed her brows. "I don't understandâsheâs exactly your type, Shoyo!"
Yeah.
Except she didnât have a penis.
Maybe if her name were Kageyama Tobio, then sheâd have a chance. To Hinata's surprise, his mother wasnât budging. She seemed to be putting her foot down this time, which was surprising given how she would always switch things around.
"Hinata Taeyang Shoyo, you are going to take that nice young girl to the wedding, and that is final!" Hinata started to angrily walk away from the kitchen, fuming, red in the face as he stomped toward the stairs.
"YOU CANâT MAKE ME!!" he shouted dramatically from halfway up.
"OH YES I CAN, MISTER!!" she yelled back.
He stormed off to his roomâbut didnât slam the door. He may be mad, but heâs not an idiot.
Downstairs, his mom sighed, hands still on her hips.
"That boyâŠ" she muttered under her breath.
Then she noticed the half-eaten bowl of bulgogi and rice still sitting on the table.
"âŠDidnât even finish his foodâŠ"
Just then, a blur of orange came barreling back down the stairs.
Hinata skidded into the kitchen, grabbed the bowl, and locked eyes with her mid-scoff.
"Iâll, uh⊠finish this in my room." he muttered quickly, rushing back up the stairs like it was a battlefield retreat.
"IâM STILL MAD!!!" he shouted behind him.
Left alone in the kitchen, Natsu peeked around the corner with wide eyes, clutching her motherâs skirt, a judgmental look on her face.
"Nii-Chanâs kind of a dummy, isnât he, mommy?"
"Natsu! Donât say that about your big brother!"
"SorryâŠ"
Hinataâs mom bent down, picked up her daughter, and planted a kiss on her cheek.
"âŠBut youâre right. Your Nii-Chan IS an idiot."
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Hinata, now angrily chomping on rice and meat in his room, was officially done with the day.
First, he kind of got caught staring at Kageyama's legs.
Second, he got made fun of for it.
Third, he got in trouble.
And fourthâbecause apparently, life hated himâhe now had to take some random girl he barely knew to a wedding for a woman he didnât even remember.
Everything around him felt like it was falling apart, and at this point, he was too tired to try to hold it all up.
As he shoveled another bite of bulgogi into his mouth, a sudden buzzing erupted from his phone. Multiple times. His eyes flicked toward it.
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Hinata stared at the screen, confused. Sugawara-san? At this hour?
After seven months of being on the team, Hinata had learned that Sugawaraâone of the best upperclassmen heâd ever metâwas the kind of guy who collected phone numbers "For emergencies."
Though "Emergency,"as it turns out, meant "If thereâs tea to be spilled."
"Youâre all like rabbits during your first year,"Suga once told him and Kageyama during practice. "I should know. I was one."
Hinata had looked up from the receives he was practicing with Nishinoya.
"What does that have to do with phone numbers?"
Before Suga could answer, Asahi walked by and muttered, "He just wants to be the cool senpai everyone tells their secrets to. Like a mom trying to be one of the kids."
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Hinata sighed and took a moment to mentally prepare himself. Then⊠he typed.
He told Suga everything.
The overwhelming feelings, the weird fluttery stuff, the confusion, the punishment, the girl, the frustration, the Kageyama thoughts. Even the⊠inappropriate ones.
Nervously he pulled open his side drawer to reveal a small box of chocolate oranges.
"Mrs. Sweeties Chocolate oranges! Made with 100% real oranges!"
Hinata grabbed the bag and started shoving little slices into his mouth, after sending that through he needed something to calm his nerves down.
After sending what felt like a full confession, he watched the little typing bubbles pop in and out for nearly a minute.
Then finally, a Ping.
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Hinata stared at the screen.
Should he really go that deep?
Well⊠technically, he already had. Just not... Explicitly.
Still, Tanaka once said Suga was the guy to talk to when you didnât know what the hell was happening in your head.
"Even the freaky stuff. Especially the freaky stuff. Heâs like⊠seen it all."
Hinata couldnât talk to his mom. God, she didnât even know he might like guys.
Did he even like girls anymore?
His chest felt too tight. All these emotions were too much for him to handle by himself.
But if there was anyone in the world who might help him untangle the mess in his head⊠It was Suga-san.
He took a deep breath and started typing again.
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Was he wrong? There was no way he wasnât. What kind of friend has thoughts like that about someone they claim to care about? He felt dirtyâlike he only saw Kageyama as an object for his stupid teenage hormonal rampage. Tears started to flow, and Hinata couldnât contain himself.
He just felt so horrible for all the times heâd touched himself to the image of someone he wanted nothing but the best for. Hinata wiped the chocolate smudges that had been laying on his hands onto his shirt, he felt defeated.
Sugawara started to type again.
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Hinata blinked at the question. It was one constantly on his mind. Did he like Kageyama⊠or was it something else entirely? Was it just his brain latching onto someone for sexual desires?
No⊠no, that couldnât be right.
Heâd had sexual fantasies about other people before. One time, he had a wet dream about a celebrity, but after that, he never thought about them again. __________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Hinata set the phone beside him. He sighed, staring at the ceiling. He was glad he had someone like Sugawara to talk toâsomeone who could make him feel less like a weirdo and more like a normal person.
As he turned off the lights to go to sleep, Hinata prayedâwell, more like beggedâany god, whether Korean or Japanese or Outer Space:
"Please, please help me understand how Kageyama feels about me⊠because maybe then Iâll be able to figure out how I feel about him myselfâŠ"
And with those words, the poor, tired boy slammed his head against the pillow, drifting off to sleep.
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Hinata knew it was a dream. I meanâhow else would he be in the middle of a fancy hotel that he only vaguely remembered, completely naked except for a robe, with Kageyama right next to him? Kageyama was cuddling his neck and planting soft kisses on his skin.
The weird thing about it though was that this dream Kageyamaâs skin had the consistency of chocolate, he had a thin orange ring around his middle half andâ wait a minute, Did this Kageyama combined with the Mrs. Sweetie chocolate oranges he had in his drawer!?
Okay this was the weirdest dream he had to date.
"Mmmm~ HinataâŠ" Chocolate Kageyama groaned in a downright sinful voice,His sticky hands leaving behind a trace on Hinataâs skin.
"Y-YesâŠ?" Hinata yelped, completely flushed by the situation. This was getting ridiculousâhow many wet dreams was he going to have lately?
"Do you want to finally do it?" Chocolate Kageyama asked, twirling his fingers over Hinataâs chest.
Now, Hinata wasnât clueless. He knew exactly what dream chocolate Kageyama was playing at, but he just didnât want to say it out loud. Acknowledging this ridiculous fantasy his brain conjured up would really throw him off the edge.
This was worse than any dream beforeâbecause this time, Kageyama spoke back. Dream Kageyama climbed onto his lap, straddling him between their crotches,leaving a sticky residue of melted orange cream behind.
"Oh GodâŠ" Hinata grunted, a soft moan escaping his lips.
"You knowâŠ" Kageyama whispered in his ear, biting it.
"S." he licked the inside of Hinataâs earlobe.
"E." he proceeded to bite Hinataâs neck. A soft moan slipped from Hinata again.
Then Kageyama charged at his lips, sinking his tongue deep into Hinataâs mouth, the two sharing in each otherâs ecstasy.
Just as Hinata was beginning to melt into the pleasure, Kageyama pulled away, a thin trail of spit connecting them.
"X." he finally said, wiping the spit from the corner of his mouth and licking it off with his tongue.
Hinata stared at him, breath hazy. His gaze trailed over Kageyamaâs bare shoulders, covered in bite marks, then to his chestâthose glorious abs he secretly admired, now red and slick with sweat.
He couldnât believe what his brain was conjuring. Heâd had dreams about Kageyama before, but this one took the cake. Hinata was speechless, completely at a loss.
The only thing he could whisper, voice as soft as a mouse, was:
"âŠokay."
"Good~" Kageyama said, as he ripped off his robe and began undoing Hinataâs as well.
Hinata And the sugary confection began to kiss, the chocolate-coated man leaving its residue behind on his, Hinata absolutely messed up out of his mind began to lick him. He began to lick his neck lick his face, and lick his torso. Then he made his way back up to his neck and took a small bite, orange cream ooze falling out in replacement of blood. "Is this kind of cannibalism?" he thought as he sucked away.
Now fully naked, Hinata wondered what Dream Kageyamaâs dick looked like. Heâd never looked before when they were changing in the locker roomâbecause hello? Privacy, people!
But⊠his curiosity got the better of him. Just as he tilted his head downâ
"NII-CHAN! NII-CHAN! ITâS TIME TO WAKE UP!!"
Hinata woke up suddenly, sweat dripping down his face. He looked over at the clock on his bedside table: 5:39 a.m.
He groaned and turned toward the door â Natsu was peeking her small head inside.
"Mommy told me to wake you up at 5:30 because sheâs going to work before you wake up. But I let you sleep for an extra nine minutes because Iâm nice." Natsu said, hands on her hips and smiling wide like sheâd done him a favor.
Hinata, now very annoyed he couldnât finish the scary â but wonderful â dream he was having, glared at her.
"Did you really let me sleep for an extra nine minutes, or did you just forget to wake me up 'cause you were too busy watching morning cartoons?"
After hearing that, Natsu shut her mouth.
...It didnât last long.
"Just get up! Iâm hungry!" she shouted and slammed the door. Hinata winced at the sound, his ears still adjusting to morning noises.
Not even two seconds later, the door creaked open again.
"Natsu, what is it?" Hinata asked, now completely annoyed with his little sisterâs antics.
"I forgot to tell youâTobio-Nii is at the door. Heâs waiting for you."
At that, Hinataâs eyes shot wide open.
" HE'S WHAT?!"
Natsu closed the door again, giggling as she ran down the stairs while ShĆyĆ messily scrambled for a clean pair of pajama pants â because with the dream he just had, the previous pair⊠were kind of ruined.
He finally pulled on the only clean pair he had and bolted downstairs. He took a sharp left, nearly dislocated his shoulder, ran to the front door, and flung it open to seeâ
"Hi⊠Hinata."
Now, when youâre face-to-face with your fantasy crush, right after waking up from a wet dream about them, you probably have a million things to say.
Hinata, still short-circuiting from sleep, could only blurt out:
"Hi yourselfâŠ"
Kageyama looked down at Hinataâs pants, letting out a little snort.
"Baby kittens drinking wine? What are you, twelve?"
Hinata, now realizing what he had grabbed in the chaos, blushed furiously.
"These happen to be a gift from my father, you know. Heâs overseas!
"HuhâŠOkay."
"How long have you been standing outside?"
"I just got here."
"Oh! Ok!"
They stared at each other.
And stared.
And stared.
For what felt like hours.
The staring didnât end until Natsu came running from the living room, an angry expression on her face.
"NII-CHANNN! IâM HUNGRRRRYYYYY!" she chanted, latching onto Hinataâs leg like a little koala.
"In a minute, Natsu!!" Hinata gritted through his teeth, trying to shake her off.
Feeling a bit out of place, Kageyama spoke up, an awkward expression on his face. His tongue was awfully white.
He must have been chewing on that damn milk candy again.
"Should I go�" he asked, pointing vaguely toward the road.
"No! No, no, come in! Come in!" Hinata said, lifting Natsu and carrying her. "You can stay for breakfast. While you tell me what the hell youâre doing here."
"Oh, well thatâs easy," Kageyama said as he stepped into the house, then stopped and waited. It took him a moment to realizeâhe had no idea where he was going.
ShĆyĆ sighed and stepped past him, leading him to the dining room. He set Natsu down on her usual wooden stool. Kageyama sat beside her.
"Iâll cook eggs and pancakes. That's okay with you, Kageyama?"
"Yeah, thatâs fine. I already had breakfast, so⊠nothing too much, please." Kageyama said politely â making Hinataâs heart flutter with butterflies.
As he began cooking, Hinata watched out of the corner of his eye as Natsu and Kageyama talked.
Kageyama had met Natsu before. One day, during break, Hinata was taking her on a walk through the park when â like fate â they ran into Kageyama on the same path.
When Kageyama first saw Natsu, he scrunched up his face.
"Kids donât like me that much." he said while sitting on a bench, watching her play on the swings.
"Iâm sure my sister will come to like you. I mean⊠youâre all I ever talk about to her anyway. I doubt sheâll be afraid of you."
It took a beat before Hinata realized what heâd just said⊠and then his face went beet red.
Kageyama gave him a slow, dangerous glare.
"You talk about me to your sister?"
"WHAAAAT??? NOOOO?? D-Did⊠did I say that?" Hinata squeaked, eyes darting everywhere but Kageyamaâs.
He still shivered from that memory. Kageyama chased him around that park for two hours.
But⊠During all that running, Kageyama got closer to Natsu. Just like Hinata had hoped.
Now, looking at them chatting together like old friendsâit made Hinata smile.
He finished cooking the eggs and pancakes, grabbed three mismatched plates from the cabinet (yes, they were all Strawberry Shortcake-themed), and set the food on the table.
Kageyama almost laughed.
"Why do you have Strawberry Shortcake dishware?"
Hinata pointed at his sister with just his eyes.
"Oh. Right."
As they all sat down and ate, Hinata remembered something.
"So⊠why are you here, Kageyama?" he asked between bites of pancake.
Kageyama looked up, syrup smeared all over his mouth.
God. He looked so cute.
Hinata could just⊠lick him.
No seriously, the syrup was dripping dangerously close to the table.
"I donât really have a reason, to be honest."
"But earlier you said it was easy to explain?"
"Yeah." Kageyama said, licking a bit of the syrup off his lips and using his last pancake to wipe the rest off, the eggs already long gone.
"It was easy to explain because there wasnât much to explain."
Then he blushed.
"I missed you."
Hinata did a full double-take.
He⊠missed him?
HE MISSED HIM???
Kageyama â the same Kageyama who barely cared when Hinata had a cold.
The same Kageyama who texted "get bent"when Hinata missed practice for chores.
All the blood rushing to Hinataâs faceâŠ
A few drops decided to rush somewhere else too.
"I GOTTA GO BATHROOM REALLY BAD TOâ UHâŠBATH!!!"
And with that, he bolted upstairs, leaving an insanely large pile of food for both Kageyama and Natsu to fight over.
In the shower, Hinata let the cool water wash over his body, hoping it would calm both his thoughts⊠and everything else. Hinata touched himself, allowing his mind to wander, wander to Kageyama. He thought about him from his dream, he thought about him from when he had syrup covered on his mouth, he thought about just him in general.
"K-Kageyama~âŠ" he softly groaned, face now not only covered in water but also in sweat, cheeks red.
"GodâŠTobio~âŠ"
By the time he came, Hinataâs whole body was buzzing â eccentric tingles rippling from his chest to his fingertips. After that embarrassing release, he stood frozen for a moment, breath shaky and face burning. Then, as if trying to scrub the shame off himself, he began washing his body thoroughly.
As if he washed himself clean enough, the memory of him jerking off to a literal person who was just downstairs would disappear, would make him pure again. Yeah, like he was pure to begin with.
As he finished drying himself off, Hinata heard a knock at the bathroom door.
It was Kageyama.
"Hurry up, Hinata! Weâre already late for school, and I donât want Mrs. Minaho to make us write extra English wordsâŠ"
Hinata mightâve been more scared by the fact that Kageyama was knocking on the bathroom door â meaning heâd gone into Hinataâs room â but that fear quickly faded as something even worse dawned on him.
He looked up at the clock and panicked.
7:20 a.m.
Kageyama wouldâve gotten a face full of doors if he hadnât stepped back just in time. Hinata slammed it open, rushing out of the bathroom half-naked â only his pants on, hair still damp.
Kageyama quickly ran after him, not before glancing around Hinataâs room to look for a shirt for him.
Hinata dashed into the living room. Natsu was sprawled across the floor, still watching her morning cartoons like nothing was wrong.
"NATSU?"
"Hm?" she replied, completely unaware of the chaos unfolding around her.
"GO AND PUT ON YOUR SCHOOL CLOTHES! WEâRE IN A RUSH!"
Natsu blinked, confused.
"But I wanna keep watching Strawberry ShortcakeâŠ" she whimpered with a sad pout.
"Natsu, if you change right now, I promise by the time you get back, you can use the TV all day to watch Strawberry Shortcake, okay?" Hinata said, forcing a smile, trying to get this over with as fast as possible.
That perked her right up. She grinned, shouting "Okay!" as she ran upstairs.
As Hinata waited for her to finish, he started packing his own school stuff. Notebook. Pencil pouch. A couple snacks to suck on during class so he wouldnât fall asleep.
In a separate bag, he stuffed all the gear heâd need for afternoon volleyball practice â shoes, knee pads, everything â half-zipping the bag before making his way to the door.
"Hurry up, Natsu!" he called, reaching for the doorknobâ
Only to feel a hand grab the waistband of his pants and pull him back.
It was Kageyama.
And in his other hand, he was holdingâ
"Forgetting something?" Kageyama asked, a stupidly smug look tugging at his lips.
Hinata looked at the shirt in Kageyamaâs hand.
Then he looked down at himself.
He tapped his bare chest.
A pause.
Oh.
He wasnât wearing a shirt.
His face flushed red again as he snatched the top from Kageyamaâs hand and yanked it on with rough, embarrassed movements.
"You were going to let me walk out of the house without a shirt?" he snapped, lightly punching Kageyamaâs chest. "Thatâs so mean!"
Kageyama caught Hinataâs hands mid-punch and gently pulled them toward himself â until their faces were close. Too close.
"I wasnât going to let you go out like that, dummy." His voice was quiet, eyes focused, steady.
So close Hinata could see the light flickering in them.
His blush returned in full force. His blood was working overtime from the sheer number of times heâd blushed just this morning.
All because Kageyama decided he wanted to take a morning visit, the selfish bastard.
Natsu came running down the stairs, fully dressed in her elementary school uniform â a cute black jacket with a lovely white skirt, and stockings decorated with little strawberries. Topping it all off was her signature hat, accessorized with a tiny bunny pin that matched perfectly.
"Iâm ready!" she chirped, giving a proud little twirl on the staircase.
"How do I look, Tobio-nii?" she asked, stepping down carefully and reaching up on her tiptoes, eyes wide and sparkling with the need for approval.
Kageyama gave his signature awkward, lopsided smile and croaked out in a weird but genuine voice:
"Lovey, Natsu."
Hinata wouldâve absolutely taken a picture of that moment â of Kageyama actually being so sweet and cute with his sister â if it wasnât already 7:40 a.m.
"Yes, yes, you look adorable, Natsu â now letâs go!" he said, shooing her toward the door.
"WAIIIIT!!" She screamed,quickly entering back inside the house.
At this rate, heâll get detention because of Natsu.
Natsu comes running out holding a little bag of chocolate oranges, lifting them up Hinata.
"Mom said I should give you these for your lunch treat!" she says pushing them higher up into the air so Hinata could take them. Just as he was about to, he gets a flicker of a memory from his dream, chocolate boy Kageyama.
So embarrassed by that monstrosity, Hinata quickly shoves the chocolate into Natsuâs bag and telling her;
"You can have them for today." Natsu Market shocked her eyes widening happily.
"REALLY? You never let me have some of your chocolate oranges! I thought they were your favorite."
"YeahâŠ" Kageyama says behind them, cleaning his head down to Hinataâs level.
"What's the sudden change in heart?" Embarrassed, Hinata lies and says, "I'm just trying to be nice okay?" "BesidesâŠ" he whispered under his breath. "After that dream of God I don't think I can eat those ever againâŠ"
âWhat?" Kageyama says as he closes the door behind them.
"NOTHING! LETâS GET GOING!"
Without thinking, Hinata reached back and grabbed Kageyamaâs hand, tugging him along as they ran toward their bikes.
Moments later, the two boys were already bickering as they sped down the street on their bikes, Natsu seated on the back of Hinataâs, giggling at the wind and the noise and the chaos â Happy to have what felt like two big brothers.
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Hinata and Kageyama were not lucky enough to arrive on time.
By the time they actually got to class, it was 8:20 a.m. â well past their morning homeroom. Hinata knew that the next time they saw Mrs. Minaho, theyâd be drowning in extra English vocabulary.
In the middle of their second class, though, Hinata got a rare piece of good news.
He had managed to score well on his geometry test â the only reason being that Yachi, the wonderful angel that she was, had helped him study a couple weeks before. Thanks to her, he passed with a whopping 85%.
"Not bad, Mr. Shoyo. Very well done." said Mr. Sugaku as he strolled past Hinataâs desk, offering a proud smile.
Hinata could barely wait to show Yachi â sheâd totally share his excitement.
But just as he was basking in the glory of his academic triumph, there was a knock at the classroom door.
Mr. Sugaku opened it.
"Ah, Daichi Sawamura! What do I owe the pleasure?"
There he stood â their captain in full, solid-boned, muscled-up glory â standing politely in the doorway with his usual kind-but-firm smile.
" Hello, sir." Daichi greeted him with his usual impeccable manners.
"Could I quickly grab Hinata? Itâs volleyball-related."
"Why of course!" Mr. Sugaku replied, then turned to the class.
"Hinata?" he called, pointing at Daichi.
Hinata quickly gathered his things and got up.
"Thank you, sir!" he said, calling back as he exited the classroom and followed Daichi into the hallway.
Contrary to what most students believed, the volleyball team rarely did anything during school hours. Usually, Hinata and Kageyama only practiced during lunch or after class, sometimes meeting up with the others for a quick friendly match.
So to be pulled from class mid-lesson?
That could only mean one of two things:
Either he did something horribly wrongâŠ
OrâŠ
He did something horribly wrong.
Either way, it couldn't be good.
Hinata walked beside Daichi, heart pounding with every step.
He tried to play it cool, but his nerves werenât having it.
Was it the fight from last time?
Kageyama and he already apologized to each other! If anything, Hinata would say they were even closer now. So what was the issue?
Could it be that the Coach decided to up their punishment and make it so they couldnât come to the practice match at all?
OrâGod forbidâwas he about to get kicked off the team entirely!?
Hinataâs fear was so obvious on his face, even Daichi started to look nervous just watching him.
"You okay?" Daichi asked, glancing over.
"Yep! Super okay! Totally chill! Normal day, yâknow!" Hinata blurted, voice just a bit too high-pitched to be convincing.
Daichi, unconvinced, leaned down and whispered,
"You donât have to be nervous. I donât even know why you were called down, so Iâm sure itâs nothing bad⊠I hope."
That last part really didnât help.
As they turned the corner toward the gym, Hinata spotted Kageyama and Sugawara walking from the opposite hallway.
Suga and Daichi exchanged warm looksâso did Hinata and Kageyama.
"You got 'em?" Suga asked, grinning, his dimples peeking through.
"Got âem," Daichi replied, pointing at Hinata like he was a lost puppy.
As they all entered the gym together, Hinata and Kageyama lagged behind a bit.
Kageyama leaned in to whisper,
"Do you think weâre in trouble again? For yesterday?"
Hinata whispered back,
"I donât⊠think so?"
Just as they were whispering at the door, a sudden bonk hit the back of both their heads.
"Ow!"
"What theâ?!"
They turned around, wincing, only to see Yamaguchi and Tsukishima strolling past them, giggling.
"You two were really gonna just stand there like idiots?" Tsukishima scoffed, flashing one of his infamous smug grins.
"You know they made these doors pushable for a reason, right?"
"Come on, Tsukki, give them a break!" Yamaguchi added with a sly chirp. "You know their volleyball-wired brains get overstimulated when theyâre allowed in the gym early. They canât think like us normal people~"
Hinata looked at Kageyama.
Kageyama looked at Hinata.
They both nodded.
And lunged.
Hoping to catch the two off guard, they threw themselves at Tsukishima and Yamaguchiâonly for the smug duo to dodge expertly, letting the momentum carry Kageyama and Hinata straight through the doors. They hit the floor with a loud:
"SCREEEEEEEEEEEKâTHUD!!"
"OW, OW, OW, OW, OW!"
"MY FUCKING FACE! HOLY SHIT!"
"I THINK I TASTED BLOOD!"
Groaning and writhing, the two volleyball idiots lay sprawled on the gym floor.
Their teammates all turned to look. Half of themâmostly the second-yearsâwere already laughing their asses off.
"Crazzy!" Nishinoya wheezed.
"Peak dumbass behavior!" Tanaka said, wiping tears from his eyes.
Tsukishima and Yamaguchi whistled innocently as they walked by like nothing had happened.
Hinata hated them. Deeply. Passionately.
Still holding their ribs, Hinata and Kageyama dragged themselves up and went to sit with the others, just as Coach Ukai and Mr. Takeda walked in, carrying a small black box.
"Alright, listen up," Coach Ukai called, his voice echoing off the walls.
"Me and Specks over here decided you all need a little⊠team bonding."
Mr. Takeda stepped forward, smiling.
"Weâve noticed someâuh, not naming names!" he said quickly, as everyone looked at Hinata and Kageyama.
"âsome teammates could benefit from building stronger emotional connections."
Before he could finish, Ukai jumped in again.
"So weâre making you get gifts for each other!"
"WHAT?!" The entire team shouted.
Nishinoya was first to raise his hand.
"Coachânot to sound like an asshole or anythingâbut what the hell does buying a gift have to do with team bonding?"
Daichi butted in, "Coach, I feel like most of us are really close already and are comfortable with each other on and off the court."
"Yeah!" Tanaka added. "I mean, doesn't it really matter if some of us don't get along off the court, so long as we do well on it?"
Takeda opened his mouth to respondâbut once again, Coach Ukai steamrolled right over him.
"And thatâs exactly the problem!" Ukai barked, clearly annoyed.
"You only like each other on the court. Thatâs not enough! Youâve gotta like each other off the court too."
Takeda, now visibly a bit irritated, gently placed a hand on Ukaiâs shoulder, silently urging him to let him speak. Ukai, suddenly wary, took a cautious step back and shut his mouth.
"Getting to know a teammate off the court helps you understand them better on it," Takeda explained calmly. "Itâs like studying for a test. Sure, you can learn a lot in classâbut reviewing it on your own gives you a deeper understanding."
Tsukishima laughed as he said "Some of us here don't even study and still don't understand what's happening inside the classroom."
Tanaka, visibly offended, fastly crawls on the floor over to Tsukishima "Are you trying to say something, huh pretty boy?"
An uncomfortable Tsukishima scoots away from him, nearly bumping shoulders with Yamaguchi. "Please don't call me that, and I wasn't even directly saying anything about anybody."
"Yeah but considering the fact that these knuckleheads felt threatened they knew it was probably about them." Suga said, hiding a small chuckle behind the words.
"Anywho," Ukai said before slamming the box on the floor. He sat down in front of it, legs crossed.
"Each one of you is going to come up here and pick a name. The name you get is who you're going to learn more about and find a gift suitable for that person."
Then he gave a warning:
"Anyone who fails to get their given person a gift, or gets their own name and doesn't tell me, is going to be benched for the whole time we do our practice matches with Aoba Johsai."
"WHAAAT?!" The whole gym burst into outrage.
"THAT'S SO UNFAIR!" said Noya.
"WHY DO WE HAVE TO BE PUNISHED FOR NOT WANTING TO SPEND MONEY?!" Suga exclaimed.
As the team exploded into noisy protests, Yachi and Kiyoko exchanged a glance, then simultaneously cleared their throats to get everyone's attention.
"WellâŠ" Yachi began softly, nervously wringing her hands and staring at the floor,
"I think⊠you could just make a gift instead of buying one⊠"
Kiyoko nodded, her voice calm and sure.
"As long as it represents the person you picked, it shouldn't matter how much it costs." She smiled gently. "I'm going to pour everything I have into the gift for whoever I get."
The gym fell into stunned silence.
"Y-Your name's in the box?" Nishinoya asked, wide-eyed.
"Just to confirm..." Tanaka added, slowly leaning forward.
Kiyoko nodded slowly.
The entire mood shifted instantly. Everyoneâmostly the second and third yearsâsprang to their feet and formed a perfectly straight line in front of the box.
"We will happily do this exercise, Coach!" they said in eerie unison.
Disturbed by how quickly they all mobilized at the mere thought of getting a gift from Kiyoko, Ukai sighed, holding out the box with an exasperated grunt.
"Come on up."
As the boys lined up, excitedly drawing names from the box, Hinata stood off to the side, anxiety bubbling in his chest. He was nervous. Really nervous.
Of all the people he could get, he just really hoped it wasn't Tsukishima. That would be an actual nightmare.
But⊠What if⊠he got Kageyama?
If he got Kageyama, they'd have to hang out outside of practiceâmaybe even get to know each other better. Maybe he could figure out these weird, tangled-up feelings he had. This could be a sign. A miracle. A gift from the universe.
So, with all his might, Hinata began silently begging, borderline praying.
Please be Kageyama. Please be Kageyama. Please be Kageyama. Please be Kageyama. Please beâ
As he took the piece of paper out of the box, he opened it.
"Tsukishima Kei."
Hinata just stared at it.
Maybe he pissed off some ancient god this week. Is it because of his luck right now? It was absolute dog shit.
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Hinata didnât know what to do. So far, his luck was going two for two in losses. Not only had he not managed to get Kageyama for the gift exchange, he somehow ended up with the one person he wanted the leastâTsukishima.
While in the middle of his break, he suddenly spotted a familiar sheet of blonde hair heading his way. For a second, his stomach droppedâwas it Tsukishima? But to his delightful surprise, it was Yachi.
"Hinataaaaaaa!" she yelled as she ran up to him, dropping to her knees and wheezing as she tried to catch her breath.
"Whoa, little lady!" Hinata said, slowly helping her to her feet. "Whatâs the matter? What happened?"
Still gasping, she managed to choke out, "Y-You have Tsukishima as your gift giver, right?"
Hinata just blinked at her for a moment. Then, as her words sank in, his face twisted into pure shock. Back in the gym, after everyone had drawn their cards, nobody had said a word about who they got. Some people gave their cards distasteful looks, others looked overjoyed. But no matter how much people tried to ask around, not a single name had been revealed.
So how? How did Yachi know that he had Mr. Grumpy?
"H-How did you�"
Yachi brushed off her school skirt and gave him a mischievous grin. "If youâre wondering how I know, itâs because I marked all the cards."
She flipped his card over, pointing at a small star symbol. "See?"
Oh yeah. Hinata had seen that little star next to Tsukishimaâs name but never thought much of it. He just assumed it was a cute doodle Yachi had added.
"No, not that one, Shoyo." She folded the paper down more, revealing a star on the back of the card.
"Oh," he mumbled, stunned.
"So why do you need this?" he asked. "You donât want to give Yuckishima a gift, do you? Thatâd be very odd, Ya-chanâŠ"
Yachi quickly shook her head. "No, no! I marked the cards so I could trade!" Then, shockingly, she gave a cocky little smileârare for someone usually so anxious.
"You see, I have a planâŠ" she began. "I want to get Kiyokoâs name so I can give her a gift!"
Then she blushed. "Iâve been meaning to ask her out⊠but itâs been really hard with everything going on lately."
Hinata let out a loud yelp. "REALLY?! Oh my gosh! Yachi!!!"
He grabbed her hands, and the two of them started jumping up and down, squealing with excitement.
"I KNOW! I KNOW!" she squealed back.
A couple of students walked past them, whispering to each other. Embarrassed, they immediately stopped bouncing.
"Anyway," Yachi coughed, trying to play it cool. "I know you have Tsukishima. And I know Yamaguchi wanted to get him."
She pulled a small piece of folded paper from her pocket and unraveled it, showing it to Hinata. "And I know Tsukishima wanted Yamaguchi."
The card showed Yamaguchiâs name with a small moon beside it.
Hinataâs brain clicked into place. "You want to trade cards with me so I can get Tsukishima to give you his card!" he shouted.
Yachi snapped her fingers. "Bingo!"
Hinata puffed out his chest, riding the high of solving her scheme. But then he paused, blinking slowly. "Wait a minute⊠whatâs in it for me?"
Yachi sighed, tapping her chin. Then suddenly she lit up again. "Ah! I know Yamaguchi has Suga as his gift giverâand Daichi really wanted to get Suga."
She smiled slyly. "I think I can help you get Kageyama. You want him, right?"
Hinata choked on the strawberry milk he was drinking. "W-What? What makes youâgirl, you're crazy!!! HaHaAHAha!? THAT IS SOOOO FUNNY!?"
Yachi looked at him with a slightâoh, who was he foolingâa heavy look of disappointment on her face.
"RightâŠ" she said, eyebrows rising in disbelief. "Youâll help me get Kiyoko from Tsukishima, and Iâll just give you Kageyama just⊠because."
Hinata spoke nervously. "Yeah! Just becauseâŠ"
Hinata held out his hand to shake on it, but Yachi just pulled him into a hug. "Thanks, Hinata⊠you're the best."
Hinataâs face flushed a little, but he hugged her back. "No problem, Ya-chanâŠ" he said, rubbing her back. She smelled like flowersâŠ
"No problem."
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Shoyo is not known for his leadership skills, nor is he known for being good at getting people to do stuff for him. One time he tried to ask Natsu to clean her room because, frankly, for a 7-year-old girl, her room was dirtier than his. She proceeded to look him directly in the eyes and laugh. She laughed so hard their mother came upstairs to see what was going on, and when she saw Natsu laughing, she also started laughing. That was one of the most embarrassing moments of his life.
So when he was expected to get Tsukishima to give him Kiyokoâs card, he was kind of sweating. He stalked Tsukishima over at the lunch table he was sitting at. Yamaguchi was next to him, chewing his ear off, it seemed. Hinata never understood why Yamaguchi liked him anyway. He was so disgustingly smug it almost made him puke. And he was such a meanie! Though, granted, Yamaguchi was kind of one tooâmostly when he was around Tsukishima, but still.
"Birds of a feather flock together, I supposeâŠ"
He gathered all the courage he had, took a big breath, and made his way to their table.
"And then near the end of the movie, he just randomly grabbed him andâ" Yamaguchi stopped mid-spiel when he saw Hinata standing over their table. Tsukishima looked up from his phone, scoffed, then looked back down. Hinata let out a loud gasp at the rude display.
"Ahem!!" he said, coughing to get his attention. Tsukishima didnât even lift his head this time. Hinata coughed louder. "EHEMMM??" Still no response. It was only when Yamaguchi tapped his shoulder that Tsukishima finally lifted his head and removed his headphones.
"What?" Yamaguchi, now clearly enjoying this as entertainment, giggled and said, "I think Hinata wants to speak to you, Tsuki?"
"ALONE," Shoyo added, face flushed with embarrassment.
"And tell me why I would do that?" Tsukishima said, giving another one of his very punchable smug looks. "If youâre trying to ask me what I did to get so tall, Iâm sorry, chickpea. Itâs genetics. Nothingâs going to save you."
Yamaguchi burst out laughing, tears rolling down his face, while Hinata was getting more and more annoyed with this plan by the second. He just wanted to get it over with.
"Come with me now, or Iâll share something really embarrassing with Guchi over here that Iâm very sure you donât want him knowing about," he said, now a smug look adorning his own face.
Tsukishima looked intrigued, clearly amused. "Like youâve got any secrets about me," he scoffed, standing up slowly and placing his hands on the table, towering over Hinata. Yachi had told him that if Tsukishima was being difficult about giving him the card, he should share a secret that only Yachi knowsâwell, now Hinata knew it too. When he first found out, it shocked him to his core⊠and also made him laugh a lot.
"Oh yeah?" Hinata said, still putting on a confident facade, even though he was really quaking from the sheer height difference Tsukishima was laying down. "Bend over and Iâll whisper it so I donât embarrass you too quickly."
Amused, Tsukishima laughed as he leaned in, but the moment he heard what Hinata whispered in his ear, his face went paler than usual. He stood up and yanked Hinata into the corner of the lunchroom, Hinata walking behind him with a desperate look toward Yamaguchi for help. Help never came. Instead, he found himself slammed against the wall, Tsukishima glaring down at him.
"Speak," he said, his voice so low it made Hinata instinctively speak in a higher pitch.
"N-NeedâŠ" Hinata began, but before he could say more, Tsukishima grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off the ground, feet dangling.
OkayâHinata understood that secrets were embarrassing. And Tsukishimaâs was very embarrassing. But this level of danger? Overboard.
"NâNâNâ Shut up!" Tsukishima mocked.
Hinata squeaked, his body smacked lightly against the wall. People were staring now.
"People are staring!" Hinata whispered in a panic. Tsukishima, seemingly blinded by rage, finally noticed the onlookers and dropped Hinata accordingly. He landed on shaky feet, trembling slightly.
"What. Do. You. Want?" Tsukishima spat, arms folded as he leaned against the wall, clearly uninterested in any back-and-forth.
Hinata struggled for a moment to catch his breath, then blurted out, "You have Kiyoko, right?"
Tsukishima looked taken aback. "What?"
Hinata repeated himself. "You have Kiyoko as the person you have to give a gift to, right?" He was finally able to see Tsukishimaâs eyes.
Tsukishima blinked. "How do youâ?"
"Yachi told me. She marked the cards."
"Oh," Tsukishima said, visibly surprised. "Yeah, I have her. So whatâyou want her?" he chuckled.
"Well, not me! Itâs for Yachi! Sheâs the one who wants it!"
Tsukishima laughed even harder now. "You want me to believe that load of bullshit?" he asked, looking Hinata dead in the eye.
"No, Iâm serious! Yachi wants to get Kiyoko, and she said I should give you Yamaguchi so the trade will be beneficial!"
"If she wanted the card so badly, why didn't she come to me by herself and ask me for it?"
Hinata never thought about it like that. And he was right, which just made him stand there dumbfounded.
Tsukishima just kept laughing. "Iâll give you creditâfor someone with your IQ, thatâs a pretty clever plan." He wiped a tear from his eye. "Still⊠Iâm not giving you Kiyoko, man."
Hinata looked completely shocked and upset. "Come on, Tsuki! You donât even want her, right!?"
"Yeah, but I donât want you doing something weird like giving it to Tanaka-san for candy or extra training lessons or something."
Hinata was now on his knees, looking up at Tsukishima like some pathetic kid begging their mom for money.
"Please, please, give it to me! I promise not to ask you for anything else. Please!"
"Dude, I said no."
As Tsukishima turned to walk away, Hinata latched onto his leg, begging even louder. Yachi was going to owe him way more than just Kageyamaâs card after this.
"Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please pleâ"
"OKAY, OKAY! FUCK!"
Tsukishima finally shook him off his leg.
"Iâll give you the stupid paper, Jesusâjust shut up," he said, pulling the little slip from his pocket and holding it out for Hinata.
Hinata lit up with joy and stood up, reaching out to grab itâbut every time he tried, Tsukishima raised it higher, just out of reach.
Oh. This fucking dickhead.
"Come on, Hinata, itâs right there. Try a little harder, wonât you?"
Hinata jumped to reach the paper, which Tsukishima lifted higher still.
"Oh, come on! Iâve seen you jump way higher than that! Come on, buddy!"
Hinata was tired. Tired of having to beg this guy for a stupid piece of paper. Tired of being confused about his feelings. Tired of not understanding why his mom always made him do things he didnât want to do.
So what did he do?
"Come on, Hinata, this is getting really sad at this point. If you canât evenâ"
(Imagine Tomorrow 2 by GloRilla Ft. Cardi B is playing in the background)
Tsukishima was suddenly on the floor, crouched over and holding his crotch like his life depended on it.
Hinata snatched the paper from his hand and dropped the other one he was holding.
"Thanks, Tsuki!" he called cheerfully as he ran outside.
Looking back, he saw Yamaguchi rushing to Tsukishimaâs side, wheeling his arms around in panic and constantly asking if he was okay.
Hinata may be short, but his shortness had one major advantage: it made it really, really easy to kick a guy in the dick, and with such painful precision!
By the time it was time for the club, Hinata was getting dirty looks from Tsukishima all the way across the gym near the court. He had just told Coach Ukai that he couldnât participate in practice today because of a "small squirrel biting him hard on the leg."
"Donât worry though," he said, staring directly at Hinata, "the squirrelâs gonna face some issues soon."
You might think Hinata would finally use this moment of peace to sit down and figure out whether his feelings for Kageyama were genuineâif he actually liked him or if it was just some big, confusing, lustful mess.
But nope.
It wasnât some heartfelt romantic moment, like Kageyama saving a helpless kitten from a tree or helping Hinata after scraping his knee. The moment Hinata knew he liked Kageyama was when he realized he was about to get his ass kickedâall because he wanted to give Kageyama a stupid present.
He guessed, in a weird way, he should thank Tsukishima for the helpful realization. But honestly, the fact that heâs probably going to get his ass beat later (no homo directed toward him) is gift enough.
As he was stretching, still dreading his upcoming doom, Kageyama suddenly smacked him upside the headâmaking him forget about his impending death for a moment.
"Hey! Hello to you too, Yuckyama," Hinata snapped, rubbing his head.
Kageyama looked back at him with one of his creepy, wide smiles.
Jesus, he must be really happy today.
"Hello yourself, nerd. Iâm gonna absolutely clobber you in practice," Kageyama said, grin growing even bigger. To Hinataâs surprise, there wasn't any white stain that would normally be left from the candy on his tongue.
Hinata had rarely seen him like this. The only times heâd ever seen Kageyama this full of joy and energy were during amazing matchesâones filled with perfect players, perfect tosses, and even perfect quick attacks.
When Kageyama felt good everything was just⊠perfect.
Hinata loved the way Kageyama found peace through volleyball. The same peace Hinata found in it. He loved how close the sport made them.
Before Kageyama could walk away, Hinata ran up behind him and jumped on his back, startling him.
"Youâre on, bub!"
As the two started bickering and play-fighting across the court, Daichi and Sugawara stood off to the side, sipping from their water bottles and watching.
"Look at them," Sugawara said, absolutely fawning. "Theyâre so adorable."
Daichi nodded and nudged Sugaâs shoulder. "Birds of a feather."
Suga chuckled as he watched the two go point-for-point, arguing and ridiculing each other like children.
"YeahâŠ" he said, leaning his head on Daichiâs shoulder, smiling wide.
"They are, aren't they?"
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After taking a couple of days off from his winter break to go gift hunting for Kageyama (Tsukishima wasnât kidding when he said he was going to make him pay for itâhe was so bruised and blistered that day, when he got home his mom thought someone had mugged him), Shoyo lazily had to explain that he just got a little injured at practice. Best not let Tsukishima mess him up again for tattling. But there was an issue of rising.
It had been weeks since that had happened and still, Shoyo was having a difficult time thinking of a gift to give Kageyama. Yeah, he knows he likes himâbut what do you even get someone when you do like them?
Kageyama might like chocolates, but Hinata knows that if he doesnât like them that much, plus heâs the type of person to eat multiple in one sitting, heâd get really sick if Hinata just handed him the bag like that. Hinata wouldnât want that.
He wants to be able to play volleyball with him every single chance he gets without constant throw-up breaks in between, and getting him just a plain volleyball keychain makes it seem like it was just a universal thing. Sure, Kageyama loved volleyball just as much as himâbut even Hinata wouldnât want someone to give him a measly keychain of it. At least, not by itself.
Oohâmaybe the newest sports magazine? Wait. Nope. Kageyama already owns every new issue the second it drops. He likes to ramble about the latest players to Hinata like it's the best gossip in the world.
Hinata smiled a little at that. Kageyama always looked so cute when he got excited about his favorite athletes or the newest move he had seenâNo. NO. Focus, Hinata!
He needed to find the perfect gift. Something real. Something from the heart. He wanted to show Kageyama how he feltâall this warmth in his chest, all the chaotic, fluttery feelings he gets when theyâre together. His head was racing. What can you get a guy who nearly doesnât like anything and already has everything!?
Just as Shoyo was in the middle of his own self-loathing spiral, his mother opened his bedroom door and peeked in.
âShoyo? Are you decent?â she asked, looking directly at him.
Hinata rolled his eyesâmentally. âIf I wasnât, itâd be pretty weird for you to keep staring.â
âNo such filthy things will be done in my house,â she snapped, narrowing her eyes. âIf I ever catch you doing anything weird, Iâm taking your door off.â
Hinata shivered. This is why he does it at nightâŠ
âAnyway,â she continued, stepping in with a wooden laundry basket, starting to pick up the clothes heâd been ignoring on the floor. (He meant to clean them up⊠last month.)
âIâm going to the market since your father said that he will be coming home tomorrow from his business trip, so I want to cook something special. You and Natsu are coming.â
Hinata groaned, slumping to the edge of his bed. It's not like he hated seeing his dad; it was actually the opposite. His father worked for a company that made him travel overseas a lot, so with any time that he had with him, heâd make the most of it. But the market? Sucked. It was always so crowded, and Hinata doesn't do well in crowded spaces.
âI donât want toââ
He paused.
Wait. The market.
Then it clicked. A lightbulb flickered on in his brain. They have the type of milk candy Kageyama always ate. He always did like those little things.
âHey Kageyama,â Hinata said, It was a day before Kageyama was scheduled to go to Tokyo. "Why do you like those little milk things so much?â
Kageyama glared at him, âWhy do you care? I'm not sharing any with you.â
At that point, Hinata was so angry at the fact that he couldn't even have some (not that he wanted some anywayâbut it's the thought that counts, you know!?) that he never did find out the reason. All he knew was that anytime Kageyama ate, he would always smile. Hinata wanted to see that smile; he wanted to see that smile in front of him.
âActually⊠okay. Iâll go with you.â
His mom stopped mid-motion. âShoyo, youâre going whether you want to or notâwait, what?â she said, holding the basket at her side.
âI said Iâll go,â he repeated, already pulling on his jeans and jacket.
She stared at him like heâd grown a second head. âYou never want to go with me. I always have to drag you around like a sack of potatoes.â
Hinata smirked as he headed for the door. âThatâs because I didnât need anything before.â
âThis time I do!â
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By the time they had reached the market, Hinata was exhausted. Although most of the food they ate was Japanese-based, on rare occasions when his dad would come home from a business trip, his mother went to the market downtown for Korean supplies. Specific kimchis, tteokbokki, bungeoppang, even good old classic Korean chickenâthey had to drive all the way for it.
âLittle Korea,â the outdoor sign read, and upon entering, a little ding could be heard.
â[Welcome, welcome! Mrs. Hinata! Itâs good to see you!]â the woman said in Korean. It was Mrs. Hana, the shopkeeper.
â[Mrs. Hana! How are you? Itâs been so long!]â Hinataâs mother replied, smiling wide, shaking her hand, and pulling her into a big hug. Apparently, his mom and Mrs. Hana had known each other back in South Korea, going to school together.
Hinata didnât really like her that much because whenever he greeted her, she always pulled his cheeks, and on top of that, she was just too loud.
â[I see youâve brought the little ones!]â
Ah, speak of the devil. Mrs. Hana came from behind the checkout lane and walked over to him, grabbing and pinching his cheeks and stretching them.
â[Hello Hinata! My, how much youâve grown since I last saw you!]â
Hinata smiled through the pain and slowly said, â[T-Thank you, Mrs. Hana. Itâs nice to see you tooâŠ]â
Just as it felt like she was going to rip the skin off his face, Mrs. Hana finally let goâthank the gods. She picked up Natsu next, spinning her around and pulling a giggle out of the young girl.
âAnd Natsu, baby!â she said, setting her down and snuggling their faces together. âYouâve also gotten big!â
Natsu giggled, then laughed and said, â[Yes, me is big! Seven now, me!]â
Upon hearing her broken Korean, Mrs. Hana laughed to herself and said, â[So you can speak Korean now? Thatâs lovely, dear! How are you? Howâs your dad doing? Do you want a piece of ginger candy?]â
Hearing such a large sentence in Korean broke Natsuâs brain. âIâUhâWahâN-no?â
Mrs. Hana laughed again as she set Natsu down onto the floor.
â[Ahhh! Sheâs such a cutie! She really does try with her Korean!]â
Hinataâs mom sighed in slight sadness. â[Yes, she tries, but I wish she would sit down and listen when I try to teach herâŠ]â
While his mom and Mrs. Hana chatted, Hinata was stalking the aisles for a white rabbitâthe little image he always saw on the wrappers of Kageyamaâs candy. He thought it was a Korean-based candy because of the text on the wrappers, but he wasnât sure; he wasnât good with languages.
At first, he checked the candy aisleâtaiyaki, daifuku, kenpiâall not what he was looking for. Some looked similar to the little milk candy, but Hinata wanted the exact one Kageyama liked.
You see, Kageyama had an amazing taste palette. He could tell the difference between a blueberry picked at 10:00 a.m. and one picked at 5:00 p.m. Even the smallest flavor notes stood out to him, so if Hinata gave him a version of the candy that wasnât the exact brand, Kageyama would knowâand heâd get in Hinata's case about it.
Hinata looked all over the store, from the kidsâ aisle all the way to the special section made for Korean items, but still, he didnât find it.
At this point, Hinata let out an exhausted sigh. âGod, why do you hate meâŠâ he muttered under his breath.
âNow why would you go and say something so horrid?â
Hinata turned around to seeââMrs. Hana!â
The woman smiled brightly again. âYes yes, itâs me. I was looking for you because your mom is already at the counter.â
âOh,â Hinata said with an audible pop. Normally it would take six hours for his mom to finish shopping. He thought he had time. âIâll⊠Iâll get going thenâŠâ
He thought his best shot would be to get the candy better here than somewhere else. He for sure wasnât going to see Kageyama smile the way he did with those sweets.
Just as he was walking back to the register where his sister and mom were, he suddenly felt a little tap on his shoulder.
âHuhâ?â
It was Mrs. Hana, her wonderfully plump face smiling directly at him.
âYou never did tell me what you were looking for.â
âOh! Uhâwellââ Now, Mrs. Hana was amazing when you were looking for something you couldn't find. The only problem was that Hinata didnât know how to explain without her pressing for details. âI have this gift exchange with a⊠friend, and Iâm trying to get them this rabbit milk candy they like but⊠I just canât seem to find itâŠâ
Hinata let out a sigh, hands in his pockets as he stared up at the convenience store lights.
Mrs. Hana shook her head knowingly. âI think I know what youâre looking for.â
Hinata lit up at the words. âReally?â
Mrs. Hana smiled and nodded. âUh huh! Follow me!â
Hinata did as told and followed the lady. Maybe Mrs. Hana wasnât so bad after all, Hinata began to thinkâuntil she started what he feared.
âSooo⊠[whoâs this friend you want the candy for?]â
âMrs. Hana!â Hinata yelped, then quickly lowered his voice, remembering he was in a store.
Mrs. Hana whined, â[Whaaat! Iâm speaking in Korean, no one will know!]â
âYou have a store dedicated to things from Korea,â Hinata pointed out.
Mrs. Hana waved her hands, dismissing the comment. â[Oh, most of these fools canât keep two languages in their heads anyway,]â she said.
She got shoulder-to-shoulder with Hinata and started nudging him as they walked.
â[Come onnnn. You can tell Auntie Hana!!!]â
Hinata was starting to get real sick of her loudness.
âWell,â Hinata began. âHeâSHE⊠is in my volleyball team, she uh⊠one of the managers.â
â[AnnnndâŠ?]â Mrs. Hana said. â[What else? Whatâs her hair color!]â
âBlond.â Hinata lied.
â[And eye color?]â
âBrown.â
â[Height?]â
â4â10âŠ?...ish?â
â[WHATâS HER PERSONALITY?!?!]â
âUHH KINDA NERVOUS WITH A HEART OF PURE GOLD?â
At this point, Yachi was going to have a cold when everyone came back from the break.
Mrs. Hanaâseemingly single-handedly fueled by K-Drama enthused fanshipâasked one more question.
âHinataâŠâ she said in Japanese. The sudden shift in tone scared Hinata a bit.
âYesâŠ?â he said cautiously.
She put both her hands on his shoulders.
â[Do. You. Love. Her.]â
Hinata didnât know what to say.
Did he love Kageyama? I mean, he liked himâbut love was a very strong word. Was there anything Hinata even loved about him?
Well, he did love the way Kageyamaâs face scrunched up when he made a bad set. He loved how he always tried his best to be kind when his teammates were having a hard time, even though he sometimes still said the wrong thing. He especially loved watching Kageyama eat that dumb milk candy. The way all the wrinkles in his face eased up after a difficult match, and you could actually see the resemblance of someone who was sixteen and not twenty-nine? That made Hinataâs heart go⊠go⊠whatâs the word?
KAPOWIE!!!
Yeah⊠Kapowie. Thatâs how he felt for him.
At that moment, Hinata realized he admired Kageyama not just for his body, but for his personality as well. He wasnât some horned-up loser thirsting over something for no reason, he wasâŠ
âJust⊠Just inâŠâ
Lost in his own thoughts, Mrs. Hana decided to let the topic go. She sighed and smiled. âNever mind, seems like you already know the answer to that.â
They walked up to the counter where Hinataâs mom and sister were waiting. After he got scolded and hit with a couple of newspapers once or twice, they finally checked out of the store.
Just before he left, Mrs. Hana handed him a white translucent bag with blue hemming.
â[We donât have this brand here because itâs a Chinese-made snack, but I keep a couple of packs for myself since I enjoy them. Your girlâs got good taste.]â she whispered.
Hinata hugged her big and tight. âOH THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!â he was absolutely elated with excitement. âYouâre the best, Mrs. Hana!â
The woman laughed. âUh huh, now go onâor your mother will hit you with more than just a newspaper.â
âRightâŠâ Hinata said. He didnât want to stack another scolding on top of the one heâd already gotten from Tsukishima.
âBye, Mrs. Hana!â
As he began to run to the car, he heard her yell behind him, âAnd Hinata! When you give your gift to that girl, make sure you let her know you care for her!â
Hinata looked back and smiled. âI definitely will!â
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"Shoyo, my boy!" They hugged, like fathers and sons do. "Appa!"
Hinata and his father had an amazing relationship. Like two peas in a pod, they always got along. When he was younger, wherever his father went, Hinata would trail just behind him. When Hinata wanted to start practicing volleyball, his dadâeven from across the seaâwas his biggest supporter. Sure, they texted and called every once in a while, but having his dad here in person? That was amazing.
"Wow, I never get this type of greeting when I come back from work late," Hinataâs mother said, standing by the stove, stirring the egg mix.
"Well~" Hinataâs dad said, dropping his suitcase and sneakily wrapping his arms around her waist. "Let me be the first to do so~" he began peppering her with kisses across her cheek.
"Haha! Akira!" his mother yelped in delight, nearly spilling the egg mixture on the hot stove. "Youâre going to make me spill the eggs at this point!"
"Mmmhh~" his father hummed. "Let âem then. I want to keep giving you kisses, itâs been so longâŠ"
"Okay, gross? Please donât forget Iâm still here," Hinata said from across the room, a disgusted expression on his face.
"Then give me and your mom some privacy!" his father squeaked from the kitchen. "Iâll tell you whatâyou can take 15,000 yen out of my wallet, go have some fun!"
He didnât have to tell Hinata twice. He ran upstairs, grabbed his coat, and changed his shirt (he didnât bother changing his pajama pantsârabbits with pancakes are cute, right?). He swung open Natsuâs room door.
Scattered across the floor were Strawberry Shortcake dollsâOrange Blossom, Strawberry herself, all the dolls holding hands in what looked like⊠a pentagon?
"Oh Strawberry Gods, we call on youâŠ" Natsu began, until she was loudly interrupted.
"Natsu," Hinata said.
"What! Iâm doing something!" she huffed, still holding the dollsâ arms in unison.
"You want to get ice cream with me while I go get some stuff?"
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" She immediately dropped the dolls and quickly ran downstairs to put on her shoes. Hinata didnât know what he had just walked in on, but he was glad he stopped it.
After walking a couple of blocks, Natsu in tow licking her (ironically) Strawberry Shortcake ice cream, Hinata walked into a beauty parlor.
"Wellcomeâ" the woman at the entryway stopped mid-greeting. "Oh, Hinata, itâs you!" she said, smiling fondly.
"Hello, Mika," he greeted back with a big smile.
"Hello, Miss Mika!" Natsu chimed in, still working on her ice cream.
The woman peeked her head outside the door, confusion crossing her face. "I donât see your mom with you. Are you here alone?"
Normally Hinataâs mom would be the one to bring them here, always browsing for new cosmetics or the latest baked-good perfume. But today, Hinata was looking for something specific.
"Nope, just me and Natsu. But I do have a question Iâd like to ask."
Mika perked up instantly. "Of course! Iâm always here to help. What is it?"
"Whatâs the best gift to give someone whoâs really particular about their nails?"
Mika blinked in confusion at first, then a light bulb seemed to go off in her head. She lifted a hand to her mouth and squealed. "Oh my! Hinata, is it possible you have a lady friend?"
Hinata blushed awkwardly, giving a slightly playful grin. "I have a friend whoâs a⊠girl, yes. Can you not push further?" he was really getting tired of being asked this question.
Mika stepped off her little platform and guided him and Natsu to the nail section of the store. "Of course, of course. But Iâll need some information about this âfriend girlâ to make sure we pick the right product."
"Oh, right," Hinata said. He forgot that when buying a gift, it had to be something that matched the person. "Well, for starters, heâ" he coughed into his fist. "SHE⊠is really into sports. Volleyball, specifically. She plays constantly."
"Mmh," Mika hummed. "So sheâs a sporty girl."
"Yeah!" Hinata replied quickly.
"Does she have a favorite scent?"
Hinata thought for a moment, then remembered. "She really likes the smell of⊠polyurethuplebla!"
Mika paused. "âŠYou mean polyurethane?"
"Yeah! That thing. She says it reminds her of freshly cleaned floors on the volleyball court."
Mika laughed, a little concerned. "Wow, sheâs really into volleyballâŠ"
Hinata giggled, then smiled. "Yeah, thatâs what I really like about her. Sheâs just like me, so we can talk endlessly, but sheâs also so different that I canât help wanting to learn more about herâŠ"
The words fell out of his mouth so easily, because they were true. These feelings were new, but it felt like they had been there all along. They had been small before, but with each passing moment he spent with Kageyama, they grew and grew until he couldnât ignore them anymore. This feelingâŠ
Mika looked at him warmly. "I think I know exactly what you can give her." She hurried off, calling, "Donât move!" before speaking to another assistant. A moment later, she was handed a blue box.
She rushed back and placed it in Hinataâs hands. "This is a nail care kit. It has all the essentialsâcuticle cutters, nail files, the works."
"Wow! This is perfect!" Hinata exclaimed.
"And thatâs not all." Mika smiled, grabbing two small containers from the shelf beside her. "These are our popular nail oilsâblueberry and orange scented." She handed them to him. "Think of it as my way of wishing you good luck. Free of charge."
Hinataâs eyes widened, his face a mixture of shock and happiness. "T-thank you!" he exclaimed.
Mika gave him a warm smile. "No problem. I hope you get your girl, Hinata."
At the mention of those words, Hinataâs face flushed again. "Th-thank youâŠ"
As Mika directed them to the register to pay, Hinata couldnât help but thank her again and again as he left the shop.
"OH AND Hinata," Mika called from behind the store doors. Hinata looked back in confusion. "Yeah?"
"Cute pants!" the girl grinned. Natsu laughed.
Maybe he should quickly go home and change.
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Hinata was exhausted. Running around to the convenience store, then going into the stationery store, then having to stop for a quick minute (quick as in 10 minutes) for Natsu to find a bathroom, all just to get a big fat gift basket for Kageyama. Seriously, he had never spent so much money before in his life. The only time he could even remember spending so much money was when he wanted to send a postcard over to his father all the way in Egyptâ45,000 yen down the drain.
âWeâre home! Mama! Papa!â Natsu yelled as she kicked off her shoes in front of the door and ran to the dinner table.
âWow! You guys came back a little late!â their father said, confusion evident on his face. âDid you really spend all that money? All at once?!â
âSorry, DadâŠâ Hinata said as he took off his shoes and hung his jacket. He brought the gift basket forward to him. âThereâs this thing happening at school with a gift exchange andââ
âHoly pepperonis!â Hinataâs dad interrupted. âAll this for a gift exchange?â His father slapped him on the back, causing him to jolt forward. âYou must really like this person, huh, Shoyo?â
Hinata felt like heâd been blushing a lot lately. âI mean yeah, Iâuhâcare about them⊠a lot?â he said, begging for the conversation to switch into anything but this.
âNow hold on just a minute, mister,â his mother said, pulling his shirt by the cuff, stopping his movements. His mother grabbed the gift basket out of his hand and carefully inspected it with piercing eyes, pulling one thing out after anotherânail file candy, the keychain, and the newest sports magazine.
âShoyoâŠâ his mother began, looking at all the stuff that he had purchased.
He gulped. He didnât know what to say. Explaining the situation would be heavily embarrassing. Hey Mom, hey Dad, these gifts are actually for Kageyama! Yeah, a guy! A guy that Iâm crazy about! So much so that I constantly have sex dreams about him!
His mother spoke up. âAll these gifts for that Yachi girl? In your volleyball team?â
Why does everybody think that? Do they really think that Yachi would even like him like that? Even if she wasnât a raging lesbian, Hinata didnât think heâd be her type. Waitâno, this was the perfect setup!
âYES!â he yelled quickly. Then fell silent. He coughed. âYes, it is for her.â
His mother looked at him concerningly. âYou donât have to yell, sweetheart,â his mother said, placing the items back inside the basket. âIs this the reason why you donât want to go with Mrs. Takaiâs daughter to the wedding?â she asked as she placed it on the table.
âIâm not asking you to flirt with her, Iâm just asking you to take her along as your plus one.â
âYeah, I understand,â Hinata hummed as he sat at the table.
âGood. Natsu! Dinner!â
As everyone was seated at the table, wafts of seafood filled their noses.
âMama, this looks so good!â Natsu yelled, quickly picking up her chopsticks and breaking them in half.
Her mother hummed. âThank you, I made it special for your father.â
âAwww! SweetheartâŠâ Hinataâs father stood up from his chair and leaned in from across the table to kiss his mother.
âOkay gross, can we just eat!?â Hinata said, staring at the meat intensely, like a crow waiting for its prey.
âFine, fine. Thank you for the meal!â
Within 10 minutes plates were being destroyed, pieces of meat were being ripped from the pot, rice was being shoved deeply into throatsâeven Hinataâs mom, who was normally very slow when eating, was picking up more meat than she could chew.
âSo! Shoyo!â his father said, face still full of meat. âWhat do you like about this girl so much?â
Seriously? This conversation? Why does everybody want to know so much about his love life!?
âUhh,â he began, mouth full of rice. He swallowed it down harshly, coughing and gasping for air after the thick swallow. âSheâs nice, I guess? She helps me a lot with volleyball.â
His father smiled. âCome on, that canât be the only reason! For exampleââ he said, pointing to his mother. âWhen I first saw your mom, I thought she was the hottest girl in the whole entire world.â
âAkira!â Hinataâs mother said, covering the ears of Natsu. âNot in front of her!â
Just then Natsu spoke up. âItâs okay, Mommy. I think your lovey-doveyness with Daddy is disgusting anyway.â
âSee! She doesnât mind,â his father dismissed.
âStillâŠâ his mother said worryingly, watching Natsu continuously shove rice into her mouth alongside meat.
âYou know, after our first date I continuously had dreams about her,â his father continued. âNo matter when I went to sleep, she would always be on my mind constantly.â
This piqued Shoyoâs interest. âReally? EvenâŠâ he paused for a second, then leaned in next to his father. âFrisky onesâŠ?â he whispered seriously.
âOh, you betchaâŠâ his father replied, mirroring his sonâs serious expression.
âAkira,â Hinataâs mom said sternly, looking up from under the table. The boys shuddered when they saw her facial expression. She was staring daggers into their throats.
âAnyway, the point is,â his father said, fixing his tie on his uniform, âwhen I saw your mother it was my first love. Even after only knowing her for a month, I knew it was love. Itâs not wrong, knowing that my love was just so explosive, so I told her a year into our relationship.â He reached his hand over to hers. âAnd now look at us! Weâre married, and have two beautiful kids,â he exclaimed happily.
âThat might happen with you and Yachi!â
Hinata didnât hear that last part. What he was more focused on was the fact that his own father had felt the same way as him. The feelings that he was so ashamed of. Feelings that heâd been harboring for months. He thought it was wrong to like someone so fast, but it wasnât.
âSo what do you and Yachiââ
âI think Iâm in love.â
The whole room fell silent. No one dared to make a sound. Just then a ring from Hinataâs phone went off.
âWish Crapyama a happy birthday!â
Hinataâs eyes in that moment grew. âExcuse meâ!â he jumped on his feet and headed straight to the door, grabbing the gift basket on the way.
âHinata! Where are you going!?â his mother yelled from the dining hall.
âNo time to explain! Iâll be back soon!â
After putting on his shoes, snatching his jacket, and wrapping his scarf, he was out the door.
âThat boy, I SWEAR TO GODââ
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He was running faster than he had ever run before. People, cars, convenience storesâ they all flickered in a blink. Just before he left the house, a message.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
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When he had sent that out, he wasn't just hoping Kageyama would show up, he knew he would show up. He had no doubt. He was running for what felt like an hour, until he finally reached the park. Just as he suspectedâ
âOi! Boke!â he heard coming towards him.
It was Kageyama. That gorgeous face, deep blue eyes andâŠ
âWet hair?â Hinata said out loud.
âYeah! I just got out of the shower when you texted me!â he said, sneezing right on cue.
Hinata opened his phone to see his messages.
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Oh.
Kageyama sneezed loudly. âIf I get sick, Iâm going to curse you to get sick too,â he said glaringly.
âYeah I get that, sorryâŠâ he apologized.
Kageyamaâs eyes looked like theyâd softened. âItâs fine, whatever. Why did youâ?â
âHappy Birthday,â Hinata said, interrupting him and shoving the gift basket into his arms.
Kageyama just stood there. Speechless. Scared of the awkward silence, Hinata began to ramble.
âIâI know that your recent nail kit got lost and so I got you a new one. The lady at my local beauty parlor, her name is Mika by the way, she gave me these nail oils for free and since I donât need them I figured you at least would want to. And then I bought you keychains, volleyball ones specifically so that we match. I also got you the newest Sports Magazine. I know, I know, you probably already have one, but if you look inside I wrote specific stuff inside of it that I thought youâd like, and I also put a little card at the back at the end of the page. Donât open it until you get home though, Iâd be really embarrassed if you opened it now. Thereâs also a bunch of little snacks in there, so I kind of went on a bender. I understand if you donât like any of it, you could just⊠I donât know, return it. I put the receipt in there so you couldââ
âShoyo.â
Hinata froze. Kageyamaâs eyes were wide, glisteningâ you could see the highlights showing through all of the pre-fallen snow. He pulled out a bag. It was the milk candy, the one with the little rabbit.
âOh, those? Yeah, I got you those as well. It was a little bit of trouble findingââ
Kageyama interrupted him again. âHow did you know?â
Hinata spoke quietly, kicking snow with his feet while looking down. âKnow whatâŠ?â
âDonât play dumb with me,â Kageyama shot back. âHow did you know I like these?â
Hinataâs whole face felt red. He was sure, because of the difference between his face and the snow, it was very obvious.
âI see you ask Yachi for these candies a lot, you always seem to have one in your mouth whenever weâre at school.â Hinataâs voice started to crack a bit. âI figured you couldnât find them outside so I went around and tried to look for them. Eventually a friend of my mom was able to help me get them.â he said this while still looking at the ground while playing with his fingertips.
The situation was beyond embarrassingâ telling your crush that youâve been watching them for a while and thatâs how you know their favorite candy? What type of cheesy rom-com is this?
After what felt like an eternity, Kageyama spoke up.
âI gave those to her,â he said.
âWhat?â
âI gave those to Yachi to slowly give me because Iââ he hesitated. âIâm kind of addicted to them⊠I could eat a whole bag in one sitting if given.â
Hinata looked at him with shock. âOh. I⊠never knew that.â
They sat down in silence as they stared at the snow covering the park. The snow had covered the grounds, the air so cold you could see your own breath.
âHinataâŠâ Kageyama said, breaking the ice.
âYeah?â Hinata replied.
âThank you⊠for the gift, I meanâŠâ A small blush creeped onto his face.
Hinata smiled. âNo problem,â he said back.
Even if he was still too scared to confess his true feelings to Kageyama at that moment, he was glad at least he could have him as a friend. He never wanted to leave this moment, he thought as snow started to sprinkle down around them, little frozen waters surrounding them.
âKageyama, look!â Hinata exclaimed, pointing to the starry night sky sprinkling the snow. âTheyâre so wonderful!â
âYeah,â Kageyama said, looking at Hinataâs orange curly hair. âTheir wonderful.â
âHey Kageyama, you thinkââ
It was soft, almost like a pillow. They tasted like octopusâ Kageyama probably had some before he came here. His lips were so soft. Were they allowed to be this soft? It almost felt like a crime. In all of Hinataâs dreams he never thought Kageyamaâs lips would feel like this. Kageyama turned his head to the side, Hinata did the same mindlessly.
Kageyamaâs tongue creeped in, Hinata none the wiser took it all in. They continued, swapping tongues, and licking the inside of each other's mouth. It felt like paradise, but there was a small issue.
Hinata didnât know what to do, he just kept his eyes open, staring back at Kageyamaâs closed eyes.
What felt like a minute later, Kageyama finally opened his eyes, just to see Hinataâs eyes staring back at him. He jolted.
âWHAT THE FUCK, Hinata,â he screamed.
Shoyo moved back. âSORRY SORRY I DIDNâT KNOW WHAT TO DO!â
Kageyama rapidly stood up. âSO YOU THOUGHT STARING AT ME WHILE I WAS JUSTâŠâ he paused. âASSAULTING YOUR MOUTH!?â
It was now Hinataâs turn to stand. âASSAULT?â he replied.
âYEAH! YOU CLEARLY WERENâT INTO IT!â Kageyama spat back, his face a deep flushed red.
âWHAT MAKES YOU THINK I WASNâT INTO IT!? I WAS INTO IT!â
âHOW COULD YOU BE INTO IT, YOU DONâT EVEN LIKE ME!â
Hinata felt his fluster turn into frustration. âYOUâRE RIGHT I DONâT LIKE YOU, [I LOVE YOU!]â
Kageyama stood in his tracks. âWhat did you just sayâŠ?â
Hinata paused for a moment. âWhat do you meanâŠâ
âYou just said something in Korean.â
âI didnât say anything in Korean.â
âYOU DID!â
âDID NOT.â
âDID TOO!â
âDID NOT!â
âDID TOO!â
âDID NOT!!!â
Just as they were bickering, Kageyama shoutedâ
âYOU DID, YOU SAID âI LOVE YOU!â â
Hinataâs breath hitched. âYouâ you heard what I said? YouâŠâ His face turned pale.
Kageyama looked guilty. âWell yeah⊠Iâm half Korean.â
No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. NO. This wasnât supposed to happen. His feelings werenât supposed to come out like this, out of the blue. Sure, he did love him, but he wanted to take it slow. He didnât want to scare him off. He didnâtâŠ
âHinataâŠ?â
Shoyo looked up to see Kageyamaâs blue eyes. They were so blue⊠almost like the night sky.
âI have to go.â Hinata said as he began to walk away.
Kageyama, confused at the situation at hand, grabbed his arm. âShoyo, waitââ
âLET GO!â Hinata swung his arm free from Kageyamaâs grip. Kageyama looked at him, shock and fear present on his face. Hinata, teary-eyed, ran. Ran as fast as he could. Away from the snow, away from the stars, away from Kageyama. He ran fast.
âGod,â he said, tears pouring down his face, evaporating as he ran.
âWhy did this have to be so seriousâŠâ
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End of Chapter 1
Next:
Bonus Chapter
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