"You are one lucky guy."
Kageyama has heard this sentence come from other people's mouths for about a hundred times already. For some reason, people like to think that kageyama has so much luck in just about everything. Sure, he was able to survive an accident which most would consider life threatening, and there was also that one time when he happened to meet the actor he had looked up to all his life in a comfort room. He was able to pass almost all of his exams without exerting as much effort as the others too, but Kageyama doesn't really believe in luck. For him, everything happens for a reason, and luck plays absolutely no part in it. Kageyama always believes in his abilities and potentials. He is confident in himself, and he knows that it is definitely one of the reasons why there is so much positivity in his life. People who work with a negative mindset can't possibly expect positive results.
Shielding his eyes from the blinding glare of the sunlight, Kageyama looks up to read the sign of the coffee shop near his school that he has recently discovered.
"KAGAYAKI"
He pushes the glass door open and steps inside the place. Immediately, he's met with the smell of coffee and waffles making his stomach rumble. The cafe is the perfect representation of bright and sunny. A substantial part of the area was decorated in yellow and orange, and there are loads of adorable drawings on the walls. There are even stuffed animals on the white shelves. Kageyama would've loved to stare at all those decorations and admire them, but he is very hungry, so he quickly makes his way to the counter to order instead. Thankfully, it is still early, so there is no line at all. His eyes scan the menu rapidly before looking at the person right in front of him.
When Kageyama sees the boy, he realizes that the decorations aren't the only adorable things in the cafe. He clears his throat before saying, "Uh, I'd like a French Toast and Cafe Latte."
"Is that all, sir?" the boy confirms with a smile that is enough to brighten up anyone's day.
Kageyama nods absent-mindedly, too preoccupied with the boy's orange hair and his round eyes. He merely watches as the boy, completely unaware of his effect on Kageyama, talks to the other worker. He stares at the movement of the boy's hands and mouth as he speaks with a blond glasses-wearing guy who's about a foot taller than him.
The latter must have noticed the creepy gaping of Kageyama because he sends him a glance and raises an eyebrow before tilting his head towards Kageyama's direction in an attempt to notify the shorter boy of what is happening. A little confused, the boy shifts his gaze to Kageyama, who finally acquires enough sense to get his food and look for an empty table. He apologizes to the people in line behind him before walking away, regretting staying up late last night because surely, that is the reason why he acted so strangely several seconds ago.
He finishes the food more quickly than he expected; however, there is still plenty of time before his first class, so he decides to stay in the cafe a little longer.
"Kageyama!"
He turns to the sound of the voice and sees his senpai and teammate, Sugawara Koushi, grinning while carrying a tray. He ambles towards Kageyama, a backpack slung on his shoulder, and asks, "Can I join you?"
"Sure," Kageyama answers, unsure of what else to say since he isn't particularly close to Sugawara. They have small talks about the weather every now and then, but they've never had deep conversations before. For a moment, Kageyama simply plays with the straw of his Cafe Latte while Sugawara eats. Kageyama glances at his senpai and observes the way he eats so gracefully. He wonders how it is possible for someone to be so neat whilst eating.
"Kageyama," Sugawara says, his eyes glinting teasingly, "you really like observing people, don't you?"
Taken aback, Kageyama turns away to hide his face in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry."
Sugawara laughs lightly and reached out to pat Kageyama's shoulder. "I'm just trying to lighten up the mood. You look so tense. Am I making you uncomfortable?" he asks.
Kageyama nods hesitantly, thinking if he should have just lied instead of being honest.
Sugawara chuckles again. "You don't have to be. I don't bite. Not really."
Kageyama doesn't answer since he really has no idea what to say. He watches the sides of Sugawara's eyes crinkle in delight and notices the mole under his left eye. He thinks it looks kind of nice and it really complements his senpai's features.
"You're doing it again," Sugawara states.
"I apologize, senpai!" Kageyama says, lowering his head in shame. "I didn't realize. I won't do it again. I really am—"
Sugawara cuts him off with a smile, "Hey, it's fine. No need to apologize."
"Sorry."
Sugawara laughs for the third time, and Kageyama wonders if his face looks funny because he really doesn't know what his senpai is laughing at. "I told you it's fine. By the way, what time does your first class start?"
"9AM."
"I think we should go then."
"Right."
As they get ready to leave, Sugawara turns to Kageyama and says, "By the way, I saw the way you looked at that orange-haired boy a while ago. You didn't even notice I was behind you all along."
"I—that was—" Kageyama suddenly can't find the right words to say. He isn't exactly sure of what his senpai is implying, but judging by the tone of his voice, there is probably a misunderstanding here.
"It's okay! I'll keep it a secret," Sugawara reassures him with a wink. "I'm your senpai, so I'm supposed to take care of you. I won't go blabbing about your crush to other people."
Kageyama's jaw almost drops. There definitely is a misunderstanding. "No, it's not like that—"
"The way you stared at him was definitely different," Sugawara cuts him off with a smirk.
"Different?"
"Yeah. He's cute, isn't he?"
Kageyama stays silent, but the expression on his face says enough about what he thinks. "But it doesn't mean anything," he says at once to prevent further misunderstandings because he really isn't liking the look his senpai is giving him. "He isn't the first person to have caught my attention like that, so it isn't anything special."
"Yeah, I get it. You do stare a lot, but still, there's a difference."
Kageyama doesn't argue because he has a feeling that Sugawara will only keep on insisting and pushing the idea that there's definitely a difference although there really isn't any. Definitely none.
Kageyama is surprised to see the Kagayaki sign once again when he looks up.
It's early in the morning, and he has no idea what he is doing at that place. He's had breakfast at home already, so he has no reason to enter the cafe although his hands don't seem to care because it simply moves to open the familiar glass door and his body goes inside as if it's completely out of his control. Once he's in the cafe, since he isn't even hungry, he just orders coffee and settles down on an empty table.
The person who took his order this time wasn't the adorable orange-haired guy which disappointed Kageyama a bit. (Not that he'd ever admit that.) It was the tall blond boy who wears eyeglasses. His expression didn't show any signs of recognition and Kageyama was very thankful for that. He didn't want people to think that he was a creepy guy who liked staring at others—although that's the truth.
Kageyama tries to drink his coffee as slowly as possible because he wants to stay at 'Kagayaki' longer (and because he hasn't seen the orange-haired boy yet). Also, he still doesn't want to go to school because school only gives him headaches. The only good thing about it that he can think of right now is being able to play volleyball. Despite the excrutiating practices they have, he loves it a lot and is willing to continue working hard to further improve his skills.
The sudden opening of the door catches his attention, making him lose his train of thought.
"I'm so sorry for being late!" a high-pitched voice says. "I slept in, and—"
"Hinata! It's okay, so just come over here!" a man who seems to be the manager says with an exasperated sigh.
The orange-haired boy whose name is Hinata dashes towards the counter and looks at the man."I'm sorry, Sawamura-san! I'll try not to be late again!"
"I said it's fine, but I won't tolerate this next time. Now go." The man, Sawamura, pats Hinata's shoulder with a laugh.
Kageyama realizes that he has been staring for too long when Hinata catches his eye. Kageyama's eyes widen fractionally before he breaks eye contact and focuses his gaze on his coffee instead. That's when he registers that the cup is now empty. He takes it as his cue to leave.
He grabs his bag and gets up. Stopping the urge to look back and steal a glance from the boy, Hinata, Kageyama leaves the cafe and starts walking to school.
Once again, Kageyama is at Kagayaki although this time, he actually does have a reason. He is about to meet Hitoka Yachi, a girl from his class, because he is flunking one of his subjects and he has a test later which he really needs to pass. The kind Hitoka Yachi has offered to help him study. She was the one who decided the time and place, and Kageyama was overjoyed when he heard that she wanted to meet him at Kagayaki. She reasoned that it was an extremely quiet and relaxing place in the morning when there weren't much people. It was the perfect place to study to which Kageyama agreed wholeheartedly.
"Good morning!" Hitoka greets Kageyama cheerfully. "Have you eaten breakfast?"
Kageyama nods. "You?" he asks.
Hitoka laughs and scratches the back of her neck. "I actually haven't," she answers looking quite embarrassed. "I woke up a little bit late and thought I wouldn't make it here on time if I didn't hurry, so I kinda forgot to eat."
"I apologize," Kageyama says. "This is entirely my fault."
Hitoka shakes her head with a smile. "It's not your fault. It was me who forgot to eat."
Kageyama stares at her for a moment, noticing how similar her hair color is to the tall blond guy who works in the cafe. Hitoka clears her throat, and realizing what he has been doing, Kageyama looks down before suggesting, "I'll treat you."
Hitoka looks at him in surprise. "What? No, you don't have to!"
"But I want to. You're helping me study after all."
"But—"
Kageyama cuts her off. "It's not that big of a deal," he says in a convincing tone.
"Okay then," Hitoka still sounds reluctant because although they are friends, this is the very first time that Kageyama has proposed something like this.
Again, the tall blond boy is the one taking Kageyama's order. This time, the boy regards him with a look akin to suspicion. He glances at Hitoka before turning to Kageyama with an eyebrow raised. Thinking that he's most likely just imagining things, Kageyama looks away and brings the food to their table with Hitoka following. He looks back at the blond boy only to see him looking at him as well. The boy is once again talking to Hinata and for the second time that week, he jerks his head towards Kageyama. Hinata turns around and meets Kageyama's eyes. He gives him a smile, and Kageyama can literally feel the blood rushing to his cheeks.
Kageyama isn't at Kagayaki today which is almost a miracle. He has a firm resolve to not go to the cafe, so he's still at home eating breakfast. He has a feeling that Hinata and the tall boy are already suspicious of him, so he has to avoid the cafe for now.
"Thank you for the meal," he says before standing up and slinging his backpack over his shoulder. He leaves the house, determined to go straight to school without dropping by the cafe. Today's Saturday, so there are no classes or activities except for the volleyball team who have plans of meeting up for practice.
On his way to school, Kageyama runs into Yamaguchi Tadashi, a friend of his and fellow volleyball player. "Good morning!" Yamaguchi greets with a smile.
"Morning," Kageyama replies.
"Have you—" Yamaguchi pauses when they both hear a growling sound. Yamaguchi lets out an abashed laugh. "Er—sorry about that. I—uh—haven't had breakfast yet. I was planning to eat at our school's cafeteria."
"It's Saturday though," Kageyama states. He has an inkling of how this will end, but he refuses to lose hope. He is determined to refrain from going to Kagayaki.
Yamaguchi gasps. "Oh, no. I forgot that it's closed today," he says in defeat. "Do you know any place—"
With a heavy sigh, Kageyama cuts him off, saying, "Yes, I do."
Several minutes later, the both of them arrive at Kagayaki, Kageyama with his head lowered in despair and Yamaguchi with his eyes twinkling in amazement. Kageyama has given in to his desire despite his unyielding resolve just a few minutes ago.
"I've never seen this place before," Yamaguchi says in awe as he walks inside the cafe. He lets his eyes skim over the cafe before looking for an available table. Once Kageyama and Yamaguchi have found their own seats, Yamaguchi grins and remarks, "It looks great here."
Kageyama catches sight of the familiar orange hair and round eyes before smiling. "Indeed."
It's Sunday morning, and he doesn't even bother to stop himself anymore. He wakes up at seven and immediately fixes himself. Within fifteen minutes, he is ready to go to Kagayaki. Just as he's about to walk out of the house, his parents tell him that they have something important to say.
"What is it?" Kageyama asks.
"Uh, we're moving," his dad answers. "I got a job, and it's near your aunt's house, so I thought we'd stay there for a while before we get our own house."
Kageyama tries to wrap his head around this information but fails. "Wait, what?"
"We're moving," his mom says almost nervously. "I know it's surprising. I was surprised too, but this is for the best."
When Kageyama doesn't answer, his mom continues, "Don't worry. You won't be transferring schools yet. I know that it will be very difficult for you if you transfer at this time. It's also not that far."
Kageyama shakes his head and rubs his temple before saying, "I have to go somewhere. I'll be back later." He rushes outside and runs down the street, astonished by the sudden eagerness surging through his body. All of a sudden, he badly wants to see Hinata. He wants to see his bright smile, and he wants to hear his voice. He has realized, when he heard that they were leaving, that unexpected things can happen at any moment, and he's afraid that he might completely lose all chances of talking to Hinata.
"Uh—"
"Hinata Shoyo isn't here anymore," the tall glasses-wearing boy drawls. "He has left, and he's now at a very far place where you can never see him."
Kageyama's jaw drops. "W-What?"
"Tsukishima! You're not supposed to treat customers like that." The man who Kageyama remembers is the one Hinata called 'Sawamura-san' glares at the tall boy. The glare completely vanishes though when he looks at Kageyama and asks, "Anyway, how can I help you?"
"Uh, well—"
"He's looking for Hinata," Tsukishima cuts in.
"Oh, you are?" Sawamura-san asks dubiously.
Kageyama nods, hoping that they don't find it way too weird. "But I'm not a stalker," he defends himself.
Tsukishima sniggers, his face showing utter disbelief.
"Well, we can't actually tell you where he is," Sawamura-san says. "The only thing I can tell you is that he isn't working here anymore. I think that little guy is now continuing his studies."
Kageyama's face falls when he hears this. He feels worse now knowing all this than a while ago when he found out that they're about to move. "Thanks," he says, hanging his head, and for once, he leaves Kagayaki with a frown.
"It's only Monday, and you already look so tired and gloomy," Yamaguchi observes. "What's wrong? Do you already miss your old house?"
Kageyama shakes his head. "It's not that."
"You want to go to Kagayaki first?" Yamaguchi asks. "My treat."
"No."
Sensing that Kageyama isn't in the mood to talk, Yamaguchi remains quiet as they both enter the classroom. Kageyama sits down and puts his bag on his table. He rests his head on it and sighs. He stays in that position until their homeroom teacher arrives. He straightens up and glances at the boy beside their teacher before doing a double take.
Orange hair. Round eyes. A bright smile.
Kageyama has to pinch his arm to make sure that he isn't hallucinating.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Hinata Shoyo. Nice to meet you all!" He smiles at everyone including Kageyama, and Kageyama simply stares, still in shock that the boy he's been thinking of is now closer to him than ever.
"Alright, alright. Go have a seat. The chair beside Kageyama's is empty. You can go sit over there."
Hinata almost skips towards the seat in excitement. Once he's seated, he looks at Kageyama, his eyes shining, and offers a hand. "Hi! We meet again. I'm Hinata."
Kageyama gapes at the hand in front of him and takes it with trembling hands.
"I'm Kageyama. Kageyama Tobio."