When he was seven years old, Kageyama Tobio's mother had told him to put down the volleyball and go find some friends.
"Volleyball won't always be the main priority in your life, Tobio. Go out and make some friends. I've met a lot of nice people who live around here and have children your age."
Making friends didn't seem like a big deal to him. After all, he did have volleyball. Being only seven meant a carefree life, experimenting with the weight of the volleyball in his hand and wishing he would grow taller to serve it over the net that was in his backyard. Being seven years old meant he didn't really have to worry much about friends, because he never wanted any in the first place. He was fine how he was right now.
His mom loved him and took care of him, his dad sending letters and postcards from time to time from where he was since his work had him all over the place, and his older brother playing volleyball with him in his spare time. Life was great as it was, so why did he have to go make friends?
He had asked his mom that very question one day after he came home from school. His mother gave her son a look and sat down beside him on the couch, drawing him into her side.
"I want you to go find and make some friends because I don't want you to be lonely, Tobio. Your brother and father are hardly home anymore, and I can't spare any time from my job. Being and feeling lonely is the worst thing imaginable."
Tobio looked up at his mom, his eyes shining with unshed tears. Being lonely sounded scary, and he didn't want to upset his mom. She smiled down at him and lifted a finger to wipe away a tear that escaped Tobio's eye.
"Please promise me, Tobio. Promise me that you'll try to make some friends. Even if volleyball is included."
Tobio nodded his head and gave his mom a huge smile. He wiped his eyes with the backs of his hands and hopped off the couch, nodding his head again.
"Anything for mommy! I'll come back before dinner!" He called behind him as he dashed out the door, the heavy feeling of disappointment weighing down on his shoulders.
It wasn't long until he gave up. Tobio had wandered around their housing area for over an hour and he never saw anyone his age once. It made him upset and so he began his trek home, shoving his hands into his pockets.
A voice behind him made him finally glance up from his shoes and blink. Tobio stopped walking and turned around, raising his eyebrows as he caught sight of someone on the other side of the street, singing out lyrics to a song he didn't know. But that wasn't what caused him to stare longer than he probably should have.
It was his hair.
His hair was an outrageously bright shade of orange, and the smile he was wearing was the epitome of happiness. Tobio watched him walk down the side of the street, bouncing a ball and skipping. He wanted to shout at the other, but his voice caught in his throat.
This was the only chance he had, and he has to take it. To make his mother proud.
"H-hel- hi!" Tobio blurted out, his face burning a vibrant shade of red. He clenched his hands into fists by his sides and swallowed, watching the other boy slow to a stop.
The other turned to face him, gripping the ball in his hand, and tilted his head to the side. He blinked.
"Hello!" He grinned, waving.
Maybe if he ran away right now, Tobio wouldn't have to bury himself in his own grave where he was standing. This was embarrassing and he shouldn't have called out to the boy and he should've just stayed inside playing volleyball and helping mom make dinner and-
"Do you want to play wall-ball?" The boy shouted from across the way, still having that smile plastered to his face. He raised the ball that he was holding up to show it to Tobio.
"Um. Uh. Su- Sure, yeah!" Tobio shouted back, feeling his own smile creep into his face. He brought a hand up to his mouth to hide it and ran across the street, but not before looking both ways because his mother taught him to do that.
He stood beside the smaller boy - how was he smaller than him was that even possible - and played with the hem of his shirt.
"What exactly is wall-ball?" He asked tentatively. "I'm Kageyama Tobio."
"Oh! Follow me and I'll show you! I'm Shouyou, by the way. Hinata Shouyou!" There was that smile again, and before he knew it, Tobio was getting dragged down the opposite way of his house towards the huge park that was in the middle of the housing area, all concerns forgotten.
The sun was beginning to set by the time Tobio and Shouyou emerged from the park, dripping in sweat. They were laughing and speaking as if they hadn't just met over an hour and a half ago. Tobio breathed out slowly and looked at the smaller boy as they walked. There were crinkles around his eyes from the way his face scrunched up when he laughed and Tobio thought that was really cute.
"Today was really fun. Thank you for playing with me." Tobio said genuinely, biting his bottom lip to keep the smile he felt on his lips from growing larger.
"Oh, oh no it's fine! I was looking for someone to play with anyway," Shouyou grinned, nudging Tobio in the side with his elbow. "You're really good at wall-ball. You're going to have to challenge my sister for the title."
Tobio laughed outright at that, so much that he snorted. That caused Shouyou to laugh too and soon enough they were both giggling hysterically in front of Tobio's house. Tobio calmed down from his laughing high and wiped the corners of his eyes, smiling.
"We should do this again. I, um, don't really have any friends and my mom wants me to do other things besides volleyball." He admitted bashfully, blushing. Shouyou gasped.
"You know how to play volleyball?"
"I do?"
"You do!"
"I do."
"That's so cool! My mom bought me a volleyball for my sixth birthday last year and I never got the chance to actually play with it. Tomorrow, let's play volleyball!" Shouyou shouted excitedly, hopping up and down.
"Yeah, okay, that sounds really fun," Tobio nodded. "I have to go now, though. It's almost dinner time, and my mom gets upset when I'm late."
"Okay, see you tomorrow, Tobio! Oh, also! You're my first friend too. I'm new to this neighborhood." Shouyou smiled back at Tobio and waved at him before making his way up the street towards his house. Turns out, he didn't live that far, and probably went to the same school as him too.
He waved back and headed inside, feeling like he was on cloud nine. His mother also noticed and raised an eyebrow, giving him an all-too-knowing grin.
"Did you make a friend, Tobio?" She asked, setting the table.
"I did! His name is Shouyou and he taught me how to play wall-ball and he wants to play volleyball tomorrow-" He rattled on and on about everything he and Shouyou did in that short hour and a half they had spent together.
Tobio's mother looked extremely pleased as they ate, listening to her son. He spoke all through dinner and she cleaned up after they were done, lifting him up to take him to bed.
"You're getting too big for this, kid." She chuckled, laying him down in bed and tucking him in after he changed and brushed his teeth. "But you know what? Shouyou sounds like an amazing friend and I'd love to meet him tomorrow."
Tobio's eyes widened and he grinned broadly, nodding his head fast.
"Yes, of course!"
They said their goodnights and the room was cast in darkness when the door closed. Tobio closed his eyes and smiled one last time that night before slipping off into a deep slumber.
He made a friend.
And he intended on doing his best to keep this friend for as long as he can.