Just as you are
ArokuRaita
Disclaimer: 'Haikyuu!' is Haruichi Furudate's work and this fanfic was written nonprofit.
I'm translating one of my fics. The idea is based on a 'Hey Arnold' episode, when Helga hits her head and becomes a little girl for a day. Hope you like it, and if I made some mistakes, please feel free to correct me =)
Regards!
1. It's not me, it's you
"Idiot Hinata! Stop being so... idiot!"
As always, players number 9 and 10 were arguing. In the gym, during breaks, in front of the vending machine, during the entrance and exit of school, it was common to see them running, hitting each other or yelling silly stuff. Thus, nobody paid attention to them. Even the vice director gave up and didn't say anything to the volleyball team's captain. Keeping those two guys calm was a difficult task.
"You should learn more insults, Bakageyama", laughed Hinata while escaping from the setter.
"Hey, enough you two! Practice's gonna start!", announced Daichi, glaring ferociously to them. Silence fell immediately and practice was normal until it was time to practice serves.
As Asahi and Kageyama had powerful serves, they stayed apart of the team to practice other moves, while the rest hit balls again and again. Yamaguchi was steadily improving his floating serve, Tsukishima aimed better at difficult areas and Tanaka showed more aggressiveness. However, Hinata left much to be desired: the ball hit the net, left the court or fell a few steps in front of him. It was a mess.
Worried, Sugawara walked towards the boy and tried to cheer him up.
"Hinata, don't worry, you can..."
"Stupid Hinata! Stop fooling around!", Tobio shouted from the other side of the gym, interrupting his senpai.
"S-Shut up, Kageyama! Mind you own business", the red haired boy answered, annoyed. Suga smiled: Kageyama knew how to cheer up number 10.
"Well, try again, you won't lose anything", Sugawara said to the middle blocker.
Embolded by Sugawara-san's words and annoyed by Tobio's scolding, Hinata threw the ball into the air and, with a tremendous leap, hit it to the other side of the court. Look at me, Kageyama, now it will pass!, he shouted to himself.
Everyone was open-mouthed: it was like an Oikawa's serve! It was heading to the other side of the court with the speed of a lightning and the power of a train. Anyone who tried to stop it could be seriously injured.
Isn't it silent all of a sudden?, Kageyama thought. As he had turned his back to the rest of the boys, he didn't see the number 10's magnificent serve. Nor the look of amazement -and then, horror- of his teammates. He was so focused that he didn't hear Nishinoya's cry.
"DUCK, KAGEYA...!"
It was too late.
"Hinata, did you really want to hit Kageyama?", Daichi asked, nervous. Takeda-sensei and coach Ukai Jr. hurried up to Karasuno's infirmary and everyone surrounded the black haired setter, who was unconscious in the floor. Yachi and Kiyoko-san gave him first aid, but there wasn't much to do, except waiting.
"NO! I just wanted him to see my serve! Didn't you hear me calling at him?"
"We don't have telepathy, moron", Tsukishima said, shaking his head. Everyone imitated him. Shouyou paled.
"Does that mean... I didn't warn him?"
He was so focused on Kageyama while serving, that, without wanting it, he threw the ball to him. Scary, Sugawara thought.
Sensei and Ukai arrived with people from the infirmary, which carefully checked Kageyama over and carried him to the hospital. There was a doctor too.
"We'll do some medical examinations at the hospital and we will let you know how he evolves", he assured, leaving them all in silence.
That night, Hinata couldn't sleep. His mother and sister tried to console him, but it was impossible: he felt really guilty. He never knew when he fell asleep, but it must have been late, because the next day he had big eye bags.
At school, he focused on getting class notes for his wounded teammate. He didn't want to go to volleyball classes, because he still hadn't recovered from the previous day, but he went anyway. I'll say I'm sick, that's not a lie, he told to himself. At the gym, the whole team was waiting for him.
"We decided to use today's class to visit Kageyama at the hospital", Takeda-sensei announced cheerily.
"I want to go! But maybe Kageyama doesn't want to see me", Hinata sighed.
"You'll never know if you don't go with us", Suga smiled. The redhaired boy smiled back and walked with them to the hospital.
Once they got there, they went to the setter's room and found out he was sleeping. The doctor greeted them.
"Don't worry, your friend is perfectly fine and all the medical exams had positive results. It seems this kid has a very hard head".
If he knew..., everyone thought.
"Can we see him?" Takeda-sensei asked.
"Of course, but in groups of two or three"
Tsukishima decided not to enter and Yamaguchi stood with him. Takeda sensei and coach Ukai spent a moment besides the boy and left. After them, Asahi, Daichi and Sugawara entered, then Kiyoko and Yachi, Nishinoya and Tanaka, and Ennoshita and his classmates. Hinata was the last one to visit Kageyama. Everyone else had been gone, after ask him if he felt all right. He wanted to stay close to the setter.
"I'm so sorry, Kageyama. I really didn't want to hit you. I'll never do it again... Wake up, please!" Shouyou's eyes began to tear up, but he dried them immediately.
By an inexplicable impulse, he took the hand of the young man who was sleeping peacefully in bed. Looking at him, Hinata blushed: Tobio's face was as sweet and relaxed as a baby's.
"I'd really love to see you always so calm. And that you would forgive me, too". Once the middle blocker said that, he let go Kageyama's hand and hastily left the room, to prevent a new wave of tears. What was happening to him? In the room, Kageyama clutched the hand Hinata had held.
"Kageyama?", Sugawara asked, looking at the gym's door. Class was just starting and the blackhaired boy was at the entrance, dressed for practice. He had a serious face, but not like before.
"Are you sure you can play so soon?", Takeda-sensei asked. Kageyama gave him a certificate signed by the doctor who attended him, where he expressed that the young man was perfectly fine, but that he had to be slowly integrated into practice.
"Well, if the doctor says there's no problem, maybe you can practice apart of the rest", coach Ukai said.
"Thank you very much, coach! I really want to play"
"I'm sure you do, Ka..." Ukai interrupted himself and looked at Kageyama, surprised. Takeda-sensei joined in, speechless. The young man smiled with candidness worthy of Sugawara. It was like a miracle.
He ran to a corner, unaware of the adult's surprise, and practiced passes on the wall. Puzzled, Yamaguchi approached him. He had already grown tired of floating serves and wanted to improve his receipts, but Tsukki wasn't interested.
"Eh... Kageyama? Would you like practising together how to receive?"
The freckled boy knew that Tobio could be harsh and prepared for the worst. That's why he was astonished when the other smiled and said "Sure, no problem!"
They spent a long time throwing passes at each other and laughing. If Tadashi did something wrong, his partner gave him support and vice versa.
"Hey, Kageyama, are you really feeling OK? I mean, the blow of the day before yesterday was strong..."
"I feel better than ever, Yamaguchi. like I have had no worries whatsoever", the brun boy laughed. His teammate blushed.
I didn't know this guy could be so kind. In fact, besides Sugawara-san, I can't believe there's someone like this. I don't know what to think. I don't remember feeling so happy talking with someone else, even with Tsukki, Tadashi thought.
In that moment, Hinata went to greet Kageyama. He didn't jump or shout as usual; he seemed a little remorseful and looked at the ground.
Why does he come to interrupt? Just say 'hi' and go!, Yamaguchi mumbled to himself. It surprised him. Was it possible that he felt a little... jealous?
"Kageyama, I'm glad you're OK. Forgive me, please! I won't ever hit a bad serve again!"
"Eh? Don't worry, Hinata. It was painful, but I'm not mad at you". Once he said that, the dark haired setter smiled so brightly that made Hinata's (and Yamaguchi's) eyes sparkle.
When Tsukishima noted he had practiced enough, went and sat on the bench. He hadn't see Yamaguchi since a while ago. The freckled boy looked so excited to learn the jump float serve that he wasn't as close to him as before. I think it's OK that both of us had our own space, the middle blocker thought indifferently.
Tsukishima looked around, when saw his friend practising receives with the odd pair. He tried to ignored them, but something in Yamaguchi's face draw his attention: he had the admiration look that he always reserved for Tsukki. WHO IS HE LOOKING AT, his brain exclaimed, without an interrogation tone. In fact, it seemed as a war declaration.
It wasn't Hinata, that midget didn't have anything admirable. Kageyama neither, until he saw his smile. He felt nauseous.
Yamaguchi is looking at that idiot... with that expression? And what does that innocent smile means? This can't continue, Kei thought. Annoyed, he threw his towel to the bench and went to the bathroom. His nausea was increasing.