Even though many girls, many mothers, and even some teammates had called him cute, Hinata had no experience with trying at it. So operation Cute For Kageyama required him to observe and copy what the girls at school did to enhance their cuteness. His first note was that they seemed currently obsessed with a certain brand of temporary tattoos, which came in tiny glittery shapes. Hinata asked Yachi where to get them. The next day at lunch he went to her classroom, where she applied the tattoos for him, with steady and smart hands. Hinata gave multiple hugs of thanks.

He showed up to the clubroom with tiny blue and orange stars at the corners of his eyes.

"Hey, Hinata, are those those tattoo things?" Yamaguchi said.

"Yeah, aren't they super cool? Yachi-san did them for me."

"Stars…Cool."

"Cute cute, Hinata," said Kinoshita.

"How refreshing to see you look so mature."

"Shut it Tsukishima, you jealous bastard." Tanaka patted Hinata's head. "They sure are cute. If you were a girl we'd be all over it, wouldn't we Noya-san?"

The libero gave a thumbs up.

Kageyama walked in. There was a chorus of hellos, but not from Hinata. He stood grinning at him, watching for the change in Kageyama's face as he noticed the stars. But there was none. The setter moved away.

Phase one was a bust. Kageyama actually seemed to look away from him more than usual in practice. But Hinata felt no disappointment, only a stronger drive to find Kageyama's weak point.

While walking by the gyms a few days later, he stopped to look in at the girls' team practicing. The first thing he noticed were their shorts, with KARASUNO printed in white letters across the butt.

"Haaa! How cute!"

"Can we help you?" They were all looking at him.

"Uh—"

"Hey, it's Hinata Shoyo, from the boys' team."

"Ahh, Hinata, number 10, the fast one!"

"Number 10, really? He's really good!"

Hinata smiled, but flushed. One of the girls came up to him.

"Um, I—I was just watching…I really like your shorts," he burst out.

"Oh, we just got them last week. Pretty cute, right?"

He nodded. "I really really like them. Would you—Do you have any extra pairs?"

"Sure, lots."

"Could I—maybe…"

"You want to borrow some?"

"Yes. Yeah. Just for my practice, if that would be okay, if you don't mind. I'm small, I won't stretch them out. And I'll wash them."

"Sure, you can borrow some."

"That'd be way cute!" one girl called.

"Super cute," she agreed, smiling at him. "Come over here."

Hinata arrived just on time for practice, with "Karasuno" on his butt, thinking that he might have better luck with Kageyama looking there. To his delight, the setter was right by the gym door when he walked in.

"Look Kageyama, aren't these awesome?"

He jumped and spun around to show off his back side. Peeking over his shoulder, he watched for a reaction. The ball slipped out of Kageyama's hands.

"Hinata, what are you wearing?" someone called.

The excitement took him over for a moment, and he ran off to show the rest of them. Kageyama was left to stare at the spot he had just been. He suddenly felt something hot running toward his mouth. He covered his face and ran outside.

"Kageyama, where—"

"Bathroom."

It was the first nosebleed he had ever gotten, for that reason. But Hinata didn't see it.

His next attempt came a weekend later. There was a huge new sports store opening in Tokyo, and the team had made plans to go and see it together. But several people canceled, and others lost interest, so instead of a van with Coach driving, Tanaka ended up hitching a ride with his sister, and only Ennoshita, Hinata, and Kageyama tagged along.

Hinata hustled into the middle seat, so that he had the best chance of being next to Kageyama when he showed up. He was wearing a black stocking cap with a little crow face on it. It had a fluffy ball on top, and the dangling yellow strings were shaped to look like bird feet. His mom had told him over and over how adorable it was, and he figured that he would at least score some points with Kageyama for the theme.

"Cool hat," said Ennoshita, joining him in the back.

Tanaka launched himself into the passenger seat, and a few moments later Kageyama sat himself in the last spot in the back, next to a beaming Hinata.

"Look Kageyama, it's a crow."

He glanced. "I can't tell."

"Cause you didn't look, dummy."

Ennoshita, as the only one without experience, had the worst ride of the four.

Upon walking into the building, they realized a few hours wouldn't be enough to see everything. Ennoshita chased Tanaka one way, and Hinata pulled Kageyama the other. There wasn't room to run, so they speed walked to the volleyball section, where Kageyama froze stiff with saucer eyes, and Hinata let out a fit of high decibel shrieks that caused concern among onlookers.

They ran through the same eight aisles for over an hour, by the end of which both were sweating. Hinata took off his hat for the first time; he had forgotten the secret weapon hidden underneath. But Kageyama saw the two little pigtails at the bottom of his hair, sticking out above his neck.

Hinata didn't remember them until he got home that night. Neither had he noted the fact that Kageyama seemed to lag behind more after he had taken off his hat.

The first school day following their trip was yet another eventful one for Kageyama. He was approached right away in the morning, while he stood in the hall. It was exactly the kind of confession he hated most: a surprise attack right out in the open, and in the earliest part of the day.

"Hi Kageyama."

He turned slowly, fighting off the look of annoyance which had immediately started to take over his face.

"I'm Kutara Nanako, I'm a second year, class five. I just want to say that I've had a crush on you for a while now, and I'd like to go out some time, if you wanted to."

Kageyama normally had his response ready by the time they had finished, but he paused now, recalling the words he had memorized. What was it again, what was it…First I should:

"Well, uh—I don't know you."

"No, that's true, but that doesn't mean we couldn't get to know each other, right?" she said.

"Well, I have club, so I don't think—I have time for that—right now."

She looked down.

"Sorry," he hurried. "I—I appreciate it, that you like me. It makes me—Um—I'm sorry that it won't work."

"Oh no, that's okay. I see why it wouldn't. Thank you for being so cool about it."

Kageyama stared. "Uh—"

"And good luck with your club."

"Thanks."

She ventured a smile as she left. "Bye bye."

Hinata had seen the two of them from down the hall. She was gone by the time he got there.

"Who were you talking to, Kageyama? Do you like her? Is she cute?"

"She asked me out."

"Whaaa, again? Who knew you'd be so popular your second year."

He tried to elbow him playfully, but his arm shot out a little sharp. Kageyama growled and shoved him.

"So what'd you say?"

"What you told me to."

"You rejected her?"

"Yeah. She said thanks for being so cool about it."

"Wow, she really said that? That's great Kageyama, good job. You must improve quickly."

"Of course I do."

Hinata chuckled, as his squirming insides now bathed in relief. But it was an odd kind of relief. Kageyama's continued rejection of every cute girl who approached him was keeping Hinata from despair. Yet, it was also keeping him from plucking up the courage to confess in his own turn.

Kageyama doesn't seem interested in that stuff. At all. He doesn't want it interfering with his life, I guess. Definitely not with club. But I think maybe…Maybe if he dated me, it'd be different, because I'm in the club too. So it wouldn't be as much work. But…I don't know if I could convince him of that.

And I'm too scared to try.