"Matsuo-chan! I'm going to miss you!" Tendou-senpai cried, crocodile tears streaming down his face.
It was graduation day, meaning that my buddy bestest would be leaving me for Shiratorizawa.
Traitor.
"How dare you leave me Tendou-senpai! I thought we had something special!"
Tendou-senpai gasped dramatically and fell to his knees. "Of course we do! You know you're the only one I'll ever love!"
"And yet, you're still leaving me for a school you've never seen before! Am I just not good enough?!" I cried, dramatic tears in my eyes.
"Are you two quite done?" Fujimoto-senpai said while sweat dropping.
The rest of the team was behind him, looking either amused or annoyed at our spectacle. I quite liked that most of the team was amused, it seems my influence really changed their opinions on the middle blocker.
Score!
The entire act was my way of saying goodbye, and also messing with people's heads for one last time.
I was so hoping one of the new first years would be willing to prank with me. Please let there be one with humor! Those guys are so rare to come by.
I was going to miss Tendou-senpai, a lot. Sure I had his number but it wasn't quite the same as he would be moving to the capital to attend a top school and thus wouldn't have a lot of time to see me, add on to that that Washijo Tanji is a brutal and demanding coach and we'd be left with almost no time to see each other.
I would so meet the infamous Shiratorizawa before our fated match, I so would. Get ready Ushijima Wakatoshi; if you thought Tendou-senpai was bad enough on his own get ready for two of us. We'll prank your entire star team.
"Hinata-kun?" Yuki-kun hesitantly called out.
It hit me then that I was chuckling darkly, like I usually did when I had a prank planned.
"Yes Yuki-kun?" I looked at him, trying my best to seem innocent enough that they'd suspect something.
"Oh god, he's planning something!" Amon-kun yelled. "If we run now we might just make it!"
I grinned widely, relishing in the chaos I had caused.
An arm swung over my shoulders, it was Tendou-senpai's. "I truly am glad that I had you as a kouhai."
I noticed he was unusually serious and looked up, damn my shortness! Tendou-senpai had a wistful look on his face, the kind that you'd find on an old man's.
"Careful senpai, you look like an old man when you pull that face."
Tendou-senpai immediately scowled. "Even on my last day here you can't just be sweet to me huh?"
"Nope!" I chirped. "That would mean I have a sweet side and, let's face it, I really don't have one."
Tendou-senpai sighed dramatically. "A guy can dream can't he?"
I put a finger on my chin. "You know, with you going to a different school… I don't really have a reason to call you senpai anymore do I?"
I saw Tendou-senpai's world crumbling around him. His face was frozen in abstract horror and I couldn't help but laugh.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding."
I gave him an obviously fake flirtatious smirk. "You'll always be my special senpai."
Somehow, flirting with any guy from the canon series was hilarious. Both Tendou-senpai and Oikawa blushed heavily whenever I teased them, despite having practice.
Tendou-senpai, as such, blushed before flirting in return. "I'm honored but if you find another…" He sniffed dramatically. "If you do find another, I suppose it will just be for the best."
Cue both of us bursting out in laughter. I really was going to miss messing around like that, I'd have to settle for using texts.
Goddammit.
It had been two years since I entered middle school.
"To think it's been so long already." I mused quietly to myself before straightening up and facing the team, my team.
"Alright! Get ready for the match and don't forget," I smirked, "show them no mercy!"
The team gave a chorus of 'Yeah!' and ran onto the field.
I smirked at my opponents; I would be facing them for the first time since my first year. Kitagawa Daiichi, this time we'll defeat you.
"Captains." The referee called for the nameless captain of Kitagawa and I.
We shook hands, my smirk never leaving my face. "Let's play."
"Line up!"
My smirk somehow widened. I could honestly say I was very proud of what I had become. Hinata Matsuo, Urufu Yama's captain and ace. I had a nickname too! Eyes of the Field. Ha! Awesome am I right?
I felt amazing.
We got to serve first and that honor went to me, another little thing I had learned, from Oikawa-san but still, was a jump serve. Granted it wasn't very powerful but I could still do it.
The whistle sounded and I threw the ball into the air, I ran forward, jumped and hit the ball cleanly to the other side.
It also bounced harmlessly on the ground. Service ace motherfuckers.
"Nice serve!" Amon yelled with a wide smirk.
I returned it and prepared for another serve. This time it was received and sent to Kageyama, who I knew was very arrogant at that time. I immediately send a signal to one of our second years to block Kindaichi. Whereas Oikawa-san was incredibly difficult to read, Kageyama was actually pretty predictable.
I was a little disappointed when Kindaichi wasn't even able to hit the ball over the net due to the speed it had.
I sighed and put a hand through my hair, it had grown a lot maybe I should get a tie?, I grabbed the ball and served again.
Now let me tell you something, I was very very disappointed with Kitagawa's strength.
We won, my team won, but the fight was, quite honestly, about as boring as a powerhouse school can get. I could see very well why Kindaichi and Kunimi didn't like Kageyama. That kid was far too arrogant for his own good.
It made our victory feel empty.
I sighed deeply. "Damn Kageyama, ruining the match…"
Yuki chuckled beside me. "You were really excited for this match, heck all of the third years were, but we won! What're you moping about?"
"Their number 2, he had no place in that team. He ruined the picture."
Every team was a puzzle and every player was a piece but Kageyama's piece didn't fit in the puzzle that was Kitagawa Daiichi, making the entire team easy to read. It made the match boring.
"It's hard to consider the fact that we won after such a boring match."
The finals, the match against Kitagawa was the final match in the competition.
We had won, which in all honesty wasn't all that surprising. Shiratorizawa was good, yes, but they were just like any other powerhouse without Ushijima. Really not that special. Not special enough that we defeated them in the first round.
Come to think of it, didn't Shoyo face Kitagawa in his first, and only, match?
Suddenly I felt a lot better about winning.
I went home with the biggest smile on my face.
I almost kicked the door in with my excitement. "Shoyo! Guess who won the competition!"
There was a silence for about five seconds before Shoyo barreled into me out of sheer happiness.
"You won? You actually won?!" He had the biggest smile on his face.
I returned it. "Yep! I completely annihilated the guy who made fun of you too!"
"Congratulations Matsuo." Mom said, smiling softly.
I liked it when Mom smiled, it always made me feel warm. I liked it when Shoyo was happy, it meant he was still always looking at the positive side of things.
"Matsu-nii! Congrats!" Natsu exclaimed from where she was drawing a picture.
I liked it when Natsu smiled, it meant she wasn't saddened by our poor living condition.
But most of all I liked it when we were all happy, it made us feel like a family even with the always empty chair at the dinner table.
