oops here's an update haha

volleyball brain go brrrr

remember that "italics" are in indication of the past

I like you.

I like you.

I like... you.

Those were the words that repeated endlessly in his head. All in different tones, with certain letters, stressed or placed in multiple scenarios for context. But no matter how hard Hinata tried to place them carefully, his face burned at the thought of confessing. As he tugs nervously on his school uniform, he swallows as he watches Yurio glide across the ice, with such long limbs and absolute control, how could anyone avert their eyes off of him.

"Y-Yurio-senpai!" Hinata called out, his skates, which had his favorite plastic guards on, clicked at the edge of the rink. The figure skater pauses, twisting to look at Hinata. Once he realized who called out, he made a small smile, causing Hinata's heart to leap.

"Oh, chibi, you're here already?" The sounds of ice being sliced closed in on Hinata before Yurio stood at the opening, so close to the boy that Hinata could see the glimmer in his eyes. "I need you to play the music for a bit. I have this part that's a huge pain in the ass to get to."

"U-uh yes, senpai!" Was Hinata's reply, but he doesn't budge, his eyes never leaving Yurio's. The older boy raises a brow.

"Shouyou?"

"O-OH, SORRY! EXCUSE ME!" Quickly, face beet-red, Hinata awkwardly shuffles to the CD player and grabs the remote. Yurio gives him a weird stare before shrugging, thinking the boy was experiencing some puberty thing. As he skates quietly, the beginning tunes of Agape starting, he pushes the thoughts away and focuses.

Just as Yurio was, Hinata was focused as well. The curve of Yurio's back, the arch, and the movements of a dancer- all of it was being embedded into his mind. He wanted to memorize everything. The redhead bit into his nail at the first jump, his eyes ablaze, and-

-oh, he bit too far.

Now his finger was bleeding.

Just as the blade hits the ice, Hinata felt a foreboding feeling creek into his heart.

Outside of the rink, Kiyo eyed the small Hinata in scrutiny. Ever since their little 'fight' a few days ago, Hinata has been going to Yurio's practices first thing in the morning. Normally, this wasn't a problem since it's Yurio, but Kiyo was starting to get a strange vibe from the sunny boy.

"What does he even…" Kiyo mutters to herself, crossing her arms. She makes another glance at Yurio. She feels her heart melt at his looks but crushes it. "It's such a waste that a good-looking face like his has a nasty attitude."

Well. It didn't matter anyway. Not as much as winning the upcoming tournament. And by God was she going to win - it was just unfortunate that Hinata was her partner. Her coach (well, their coach) paired them up because of their skills, and being the infamous Red Prince, Kiyo couldn't exactly turn the offer down. Besides, she was getting tired of winning gold medals in junior singles.

Yet, despite her arrogance, Kiyo truly did love figure skating. Ever since she witnessed Kim Yuna in the Olympics, she fell heavily in love with the world of ice. The sound of blades biting the ice like a sword and the cold air chilling her heart made her feel powerful. Her fingertips always edge close to the ground when she lunges, and with every leap she challenges gravity. It was powerful as if she was the ruler of figure skating. A queen. An empress.

That was what she wanted to become.

She shakes her head, turning away from the two close to the rink. It doesn't matter if Hinata was close to Yurio or not, as long as it didn't affect their performance. As Kiyo walks away, she spares one last glance at Hinata, sparing half a thought to reprimand him, but what she saw made her stop dead on her track.

Her eyes widened, '...what kind of look is that…?'

His observant eyes, his flushed cheeks, and the gentle expression he held - realization crashed into her. That… that was not a look you show to someone. That was a look that tells forbidden emotions. Emotions boys shouldn't have for other… boys.

She felt a sudden flare of anger burst inside her.

Sanada was, in his opinion, an okay skater. Sure, he was in ballet and was tall and can lift people, but his easy-going attitude prevented him from being too heavily involved. Competitions and such was not his forté.

Until he met Kiyo.

She was graceful, beautiful… alluring, even. A full moon at its height in the starless sky, stealing the brightness surrounding her. Sanada admired that. Kiyo was fearless and ever so hardworking, to the point that Sanada had to work just as hard.

Just so he can skate next to her. Just to be with her.

'Well, enough of that,' he thought, lugging two heavy suitcases through the hotel's door. He wheezes heavily, pouting at the girl who carried nothing except her skates. 'Even if I tried, I doubt that the frozen brain of hers won't even think of dating me.'

"Hey, Sanada-san-"

"Just Sanada is fine, Kiyo-san."

The girl huffs, "...Sanada, then. I'm going to see the Nishigori family, so I'll be back a bit late."

Sanada raises a brow, "At this time? Well, I guess I can-"

Kiyo glares, "No, you can't join me. Why don't you go sightseeing, or whatever?"

"Really, Kiyo? Sightseeing in this small town?"

Kiyo smirks, "There's a really nice hot spring. I heard there's even an open bath."

Sanada pauses, squints at her, and then sighs heavily. "Fine. Whatever."

Kiyo smiles cheerily, before grabbing her duffle bag and bolting out the door. Behind her, Sanada makes another heavy sigh.

"We literally just got here…."

Some time had passed, and Sanada was walking across the bridge between the hotel and the ice rink. A part of him wants to follow Kiyo, make sure she's safe, but goes against it. She'll probably nag his ears off if she sees him.

But there really wasn't any he was interested in at the moment. Even figure skating didn't sound as appealing, though Sanada knows the moment he says that Kiyo will drop him faster than a dead call. So, the blond opts to idly walk around town and go 'sightseeing'.

He makes a soft hum in the quiet Summer night, his feet taking him wherever. Before he knew it, he looked around and found himself in a wide, open field next to a gym. He figured he'd leave quickly, spotting the lights from the gymnasium, but the sound of sneakers and loud noises captures his attention.

Before he could decide, however, a volleyball shoots out of the gym's door-

"Ah- Hey!" Sanada yelps, dodging the ball quickly.

"BAKAYAMA, YOU THREW IT TOO FAR AGAIN!" A voice yells, the owner quickly leaping through the doors.

But then he suddenly stops, his eyes widened as the sunset dips behind a figure. It was hard to see, but quickly Hinata gathered his wits and offer an apologetic smile. Yet, something about the person caused a twist in his stomach.

"Sorry about that! We were playing volleyball and, uh...," Hinata trails as he walks closer to the person, picking up the volleyball. The boy looked so familiar, but Hinata couldn't put his finger on it. Either way, the blond did not look happy.

Sanada blinks, before a dark look crosses his face.

"Hinata Shouyou."

Hinata tilts his head, blinking as the sleeping sunlight made the boy's hair glimmer. It was pretty, Hinata idly thought, before noticing the dark expression Sanada had. He makes a small, panicked sound, and quickly walks to the door.

"Uh- well. Sorry about that!" Hinata utters, but Sanada grabs his hand.

"Where the hell-"

Yurio harshly tugs Hinata's jersey, dragging him away from Sanada successfully.

"Oi, your teammates are calling you."

Hinata jumps, before dashing back into the gym, leaving Sanada with Yurio. They stand across from each other, giving and returning heavy looks.

"Well, well, if it isn't good ol' Plisetsky Yuri," Sanada sings, showing a tight smile. "Is this what's been happening for the past… what, 2 years? Volleyball? Oh man, that's kinda sad."

Yurio growls, "Shut up, dirtbag. You got a lot of fucking nerve to show your face in front of Shouyou."

"It's a coincidence!" Sanada playfully shrugs, feeling gratification from Yurio's tense shoulders. "My partner and I were just visiting Hasetsu, y'know. For old times sake."

"The Hell you are, bastard."

"I'm being honest. After all, why would I even be here if I heard the little prince was playing?" The taller boy chuckles, "I haven't heard about him since that incident. I'm guessing he finally gave up and became, what, a volleyball player?"

Yurio takes in a shaky breath, looking back at the curious look the players were giving him. He offers a wry smile to Hinata, before closing the gym's doors, separating that world from the two skaters.

"If I were you," Yurio calmly begins, "I'd stay the fuck away from Shouyou. He's not… he doesn't even know about you, Sanada."

Sanada's eye twitches in slight irritation. So, the little prince doesn't even know he existed? After all this time? Did Hinata even know how many pieces he had to pick up to help Kiyo out? Did he even care about what happened after the competition? Anger flooded his veins as he grinds his teeth. Sanada was not going to let this slide. Not when he was here.

Yurio faces the boy in front of him, and he takes in another breath. He was older, damnit, and he was not going to let his anger get to him. Admittedly, after that competition, things got a little messy between Hinata and Kiyo. However, the story Nana told him was that that little Kiyo said some unnecessary things to Hinata, and after running away, Sanada apparently came in to 'save the day'.

But this guy is known to be calculated in the figure skating world. He's smart and cunning, and he always seemed to have a plan going on inside his head. Despite his abilities, he was far from being a pro-athlete. But Yurio knows for a fact that Sanada despises Hinata, and Yurio was not going to let the two even share the same air.

"Get out of here. No one gives a shit about you, so whatever you're planning, I suggest you stop."

Sanada grins, irritating the other blond, "Me? Planning? Nonsense. I was just strolling by when I saw the volleyball come out of nowhere."

Yurio scoffs.

"Besides, I don't care about the little prince. I'm not even surprised you're sheltering him. Coddling him and pampering him, while Kiyo-san stands alone, all by herself. Say," Sanada makes a soft chuckle, that arrogant grin never leaving his face, "Isn't it funny that the little prince is playing volleyball? Doesn't it require something like teamwork?"

"Sanada shut the fuck up."

"Like, wondering if they can toss-"

"Sanada."

"Or if they're good to practice and are hydrated-"

"Hey-"

"Or actually giving a shit about their partner-"

"Sanada, you fucking-"

"-and not running away like a little bitch?"

At that, Yurio snarls, lurching forward and raising a hand-

"Y-Yurio?!" Yuri yells, immediately grabbing Yurio by the scruff of his collar. He finally got the chance to visit Hinata's practice but encountered these two in the middle of an argument. Great. "Stop it-"

"The FUCK I won't!" Yurio spits, his fingers barely grazing Sanada's collar. The boy was quick to pull back, but that conceited grin was still there. "THE FUCKING NERVE OF THIS BASTARD-"

As Yuri quickly stands in-between the two boys, Sanada makes a sly grin. In a mocking tone, he cooes, "Oh, wow! I didn't expect to see Katsuki Yuri here at all! Well, a pair of idiots match together well. Which reminds me, how's your dog? Oh, wait."

At that, Yuri releases Yurio and slowly turns around. It was deliberate, and in the late evening of Summer, it made dark shadows cross Yuri's face. Yurio standing behind him steps back, glancing off to the side to finally see Viktor, leaning against the side of the building with an unpleasant frown. Even in the barely lit park, the two had clear expressions, and Yurio felt all his anger earlier shrivel in comparison.

"Sanada Hideki. That's enough." Yuri said. Sanada steps back from the apathetic look the elder had. The spite-filled words died when he made eye contact with Yuri.

Maybe mentioning the dog was a step too far.

Quietly, Sanada apologizes. "I… was not aware you were staying here, Yuri… san."

Yuri sighs, feeling a headache coming on, "Well, I wouldn't think you'd be here as well. I thought you and Kiyo were in Germany for a pair tournament?"

"We decided-" Sanada quietly spoke, becoming meek in front of Yuri's somber gaze, "W-well, Kiyo-san wanted to visit Hasetsu before the competition."

"I see," was Yuri's terse reply. "What is her usual practice time?"

"The... morning, Yuri-san."

"Hm." Yuri looks over at Viktor, who was still leaning against the building with a frown, but nods at Yuri. The man looks back to Sanada, "You should go back, Sanada. Kiyo might be looking for you."

"Yes… sir." Quickly, the boy walks away.

Yuri watches with a quiet stare, before slumping down onto the ground. He sighs heavily, "What the heck… I didn't expect to see Sanada here, of all places."

Yurio behind him grumbles, "That bastard's always running his mouth. Fucking should've-"

"That's enough from you, too, Yurio." Viktor comments, walking over to Yuri. He offers a hand, which the other gratefully accepts. "This is rather troubling. I wouldn't expect neither Sanada nor Kiyo to be here."

"It's going to complicate things, for sure," Yuri said, patting his light jacket. He turns over to the Yurio, and glances at the gym's closed doors. "I… hope Hinata doesn't remember him."

"It sounds like it," Yurio frowns, turning around to head towards the door. "I'm canceling practice tonight. Just in case."

"Yeah." Yuri agrees. With a curt nod, Yurio walks back to the gym, opening the door with a mixed expression.

Viktor made a mental note to make sure where Kiyo and Sanada were before having Hinata back on the ice again.

Sanada's heart was thundering in his chest. Katsuki Yuri was considered to be docile, but after that look, Sanada took back every meaning of that word. He curses under his breath, wondering if he should tell Kiyo about Hinata being here. He decided against it since it seemed like Yuri and the others are keen on keeping Hinata away from her.

Whatever. That suits him just fine.

But while Sanada was briskly walking back to the hotel, he realizes that the rumors were true about Hinata being a volleyball player.

Yet, why was Yurio, Yuri, and (with a quick glance) Viktor was here? Sure, they were all close to Hinata, but they were all professional figure skaters. Maybe they came back to Hasetsu like Kiyo? But that wouldn't make sense for Yurio to be here. And with the year having a bunch of new and talented competitors, Viktor and Yuri shouldn't be slacking off. Unless…

Unless... they're trying to bring Hinata back into skating.

Sanada abruptly stops in front of his hotel, his chest feeling tight and warped. A sense of concern covers him as he thought of Kiyo. What was she going to say? What is she going to do? She finally had enough time for herself to visit Hasetsu after avoiding this place like the plague, and now that the main source of her troubles is here, Sanada isn't sure Kiyo will be okay.

It took him a year and a half to convince her to take more breaks. A year and a half's worth to convince her she doesn't need to push herself so hard, and that she should relax. Despite her practicing feverishly, she hasn't entered any competitions after the one with Hinata, and now that she's finally back to her usual self, Sanada offers himself to be her partner in a junior pair tournament. That took nearly 3 months to convince her, and even more to find a good song and a new routine.

Like Hell was Sanada going to allow Hinata to ruin all his efforts.

One thing's for sure, he must never allow them to meet!

Hinata turns back to Yurio, who came back after the talk with the strange boy.

"Yurio-senpai, is everything alright?" Hinata asks. Yurio shrugs.

"Yeah, it was nothing."

"...who was that?"

Yurio tries to play dumb, "Ah, him? Probably a weird stalker or something."

"...he knew my name though."

Another shrug, "Well, at this point, the whole town knows who you are- anyway!"

Yurio forcibly turns the boy around to his teammates, "You got to practice. Now, go and... take your sweet time."

"...?" That left Hinata confused. Usually, Yurio would be complaining that his practices lasted so long, but after meeting that boy, Yurio seems keen on keeping him here for a little longer.

Well, it didn't matter because Hinata still needs to practice a new routine for the competition. The past 2 days had been such a quick blur that Hinata nearly forgot it existed, but since the whole town has heard about it, there have been posters and pamphlets littering about. It kinda made Hinata a little embarrassed.

It also didn't help that Yachi and Kiyoko were collaborating with the triplets on the distribution. Even the coaches were making bets earlier in the teacher's lounge when he woke up in the middle of the night.

Either way, Hinata couldn't remove the feeling that he's met that boy before. He looked so familiar, yet…

As he walks back to the court, volleyball in hand, he spots Kageyama's concerned look (he's glaring, but Hinata knows). Quickly, Hinata throws the ball back at him and makes a wide grin.

"Don't do a shifty toss, bakayama-"

"It's you who can't fucking spike, dumbass!"

The Fukurodani team watches in quiet amusement, before Bokuto catches their attention with a loud, "Hey, hey, hey! Are we playing or not, Karasuno?"

"Ah?" At that Tanaka makes a face, "Of course we are-"

Bokuto grins, "Then hurry up and toss!"

"Oh, you're gonna get a toss alright," Kageyama mutters, glaring directly at Hinata (which, Hinata deciphered, was not as concerned as the previous one). "And we're gonna win this time."

…

They lost and had to do a penalty lap.

Exhaustion sank into each Karasuno member's muscles. Yet, despite this, Ennoshite is enjoying his increase of stamina.

"I mean, look on the bright side," he comments, panting heavily on the ground after the final lap, "We'll become stronger with every game."

A loud whine comes from Hinata, who just face-planted onto the ground. "I'm definitely … I'm definitely gonna win!"

"Yeah, yeah," Tanaka waves, barely standing next to Daichi and Asahi, "Say that after you get better with your receives."

Another groan escapes Hinata.

Yurio walks over, side-glancing at the exhausted players before smirking at Hinata. "Shouyou~"

"No…"

"I didn't say anything, yet."

"I'm so tired, Yurio-senpai."

"Well," Yurio chuckles, "Guess you can have a break from skating today-"

"For real!?"

"Yeah, but only for today, you cheeky brat." Hinata leaps up, suddenly energetic as he jumps straight onto Yurio, hugging him tightly. Kageyama off to the side makes a disgruntled sound (and next to him, Tsukishima smirks to himself).

"Heck yes!" Hinata flips over to Kageyama, "Yamayama, toss-"

Kageyama's ears burned at the nickname, his hand quickly shooting out to grab Hinata's head, "B-BOKE, DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

"BUT I ALWAYS CALLED YOU YAMA-"

"SssHUT UP-!"

Daichi, at this point, learns to ignore the two. He was tempted to stop their bickering, but the practice is over, so it wasn't his problem anymore. He jumps when he feels something cold touch his face, and he looks over to see a chuckling Suga, offering him his water bottle.

"Here, now that practice is over."

"Ah, thanks Suga." He smiles, holding onto the water bottle before it was quickly snatched away. Daichi blinks, bewildered by the action. "S… Suga…?"

"Now wait," Suga grins, pulling the bottle away from him. He nods towards Kuroo behind Daichi, making the captain grimace. "You didn't forget about that meeting with the captain's tonight, did you?"

"N… no," Obviously, Daichi lies. The Karasuno Captain had fully intended to skip the meeting. It was unusual for Daichi, but when being in a confined room for 30 minutes with Kuroo or Bokuto, something chaotic almost always happens.

Kuroo chuckles, before patting Daichi's back, "Sheesh, don't be so tense, captain! A few drinks should help you relax."

"Drinks…?"

"Of water!" Kuroo quickly finishes, giving a thumbs up. Suga snickers off to the side before Daichi could look back at him.

"Well, anyway," Suga finally hands over the water bottle, "I'll look after the team, and since Hinata's not going to his skating practice, it'll be easier for me to keep an eye on them."

Daichi raises a brow, "Can you really? Even for 30 minutes?"

"They're not 8 years old-"

Daichi gave him a look.

"Okay, maybe they act like 8-year-olds, but it's nothing I can't handle." Suga makes a shooing noise, pushing Daichi away towards Kuroo and Bokuto. "Take your time with the meeting, Daichi."

"Uh… sure." With a shrug, Daichi slowly walks over to the 4 other captains (two of which were smirking at the other). Daichi did not feel safe.

"Hey, senpai," Ennoshite calls out, standing next to Suga, "I don't know if I should ask, but is Daichi-senpai going to be okay?"

Suga gives him a small sigh, "...yeah. Nothing's going to happen anyway."

There were things Hinata knew he shouldn't do. Things like calling Kageyama cute nicknames in public, like Yamayama or Kags. Or eating Yurio's meals (which, for some ungodly reason, is always fucking spicy).

Or sneaking out late to go ice skating.

Now, Hinata was aware of how over practicing can lead to injuries or whatever, but he swore to himself (while sneaking out of the room while dodging the curious looks from the other teams) that he'll go for a quick glide and immediately come back. You see, there was this one part that Hinata wanted to go and test out, and you can only do so many jumps on wooden floors before you're tired of it.

There was possibly one song Hinata wanted to use for the competition, but it depends heavily on jumps. Since the song has a simpler tune, Hinata wanted to enhance the experience by being more fluid in his movements, especially leading into his jumps. The jarring leaps can break the spell Hinata wanted to put on his audience, but if Hinata can handle the entry smoothly, he might be able to defeat Yurio.

Hinata bites into his nail nervously again but immediately recoils. He pouts when he remembers Kageyama yelling at him to stop.

After sneaking out successfully (which wasn't a big issue, given that Tanaka and Noya distracted Ennoshita and Asahi, while Suga was called to pick up Daichi, and Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and Kageyama went off on their separate practices), he leaps through the front door, chuckling to himself in mischief. Yurio, Yuri, and Viktor, after visiting him earlier during his practice, had mentioned that they were also going to call it a day and relax at the hot springs inn.

Which meant Hinata was (unsupervised) free to do what he liked.

As he quickened his pace towards the Hasetsu ice rink, he felt a strange feeling settle in his chest. It was late, the moon now hanging in its crescent phase, and the sound of his feet hitting the gravel was almost unnerving. Still, Hinata continued his jog.

As soon as he reached the ice rink, he immediately went to the front counter. No one was inside, but that wasn't unusual. Uncommon, yes, but not exactly unusual. With a quick shrug, Hinata strolls over to the men's locker room, humming to a theme song of a vague hero.

At his locker, he pulled out his usual black skates and sat down, yet just as he did, he spotted a shadow looming behind him.

"Hey."

"AH-!" Hinata leaps from his seat and up against his locker, turning around quickly to see-

"Oh, if it isn't the little red prince…"

The…. stranger from before?

Hinata blinks, taking in a breath to calm his heart, "O-oh man, you scared me there!"

Sanada smiles, beguile, and almost sweet, "Sorry about that. Are you okay?"

He seems friendly, Hinata thought, but there was something… amiss. "Yeah. Oh, my name's Hinata- oh wait, you already know that, haha!"

Sanada chuckles, leaning back to sit on the bench. Hinata took that as a cue to sit down, too.

"Yeah, you're kinda… popular." Sanada offers a leisure grin, wondering what a stroke of luck it was to meet Hinata alone. 'I can nip this in the bud while I'm here,' he thought. "I'm Sanada Hideki. Are you gonna go ice skating?"

"Yup! I have a competition coming up soon, so I wanna try to get some practice in."

"Even though you're a volleyball player?"

Hinata felt a chill run through his spine, causing him to instinctively stand up. "W… what do you mean…? It's fine to play volleyball and be a figure skater, too, y'know?"

Sanada still had that smile, standing up as well.

"Ah, yes, but actually…," his smile drops, his height causing him to look down at Hinata, "...no, not quite."

He leans over Hinata, towering him with a severe gaze.

"You look so tiny then, and even now underneath me," He chuckles, "But it suits you. To stay below my line of sight, never to speak and never to be seen."

Hinata shivers from the dip of tone in the older boy, a part of him cursing at why it was always the bathrooms and lockers that he meets such scary people. He's never even met this Sanada character until earlier today… unless…?

"H… have we met… before?" Hinata softly asks, carefully reading Sanada's expression.

"Woooow, and here I thought you've forgotten!" Hinata's face soured at the tone, "It's been 2 years but I'll happily remind you, Hinata. I'm a figure skater, just like you, and I'm Kiyo's new partner."

"K… Kiyo…?" Hearing her name made his blood turn cold. So, she really did get a new partner. Ha. Hinata doesn't feel surprised, but the bitterness seems to have bitten into his heart. What was she doing while he was confused and hurt? After that competition, Hinata didn't talk with either his coach or Kiyo, but it seemed like she still continued to skate. Guess she really did find someone taller and cooler than him. Someone smart. Someone… useful.

The shadow crossing Sanada's features made the once-thought gentle appearance look more menacing as those sharp eyes cut through his own. The redhead clutches his shirt, cowering in fear.

"I… S-Sanada-san, what do you want…?"

His smile curls, causing the younger to swallow. That was no smile - there wasn't a hint of kindness in it at all.

"I'm simply reminding you of your place, Hinata. You play volleyball, right? Why don't you run along, and never come back to the ice."

This alerted Hinata, "What!? But I belong-"

The sudden laughter caught him off guard.

"You never belonged anywhere, Hinata. You and your indecisiveness are so unfair- obviously, you can't be a professional figure skater and a professional volleyball player at the same time! Think of your teammates and your skating buddies. Aren't you hurting them because you can't decide?" Sanada growls spitefully, "Just like how you hurt Kiyo?"

The sudden memory of Kiyo flashed in his head. The image haunts him, with that bitter glare and eyes full of betrayal. Hinata's words falter when he sees Sanada's expression. He looked conflicted and full of scorn.

"See…? You keep going back and forth, but you can't do this forever, Hinata. You need to decide which path to take eventually."

The shadow disappears when Sanada leans back but Hinata drops his gaze down, his beaten-up sneakers looking messy from his volleyball practice earlier. He wryly chuckles, feeling his eyes stinging and his fingertips itching.

"Decide? Decide on what…? I can't choose-"

"Ah~ There you go again with that half-ass attitude, it's really starting to piss me off." Sanada places his hand on Hinata's shoulder, a firm grip that made Hinata feel the weight of his actions.

The older boy leans closer to Hinata's ear, "It's easy, Hinata. Just go back to volleyball. Since you don't belong here."

Hinata says nothing in reply, and with that, Sanada eases away, placing his usual carefree smile on.

"...I hope you enjoy your practice, Hinata. It's only a matter of time before something… happens."

All Hinata could do was watch the other hum, walking away in such a carefree way that made it seem like their interaction just seconds ago was nothing. Hinata leans back against his locker, before sliding down, the air that was stagnant before now easing into his chest. He starts to pull on the extra skin around his fingers, ignoring the sting when he pulls on them harshly, causing the area to bleed. Hinata remains quiet.

Underneath the fluorescent lights of the men's locker room, the boy wonders where he truly belongs.

haha brain go brrr

also hey, an update on a wednesday haHA

please share this fanfic- i got some inspo bc of the funny reviews