When Tobio's father returned later that night he asked about the missing shoes but Kageyama just shrugged and easily explained that his mother must've moved them somewhere.
When his father looked over at her, she shrugged.
"I'm sure we'll find them later." She reassured, not seeming worried.
"Yeah, we always find my backpack. But sometimes I think you hide it from me, mama." Tobio giggled.
"Well do you expect me to just let you leave it in the middle of the floor?"
"It's not in the middle of the floor, and no, but maybe you could put it in my room instead of in some random place?"
She sighed, "I'll try to remember. But maybe you should just take your bag to your room like you're supposed to?"
Kageyama was about to say something but was interrupted.
"Well," his father started, "thankfully you don't have school to attend tomorrow, but don't make a habit of flinging your shoes around and letting your mother hide them."
His mom sighed and sent his father a disapproving look, "I do not hide them." She stated firmly as she set food on the table while Tobio and his father sat down.
"Okay," his father said but in a way that made it obvious he didn't believe her, and sometimes Tobio didn't either.
She didn't seem to realize, or if she did she ignored the tone and sat down last. His father changed the subject, "So what did you two do all day?"
"I cleaned. Tobio slept the whole day away." His mother said.
"School been hard?"
"A little." Tobio admitted, once again lying to his father. But at least this lie would be impossible to find out.
"But you've been getting top marks still?" he asked.
Kageyama nodded, "Yes, I've been studying hard." He hadn't really been, and school had been normal, but might as well make himself look better in the eyes of his parents. It was still important to him that they liked him, and thought he was a good son but Tobio was realizing he could possibly achieve that and fun by lying and sneaking around just a little bit.
Tobio was the one who changed the subject this time, "Papa, I was wondering if I could have a phone, maybe." Kageyama murmured vaguely. He was sure a phone would present it's own problems. Tracking, parental controls, but he was also confident he could work around all of that and sneak contacts in.
"Why do you want that?" his father stopped eating for a moment, looking up at him, and his mother stared at him with a hint of curiosity.
"So I can keep in touch with you better. Like if I got lost or something. Or maybe if you approve people at school, I can put them in or something."
That was a lie. Tobio was never going to introduce anyone to his parents, but it might help his case and prove to his parents it would benefit all of them if he were to get a phone.
His parents were silent for a long time before his father said, "Your mother and I will think about it." He looked like he was truly contemplating it, which gave Tobio hope for the best.
After that conversation came to an end they continued eating the rest of their meal in silence.
The months were passing even quicker than before, soon April had passed him by, and then May, and before he knew it, Iwaizumi and Oikawa would be graduating soon.
They didn't talk about it much to him, though he supposed they didn't seem sad so they probably weren't going to miss him as much as he would them.
Not for the first time, Tobio found himself wishing he was two years older so he could graduate with them.
And not for the first time, Kageyama found himself walking up to Oikawa to ask him a question he'd been hoping for a 'yes' to since the beginning of this year. "Oikawa-san, teach me how to serve please, maybe." Kageyama said. That was probably the one request that had never been granted, and the one thing he kept asking no matter how many times he was rejected.
"Hm, let me think about it…" Oikawa put a hand under his chin and made an exaggerated thinking face before smiling again. "I have an idea! How about no!" Oikawa said cheerfully and bopped Tobio's nose.
"But Oikawa-san! You're going to be leaving soon and if you don't teach me now then what if I never learn."
Oikawa rolled his eyes, "That's the point, my cute, dumb Tobio-chan."
Kageyama felt a bubble of frustration well up inside him, "Fine! Don't expect me to help you again." He growled.
Oikawa scoffed, "When have you ever helped the magnificent me? Besides, when have I never helped you when you truly needed it?"
"When have I never helped you even if you didn't need it!"
"Well, you've never helped me, so I don't even know what you're talking about."
"Fuck you!" Tobio growled, the polite demeanor he almost always had fading away quickly with Oikawa's provocations.
"No thank you."
"What?"
"What?"
Kageyama stared, not understanding, but even though Oikawa had repeated his question he looked like he understood everything perfectly somehow.
"Um… well, you are extremely rude sometimes!" Tobio continued.
"Oh no, how will I recover from that fatal blow." Oikawa said sarcastically.
"… You're being mean right now. What's your problem?"
"My problem? My problem is that my annoying, little kohai keeps asking the same questions over and over."
"Sorry I'm so annoying!" even though Kageyama wasn't really sorry because he didn't even see how he was being annoying.
"Well if you're sorry then you'll stop asking those questions."
Kageyama cried out in frustration, "I can't wait till you graduate!" Tobio growled. "Then I won't have to see your ugly face!"
He knew that entire thing was mean, and he knew he didn't mean it either, because he never wanted Oikawa to graduate, and Oikawa wasn't ugly at all. But he couldn't help it because Oikawa flared up something ugly in him sometimes.
"Aw, I'll miss you too little Tobio-chan." Oikawa sneered.
Kageyama rolled his eyes, completely done with all of Oikawa's immaturity and turned to leave but was stopped by a hand on his arm. He was about to turn and tell Oikawa to eat dirt but something in the other boy's expression stopped him.
"So, Tobio-chan…" Oikawa paused and looked like he was contemplating something, "we're inviting the volleyball team out today for meat buns. Sort of as a farewell before graduation yknow. So if you want to, you can come." He said, letting go of Kageyama's arm. Tobio was tempted to say he couldn't and that even if he could he wouldn't come because he didn't care that Oikawa was graduating, but he didn't.
That would quickly fall apart anyway, as they both knew he cared that Iwaizumi was graduating, even if he pretended none of it affected him.
"You know what, fine. I will go, but… only because there's meat buns."
"So feisty." Oikawa teased, "When did you become such a little firecracker."
"Since forever!"
"Not true." Oikawa pouted, "You used to be a sweet, quiet little thing that wanted your senpai to teach you how to serve. Now you keep telling me to fuck off and I blame Iwa-chan!"
"It has nothing to do with Iwaizumi-san and everything to do with you. Sometimes I just want to spike your head!" Kageyama hadn't truly meant to say the last part out loud, but he'd always been horrible at holding things back, especially when he got irritated.
Oikawa tilted his head, smirking, "Does this mean I don't get a goodbye hug at graduation?"
Tobio didn't say anything, and just crossed his arms, bottling up all his anger. Tobio didn't usually get irritated. For the most part he was shy and tried not to bother anyone.
Recently he was getting tired of being placid to Oikawa, who was the only one who he'd really ever gotten angry at. He'd been irritated and frustrated with his parents before, but never angry exactly.
Kageyama didn't like getting angry, and he didn't like to shout or yell or be mean so he always tried to hold back what he was really thinking and craft his words more carefully as his mother did. Usually, he managed to hold back the bite in his words, but not often the words themselves.
"No." Tobio said simply, managing to reign in a lot of his previous irritation.
"So rude, Tobio-chan. I think I deserve one for being such a good senpai."
"You aren't that great." Tobio paused. "But you aren't the worst."
Oikawa hummed, maybe in appreciation before he said, "Hey Tobio-chan, I'm going to let you in on a little secret."
"What secret?"
"I really hated you at first." Oikawa stated bluntly.
Kageyama had discerned that much. He was not the best at social interaction but he wasn't a complete fool.
"I still kind of do." He admitted, "You're annoying, and weird, and you still follow me around a lot."
Kageyama could admit that all of that was true. That didn't mean Oikawa wasn't also annoying, weird, and followed him around too, but he thought that would probably just make the other boy angry and by the time he'd thought of it Oikawa was saying something else anyway.
"But, since I've gotten to know you, I'll say you aren't the worst person in the world."
Kageyama rolled his eyes again. "Are you saying you regret what you said to me."
"I'm saying that maybe everything wasn't entirely your fault."
"Is this your apology?"
"No!"
"Good, because if so you were doing terribly." Kageyama said.
"You are… you are… you are uninvited from meat buns!"
Kageyama shrugged, "I'm going to come anyway. And since Iwaizumi-san will be there, you can't stop me or I'll tell him you said everyone could come but me."
"You little fucking snitch!" Oikawa cried, crossing his arms.
His soulmate reminded Tobio of a small child who threw temper tantrums a lot but somehow made the mini tantrums look cute and endearing rather than annoying like how they should be.
"I'm going to miss you, Oikawa-san."
"Miss me or miss torturing me with Iwa-chan." Oikawa murmured dramatically with a fake sniff.
"You." Tobio knew that Oikawa had been downright horrible to him plenty of times throughout his first year, but Kageyama thought that maybe if they both changed a little one day they could click like proper soulmates should.
Tobio was willing to wait for Oikawa and Iwaizumi to like him as he did them. He wasn't going to give up on his soulmates so easily, not like his parents had.
"Aww, you'll miss me?"
Kageyama nodded, "And your noodle arms."
"… Never mind, I still hate you."
Kageyama gave a small smile that had Oikawa trying to pinch his cheeks. Seriously Oikawa was such a child sometimes that even Kageyama was convinced he was more mature.
Practice continued as normal for the most part. At the end they split into two teams, Oikawa and Iwaizumi on one side of the net and Kageyama on the other.
The dark part of his mind told him that they would always be on opposite sides of the court. That no matter how close they appeared to get, when it came down to it they wouldn't want him no matter how hard he tried.
The other part still remained hopeful.
When practice ended they all came together, one of the rare moments where the team didn't break apart and go their separate ways leaving Tobio alone.
He didn't mind that much. He knew in the end it was his fault for not having any friends. He didn't know how to socialize well for the most part, and he always refused to hang out together. He could see that to the others it looked like he was the one who hadn't cared about them.
He was glad though, that today was different. He figured this would only take an hour at most so he'd still be home before his father came home and he would just tell his mother he got lost and maybe that would also help his case in getting a phone.
Kageyama knew he probably shouldn't feel as happy as he did spending time with Iwaizumi and Oikawa right now, since this was basically a goodbye event. And Tobio didn't really know what that meant since he'd never said goodbye to anyone except his mother when he went to school, but that was only for about six hours or so.
And the only time he didn't see Iwaizumi or Oikawa was usually on the weekends, or sometimes a couple days if one was sick. He didn't really want to know what it would be like to say goodbye to someone for more than a couple days but at the same time he was curious.
They walked in a large group, but the first years were in the back along with himself, the second years ahead of him, and then the third years at the front, leading all of them.
When they got to the store, the third years went inside and everyone else waited outside, finally breaking into their usual groups. Kageyama didn't have a group, and he had no idea how to worm his way into one. After all, everyone was already such good friends with each other. It was the end of the year, so of course they were.
Maybe if Kageyama was more sociable or friendlier or had a better personality, he would be able to just fit right in. As it stood though, that was impossible.
"Oh, Tobio-chan~!" Kageyama heard the bell to the store jingle as it opened. "What are you doing all alone~." Oikawa handed him a meat bun.
"Anyone would rather be alone than listen to your annoying, high-pitched voice."
"Take it back, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa cried. "My voice isn't annoying, or high-pitched, right Tobio-chan?"
In response Tobio took a bite of his meat bun.
"You guys are always ganging up on me."
"Don't think I don't notice you teasing Kageyama when you think I can't see. I heard you tell him he was uninvited today."
"Iwa-chan, you heard what he said to me! He told me I'm terrible at apologies!"
"Which is just the truth."
Oikawa's mouth dropped open but quickly snapped shut again when Iwaizumi leaned closer and dropped his voice, "What exactly were you apologizing for?"
"Nothing, Iwa-chan."
Kageyama could see the sweat forming on Oikawa's forehead which was odd. Tobio had thought Oikawa was a great liar, but apparently not when it came to Iwaizumi.
"Oh? Are you sure?" Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow, "If you're lying I'm not sleeping over for two months."
"Two months! But that'll be a punishment for you too! And Summer is starting! Two months is like all of our vacation!"
"You're right Shittykawa, it would be all vacation."
"… I'm not lying." Oikawa murmured.
"You shouldn't lie to your friends." It was out of Kageyama's mouth before he could stop himself, even though he didn't truly regret it.
Oikawa barely had time to send Kageyama a glare before Iwaizumi growled, "Wait so it is something? I knew it! You fucking liar!" He leaned even further forward so he and Oikawa's faces were no more than a couple inches apart. "Spit it out, Tooru."
"No Shittykawa? You're going to make me cry, Iwa-chan."
"Answer me! What'd you say to Kageyama, I know it was something shitty!" Iwaizumi was still snarling his words, but it was quiet enough no one heard but the three of them.
"It was months ago, it's not that big a deal."
"Then why are you hiding it? Is it cus you know I'm gonna be pissed at you?"
"Maybe," Oikawa said, dragging out the word, tilting his head up and away from Iwaizumi glaring up at him.
"Well it's too late! I'm already pissed so what is it? I know Kageyama will tell me if you don't, and if he's the one who tells me whatever shit you did, I'll start spilling your secrets to your mother."
"That means I'll be grounded forever." Oikawa whined, and pouted.
"That's right, so you better fess up."
"I called him weird and annoying, Iwa-chan, okay? And I may have teased him a little about being scared of the dark and took his bag for a minute but that's it. And I gave the bag back too and I didn't even drop it once even though it was heavy as fuck."
"Noodle arms."
"See! You let him get away with everything, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa accused, pointing at Tobio.
"You are literally giving me a headache, Shittykawa, stop shouting." Iwaizumi put a hand to his forehead.
Kageyama thought it was a little worse than Oikawa was making his teasing out to be, but he also didn't know they were soulmates. He didn't know how seeing those words on Oikawa's arms would affect him.
If their relationship was normal, Kageyama would've been sad because his senpai didn't like him. Instead, Kageyama was devastated because his soulmate didn't want him.
"Okay," Iwaizumi said, seeming to finally gain enough patience to continue. "Oikawa, apologize to Kageyama."
"What! This is ridiculous, we don't need you to play peacemaker and are totally fine on our own!" he looked to Kageyama for support but Tobio gave none.
"Go on," Iwaizumi said, his voice taking on a slightly gentler tone this time but one that still held no room for argument. "It's okay."
Oikawa glared at the ground and then glared at Tobio who glared right back.
Seeing that he was getting nowhere by glaring, Oikawa huffed out a groaned, "Sorry."
"Mean it."
"But I don't! He is weird and annoying! And you call me annoying all the time!"
"That's because you are. Kageyama is not annoying to anyone else but you, and you're annoying to everyone but yourself. Plus, knowing you, I bet you said a lot of other nasty things to accompany it."
Iwaizumi wasn't exactly wrong about that.
"Fine." Oikawa turned to Kageyama, "I'm sorry."
Iwaizumi gave a doubtful look and Oikawa growled, "What do you want me to do, get on my hands and knees and beg him for forgiveness with tears in my eyes!"
Iwaizumi rolled his eyes before turning to Tobio, "Okay, Kageyama. Apologize for calling his arms noodles."
"You said the same thing to me! In fact you're the one who started calling me that!" Oikawa cried.
Kageyama couldn't truly tell but it felt like Iwaizumi wanted to chop Oikawa's head off and burn his body to ash but just said, "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, Tooru."
"Me too." Kageyama said, though he wasn't really. If Tobio could take Oikawa calling him weird and annoying then Oikawa could reap what he sewed and live with being noodle arms forevermore.
The only one out of the trio who actually knew about their bond, Kageyama supposed Iwaizumi was how his and Oikawa's relationship balanced out.
Iwaizumi was there to keep them both in line so to say, but mostly Oikawa since he was almost always mean first. Kageyama had a feeling with age Oikawa's mean streak would grow worse instead of better, with or without Iwaizumi, and that would just cause trouble.
Now that apologies had been given out, though Oikawa was still complaining and being even clinger than usual they all moved to a park nearby. Kageyama knew this wouldn't be the end of Oikawa calling him annoying or weird or the end of Oikawa being noodle arms, but at least Iwaizumi tried. Now they all lounged in the park where the sun was beating down, Iwaizumi and Kageyama sitting side by side. Oikawa was lazily laying in Iwaizumi's lap staring up at the sky and eating a meat bun.
"You're getting food all over me." Iwaizumi commented but didn't do anything to get Oikawa to move and the other boy didn't respond at all, just took another bite and burrowed his head into Iwaizumi's stomach.
All around them was soft chatter from the rest of the team and a little further into the park a group of boys were loudly running around and talking and Kageyama found this nice.
He almost wished things could stay just like this forever.
But with the first sign of the sun setting the spell broke.
Everything changed so suddenly.
Kageyama had to go home and so did Oikawa and Iwaizumi, so did all his volleyball team. He supposed this moment was practice for what the real goodbye would be like because this felt more heartbreaking than a simple, 'see you tomorrow'.
Kageyama didn't know if anyone but him felt that way, but judging from the way Oikawa and Iwaizumi stayed for longer than necessary they might've.
He waited until everyone left and he couldn't see Iwaizumi or Oikawa anymore before starting home, once again all alone. Once again watching them leave without him.
Just the same as he watched them a few weeks later, when they graduated.
So this was what goodbye felt like. Something that squeezed his heart and wouldn't let go.
Kageyama said goodbye to a lot of things. Oikawa and Iwaizumi, the other third years on his volleyball team, his soulmates, the days they all spent together. The laughs and cries and frustration. All of it, gone forever, something so brief had Kageyama truly taken the time to appreciate it? Because even if they all met some time later, which they probably would, it would never really be the same ever again.
First year was over.
A/N Development. This is where things get fun. Also, I just realized I sounded super rushed last chapter. Like, incredibly rushed lol, and that was because I had to leave right then and wasn't going to be back until late and would be too tired. So anyway, here's the next chappy, and I actually did revise anything and cut entire scenes which almost worries me, but I'm sure it's fine lol. Anyway, I'm getting kind of busy with school so we'll see if I can get a chapter out, and if not probably by this weekend maybe. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, reviews are lovely!