The three on three happened Saturday as planned, and Kageyama wanted to be furious at all the insults Tsukishima threw his way during the game, and he was, but threading through the fire were doubts and thoughts that he deserved it.

There were only a few taunts, but Tsukishima made them hurt. It was hard to focus with his mind swimming in the past, and with Hinata's lack of spiking experience, it was hard to tune in with each other. Their only saving grace was honestly Tanaka.

Kageyama was up to serve next. He knew his jump serves were improving, although they were still nowhere near as good as Oikawa's.

The serve was powerful, but the ball was picked up by Daichi. Kageyama knew it really shouldn't come as a surprise since he was a third year, but the seeming ease with which he received unnerved Tobio as Yamaguchi slammed down a spike.

"What did you forget about me? I may not have talent, but I do have experience." Daichi said with a grin.

Kageyama gritted his teeth but didn't say anything. The statement probably wasn't supposed to get a rise out of Kageyama, but he was so on edge everything seemed like mocking at this point.

"Just like a King, not expecting anything from his lowly subjects." Tsukishima crooned, that snake-like smile still plastered on his face.

"Would you quit calling him that." Hinata growled.

"Oh really? Why should I? Do you even know why they call him King, shorty?"

"Yeah, I do! He doesn't need any reminders from you what happened, he was there."

"Oh I'm sure he was when his teammates abandoned him for being such a tyrant."

Kageyama drew his shoulders up but didn't have the chance to retaliate before Tanaka was yelling. "Really, Blondie, you should be focusing less on the past and more on your imminent defeat!" Tanaka cried.

"Oh ho, don't get cocky, Tanaka." Daichi said.

"Blondie," Tsukishima gritted out, annoyed.

"Oh, do you not like nicknames?" Hinata smirked and leaned against Tobio who stepped away.

Hinata flailed for a moment before righting himself and glaring. "Meany!" He shouted at Kageyama who glared back.

"Let's get to playing."

The set continued for a while, because while Daichi was a good receiver, neither Yamaguchi or Tsukishima were particularly talented in Kageyama's opinion. The only thing Tsukishima had going for him was his height and little bit of brains he had in his head, and Yamaguchi wasn't particularly noteworthy of anything.

Their attack power was laughable.

If he was being honest neither team was working to their full potential, and it annoyed Kageyama to no end. He could see everything, could see exactly how they could win each point if only the spikers would hit his perfectly timed sets.

They did try at least, but Hinata was sloppy and botched several perfectly good sets. "Spike, harder." Kageyama said bluntly.

"Uh… okay?"

Still nothing was working. They couldn't get a solid lead.

Frustration started to build. Kageyama was always completely invested into each game no matter how weak or strong the opponent. But not only did he want to win for the sake of being able to play, he wanted to win to show Tsukishima that he was better off being Kageyama's ally than enemy.

Maybe he also wanted a little respect. The overwhelming aura of false superiority that seeped from every pore in Tsukishima's body reminded him too much of Oikawa.

"We're going to try quicks." Kageyama said to Hinata, who nodded as if he understood perfectly.

"Are you sure about that?" Tanaka asked skeptically. "Hinata isn't too good with technique. And he's never done a quick before."

"He'll be fine." Kageyama said and Tanaka didn't object anymore though he still looked doubtful.

Tobio understood his hesitance. Hinata hadn't done a quick before, and adding something like this could turn the game around for better or worse.

Either way, Kageyama felt like something had to change, and he wasn't really sure what else to try.

Tobio pointed to the left so Hinata could know which way they were going since they didn't have any signals yet and Hinata nodded.

But despite Hinata's athletic ability and pure talent for spiking, he still kept messing up.

"Looks like it isn't working." Tsukishima mocked, with a sly grin and a taste for despair.

"Nothing does on the first try! Or couple tries!" Kageyama stuttered out a defense.

"Uh huh, that's what losers say~" Tsukishima taunted further after he'd blocked Hinata.

"Oh, shut up! We're gonna kick your ass Saltyshima!"

Before Tsukishima had time to remark on the second nickname, Daichi served.

They tried the quick a few more times but it didn't work the way Kageyama wanted it to even if it made it through the wall.

"Hinata, what's wrong with you! This is easy, why can't you get it!' Kageyama kept getting increasingly annoyed and now decided to let his displeasure be known. He didn't have the best way of articulating his thoughts though. Kageyama saw the things that needed to be fixed he just wasn't sure how to communicate that to Hinata.

Hinata got an annoyed expression on his face, but before he could say anything Tsukishima chimed in.

"Acting just like a King I see."

Kageyama whirled around to yell at him, "You—"

"Kageyama-kun," Sugawara interrupted, "this isn't working." He took a deep breath, "First of all, there's no need to yell at Hinata-kun or Tsukishima-kun. Hinata-kun doesn't have any technique but he has speed and agility."

Kageyama still wanted to berate Hinata but he listened to what Sugawara was saying too. "As the setter, you should use his strengths to your advantage. Bring out the best in your spikers. You're talented, Kageyama-kun. You have good game sense, your sets are extremely accurate, you're a very good player. Watching you in one of your Junior High matches made me feel intimidated actually, if I'm being honest."

Kageyama was starting to think he intimidated almost everyone he met and he wasn't sure how to feel about that.

What Sugawara said seemed to make sense in Kageyama's opinion. Hinata wasn't the best volleyball player, he had a lot to learn. Kageyama had more technique and he possessed the skills Hinata lacked. It was his job to get a spike to Hinata that he'd be able to hit and it was his job to get it there in the best way possible to score a point, but regardless it should be a set the other spiker could hit.

He'd learned that in his last middle school game.

"Um… okay, fine. I'll use Hinata's abilities then, I guess." Kageyama turned to Hinata. "Alright, I'm going to send you a toss and all you have to do is run as fast as you can, and jump as high as you can and I will bring the ball to you. You don't even have to look at it." Kageyama would get that ball to him, and he would make use of Hinata's two best weapons. His speed and agility.

Hinata nodded determinedly, not seeming to understand what was about to happen, but understanding what he needed to do.

After that the game resumed.

Just as Kageyama told him, Hinata ran as fast as he could and jumped as high, and Kageyama delivered the promised toss straight into the palm of his hand.

Before anyone could move, the ball slammed down inside the court.

Nobody reacted for a split second after until Hinata started exclaiming excitedly that the ball hit his hand. "Yamayama, I did it, I hit the ball!"

"Yeah, I know, you couldn't have missed it."

"Um well, guys… Hinata's eyes were closed just now." Daichi said.

Or maybe he could've missed.

Kageyama's mouth went dry. Was Daichi serious? Hinata's eyes were closed? "Why… why did you close your eyes? Are you serious?" Kageyama cried turning to Hinata.

"Uh, because you told me to? And I don't think I'm a serious person, but right now I'm pretty serious."

"I didn't mean for you to actually close your eyes, idiot!"

"Well what was I suppose to think." Hinata pouted and crossed his arms. "Besides, I hit the ball didn't I!"

"I guess so." Kageyama muttered while still not really believing what had just happened.

Hinata closing his eyes was very strange, however, Kageyama had to admit that that play was extremely effective. No one could even react before the ball was slamming onto the floor. "Let's try that again." Kageyama said.

"Okay! You got it Yamayama, I will always hit whatever ball comes my way, you can count on me!"

"Thanks," Kageyama mumbled absent mindedly thinking about how good that attack could become if they were actually able to succeed with it every time.

In the second set, the next few plays failed and Kageyama began to get frustrated with himself. What was wrong with him? He'd done it perfectly a moment ago, why weren't his sets lining up with Hinata's hands anymore?

"Don't worry, we'll get the next one!"

Kageyama couldn't even find it in himself to be annoyed with the ginger's never-ending enthusiasm.

Daichi served and Tanaka received the ball, sending it high into the air over Kageyama's head. What should he do with it? They'd failed the last few attempts. Maybe he should set to Tanaka to raise the team's moral. He figured they needed a good point at the moment, and with Tanaka's solid spikes he was much more likely to get that than Hinata.

Besides, it looked like Hinata was going to be blocked by Yamaguchi and Tsukishima.

As the ball was nearing Kageyama's hands Hinata changed directions in a split second and sprinted to the other side of the court. Even Tsukishima, for all his height was still one second behind.

And in volleyball that one second was everything.

"Give it to me, Tobio!"

Tobio?

Against Kageyama's better judgement, he sent the ball flying over to Hinata, who slammed his hand on the ball and imbedded it into the gym floor.

"Yes! We did it again!" Hinata cried triumphantly, staring at his hands with awe.

Kageyama vaguely wondered if he ever stared at his hands with odd expressions.

After that play, Kageyama and Hinata sank together a lot more often, although the play still needed a lot of work of course. Kageyama was getting used to it, and so was Hinata.

They won the match and Kageyama really wanted to rub it in stupid Tsukishima's face even as Hinata tried to be a good sport and shake hands.

"I told you we would win." Kageyama said, trying not to sound too pleased.

"Yeah, well you're a cocky bastard." Tsukishima said and brought his water bottle to his mouth.

"We didn't even need you to throw the game."

"Who's to say I didn't."

Kageyama had played volleyball long enough to know when someone wasn't trying their best. And while Tsukishima didn't play to his full potential, he definitely didn't throw the match either. "Me."

Tsukishima glared at him before turning to Hinata, "Stop trying to shake my hand! I don't want your germs!"

"You're just a sore loser, Tsukki." Hinata whined.

"Don't call me that."

Kageyama sighed and turned away when Tsukishima didn't rise to his bait. No one was really paying attention to him anyways.

"Just shake my hand!"

"No!"

"You're already touching me, so why can't you shake my hand."

"Cus you want it and I don't want to get what you want."

"So it's really just spite!"

Hinata and Tsukishima's voices carried even to the other side of the gym, Hinata's more so than anything else but Kageyama tried to block it out.

"Hey, Kageyama-kun."

Tobio turned his head to see Sugawara peering up at him. "Good game today, you played really well."

"Oh, um, thanks." Kageyama said trying not to feel too happy. He rarely got praised for his abilities. In fact, he couldn't really remember the last time someone had genuinely complimented him on his volleyball playing.

It had probably been Hinata begging for one of his sets.

"Just so you know, if you ever need any advice, you can talk to me, even if I might not be able to help much." Sugawara said giving him a smile.

Sugawara didn't specify what kind of advice but he nodded anyway, "Thank you Sugawara-san."

"Call me Suga, everyone does."

"Oh, okay."

If Tobio was being honest, he didn't have much experience talking to upper classmen. The only ones he'd ever talked to were Oikawa and Iwaizumi and would he even have talked to them that much if they weren't his soulmates? He probably wouldn't have. He didn't even hardly know any of his other upperclassmen in middle school.

It was hard for Kageyama to talk to people at the best of times but when it came to most upperclassmen it felt nearly impossible to say anything. Should he even say anything? He could just continue to clean up, but maybe that would be awkward. Kageyama could recognize he might've made a less than great first impression and this was really the second time he was talking to Suga so he had to make his second impression better, right?

In the end Kageyama just turned around and kept cleaning up the gym because that was the least awkward thing he could've done in that situation, right?

He tried not to overthink it.

Suga was a little scary, honestly, not necessarily because of anything he'd done, but the fact that he was an upperclassmen and a setter was scary enough. He knew what it was like to threaten someone's position on a team and he didn't want to have to deal with another relationship turned sour because of his apparent genius.

It would be better to just let Suga keep starting setter. He was a third year after all so he would be gone in a year, Kageyama could keep his sanity, and he could play starting setter next year.

That plan wasn't bad, considering.

He was disappointed he wouldn't get to play starter, but it was better than Sugawara disliking him.

That's what Kageyama told himself anyway.

Kageyama was pulled abruptly out of his thoughts by a loud voice echoing through the gym. "Hey, so, before everyone hurries off, we have something to take care of first." Daichi gestured to Kiyoko, who was carrying in some boxes and opening them up. "The Karasuno Volleyball Club jackets are here!"

"Ack, jackets! I've never had a jacket before, Yamayama!" Hinata shouted, running up to him.

Kageyama sighed. Sometimes he forgot Hinata had never been on a real team before.

They all put on their jackets except Tsukishima, who had to be pressured into doing so, which Kageyama didn't really understand. They were just jackets, it wasn't a big deal. Then again, he supposed Sugawara and Tanaka made it a big deal by chanting at him to put it on in the first place.

After cleaning up, everyone packed up their bags and went to get changed out of their clothes.

Needless to say Kageyama opted out of that and left early, for once declining Hinata's asking to practice in the park.

He was tired, and as much as Kageyama despised it, even he needed rest.

The next day, Hinata was pouting at him after practice, though the reason was unknown.

Hinata wasn't saying anything, just giving him unsubtle glances and pouting more when Kageyama looked his way.

"Do you need something?" Kageyama asked irritably.

"How come you never hang out with us in the club room." Hinata burst out and then whined, "Even mean Tsukishima goes to the club room."

"What's there to do in there anyway?" Kageyama countered. "It's just a room with some lockers and posters and stuff. I've been in it." The last sentence Kageyama used to defend himself.

"Ugh well when you say it like that it sounds not as cool!" Hinata huffed.

Kageyama was saved from having to reply to that by the gym door bursting open and a short man rushing into the room, falling flat on his face in the process.

Kageyama raised an eyebrow. Wasn't that one of their teachers?

"Ah, sorry for the interruption!" the teacher said, adjusting his glasses.

"We were just cleaning up." Daichi said, indicating there was no interruption.

"Oh, okay then. Well, I've got big news you guys. I managed to get a game against Aoba Johsai!"

"Really? How did you manage to get a top four team to agree?"

"Well, they had one condition for me. They said that Kageyama will have to play setter for the entire match."

Everyone fell silent for a moment before Tanaka spoke up, "Hang on! Do they really want to place, or do they just want to see what Kageyama can do! They're underestimating us!"

"They know full well my abilities. Most of us played together, after all."

What Kageyama was really feeling was a well of anger burn up inside him. The request had Oikawa's name written all over it, but the troubling part was that Kageyama had no idea why he would do that. Did he want to play against him and lord over his superior skills or did he just want to screw up the chance he had with his new team? Kageyama glanced at Suga.

Either way, the request was not good for his place on the team.

"I think this could be a good idea."

Kageyama flinched.

"Suga!" Tanaka protested.

"It can give the new members of the team a chance to work more in sync with one another and we can see how our duo's quick will work against one of the top four schools."

"That is true," Daichi said. "And it sounds like it will be a fun practice match too."

"Then it's settle." The teacher said. "The game will take place later this week, don't forget!"

As if Kageyama could.

For a treat, Daichi bought them all meat buns on the way home and it wasn't as if Kageyama could say no since it was on his way home anyway.

He and Suga ended up walking together for whatever reason, while Hinata and Tanaka talked loudly in the background.

"Um, Sugawara-san—"

"Suga."

"Suga-san…" Kageyama started again, not really sure why he opened his mouth in the first place but unable to stop now. "I know that being setter for this game was sort of handed to me," as much as he hated that, "but I promise that after this, from now on, I will earn my place on the team!"

He tried to look anywhere but at Suga however the silence went on too long and eventually he had to look.

Suga looked somewhat amused, "Honestly I didn't expect that from you."

"What?"

"Well I mean, it's obvious that you're a superior setter in pretty much every way. You have skill, athletic ability, and talent."

"I don't have experience though," Kageyama could admit that. The next point stung a little, "and I don't know how to connect with the team."

Kageyama had a hard time doing anything social. That was probably why even after so long of his parents letting him actually do things, he still only had two people he would truly consider friends. And one of them he'd blocked.

"You'll be able to connect eventually. I mean, maybe you aren't a natural but you're a pretty likeable person."

"I don't think so."

Kageyama wasn't friends with Hinata and Iwaizumi because he was likeable, they were friends because they liked him despite his unlikeable personality.

"Why not?"

Maybe because his entire middle school grew to hate him when he hadn't even talked to anyone outside the volleyball team.

How unlikeable were you when people you'd never even met hated you?

"I'm blunt, I get angry, and…" not even my soulmates like me, "I'm awkward." That was true too.

"Well… I suppose all that might technically be true," Suga paused, "but you know, if you wanted, there's things you can do to control your negative emotions better. And if you follow up your opinion with tips, blunt isn't necessarily a bad thing."

Kageyama fell silent for a while, "What about awkward."

"That's a little harder but try to be confident in who you are. I know that's hard and it might take a while. A lot of people don't even know who they are so it's hard to be confident when you don't know yourself very well. It'll come eventually though. Some people even find a little awkwardness to be endearing." Suga patted him on the back.

"I guess so." Kageyama was pretty sure there was nothing he could really do besides agree anyway, even if he had his doubts about all of that.

Soon, they arrived at a tiny shop where the meat buns were purchased and handed out. Kageyama knew he had to save his appetite for dinner, but he had one anyway to show his gratitude.

"So, I know some might be a little nervous about the upcoming practice match," Daichi started and Kageyama wasn't one to get worried or nervous about volleyball of all things but this time even he had to admit he was shaken up, "but don't stress. Just think of it as demonstrating your skills in a real game, like Suga said. We might not win, but either way we'll improve, and that's what matters right now. First, we learn how to work as a team. Second, we work to win as one, alright?"

"Yeah! We got this!" Hinata cried, pumping his fists in the air.

"Don't get too enthusiastic. This is Sei Joh. If we want to even have a shot at winning we have to take each play seriously."

"No offense, Yamayama, but you seemed like you were a better player than all the other guys on your old team. So how come you're so worried?"

"Are you an idiot? You know why!"

"Geez, calm down. Sure I get why you might be nervous, but about winning? Doesn't seem like you."

"Shut up." Kageyama said. "I'm not worried, I'm just not underestimating them like you."

"I'm just being positive! Lighten up a little, Tobio."

"I am lightened up." Kageyama grumbled and checked his phone to see a text from his mother. "I have to go now." He told Daichi.

"Okay, we'll see you tomorrow, Kageyama. "

Kageyama waved and started walking in the opposite direction.

It was a little way's to his house and on the walk there he thought about what Oikawa could possibly have to gain from requesting such an arrangement. As he thought about it more and more he was convinced it was to derail him from becoming a proper member of his new team.

He wouldn't be surprised if it was done out of spite simply for blocking him because Oikawa always had to have the last word.

Well, Kageyama wasn't going to allow that this time. Tobio was angry with Oikawa's interference and even if it was a good thing that they had a game with Sei Joh, it wasn't fair to only agree to it if he was setter for the entire game. Suga was Karasuno's official setter, and it wasn't fair for him to come in and in one moment just take that away.

He knew that maybe Suga didn't hate him now but resentment could grow, and Kageyama didn't want that.

So in that moment, Kageyama decided to whip out his phone and unblock Oikawa.

Kageyama: Fuck you.

That was really all Kageyama had to say about what he felt about the position he felt Oikawa had forced him into and was about to put his phone away except he got an immediate reply.

Setter Senpai: No thanks ;)

Setter Senpai: But srsly

Setter Senpai: We need 2 talk.

Kageyama rolled his eyes and put his phone in his bag, ignoring all the other buzzes that came after that. As far as Kageyama was concerned, they didn't have anything to talk about. Kageyama wasn't ready.

Lol um... sorry this took longer than usual this chapter wasn't cooperative. I kept thinking about what was going to happen next chapter like no! Stop it XD Also I rlly, rlly, rlly want to introduce Iwaizumi's dad! We know Kageyama's parents, Oikawa's, Hinata's, like wtf happened to Iaizumi's family development smh. I also rlly like his dad which is why I'm excited! One more thing, I may or may not have messed up the ages in this cus Kageyama is supposed to turn 16 not 15 this year but we're gonna ignore that lol (I messed up everyone's age in doing this but whatever)

Also... did Kageyama tell his mom about confessing to his soulmates? I feel like at one point that was supposed to happen but I may or may not have actually done it...

Either way, hope you liked the chapter, Iwa and Oikawa should be back next chapter, thanks so much for reading, always appreciate reviews!