The elevator slowed to a halt. Hinata stepped aside, though not quickly enough for a group of girls to knock by him as they exited.

"Sorry!" One of the girls replied flippantly.

The boy kept quiet, wanting to avoid confrontation. Instead, he allowed the doors to close on him, relishing the fact he was once again alone.

Hinata Shoyou was miles away from his family. His friends all went to different schools after they graduated high school—the furthest of whom was his best friend, Rina Akiyama, who attended a university that was an eight-hour drive from where Hinata was.

The two had known each other since elementary school. Back then, Hinata was a painfully shy boy, which made him an easy target for the older kids to pick on. One day, Rina was around to observe what was happening, and she rescued him. The bullying stopped after that. They remained close since then, sticking together even through high school. In their senior year, Hinata came out her. She was the first person he had ever told. Rina's reaction was to say to him how it wouldn't change their friendship—though she confessed she always had an idea he might be gay.

Then the two of them started university, and once again Hinata all alone.

His first year of living on campus was rough. He didn't make any new friends. Not that he didn't want to—he was hesitant to meet new people after years of not really needing to. He became frightfully lonely, and often times he would fantasize about being able to drive away to visit his family or friends. He kept himself distracted by diving into his studies.

Hinata's first year wrapped up, and with it came the time to elect a major. Hinata was unsure of what to select and sought the help of an academic advisor. He was a man named Takeda Ittetsu, and his suggestion for Hinata was to find out what interested him by meeting with professors to chat about their research.

"So, I just email them and ask if they want to do coffee?" Hinata had asked.

"Yes, it's as easy as that!" Takeda replied. His tone was the sort that was so unwaveringly bright, it betrayed a sense of over-optimism. "But before you do that, look online to see what they do. It's also good to have some questions ready for them."

"But what if I get nervous?"

"Well, that's why you want to prepare."

Those initial meetings with professors had still terrified the daylight out of Hinata. He was so scared of making a wrong first impression that he stuttered as he spoke. Admittedly, some professors seemed to be less receptive to having their time being used up by a first-year undergrad student. Though as Hinata persisted, he encountered others who saw the meeting as an opportunity to mentor someone who had been where they were once before.

That was how Hinata met Sugawara Koshi, a third-year student working in a lab investigating novel treatments for cancer using lasers. He talked about what he did and why he loved it, what made it frustrating, but how the challenge kept him fascinated by it without romanticizing. Hinata found the boy's modesty so endearing, he ventured to ask him how he came to choose his major—Sugawara explained that he simply picked what interested him at the time, without putting too much emphasis on where it might lead.

"Do you ever have second thoughts about it?" Hinata asked.

"I don't," Sugawara replied. "I get frustrated sometimes, but it still interests me. And if I ever did have second thoughts, then at least I learned something about myself, right?"

Hinata set up another coffee after that. Though this time, they ended up talking about life on campus. The boy learned that Sugawara maintained a busy schedule. He helped organize intramural volleyball on campus, and every week he'd meet with friends to learn a new recipe together. He kept a regular reading schedule, rotating between fiction and managing personal finance. He attended 101 workshops on campus on everything that interested him, from understanding art history to stand-up comedy. It became apparent to Hinata that Sugawara was the insatiably curious type—a trait that reminded him of Rina, and a quality the boy tended to envy in folks.

In their third meeting, Sugawara mentioned he was dating a boy—another third-year student named Daichi Sawamura. Learning that about him, Hinata came out to him, making Sugawara the first person on campus, and the second person ever to whom Hinata confessed his sexuality.

Since then, Sugawara took it upon himself to be a mentor and role-model in Hinata's life. He scheduled coffees and lunches with him throughout the fall semester, checking in on him and advising Hinata upon any aspect of campus living that the boy may have been struggling with: from cooking more affordably to negotiating chores with roommates, organizing study groups over Facebook, among a great many other things. He also coached Hinata tirelessly into dating, claiming that now was the time to explore. Hinata's invariable response was that dating wasn't a priority for him at the moment. If anything, he was content with the friend he had made in Sugawara.

Hinata was on his way to Sugawara's apartment that night—the latter was throwing a party to celebrate the end of the fall semester. When he initially invited Hinata, Sugawara also allowed him to invite any of his friends. Hinata decided to ask Rina and her boyfriend Tanaka Ryunosuke, who she had been dating since high school. Both agreed to come, though they expected to arrive later in the evening, given they had to travel from their respective schools. And so it was initially Hinata's plan to arrive at the party when Rina and Tanaka had made their way downtown—he didn't know anyone else who was attending the party except for them, and Sugawara and Daichi. Yet Sugawara insisted that Hinata arrive earlier to meet some of his friends. The boy was anxious about the idea, but he also didn't want to disappoint his mentor.

As Hinata exited the elevator and made his way to the apartment, he could already hear the music and chatter reverberating through the walls of the hallway. The anticipation within him mounted with such intensity, his palms began to sweat. He checked his phone. There was one unread message from Rina:

We're in stuck traffic. Make it for 11?

Hinata had expected the additional delay—it was snowing heavily outside when Hinata walked over to Sugawara's apartment building. He arrived at the door and gave it a sturdy knock. The door was opened by a girl he didn't recognize. She glanced at him briefly before turning around to look back into the apartment.

"Suga, someone else is here!" She yelled.

Behind her, Hinata could see the large group of people gathered inside. He barely made out Sugawara brushing through the crowd as he made his way towards the front door.

"Let me see. Oh, Hina-chan!" Sugawara greeted.

"Hi, Suga!"

The two hugged, then Sugawara ushered Hinata through the door and over the collection of shoes that amassed at the entrance.

"Here, let me take your coat. I'll put it in my room."

Hinata did so, and Sugawara disappeared with it into the party.

Hinata stood there silently, bearing witness to the commotion. There were both boys and girls present, and some looked like they might have been Hinata's age, though a great many appeared to be older. Next to where Hinata stood, two sofas were facing each other where a group of people talked while indulging in a pizza set on a coffee table between them. The apartment opened up behind one of the sofas, where more people were standing around with drinks in hand, conversing amongst themselves. The crowd was dense, and it was evident by the multitude of voices, the number of red cups Hinata could spot on ledges and shelves, and the heat within the apartment, that there were many people in the room that Hinata could not see.

Sugawara returned shortly after. "Are you nervous?"

"A little," the younger boy admitted.

"Ah, of course, this is your first time," Sugawara replied.

Sugawara then turned around to face the room. He shouted, "Hey, everyone! This is my little sister, Hinata!"

The crowd erupted with a loud roar, and several people raised whatever drink they held in their hands as a toast to the boy's arrival. Hinata appreciated the gesture, though it did not abate how rapidly his heart was beating.

Sugawara grabbed Hinata's hand. "Alright, let's give you the grand tour," he declared before leading him further into the room.

As they walked through the room, the first thing Hinata noticed was how no two people looked similar. People were of different heights and builds, but they also dressed differently—from checkered flannels to varsity jackets, wool turtlenecks, hoodies, and graphic tees. Some people had piercings, others wore thick-framed glasses. Some stood alone, checking their phone. Others walked around, departing from one group, only to merge with another group in a different part of the apartment. As Sugawara led Hinata through the center of it all, the boy heard snippets of the various discussions happening simultaneously.

"I saw her in bed with my best friend, and I was shocked."

"I mean, you give good points, but if you look at what happened in the 18th century…"

"I'm telling you, you need to check out this podcast! It's about a dad who's a porn star, and he…"

"…but I haven't had my period in six weeks, and she told me I should talk to my doctor."

There was a part of Hinata that was excited by the commotion—the diversity of people and the stories he could hear all piqued his curiosity. Though the more he admitted it did, the smaller he felt. He couldn't help but wonder what he had to offer—a boy who had led an insular life on campus until he befriended Sugawara about four months prior.

"The bathroom is down there," Sugawara noted while pointing to a hallway where even more students were congregated. "There's beer pong there…" he then remarked, gesturing to a group at the far end of the room gathered in a circle, "…and the balcony's behind there you want some fresh air."

They turned around a corner and walked into a clearing in the room. At the center of the space was a kitchen island covered in stacks of disposable cups and bottles of different colors and sizes. Behind the island, several more people were chatting amongst themselves.

Sugawara turned around to face Hinata, "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Oh, I brought this!" The younger boy replied, holding up of six-pack of beers in his hand.

"Oh nice, you can hand that over."

Hinata did so, and the older boy proceeded to open the box.

"Oh crap, they're bottles. Okay, so let's take one…and I'll put the rest out here…and grab a—Daichi-babe, do you have the bottle opener?!"

"I got it!" a disembodied voice replied promptly. Daichi then appeared from the crowd behind the kitchen island.

"Here, let me."

Sugawara handed the bottle to Daichi, and the latter popped the cap off using a doodad attached to his keys before handing the opened beer to Hinata.

Daichi then addressed the younger boy, "You'll have to help me keep an eye on Suga. He has a habit of running out of the apartment when he's wasted."

"No need to worry about me!" Sugawara protested. He then leaned in closer to direct his next words Hinata's ear. "Remember to just be yourself and have fun. I'll be around."

He then leaned back to shoot a wink at the boy. Hinata, terrified as he was, managed a nervous smile in response.

"So, what now?" The boy asked, eyes wide with bewilderment.

Sugawara and Daichi then whispered a few things to each other. Hinata caught Sugawara snickering briefly before Daichi turned towards him. "Come, let's introduce you to someone."

Daichi then led Hinata back the way he came, towards the game of beer pong. There was a tall boy who stood at one end of the ping-pong table. He had long hair that was tied in a bun, and his chin sported a goatee. He was in the middle of aiming his next throw when Daichi interrupted.

"Hey, Azumane! This is Suga's friend, Hinata. Hinata, this is my friend Azumane. We go way, way back."

"Ah, nice to meet you!" Azumane greeted.

Hinata tried replying in kind, though the words escaped soundlessly from his throat.

"You're looking for a partner, right?" Daichi asked Azumane, tilted his head towards Hinata behind him. Azumane's face lit up in response.

"I am. Have you played before Hinata?"

Hinata cleared his throat. "I haven't."

"Are you guys gonna let us play, or what?"

The three of them turned to see the boy standing on the opposite side of the table, crossing his arms self-righteously. He was about Daichi's height and had grey hair gelled up in spikes.

"Eager to get beat, Bokuto?" Azumane fired back.

Daichi left the table shortly after, and Azumane pulled Hinata closer so he could explain the rules of the game.

"It's simple, each round you take a ping-pong ball…" Azumane explained, holding up one in his hand, "...and try to throw it into one of the cups on their side of the net."

In one swift motion, Azumane did as he described, launching the ball into a graceful arc in the air before it landed into a cup that sat in front of Bokuto.

"Screw you," He remarked, before lifting the cup to drink from it.

"If it lands, the other team has to drink what's in the cup, and then the cup gets removed from the table," Azumane explained. "First team to clear all the cups wins. Make sense?"

"What's in the cups?" Hinata asked.

"Tequila, I think?"

Azumane then offered Hinata a ping pong ball. "Here, give it a try."

Hinata took the ball, rolling it in his hand to assess the weight. He started to feel flustered—he had a tendency to avoid any sports that required hand-eye coordination, knowing how clumsy he was. He made his throw, and the ball flew straight over the crowd before disappearing somewhere into the kitchen.

Azumane laughed before placing a hand on Hinata's shoulder. "You'll get the hang of it."

"Let me show you how a master takes the shot," Bokuto taunted. He threw a ball, and the ball fell into a cup in front of Hinata with a silent splash. The younger boy was about to reach for the cup when Azumane grabbed it first before downing the contents in one gulp.

"Yep, that's tequila, alright," Azumane remarked.

The game progressed, yet though as hard as Hinata tried, he missed every shot, either throwing the ball either too far or too short. Azumane landed his throws, but Bokuto won the game in the end. As the spectators applauded the victor, Hinata, feeling somewhat humiliated, began to make his escape, when Azumane placed another hand on his shoulder.

"Where are you going? That was just a warm-up."

The gesture persuaded Hinata to stick around for more. The second game commenced, and Hinata paid closer attention to how the other boys would throw their shots—how lightly they held it, how they bent their arm at the elbow, and used the slightest turn at the wrist to help guide the ball along the desired trajectory.

The more Hinata observed, the more he took into account on his own turns, and he started landing more of his throws.

"You're becoming a real ace at this," Azumane joked.

On the third game, Azumane and Bokuto began attempting more elaborate shots. One person would shut their eyes before tossing, while another would bounce the ball off the table before it landed into a cup. They then challenged Hinata to do the same, and most of the time, Hinata would fail. However, for the few times Hinata succeeded, he received a boisterous cheer from Azumane and Bokuto. That was the game where Azumane and Hinata their first victory together. The spectators applauded louder than ever, but the bigger reward for Hinata was having had fun— though there was also the pleasant buzz he received from all the tequila and beer.

After the game, Sugawara came by to pull him Hinata away from the table.

"I want to introduce you to some of my friends," the older boy explained.

Sugawara's friends were associated with him in different ways, either from courses, from other labs, or from some of the workshops he attended. Each time, Sugawara would introduce Hinata to them, leave them for a bit, and then return a few minutes later to collect Hinata and start the cycle all over again. Each time he returned, Sugawara appeared a little less sober, and Hinata began to doubt whether there was any method to his mentor's madness.

Of the people he met, there was a boy named Kenma who recounted a cruise he was on, where he saved the life of a passenger by performing the Heimlich. There was also a girl named Yachi who argued why she always knew her ex would cheat on her with her best friend by reading his astrological chart. Another girl, named Kiyoko, claimed she had won every raffle contest she ever participated in, and so she refused to participate any more for fear of breaking her luck.

Everyone had their own stories. Some were funny, some were fascinating, others reflected on tragedy. In turn, people asked Hinata about himself and his interests. At first, he didn't know what to share simply saying he was in his second year and had just met Sugawara only a few months prior. But as the opportunity repeated itself, Hinata found more things he could talk about—his life back home, his friends, and any stories he had that bore any resemblance or connection to what the other person had shared.

Hinata was shocked by how much of his life and interests intersected with those of others. He was also surprised to see how people were eager to find those commonalities along with him. Whether it was due to this epiphany, or the number of drinks that Sugawara would fetch for him, Hinata became more relaxed in his own skin. And as the night grew on, a theory brewed in Hinata's mind. He thought that perhaps no one is innately interesting—they seem so because one is simply curious about them.

There came a point in the night, after many conversations, rounds of beer pong, and many more drinks when Hinata retired to sprawl out on the sofa. He was sleepy, and he felt dizzy from all the alcohol. Still, there was a warm, proud feeling in his chest. That was when he heard someone behind him.

"Hey, Hinata."

Hinata sat up and turned around to see Azumane leaning against the sofa.

"Oh, hey there!" the boy replied, the words dripping boozily of the tongue. The act of getting up had caused the room to spin for Hinata, but he persisted in keeping his cool.

"I invited a friend here tonight, and I wanted him to meet the beer pong ace."

Hinata beamed at the remark.

Azumane stepped back—behind him was a boy much shorter than he was, perhaps Hinata's height. He had a slender jawline, and his eyes seemed to light with a quiet determination, like the embers of a smoldering fire. His hair was gelled up, except for a tuft of blonde hair in the front. Hinata recognized the boy immediately.

"Hinata, this is my friend, Nishinoya."

"Nice to meet you!" Nishinoya greeted.

"Nice to meet you, too," Hinata replied. He felt his mind running blank.

Azumane turned to Nishinoya. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Sure, can I get a beer?"

Azumane nodded and walked towards the kitchen. The other boy removed his jacket. "Mind if I take a seat?" he asked of the boy on the sofa.

Hinata nodded and scooted over to make room. His brain was firing on all cylinders, still grasping the reality of who it was that was approaching him. After all, Nishinoya Yu had been Hinata's crush for two years during high school. The realization had not been dulled by how drunk he was. If anything, with his inhibitions gone, he more intensely felt the emotions he had once buried deep within his heart, suddenly creep up from their graves.

Nishinoya sat down next to him. "How's it going?" He sat leaning forward with his elbows propped against his knees—the fabric of his sweater draping over his shoulders and outlining his silhouette. Hinata stole a few glances and then silently cursed himself for doing so.

He then cleared his throat. "Great—it's going great. It's been fun." The syllables initially rushed out of him like before oozing out slower than molasses.

An expression of amusement appeared on Nishinoya's face. "Hopefully, not too much fun." He then leaned back into the seat, their shoulders colliding briefly.

Hinata blushed. "It's been a couple of drinks, rounds of beer pong…"

"Yeah, Azumane said you're a pro at it."

"At what?"

"At beer pong?" Nishinoya clarified.

"Oh yes, beer pong." Hinata chuckled shyly.

"He said it was your first time playing too."

"Yeah, it was."

"Funny enough, tonight's my first time ever going to one of these things," Nishinoya remarked.

The boy then sat up to scan the crowd behind the sofa. When he sat back down, his shoulder collided once again with Hinata, though the impact caused the room to spin for Hinata. He closed his eyes, waiting for the sensation to dissipate. Part of him hoped that if he kept them shut long enough, he'd be magically whisked away from this predicament. When he opened them, Nishinoya was still there.

"Do you know anyone here?" Nishinoya asked.

"Yeah, I do," Hinata replied abruptly, "mostly Sugawara's friends."

"Ah I just met him, he seems like a nice guy."

"Yeah, he's …he's great. Like an older brother. What about you, do you know anyone?"

"Just Azumane. And now you, I guess?"

Through his drunken stupor, Hinata could make out Nishinoya staring into his eyes, before turning away to hide a smile.

"What's so funny?"

"Are you sure you're okay, Hinata?"

"What?" Hinata replied defensively. "No, you don't need to worry about me."

"Okay, I thought you didn't want to be friends with me or something," the other boy teased.

"Oh no, we can be friends. I can, you know…teach you how to play beer pong?"

"I'm honored." The other boy replied warmly. "I'll be around too if you want to talk or…if you feel like throwing up."

"I'm telling you I'm f—

Hinata had not noticed Azumane walking up from behind them.

"Here's your beer."

Hinata was startled and turned to react to Azumane approaching and handing Nishinoya his drink. Though for Hinata, the movement of his head was fast enough to make the room spin faster.

"Are you okay, Hinata?" Azumane asked, walking around to take the empty spot on the sofa next to Hinata. "You look kind of pale."

"I'm feeling great, guys. Seriously."

Hinata suppressed a belch. As he did so, Azumane sat himself down, causing the cushion to rise and fall gently—for Hinata, the motion made the room appear to spin even more violently. He realized he couldn't hold it in any longer.