Yahoo! Now that 'Invincible' is done, I can finally focus on this story. Many thanks to the users who have read, favorited, followed, and reviewed this story so far! I will do all my best to write another good KageHina fanfiction! :)

Chapter 3: Granted

The 21st of June. Sunday. A quarter before six. Sunset. A pretty windy day.

That was the day that I lost everything. I think I kind of heard the sound of something crashing, but man, sometimes…it's better if you just don't know the whole details of how you got into an accident. The stupid me was just crossing the street. I was probably thinking something very deep at that time (what was I worrying about again? Was it something volleyball related? Probably…) I could remember holding the ball at that time.

Everything went at the speed of light.

That was the day that I realized that as much as you can't have everything for a long time, you can lose everything in the snap of a second.

And then my mother was crying. I could hear the medics rushing to my aid. Perhaps I was just covered in blood, but how much blood I do not know. I was too scared to know. If I died at that moment, I would have had nothing. Oh well, it's not like you'll realize that you've lost it when you die. Some people believe in heaven. Then there's hell. But that's my point. No one's really sure if you go to these places and have something after death. What if it's just an end? There would just be nothing. In other words, you won't have anything more to worry about when everything ends.

But fate might have decided: "Ah, let's give this boy another chance." It turns that my heart did not stop beating.

Still, the doctor declared me as brain dead. W-W-Wait, isn't that the same as being dead?! Come on, just say that I'm dead!

I could not lift my arms, not even a single finger. Nor can I move my mouth. It seems that I have lost control over my movement.

But I can hear things. I heard how my mother cried. I heard how my father yelled at the doctors. I heard how Natsu asked my mother how come I wouldn't open my eyes. It turns out that she wanted to play with me. I heard how my friends and classmates rushed inside the room, all craning to have a view of me probably.

It was all about the crying. I should have been thankful. My sense of hearing wasn't taken. If it was, then I would've gladly wish that they remove the weird tube that stuck from my nose.

Sometimes, I would imagine myself standing on the court. Under the sun. Or in some shining huge court in a national tournament. I would be standing with my comrades, and we are the stars of that day. It is the championship, and people were cheering for us. And then I would be the ace. I would be the next Little Giant like the boy I saw on TV. He was the one who made me fall in love with the sport anyway.

And then some setter would toss the ball to me. I would run to the other side for a quick set.

Just like that, I'd soar and jump high to get a view from above and—

And then it hit me.

I could never play it again. Stupid Hinata.

If my mouth could move, I would have made a good laugh at myself.

"What are you even saying, baka…"

Eh…

"Are you planning to give up just like that?"

Wait. I'm pretty sure that my voice wasn't as deep and cocky like this—

"Oi! Did you just call me cocky?!"

Wait. Nobody told me that you get to hear weird things when you go into a comatose. Am I turning mad?

"Listen to me, you stupid brat!". I felt something hit my head. I'm pretty sure that it was a hand.

I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn't. For the first time, apart from being sorry for myself, I felt frustration.

"Who are you?" I said.

"None of your business."

"I'm here, unable to move like a useless log, and then somebody speaks to me. I don't even know if I've gone mad or—"

"Of course you're not mad! I have a name, a body, and yes, I very much exist thank you!"

"Ooooh…what's your name then?"

"Not telling you."

"Okay," I said in my head.

"Kageyama. Kageyama Tobio."

"Kageyama? Shadow mountain…" Pffft…must be some shady character.

"Oi! I could clearly hear you, just so you know!"

"You mean…you can hear my thoughts?" Goodness. This is turning worse.

"Yeah. I could hear you ranting all day. You wanted to play volleyball."

I gulped.

"Your fault for not looking at the road while crossing."

"The truck was too fast! And I heard from my mom that he was drunk!"

"Don't worry. He must've been taken care of."

"You mean…he got his karma?"

"Maybe…"

I made a frowning face in my head.

"Kageyama Tobio, you say?"

"Uh-huh."

"What if someone sees you? I'm sure we have never met before."

"Don't worry, I'm not from your school."

"Eh? Then who are you?"

"Like I said, I'm Kageya—"

"Not that! I mean…what are you even doing here?"

"Hm…good question."

There was a pause. At an instant, I thought he might have left, but then he spoke again.

"I'm here to watch over you."

"That's pretty creepy, if my family sees you—"

"They won't."

"Eh…"

"No—more like—they can't."

"E-eh?"

"They can't see me."

"Are you a ghost then?"

"You ask too many questions!"

And so that was the time that I met this weird creature (I have also assumed that he was no human, but then, there's always the possibility that he's just some stalker…). When there were no visitors, I would always talk to him. I'd ask him questions, and he'd do the same.

The bulk of our talk revolved around volleyball. I swore that I would've jumped out of bed and shook his hands with all the enthusiasm had it not been for my condition. It turns out that the haughty-sounding lad played it too. When I asked him what made him stop, he did not reply. And then a couple of times, I tried on asking him what he really was, but he never replied. I might have grown tired of it. Never did I ask him that question again. He sure can be selective when it comes to some questions, eh? Oh well. Not that it can't be helped.

There were also times when he'd tease me about my height. He would always call me shrimp, to which I would reply that he must have been some giant his former teammates were scared of, thus making him some arrogant king. That made him shut up.

"So you were a setter?"

"Yes."

I grinned in my mind.

"I've never had anyone toss to me you know."

"But didn't you get a chance to play in some match?"

"Yeah but…my teammates…I just forced them to join so that we could join that match."

"But you can jump high."

"Yeah but—WAIT—how on earth do you know?"

"I was in that match."

"R-Really?! Were you one of those guys we played against? If that's so then—"

"Whatever. I'm not telling you anything."

"That's why you're an arrogant King! I knew it! I could feel it from you! The kingly aura is all over you and screaming!"

"Shut up, you shrimp!"

Just like that, I got a good smack on the head.

"I'm a patient!"

"Who cares?"

Another round of silence followed, and I finally spoke.

"It must have been nice…if you could toss to me."

"Hm…"

"And then I'd hit your toss like WHAM and KASHOOM!" I said happily.

I know. It's ridiculous. I found a new friend in the midst of this comatose state.

Thus, for the first time, I felt kind of happy. And alive. As if there was still a future waiting for me.

Until the doctor said that perhaps it was time for my family to let me go. In other words, yeah. They could wait for years, even decades, but I would never wake up.

Kageyama must have heard me.

"So I guess it's goodbye now?" I told him.

"Hm…"

I gave him a smile (not that I could do it in actual but…).

"Thank you for everything."

"Baka."

I heard faint footsteps, stopping just right beside my bed.

"The past or the future? Choose."

"E-Eh?" What is this weirdo saying again?

And if I were to given a second chance to feel it again, I would, and I could.

After all, it is that one thing that makes me feel so alive.

Volleyball.

Must be so nice.

If I can get that future.

But then again, it is something that I have lost my grasp on.

If that's the case then…

"So that's your answer…" I heard him mutter.

"Very well."

I felt a warm palm settle on my forehead. So he is indeed real…

"I shall grant your wish."

"Your past. I shall give it back to you."

There was a blinding light, and when I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the ceiling of my room.

I was in my house,

I looked to my left.

The calendar read June 14.

Seven days before my birthday.

And also seven days before the day that I died.

A.N.: And there you have it! Hinata chose the past, but what does this mean? And who and what exactly is Kageyama Tobio? Did Hinata make the right choice after all?