In the bustling streets of Rio de Janeiro, a small, orange blur speeds down the crowded alleys on his bike. The rumbling, chiming noises of the chain against the bike frame alerted the pedestrians to move aside.
"FORA DO CAMPO! PASSANDO!"
["OUT OF THE WAY! COMING THROUGH!"]
The orange blur cried out, his eyes surveying the ever changing flow of people in his way. He maneuvers his way through the crowd, slithering in and out of gaps like a snake. He smiles as the wind from the speed causes his hair to flow freely. As he reaches the beach below, a figure suddenly walks in front of him.
"SHOYO HINATA!"
A female voice screamed out, startling the orange haired boy and causing him to crash into the sand. He shivered as rested on the hot, grainy surface. He knew that voice, he FEARED that voice and the person it came from.
"O que você pensa que está fazendo? Acelerando por aquelas ruas movimentadas, você vai se machucar algum dia."
["What do you think you're doing? Speeding through those busy streets, you're going to hurt yourself some day."]
The lady sighed, this child sure was a pain to deal with sometimes. Hinata looked down, feeling a bit bad for the possibly dangerous act he had done.
"Sinto muito, Señora Jimenéz, eu simplesmente não podia esperar mais"
["I'm sorry Miss Jimenéz, I just couldn't wait any longer"]
He said softly, picking up his bike and placing it to the side.
Ms Jimenéz smiled softly, watching the young boy move his bike to a safe spot.
"Eu entendo Shoyo, aceito suas desculpas, da próxima vez só tome cuidado ok? Quem vai ser nosso pequeno ninja se você se machucar? Vamos para a aula, todo mundo está esperando."
["I understand Shoyo, I accept your apology, next time just be careful ok? Who's gonna be our little ninja if you're injured? Come on, lets go to class, everyones waiting."]
She said, ruffling his hair as they walked on the beach, where there were other children waiting on a court. Hinata ran up to the children and began to converse with them. They then started practicing beach volleyball. During practice, he reflects on his first time practicing here in Brazil.
Having moved to Brazil from Japan at the age of 4, Hinata doesn't really remember what life was like there. His dad got a major job opportunity in Rio de Janeiro, causing him and his family to move over to the South American city. His dad, when he wasn't working, would bring Hinata down to the beach to play while his mom ran to do errands.
His dad was an avid sports fan, so he joined him as they both watched beach volleyball tournaments and games. He remembers the feeling he felt as he watched the games unfold, the players controlled the game. Having only 2 players per side, it was like a game of chess, the winner of the match isn't necessarily the tallest or the strongest or the fastest. It's the smartest.
When he was 6, he watched as a smaller attacker faced a massive blocker in a match. The blocker was intimidating, the intent to block the smaller attacker oozing from him. The attacker, however, smiled before spiking the ball as hard as they could. It was clearly going to go out, but then WOOOOOSH. The ball stopped and landed in the court. Hinata's jaw dropped, 'The wind stopped the ball...was that luck?' He saw the attacker smile, answering his question. He pointed to the volleyball before turning to his dad, not saying a word but his eyes, they showed ambition and curiosity. He wanted to play volleyball.
His thoughts were then interrupted when a volleyball smacked his face.
"Ah! Concentre-se Shoyo, você deveria ter conseguido isso!"
["Ah! Focus Shoyo, you should have been able to recieve that!"]
A boy complained, his face in a disappointed expression.
"Ah, desculpe Luca, eu estava distraído. Não vai acontecer de novo!"
["Ah, sorry Luca, I was distracted. Won't happen again!"]
Hinata replied, focusing back on the practice.
Ms Jimenéz smiled as she clapped her hands.
"Ok pessoal, vamos começar a jogar algumas partidas. Emparelhar!"
["Ok everyone, let's start playing a few matches. Pair up!"]
Hinata looked to Luca who nodded in response, they have been partners for most practices since they started going to this practice from the age of 7. Luca himself was a few months younger than Hinata, but that didn't stop him from being called the older of the two boys. His height and demeanor caused the mix-up as he was already 5ft 10inches at the age of 14. Hinata still had a small stature compared to Luca, being just under 5 ft 3inches. But he still found ways to make up for it.
The first match began, Hinata and Luca versus another pairing, a boy and a girl. The boy on the opposite team did a standing float serve. Hinata watched as the ball's course began to waver as it got over the net. He then watched as the ball began to sway with the wind. He moved swiftly, trying to get behind the ball but as he formed his platform, the ball began to rise. It wasn't really a good recieve as it had gone the opposite way to where luca was standing, making him move to try and get underneath the ball.
'Dang it, I totally shanked that ball!'
"Desculpe Luca!"
["Sorry Luca!"]
Hinata scolded himself, Luca however smiled at this opportunity.
"Não se preocupe, Shoyo! Apenas pule!"
["Don't worry Shoyo! Just jump!"]
Luca exclaimed, tossing the ball up high, far from the net. Hinata watched the toss and smiled, hopping into a high jump upwards. Onlookers watched as they questioned the high toss far from the net. They then witnessed in awe as the toss was pushed forward towards the net.
"O vento!"
["The wind!"]
An onlooker exclaimed as Hinata spiked the ball down. He then turned to Luca, laughing a little.
"Luca! Você é vidente ou algo assim?"
["Luca! Are you psychic or something?"]
Hinata asked, only getting a laugh in return.
'Prodigies, sure are something'
Hinata thought to himself before continuing the match. They won that game, before switching partners with other children as they knew that sticking to one partner will set unreal expectations on other partners they may have.
The class finished up after those matches and Hinata cycled his way home, which meant he had to cycle up a massive hill to reach their apartment. When he opened the door, a small figure appeared in front of him. "Onii-chan home" Natsu said, her words still slurred as she wasnt fully able to pronounce her words. Hinata smiled, hugging natsu before looking to the dining room table, where his mom and dad were.
"Shoyo, welcome home, how was practice?"
His mom asked, looking at her sandy son.
"It was good, I tried that skyball underarm serve,"
Hinata's dad slightly shivered with excitement, he always loved that serve because of its simplicity yet ability to score points.
"But it was just out. I guess I still have to work on it."
Hinata's mom smiled as she walked to her son.
"Come on, lets have some dinner, me and your dad have some news to tell you"
She said with a smile before wiping some sand off Hinata's cheek.
"But first, wash that sand off before you get itchy"
Hinata laughed a little, he already was, scratching his back as he walked to the bathroom.
After cleaning himself, Hinata walked into the kitchen/dining room and sat down to have dinner. His mom had made some katsu curry and rice. He started munching away at the food, his hunger distracting himself from his parents calls.
Hinata's parents then coughed loudly, stopping the child's near decimation of the scrumptious curry.
"Shoyo, we've got some news to tell you."
His mom said, looking to his dad to continue the statement.
"Shoyo, my bosses offered me a promotion,"
Hinata nodded, "That's great!"
Hinata's dad smiled, "I know, but there's a catch" His smile softening a little. "We have to move back home to Japan."
Hinata froze a little, the prospect of moving away from the world he grew in, the friends he made. It was unknown territory for him. He stayed silent, processing the news.
"I understand your hesitant to the idea, i would be to," his dad said, trying to lighten the situation. "But it'd be a nice change of pace from the life here in Rio. There's no snow here during the winter time." He said, offering a different perspective to Hinata. "And you can experience a new challenge Shoyo." He said with a smile.
Hinata tilted his head in confusion "What challenge?" He asked.
Hinata's dad grabbed something from behind his chair and tossed it to Hinata. Hinata caught it in his hand, it was a volleyball, but it was different than the ones he's used to. It was light and firm, covered in white, green and red panels with the word 'Molten' on it.
"Indoor volleyball" Hinata's dad said, pulling out his phone and showing him a video of an old Japanese highschool volleyball game. It was a nationals match.
Hinata looked at the names of the teams, "Eiwa High versus," he paused, trying to remember the kanji lessons his mom gave him. "Karasuno?" He said.
He watched as Karasuno were on offence and their setter tossed the ball to the left. The blockers of Eiwa high shifted to the left side of the court. The left most hitter began his run up. Hinata watched as the hitter, no.10, who was leagues smaller than the looming wall before him, jumped into the air.
The blockers followed suit, jumping for the block. Hinata shivered at the sight. em'They make Luca's blocks look like a cardboard.'
"He's going to get stuffed!" Hinata exclaimed, his dad laughing a little "Watch" his dad said. Hinata watched as No.10 spiked the ball and hit it off the blockers hands. The moment this happened, a wave of adrenaline rushed through Hinata, the same feeling he felt at the beach volleyball match, all those years ago.
"THERE YOU ARE FOLKS! KARASUNO'S ACE SCORES AGAIN, THE LITTLE GIANT!" The one of the commentators exclaimed as Karasuno celebrated the point.
"Shoyo, I understand if you dont want to play-" "When" Hinata interrupted his dad. "When what?" His dad asked. "When do we leave?" Hinata's dad looked to his wife, before turning to Hinata "a few months from now, at the beginning of the new school year in Japan. You'll be in your 3rd year of middle school." Hinata nodded
"Learn as much as you can from the beach Shoyo, you'll never know when you may need those skills." His dad told him. "You'll be at a disadvantage compared to the other boys, they've played indoor all their life. They're used to the hard floor, hard ball and powerful spikes." Hinata nodded, listening intently "You have the speed, the reflexes, the height, the mind, the control. These are things you must hone and sharpen so you can fight," Hinata's mom glared at his dad "figuratively" he mentioned, a bead of sweat dropping from his forehead "against the tall walls that will block your path."
Hinata absorbed all of this feedback, he knew what he had to do. To play like those players, to know what to do when the time comes, when its match point and the pressure is at its highest. He must find a way to help tip the scale in his teams favour.
"And don't forget, the better you become, the more you can do. Being good," Hinata's dad ruffled Hinata's hair "means being free."