"Dude, it's cold," Suga grumbled at his classmate and friend.

"I guess you have energy left to talk if you can complain that much," Daichi growled back. He released the other's collar and leaned back against the windows behind the balcony where they had been gathering for several nights now.

"I get that you're mad, for whatever reason, but did we have to come out here? Now?," Suga continued expressing his displeasure. Daichi sighed, knowing full well how difficult things were going to be with Sugawara in that kind of mood already.

"Look. I'm not mad, just," Daichi couldn't find the words to finish that statement. Suga squinted at him and pouted, but stopped his rambling.

"Just what?"

"Hng, give me a minute," Daichi smacked the sides of his face, a trick he picked up from Yui. They had talked about some things through text. About them, and about their friends. About how it was probably best to just leave things be, and set aside the worries for now. He knew all that to be true, and yet. He worried, endlessly. The more he tried to rationalize it, the further he got from understanding the paternal instinct he had for the girl who showed up on his doorstep just a few years ago. And here he was, letting that eat him up and chew up his friendships.

"Sorry. I just, the reactions were weird. It's not my place to tell you what to do, or her. I know that, but I'm worried about it. God, this is aggravating! Just-"

"Well, that's sort of what me and Asahi have dealt with for three years with you," Suga leaned over the railing as he said that. His voice still held some of that pout from before, but also a level of patient understanding. That same patience that routinely caught Daichi off guard and threw off his whole game.

"You guys are close. I get that, even if I don't fully know your history. But what is it exactly you're so stressed over?," Sugawara turned around to face Daichi, resting his elbows on the railing and occasionally glancing down at the street. Daichi took one deep breath, then another. And another. Trying to center himself and get to the bottom of this before it really started to affect him during tomorrow's match. He was sure that the two involved were stressing out over it, more than he was, but they didn't show it very much.

"Sort of jealous of that," he accidentally said out loud.

"Hm?," Suga raised a brow at him, finally returning to his regular state.

"You guys are probably thinking about it. Worried about stuff, you have more right to be than I do. But you both seem fine," the dark-haired boy flashed a nervous grin. He opened his eyes again to see his friend once again leaning over the rail, back toward him, and trying to warm his hands with his breath.

"I..was trying to put it off and ignore it. Til after prelims. Then after the next game. Then nationals. I probably figured it out a long time ago, but if I pushed harder and it caused friction I think that would have torn me up worse than just plain rejection. Now, she's acting more or less normal and I'm being super weird. She's the one who's scary like that," Suga's voice cracked a few times as he spoke. Daichi took his turn to raise a brow at that, but simply shook his head and stepped across the balcony. Joining his friend at the railing, stealing glances at his face that he hid in his hands now. The warm light from below exposed his reddened ears, and hints of red from behind his fingertips.

"What..happened? Earlier, I mean. You're easily flustered, for sure, but right now you're on a whole new level," Daichi teased lightly, turning his gaze away while his friend tried to pull himself back.

"Suga?"

Sugawara felt his face burning up, and his heart pounding in his ears. His field of vision kept narrowing further and further, until he no longer saw what was in front of him.

"Hey! Suga!"

"Huh?," he blinked, tuning back into reality. He was warm, except for his hands, and felt the familiar chill of air conditioning over drying sweat on his skin. He blinked again, his vision returning to normal, and squinted under the glaring lights. The crowd was painfully loud, as were the squeals of sneakers on the hard floor. The echoing slam of the ball against the court, and the mixed cheers and cries of anguish from both sides of the net. Black and orange on one side, white and pale blue on the other.

"Dude. Are you good?," Kitsuna gave him a look before turning her attention back to the court. They were nearing the end of the first set, points coming slow and going pretty evenly back and forth. Her face was hardened into a tight frown, brow wrinkled just above her nose. He could tell something was bothering her, but because he had been so lost in thought he had no idea what that thing could be.

"Sorry."

That was all he could say after spacing out so hard all morning. He watched the next rally, not seeing anything too out of the ordinary for his teammates there. If anything, they were all on top of their game more than the previous few matches.

"Is something wrong?," he finally caved in and asked her what was bothering her. She didn't respond immediately, watching the ball get slammed down over the net with a strong block.

"Shoyo. He's moving weirdly," she answered finally. Suga watched as the ball went back and forth, trying to see what she did. Finally, he caught it. Just before Hinata jumped, his movements were more clumsy than normal. Sluggish, even. His landings weren't as springy as usual. Then, just as the final set went up, he spiked the ball. Or would have, had he been able to make the normal jump height. His fingertips bumped the ball, sending it back down and luckily scoring the final point needed to take the set. The crowds erupted, but the boy's landing was off. He collapsed onto the floor, and his breath was obviously ragged and hard.