Love's Green Thumb

19. A Missing Piece

Song: Itchin on a Photograph- Grouplove

Another update because it's short and I'm impatient

The group aura during the walk to the college volleyball court was barely disguising itself as okay, let alone passing as people having a good time.

Sugawara and Daichi had planned this match ever since Christmas break had started, had pulled all the strings they could to borrow the volleyball gym for one night. The Garden Club had even had official jerseys made for this day. Their opponents, the Science Club (Tsukishima, Kuroo, Bokuto, Akaashi, Nishinoya, and Asahi), had likewise prepared for two weeks.

So why did everything feel so out of place?

When they arrived, the Sciences Club had already set up shop and were doing warm-ups. Normally, the sight of a formidable opponent would make each boy tingle with anticipation, but now, each one had something else on their mind.

"Daichi," Tanaka mumbled to the vice president while everyone else was taking knee pads and shoes out of their bags, "Don't you think that the Pres crossed a line?"

Sawamura had never seen Ryuunosuke like this before. He looked concerned, anxious, maybe even a little bit sad. Nothing like the rebellious loud mouth he normally was.

"I mean... Yes, but Hinata really hurt Suga's feelings."

You still don't get it! "No, I-... That's not what I meant." He gestured to the volleyball jersey, the court behind him. "I shouldn't be here. I fucked up, real bad... You really still don't know who Hinata is?"

If Tanaka had something to say, he wasn't saying it. "What exactly are you trying to say, Ryuunosuke?" Daichi crossed his arms across his chest, eyed Suga from across the court. Even from here, the boy looked ready to blow if someone so much as looked at him wrong. He understood that the President was angry, but...

"It's not that I'm trying to say anything, it's just that... Fucking hell, things would be so much simpler if everyone just knew!" He threw his hands in the air. Was it his place to tell? What would Hinata do if their roles were reversed?

"Knew what? What is it?" Daichi's eyes grew wide. "Shouyou's not in trouble, is he?"

"I... I don't know, I can't..." Tanaka tried to figure out what he was trying to accomplish. Helping the club? Helping Hinata? Helping himself?

This was it. The moment that would decide everyone's future with Hinata Shouyou.

Tanaka took one last look around the gym, at what should've been a group of smiling faces and good friends. And it was- at least, on the other team.

But the Garden Club was slowly breaking apart, and he wondered if this game would be the last thing that they'd do together.

But if Hinata wasn't here, it wasn't the Garden Club, and it sure as hell wasn't where Tanaka Ryuunosuke wanted to be.

So he walked up to the middle of the gym and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Garden Club, huddle up! I have... something I need to tell you."