chapter thirty-four!
GAUCHE
HINATA'S NOT A PARANOID person in nature nor did he have overdriven fantasies, but in regards of today's fate, he might have believed that the world was going to end. He wasn't fed with those spiels from cult-looking folks who believed in Judgement Day, nor did he accidentally stumble upon a long thread on the internet with people discussing how the Earth was going to be up in flames— no, this idea merely sprouted with the news Yachi was bearing. During this fine Monday morning, as he was on his way to the gymnasium for the morning practice, the girl appears behind him with stars glimmering in her eyes as she retells the news she received from Mina during summer.
At first, her news didn't seem to register in his mind. There were bits and pieces that did seem to click with him, like the names Kageyama and Mina but the rest seemed to flow from one ear and out the other. Yachi expected him to say something, a reaction of some sorts because she finds the news itself quite exciting but the ginger haired male merely blinks.
"Kageyama-kun and Lee-san are dating!" She repeats, excitement in her voice remains unfaltering.
The sentence echoes in his mind and bit by bit, it fades away the more he was starting to get the gist of it.
As soon as Hinata understood it, a nuclear explosion went off inside his brain. He stopped walking, standing rigidly like a wax doll while all the colour on his face was drained. Of course it didn't make sense to him, why would it! Because out of all the people in this world, all seven billion of them that populated this planet, Mina chose someone like Kageyama. Now, that didn't mean he hated the guy from the bottom of his heart nor did he have any ill-will towards him but it just didn't make any sense. Given, Hinata wasn't much of a thinker in the first place but he couldn't let this one pass.
There had to be some reason, some sort of logical explanation that would ease the confusion that was messing with his mind.
"H-Hinata-kun..?" Yachi cautiously queries and the boy snaps out of his stupor.
"T-There's no way! Lee-san's way too nice for someone mean like Kageyama, you know! Plus, he's always frowning like this," He mimics the raven haired male's expression more dramatically. "And then gets mad too quick if things don't go his way!"
Yachi understood where he was coming from. Kageyama wasn't exactly someone who knew a lot about affections; he was just— this person who didn't seem to care about anything aside from his sport. And the personality difference between him and Mina! They were the complete opposites of each other, both on two separate ends of a spectrum. The blonde haired girl didn't want to judge as Mina was seemingly excited enough to tell her about it, but it would be a lie if she said there wasn't even a cinch of doubt in her heart.
As she was about to say something, Hinata sprints away towards the gymnasium, leaving the girl in the dust. He passes the baseball team doing their morning runs, weaves through the track team's equipment and straight for the metallic doors where he barges in like he was about to object a marriage. The Karasuno folks turn to the source of the loud noise, only to see their shortest player stand there with eyes frenziedly scouring the whole room.
"What's wrong with him?" Yamaguchi blinks.
"It's better to not question anything a slow-witted person does," Tsukishima carries on with his exercises. "It'll just eat your braincells away."
While others carried on with their own work, Daichi chose to approach the first-year.
"Seems like you're a little worked up this morning, Hinata. What's going on?" He queries.
"KAGEYAMA'S DATING LEE-SAN!"
There was no hesitation; his voice was loud and clear. It reverberated inside the walls of the gymnasium, catching the attention of every single person inside the room. Hinata's words easily rendered everyone speechless— who wouldn't be with such a bold and strong statement first thing in the morning! Everyone stills for a few moments, balls frozen in hands or rolling off to a corner before a reaction is evoked out of everyone.
Many of these reactions varied on the spectrum and to set the extremities, Nishinoya and Tanaka set the highest bar. Below their chaos was the rest of the second years who turned back to Hinata with wide eyes and confused huh's and what's, Yamaguchi giving the same reaction as them and then Tsukishima who gave a milder [ if not, only a tad bit lighter ] reaction.
"What?!"
"Unbelievable!"
"No freakin' way!"
"Kageyama gets to go first?!"
"How the hell did this happen?!"
"You're telling me that he's dating while I'm still single?!"
"I thought April fools' was over!"
There were collective complaints, endless noises of disapprovals and a sense of betrayal— mostly from Nishinoya and Tanaka who went off into a tirade and how their youngest and most unlikely contender for romance was now suddenly dating one of the most cutest girls around school.
Meanwhile, the third-years on the other hand—
"This was bound to happen, right?" Asahi chimes in, arms crossed with a thoughtful look.
"Ha! I knew it, I definitely predicted this!" Sugawara excitedly points to his fellow third-years. "I told you guys it was going to happen this summer, one way or the other!"
"So, he did, huh.." Daichi hums. "I guess I owe you a meat-bun after practice."
Their chaotic complaints dials down, turning to their upperclassmen with stares that unveiled their pure confusion. While everyone else here was trying to make sense of the situation in hand, it seemed like the third-years were already ten steps ahead of the game— and they were even betting on it!
"W-What..?"
"You guys knew about this?" Ennoshita queries.
Sugawara blinks before a smile blossoms from his lips. "Of course! I mean, wasn't it kind of obvious? There were a lot of tell-tale signs that those two were gonna end up dating. Think about training camp last week! Why do you think Kageyama's been glued to his phone the whole time?"
"B-But that could've just been anything!" Hinata argues.
"Well, I kinda did witness something during training camp," Kinoshita pipes up. "And uh, I saw that he was texting Lee-san when we were taking breaks— oh! But, I wasn't snooping around or anything like that! I-I just saw it by chance when I passed by him!"
"They could just be textingㅡ"
The metallic doors open once more to reveal three individuals; Ukai, Yachi and Kiyoko. What the three witnesses at first glance is all of the boys huddled in the middle, in the midst of their banter about a topic unknown to the three— except for Yachi who had a gist of what was going on considering how Hinata rushed over to this place. The group ceases in their chatter and gave the three greetings, albeit sounding a little distracted.
"What's going on in here?"
Ukai slips on his indoor shoes while the two managers pass him and handle the empty drink bottles set aside in a crate, before leaving to refill them.
His question caused the team to purse their lips. It wasn't a secret to the team that Mina was under the care of their coach for the remainder of time she was to live in this country. With that being said, Ukai was to be the parent figure for her and that meant he was the father in this equation. And how could they openly say that their setter was dating Mina, the girl he was taking care of? What if he didn't know about it and their words caused chaos for the team—
"Kageyama's dating Lee-san!" Hinata doesn't hesitate to say.
As he utters those words, his team freezes up immediately. There were instances where Hinata made smart plays and times when he didn't; and it wasn't like he was the brightest bulb in the box, either which was fine but there were times when duct-taping his mouth seemed awfully appealing— like this moment. They all stay silent with hands clasped behind their backs like a corporal punishment was awaiting them, but in contrast to their expectations, Ukai looks at them with surprise written all over his visage.
"Huh, I guess cat's out of the bag now."
What— that's it?
"S-So, it's true then-!" Narita exclaims.
"As true as it can be," Their coach wipes away any doubt lingering in their minds. "Now that you gossip girls confirmed it, everybody back to what they were doing! Chop chop!"
And as all of them slowly disperses with dazed looks and mumbles under their breath, Yamaguchi couldn't help but voice out a question he's been wondering about, "But, where's Kageyama?"
"YOU LOOK BAD, TOBIO-KUN."
Those were her first words to him this lunch; that he looked terrible. In the literal sense, he did— haggard, skin devoid of its natural healthiness, and him just poorly sipping on his yogurt milk. The boy looked like he went from Hell and back this morning. Mina blinks, sitting right beside him as she places down her bento box before reaching for his forehead. But unlike the usual reaction where he flinches and blushes, his eyes merely flickers over to her without a peep of opposition.
"What are you doing?" He asks, reaching to grab her hand and remove it.
"You look like dead person," Mina responds when he removes her hands from his forehead. Her brows furrows amidst her scanning him for anything wrong. "Tobio-kun, sick? Tummy ache?"
Mina rubs her belly, hands going round and round with a concerned expression painted on her visage and it makes the corners of his lips curve to a small degree. It dissipates as quick as it occurs before he shakes his head and lowers the carton of drink to his lap.
"Morning practice was just rough," Kageyama replies, the memory of it appearing for a fleet second and he shudders at his teammates giving him a rough time, or as they say, tough love for the non-single one in the team. "M'not sick or anything like that."
Her expression eases at least, knowing it wasn't serious or anything like that. But the poor guy, she thought. Mina realizes how important this time is for them and the amount of effort they exert into their day to day training. She wishes she could do something for them to at least ease off the burden in their hearts but, what could she do for them? That, she didn't know. But for now, at least for Kageyama, the least she could do as his significant other is to soothe his fatigue away.
So, she places all of her items into the corner of the bench before she turns to him, patting her thighs with a soft smile that prompted him.
"Lay down." She says.
The raven haired male blinks owlishly, eyes falling to her pleated skirt and back to her prodding smile. Mina's sudden gestures causes heat to shoot up his neck, burning his cheeks and the tips of his ears before he backs up with a flustered look.
"W-What are you saying..?!" With a frown merging with his beet red face, it looked like the same old Kageyama was back in business.
"I tell you to lay down," Mina refuses to back down and continues straight on with her attacks, constantly patting her thighs to urge him. "Listen to me, Tobio-kun. No need to be shy, okay?"
Before he could refuse it, Mina reaches for him and lays his head down at her lap. At first, Kageyama tries to get back up as the heat in his body escalates at a greater level with her sudden action, but she looks down at him with a look that told him to stay still. It wasn't an intimidating expression— Mina hardly ever looks intimidating to the eyes of anyone. But it was the kind that you couldn't refuse; like a little child with puffed cheeks scolding an older individual. So, he backs down, pursing his lips and hands clasped to his chest to avoid any accident touches.
A triumphant smile blossoms from her lips as the male gives in to her, albeit a bit stiff but she believes he'll soon be at ease. Mina peers down at him, a frown on his visage and shrouded by the blush encompassing him. She doesn't say anything for a little while and neither does he, just the soothing whisper of the breeze filling in that silence while the sun beams down on them.
There was the gnawing sensation in the back of her mind that told her that she could've been seen by people and students, but it's easily wiped away when she feels him at ease. Though, he was still frowning a little and his cheeks are still bright red, the fact that he was at least comfortable with her lets her know that she might have been helping him in some way. This much she could do for him.
"Hey, Tobio-kun," She speaks softly, staring into the blue sky. The male hums in reply and she takes it as a sign to carry on. "When is your birthday?"
His frown eases at the question. Kageyama doesn't say anything for a few moments and allows his chest to rise and decline before mumbling out, "December 22nd."
Mina peers down at him. "Really? Heol. Imagine having Christmas and your birthday together. Tobio-kun is so lucky, born during Christmas."
"What about you?"
"Hm?"
"I'm asking when's yours," Kageyama looks at her from the corner of his eyes.
There was something about that question that made her insides tingle. When he asks when hers is, Kageyama meant hers and hers alone. No theirs, no referral to twins, nor did he ever question about Minji— this question was solely for Mina alone. As cheap as this happiness might've been for others, she thinks of it as the world; because the focus was solely on her for once.
"May 16." She chirps.
That's when he perks up, the realization that it has already passed dawns to him. She didn't even mention it! It's been awhile since her birthday, not even a peep about it has reached his ears nor did their coach ever mention something about it. Well, he's the one dating Mina so he should've known better; though anyways, now that her date has passed, it felt a little odd for him. Birthdays are special days, ones that couldn't be rescheduled around in calendars like meetings and gatherings.
".... B-Belated happy birthday," He grumbles under his breath, a tint of red showing on his cheeks.
Her eyes widens by a fraction as she looks at him once more before a fit of giggles escapes her lips. The male gives her a half-hearted glare, grumbling about her reaction but she pays it no mind. She merely gives him a million-watt smile, one got him all flustered and red all over again.
"Thank you, Tobio-kun."
Teen romance is fickle but she'd gladly become its prisoner.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
sorry it took so long guys
but im having brainfarts from
classes and i didnt know what
to write, so here's a 2700
word-filled chapter to
make it up lol
+
all jokes aside, this book is nearing
100K reads and has reached
5K votes. i'm always questioning
if the work i'm doing is okay
but you guys always back me up
so thank you, honestly. it's been
a rough year and for my fellow
seniors who are supposed
to graduate this year, keep
your guys' head up! i know
we've had our rough patches
and now we dont get grad but
yall are one of the toughest ones
out there. and to everyone else
who are doing god's work during these
bad times, the front-liners and the
workers in stores giving us services,
you guys have all of my love.
i wish for everyone's good health
and for yall to keep safe during
these times.
i went off in a tangent there lol
but thank you guys. GAUCHE
would have never made it this far if it
wasn't for you guys. so i will say it again,
thank you for supporting this book
and i'll see you guys in the next chapter.