A/N
So "A Glance" is basically like filler chapters while I plan this shit lol. It's mostly random tho.
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Kindaichi met his soulmate early in his life. Kunimi Akira. His soulmark was of a candy wrapper, some soft of sweet, located on the sole of his left foot. He met Kunimi during his first year in middle school, and they began hanging out. The actually bond happened at an awkward moment, Kunimi fell during gym class, and his ankle was sprained. The teacher asked KIndaichi to bring Kunimi to the nurse's office, but when they made contact, Kindaichi's foot started burning, and he fell on top of Kunimi as a result.
Both of them had to stay in the nurse's office and couldn't walk without help.
A month into school, a new student joined their class. Kageyama Tobio. He was chubby, had blue eyes and jet-black hair. Kageyama was seated beside Kindaichi, which has been empty since the year started, stating that the student that was supposed to sit there had some complications and couldn't attend school just yet. Kindaichi had thought the student would never come, but here he was. Kageyama Tobio, the name that was assigned to that table. The one kid who, now that Kindaichi thought about it, always wore a band or bracelet or anything really, on one of his hands.
Turns out Kageyama also played volleyball, as thus started their friendship. On the first day, he was picked up by someone Kindaichi presumed as his father, who called him "King", which Kunimi and Kindaichi teased Kageyama for. Kageyama was awkward, sort of, not used to people, but he was good at volleyball, even being the reserve for Oikawa-senpai, surpassing the second year setter. He looked up to Oikawa, and constantly asked him for help.
Oikawa though, seemed to hate Kageyama for some reason. Even Kindaichi, who is always described as oblivious could see that. Kageyama didn't see it, or at least, ignored it, still continuing to ask Oikawa-senpai for help. Iwaizumi-san would stop Oikawa-senpai from doing something risky. That was their dynamic, a constant.
One day though, the dynamic just disappeared. Kageyama stopped asking Oikawa-senpai for help, stopped following him around the gym. Oikawa stopped bothering him -or at least the teasing was less-, he ignored Kageyama more extremely than he'd been before. Iwaizumi seemed to stopped checking up on him, the short random looks he used to give Kageyama stopped. There was an obvious tension of sorts, Kageyama seemed... scared? Tense with them.
Then second year happened, Kageyama was made the official setter. Near the end of the year, he was called by the coach in the middle of a practice match, and he skipped school for some time, avoided us. He yelled at us, which was.. surprising at first. It got worse, so much worse. He seemed to snap, constantly telling us to do better, faster, it was frustrating. Kindaichi hated it, Kunimi hated it, they all hated it.
And so third year happened.
We don't talk about that.
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He didn't join Aoba Johsai after they graduated. Kindaichi expected that.
Oikawa got a practice match with Karasuno, where apparently Kageyama went to. when the day actually came though, he seemed.. weaker, paler. Even when Kindaichi tried to provoke him, he replied with a tired hum.
Kindaichi had an encounter with one of Karasuno's players while walking with Yahaba, which he learned his name to be Hinata.
"Well, then how is Kageyama doing? Our king seems as pompous as usual."
"That's not how he is! It's not about being pompous. Under the dictatorship of the great King Kageyama, commoners like me are oppressed, made to bitterly suffer. Just because he's a little skilled! Who does he think he is?"
"What did I tell you", Kindaichi said to Yahaba, who replied with, "He's utterly despised".
"There's no doubting his skill at receiving, blocking and serving." Kindaichi admitted. "That's right, it's aggravating" Hinata agreed.
"But his toss is-"
"-the worst"
"-amazing"
Kindaichi looked at Hinata. "His toss?"
Hinata replied with a slightly confused face. "Is amazing."
They stared at each other for second, staying silent.
Kindaichi sighed. "You've never spiked one of his tosses in a match before, have you? They're terrible. They're too difficult to spike."
"Is that so?"
Kindaichi felt disdain fill his heart. "Because he's a self-centered king. He's a setter, yet he can't do his most important job. Letting the spiker spike the ball." Imagine being yelled at for your every mistake, forced to push yourself way too much without any breaks or rests. It's torture.
"What Kageyama needs are pawns he can maneuver as he wills. Anything he doesn't need to win, he throws away."
Hinata looked at him with an odd look, when suddenly someone chuckled. Kindaichi and Yahaba turned to see the bald guy they taunted earlier.
"Let's wait until the match to see if Kageyama is still the same as he was in junior high, turnip-kun", said the bald guy. Turnip-kun???
"Isn't that right, Hinata?"
The two boys turned to face Hinata, expecting some proud of cocky response. Instead he stayed quiet for a while, then shivered, then suddenly muttered "My stomach hurts", running into the toilet.
Kindaichi smirked, turning to the bald guy and saying "We look forward to it".
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They were warming up when a stray ball went into Seijoh's side of the court. Kageyama went to take it, when Iwaizumi approached him. Kindaichi noticed how tensed he looked after Iwaizumi made his presence known.
The practice match began, and Kageyama was made the setter as per Oikawa's request. Kindaichi watched Kageyama, he seemed to be giving possible sets. The team was.. ok at best. They didn't have a libero, they didn't have an ace -maybe the bald one is the ace?- and the orange shorty Hinata messed up badly. Kageyama seemed to want to yell at him. Classic Kageyama.
Seijoh was about to win the first set, and it was Shorty's turn to serve. He was nervous, obviously, if he lost that point, Seijoh would win. Not that it mattered, Seijoh would win sooner or later.
The ball went up, and- slammed into Kageyama's head. Ouch-
Kindaichi didn't really know what was happening, but Kageyama hit his head? Kindaichi didn't really understand it, but the Shorty seemed to calm down or something. He didn't really car, Seijoh won after all.
They lined up, when Shorty sort of glared at him? Kindaichi just raised a brow. He looked at Kunimi to ask him about Shorty, when he noticed Kunimi staring at Kageyama, then Iwaizumi senpai.
"What's up, Kunimi?"
"Iwaizumi-san's glancing at Kageyama a lot."
Kindaichi shrugged, "Maybe he's just confused about why Kageyama went to Karasuno."
Kunimi nodded slowly, but his eyes stayed on Iwaizumi.
The second set began, Kindaichi happened to be close to Shorty.
"Hey, teach me how to serve to the back of the head"
"Yeah, teach me later, too" joined the tall middle blocker from Karasuno.
The ball went up, and Seijoh picked it up. Yahaba sent the ball to Kunimi, who spiked it. The tall middle blocker managed to receive it, sending the ball to Kageyama.
There's no quick... maybe it'll be open, from the left or right...
The Shorty ran to the back, only to charge to the front and jumped. Kageyama sent a royal set to him.
What? A quick?
The ball wasn't hit, the shorty missed. They do quicks? Or was that just a bluff? Either way...
"If you can't spike a ball like that, the King will get mad."
The Shorty stiffened.
"Hinata." Kageyama said. This is it.
"My bad. That toss was too high."
"Kageyama...."
"....apologized?" Kunimi continued, as stunned as Kindaichi.
Seijoh served the ball but one of Karasuno's players managed to pick it up. The ball went towards Kageyama.
The right and setter moved. The left is waiting. Who will Kageyama use-
The ball slammed down into the floor.
Oh. Huh?
The crowd went crazy.
Yahaba approached Kindaichi, "Hey, does that shrimp do fast attacks?"
"He's changed from the first set."
The match went on, and Karasuno won the second set.
"Kindaichi", Kunimi called as they were lining up for the last match.
"Yeah?"
"Kageyama. He seems... sloppy."
"Huh?"
"His actions, they're sloppier. He seems tired."
Kindaichi glanced at Kageyama. He does seem to be breathing heavier, more frantic. Kageyama himself didn't seem to notice though, berating the Shorty about something.
"Maybe he didn't sleep well."
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The ball slammed beside Oikawa, none of the Seijoh players could even react. Karasuno won.
Immediately though, Kageyama dropped to the ground, catching the attention of a few people, mainly Karasuno, and some of Seijoh.
Yuutarou watched as one of the Karasuno players, grey hair, approached Kageyama.
They talked for a while, when Kageyama shouted, "IT'S FINE!" followed by some more words Yuutarou couldn't hear.
The conversation wrapped up, and Kindaichi saw Kageyama go behind a volleyball cart. After a few minutes, Kageyama came out with a short sleeved shirt, and that's when Kindaichi realized, When was the last time he has ever seen Kageyama without long-sleeves?
Kageyama's movements were more sluggish now, slow, tired. Suddenly his eye-bags were more prominent, his pale skin more sickly.
The grey haired guy made Kageyama sit on the bench as all the other members lined up. They bowed, thanking each other for the match. Both sides started to clean the gym, as it was getting late.
Karasuno started to pack up, when the Shorty started yelling.
"Ahh! Kageyama's not waking up!!"
"Hinata! Don't bother him." Karasuno's captain said sternly. Kindaichi ignored them, continuing to mop the floor. He heard them talk about the King being sick or something. Didn't know he could get sick.
"I can help carry him if you want?"
Kindaichi swiveled his head towards the voice. Did he hear that right? Iwaizumi stood there, face mostly blank even though multiple faces were looking at him with mostly surprised faces.
"Ehm", the grey haired crow spoke up, "It's fine er- Iwaizumi-san is it? I think Daichi can carry him, we would want to bother."
"Oh no, it's no bother. I offered because Mr. Captain seemed to be... preoccupied.."
Kindaichi followed Iwaizumi's line of sight to see two Karasuno players -the bald one and Shorty- hanging on him, with the tall middle blocker smirking and -presumably- provoking the two. The captain just had a deadpanned face.
The grey haired crow cringed a bit, before sighing and facing Iwaizumi.
"Seems so, if it isn't trouble."
"Of course not."
Kindaichi watched Iwaizumi pick up Kageyama -bridal style- and followed the grey haired crow to Karasuno's bus outside.
He heard Oikawa muttering something about "Iwa-chan never carried me like that before!!!" before the coach called him to ask about his knee injury.
When Iwaizumi came back, Oikawa immediately went to Iwaizumi, seemingly interrogating him.
Kindaichi didn't think much of it.
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Just when he thought Oikawa and Iwaizumi's weird actions from that day ended, he got a call from Iwaizumi at around 7 pm.
"Iwaizumi-san?"
"Yeah, hey Kindaichi. Do you happen to have Kageyama's number."
"Huh? Why?"
"It's for... something."
"Uhm... sure I guess? I'll text you the number."
"Thanks Kindaichi"
"Welcome."
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Heyyo! As y'all know, Tobio's birthday is closeee and so Imma TRY and make a Kageyama harem thing where you can choose Kageyama's decision (?). I'll go more in depth when I actually do this but it'll be the whole week next week (cause Kages birthday is 22 which is Tuesday but it might not be everyday, just throughout the week). I don't know if I'll write any Christmas special chapter or sum but stay tuned!! Also below is my QnA from the other day!!
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Hi! My name's Eliza! As you can probably know from my username, my pronouns are she/her! I'm in middle school.
I was born and raised in Malaysia, so I can speak Malay and English. English is my second language technically, but I spent a good chunk of my childhood going to an international school where they speak English so I got used to speaking English to the point of having to relearn Malay lol. I even talk to myself in English-
You can find me here:
@/boke.beany on Instagram (it's my art account)
@/tobi_kage_au on Instagram (my au account where I saw SUPPOSED to post this there too but haven't done that in a while, I think some of you come from here?)
@/boke_beany on Twitter (but it has NOTHING because I never use twitter)
Eliza_whyamIhere on Ao3
Boke Beany on Youtube (I post stuff pls sub lol)
Now to the actual questions!
1. Do you have a posting schedule?
I do not. I used to post once a week, usually on weekends, but I don't really follow that anymore. I know this makes it hard for you guys to know when there's an update, but I really don't do well with schedules...
2. Is this also on Ao3?
Yes, I also post this on Ao3, I'm not stealing this from anyone I swear. My posts on Ao3 are usually strict?? like, I don't post little updates or announce little breaks on Ao3 because I mostly use mobile and typing stuff on Ao3 is annoying on mobile like- It's mostly actual chapter's there, so if you prefer not to get the little announcements I think Ao3 is better for you.
3. Does Akaashi hate Oikawa and Iwaizumi for rejecting Kageyama?
Well, they haven't met yet, so we'll have to see :))) But I can say that I'm pretty excited to write their interactions. If you read my Kageyama one shot book, the platonic!Akakage chapter, you get to see a short glimpse into how Iwaoi feel about Akaashi and how Akaashi thinks they feel about him (does that sentence make sense???).
4. Will there be a happy ending?
Will there?
5. What are the ships?
Ok so someone asked me on Instagram but I thought why not answer it here (totally not because I don't have enough questions to make this long). The current ships are Iwaoikage (obviously), Kenhina, Daisuga, Asanoya Ennotana and Narikino. Most of these are background ships, but Tsukishima and Yamaguchi's ship (which includes a third I haven't revealed but it's pretty obvious from the soulmark,, just let me have this please) is actually a ship I wanted to write about for some time but I couldn't get a proper story line. I MIGHT make another book in the same universe as this one but focusing on this ship instead.