1

"Hinata, are you limping?" Kageyama yelled from across the gym. Everyone paused in their tracks, surprised by the sudden outburst. Hinata fell over as he was in midair in the middle of practicing one of their volleyball quicks.

"W-what?" Hinata exclaimed, surprised that Kageyama actually noticed. It wasn't really like him to care anyway. Kageyama walked towards him with a unidentifiable expression. To Hinata, Kageyama was the most scary when he wasn't expressing his usual anger.

"Stand up." The taller boy demanded.

"Okay?" Hinata stood trying to keep balance and seem fine.

"Run."

"What?" Hinata blinked. What did Kageyama mean?

"Did I stutter? Run a lap around the gym." Kageyama continued with the same serious expression. It wasn't necessarily the calm before a storm this time. However, Hinata couldn't quite tell what it was.

"A-alright." Hinata turned around and proceeded to run, but remembering the pain in his leg he stopped. He cringed in pain. It was a good thing he wasn't facing the rest of them. He couldn't let them see him in such a weak position.

"Hinata?" Suga called out worriedly.

"I'm fine." Hinata said taking a deep breath before going to a steady jog. He made sure to be careful to be as cautious as possible of his hurting knee.

"Faster." Kageyama said once more. Everyone looked at him with confusion.

"Why?" This time it was Nishinoya who spoke up. "I mean, he's fine right?"

"I mean, unless you can't run that fast-" Kageyama scoffed looking straight into Hinata's eyes, knowing it would trigger him to try harder. Indeed, Hinata went into a sprinting speed just to come into a stop as he doubled over.

"Hinata!"

"Are you okay?"

"What's wrong!"

"What happened?"

"Is your leg okay?"

A series of worried words came from the team. Hinata stayed speechless on the ground. How exactly did Kageyama find out? The pain had been with him for a few days, but he wasn't sure what had happened.

"You probably tripped over your own feet one day." Tsukishima said rolling his eyes. Hinata scowled, but he was mostly used to Tsukishima's dry sarcastic comments.

"Hinata," Coach Ukai said suddenly. Everyone had practically forgotten he and Takeda-sensei was there. "Let's go to the hospital."

"Do we need an ambulance!?" Takeda exclaimed worriedly.

"Let's all calm down." Coach Ukai said, trying his best himself to keep his composure. He and Takeda led Hinata into his car. They discussed the situation in hushed tones, making the rest of the team restless with worry.

"I'm sure he's fine." Kageyama said suddenly to his team.

"Are you okay Kageyama? Do you have a fever?" Tanaka asked in pure confusion. It wasn't like Kageyama to say these things.

"I'm fine." Kageyama said rolling his eyes. He tried his best to remain expressionless but deep inside he was hurting the most.

△△△

"He seems fine, but we'll have to watch him for a while." The doctor stated, to Coach Ukai and Hinata's mom.

"Thank you. We'll schedule for tomorrow then?"

"If he's willing to. He does seem to be in a lot of pain. We could keep him here for a little while if you want." Ukai and Hinata's mom exchanged glances.

"It's up to you." The coach said looking away.

"I... I guess it'd be better if he's in too much pain. I'll ask him though." Hinata's mom said, leaving the room.

"Okay, I'll talk to Shouyou- Hinata about everything he needs to know, if he agrees."

"Thank you, Doctor."

"It's in my best interest for our area's little giant to do well in Nationals." The doctor said chuckling.

"You know our team?" Coach Ukai asked, beaming with pride.

"Of course. I use to be on Karasuno's team, Keishin." The doctor said chuckling at the coach's bewilderment.

"You... know me?" Keishin Ukai asked, with the most puzzled expression he's ever expressed in his life.

"Ah, of course. I must apologize though, you must loath me."

"What? Why...?"

"I guess you wouldn't recognize me. I'm Sukodu." Sukodu Aoi, the first-year setter that was a starter instead of Keishin himself.

"Sukodu! You-"

"You were a senpai to me, but you always ignored me because I became a regular while I was still only a first-year."

"Oh," Keishin said, sheepishly. He never knew that Sukodu would respect him. "Well, you haven't ever felt the pain of a third-year bench player have you?"

"Sorry, but I did respect you a lot. You were also the godly Coach Ukai's grandson. How's he like to you?"

"To rough and strict for his own good."

"As expected from the amazing legend," Sukodu said in admiration. "But I have been supporting your team ever since I heard you started coaching. I couldn't attend your games of course, with my busy life being a doctor. But I watched your games at your finals. I'm sure Hinata will be fine."

"Right." Was all Keishin could say.

△△△

"Hinata!" A loud exclaim suddenly burst out in the quiet room. It was Nishinoya, as he walked in with the rest of the team following him. One of the nurses shot him a glare but he didn't notice.

"Noya-senpai!" Hinata said with a huge smile on his face. Nishinoya apparently seemed extremely flattered of being called senpai.

"Are you alright?" Daichi said with worry, slightly hitting at Nishinoya's careless actions.

"Yeah, I just need some rest and time here and they'll see what's wrong. They don't think it's anything too serious." Hinata said forcing a smile, making the entire team sigh with relief. Even Tsukishima seemed relieved, which Tanaka noticed.

"Wah Tsukishima, do you care for Hinata as well now?" Tanaka asked teasingly. This resulted to Sugawara hitting him. However, Tsukishima didn't falter.

"Well, he is on our team after all, and we can't win without this fool."

"I don't know if I should feel good or insulted." Hinata said rolling his eyes. He looked around the room at the big group, and noticed someone was missing.

"Hey where's Kageyama?" The team exchanged unreadable glances.

"Have you seen him?"

"He was with us a minute ago!"

"Where'd that little-"

"Hey!" A booming voice called out into the hospital room, which earned another glance from the nurse. Coach Ukai however seemed unfazed by his disruption. "Let's leave now and give Hinata some rest."

"Aww okay." The team started moving out the door saying their goodbyes and well wishes to Hinata.

"We'll visit tomorrow!" Asahi said with an assuring grin to the younger boy.

"I won't." Tsukishima muttered under his breath.

"Come on Tsukki, we should visit! Bye Hinata!" Yamaguchi said as the door closed behind him. Suddenly everyone was gone. There was only him and the nurse who was busy with whatever she was doing, in the room. For some reason the room felt empty even when the team was in here. Where was Kageyama? Did he not want to come because he hated Hinata that much?

It felt as if his whole world crashed onto him, as Hinata realized how unimportant he probably was to the setter. He couldn't receive or serve properly, and his only weapon was his super fast quick with Kageyama. He was practically useless, and he wasn't a necessary part to the quick. It was basically Kageyama doing all the work, and he could remake the quick with anyone else in the team, or someone completely new.

But it still felt good. As the ball hit the hefty part of his hand. The satisfying feel, as the ball stops right in front of him. As he gets past any blocker with Kageyama. It was just as Kageyama said, with him Hinata was invincible.

△△△

"Oy, Tobio-chan!" A horribly familiar voice called out to Kageyama.

"Oikawa-san." Kageyama said bitterly to the other setter.

"Ah no need to be so salty! What a coincidence to meet you here!" Oikawa said in his usual half sarcastic tone.

"Why are you here?"

"I could ask the same for you!" The older setter scoffed. "But since you asked first, I'm here for Iwa-chan, he hurt his ankle."

"Iwaizumi-san?" Kageyama said with surprise. Even though he and the Iwaizumi were never that familiar, he deeply respected the ace. For many reasons, but one was that he stood up for the younger setter often when Oikawa teased and insulted him.

"Yeah. I assume it's Hinata you're here for? I saw the rest of Karasuno leave not long ago, why are you wandering here?"

"Er- no reason. I had to use the restroom."

"Ah Tobio-chan, I sense lies in you."

"What?"

"Go visit the little shrimp already! Are you nervous or something?" Oikawa said rolling his eyes. Kageyama's eyes widened in realization. Was he really nervous?

"Trashykawa get your freaking face back here!" A voice called from inside one of the rooms, which Kageyama recognized as Iwaizumi-san.

"Yes, Iwa-chan! See you later Tobio!" Kageyama wasn't too excited to see him later. The dark haired boy walked cautiously towards the orange haired boy's room.

Kageyama took a deep breath. What if Hinata didn't want to see him? Afterall, the taller boy was always a jerk towards him on the outside. However on the inside he had always cared. Too much, some would say, but he kept it to himself. He slid open the door and walked in.

"Kageyama-kun?"

"Oy, hi... Hinata." Hinata was unfamiliar with Kageyama calling him and being so soft. It felt so... unnatural.

"Sorry sir, visiting hours are over for today, please come back tomorrow." The tired nurse said with no energy at all, from having a headache because of the loud group from before.

"Uh please- I'll be quick." Kageyama said bowing all the way down, with sincerity. This surprised both the nurse and Hinata.

"Er okay then. I'll give you 5 minutes. I have to go somewhere for a moment, and I'll be back soon."

"Thank you." With that the nurse left shutting the door, and leaving the two alone.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"It's nothing serious-" Hinata said with his forced smile he used on the rest of the team.

"Don't BS me. It's obvious that you're not okay." Kageyama interrupted frowning. This took Hinata aback.

"No really, er, it's probably okay."

"You trust me, Hinata." It wasn't a question, but a statement. "You can... tell me anything."

"I... the doctor's aren't sure what's wrong." Hinata finally said, his voice shaking a bit. "They tell me it's okay but they have no proof yet, so I just have to wait. There were many possibilities. Many resulting to lifetime problems."

"Hinata Shouyou-" Kageyama started but stopped. It surprised Hinata once more that he had called him by his full name. "It's... going to be okay."

"Kageyama...?"

"Yeah, dumbass?" It was weird for Hinata to admit, but it made him feel good that Kageyama had called him dumbass. It made him almost feel as if everything was normal.

"What if I have tendinitis or something?" Hinata paused and took a shaky breath. "What if... I can never play volleyball again?"

Kageyama stopped in his tracks completely, and looked Hinata directly. Hinata immediately regretted it, knowing that he probably didn't care a single bit if he couldn't play anymore. One day Kageyama would have to go to some national team by himself anywa-

"That'll never happen." Hinata blinked. What? Did Kageyama really just... assure him? Kageyama couldn't meet his eyes.

"Really?" Hinata asked in disbelief.

"Of course." The setter replied without hesitation, still not looking at him.

"How are you so... certain?"

"Because I care for you... you dumbass," Kageyama said finally turning around. "And I can't do with the fact if you actually can't hit my sets anymore."