27

"Which one of you is Isamu Itou?"

An official was talking to the other team but seemed to also be addressing Karasuno.

They broke from their embrace to look at what was going on.

Kageyama was surpriesed that hinata was accepting his affection as well as he did. The last time they talked didn't go as smoothly as he hoped.

"That would be me." The intense server with the jersey number three, stepped forward.

"We need a word with you," the official said, gesturing to the other officials following him. "May the respective teams please wait a few moments?"

Karasuno exchanged glances with each other.

"What do you think's going on right now?" Yamaguchi asked, eyes a bit red from crying.

"Who cares, we lost." Hinata looked away.

"Dude, what are you even saying?" Tanaka said, shaking his head. "You are a lot of things, but a party pooper? Not one of them."

"Okay let's reflect a bit on what's been going on okay?" Suga coached. "It's been a crazy few weeks for all of us."

Hinata started, "It's all my faul-"

"Nope." The team replied in habit.

"How is it not?"

Daichi shook his head. "What I would like to know is, why did you leave the hospital?"

"And more importantly, how?" Nishinoya urged on.

"No, Noya, that is not more important," Daichi snapped.

The libero put his hands up defensively. "Okay fine."

"I don't know."

Suga frowned. "You're going to have to do better than I don't know."

Hinata couldn't do better.

His confidence was at a low, and he was afraid that the next thing coming out of his mouth would be his demise.

He was probably gonna start bawling his eyes out and his voice would shake and crack.

He considered playing it off as a joke. Keeping the conversation lighter could finally brighten up the mood.

The team looked at him expectantly and he realized he had stalled for a bit too long.

"The risk I took was calculated," He recited slowly. "But boy, am I bad at math."

He smiled the best he could, bringing out his acting talents (in which he had none; he was a terrible liar.)

As if reading his thoughts, Tanaka shook his head. "You are a terrible liar."

He couldn't help but chuckle a bit at Hinata's sudden joke though.

Daichi shot the wing spiker a glare. "You guys know we're not just a team now."

"Oh?"

"We-"

"Baby you're a firework, c'mon baby 'em what you're worth-"

Suga's ringtone went off again, and he cursed.  Tanaka and Nishinoya snickered, delighted at their prank.

"May I please have your attention?" the official spoke up again. "There has been an issue and we must investigate further. For the time being, please wait until further notice. This will take a few hours but we would like you to stay posted, and do not leave."

"Huh, what are we suppose to do now?" Yamaguchi asked.

"Whatever, it's probably just, y'know, like, whatever," Asahi mumbled on. He was in a particularly bad mood, it seemed.

"Come on," Ennoshita reasoned. "Realistically we haven't been practicing as a team as much as we would have liked so it seemed inevitable that we would lose."

"Why are you guys being such pessimists?" Narita spoke up. "We can do better-"

"How?" Kageyama finally spoke up. "This is over. It's all over now! Why are we still going on about this- we failed. There wasn't a single person who didn't mess up, but I'm suppose to give you guys the best sets, and I didn't deliver. I didn't do anything right."

"Kageyama-kun-"

Hinata felt tears well up in his eyes. Everyone was arguing and in a bad mood, and even the adults seemed a bit troubled. They were speaking to each other about something seemingly serious.

Kageyama walked off, and left the court, but the rest of the team didn't stop arguing.

"It's my fault," Daichi mumbled. "Y'know that play where the ball was coming to me but then I got it, and asked for Kageyama to set me? That's where I should have-"

Asahi interrupted the captain. "No but, the guy kept getting past my blocks, even though I'm pretty sure I read him perfectly well. He plays way more mature than the rest of us, even more so than Ushijima."

"I managed to get a one-touch on his spike but none of you guys got it," Tsukishima said in spite, although not truly trying to antagonize his team.

"Yeah?" Tanaka walked up to the middle blocker angrily. "Well why didn't you just slam it down then, Mr. Amazing?"

"Speak for yourself, you couldn't even touch the ball when blocking."

"I was waiting for you to give me the right timing," Tanaka accused.

"Why can't you just time yourself?" Tsukishima retaliated.

"Stop it guys-"

Tanaka ordered. "Shut up Sugawara, this first-year is speaking to highly now, I can't stand it."

"Ironically, I'm your upperclassman," Suga warned. "So who are you to tell me to shut up?"

"Sorry, but look at this little narcissistic asshole, somebody has gotta put him in his place."

"You jealous that I'm taller and better than you although I'm younger?" the blond taunted.

Tanaka scowled. "Better? You're weak."

"Is that all you've got to say?" Tsukishima gibed.

Tanaka had enough with him and grabbed his underclassman by the collar of his uniform.

"Guys stop it!" Yamaguchi pleaded.

Daichi and Nishinoya held Tanaka back, and Suga and Asahi managed to hold back Tsukishima. The rest of the team watched helplessly as the team slowly fell apart.

Hinata couldn't stand it anymore.

Nobody was acting like himself, and were all speaking out of anger and exasperation. The coaches had left to deal with something and had come back after hearing all the noise and disruption.

Takeda and Ukai lectured the boys but none of them seemed to be paying real attention. Tanaka was still fuming and Tsukishima silently frowned.

Hinata sneaked off, deciding that he couldn't stand it anymore.

This was a nightmare. It had to be. Nothing was going right.

Everyone at Karasuno was restless and angry at something.

And it all connected back to Hinata.

It was all Hinata's fault.

He subconsciously searched his pockets for his scalpel, but they were empty. Hinata tried to remember where he left it.

He exited the building in search for it, eyes glued to the pavement.

He saw a shiny blade in the sunlight catch his attention, and he jogged over to it. As he bent over to pick it up he felt himself bump heads with someone.

"Ouch, sorry-" Hinata looked up to see Kageyama sitting on the steps of the property.

"How's the team?" He asked simply.

"I wish I could say they're okay," Hinata murmured. "Tsukishima and Tanaka got into an argument and almost fought. Everyone is really uneasy and jumpy today."

"I'm sorry I yelled. I was just frustrated. I'm sure Tsukishima and the rest of them are too."

Hinata didn't know what to say. He plopped himself down next to the taller boy. He couldn't look at his face so he stared ahead.

The sun was setting, and it was poetically despairing. Slowly the day got darker and darker and the sun started to hide behind the horizon.

Hinata felt the sadness and silence eating him up on the inside. He looked down at his scalpel, and saw his own reflection on the blade.

He almost didn't recognize himself.

He was known for having messy and enthusiastic orange-hair, big and warm chocolate-coloured eyes, and normally having a huge and bright smile on his face.

However staring back at him now was a sad and broken boy, with tired eyes.

He looked next to him to see Kageyama staring at the sunset with the same expression on his grim face.

Hinata was okay with himself being sad, but seeing someone he loved going through such grief was too unbearable for him.

"Hey Kageyama-kun?" Hinata mumbled.

"Yeah?" Kageyama replied.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make you invincible."

A/N: (I deleted my previous author note)

@ the reader who I promised I would update I'm sorry

and why is there so much more angst in this than I intended???? yikes