Chapter Text
Slowly, tentatively, like someone about to reach into the lair of a sleeping dragon, exhaling warm smoke through its jaws in serene snores, his finger struck the cymbal of the drum set that rested in the corner of the room. The thunderous metallic sound that escaped the contact immediately attracted attention, waking the dragon and causing gazes to turn to the one responsible.
"Tadashi! Don't touch the instruments!" a loud voice scolded him, expressing itself in an authoritarian and patient way at the same time, somehow. In response, he couldn't do more than let out a nervous giggle and flee from the sight of the adults, trying to hide in a new imaginary adventure.
His father owned a small but well-stocked music store in the center of town. And his obligation as his son was to keep him company and behave in the best possible way during the summer and free time of school.
His dad and his client were talking about...something. Something he wasn't interested in, babbling unintelligible to the overactive mind of an infant. And Tadashi knew how to behave; his teachers used to congratulate him on how calm and obedient he normally was. He liked that adults, those who had all the answers to every tiny mystery in the world, praised his behavior. He liked receiving kind words and rewards in the form of sweet treats from his parents after a long day of being a good boy.
And now was no exception, he knew that he shouldn't touch anything. The instruments had to be in optimal condition for sale. He was aware of that. Yet at the same time, he was mortally bored. The dragon of his fantasies had disappeared in a screen of thick smoke, leaving him alone again. The male voices muttering prices and arguing about different types of wood according to its quality. He couldn't help but yawn, opening his mouth wide and delighting in the sensation, stretching out short limbs. If only the store had a television, even if it was in the back room, he could be watching Pokémon right now. If only the place was empty, he could insist to his father to carry him on his shoulders and pretend to be a robot for the renowned pilot Tadashi to control to his liking. If only the adult world weren't so boring...
His brown eyes, hungry for entertainment, found a new victim to fantasize at ease. A bright yellow guitar, with its body ending in two pointed peaks. They looked like ears. And it glowed in front of him with the color of Pikachu. That little spark of inspiration was enough to start playing. Obviously, a little electric rodent lived inside that guitar, specifically in between the strings. That's where it slept and ate onigiri daily, and swung with its tail to play. Would other Pokémon visit it? Would it feel alone? Would it be as bored as a small child stranded in the middle of an adult world?
'Don't worry, Pikachu' he thought, flipping back his imaginary cap. 'I'll catch you, and we will be friends. And you'll play with me and dad.'
With the speed of a ninja and the stealth of a spy, he positioned himself in front of the instrument. The indistinct voices still chatting in the background. He only had to play the guitar and the little animal would come out, and thus he would have found his best friend in the whole world. Just like Aladdin summoned the genie inside the lamp by rubbing it, right? It was surely the same thing.
With determination and steadfastness, the tip of his index finger was positioned under the string, before rising upwards in a sudden movement driven by the enthusiasm of the game, thus causing the instrument to vibrate with such force that the sound echoed across the room.
"Tadashi! What did I just tell you?!" oh, no! Busted! Time to run!
This time, his legs led him into the back room without even thinking, like a criminal trying to hide from the firm grasp of the law.
After what seemed like an eternity sheltered in the safety of the darkness of the place, surrounded by parts to be replaced and instruments neatly arranged in boxes, the bell that tinkled every time the front door was opened announced that the customer had left. Whether or not he had bought something from the store remained undetermined. The heavy but serene footsteps of the family patriarch led him to a seat that was already familiar to the child, having memorized the entire store at this point in his young life. With a soft sigh, his father adjusted his glasses properly against his nose before casting a quick glance back over his shoulder at his silent hiding place.
"You can come out now, rebel without a cause."
"What's that?" he inquired with a careful voice, approaching with short steps towards the piano bench where the adult rested.
"Oh, you know... someone who doesn't obey his parents, for example." the other answered calmly, but even so, making a whirlwind of guilt twist inside Tadashi's gut. The little boy with long strands of olive-hue brown hair pushed himself up to take a seat in the vacant spot next to his father, his feet dangling off the ground, swinging in pendulous motions. Suddenly, looking at his shoes seemed much more encouraging than looking at the eyes of the person next to him.
"I'm sorry, Dad…" he murmured, playing with the fabric of the bottom of his shirt in between nervous fingers. "I was just bored."
"Bored, huh?" he repeated, almost immediately. And the quiet tone in which his words were spoken let him know, without the need for more proof, that he hadn't gotten into trouble.
His father was a kind, calm person, whose jokes and soft tone of voice made you feel at home; safe from any uncomfortable feelings. Nevertheless, he could be firm and severe when he put his mind to it. Like a few moments ago.
His dark eyes roamed the pale walls of the area, decorated with guitars, basses, and other stringed instruments, including a black cat-shaped wall clock that Tadashi himself had chosen when they opened the store.
"Yeah, maybe this isn't the most fun place for a child." he finally conceded, managing to get the attention of the infant, who finally looked up. His father's eyes, however, were fixed on the black and white keys in front of them. "But you liked playing the instruments, right?"
Was Tadashi being tested? A pair of brown eyebrows shot up in both surprise and confusion, before frowning slightly and returning to his comfortable viewing spot on the floor, staring at his favorite green shoes.
"I know I shouldn't have done it." he muttered under his breath.
"How about we forget that rule, just this once?" the older proposed suddenly, turning to see his son who had a pair of eyes so comically wide that anyone would think that they would fly out of their sockets like in some American cartoon. He had to hold back a chuckle before silently presenting the keyboard to them with an open palm. "Come on, play the keys."
Thousands of stars shone in the kid's gaze, the emotion impossible to contain in his small, thick-fingered hands which carefully pressed a single key in amazement, receiving an incredibly low sound in response, which echoed around the room.
"Sounds like a yawning hippo…" he whispered, fascinated.
"Hear this." his father, sitting on the opposite side of the instrument, pressed the last key, which let out a high-pitched groan that drew a contagious laugh from the little boy.
"Sounds like a bunny whining!"
They both laughed for a moment before the adult's large hand flew freely across the keyboard, his fingers expertly playing different keys at once, producing increasingly complex sounds that ignited the blazing flame within Tadashi's chest. He decided to imitate the adult by sinking his fingers into different keys, black and white, producing explosive sounds that collapsed against the harmonic melody of the other. Promptly, his slender wrist was gently grasped to guide him to a specific key, which resounded with moderate force.
"That's Do." his father informed him in a patient voice, guiding his finger to the next place, taking his time listening, letting the sound fill the environment "Re. Do you know what's next?" he asked curiously, watching him with the corners of his lips curved up.
And the boy gave it a thought for a moment, remaining silent. A song, in particular, starring a trio of kittens capable of playing the piano, which he had seen in a movie materialized in his mind, while his fingers pressed the keys again and again consequent.
"Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si, Do!" he crooned as the sounds exploded from the erratic movements of his wrist, managing to get a laugh from his father.
"That’s right! Excellent." he congratulated him, ruffling his hair in an affectionate gesture that made the boy feel a candor in his chest, extended with pride. Once again, the adult's skilled fingers were transported to the instrument, pressing gently and making sounds that might seem random, yet concealed purpose. "When you learn what each key is called, you can play any song you like. For example…" one, two, three, four keys were pressed gently, one sound after the other "Twinkle, twinkle, little star…" he began, in clumsy English, words bathed with a Japanese accent. His patient hands guided his son's to specific places on the instrument, accompanying him, forming music together.
"How I wonder what you are…" they intoned unitedly, slowly, gradually following the tentative rhythm that the keys gave them. The little boy frowned in concentration, closely following the silent instructions and pressing as the song demanded. It was both fun and challenging. The narrow shop, previously silent with guilty feelings, was now filled with music composed by two generations who came together to make monotonous work feel fun.
"You know?" the adult began again, once the tune of the popular children's song faded to transform into random sounds that played all over each other, trying to become a melody "I always believed that sounds resemble colors."
And Tadashi couldn't help but laugh, believing that his father was just saying weird things on purpose. Because adults are strange and sometimes they used funny and confusing words. However, when he looked up at him, his dad was still serious, concentrating on the keys underneath his fingertips.
"For example, low sounds like the yawn of the hippo." he continued, stretching to get to the opposite side of the instrument "When I hear that sound, in my head I can imagine a dark color. Like…"
"Like the blue at the bottom of the ocean?" he ventured, taking advantage of the silence that formed while his father thought a good example. His response received a warm smile and a soft 'Exactly' that was almost drowned out under the sound of several keys being played at the same time. "And the bunny!" Tadashi continued, standing up on the small bench and stretching until he reached the opposite keys, near the adult's hand "It would be a very bright color. Like a yellow sunflower!" he exclaimed, excited to share a part of his father's vision of the world, although he couldn't imagine colors when he listened to music, he could always pretend that he did possess that ability, he could embark on a million colorful adventures alongside his favorite hero. The one whose hands took him gently by the sides of his chest, putting him down on the bench again. And the boy rested his head against the side of the older man's torso while watching his large hands float over the instrument, as if he was getting ready.
"You understood it very well." he congratulated him calmly. And the praise produced a new sense of well-being dancing inside him like a blazing flame of vivid colors "Do you want to practice the song again?"
"Yes!"
And thus, the years passed. The melodies changed. The songs learned grew to form a music library that was played permanently at their home. The seasons passed and nursery rhymes were soon replaced by Takashi's jazz, B'Z's heavy electric guitars, Mr. Children's rock ballads. And, of course, the extravagant new sounds from other continents; the distorted guitars of The Beatles, the wondrous voice of Freddie Mercury, and the alternative, almost futuristic melodies of David Bowie.
The years passed, the melodies changed. School got tough, until the coolest guy he'd ever met came along; tall and ridiculously sure of himself, appearing to rescue him from the melancholy.
The years passed and the melodies changed, the piano keys and guitar chords were briefly alternated by volleyballs and high-pitched squeaks of shoes on polished wood floors. The years passed and Tadashi changed. The songs that lived inside him did too. The schools and classmates changed. His height and his voice changed, but inside him continued to live that creative person who sought colors in music notes, friendly and imaginative.
Years passed and the High School of Crows opened the doors for both him and his best friend, who decided to shake off the extracurricular decision soon with the listless choice of joining the volleyball club. He, for his part, decided to reconnect with his inner roots by signing up for the school band, encountering a tidal wave of like-minded people in a large room full of instruments on one of his first days at school.
The hours, inexorable as all the passage of time, vanished. Leaving behind an endless number of somewhat clumsy, painfully novice melodies; with strings, percussion, and wind instruments trying to line up in a rising symphony. The hours faded to give way to dusk, a thin yellowish and pinkish line fading behind the towering dark blue that threatened to engulf all color in its way, presenting its mantle of stars and the gleaming waning moon in the distance.
The heavy case of his saxophone dangling from one shoulder, bumping lightly against his side from sheer inertia with every movement, accompanied him as he hurried down the stairs. Leaving the school building to glimpse the entrance to the gym, previously entered by a hallway that connected it to one of the exits. As he crossed the distance in relative calm, he couldn't help but notice the silence reigning. There seemed to be no one, beyond the distant cherry trees that swayed dormant in the caress of the night wind. Carefully, the young man slid the door open and found a rare but noisy spectacle.
There were only two people, who practiced tosses and spikes between shouts and complaints. And they stopped from time to time to look for the balls that flew to the other side of the gym. Why was it just the two of them? Was practice already over? Was Tadashi being late? Shit, Tsukki would definitely kill him...
Noticing that his recent presence had been ignored by the two boys, he cleared his throat with a quick gesture, catching the gaze of one of the strangers; the tallest one, with black hair.
"Hey!" he greeted with some nervous effusiveness. Although he couldn't consider himself rude to strangers, he did have to admit that the discomfort generated by exposing himself in front of someone new was difficult to bear, especially without his best friend around "I'm looking for Tsukishima Kei. Do you know where he is?"
His interlocutor just stared at him, with cold, imperturbable blue eyes and a deep frown. Wearing a displeased expression as if he had just been informed that they found a swarm of dead flies floating in his favorite dish, he shook his head in an ephemeral gesture.
"No." and, without further ado, he proceeded to jog in the opposite direction, heading to the huge court again, too busy to be bothered with silly questions, apparently.
"Ah… okay." he muttered, feeling absolutely out of place, shifting the weight of the instrument onto his left shoulder "Jerk." he added later, between clenched teeth, definitely speaking to himself, before glimpsing a blur of orange colors that moved somewhere around his side before finding a person in front of him.
Whoa, how fast.
"Are you looking for Tsukishima?" inquired the second stranger, considerably shorter than his teammate, with an intense but pleasant look. The boy offered him a wide and bright smile, which worked perfectly to melt his worries and insecurities into a sticky puddle on the floor, feeling lighter after the tense exchange with the jerk "Practice ended not long ago. He must be getting dressed. I'm sure he'll be back soon."
The other's words made him feel relieved, knowing that he hadn't been extraordinarily late after band practice and that, therefore, he wouldn't earn cold looks from his best friend, was always a good thing. Placing a hand on the back of his neck, accidentally ruffling the short brown hair, Yamaguchi smiled back.
"Oh okay. Thanks." he began, observing how the small ball of energy in front of him seemed to vibrate stopped in place, ravenous for more interaction "Um, my name is Yamaguchi Tadashi, by the way."
"Pleasure!" he responded effusively, pointing to himself with his thumb in an endearing gesture "I'm Hinata Shoyo!"
And Tadashi laughed. Because come on, what else could he do in the face of such a display of enthusiasm?
"Pleasure, Hinata." he conceded, to free the spiker from the social chain of their conversation. That prevented him from returning to his private training with his sullen companion. The young redhead hurried back onto the court, and once again the erratic sound of their shoes and shooting volleyballs became a sort of white noise that allowed him to return comfortably to his own inner world.
If only his phone hadn't run out of battery during band practice, he could let Tsukki know where he was. Although… they had agreed to meet at the gym by the end of the day. Surely his best friend wouldn't take long to get dressed and come back, right?
With a slight sigh from the weariness of the school day weighing on his back, he took a seat on the neat wooden floor, setting his trusty saxophone aside. After his thoughts drifted without any main thread for considerable minutes, wondering what he would eat for dinner once he got home, if he should shower before going to bed or tomorrow morning, if he could read the new chapter of his favorite shōnen manga before going to sleep, something caught his attention and made his gaze follow the movement out of inertia.
The jerk suddenly moved away from Hinata. Standing off the court, each step showing resolution and determination. In an unexpected expression of calm, he brought the ball up to his forehead, leaning in against the material and closing his eyes. It seemed to be a regular ritual, due to the silence from the spiker. He then proceeded to inhale deeply through his nose, before finally dropping the ball. Abruptly, his body language changed as if he just became a predator about to launch itself against its prey; in an undeniably primal and instinctive movement, and at the same time surprisingly polished, controlled, demonstrating a strict technique even to move around, always straight and confident.
He advanced one, two, three, four steps. Cutting the air with his body mercilessly as he went, jumping skillfully before hunching forward slightly, using inertia to swing his right arm to the precise spot where the ball was, spiking with brutal force. The ball flew through the gym in an instant; by the time Yamaguchi was able to blink, the show was over, with the ball colliding with the ground in a thunderous explosion that echoed through the venue, leaving behind colors of all kinds; dull and bright, full of strength and vigor, so many colors shining at the same time that they transformed into a white light, threatening to blind him. The impact seemed to create wind in its wake, almost feeling the strands of his hair dance to the beat of the air, which had changed direction at the mercy of the whims of that talented player.
After all, he was nothing more than a jerk. With an angry face who had barely spoken to him. And yet, that immaculate display of ability… that expression of satisfaction spreading into a predatory grin as he watched the last hints of sound that the ball had left behind. There was something about that confidence that kept Tadashi from taking his eyes off of him.
Or at least it was, for a few seconds, before Hinata pushed his way through the silence, bouncing to get the setter's attention and yelling for his turn to spike, demanding that he would toss for him. And his teammate didn't bother to hide his disgust at the idea, even though he began to jog with resignation to the other side of the court, going back to meet him.
Once again, everything happened too fast for the outsider's gaze to fully appreciate it. The tallest one took the ball between his fingers (wide open and separated from each other, as if none of his movements or bodily choices on the court were random) and, with a short jump, launched it into the reach of the spiker, who lifted his feet off the ground, soaring like a bird.
Who the hell could do that? Who could stay in the air for so long? Who could rise so high that his torso remained above the net? He hadn't seen anything like it in his entire life, including some games he had watched out of boredom on television.
The redhead, who seemed to have a fair amount of skill, just like his teammate, hit the ball hard. Not to the degree of the impetuous serve he'd just witnessed, but surprising nonetheless.
"Wow… that was incredible." he couldn't help but comment, getting up from the floor as soon as Hinata returned to his place on the ground, looking much less intimidating now. His image in midair had almost made him look like a bird of prey, hungry for victory.
"I know, right?!" replied the other immediately, brandishing another one of his wide and bright smiles. The excitement and joy that came from simply touching the ball were evident in every word, in every look, in every gesture "With this guy's tosses, I can spike as fast as I want." he added, pointing fiercely at his teammate with a finger, who was drinking water at the distance in a nonchalant gesture, without even showing the slightest interest in listening to them.
'Huh.' Tadashi suddenly thought, having forgotten that detail for a moment after witnessing his monstrous serve. 'Right, he's just a jerk.'
"Looks like it! I barely got to see the ball before it landed." the brunette continued, offering an enthusiastic smile that his interlocutor returned, raising his arms in the air and roaring victory over his perfect spike. He couldn't help but wonder if Hinata would really behave like this all the time, if those energy levels and euphoria would be permanent, and, more importantly, how the hell would Tsukki deal with someone like that on his own team. He couldn't help but giggle by just imagining it.
The redhead promptly vanished from his side, rushing to reach for something; his stuff? the ball? a water bottle? Tadashi really didn't know, he hadn't been paying attention. Because, despite having witnessed closely how nefarious the attitude of that black-haired weirdo could be, still there was that something that remained inside him, unperturbed. That mysterious, anonymous, but extremely powerful element invaded him with curiosity to cast subtle sideways glances in his direction. To know more. To break those barriers of silence that the other imposed with his despotic behavior.
"Um, by the way..." he finally dared, advancing calmly towards him, observing clearly how his black eyebrows rose in a gesture of curiosity "What's your..?"
"Yamaguchi, hurry up."
It felt as if someone had decided to bathe him with a bucket of freezing cold water, leaving him immobile in place, in the middle of an uncomfortable body movement, trying to get closer to the setter in vain. Blue eyes -permanently narrowed and disinterested in anything but the ball- flicked up to the newcomer, who was standing against the open door of the gym.
Tsukki, right.
The reason why he had entered there in the first place.
Tsukki, it's true.
He should wait for him so they could go home together. As they did every day.
Right.
That's exactly what he was going to do, before...
He licked his lips in genuine guilt, as if he'd been caught committing a crime. The brief eye contact he'd made with the jerk of the almighty serve was gone as soon as the fourth participant in the most bizarre party in Karasuno's history had made his appearance. Hurried, nervous, he turned on his heel to turn his back on who he had been so interested in a few moments ago and gave his full attention to the blond, who wore an irritated expression.
"Oh, sorry, Tsukki! I'm coming!" he assured, approaching his side as if a thread were joining them. Always loyal, always obliging. And Tsukishima did nothing but leave the place, waiting for him outside. "See you later, Hinata!" he added from the door with a quick wave of his hand.
"Bye!" the aforementioned answered, shaking his entire arm vigorously as if he always used absolutely all the force in his body for everything he did, even mundane stuff like that.
Soon, the noisy symphony of screams, cheers, and crashing balls in the gym was replaced by a silence that made him feel tense. The crickets were singing at some unknown point in the darkness, lightening the atmosphere and musicalizing their footsteps as the taller one withdrew his white headphones from the depths of his backpack, slowly accommodating them around his neck.
For someone like Tadashi, who could be extremely observant about the issues that interested him or the people he admired, he could tell from his body language that the blonde was tired after a strenuous practice.
"Hey, Tsukki." he attempted later, taking advantage of the calm moment in which he was looking for an ideal song on his cell phone to accompany the journey "Do you know what that guy's name was? The one with black hair who was frowning a lot."
For a moment, the other didn't do more than turn around to look at him, a confused expression clouding his rigid features.
"You mean the King?" he replied, wondering silently why anyone would be interested in knowing anything more about that guy.
"Wait. Is that the 'King of the court' you always talk about?" he inquired, brown eyes widening in an astonished expression. It wasn't long ago that his best friend had joined the volleyball club. But that didn't stop their walks home together from being riddled with nasty anecdotes about how loud, annoying, dumb, and ridiculously competitive his new teammates could be. The stories usually centered on the King, ruling the court with an iron fist and preventing others from playing in any way other than his predilect. Tsukki despised him. And, by association, Tadashi did too.
"Yes, Kageyama Tobio. A simpleton who is only good for volleyball and that's why he believes he was born with a higher level than anyone else." there it was again, the blonde could become unusually talkative when it came to describing situations that he disliked "He is the monarch who makes the rules and we are peasants." he added, eyes dull from exhaustion behind a pair of thick-framed glasses. Finally, he seemed to settle on a song as he allowed his finger to press down on the screen of the device, before tucking it deep into the pocket of his new black volleyball team jacket.
"Makes sense." he conceded later, in a low voice, trying not to alter the flames that fanned his previous speech "He didn't seem like much of a talker. His serves were pretty incredible, though..." he added that last thing between his teeth.
"Why did you wait with the idiot duo?" his interlocutor asked suddenly, fixing his honey-colored gaze on him, causing a cold sweat on the back of his neck that made him feel as if he were in the middle of an interrogation. As much as he had known Tsukki for years, at times he still feared making mistakes in front of him. He, who always seemed so cool and carefree "You could have texted me."
"Oh, my phone died during band practice. Sorry." he explained hastily, bringing his hand to the back of his neck in his usual nervous gesture. His words seemed to be carried away from the place, as if the cool night wind transported them to some unknown place, beyond the horizon. The school building had long since ceased to be visible behind their backs, now traversing patches of grass and flowers that were just beginning to sprout before glimpsing the road.
"It's fine." the blonde answered later, hiding his hands deep into his pockets, gaze lost forward "Next time just wait for me outside, it wouldn't be beneficial if you caught their stupidity."
And Tadashi was silent, as the chirping of the crickets was replaced by the purring of the engines of cars that passed swiftly on the road. The yellowish headlights illuminating the pavement as the pair of childhood friends walked on the side, each deep in their own musings.
One of them, allowing his consciousness to float freely with the rhythm that drummed against his ears through the headphones, losing himself in the familiarity of his music after a strenuous day with a large number of strangers.
The other walked by inertia, distracted by the white light of the stars up there, in the night sky. Lost in between so many new emotions; a band where he should fit in and improve. Lost between sounds and melodies, between vibrant colors exploding like the ball that hit the floor. Lost between blue eyes that glowed with a hunger for more volleyball and that proud smile, full of satisfaction. Lost in the multicolored spectrum that, surprisingly, painted a night that would have been otherwise monotonous.
So that was the famous King, huh...
"Yeah...sure, Tsukki."