Let’s talk about this scene for a second
Because right when he asked Hinata this, Hinata was quiet for a good five seconds before answering him. Why? Because while Kageyama was out doing All-Japan, Hinata was stuck as a ball boy. For the first half of his week he was constantly doubting that decision, always being told that he was an idiot for doing it. So of course, when Kageyama asked him, he would hesitate. This was Kageyama, and he’d probably make fun of him.
But he didn’t.
Kageyama was the only person who didn’t make fun of Hinata or scold him. He just smiled knowingly, like he knew exactly what Hinata was thinking when he said he was to be a ball boy. Because out of everyone in the entire show, Kageyama knows that Hinata takes volleyball seriously, right down to his core Kageyama knows the only other volleyball shill that can keep up with his obsession is Hinata. So he knows that Hinata wasn’t wasting his time. He understands Hinata, respects him as both a rival and a partner.
Not to mention it’s also a fantastic parallel to this line:
The line is so similar, but everything else is completely different. They’re both different now, partners in this sport that no one else loves more than them. This old line was when they were both lost, and now with the one from season four, it’s like the show is directly telling the audience “yes, they’re both still rivals who race each other for petty things. But they’re so, so different now, and you need to understand that.”
