One of Hinata’s most well known traits was his persistence.
For the next three weeks he stopped by every night on his way home. He’d sometimes be met with silence and would make do with carefully watching Kageyama’s nimble movements in the muted sounds of the night, and other times Kageyama would humor him, answering random questions with a slightly annoyed, but steadily-turning-warmer demeanor.
Hinata was eventually allowed to come in through the side door of the dojo and watch from inside. He’d burn holes into Kageyama’s back as he studied the movement of his arms at a much closer angle than he had before. Closing his eyes and holding his breath, Hinata would blissfully listen to how Kageyama made his arrow pierce through the air—how he made the wind sing. He patiently passed him arrows when he needed it and chatted him up like usual, all while balancing the itch to stand besides him to shoot and the feeling of content from simply being in Kageyama’s company.
“So…” Hinata began, twirling an arrow between his fingers while looking at the back of Kageyama’s head. “Would you get mad if I asked you why you decided you’d rather do kyūdō alone?”
“I won’t get mad,” Kageyama responded quietly. “At least, not anymore.” Having just shot his last arrow for the night, he pressed the farthest end of his bow against a groove in the wall, pushed, and unstrung it.
“Okay, then, what happened to make you only want to do it alone?”
Kageyama set his bow beside him as he sat down across from Hinata with his legs tucked under him. “I was the best one in my kyūdō club in high school,” he began, slowly unwrapping his three-fingered glove. “Everyone was excited about that, especially since I helped the boys team win countless times, but by the time we were seniors they relied on me too much and many weren’t taking practice seriously. I confronted them, and that didn’t go over well.”
Hinata furrowed his eyebrows and leaned forward. “But it wasn’t your fault, right? What do you mean it didn’t go over well?”
“They told me they were sick of how bossy and conceited I was, and that if I didn’t like how things were I should just leave the club. So I did.”
“That’s it? You just let them say that crap to you and left?” Hinata asked in disbelief.
Kageyama shrugged. “Yeah. Sure, I was pissed, but I didn’t need to do kyūdō with them. I was fine competing on my own.”
“I’m sure you’re perfectly fine on your own, but…” Hinata’s lips curled up into a smile and his gaze met Kageyama’s. “…Nothing beats the feeling of winning together with a team that wants it as much as you.”
Kageyama took pause at what Hinata had said, those mischievous golden eyes had found a way to slip past his resolve ever so briefly, and awkwardly stood up to set his bow in its place on the wall.
“Hey, Kageyama,” Hinata said softly.
Kageyama turned around, returning his attention to Hinata who was now standing. “Yeah?”
Hinata clasped his hands behind his back and approached each word with caution. “Can I come practice with you on Saturdays?”
“No.”
Hinata’s hopeful expression fell and he lowered his head, his lips gathering into a pout. “…Okay.”
Kageyama sighed and took a step towards him. “Why?”
“Forget it,” Hinata sulked, arms folding across his chest as he looked off to the side.
“Fine, you can come,” resigned Kageyama, a sly grin forming on his face. “You probably need the practice.”
“I do not!” Hinata exclaimed. “ I mean, I do, everyone needs practice, but I’m actually good you know!”
“We’ll see if that’s true. Kyūdō is more than just hitting the target.”
“I know that,” Hinata huffed. “That’s why I thought you could help me a bit with my form since yours is so beautiful…”
“I got it, I got it. You sound like a broken record talking about how ‘beautiful’ my form is.” Kageyama grabbed his phone from the small wooden table by the back wall and held it up in front of him. “Let’s say 10 am. Give me your phone number in case something comes up.”
Hinata pulled his phone from his back pocket with a tiny laugh and they switched phones, each making a new contact with their information. Once they were done they switched back and Hinata helped Kageyama gather the arrows and target, as well as clean up the sand hillock the target was resting on.
“I can’t come tomorrow because I’m going to karaoke with my team, “ Hinata said as he put on his shoes by the side exit. “So, I’ll see you on Saturday.”
“Finally, one night that you’re not here pestering me,” Kageyama replied light heartedly.
Hinata stuck out his tongue, yelling, “You’ll miss me!” as he walked through the door and closed it behind him.
It wasn’t until he was a while away from the shrine that Hinata made sure no one was around him and let out a quiet victory cheer. Come Saturday he would be standing in a hakama next to Kageyama, as an equal. What would it feel like to have Kageyama watching him as he took his shot, those steely blue eyes that were usually transfixed on the target instead mercilessly taking in Hinata’s form? It made Hinata grip the handle of his bag with a mix of excitement, nervousness, and…something else. Hinata had an inkling of what that unknown feeling was, having already felt it in the past, but for now he wanted to focus on what that feeling did, not exactly what it was. It was that “something else” that brought his feet to that shrine before his brain could catch up, and since that meant he could see Kageyama, he figured the “something else” must not be all that bad.
“Because you’re letting me practice with you, duh.”
“You get happy over the weirdest things,” Kageyama said as he shook his head. “Come, you can switch into your practice clothes in our changing room.”
“Ah.” Hinata looked down at the floor sheepishly. “So… I might have… forgotten to bring my uwagi and hakama.”
Kageyama sighed and led them through a door on the other side of the dojo. It opened to a small, neat storage room with a bench, a few closets and clothes hooks, and about enough space for two or so people to change in. Kageyama opened a closet with practice clothing and signaled to it. “We can lend you some, though I doubt we have any kid sizes,” he scoffed.
Hinata opened his mouth to complain but quickly shut it, reminding himself that he was the one in the wrong here. He thumbed through the clothing, picked the smallest looking ones, and gave Kageyama a tiny head nod. “Thanks.”
Hinata set the clothes down on the bench and stepped out of his jeans. He first switched out his socks for the tabi he had picked out, and then slipped on the uwagi over his t-shirt, crossing the left side over the right and tying the two small strings above his right hip. Feeling eyes on him, Hinata looked up to catch Kageyama leaning against the closet, eyes trained on him with meticulous focus. His gaze was enough to make Hinata’s skin warm up.
“I know how to put on practice clothes, you know. You don't have to babysit me.” Hinata grumbled as he reached for the blue obi sash and started to carefully tie it around his waist.
“A good stance starts with a good foundation, that includes how well you tie your obi and hakama. If you’re messy with your foundation, then you’re just as messy with your form.”
“But that doesn’t mean that if you’re careful with your foundation, then automatically your form is good,” Hinata huffed. “Because then my form would be much better than it is.” He finished tying the obi to the front of him and shimmed it around so the knot sat in the center of his lower back.
“That’s true.” Kageyama took a few steps toward Hinata and ducked down a bit to get a closer look at how he tied his obi. “So far you’ve done a good job.”
“No need to sound so surprised,” Hinata whined and stepped into the black hakama, bringing the front half to rest right above where he tied his obi. He took the two strips of cloth connected to the front section and brought them to the back, crossing them over behind him, and bringing them to the front again. He repeated that once more, being painstakingly careful about where the ties sat on his hips and how they layered on top of each other. Hinata knew Kageyama must be thinking that he was being this thorough because he was being watched, but Hinata was always this careful—he took immense pride in having learned how to properly tie the obi and the hakama from his grandparents. It took a lot of practice, and at first he was awful at it, but by now he could do this in his sleep.
“Hm.” Kageyama said as his eyes followed Hinata’s hands.
Hinata bit back a grin and lifted the back of the hakama to rest above the obi on his lower back, pulling the ties of that half to the front. From the brief scan Hinata did of Kageyama’s face, he could tell he was impressed, or at least satisfied, by the job Hinata was doing so far. Sure he was quite slow, since there are others that could do just a good a job in half the time, but at least it was neat.
Hinata flashed Kageyama a grin, his fingers up in peace signs once he finished tying and tucking those final strings. “Victory.”
“You’re slow, but…” Kageyama gave Hinata’s hakama a slight tug with his index finger and nodded to himself. “That’s a solid foundation. Though the clothes are swallowing you somewhat,” he said with a sly smirk, yanking the collar of Hinata’s uwagi teasingly.
“I know I’m small. Get a new joke.” Hinata grumbled and pulled at Kageyama’s wrist. “Let’s go practice already.”
They promptly readied everything for practice, setting up two targets in the hillock across the dojo and stringing their bows with great efficiency. Hinata gathered his bow and arrows and took his stance in front of the target he had decided to use.
“Should I shoot?” he asked Kageyama who was hovering around him, expression already judgmental.
Kageyama stopped a few feet to Hinata’s right so he could see his drawing form from that angle. “Yeah, go ahead.”
Hinata took a deep breath and performed his shooting sequence: spacing his feet and grounding himself and his core, readying his bow and then raising it while keeping his eyes on the target, swiftly drawing the arrow while bringing the bow down by his cheek, and releasing the bow. He was able to pierce the target left-of-center and also make his usual tsurune—which to him sounded like wind hitting the chimes in his grandma’s house, not that any of his teammates agreed with that sentiment. Hinata turned to look at Kageyama and was able to catch the briefest moment of surprise before his face pulled back to his neutral, slightly displeased expression.
“Your quick shooting style is worrisome,” Kageyama said bluntly while pacing and gathering his thoughts. “It’s bold, which suits you I guess, and you go through each motion, so if it’s been working for you until now then we’ll let that be. Just be careful to not get any more rapid fire than this or it might develop into target panic…”
Hinata gave a firm nod. “My coach warned me of that and I’m being careful.”
“Then, let’s tweak that crappy form of yours without affecting your draw too much.” Kageyama stood to the left of Hinata, facing his back. “Slowly go through your shooting sequence again.”
“O-Okay.” Hinata took a deep breath as he measured the spacing of his feet and straightened his back. He was caught off guard by how nervous just having Kageyama stand this close to him was making him feel. “From here?”
“Your feet are a bit too turned out, bring them a bit more in. Yes, like that.” Kageyama used two fingers to gently trace down from the top of Hinata’s head to the center of his back. “Your center is also a bit off. Try to imagine a line from the top of your head to the center point between your feet.”
Hinata could feel his cheeks warming up. Kageyama’s touch was purposeful and sharp, but also kind. It was hard trying to think about adjusting his form when his mind could only focus on where Kageyama’s hands were resting. He took another deep breath to settle his nerves and find his center. “Is this better?”
“Almost.” Kageyama took a step back. “Shoot one more time.”
Hinata did as he said, but just a dash more rigid and hyperconscious than he usually was. Once he had made his shot, his right arm outstretched in the proper ending position, Kageyama touched the underside of Hinata’s leading arm and tilted it a bit upward.
“You’re letting your bow droop. Try to be mindful of keeping your center and adjusting your bow so it’s completely parallel to the ground.”
“Y-yes,” Hinata responded mechanically.
“For now, those are all my notes.” Kageyama moved away, grabbing his bow and arrows from where they were resting on the back wall. “…You’re not terrible,” he muttered.
Hinata laughed through his nose, taking in Kageyama’s strong, steady shoulders preparing his bow only a few inches away. He reached down to grab two more arrows from the small pile by his feet and tenderly replied, “You suck at giving compliments.”
They practiced in comfortable silence for a few hours, with Kageyama remembering to occasionally check in on Hinata’s form and offer some critique. It was half an hour past one when Kageyama and Hinata’s stomachs cried out in hunger, and after sharing knowing glances, they unstrung their bows and began to clean up.
“My mom always makes lunch so you’re welcome to come inside to eat if you want…” Kageyama muffled as he finished pulling out all the bows from his target.
“For real?” Hinata beamed.
“As long as you don't annoy me from now until we finish cleaning.”
“I won’t!” Hinata pouted and with newfound determination channeled his focus to the target.
After removing the targets and their pegs from the sand hillock, they carefully smoothed it out and returned the targets and tools to the storage space behind the hillock. They then dropped the arrows in their container and changed back to their regular clothing in the small storage room they had used before practice. Getting out of the hakama was much easier and faster than getting in it, and since Hinata had kept his pink tee on, all he had to do was slip back into his light wash jeans. Kageyama took his time getting out of his practice clothes, and so Hinata carefully folded the clothes that were lent to him as he stole peeks at Kageyama. The guy’s choice of weekend wear was a crisp denim short-sleeve button up and well-fitted dark jeans. Hinata looked down at the clothes folded on his lap to avoid staring at him too hard. The clothes really did suit Kageyama, but then again, he would look great in practically anything.
“What are you zoning out for?”
Hinata shot right up from the bench. “I’m not.”
Kageyama grabbed the clothes from Hinata’s hands and dropped it in the bin by the door. “This’ll just go into our next wash. Come on, I’m starving.”
Kageyama lead them through the door Hinata always saw him disappear into. Directly past the door was a small shelf to the right filled with house slippers. Kageyama grabbed a pair of navy ones and dropped smaller red ones in front of Hinata. After shuffling into them, they continued down the narrow hallway—house slippers smooth against the polished wood floors.
The inside smelled of spice and earth. It was a warm scent that hugged you tight while telling you ‘welcome home’ and it brought a tiny smile to Hinata’s lips to know that this was the kind of place Kageyama was raised in. They passed a few sliding doors lining the hallway but because of the traditional layout of the space, Hinata was unsure where exactly Kageyama was taking them. But soon after turning left at the end of the hallway they reached a big room made up of a beautiful modern kitchen and a contrasting tatami-matted living room area.
There, sitting in a glossy walnut 4-person table that divided the two areas was a woman Hinata could immediately tell was Kageyama’s mom. She had straight, shoulder-length black hair and deep blue eyes that were so intensely focused on the magazine she was reading, she didn’t notice them walk in.
“Mom.” Kageyama called out as they walked further into the room.
She lifted her head and gave them a soft smile. She was stunning. “Oh, Tobio. You and your friend are ready for lunch?”
“S-Sorry to intrude!” Hinata managed to get out a notch too loudly. “I’m Hinata.”
“You can call me Haruna,” she said with an airy laugh. She got up from the table with her magazine at hand and walked to the kitchen. “I made hamburger steak and fried rice. Sit down, I just need to heat it up so it’ll be ready in a minute.”
Hinata stiffly made his way to the dining table and took a seat, only to realize Kageyama had b-lined it to the kitchen. “Uh—“
“What do you want to drink?” Kageyama asked while looking in his fridge. “We have water, sparkling water, oolong, orange juice, and pomegranate juice.”
“Sparkling water, please.”
Half a minute later Kageyama set a glass of sparkling water and a pair of chopsticks in front of Hinata. He took the seat across from him at the dinner table and set down his own cup with milk. “What?” Kageyama asked once he caught Hinata staring at his cup. “Do you want some?”
“Uh, no.” Hinata shook his head, a bit bewildered.
“This boy drinks so much milk we have to keep three or four cartons in the fridge at once,” Haruna said teasingly as she set a plate of food in front of each of them. “We thought he’d outgrow it yet even in university he still drinks at least two glasses of milk each day.”
Hinata licked his lips and loudly clapped his hands, “Thank you for the food!” Halfway through a mouthful of hamburger and rice he muffled, “Why do you still drink so much milk? You’re already super tall.”
Kageyama quietly clapped his hands and shrugged, chopsticks first going for the small bowl of salad Haruna had just placed in front of him. “I like the taste. It’s not weird.”
Hinata chuckled and nodded. “Sure.”
“So, Hinata-kun,” Haruna began as she took the seat next to Kageyama. “Do you go to the same university as Tobio?”
Hinata drank a sip of his sparkling water before responding. “Yeah, but we never run into each other at school since I’m in the Education department and he’s in Business Administration.”
“So how did you two become friends?”
“Hinata spied on me while I practiced kyūdō one night.”
“Don’t make me sound like some weirdo!” Hinata whined. “It’s not like that, Haruna-san. I was distracted on my way home and came upon the shrine, and was drawn in by Kageyama’s tsurune.”
Haruna’s lips pulled up at the corners with pride. “It’s striking, is it not? I can sometimes catch it from here when he practices and there’s no lovelier sound.”
“Mom…” Kageyama sighed, hand covering his reddening face. “It’s almost narcissistic of you to say that since you were the one who first taught me,” he muttered through his hands.
“Your sound is your own, Tobio.”
“Wait—“ Hinata choked on his last bit of rice, “You’re his coach?!”
Haruna waved her hand in front of her face dismissively, “No, no. Not anymore. I taught him when he was younger since his father was too busy attending to the shrine, but he perfected his skills though his father’s teachings and his own hard work later on.”
“Still!” Hinata urged, “It’s so amazing that both of Kageyama’s parents are kyūdōka!”
Haruna laughed and tucked some hair behind her ear. “Who taught you, Hinata-kun?”
“My grandpa,” Hinata said in between the final bites of his salad. “Whenever my team makes it to finals, he’s come watch along with my grandma and the rest of my family.”
“That’s wonderful.” Haruna playfully pets Kageyama’s head. “We wish this boy would act more his age and participate in the university team, but he stubbornly refuses for some reason.”
Kageyama pulled Haruna’s hand off his head. “I told you already. I shoot better alone.”
“Yet you were just practicing happily with Hinata half an hour ago,” Haruna pointed out with a teasing smile, arms crossed.
“That’s different!” Kageyama stammered.
Hinata’s cheeks flushed a light pink yet he didn’t hide it, brandishing a wide smile. “No need to get so flustered, Kageyama.”
Kageyama stared daggers at him. “You, quiet.”
“Such an awkward boy…” Haruna murmured to herself as she shook her head and fondly smiled. She stood up, picking up Hinata and Kageyama’s larger plates and bringing them to the sink. “Can you bring the rest of the dishes here?”
“Thank you for the meal!” they said in unison, and brought their cups, chopsticks, and small plates to the kitchen.
“It was very delicious.” Hinata added as he passed his dishes to Haruna.
“Thank you, Hinata-kun.” Haruna turned her head toward Kageyama, arching an eyebrow. “You’re lucky I already know how you feel from that elated expression you wear every time I set food in front of you.”
Kageyama laughed through his nose and set his plates in the sink. “It was delicious.”
“If only you were this cute when Hinata wasn’t around…oh, talking about precious—“
Kageyama’s eyes widened in panic and he slapped his hands on the counter. “Mom, no.“
“—are you coming to our shrine’s spring festival tonight, Hinata-kun?”
Hinata blinked a few times, looking from Kageyama’s horrified expression to Haruna’s mischievous one. “You guys are having a spring festival?”
“Yes, around this time every spring we hold a spring festival to pray for a successful harvest. As well as to honor our shrine’s deity, Hachiman, the protective god of warriors, archery, and agriculture.” Now done with the dishes, Haruna dried her hands on a towel hanging beneath the sink. “I’m sure Tobio ‘forgot’ to invite you because he’s a bit embarrassed that he’s participating in the kagura, a traditional Shinto theatrical dance often done during festivals.”
“It’s not that I’m embarrassed,” Kageyama contested. “It’s that I doubt Hinata would be interested—“
“I’d love to go!” Hinata chimed, eyes glimmering.
Kageyama sighed, eyebrows furrowing. “…Great.”
“The precession starts at five and Kageyama’s performance is at six.” Haruna quickly glanced down at her slim black watch. “We have to go help out my husband with preparations now so unfortunately we can’t keep you company any longer, but if you don’t mind killing a few hours around town, I’m sure the festival will be worth your time.”
“Sure, I don’t mind. Sorry to have taken up so much of your time when you’re busy, Haruna-san.”
“It was my pleasure. I’m glad Tobio has such a cute kid as a friend.”
Hinata’s smile couldn’t get wider so he awkwardly gave them a half-bow and walked backwards toward the hallway. “I can let myself out! Kageyama, I’ll see you tonight.”
“You really don't have to—“
“Bye!” And Hinata was gone, practically speed walking to the dojo and nearly tripping over his sneakers by the side door. He slung his bag and bow quiver on his back and stepped out, closing the door behind him.
He descended the shrine stairs with a childish pep to his step, buzzing with excitement. Not only did he love any kind of festival, but tonight’s would also have the added bonus of letting him see another side of Kageyama. It was hard to imagine that rigid guy dancing around a stage, but Hinata was sure he’d look handsome and just as graceful as he did doing kyūdō. He mentally pasted Kageyama’s face onto the performers of the few kagura dances he had stored in his memory and hummed to himself as he walked to the station.
With the many stores located inside the station, it’d be easy to kill the two hours and a half he had until the festival. His first stop was bookstore where he took his time browsing the sports magazine and shounen manga sections. He left the store with a magazine that featured interviews with a few renowned physical trainers and news on recent breakthroughs in sports medicine. He went into the café a few feet away, ordered a matcha latte, and sat down to sip it while reading his magazine. He spent an hour there, and spent the last 45 minutes he had to kill aimlessly walking around the station and inspecting the dollar items in Daiso.
The procession began a few moments after Hinata crossed the red gates at the top of the stairs and cleansed his hands at the water ablution pavilion. The modest line of shrine staff was lead by the head priest who was dressed in an impressive silk ivory robe, deep blue trousers, and a peaked cap. He had short black hair and dark grey eyes, standing tall and elegant as he walked holding his ceremonial wand. Though Hinata already knew that the head priest of Kageyama’s father, the aura and looks alone would have made it easy to guess. Behind him followed two other priests in linen white robes and purple trousers, then two young shrine maidens in their white kimono jackets and red hakama, and four men in white robes and trousers carrying the divine palanquin used to transport their deity Hachiman. Finally, at the end of the procession, was Kageyama. Similar to the shrine maidens he wore a white kimono jacket but his hakama was light blue. He looked good. Really good.
Hinata stood to the side as he was supposed to. The townspeople observing the procession that wanted to follow along always walked at either side of it and at a distance. There were many other townspeople that preferred to briefly watch the procession once it approached an area close to their home, since the route was always predetermined to block out vehicles.
The head priest led the procession down through the red gates, down the shrine steps, and to the right in the direction of the top of the shaded road. The sky was light hues of pink and blues with the diffused golden rays of the setting sun illuminating their way. Once they climbed to the top they continued following the road down again, passing small rice fields and houses, picking up other townspeople along the way. With each street they walked they inched closer to the river that ran across the town and finally, probably thirty minutes into the procession, they stopped by the riverbank. There the head priest chanted a few words and the men carrying the divine palanquin dipped it into the river, to bless the water that their townspeople, land, and crops were nourished with. The procession ended with them walking back to the shrine from the same entrance they had left from and returning the divine palanquin to its resting place. The priest chanted a few more words as the last few slivers of the sun’s blue afterglow left them, and the procession came to an end, lanterns sprinkled around the grounds and the light of the food stands fending off the night’s darkness.
“Can I get three sticks of pork belly? With just salt and pepper,” Hinata said to the woman attending the grilled beef skewer stand.
He was already halfway through the savory pancake he had just gotten moments earlier, and by the time his meat was done he had completely devoured it. He usually had a big appetite, but walking around town for an hour really worked up his hunger. He worked on his skewers as he visited each food stand, wondering what to get next. He decided on fried noodles, and shaved ice as a dessert.
Now that his stomach was satisfied and the crowd by the main shrine had lessened, he went to say a prayer. He dropped in a 50-yen coin and—in accordance to the shrine’s customs—he bowed once, clapped twice, and after his prayer, bowed one more time. He didn’t have much he currently wanted so he thanked the gods for his friendship with Kageyama and asked that Kageyama would one day join the university’s kyūdō team. He doubted that even Hachiman could budge the stubborn Kageyama, but he figured he’d ask for his help anyhow.
Hinata wanted to get a good spot to watch Kageyama so he quickly paid for a fortune and read it on his way to the kaguraden, the stage for the traditional dances. The thin white paper stated in bold letters: “half curse.” He groaned at his misfortune, but quickly thanked the gods that it wasn’t the worst fortune, just the 3rd from worst. He could somehow work with this. After all, he was able to nab a spot in the front of the crowd forming to watch the performance just fine. He’d just have to tie his fortune to the designated shrine tree and buy an amulet or two before leaving tonight, and maybe his luck could be turned around.
The stage had strong wooden beams at each corner, and was open on all sides. A black noren, a flat fabric with a slit down the middle, was hung across the back to serve as the entryway for the performers. Bright warm lights from the ceiling illuminated the stage, and musicians sitting to the right and left sides readied their drums, bells, and flutes.
The music began, a unique mix of the lively instruments and a lower pitch chant-singing that was calling forward the great Hachiman. Kageyama lifted the noren and slowly stepped out the slit in the middle, taking dramatic wide steps. He was dressed in elaborate gold and black samurai wear—the most exquisite piece being the golden surcoat with red and white flowers and ridiculously wide shoulders that he layered on top of his armor. He also wore a peaked cap of black silk and white headband from which long hair flowed as he moved.
Hinata’s eyes gleamed, filled to the brim with admiration toward the beautiful man dancing on the stage. He unconsciously crumpled the fortune in his hands as his burning gaze watched Kageyama. Yet, there was a prick to his chest. Not again, he mentally chided himself. There was no point in falling this hard for a guy who’d never like you back.
As he swayed, high then low, gliding and hopping around the stage, Kageyama also waved two arrows in one hand and a small bow in the other through the air. His weapons where like an extension of his hands and they moved with him, gracefully cutting and floating in the air when the movement called for it. The low vibrato of the chant-singing began again, explaining that Hachiman was the protective god of warriors, archery, and agriculture, and that he was dutifully guarding the rice fields that were ready for harvest. Just then another figure in an intricate red costume and a demon mask leapt out from the noren and the two began to dance around each other as the music quickened its tempo. They fought, with the demon hopping and spinning around Kageyama, and the latter making more grounded movements. After a few minutes, Kageyama won their faceoff by touching the point of his arrow to the demon’s chest and the demon fell dead to the floor.
The blaring instruments came to a calm and Kageyama stood proud in the middle of the stage, looking out into the audience. There was the briefest moment of hesitation, but then he swiftly brought two fingers up to his mouth and whistled. A white dove, his trusted familiar, landed on his shoulder and he smiled, quietly receding toward the noren and nimbly disappearing behind it.
The crowd roared with loud clapping and cheering. Hinata closed his eyes to find his footing and remember how to breathe again.
“Kageyama!” Hinata yelled when he spotted him walking out from the makeshift changing area they had built behind the stage. He had returned to the white kimono jacket and light blue hakama he had been wearing earlier that day.
“Hey…” Kageyama muttered as he approached Hinata. His expression was a mix of annoyance and bashfulness.
Paying no mind to Kageyama’s current embarrassment, Hinata gave him a wide, blindingly brilliant smile as he bounced up and down. “You were amazing! How much did you practice for that? Do you perform often? You looked so good up there you must have a ton of experience, right? I couldn’t take my eyes—”
Kageyama slapped his hands over Hinata’s mouth, ears burning a deep red. “I-I got it. Just stop talking.”
Hinata pulled Kageyama’s soft, warm hands away from his lips and nodded, voice teasing. “You’re just as bad at taking compliments as you are at giving them.”
Kageyama pulled his hand away, but not before giving Hinata a gentle flick on the forehead. “I know. My mom tells me I need to work on that like every other week.”
“Good.” Hinata gestured toward the food stands. “Are you hungry? I ate already but I can always eat more.”
“Yes, I’m starving. Let’s hit the takoyaki stand first.”
Kageyama rushed them to that first stand, and to a handful more until he’d devoured enough to entertain conversation again. He’d visited the same stands Hinata had gone to a few hours earlier since they were all festival favorites, yet Hinata couldn’t help but buy two more grilled beef skewers. They munched on their food as the walked away from the busy food area and in the direction of main shrine.
“Oh! Hold this for a moment,” Hinata passed Kageyama his last half-eaten beef skewer. “And don't eat it,” he warned.
He walked over to a tree whose low hanging branches were covered in tied up fortune paper strips. It was customary for shrines to designate specific trees where people could tie up their unlucky fortunes. Not all the fortunes tied up were bad, many were average, and perhaps some were good—but it was suggested to those who drew good fortunes to carry it around with them. Hinata folded the strip of paper a few times the long way and looked around for an available spot on the tree. The lower branches were all weighed down and busy, but the higher branches had plenty of space. He went on his tippy toes to try to reach a higher branch but it was just an inch or two out of his grasp.
“Let me help,” Kageyama muttered. He held the clean end of the skewer between his teeth and put a hand on each of Hinata’s sides, raising him up like a little kid.
“W-wait, Kageyama, this is embarrassing!” Hinata yelled, cheeks burning up by the second.
“Just hurry up,” Kageyama growled, though it came out a bit muffled because of the stick in his mouth.
Hinata promptly tied the strip and let out a sigh of relief when Kageyama let him down. He turned around with a pout. “Thanks…”
“Here,” Kageyama said with a tiny laugh from his nose and handed Hinata back his skewer.
Hinata stared at the wooden stick that had just been in Kageyama’s mouth, and shrugged, accepting it. It’s not like he minded sharing some germs with the guy he liked. He polished off the last few pieces of beef and threw the skewer out.
They continued walking past the main shrine and to a peaceful spot under the trees lining the outer perimeter of the shrine grounds. They sat on an empty stone bench, a small lantern a few inches away blanketing them in flickering warmth.
“So,” Hinata started, legs straight out and swaying in front of him. “You want to know how bad my fortune was?”
“If you say Great Curse I’d actually be impressed since I have yet to see anyone get that.”
Hinata shook his head. “No, I got Half-Curse, which is still pretty bad. I’m planning on buying an amulet later.”
Kageyama leaned forward in his seat, eyes meeting Hinata’s. “I can help you pick one out if you want….”
“You would?”
“I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t mean it.”
Hinata grinned and gave a short nod. “Okay then, thanks. I’d love your help.”
They let momentary silence settle in between them. It was a beautiful clear night, and even with the bright lights from the lanterns and food stands, they could see the stars sprawling across the sea of deep blue and black above them.
“…My mom was a bit too much during lunch today, wasn’t she?” Kageyama said, eyes still searching the sky. “I never bring anyone over so she got really excited.”
“What? No way, she was great!” Hinata exclaimed and turned his upper body a bit toward Kageyama. “Her cooking was delicious and she was so pretty, too. Between Haruna-san and your dad, I can see why you came out so handsome.”
Kageyama looked to the ground and rubbed the back of his neck. “You say things like that so easily. I don’t know how you do it.”
“I’m just honest to a fault,” Hinata admitted. He bit his bottom lip and faced forward again, bending his knees so his feet were planted on the ground. “My mouth always says what I’m thinking before I can stop it.”
“I don’t mind it, although you’re annoying sometimes. At least you’re easy to understand.”
Hinata gave a nervous chuckle. “Then you should learn a bit from me. I wish you were easier to understand.”
“I can’t help you there,” Kageyama sulked, crossing his arms across his chest.
“Hey, Kageyama.” Hinata murmured as he gripped the edge of the bench. Like a band aid, he said to himself. Just rip it off. “…What would you think if I said I liked you?” He ducked his head and peeked over at Kageyama.
Kageyama’s expression went blank for a nanosecond, then pensive, and then finally to brow-furrowing confusion. “But you say it all the time, right? You’re always going on about how you love my form?”
There you have it. What reaction was he even expecting from Kageyama…
“I do say it all the time, don’t I?” Hinata laughed dryly and stared down at his lap. He swallowed a few times so his voice was steady. “It’s just the most beautiful form I’ve ever seen…it was love at first sight.”
Kageyama’s lips curled up into a tiny smile and he sighed, diving his hand into the mess of orange hair on Hinata’s head. “Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard that one before.”
He would have been overjoyed over this sweet gesture before today—before he realized how stupidly deep he had already fallen for this perfect, oblivious, kyūdō-idiot beside him. But right now all he needed was to get away. The air was suffocating.
“It’s late. I should go home.” Hinata stated and got up, hands clutching the straps of his bag and bow quiver.
“What about your amulet? I thought—“
“I can come back some other day,” Hinata muttered and looked up briefly to offer a forced smile. “Good night.” And without waiting another second, he bolted.
He made it as far as the bottom of the shrine steps before the hot tears that were long threatening to spill made their way down his face. He should be proud, really, that he held them back that long. He rubbed at his eyes as he walked to his bus stop, and kept rubbing while he waited, but the tears wouldn’t stop. Persistent. As if they’d been piling inside him from past heartaches.
As if this one hurt the most.
Not on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. And on Friday he mustered up the courage to walk to the steps of the shrine but hastily turned around to dash right back down that road and to his bus stop.
He wasn’t purposefully avoiding Kageyama; he just didn’t know how he’d act around him when he saw him. It was so easy for Hinata to be by his side when he was unaware of his own feelings, but with the realization being so raw and fresh, he felt like he’d say something stupid again. He didn’t want to make Kageyama uncomfortable, much less make him annoyed or angry. So he decided that until his feelings settled enough for him to somewhat successfully mask those unneeded emotions, he’d put some space between them.
It’s not like Kageyama would mind Hinata not being around. He was probably relieved to get some alone time again.
Well…that’s what Hinata initially thought.
But on Friday night he got a text from Kageyama asking if he got sick. And he blamed the sickness on Hinata not buying an amulet on the night of the festival.
Hinata read the text over and over again, his hand gripping his phone tightly. Kageyama was sweet. And he was caring, in his own way. And that made Hinata even more at a loss of what to do from now on. He needed space to compose himself—space to forget the feelings burning through his chest. So he took advantage of this misunderstanding to buy himself some time and replied to Kageyama with a sick and prayer emoji. A little, tiny, white lie.
He distracted himself, diving head first into studying for tests and practicing long hours with his team to prepare for their upcoming tournament. It wasn’t easy, especially since he thought about Kageyama’s advice every time he drew his bow, but it wasn’t excruciating. He could manage. He could work with this, like he has always done. And in that uncertainty, another week went by.
Monday afternoon, Hinata spotted Kageyama waiting for him outside the doors for the Education Department building. He ducked behind a locker to stay out of sight, feeling like an idiot all the while doing it. That was the only exit anyone really used, the only other way out the building was through a side door in the basement that was a pain to get to and left him even farther away from the kyūdō dojo. Hinata closed his eyes and roughly tousled his hair. He wasn’t ready. Just a few more days and he’d be all set. And with that, he walked to the stairwell and headed to the basement.
When Hinata looked at his phone after practice, he had three new texts from Kageyama. He decided not to read them immediately. Instead, he changed back to his regular clothes and said goodbye to his teammates. Once he was alone, walking on that familiar road, he opened up his messages.
From: Kageyama
Are you avoiding me?
Did I do something for you to be mad at me?
I thought you were honest. At least stop being a coward and tell it to my face.
Hinata stood on the corner of the third street of the shady road, where he usually turned right at to head to his bus stop, and sighed, pressing the balls of his hands to temples. He was being so fucking stupid. While trying to protect his own feelings, he was hurting Kageyama’s.
He ran up the hill and only caught his breath when he was a few feet from the side door of the dojo. After wiping the sweat off his forehead, he quietly opened the door, took his shoes off, and walked further inside. Kageyama was mid-draw, and at least for the moments until that arrow hit his target, he seemed perfectly focused on kyūdō. But immediately after he finished his draw, he set his bow to the side, grabbed something from on top of the small wooden table, and marched toward Hinata.
He was furious—eyebrows furrowed deeply enough to give him lasting wrinkles and teeth bared. When Kageyama was about half a foot from Hinata he flung what he had in his hands at him. Hinata shut his eyes, getting barely tapped in the face and chest. When he looked down there were two amulets on the floor, a red one for general good luck and a purple one for good health. Hinata kneeled down to pick them up, flushed expression breaking down, eyes glossy, and lips pressed into a line.
“Tell me why you’re avoiding me,” Kageyama demanded, taking a step closer to Hinata.
Hinata covered his face with the hand holding the amulets and kept Kageyama at a distance with the other. “I didn’t mean to!” he attempted, voice cracking at the end. “I just…needed some space.”
“…Space from me?” Kageyama took a step back. “Did I do something?”
“You didn’t do anything.” Hinata lowered his hands to reveal his deeply flushed face and held the amulets to his chest. His shaky golden eyes met Kageyama’s. “You didn’t have to do anything. I just fell for you all on my own.”
Kageyama’s eyebrows rose and his face softened in a way Hinata had never seen before. “I see,” he muttered as the understanding nestled in his chest. “So on night of the spring festival, you were actually talking about liking me, not my form?”
“And what if I was?” Hinata used every ounce of courage he had left to hold his gaze steady. “What would you say if I told you I like you?”
Kageyama let out an exasperated sighed and closed the distance between them, resting his forehead on Hinata’s shoulder. “I’d say that I’m okay with that. That I’d probably need time to catch up to your feelings but that it won’t take me long. Can we stop talking in hypotheticals now?”
Hinata chuckled lightly, petting the back of Kageyama’s head with the hand closest to it. “Yeah, I’m not scared anymore.”
Kageyama lifted his head and brought a hesitant hand to Hinata’s cheek. He then dropped his hand and grabbed Hinata’s wrist, gently pulling him towards the open side of the dojo. “Come.”
They sat down on the floor and let their legs hang off the edge, feet lightly grazing the grass underneath. The sky was just as gorgeous and starry as that spring festival night, but the air felt lighter. Kageyama took his time gathering his thoughts and there were a few false starts, but Hinata patiently waited for him to find the right words.
“Even though I’ve been practicing completely alone for so long, I’ve never felt lonely while doing kyūdō,” Kageyama explained while looking down at his hands. “But in the last two weeks of you not being here, I’ve felt like something was lacking.”
“You missed me.” It was both a question and an answer.
“I did. And it made me feel annoyed and even sad. These are new feelings for me.” Kageyama looked over at Hinata and cautiously, almost curiously, touched the hair above his ears. “I missed this stupid hair and this stupid face.”
“Rude!” Hinata laughed and grabbed Kageyama’s hand, holding it between his own.
Kageyama slipped his fingers in between Hinata’s, lacing their hands together. “I also wanted to hear your tsurune again. It’s been stuck in my head since we practiced together.”
Hinata grinned, his thumb rubbing the back of Kageyama’s hand. “I think it sounds like the chimes in my grandma’s house.”
“I can see what you mean.”
Hinata slid closer and rested his head on Kageyama’s shoulder, closing his eyes. The night breeze smelled like dew and flowers, and it pleasingly brushed past them. Now unburdened by the tension of an unrequited love and instead embraced by a blooming one, Hinata felt so blissful he could fall asleep right here. But he didn’t want to waste this moment.
“Kageyama?”
“Hm?”
“… Can I kiss you?” Hinata murmured timidly, raising his head to face Kageyama. “Just one kiss?”
Kageyama slid one leg up onto the floor of the dojo and turned his body toward Hinata. “Okay,” he replied, closing his eyes. “Go for it.”
Hinata held back a laugh as he leaned in, pausing just a few millimeters from Kageyama’s lips. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed and his eyelids twitched every so often—he was nervous. Hinata held Kageyama’s hands in his own and lightly pressed his lips against his. They were velvety soft. He pulled away after mere seconds, afraid to try to take too much, too fast.
Kageyama blinked his eyes open and his lips curled up into sly smirk. “That’s it?”
“…You said your feelings need to catch up so I don't want to push too hard,” Hinata replied coyly.
“I know I said that but, what are we, elementary kids?”
Hinata leaned back and pursed his lips. “If you want more you’ll have to come get it yourself,” he teased.
Kageyama scowled but then darted forward, cupping the back of Hinata’s head with his hand and roughly smacking their lips together. Hinata both winced and chuckled at his clumsy irritation, but the humor of it all slowly melted into breathy tension and tender touches. Hinata wrapped the arm that wasn’t propping him up around Kageyama’s neck as their lips glided against each other—easy, unhurriedly.
“We should…” Kageyama murmured, giving Hinata one last peck before he pulled away, “stop. For now, I mean. My mom will probably come to check why I’ve been out here for so long.”
Hinata nodded hazily. “Right. It’s getting late.”
Kageyama reached behind Hinata to grab the amulets he had placed nearby and dropped them into his lap. “Don't forget these.” He then popped up on his feet and extended his hand.
Hinata grabbed on and let himself be helped up, smiling. “This means we’re going out, right?”
“Yes.” Kageyama said with a genuine laugh. “You’re such a dumbass.”
“A dumbass for you,” Hinata sang, throwing in a flirty wink.
Kageyama shook his head, surely trying to hide his amusement, and pushed Hinata to the side door. “Go home.”
“Yes, mom.” Hinata grabbed his bag and quiver, and stepped into his shoes. “Oh, wait, one more question.”
Kageyama looked down at him with an arched eyebrow. “What?”
“Can you please consider joining our university team? Just try it for two weeks, please?”
“I can’t…” Kageyama sighed.
“Come on,” Hinata urged. “Then let’s make a bet! If I can outscore you in even one face off, you have to join the team for at least two weeks.”
“There’s no way you’ll ever outscore me.”
Hinata put his hands on his hips. “If you’re so sure why don’t you just take the bet?
“Okay then, deal,” Kageyama huffed. “And what do I get out of it?”
“Well, you made the deal without settling that first, so your loss!” Hinata snickered and opened the door. “Good night!” And in his usual fashion, off he went.
“Wha—Hinata!”
