❖ The Wrong Question to Ask
Practice had ended, sweat still clinging to skin, steam from the showers fogging the mirrors.
Tendou was lounging across the bench like a satisfied lizard, towel draped over his shoulders, eyes gleaming with mischief.
Ushijima stood at his locker, toweling his hair, calm as ever. Too calm.
Which meant Tendou absolutely had to poke him.
“Ne, Wakatoshi-kun,” Tendou sing-songed, “what if—just what if—Shoyo decides he doesn’t want to be with you anymore?”
The locker room went quiet.
Reon froze mid-buttoning his shirt.
Goshiki nearly dropped his water bottle.
Semi mouthed, what the hell, Tendou?
Ushijima’s hands paused. Just for a moment. A fraction.
His expression didn’t shift, but his eyes— darkened.
“That,” Ushijima said slowly, voice calm and terrifyingly certain, “will not happen.”
Tendou grinned wider. “Oooh? Confident, aren’t we? But hypothetically—hypothetically—what if he leaves you?”
Everyone looked at Ushijima. He actually considered it.
And then, with the same tone he uses to call a cross shot:
“Then I will drag him back to me,” he said. “And lock him if necessary.”
Semi stared like he’d just witnessed a crime confession.
Reon sighed, already tired.
“HAAA—! I knew it! I knew you’d say something insane! You’re so scary, Wakatoshi-kun!”
Ushijima blinked. “Why? It is logical.”
“Logical he says!” Tendou slapped his knee. “Poor chibi-chan doesn’t know he’s dating a yandere!”
Strangely, Ushijima didn’t deny it. He simply closed his locker with quiet finality.
“Shoyo is mine,” he said calmly, as if stating a fact of nature. “And I will not let him go.”
Tendou clutched his chest dramatically.
“HORRIFYING—AND ROMANTIC—AT THE SAME TIME!”
The team slowly backed away, some whispering, some shaking their heads.
Goshiki whispered to Reon, “Should we warn Hinata?”
Reon: “No. If Hinata chose him, we trust he knows… whatever that was.”
Tendou threw an arm around Ushijima’s shoulder.
“You’re soooo in love, it’s dangerous.”
Ushijima didn’t answer. Because for him? It wasn’t a joke.
The door swung shut behind Ushijima, leaving the locker room in a stunned, echoing silence.
No one moved or breathed.
It was Reon who finally exhaled.
“…We’re all alive. That’s good.”
Semi ran a hand down his face. “Did he actually say he’d drag Hinata back and lock him up?”
“Yes,” Goshiki squeaked, voice cracking. “With no hesitation! None! Zero!”
Tendou was still laughing, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.
“Oh, come on, guys—it’s romantic in a very twisted Wakatoshi-kun way!”
Semi stared at him. “Satori. He looked like he meant it.”
“Oh, he did,” Tendou said cheerfully. “He absolutely meant every word.”
Reon sighed, the Responsible Adult of the team. “I knew he got… intense about Hinata. But this is… next level.”
Goshiki hugged his water bottle for comfort.
“Hinata is so small! So cute! So innocent! Does he even know he’s dating a walking natural disaster?!”
Tendou grinned. “Nope! Chibi-chan has no idea that his alpha is one intrusive thought away from going full yandere.”
Semi nodded “Hinata’s a sweetheart. He offers you snacks, he bows ninety degrees when apologizing, he’s literally sunshine incarnate.”
Reon added, “And our captain is… our captain.”
“Terrifying,” Semi clarified.
“Emotionally stunted,” Tendou corrected playfully.
“Built like he could punch a truck,” Goshiki whispered.
“Willing to kidnap his omega,” Semi muttered.
Tendou spread his hands. “Listen, listen—Wakatoshi-kun isn’t actually dangerous. Not unless someone tries to take Hinata from him.”
They all paused, looked at each other, and collectively shuddered.
Reon: “I just hope Hinata never says something vague like ‘we need to talk’ or ‘let’s take a break’.”
Semi: “He’d lose his mind.”
Goshiki: “Ushijima-san has lost his mind! For Hinata! It’s kinda horrifying and admirable at the same time!”
Tendou smirked knowingly. “Just wait until Hinata realizes how utterly, hopelessly claimed he is.”
Reon groaned. “Poor kid.”
Semi crossed his arms. “We should support Hinata. Because he’ll need all the help he can get to survive Wakatoshi.”
Tendou beamed. “He’ll be fiiine. Chibi-chan is sunshine. Sunshine always tames big scary monsters.”
“But the monster is still a monster,” Semi muttered.
“Exactly, but” Tendou laughed. “Isn’t love amazing?”
The team collectively decided to pray for Hinata’s sanity and future safety.