The Sun with A False Eternity

Maybe Kenma Isn't So Bad

 Kageyama's gut was right. Hinata didn't return to the gym, or the tree, after that day. The Wednesday after the game, Hinata's condition rapidly worsened once again. By the time Kageyama arrived at the hospital that night, Hinata was hardly able to get out of bed. Kageyama ended up doing more of the talking because Hinata was having a harder time speaking without his body contorting with raspy coughs.

The few times Hinata had tried to stand, his legs almost immediately gave out and Kageyama had to scoop him back up into bed before he hurt himself.

The next couple of weeks felt a little bit like torture. Many people came to visit, but a lot of them couldn't stay long, and Kageyama didn't blame them. Seeing Hinata in his condition was... Tragic. But despite all of that, Kageyama spent every spare second by his best friend's side. He was still forced to go to school, and he kept his promise to Hinata that he would train for Nationals, but other than that he was constantly at the hospital. Nearly every member of the staff knew him by name, and he had ended up getting to know Hinata's mother and sister pretty well. But still, he was there for Hinata and Hinata alone.

Kageyama looked over to the corner of the room, where an object very familiar to the setter was plugged into the wall. It made him smile, seeing its glow in the corner of the room. He had given the nightlight to Hinata shortly after the boy had come to stay at the hospital permanently, hoping it would bring comfort to Hinata in the same way it always had for him.

Hinata had looked confused when Kageyama had given it to him, and all the tall teenager could muster out was simply: "you said you got lonely here... So... Take it."

Hinata followed the instruction, and it had been lighting the room ever since.

The day before they were supposed to leave for Nationals, Hinata's condition was not any better. He had already figured out that he wasn't going to be able to go, and it was something he had complained to the setter every chance he got. Kageyama didn't want to go without him. But he had come up with a plan, something that would hopefully satisfy both their desires, without risking Hinata's health.

He had to go far out of his comfort zone for it to work, but in the end, he and Kenma had come up with a plan. While Kageyama and Kenma weren't friends, he knew he had to do it for Hinata. And Kenma had exactly what he was looking for. It took some convincing, but he had gotten Coach Ukai to drive him out to Kenma's house for a package, which he now held out for Hinata to look at.

"What's this?" Hinata's voice could hardly move above a whisper anymore. He pulled a screen out of the package and held it up to inspect it. "Oh, there's two."

"They're video chatting devices," Kageyama pulled the third item out from the package, "and this is a high-quality camera. I figured we could set it up at the game on Saturday so... You know... You could be there."

"Kageyama..." Hinata coughed, then continued when he regained his breath. "You did this all for me?"

"Well... Kenma and Coach Ukai helped," Kageyama admitted, feeling too awkward to meet Hinata's excited gaze.

"This is amazing..." He clutched the device to his chest, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "I guess I'm going to Nationals after all."

"We could never go without you," Kageyama moved over and sat at the foot of the bed, still feeling very hot. Hinata just gave him a small smile, but his eyes shone with the gratitude Kageyama knew the sick teen was too weak to express.

Kageyama spent a few minutes explaining how it worked and how to set it up to both Hinata and his mother. Both of the screens had cameras, so they would be able to see each other as they talked. But for the actual game, Karasuno was bringing the camera so that Hinata could get a clearer picture.

Someone who wasn't a part of the team may argue that it was pointless, that there were going to be so many screens there already capturing the content of the game. But Kageyama knew better than that. He knew that this was the best way to bring Hinata along with them. Because Hinata wasn't just some fan watching on some TV screen far away.

Hinata was a member of Karasuno. Nothing was going to change that.

Before long, Kageyama had to return home. They were leaving the next day, and as much as he hated it he had to go home before too late to ensure that he got as much rest as he could. He informed Hinata of this, who simply nodded. Just as Kageyama was about to exit the room for the last time before the big competition, he heard Hinata's small voice speak up:

"We're gonna win, aren't we?"

"Of course we are. You better still be here when we get back so that we can celebrate."

"Of course." Hinata gave Kageyama another small smile, and that was the last thing the setter saw before he left the room.