Saving Shoyo ✔︎

09//Talk//

Kenma POV

The coffee shop booth was thick with apprehension. Kuro looked curious, the rest simply waited for me to speak, even Tanaka and Nishinoya shut up for once. I suppose I have to go through with this now...

I sigh. "Listen-,"

"Is this about Hinata?" I blink in surprise at the silver-headed setter. Suga really must have a mother's intuition. Or maybe Hinata's already told them...

Probably not.

"Yeah, actually. How'd you know?"

"He's been acting really strange ever since the Never Have I Ever game, I'm worried. Did something happen?"

Now everyone's paying attention. I really hope I'm not wrong about this. "There's someone abusing him. I'm not exactly sure who...but I suspect Ushijima. Or I did, at least."

Their reactions were worse than I was expecting.

Ushijima POV

Hinata was a bit quiet through the rest of the zoo, so I decided to take him somewhere else before the day was up. "How do you feel about the mall, first year?"

Hinata's brow's furrow. "I don't know...I've never been to one."

"Well then we're definitely going. I can't believe that out of the two of us you've never been to a mall." I laugh a bit, trying to lighten the atmosphere from whatever had come over the little spiker at the empty giraffe enclosure.

"Oh shut up," Hinata laughs, and my shoulders dip in relief.

It takes us longer than it should to get to the mall complex, mostly because of all the street food the crow insisted we stop for. I don't complain though, I know Hinata's been skipping meals back at the camp.

When we finally do reach the building, Hinata seems too engrossed in his taiyaki to notice, at least until we step inside.

"WOAH." The short number 10 gapes at the mall's interior, craning his neck at odd angles to take in the sight. I hold back a snort at how adorable he is.

The mall is impressive, sure, with three stories of terraces visible from the ground, with sloping limestone stairs climbing to each level. Signs blazed to life anywhere you looked, and the whole place was open entirely to the sky, almost as though the place was a separate city.

"Let's get stuff!!" Hinata jumps up and down excitedly, making me grin a bit.

First, we hit up the sports outlet, of course, to hunt for volleyball gear. I grabbed some med tape for Satori, but I was pretty much set for the rest, so we didn't stay long. Hinata seemed to have something in mind-I couldn't help but notice how distracted he'd seemed in the outlet.

"Where do you wanna go next?" I asked, open to whatever.

"Uh...do you mind if we go to Sephora?" My brow furrowed. Why would he want to go to a makeup store?

I nod wordlessly, a bit confused. "I didn't know you were into this kind of stuff," I say as we arrive, the shop bustling with elegant women.

Hinata flushes to the ears, furrowing his brow. "Th-that's not it!" He protests before hurrying inside, embarrassed.

I huff a laugh at how cute he's being and follow behind. My smile soon drops when I see what he's looking for. "Hinata," The boy jumps at my voice, clutching the object as if to keep me from seeing. I grit my teeth. "You don't need concealer."

Sugawara POV

Hinata had been acting weird lately, so when Kenma-kun asked to speak with my team specifically...I knew something was up. But what he ended up saying was...not what I expected. And I. Was. Pissed.

"What the hell do you mean 'being abused'?!" Tanaka growled, lunging over the table and grabbing a fistful of Kenma-kun's shirt.

"Yeah, who the fuck would dare hurt Shō?!" Noya chimed in, fists clenched in anger.

The setter's catlike eyes widened as he leaned back from Tanaka's brutal glare. "I just said I didn't know! Leave me out of it."

"Kenma-kun," I say quietly, shoving down my horror and revulsion. "Why do you think he's being hurt? Why suspect Ushijima?"

Kenma-kun gulped as Tanaka reluctantly released him, straightening his shirt. "He's got bruises on his wrists, like someone was holding him too hard," my anger flares but I stomach it as the Nekoma boy continues. "And when I pulled him away once so we can talk, he freaked out, struggling and thrashing around until he saw it was me."

The whole table has been stunned into silence at this point, but I press on. "What about Ushijima? What's that got to do with him?"

"I was suspicious of the way they acted around each other but..," Kenma-kun shook his head. "Ushijima seems to know what's going on with Shoyo, but I don't think he's responsible for it."

I can't say I'm not a bit in shock. Hinata? With the Ace of Shiratorizawa? "How on earth does Ushijima know??" I choke our in surprise.

"Don't look at me, I haven't got a clue. I think he must be helping Shōyo in some way though, Shōyo seemed really grateful to him.." The pudding-haired setter mused.

"ARGH THIS IS SO AGGRAVATING." Noya said suddenly, slamming his head on the table. "Shō tells us nothing, and the only other person we can get the truth from is goddamned Ushiwaka?!? What is this, a BL?"

BL...?

I coughed pointedly and Noya relaxed slightly, grumbling.

"Well then," I sigh ruefully. "I guess I'll just have to have a chat with Ushijima Wakatoshi."

~

Word count: 966

A/n
I missed you guys!! Thanks you so much for the reads, it means the world ily <3
Also I keep sayin I'll do fluff buuut—

Ahaha~ anyways

I'm on spring break soooo- more updates? Maybe?

Hope you're still invested :))
Love ya Mochi babies <3

~Mor-chan