the boy who got too close to the sun

14: 1 truth, and a lie

Meanwhile...

After Kageyama hopped off the ride, he expected to be greeted by a certain boy, eager to get on the ferris wheel with him. But, there wasn't that head of orange hair in plain sight. Even if he continued to look, he could feel droplets of rain start to come down.

Kageyama: Hey, where'd you go?

No response.

Kageyama: Heelllloooo?
Kageyama: Hinata, did you go back home already?

Hinata: Sorry, I got bored waiting for you.

Such a short response yet, the tone of annoyance was written all over it. Even someone as dense as Kageyama could figure out that Shoyo was mad.

"Hey, looks like it's starting to rain, my place is close. Wanna come over?" Akira offered him but, all he could think about was how to get Hinata not mad at him anymore. He knew the shorter boy was a pain in the ass to deal with when angry.

"Sorry, I gotta go." He responded, talking off before heaps of rain poured down onto him.

He arrived home, drenched in rain water, with his clothes soaked. He entered into the unlocked home, going up into his room. When he went inside, it looked like Hinata was already fast asleep. So, he hopped in the shower.

20 minutes later...

"I know you're not sleeping. Wake up so we can talk." Kageyama shook the smaller boy by his shoulders, knowing that Hinata wasn't the type to be going to sleep at 9:00. "I know you're upset so, come on."

Hinata opened his eyes but, he was still facing Kageyama with his back turned to him.

"Stupid Kageyama. Idiot Kageyama." Hinata muttered, not wanting to turn around. He was still angry with the taller boy, but also angry with himself that he didn't wait for him. "Go away, I don't wanna talk."

"Look, I'm sorry. You said it was okay so, I didn't expect you to be this mad." Kageyama sighed, figuring this conversation was going nowhere. It was confirmed when Hinata didn't say anything else. So, he rummaged through his pockets and dug out a keychain he won at one of the booths. He dangled it over Shoyo's face like bait on a fish hook.

Guess what, the fish took the bait.

"Fine, let's talk." Hinata stubbornly 'hmphed', sitting up in his bed. The golden volleyball keychain was clutched in his fists.

"Akira's an old friend I haven't seen in a while so, she wanted to catch up with just each other. I was planning to ride the ferris wheel with you when we came back down but, you were already gone." Kageyama sighed, attempting to make things right between them. 'Why am I even explaining this?'

Thing is, he continued to babble on and on and on. But, the conversation surrounded Akira. So, what's the thing you do when you want someone to shut up already?

Hinata dropped the keychain onto his bed, cupped Kageyama's face, as pressed his lips onto his. The taller boy's eyes widened in shock, feeling a pair of soft lips on his. Shoyo knew what was coming next but, he couldn't let this go on any longer.

So when they pulled apart, Hinata confessed.

"Don't you get it already? The person I was talking about that day on the beach was you, Kageyama." Hinata sighed, dropping his head down low. He couldn't bare to see the face the taller boy was making. "I like you, and not just as a friend." He clenched his fists onto his bed sheets, getting ready for a response.

Kageyama was dead silent. Blood rushed to his cheeks, because well, he didn't expect Hinata's crush to be him. He really didn't know.

But, he already has his answer.

"I'm sorry, Hinata... I can't return your feelings."

A clean-cut rejection. Even if it was sad, it was the response that Hinata expected, but he didn't want it. He was terrified of being rejected but, he'd probably explode if he didn't get his feelings out in words. Or actions at that.

"Just answer me this. Is it because of her?" Hinata asked, still looking down at the bed instead of meeting Kageyama's eyes.

...

"No, I just never saw you in that way." Tobio admitted, and he wasn't really lying. At least, not about one part. It was 1 truth, and a lie.

"Okay! Thanks for your response, Kageyama." Hinata chuckled, looking up with that usual smile of his. If someone saw, it would look like he didn't even get rejected in the first place. "Sorry for springing this up on you, it must be weird to get a confession from your best friend." He continued on, babbling like there was no tomorrow.

"...It's fin-"

"Anyways, I'm exhausted! G'night, Kageyama." Shoyo cut him off, going under his covers. Kageyama got off of the shorter boy's bed, going to turn off the light.

"Yeah, goodnight." Kageyama mumbled, also going off to bed.

There was a slight regret for the taller boy and the response he gave Shoyo. The part that was a lie was when he said that he's never saw him in that way. Because, he did like him, and in that way. In a way where he wanted to hold him while he cried, and hugged him when he was happy but, he just didn't want to fall in love.

And even if Hinata pretended like he took the rejection well, the sound of his muffled sobs in the quiet room was enough to know that he was heartbroken.

The room was filled with sorrow and regret.

All because Kageyama did not want to be like the foolish boy who got too close the the scorching sun... or in this case, the eccentric boy with a head of orange hair in its place.

to be continued...