to greater things beyond the unknown||RK96000||

Chapter 2: Jacket Theft

ao3 - RK96000

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Luckily for Shouyou, his second day of school at Aoba Johsai is much less terrifying and much less boring- Kunimi passes him notes during classes, seeming just as uninterested in classes as Shouyou is, and Kindaichi engages him in conversation during lunch break when Kunimi is too busy tapping on an idle mobile game to talk.

The second day passes startlingly quick and then, as if the day hadn't just started, the bell rings its familiar tune and it's finally time.

It takes every fiber of Shouyou's being to not just bolt towards the gymnasium now that school has ended- but he can't just leave his beloved friends behind!

He... also doesn't really remember the way to the gym.

"Kunimi! Let's go!" Shouyou pleads, Kunimi giving him a blank look and putting his things away at a marginally faster pace.

Kindaichi, luckily, is much more quick, already having crossed the room to their place at the very back, and snorts when he sees Shouyou vibrating in place with excitement next to Kunimi's mechanical motions as he finally puts on his backpack.

"No need to rush," Kindaichi says, muffling a laugh when Shouyou pouts. "Practice starts in five minutes, we have enough time."

Shouyou wilts, even as the three leave the classroom and head out to the gym. "I know that! It's just, I haven't done anything volleyball-related with an actual team in ages."

Kunimi makes a vaguely sympathetic sounding noise. "With how much volleyball there is knocking around your brain, that sounds like a death sentence."

"It was," Shouyou frowns, before shaking his head and racing ahead now that the gym doors were in sight. "But it's different now!"

"Oh?" is all Kunimi says, even as the edge of a smile plays upon his lips.

Shouyou grins when he turns back to face them. "Yeah! I have you guys now."

And with that, Shouyou pushes the gym doors open to see the mostly empty gym, besides Oikawa and Iwaizumi, who are already arguing.

"I'm just saying, you practically dragged me from our last class, Shittykawa," Iwaizumi huffs at Oikawa before spotting Shouyou and waving at him with a friendly grin.

"Yeah, well, I wanted to see- Hina-chan!" Oikawa's gaze locks onto him the second he sees him there and approaches him with a bright smile.

Shouyou's heart skips a beat when he hears the nickname but thankfully, he doesn't completely explode into gay mush, and smiles back as gracefully as he can. "Oikawa-senpai!"

Oikawa freezes just like he did yesterday, but just as Shouyou's heart starts to sink, Iwaizumi smacks the back of Oikawa's head, which luckily causes him to function again, a smile slipping on Oikawa's face even as he turns to pout at Iwaizumi.

"It's good to see all three of you here," Iwaizumi says, Shouyou twisting around to see that oh, he had been so focused on Oikawa that he hadn't even realized Kunimi and Kindaichi had entered the gym.

"Yes! It's good to see you two here as well!" Kindaichi shouts, arms held stiffly by his sides.

Kunimi lets out a long sigh before punching Kindaichi in the shoulder. "We'll wait by the bench until practice starts- right, Kindaichi, Hinata?"

Shouyou casts one last glance at Oikawa, whose gaze is still locked onto him with all the intensity of a predator staring after its prey, a frustratingly handsome half-smirk on his face, and flushes, rushing past Kunimi and Kindaichi to the bench and shoving himself down to sit.