He held onto Hinata's arm as he walked into school. As predicted, he got a lot of stares and hushed whispers as he walked through the hall, just wanting to get to class. The teacher does nothing other than give a warm smile, something he's thankful for.
Class went by surprisingly easy. All he had to do was focus on his work and ignore everything else, which happened to be quite easy. She didn't call on him, or ask him any questions, another thing he was thankful for. Although, she's never really been the kind of teacher to call on kids when their hand isn't up anyway.
He felt the glances from his classmates, he just did his best to ignore them.
"Kageyama, can I have a word?" The teacher asked after the bell rung to go to lunch. Hinata chose to wait outside for him.
"How is everything? Are you doing okay?"
Yes ma'am.
"Ah yes, Takeda told me about your whiteboard." She says, making simple conversation. "We're glad to have you back, are you currently seeing a counsellor?"
No, ma'am.
"Have you met the counsellor yet?" He shook his head. "Would you like me to introduce you? I'm sure she'd love to have some company in her office."
He thought for a second, maybe he should. Maybe it'd be good for him to talk to someone else. Okay, he writes, though a little reluctant. She smiles, walking out of the class, Kageyama behind her.
Hinata's still waiting outside, now a little curious. I'll see you later. He writes, following his teacher until they stop at a door. She knocks, when hearing a 'come in', they enter. "Hello Miss Mutoku, I have Kageyama here." She speaks. The woman turns around, she nods, chewing on her lunch.
"Ah yes, hello, come in, come in, welcome to my office. Takeda said you might be popping in sometime." Naoki gives him a glance before going back to her classroom, wanting some lunch.
"Have seat." She gestures to the swivel chair across from her. He takes a seat, whiteboard in his lap. "Hi, my name is Mutoku, and I'm the guidance counsellor, as you already know." She introduces herself. He gives a little wave.
"You must be nervous, going back to school after three months, right?" He nods. "Is there anything you wanted to talk about in particular?"
Not really.
"Ah, that's okay. I heard you like volleyball, you're on the team, right?" He smiles, nodding enthusiastically. Yeah!
"How long have you been playing for?"
Since I could walk, I guess.
"That's great, it's always good to be good at something, and have a hobby you enjoy." He nods in agreement.
"Do you like exercising too?"
Yes, ma'am. He replies. "That's good, what about your living situation, you're living with Takeda and your coach, right?"
Yes.
"How is that going? Are you enjoying it?"
Yes, it's fun there, kind of miss my own house sometimes though.
"Have you asked to go back?"
Once, only to get uniforms and books.
"Maybe try asking to go again? One of them would be willing to drive you, right?" She suggests.
Yeah, I guess.
Tobio talks with the counsellor, until the bell rings. "Now, I'm here every day, so if you ever need to talk, I'll be here." Mutoko gives him a goodbye, and he hurries back to class.
He feels a little more relaxed at his seat, learning and taking notes.
At second break, he doesn't go see the counsellor like he did at first lunch, instead he's with Hinata. "Where'd you go?" He asks. Counsellor, he answers. Hinata understands and doesn't say anything else about it.
"Hi! How's your first day going so far?" Sugawara asked, walking up to them. Kageyama shrugs. Okay.
"That's nice. Must get annoying with all the stares huh?"
Yeah, a little.
"Your classes been going okay?" He gives a nod. Seeing that he's tired, Sugawara stops talking to him, and instead, starts talking to Hinata, about what, he wasn't sure, he wasn't paying attention.
Feeling uncomfortable, and feeling like something creeping up his spine, he tugs on Hinata's sleeve, getting his attention. I'll be back. Then disappears again.
He makes his way over to Takeda's classroom. He looks through the glass windows to make sure he's actually there, then knocks on the door. "Come in!"
He enters, quietly closing it. Feeling a little safer already. "Tobio! Hi! It's nice to see you, how have you been so far?"
Okay.
"I heard you talked to Miss Mutoku, how'd that go?"
It went fine.
"Did you want to talk about anything? Is everything okay?"
Everything is fine, just wanted to sit in here.
"Oh yeah, that's fine. You know, you could've brought Hinata with you if you want." Tobio shrugs his shoulders.
"This is the most social interaction you've done in months; you must be a little tired, right?"
Yes, socializing is tiring.
"I have a bean bag in the back room if you want to chill in there."
Okay.
Takeda leads him into a back room, it's small, but not cramped. Two bean bags sit against the wall, a small table with an unfinished puzzle and a few fidget toys, as well as cd player with a few different CDs stacked next to it, a few books stacked on the other side of the CD player.
"You think you're going to be fine in here?"
Yes. Ittestu smiles and makes his way out, hands on the doorknob. "Wait." Tobio called quietly. "Can you leave the door open?"
"Yeah, I can do that."
So that's where Kageyama spends his time, chilling out in the back room of Takeda's classroom, gathering his strength back up for the rest of the day.
He sighs out in annoyance when he hears the bell, he's not ready to go back. He doesn't want to. Why can't lunch be longer? He gets off the comfy bean bag, contemplating on whether or not he should go back. Knowing he's going to get in trouble, he exits the room.
"Everything okay?" Ittetsu's sitting at his desk, laptop open, a pile of papers next to it, a cup of pens and another cup of pencils next to it, for anyone who needs them. Yeah, I'm fine.
"You sure? You look like you don't want to go back."
"I don't, I just don't want to get in trouble."
"Tobio, do you remember what I told you?"
I don't think so?
"If you can't do a full day for a while, that's fine, they're not going to be upset with you. All I have to do is tell your teacher." He reminds him. "Did you want to stay here, or go back to class?" He's talking quieter, most of his class is here now.
Can I just stay here?
"Yeah of course, I'll just have to tell your teacher is all." Tobio goes back to the room, door open like before.
"I'll be back, I have something I need to do." He announces. "Don't do anything." He adds before closing the door.
Several of them glance at the room Tobio is cooped up in. On person in particular, has enough bravery to ignore her teacher and go and see what's up.
"Hi!" She says in a cheery voice, hoping to not scare him off. "You're Kageyama, right?"
Yes, why?
"No reason, what are you doing in here?"
Socially tired. He answers. "You don't talk much, do you?"
Not really.
"That's fair." With that, she leaves.
Getting comfortable, he takes his shoes off, now far more tired than he thought.
YOU ARE READING
The Silence Is Loud
Fanfiction*This work is also being rewritten and edited by me, EeryCurlew53, on ao3* Tobio Kageyama mysteriously disappeared. he's found months later in the forest. He hasn't said much since then. Not to his teammates. Not to his friends. And not to any of th...
