Kageyama walked along the school hallway, staring aimlessly at the shiny lino flooring. No matter how loud the screams and conversations of the students around him got, he still felt alone. He had always felt like that, always felt isolated from everyone else, he didn't think it was fair. Kageyama's resting bitch face didn't exact help his case, all it did was make everyone else deem him as unapproachable. As much as other people annoyed him at times, he still felt a desperate need for company. Afterall, he was human. If things couldn't get any worse, he was kicked off his schools volleyball team for 'lack of teamwork' and 'violence', having the only thing he held close torn away from him. He felt almost empty, like everything that him who he was just didn't exist anymore. He felt like a just had a hallow body, no feelings, no emotions. At lest that's what he wanted to believe. He didn't want to feel sad when he thought about how good everything used to be. He didn't want to feel jealous when he saw other kids laughing and speaking with their friends. He didn't want to feel self conscious when people looked him up and or whispered as he walked by, but he did. He felt it all.
He stared intensely at his torn up shoes, analysing every rip and mud smudge, every tear and scratch. This was all just a means of distraction as to what was going on around him. However, Kageyama was never bullied. Whether it was his height or his extreme intimidation, no one ever dared to pick on him. He was grateful for that, it was the only that could make things worse. He opened the door to the boys changing room, he darted his eyes to make sure no one was looking and stepped inside. He quietly closed the door, wallowing in the silence that came with it. He spotted the familiar brown bench pushed against the cement wall, he had sat there far too many times to forget it. He sighed heavily, placing his bag on the wooden bench and sitting down. He pulled out his lunchbox and put it beside him, suddenly not feeling the need to eat it. He leaned his head against the cold wall, squeezing his eyes shut. He sat there, appreciating the silence. Though everything about his life seemed silent, this was a different kind of quiet. It was a quiet with not one single sound, letting ones brain do all the work. It let the mind create the sounds, the images and scenarios, without a single interruption from reality. Kageyama preferred the world in his head than the real one, it was better there. He smiled weakly, as random flashes of images and colours ran through his head all at once. Some people if they had observed this activity may have found it rather odd, but he reckoned that they shouldn't knock it 'til they try it.
The bell rang through the school far too soon, notifying everyone that classes would start again. Kageyama slung his bag over his shoulder, taking in a deep breath. It was only a few hours.
--
Kageyama couldn't be happier in the comfort of his own home. There, he could do whatever he wanted and be whatever he wanted to be. There was no one to tell him no or what to do and there was nothing better than that.
Since he was kicked off the team last year, he had to find another means of entertainment. He resorted to video games, as it was another area of things where he could just forget about everything else.
He turned off the lights in his bedroom, sitting down beside his desk. He put his headphones and switched on his computer, reality instantly becoming a distant memory. He logged into his favourite game that mainly consisted of violence and murder. He had so much time to spend on it that he had climbed to a world ranking, finding it difficult to come across anyone who could beat him. He often wore a microphone. Hearing the shitty insults of frustrated teenagers was something he had always found amusing. But what he didn't expect was outrageous screams, from someone who sounded like they had no place in a serious combat game.
---
Hinata sat in the most awkward position he could come up with on the office chair, swinging his hips from side to side, his tongue sticking out in concentration. The game had been annoying him for a few days now. After it being recommended by his friend Kenma, he never thought something he described as easy could be this hard. He tapped vigorously on the keyboard, not really having an initial strategy in mind. He was shot down instantly by his opponent, making him yell in anger.
"Dammit!" He groaned, falling back into the chair.
"Guys...who let a 12 year old into the chat? Didn't we agree that it's just annoying." This caught Hinata's attention, but not in a good way. He quick reached for his headphones and shoving them on his ears, placing the attached microphone towards his mouth.
"I am not 12!" He shouted, furrowing his eyebrows. He decided on not respawning just yet, focusing more on a vocal fight rather than an in-game one. This happened to Hinata rather often when ever he got angry over losing. Everyone just mistook him for a younger age than he actually was, even when he turned on webcam, it only seemed to confirm their suspicions. Hinata often considered printing out copies of his birth certificate to everyone who has ever called him a twelve year old.
"Oh I'm sorry, I guess you just suck." The voice was cocky and smart, the type of person who irked Hinata the most. He rapidly lurched for his mouse, clicking back into the game.
"Oh yeah?! Fight me one on one!" Hinata only encouraged the other players offensive remarks rather than scaring them off. He wasn't so confident for very long, especially when he realised how decked out his opponent was. He gawped at the player, knowing only some with an international ranking could have gear like that, especially when Hinata had just started playing the game the week beforehand.
"Wha?!" He gulped, immediately regretting his irrational decision.
"I expected as much," the guy remarked, "You don't even have a weapon."
Hinata rolled his eyes at his immediate judgement. Just because he didn't have a lot, that didn't stop him from fighting. He had fists. He had legs. It was possible.
"You must be a world ranker, that's hardly fair," Hinata squinted at the username, "The_King."
The boy on the other line groaned loudly, "please don't read out my name dumbass. It's embarrassing. I made this account when I was immature and this website doesn't have a damn edit username option!"
Hinata cocked his head to the side with confusion, although he knew that he couldn't see him either way. It was a name that implied power, how on Earth could someone be embarrassed over something like that?
"Wha? It's awesome!" Hinata yelled with excitement. He had never come across anyone with a high rank before, let alone a world rank. It made him feel somehow more important, even though he wasn't the one with the achievements.
"That's not a compliment coming from someone who's username is Little_Giant." He snickered, this made Hinata's face flush red. Hinata genuinely thought his user was cool and creative, not something to be laughed about.
"Yeah? It's cool! It says that no matter how small you are you can still achieve what you want." He explained, sounding confident.
"Stupid," the King said, "Stupid."
"What's your name Mr.King, seeing as you don't like being called that." It was more of an excuse to end his curiosity. If he was going to be able to tell Kenma that he met The King, he at least needed his name for some sort of proof.
"Why should I tell you?" The boy sneered.
"Because," Hinata began, "or else I'll just call you King for eternity."
The King sighed, pausing for a good few minutes without saying a word. There was a rustle of a microphone before Hinata could hear the voice again.
"Kageyama, and you, or should I just call you dumbass?"
"Hinata," he said, "I'd prefer that."
