Rigid Crow

His Seventeenth Birthday

It's been a month since the accident now. I'm still making regular trips to the hospital, as do some of my teammates, Hinata's family, and other friends of his, but every time I go, it just seems more depressing if I'm alone. When Hinata's family is hanging out there, their lively chatter begins to disguise their sadness. When my teammates are there, the mood also seems to lighten. Cards, flowers, balloons, and stuffed toys now fill Hinata's room.
However, when I'm alone, I just can't stop missing our stupid arguments, the dumb names we'd call each other, those awesome quicks we came up with and practiced, those victories we celebrated, and those losses we regretted. Together. That idiot, the moron! I don't think I can take this much longer...
     On another note, my parents, though they're away at work just as much as they've always been, have been laying back a little more on me since that night of the accident. It's weird, this strange facade they've been putting on for me, but anything's better than their constant nagging.
Currently, I'm running some errands for my parents this Saturday morning. Mostly only a trip to the market. Okaa-san gets off early on Saturdays, as does Otou-san, so she'll have time to cook dinner. Plus, I don't mind running errands between volleyball practices or everyday jobs every once in a while. It's relaxing, especially to get out and clear my head since the accident.
"Kageyama-kun?" a voice sounds from behind me, cannily familiar. I turn around to be faced with Kinoshita.
He grins his trademark, lop-sided mischievous smile. "It is you! I was worried I might be mistaken, calling out a stranger or something embarrassing like that!"
"No, just me," I reply, glad to be in the company of one of my teammates.
He eyes the grocery bag hanging on my arm. "Going shopping? Mind if I tag along?"
"That's alright, but aren't you out doing something?"
"Nah, just wanted some fresh air. I live around here, you know." A thought seems to strike him. "Actually, I think Kazuhito was going to meet up with me if, I remember right. Yikes, I forgot about that! Glad you were here for me to remember, Kageyama-kun!"
"Narita-san?" I ask. "It's been awhile since I've seen him, too. Well, at least since the party."
"We're not gonna do anything special. Just mess around here for awhile. Nothing planned," Kinoshita explains to me, hands on his hips as people hustle around us. "We can join you, still, you know, if you're up for it."
"Well..." I think, not imagining that this could cause any conflicts in my schedule. Plus, it'd be good to get to know Narita and Kinoshita better. I hardly know them. They're my teammates, for heaven's sake! "Yeah, I'm not really busy. Just stopping at the market, then I'm pretty much free until dinner time."
"Cool!" Kinoshita flips me a thumbs up. He then glances at his phone. "Kazuhito texted- said he'll be here as soon as he sees me."
Not a split second passes before we hear, "Hisashi! There you are!" Narita darts around a few people and waves. "I've been looking all ov-" He cuts out as soon as he sees me. "Kageyama-kun? What are you doing here?"
     "Oh, I was just out, then I ran into Kinoshita-san," I answer, shifting my grocery bag to my shoulder.
     Narita-san smiles amiably (Yes, another new vocabulary work I studied with Yachi). "It's nice to see you. How have you been?"
     "Pretty crappy, actually," I respond truthfully, "but thanks for asking."
     "Sorry about that," Narita-san answers apologetically. "That was an inconsiderate question. I should have known the answer."
     "No, no," I reply hurriedly, making sure he catches my gratefulness. "Nobody's really asked me anything in a while. I haven't really had anyone to talk to. It's nice to see you guys, too."
     "Oh, good," Kinoshita sighs with relief. "I was afraid the high and mighty Kageyama-kun would be too skilled along with the other second years to even notice and hang out with us two lowly third years," he laughs.
     "What? No!" I shout in denial. Do they seriously think that? I mean, they're still my senpais!
     "Hisa!" Narita jabs an elbow in his friend. "Kageyama, he's just messing with you. Don't take anything he says seriously." Kinoshita starts chuckling. "Cut it out, Hisashi!"
     "Sorry, I'm sorry!" Kinoshita-san giggles. "It's just too easy- don't worry, Kageyama, you can mess with the new first years, too. Official practices start after break, you know! I'm really excited for Chikara to be the new captain!"
"Oh, yeah," I remember. "Ennoshita-san's taking over Sawamura-san's role as captain."
     "He'll be great at it," Narita-san remarks. "You know, I'm glad he stepped up when people started suggesting us."
"I know, right?" Kinoshita-san laughs. "That could've been a total disaster."
"Yeah, but I don't think there's actually any other logical option than him," Narita-san states. "I mean, we're not even on the court most of the time. And Ryū's fine, it's just... well, he can be a bit hotheaded at times. Yuu, well, he's the best, but you know if he was captain we'd all be practicing rolling thunders all day every day!"
"Ha, Hinata would enjoy that," I laugh, almost snickering at my mention of the little idiot. Kinoshita and Narita laugh as well.
     "Yeah, he's always all over whatever dumb moves Noya shows off- though, I have to admit, some of them Yuu's actually pulled off well before," Kinoshita-san adds.
A sudden thought that had slipped my mind suddenly hits me. "Guys, Hinata's birthday is tomorrow!" I remember he was so excited that summer break was very early this year, because there wouldn't be school on his birthday, June 21. Break would end the beginning of July. He wanted to have a party with me, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, Yachi, and others in his class. It depresses me to know that he'll experience none of that now, none of his seventeenth birthday. He loved to brag to me, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi that, even though he was the smallest, he was the oldest, making him the superior of the group. And I, by him, was dubbed the baby of them all, being the youngest, my birthday in December. I despise being younger than the shrimp.
"Really?" Narita asks. "Well, why don't we throw him a party? We'll take lots of pictures! I'm sure he'll love to see when he wakes up. We can invite the team, even his classmates!" He thinks for a moment. "We couldn't have it at the hospital with Hinata, unfortunately. There can only be so many people in there at a time. We can work out all the kinks. What do you think, Kageyama."
A birthday party for Hinata, huh? His special day that we'll experience for him... "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea," I agree. "Let's do it."