TRAGEDY | Shouyou Hinata (Murder of Crows) ✓

CHAPTER THREE

A/N — unedited and short, so please exclude any mistakes/bad writing. i'll get round to editing someday ;-;

"He's... I don't know, he seems very protective all of a sudden," you told Suga later that day, dribbling the volleyball in circles around the setter as he warmed up with some stretches. It was after school and you'd finally coaxed Hinata into making an appearance at the club. He'd been quiet and reserved around his teammates, as expected, and they'd hurriedly said their condolences before getting on with practise, knowing Hinata would rather them not fuss over him. The boy was now sat in the corner of the gym, rolling a ball between his legs and gazing aimlessly around the room as the others warmed-up. Every so often, you'd feel his eyes on you, but he'd look away as soon as you went to meet them.

"Well, I guess that's normal. After losing someone that close to you, you start to realise that it can happen when you least expect it. You're his closest friend, [Y/N], you're the only person he really has left. Of course he's going to protect you."

"But he has all of you guys too, the volleyball club."

Sugawara pulled a face, pulling his arm behind his head. "Yeah, but we're different. You're closer to him than any of us. You've definitely known him the longest." He lowered his arms and turned to face you fully, his eyes glazed like melted cocoa. "You're the one stable thing in his life right now, so he'll look to you to be his rock."

"He keeps making me promise not to leave him. But the way he says it... god, he's so broken. It's just... it's not Hinata anymore."

Sugawara reached over and squeezed your shoulder. "Give him time. He's going through a lot of grief at the moment. Just give him time to heal. That's all you can do."

"Yeah, I guess. Thanks Suga-Kun," you said with a smile, the first smile that had actually felt normal on your lips in a long time. "Hey, are you coming to the memorial this weekend?"

The silver-head nodded. "We all are, I think. Coach has given us the whole weekend off from training. It's the least we can do, to pay our respects, show we're there for Hinata... Speaking of who, he keeps looking this way. I think he wants to talk to you."

"Probably. Well good luck with your practise," you called in parting, giving him a short wave, then made your way over to Hinata. As you drew closer, you realised he didn't look too pleased. His brows were drawn together like gathering clouds, and the ball was clenched hard in his hands, the skin on his knuckles white and taut.

"Are you going to join the practise match?" You asked, trying not to focus on the obvious tension in his face. His brows softened slightly when you crouched in front of him. "Those guys won't get far without their little ace." You knew your attempts at cheering him up wouldn't get very far, but acting just as glum would only dampen his spirits further. Like Hinata, you'd always maintained an upbeat, positive temperament, even if those feelings didn't reflect what was happening below the surface. It was easier for you and everyone else if people just assumed you were happy all the time. You imagined Hinata was the same, which is why you'd gotten on so well together over the years. You'd had your fair share of fights, but they were always over petty issues and thus easy to resolve. You always found it difficult to stay mad at each other.

Shuffling your legs as they started to cramp, you waited patiently for his answer.

"I..." he looked as though he was about to refuse, but then his shoulders slumped forward and the shadow that had cloaked his face lifted. "Yeah, I guess I will."

"Great! Come on!" You grabbed his hands and pulled him eagerly to his feet, announcing to the rest of the guys that their littlest member with the biggest heart was coming to play. This was met with a few whoops and cheers, and you saw Hinata's lips twitch ever so slightly. It wasn't quite a smile, it might not have meant much, but it was a start, and it meant the world to you that you were able to witness it.

It was about half-way through the game when that changed. When the whole mood of the room changed, twisted like a knife in the heart, into something strange and ugly.

Stray balls were common during practise, especially if one of the powerful hitters like Kageyama or Tanaka landed a dodgy hit on the ball and blew it out of proportion. You'd started to get used to them by now, and had developed a good tactic for dodging them, or using your forearms to deflect it out of harm's way.

As Hinata's team drew even with Daichi's, Tanaka was the one to send the ball flying, with a powerful velocity driving it straight towards where you were watching from the sidelines. You immediately gauged the threat and raised your arms, allowing the ball to rebound perfectly, if not a little painfully, leaving a sharp sting where the ball had made contact with your skin.

"Sorry, sorry, my bad! But that was a good-"

"What the hell were you thinking?!"

The gym grew suddenly quiet, and all eyes snapped towards the redhead who had shouted. The boy was visibly cross. His cheeks were flushed and his breaths were coming out in short, rapid bursts. And his eyes, his eyes were frenzied. Wild and untamed. Coloured with dark, magnetic hues.

"Why did you do that?!" He said again, his voice high, almost hysterical. "Why would you do that?"

"Hey, Hinata, it was just an accident. Calm down-"

"Don't tell me to calm down! You could have hurt [Y/N]!" He snapped, his small body starting to shake, "What were you thinking?!"

With a cruel sneer at Tanaka, his eyes still glossed over in bitter frenzy, Hinata stormed out of the gym, calling you after him in a huff.

But you were trapped in place, staring after Hinata's retreating form. The silence was so thick it was almost tangible, broken only by the frantic beat of your heart against your ribs, a crow fighting against its cage. "I... I..." You couldn't seem to find the words. Hinata was never one to have a violent or abrasive temperament, never been one to raise his voice in anger. His outburst had taken you all completely by surprise.

Tanaka looked the most stunned, almost guilty for having caused the boy to lash out in the first place.

"I... I'm sorry," you eventually choked out, forcing yourself to face the others, who were exchanging uncertain glances between them. Tsukishima was frowning darkly at the floor in the corner. "He... I don't think he... meant that."

"No, of course not," Daichi waved off, the first to recover.

"He's had it really rough lately. It's understandable," Sugawara agreed.

"I'm sorry," you said again, feeling your own guilt at the fact his attack had been solely in your defence. "Don't... don't feel like you did anything wrong, okay? I'll... I'll go and talk to him."

Without waiting for the others to reply, you stumbled out of the gym and into the fresh air, realising your hands were shaking as you couldn't brush away the image of Hinata's eyes. First they had been so sad and broken, but now there was just anger, pure unalloyed anger that had surfaced from somewhere deep inside, from something that had once been sealed but had now cracked and broken and leaked out all of the emotions he had been bottling up inside.

He was frustrated. He was angry at the world for stealing his sister, he resented the stars for taking her away from him and keeping her trapped up there in the twilight sky.

He was just frustrated. That's all.