The King Fell and Needs Help Getting Up

Chapter 3

Kageyama came back to school a week later. Hinata didn't seem to notice that his best friend has lost significant weight and was even more unresponsive than usual as he just absentmindedly follows the orange fluffball down the hall. His face no longer held the look that made everyone in his year scared of him, but now one that made the one kid in his year, who was never afraid of him, worried. The setter seemed more of a walking corpse than a living being and the blond was actually scared for him. He was ready to admit to himself he was worried about the blue-eyed boy but to no one else, not even Yamaguchi. The blond wanted to find out what he could but he knew going up to the setter was the worst thing he could do but it's not like he had any other choice. He just studied the boy from afar for a bit more, waiting for the right moment to ask him, without any eyes to spy on them or ears to listen in. He then comes up with the idea to take on the two idiots as students and ship the loud one off to Yamaguchi. He proposes the idea to Hinata.

"Eh?? Really??? You wanna help us study??? What happened to being too good for us?!" Hinata says

"You need it, you really wanna refuse it??" Tsukishima says.

"NO NO NO!!! We'll accept!!!" Hinata says and Kageyama just goes along with it.

"Alright shorty, you're with Yamaguchi, I need quiet to help and the king is the one who will most likely give it to me."

"EH?! You better not be mean to him!!!" Hinata says glaring at the blond

"Me? Mean? Never." he says with a smile.

"Hmph! Fine! I'll go find Yamaguchi, you better take care of him!" Hinata says and heads off. Kageyama looks at the floor as he stands there with Tsukishima.

"C'mon, we can't study here." Tsukishima then leads the raven-haired boy to the library, a back corner where no one was to overhear or spy.

"So. You going to tell me what the hell is wrong with you or do I have to make you?" Tsukishima asks and the setter beings to fidget nervously. He doesn't make eye contact or make a sound. He tugs on his sleeve and shakes a bit like he's afraid.

"... I won't make fun of you... I promise..." Tsukishima says awkwardly as the sight before him, kind of scared him.

"... I can't... there's nothing wrong" That's all Tsukishima just barely hears from Kageyama's mouth.

"That's a fucking lie. We both know neither of us is good with words so can you just show me what's wrong? " the blond says and looks at the boy across from him. Kageyama shakes, gripping his wrist which the blond notices and takes note of.

"... Wanna tell me why..?" Tsukishima asks as he stares at Kageyama squeezing his wrist.

"Do you honestly even care....? No. Cuz no one does... It's all for show and you'd all be better off without me..." Kageyama whispers to himself but Kei catches it.

"How can you say that when just last week we all showed up at your house because we were worried? Huh? It wasn't just the three of them who were worried... I-I-I... I came because... the senpais were worried..." Kei internally swears at himself as he just blew it.

'Great... Can't you just tell him you care?! That's what he needs, you idiot!" He thinks to himself and looks away.

"... you didn't need to come... nothing is wrong..." By this comment, Tsukishima is ready to expose himself just so the emotionally constipated boy across from will just tell him what the fuck is wrong with him. The situation is getting more and more frustrating for the blond every second.

"... I..." He falters.

'Am I actually ready for this? This'll change everything between us... I'm not sure if either of us can handle that... but I know I can't handle this idiot lying to me for one more minute.'

Tsukishima sighs.

"... I care... okay? I said it... now stop lying to me. I'm probably the only one who's actually noticed and cared enough to approach you on it so it doesn't get worse. So tell me what's going on with you..?" Tsukishima says, thoroughly embarrassed. Kageyama looks up at him, his face carrying a look of surprise.

"... Don't look at me like that... We might get on each others' nerves but... it's not like I hate you. You're our setter, I'm included in that. I care, so tell someone who cares, but isn't a loudmouth, what the hell is wrong."

"... I... I don't know how to explain it..." Kageyama says and his face twists into a face that Kei would label as distressed.

"Want to start with why you haven't been eating? Don't think I forgot our little nurse's office tryst." The blond says just wanting to help the boy get started.

"... A-alright... it's because-"