TRAGEDY | Shouyou Hinata (Murder of Crows) ✓

CHAPTER SEVEN

Other than Hinata, Koushi Sugawara and Sawamura Daichi were the two other volleyball players you'd grown close to in your time spent with the team. Their sensible and sensitive natures meant that you got on a lot better with them than with the more excitable and reckless first and second years, although you enjoyed the company of all of them from time to time.

The three of you were sitting on the wall outside of school, sharing a bag of pork buns that Suga had bought for you all as a treat. Hinata had already gone home after you noticed the shadows beneath his eyes and told him to go and get some sleep. His departure had been reluctant, but you'd been insistent and he'd eventually left. Now it was just the three of you.

"Even his playing is getting worse, and I didn't think that possible for someone like Hinata. He has the most drive out of all of us," Daichi was saying as he took a bite of his pork bun, chewing through his words.

Sugawara gave him a disapproving look. "Don't talk with your mouth full," he scolded softly, shaking his head as if to say 'Honestly. You're setting a bad example for the children'.

"Sorry, sorry," Daichi said after swallowing. "I mean, I can't begin to understand the grief he's going through, but I'm surprised he came back to school so early. I don't think he's ready."

You deliberated over his words while chewing on your own bun, swinging your feet to and fro. "No, I thought that. But I think he just wanted the distraction. If he's just sat at home, all he's going to do is think about her."

Suga sighed sadly. "It's such a shame, to see a life so young wasted like that. It could happen to anyone, I suppose."

"I think that's what's troubling Hinata," you said quietly, suddenly losing your appetite and folding your food back into its wrapper. "He keeps saying things like, he's not going to lose me too, and keeps asking me not to leave him. I think he's scared that... that because he lost his sister, he's going to lose everyone else. He's suddenly realised how easily lives can be taken from us. How fragile we are," you continued carefully, your eyes out of focus as you stared right ahead, adopting that same blank look you so often saw on Hinata's face. "He's paranoid that he'll be left all alone. But it's made him... a bit obsessive, I don't know. He followed me home the other night, after practise." You knew you shouldn't be talking about Hinata behind his back like this, and it hurt you to do so, but you needed advice, reassurance that your best friend was okay, and you knew you could trust Sugawara and Daichi to be sensible and sensitive about it. They were listening carefully now, their faces attentive and creased with thought. "He told me he wanted to make sure I got home safe, which was fine, but he was so secretive about it." You spread your hands. "I just don't know. Maybe it's nothing but it just caught me off guard. Hinata never used to do things like that. If he wanted to walk me home, he'd just outright say it."

Sugawara nodded along as you spoke, tapping his chin with his fingers while Daichi buried himself picking crumbs off his lap, looking unsure of what to say.

"I think it's like you said. He's never experienced a loss so big before, but now that he has, he's terrified it's going to happen again. He wants to keep you close so that he doesn't lose you too," Sugawara said softly, his grey hair stirring in the wind. "I think he just needs some time, for his head to clear up. And maybe someone to show him that if you live in fear all the time, you'll never enjoy life."

"Yeah," you said quietly, but you didn't know how to show him that. "Thanks Suga-San. And Daichi."

Suga smiled and gave your shoulder a squeeze. The latter boy eyed your left-over pork bun with a sheepish smile. "Are you going to eat that?"

— ♠ —

You spent a lot more time in Koushi's presence over the next few days. Maybe it was because you wanted a break from everything, or something different, but you found his company refreshing. As much as you loved Hinata, he was starting to get demanding of your time and presence. It was almost like he wanted you all to himself, looking annoyed whenever someone else came over to talk to you and trying to pull you away from the conversation. You noticed he was on edge whenever you did go over to talk to Suga, stealing glances your way every so often and being visibly tense, as if your presence was the only thing keeping him calm. You didn't want him to become reliant on you being there all the time, because it only made things worse when you weren't. He had to get used to other people being around too.