The (Aspiring) Little Giant's Plight

Approved Advice

"So, how exactly do I do this?" Hinata asked the two other first-years who were standing next to him. The three of them had met up to walk together to morning practice, and had arrived a bit late. They heard the familiar sound of volleyballs colliding with palms, grunts of effort, and the sound of shoes squeaking on the court.

"I...have no idea," Yachi admits. "Got any ideas, Kageyama?"

The said setter shrugs before following with: "Nah. I'm still gonna do something."

"W-Wait, Kageyama! Don't do something stupid!" Hinata stopped him before he barged in there. "Please? I...I don't know how I'm going to tell them."

"Sure. I won't tell them directly," Kageyama shrugged before bordering on violating that simple request. "Hey guys! We need some advice!"

"Oh my god..." Yachi whispered, embarrassed and experiencing secondhand shame for Kageyama. Instantly, she felt the instinct and desire to hide behind something and not be seen for the next five minutes. Unfortunately, by the time her legs had regained consciousness from being frozen in fear like a deer in highlights, the door had already busted wide open to the sight of Nishinoya and Tanaka.

"Whatcha guys need?!" Tanaka held a fist up enthusiastically. "If it's gotta do with punching, I got you!"

"And if it's gotta do with charming, I got you!" Nishinoya joined in, taking a flamboyant pose with his chin in his hand. "Of course, the two of us will always be ready to help our Kouhais with anything!"

"Except with academics," Tsukishima quipped from inside the gym, causing a temporary sour expression on the four present boys in the doorframe. Yachi, upon hearing that, couldn't help but crack a smile at the accuracy; even before the entire reveal yesterday, their studying was going abhorrently due to their sheer incompetence.

"What advice do you need, Kageyama?" Sawamura's voice came from the gym, before he walked up to the doorframe to join them. While the five of them are still in the doorway, everyone else had been listening in while still practicing.

"W-Well, it's not him who needs advice," Yachi hesitantly interrupted. "It's Hinata."

"Something on your mind, Number One Shortie?" Tanaka inquired, leaning on the frame itself. "Y'know what, it's getting a bit crowded here. Let's head in."

As the five of them walked into the gym, they were glad to see Hinata seem a bit more focused this time around. Considering his abysmal performance yesterday, seeing the familiar glint of glee in his eye was relieving. However, the fact that he wasn't as loud and bouncy as normal was slightly disconcerting.

"So, whatcha wanna talk about?" Nishinoya continued the conversation. "Gotta be something big if you aren't already holding a volleyball in your hands without us noticing."

"U-Uh...how do I ask you about this..." Hinata wondered out loud. "H-How do you ask someone out?"

Silence, in an instant, flooded the entire gym. It was as if the entire room had heard it and time froze around them. At the words of Hinata's plight, surprise, confusion, and a thick silence encapsulated the entire gym.

Hinata not being loud was odd, but they could handle. Hinata not being focused yesterday was unusual, but they found a way to cope with the unexpected occurrence.

But never in a million years, or even longer, did any single member of the Karasuno volleyball team think for a single moment that the reason behind Hinata's unusual behavior stemmed from this single question, this single conflict within him.

"Hinata. What?!" Sugawara broke the silence, his world breaking down around him from his perception of Hinata's naivety and only passion and attention towards volleyball. He had never believed Hinata had something on his mind other than volleyball, and this was perhaps one of the greatest shocks he had ever experienced since joining the volleyball team.