Beauty and the Beast (A Haikyuu/ Tobio Kageyama Fanfiction)

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Whatever It Takes

~~~Tobio~~~

Aside from our phone conversation the night previous, as soon as she got to school the next day, Aina was back in practice mode. As much as I kind of missed having her full attention to myself, watching her be so passionate about her music was...beautiful.

Aina is a passionate person anyway, even about the Volleyball tam, which I'd learned from her many inspirational rants, but seeing her throw herself into something that was a direct passion for her...something that she did because she loved it and not just the people involved...it was different. There was a fire in eyes, and the way they were glued to her sheet music every spare moment she got...she somehow got all the more beautiful to me. 

During break time, she was back to focusing on her music, and I had fully intended to keep my promise to her about trying to get Asahi back on the team, so I grabbed Hinata and we headed to the third-year corridor again.

"Yeah, its nice of you to think of me and everything," Asahi said, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably as we both stared at him with expectant looks, "and I can tell its important to you, but I'm not really interested, ok?"

"Look!" Hinata exclaimed. "If you don't come back to volleyball, the upperclassman are never gonna cheer up-" I jabbed him in the ribs with my fingers, putting an end to his aggressive ramblings.

"Do you ever shut up?" I asked, as he cradled his side in pain. Asahi chuckled.

"You two are funny," He said, "But listen to me. I'm sorry, but I've just forgotten what it feels like...to send the ball through the wall of blockers. It seems impossible to me now. I just know I'd fail...again. Just thinking about it freaks me out, and it-its just too much for me right now."

"Well, this might sound cocky coming from a first year," Hinata replied, "But I still think its important for me to say it. "

"Whatever it is, you can tell me, ok?" Asahi said gently. Hinata looked up at him with wide eyes, and just like Aina, his dark brown irises had ignited with the fire of talking about something you're passionate about. 

"I know what you mean," He said, "I don't have great technique, so the blockers used to stop me all the time. But thanks to Kageyama's amazing sets, I can get past anybody now. The wall just fades away, and then the view of the other side is totally clear! And once I reach the top of my jump, the ball hits my hand, and the weight of it...sort of leaves a sting in my palm? I love that! You know, I'm really jealous of you. The way things are, I don't have the height to clear a wall, or the power, but you've got both. Look, I know you might've had a rough time in the past, but you scored a lot more times than you got blocked, right?"

Asahi looked at him with wide eyes, clearly not having looked at it that way. 

"I mean, come on! That is why they call you the Ace!" Hinata stood there, his fists clenched, staring at the third year with passionate frustration. I looked up as the clock chimed, signaling it was time to head back to class.

"Let's head back, Hinata," I said, walking slightly past him. He ignored me, contining to stare at Asahi. "Hey, dude, we gotta go!'

I smacked him on the back of the head, and he finally broke out of his trance, walking past me down the hallway and rubbing the back of his head. I lingered behind with Asahi as a memory filled my mind.