it's been a while, hasn't it?

one.

time is such an exquisite yet atrocious concept.

there's a beauty to how it's one of the most important things in life yet it can also turn bitter when it outpaces you.

time is an idea that is never going to be concrete yet essential to everybody's existence.

and most of all, the most uncanny importance of time is how it heals scars in various unpredictable ways.

the heat of the sun trickled against his skin as the light sheen of sweat coated his body, along with the welcome throbbing of his veins as his legs work their way to carry his weight as he jogs. the breeze was barely there, but he knew the difference of japan's wind like the back of his hand; don't get him wrong, hinata loved and enjoyed his time in brazil. the sand in between his toes, the scorching heat that beat down on him while playing at the beach, along with the smell of the sea that has always calmed his mind on nights when he's restless, mind running faster than how he runs in his early morning runs.

and yet, here he was closing his eyes, basking in the rather welcome japan winds that seemed to be enveloping him into an embrace saying, 'welcome back.' the music in his ears almost fading in the background as he once again opened his eyes to look at the familiar trees, a warm smile on his lips.

hinata shoyo is no stranger to starting from scratch, thus when he decided to train for beach volleyball in a country so far from his comfort zone, he knew he'd be able to come home with a bunch of learning and he'd be able to apply for his own good. the two years he spent in the foreign country will never be forgotten, it was a time he wisely used to find himself and to actually see what else he can do with the set of talent presented to him.

however, hinata shoyo isn't a liar either. he knew that it wasn't just for self development that he went away.

'this is the part where we go our own ways.' it painfully echoed in his head, time suddenly suspended as his mind raced faster than his current physical speed.

as sudden as it came, it passed like a bullet and it was gone. shaking his head, he deeply sighs, there's no use thinking about it now. not now that he's managed to convince himself that it's time to pace himself and get back on track.

curled up in his little bed that he seems to finally outgrew, he spent some time staring into the ceiling blankly, willing himself to detach all fond memories of high school from a particular point of his life that pushed him so hard he decided to move to another country.

playing with karasuno was a blessing in his life, a revelation, a turning point and most of all, the reason why he needs to go on. he cannot let the efforts of the people who gave him the push to fly high go to waste, he was much better than that.

no, really.

he's doing what's right. he has nothing to fear. nothing to worry about.

he kept repeating it inside his head as if holding onto an invisible prayer hoping if he chants it enough, it'll actually come true.

as the night falls, shoyo lets his eyes fall close, trying to ignore the screaming insistent voice at the back of his head whispering, 'i'm sorry.'