Red Winter - /Haikyuu/

21. Gone

Hinata had never seen the volleyball team so rushed as everyone panicked to get their stuff together. But, in Daichi's words, 'They had to get to Tokyo as soon as possible.'

For the first time in a while, Hinata felt hope burst in his chest. He forgot what it was like to feel positive emotions. His thoughts ran at a million miles a second as he grabbed his bag out the tent. Hinata's eyes caught on Yamaguchi, who was coughing harshly into his hand.

"Yamaguchi, come on. Did you hear? There's a place where we might be able to stay. Where we can be safe." Hinata smiled, his lips stretching upwards.

"Hinata..." Yamaguchi mumbled, and Hinata felt worry rise in him. "I can't come with you." And just like that, his heart dropped to his stomach.

"What? Why not! We can't just leave you here." Hinata's grip on his bag tightened.

"I'm just dead weight. There's no reason. And... Do you really think they'll let me in a safe zone? When I could turn any second?" Yamaguchi spoke weakly, before bursting into a fit of coughing. Blood spattered from his mouth and onto the tarp flooring of the tent. Hinata took in a heavy breath, and as he was about to retaliate, he stopped. He realized... Yamaguchi was right. No matter how much it hurt.

"We're still taking you." Hinata tried to sound firm, but ultimately fell short. Yamaguchi's bleak eyes stared up at him, and Hinata extended his hand. Slowly, but surely, Yamaguchi took it, and got to his feet. "I'll help you walk." Hinata let Yamaguchi cling to him as they walked towards the entrance in the fence that Daichi had cut open moments before. Hinata helped him into the car, next to the remnants of Ibuki's now dry blood. "Just rest here. I'll get your stuff."

"Wait, Hinata, before you go. I just want to say, thank you for being my friend. And I'm sorry..." Yamaguchi took a trembling breath. "I'm sorry I didn't let Natsu have my pills." Hinata inhaled sharply at the name, glaring at the road. "I'm sorry I'm so pathetic." Hinata could hear the breathy tones, bordering on a sob. He didn't know quite what to say.

"Yamaguchi. It's okay." Hinata murmured, giving his freckled friend a last over the shoulder glance, before bringing bags of stuff out and into the cars.

"Alright, does everyone have all their stuff?" Daichi asked, and when everyone nodded, they all piled into the two cars. This time the compositions were a bit different, Hinata was still in Daichi's car, this time with Yamaguchi, Kinoshita, Tsukishima, Ennoshita, Kageyama, and Suga. Hinata was smack dab between Yamaguchi and Kinoshita, and although he didn't want to sit in the middle, Daichi forced him to because he's the smallest.

"Do you even know how to get to Tokyo?" Suga asked from the shotgun seat, and Daichi glared at him.

"Of course I do, Suga." He huffed in annoyance. And so, the journey to Tokyo began.

It was mostly silent, other than the rain pounding on the roof of the car, and the thunder booming in the background. This time Daichi's car followed Takeda's, until, out of the blue, Takeda stopped in the middle of the road. Suga climbed out of the door, walking up to the driver's seat.

"Why'd you stop?" Hinata heard him ask, feeling his heart start to palpitate. He couldn't hear Takeda's response, but he saw Suga's face drop at whatever he had said. When Suga got back to the van, he was immediately bombarded with questions. "He's out of gas." Suga mumbled, and Daichi slammed a palm against the steering wheel, nearly missing the honking button.

"Shit. Tell him we'll go up ahead and try to look for a gas station, and that we'll bring some gas back if we can. Otherwise we might have to go on foot... I don't want to split up the group." Daichi ran a hand through his cropped hair, obviously stressed by this turn of events. Hinata couldn't exactly blame him. "Who knows what would happen if we did split up..."