"So...there's no volleyball club?"

"There is! I'm just the only member." he pouted as the two of you began your walk to his classroom. You planned on eating lunch with his other friends, you hoped to get used to the school and get to know more students as quickly as you could with the help of Shoyo.

____

"Bang. Right in the balls." you choked on your food after watching the ginger blush and groan in embarrassment at the brunette's comment on an unfortunate event in pe.

It was quite funny, that's why you choked when laughing with food going down your throat, "I was gonna say I hope you choke, but you're already doing it" Hinata's nose scrunched up in spite after listening to your obnoxious laughter tear at his ears in amusement to his suffering.

"Sorr-" the sound of you coughing again interrupted your apologies and you began hitting your chest in an attempt to prevent yourself from possible death.

"Oh geez, are you good?" The soccer fanatic of the group, Sekimukai Koji (also the one telling the story), watched you struggle to grab the water bottle you dropped onto the floor in a panic when trying to open it for a drink

"She might just actually die" a concerned smile came from the basketball player, Izumi Yukitaka, and when Shoyo heard this he panicked.

"Ahhh, nooo, don't die on me, Y/n!" He made a quick grab for your water bottle and twisted it open, shoving it to your face.

"Bro, you almost cursed me to die." After grabbing the bottle shoved into your face and chugging it down you pointed at shoyo with squinted eyes as if he attempted murder.

"You were laughing at me!" His hands covered his face out of humiliation, "Why would I doom a new friend to gloom..."

The scene of him in front of the three of you caused you all to chuckle at him again, "chill out, tangerine. It's cool."

"That's a good nickname. I was thinking of Sho-chan"

"That one is nice too." your eyebrows raised in excitement at Izumi's suggestion.

"Then what will yours be, Y/n?"

_____

Shoyo and yourself had been outside after school. You lived quite a bit away from him and while waiting for your bus to come by you spoke a bit longer.

"Hey, tangerine."

"Yeah?"

"First you need a volleyball"

Shoyo stopped his steps, his bike coming to a halt as well as he looked at you with a weird face.

"Of course I do."

"When are you getting one?" You laughed for the nth time that day, finding yet another one of his facial expressions funny.

"I don't know I'm going to ask my mum for one when I get home." Exiting the gate to your middle school the two of you crossed the street to the bus stop you needed to stand by, "want to practice with me when I get one?" He had an excited smile on his face as he gazed at your expression, hopeful to hear a positive answer.

"Ok then." You agreed shrugging your shoulders, not showing too much excitement about the fact you'll get to play with him.

The two of you chattered about school that day, even after being there for a few months you still were nowhere near as comfortable with people as Shoyo was.

The two of you killed time, Hinata, only choosing to leave after your bus arrived, "Oh! Before you go, did you know there was a girl's volleyball club?" Using the time to wait for other students that took the same bus as you to get on, you asked the question, to which he nodded in acknowledgement.

"Yeah, but I don't want to ask to join it." His eyes diverted to somewhere else, slightly flustered at the idea of joining it.

"Help me join it." You quickly replied, "I'm too nervous to ask by myself, I'll search up the rules to volleyball and then ask to join with you helping me talk. I have absolutely no experience so I'm kinda embarrassed someone like me is going to ask to join."

"I mean, I could help you, but there's no need to feel embarrassed" he grinned, "you have to start somewhere, right?" It was your turn to get on the bus, seeing this you waved to Shoyo waving him a goodbye, with a smile.

'That sounds like something I would say...when it's not about me.' Taking a seat near the middle as it had some empty seats you awkwardly smiled to yourself, 'Everything is more embarrassing when it's me. I can't help it.' trying to look behind the bus through the window, you caught one last glimpse of Shoyo riding away.

The journey towards his dream of tiny Giant had just started now. You hoped to join and learn from more experienced players, so you could show Hinata what they taught you...if you managed to get in of course.

Leaning back in your seat you sighed gently. Now the journey to helping Hinata achieve his dream had really started.

_____
Published: 5th November 2020
Word count: 854