There is a high-rise building on the north side of Tokyo, carrying apartments stacked together like a deck of cards. Peering through one window at the corner facing the sun is a girl, the only early riser in her shared apartment.<\/p>\n
She is holding a mug of tea in one hand, a textbook in the other. It is approaching winter, so she has her blanket huddled over her bent knees as she sits and reads on the couch, sipping every once in awhile. Her hair is damp and hangs by her cheeks. Her suitemates – long term friends, at this point – are such heavy sleepers that the sound of the shower turning off and on hasn\u2019t made them so much as fidget in their beds.<\/p>\n
Yachi is content here; her first class is in a few hours, and Kageyama at the very least should wake up by then. If he doesn\u2019t, she\u2019s the one in charge of banging on his door until he throws a pillow at it, though she really doesn\u2019t want that to happen – she doesn\u2019t want to wake a grumpy Kageyama up. Neither does Hinata, but when he sleeps, he goes out like a light.<\/p>\n
The sun stirs over the skyline. The golden light makes it easier for Yachi to read that she hasn\u2019t turned the tableside lamp on, and she studies for her test diligently while keeping her eye on her phone\u2019s clock. As eleven o\u2019clock approaches, she prays that Kageyama will wake up soon.<\/p>\n
It is ten fifty-seven and Yachi is turning the page in her book when there is the sound of a door slamming open. Kageyama trudges out of his bedroom, rubbing his eyes, yawning and looking rumpled.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood morning,\u201d Yachi says brightly, closing her textbook.<\/p>\n
Kageyama looks at her sleepily. \u201cMorning,\u201d he mumbles. \u201cBreakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlready ate,\u201d says Yachi. They buy baked goods once a week for breakfast because none of them can cook. All of their parents send them cooked meals every few weeks, though, knowing how hopeless they are.<\/p>\n
(Yachi\u2019s mother wants her to learn how to cook, though, so sometimes she sends Yachi recipes through email instead. Yachi does her best, but at least half the time she fails. Kageyama and Hinata never complain; they\u2019re not picky eaters.)<\/p>\n
\u201cCool,\u201d says Kageyama, before shuffling over to the kitchen. He drags his feet and will probably get rugburns on his toes. Hinata will be the first to notice.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know when Hinata\u2019s getting up?\u201d Yachi asks from the living room.<\/p>\n
Kageyama doesn\u2019t look up as he pours himself his tea. \u201cNot really, and I don\u2019t care,\u201d he says. \u201cIf he\u2019s going to wake up too late to miss morning practice, that\u2019s his fault.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yachi frowns. \u201cHe won\u2019t like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kageyama shrugs. \u201c\u2018S not my fault he sleeps like the dead,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you like playing with him?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kageyama pauses, mug raised to his lips. \u201cYes,\u201d he admits, after a moment. \u201cI mean, obviously, we\u2019ve been playing together for–years.\u201d He fumbles over his words. \u201cHe\u2019s still lazy and stupid though.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess,\u201d says Yachi neutrally. She stands up from the couch. \u201cI\u2019m going to go get ready for class,\u201d she tells Kageyama, because she\u2019s still in her nightgown and the pajama pants she only wears between late November and early March. \u201cDo you want to make more tea?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kageyama shrugs. As Yachi makes her way to her bedroom, she hears the stove turn on.<\/p>\n
*<\/p>\n
There is an exam in a lecture hall twenty minutes away from the high-rise apartment building. At roughly the same time, there is a volleyball practice, with two boys who have not yet exhausted their old weapons and continue to find new ones.<\/p>\n
Once Yachi gets out, she breathes out a sigh of relief. She doesn\u2019t study any less for the exams she has–Hinata even sometimes jokes that with each exam she drives her head into the ground even more<\/em>–but finishing them after studying is just a satisfaction of itself. Yachi had never really thought about the little things before, but since her first year in high school second semester, she has learned that every motion counts.<\/p>\n She suddenly gets a gust of confidence–these rare bright things that are foreign, almost, but welcome. She steps onto the bus and the driver greets her with a grin; she finds an empty seat and the girl next to her keeps glancing at her, smiling and a bit shy.<\/p>\n When she gets home, Hinata is there, scrounging through a bag of chips while watching something on the television. \u201cHey,\u201d Yachi greets, dropping her bag next to the door and unwrapping her scarf.<\/p>\n Hinata is in a t-shirt and shorts. \u201cYacchan,\u201d he says happily, waving to her, a chip in hand. \u201cHow was class?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was okay,\u201d says Yachi. \u201cI had an exam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh! Right, you did.\u201d Hinata takes his feet off the table. \u201cIt went okay then?\u201d<\/p>\n Yachi shrugs. She hangs up her coat, before bringing herself and her bag out of the hallway and into the living room with Hinata. \u201cI think so,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cIt probably was.\u201d Hinata grins at her reassuringly. \u201cYou always study for so hard for them, you always get good grades.\u201d<\/p>\n Yachi feels herself blush. She rolls her eyes. \u201cIs Kageyama at class, then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think so,\u201d says Hinata. \u201cHe made me tea before morning breakfast, can you believe that?\u201d<\/p>\n Yes, Yachi wants to say. She knows that Hinata doesn\u2019t think Kageyama is a mean person–Hinata is just continuously surprised anytime Kageyama does something that seems out of the ordinary.<\/p>\n Well, okay, maybe Hinata does think Kageyama is a mean person. But in a way where if Hinata didn\u2019t like it in some sense, he wouldn\u2019t be here now.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was kind of cold, though,\u201d Hinata continues. \u201cBut it\u2019s okay, I took care of it!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d says Yachi, joining him on the couch. \u201cWhat are you watching?\u201d<\/p>\n Hinata brightens up. \u201cOh!\u201d he says, before launching into a spiel about whatever cartoon is playing on the television. (That he still watches cartoons is an alleged irritation to Kageyama, though Yachi has caught Kageyama watching from the kitchen whenever Hinata has control over the television.) Yachi follows along for maybe the first sentence, before getting lost because Hinata is talking too loud and fast. Having an extended conversation with him is still like staring at sunlight for too long. Yachi\u2019s not blind yet, though; it\u2019s a superpower in itself being able to see clearly after Hinata every day.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n They all go to the same university. None of them take the same class, because Yachi\u2019s main investment is humanities and design, while Hinata and Kageyama are\u2026 she\u2019s actually not quite sure. They had had this conversation multiple times before, but it always ends with Kageyama and Hinata yelling about how they\u2019re going to make the Olympics.<\/p>\n Yachi, naturally, includes herself in tagging along. Hinata does too, often with, \u201cAnd you\u2019re going to cheer us on, Yacchan!\u201d and Kageyama will add, \u201cDumbass, she\u2019s not just here to cheer us on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, right,\u201d says Hinata. \u201cAnd to make us famous!\u201d<\/p>\n Kageyama will hit him then. \u201cShe\u2019s not just here to make us famous, either!\u201d<\/p>\n But Yachi doesn\u2019t mind so much–at all, really. She knows that Kageyama and Hinata are partners at what they do, and it had been their idea for the three of them to live together. Her mother says to not intrude on other people\u2019s passions if she won\u2019t help out, but there must be something they benefit from her if they keep asking for her to be around.<\/p>\n Kageyama comes home the next week, grumbling. Hinata is behind him, and they both have their duffel bags swung over their shoulders.<\/p>\n Yachi is in the middle of writing an essay in their living room. She likes it; she likes being able to see the sunlight and busy streets beneath them. \u201cHi, Hinata,\u201d she says first. \u201cKageyama?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYachi,\u201d says Kageyama, before storming into the kitchen.<\/p>\n Yachi watches, half-frightened, half-curious. \u201cIs he okay?\u201d she asks Hinata, who walks in, dropping his bag on the ground.<\/p>\n From the kitchen, Kageyama calls, \u201cOi, don\u2019t be a slob and get changed first!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe just got home!\u201d says Hinata, rolling his eyes. He turns to Yachi. \u201cYeah, people just don\u2019t believe him when he says he–\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not like your special power is smelling good, and Yachi doesn\u2019t want her nose to suffer.\u201d Kageyama pokes his head out through the kitchen window that peeks into the living room. \u201cGo shower and get changed, dumbass.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, alright,\u201d says Hinata. He picks up a pillow from the couch and tosses it at him. \u201cDon\u2019t take your anger out on me.\u201d<\/p>\n The pillow misses by a mile, landing on the ground. \u201cAnd pick that up!\u201d Kageyama snaps, disappearing.<\/p>\n Yachi curls herself into the couch. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d she asks, glancing towards the kitchen fearfully.<\/p>\n Hinata leans forward, lowering his voice. \u201cOne of our teammates accused Kageyama of lying on his application form,\u201d he says. \u201cThey said that there was no way that he could be that good without it being supernatural, so Kageyama told him–\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t hear the shower running!\u201d Kageyama barks.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to shower! Mean Kageyama!\u201d Hinata shouts back. \u201cYacchan was just curious, so I was telling her–\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have<\/em> to tell her!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe asked!\u201d Hinata shoots back.<\/p>\n Yachi is beginning to get the picture now. \u201cSo Kageyama told him what it really was?\u201d she asks Hinata.<\/p>\n Hinata nods solemnly. \u201cYep. And then they made fun of him for it.\u201d He crinkles his nose. \u201cWhich I<\/em> don\u2019t really understand–one of them knows what time it is whenever they want. Isn\u2019t that stupid? Can\u2019t you just look at a clock?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is stupid,\u201d Yachi admits, though the three of them are pretty bad at keeping track of time when they need to. She doesn\u2019t bring that up.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd another one of them can sneeze whenever they want.\u201d Hinata scoffs. \u201cKageyama\u2019s isn\u2019t dumb.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not,\u201d Yachi agrees.<\/p>\n Kageyama appears from the kitchen, glaring at the both of them. \u201cHinata, go take a shower,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Hinata shudders; Kageyama\u2019s voice is ice cold. \u201cYes, Kageyama,\u201d he says dutifully. He sends Yachi a meaningful look before disappearing into the hallway.<\/p>\n Kageyama glowers at his back as he retreats. Yachi says, \u201cHe wasn\u2019t making fun of you, if that\u2019s what you thought.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, that\u2019s not what I\u2026\u201d Kageyama turns, rubs his forehead. \u201cI don\u2019t know, I don\u2019t think my power is dumb either, but every time I have to talk about it or write it out\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n All universities and club applications have a field querying about a superpower. Not all have one, and most who do are pretty irrelevant; Yachi remembers classmates from when she was younger, who could teleport a millimeter or fix squeaky doorknobs, if they were made of metal and not plastic. The field is as normal as your birthday or your name, on hospital forms and birth certificates too, for the government to track.<\/p>\n Yachi\u2019s is usually too hard to describe, but she can get away with calling herself powerless.<\/p>\n She says, \u201cThey\u2019re probably just jealous, Kageyama-kun.\u201d<\/p>\n Kageyama lifts his head up, smiles. \u201cYou haven\u2019t called me that for a while,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Yachi shrugs. \u201cWell, you\u2019re talented at volleyball, and<\/em> you have a cool power,\u201d she says. \u201cThere aren\u2019t a lot of people with natural talent that have nothing to do with their powers in this world.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s Hinata.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s Hinata,\u201d Yachi agrees.<\/p>\n Hinata pops his head out from the bathroom, dry despite the sound of running water in the background. \u201cWhat\u2019s this about me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGo get yourself clean, dumbass,\u201d Kageyama says fondly.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n There had been no flowerbeds on the balcony when they first moved in. There had also been no stains on the stove or that dent in the wall when Hinata had been running away when Kageyama was threatening him with a spatula and had crashed into it while chasing the terrified Hinata to Yachi\u2019s room, waking her up and trying to get her apparent \u201cYachi-ness\u201d to calm Kageyama down, it wasn\u2019t like Hinata had meant<\/em> to spill boiling water all over Kageyama\u2019s front.<\/p>\n Yachi doesn\u2019t know what he meant by Yachi-ness, though one look at Kageyama and back and Kageyama had dropped the spatula, leaving her room and muttering.<\/p>\n Hinata does wear a jacket one day, when Kageyama is out and Yachi and Hinata have decided to buy breakfast for the week together. Yachi sees him and smiles. There is a familiar urge of wanting to hold Hinata\u2019s hand, as she feels usually when she sees him. She figures it\u2019s because he\u2019s always so warm.<\/p>\n \u201cReady?\u201d Hinata asks, ruffling his hood.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d says Yachi. She hitches her purse over her shoulder. \u201cWe should take the train, it\u2019ll probably be warmer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOoh, good idea.\u201d<\/p>\n They step outside. It\u2019s begun to snow, as is typical for the season, though they don\u2019t have a break until exams are over. Yachi\u2019s only exam had been early; Kageyama and Hinata\u2019s exams haven\u2019t started yet, as far as she can tell.<\/p>\n Hinata unzips his jacket soon enough. Yachi watches the breeze tuck its way under the lapel before fluttering out.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know,\u201d she says thoughtfully. \u201cWe can buy some stuff for Kageyama, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike milk?\u201d Hinata asks.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I meant at the flower shop.\u201d There is one along the way; Yachi\u2019s passed it quite a few times getting their pastries before. It looks homey and she\u2019s stepped inside once, the first time she and Hinata and Kageyama had moved in and bought the flowerbeds before filling them up.<\/p>\n Hinata\u2019s eyes brighten. \u201cLike an early Christmas present!\u201d he says eagerly.<\/p>\n Yachi\u2019s insides flutter at the thought–of getting something for Kageyama, with Hinata. \u201cYeah,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n They take the train, which is only hardly warmer than outside. Yachi presses herself close to Hinata, who is so long used to it that she highly doubts he\u2019s even noticed. It\u2019s only one side of her body but it\u2019s good enough–Hinata turns to her halfway and grins for no reason, and Yachi grins back. This is what they do. She takes the chance and grabs for Hinata\u2019s hand, and their fingers tangle easily. Hinata looks at them, but doesn\u2019t say anything.<\/p>\n They let go once they disembark, stepping up and out toward the bakery. Yachi is small but she\u2019s long learned to look where she\u2019s going; Hinata, however, collides into someone hard in the middle of the street, nearly knocking them both over.<\/p>\n Yachi yelps. \u201cHinata!\u201d she says, offering her hand out. \u201cAre you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, yeah, I\u2019m fine Yacchan,\u201d Hinata says brightly, accepting her hand. To the stranger, he asks, \u201cSorry about that.\u201d<\/p>\n The stranger is a tweedy old man who has deep wrinkles on his face. They soften, though, when he sees Hinata. \u201cIt\u2019s alright, boy,\u201d he says with a generous smile. \u201cGot somewhere to be, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust the bakery,\u201d Hinata replies.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the flower shop!\u201d Yachi puts in.<\/p>\n The old man\u2019s gaze flickers between them, smile broadening. \u201cAlright then,\u201d he says, clapping a hand on Hinata\u2019s shoulder. \u201cYou and your girlfriend be careful now.\u201d<\/p>\n He walks off. Yachi feels kind of stunned, though Hinata chortles right away, watching the man go.<\/p>\n \u201cHe just called you my girlfriend,\u201d he says to Yachi, like Yachi hasn\u2019t been here the whole time to witness it. \u201cIs it just \u2018cause I\u2019m a boy and you\u2019re a girl? Stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n Warmth rises to Yachi\u2019s cheeks. \u201cMaybe it\u2019s because I said we were going to the flower shop together,\u201d she says. She remembers how Hinata had held her hand just minutes ago; it\u2019s remarkable how warm he can make her feel even when he\u2019s not<\/em> touching her.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe,\u201d Hinata says thoughtfully. \u201cBut we should really get to the bakery before all the egg tarts are gone!\u201d<\/p>\n They do, and Hinata gets three egg tarts while Yachi orders their usual loaf of bread, and pork buns, and more assortments of things that she and Hinata pick out. Afterward they go to the flower shop that Yachi knows the location of (Hinata is useless at directions), though neither of them know much about flowers at all.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think Kageyama would like?\u201d Yachi asks.<\/p>\n Hinata shrugs, poking the petal of a particularly purple flower. \u201cI dunno,\u201d he says. \u201cWhat do you<\/em> think he\u2019d like?\u201d<\/p>\n In the end, they decide on a pot of premature orchids, despite that the owner encourages them to get the pot already has them bloomed. There are also packets of seeds by the cash register, so Yachi picks out a pack for sunflowers and another for pink lilies. There is a full heat in her heart as they walk and take the subway back to their apartment.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Kageyama is happy with the half-blossomed orchids and the seed packets. He says thank you, and Yachi notices the way Hinata doesn\u2019t quite meet his eyes as he says, \u201cIt\u2019s weird to hear you be polite,\u201d and Kageyama whacks his shoulder and asks, \u201cIs this better?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey!\u201d says Hinata, though he still doesn\u2019t meet Kageyama\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n Yachi is not quite sure what to think. She blames herself for being around so often, even though they were the ones who had asked her to be here in the first place. Sometimes she needs to remind herself this, though she wonders if she should blame herself as well.<\/p>\n Kageyama\u2019s flowers are beautiful. They always are, sleeping in the beds on the balcony, and Kageyama plants the seeds in the soil delicately. Yachi watches as Kageyama cups his fingers around the petals, tender and calculated, similar to how he is when he sets a volleyball, but–different.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you going to do it?\u201d Yachi asks. She\u2019s watched Kageyama do it so many times before, but it never ceases to amaze her every time.<\/p>\n Kageyama shakes his head. \u201cNot the gardenias, I\u2019ll give them a bit,\u201d he says. \u201cI can do the orchids though, if you want.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to,\u201d Yachi says hurriedly.<\/p>\n Kageyama glances at her with interest. \u201cDo you want me to?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI-I mean.\u201d It\u2019s Kageyama\u2019s power, not hers. \u201cIf you<\/em> want to, I-I wouldn\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/p>\n Kageyama continues looking at her like that, but nods once. The orchids are sitting on the other side of the balcony–they\u2019re too big to join the flowerbeds, and their apartment is pretty high up. Kageyama takes a few strides and tilts his head, watching before grazing his knuckles along the stem.<\/p>\n Immediately the flowers begin to open up. None of them have allergies, though the orchid doesn\u2019t seem to release the familiar smell of pollen Yachi is so used to. They sigh, purple and blossoming. Yachi watches with awe.<\/p>\n \u201cI never get tired of that,\u201d she finds herself saying.<\/p>\n Kageyama looks back at her. His lips are quirked into a rare half-smile. \u201cNeither do I,\u201d he confesses. \u201cOrchids need a lot of humidity, though, we\u2019ll need to ask Hinata to come out and sit with them every time after he takes a shower.\u201d<\/p>\n Yachi laughs. Kageyama makes something bloom in her, too, pink. \u201cDo you think he\u2019ll want to?\u201d she asks.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019ll know I don\u2019t care,\u201d says Kageyama.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Yachi comes home to Hinata and Kageyama already in the living room. The sound of the television is on in the background; Yachi is ready to say hello as she takes off her shoes.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, the other day,\u201d Hinata says. \u201cSomeone called Yachi my girlfriend?\u201d<\/p>\n Yachi pauses, one hand on a shoelace. Kageyama is quiet. From here, Yachi can see both of their gym bags behind the living room couch, nestled and half on top of each other.<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d Kageyama asks.<\/p>\n \u201cSome guy,\u201d says Hinata. Yachi imagines Hinata shrugging. \u201cWhen we were buying your flowers, he thought we–\u201d He breaks off into a giggle. \u201cI dunno, we weren\u2019t even doing anything.\u201d<\/p>\n Kageyama is quiet again. Yachi wonders what he is thinking; she knows that oftentimes she and Hinata go on grocery runs whenever Kageyama is in class. Sometimes she asks Hinata to come out with her on an errand, or Hinata just chooses to tag along anyway. Talking to him isn\u2019t just looking into direct sunlight–it\u2019s always having your hand held. Or maybe like the intensity of volleyball practice, Yachi thinks Kageyama might feel.<\/p>\n \u201cYou do spend a lot of time together,\u201d Kageyama says, finally. \u201cI could probably see why he would think that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but it\u2019s not like we are<\/em>,\u201d says Hinata.<\/p>\n The tell-tale of Kageyama\u2019s silence makes Yachi\u2019s heart jump. She can only imagine what Kageyama is thinking, and it\u2019s not something she wants him to think–he is everything, with his hydrangea and holly, and she doesn\u2019t need to think about it to know that Hinata has viewed him beyond a friend since day one.<\/p>\n She is startled when Hinata says her name, then. \u201cYacchan?\u201d he says, out of nowhere.<\/p>\n Yachi realizes she\u2019s been lurking by the front door like a creep, and comes into the living room. \u201cHi,\u201d she says, to Kageyama and Hinata. \u201cI just got home.\u201d<\/p>\n Hinata is looking at her strangely. Kageyama says, \u201cWelcome home.\u201d<\/p>\n His voice is off-kilter, and Yachi wishes Hinata could tell him what he had told her all those years ago, about Kageyama being his partner<\/em>. \u201cThank you,\u201d she says, as graciously to Kageyama as she can. \u201cSo, um. Dinner?\u201d<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n On Friday afternoon, all their schedules are free. Kageyama, naturally, wants to spend the time at the gym, but Hinata says, \u201cWe should do something that Yacchan can do, too!\u201d Yachi tries to tell him that no, really, if they want to practice volleyball it\u2019s fine. But Hinata suggests for them to go outside to the park, and Kageyama says he\u2019s okay with that, and Yachi supposes she doesn\u2019t mind. So they do.<\/p>\n Yachi and Kageyama wear jackets and scarves; Hinata wears a hoodie so he doesn\u2019t warrant odd looks, though he unzips it and pushes his sleeves up to his elbows. \u201cWe should race,\u201d he says eagerly, bouncing along the sidewalks.<\/p>\n Kageyama growls, striding over to keep up with him. \u201cWhere would we even race to<\/em>? Why do you want to race me all the time?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause it\u2019s fun beating you!\u201d<\/p>\n Yachi giggles to herself as they walk on ahead without her. Kageyama is big and dark and kind of brooding; Hinata is small and his hair has tints of golden under the sunlight. They look good together, she thinks, and her stomach tugs, warm and blooming at the image.<\/p>\n Kageyama and Hinata do race, though Kageyama defeats him by a hair, at the end of the sidewalk near the streetcorner. Yachi jogs along so she keeps them in sight, panting a little when she finally reaches them.<\/p>\n \u201cOh\u2026 shit\u2026\u201d Kageyama says through his own gasps. \u201cWe forgot about\u2026 Yachi.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t forget about her!\u201d says Hinata. He\u2019s breathing loudly through his nose. \u201cShe was right behind us all along! Weren\u2019t you, Yacchan?\u201d<\/p>\n Yachi nods, resting her palms on her thighs. \u201cYou guys\u2026 are fast,\u201d she manages out.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m faster.\u201d Kageyama rights himself. \u201cWhat are the numbers now? 238 to 235?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI dunno,\u201d says Hinata.<\/p>\n \u201cIdiot! What\u2019s the point of racing me if you forget to keep track of our wins?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re probably right, Kageyama,\u201d Yachi assures him. Kageyama is terrible with numbers, but at least he\u2019s good with memorization.<\/p>\n Kageyama looks like he\u2019s about to say something to her, but then a chattering to the side interrupts them. At the corner of the grass is a squirrel, stopped and sniffing the air.<\/p>\n \u201cOoh, squirrel,\u201d says Hinata.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s probably looking for a place to hibernate,\u201d Yachi muses. \u201cIt\u2019s almost winter. He should probably find someplace warm to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike in my jacket,\u201d Hinata jokes.<\/p>\n Kageyama is eyeing the squirrel warily. \u201cDo you think I could pet it?\u201d he asks them.<\/p>\n Yachi glances at him curiously. Hinata says, \u201cProbably not! It probably has rabies, Kageyama, and we don\u2019t want you to get rabies either!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but I–\u201d<\/p>\n Kageyama steps forward, toward the squirrel. It stops its sniffing in the air and turns, facing Kageyama.<\/p>\n \u201cHinata might be right,\u201d Yachi says warningly. \u201cIt could have rabies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not running away,\u201d Kageyama murmurs.<\/p>\n Hinata glances at Yachi: a question, she recognizes. Kageyama seems captivated at this squirrel who won\u2019t run away from him. He takes another step toward it but it flinches, darting back a meter.<\/p>\n Yachi watches as Kageyama\u2019s face falls, and it makes her–well, maybe once she and Hinata had been that squirrel, but now they aren\u2019t, joined to Kageyama\u2019s side easily. \u201cHere,\u201d she says, walking up to Kageyama and pushing herself toward him.<\/p>\n The squirrel looks at Kageyama again, this time with more–intrigue. Kageyama watches as the squirrel comes up to him, hopping between Kageyama\u2019s and Yachi\u2019s shoes. It stops and nuzzles the side of Kageyama\u2019s sneaker.<\/p>\n \u201cEw,\u201d Hinata says from behind them.<\/p>\n Kageyama doesn\u2019t seem to be grossed out, though. He watches as the squirrel chews at at the aglet of his shoe, before chattering and scampering off.<\/p>\n He turns to Yachi. \u201cYou didn\u2019t have to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to.\u201d Yachi smiles at him.<\/p>\n Kageyama returns it. This is what it is, not being that squirrel, seeing more than just Kageyama\u2019s loud exterior and finding him surrounded by blooming flowers, trying to leave bird feed out in the springs so they\u2019ll come to him.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n \u201cYou and Kageyama look good together,\u201d Hinata says.<\/p>\n They\u2019re on their way home from a grocery run; both their arms are loaded with plastic bags, and Yachi imagines they must be a sight, two short people running around with grocery bags slung on their hands and arms.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Yachi says. She\u2019s trying to figure out how to hold a bag that has its handle broken.<\/p>\n \u201cYou and Kageyama,\u201d Hinata repeats. \u201cYou\u2019re really, um. Well, he\u2019s Kageyama, and you\u2019re you!\u201d Pink blooms on his cheeks. \u201cI think you guys would look good together, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think you<\/em> would look good with him,\u201d Yachi says, surprised. \u201cYou spend more time with him, you guys are–partners.\u201d She stumbles over the word.<\/p>\n Hinata looks thoughtful. \u201cYeah, I guess we are,\u201d he admits. Then: \u201cStill! It\u2019s not like I\u2019m dating him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not like I\u2019m dating you, either.\u201d Yachi tries to gesture with one arm, but it\u2019s weighted down by the shopping bags. They go through milk like cats, so they\u2019d bought a lot of cartons. \u201cAnd I thought you, well. You seem to like Kageyama a lot!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do like him a lot,\u201d says Hinata. \u201cDon\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d says Yachi.<\/p>\n Hinata watches her. It\u2019s that scary look he gets when he\u2019s determined to defeat an opponent in volleyball, or at least show off his talent. Yachi has never had it turned on her before, and cowers in fright, dropping all but three shopping bags.<\/p>\n \u201cOh no!\u201d she cries, rushing to pick them up. \u201cI\u2019m–did it sound like anything broke?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u201d Hinata has snapped out of whatever trance he\u2019d been in before, helping Yachi now. \u201cI\u2019m holding the eggs, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre the any of the fruits bruised?\u201d Yachi digs through a bag and finds the bag of apples. \u201cOh–thank goodness,\u201d she says, when they appear to be as shiny and hard as before.<\/p>\n They gather the bags back up, and Hinata doesn\u2019t bring up Kageyama again on their trek back. The sidewalks are full of cracks but Yachi can\u2019t see them between the crowd of her grocery bags; living with Hinata and Kageyama is more interesting than the ground.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n She has never been told she is magnetic; Yachi always saw herself as a wallflower, evaporated among everyone else.<\/p>\n There is no describing Hinata and Kageyama to her, though she knows that she does not want any other choice. They are the ones who make her feel like she is more interesting than she feels to be, Kageyama and his surprises, Hinata and his sunshine. She had figured out what she could do long before she met them, but it had never meant so much before until now.<\/p>\n Until now, when they are together almost every day and Yachi can see the way Hinata stares too long at Kageyama and Kageyama sneaks peeks at Hinata. Yachi thinks, I did this, and it is a bad feeling, sometimes. It can be a bad feeling, being magnetic. She waits for it to resolve. She has been waiting for it a long time.<\/p>\n It is evening and it is Thursday and they are in the living room together. Yachi watches Kageyama watch Hinata watch the television. She wonders if Hinata will ever tell him so Kageyama can say it back.<\/p>\n Kageyama is on the floor pretending to read his textbook, and Yachi is on the couch with Hinata, pretending to work on her laptop. \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d she blurts, because maybe they are the ones who have been waiting too long, because of her.<\/p>\n Kageyama\u2019s gaze snaps to her. Hinata says, \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat I\u2019m, um.\u201d Yachi ducks her head down. \u201cMy power, and you guys are–\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about your power?\u201d Kageyama demands. \u201cDid you do something–\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI–Not–Kind of,\u201d Yachi stammers. Kageyama turns to her like he has ruined his flowers, or incompetently spiked a ball, though Yachi would never do the former nor attempt the latter. \u201cYou guys are so–and it\u2019s my fault.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s your fault?\u201d Hinata asks her curiously.<\/p>\n \u201cThat you two–\u201d Yachi gestures between them. \u201cYou like each other, and it\u2019s because I–\u201d<\/p>\n Feelings<\/em>, her mother had told her, when she was young and a boy in her class had made fun of her so she had repelled all her classmates away from him. Feelings<\/em>, she\u2019d told herself, when she\u2019d seen Shimizu-san for the first time, and then everyone else\u2019s eyes in the hallway had turned on her, too.<\/p>\n And now, Kageyama and Hinata, who had asked for her but not this.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d Kageyama asks.<\/p>\n Yachi blushes and hides her face in her palms. \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d she says, muffled into her hands. \u201cYou two should just–confess to each other, I know it\u2019s my fault, I\u2019m–\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cConfess to each other?\u201d Hinata sounds bewildered.<\/p>\n Yachi peeks through her fingers. \u201cYou both,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s you both for me, and I don\u2019t–I really think you should–\u201d It is hard to pick between Hinata and Kageyama because it\u2019s not much of a contest, because she can\u2019t imagine one without the other.<\/p>\n This is why they belong together.<\/p>\n \u201cYacchan.\u201d Hinata comes over to her. He brings her hands from her face. \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlease be more clear with us,\u201d says Kageyama. \u201cYou know we\u2019re idiots.\u201d<\/p>\n Yachi giggles. But they both look solemn.<\/p>\n \u201cHinata told me that he thinks we look good together,\u201d she says, trying to meet Kageyama\u2019s eyes and failing. \u201cBut I think you two–I think you two are better.\u201d Together<\/em>, she leaves out, because that does not include her.<\/p>\n \u201cUs two?\u201d Hinata glances at Kageyama, whose cheeks are red suddenly. \u201cWhat about you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI.\u201d Yachi shakes her head rapidly. \u201cI mean, it\u2019s my fault, isn\u2019t it? That you guys–\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d says Kageyama. His expression clears up. \u201cBecause Hinata and I are,\u201d he coughs. Hinata turns to him. \u201cThat we like each other,\u201d Kageyama says to Hinata.<\/p>\n Hinata furrows his eyebrows. \u201cBut I like you when Yacchan\u2019s not around!\u201d he says. His lips press together and wobble in embarrassment. \u201cAnd I like Yacchan, too!\u201d he says, even louder.<\/p>\n \u201cHinata, you\u2019re shouting,\u201d Kageyama scolds.<\/p>\n Yachi is bewildered. \u201cUm,\u201d she says, because something hot is growing in her chest, like a lily ready to pollinate.<\/p>\n \u201cI like Yachi too,\u201d Kageyama says carefully. \u201cI was never sure if–but it\u2019s never had to do with.\u201d He looks pointedly at his knees. \u201cI like you both,\u201d he mumbles.<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d says Yachi.<\/p>\n \u201cOh!\u201d Hinata echoes.<\/p>\n The three of them sit around in silence. Kageyama is still on the ground; Yachi feels too big and too small on the couch.<\/p>\n Hinata crawls over to her. He is in his usual t-shirt and shorts; Yachi is wearing big woolen socks. \u201cHey, Yacchan,\u201d he says to her. \u201cCan I kiss you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm,\u201d says Yachi. Hinata is warm. She nods.<\/p>\n Hinata glances past her. \u201cHey, Kageyama,\u201d he says, before leaning in. \u201cWatch this.\u201d<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n There are three bodies tangled in a bed too small, in a high-rise building on the north side of Tokyo. Sunlight does not shine on just her but all three, hot and growing and big. It is winter and their sheets are sliding off the bed. Two are fast asleep and the third does not complain.<\/p>\n It is winter and Yachi draws, with ink, with pencil and paper (Kageyama and Hinata), with herself. Her heart is big and full and she thinks, Mom, people are my passion. Because there is a world where she can tuck her toes under ankles to keep warm, can watch the magic of Kageyama\u2019s fingers outside of a volleyball court, can watch other people fall in love. And in it, she has found something better.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" They live, together. Yachi watches them, together. 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