Between Shoyo Hinata and Tobio Kageyama and Kei Tsukishima and Tetsurou Kuroo as enemies.
The autumn air had a chill that seeped into the gymnasium of Karasuno High School with an ominous silence. The freshness that usually accompanied the beginning of a new training season was polluted with a tension so thick it could coil around one's neck like a snake preparing to strike.
Shoyo Hinata bounced the volleyball to the floor, its echo resonating with the sound of a thunderclap as he stared across the net. On the other side stood Tobio Kageyama, his gaze as sharp and unwelcoming as the wintry wind slamming against the shuttered windows. The space between them, once closed by an impenetrable bond, now felt like an ever-widening rift.
The sounds of sneakers screeching on the polished wooden floor, balls being spiked, and the sharp whistle that cut through the cacophony of players shouting commands used to be music to Hinata's ears. Now, it was a cacophonous reminder of the divide.
"Kageyama, you ready?" Hinata called out, the fiery undertone in his voice not enough to mask the complicated layers of emotion underneath.
Kageyama merely nodded, his jaw set, fingers twitching in anticipation of the serve that would start their mock war. Hinata served the ball with a power that he'd honed meticulously, sending it hurling over the net with the speed of a shooting star.
But the volley that followed wasn't the friendly exchange of past times. Each move was a calculated assault, a silent scream of frustration and competitiveness that boiled beneath the surface. The others on the court, Kei Tsukishima and Tetsurou Kuroo included, fed off that animosity, diving and jumping with a ferocity that eclipsed any ordinary practice match.
As the rally continued, the back-and-forth became a blur of orange, black, and white. Hinata's mind raced back to the days when he and Kageyama would defeat opponents side-by-side. Now, they were locked in an unspoken challenge, vying for dominance.
The ball spiraled towards Tsukishima, who adjusted his glasses with a devious glint in his eye before sending a spike straight at Kageyama. Kuroo, with his mane of wild black hair, let loose a quiet chuckle, sensing the building tension, his own presence on the court both a territorial claim and a silent warning.
A whistle blew, stinging as sharply as a winter's gale. The game stopped abruptly. Hinata's chest heaved as he looked over to their coach, whose eyes were narrowed in barely contained disapproval.
"Enough," the coach's voice was stern, slicing through the gym like a verdict. "What happened to the Karasuno that played with heart and soul? This," he gestured towards the court, his face etched with concern, "isn't the volleyball Karasuno plays."
Kageyama picked up the ball, his icy blue gaze steely and unreadable. "It's not about the volleyball," he mumbled, almost to himself, as if the answer to their enigma was nestled within the sphere in his hands. Hinata met his stare, the words unspoken but clear; they were unraveling at the seams, and no one knew how to stitch them back together.
As practice disbanded, the players filing out with heavy steps, Kuroo lingered behind to offer Tsukishima a knowing glance. "It's starting," he said, voice low. The look they exchanged was one of recognition, an unspoken acknowledgment that the true game had yet to begin.
And as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting shadows across the court that looked like fractures on the earth, it was clear that the fight for the soul of Karasuno Volleyball Club had only just commenced.