chapter 1

Hinata Shouyou never imagined he would end up meeting his soulmate on the very same day he met his first and greatest rival. Kageyama Tobio and him had become soul-bonded to each other from the moment they first laid eyes on the other at the middle school volleyball tournament without realizing it.

When Shouyou had been heavily devastated by the loss of his first real game he challenged Kageyama that he would beat him someday.

Tobio in turn wasn’t fazed by this if anything he accepted the boy’s challenge and they departed ways, figuring they would never see each other until high school on different courts.

But as the hours passed both boys grew very sick and needed to be rushed to the hospital that night. The two were shocked to see each other in the waiting room but what was even weirder was that they suddenly felt better the moment they got close to the other!

Even Shouyou’s mother and Tobio’s older sister had noticed the change quickly and had told the nurse as such with the boys having the same symptoms just moments before.

The nurse rushed to get a doctor and he said, “My congratulations, you’ve been soul-bonded.”

“WHAT?!” both fourteen-year-olds yelled in horror and pointed accusingly, “I’M STUCK WITH HIM?!”

Miwa scolded, “Tobio! That’s very rude!”

Hinata-san nodded in agreement, “Yes, Shouyou, do not be horrible to your soulmate.”

“B-b-but he’s the reason I lost the match today!”

His mother countered, “Whatever differences you two have can be solved accordingly over time as you get to know each other better.”

“That’s right,” Miwa agreed before turning to the older woman and bowed, “Please forgive my brother’s outburst.”

“Oh no, it’s fine as long as you can forgive my own son’s rudeness. I’m Hinata Riko.”

“Kageyama Miwa and I can already tell there is much we’ll need to discuss regarding this new development.”

“I quite agreed.”

Eventually the four left the hospital and went to a diner to eat dinner though the boys begrudgingly refused to make eye-contact with the other as their guardians made special arrangements for them since there’s a rule on soul-bonds that they cannot be apart for more than six hours in a day unless the bond gets sealed through a kiss. At least they didn’t have to worry about changing schools because this. However they would need to sleep over at each other’s houses on certain days.

And so that was how Shouyou was force to spend the night at the Kageyamas for the rest of the week. Thankfully he was able to stay in the guest room and could avoid the grumpy bear across the hallway. At least Miwa-san was pleasant to be around and she was very pretty to look at, if only Tobio-san didn’t have that harsh personality than his beauty could shine though like his sister’s.

Yes there’s no denying that the setter was attractive but that was the only thing he had for Shouyou to tolerate the fact that they were soulmates and thus fated to be together forever.

The universe made a huge mistake, there’s no way I could fall for such an emotionally constipated person like him!

Meanwhile Tobio was all ready for bed and laid in it face up with the lights off having his own thoughts about his newfound soulmate with his grandfather’s parting words echoing in his head.

Is this what you meant, grandpa? Of me finding someone else that I would deeply rely on as I had you?

He found this hard to believe but he cannot deny how impress he was of his soulmate’s jumping power at their match if only that potential hadn’t gone to waste! With a scowl he knew he wasn’t going to get any sleep until he received answers and got up to knock on the guest room door.

Shouyou opened it with a frown, “What do you want?”

“Remember what I asked after the tournament?”

“You’re bringing that up now?!” the ginger shouted, tempting to shut the door in the other’s face.

“Yeah, because any other player I have gone against didn’t have those kinds of reflexes like you do, you were an ideal threat to face but you didn’t have the proper training and team to back it up. The whole thing was so disappointing.”

Shouyou didn’t know if he was being praised or insulted, he hoped it was the former and retorted back, “Hey! That wasn’t their fault! I asked them to help me create a volleyball team with me so that I could finally play in a real game! My middle school didn’t have a boys’ team until I made it this year!”

That surprised Tobio greatly. His soulmate made an entire volleyball team all on his own?! Well that definitely explained a lot.

“We got a lot of ground to cover then.” he stated.

“Huh?!” Shouyou’s eyes were blown.

“Obviously we’re stuck together with this bond so might as well make use of it. And I don’t know what else to do with you.”

“You mean…?”

“We’ll train together.”

Shouyou’s face lit up so brightly like sunlight even though it was clearly nighttime that Tobio had to turn away, saying, “Stop that you moron!”

The shorter stuck his tongue out in defiance making the taller bear-claw his head.

...----------------...

After that fateful day, the two started playing volleyball in the park to get a feel of the other’s skills, even though Shouyou always had to lecture Tobio to be nicer while practicing. They steadily got into a routine that worked for them like taking morning runs when staying nights at the Kageyamas or biking down the mountain when staying at the Hinatas.

“There! That’s the high school I want to go to next year!” Shouyou pointed out.

“Karasuno?”

“Yeah! The Tiny Giant went there and I want to be just like him!”

“They do have a strict coach that’s coming out of retirement, one of my former sempais got private lessons from him so I want to have the same teachings as he did. But my first choice is Shiratorizawa Academy; they’re the champions of the whole prefecture.”

And they can beat Oikawa… he thought on the side.

“Whoa!”

“Exactly, that’s why I’m hoping to pass their entrance exam this winter.”

The ginger pffted, “Good luck with that, Yama, I’ve seen your grades so not sure if it’ll work.”

“Shut it you little turd! Like you’re one to talk!”

Hinata just released a bubbly laugh and biked away with Kageyama racing right after him.

...----------------...

It was the finals of the middle school tournament and although it pained him, Shouyou was watching for the sake of his soulmate nearly winning it all and that he needed the closure of Kageyama’s team beating out his team in that very first round.

You better win, Yama, for my sake too. He clutched to the railing.

Sitting on the bench, Tobio looked up to see his soulmate watching from above and from that serious stare he knew what he was thinking and nodded.

Kindaichi and Kumi had noticed this exchange, thinking, Kageyama has friends outside of school?!

Soon the finals were underway and Tobio was gradually losing patience with his team that they weren’t any close to winning like he wanted to.

Shouyou was noticing a dark aura beginning to surround the Kitagawa team and knew something was wrong right off the bat and rushed down to get to Kageyama.

Tobio was going on a spiral in his head on how to win this set when a voice cried,

“Yama!”

The raven-head turned to see Hinata signaling him to meet him in the hallway.

Tobio quickly excused himself to the coach and met the ginger with a glare, demanding, “Make this quick, I need to get back out there soon.”

“You need to calm down!”

“I am calm!”

“No you’re not! Your team is getting frustrated with you ordering them around like that! You need to change your attitude and fast!”

“I don’t know if I can! We’ll lose this set if they don’t do as I say!”

Shouyou rapidly cupped his cheeks, shocking the taller boy.

“Close your eyes.”

Tobio hesitantly obeyed, shutting his eyes.

“Take a deep breath.”

He took a deep breath through his nose.

“Now exhale.”

Doing just that through his mouth.

“Better?”

Strangely enough, he was feeling a lot calmer than before and opened his blue eyes, replying, “Yeah… I think so.”

“Good, now go back and apologize to them before things take a turn for the worst.”

He sighed, “Fine…” making his way back to the bench and faced his teammates, “Hey… I-I’m sorry that I’ve been losing my cool, I’m willing to try again if you’ll let me.”

Needless to say the entire team was shell-shocked by their co-captain’s words, never thought they would hear him say something like that!

The coach gave them the go-ahead and while things went a little better, they still couldn’t make the final score to win.

Kageyama kept it together as much as he could till the tournament was over and once he was out of the locker room, Hinata was already waiting for him with arms wide open in support.

Without thinking he went into those arms and cried in that ginger hair. Shouyou was crying too in the taller boy’s chest feeling his soulmate’s pain.

...----------------...

The days went on with them playing one-on-one volleyball to get better. Then the seasons started changing and with it their high school entrance exams were fast approaching.

“I decided I’m going to try for Karasuno first.” Kageyama admitted one night as they were working on their separate homework assignments at the Hinata household.

“Really? Why?” Shouyou blinked in surprise.

“My advisor warned me of how hard the Shiratorizawa exam will be and with my current grades it didn’t look promising. Besides… with this soul-bond we might as well just stay close by to each other.”

But Hinata wasn’t fooled, he knows that was Kageyama talk for: ‘You’re the only friend I have and I don’t want to feel lonely in school again’. But he’ll give the other boy a pass for trying, putting a soft smile on his lips.

...----------------...

“What do you mean it was a toupee?!” Tobio gasped as the pair walked to the Karasuno gym in their freshman gym uniforms.

“How did you not notice?! It was plain to see at the entrance ceremony!” Shouyou laughed, “It kept slipping around on his head!”

They made it to the empty gym and Hinata looked around in awe, uttering, “It’s really happening…”

“It’s just another gym, no big deal.”

But the glare Hinata gave him said otherwise.

“Right sorry, I forgot this is your first time on an actual volleyball team.” putting his hand on the orange locks.

They were an unusual pair of soulmates to say the least, they have known each other for almost a year now and were comfortable in each other’s presence but they have yet to seal their bond and receive soulmarks mainly because Tobio doesn’t understand the concept of romance whereas Shouyou does but was inexperienced to properly make a first move and being scared that his soulmate would react poorly to his advances.

For now they were staying good friends and just wanted to play volleyball.

Suddenly they heard voices coming their way.

“The first setter from Kitagawa is on our team?”

“Bet the guy’s totally cocky.”

“Don’t try and intimidate him, Tanaka.”

“I-I wouldn’t do something like that!”

Shouyou gasped, “Do you think that’s our upperclassmen?”

“Of course it is, dumbass.”

“Should we tell them we’re soul-bonded?”

“It’s nobody’s business but our own.”

“So we pretend we’ve never met until now?”

“That should work.”

Shouyou sighed, figuring this was a bad idea.

By then three older Karasuno students walked in, spotting the first years.

Tanaka makes an intimidating face, “Hey, hey, hey! Who said you guys could-“

Daichi, the team captain inquires, “You’re Kageyama?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Glad you’re here.”

Sugawara motioned, “You’re quite tall.”

“He needs an initiation, Suga-san! Let’s give him a reason to be intimidated by the third-years!”

Daichi rolled his eyes, “You’re a second-year, Tanaka and stop with that face.”

Hinata noticed an interesting mark on the back of the captain and Sugawara’s hands, the mark had a smiling sun with a rain cloud at the bottom.

He gasps out loud, pointing, “You guys are soulmates!”

The three seniors turned his way in surprise with Tanaka motioning, “Oh hey! It’s Shorty Number One!”

A tangent went on of the three knowing who Hinata was when they were impressed by his reflexes on the court last year.

“But to answer your question, Hinata,” Suga started, “Yes, Captain Sawamura and I are soulmates.” exchanging a knowing look with said captain.

Kageyama raised his brow, “And you’re okay with people knowing that?”

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” the older setter mentions.

“I mean we can’t exactly hide it while we’re practicing on the court.” Daichi points out.

Shouyou and Tobio exchanged quick side-glances which did not escape Suga’s notice.

Interesting… the silver-haired teen hummed.

Tanaka voiced, “Plus you guys aren’t the only soulmate pair on the team.”

“True that.” Suga chuckled.

Hinata was nearly bursting with joy when hearing that. More soulmates! Just like him and Kageyama!

Tobio questions, “They’ve sealed their bond too?”

“Oh yes, ever since they’ve met last year, whereas Daichi and I have known each other for two years now.”

By then the vice principal came in for a visit and while the three older students were paying attention to him, Shouyou lowkey motioned to Tobio about the wig and the two slightly sniggered.

Sugawara looked back to them suspiciously, causing the duo to stiffen up at their senior’s gaze.

The vice principal bide them farewell and Daichi let out a sigh of relief, turning back to the first years.

“Now then, let’s evaluate what you got, we may have seen a little of it during the junior high tournament but a lot can happen in a year. So Kageyama let’s start with you.”

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***