"Hey, give that back!"

Hinata Shoyo's voice cuts through the chatter of Rinkai High's classroom, still half-awake students barely paying attention as the day hasn't officially started yet. It should've been a calm morning. Quiet. Normal.

But normal never really exists when Kuroo Tetsurō and Kageyama Tobio are bored at the same time.

Kuroo leans back in his chair with that familiar, lazy grin, sharp and amused, like he's already decided this is going to be entertaining. In his hand is Hinata's breakfast, neatly packed and clearly homemade. The kind of food that means someone cared enough to wake up early for him.

Hinata didn't even get the chance to eat it.

"Hmm?" Kuroo hums, glancing at the wrapped food like he's genuinely curious. "You mean this?"

His smirk widens. He lifts it slightly higher just to make Hinata reach for it.

Before Hinata can take another step forward, Kuroo suddenly tilts his head and calls out, "Heads up, Kageyama."

The breakfast arcs through the air.

Kageyama reacts instantly, no hesitation, no struggle. His hand snaps up and catches it cleanly like it was nothing more than a tossed ball. His eyes flick up toward Hinata, calm and sharp at the same time.

"Kageyama!!" Hinata blurts, frustration rising in his voice as he freezes in place. He's used to this, he really is, but it never stops stinging.

Kageyama looks down at the wrapped food in his hand, expression unreadable for a moment. Then his mouth tilts slightly, almost cruel in its simplicity.

"I guess you won't be eating breakfast."

"Huh?"

Before Hinata can process it, Kageyama turns and throws it straight into the trash bin across the room. The arc is effortless. Clean. Final.

The soft thud of it landing echoes louder than it should.

Hinata goes completely still.

*How could he?*

That thought sits heavy in his chest as the classroom noise briefly fades into something distant and muffled.

Kuroo whistles lightly like he's appreciating a performance. "Nice one, Kageyama\~"

And just like that, the two of them settle back into their seats as if nothing happened.

Hinata is left standing there with a tight, frustrated pout, staring at the trash can like it personally betrayed him.

Atsumu Miya slides into the scene almost immediately, pushing his way over with an easy, familiar energy that contrasts the tension. He leans in, eyebrows raised.

"Oi, Hinata, you okay?"

Hinata exhales through his nose, shoulders dropping as the anger shifts into disappointment. "Yeah... just hungry."

He glances toward the trash again. "They threw away the only breakfast my mom worked so hard to make for me," he mutters, quieter now, more frustrated than loud.

Atsumu pauses for half a second, then his face brightens like a switch flips.

"Well! I ate a lot today!" he announces, far too enthusiastically for the situation. "Like, seriously, breakfast options were just too good, I couldn't choose, so I bought more than I could eat anyway."

Hinata slowly blinks at him.

Atsumu keeps going anyway. "And I don't want to waste food, right? So you're in luck!"

He grins wide, then hesitates slightly, scratching his cheek. "That is... if you want it?"

For a second, Hinata just stares at him blankly, trying to process the sudden shift in tone, like his brain hasn't caught up.

Then it clicks.

His expression lights up instantly, all frustration disappearing.

"Are you kidding?! Yes!! Thank you!"

Atsumu laughs, clearly satisfied with himself, already digging into his bag.

From across the room, Kageyama's gaze sharpens.

He doesn't say anything, just glares.

The classroom door rattles open before anything else can be said.

The teacher walks in with the exhausted energy of someone who already regrets the day ahead. He stops at the front, placing his things down with a tired sigh.

"Alright, alright... settle down."

Chairs scrape. Conversations fade. The atmosphere shifts from chaotic to controlled, though only barely.

"We have a new student today," the teacher announces.

A few students murmur immediately, heads turning toward the door.

The teacher continues, already sounding worn out. "He's new, so treat him properly. No trouble."

His eyes drift, pointedly, to Kuroo.

Kuroo raises both hands in mock innocence. "What? I didn't even do anything."

Laughter spreads across the room, and the teacher ignores him with the patience of someone who's given up arguing.

"Anyway... you can come in now."

The door opens again.

A blonde boy steps inside.

Quiet. Small presence. Calm in a way that doesn't demand attention, but somehow still draws it anyway. He looks almost uninterested in being here at all, like the entire situation is mildly inconvenient.

"Hi... I'm Kenma Kozume," he says softly.

Not too quiet to be unheard. Just soft enough that people lean in without realizing it.

The teacher gestures toward the empty seats. "Take a seat at the back."

Kenma moves without hesitation, walking past rows of curious stares until he reaches the open space.

The seat beside Hinata.

He sits down.

Hinata glances at him immediately, eyes bright again like the morning's chaos didn't just happen.

Kenma doesn't say much, just adjusts his bag and looks forward, already settling into the room like he's trying not to be noticed.

But somehow, sitting right next to Hinata makes that impossible.

.

.

.

Later on, it was the end of class, so everyone started standing up to go hang out with friends or eat snacks since it was a short break. The classroom quickly empties into the hallways, noise spilling out like a wave.

Kenma heads out first while Hinata quickly follows behind.

"Kenma!" Hinata shouts out, making Kenma stop walking and turn around to see him.

"Ah... hey... you are?" Kenma asks in slight confusion. All he knows is this was the tiny guy he was sitting beside.

"Ah, right! I'm Hinata!" Hinata announces, making Kenma just nod along. "I hope we can get along, knowing we'll be in each other's class for a while and sitting beside each other."

"Mm... yeah." Kenma agrees. He isn't trying to be rude, he's just naturally like this.

"Anyways, I'm going to head on and look for my dorm," Kenma mentions.

"Oh! I can help!" Hinata quickly says with a bright smile, happy to help the new student and hopefully new friend. "What's your dorm number?" Hinata asks enthusiastically.

"215."

Kenma says it casually, but the moment it leaves his mouth, Hinata goes pale.

"Uh... 215?" Hinata repeats, suddenly unsure.

"Uh... yeah?" Kenma responds, still not understanding Hinata's reaction.

Hinata sighs loudly like he just lost a comrade.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Hinata shouts. "You're rooming with Kuroo!!"

He blurts it right into Kenma's face. Kenma just stares at him, still not processing why this is a disaster.

"Who's rooming with me?"

That voice.

Hinata flinches instantly.

He turns.

Kuroo is there, Kageyama slightly behind him, looking like he was dragged into existence against his will.

"I hope it isn't you, shrimp," Kuroo mentions with slight disgust. "Just keep staying with your mom."

The way he says it makes it sound like he would rather live anywhere else than share a room with Hinata. Hinata feels a little betrayed, but still thinks, *Okay. Valid.*

Kenma glances up and looks at Kuroo. They make eye contact for a short second.

"Oh! It's the new student the teacher didn't trust me with\~!" Kuroo announces, while Kageyama just stares.

Hinata sighs miserably. "Thankfully, I'm not your roommate," Hinata says before continuing. "But Kenma is..."

Kuroo stares at Hinata blankly.

"Kenma? Hm?? Where's Kenma? Who's that?"

He starts looking around dramatically like the person in question isn't literally standing there.

Hinata looks at him, confused. "Kenma!! The new student!"

"Did you not pay attention in class when he said his name?" Hinata asks in disbelief.

"Oho\~?" Kuroo says, turning back toward Hinata and flicking his forehead. "Don't be brave with me, shrimpy."

"Ouuuchh-! Hinata whines, rubbing his forehead with a pout.

"Kuroo, let's go," Kageyama says, already wanting to head for snacks.

"Hold on, I wanna talk to this 'Kenma' for a bit."

"After all\~ the teacher did say to be nice\~"

But in Kuroo's vocabulary, "nice" clearly doesn't mean anything reassuring.

Hinata gulps nervously.

"What's the hold up?" Iwaizumi, another one of Kuroo's friends, asks as he walks over. He glances between them before his eyes land on Hinata.

"Oh, the shrimp and..." Iwaizumi's gaze shifts to Kenma. "Who's that? Never seen him before. A new student?"

Tsukishima appears behind Iwaizumi with a loud yawn.

"I want food. Stop asking useless questions and let's hurry up and go," Tsukishima says, sounding annoyed as his stomach growls loudly.

"Let me just teach the 'pudding head' how things work here before we head out so I wouldn't have to be rude to him," Kuroo casually tells Iwaizumi and Tsukishima.

Kenma flinches slightly at the nickname.

*Pudding head?? I've never been called that in my life.*

But before Kuroo can say anything else, Kageyama grabs him by the ear and starts dragging him away.

"Let's just go, everyone is hungry."

"Ow-- ow- ow--!" That hurts, Kageyama! Okay fine, but stop pulling!"

Kuroo's complaints fade as they disappear down the hallway, already being pulled away from the situation.

"Kenma..." Hinata starts, softer now. "If you want to change roommates, I can talk to the principal and-"

But Kenma cuts him off immediately.

"It's fine."

He glances at Hinata. "I'm not a pushover. I can handle it."

Hinata freezes for a second, then his eyes practically sparkle.

*What could staying with this Kuroo guy really do? It can't be that bad. He's not even my type and he's straight. At least he looks it.*

End of episode 1

As the day passes on, classes have ended. The loud hallways of Rinkai slowly empty out, the constant chatter fading into distant echoes as students head off to clubs, convenience stores, or back to their dorms. The orange glow of the late afternoon sun stretches across the campus windows, making everything feel strangely calm after the chaos of the school day.

So, that means, Kenma having to head to his new dorm.

He had checked it out earlier, like he had planned. But, it was empty then, as it was break time. Quiet. No signs of life besides a few scattered belongings and the faint scent of cologne that definitely belonged to Kuroo. Now though... a certain somebody is probably here.

Kenma ended up arriving late after getting shown around the school and grabbing something small to eat. It's around 4:30pm right now. The sky outside is slowly getting darker, soft evening light peeking through the dorm windows. Kenma drags his bag slightly behind him as he walks down the hallway, exhausted already. New school. New dorm. New people. It's annoying.

Kenma gets his keys for the dorms and clicks it open.

The door creaks softly as he steps inside. He immediately notices Kuroo's shoes tossed carelessly by the entrance, one flipped on its side like he kicked them off the second he walked in.

But no sight of Kuroo.

Kenma takes his own shoes off carefully and places them neatly beside the wall, maybe he'll see Kuroo a little further inside.

But still nothing.

The dorm is oddly quiet for somebody as loud as Kuroo. No TV sounds. No music. Not even talking.

And then...

He hears noise from inside Kuroo's room.

Not just noise. Shuffling. Whispering. A small laugh.

*A.. Woman..?*

Kenma pauses immediately, eyes narrowing toward the closed door.

*Unreal.. Don't tell me he's with a woman right now. Doesn't he know he has a roommate now?? He can't keep doing this.*

His eye twitches slightly in irritation. He's known Kuroo for less than a day and he's already a headache.

Kenma goes over and knocks on Kuroo's room door.

The reaction is instant.

There is a gasp from the woman and a lot of shuffling, hurried whispering, something falling onto the floor, until the woman quickly opens the door with her jacket in arms and runs out the dorm room without even looking at Kenma properly.

Kenma just stares blankly, confused, standing there awkwardly as the dorm door slams shut behind her.

And then he looks up.

Kenma looks up and down, Kuroo, who is relaxing on his doorframe, shirtless.

His dark hair is messy like someone had been running their fingers through it, and there's a lazy grin sitting on his face despite the annoyance in his eyes. The late sunlight from his bedroom window hits against his skin, outlining his figure enough to make Kenma's stomach weirdly tense.

Kenma gulps a little, blush creeping in before he immediately tries hiding it behind his usual blank expression.

"Unbelievable." Kuroo starts with, half annoyed, scratching the back of his neck before going back inside his room and putting his shirt on. He walks over again while fixing the collar. "First day as my roommate and you've already made me your enemy."

"I didn't even do anything-"

Kenma gets interrupted.

"Yeah? You clearly interrupted my time by knocking." Kuroo says with a scoff, leaning against his door like he's deeply offended.

Kenma sighs tiredly.

"I was mad you brought a woman in 'our' dorm when you aren't alone anymore." Kenma says with annoyance back, crossing his arms.

Kuroo stares at him for a second before a sly smirk slowly appears.

Then suddenly, with zero warning, Kuroo grabs Kenma lightly by the wrist and pulls him closer.

"If you wanted to have sex, you could have just asked me nicely."

That makes Kenma flinch immediately, eyes widening slightly at how casually Kuroo said it.

Kuroo leans closer to Kenma's face, close enough for Kenma to smell his shampoo.

"I'm not into boys but..." Kuroo looks Kenma up and down slowly, teasingly. "I think I could do you."

Kenma stares blankly for a minute.

His brain genuinely stops working for half a second.

Then he quickly regains his composure and shoves Kuroo back by the chest.

"Be fucking real. You aren't even my type." Kenma says with such annoyance, though his face is still slightly pink.

Kuroo just stares at him like he's been personally attacked.

"Type?" Kuroo repeats slowly. "I'm everyone's type. There must be some sort of mistake."

Kenma looks deeply unimpressed.

"Unless, you are just not into boys, you don't have to drag me down like that." Kuroo fires back dramatically, placing a hand over his chest.

Kenma just looks at Kuroo for a second before answering honestly.

"I'm not hiding it since there is no point. We are roommates, you'll find out sooner or later and I don't usually keep it hidden but I'm gay."

Kuroo freezes.

Completely.

*Gay? Him? Well.. I guess I can see it. I'd just be surprised if that face of his tops instead of bottoms.*

For once, Kuroo actually looks caught off guard.

He forces a grin anyway.

"Ahahaha... Really?" Kuroo rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. "Then why aren't I your type? That really offends me, y'know?" Kuroo says with a small nervous chuckle.

"I like nice guys. Gentlemen." Kenma mentions bluntly.

That makes Kuroo genuinely blink in surprise.

Kenma didn't seem like the type to care about romance like that. He expected something shallow. Looks. Popularity. Confidence.

Not... kindness.

"Ah... Right.. I do get it then." Kuroo mentions slowly. "You aren't much after looks."

Kuroo gives a crooked smile, but there's something quieter underneath it now.

"People only call me their type for my looks."

"I can tell." Kenma bluntly says immediately.

Kuroo stares at him for a moment.

And then bursts out laughing.

Loudly.

The kind of laugh that fills the entire dorm.

"Man! You are so straightforward!" Kuroo bends slightly from laughing, wiping at the corner of his eye. "Nobody talks to me like that."

Kenma just ignores him with a huff and heads toward his room, dragging his bag behind him before slamming his door shut.

The sound echoes through the dorm.

Kuroo wipes a tear from laughing and stares at Kenma's closed door for a moment longer than necessary, the grin on his face slowly softening into something more curious.

*Kenma, huh..? He's interesting.*

That says a lot, knowing Kuroo doesn't take the time to remember names unless he has to.

.

.

.

As the next day rolls around, faint morning sunlight slips through the dorm windows, casting pale streaks across the floor. The dorm is unusually quiet, almost peaceful compared to yesterday's chaos.

Kenma slowly leaves his room, still half asleep, hoodie sleeves covering part of his hands as he rubs one eye tiredly.

Kuroo is nowhere to be found.

*I guess he left early.*

Kenma yawns quietly and drags himself toward the kitchen area. His movements are sluggish, like his body physically rejects the concept of mornings. His hair is sticking up in multiple directions from sleep, looking even fluffier than usual.

He pours himself cereal with absolutely zero energy, staring blankly at the bowl as if even lifting the cereal box is too much effort.

The milk nearly spills over the edge because he zones out halfway through pouring.

Kenma sits on one of the table stools and just eats with laziness, slowly scooping cereal into his mouth while staring off into space. His eyes are barely even open.

He's not a morning person if you could tell.

The entire dorm feels quiet except for the occasional clink of the spoon against the bowl and the ticking clock on the wall.

Kenma glances at the clock eventually.

Not quickly.

Slowly.

Like he's processing the information against his will.

He lets out another tired sigh before finally finishing up and getting up to get ready for class.

Everything he does feels unhurried.

As he showered, brushed his teeth, changed, didn't even fix his hair because he doesn't care, he heads to class.

Honestly, he barely even looked in the mirror.

If his hair looked bad, then whatever.

The hallways are much louder now compared to the dorm. Students are talking loudly before class starts, groups gathering around desks while others rush around half-awake.

Kenma quietly enters his classroom, hoping to just sit down unnoticed.

But the second he walks in,

Hinata quickly glances up from his conversation with Atsumu.

His eyes immediately widen.

"Ah! Kenma!"

Hinata rushes over instantly, practically bouncing across the classroom with concern written all over his face.

"Your bed hair!"

Before Kenma can even react, Hinata is already trying to fix it with his hands, carefully patting down random strands sticking out everywhere.

"I can't have you getting teased about this when you just started!"

Hinata sounds incredibly serious about it too, like this is an actual emergency.

It feels like Hinata is lecturing but all Kenma hears is a cute bird chirping.

Kenma just blinks sleepily at him, letting him fix his hair without complaint.

Behind them, Atsumu snickers quietly into his hand.

"Yer basically his mom," Atsumu mutters.

Hinata immediately whips around.

"I am not!"

Before the argument can continue though,

Kuroo heads inside from behind them with Kageyama.

Kuroo yawns loudly, looking completely unbothered as usual. His bag hangs lazily off one shoulder while Kageyama walks beside him silently.

The second Kuroo notices Kenma standing there, he doesn't even hesitate.

"You're in the way."

Kuroo casually pushes Kenma aside by the shoulder as he walks past.

"Ack-!" Hinata blurts out in shock, stumbling slightly too.

But despite his reaction, he doesn't dare say anything directly to Kuroo.

Most people don't.

The classroom instantly quiets down a little.

Kenma stumbles a step before catching himself, immediately glaring at Kuroo's back.

"An excuse me would have sufficed."

The classroom freezes.

Everyone gasps, looking between the two immediately.

Especially Hinata, who gasped the loudest out of everyone.

Kageyama even pauses mid-step, glancing back in slight surprise.

Kenma actually spoke back.

To Kuroo.

"Oh\~?"

Kuroo slowly turns around.

He's smiling.

But somehow that makes it worse.

"Who said you could talk back to me?" Kuroo says with a smile and eyes closed, voice almost playful.

And that just makes everyone even more scared.

The air feels weirdly tense now.

Even Atsumu stops talking.

Kenma crosses his arms slightly, annoyance written all over his face despite how calm he looks.

"What? First time hearing someone actually speak up to you?"

The second those words leave Kenma's mouth,

Kuroo immediately stops smiling.

His eyes open slowly, staring directly at Kenma now.

The entire class goes dead silent.

Everyone seems surprised by Kenma's backbone when he looks like someone who wouldn't even speak up at all.

Even Hinata looks like he's witnessing something historical.

"Aha..." Kuroo lets out softly.

There's this strange look in his eyes now. Half amused. Half challenged.

"You really are something, pudding head."

Kenma immediately irks at that nickname again.

*Do I really look that much like a pudding

head??*

Kuroo steps a little closer, enough to make the tension worse for literally everyone watching.

"You're dead in gym class."

His grin returns slightly after saying it, but now it feels more dangerous than teasing.

And that's the last thing Kuroo says before the bell rings loudly for class.

Everyone immediately scrambles back to their seats like they were just released from a hostage situation.

Kenma just stares blankly for a second before sitting down slowly.

*What's that even mean?*

End of episode 2.

As the day drags on, Kenma's mind keeps circling back to the same sentence.

"You're dead in gym class."

The words replay in his head over and over, annoyingly clear in Kuroo's smug voice.

Kenma lightly adjusts the strap of his bag on his shoulder, weaving through the crowded hallway as students shove past each other, laughter echoing against the walls. Lockers slam shut every few seconds, conversations overlapping into one loud blur.

Yet somehow, out of all the noise around him, his brain chooses to focus on Kuroo.

*I mean... Kuroo was acting all friendly yesterday in the dorms...*

Kenma's brows knit together slightly.

One minute Kuroo was leaning against his room door with that lazy grin while talking about disgusting things. The next, he's threatening him about gym class.

*Or maybe he just has multiple personalities.*

Kenma immediately regrets the thought.

*Okay, maybe not that dramatic.*

Still...

The guy was weird.

.

.

.

Later on... last period finally arrives.

Gym class.

And worst of all?

It's a joint class with another class meaning...

Kuroo's whole gang is here.

Tsukishima is leaning against the wall near the bleachers with his usual bored expression, arms crossed like he'd rather be literally anywhere else. Iwaizumi is stretching nearby while Kageyama bounces a dodgeball against the floor with terrifying focus.

And then there's Kuroo himself.

Standing in the middle of them all like the leader of some athletic cult.

Kenma instantly regrets coming to school today.

And no wonder Kuroo said Kenma was dead...

Because guess what they're playing?

Dodge-fucking-ball.

The loud squeaking of shoes against the polished gym floor echoes everywhere as students split into teams. The smell of rubber and sweat already hangs in the air even though class barely started.

Kenma sighs loudly, shoulders slumping.

Of course this would happen.

Of course.

Meanwhile, Hinata already looks horrified for him.

Actually horrified.

His eyes dart nervously between Kenma and Kuroo's side of the court like he's watching someone moments away from execution.

Because somehow - somehow - Kuroo's entire gang ended up on one side while Hinata and Kenma are on the other.

Across the gym, Kuroo notices them immediately.

And smirks.

That stupid, knowing smirk.

He lazily spins a dodgeball in one hand before leaning closer to Tsukishima and Iwaizumi, whispering something to them. Kageyama glances over toward Kenma afterward.

That just makes Kenma even more nervous.

He's usually not the type to get worked up over things like this. Most of the time he's calm, detached, unbothered.

But if he still doesn't know what Kuroo meant by "You're dead in gym class," then obviously he has reasons to be nervous.

Because Kuroo looks way too excited right now.

Like he's been waiting for this all day.

Kenma narrows his eyes slightly.

What is wrong with this guy...?

The coach blows the whistle sharply.

The sound cuts through the entire gym.

"BEGIN!"

And immediately, chaos erupts.

Rubber balls fly across the court at terrifying speeds, students scream, and shoes screech against the floor.

A ball slams against the wall behind them with a loud BANG.

Kenma slowly turns his head toward Kuroo's side of the court.

Kuroo catches another ball effortlessly.

Then points directly at him.

Oh.

So this is personal.

Kuroo suddenly launches the ball straight toward Kenma with way more force than necessary.

The rubber ball practically whistles through the air.

Kenma instinctively stumbles backward, panic flashing across his face for half a second. Since he isn't athletic at all, his movements are awkward and rushed, and in the process of trying to dodge, his shoe nearly slips on a streak of sweat across the gym floor.

His balance tips dangerously.

For one horrifying second, Kenma thinks he's about to both get hit and eat the floor in front of the entire class.

But somehow,

The ball flies right past him.

Barely missing his shoulder.

Kenma catches himself before fully falling and immediately sighs in relief almost too quickly, one hand pressed against his chest.

The ball smacks loudly against the wall behind him.

Kenma slowly lifts his head and glances toward Kuroo from across the court.

Kuroo clicks his tongue.

Then he mouths toward Kenma with narrowed eyes and an annoyingly smug expression.

"That was just luck."

Kenma deadpans instantly.

Yeah no kidding.

Before Kenma can even mentally recover, another ball suddenly flies across the court.

Iwaizumi swings it directly toward Hinata.

"ACKKKK-!!"

Hinata lets out the loudest scream imaginable while twisting his body into the weirdest side position ever to dodge it. Somehow his limbs bend in ways that honestly shouldn't be physically possible.

The ball zooms past him by inches.

"WHY AM I GETTING ATTACKED?!" Hinata yells dramatically, pointing accusingly across the gym. "I DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING!!"

Meanwhile, Iwaizumi doesn't even look guilty.

He calmly grabs another ball from the floor before answering in the most casual voice possible.

"Why?"

He shrugs.

"Because you're the easiest target."

Hinata freezes.

His expression slowly fills with utter betrayal.

Complete heartbreak.

*How could he???*

Hinata clutches his chest like he's been emotionally wounded.

"THAT'S SO MEAN-!"

Fueled entirely by spite now, Hinata quickly snatches up a dodgeball from the floor.

"I'LL SHOW YOU!"

He winds his arm back dramatically before hurling the ball toward Iwaizumi with all his strength.

And honestly?

It looks insanely impressive.

The ball flies high into the air, cutting across the gym while everyone instinctively looks upward to follow it. Even the screaming and chaos around the court dies down slightly for a moment.

People stare.

Some students blink in shock.

Wait... Hinata can throw that hard?

Even Iwaizumi pauses, eyes tracking the ball carefully because he genuinely can't tell where it's going to land.

Tsukishima squints upward.

Kuroo raises an eyebrow.

Kageyama looks impressed somehow.

The ball keeps soaring dramatically through the air like the climax of a sports anime.

And then...

It slowly loses momentum.

Everyone watches in silence as the ball gently plops down onto the floor.

Nowhere near Iwaizumi.

Not even close.

It doesn't even make it halfway across the court.

Silence.

A long, painful silence.

Hinata remains frozen in his throwing position, staring ahead with a blank expression.

The gym collectively processes what just happened.

Then immediately everyone goes right back to screaming and throwing balls at each other like nothing happened.

Chaos resumes instantly.

Meanwhile, Iwaizumi just stares at Hinata for a long silent moment.

Hinata still hasn't moved.

"...."

"...."

Finally, with almost concerning calmness, Iwaizumi lightly tosses a ball toward Hinata.

Bonk.

It hits him directly.

Hinata is out.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Hinata cries in betrayal while the whistle blows for him.

Iwaizumi doesn't even react.

He already turns away and jogs back into the chaos of the game, immediately aiming for another victim while Hinata slowly walks off the court looking spiritually defeated.

Kenma just stares blankly as Hinata drags himself toward the bench in complete defeat, shoulders slumped like his entire spirit left his body.

He watches Hinata flop down onto the bench with a devastated expression before slowly looking back toward the court.

*...I guess I'm on my own now.*

Which is honestly terrifying considering half the people here seem weirdly determined to target him specifically.

The gym is still complete chaos around him.

Balls are flying everywhere, students are yelling, shoes screech loudly across the floor.

"KENMA! WATCH OUT-!"

Kenma's eyes widen.

He quickly turns his head,

And suddenly everything feels weirdly slow.

A dodgeball is hurtling directly toward him.

From Kuroo.

Of course it's from Kuroo.

The ball spins violently through the air, moving way too fast for Kenma to react properly. He barely even has time to process it before another figure suddenly moves into view.

Atsumu.

Kenma watches in stunned confusion as Atsumu practically launches himself in front of him like some dramatic action movie scene.

"Atsu-"

THWACK.

The ball slams directly into Atsumu instead.

The impact is so loud several people nearby visibly flinch.

Atsumu's body jerks backward before he collapses onto the gym floor dramatically, sprawled out like he's just been taken out in battle.

Dead silence hits Kenma for half a second.

Even Kuroo pauses.

Then Kuroo clicks his tongue again from across the court.

"Ah- hey!"

Kenma immediately crouches down beside Atsumu, concern flashing across his usually calm face.

"Atsumu?"

Atsumu doesn't move.

"...."

Kenma awkwardly grabs the side of Atsumu's head a little, trying to see if he's alive.

"Why did you help me?" Kenma asks in genuine confusion. "We barely know each other."

Atsumu slowly opens one eye.

He honestly looks half dead.

His hair is a mess, one arm stretched dramatically across the floor like he's in the final moments of a tragic movie scene.

"Why...?" Atsumu mutters weakly.

He lifts a shaky hand slightly toward Kenma.

"Because yer Hinata's friend..."

He gives a half-hearted smile despite looking like his soul is actively leaving his body.

"That means yer my friend..."

Then Atsumu lets his arm drop.

His head tilts sideways dramatically.

Gone.

Absolutely gone.

Kenma stares at him.

"...Hey."

No response.

"Hey..."

Still nothing.

Kenma narrows his eyes slightly.

"You actually dead?"

Right as he says that, the whistle blows loudly.

"OUT!"

Atsumu instantly sits back up like nothing happened.

"Man, that hurt."

Kenma deadpans immediately.

Atsumu casually stands back up and dusts himself off before walking toward the bench area completely fine now, while Kenma slowly rises back to his feet.

Kenma slowly exhales as he stands there again, still trying to mentally recover from Atsumu acting like he sacrificed his life for him.

The gym is loud as ever around him.

Kuroo is still glaring at him like this is personal warfare.

And honestly?

Kenma's tired.

Then suddenly,

Bonk.

A random dodgeball lightly hits Kenma on the shoulder.

Not even hard.

Barely enough force to hurt.

Kenma blinks once.

"...Huh?"

The whistle immediately blows loudly through the gym.

"OUT!"

Kenma slowly turns his head in confusion.

Across the court, Kuroo looks equally shocked for a second before quickly whipping his head beside him.

Tsukishima is standing there.

Atsumu's entire dramatic sacrifice was for absolutely nothing.

"Hey!" Kuroo snaps immediately, sounding genuinely offended. "The plan was for me to hit him!"

Tsukishima looks completely unbothered.

"Yeah," he says with a lazy yawn, "but you were taking too long."

Then he casually walks off to grab another ball like he didn't just ruin whatever weird villain scheme Kuroo had planned.

Kuroo looks personally attacked.

"You can't just steal someone's target!"

"You were monologuing with your eyes."

"I was NOT."

"You literally pointed at him."

"That was intimidation."

Kenma just stares at them blankly from where he's standing.

The fact they're arguing over who gets to eliminate him is somehow making this worse.

"...."

The whistle blows a second time for him to leave the court.

Kenma just stands there for another second, staring blankly in complete confusion before silently walking toward the bench like his brain stopped processing things five minutes ago.

End of episode 3.