(A/N: Sorry this took so long to get out; I really didn't/don't like this chapter, so I spent forever editing it until it sounds marginally better to me now. I'll be posting a bunch of chapters at once to make up for their collective horribleness.)

This somehow turned into a Q&A session. I swear I didn't mean for that to happen. Murasakibara calls Hinata "Shou-chin" because Hinata is nice to him 'cause Murasakibara is sorta like a spoiled little brother (and also because I thought "Hi-chin" sounded too weird).)

"Another lap around the gym as a cool-down, then that's it for the day," Daichi announces before joining his team in running. Just ahead of him, Hinata and Kageyama get into another one of their arguments, apparently deciding on a race to settle their differences. Used to this, Daichi just sighs. This is supposed to help calm you down, not get you fired up…

Just as he rounds the last corner of the gym, joined not long ago by Suga, he spots a mass of purple just outside the door, slowing down in order to identify it. "That's, uh, hair, right?" Despite the risk of looking rude, Daichi points it out to Suga, grabbing the grey-haired teen to get his attention.

Suga nods. Daichi isn't sure whether he's even more confused than before or relieved it isn't something even stranger. "And it's attached to the head of a rather large man."

At this point, said large man decides to speak up, having stuck his head in and looked around lethargically. "Ah, Shou-chin." Surprisingly, Hinata actually disengages from arguing/racing Kageyama to greet their visitor.

"Murasakibara," he says slowly (warily, Daichi hesitantly adds mentally, because that expression is so utterly foreign on his teammate's face), walking up to the giant. Daichi starts at the name, because isn't that one of the Generation of Miracles? He might be a volleyball player, but he would be surprised if there was anyone their age who was into sports but didn't know about the ones who managed to take the country in a whirlwind of astounding victories. "Why don't you come in?"

Although it's not obvious, Daichi can read the reluctance seeping into the limbs of his smallest teammate and instantly feels on guard. After all, there's not much out there that can dampen Hinata's enthusiasm. His attention is captured by Murasakibara, however, as he begins to step inside the gym. Whoa.

"Oh, wow, he's taller than Ushijima," he hears Suga murmur from his side. Daichi would reply, but he's a little too busy staring at someone who must be a least a foot taller than he is. After Murasakibara manages to get his huge frame through the doorway, Daichi realizes he's been accompanied by a much more normal sized teen whose black hair covers his left eye.

This other teen bows for the both of them. "Sorry for the intrusion," he apologizes. "This is Murasakibara Atsushi," he says, gesturing to his companion, "and I'm Himuro Tatsuya."

Crossing to the other side of the gym, Daichi sticks his hand out for a handshake. "Sawamura Daichi, captain of the Karasuno volleyball team. What brings you here?"

The black-haired teen shakes the proffered hand with a strained smile. "Atsushi insisted on coming to a snack sale here and decided to drop by here when we began heading back." Sure enough, the plastic bag dangling from Murasakibara's hand is stuffed full of what seems to be every kind of snack imaginable.

"That's… a bit far for some snacks, isn't it?"

"Nowhere is too far for Murasakibara when it comes to sweets!" Hinata pipes up, having finished greeting his friend. He's glad that Hinata seems back to normal, if not a little stiff.

"Eh, who is this?" Daichi resists the urge to pinch his nose as Tanaka and Nishinoya return to the gym, evidently having finished changing. He reflexively says, "Don't make that face, Tanaka," even though he hasn't seen his friend's expression yet.

"This is Murasakibara. I knew him from Teiko," Hinata announces innocently and now Daichi knows that they're going to be there forever because the team members will never be done questioning Hinata about his middle school choices (nevermind this bizarre friendship).

"This idiot went to Teiko?" Even Tsukishima has something to say, apparently.

"Oi, dumbass, if you went to Teiko, how come I didn't see you at any of their matches?" Kageyama brings up a good point, and even Daichi's a little curious now. It's true that he did know that Hinata went to Teiko for middle school, since it was on his club application, but he's never considered why he's never seen Hinata mentioned in any volleyball articles on Teiko, especially considering the school's fame.

"Oh, that's because I played basketball during middle school." Murasakibara has started to get distracted by his multitude of snacks, but an elbow to the stomach by Hinata has him nodding his head for corroboration. Wait, does that mean he just started playing volleyball this year?

"Why are you with the volleyball right now then, Hinata-san?" Himuro asked, confused.

"Oh, I played volleyball during elementary school," Hinata replies brightly. "I also practiced over the summer." That's a relief, at least.

"That's nice, Hinata-san, though that wasn't really what I meant," says Himuro in the patient way that spoke of experience. "Whatever made you stop playing basketball?"

The gym is so quiet, Daichi's almost sure that he could hear a pin drop on the other side of the court.

"Oh." He doesn't miss how Kageyama shifts ever so slightly closer with the utterance of that single despondent syllable. "You're… not from Japan are you, Himuro-san." It's not a question, but Himuro responds as if it were.

"No, I moved from America this year," the black-haired teen confirms with a clearly confused tone, his brow furrowed.

Hinata nods, almost to himself. "If you continue with Yosen, I'm sure you'll find out later," he continues cryptically. A smile creeps onto his face and Daichi resists the urge to stare (or shiver) at the unfamiliar edge to Hinata's expression. "After all, I'm sure Tetsu will soon teach you all a lesson." This bit is directed at Murasakibara.

His head hurts from following this exchange and the two newcomers haven't even been there for fifteen minutes yet.

"And I'll crush him," Murasakibara states matter-of-factly, voice slightly muffled by his mouthful of food. Judging by the almost… fond huff and absentminded pat that Hinata gives Murasakibara, this isn't a particularly abnormal exchange, and suddenly Daichi's filled with pity for whoever the captain of the Generation of Miracles was.

(In a school somewhere, Nijimura sneezes.)

Eyeing this exchange, Himuro asks, "Were you a part of the Generation of Miracles, then? You seem to know Murasakibara especially well." He's tempted to cut off this impromptu Q and A session, but Hinata interrupts him by once again elbowing Murasakibara in the side and asking him instead.

"Was I part of the Generation of Miracles?"

Barely stirred from his apparently very engrossing box of pocky, Murasakibara pats Hinata on the head (which is alarmingly similar to watching a flyswatter head for an oblivious bug). "You were part of the Generation of Miracles as much as Kuro-chin was." (Shou-chin sends him a glare for his efforts, but Murasakibara knows that it's because he doesn't like being reminded of his height, not because he thinks he's being condescending, like Kuro-chin does.)

When Himuro looks at Hinata again, Daichi can almost see the newfound respect that sparks in his dark eyes, and he wishes that it didn't come on the heels of a rather emotionally taxing experience. "I would love to have a match with you at some point," he says with a smile. "And I'm sure Atsushi would like to have one with you as well."

Hinata grins weakly. Daichi zeroes in on the expression because it's so out of character for the exuberant orange-haired boy and regrets that he's let these out-of-character moments happen so many times today. "Maybe some day in the future," he offers on behalf of his teammate, grinning to dispel some of the tension that has gathered. "Wouldn't want one of my players tired from a basketball game before a volleyball tournament." He makes sure the smile doesn't falter.

"Come on, Atsushi. We have to go if we want to make it back to Akita before it gets dark." He nods at Daichi before walking back out the door, grabbing one of Murasakibara's huge hands and pulling him out the door as well when the purple-haired giant doesn't move.

"See you later, Shou-chin," the teen says around a mouthful of chips, possibly also spraying his surroundings with crumbs (thankfully, it's not inside the gym).

"Bye, Murasakibara!" Hinata gives a half-hearted wave and goes right back to jogging as if nothing has happened. Kageyama joins him after giving the orange-haired boy a long, suspicious stare.

As he walks towards the lockers, Daichi contemplates and compartmentalizes all this new information. Given how the two interacted while there, as well as how Himuro treated Murasakibara's need to eat another prefecture's snacks, he can only imagine the suffering of a captain who has to deal with a Miracle that actually plays basketball.

Good luck, he thinks as he walks with Suga into the changing room, sending his prayers. You'll need it.