The windows in the library are large, the sill wide enough for someone to sit on (though people probably weren't supposed to), and for the past few days Hinata had found himself sitting here every afternoon. The view from the library window is of the baseball field and while Hinata wasn't very interested in baseball, it was better than sitting with Kageyama while he tried to study.

Currently, Kageyama was sitting with Yamaguchi at the table closest to the window Hinata was perched at

Yamaguchi is humble or maybe he lacks in confidence but he is smart, not as smart as Tsukishima but leaps and bounds ahead of Kageyama. Last week Hinata had suggested Kageyama try to get closer to the other first years – Kageyama refused to interact with Tsukishima – not that Hinata could blame him – and had not really been thrilled with hanging with someone who put Tsukishima of all people on a pedestal like Yamaguchi seemed to.

Hinata was sprawled out on Kageyama's bed, alternating between rolling on to his side with a moan and flopping onto his back with a whine.

"I'm so bored," was the latest whine Hinata let out as he rolled onto his stomach once more. Kageyama was sitting at his desk, aggressively erasing the entirety of his paper. Kageyama wasn't normally good at ignoring Hinata but today's homework must be extra hard.

"You'll tear a hole through your paper," Hinata sing-songed, hands propped under his chin and legs swishing back and forth behind him as he stared at Kageyama's back that stiffened ever so slightly before he resumed his vigorous erasing. It only took three more aggressive swipes of the eraser before there was the telltale sound of paper ripping and Kageyama was whipping around in his swivel chair to glare at Hinata. Hinata was positive that had Kageyama's parents not been home he would have yelled at him – not that Hinata minded because arguing with Kageyama could be fun.

"Kageyama!" Hinata was quick at getting a word in before Kageyama could, "Let's go play volleyball!" Kageyama never turned down volleyball.

"Not today." Or at least Hinata thought he'd never turn it down.

To say Hinata was astonished would be an understatement, here Kageyama was, the only other person Hinata knew that loved volleyball as much as himself (to be fair it's not like Hinata knew anyone anymore) was saying no to volleyball and yes to – of all things – studying. The world might as well be ending if it's come to this.

Hinata only allowed himself a second of confusion before jumping straight into questioning, "But why?" he whined despite himself – and could you really blame him?

Kageyama just sighed, a heavy puff of air that seemed to add a backtrack to the way Kageyama's shoulders were slowly slumping in defeat – like a balloon deflating. Kageyama stopped erasing.

"It's not like I want to study dumbass," Kageyama snapped, and wow was that dumbass completely unnecessary in Hinata's opinion, "It's just that… if I fail this test I'll seriously be in trouble."

The confession was said under his breath, the quietness of his voice jarring to Hinata's ears when he was used to Kageyama just yelling at him all the time. It wasn't often that Kageyama displayed any sort of weakness. Sure he had his fair share of flaws that he couldn't hide but those were usually coated in a thick layer of anger to mask any sort of insecurity he might have.

Hinata frowned, not liking this new put out Kageyama that turned down volleyball and looked at math like it had just stabbed and deflated his favorite volleyball or something.

"Well," Hinata offered tentatively after a beat of silence, "Why don't you just ask someone for help?" to Hinata that seemed like the obvious solution but Kageyama's red face said otherwise.

"I can't." was the clipped response.

"And why not?" was Hinata's rebuttal.

"Because!" for the briefest of moment's angry Kageyama was back before he was taking another deep breath, clenching and unclenching his hands at his desk as he did so, "… Because I'll look like an idiot and it's not like I have anyone to ask, I can't ask Sugawara-san or Daichi-san because they're upper classmen and they have their own studies to deal with and I don't have any friends in class and I definitely can't ask the teacher so I have to just study! On my own!"

It was honest to God probably the longest Hinata had ever heard Kageyama speak and when he was done with his semi-rant he gasped for breath as if he were winded and unclenched his hands, color bleeding into his knuckles from where they had gone white from him clenching them.

Hinata bit his lip, debating on what to say before tentatively offering advice, "You know… you don't have to do everything by yourself and asking for help isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"That's easy for you to say," Kageyama grumbled, if there was any deeper meaning to that Hinata didn't know and honestly he didn't really care to.

"It's true though and you know what this is actually the perfect opportunity."

"The perfect opportunity for what?"

"To make friends! Why don't you ask Yamaguchi and Tsukishima? Err… well maybe not Tsukishima but I bet Yamaguchi would help you if you'd just ask. People have study groups all the time it's not big thing!"

In the face of failure, as much as Kageyama wanted to argue he couldn't really afford to which is why Hinata found himself spending so much time in the library the past week. Kageyama had been such a mess the first time him and Yamaguchi met to study but Hinata was glad to see Kageyama had warmed up to Yamaguchi who in turn seemed to return the sentiment. So yeah, it was a job well done on Hinata's side – he'd gotten Kageyama to hang out with a teammate and improve his math score but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't dying or boredom. It's not like he could bother Kageyama while he was studying and so he'd been forced to keep himself occupied on his own.

Hinata was sure by now that in his past life he must have been a people person because going so long without bothering Kageyama and getting some attention from his was the absolute worse. How Kageyama made it so long without friends was beside him.

However it is on one of these many days as he waits for Kageyama to finish up in the library that it occurs to him they are officially one stop closer to completing his mission. Surely Yamaguchi would want Kageyama and Tsukishima to get along and once the first years were getting along then the rest of it would fall naturally. Making friends was like riding a bike, it was hard at first but once you got the hang of it you'd find yourself speeding along just fine – the training wheels off before you'd even know it.

The night before Kageyama's big test Hinata found himself lying on Kageyama's bed, holding the notecards Yamaguchi had made above his face – rattling off names of equations he'd never even heard off and loudly congratulating Kageyama every time he got one right. The thing was Kageyama could do the problems just fine and as long as he didn't mess up the formula or forget something Hinata and Yamaguchi were sure he'd do great.

Hinata was sure he didn't like math but he didn't mind doing this – it was cute the way Kageyama smiled every time he got one right – it was funny, when Kageyama wasn't trying he could smile just fine. Now if there was just some way to teach Kageyama that he would be set. The practice smiles they had been doing in the mirror needed some serious work.

When Kageyama was sure he had everything they got ready for bed right away – Kageyama not wanting to do anything else lest he forget everything they'd practiced for the past two hours. Hinata was sure Kageyama wouldn't forget but he wasn't going to push.

As they lie in bed, Hinata on his back and Kageyama on his side facing away from Hinata, he wondered about what it was like… what it had been like. Had Hinata stressed himself out before tests like Kageyama did or was he confident and at ease? It was crazy how well Hinata knew himself at one moment and at others felt like was a stranger to himself.

When Kageyama's breathing steadied out and Hinata was sure he wouldn't wake him he sat up in bed, making his way to the window. For as bored as he was staring out the library windows the past week, he enjoyed looking out at the moon at night.

At night the tree's leaves were an inky black blending into the night in a way that it was almost hard to tell where the sky ended and the world began. Hinata felt like that. Everything was a blur and everything was so dark. He'd been so focused at first, on finding Kageyama friends and completing his mission to what… become an angel? To move on to the afterlife? Hinata wasn't sure. He felt it so deeply, the pull to help, and while knowing nothing he found he had this knowledge, this memory that helping Kageyama was what he needed to do to set things right. And he wanted that. To set things right. Helping others to help himself.

But then there were these moments, when the sky was clear and the moon shone through the leaves, washing everything in an almost ethereal hue, little sparkles of clarity that danced through the windblown leaves that shook Hinata to the very core.

What was it he was leaving behind?

What was it on the other side of the trees, what lay in that glistening light that bled through the inky darkness of the night and left Hinata feeling so forlorn and yet awestruck at the beauty of it all?

Here he was, stuck in a world where he had only one companion, not even himself at his side, and his goal was to leave all this.

He yearned for what the future would bring, what it would be like once he passed on, and yet he ached for what lie just beyond the distance, what the past held and what it would tightly hold onto – a secret, a life that was no longer his.

Thinking about it made him sad and so when the clouds rolled in and the darkness seeped into the moonlight Hinata figured it was best to keep looking forward. No matter how brightly the moon shone through the trees, no matter how breathtaking and captivating life on the other side was, in the end there was nothing more familiar than what he had right here in this moment.

Darkness, but familiarity, and a deep seated pull, like a cord being plucked from his bellybutton that told him moving forward and moving on was what was right.

All he had was now, and the promise of what fulfilling Kageyama';s wish would bring.

Hinata couldn't stop shaking as he stood by Kageyama's side, waiting for the tests to be handed back. He'd been so sure Kageyama had done great yesterday but today the teacher talked about how people hadn't done as well on this test as they had the last one. In short it was hard – harder than everyone had anticipated. He was probably more nervous than Kageyama and that was saying something since Kageyama looked like he might implode from how long he'd been holding his breath.

In fact, Hinata was just starting to worry for Kageyama's health when the teacher called his name and Hinata's nerves tittered away with a laugh as Kageyama shot up from his desk so fast his chair fell backwards – if Kageyama's face had been red before it was nothing compared to how red he was from the embarrassment. He muttered a quick apology before picking his chair up and all but racing to the front to get his test – Hinata quickly trailing behind him – anxious to see Kageyama's score.

"Congratulations Kageyama," the teacher said, a smile on her face as she handed him his test to Kageyama who took it with shaking hands, a bright red double digit number smiling him in the face as he took it from her.

It wasn't an A but considering how badly everyone seemed to do this time around, it was equivalent to passing with flying colors for Kageyama.

"Kageyama!" Hinata practically screeched, "You did it!" and if Kageyama stumbled on his way back to his desk Hinata would blame it on Kageyama's balance and not the fact that Hinata had all but thrown himself at it.

After school Kageyama approached Yamaguchi with his test who genuinely congratulated him on a job well done – the interaction drawing their fellow teammates who excluding Tsukishima had heatedly congratulated him as well.

"This calls for a celebration!" Tanaka yelled, already reaching for his shirt to rip it off before Daichi was quickly cutting in, "We can celebrate later – but first practice."

Nishinoya was the only one that boo'ed before they all scattered – Kageyama going to put his test back in his bag and Yamaguchi over to Tsukishima's side – Hinata trailing after.

"Man Yamaguchi I can't thank you enough – for being a great tutor and a friend to Kageyama," Hinata said, not at all minding that Yamaguchi couldn't hear him, "You guys should do study groups more often."

"Thanks again Tsuki" Yamaguchi said as he reached Tsukishima's side, Hinata watching curiously.

"For what?" Tsukishima grumbled to which Yamaguchi simply nudged him in the side.

"For making that study guide for Kageyama – honestly I don't think I'd have been enough help. He seems really happy so thanks again."

Hinata gasped, hands over his mouth as he watched the slightest dusting of pink grace Tsukishima's cheeks, "Whatever. Just don't tell anyone I made it."

"Okay Tsuki."

"Kageyama!" Hinata screeched, already racing towards Kageyama who had jumped at his voice, "You'll never guess what I found out! Tsukishima's a tsundere!"