Chapter 18 - Chapter 19: The Lobby

Unlike most teams attending nationals, Nekoma didn't have too far to travel there. The metropolitan gym was in Tokyo after all. However they still had to travel to a different part of the city and were staying at an inn for the duration of the tournament. Since they didn't need much time for travel, the team wasn't meeting up until after lunch, meaning Hinata had a whole morning to sit around and do nothing, as their coach had told them not to practise in order to save their energy and stamina for the tournament. When he had first learnt of this he complained to the college students at his extra classes, until they lectured him about how keeping his body healthy and well rested would be the key to success. Suffice to say Hinata was determined to not practise today.

Unfortunately his urge to play caught up to him quickly, Hinata decided to ask his mother for a favour, "Mum!" Hinata shouted out, "Can you drive me to Kenma's?"

"Shouyou honey, can't you bike there?" Hinata's mother replied.

"Because I'm not exercising today. Nuh-uh, not a bit. I need to save my energy for nationals!"

"Fine, Kenma's live near to the train station, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, we'll walk there,"

"Okay sweetie, make sure you've got your bag packed," After grabbing everything he needed and being dropped off, Hinata rung Kozume's doorbell, Kuroo was the one to answer it.



"Chibi-chan, nice to see you. Ready for today?" Kuroo greeted him.

"Yeah! Yeah! But I'm being extra sure not to exercise today so I save my energy!" Hinata replied energetically.

"If you keep all your energy from today, you'll be hell tomorrow, two sets of your energy - not dealing with it,"

"Kuroo-senpai!"

"Juuuuuuust messing with you," Kuroo made sure to spend a long time saying the "just".

"I wonder if we'll get to play Bokuto-senpai or Sakusa-senpai at nationals? Obviously we're going to play Karasuno! I wonder what the courts there will be like. Do you think they'll have fancy flashing lights? Ooh! Or maybe big bright floodlights, illuminating the court dramatically making the numbers on our jerseys sparkle and beam!"

"It'll be a gym, with a court, and with lots of people watching,"

"Is Kenma here?"

"Yep, playing video games as usual," the two went to join Kozume.



It was mid afternoon and all the teams playing in nationals, boys and girls, were waiting in the lobby, "I wonder if that Kageyama idiot is here?" Hinata said to Kozume as the two walked into the lobby of nationals, "He never texted me,"

"The crows better have made it," Kuroo declared, "We didn't work our asses of to get here for nothing,"

"I'll go call him, see if Karasuno are here," Hinata said he got his phone out, "Hello, is the biggest idiot in the world Kageyama there?"

"Are you talking about yourself?" Kageyama replied.

"Nope! So where are you guys! We can't see you anywhere!"

"The thing is Hinata," Kageyama began, "We were beaten by Shiratorizawa in the finals,"

"Eh?" Hinata said.

"We're not at nationals," Kageyama explained.

"You're not at what now! Don't try and trick me! Where's Karasuno hiding!" Hinata demanded answers.

"In Miyagi, because we didn't make it," Kageyama answered.

"For real?" Hinata asked.

"Yes, for real," Kageyama said.

"NOOOO!" Hinata screamed.

"What's wrong Shouyou?" Kozume asked.

"Kenma! Kuroo! Karasuno lost to Shiratorizawa," Hinata announced, all of Nekoma were disheartened, "Now I'm gonna try and find players!"

"That can't mean anything good," Haiba commented.



"BOKUTO-SENPAI!" Hinata shouted as he ran over to Fukurodani, "AKAASHI!"

"Hey hey hey! How's my favourite pupil doing?" Bokuto asked.

"Great! I've been training WITH the college class! I'm gonna be a top five ace after this tournament - and you're gonna be a top three ace alongside Sakusa-senpai!" Hinata beamed.

"It's good to hear that you've been getting lots of extra practise Hinata," Akaashi said, "But you haven't been straining yourself, right?"

"Of course not Akaashi! I'm in tip top shape!" Hinata smiled, "Ready to win nationals!"

"Hey! I'll have you know that Fukurodani are going to win!" Bokuto pouted.

"Who're those guys?" Hinata pointed to a team in white and maroon tops.

"Shiratorizawa," Akaashi answered, "A top eight powerhouse, they have a top three ace Ushijima Wakatoshi,"

"Shiratorizawa. So they're the reason that we don't get the Battle at the Trash Heap!" Hinata shouted, "I'm gonna go and confront them,"

"Hinata!" Bokuto and Akaashi called out, but it was too late.



"What's a pipsqueak doing here?" a red haired player asked a tall brown haired player.

"I don't know Tendou, but he seems to want something," the player replied.

"How?" Hinata began to say, his nerves already getting over him.

"How what?" the redhead asked.

"H-how did you guys beat Karasuno? They're the best team out there, even better than Nekoma, and we're the best... Wait, that doesn't make sense," Hinata asked.

"Karasuno are like trying to grow a plant in concrete, they have a good setter, but he is arrogant," the tall player explained.

"Kageyama isn't arrogant!" Hinata shouted in protest, "He's just stupid! Plus Nishinoya's incredible; Tsukki is too tall for his own good; Azumane is definitely a top three ace; Sawamura can receive like fwauh; Tanaka is so cool; and Enoshita is also cool. Karasuno should be here! So how did you beat them?"

"They weren't good enough," the tall player answered.

"Not good enough? Not good enough. Not good enough! That's stupid, Karasuno were good enough! I've seen them play!" Hinata argued, "They weren't just good enough, no, they went above and beyond that,"

"Hinata!" Kuroo shouted, "Quit arguing with other teams!"

"But Kuroo-senpai, these guys beat Karasuno and have the nerve to say that they were a bad team!"

"Oh really now?" Kuroo smirked, "Well what do they know? My best guess is that Karasuno had a bad day,"

"You two, quit messing around with other teams," Kai said as he dragged the two away from Shiratorizawa. Hinata had somehow managed to escape Kai's grasp and ran over to Itachiyama.



"Sakusa-senpai! How did your camp go?" Hinata asked.

"Fine," Sakusa replied.

"I still practised without you!"

"Aw, Sakusa's gone soft," Komori teased Sakusa, "Wait, this is the player who called you a demon,"

"He likes to collect aces," Sakusa said.

"Tee-hee-hee!" Hinata smiled, flashed a peace sign and ran off.



The teams were all waiting to line up, Tokyo was called midway through, and so they had to stand in their lines for a while. Hinata got bored of staring at the back of Inuoka's head and looked to his right, which was where Fukurodani were, he then looked to his left where Itachiyama was and realised something, Sakusa-senpai and I... Share a number? Hinata's face lit up, "Psst, Sakusa-senpai," Hinata whispered, Sakusa turned to his right to see Hinata's outstretched arm, "Wanna play rock paper scissors?"

"Fine," Sakusa sighed. The two began to play. Haiba tapped Inuoka on the shoulder.

"What?" Inuoka hissed as he turned around, Haiba pointed to Hinata and Sakusa in response.

"Pass it on," Haiba whispered. Soon there was a chain of Nekoma players tapping each other, turning around and promptly trying to stifle their laughter.



"Hey, what's up with your team?" Bokuto asked Kuroo, "They seem to be having fun,"

"Fun? But this is the most boring thing in the world," Kuroo said, he slightly turned his head to see some of the players behind him laughing.

"Other side Kuro," Kozume whispered. Kuroo turned to look down his left.

"Of course it's Chibi-chan," Kuroo sighed.

"What's happening?" Bokuto asked.

"Chibi-chan and Sakusa are playing rock paper scissors," Kuroo answered.

"Really?" Bokuto craned his neck to see, "They actually are. I hope someone's zoomed in on them and posts this to youtube later so I can download the video,"

"What's the matter you two?" Iizuna asked the other two Tokyo representative captains.

"Look behind you and to your right," Kuroo instructed.

"I have many questions," Iizuna replied, the most pressing one is how has your no.10 done this?"

Komori had been spacing off for most of the process, he did a double take when he saw Nekoma stood next to them instead of Fukurodani before promptly remembering that Nekoma beat them in the semi-finals. He then noticed most of Nekoma mucking around, "What's up with your team?" Komori asked one of the first years at the back.

"You haven't noticed?" Shibayama asked, "Look at Sakusa and Hinata," Komori did as told and saw the two.

"Oi Sakusa," Komori whisper-shouted, "Found a friend?"

"Shut up," Sakusa hissed.

"I can hear the progressive shouts of "Tsumu" and "Samu" - how long until Inarizaki's captain loses it?" Komori asked Sakusa.

"In case you couldn't notice, I'm in the middle of a heated game of rock paper scissors," Sakusa replied, "Hinata, for the last time, we aren't playing spok,"

"Dammit!" Hinata cursed under his breath.



"I swear to god Tsumu, behave!" Osamu hissed at his twin.

"I swear to god Samu, shut up," Atsumu replied, the two getting progressively louder with their bickering, Ojiro turned around and glared at the two.

"You guys are aware that you surpassed whispering a long time ago," Suna whispered to them.

"He started it," Atsumu whined, most teams near them were now looking at Inarizaki.

"No I didn't. This idiot did," Osamu replied.



"Sakusa-senpai, who're Tsumu and Samu?" Hinata asked Sakusa.

"The most annoying setter in the world and his twin," Sakusa answered.

"He's annoyingly good?"

"No, he's really annoying - has a crappy personality and all,"

"I can't wait for nationals to start! If we do go up against each other again, then I'll crush you Sakusa-senpai!"

"No you won't,"

"Really now?"

"I'll make sure that you don't,"

"Sure,"



"It looks like any attention that was going to go on our teams went straight to Inarizaki," Iizuna let out a sigh of relief, "I can sympathise with their captain who's internally cringing," many captains flashed Kita an apologetic look.

"Tell Chibi-chan to stop playing rock paper scissors with a top three ace," Kuroo said to Kai, "Pass it on," soon the message reached Hinata.

"Tell Kuroo-senpai no," Hinata said to Inuoka, "Pass it on,"



Eventually the process of introducing the teams was over and the teams could leave, everyone looking at Inarizaki on the way out, apart from the Tokyo teams, "Who was Sakusa playing rock paper scissors with?" one of the members of a girls' team asked.

"Some first year from Nekoma," another answered.

"They got totally overlooked by Inarizaki, but you could totally see most of Nekoma and Itachiyama losing their composure,"



The team slept well that night, but were all woken up by Hinata, "FIRST DAY OF NATIONALS!" he shouted.