The group walked down the darkening street, meat buns in hand, warmth from the steamed bread curling in the cool evening air. Conversation bounced easily between them until Ennoshita glanced at Hayato.
"Speaking of which… did Daichi-senpai ever talk to you about the next captain?"
Hayato blinked. "Eh? How did you know?"
Ennoshita smirked knowingly. "Please. Daichi-senpai already had you leading the first-years. That's not a coincidence."
Hayato let out a small laugh. During the training camp earlier this month, Daichi, Sugawara, Asahi, along with Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei, had called him aside. They'd told him outright that he would be the next captain. He'd been ready to make a dramatic speech—maybe even throw in some poetry—but decided they probably wouldn't get the reference. Instead, he had simply promised to lead Karasuno well.
Apparently, it hadn't been as much of a secret as he thought.
"Well, I guess it was obvious…" Hayato admitted.
Not to everyone, though. Tanaka and Nishinoya froze mid-bite, cheeks bulging like squirrels.
"Wait, what? That's why you were leading the first-years?!" Nishinoya blurted—spraying crumbs.
"Wah! Gross!" Ennoshita leaned back in disgust. "Swallow first!"
Hayato and Kiyoko instinctively sidestepped just in time to avoid the fallout.
The group tonight was bigger than usual—most of the second-years, Hinata and Kageyama, and Kiyoko. Tsukishima had gone to train with his brother, and Yamaguchi had taken Hitoka home.
Kinoshita and Narita exchanged knowing looks. "We figured as much," Kinoshita said.
Hinata tilted his head. "Eh, Hayato-senpai as captain? Sounds fine to me."
Kageyama nodded with rare seriousness. "It makes sense. He's been keeping things together since he joined."
After finishing his mouthful, Nishinoya turned to Kiyoko. "Kiyoko-senpai, is it true?"
Her small nod sealed it.
"Huh. Honestly, I thought it would be Ennoshita," Nishinoya said.
"Me? No way," Ennoshita replied quickly.
"Even I thought so," Hayato said, slinging an arm around his shoulders.
Ennoshita gave him a skeptical look. "Really?"
"Think about it—among our second-years, Ryu and Yu are… well, themselves. Hisashi and Kazuhito are solid, but you're the one most like Daichi-senpai. Everyone listens to you. You keep things running smoothly."
Tanaka frowned. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean—'well, themselves'?"
"Yeah!" Nishinoya barked. "We've got the hearts of regulars, you know!"
Still, their protests didn't stop Kinoshita and Narita from nodding in agreement with Hayato. In study sessions, it was always Ennoshita keeping everyone in line while Hayato played mediator. On court breaks, Ennoshita was the one quietly pointing out mistakes to help people improve.
The more they said it, the redder Ennoshita's ears got. "Alright, alright… thanks, I guess. But Daichi-senpai still chose you. That proves you're the best choice."
He gave Hayato a friendly punch to the chest.
Hayato grinned. "Actually… they also chose you as vice-captain."
"Eh?!" Ennoshita's voice cracked.
Kiyoko chuckled. "It was supposed to be announced after the selection match, but… well, the cat's out of the bag."
"Vice-captain, huh? Not bad!" Nishinoya cheered, slapping Ennoshita's back hard enough to make him stumble. Tanaka followed with a shoulder pat.
"I… guess I'll have to work hard enough to deserve it," Ennoshita said, regaining his balance. "And maybe secure a regular spot while I'm at it."
"That means Ryu's in danger," Nishinoya teased.
Tanaka's eyes lit with mock challenge. "Bring it on!"
The second-years devolved into their usual noisy banter, while Hinata and Kageyama started speculating about who would be captain in their year.
"There's only four of us," Hinata began. "You're too scary, Kageyama. Tsukishima's too snarky. That leaves me—"
"A dummy who can't receive wants to be captain?" Kageyama deadpanned.
Hinata bristled. "I'll get better! Don't underestimate me!"
"You're still not captain material, idiot."
"The one calling people idiots is the real idiot!"
Their back-and-forth was cut off by Kiyoko's amused laughter. "It's a little early to be talking about that. Now hurry up and catch up."
Realizing they'd fallen behind, the two sprinted to rejoin the group.
Hayato, now walking beside Kiyoko, glanced at her. "What's with that smile?"
"Those two," she said, still grinning. "They're starting to care about more than just volleyball."
Hayato chuckled. "That's a good sign. It means Karasuno's future is in good hands."
Kiyoko nodded. "It really does."
-------------
Support me at patréon com/Lukas25