hymn of the waves

“he was vast, quiet, and uncertain, akin to the sea he yearns for;
as if naturally, he became one with it.”

"Kageyama? What are you doing?"

As if he was caught doing a crime, the raven-haired man flinched as he turned his head back to a confused
face. He lightly shook his head and closed the gap he had with his friends, overlooking the soft beating of
his heart. Maingat siyang bumaling ng tingin sa likod at agad napatigil nang may biglang humawak sa
kaniya.

“Ano tinitignan mo, ha?” a curious tone wandered through his ear.

“Wala.”

“Weh? Ano nga?” tumingin siya sa likod nilang dalawa, huli nang pigilan niya ito. “Eh? Wala namang
tao.”

Kageyama turned back and saw nothing but a calm wave of the sea. As if relieved, he sighed, yet a bit
restless. He pulled his friend back. “Tara na, Hinata.”

Hinata wasn’t satiated, but he let him be. He walked beside him, answering the questions from his friends
about why they stopped; Kageyama was silent the whole time. As they reached the small shop they
frequent, he couldn’t forget how his friend’s eyes glinted a soft sense of yearning, remembering a flowing
blond hair, glasses, and eyes, that was anything but alive.

“Good morning, everyone. Settle down, please.”

Kageyama was slouching on his desk, sleeping, as his usual endeavor in school. He felt a small poke on
his shoulder, waking him up. “Kageyama, wake up. Tawag ka ni ma’am,” bigla siyang napabangon sa
mahinang bulong ng katabi niya.

He rose from his seat, unable to say anything as he locked eyes with a pair of golden yellow orbs as if
devouring him whole.

“Mister Kageyama Tobio, since you had the face to sleep at the start of my class, you shall be our
transferee’s guide after class.” He gasped as if forgetting to breathe. Transferee? Guide? He was finally
able to turn back to his teacher’s annoyed face beside the man, about to ask but was stopped. “Sit, and
please wipe that saliva off your face, thank you.”

He sat, feeling his blood rose to his face as he reached for his face immediately, not minding the sound of
his classmates’ laughter echoing in the entire room. He lifted his face again as he wandered his eyes over
the only man who did not laugh. He walked towards him, stopping just in the seat in front. Suddenly, the
breeze of the wind entered from the windows beside him, flowing the curtains, along with a bright blond
hair, opposite of what his eyes depict.

At that moment, Kageyama then met the most beautiful man he’d ever encountered.

“Ayan, puyat ka na naman ‘no? Insomnia?”

He silently munched on his sandwich, not answering. Narinig niya ang buntong-hininga ng kaniyang
kaibigan. “Sabi sa’yo, Yams. Mahirap kausapin ‘yan eh,” the orange-haired man, Hinata, expressed.
“Mas lumala nga lang ngayon, ewan ko kung bakit.”

“Figured,” Yachi sighed as well. Noticing they would just get ignored, she wanted to change the topic.
“Tadashi—”

“Kageyama Tobio?”
As if on cue, they all went silent.
A deep yet gentle voice flowed, making the man called rise his head in curiosity. He faced an unwavering
emotion built on the other’s face. That pair of glasses wasn’t able to hide such exquisite eyes, he thought.

“Uy transferee, tangkad mo gago. Laking cherifer ka ba? Anong sekreto mo ha?” agad na singit ni Hinata,
sabay hampas sa kaniyang braso kaya napabaling sa kaniya ang lahat.

A short deafening silence flourished around them. “What?”

“Shoyo!” Yachi pulled her friend after seeing no change in reaction on the man’s face. “Sorry, he’s just
like that. I hope you won’t take it in the wrong way,” she tried to lift up the atmosphere.

The raven-haired man rose from his seat, facing the transferee. He opened his mouth, trying not to
mumble or stutter. Everyone watched him as he fumbled on his words, failing to talk. He frustratingly
sighed in defeat and reached out to the transferee’s hand, pulling him out of the room. The other did not
say anything and let himself follow to where he would be taken.

“I was just gonna ask if you’d be okay to not just guide me after class, no need to take this far,” the
transferee said as they stopped their tracks, having no one around them. “Unless you want some alone
time with me? I don’t have much say in that.”

Kageyama Tobio definitely felt his mouth gape. He faced the man behind him, wearing that strange
mischievous smile that everyone would not expect. His face was blank a minute ago, what’s with the
sudden flip? He furrowed his eyebrows, couldn’t find the words to respond.

“Can’t talk? Understandable. Everyone can’t even talk a word with me, much less of a conversation. Am
I really that handsome?” he was massaging his chin as if thinking.

“Siraulo.” Kageyama couldn’t help but say, secretly happy he didn’t stutter. He just noticed the other
wearing a hoodie despite the hot weather. Napangiwi siya, iniisip palang ‘yong pakiramdam no’n.

He heard a small chuckle. “You finally talked.” Kageyama was taken aback by the sudden hand reaching
out to him. He looked at the transferee’s smiling face, taking a step back.

“Tsukishima Kei, at your service.”