#2023 edit

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Hinata faces many challenges along with way, and one of his first plights he uncovers is his encounter against the tall middle blocker, Tsukishima Kei. Tsukishima is rock, a mountain, an unmovable strength. Scoring against him proves to be quite a difficult task to do by himself. His sheer height was already a force to be reckoned with along with the fact that he has exceptional observational skills and is a quick thinker. He sure was not going to go easy on anyone, and Hinata was no exception.

However, this middle blocker has his own set of problems that he deals with on a daily basis. He is even worse about opening up his feelings than the other middle blocker. After all, he is not the type of person who would ask for help. He wound try to do one of these things: 

Try to solve them himself.

Ignore the topics and pretend that they do not even exist.

Bury them until they become an issue at a later time.

Be surrounded and influenced by something and take one drink, then it’s all forgotten.

Tsukishima is usually the cool, calm, clever, levelheaded person on the volleyball team. He is the wave. He is the ocean. Different tide with every morning, but this guy can usually adjust to whatever situation that life throws at him and let it fall with the current.

Of course, he also hates losing as well. No one really likes to lose. It is not a great feeling after all, but it is an experience that most people have gone through with each passing time.

But that moment when it all falls down and where his team lost against Aoba Johsai, he had mixed emotions. Sure, he was down, but was there a reason to keep trying? It is not like he is planning on doing this forever. Maybe it was better if he quit volleyball after all.

“Don’t be an idiot! It’s our sense of pride! What more do you need?” his best friend, Yamaguchi, yells at him with conviction. Yamaguchi was not going to let Tsukki walk out on this, not when he knows that he can do a lot better than his current skill level. He figured that if he is able to help change Tsukki’s state of mind, then he would be able to change his tune and give him that urge to keep going and push forward despite what his obtrusive thoughts keep telling him to do or what other people are saying around and about him.

That same night, he cannot help but commend Yamaguchi for his actions. Maybe that was his wakeup call. Maybe that could be a drive to help motivate him. When there is a cause, there will be an effect.

Even if that were the case, he definitely needs more reasons than just pride to back this theory up. After all, he is a practical person, not an idealist. So, he does the next best thing that one can do when searching for answers, and that is to seek out more information from other sources.

Tsukishima talks to Akaashi, Bokuto, and Kuroo about their reasons for volleyball. He is determined to find out if he can analyze any other causes he can come across and see if they make help achieve a desirable effect.

Out of all of them, Bokuto seems to be the most eager to answer Tsukishima’s question.

“If that moment ever does come to you… That’s the moment you’ll fall in love with volleyball.”

This specific quote is what Kei kept in his mind. He recalls his older brother, Akiteru, also telling him about his own moment and how he felt at that time that impels him to keep moving forward with the sport.

Eventually, the match against Shiratorizawa gives that opportunity for Tsukishima Kei. The moment he is able to achieve his own victory and successfully block one of the top three aces of the nation. Being able to block Ushijima’s spike meant everything for him at that time. That is an unforgettable moment for him and everyone who has seen this happen in real time.

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If volleyball was easy, then everybody would be playing this sport. Everyone would be winning. There would not be any challenges in the game. It would always be fun to win.

Of course, that is never the case.

During that same game, both Hinata and Tsukishima are struggling against the strong team, specifically by one person, Ushijima. Both players are working overtime, but the more time that is being spent on this match, it seems like it is getting so hard that they can barely breathe. After all, they feel like Ushijima was holding the both of them down onto the court to the point where they can no longer fight back. It was nerve-racking, time-consuming, and an infuriating experience. If it was not for the rest of the Karasuno team to help them out and break them free from the ace’s powerful grips, they might have been defeated and fallen into despair at that point.

While Hinata is the type who tends to not dwell on the past, Tsukishima is quite the opposite. He is a critical thinker after all, but he can also be pessimistic as well. Shoyo is an optimist who can easily bounce back from being down and will try to use his infectious positive influence to bring others back up.

With the taller guy’s case, however, it takes time for him to get over things. For him, it’s getting so hard for him to understand certain aspects to these issues and a lot harder for him to believe that things will just work out in the end. He is not like the shorter volleyball player after all.

However, despite how he normally is, Tsukishima did make a promise to Hinata that he would back him up even if it was indirectly with a low five. And because of that, he had to at least give it his all and try his best to overcome the problems over time.

But even when everything is becoming increasingly strenuous to the point where even sheer willpower is failing, it was getting to be so difficult to try to keep that promise. it’s getting so tiring for Kei that he is barely able to see what is the purpose anymore.  Why keep trying to strive for a win if it will take just about everything from his mind, body, and soul just to achieve that goal? Even Shoyo can see that his taller teammate may find that giving up is the effortless option and it would be easy to admit defeat.

So, Hinata continues to talk to Tsukishima and remind him of everything good that has happened to them to this day. He does not want Tsukki to quit. He has come so far already to just give up now. He can keep going. Shoyo clutches his chest and hopes that Kei could hear him. He cannot bear the thought of losing him. He would not know what to do without him.

Just when things look bleak and everything is out from their control, Tsukki finally snaps out of his mental anguish and pays attention to what is happening on the court. He can do this. He has to do this. There is no doubt about it. He can conquer anything if he puts his mind to it.

By doing so, this makes the sun smile at the moon. Hinata never gave up on Tsukishima, and Tsukki was able to deliver and keep his promise to his teammate.

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As time passes on, both middle blockers were drifting far apart from each other. Hinata seems oblivious to notice, but Tsukishima is quite observant. He knows how important this next game is and one slip-up or miscommunication is all it would take to bring the whole team down. They need to be able to understand each other and sync up once again. They have to because neither one of them can face their next match alone. They need each other to do this.

Kei decides to initiate the conversation first. He tells Hinata about the other team and what he is capable of doing and what he thinks he could try to do. But instead of letting his pride get the best of him, Tsukki knows that he needs to be realistic and truthful with his words.

“But… I can’t do that.” This really means a lot to Kei. He knows his limitations, and he is not going to pretend that everything is and will be okay. He will not be able to defend and block out all the hits, attacks, and spikes. He knows that. No one can ever reach that impossible feat. But he does not want to face this problem alone and be left and lost at sea.

He reminds Hinata, “If so, you’d better be there.” This is important for Kei. He is putting all of his trust onto Shoyo, which is something that he rarely ever does for anyone. He knows that he cannot rely on just himself to be able to achieve the best possible outcomes and have positive results for him and his team. If they want to win, then they have to work together to achieve a victory that will be and already is arduous and time-consuming to do. 

With the game reaching a critical point and emotions running high into these sets, Hinata continues to support and have Tsukishima’s back in all of this. He knows that it took his tall teammate a lot to be able to give that trust onto him. He was not going to let him down. He will be there for him. They cannot exist without the other. They will be able to defeat the odds and beat this game.

Even at certain plays, Shoyo cannot help but gaze at Kei in awe. “Wow! Tsukki is an incredible blocker.” He looks up to him. They can respect one another and continue to teach each other a lot. Even when it was hard for either of them to admit how well they work together, they are able to get the job done.

Both middle blockers prove their skills and their teamwork on the court. They make an incredible team. They overpower the obstacles and have their plays and moments. Even when it was to the point where the team was tired and everything was turning too dark for them like the night sky about to envelop and enclose each of them under the shroud of darkness, the sun comes out and brightens their hope, giving them all that opportunity to get back to the moment, recollect and regroup themselves, give them a breather, and to try again and execute the plan to succeed.

Hinata Shoyo and Tsukishima Kei have been through a lot with each other. They continue to work and play hard, do their best, and have each other’s backs going into things. They both respect one another despite their contrasting personalities. They continue to train against one another to improve their games and put their skill levels to the test. They point out their flaws and weaknesses and help each other become better.

And it all started back at that one night. The night where they met each other. The moment where they both discover their opposite. The moment where they met as rivals before becoming teammates who will constantly push each other to their limits. The moment where their challenges become their realities. The moment where the sun and the moon finally meet. The moment where it all began.

- KᴀɪʙᴀSʜᴀᴅᴏᴡ ♥