When the Court Fell Quiet

Reader x Tooru Oikawa A canon-inspired high school sweethearts series --- Episode 1 — The Transfer Student You transferred to Kitagawa Daiichi during your third and final year of middle school. Not exactly ideal. Everyone already had their friend groups. Everyone already knew each other. You expected to spend the rest of the year quietly counting down to graduation. That plan lasted exactly one day. Because somehow, before lunch even started, a boy dramatically slid into the empty seat beside yours. "Hello, new student." You blinked. "Hello." "I'm Oikawa Tooru." "Okay." "The most popular student in this school." "Did you vote for yourself?" Across the room, a boy burst out laughing. Oikawa looked offended. "Why are you laughing, Iwa-chan?" The boy shook his head. "Because that was funny." That was how you met Oikawa and Iwaizumi. The beginning of a friendship that would change everything. --- Episode 2 — The Young Setter A week later, Oikawa dragged you to volleyball practice. You quickly discovered three things. One: Oikawa loved attention. Two: Iwaizumi tolerated him through sheer force of will. Three: There was a first-year who seemed determined to live inside the gym. You spotted him immediately. Dark hair. Serious expression. Volleyball in hand. Always. "Who's that?" The atmosphere changed. Oikawa's smile disappeared for a fraction of a second. "Kageyama." The answer was short. "Tobio Kageyama." The first-year setter. --- Episode 3 — A Strange Friendship Unlike Oikawa, Kageyama wasn't easy to talk to. Actually, talking to him felt like talking to a brick wall. "How was your day?" "...Fine." "What did you do?" "...Practice." "What else?" "...More practice." You stared. He stared back. Neither of you spoke. Then he returned to practicing. For some reason, you laughed. And for some reason, after that, Kageyama started talking to you more often. Not much. Just enough. --- Episode 4 — Rivalry You quickly learned there was history between Oikawa and Kageyama. Not friendly history. Rivalry. Whenever Kageyama improved, Oikawa noticed. Whenever Oikawa succeeded, Kageyama noticed. Neither could ignore the other. One afternoon, you found Oikawa practicing alone. Long after everyone had gone home. His serves slammed against the floor again and again. Sweat dripped down his face. He didn't stop. Not once. Finally, he noticed you. "You're still here?" "So are you." A small smile appeared. "...Yeah." For a moment, he looked tired. Not physically. Something deeper. And suddenly, you understood. Being talented was hard. But chasing talent could be just as painful. --- Episode 5 — Graduation The months passed quickly. Too quickly. Before you knew it, graduation arrived. You stood outside the school gates one last time. Oikawa. Iwaizumi. You. The three of you were heading toward high school. Meanwhile, Kageyama still had two years left at Kitagawa Daiichi. The younger boy stood awkwardly in front of you. Neither of you knew what to say. Finally, you smiled. "Take care of yourself, Tobio." He frowned. "You sound like you're moving to another country." You laughed. "I'll still visit." "...Good." It was a simple answer. But somehow it meant a lot. --- Episode 6 — Aoba Johsai High school felt different. Everything became bigger. Faster. More serious. Oikawa joined the volleyball team at Aoba Johsai High School. Iwaizumi joined too. Naturally. You expected things to change. But somehow Oikawa still found time to bother you every day. Good morning texts. Lunch invitations. Random conversations. Terrible jokes. A suspicious amount of heart emojis. You tried not to think about it. --- Episode 7 — Distance Meanwhile, Kageyama remained at Kitagawa Daiichi. The two of you stayed in touch. Mostly through messages. Usually strange ones. Tobio: How long can rice stay in a rice cooker? You: What did you do? Tobio: Answer the question. You: TOBIO. Months later: Tobio: A dog followed me home. You: What? Tobio: Never mind. It left. You: YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THAT AND LEAVE. --- Episode 8 — Realization The realization came slowly. Dangerously slowly. One day you were laughing at something Oikawa said. The next day you were looking for him in crowded hallways. The day after that, hearing his voice made you smile. And suddenly— Oh. That wasn't friendship anymore. --- Episode 9 — Kageyama Leaves Middle School Two years passed. Kageyama finally graduated. You attended the ceremony. He seemed taller. More confident. Still awkward. But different. "Congratulations." He nodded. "Thanks." "You excited for high school?" "...Maybe." "Maybe?" "I'm going to Karasuno." You smiled. "I know." For some reason, he looked relieved that you were there. --- Episode 10 — Karasuno When Kageyama entered Karasuno High School, you were already in your final year at Aoba Johsai. The rivalry between Karasuno and Aoba Johsai became impossible to ignore. Especially when Oikawa and Kageyama ended up on opposite sides of the court again. Nothing had changed. Absolutely nothing. "Don't cheer for him." "I can cheer for whoever I want." "Wrong." "That's not how that works." Across the court, Kageyama overheard. "You should cheer for whoever plays better." Oikawa nearly exploded. --- Episode 11 — Confession The confession happened after a practice match. The gym had emptied. The sun was setting. And for once— Oikawa wasn't joking. "I like you." You froze. His hands were shaking. Slightly. "I've liked you for a long time." The confident setter everyone admired looked genuinely nervous. It was strangely adorable. So you smiled. "I like you too." Silence. Then: "...Seriously?" "Seriously." "..." "..." "...I need to sit down." --- Episode 12 — The News Telling Kageyama should have been easy. It wasn't. You called him. "Tobio." "What?" "I'm dating Oikawa." Silence. Long silence. Very long silence. "...Why?" You groaned. "Not you too." "I'm asking a valid question." "It is not a valid question." "It is." Somewhere in the background, someone who sounded suspiciously like Shoyo Hinata yelled: "WAIT, THEY'RE DATING?!" The entire situation immediately became worse. --- Finale — Home Years had passed since you first transferred schools. A lot had changed. You graduated. Oikawa chased bigger dreams. Kageyama continued growing into an incredible setter. Iwaizumi remained the responsible one somehow. Life moved forward. But whenever the four of you met again, it felt familiar. Like no time had passed at all. There would always be arguments. There would always be teasing. There would always be volleyball. And somewhere in the middle of all that— There would always be you and Oikawa. The transfer student and the setter. The beginning of something neither of you had expected. And the kind of love that quietly grew over years, one memory at a time. 💙🏐✨