Chapter Text
“Alright everyone, let’s take one more toss before we end for the day. Five. Six…”
“Five, six, seven, dip, out, up, and catch!” In unison, a dozen boys and girls released white, wooden rifles into the air. The goal was to release and catch at the exact same time, but there were a few slight inconsistencies that went unnoticed as the rifles landed back in their gloved hands.
“Don’t relax!” Shoyo shouted before anyone behind him had the chance to fidget. The captain eyed his director, waiting for the next command.
The color guard director held Shoyo’s gaze for a brief moment before examining the rest of the color guard. It was a process that seemed to take ages and until he was finished, not a single member dared to move a muscle. Then, finally, the magic word was spoken: “relax.”
All at once, the entire team melted into a parade rest position with the tips of their rifles on the floor and hands resting on the butts. All eyes were on their director, awaiting his commentary on the lesson.
“Great job today everyone, your tosses are getting better. If you’re new to rifle, make sure you’re practicing at home if you want a spot on the weapon line next fall. I’m happy to see that most of you have picked it up rather quickly though, and I can’t wait to see how well you’re all going to do at auditions. Remember, they’re less than a month away now, so keep practicing. That’s all I have, you’re free to go. Thank you.”
Like the rest of the color guard, Shoyo made his way to the front of the gym to gather his belongings. Flag bags and water bottles were littered about in some semblance of a line. Shoyo took a large gulp of water. Today’s practice had been great, and with all of the progress that the underclassmen were making, he was excited for the future of Karasuno’s color guard program. They’d all grown so much in the time he’d known them, and as their captain all of that potential warmed his heart. Maybe they could even take nationals next year.
“Hinata? Can I see you for a moment?”
“Sure thing!” Shoyo grabbed his equipment before jogging over to his director. “Yes Sensei?”
“Were you still interested in attending Fly High Music Academy?”
Oh yeah, he had mentioned that to his director a few times, hadn’t he? Fly High Music Academy, or FHMA, was the school for color guard. Everyone who was anyone in the color guard world had graduated from FHMA, and it would be a dream to go there. Unfortunately, Shoyo had heard that nobody got into Fly High Music Academy just for color guard, you had to play an instrument too. “No. I gave up on that since they don’t accept anyone that can’t play an instrument, and I’m not the best at reading music either, so there’s no way they’d ever take me.”
“Well hold on! I may have found a way! You know how I’ve mentioned that my cousin Tooru is a student at FHMA?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, he recently found out that he’s been selected as a drum major for the upcoming school year.”
“That’s amazing! Congratulations to him! You must be so proud!” Being selected as a drum major at such a prestigious school was a huge accomplishment, Shoyo could only imagine how dedicated Oikawa-sensei’s cousin was to his craft.
“Thank you, I am! He’s worked so hard to get where he is. Anyways, I bring up Tooru and his achievement to say that I’ve bragged about you to him quite a bit. I even sent him copies of everything you choreographed this past winter.”
Shoyo raised his eyebrows. “You did? Well? What did he say?” He chewed on his bottom lip nervously. How could he suddenly be so nervous about something that he didn’t even consider a possibility until ten seconds ago?
“He was impressed. He said that you could do great things at FHMA, and that he’d be willing to put his name on you.”
The handle of Shoyo’s water bottle slid out of his hand, and the whole thing clanged against the gym floor. “ What ?” Shoyo could feel the excitement buzzing through him, building into a jump, maybe a scream too. FHMA! A drum major from the FHMA was impressed by his work and wanted him to attend!
Before he could expel the excess energy from his body, he was struck with a sudden realization, and deflated like a balloon. “But Sensei, I don’t play an instrument! Does he know that?”
Oikawa-sensei nodded. “I explained the situation, and he said it wouldn’t be a problem. Apparently every once in a while, they do make special exceptions for students with exceptional color guard skills. He said that as a drum major, the school will take you on his recommendation alone, and that you can focus solely on color guard. Isn’t that wonderful news, Shoyo? What do you think? Does that sound like something you would want?”
Now came the scream. His delighted cries echoed through the gym as he jumped for joy, hugging his director. “Yes! There’s nothing I'd want more! Thank you, Sensei! Thank you!”
Oikawa-sensei patted Shoyo on the back. “You should get an email and official paperwork in the mail sometime soon, so keep an eye out for it. Make sure to send back your response, and then it should all be smooth sailing from there.”
“I’ll check the mail every day!”
Oikawa-sensei chuckled. “Shoyo Hinata, I’m so proud of you. You jumped right into the captain role this year, being someone that your peers and underclassmen can count on. You took risks with your choreography, and they paid off. The team may not have won nationals this year, but second place is still pretty damn good, and you’ve lit a fire under your teammates. You’ve set them up well for next year’s winter guard season, and I genuinely think they have a shot at placing first next year.”
Tears pricked the corners of Shoyo’s eyes. He wasn’t used to receiving such high praise from his color guard director, and the words meant the world to him. “They’re going to make us proud too, I know it.”
The school bell rang, indicating that it was time to wrap it up. The rest of Shoyo’s teammates had already vacated the gym, and he still needed to go to the locker room and change. “You should get going.”
Shoyo nodded. “Thank you again, Oikawa-sensei.”
The redhead couldn’t stop smiling all the way to the locker room. Fly High Music Academy. A diploma from FHMA would open so many doors for him, the world would be his oyster.
Now all he had to do was accept his spot, and then get through graduation.