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I guess I've always liked nicknames.
Maybe it's because Kageyama is a common name, so having a different name was always appealing. Maybe it's because Mom has always called me To-chan since I can even remember. Maybe it's because Miss Nakamura-sensei in 1st grade called me Tobio-kun so sweetly. Maybe it's because "KAGE, YOU ROCK!!!" sounded so cool when my classmates in elementary yelled every time I scored a goal in soccer. Maybe it's...I don't even know.
I guess I've just always liked nicknames.
The "To-chan"s became less frequent when I got into Junior High. It only made sense, after all, Mom was busy with work. I mean, Dad left us not even 3 weeks after I was born, so she was always the one taking care of everything. "I love you so much To-chan, so I'm gonna make sure you have everything any other kid with 2 parents has!" I really...admire her for that too. I definitely got her work ethic, that's for sure. Because of that though, it just meant I saw her less with our conflicting schedules: her work, my volleyball. I still don't mind it. In fact, it makes me look forward to every morning a little bit more, knowing Mom is there with breakfast and a warm "To-chan!"
My teachers couldn't even remember my real name, having to look at the class roster most of the time. Again, it only made sense. They had at least 50 other students they had to worry about. Even Sakurai-sensei only remembered my name because I always fell asleep in math.
I quit soccer all together and took up volleyball instead. After all, it was way cooler to set and control the ball, game after game, instead of only being able to score every once in a while in soccer. Volleyball was a lot different. I never got any real compliments other than from the coach. No "KAGE, YOU ROCK!"s from my teammates. Yeah.
I guess that was when I realized that not all nicknames were good.
Tobio-chan.
I didn't really pick up on it at first.
Oikawa-san seemed like a really cool setter. Sure, his ego was pretty big, but he seemed nice enough. Iwaizumi-senpai was awesome too, and he was Oikawa-san's best friend, so there was no way someone like Iwaizumi-senpai could be friends with a jerk.
So, of course I asked him to teach me how to serve.
"No way, Tobio-chan!"
Tobio-chan. Tobio-chan. He called me Tobio-chan. I didn't tell anyone, but that day I went home with the biggest smile on my face. After all...
It was the first time someone had given me a nickname since elementary.
The next day, I tried asking again. The day after that too. And every day after that. He never once said yes, but he'd always call me Tobio-chan. I know it was stupid, but I thought that he was just declining me because I was an underclassmen and he was busy. I didn't think it really bothered him. I figured the "Tobio-chan" after the rejection was his way of saying: "sorry, I'm busy,Kid. Maybe some other time." One day though, I asked again. I figured I'd get another "Bleh, noooo way Tobio-chan!" and be off on my way to solo practice again.
This time was different.
I didn't even notice it until Iwaizumi-senpai had to stop him. He was about to hit me.
I learned real quick that "Tobio-chan" didn't mean what I thought it meant. After, Iwaizumi-senpai told me Oikawa-san was a little self-conscious and to not let it get to me.
It didn't.
I didn't ask him to teach me how to serve again though, that was for sure, but I also didn't take it personally. After all, even to this day, I don't really think Oikawa-san hates me. We just don't get along.
It really wasn't until after seeing Oikawa-san lose to Ushijima, that I realized exactly what "Tobio-chan" meant though. "Ushiwaka-chan"s and "Tobio-chan"s were reserved only for rivals.
I picked up on it real quick after that.
Nicknames weren't always terms of endearment. Not all "To-chan"s were warm like Mom's. Not all "Tobio-kun"s were said sweet like Miss Nakamura-sensei. And "Tobio-chan"s didn't always mean that a teammate liked you. Sometimes...
Sometimes you wouldn't always like what nicknames meant.
King of the Court.
That was one nickname I hated the minute I heard it.
Looking back on it now, I probably deserved it. I didn't have to be as demanding. I didn't have to push everyone to their limits. I didn't have to do the things I did.
But I thought I did.
I thought everyone wanted to win as much as I did. And the only way to win was to be faster. Be smarter. Be stronger. Because only the strong are allowed to stand on the court.
Of course, strength doesn't mean much if you are only one person. No matter how hard I tried, it seemed like no one understood what I was trying to say. Even the coach, the same coach that used to call me "Tobio-kun", didn't understand me any more.
King of the Court.
That was what I heard whispered as I sat on the bench.
I heard it many times before then. All my underclassmen would always say I was like the King. I heard Kindaichi and Kunimi would laughingly call me a dictator. The enemy teams would talk about me and my kingdom of volleyball at the water fountains, then look away the second I came near.
Even after Junior High, the nickname followed me to Karasuno.
King of the Court.
"But that's a really cool nickname!"
I really don't even remember what was going through my mind when he said that to me. Probably a mixture of: "Well, yeah it sounds cool" but "You don't get it" and "Is this kid for real?"
It wasn't cool like it sounded. It meant that I was a domineering, egotistical jerk. It meant that I thought I was better than anyone else. It meant that I ruled alone.
Alone.
Cool nicknames weren't supposed to make you feel isolated.
Hinata didn't get it back then.
Not until Tsukishima showed up. Then he finally understood my nickname. The only nickname I was given that I hated.
I even showed him why I was given that name during our practice match. I sent out my toss. It was too fast. Too much. Faster. Stronger. I was domineering again. It wasn't cool. It was proof that they were right. I ruled alone-
"Well you toss just fine to me."
That day, walking home, eating meat buns, and hearing a "Bye, Mr. King of the Court" from a short dumbass...
I guess that was the day I realized it's not the nickname, but the people that say it.
Bakageyama.
I guess that was the first nickname that really started to grow on me.
I honestly hated it when Hinata said it the first time. I figured it was one of the many names that people threw my way, like the "King of the Court"s before it. Of course, I came to realize over time that Hinata meant it any other way than an insult.
"Hey hey! Toss to me, Bakageyama!" "Give me some of your water, Bakageyama!" "Hey, want to study after school, Bakageyama~"
It was definitely an insult. It had to be. But. It didn't feel like it.
Every sentence Hinata sent my way ended with a "Bakageyama". After a while, I swear it almost felt wrong writing down my real name on paper.
I liked it.
I liked the way he said it. It felt like a "To-chan", a "Tobio-kun", a "KAGE, YOU ROCK!".
I liked it. So I never corrected him.
"Hey, why do you always call me Bakageyama, dumbass?"
"Why do you always call me dumbass?"
I guess it was because that was my nickname for him.
I think Hinata knew that. After all, when I didn't answer his question, he just laughed and kept walking.
Yeah.
I guess that was the first nickname that I really loved.
Kags.
I really didn't expect that one. Especially from a senpai.
"Hey Kags, mind showing me how you set?"
A couple of heads turned towards me and Noya-san during a water break. I could hear Tsukishima, the smug bastard, choking on his water with a "'K-kags'. Nice one, Nishinoya-san!". Asshole.
"Uh, sure thing, Noya-san."
I remember stuttering a bit, because seriously. Where did "Kags" come from? He called Hinata, Tanaka-san, Asahi-san, and Daichi-san, by their first names, so that made sense. But "Kags"?
I didn't get it. I tried asking about it later, walking home that night after visiting the convenience store.
"It's, you know, like a shortened version of Kageyama. A nickname."
Yeah, because that clarification helped.
"Well, I don't know, Tobio is too cute of a name for you, it's not cool enough. Meanwhile Kags is like...It's Kags!"
I still didn't get it.
But I got it.
"Yeah. I like it."
I remember Noya-san smiling after I said that. He even broke off a piece of his popsicle and shared with me, reminding me of how "awesome a senpai" he is.
Yeah.
He's definitely an awesome senpai.
Kageyama-kun.
Some people really don't consider "-kun"s a nickname. I didn't used to either if I'm being honest.
Well, that is, until Yachi-san joined.
"H-hey, Kageyama-kun, do you need help?"
It never really sunk in how warm Yachi-san's voice was until that day of summer training camp. It definitely reminded me of Miss Nakamura-sensei.
"Yeah, sure...um...thanks."
At first, she looked really shocked, almost like I had grown a second head or something. That quickly turned into a smile though and she jogged over to get a few balls from the pin. It really did feel nice having her there with me. Everyone else was really busy, and Hinata...well, I'll admit it, I think that was the first time we had a real fight. I remember on the ride home, we couldn't even look at each other.
I never realized how much I loved hearing "Bakageyama" until that summer.
"Y-you know...Hinata-kun...really thinks you're amazing, Kageyama-kun."
"Yeah, an amazing asshole."
"NO! HE CALLED YOU HIS PARTNER!"
"..."
"...Don't tell him I told you that..."
I didn't.
I didn't forget how nice "Kageyama-kun" sounded that night when we pinky swore either.
Tsundeyama.
I literally had no idea what it even meant at first when Tsukishima called me that one day.
Tanaka-san and Noya-san started laughing, and I swear I heard even Ennoshita-san and the other second years cough a bit.
"What-a-yama?"
Hinata beat me to it. What the hell was this asshole talking about?
"He means...well...a Tsundere is an archetype from one of those dating games. It's like a person that acts harshly towards people, only to try and mask their true feelings, usually towards someone they really actually like."
I still remember wondering how Suga-san knew something like that, only before almost punching Tsukishima in the face. Hinata had to hold me back. Both Tanaka-san and Noya-san remarked about it "being so obvious" and "why didn't they notice it" before Daichi-san gave them a look. What was everyone saying I was this Tsunda thing?
I didn't get it.
Tsukishima apparently realized this and, like the smartass he is, kept talking.
"You're such a Tsundere, calling him dumbass all the time but then spoiling him later."
Oh. He was talking about Hinata. About me and Hinata.
Spoiling.
Because I bought him a meatbun.
"I'm not a Tsundere, bastard."
I didn't get it.
Even when Hinata said thanks as we parted ways that night along with a "Goodnight, Bakageyama", I didn't get it.
I guess I still don't really get it. After all, "Dumbass" is just my nickname for him. It's just a "Bakageyama". It's a good nickname.
It wasn't being harsh. Right? And I definitely wasn't trying to hide anything.
"You aren't harsh at all, Bakageyama. Stop over thinking it. Tsukishima was just being a jerk."
"So you don't think I'm a Tsune-whatever?"
"...Okay, maybe a little."
Hinata laughed a lot that day.
I still don't get it.
Tobio-nii-san.
That was one nickname I loved the minute I heard it.
I wasn't expecting to come over that day until it started raining; I was only supposed to help Hinata home since he twisted his ankle like the dumbass he is. Of course, after seeing us drenched, Hinata-san wasn't about to let me walk back home. I was still going to refuse before I heard a tiny voice appear behind her.
"Mommy, who is it- NII-SAN!"
I didn't even have time to react before a tiny orange blur grabbed onto Hinata, knocking him into me. The cutest little kid I had ever seen before was giggling, just over the simple fact that her brother was home. Holding on to Hinata for dear life, looking like she would never let him go again.
Of course, then she saw me.
I swear I held my breath the entire time she looked at me. Little things, whether they were kids or animals, were never my strong suit. They pretty much hated me. So, you could only imagine how freaked out I was when she pounced on me next.
"Tobio-nii-san! Nii-san's told me and Mommy all about you!!!"
I'm pretty sure my heart stopped after that.
Hinata was prying her off of me, telling her to "quit embarrassing him" while Hinata-san laughed and welcomed me in.
I loved every moment of that night. Almost as much as Natsu's nickname for me.
"Tobio-nii-san, can you color with me?!!"
"Hey, hey, Tobio-nii-san, what's Nii-san like at practice?"
"You're eyes are so pretty, Tobio-nii-san!! You're like a prince!"
Tobio-nii-san.
That's definitely my second favorite nickname of all time.
YamaYama-kun.
Hinata only uses it a few times, but every time it really gets me.
I know he's just trying to piss me off, but it really does the opposite and I can't help it.
It makes me feel better.
The first time he used it was when we were facing off against Seijou for the second time. I know he could tell I was frustrated. After all, he just kept hovering around me with this vibe.
Then he said it.
"Awww, is YamaYama-kun worried?"
I stopped thinking.
That dumbass just jumped away, readying himself for a fight, like he really expected me to hit him.
Yeah right. If anything, this was one of the few instances I felt myself ready to hug him. Which is really scary. After all, I really don't like hugging people.
I wonder if he still doesn't get what that nickname does to me. That whenever he says it, it brings me back to reality.
That it reminds me I'm not alone any more.
He probably does.
Tobio.
It's my favorite nickname to this day.
Okay, technically it's not a nickname. I know. I get it. It's just my first name. But more than the "Tobio-kun"s, "Kage"s, "Kags", "Kageyama-kun"s, "Bakageyama"s, "YamaYama"s, hell, probably even a little more than the "To-chan"s and "Tobio-nii-san"s...
It's my favorite nickname to this day.
I've only heard it one time so far, but that one time was enough. Just that one time.
"You know, we really do make a great team, Bakageyama!"
I already knew that. After all, we had just taken down the best team in Miyagi as far as I was concerned, and qualified for nationals. If we weren't a great team, I'd seriously have to wonder what a great team looked like. It still didn't shake the confidence Hinata had when he said that though. He was still smiling away, like he just won a million dollars or something. I mean yeah, it was a great victory, but come on, a full week had already passed and he was still talking about it.
"Yeah, yeah, Dumbass, put up the net."
I laughed, according to Hinata, "for the first time ever" and continued gathering all of the volleyballs on the court. All of the team had started to pack up and leave, since it was my turn, along with the dumbass, to lock up. It felt weirdly quiet. I figured that was why Hinata brought up the "great team" thing again.
It wasn't until he continued talking that I realized he wasn't just trying to fill up the silence.
"Seriously."
I remember dropping a ball at that and turning around to tell him "Of course 'seriously', Dumbass. You think I was joking?" before I noticed.
Hinata had moved a lot closer.
He was pretty much right next to me.
"Seriously. I'm...I'm glad you're my setter..."
Sure, Hinata was honest. I knew that. But.
He had never said that before.
I didn't really even know what to say. I kept looking at him. He wasn't joking.
I said the first thing that came to mind.
"Yeah. I'm glad you're my partner."
I could tell when he laughed and punched me in the shoulder, saying "Jeez, Bakageyama, don't get sentimental on me", despite how stupidly red his face was, that he got it.
I had never said that before either.
I wasn't joking either.
And he got that.
I'm pretty sure he said the first thing that came to his mind too.
"See you tomorrow, Tobio."
I guess I've always liked nicknames. Maybe it wasn't the nickname, but the thought behind it? Hmmm...I'm not quite sure. All I know is...
Well, to put it simply:
I guess I just really liked hearing him call me Tobio that day.