“𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.”

Or, why hinata and kageyama will end up choosing to play together once this match has concluded.

[a thread]

please consider this thread a continuation of another that I have done on how hinatas goals have shifted. if you haven’t read it, please check it out before you continue reading this one! https://twitter.com/tobishouist/status/1252761833888497665

a few things to note about the current match:

-it is a direct parallel to the first. (ex. kghn bathroom meeting, kageyama being expected to go elsewhere afterwards (stz vs FL), etc.)

-hinata has YET to be acknowledged by kageyama for his individual strength.

hinata is a character with a dilemma.

he wants to prove his worth as a individual player and struggles with inferiority, esp. wrt kageyama. he knows this, and he is reminded of this, notably by washijou.

however...he also sees kageyama as the first and greatest partner he has ever had, someone he can truly have FUN with.

and with that comes an overwhelming desire to be SEEN by kageyama as a worthy partner in return, someone worthy enough to play with and set too, not out of necessity, but because hinata is WORTH it.

in order to be acknowledged, hinata needed to prove his worth as a player on his own. he begins to make this realization in ball boy arc when he realizes he "needs to learn to do everything,"

hinata learns that he will be capable on his own during the inarizaki match when the miya twins are able to copy the quick set.

other setters can work with him, which means he's not doomed to dependence on kageyama as a player!

in ch. 350 hinata makes the observation that "being good means being free," upon watching kageyama serve.

the point of freedom being found with strength is brought back when hinata sets for the match point in ch. 386!

(and its right after this...we learn kageyamas backstory)

so...strength is freedom. hinata was burdened by inferiority to kageyama as a player, but now after training in brazil for 2 years and making name for himself (to the point world famous players know him!) he has truly freed himself from that inferiority.

so whats next?

in this match some important lines have been either brought back or revealed to us.

"if im going to convince great setters to let me fly..."
"they come to us....and make us choose them"
"being strong means being free."
"someone even better will come and find you"

i want to point out that hinata and kageyama exhibit a pattern through the series of separation and reunion, and coming together stronger than before

-their first match vs becoming teammates
-their fight after losing to aojo vs. creating the minus tempo
-ball boy arc
-brazil arc

hinata and kageyama were forced to become teammates. kageyama was rejected from stz and his teammates, and hinata was constricted to following the path of the little giant. the weren't free to become partners the first time...

if hinata has been striving for acknowledgement, what bigger recognition could he get than for kageyama to ask if they can play together as partners again? to CHOOSE to play together because they are free to do so?

i believe furudate has already hinted to this being the outcome...in a very unconventional way.

in ch 37 hinata vows he will defeat kageyama "even if it takes 10 or 20 years"

in ch 377 nice proposes to heitor (despite him losing), and parallels hinatas line.

in ch 375, hinata has a flashback of kenma who tells him "if you get boring, i'll drop you,"

it's then curiously followed up by heitor revealing to hinata he is planning on proposing if they win!

(and hinatas reaction is quite ironic)

and unconventionality and things being done at the last second has been a staple of hinata and kageyamas relationship.
-hinata vowing at the last second he will defeat kageyama
-kageyama tossing to hinata at the last second (and in an awkward position)

the BIGGEST example of this, one that also ties in with "strength is freedom" is the four toss during the nekoma match!

hinata is literally freed from his cage, and kageyama is "no longer a prisoner" to his old self!

from the beginning, both hinata and kageyama are aware they lack a lot of things.

neither had a good team and they both had weaknesses they needed to overcome. but more than anything...they lacked a partner.

its lost in the english translation but when hinata appears in ch. 1, the kanji used is for "right", but the furigana used means "there" and is in reference to...when there was /no one/ there. when he had no partner.

(furudate hinting at something that hadnt even happened yet)

and the moment that haunts kageyama, when "there was no one", is sneakily called back to at the end of nationals...in addition to his rejection by stz.

the same words hinata said to kageyama, 居るぞ, are used again for the last toss at nationals and it hold a double meaning. not only did they find a team, but most importantly they found each other...they found a partner.

confrontation. acknowledgement. partnership. it is a pattern shown since chapter 1...

if this pattern holds true...it wouldn't be surprising to see kageyama choose hinata, to ask to set to him again.

not just for NT where they are forced together...but to be FREE to go wherever they want to, together...at last as equals.

remember...

if strength is freedom, and hinata is truly free from his inferiority to kageyama and is finally strong enough as a player with his own merits...choosing to play WITH kageyama would be the ultimate proof of that.

after all, playing volleyball is about having fun isn't it.

ty for reading! feel free to qrt or leave a comment...i like reading them and wanna have discussion

bonus: im adding tobis short thread at the end bc its relevant and expands on the ideas here! pls read https://twitter.com/tobioshollow/status/1265436800098729985