knutcraaka

[knutcraaka]

the team didn't really really notice until golden week rolled around. it was still early spring, and the crisp night air still made everyone shiver.

kosuke always complained about the cold. he hated it. his face would go red, and he always wore an unnecessary amount of layers. he found every excuse to where a scarf is april.

so it came to a surprised when he walked out of the bathroom in nothing but baggy sweatpants. the rest of the team was bundled up in long sleeves and thick socks, but kosuke wore the bare minimum.

"you're going to freeze in that," daichi said, raising a brow with an incredulous look.

kosuke waved him off, flopping over onto his futon. "that's what the pants for."

"who are you trying to impress?" tanaka sneered, hanging his head over kosuke.

"yeah, i thought you hated the cold, matsukito?" yamaguchi added, already wrapped in a thick blanket. he shivered occasionally.

"i do," kosuke grumbled. "but i can't bare to wear a shirt when i sleep. i feel like i'm choking."

the most shocking part? he was the first one asleep—curled up, a thin blanket barely clinging to his side.

and when morning came and the cold nipped at everyone's noses, they waited for kosuke's usual whining, but not a single peep from him. he just yawn and ruffled is messy curls, running his hand through the tangles.

"i have no idea how you work." sugawara stuttered, trembling from the cold.

"i don't know what yer talkin' 'bout," kosuke mumbled, already halfway back to sleep.

[knutcraaka]

the entire karasuno team was absolutely convinced that kosuke lived in a different world.

they thought their hometown of karumai was already rural enough compared to the rest of miyagi—but stepping onto the matsukito homestead felt like walking into a different century altogether.

kosuke had invited the team over to his family's homestead to escape the scalding summer heat. july was brutal, sparing nobody from rosy, flushed cheeks and irritating sunburns, (constantly having to do up-hill runs at their training camp after losing 50 practice matches definitely didn't help.)

his family’s home sat beside a stream, tucked deep in the hills, and after their trip to tokyo, he figured they could all use a break to wind down.

week after week of grueling training and sticky city heat made the idea of cooling off in an ice-cold stream under a canopy of tall trees sounded heavenly to everyone. there was no need for convincing.

("what's a homestead?" kageyama asked daichi as they walked towards sakanoshita. karasuno finally came back from tokyo and finished their daily practice. kosuke had suggested the idea as the group made their way down the low-lit path. tanaka and nishinoya cheered loudly, excited by the idea of going to kosuke's house for the very first time. "i have no idea, honestly.")

the team knew kosuke lived a bit from karasuno, around a thirty minute bike ride or an hour and a half walk. he mentioned briefly about having to go up a small hill and twisty path surrounded by trees before reaching the gate to the homestead—which barely poked out through all of the foliage.

kosuke's friend came in small groups—the third-years arrived at the gate first. daichi pulled his car alongside the road, gasping slightly at how the car bounced onto the unpaved terrain. he gave a suspicious glance towards the old, rusted gate before turning to kiyoko, who sat in the passenger seat.

"this is the right place, isn't it, shimizu?"

kiyoko glanced at her phone, skimming the directions kosuke had sent the team, then swiped the screen with a quick flick of her finger.

"turn left after the bridge toward the rice fields, then right onto hazashi road. go up the hill and past the yellow marker on the guardrail—you should see a rusted gate on the left. there’s a wooden board with ‘matsukito’ carved into it."

the third-years peeked over Kiyoko’s shoulder, their attention shifting back to the old, rusty gate. sure enough, the name 'matsukito' was carved into a worn out piece of plywood.

"i guess so..."

it took ten more minutes before the second-years arrived. "daichi!" tanaka yelled, sticking his head out of the small car. his sister sat in the front seat, offering a small wave to the group.

ennoshita and noya tumbled out of the back, both looking pale and miserable, wearing identical sickly expressions.

"i tried to call you guys, but none of you answered! we got a little lost." daichi raised a brow, pulling out his phone from his back pocket. its screen flickered on, revealing a photo of him, asahi, sugawara, and kiyoko all squished together—awkward, giddy smiles on all of their faces.

he tilted his head slightly, swiping up on his phone to pull up the notification tab. "i didn't get anything," he said.

"neither did i."

"well, i don't have any service." asahi noted, a surprised hum slipping out as he checked his phone.

"i forgot to mention that to you guys. i'm glad you found the place!" kosuke laughed, walking down the dirt path. He gave a casual wave before flopping over the gate, his arms dangling awkwardly in the air. "you can't really catch service here, so if you need to call home, we have a landline."

"kosuke! it was so hard to find this place!" tanaka whined, strolling over tiredly. "that drive was gnarly! especially with saeko driving." the mention of tanaka's sister sent a shiver down nishinoya and ennoshita's spine.

"blegh! don't mention her driving! it makes my stomach all sore." ennoshita mumbled, a hand over his mouth.

kosuke laughed, shaking his head. "sorry 'bout that." he then turned to the third-years, who had settled onto the hood of daichi's car. kiyoko stood not too far away from the group, a cute bag in her hands.

"were you guys waiting for long?"

"not really... it's nice and cool up here, so we didn't mind," asahi said with a smile, giving a thumbs-up. "hell yeah! you didn't tell us you lived in the woods like a bear!" sugawara laughed as he walked over and gave kosuke a couple of friendly slaps on the shoulder. kosuke rolled his eyes and leaned on one arm, giving sugawara a look.

"uh, yeah i did, suga."

not long after the group of first-years came peaking around the corner, the group split up in two different cars. a van came first with tsukishima and a person the group didn't recognize in the front. yamaguchi's head peeked in between the two, his mouth wide in awe.

a much smaller car followed close behind, its tiny frame rattling slightly as it pulled up. In the front seat, yachi sat stiffly, her face pale as she clutched the dashboard like it might save her. meanwhile, hinata was practically plastered against the rear window, his wide-eyed face smushed comically against the glass.

kosuke squinted at the scene, amused. he could only assume kageyama was in the backseat with hinata.

"welcome!" he shouted to the group, tsukishima being the first to get out of the car. he nodded slightly at the group before turning back to the driver to mumble something.

"good morning, guys!" yamaguchi smiled, waving excitedly as he stumbled out of the car. he clutched his bag tight to his chest as if it would stabilize him.

hinata helped yachi out of the car, an arm around her shoulder as he muttered a loud, "thank you", to the driver. kosuke could hear the driver speak worriedly. "are you going to be alright, hitoka?" she asked, and all yachi could do is give her a weak thumbs-up.

kageyama came out of the backseat sluggishly, sleep evident in his eyes. he let out a loud yawn before nodding. "mornin,'" he mumbled, his backpack slung over his shoulder sloppily. he stretched his back out like a cat, a calmness in his face that made yachi jealous.

"i'm glad you all could make it!"

the team walked down a red dirt path, the ground slightly wet by the morning dew. forest completely surrounding them. yachi jumped at every rustle, prepared to start running if a wild boar popped out of the bushes.

the sun peaked past the leaves and the morning began to heat up fast. most them were already sweating, the mountain's humidity hitting them almost immediately.

"it smells like moss..." tsukishima couldn't help but mumble, a hand scratching his arm after another mosquito bit him. he was not having fun.

"you get use to it!" kosuke laughed, ahead of the entire group. tanaka and nishinoya jumped beside him, pointing at random plants. "this is so cool! i've never been up in the mountains before!" tanaka smiled, completely in awe.

eventually, they made it through the driveway, their slippers covered in dirt. a few open arches of land stretched out behind the trees that had completely hidden the path.

they could hear the steady rush of a stream to their right, the scent of fresh grass and damp earth mingling in the air. a quiet calm seemed to drift with the water, slipping past every mossy rock and tumbling current.

the driveway led up to an old wooden house—the porch of which was covered in clay pots and long sticks covered in mud alongside a bunch of children's toys that was also stained a muddy red.

to the left of the house was a large field. patches of taro sat nestled slightly lower than the surrounding land, the earth gently sloping down into a shallow, rectangular pond of water that shimmered under the sunlight.

there were about 10 different patches, the surface floor barely separated each patch, just enough for someone to walk on.

the patches were marked by a small layer of mud, just noticeable enough for you to know not to take a closer step. lush, green plants grew along the water’s edge, their large, heart-shaped leaves reaching toward the sun, casting a soft, shadowy pattern over the ground. the scent of fresh earth and growing vegetation filled the air, mingling with the cool, damp fragrance of the water.

random pvc pipe popped out of the driveway towards the taro field, halfway under the ground. the end poked out at the nearest field, a rush of fresh water spewed out. the flow of water washed past the field before slipping into the next through a small opening that connected them.

It was a place of quiet abundance, where the land and water seemed to work in harmony, cultivating life in a way that felt timeless and soothing. The rush of the water and the vibrant green around it created a sense of peace, as if this hidden patch of earth had been carefully nurtured for generations.

hinata clung to kageyama, wide-eyed. “Did we time-travel?” he whispered.

"what the hell is this?" sugawara couldn't help but spout out, his jaw completely ajar. kosuke laughed before waving them off. "just my home. c'mon, you guys can drop your stuff off at the house!"

the group followed after kosuke, still in awe. they were careful to step over the pipe that stuck out of the road. kosuke pointed out to the field like a tour guide, explaining that their family grows taro because of how easy it was to take care of it compared to other plants. their family was most familiar with it compared to anything else.

the team had no idea what he was talking about.

the group dropped their bags onto the porch, happy to shelter themselves under the small cover. "well, when you guys are ready, we can head towards the stream. y'guys are goin' to love it!" kosuke shouted from inside the house, rummaging through the kitchen. daichi and kiyoko could seem him through the screen door.

he came waddling out with two large watermelon under his arm. "the neighbors dropped off some watermelon the other day but ma' siblings don't really like watermelon so we have plenty!"

daichi opened the door for kosuke, and he just nodded with a small 'thank you.'

"what neighbors?" nishinoya huffed with amusement, turning his head side-to-side. "yeah! the nearest house to us is like 10 minutes down the road!" tanaka laughed, not before grabbing one of the watermelons from kosuke.

"they still dropped some off!"

eventually the team followed kosuke into the bushes, but kept a small distance, (kosuke was holding a machete in one hand, a watermelon in the other, and a pink backpack that was too small for him. "it's my sister's." he shrugged when tsukishima made a comment about it. he looked like a jacked version of dora.)

kosuke cleared a small path and the team followed in a single-file line. asahi stood the closest to kosuke, completely freaking out. "you sure there isn't wild boars?" he asked in a hush tone, careful with every step.

kosuke could only hum. "well, i haven't seen any recently..." his said in a thoughtful tone. it didn't ease asahi's nerves. yachi held onto asahi's back, hoping he would protect her if something popped out.

he was the worst person to seek protection from, in all honesty.

after what felt like an entirety of walking through bushes, the steam became more visible to the group. kosuke smiled, picking up his pace. "were here!" he smiled, jumping out of the tall bushes to a small patch of grass and gravel alongside the stream.

"wow!" hinata was the first one to react, ripping off his shirt before he made it out of the bushes. he jumped around excitedly, laughing as he ran past the group. he scattered his shirt and phone to the side before jumping into the stream with a large splash.

kageyama automatically yelled after him, not before ripping off his own shirt and following after hinata. tanaka and nishinoya couldn't help but follow suit, discarding everything they brought on a nearby rock before jumping in.

tanaka breached his head out of the air, a loud, sharp gasp spilling past his lips. "cold!" he stuttered out. kosuke laughed before pulling off his own shirt.

at this point, the sun was blazing down on the group, but none of them noticed as they splashed in the stream. most of them played, kageyama and yamaguchi tossing a volleyball back and forth, while hinata and nishinoya swam below them, chasing after a group of small fishes.

yachi sat near the shore with a large blow-up tub around her. she looked nervous, contemplating whether she should jump in. most of the third-years sat above the group, laying on their back and letting the current push them down before sitting backup and doggy paddling towards the top again.

sugawara would pop up randomly next to people, trying his best to scare anyone. everyone could see him through the glassy water, so it never worked.

kiyoko smiled from the shore, her pants pulled up high enough to not get it wet. she stood in the water, wiggling her toes happily as tanaka stared up at her with a dopey smile. he'd been convincing her to jump in the water for the last 30 minutes. "i'd save you if anything happens!" he declared confidently but only seemed to melt every time she laughed.

tsukishima stood on the dry gravel, phone in hand, pointed steadily towards yamaguchi. a few feet away, yamaguchi flailed hopelessly in the deep end of the water, barely able to touch the bottom. he jumped as much as he could to send the ball back to kageyama with an overhead throw, but it slipped through his fingers, landing square of this face with a loud plop.

tsukishima snorted, zooming in mercilessly on yamaguchi's betrayed, sour face. "shut up, tsuki!" he shouted from the water.

"shouldn't you be in the water, tsukishima? you're sweating like a pig!" kosuke laughed from beside him, squinting at the sun overhead. tsukishima gave him a lazy glance, before turning back to his phone. "i'm good. this is more fun." he replied, camera still trained on kageyama and yamaguchi.

kosuke rolled his eyes, then smoothly snatched the phone out of his hand and, in one motion, reached up to remove tsukishima's glasses. "wait, what are you doing?" he stuttered out, going stiff as Kosuke placed the glasses carefully on his shirt that sat on the floor behind them.

kosuke’s grin curled into something mischievous, teeth flashing. It sent a visible shiver down tsukishima’s spine. "no. stop it, kosuke." he warned, already taking a step back.

kosuke only grew wider.

"i'm serious!" he scrambled.

the others turned at the sound of tsukishima yelping—kosuke had lunged forward, scooping him up effortlessly with an arm hooked under his legs. "put me down!" he barked, but kosuke just adjusted his grip and hoisted him higher over his shoulder like a sack of flour.

"you're much heavier than you look," was his only response.

kosuke held his breath as tsukishima’s weight settled onto him, then took off at a clumsy jog toward the water, his feet crunching on gravel as the chaos unfolded. tsukishima held onto his bareback, grabbing onto anything to hold himself up.

"i'm begging you!" he cried out, squirming over kosuke's shoulder like a cat headed for a bath. kosuke had already made up his mind.

he launched himself off the edge of the gravel into the water between kageyama and yamaguchi with a resounding splash, dragging tsukishima down with him. the two bystanders went under with all the force, grasping for a small gasp of air before being fully submerged by cold water.

the water exploded around them in a foamy burst, soaking the nearby group and sending ripples across the entire pool. there was a beat of silence—just the sound of dripping water and tsukishima's muffled underwater shriek—before he broke the surface with a gasp, blond hair plastered to his face and his white shirt sticking to his skin.

"you are the worst." was all he could sputter, flailing as he tried to push his soggy bangs from his eyes. "the worst."

kosuke popped up beside him, a belly laugh leaving his mouth the moment he gasped for air. his long hair was covering his face, but he made no effort to move it. he was laughing so hard he nearly went under again.

"you love me, don'tcha, tsukishima?"

"no."

kosuke snorted, splashing water into tsukishima's face. his toes just barely brushed the bottom, the smooth, algae-slick rocks slippery beneath him. still, it was just enough for him to hold himself up.

without thinking, tsukishima retaliated, flinging a splash back. a smirk of satisfaction curled on his lips when he saw kosuke's smile faltered—though it came back much faster than he wanted it to.

kosuke went lunging towards tsukishima with zero hesitation, tackling him with a triumphant shout.

tsukishima let out an ack! before going under. the water bubbled around them as they wrestled, tsukishima shoving back against kosuke beneath the surface.

kosuke lifted tsukishima up and out of the water, holding him overhead with ease. tsukishima let out a mangled, breathless laugh before kosuke dropped him with a splash.

still cackling, kosuke pointed a finger at him as he popped his head out. "oh really? yamaguchi! c'mere!" tsukishima chortled, waving the boy over.

the surprise on yamaguchi (and everyone else's) was evident, but he didn't hesitate to swim over to tsukishima. they gave each other a wordless glance before swimming toward shallower water. kosuke and the others watch before yamaguchi ducked underwater.

hinata, who floated on his stomach near the chaos, squeeked as he saw tsukishima's form rising, now perched on yamaguchi's shoulder like some looming deity. hinata felt like he was being attacked by godzilla. "huge!" he yelped.

kosuke’s grin widened into something far more devious.

he scanned over the group, eyes flicking from person to person before locking eyes with daichi.

his smile immediately dropped when kosuke waved him over. "cap'n, please!" kosuke begged, his hands holding each other tightly. "no. no way." daichi was quick to answer, sinking his head deeper into the water.

tsukishima smirked, feeling like the king of the world. yamaguchi stumbled a bit when tsukishima laughed, trembling under the uneven weight, but he still managed a wicked little grin of his own. "awh, looks the little captain's too scared," tsukishima taunted, squinting slightly smugly at daichi.

kosuke rolled his eyes at him. if he didn't announce daichi's name out loud, tsukishima probably wouldn't have known who he was talking to. he was as blind as a bat from his high horse, everybody looking like little blurry blobs.

the word 'little' seemed to trigger something in daichi, because he stood to his full height, puffing his chest out to make it big before paddling over to kosuke. before kosuke could even cheer, daichi dove under, swimming between his legs and rising up beneath him with a mighty shove.

kosuke clung to daichi's head to steady himself, now fully visible above the water except for his dangling legs. "you better destroy them," was all daichi said.

"look what you did, tsuki!"

"shut up, yamaguchi!"

the two approached, kosuke and tsukishima's hands instantly clashing midair. they pushed against each other with all their might, trying to gain leverage as water splashed up around them.

kosuke couldn’t stop laughing at tsukishima’s expression—squinted eyes, furrowed brows—it was the most animated he’d ever seen him. It would’ve been unsettling if tsukishima wasn't actively attacking him

kosuke was quick to lean forward, one hand pushing firmly against tsukishima's forehead. yamaguchi tried to stabilize, shouting half-coherent instructions and wheezing through their laughter.

"incoming!"

hinata, riding high on kageyama’s shoulders, wild-eyed and grinning like a maniac, surged toward them with a warrior cry.

"puh-lease, you guys are going down!" an evil cackle followed as sugawara appeared, perched triumphantly on tanaka's shoulders. "attack!" he howled, charging towards tsukishima and kosuke.

four towering human stacks now faced off in the middle of the water, wobbling and lunging at each other in chaotic bursts of splash and laughter. spectators howled from the shallows—nishinoya nearly fell over from laughing, kiyoko held her phone steady for photos, and even yachi couldn’t help a shaky giggle into her hands as tsukishima reached over to grab kosuke’s shoulders with both hands.

"you think you still all that, kosuke?" he asked between his teeth, a snarky smile on his lips and he pushed with all his might. "i do!" kosuke barked, pushing back just as hard. but when his hands left tsukishima, the force of the push rocked him backward.

"shit!"

kosuke flailed, trying to pull himself forward again, legs slipping as he lost balance. daichi grunted beneath him, gripping tighter and stepping backward to try and stabilize them.

just as daichi prepared to lift up again, his foot slid on a steep, rocky slope beneath the water—and the two of them went crashing backward with a great, echoing splash.

the three stacks froze, watching slowly as both kosuke and daichi emerged from the water. daichi was laughing harder than anyone had ever seen, while kosuke looked significantly less thrilled.

"ha! we win!" tsukishima grinned unnervingly, thrusting a fist in the air. "you didn't win jack shit! nature and my own awesome strength defeated us!" kosuke shouted, splashing water furiously at tsukishima and yamaguchi.

before tsukishima and yamaguchi could rub in their faces, they suddenly toppled over—sugawara snapped out of his stunned daze and charged forward mercilessly at tsukishima with both hands.

"i own this water! rah!" he howled, immediately turning his wrath on Hinata and Kageyama without a second thought.

in the end, sugawara won the fight—an evil glint in his eyes. he crossed his arms like an all-powerful god. "bow to the new king of the ocean!" he laughed in a royal tone, voice echoing with laughter.

"we're in the mountains!" asahi called from the shore, his knees pulled up to his chest with a large piece of watermelon in hand. "quiet, peasant! bring thou king a piece of watermelon—sugamelon!" he demanded, cutting himself off mid-sentence rename of the fruit in his honor.

tanaka burst into laughter, paddling through the water toward the shore, likely on a mission to fulfill the absurd decree.

the rest of the team couldn't help but burst into laughter, falling back into the water like it was a soft bed.

from the riverbank, yachi stood beside kiyoko with a handful of watermelon. she couldn't help but let out a relieved sigh as all the boys settled down. some went back to playing and splashing in the water. kosuke apologized to tsukishima, but he didn't look mad. they both sat in the water, talking about something animatedly, (well kosuke was talking about something animatedly, tsukishima just smiled, an unfamiliar look of calm and willingness on his face.)

she was glad tsukishima hadn't drowned.

as kosuke's heart slowed, and blood flowed like the calm stream he sat in, he couldn't help but smile. he flopped backward into the stream, floating on his back as sunlight flickered through the tree canopy above. The air buzzed with cicadas, laughter echoing through the forest like something ancient and soft.

"thanks for, uh, bringing us." tsukishima mumbled, settling beside him. he had long discarded his poor white t-shirt, sitting on a random rock that poked out of the water. "this was... fun." he smiled, soft and barely noticeable.

kosuke gave a sideward glance before splashing some water into his face. "don't go all soft on me, tsukishima. besides, i've been want'a bring you guys down."

kageyama floated by on his back, his head facing the two. he looked oddly serene. "is this what it's like for you all the time, kosuke?" he asked, hooking a hand around tsukishima's ankle to keep from floating away.

it took everything in tsukishima to not pull away from him. he was in a good mood, and he didn't want kageyama tobio to ruin it.

"i guess you could say that. for the most part i grew up here." he smiled, tossing a random rock into the water. it plopped into the stream, a soft splash following close behind.

"i'm jealous." kageyama yawned, looking around. he was about to spew something about volleyball—how this would be the perfect place to train, but kosuke was quick to cut him off. "you guys are always welcome. my home is your home."

the two first-years hummed, taking a glance at kosuke.

he looked right in his element. they were sure they'd never seen kosuke so perfectly in place. it was an odd feeling to say the least, to think he just belonged here. the sun was drawing closer and closer to the horizon, and the sun fell perfectly between the trees.

the golden light filtered its way through the leaves, casting a shadow on kosuke's face. most of the team was filing out of the water, but the three stayed put.

"i really like it here." kageyama mumbled out, staring at the slowly setting sun. it's ray bounced out the stream, causing their surroundings to look much more orange. "you're telling me." tsukishima hummed, leaning onto his elbows.

kosuke turned back to the two, whose eyes were still trained on the glorious sun.

it was just them, the sun, water, and the strange, wonderful world kosuke called home.

and maybe, just maybe—kageyama would finally learn what a homestead was.

[knutcraaka]

out of all his seniors, kosuke matsukito definitely looks up to daichi sawamura the most.

if karasuno is a tower, daichi would be the foundation.

In all honesty, kosuke is sure that the team wouldn't have succeeded without daichi, not that he'd ever admit that out loud. daichi is a born leader and is more stable than a bolder. if it wasn't for his love of volleyball, karasuno wouldn't have been where they are today.

he lead karasuno and gave hopes to not only his underclassmen, but his fellow third-years. he forced himself into that position of leadership, learning new techniques, and being a shoulder to lean on for his teammates when no one else was there.

he carried the burden of not having a coach so his teammates wouldn't worry. he lead every practice, every drill, every workout, everything.

kosuke wonders if his teammates, or even daichi, realizes how he really affected everyone.

when kosuke first quit volleyball, it was daichi that hooked him back in, that gave him hope, that reminded him why he played to begin with.

he was the most reliable member, someone you could turn to when you didn't know what to do. daichi had everyone's back and didn't let anyone give up hope.

on top of that, all he wanted to do was to play volleyball with his friends.

so when people ask him why he daichi sawamura is his favorite, he just says,

"without him, we wouldn't be where we are today."