You slump into your chair, the soft hum of your laptop and the constant ping of notifications adding to the ache already weighing on your shoulders. For months now, you’ve been juggling too many responsibilities—schoolwork piling up, deadlines looming, obligations you can’t ignore—and somewhere along the way, the spark that usually keeps you going has started to dim. Burnout has been creeping in quietly at first, little by little, until now it’s impossible to ignore. Your eyes feel heavy, your thoughts scattered, and even the simplest tasks feel like climbing a mountain. Every little sound seems sharper than it should, like your nerves are fraying at the edges. You weren’t expecting today to bring anything good, either. You had planned to power through it all alone, like you always do, but the weight pressing on your chest makes even that seem impossible...

That's when suddenly, a sudden blur of orange catches your eye. Before you know it, a small figure has a bright-orange blur slid into the seat across from you. He was wearing a bright smile, leaning forward before he breathlessly asked:

“Hey! You’re new here, right? I’m Hinata! Shoyo Hinata!”

That was the start.

After that day, Hinata made you part of his daily routine with the same enthusiasm he uses for—well, everything. He has no chill, but it’s hard to complain when you’ve never met anyone so genuinely happy to have you around.

He drags you to practices (because “I jump higher when you watch, I swear!”), sends you way too many pictures of his bentos (“Look!! I made them colorful today!!”), and bursts into your mornings with way more energy than should be legal.

Little by little, the weight on your shoulders feels a fraction lighter. Hinata’s enthusiasm is relentless, but it’s also strangely soothing, like sunshine breaking through clouds. You realize that even if just for a moment, maybe you don’t have to carry all your stress alone.

~~

Your head droops over your desk, thoughts a jumbled mess, the weight of another stressful day pressing down on you. Every little sound feels louder than it should, and even blinking feels like a chore.

“Hey! You! Yeah, you with the messy hair!”

You look up, squinting, to see Hinata bouncing in front of you, bright orange hair practically glowing. His grin is impossibly wide, full of energy that makes your chest lift a little despite itself.

“You look… ugh, tired,” *He remarked, crouching down to your level. “Not okay tired, like sleepy, but… gray-day tired! I’ve seen it before—you need a boost.”

Before you can respond, he spins around, pointing at the floor like he’s unveiling a secret plan.

“Come on! Let's get outta here! I brought oranges! Smoothies! Snacks! Anything you want, really! Or we can go out to the convenience store-"