"Set to me," Y/N said, and he stood up to look Keishin in the eyes. "I want to see how high I can fly with you."
Keishin had been working hard, had even been complimented by his grandfather (who had once said that the only thing he hated was his grandson) and everyone had been seeking him out to practice with. He just hadn't expected for Y/N to run to him and be so determined to get him to practice as well.
"What if I'm not as good as Fujii-san?" Keishin asked, and Y/N chuckled as he shook his head.
"I don't care who's better. I care who makes it feel right."
Ukai had been a spiker once, because he had to be, but it had never appealed to him. He didn't have the same rush spiking compared to the rush he got when he saw someone perfectly spike a ball he set.
He noticed how Y/N's eyes shined as if he had won the lottery every time he spiked one of Keishin's sets. His smile was always so big and contagious that Keishin found himself smiling too.
"Again," Y/N demanded, and Keishin had learned that was something he did a lot. "Make me fly higher, Keishin."
"Okay, L/N-san," he said, and his cheeks were bright red. Y/N grinned at him as if he had been invited to be on the National Men's Volleyball Team.
"Call me Y/N. It's only fair right?"
"Yeah, it's only fair," Keishin breathed out, and he felt dizzy. He felt so dizzy. "Let's make you fly higher, Y/N."
*****
Keishin wasn't the person who normally setting to Y/N outside of their personal practices. Y/N had been paired up with Fujii since their first year, because they could do attacks Keishin could only dream of doing. When he became more constant in Y/N's volleyball life, they became unstoppable.
He'd watch Y/N stare at his red palm after a particularly strong spike before clenching his fist and looking up at Keishin. His eyes were so desperate and hungry, just like the first time he had asked Keishin to set to him. The way Y/N looked filled Keishin with so much pride that he never wanted any of it to end. He wanted to stay on the court with Y/N. He wanted to stay next to him.
"You give Koichi-san a run for his money sometimes," Y/N said during a break, and Keishin stared at him confused. That wasn't true. Keishin wasn't that good and never would be. Y/N chuckled slightly and took a drink from his water bottle. "Don't look at me like that and just take the compliment."
Coach Ukai noticed their obvious connection and moved Keishin to be a starter who would switch in and out with Fujii in games. It was always very strategic, but Fujii always glared at Keishin, and Keishin understood. Everyone wanted to fight alongside Y/N, even if they never said it or refused to admit it.
"Don't try to make a move on him," Fujii said, and it was just him and Keishin in the empty club room. Keishin didn't really understand what he meant by the statement. "It's easy to get caught up in the way he acts when you're both on the court, but he doesn't give a damn off of it."
"Why do you care what I do and don't do?" Keishin asked, and he stared at Fujii, who rolled his eyes.
"Everyone keeps getting their hearts broken by him," Fujii said, and he ruffled his own hair slightly. "Everyone gets their hearts broken without even realizing they were in love with him."
Keishin froze, because he wasn't in love with Y/N. Sure, he admired Y/N, but admiration and love were two separate things. He wasn't in love with Y/N, he just wasn't.
Next to You (Ukai)
Start from the beginning
