Serendipity: Haikyuu Fanfic

Chapter 43: What If

"You look... uh..."

"Terrible. I know." Jun yawns. Kenma poked her forehead mid-yawn, and she stumbles backwards — her back hitting someone's chest.

Oh?

It's none other than Kuroo. He doesn't fare so well either: his usual sly eyes weakened into a sleepy look. Still, he cracks a smile at both of them.

Why? Well, there was familiar giddy feeling Kuroo has felt before — that relentless exciting thought of your feelings returned. It was a long time ago, and yet Kuroo felt like a shy middle schooler again. After Jun's confession, his mind relentlessly wandered as he tried to sleep last night. He kept rewinding the imaginary tapes in his mind, relishing the flustered look on her face, the softness of her hand felt, and also that kiss —

"Hey, Kuroo." Jun greets.

"Hey." Kuroo ruffles her hair affectionately , as he usually does. "You're late, go get the net set up."

"Can't cut me some slack, huh?"

A seemingly normal conversation. And yet, Kenma's piercing eyes shifted back and forth, quietly observing them. Then — suddenly — it all clicks in his brain. He looks away, letting out an amused huff through his nose. "Congratulations."

Jun's face turns red. Kuroo waves both of his hands dismissively.

"Wait a sec—"

"We're not quite..."  Jun starts. Kenma looks at her expectedly.

"Explain to me then."

"It's sorta like a trial run." Kuroo says with a grin. "We're figuring it out too."

"Really?" Kenma looks at them, brows raised. To be honest, Kuroo seemed like the kind of person to be so eager for things to be official. Jun robotically nods in agreement to Kuroo's statement.

-*-

By Kenma's persistence, he had dragged Kuroo to the mall to purchase a new game. Kenma had intended to purchase it with his own money, but thanks to Kuroo's (un)timely confession, he had lost ¥2,000  to a bet with Yaku.

It was a collective, team-wide wager held behind the couple's backs several months ago. In the least, Yaku victoriously collected money from everyone in the team like it's damn Chinese New Years.

"I told you," Kuroo repeats. "Jun and I figuring things out."

Kenma snorts. Kuroo raises a brow.

"You look like you already know what you want."  Kenma points out.

Perhaps he does. Perhaps he doesn't. Why does he act like he can read Kuroo's mind? Kuroo couldn't even object — because he's right.

I think... I think I like you. Those were the words that she said. Even Jun's epiphany of liking Kuroo came to a shock to her, blurting it out in the heat of the moment. Unlike Kuroo, there was no time to process her own realization. To accept and recognize her feelings as real, and not a measly temporary crush.

Under the guise of having reservations about their relationship, Kuroo suggests a trial run for both of them to try— no strings attached. Even with his apparent non-committal attitude, it's a torturous, risky move. Kuroo's in too deep now. In reality, he patiently waits for Jun to come to the conclusion that — yes, yes I not only like you, but I want to be with you.

...But what if she doesn't?

"You think too much for the sake of other people." Kenma pauses considerably long before saying the next words quietly. "But you're not even honest with yourself. It's annoying."

"I've been told." Kuroo bitterly remembers Jun's harsh scolding from long ago. He hands his money over to Kenma. "Not in the mood to be psychoanalyzed right now."

Kenma reaches out to take the cash, but there's some resistance from Kuroo's end.

"It's necessary." Kenma retaliates firmly, successfully snatching the cash from Kuroo's grasp.

Kuroo frowns. "No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is."