COMFORT CROWD ᵏ·ᵏᵒᶻᵘᵐᵉ

04 | nervous

Thinking the conversation would've lasted longer, Youko catches up with Kenma when he turned on his heel and went straight towards the front of the school. A part of her was relieved they skipped the small-talk, Youko knowing full well she would've ended up talking about something completely unrelated.

When they pass the front entrance of Nekoma, Kenma slowly navigates Youka through all the essential spaces of the building. Compared to her old school in Miyagi, everything here was bigger and more spacious. Youko believed when she would move back to the city, all her old habits would have come back to her on a whim. However, as Kenma softly explained each setting and what it was used for, Youko was focused on the few students roaming the halls with their friends.

Making friends was always a challenge for the fair-haired girl, even at her old school she only and a handful of people she got along with. So watching everyone, even Kenma's collectiveness as he spoke about something she knew nothing about caused dread to emanate.

"And this is your homeroom class," Kenma announced, pointing lazily at the class to his right.

Youko clears her throat, putting on a smile. "Thanks," she tells him, taking out her schedule as she bit the inside of her cheek.

Kenma was never the one to pry into others' business, but he couldn't help but noticed how fidgety Youko was becoming. He remembered what Kuroo said the other day, about how Youko got nervous easily. Kenma could only assume that was the reason why she's been a little quieter than normal since they arrived. He wanted to try and help, but, he wasn't sure if he'll just end up making Youko even more uncomfortable.

Kenma looked away from Youko's expression, contemplating whether or not he should at least try to make her feel more at ease. In these situations, he wished Kuroo was here to help. Kenma knew for certain that he would've been able to easily distract Youko.

"So how did you meet Kuroo," he randomly asked, the line between Youko's brow softening to Kenma's question.

"Maybe talking about something familiar would help," he thought.

The memory of her first time talking to Kuroo makes her hum, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Well... it's kinda embarrassing," she admits. "It was during my first year in high school."

Kenma listened intently as she explained herself, relieved to already see an improvement in Youko's mood. The colour in her cheeks returned and her eyes seemed livelier, Kenma even noticed how she stopped folding the corner of her schedule.

With the new topic, Youko became shy when she had to admit to her lazy habits. Most of it was related to her schoolwork, and because of it, she eventually revealed that if it weren't for Kuroo answering her desperate attempt for help on Instagram that day she would've failed her science project.

"So you posted on your story that you needed help and he just answered?"

Youko nods. "Yeah... I wasn't expecting anyone to answer, but he did and actually helped me out a lot. After that, he texted me almost every day asking how I was doing, and we just... became friends."

A nervous laugh left her lips, Kenma raising a brow to the gesture. "The idea sounds far-fetched now that I say it aloud," Youko admits, running her hand through her hair. "Me becoming best friends with a guy I never met? I bet I sound crazy."