-ˋˏ『• • TITLEˎˊ-
-ˋˏ♫call me📱 ♪ ˎˊ-
AUTHOR'S POV
"I'm so sorry, Tsukishima-san!" Kogane yelled for the fifth time that minute. Tsukishima couldn't care less about his apologies. He could hardly see as it was, much less get around without bumping into coloured shadows.
"It's fine," he said, his eyes heavily squinted on his screen. He still didn't understand how Kogane managed to break his sports glasses. After dialling his brother's number with no response, he sent him a text with the same empty hope. There's no way he's answering at this time, he thought. He resorted to calling his sister.
CALLING. . . . . F/n🦕
F: This has to be urgent if you're calling me
T: I need my extra pair of glasses.
F: Can't Akiteru bring 'em over?
T: He's not answering.
F: Fine, I'll be there soon. Try not to embarrass yourself in the meantime.
T: Tch. Shut up and get over here.
CALL ENDED 📳 [📴]
"You have a sister?" Kogane asked. "You never told me you had a sister."
"It wasn't something important to mention," Tsukishima answered without much thought. "Can you just leave it be?"
"But I still feel bad about breaking your glasses," Kogane replied. "At least let me stay and help you get around until your sister gets here."
Tsukishima was in over his head dealing with Kogane. But he didn't feel like hearing him talk any longer, so he agreed and let the bird stick with him. Meanwhile, F/n excused herself from class under the means of a family emergency and jogged home. She changed into more inconspicuous clothes and grabbed her brother's extra glasses.
"You owe me, Mooncakes," she said as she raced outside to her older brother's motorcycle.
"Let's get this show on the road," she said, putting the helmet on her head. She revved up the bike and was riding out towards Tokyo. Given her height, and general appearance of the moment, no one would question why a first-year was riding a motorcycle.
Skidding to a stop at the camp building, she cut the engine and called her brother. It was a quick call, asking for directions to the correct gym. Helmet in hand, she walked inside the building. She pushed the doors open and spotted him at the side looking well annoyed with whoever was beside him.
"Mooncakes, I have the glasses," F/n said, tossing them his way. He stumbled to catch them and put them on with a scowl.
"Don't use that stupid name," he scolded her. "It's embarrassing."
She shrugged, not caring about his opinion. "Well, I'll be off. I have classes to catch."
"How did you get here so quickly?" her brother asked wondering if she was stupid enough to drive here.
"Aki-nii's motorcycle of course."
If Tsukishima had more energy he would've smacked her for being stupid. "You're an idiot."
"Do you not have any more insults in the book or what?" she said poking fun at his repetition. As he was about to retaliate, Kogane jumped in front of him.
"I'm Koganegawa Kanji!"
"Tsukishima F/n and before you ask, yes we're twins."
"Wow! You really look like him," he pointed out to which you sighed.
"We're twins, so it's normal. But putting that aside, Moonbun," she called looking at her brother. "Do you need anything else from home?"
"You're asking this now that you're here?" he facepalmed. "No, I don't."
"Alright," F/n said, putting her helmet back on. "See you, Mooncakes."
She waved a two-finger salute and left the gym. Only then did Tsukishima notice the attention on him. He internally cursed the world.
"Why can't people mind their business?"
"Can I have her number Tsukishima!" Kogane asked.
"No," Tsukishima answered coldly.
"Why!"
"If you want to talk to her so badly, ask her yourself."
"But wouldn't I need her number to ask regardless?" Kogane reasoned. Tsukishima was reaching the upper limit of his tolerance for the volleyball heads in his company.
"She goes to Seijoh. Find her there. Leave me alone," he said bluntly.
"Thank you, Tsukishima!"
The said boy absentmindedly nodded in reply, wanting nothing more but to be left alone. "Maybe I should've stayed blind," he complained.
TIME SKIP
"I can't believe you convinced the coach to organize a practice with Seijoh just to see her," Futakuchi complained when walking out of the bus.
"It's extra practice," Kogane said. "I don't see the problem."
"Do you think I'm in a mood to deal with their arrogant captain?" he replied. Many of his teammates sneered at his comment.
The irony, they thought. The group walked to the gym and greeted their opponents. Oikawa shook hands with Futakuchi who faked a smile to hide his annoyance. Iwaizumi reminded Oikawa not to be an idiot, which warranted an extra snide comment from Hanamaki and Matsukawa.
"I'm always careful!"
Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, not bothering to bring up all the times he caught Oikawa lacking. "Why did you insist on practicing with us?" the ace asked the arriving team. "We're not advancing in the tournament."
"I don't think you'd believe us if we told you," Obara said with a sigh.
Iwaizumi, confused, questioned him more and that's how he figured out Kogane's plan. "Huh, it's a bit weird for an idea but I guess it works."
"Is she the team manager?" Kogane asked, hoping she would be here.
"She's not," Iwazumi replied. "But she'll be here."
Now it was Kogane's turn to be confused. Taking note of his expression, Iwaizumi told him to wait. And so he did, for a rather long time. The boys had belted it out in 3 sets already and Kogane had seen no sign of her appearing.
"When is she going to be here?" Kogane whined.
"When is who going to be here?" a voice said from beside him. Kogane leaped off the bench in surprise.
"F/n!? When did you get here!"
"I've always been here?" she replied seemingly trying to convince herself. "Were you looking for me?"
"Yes! Please give me your number!" he exclaimed with an exaggerated bow.
"I will just get up," she said with a sigh. "Kei was right, you are a little odd."
Kogane was struck with an arrow. "Ah. She thinks I'm weird," he mumbled to himself. F/n panicked when he started tearing up. She frantically told him to calm down and gave him compliments to retract what she had said. Kogane, still skeptical, looked up at her with her shiny tear-filled eyes. F/n almost cooed at the sight. She gently ruffled his hair assuring him he was a cool guy.
"When you two are done kissing up to each other, come join us," Futakuchi scowled. "You've wasted enough time already."
F/n examined him and immediately frowned. She stood to her full height and calmly walked to him, hands in her jacket pockets.
"Futakuchi Kenjiro, I would shut my mouth if I were you," she said glowering down at him. "Trash shouldn't talk."
Futakachi, not intimidated, fired back. "Oh? No respect for your senior?"
"Ara?" She placed a firm hand on his shoulder, earning a flinch from the male. "Listen, Futakuchi, and listen well. If you're going to scold me for my behaviour, maybe check your own, rat."
She pushed him back and he tumbled to the ground. Kogane watched her in awe. Although he'd seen people stand up to his captain multiple times, F/n has this energy to her that made Futakuchi cower.
"People like you hold their heads up so high they can't see the shit they're walking through. Disgusting. Filth."
"F/n, that's enough," Iwaizumi interfered. She clicked her tongue, walking out of the gym. Kogane followed her without much thought. Futakuchi was getting up to do the same but was stopped by Iwaizumi. "Unless you want her to send you to the emergency room, I'd suggest you stay put."
"And you say it's safe for Kogane to go!"
Iwaizumi shrugged. "He wasn't the one who got on her nerves."
"I'm surprised she didn't carve a hole into his face," Kindaichi said nonchalantly.
Futakuchi paled. "She did what?"
Matsukawa's memories clicked with the event. "She got suspended for it not too long ago, right?"
"Yep," Hanamaki confirmed. "She punched the kid so hard, his nose was sunken in. When I asked her what happened, she said 'I carved a hole into his face' because that's how bad the damage was."
Futakuchi flinched. I almost messed up bad, he realized. She's worse than Tsukishima!
While everyone gossiped about her once-in-a-lifetime fight, F/n sat up against a wall with her legs huddled to her chest. Kogane sat beside her, not really knowing what to do or say, but figured she would like some company.
"Why did you follow me?" she asked.
"My body kind of moved on its own," he said with a shy laugh. "I hope I'm not bothering."
Her brow raised in question. "I thought for sure you would've cowered in fear and stayed in the gym."
Kogane smiled. "No. I thought it was pretty cool. Maybe a little scary, but just a little!"
Kogane calmed down when F/n placed a hand on his head. The very corner of her lips perked into a smile. "You know, you're pretty cute," she said.
Kogane spluttered nonsense in embarrassment and F/n couldn't keep her laughter in, causing the boy to cover his face.
"Baby bird, I'll call you baby bird."
"F/n, please don't tease me!" he whined, lightly shoving her shoulder. F/n shoved him back and this started a little tirade between the two going back and forth until they were rolling on the floor. It all stopped when F/n flipped him onto his back, one arm pinned above his head and the other behind his back. "Surrender, baby bird?"
"Y-Yes, just get off me please," Kogane quietly asked her. He was somehow not bothered by their position but rather by the fact that anyone could walk by and see them. F/n released her hold and Kogane turned onto his back. He stared at the girl who was comfortably seated on her knees in between his legs.
"So, Kogane, or should I call you Kanji?"
"Whatever you want!"
"Kanji it is. Thanks for sticking around, but I think you should go back to the gym."
"But I still need your number," he reminded her.
"XXX-XXX-XXXX, remember that," she said, getting off the floor. Kogane jumped up into her path before she could leave.
"What if I forget?" he said shyly. "Can you stay until I leave?"
F/n felt her heart beat harder than usual, so much she was out of breath. She wasn't stupid to ignore the obvious signs of her attraction. She poked his forehead and smiled.
"If you really want to see me, you'll find me."
"Where?"
"In the clouds. See you, Kanji," she said with her typical two-finger salute. She left just in time for Iwaizumi to come to check on his junior. Kogane was grinning and shining with a newfound determination.
"Are you alright, Koganegawa?"
"Senpai, where does F/n like to go!"
"Huh?"
TIME SKIP
"You have ten minutes," Futakuchi said. "After that, we're leaving without you."
"You won't need to wait too long!" Kogane replied, running to the stairwell. He bounded up the stairs two by two, breathing hard but never missing a beat. He took a breather once he reached the top, his lungs heaving and his brow dripping with sweat. He wiped his face and pushed the door open.
He noticed how cool it was. The air felt lighter and his body ascended with it.
"So, you found me after all," F/n said. "Congrats, Kanji."
She took out her phone and typed a message. Seconds later, Kogane's phone buzzed. He found himself blushing at the message.
〚 call me maybe 〛
He eagerly answered back to which she smiled.
"Later tonight, yeah? We'll chat then."
"I'll call you! I promise!"
F/n played with his black fringe. "I'll be waiting, Kanji." She left him without another word, while he celebrated. By the time he went back to the main floor, she was long gone. He returned to his team who were all sitting on the bus, ready to leave. He hopped on, taking a seat beside Aone.
"So, you found her?"
"Thanks to Iwaizumi-senpai, I did," he told Onagawa, smiling. His teammates already knew he was smitten for the girl, most likely without realizing it. He texted her on the way back to school. Even when he got off the bus, he kept typing on his phone. He didn't let it down until he was home. He ate, showered and much to his dismay, did his homework. He sighed in the late hours of the night, finally setting aside the hour's worth of academic torture. He took his phone once again, video-calling the person he was so eager to talk to all day and nervously waited for her to answer.
VIDEO CALLING . . . . . . . F/n🦕
F: Good evening to you, baby bird.
F/n was propped up on her elbows, wearing a large sweater with the hood pulled over her head.
F: I hope you don't mind me whispering. Kei is sleeping.
K: It's fine...
F: Not much of a talker?
K: Not to girls. You're the first.
F: Why wouldn't any girl want to talk to you? You're adorable.
K: F/n, stop teasing me!
F: Sorry, baby bird. You're just too cute.
Kogane puffed his cheeks with a visible pout.
K: You're being mean.
F: First I'm a tease, now I'm mean. What will I be next, Kanji?
Kogane absentmindedly answered not thinking she'd hear him but she did.
F: What was that Kanji?
K: You heard me!
F: I don't know. I want to make sure.
Kogane blushed and stuffed his face onto his pillow for a minute before sucking up to her request.
K: My girlfriend. You'll be my girlfriend.
He saw F/n smile which was good news, but she didn't answer. Not verbally. She sent him a text as they were on call. He read the message and more blood rushed to his face.
K: Do you mean it?
F: Why else would I say it, Kanji?
K: I don't know!
Flustered, Kogane was stunned into silence. He didn't know what to do or say after reading her provocative text. Meanwhile, F/n laughed at his sudden shyness.
F: It's getting late and I don't want to keep you up for too long.
K: It's okay! I'm not tired.
Truth be told, Kogane was exhausted and wanted nothing but to sleep for the night and the day after.
F: I can see your eyes watering, Kanji. It's okay if you leave. You're an athlete and your health is important.
K: Fine but I'll call you tomorrow morning. I promise.
F: Alright then. Goodnight, Kanji.
K: Goodnight, N/n-chan!
Kogane ended the call before F/n could react to the nickname he threw out. He held back a squeal and stared at his phone screen for minutes on end until eventually, he fell asleep with his phone open in hand. Meanwhile, F/n was still processing the nickname he gave her. She smiled and tossed her phone aside, falling asleep to thoughts of a baby bird named Koganegawa.