When you had decided to do something unexpected and brave and extraordinary, befriending your school's social recluse was not what you'd had in mind.
Yamaguchi had left shortly after Kei yesterday lunchtime, but not after fumbling over swapping numbers. He hadn't made it clear what his reasons were, but had merely requested to see your phone and inputted his number without another word, almost dropping your device three times in the process. Nevertheless, after the events behind the bike shed, you had a feeling your last year of high school was certainly going to be different.
It was obvious Yamaguchi shared a deeper relationship with Tsukishima than just his classmate; that much had been obvious by their behaviour. And you were hoping to take advantage of that to unearth the reasons behind the blonde's salty attitude before the year ended.
Your plan seemed more like a trivial pursuit than a meaningful endeavour, but you were determined to put things right. Tsukishima was lonely, and loneliness wasn't something you'd wish upon anyone. It ate away at you like a parasite, twisted your mind into deeming yourself unworthy and unimportant, distant from everyone else. You were surrounded by people, yet you felt secluded, isolated - you had nobody.
You didn't want Kei Tsukishima to be alone anymore.
And that's why you decided your last year of high school would be dedicated to helping such a sour, aloof boy.
_________
You let out a shaky sigh as you fumbled through your pockets for your phone, balancing the device on your knee as you unlocked it. You hesitated for a second, aligning your thoughts in your mind, before scrolling through your meagre list of contacts and clicking on Yamaguchi's icon. The dial tone startled your heart into an erratic rhythm, and you sat breathing heavily through your nose until he picked up.
"[L/L-N]-San! I didn't expect you to call so s-soon!" He stuttered, eliciting a feeble smile from your lips. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes, sorry," you said quickly, toying with a pencil from the stationary sprawled over your bed. Phone calls always made you fidgety. "I hope I didn't, uhm, disturb you. I was just wondering if you might tell me more about Tsukishima-San. I mean, assuming you know any more than me."
Yamaguchi was quiet for a few seconds, and you focused on rolling the pencil between your fingers as you waited for his answer. "I guess... I mean- I suppose I know him better than most, but... I don't... uh let me start again," he fumbled, his voice straying to and fro between pitches as he struggled to unearth the right words.
"That's okay," you assured him, tucking a piece of hair out of your eyes. "Take your time."
"We used to be friends, see," he revealed, his voice almost tentative. "There was a time when we were both lonely, when we didn't really have anyone. We'd sit by ourselves in the library or the playground, not talking to anyone. But then one day, I decided to sit with him and, I guess... after that, we sorta had each other. It wasn't a typical friendship - we didn't hang out and play video games or sports or anything like that. We just sat... spoke a little. We gave each other company, I suppose."
You chewed on your lip as you listened, your heart aching for the two boys. They'd been in predicaments not unlike your own. You hummed sadly as he finished, your throat all of a sudden dry as you made to speak. "What happened?"
Yamaguchi sighed through the phone - a melancholic sound that tugged a little at your heartstrings. "People noticed and started spreading rumours that... that we were gay. Nasty, horrible rumours that encouraged people to bully us even more. Tsukishima got so angry when they'd call us names and throw things at us in the street. He distanced himself even more after that, said he only made things worse." His voice began to shake, splinter and crack under the weight of his pent-up frustration.
The pencil in your hand snapped all of a sudden, spraying you with shards of lead. You tossed it aside, your jaw set forward. Why were people so damn cruel, to destroy such a unique friendship.
"Yamaguchi-"
"It's okay," he dismissed quickly, letting out a shaky breath. "After that, we just drifted. He refused to talk to me again."
"Thank you for telling me that, Yamaguchi-San."
He remained silent, the line buzzing in your ear for a few long minutes, and you wondered if he'd perhaps left completely. But then his voice spoke up, so soft and distant, you weren't sure if you'd heard it at all. "[L-L/N]?"
"Yamaguchi?"
He cleared his throat. "Are you... going to help him?"
You were caught off guard by this, running a hand through your hair as you considered the question. "I would like to try," you said carefully, shuffling back on your bed, the duvet bunching up around your legs.
"A-Arigato, [Y/N]!" He blurted suddenly, taking you by surprise. Your cheeks began to heat up, and you quickly scrambled off your bed to open the window.
"What fo-"
"Just... thank you. I've finally found someone who I can trust to help me."
"Help you?" You asked breathlessly, a slight breeze trickling through the window and stirring your fringe over your eyes.
"Tsukishima-San was there for me more than he realised and... and I want to repay him. I want him to understand that none of this was his fault, and that he deserves someone. But he won't let me get close again."
Your lips quirked into a relieved smile, and you leaned forward against the windowpane, your [e/c] eyes harbouring the waning light of the sun. "I'll help you. I promise I'll help you."
"T-thank you - so much. You're a good person."
"So are you. Let's help Tsukishima together."