It was a weekend. The weather was fair and Kita decided to head to the public library to study for their upcoming exams.
"Shin-chan!" the voice that he heard as he arrived in front of the library was unmistakable. Turning around, Kita saw L/n waving her hand as she smiled at him.
The captain, on the other hand, just looked at her. He noticed that she was wearing a f/c shirt underneath an unbuttoned cardigan paired with jeans.
"C'mon, Shin-chan, say something," she told him as she playfully pouted.
"I thought you're only following me during my morning run and afternoon practice," he told her as he never thought that he would meet her today.
L/n chuckled. "Well... I also didn't think that I'd see you here, too," she responded to him with a grin.
"You mean----------"
"Oh. L/n-san, you're already here!" Ginjima arrived. "And the captain's here, too!" he added when he noticed that Kita was with her.
"Hello, Ginjima-kun. Are the others here already?" L/n asked.
"Others?" Kita asked them.
"Well... The second years are having a group study and they invited me to join them," the girl honestly answered.
"Cap'n, if you don't mind, you could also join us. The more, the merrier!" the wing spiker told him.
"If not truly committed, the more people in a group study, the higher possibility of getting distracted from studying," Kita responded with one of the cons of the activity, making Ginjima jolt at how cold it was.
"If truly committed, the more people in a group study, the easier it is to ask about the lesson and it will broaden our knowledge," L/n retorted with one of the pros of the activity and the captain knew that he couldn't disgaree with that one.
Ginjima, on the other hand, was stunned that unlike the rest of the team, L/n could easily counter Kita's logic.
"So... Whaddya say, Shin-chan?" she asked with a smile. "Are you in," the girl did the volleyball signal for in, "or out?" and did the signal for out like she was a line judge but without the flag.
The captain couldn't help but notice that smile on her face was a hopeful one. It was clear that she wanted him to join them.
"Okay. I'll study with you guys," he told them and the two were glad upon hearing his reply.
As the group study progressed in the public library, it seemed like Kita himself was the one who was not truly committed in studying. It was ironic. He was reviewing the lessons and answering the sample questions, but his focus was somewhat divided.
A part of his attention was on L/n and how soft-spoken she was as she helped his underclassmen. Having a pen as her pointer, she explained parts of the lessons in a way that would be easy to understand. She was indulgent, fond of answering any sort of questions they had with a smile. She was having a good time... and seeing her like that was making him feel good.
"Thank you for helping us out, L/n-san," Kosaku told her after she grabbed her bicycle from the parking area.
It was already late in the afternoon and they finally decided to call it a day. They were standing in front of the public library, waiting for Kita to come outside as he borrowed books for his reference.
"Now, now. You don't have to thank me, Kosaku-kun. All I did was share some pointers, that's all," she responded.
"To think that the captain could teach very well... He's a good tutor, too," Suna remarked.
"Yup, he sure is," she agreed with the middle blocker.
"But you ended up teaching us the whole time. You weren't able to study at all," Ginjima said to her.
The girl couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, don't worry 'bout that. My knowledge is beyond the capacity of exams."
Atsumu scoffed. "Pretty confident, aren't ya, L/n-san?"
"Well, I actually know someone as confident as L/n-san," Osamu said while side-eyeing his twin brother. "Though, he's a selfish prick who never returns borrowed stuffs," he added with a smirk.
"Why you----------"
L/n then laughed. "It's actually quite fun being with you guys."
"More fun than spending time alone with the Cap'n?" Atsumu teased, taking advantage of the fact that Kita hasn't joined them yet.
"Hmm... Let's see..." L/n rested her thumb and index finger on her chin.
"Oh, she's actually thinking about it," Suna thought on the sidelines.
"Well... Yeah, I guess you could say that," L/n straight out said it and they did not expect her response to be like that.
"Ah, L/n-san?" Osamu asked for some sort of clarification.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that it's more fun being with you guys than spending time alone with Shin-chan," she repeated and it made the second years look at each other.
Without them knowing, footsteps stopped on their tracks several meters behind them.
"Walking with him is usually silent. Because of this, I'd try to start a conversation and Shin-chan would simply respond to it accordingly. Nothing more than short-lived talks, that's all we have. It's no fun, right?" hearing those words came out of L/n's lips somehow pricked Kita.
"My life's just pretty normal," he suddenly remembered what he once told her.
"Yeah, but I bet it'll be different! It'll be fun compared to my life, the life of a weak stray fox," he recalled how the girl responded to what he said.
What he heard just now... Was it truly what she felt? L/n once thought that his life was fun and now she realized that it wasn't. If that was the case, why was she still here? She could've just left since he wasn't able to meet her expectation.
"It's no fun... Yeah..." he heard her continue as his gaze fell into the ground. "You could say that. Other people could say that, but for me... that's not the case," those words took him by surprise. Moving his head back up, he heard her say, "I enjoy all of the time I spend with Shin-chan. Always."
There may have been some distance from where they were standing... Heck, L/n was not even aware that he was there, but the sincerity of her words hit him on the spot.
"I'm sorry for making you guys wait," Kita decided to break his silence, and upon hearing his voice, the group turned around and saw him walking his way towards them.
"Now, now, Shin-chan. You really shouldn't keep a girl waiting. We still have to go somewhere, afterall," L/n grinned and the captain just stared at her, silently questioning about what did she mean.
"Aw, I was actually planning on treating you guys on the way home as a thanks for helping us out," Ginjima said.
"Maybe some other time," she told him as she walked to Kita. "Now then, Shin-chan," she told him as she gave him her bicycle, making him hold it and went to sit on the back of the bike, "let's go!"
"Where?" he asked deadpanly.
Instead of answering, she just replied, "C'mon, hurry up! I don't wanna share you anymore. I wanna have you all to myself."
"Ayiee~" Kosaku reacted and the rest of the seond years looked like they were ready to tease their captain, but their confidence to do that disappeared when Kita's stare brought shiver to their spines.
Not long after that, L/n got what she wanted. She was sitting on the rear seat as Kita pedalled the bicycle.
Noticing that she was clinching on the edge of his shirt, the captain told her, "You should hold on to me properly."
He heard her chuckle. "Is that your way of telling me to not let go of you? Well, I definitely won't let go of such a great catch as yourself, Shin-chan," she teased him as she gladly took his offer and wrapped her arms around him.
The captain remained silent for a while before asking, "Where are we going?"
"Hmm... Anywhere is fine," she told him, "as long as I get to be with you..."
Upon hearing it, he felt how fond it was, how her voice was tender as her words were laced with such sentiment.
"L/n-san..." he started. "Is it really true that you enjoy all of the time you spend with me?"
The girl's eyes widened at his question. "Ara, ara. So, you were actually listening earlier, huh?"
Instead of answering, he said to her, "I don't understand it. We never did something that could be considered as enjoyable."
"Pfft!" at first L/n tried to hold it in but then she decided to just let out her soft laugh. "Oh, Shin-chan. I do take pleasure in your company," she told him with confidence. "Just being on your side even without any exchange of words... It feels so serene, so comfortable. There are also times when I consider being with you as intimate," the last word caught him off guard.
The way she said that last sentence was playful yet at the same time, he couldn't help but notice the honesty in her words.
"It's just---------- Just being with you makes me so happy," she earnestly shared with a faint blush on her cheeks, her arms around him tightened a bit.
With her words like a spatula, something inside the captain stirred. He felt relieved, happy and something else that he could not recognize.
As he continued to pedal, a strong gust of cold November wind blew against them. The late afternoon sky had been filled with rain clouds and it looked like it was going to start pouring down. Because of this, L/n told Kita to head home before it happens.
"Thanks for the ride, Shin-chan. It was actually my first time being the passenger," the girl told him as she got off the bicycle when they arrived in front of the Kita household.
"I have a raincoat inside the house," he said as it was his turn to get off the bike, silently telling her that he would lend it to her.
"No, no, no. I'll be fine. I can pedal really fast, you know."
Right after she refused his offer, rain has started falling from above. Because of this, they hurriedly shelter into the house.
"I'm home!" Kita said a bit louder than usual because of the sound the rain.
"Welcome home, Shin-chan," his grandmother warmly greeted. "Oh. F/n-chan is with you," she said upon seeing the girl.
"Hello, Granny. I'm sorry for barging in like this," L/n said to her.
"It's alright, dear," the old woman assured her with a smile. "Thank goodness you two arrived here just as it started raining."
"We got lucky!" the girl exclaimed.
"Well... You are free to wait here until the rain stops. If it doesn't let up by dinner, you are also free to stay the night, if you want to," Granny offered.
"Really?! But... I really shouldn't impose on your kindness, Granny."
"What do you mean?"
L/n pursed her lips for a second and replied, "Things may go downhill..."
Kita felt how her answer seemed to be foreboding, making him wonder if she meant going downhill for him and his grandmother or going downhill for the self-proclaimed stray fox.
"Your kindness may lead into an inside job, Granny!" unlike earlier, the tone on the girl's voice suddenly became playful. "I may take advantage and steal all your valuables while you guys are fast asleep."
"Oh my. That would be pretty bad," the grandmother rode along and chuckled. "Even so, I know that you're a good person. I have nothing to worry about."
The way Granny said those words was full of confidence. The sincerity and sweetness of her voice revealed how much trust she had for the girl.
"Besides, this is nothing compared to how many times you've helped me before... L/n-san..." a faint smile which seemed to be connected to the past was painted on the old woman's face.