"Chance ball!"
"Yakkun!"
"Got it! Kenma!"
"... Tora."
"Alright!!"
"Their receives are amazing like what the rumors say," a bench member of the opposing team murmured with wide eyes as he watched the ball drop on their side of the court, their players forming a campfire from Taketora's spike. "That's what you expect from a powerhouse school."
"Plus," another member interjected, his eyes not on the practice game but on Nekoma's bench, specifically on a dark-haired girl concentrating on the match. "Their manager is a beauty like the rumors said, too. Who wants to bet she doesn't have a boyfriend? Because judging from those looks, no one would be worthy enough for her."
The said girl was sitting regally on the bench beside Nekoma's coaches, her face forward and set in a serious countenance that showed how immersed and observant she is of the practice match, her hands clutching a notebook. Her face was visible to the whole gymnasium since she decided to style it in a loose braid, with her bangs framing the sides of her face and meeting her eyelashes in the softest touch. The only thing that the boys saw from her is her side-profile ー which is quite breathtaking as the rest of her. The next minute, both boys from the opposing bench watched with wide eyes as Nekoma's manager smiled for the first time since the start of the practice match (the boys' faces forming blushes) so they followed where her gaze was set on.
"Don't tell me," the second boy murmured as he incredulously stared at Nekoma's scary captain playfully blowing a kiss at the dark-haired manager after stopping the opponent's spike.
The first boy smirked. "I'll take that bet."
"Oh, no!" the latter wailed. "My pocket money!"
"You have your mouth to blame for that. I swear you're always saying something without thinking about it first."
The chirping of the cicadas and the blistering heat of Tokyo were prevalent as Nekoma continued having their practice match with Asuka High, a promising school specializing in serves that earned quite an audience back in the previous interscholastic tournament. They requested to have a practice match with them since the preliminaries for the Tokyo qualifiers in the spring InterHigh are fast approaching and they needed intel on one of the best receivers in the metropolis of Tokyo, at least that's what Yukimi believed. She felt that the opposing team was holding back what they have in store and instead opting to observe Nekoma's plays. With a nonchalant façade, Nekoma's manager took note that the opposing players weren't serious at all and perceived the practice match to be something they had to internalize.
Those were her thoughts as she handed the towels and water bottles to the players. Yukimi was in a daze as each member thanked her in their individual ways (with Taketora and the first-years vibrantly shouting her nickname, Yaku with his cheeky smile, Kai silently yet genuinely, and Kenma and Fukunaga with little smiles on their faces). It just so happened that Asuka High called for a time-out and huddled close along with their coach, some of their players giving discreet glances at their team. Right now, as the others had their dose of water, Yukimi was staring into space as she tried to formulate words on how to tell her club members and coach what she noticed from Asuka High.
"Hey, everything alright, Hana?" Kuroo asked while taking a sip from his water bottle, an eyebrow raised as he roamed his eyes on the girl's face for any sign of discomfort. All he got was a concentrated look on the hardwood floor.
"Uhm," Yukimi muttered, glancing at Nekomata as if asking for permission to speak her mind, to which the older man nodded with a huge grin. Facing the anticipating members, the medium-haired girl told them with a steady voice, "Something is lacking in the way Asuka High was playing in the whole set. I'm not saying this to spite or ridicule them but the way they were playing seems easygoing for a team who got into the top sixteen in our prefecture. And I was getting the feeling that their players might be taking in every mannerism and technique we have since our team has been taking this practice match more seriously than them even at the start of the first set." She then took a glance at the opposing team with furrowed brows, inconspicuously watching their every move before sheepishly meeting the boys' eyes. "I might be wrong on this, though."
Kenma shook his head lightly. "I think you're right, Yukimi-san," he voiced out, also side-eyeing the players of Asuka High, who were having a huddle of their own while giving Nekoma glances that might have stopped at Yukimi multiple times. Turning back to his team with an eye-roll that showed how much he is used to people reacting that way to his friend, he continued, "It feels like I've been watched and analyzed." He then shivered slightly with a scrunched up face. "I don't like the feeling."
"Pretty sure that's what our opponents always feel when they're playing with us," Taketora deadpanned with a light laugh. Then, he patted Kenma on the back with a booming laugh. "It's a good thing you get to feel it, too, Kenma! That way, you'll be less creepy in our future games!"
The two-toned setter glared at his fellow second-year, grunting at Taketora's pats (the guy is a spiker and every pat is like a hard slap on the back), with Fukunaga inserting himself between the two boys randomly to prevent another candid fight between their members. It doesn't help since Kenma stretched his arm in front of the dark-haired wing-spiker to reach Taketora, with the latter slapping the setter's hand from him, resulting in another game of slapping each other's hands. The silent wing-spiker between the two only sighed in resignation, lightly looking up at the ceiling as if asking for the deities to grant him strength and patience. The scene was a usual thing to them because Yaku even placed a bet on who would win this time and Kuroo taking him on and placing his trust in his childhood friend.
"Why you little shitー! That's unfair! You can't just stop my hand and then slap it consequently!"
"You know what, Tora? I don't play by the rules. Especially yours."
"This cheeky brat! There!" A growl from the ace and a huff from the other side of the conversation consequently added to the noise. "Ha, that's what you get for being unfit!"
"... What does that to do with slapping hands? I play games using them, they're the only fit part in my body."
"Yamamoto, don't lose now! Getting ice cream is at stake here!"
"Go, Kenma! Make me proud!"
"So what are we going to do to have them play with us as they mean it?" Lev asked innocently, his head tilting to the right like a cat, shifting everyone's attention from the bickering second-years to his green-eyed gaze. The first-year's face contorted into a comical angry one, his fist raised in the air and his eyes dangerously shining. "It's like they're mocking us or something and I don't like it! So we have to just bring out their best!"
"I agree with Lev!" Inuoka cheered beside the silver-haired middle blocker. "We first have to make them stop them from being lazy. That way, we'll have an amazing practice match to improve our skills!"
"Thank you for bringing the conversation back on the practice game, you two!" Kai lightheartedly announced with the usual kind smile that he was known for, with the vice-captain relieved that somebody had the initiative to keep everybody on track. Being the vice-captain of the club meant that he should have the sense of keeping his fellow members on the ground, which is somewhat his responsibility, seeing as their captain joined in on the fun all the time. "For that, you get to be treated to ice cream later by the rest of the third-years."
"Oi, Kai! I didn't agree to that!" Yaku shouted beside the dark-skinned boy. "You're robbing me and you perfectly know how hard it is to get an allowance for the summer practices from my mom. I had to kneel one time and I don't intend to do it again if she'll only give me so little money!"
"You should be grateful that your mom is giving you pocket money, Yaku-san. Others are even working part-time toー"
"Don't give me that crap, Lev! I won't hesitate to double your receiving practices!"
At the comfortable chaos ensuing in front of Yukimi like a disaster she was willing to take on, she couldn't help but let out a light laugh, twinkling and blending on the chatters made by the other members in the entirety of the time-out. This was one of those rare moments during a practice match or any game they were going through ー the whole team was having fun regardless of the impending presence brought by their opponent. Her eyes were closed as she giggled beside Kuroo, who looked over to her laughing form after witnessing Kenma shifting into a full-on irked mode, with the dark-haired boy's lips forming into a half-smile as he saw how funny all of these were to their manager. Yukimi straightened herself as she wiped a fake tear from her eye, voicing out, "A little fun here and there before the big tournament, huh? I kind of like this scenario ー everyone bickering and letting loose during a match. It's," she trailed off for a moment as she tilted her head slightly to the right, "satisfying to watch, to be honest."
Kuroo wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders, squeezing her reassuringly and pulling her to his side. "Well, would you look at that?" He then nodded to where the first-years were formulating on ways to get the other team on the edge of their seats and to where the second-years were calming down from their bickering. "The children are oozing with so much youth that it got me thinking that it's all thanks to our parenting." Kuroo ducked a little to plant his lips on the crown of Yukimi's head, making the caramel-eyed girl laugh with an eye close, the dark-haired boy burying his face on the girl's hair and inhaling the sweet scent of her cherry blossom scented shampoo. "I can't wait to grow old and watch these youthful kids prosper in their own paths."
"You sound like an old man, Tetsurou," Yukimi laughed, playfully pushing him away and hearing a whine from the boy right after. "But I guess I can put up with that."
"That right there, missy, is really unfair."
"Why?"
"You're making me fall in love with you more."
After calming down and nearly slapping Kuroo's face for making her mind riot with unsuppressed emotions, Yukimi cleared her throat with red cheeks, with Kuroo slightly behind her, chuckling away apologetically (which might not be the case since it was always his mission to rile up Yukimi any chance he gets). This time, the other members looked at her expectantly, their eyes sparkling with the heartfelt resolve she loved about them and waiting for any word of encouragement from their beloved manager. Nekomata looked on and observed with his hands behind his back, genuinely curious as to what means should his team execute just to have an amazing practice match. Yukimi only smiled with a hint of confidence that surprised the others. It shocked them because all they receive from the effervescent girl were soft smiles filled with warmth, so seeing her flash a smirk that was so out of character for their sweet manager ー it is a new sight.
"Frustrate them."
Raised eyebrows met her gaze. With her smile growing, Yukimi continuedー
"To the point where they can show their true colors to you. Follow their example and observe them for a while, that way, they couldn't help but make this practice match more exciting."
The medium-haired girl wearing the standard uniform of being Nekoma's manager shuffled inside the genkan as she took off her sneakers. Running a hand through her hair and stopping herself once she realized she had it in a braid, Yukimi called out to the hallways leading to their living room and open kitchen, "I'm home," knowing that there might never be an answer this time since her mother was busy with paperwork for her upcoming business trip, which will be less than a week from now. As she was taking off her backpack while making her way to their living room, the sound of something chopping made her stop, chilling her veins in nervousness. Was there a burglar? Oh, God, she doesn't have a bat or any object that she can use for self-defense. Well, her bag is slightly heavy so that would have to do.
"Welcome home, Yuki-chan!"
From that, Yukimi placed a palm on her pounding chest and sighed in relief. Schooling her features into a wide smile, Yukimi quickly took off her backpack and bounced to the kitchen where her mother stood in front of their stove with chopped vegetables decorating their counter, the cooked rice cooling inside the rice cooker. Now that Yukimi noticed it, it was nearing dinnertime when practice ended, with the game spanning the course for the whole afternoon since the team managed to rile up the opponent team by spiking on their captain's face (accidentally was what Taketora told them since the other guy just so happened to be where his usual trajectory was ー Yukimi bowed a couple of times to avoid any fight). Turning back on the kitchen counter, Yukimi picked up that they were probably having some hamburger steak for dinner, some potato stew, and boiled vegetables.
"Let me help you, Mom," the medium-haired girl told Natsumi, placing her red jacket on the back of one chair in their dining area and replacing it with a pink apron. She then placed herself beside the older woman and started on the hamburger steak since Natsumi was currently making both the stew and miso soup.
"Thank you, Yuki-chan," Natsumi replied with a smile before tasting the miso soup. Humming under her breath, the older woman hovered a spoon in front of her daughter, who placed a lock of her hair behind her ear to taste the soup. "Good?"
"Mm-hmm," the dark-haired girl nodded, shaping the ground meat into patties and rolling them into the bread crumb mixture her mother probably made beforehand. Sighing in contentment when she smelled the different spices, Yukimi felt her stomach grumble. It was a while since she had a proper dinner. All she ate were just instant ramen, occasionally with egg or cheese, or even dishes with eggs because even though she knew her way into the kitchen, Yukimi still has some responsibilities lying around and she had no time to make a perfectly balanced meal. Oh, and the fact that their pantry wasn't always stocked to the brim posed a problem now and then.
"You should wash up first, sweetie," Natsumi suggested, glancing at her daughter in understanding. "Dinner will be on the table once you're done."
"Sure, Mom." Yukimi then kissed her mother on the cheek before taking off the apron and placing it on one of the hooks lining the kitchen walls. "I'll be down real quick." She stopped for a moment and turned back to her mother smiling as she cooked. "Mom, what about you? You should wash up as well. I'll keep an eye on the stove while you take your time."
"Hmm?" Natsumi looked back at her daughter's worried stare, to which she only waved a hand at, her face displaying a reassuring smile. Beautiful, her mother is beautiful and it was warming her chest yet pinching at the same time at the thought of her father telling her that beautiful things always find ways to be erased. "Oh." From that, Yukimi shook off from her reverie and faced her mother's smile once again. "I already washed up when I came home earlier. You go ahead, Yuki-chan, I'll manage here."
"Okay, Mom."
And with that, Yukimi retrieved her jacket from the dining table chair and her bag from the couch and then went up the stairs to her room. Once inside the four walls of her bedroom, the medium-haired girl took a matching pajama set from her closet and proceeded to take a bath (even though the gymnasium was such a spacious area and it wasn't even that hot in there, Yukimi still felt sticky after exposing herself to the summer heat). Her mind was occupied with studying for the upcoming college examinations and maintaining her class standing when she noticed that she took a while inside the bathroom while washing her hair and body. Hastily drying herself and putting on her pajamas, Yukimi heard her phone ring when she passed by her room.
"Mom?" Hearing a faint 'yeah?' and the clatter of plates, Yukimi continued, "I got a call, can you wait for me for just a few minutes, Mom?"
"Sure, sweetie!"
Yukimi entered her room and dug her hand in the crevices of her bag, her phone now in her clutches. The vibrating surface of the gadget illuminated her visage as she checked the caller, her eyebrows raising in mild surprise as she slid her finger to answer the call. With a smile, Yukimi greeted, "Hello, Daichi. You're not the type to call." A laugh came from the other end of the call while Yukimi plopped on her mattress. "So what's up?"
"Hi, Yuki-chan. How are you there?"
The medium-haired girl fiddled with her duvet as she hummed with a smile. "Everything's fine. Nekoma has been doing well since the end of the training camp and I am proud to say that the team improved so much." Her voice then possessed a teasing tilt. "Are you sure you don't want to take that offer of sharing some secrets about Karasuno? Nothing big, I swear, you can phrase them in the vaguest manner you could do."
Daichi chuckled, the rustle of sheets can be heard through the speakers, probably the boy lying down on his bed after a day of practice. "How about something better?"
"I'm listening," the dark-haired girl hummed as she looked at her ceiling, the remnants of the glow-in-the-dark planets and stars stickers she bought during her first year in Tokyo glowing alongside her desk lamp.
"How about you come to Miyagi and watch our game in the preliminaries? I mean, if you're up for staying in our house for three nights," Daichi voiced out hesitantly, as if afraid that what he was doing could be wrong on so many levels. This caught Yukimi's attention because first of all, Daichi never invited her to watch his games since they were kids (it was always her who would tell him she would come to his tournaments) and second, this is the only chance she'll watch Daichi play again in a real game other than the usual practice matches and the only time their schedules coincided with one another ー summer vacation and all. Waiting for her childhood friend to continue, the girl's caramel gaze fluttered through her bookshelf, satisfied that it was becoming full by the day thanks to a certain boy with crooked smiles. "This could be a way for you to get more information about our team and you get to catch up with me as a bonus!"
Lighthearted laughter was shared between the two as Yukimi ran a hand through her wet hair. "Now that I think about it," she trailed in faux contemplation, "this is the best way for me to gather information about our fated rivals and meeting up with Kiyoko-san."
"Hey, what about me?!"
"Oh, you, too," Yukimi teased. "I think Mom will be excited to hear that I'll be visiting you guys since she will be having a business trip the exact dates of your preliminaries. She'll be over the moon if she finds out you even invited me. So that you don't get false hope from me, I'll be asking Mom first, and then I'll text you later or tomorrow if I fall asleep early tonight."
"Sounds like a plan ー Nii-san, is that Yuki-nee-chan?! You promised me I can talk to her this time, too! Okay, okay! Stop climbing on my back, Hina! Look at Hiroto, he's behaving accordingly, you can do it, too, Hina." Two childlike voices flittered through the speakers, most likely belonging to children in primary school age. Now that Yukimi thought about it, Daichi's little siblings were six around the time she left Miyagi. She couldn't help but smile widely at the excited squeals she got from her phone. "Hello, Yuki-nee-chan! Come visit here as soon as you can! ー What do you say to a person if you want to do something for you? ー Oh, please visit us here! Hiro-chan wants you to visit, too!"
"Hi, Hina-chan, are you doing well in school? Are you eating your meals alright? Don't tell me you've been fighting with Hiro-chan since the last time I've called." Yukimi barraged her with playful questions, satisfied with hearing the younger girl giggle through the other end of the call.
"Yes, I am doing well in school and yes, I am eating alright even my vegetables! And no, I'm not fighting with Hiro-chan this time," the young girl answered the teenager's questions perfectly, her smile so big it could be heard in her voice. "You know, nee-chan, I watched a new show today and I also followed your instructions on how to study on my own!"
"So how was it? Did it work?" The smile on the teenager's face never stopped, her chest warming at the kid listening to her advice ー she almost wished she had a little sibling as well. "Based on your excited tone, I take it you did well?"
"You bet!" Hina cheered with utmost youthful excitement and Yukimi could see her raising her arms and Daichi catching the phone midair, judging from the slight bump she got from the call and the familiar resigned sigh of a stressed Daichi. "Hina, don't just drop my phone! ー Oops, sorry, nii-san. Ne, nee-san, I got first place in my class because of your instructions! And Mom, Dad, nii-san, and even Hiro-chan celebrated it. I also forgot that Hiro-chan got first place in his class as well because I told him what you told me ー I'll give the phone to Hiro-chan right now!"
The dark-haired girl chuckled under her breath and waited for the little girl to give the call to her twin brother. "Okay, Hina-chan," she murmured under her breath, standing up from her bed and with padded footsteps, stopped in front of her bookshelf. Running her fingers on the spines of the book, Yukimi thought for a moment on what book should she read next. As her finger stopped on a certain fantasy novel Kuroo picked up for her, the caramel-eyed girl heard shuffling from the other end of the call and a light clearing of a throat. Yukimi took out the book from the shelf while greeting Daichi's little brother, "Hello, Hiro-chan, how is our little champ doing?"
Being twins, Hina and Hiroto grew up being clingy to Daichi since their eldest sibling raised them while their parents worked just to have a stable life for their children. The two of them were born when Daichi was nine years old, two months before his tenth birthday, and Yukimi had to help the boy juggle between being a member of his volleyball club in primary school and being a responsible older brother to his siblings. Apparently, because of this, both of his siblings developed quite an attachment to him, with Hina being more vocal about her affection for Daichi and Hiro clinging wordlessly on his sister. Their opposing personalities were what Yukimi noticed as they grew up and entered first grade ー Hina being more sociable than her younger twin brother while Hiro kept to himself most of the time even in their home.
"HーHello, nee-chan," Hiroto whispered through the phone, instantly putting a smile on Yukimi's face. "IーI'm doing fine."
It wasn't also a secret that Hiroto developed a tiny crush on Yukimi the moment he had a grasp of his surroundings. Daichi laughed until he hurt his stomach when she came over to his house countless times, with Hiroto red in the face and embarrassed at every interaction with the teenage girl. It started when they were in their second year of middle school and Daichi always used this opportunity to tease the girl.
"That's good to hear, Hiro-chan," Yukimi smiled. "Be prepared because I'll be coming to visit you and we'll talk the whole day. You can tell me the new series you've been watching, the mecha ones Daichi told me about last time. How does that sound, Hiro-chan?"
"Un," Hiro murmured, his voice soft yet filled with anticipation and childish excitement. "I'll look forward to that, nee-chan. Please come safe and sound."
Yukimi nearly squealed at how adorable Hiroto is but she bit her lip and suppressed it with a smile. "Of course, Hiro-chan! Promise me that you'll be waiting for me with a big hug?"
"Yeah." Then the phone was handed to Daichi once again, as it was heard from the speakers, the sound of a door closing following soon after. "Hey, Yuki-chan? I'm sorry, they probably sensed I was in a call with you so they burst inside my room. I think they were even listening outside my room to have the perfect chance in butting in on the call."
"It's alright, Daichi," the medium-haired girl reassured with a light laugh.
"About you coming here, you can also invite Kuroo-san along. I wouldn't mind rooming with him for a couple of days. The twins will also be ecstatic once they find out you'll be sleeping in their room during your stay here. Plus, maybe Kuroo-san will enjoy watching Miyagi's preliminaries since he can sight on the teams worthy enough to be in the nationals ー you know, for future reference."
"I'll tell him about it," Yukimi answered with a nod, even though her friend couldn't see her reaction. It would be nice to have Kuroo tag along in this little trip but Yukimi remembered the boy casually mentioning that he was looking forward to something while they were boarding the train ride home. "He mentioned something that might have overlapped with Miyagi's prelims, something about an annual trip with Kenma's family so Tetsurou coming along could be pretty blurry, but I'll try to ask him if I can."
"Okay, just tell me regardless of his answer, alright?" Then, a call from somewhere on Daichi's side of the call reverberated, making the boy stop for a second to answer along the lines of 'I'll be down in a minute' before acknowledging Yukimi again. "We'll be eating dinner in a few. If you're going to eat dinner, too, eat well and don't choke on your food when you're eating too fast."
"That was one time!"
Daichi chuckled. "I know. Stay safe, Yuki-chan. Text me any time and I hope you have a good night."
"Bye, Daichi."
The call ended with both sides feeling contented that they talked to each other despite it being through a phone call. Just like that, Yukimi decided that she will be reading the book she picked from her bookshelf, placing both her phone and the novel on her desk after standing up from her bed. The caramel-eyed girl turned to the door to move back downstairs into a night of family dinners and warm laughter, with it ending in a light note when Natsumi gave Yukimi permission to stay with Daichi's family for three nights and days.
That night, the girl of eternal sunshine buried herself in the bound pages of her book, living off of the words carefully written on the scented paper, with the warm glow of her desk lamp illuminating behind her and the tendrils of her lavender-scented candle encasing her in warmth as her alarm clock welcomed another day.
"Happy birthday, Yakkun!"
"Happy birthday, Yaku-san!"
The day after was a free day for Nekoma's volleyball club because Nekomata allowed them to celebrate Yaku's birthday. The libero invited everyone in the team to his house, save for the coaches since they want the kids to have fun on their own during one of the members' special day, and planned a small get-together with an array of food. When the Yakus' living room gradually became occupied with teenagers, the quiet house turned into a place filled with pleasant noise ー the members conversing with each other about the gifts they got for their demonic libero or the food some of them brought for the joyous celebration of legality (mostly Fukunaga and Yukimi since the two of them conversed of bringing a dish to Yaku's day). It was only a tiny thing to have ー people gathering for your birthday, but for Yaku, it was everything in the world, especially having Yukimi giving him her gift.
"Yes!" Yaku exclaimed once he opened the manager's gift, bundles of clothes and sports gear decorating his lap. One time, he mentioned that he was running out of kneepads because for some reason, he kept losing them and he usually wore them out without noticing it. He nearly jumped from seat to hug Yukimi across from him but seeing as Kuroo had his arm wrapped around her shoulders, the shorter boy opted to grin his widest smile as gratitude to the thoughtful girl. "Thank you, Yukimi-chan! I was needing it the other day and you're really heaven-sent for gifting these to me." Then, he roamed his eyes on the many button-downs and pairs of pants and shorts before fake-crying in front of his members. "I also appreciate your giving me stylish clothes! Yukimi-chan is such an angel for blessing my non-existent fashion sense!"
"If you would just follow my advice on putting on good clothes, Hana wouldn't have to buy those for you," Kuroo reminded with a half-smile. "And for the record, I'm the one who bought those, not Hana." The messy-haired boy shrugged one shoulder as he affectionately squeezed Yukimi's shoulders. "We decided to have our gifts packed in one."
"I'm sorry for raising your hopes, Yaku-san," Yukimi apologized with a smile, her hand fiddling with Kuroo's free one on her lap, with the dark-haired boy trying hard not to burst in a full-blown smile at the little gestures Yukimi did that sent his heart racing in his chest. "Tetsurou insisted that we have our gifts packed together for," she trailed off as she remembered what the boy said to her when they were buying their gifts earlier, glancing at the golden-eyed boy at the corner of her eyes, "personal purposes that Tetsurou doesn't want to disclose."
Then, Fukunaga emerged from the kitchen with mittens covering his hands. "Yukimi-san, it's done."
The said girl nodded with a smile, patting Kuroo's thigh while murmuring that she will back in a few minutes before following the silent second-year to where Yaku's mom bustled inside the kitchen, the older woman's face brightening at the sight of the girl since she has more hands to help in the final batch of dishes for the birthday party. The manager graciously accepted the spoon meant for tasting and complimented Yaku's mom for making such delicious gourmet, Fukunaga flashing a thumbs-up to the older woman as a sign of approval. The rest of the members looked on to the open kitchen and stared as Fukunaga and Yukimi got complimented for knowing their way in the kitchen.
Taketora scoffed, the topic turning back on the rooster of the room. "He just wants to rub it in our faces that he's dating the best girl in the prefecture!"
"Yeah!" Lev voiced out, scaring the tabby cat nestling at the rug beside their feet, with the pet opening its eyes lazily and directing it to the silver-haired boy with a glare. He noticed it and his face quickly morphed into that of an apologetic one as he murmured, "Oops, sorry," before facing his members with sparkling eyes reserved for admiring the only girl in their circle. "As much at this was already said by some of us but Kuroo-san is really lucky to have kirei-senpai as his girlfriend. I mean, if I could date someone that amazing, talented, and beautiful, I'd never ever hurt her! So, Kuroo-san, if you think of hurting kirei-senpai, you'd better watch your back!"
"I can't believe I just agreed with Lev right now," Yaku murmured, sighing in his seat.
Kai, who decided to stay with the others instead of the pair inside his friend's kitchen, smiled in understanding at the libero's sentence, his hand already patting a reassuring rhythm on the shorter boy's back. "There, there."
Kuroo stopped staring at the caramel-eyed girl, who was occasionally waving at him, and slowly turned his head to the others sitting comfortably in the living room. The remaining club members all held shock in their faces when their captain showed a side of him that can only be seen on the court, especially if it was a tight game. His eyes were its usual half-lidded state yet it displayed earnestness that they noticed was always directed at their precious manager. Kuroo asked a rhetorical that rendered his club members speechless, "Who said I was going to hurt her?" as he fiddled with his finger, his eyes glancing at Yukimi with a wistful gaze. "I have no plans of hurting her. In fact, I'm the one willing to be in pain for her." Then, he realized what he said in front of many people who respected him as a strong captain before erupting in full blush, his face burning to the tips of his ears.
"You're embarrassing, Kuro," Kenma told him with a pitying expression.
"I know," Kuroo whined behind his hand since he covered up his face to stop his members from gawking. "I meant it, though."
"I know you do because if not," Kenma narrowed his eyes at his childhood friend, "I'll be the one making your life a living hell."
Chills ran down Kuroo's spine at the intensity of Kenma's creepy stare. "That should be my line!"
"Now that I think about it," Shibayama voiced out from beside Teshiro and Inuoka, a hand placed under his chin, "Kuroo-san's the only third-year who's not eighteen in the volleyball club."
"Yeah," Kai chuckled. "Both Yukimi-san and I were born in the same month ー April. So that makes Kuroo the youngest from the four of us."
Kuroo groaned a little, his mind flashing to that time when he realized that the said girl was one of the older sides of their year level, being born at the start of the school year. He quite liked it because that was his ideal gap in relationships when he started middle school but now that he chose to be the one constantly keeping tabs on the girl he grew to love, Kuroo wanted to dote on her just like what he always did since the start of their relationship, heck, even before that. "Please don't remind me that Hana is older than me by a few months because I'd like to think that I'll be the one taking care of her."
"Again, you're embarrassing."
"Shut it, Kenma!"
Minutes became hours and hours turned into days. One day, they were laughing and eating until their stomachs nearly burst from the amount of food, and the next, they were practicing to make up for that one day they were out of shape. And now, Yukimi stood in the station, her carrier travel bag firmly held in one hand, her phone and wallet on the other, and her small backpack for her personal things being tidied by Kuroo. The caramel-eyed girl was waiting for her train to arrive while Kuroo went with her to send her off, with the latter boarding another train in later hours with his family. Once Yukimi felt that Kuroo was satisfied with looking for any crease on her clothes, she turned around to meet his furrowed stare. "I'm going to be alright, Tetsurou," she assured, wrapping her free hand around the boy's waist, with Kuroo instantly placing a hand on her cheek, his thumb mindlessly caressing her cheekbone. "It's only for a few days, I'll be back in no time at all."
"Promise me that you'll stay safe there," he murmured, planting his forehead against hers. "God, I just wish our annual trip was set on a later date so that I can come with you."
"Hey, I'll still come back to you," Yukimi reminded, standing on her tip-toes, meeting Kuroo halfway in a deep kiss. She can hear both of their hearts pounding at the same beat as their lips danced along with it. It was after a few seconds that they pulled away from each other and Yukimi found herself mesmerized with Kuroo's half-lidded eyes, his lips slightly pouting as if wanting another kiss from her. When she lowered her eyes to his lips, Yukimi couldn't help but blush when she noticed that they were shining and exuding a watermelon fragrance from her lip gloss. The dark-haired girl's eyed widened the next moment, her face turning into a warmer and more prominent shade of red, since Kuroo subtly licked his lips with a half-smile, humming in satisfaction at the familiar flavor. "If you do that, I might not go."
A mischievous grin split Kuroo's face. "Then, watch me do it all over again." He dipped his head to capture Yukimi's lips with his own, his tongue slightly running over her lips and smirking at the melodious gasp from the dark-haired girl. Taking this as a chance, Kuroo deepened the kiss until he felt their tongues brush against each other and stopping when he felt Yukimi releasing a shaky breath. Her face was flushed and their pants intermingled with each other as their bodies lacked the space that they had minutes before. "I'll miss you but I know Sawamura will keep an eye on you so that lessened my worry. Come back to me, Hana."
With a breathtaking smile, Yukimi answered, "Always," before kissing him on the cheek and boarding the train that will take her into a reminiscent ride of nostalgia.
CLASS IS STARTING ON MONDAY IN OUR UNIVERSITY SO I MIGHT NOT UPDATE THIS THE SAME WAY AS THE PACE I PREVIOUSLY HAD.
TO THE READERS HAVING ONLINE CLASSES RIGHT NOW OR ARE STILL WAITING FOR THEIR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, PLEASE TAKE ENOUGH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL BREAKS IN EVERY INTERVAL OF YOUR CLASSES. FACING YOUR GADGETS IN A HUGE AMOUNT OF TIME CAN STRAIN YOUR EYES SO TAKE PROPER REST. I KNOW THAT THIS WILL BE A STRESSFUL ACADEMIC YEAR FOR SOME OF US (ESP IN THE PH), BUT KNOW THAT YOU'RE NEVER ALONE ー YOU CAN ALWAYS MESSAGE ME IF YOU WANT TO RANT ABT OL CLASSES, I'LL TAKE TIME IN ANSWERING THEM.
ILY AND STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY ALWAYS !! 🧡