Your eyes stare at your phone screen. A school forum pulled up on the web browser.
"Setter Challenge!"
1. Get his attention. (Obviously.)
2. Maintain his attention for a month! (Very important)
3. Get him to say your name on a first name basis, while speaking casually.
4. If you've made it this far, congratulations! You're becoming someone he can see as a friend. Making him smile, laugh, and cry should be easy from here on out since you've made him vulnerable. 😆
Your eyebrows twitch at the oddly placed emoji on the last rule. You scan the page trying to find who started this thread but you come out empty handed. The only detail is the date the thread began which was last year. Meaning, this challenge isn't created by a first year. The only answer possible is someone who's a second or third year.
You scroll across your screen, seeing several comments under the thread. Many complaining that this challenge is too difficult because of the setter.
Akaashi.
"Y/N!" Your two friends Haru and Zico call out to you. They walk towards the middle of the classroom, sitting down on each of your side. "What are you reading?" Haru curiously asks, she leans over to peer at your phone. "Is it smut?" Zico chuckles under his breath, grabbing his notebook out of his backpack. Your eyes widen and the heat in your face creeps up.
"No!" You quickly retort, extending your phone to the right to show him. His brown eyes lower to your held out phone, slowly reading the rules of the setter challenge. Scoffing, he looks at you. "Are you really going to attempt that challenge? You do know how many other girls are also attempting the challenge?"
"It's been nearly a month since schools started and no one's gotten passed the first step." Haru mutters beside you, leaning back over to her desk. You nibble on your bottom lip, turning off your phone and sliding it into your skirt pocket. "What makes you think you're any different from the others?" Zico smirks at you, crossing his arms. Lowering your eyes to your desk, you shrug. You were a girl just like the many others but your personality and looks are different.
But did Akaashi care about outer appearances or personality?
He treats everyone the same. The only one he caters more to is his senior, Bokuto Kōtarō.
"Besides, if you're attempting this challenge...it must mean you like Akaashi. Right, Y/N?" Haru smiles at you from ear to ear. Zico just then comes to that realization, his eyes widening. You raise your hands up, waving them frantically in front of you. "No, not at all! I'm just really curious about him. I have no emotional attachment to him...yet." You whisper the last sentence under your breath. You're an idiot if you didn't find Akaashi handsome. Many girls have and that's the very reason this challenge existed.
"Well, I'll root for you Y/N." Haru quietly cheers you on while Zico wears a smug grin. "I'll give her one week. Scratch that, one day." Zico chuckles, flipping open his notebook. You purse your lips, tightening your hands into fists.
"So you're telling me I have the end of today to get his attention?" You question Zico with a look of determination. Zico flicks his eyes over to you, startled when he sees the fire in Y/N's eyes. He slowly nods his head, tensing from how scary she looks.
Huffing out, you flip your hair behind you. "Just you watch Zico. I'll make him notice me."
🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.
Lunchtime finally rolls around and you stand up on your feet quickly. "I'll be heading out first." You hurriedly say, leaving everything behind and dashing towards the courtyard. Zico and Haru barely have the chance to stop Y/N before she disappears out the door. The two exchanging a stare at one another.
"Do you think she'll muster enough courage to approach him?" Haru wears a half smile, giggling. She grabs her bento box out from under her desk cubby. Zico shakes his head, a zealous smirk on his face. "She'll freeze up just by his presence. If she can even get to him before someone else does." Zico sits up and waits for Haru before the two make their way over to the courtyard.
Your eyes scan the courtyard, the amount of students already surrounding the area is not surprising. Many huddle under trees to avoid the sun, while others claim the picnic tables. "Where is he..." You whisper under your breath, looking for a tall guy with spiky white-grey hair with black streaks. Speak of the devil, you overhear a booming voice by one of the picnic tables.
"KONOHA! WHERE IS AKAASHI?!" Bokuto loudly calls out. Konoha squeezes his eyes shut, covering his ears with his hands. "Can you not shout Bokuto? I'm right across from you..." Konoha drags out a sigh. "Knowing him, some girl is probably stopping him. That dumbass challenge never seems to stop."
Bokuto crosses his arms, smirking proudly. "I wonder who came up with it?"
You raise an eyebrow, noting the tone Bokuto spoke in.
Did he come up with the challenge?
You recall the emoji on the fourth rule and cross reference it with the expression you see Bokuto making from across from you, just a few steps away. Knitting your brows, you shake your head.
Of course Bokuto would come up with a challenge like this against his own friend. He seems like the type that would.
You've idled for a bit too long, catching Konoha's attention. "Aye, first year." Konoha shouts towards you. You jolt from his voice, feeling your cheeks redden already. "Do you need something? If you're looking for Akaashi, he isn't here."
"What are you talking about? I'm right here Konoha." Akaashi's deep voice cuts through the conversation, he stands beside Konoha before sitting himself down. Konoha yelps when he notices Akaashi. "What are you!? A ghost?!" Taking the distraction in the conversation, you clear your throat. "A-Actually I'm here to see Bokuto." The three turn their attention towards you. Bokuto looks surprised, pointing a finger to himself. "Me?" He asks, tilting his head.
Your initial plan is to get Akaashi's attention by befriending Bokuto. The two seem to be together often so Akaashi has no reason but to notice you, right? Everyone else is too headstrong about confronting Akaashi. You weren't brave enough to do that right now. So you're taking a short detour.
Shyly, you nod your head, mustering up a smile. Bokuto honestly scared you because of how obnoxious he is. But he seems like a great guy despite how loud he is. He's taken aback when a girl like you stands in front of him. He averts his gaze, hiding his wide smile with the back of his hand. "W-What would a first year want with me?" Bokuto loudly stammers out.
"I've heard a lot about you, Bokuto-chan."
"C-CHAN?!" Bokuto loses himself when he listens to you speak. Akaashi stares at Bokuto indifferently, sighing.
You feel a bit guilty toying with Bokuto like this. His reaction is more innocent than you expected. Nodding your head, you continue to speak. "You're one of the top five aces in the country, right? I can't wait to see you play volleyball." Bokuto clutches his hand over his heart, clenching his teeth together. "Agh, I don't know what to say."
"That's a first." Konoha mutters out with puckered lips, an annoyed look on his face. "You're inflating his confidence, first year." Akaashi speaks up, averting his gaze from Bokuto and towards you. You feel yourself stiffen when you look at Akaashi's gunmetal blue eyes. He wears a stare that can easily kill or woo someone's heart. Not wanting to feel intimidated by him, you relax your shoulders.
Wearing a gentle smile, you tilt your head when you speak to Akaashi. "That's where you come in, right?"
Akaashi stares at the girl without expressing how he's alarmed of the fact that she knows he's one to bluntly speak to Bokuto. She is a first year that's just now appearing before these upperclassman's.
How would she know the way he interacted with his friends?
Little do they know, you've done your research. As weird as it may seem, you read every single comment under the thread to inform yourself of what you'll possibly get yourself into. You're stubborn by nature and this challenge is something you wanted to be the first one to complete. You've always been a goody two shoes for your parents but now that you're in high school, you wanted to spice your life up.
It's okay for you to have this rebellious side, right?
You've done everything your parents wanted up to this point. A daughter who's studious with decent looks. You aren't the most beautiful girl in the world, but you'll take what you can get.
A few blemishes on your face shouldn't automatically place you in the unacceptable girlfriend potential category, right?
Girlfriend? Where are your thoughts transpiring into?
Your confidence starts to falter from your own thoughts.
"What's your name by the way?" Bokuto speaks up, seeming to have calmed down over your compliments. You straighten yourself up, bowing slightly to show your respect to your upperclassman. Bokuto blushes again from how proper you're being. "Y/L/N Y/N." You answer with a small smile. Bokuto repeats your name aloud as if it will help him remember it easier.
"So, did you really just come over here to talk to me and not Akaashi, Y/L/N?" Bokuto raises an eyebrow, hands sliding into his pockets. You glance at Akaashi from the corner of your eye, startled when Akaashi still has his attention on you.
"If you're trying to get close to Bokuto, to then get close to me, I'll have to tell you to leave." Akaashi speaks bluntly and straight to the point. His glare sends a shiver down your spine and your confidence cracks. Your hands fly towards your face and you apologize to Bokuto. "Sorry Bokuto, I can't keep this up. I'm actually at my limit."
Bokuto looks confused, staring at your hidden face. "At your limit?" Bokuto questions you. Haru and Zico who've been watching from afar make their appearance.
"Excuse our friend here. She tends to do whatever she wants and then chickens out." Zico places his hands on your shoulders, turning you away from the three upperclassman's. "I hope she didn't say anything weird." Haru apologizes on your behalf, bowing to the three. "Enjoy your lunch."
"Wait! So are you telling me everything you said was a lie Y/L/N?" Bokuto anxiously calls out to you while Zico pushes you forward. Lowering your hands down from your face, you halt suddenly. Zico bumps against your back, narrowing his eyes on you. "Keep walking before you embarrass yourself further."
"Shut up Zico!" You mutter out. Turning back around, you hurry back to Bokuto. You look up into his golden eyes, tensing up.
Rebellious side, your ass.
You couldn't even look at Bokuto for long before lowering your eyes. "I really do think you're cool Bokuto. Being top 5 in anything in the entire country is really admirable. I hope I'll be able to see you play this year. I don't know much about volleyball but..." You start to ramble whenever you get nervous. Biting your bottom lip, you cut yourself off. "I did talk to you to purposely get Akaashi's attention and that's wrong of me." You chest tightens when you force yourself to look at Bokuto.
Konoha gasps under his breath, his eyes widening. Akaashi glances away when he hears your honesty, unamused. "Girls can be so selfish."
You grow quiet when you hear Akaashi speak, gulping. "I'm sorry." You muster up the last bit of your confidence to whisper those words to Bokuto. Turning your heel, you hurry back over to Zico and Haru. Tears brimming on the rim of your eyes. "Here comes the waterworks." Zico sighs, patting his hand on your back gently.
"I didn't think Akaashi would be so blunt and mean." You sniffle.
"I really thought for a second that you looked cool Y/N. It's refreshing to see you so headstrong about something. Now if only you can work on your sudden lack of confidence." Haru shrugs her shoulders, sighing when she looks over at you.
"And there's another girl who's crying because of you, Akaashi." Konoha drags out his sigh, crossing his arms. "At least this one took the challenge in a different perspective."
"I rather have them confront me personally over them hurting someone else's feelings to weasel to me." Akaashi murmurs, staring at Bokuto who's watching Y/L/N leave. Konoha and Akaashi expects Bokuto to whimper and frown but to their surprise, Bokuto is smirking when he sits down. "Y/L/N Y/N, huh..." Bokuto mumbles to himself, a mischievous chuckle rumbles from his throat.
"What are you laughing about?" Akaashi curtly asks, eyeing Bokuto. "She's pretty interesting, don't you think Akaashi?" Bokuto raises an eyebrow, smirking. Akaashi shrugs, looking in the direction where she disappeared to. "Rule one, pass." Bokuto checks off an imaginary list.
Akaashi and Konoha stare at Bokuto blankly, the two not following along with his "game".