𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐢
2.9
It was late that Tuesday night when Semi found her. Almost two am, in fact, so maybe it was extremely early Wednesday instead.
He had been on another of his late-night strolls, having to escape his room for a bit after Tendou's constant bothering. Not that he hated it, just it was nice to get a break once in a while. And apart from the music room, he would often find himself wandering into the library.
At the dead of night, of course he hadn't expected to see anyone there. But, much to his surprise, hunched over at a couch with her head rested on her palm as her stressed eyes flickered between the books splayed out in front of her, was a certain Ukai.
So immersed in her studying, she didn't even look up when he took the seat next to her, the cushioned furniture dipping slightly.
Semi's brows creased in concern, lightly tapping the girl on the shoulder, "Uh, (Y/N)?"
She glanced at him, the evident tension in her stiff body never leaving, "Oh, hey, Semi," She mumbled tiredly quickly returning to her work, "Did you and Tendou finish the movie?"
Now Semi was very concerned, "Uh, yeah. Like, five hours ago,"
(Y/N) stopped writing, the fountain pen coming to a halt on her kanji-filled notebooks as she blinked slowly.
"(Y/N)," Semi started, "How long have you been working?"
Alarm revealed itself in her (E/C) eyes, her whole body stiffening. She gave him a weak grin, though clearly fake, "Uh, not long," Were her eyes red? "Don't worry about me, Semi-Semi! I'm okay,"
She had thought breaking away from her stressed self was easy, when falling back into the unhealthy habits and constant worrying was so, so much easier. Clambering out of the hole was hard work, but slipping back in only took one wrong step.
It wasn't hard for the setter to see just this, seeing how the late nights and worrying she used to refer to in past tense were now becoming the present. And he wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with that wretched mother of hers. More than anything, he realized how much she needed these boys there for her.
Sighing, Semi walked over to the electric kettle in the corner, preparing them both something light. He didn't fail to notice how (Y/N) watched him from her couch, drooped eyes trailing his figure with curiosity.
Giving her one mug, keeping the other to himself, he also brought out the many blankets Shitatorizawa's library offered, draping it over the two as they sat together in the couch. One of the fanciest schools in the country had to provide the resources necessary for their students to be comfortable.
Eyes studying her exhausted (both mentally and physically) figure, he bit the inside of his cheek, "What's up?" His voice was surprisingly welcoming. Not demanding or too careful as if she would break. It was like a light breeze at the sea on a hot summers day.
She sipped her tea apprehensively, debating whether or not to tell him. One glance at his kind eyes and soft expression that was accentuated by the dim light of the library was enough to make her break.
Letting out a breath that she didn't even know she was holding in made her deflate, her shoulders sagging as she cupped the warm drink in her hands, "My... my mother found out I've been slacking off. And, well, I have," He stayed quiet, patiently waiting for her to continue, "You guys didn't know me before the summer, but... Fuck I was a mess."
She subconsciously leaned into Semi, making the setters cheeks burn up.
"And I thought I could change. Should've known better," She let out a small chuckle, "And well, I got a call from her. And she's not wrong. I mean, I've barely done any of my summer homework. Plus, I've been wasting this great opportunity at this business class. I mean, I'm a third year. I haven't even started thinking about college. Mom wants me to get into Tokyo or like, Cambridge or something. And I don't even know if I can get into anything like that. I mean, everyone had such high hopes for me, but-"
She sighed.
"And I guess I just..." It had been a while since she studied so hard she lost track of time, not even noticing when it had been five hours. She was shocked it had come to this, the thought that she was falling back into her unhealthy habits creeping up on her like a cold. "I... I'm not meeting their expectations... And I'm disappointing them," She murmured the last part, sinking into the couch even more.
Semi couldn't help but let his arm wrap around her, softly stroking her bicep as she leaned against him just a little more, the steam from their drinks warming the two up. It was his job to cheer his kouhais up when they were upset, though mainly Goshiki, so comforting people was like a second language to him. Even still, he had to find the right words, "Look, (Y/N)," He mumbled against her head, "I- I know I can't just tell you to stop. 'Don't be stressed' or whatever bullshit adults say. J- Just know that we're here, okay? And no matter what, we- we love you."
(Y/N) looked up at him with bewildered eyes, smiling softly at his flushed cheeks.
"Aha, yeah..." Semi chuckled, "Believe it or not, you've become a big part of the team's lives in just a few weeks. We care about you, (Y/N). I mean, how could we not? You're fucking amazing! Your mom isn't shit,"
(Y/N) burst out laughing, almost spilling the tea in the process.
"It's true. If that old hag can't see your worth than fuck her!" The grey-haired setter said a little more confidently, glad to see the warmth return to her eyes, "We'll get you out of it. Slowly, but surely."
She pursed her lips, gratefulness seeping through her features, "Thank you, Semi. It means a lot,"
He hummed, "Now, have you eaten?"
She looked away bashfully. Obviously not. She didn't even know dinner had passed.
He didn't scold her or tell her off. He just lifted her up, leading her to the cafeteria in silence.
And as (Y/N) looked up, the moonlight highlighting his calm features, she may have realized that these boys were a lot more to her than just amusement for the summer.
(sorry for the short chapter jsjsjhh)
♡