Chapter Text
“Ne, Ken-kun.” She tugged on his sleeve for what was probably the thousandth time that day. “Ken-kun, let’s go outside. There’s a full moon tonight and I wanna see it.” Hachimitsu giggled, leaning in and ducking her head so she could look at Kenma’s face as he ducked it to pay attention to his game.
“Hm? ‘Kay.” His eyes flicked up to meet hers for a brief second, before he looked back at his PSP again. Even when she let out a delighted little squeal, the only reaction she got was a little twitch of his ears. Hachimitsu was quick to leap up and pull his arm as he stood slowly. Bouncing up and down on her heels lightly, she threaded her arm through his and led him out of the common room.
Most of the other players had dispersed to their rooms, so the trip to the back porch was without interruption. As it was nearly midnight, the moon had risen high in the sky and was easily spotted above them when they stepped outside. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, so the stars and moon were on full display.
The smile that spread across Hachimitsu’s lips was one of total awe and admiration. In Tokyo, the buildings were so clustered together with street lamps peppering every corner that it dulled the effect of the stars in the sky. The Ryokan was tucked away at the edge of the city, the only outdoor lighting being two traditional lamps that were lit on either end of the building.
A glance to her side revealed Kenma, still staring intently at his screen. “Ken-kun, look~” Hachimitsu reached over and tugged on the shoulder of his jacket. He glanced up at the sky, and she looked back up as well. In doing so, she missed the way his eyes fell right back to the game once again.
“It’s pretty.” Kenma stated simply, shuffling his feet as he pushed buttons on his PSP, trying to kill the boss of the level he was on. Slipping her arm through the loop of his once again, Hachimitsu leaned against him lightly as she grinned up at the sky.
“It really is! I love it out here. You can see all the stars!” She exclaimed softly, leaning against Kenma’s side. Standing at one-hundred-and-sixty centimeters exactly, Hachimitsu was just a tiny bit shorter than the one-hundred-and-seventy centimeter tall setter. It was just the right amount to let her rest her head on his shoulder without it being too uncomfortable. Plus, she never had to reach far for a hug, which was probably her favorite thing about him.
No matter what he was doing, Kenma never was opposed to her hugging him. Whether he was in the middle of a video game, or just stepping off of the court after practice, any time she wrapped her arms around him for a hug he never complained. Half the time she didn’t receive more than a little nudge in return, but she never minded.
From her point of view, she was just happy that he didn’t push her away as so many others might. Kenma never complained about her touchy-feely-ness, and even reciprocated mildly on good days. He was one of only a few people that readily accepted her affection, and his easy-going nature had been all she needed to concrete in her attachment to him.
Hachimitsu had been lucky enough to meet Kenma and Kuroo when she started Junior High. She came to the same school as them, and was put into the same class as Kenma. Even back then, she’d gravitated to him immediately. Kuroo liked to tell people that she’d pestered Kenma into being friends with her, but she would vehemently deny that until the day she died. All she’d done was follow him around during gym period - talking to him excessively, according - again - to Kuroo.
Either way, after that first day, Kenma had slowly opened up to her and accepted her into his little circle of friends. Well, it was more appropriate to call it a triangle, at that point in time. Kuroo had been quick to welcome her in - eager to find someone else that wanted to be friends with the quiet little gamer just like he did.
Over the years, the trio had only grown closer. Wherever Kuroo and Kenma were, Hachimitsu was sure to be there with them. The trio were all welcomed at one another’s homes by their parents, and walked to and from school together every day. While the two boys played volleyball after school, Hachimitsu could generally be found either watching their practice or participating in math or science club.
Or at least, in previous years she had done both clubs. This year, she took a bit of a break and instead joined only science club. It turned out to be a good thing, as Kuroo had asked her at the beginning of this year if she’d be interested in a manager position for the team. Initially, Hachimitsu had declined. Then, a few weeks went by and she found herself being pulled to the position.
It’d give her more time to spend with her friends, and she’d be able to watch the team practice all the time. Plus, and Kuroo’s main point when he brought it up, it would look great on her resume. Hachimitsu had begun seriously considering it. She intended on giving Kuroo and the coaches her final answer after they returned from this training camp. It was why she was able to attend it - Nekomata had allowed her to come on the condition that she act as their trial manager for the trip.
Hachimitsu had accepted the offer immediately. She had to admit that now, four days into the camp, she was really enjoying the position. Helping with cleanup, getting water ready, organization, notes during matches - Hachimitsu found herself absolutely thriving doing it all. Admitting that to anyone… well, she’d wait for now. Until she knew for sure that she wanted to keep doing it.
The chill in the air is what brought Hachimitsu back to the present. In her sweat pants and a long sleeved shirt, she wasn’t well-protected against the cold wind that had begun blowing around them. “Ne, Ken-kun, let’s go back inside.” She looked over at him, tugging on his elbow lightly.
“Okay.” Kenma’s eyes darted up to her for barely a second, and he was quick to let her pull him back into the Ryokan. The duo continued down the hall in silence, Hachimitsu humming softly under her breath. It was already fairly late, and knowing that Kenma would have to get up early in the morning, she diverted their path towards the rooms that the boys were sharing.
“Have you beat that boss yet?” Hachimitsu paused outside of the door leading into the room Kenma had been put in. Peering at his PSP, she pursed her lips and stared at the screen curiously. His character was leaping around, dodging and shooting the boss.
“Not yet. Almost, though.” Kenma’s eyes narrowed a bit in concentration, and his fingers moved rapidly to press various buttons. “I’ve died three times trying to kill him.” Hachimitsu’s lips parted and she let out a soft ‘oh’. No wonder he’d been so focused on the game, she realized.
Wincing a little guiltily at having distracted him from the game, Hachimitsu nodded a little. “Ahh, sorry for bothering you, then. I didn’t know you were still fighting the same boss.” Kenma’s ears twitched, and he lifted his gaze to meet hers for a moment.
With a shrug, he brushed off her concerns. “S’okay. I don’t mind. You weren’t bugging me.” He said simply, eyes falling back to his PSP again as he did a series of attacks against the boss. Her lips tilted up at the corners and she smiled softly. He was always so understanding and easygoing.
It was habit - apologizing to him. Though he never made her feel like she had to, some part of her still felt the need to. Each time she apologized, though, Kenma was always quick to brush it off and tell her she didn’t need to. It was a relief.
“I’ll let you head in then. Night, Ken-kun.” She grinned, wrapping her arms around the setter to hug him gently. He pressed pause on his game and wrapped an arm around her, lightly returning the affectionate gesture. Grinning, Hachimitsu pulled back happily and took a few steps back.
“Goodnight, Hachi.” He pressed play on his game as he opened the door, sliding into the room and mindlessly making his way towards his bedroll. In the meantime, Hachimitsu had turned and was walking back down the hallway - well, skipping, actually. It wasn’t incredibly often that Kenma returned one of her affectionate gestures.
Rather than go to the room where all of the managers were sleeping, the black-haired girl made her way down towards the courtyard again. There was something about the clear night that drew her back again. Being able to see the night sky so clearly, all of the stars and the moon. She wanted to bask in it for a little while longer now that she was in such a good mood.
Surprisingly enough, when she stepped up to the door leading to the back patio, she saw that she wouldn’t be alone. Opening the door quietly, she padded up next to Yaku as he stood, gripping the rail and looking up at the sky. His ears had twitched when she opened and closed the door, but he hadn’t moved to look at her until she stopped next to him.
“Hey, Yaku-kun.” Her content smile was met with a small nod, his chocolate eyes watching her solemnly. Without a word to her, he shifted and looked back up at the sky again. Although he wasn’t always particularly talkative, it was a bit strange for the libero to be so completely silent. Pursing her lips, Hachimitsu leaned against the banner and lifted her gaze to the sky. “You okay?”
She was expecting a short answer, or for him to tell her that he was stressed or tired. Instead, she got silence. For several minutes. Hachimitsu found herself glancing at Yaku every few seconds. Concern was mounting gradually.
Finally, his lips parted and he frowned. “Bad mood.” His breath misted the air as he sighed, eyes glued to the moon. For a moment, she wondered if he was going to expand on that. As he stood there, silently staring at the moon, she slowly realized that he wasn’t planning on sharing.
“Sorry. Do you need anything from me? Anything I can do to help?” She shuffled a little closer to him, peering up at him from the corner of her eye. He tensed, hands tightening on the banister where they lay. For a moment, all he did was open and close his mouth, then frown and repeat.
“...Thanks, but I don’t think so.” Yaku sighed again, straightening up. With a shake of his head, he glanced up at the sky again. “Have a good night, Hachimitsu-chan. I’m gonna head to bed.” Inhaling slowly, he released the banister and stepped back.
She blinked, lips curling downwards slightly. “Okay. Night, Yaku-san. Sleep well.” He lifted his hand in acknowledgment of her words, and stepped back into the Ryokan. As the door slid shut, Hachimitsu shuffled closer to the railing and pressed herself close to it, eyes glued on the sky. Yaku’s responses, and mood, had unsettled her. Concern pulsing through her, she willed the feeling away. If he wanted to talk, he would.
For now, she would just enjoy the evening sky.
“Uh huh. Bad mood.” Yaku’s jaw clenched and he stiffened as he rounded a corner. Kuroo stood there waiting for him, brows lifted and arms crossed over his chest as he stared down at him.
“Stalking is pretty far below you, isn’t it?” Lifting a brow as he folded his arms across his chest, Yaku stared up at Kuroo with no amusement. He really wasn’t in the mood for this lecture again. He thought that Hachimitsu becoming the manager would be a good thing. Instead, all it brought was feelings of unease as he was confronted with his feelings for her over and over again.
Kuroo leaned against the wall, smirking. “Hey, the window was open. I was just being a good person and closing it so we didn’t all freeze tonight.” His cheshire grin was pissing Yaku off. “What’s the worst that can happen if you tell her? You get rejected?”
His dark gaze was pinning Yaku there. Jaw twitching in annoyance, the libero found himself standing up a bit taller and his eyes narrowing dangerously. “Screw off. It’s none of your business.” It was frustrating. Having to deal with watching the two of them all day, then Hachi being concerned, and now Kuroo ragging on him again.
He knew that the easy thing to do would be to ignore Kenma and Hachimitsu when they were interacting with one another. That if he just looked away, he would be able to push thoughts of it away, and focus. It’d stop bothering him. It wasn’t that easy, but how he wished it was. It wasn’t his place to be annoyed for Hachimitsu, to be angry at Kenma, to be frustrated with her for not seeing it. Yet he couldn’t stop it.
Yaku knew that. And he knew that Kuroo did too. “All you’re doing is making things more difficult for yourself.” Damnit, he knew that. He didn’t need Kuroo telling him that. He knew that. “I know you know that.” Cool, now the bedhead could read minds.
“Just leave me alone tonight. I don’t want to talk about it.” Without bothering to wait for a reply, Yaku stalked around Kuroo and all but dashed up the stairs. In the room he shared with his teammates, he glimpsed Kenma playing on his PSP and turned away to crawl into his bedroll silently.
Kuroo stood in the hallway where Yaku had left him. His arms slowly slid from his chest so he could rest his hands on his hips. A glance at the patio door, and then up the stairs, and the captain sighed to himself. “It’s like herding cats.” Shaking his head, he turned and meandered up the stairs.