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Tsukishima Kei didn’t believe in soulmates.
Despite the stories he was told as a child or the vast amounts of movies made concerning the subject, he still didn’t believe in them. His parents, happily married for years, weren’t soulmates. His neighbors hadn’t met theirs, his brother never met his, hell even the couples he saw on TV he doubted were actually soulmates. It was all just a lie. How could there be one person in the entire world that you were just meant for?
In a way, this sort of mindset protected him from the unfortunate reality that he may never find his own soulmate. He knew the statistics by heart. Roughly 10.4% of the general human population found their soulmate. Scientists did not know whether or not every individual had a soulmate; they simply knew that a low percentage of people found theirs. 73% of soulmate matches were between different-sex couples, 25% same-sex, and the remaining 2% with identities outside the gender binary. Thus far, each soulmate pair were linked on a romantic base; less than .001% of these pairs divorced if they decided to get married. Once someone’s soulmate died, their remaining lifespan, on average, was less than 3 years.
Japan had a relatively high soulmate match, at 13.8% in comparison to other countries. Even so, Kei had never met someone with a soulmate.
Children’s books boasted of soulmate pairings; movies widely discussed the topic and made soulmates meetings the most romantic events in the world. The most widely-known celebrities were those with great soulmate stories. Yet Kei adamantly refused them all.
His classmates, however, couldn’t get enough of the whole soulmates thing. They had assignments dedicated to imagining a perfect soulmate and class discussions always fell into the same routine. Kei wouldn’t call these people friends, per say, as he became increasingly distant from those soulmate-driven freaks. Any conversation he attempted to make always turned into one about soulmates. After a while he stopped trying to make conversation.
Sometime in his 3rd year of elementary school, a boy Kei didn’t know very well showed off his newly found soulmate marks. The class ogled at the foreign streaks, their jealousy emanating like a putrid stench. Kei simply remained in his seat and didn’t give the boy any attention. He concluded that without proof of the identical marks on his soulmate there was no way this kid was actually telling the truth.
Kei needed the evidence before he would succumb to something as silly as soulmates.
That was, of course, until he met that boy with freckles.
Like so many days before, Kei took the back route home from school. He would leave as soon as the bell rang, not bothering to stick around for whatever shenanigans his classmates had planned. He’d turn left out the school gates, continue through two crosswalks then another left until he reached the park. On most afternoons, the park was completely empty; a relic of happy days past when Kei actually got along with his fellow classmates and had people to call friends.
Yet on that one fateful day, the park had a few kids there. At first, it seemed like they were just playing as usual. But the closer Kei got, he realized that three kids were ganging up on a small boy with dark, straight hair and unbelievable freckles. It was like his entire face was a constellation made from a million tiny dots.
“What a wuss!” One of the bullies laughed, pushing the freckled kid down to the ground.
The boy began to well up, his eyes becoming big. In a way it was like he was expecting the comments.
Kei let out a tch and returned back to his normal routine. In just a couple more meters he would turn right and reach his house in a few blocks. There was no need to get involved.
Unfortunately, the bullies had other ideas. “Have something to say?” One of them growled, taking a cautionary step towards Kei.
Another pulled him back, commenting in a low voice, “Isn’t that a middle schooler?”
The third one piped up. “No way, he’s just in Class 5.”
Kei towered over the boys, especially the freckled one who now looked at him like a savior. Everything… these boys and their motives it was all just so… “Pathetic,” he decided, vocalizing it to the small group.
The four boys stopped dead in their tracks. If not for his gift of height, the bullies may have come after Kei and put up a fight. He truly didn’t want to waste his effort on these lowly people but he’d defend himself if absolutely necessary. Instead, the bullies scurried off in the other direction before Kei could even smirk.
That just left him and the freckled boy.
“Y-you’re right,” the boy said, dropping his head. “I am pathetic.”
Kei looked around, possibly hoping for someone to come to his rescue from this awkward situation but it was just him and this boy with the mesmerizing freckles. He didn’t want to bother himself with this random boy’s troubles but his body involuntarily moved towards him.
Kei knew if he was this close he should just offer the boy a hand but for some reason he couldn’t move his arm now. It worked just a second ago against his will but when he actually wanted to help, something just made him refuse.
So Kei turned on his heel and began to make the trek home.
“Wait!” The boy called out.
Kei felt a warm hand press against his wrist to see the boy sheepishly grabbing him. He was standing now and Kei felt incredibly powerful as he stood over him. No wonder this boy was bullied so much; he was scrawny and small and evidently cried easily. And yet, Kei found himself thinking he wouldn’t let the boy ever be picked on again.
“I just wanted to thank you for saving me,” the boy said with a pressed smile. He released Kei’s arm in exchange for a bow. “No one’s ever done that before.”
Kei shrugged it off. “It’s not a big deal.”
The boy rose, his eyes big. “I’m… uh… Yamaguchi Tadashi. By the way.”
“Tsukishima Kei.”
He gave Kei a genuine smile this time, one full of teeth and good intentions. Despite the fact that this kid had a mess of freckles and moppy hair and a toothy grin, it all just seemed so him. Even his clothes, an oversized t-shirt and jeans, made Yamaguchi precisely himself. Kei could even see a small design of ink poking out from the edge of his sleeve. An odd wave of unplaced emotion came upon him when he realized Yamaguchi must have already met his soulmate.
“I better get going,” Kei said, pointing in the direction of his house. “It was nice-”
A large gasp from Yamaguchi drowned out Kei’s words. His eyes were fervently locked on Kei’s arm, mouth agape at what he saw. Kei peered down to see a small design poking out from the edge of his sleeve. He pushed it back, revealing a whole galaxy expertly drawn across his entire forearm. It was colorful and bright and precisely done by someone other than Kei. How did it…?
Yamaguchi pulled back his own sleeve, revealing the same exact drawing line for line. They stared at each other for what seemed like ages, breath heavy as despair set like a weight into Kei’s chest.
Yamaguchi’s arm began to shake. “Y-you’re m-my-”
“No.”
Yamaguchi stopped dead in his tracks; a deer in headlights. “W-what do you mean? It’s right there.”
Kei shook his head, taking a few steps back. “No, we’re not. It’s… it’s not possible. This can’t be happening.”
“Tsukki…”
Kei had taken off in a sprint before he could hear Yamaguchi finish. He took his normal route home: a couple more meters then a right until he reached his house. He drowned out all of the intrusive thoughts and the calling of his name by only listening to the constant thrumming of his rapid heartbeat.
This couldn’t be happening.
Kei took no time to rush inside, hastily removing his shoes before a dark figure shadowed over him. He yelped out, falling over the entryway step.
“Woah, woah,” his older brother Akiteru calmed. “Slow down there or else you’re gonna get hurt.” Akiteru scanned him as he helped Kei off the ground. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Kei replied gruffly. “Why are you home?”
“Coach gave us the day off.” Akiteru’s eyes flashed down to Kei’s arm. “Wow, I never realized you could draw like that.”
Before Kei realized it, the words “I can’t” left his lips. He avoided Akiteru’s questioning stare in favor of pushing past him and up the stairs.
“Kei, wait!” Akiteru managed to make it to Kei’s room before he could shut him out. “What are you so worked up about?”
Kei went to his bed, holding one of his plushies close. He buried his face as hot tears sprang forth much to his dismay. He despised crying more than anything else but his silent sobs were ceaseless.
He felt his bed dip beside him and soon a warm hand was placed on his back. Kei reeled at the touch and scooted further away.
“Kei, what’s going on?” Akiteru asked calmly.
Kei shook his head.
“Did you find your soulmate?”
His stomach sank to the floor. “No,” he said, voice shaky. “Soulmates aren’t real.”
Akiteru let out a sigh. “You’re still on that huh?”
Kei kept quiet.
“I’m not going to sit and try to convince you that soulmates are real, but you can’t ignore the fact that there’s a person you are connected with now. You can’t just neglect them.”
Somewhere deep, deep down he knew Akiteru was right but Kei wasn’t willing to admit that just yet. So when his brother left without another word, a wave of relief flooded him. He must have sat there, desperately clinging onto a dinosaur plushy, for hours. His mind churned as he attempted to think about anything but his current situation and yet a certain freckled boy kept coming in focus.
At one point, Kei sat up and looked down at his arm to truly study what Yamaguchi had created. But that magnificent galaxy was gone, replaced by a few simple words that were beautiful in their own right.
Are you okay?
Kei then checked himself all over to see if there was any more marks and was sort of delighted to find one. On his chest there was a scraggly doodled heart atop where his actual heart was; it was a peace offering in a way Kei decided. Yamaguchi’s way of letting him know he was there without being too over bearing.
But still… the idea that Kei could even receive marks like this, soulmate marks, was nearly too much to handle. And yet a burning curiosity to test out this impossibility forced Kei into grabbing a pen and writing back.
Yes
Within a few minutes, there was a response.
I’m glad Tsukki!
Kei almost smirked at the nickname. Almost.
Small, intricate drawings began to appear all over Kei’s arms. Yamaguchi appeared to have a certain affinity for the stars, however, as he drew lots of them. He also managed to doodle small designs in the free space until it appeared Kei was nearly completely tattooed. But each design could be easily hidden underneath a long-sleeved shirt or hoodie, almost like he knew Kei didn’t want to show them off.
They’d only met once and yet this kid already knew Kei so well.
By the morning though, most of the designs had disappeared. The one Yamaguchi kept was the heart beneath the collarbone. Kei couldn’t place where his appreciation came from but nevertheless the heart’s presence was surprisingly reassuring.
But even the heart couldn’t protect Kei from the growing fear lodged in his stomach. Some disembodied figure that he shared drawings with was one thing—a real, physical soulmate with emotions and feelings and connections was a whole different problem.
The fear only grew as Kei walked into his classroom the day after the incident. He didn’t particularly care about his classmate’s opinions on the matter, but after receiving a reputation for his disdain of soulmates they would be shocked to found out that Kei had one.
Soulmates aren’t real , he reminded himself. But the staggering evidence on his skin threatened to change that.
The morning passed normally to Kei’s delight but that pit of fear held tight in his chest. When lunch came and a familiar freckled face entered the room the fear seemed to grow.
“Tsukki… can we talk please?” Yamaguchi kept his gaze down at his hands fumbling with the edge of his shirt.
Kei couldn’t help but notice the collective stares and whispers pointed their way.
“Yeah, let’s step outside,” he said, trying his hardest to keep his voice calm.
Together they silently slid into the hallway past the bulk of the classrooms to escape the persistent glares. Kei had little opinion when it came to being the center of attention, but it was evident Yamaguchi didn’t particularly enjoy it. Kei couldn’t blame him; after all, they were known for something that should have been good but was now all being taken into the wrong light.
Yamaguchi broke the silence first. “I just want to be friends with you Tsukki,” he admitted shakily. “I’m not sure how this whole uh… thing works but I just want to be friends if that’s okay with you.”
The fear began to subside. Tsukishima Kei didn’t believe in soulmates.
“Yeah,” Kei nodded. “That’s good with me.”
Yamaguchi broke out into a toothy grin. They spent the rest of the lunch period outside the classroom as Yamaguchi listlessly talked about everything. From the new song he heard on the radio to his mom’s exciting work to the gossip he’d overheard from some girls in his class. Kei first chalked it up to nervousness but quickly realized this was just who Yamaguchi was.
The scared, cowardly kid he saved on the playground was just a facade to every other kid in the school. The real Yamaguchi was happy and bright and a little snarky even. He laughed at all of Kei’s rude comments and complimented him endlessly. He talked about his dreams to get good at a sport, any sport, and make a big impact in the world. Yamaguchi was the embodiment of hope that had dissipated in Kei the day he understood what soulmates were.
Or at least what he thought he understood about soulmates. As time went on Kei found their friendship easier and easier to handle. At first he had to put effort in to not snap back at Yamaguchi or push him away. Yamaguchi had a bad tendency to hang around Kei too often, especially in the presence of his former bullies. Kei eventually found his presence normal and he’d shoot those nasty kids who once tormented Yamaguchi a dirty look if they even attempted to get near Yamaguchi. He gradually stopped hiding behind Kei’s back and even attempted to shoot his own mean looks towards his former bullies.
Then one day Kei found himself seeking out Yamaguchi. They’d walk home together and hang out on the weekends. Their first sleepover at Kei’s house received a few amused eyebrow raises from Akiteru, but even that wasn’t enough to discourage him from being with Yamaguchi willingly.
The real issue was he just couldn’t see Yamaguchi as his soulmate.
By their last year of elementary school, a couple other kids had also found their soulmates. While Yamaguchi’s elaborate drawings appeared in hidden spots, the other kids showed thiers off with pride. Kei still didn’t understand why.
His mind was full of questions about what having a soulmate actually meant. How did the universe even know that this kid was his perfect other half?
“Tsukishima-kun.”
Kei barely looked up from the worksheet he wasn’t really working on to register a female classmate standing beside his desk. She was traditionally pretty: long, straight hair, big eyes, nice smile. And yet this was the first time all year she decided to talk to him.
Kei pulled off his headphones. “Can I help you?” He asked in his most polite tone, even if it didn’t necessarily come off that way.
She leaned forward on her toes, arms locked together behind her back. “Is it true that you and Yamaguchi-kun from Class 4 are soulmates?”
Kei couldn’t help but glance down at the small drawings poking out from the edge of his uniform sleeve. There were probably some sticking out from his collar as well; Yamaguchi truly didn’t mind doodling wherever he pleased.
“What if we are?” He shot his eyes back towards the girl.
She placed her hands on Kei’s desk. “It’s nothing really, I just don’t see how you two could be soulmates. I mean, he’s pretty scrawny and super clingy. He’s also a big crybaby.”
Kei couldn’t quite place his finger on it, but there was some sort of bite to her words. An edge that reminded him of those boys that would endlessly pick on Yamaguchi. Except this time it felt like this girl was attacking Kei directly. Usually, he’d ignore it or laugh off the comments but this girl seemed rather pleased with herself.
“Pathetic,” Kei commented.
She smiled at that. “Yeah he is a little pathetic isn’t he? I figured the drawings were just some coincidence. Say, if you’re free after school would you want to hang out?”
Kei promptly stood, the girl stepping back a bit. Without another word, he made his way towards the classroom door even as she began to call out his name. His entire class had their eyes on him now.
Tsukishima Kei didn’t believe in soulmates.
He tugged on his sleeve to reveal Yamaguchi’s drawings. “Sorry, I have plans with my soulmate. Maybe you should try to find your own, but I doubt someone could put up with that rotten personality of yours.”
With a wave, Kei left the classroom as his heart rate steadily increased. Panic or terror or something was coursing through his veins as he steadily made his way towards Yamaguchi’s classroom.
Mustering the strongest voice he could, Kei called out: “Yamaguchi.”
He, along with the rest of his class, turned to see Kei confidently standing at the door. Rather, it was Kei’s version of confidence which more-so resembled a tree shaking in the wind.
Kei held out his uncovered arm. “Let’s go.”
Yamaguchi gave him that undeniably toothy grin he always made when he couldn’t contain his happiness. He pulled up his own sleeves to his classmates’ shock. “Okay, Tsukki!” He cheered and joined Kei at the door.
Kei thought he had gotten used to background conversations and whispered rumors that concerned himself but there was a certain sting when they concerned Yamaguchi. He began to fall behind Kei’s back once again when their comments became too loud.
That cowardly boy had began to seep through and Kei could feel himself losing Yamaguchi. He was slipping through his fingertips despite how desperately he attempted to hold on. And then Yamaguchi told him the news that made Kei let go.
“I’m moving to the US,” Yamaguchi revealed, his eyes cast downward.
They were sitting on the swingsets in the park where they first met despite the bitting snap of winter wrapping all around him. Yamaguchi was completely bundled head to toe with puffy cheeks and red eyes Kei suspected weren’t because of the cold.
“My mom’s jobs transferred her there,” Yamaguchi continued, “and I don’t have any other family in Japan I can stay with so I’m going with her.”
Kei didn’t have the right words to say. Some part of him wanted to tell him stay with me but ultimately Kei could only nod.
“Don’t stop drawing,” Kei managed to croak out. It was the only comprehensive thought he could form into a sentence. “Please.”
Yamaguchi gave him a sad smile, his lips firm together. “Okay, Tsukki.”
Within a few weeks, Yamaguchi had moved away. It was like the only trace of him was the small heart still always present on Kei’s chest.
For the first time since Kei got his soulmate, he began to draw back. He drew his favorite dinosaurs and little designs and whatever came to mind. He just didn’t want to believe Yamaguchi was so far away when the drawings were still there like they’d always been.
Eventually, Kei moved on to middle school and chose one a little further away from home. A school where he knew no one and no one knew him. A fresh start where low whispers couldn’t drive his soulmate away.
He joined the volleyball club, following in his brother’s footsteps. One particularly loud kid grated his nerves so badly Kei nearly quit but he ended up staying in order to observe a pair of soulmates on his team. Besides their matching marks, it was hard to see how exactly they were soulmates. They were complete opposites for one and acted more like best friends rather than ‘other halves’. Kei grew to know them as Kenma and Kuroo, a pair who had been linked for as long as they could remember.
Sometime during their first year even that annoying kid, an orange-haired shorty named Hinata, had connected with his soulmate. The reception of both of these relationships was surprisingly… positive. While they still received whispers, they were mostly inquisitive rather than derogatory.
Kei tried not to care about their relationships and simply return back to the version of himself that seldom discussed the matter of soulmates but that ever-present heart on his chest was a constant reminder he couldn’t go back.
He found himself thinking about Yamaguchi more than he’d like to admit. They talked purely through their drawings but their time difference made the conversations drawn out and semi-pointless. Kei missed Yamaguchi’s pointless rambling and toothy grin.
He missed… him.
But Kei knew deep down Yamaguchi resented him. Kei couldn’t protect him from the hateful comments and stares of their peers; he wasn’t there for him during his final days in Japan. He was off living a better, happier life in a different country and didn’t need a soulmate that would just drag him down with his incompetence.
It didn’t help that Kei knew his feelings surrounding Yamaguchi were beginning to change. He wanted more than just their simple friendship but there was no possible way to relay that. Off at his new school, Yamaguchi was probably insanely popular with lots of friends and little thought of Kei.
In fact, the drawings proved it. They decreased in number the longer Yamaguchi was away to the point where in his first year of high school Kei realized that the heart was the only mark they shared.
It wasn’t matter he could discuss with anyone, though. Soulmate discussions with Akiteru lead to slammed doors and death glares. He didn’t stay in contact with anyone from elementary school who knew about Yamaguchi. At his high school, Kei was just one of a hundred other students who appeared to be searching for their other half.
Kei knew the truth though so he turned to one of the only people who appeared to know the matter of soulmates quite well.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Kei sighed during a water break in practice. “But can I ask you some questions about soulmates?”
Kuroo’s face lit up. His smile became devilish as he slinked an arm around Kei’s shoulder. “My little protege, asking me for soulmate advice. I never thought I’d see the day when you got someone who would love you eternally.”
Kei removed Kuroo’s arm and took a cautionary step back. “I don’t have a soulmate. This is purely inquisition.”
“Boring. What do you wanna know?”
“Well frankly,” Kei began, “how do you know you’re living up to your soulmates standards?”
Kuroo’s eyes went big. “Huh? Soulmate standards?”
“Soulmates are connected through a romantic bond,” Tsukishima explained, his words half-stolen from a mix of research on the subject. “But soulmates who meet when they’re young often have a difficult time establishing this sort of relationship after an initial platonic bond. How does that shift?”
Kuroo’s face rested somewhere between bewilderment and dread. “Honestly, you’re asking the wrong guy.”
Kei followed his gaze to Kenma on the other side of the court. He was discussing something with Hinata; rather, Hinata was discussing something with him. With big arm motions and the occasional shout, it was hard to see that Kenma was even participating in the conversation.
“Soulmates are a tricky subject for everyone involved,” Kuroo conceded. “They’re annoying and frustrating and horrible and trust me I know this because I am this type of soulmate. But there’s something so special about being connected to another person in that way. Standards don’t exist when you realize the universe literally said you two are perfect together. It’s just a matter of waiting and knowing that everything will turn out alright in the end.
“Now that I’ve told you all of this, you have to introduce me to your soulmate first. I swear if I find out Hinata or Kenma met them first—"
Kei let out a breath. “That shouldn’t be an issue.”
He’s in a different country after all, Kei thought to himself.
That night, Kei drew. He recreated that brilliant constellation Yamaguchi made the day they met. But he extended the drawing all the way up his arm and around his shoulder. He intricately filled in every available space with cool colors and speckled stars until the galaxy wrapped halfway across his body.
And then, it started to appear on his other arm. A soft smile rose to Kei’s lips as he watched Yamaguchi draw in his own stars and connected their pieces. Their drawing styles looked nothing alike but nonetheless they both centered in on the heart on their chests. It was the focal point of their entire torso that was warped with constellations and planets incredibly cosmos.
For the first time in Kei’s life, he wanted to show off his soulmate marks to the entire world.
But it was the weekend and Kei let the marks litter his skin for an entire day before he began the laborious process of removing all of his own drawings. They surprisingly didn’t stain his skin so he was soon left without a trace of the magnificent art in the first place. All that remained was the heart and a message from Yamaguchi after all of his markings were removed.
I’m sorry
Kei quickly scribbled back his response.
For what?
For not keeping our promise. I should have drawn more.
A solid beat passed before Yamaguchi wrote one more thing.
It’s okay though. I promise to draw even more when I come back home next year.
The year went by in a flash. Kei initially feared a year of waiting would be insufferable but instead a strange sense of hope drove him along. It was like he had finally reached Yamaguchi again as their conversations resumed and the drawings came back with a wonderful vengeance.
Then before he knew it, Kei was staring at that same toothy grin that shone so brightly compared to every other person in that airport. Their eyes locked and Kei’s feet picked up under him before he broke out in a full sprint to wrap his arms around Yamaguchi and never let him go.
The stares and whispers of the people around him had absolutely no effect. Yamaguchi was in his grasp and that’s all Kei could focus on.
He pulled away to see just how much Yamaguchi had changed over the last few years. Kei was still taller, but now Yamaguchi was competing with his own height. His hair was still long and fluffy and his eyes were still bright and full. His freckles were splayed out like the most beautiful constellation Kei had ever seen.
“I’m sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said, his voice low. “I should have done more I was just afraid that you didn’t want to expose the fact you had a soulmate…”
“Are you joking?” Kei blurted out. “I mean… I thought you didn’t draw back because you resented me.”
“Why would I ever do that? I—” His voice caught but he didn’t need to finish the sentence for Kei to understand.
Kei kissed him softly, cupping Yamaguchi’s face and bringing it up to his own. He smiled against Kei’s lips and eventually sank into the kiss.
They could have stayed like that for hours, just basking in each other’s arms but Kei pulled back eventually to get a good look at his soulmate.
“I’m sorry if I’m not everything you want out of a soulmate,” Kei said softly.
Yamaguchi snorted. “You’re an idiot, you know that right?”
They headed to Yamaguchi’s new apartment and began to unpack everything he’d brought over. Yamaguchi explained his mother was finishing up her last days at work and would be flying over with the rest of their belongings the following week. Kei couldn’t help but blush at the fact that they were in the apartment all alone.
They fell back into their normal routine like nothing had changed. Yamaguchi excitedly talked about his time in America and all of the great people he’d met over there. Kei would respond with snarky comments to which Yamaguchi snickered at. Unpacking didn’t seem that difficult in the presence of someone Kei enjoyed.
At some point Yamaguchi retreated to his unfurnished bedroom for some sleep. He was seriously jetlagged but nevertheless pulled Kei along and fell soundly asleep in his arms. Kei didn’t even remember dozing off but it turned out to be one of the best sleeps he had in years.
He woke up to Yamaguchi stirring slightly, drool leaking onto Kei’s shirt. He didn’t even mind because it gave him an excuse to see how adorable Yamaguchi actually was.
“Tadashi,” Kei tested.
Tadashi’s eyes flew open immediately. A brilliant crimson color rose underneath his freckles and at the top of his ears. “W-What?”
Kei smirked. “It’s probably a good time to get up. You need to get back to Japan time.”
Tadashi pouted. He wiped away the drool off his chin and a little of Kei’s shirt. He then dragged his fingers across his chest and traced over the heart over and over again.
“I drew this heart because I didn’t know how else to reach out to you,” Tadashi explained, his face a little sad. “You seemed so terrified of the whole idea of soulmates I didn’t want to scare you off.”
“I still don’t think soulmates are real,” Kei replied flatly.
Tadashi's face fell flat. "Seriously?" He deadpanned. "We are literally soulmates."
“Who cares what the universe dictates is your other half. I didn’t know we were soulmates that day. It still didn’t change the fact that we met and became friends. I wouldn’t change it even if we couldn’t draw on one another.”
Yamaguchi chuckled. “It’s probably a good time to get up.” He paused, and then added: “Kei-chan.”
Kei was now the one with a brilliant red settling on his cheeks.
Life became easier with Tadashi in it. It was vivid and happy to the point where his teammates’ foolishness couldn’t even rile him up. Or at least that’s what he thought until Hinata barged into their classroom the day after a tournament during their second year.
“TSUKISHIMA!”
Kei groaned at his name being called to see a flash of orange come in focus beside him. Hinata wore a face of pure displeasure, going as far to cross his arms to show his mood.
“Please, be more loud,” Kei deadpanned. “You haven’t woken up the other half of the neighborhood.”
“How long have you had a soulmate?” Hinata asked, furrowing his brows. “Why didn’t you tell anyone sooner?”
Tsukishima Kei didn’t believe in soulmates.
But by now, the rest of the class was attune to their conversation. A few students even stood up to get closer and listen in. Even Kenma, who usually appeared disinterested at most of Hinata’s tomfoolery, had a piqued interest. Yachi came over and sat on the desk beside Kei’s as a cursory way of restricting their conversation. He silently thanked her with a subtle nod.
“One question at a time please,” Kei said.
Hinata puffed his chest. “I’m serious! Why didn’t you tell us? We’re your teammates, we should share things like this!”
Kei let out a sigh. “Believe me, I got plenty of sharing from your side.” Kei eyed the new doodles that lined Hinata’s arms. “You talked about your soulmate so much I didn’t have any time to talk about mine.”
Hinata grumbled and reached forward, tugging at Kei’s collar. He revealed the heart that always rested beneath his collarbone to an eager class. Yachi tried her best to qualm the pressure of their classmates, but it was honestly to no avail.
It wasn’t like he tried to cover up his soulmate marks. He changed in the clubroom with the rest of their volleyball team, never bothering to hide the designs Tadashi made. Most days his team was too busy watching Hinata’s antics to notice though. There was always some weird drawing provided by Kageyama that pulled away focus much to Kei’s delight. The only person who might have noticed was Kenma due to his naturally observant nature; if he did know anything he certainly never said so.
Yachi was the one to come to the rescue again. “Hinata, calm down. Tsukishima-kun will talk about his soulmate if he wants to.” She carefully pulled back Hinata’s arm until they all went back to their original spots.
“Soulmates aren’t that big of a deal anyways,” Kenma added. His small words were the ones to dissipate to the rest of the class back to their seats. Kei gave him a silent thanks as well.
“What do you even want to know?” Kei asked, indulging Hinata ever so slightly. He hoped if they could get out all of this soulmate crap now it wouldn’t show up during practice; he could handle Hinata’s nonsense but Kuroo was a whole other monster. A horrible thought dawned on him when he realized Kuroo wasn't the first to meet Tadashi.
Hinata settled in the desk beside him. “Well I wanna know his name of course. And where he goes to school. And how you two met. And-” Yachi put a soft hand on his shoulder as a sign to shut up. He sank down in response.
“Yamaguchi.”
“Ooh is that his last name or given name?” Hinata popped up again.
Kei dramatically rolled his eyes. “Do you really think I would tell you his given name?”
“Well isn’t that what you call him?”
Kei, try as he might, couldn’t help the blush from rising to his cheeks. He attempted, albeit poorly, to cover it by pushing up his glasses. Even if it was true, he didn’t want Hinata of all people knowing about his relationship.
“Where does he go to school?” Yachi asked, coolly switching the subject. The amount of times she had saved him today was ungodly. She needed an award or something for knowing how to handle Hinata.
“He’s in online school right now since he just returned from America,” Kei replied. He realized too late just how much he spilled as Hinata looked at him with a face of utter elation.
“Woah the States? That’s so cool! What’s he like?” Hinata asked excitedly.
Kei shook his head. “That’s all you get for today. Come back tomorrow.” He put on his headphones to block out the frustrated sounds of Hinata. The small heart beneath his collarbone burned almost as much as his real one as Kei found himself lost in thoughts about Tadashi.
If his high school friends were lucky enough, they might get to meet him one day. For now though, Kei was perfectly content keeping his soulmate all to himself.
And so, like many days before Kei took the same route to get home from school. He was lucky to have a day off from volleyball so he left the building at the same time as his fellow classmates. Underneath his mute headphones, he could pick up the subtle whispers and rumors about him having a soulmate. It was almost like elementary school again. It didn’t take very long until the entire school knew about that one class where three boys had soulmates. Kei just hoped they didn’t mistake him for Hinata.
Outside the school gates, a patiently waiting Tadashi stood scrolling on his phone. Kei took no time removing his headphones and greeting his soulmate with a warm kiss. Tadashi stiffened initially, but soon melted into their shared moment.
Kei pulled away with a smirk.
“What was that for?” Tadashi questioned, raising an eyebrow. “You hate PDA.”
Sure enough, the not-so-subtle glances of Kei’s classmates surrounded them as they made their own walks home from school. Kei simply shrugged them off and grabbed Tadashi’s hand.
“What, can’t I kiss my soulmate?” He responded coyly.
Tadashi gave him one of those classic toothy grins and they began their normal trek back to Kei’s house. He spoke of his crazy day of online schooling and the interactions he had with his friends back in the US. He used his left arm to make his same wide hand gestures while keeping his right securely in Kei’s grasp.
And, like always, he was an absolute delight to watch.
Tsukishima Kei didn’t believe in soulmates. He believed in Yamaguchi Tadashi and that’s all that mattered.