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I first saw him at the park.
"Inuoka! Get down right now!"
"C'mon! It's fun!"
"It's dangerous! The slide could collapse at any second!"
"Don't be such a buzzkill!" Inuoka whined, "Jeez, I haven't been here in like, forever!"
The boy swung his legs atop the slide roof, humming cheerfully. Shibayama sat under the slide below him.
"I know, it's been a while. I remember falling on my face on those exact monkey bars." He laughed.
It was windy.
Yamamoto howled from the monkey bars, "Look! I can touch the fucking ground while hanging on them!"
Yaku put his hands on his hips, "Yeah, that's great and all, but if you guys get injured, our team's screwed. So get down right now." He felt a hand pat his head. Kuroo cackled from above him.
"Yaku, Yaku. Relax, my dude. Look at Kenma. He's having fun."
Yaku rolled his eyes, "Kenma's hiding behind a tree on his switch."
"Having fun. How about this: Go cool off and I'll watch the kiddos, hm?"
"I don't think-"
"Buh-bye!"
Kuroo shoved Yaku aside before running over to Fukunaga screaming, "Let's play Tag!"
Yaku groaned.
He turned around, sulking over to the benches. He huffed, taking out his notebook and pen.
He bit the cap off, began to scribble furiously, "Team bonding experience. If they were lazy, just say so. Where even is Kai. Might as well knock some sense into-"
The pad flew out of his grasp, beginning to travel through the sky.
I lost my grip.
"Dammit!" Yaku cursed. He emerged off the bench, chasing after the loose papers. They flew around in the wind, gusts of leaves moving with it.
He heard a crunch.
Yaku looked to his left.
There he was.
There was a boy on the swing.
Yaku frowned, narrowing his eyes. The boy wasn't on his team. He didn't think so. He looked young. Tall, possibly even twice his height. He was focused on the ground, stomping on the leaves below him as his eyes never left the concrete.
Yaku gasped as the papers flew by the boy.
"H-Hey! You! Can you- get the- GRAB IT!"
He was smiling.
The boy whipped his head up. He furrowed his eyebrows, but the smile never wavered. Yaku pointed frantically at the notepad flying past him. The boy's eyes brightened. He stood up.
The boy reached as high as he could, arms shooting straight at the afternoon sun. The notepad settled in his palm.
The boy clenched it. The notepad stopped rustling.
Yaku sighed in relief as he jogged over to the boy. He waved in gratitude.
"Thank you. The wind's really strong today, it just-- flew out. Haha."
"What's this?" The boy giggled. Instead of handing it to Yaku, he turned the first page.
The boy was nosy.
"Uhm, what're you doing? If I could just-- have that back please-"
The boy didn't listen.
"Someone seems to not really like 'Kuroo' does he?" The boy teased.
He had a weak, pouty voice. Like a little kid's. His demeanor only supported this thought. Yaku glared into his piercing green eyes. He looked up and down at his pale skin.
"And this Inuoka boy.. what is he, 5?"
Yaku frowned.
"That's not cool. Now give it back-"
He was stubborn.
The boy raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Yamamoto seems like an asshole." He nudged Yaku, "Well, is he?"
"Those are all unfair assumptions. Give it now." Yaku demanded, reaching for the notebook.
"But all these assumptions.. this is your handwriting, yes? You wrote this?"
"I-I did, but it's all emotional and none of your damn busi-"
"-and these assumptions I'm making, it's all based on your writing, yes?"
"Shut the hell up! Give it back-"
"My comments may seem rash or.. stupid. But you write about these people like you hate them." The boy shrugged. He sat back down on the swing seat.
Yaku froze.
He was.. weird.
"Well.. do you?" The boy murmured.
The gust of wind seemed to get stronger. Yaku wished it could blow him away.
Instead, the boy grinned, handing Yaku back his notebook. Yaku took it with a shaky hand.
"Nah, I'm just playing." He laughed, ruffling Yaku's hair, "You're funny, little angry boy."
Yaku frowned, regaining his composure as he pulled away from his grasp.
I didn't know him.
"D-Don't call me that. I don't even know you."
The boy only laughed, looking up at the sky. He shoved his long arm up at one of the looming clouds above him.
"Look." He gasped.
"Wha-?"
"Doesn't that one look like a lion?"
Yaku looked up to where the boy was pointing. He squinted his eyes.
Then he remembered.
It was dark that day.
He was a stranger.
Clouds took over the entire sky, no remaining sun remaining.
"Which cloud are you-"
Yaku turned back to the tall boy with the piercing green eyes.
He had already disappeared into the wind.
Why did I feel he was already so close?
"Yaku! Hey!" Kuroo yelled.
"Get your stupid head outta yer' ass! We needa get back to practice before Nekomata notices we're gone!"
Yaku gulped, blinking repeatedly.
He clutched the notebook in his hands.
"Right! Sorry!"
I remember writing about the Lion Boy that night.
----------
Lion Boy was everywhere.
"Night, mom!"
"Don't stay up too late, you still have to reach that growth spurt." His mom winked.
"Funny. Haha."
He flipped the light switch, climbing into bed. He took a deep breath and he shut his eyes.
Sleep never really came easy to me.
Yaku shivered. Shit.
It was cold. Did he keep the window open?
He forced open his eyes before clicking his tongue.
His blanket. Right. He couldn't sleep without that.
Sleeping for me was always so meticulous.
He hopped up, grabbing the blanket that lay lazily on the floor. He threw it onto his bed as he rubbed his eyes groggily. He climbed under the blanket, laying on his side.
He closed his eyes once more.
Yaku heard a knock on his windowsill.
I couldn't stand sudden noises.
Another knock.
Yaku stilled.
Was it an intruder? Was someone trying to break in?
"There aren't many stars tonight. Sucks, it's such a nice view up here too."
Yaku gasped. He sat up, eyes bewildered as he stared at the sudden voice.
He tried to scream.
No air emitted.
Dreams can always be really similar to reality if you think hard enough.
His eyes widened. There on the windowsill sat the boy. The Lion Boy. From that afternoon.
"What the-- Who are fuck are you?!"
"Whoa, calm down shortstack. Look, don't be scared."
"Don't be scared-- Don't be- HUH?! You're-You're in my house."
The boy laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I wouldn't worry too much. Can't even do anything, if you know what I mean."
"Wha-"
"Don't think about it too much. Just.. do you still have that notebook?" The boy furrowed his eyebrows.
"Do I still have my noteboo- tell me what you're doing in my fucking house before I call my parents. Th-They'll hear me if I scream." Yaku whispered.
I didn't realize it then.
"Ah, but you didn't answer my question." The boy clicked his tongue. He stared out the window at the pitch black night sky, "Well, do you still have it or not?"
"Well-- uhm, I-I'm not telling you until you leave."
Yaku could've just pushed him out the window.
The boy stroked his chin, "I don't think that's how it works." He reached out the window, grabbing something.
"What are you--"
"What about.. I'll give you this sticker pad if you give me the notebook!"
The Lion Boy shoved a cat sticker pad at Yaku's face.
The Lion Boy was pushy.
"I'm not giving you anything until you tell me who the hell you are!"
"Is-Is that a no?" The boy pouted.
"It's a maybe! Just-- tell me what you want!"
"Fine. I'll just have it for myself." The boy whined. He began slapping cartoony cat stickers over his face like they were freckles, ignoring Yaku's confused noises.
"What are you--hey! Focus!" Yaku demanded, snatching the sticker pad from the boy's grasp. He only grinned.
"Come here." The boy cooed. He grabbed Yaku by the wrist. Yaku flew off the bed, landing in Lion Boy's arms, "Sit down right next to me." He patted the small empty space on the sill beside him.
"No damn way I'm--"
"You curse way too much. We gotta fix that."
The Lion Boy sat Yaku down, still clutching his wrist as he pointed out the window.
"Alrighty. Are you good?"
"Am I good? NO! I'm not good! You just broke into my house and made a huge mess and you keep interruptin-"
"You're adorable." The boy drawled, booping Yaku on his nose.
"A-Adorable?!" Yaku sputtered. He flicked the boy's finger off his nose.
"Shhh." The boy whispered. He stared at the blaring car lights as they raced past Yaku's house, "Is it always so calm here?"
"I'm not answering that!"
"Look. There's so much happening out there. Yelling, honking, all that weird stuff." The boy frowned, "But here.. it's like there's nothing at all. Empty. Lonely."
He always pointed out the most obvious things like it made him smart.
"Yeah, well it's Tokyo, dipshit." Yaku grumbled, distracted as he tried shaking the boy's hand off him, "If it's too loud I can't concentrate."
"I know but.." Lion Boy turned to Yaku, "Do you really like living like that?"
"..huh?"
"Ah.." He looked back down at the Tokyo streets, "Nevermind. It's nothing."
Him and Yaku stared out the window. Yaku let out a dreamy sigh.
He made it so easy to forget things.
The boy tapped Yaku's shoulder. He snapped out of his trance.
"Hey! The fuck are you-"
"-This was fun, Yaku-san!" The boy cheered, "I like spending time with you, you know."
"You.. do?"
"Mhm!"
"Hold on." Yaku protested, "This is crazy! You don't even know me!"
"Or.. maybe you just don't know-" The boy took out the sticker pad, peeling a ginger cat face and planting it on Yaku's forehead, "-me! Boop!"
"What are you talking about."
"-I better get going. You need a good night's sleep or you're gonna be a cranky asshole all day tomorrow." The Lion Boy laughed. He stuck a foot out Yaku's window, beginning to climb out, "And hey! There'll probably be even more stars tomorrow! We can look out for them!"
"Tomorrow?!"
"I'll see you again Yaku-san!"
"How do you know my name-"
"You're babbling, you're a babbler aren't ya'?"
"Are you leaving?! No, no, you can't just-"
"Sweet dreams!" The boy cooed. Just as he was about to shut the window, Yaku stammered.
Yaku stood up, "I don't even know your name!"
Lion Boy furrowed his eyebrows.
"Uhhhh, hm. Well, what do you think?"
"That didn't answer my question. Was that sarcasm? What even was-"
The Lion Boy had already disappeared into the wind.
It wasn't the last time he came through my window.
And it wasn't until now I realized I had awoken myself every time.
----------
I was a lonely person.
"Are you sure you don't wanna go with us?" Yamamoto frowned.
"It's on Kuro too." Kenma added.
"Their meat buns are always the best!" Inuoka volunteered.
Yaku rolled his eyes, grabbing his schoolbag, "Thanks, but no thanks. I have homework."
He began walking away as Yamamoto yelled from behind him, "HOW WOULD YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL DAY JUST STARTED!"
"I told you guys it was a lost cause." He heard Kenma murmur, "He doesn't look out for anyone but himself."
I look out for only myself? That's not true. I only do what's most beneficial for my future. If I focus on my studies and improve in volleyball, the big leagues and colleges'll want me. That's how it works. Sorry if I don't wanna take the easy way out and be a professional gamer or whatever.
"YAKU-SAN! HEY!"
Yaku groaned, turning around. Shibayama stood behind him, panting as he held his hands on his knees.
"Yes?"
"We're meeting up after school at the gas station for meat buns. We'd all love it if you met us there."
Yaku rolled his eyes, "Yeah I heard. Yamamoto won't shut his mouth about it."
"I-I just wanted to remind you.. again. One last time. In case you wanted to--"
"Thanks, but I already let them know that I won't be going. Thanks though." Yaku grinned dryly before turning back around, clutching his books in his arms.
And I used to be okay with that.
"-and maybe if you actually talked to us then we'd-" he heard Shibayama mutter under his breath.
Yaku perked up, "What was that."
Shibayama's eyes widened, "Oh! Uh, it was nothing!"
"No, no. What'd you say." Yaku deadpanned, yanking Shibayama by the collar, "If you have somethin' to say then say it to my face."
Shibayama shuddered, "I-I'm sorry Yaku-san. I just-"
"This whole team is annoying, and a waste of my talent and-" Yaku felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Now that isn't very nice." The Lion Boy cooed.
Until he came along.
"Wha-" Yaku murmured.
"Look at the poor boy. He's trembling. Let him go." Lion Boy whispered, patting Yaku on the shoulder.
"Y-Yaku-san." Shibayama murmured, "Who-"
Yaku released Shibayama from his grasp, wiping his touch on his khakis.
"Get lost." He glared at the boy angrily. In a flash, the libero was gone.
Lion Boy wrapped his arm around Yaku, "There ya' go, Yaku-san."
Yaku gasped, shoving the boy off, "How are you.. everywhere?"
The boy rolled his eyes, showcasing his clothing, "Well, I go here. If you couldn't tell by my expensive blazer. I mean, look at it. I look like a fancy business man."
Yaku frowned, "This.. is crazy. I see you once, and suddenly.. what? You break into my house and go to my school? This is fucked up."
"Not a very warm welcome I see." The boy grinned.
He still wore the cat stickers scattered over his face. The only difference was his apparel.
"Leave me alone. You're probably a hallucination. Like, a human embodiment of my entitlement."
The boy feigned a hurt expression, "Me? Entitled?"
"You heard me. Now go away, Casper the fucking Stick."
I hated him for so long.
Lion Boy only laughed, "That hurt. So, what classes do you have right now?"
"What part of beat it don't you understand."
"Fine. What are you doing after school? I wanna hang out!"
"No way in hell are we hanging out. I don't even know you."
"That's why we gotta hang out! To be friends!" Lion Boy sang, "I heard you play volleyball! Is that true?"
"No." Yaku rolled his eyes, "I play basketball."
"Hm." Lion Boy stroked his chin, "Unusual sport to play for someone your height, but I guess-"
"IT WAS A JOKE."
"Ooh! Are we doing jokes now?!" The boy asked eagerly, "Are we friends?!"
"No. We aren't friends. And for your information, I'm a libero for the Nekoma volleyball team."
"So you do play volleyball! I heard around you did! You know, I've always wanted to play! And be-- like, a spiker! And spike the ball!"
"I don't care."
"Your teammates must be super cool! You guys must be super close friends!"
Yaku snorted, yanking his locker door open.
"Yeah right. Friends."
"Are.. are you guys not close?"
"They're all idiots. I would never waste my time on them."
"Oh." Lion Boy sighed.
"Yeah. 'Oh'."
"So you're not gonna hang out with them after school?"
"How do you know-" Yaku asked, flabbergasted.
"They seem to be trying really hard. All that effort into getting you to go out with the team just for you to walk away." Lion Boy clicked his tongue, playing with his sticker pad.
"They only ask as a-- as a formality. To be nice. They would never wanna actually hang out with me. Not with how I treat them." Yaku stammered. Why was he nervous?
"And whose fault is that." Lion Boy demanded, expression becoming serious. His piercing green eyes shot holes through Yaku's skull, "You degrade yourself. You isolate yourself from the ambience in fear of actually enjoying yourself. Like a moth to the flame, except you're already familiar with what'll happen when you get too close."
He knew things about me that I didn't know myself.
Yaku gulped. How did he change personalities in a few seconds?
"You live in Tokyo, but you live so high up that everything that makes Tokyo so mesmerizing is below you, and so blurry and far away that everything to you is just empty. That's how you are."
"This has nothing to do with.. anything. Fuck off."
The boy's eyes lighted up suddenly, a frown appearing on his face, "Ah, sorry. Did I scare you?"
"You're so.. creepy." Yaku let out quietly, "Are you obsessed with me or somethin'?"
Lion Boy shrugged, slamming Yaku's locker door shut.
"Just observant."
"You're crazy." Yaku whispered.
I ended up meeting the team at the gas station for meat buns after school.
It was fun.
----------
Once I was upset.
"Stupid fucking volleyball! It's not fair. I wish he was dead!" Yaku screamed into his pillow, punching the wall angrily.
Yaku collapsed onto his bed, tears welling his eyes, "I can't believe it. After all I've done for them.. bullshit."
"Not a good day, huh?"
"You're back. Again." Yaku whined in between sobs.
I had gotten used to Lion Boy's visits at night.
"Yup." The Lion Boy confirmed, popping the 'p', "Not a good day at school?"
"I hate everything."
"I guessed right. So.. you wanna tell me what's going on."
Yaku moaned from underneath his pillow, "No. Go back to your own house."
The Lion Boy sighed, "I don't have a house, Yaku-san."
His company was calming.
"What?" Yaku arose from the bed, staring at the Lion Boy on his windowsill.
"Pfft, let's not make this about me." The Lion Boy glanced at him, "But hey, I got you out of bed. Now do you wanna tell me why you're upset?"
Yaku blinked back tears as he made his way beside him on the windowsill.
"I-I got demoted." Yaku sighed, clutching onto his notebook.
My problems became his.
"..Demoted?" The Lion Boy frowned, picking at grout.
"They replaced me. W-With Shibayama." Yaku grinned, sniffling as he wiped his tears away, "I wasn't good enough, so they put me back on the bench. They didn't like me."
The Lion Boy blinked, "Well, I don-"
"Why don't people like me?" Yaku wondered aloud, staring up at the star-covered sky, "I mean, I try to be nice. But everyone hates me."
The Lion Boy hummed, "I don't think they dislike you."
"You don't see how they look at me at school. You don't hear them whisper when I walk by them. You're never there at school to witness what I have to go through." Yaku muttered. He suddenly pointed at a looming star, "Which one is that one called?"
"I named it Lev." The Lion Boy grinned, "It means 'lion' in Russian."
"You're so cat obsessed." Yaku growled.
"Cats are observant. I can respect that." The Lion Boy laughed. He picked another sticker off the pad, placing it on his arm.
"You know, Yaku-san, you are a really great person."
"You say that every time."
He would try cheering me up even though I was always angry at him.
"And I mean it, every single time." He murmured, "Look at me: I help you once and go through your window and suddenly, you let me come in every night. You tell me your problems, and I get to look at the stars with you."
"I only let you in because you'd harass me endlessly if I didn't." Yaku frowned.
"But that's never happened because every single time.. you let me in." The Lion Boy shook Yaku's shoulder, "So I don't think they hate you. And I think.. that they'll come to their senses. Sooner or later."
Yaku's face reddened, "Y-You think so?"
"Hmm. Yeah, I'm confident." The Lion Boy nodded, "Friends have to be honest to one another, right?"
"..Friends?"
"Uh huh, we're best friends now." He grinned, "Unless you think otherwise?"
"U-Uhm, well I-"
His eyes suddenly shined, "You wanna go out?"
"Do I wanna go-- what?" Yaku stammered, "I-I-- maybe-"
"Outside. The stars'll be clearer outside! We'll go on the roof."
"Oh, you meant-- like that. No way-"
"We'll go out the window! Come on, it'll be so much fun!" He urged.
"It's dangerous and crass and-"
"I just wanna spend time with you and help you get a clearer view." The Lion Boy bit his lip, "As best friends, I wanna be the first to actually stargaze with you."
"Oh.. well I guess that's fi-WHOA!"
The Lion Boy grabbed me by the wrist and we flew out the window.
----------
And just like that.
Every night.
He would be there waiting at my window with his sticker pad and his cats.
We talked.
And we looked at the stars.
He would pretend to know constellations, when really they were just.. regular old stars.
He was funny.
He wasn’t the brightest.
But he was insightful in some ways.
He always had the right thing to say.
I think.. I think that's why I was drawn to him. He had this magnetic pull because he knew so much about me without me even having to say a word.
I found myself excited. Anticipating.. waiting every night for him to appear.
I think.. I think I cared for him. More than I would care about anyone else in the entire world.
He never skipped a day. He was always there at night.
And every night, every time he left, I would wake up from my slumber.
Sometimes he would appear at school, but he’d never be there long enough for us to talk.
We were close at night, but come morning it was easy to forget.
I could never remember what he had said to me the night before.
All of the Lion Boy’s insightful and wise words, thrown out the window with him every time he hopped out.
My mind was always swept clean with every word that came out of his mouth.
He knew I was forgetful.
”I know what you’re thinking.” The Lion Boy murmured. Him and Yaku sat on the windowsill, gazing once more at the infinite sky.
”Huh?”
”You always forget what I tell you. All my secrets and all the smart stuff I say. It goes in one ear and out the other.”
”Yeah.” Yaku nodded, “I-I mean— not that I don’t listen! I do! It’s just-“
”Pfft, it’s alright. I happen to have a solution.” The Lion Boy grinned, "Do you still have that notebook? The one I caught a while ago?"
Yaku slowly nodded, removing his hand from his grasp, "Yeah, I always keep it with me."
"Great!"
"Okay, so what do I do?"
"I want you to write down everything I say to you, or every good thing you think in the notebook. Or any memories or feelings you have with me." The Lion Boy said.
"That's.. specific. Why?"
He rolled his eyes, "Isn't it obvious, Morisuke?"
"So you'll never forget me!"
----------
He was clingy.
I didn't mind.
He became excited easily and would always trip on the same book every night.
He was warm.
Lovely.
He had the most comforting presence whenever he entered my room.
He was never there for long anyways..
So I tried to get to know more about him in the little time I had.
"Okay!" Yaku laughed, "We're never playing this board game again."
"It's not fair!" The Lion Boy whined, "You're obviously cheating!"
"Maybe you just suck."
"Wha-? That's not true!"
"Sucks to suck." Yaku giggled, beginning to put the game away.
"Hmph."
"Lion Boy." Yaku began, "I still don't know your name. Or anything about you."
"Is that what you call me in your notebook?" The Lion Boy chuckled. He went back to the windowsill.
"Yeah." Yaku laughed sheepishly, "So what do I call you? Actually."
"Well.." he hummed, "-I like Lion Boy."
Yaku snorted, "That's stupid. Do you not have an actual name?"
The Lion Boy took a deep breath, "Well.. I guess I like whatever you call me."
"Oh.. why?"
"Because we're best friends Morisuke!" The Lion Boy chirped.
"That's a stupid explanation."
"Well, it's not like you'll remember this conversation tomorrow." The Lion Boy muttered, "Anyways, I gotta go. This was fun, I'll be back tomorrow!"
Just as he climbed out the window, Yaku blurted.
"Why do you always leave so soon?!"
The Lion Boy sighed.
What he said stuck with me for a while.
"Because you have to wake up."
----------
People started to notice a change.
"Nice receive Shibayama!" Yaku yelled, clapping from the bench.
Shibayama whipped around, eyes wide. He bowed, "Th-Thank you, Yaku-san!"
Yaku grinned, "No problem! Keep up the good work!"
From the court, Yaku could hear Kuroo murmur, "Yaku seems happier these days, huh?"
They think I'm happier.
Kenma replied, "It's nice to see."
They're partly right.
My whole life, I've pushed people away.
Sabotaging myself.
But he's helped me change.
I've filled my notebook with thoughts and advice instead of hurtful words about my teammates.
I've hung out with them more than I ever planned to hang out in my entire life.
The Lion Boy made me feel complete the way I am.
He's shown me real happiness.
He taught me how to smile again.
Something that once felt foreign.
I'm thankful for him.
Because he gave me a friend.
----------
"What's this?" Kuroo asked, grabbing the notebook from Yaku.
I don't like sharing.
"I-It's nothing. Give it back." Yaku demanded, reaching for it.
"You've been so focused on this that you haven't been talking to us. Frankly, it hurts." Kuroo feigned an upset expression.
The team stood inside the gym. Yaku had been sitting on the bench, rereading what he had wrote last night about the Lion Boy.
"Haha, funny. Give it." Yaku frowned. Kuroo's expression changed.
He grinned sheepishly, "Oh. Didn't know it meant that much to ya'. Sorry." He began to hand it to Yaku.
Just as Yaku was about to grab it, Yamamoto ran up, taking it from Kuroo.
"Woohoo! Got it!" He cheered, shoving it in the air.
"Yamamoto, that's not funny." Kenma deadpanned, putting his game in his bag.
Yaku wanted to move, he wanted to chase after the second year. But he felt defenseless, and his feet were stuck to the floor.
"Huh- come on, it's just a book." He laughed. He began to interpret a game host impression, "I wonder what could be in here? Let's find out!"
"Wait-NO!"
Yamamoto flipped to a random page in the middle of the book. He frowned.
"Aw man. It's empty."
Yaku's eyes widened, "E-Empty?"
Kuroo groaned, nudging Yaku, "You've been ogling that book and there's nothing even in it?"
Yaku snatched the book from Yamamoto flipping through the pages, "The hell are you saying?" He pointed at the scribbled handwriting on the pages. He pointed at the cat stickers and the drawings, "Do you not see this? Are ya' blind?"
I was the blind one.
Fukunaga peeked over his shoulder.
"There's nothing, boss."
Kuroo furrowed his eyebrows, "Do you need to.. sit down? Go home?"
"Wha- it can't be empty, I spent the whole month--"
"H-Hey, are you alright?"
Or maybe I always knew.
----------
The realization was always there.
It had been there for a while.
It was always in the back of my head.
But I didn't want it to be true.
"Morisuke." The Lion Boy whispered.
They lay on the roof, gazing up at the stars once more. The loud cars and the blaring lights broke through their conversation.
Yaku liked the louder noises.
"Yeah?"
"You know.. don't you?"
"Know what?"
"You've known ever since I appeared at school. You've known ever since I went through your window." The Lion Boy murmured under his breath.
Yaku squeezed his hand fearfully.
"What-- what're you saying?"
"You know I'm not real Morisuke."
"What- I don't-"
"You do know that, right?" The Lion Boy gulped, quivering as he held onto Yaku's hand.
"No.. No. You're right here. We're looking at the stars.. together. We're together." Yaku cried quietly.
"You're asleep, Morisuke. I-I'm not real." The Lion Boy whispered. He let go of Yaku's hand, cupping his face.
He turned away from the stars.
"I-I wish I was. I wish I was real." The Lion Boy laughed, holding Yaku's cheeks in his hands, "But.. I'm not. You're dreaming."
Tears streamed down Yaku's cheeks, "B-But, you've been with me forever. We watch the stars every night. You come through my window every night. You trip over the same book every night. We play games and-- and we write in my notebook and you give me stickers and--"
"Morisuke. Morisuke. Look at me." The Lion Boy smiled, "Hey. I passed by once, you couldn't have grown that attached to me, right?"
I didn't want it to be true because I loved him.
Yaku revealed his tearful face to the boy.
"Oh."
"Y-You won't-- Are you gonna leave me?" Yaku whispered.
The Lion Boy giggled.
"I'll be in your dreams as long as you need me to. That's our deal."
"Y-You won't go?"
"Write this down in your notebook: I'll never abandon you. I promise." The Lion Boy grinned.
He pointed up at the large star floating above them.
"I'll name that one Promise."
----------
It was nice for a while.
We were still happy.
I was still happy.
He would be there waiting at my window with his sticker pad and his cats.
We talked.
And we looked at the stars.
He would pretend to know constellations, when they were always just.. regular old stars.
But every time I knew..
I was just dragging it on.
Holding onto a dream.
Holding onto a dream.
For a temporary euphoria that just slices my throat deeper and deeper.
It hurts.
So much.
He knows.
The Lion Boy cupped my face, looking into it fearfully, "Y-You're okay, Morisuke. You're alright."
"I-I-"
"Lie down. Rest. You're okay, okay? Take a deep breath."
"I-It hurts." Yaku let out, grabbing at his throat, sobs wrenching it.
The Lion Boy was afraid.
He was afraid of what he was doing to me.
"Lie down. Go to sleep, Morisuke."
Yaku's eyes widened.
"A-Already? Why?!"
"You're hurting yourself. Go.." The Lion Boy whispered.
"I-I still wanna spend time with you-! You can't go! Don't you wanna-
Aren't we friends?"
The Lion Boy looked hurt.
"Of course we are. Best friends. We're forever." He murmured, "But I don't want to hurt you. You need to wake up."
"Here." The Lion Boy handed the sticker pad to me.
"Wha-?"
"Use these to cover the wounds." He laughed dryly, "I wanna help you the best way I can."
I ended up going to sleep.
But one thing stuck in my head that morning that I didn't bother writing.
'We're forever'.
----------
It was time..
It was time I took care of the wounds myself.
So I removed the stickers from my arms.
From my throat.
Because he's my relief.
"We need to talk."
Not my solution.
"I know."
The Lion Boy sat on my bed this time. Not the windowsill.
"Lion Boy, y-you've helped me so much, and I won't forget that."
The Lion Boy laughed, "Of course I did!"
"-But I've got to let you go."
The Lion Boy only smiled.
"Morisuke." He cooed. He ruffled my hair.
"What?"
"You're growing up." He giggled.
"Y-You're not scared? You're not-- you're not gonna miss me?"
The Lion Boy's piercing green eyes widened as he stared at Yaku. The boy was close to tears, "Oh Morisuke. Of course I'm gonna miss you. So much. Who else am I gonna watch the stars with? "
Yaku held a brave face.
"-But I agree. I can't keep hurting you. You need to wake up. A-And make better friends." The Lion Boy smiled, "So I'm allowing you to go. You have my permission."
Yaku pouted, "Y-You're not the boss of me." He attempted to joke to ease the wound.
His eyes widened.
He grabbed Lion Boy's face frantically as the cat stickers he had slapped on from the very beginning began peeling off.
He watched in horror as the stickers began falling on the floor.
In a few seconds, The Lion Boy's face was bare and his pale skin shone through.
"Ah, it's okay. They were getting old anyways." He gulped, feeling his face.
"I-I'm sorry."
"Keep the rest. They're cute, aren't they?" The Lion Boy laughed, pointing at a calico sticker.
"I-I love y-"
"Let's look one last time, okay?"
"..okay."
The Lion Boy looked out of the window and pointed outside one last time.
"Look at that one!" He cheered, clapping.
"Wha-?"
"That star formation!"
"Whi-"
"Doesn't that one look like a lion?"
Yaku turned to the window.
Then he saw it.
Lev, the large star. It stared at him. It shined brightly. Brighter than any of the other stars.
"Which-"
Yaku turned back to the tall boy with the piercing green eyes.
He had already disappeared into the wind.
...
I woke up.
The next morning,
I burned my notebook.
----------
Life went back to normal.
He was always only with me at night anyways.
"Hey! Yaku!"
"Yeah, what?"
"You're still coming after practice, aren't you?"
"Uh huh! Same location right?"
"Yup! You're buying!"
"Got it! Spike one over!" Yaku called from the other side of the net.
Yamamoto nodded, throwing a volleyball in the air and hitting it with all his might.
It flew over the net in Yaku's direction.
Yaku flew towards the ball, bumping it right to center-court.
"PERFECT!" Inuoka shouted, jumping up and down, "How are you so good?!"
Yaku laughed, rubbing the back of his head, "Aw, you really think so?"
"Why would he lie." Kenma deadpanned from the bench, shrugging, "Has anyone seen Kuro?" He asked, putting down his game.
Shibayama rubbed his chin, "No, I think he went scouting for new members. We've been pretty dry lately."
Yaku frowned, "That's not true. We're active. Somewhat."
I'm happy again.
"What if he's looking for a manager? A female one?" Yamamoto howled excitedly.
"Don't push it." Fukunaga whispered.
I have friends.
"I heard he's looking for a prodigy." Kenma shrugged, "Like, someone to follow in his footsteps or whatever as captain."
"You don't think you'd be a good fit?" Yaku teased.
"Honestly? No."
"WHAT ABOUT ME?! I'D BE A GOOD FIT!" Yamamoto yelled, raising his hand.
"I SECOND THAT!" Inuoka added.
"Yeah, whatever. That's unless Kuro finds a recruit better than you. You never know."
"WHA- IMPOSSIBLE!"
"Hey guys, what'd I miss?" Kuroo called, kicking off his shoes.
"We were trying to figure out why you weren't here." Kenma spoke up.
"Kenma was worried~" Inuoka cooed.
"Was not!"
"Was too!"
"Was not!"
Yaku laughed.
I had enough.
"Close the door." Yamamoto groaned, "It's too windy."
Yaku blinked.
"Right. It's a little windy. Close it."
Kuroo nodded, "Uh huh. Got it."
Kuroo shut the gym door, a gust of wind escaping as it closed with a SLAM!
"Right, now what're you guys working on?" Kuroo asked, clapping his hands.
"Uhh, we just started working on receives, not much."
"Did our little Yaku take charge?"
"Shut up, and I did for your information." Yaku growled.
"What a stand up and selfless guy." Kuroo teased.
"Haha, very funny. I happen to think I'm a great person and-"
The gym door burst open.
He said he'd never abandon me.
There stood a tall, pale boy with gray hair and piercing green eyes.
He held a tabby cat in his arms.
The boy in my dreams.
Yaku whispered:
"The Lion Boy."
The boy cheered. He reached as high as he could, arms shooting straight at the gym ceiling, the cat in his grasp.
I'll never forget the first sentence he uttered.
"Haiba Lev has arrived!"
Yaku's eyes widened.
'We're forever', he said.
Now I can make a new forever.
One outside my window.