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Kiyoko was a senior at Karasuno High School, and Yachi was two years below her. The first time they met, Yachi showed admiration for the black-haired "goddess." Fortunately, this went unnoticed by Kiyoko all the while she kept recruiting Yachi to be the manager of the volleyball club.
Enamored by her looks, Yachi agreed. It might not show, but Kiyoko was feeling happy. Elated even. She was afraid that the blonde-haired girl would agree to her request because she felt inclined to do so. She gave off a calm and composed aura (which she believes is intimidating to others), whereas the other exuded nothing but nervousness. However, after a few weeks in the club, she finds Yachi has adjusted and is having fun. Kiyoko felt relieved and, unknown to her, she started smiling. Of course, this doesn't go unnoticed by the boys. They kept pestering her about what—or who—was on her mind. A crush, maybe? She just gave a hearty laugh.
One day, Yachi invited Kiyoko to her birthday. Now, this wasn't unnatural. A girl inviting a fellow girl to a celebration doesn't necessarily mean romance, but Kiyoko still couldn't help but blush. Throughout their bonding as the volleyball club managers, it didn't take long for their friendship to level up a bit, and they began talking about their lives outside volleyball. And well, albeit reluctantly, she thinks she's starting to develop feelings.
Going back to the birthday, Kiyoko is actually quite shocked that her mother allowed her to go. Her parents tend to be on the stricter side, but when they are feeling good, they become a bit softer. But hey, no one's complaining.
It turns out that for Yachi's birthday, they are just going to stroll the mall, eat food, and buy things they fancy if they have extra cash left. And so, Kiyoko needed to find clothes that were comfortable enough to wear when walking. She decided on high-waist denim leggings paired with a white blouse. Simple but elegant.
Yachi was waiting for her outside a restaurant. It seems that she had already ordered food for the group. Kiyoko's arrival was timely; it was right before the food was served. It was unlikely for her to be tardy, but Yachi just smiled and said that at least her image of Kiyoko is not that perfect anymore. This earned a laugh from the group.
After eating, they walked throughout the mall. They even visited the arcade, but alas, it was closed.
Around 5 PM, a few people from the group decided to go home as it was getting late. Soon after, others followed, until it was just Kiyoko and Yachi. Yachi noticed this and immediately went red. Kiyoko asked if she was alright, and she responded with a nod. She claims that she actually planned to take Kiyoko somewhere else with just the two of them, so she hoped that Kiyoko would be the last one to go home. After some pause and courage, she invited Kiyoko to visit the park together. It was now Kiyoko's turn to blush.
In the park, unfortunately, it was crowded. It seems that the park looks best when it is night time because of the lights. Yachi wanted to draw this scenery, and just as Kiyoko was about to call Yachi, she realized that they got separated. Panic was starting to build until Yachi called for Kiyoko. The two of them were reunited. Kiyoko, not wanting to lose Yachi again, asked her to hold her hand so that they could stay together. Yachi was flustered by the gesture but still took Kiyoko's hand.
That night, Kiyoko pretended that holding Yachi's hand didn't mean the world to her.
Graduation was just around the corner. Kiyoko couldn't help but be sad because it was her last year in Karasuno. However, it'd be sadder if she was to stay another year in high school. The volleyball club had to say their goodbyes, which was really painful, but nevertheless, they were able to put a smile on their crying faces.
Kiyoko's mind wandered off to Yachi. She undoubtedly had a crush on her. However, she was having second thoughts about confessing, afraid that it would destroy what friendship they had.
The day has finally arrived, and today is graduation day. At least from the perspective of the third year, it was full of crying.
After many tears of both joy and sadness, graduation was over, and Kiyoko decided to go home. She was walking to the gates when Yachi suddenly asked Kiyoko to wait. There was a huge pause. Kiyoko assumed Yachi must be feeling very nervous, and so she waited. When Yachi was ready, all she said was, "I like you!", which fortunately went unheard by the surrounding people. Kiyoko was shocked by the sudden confession, but she managed to reply with "I love you" back to Yachi. Blushing ensues, and Kiyoko is sure that the two of them definitely looked like tomatoes. Kiyoko took the lead and invited Yachi to go to a restaurant for a date. The two of them walked out of the school happily, smiling.
It was then that Kiyoko realized that university would be very lonely for her.