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Semi loved summer.
Summer meant summer break, and that meant no strenuous volleyball training for him. Summer meant feeling the sand of the beach in between his toes, the blistering heat of the sun beating down on him. Summer meant the exhilarating thrill of attempting to finish an ice cream before it melted, before feeling the sticky sweetness running down his hands.
But of course, there were some parts of summer he hated.
Semi hated the humid sleepless nights where he’d just toss and turn, thinking of many things. One such thing would be his graduation. Sure, he had planned to further his studies in the legal field, but he also wanted to continue with his music. He was interested in how the government system worked, since it contained three main components. But he always felt drawn to composing songs similar to his favourite artists, such as Taylor Swift and Hozier.
Another would be his volleyball skills. Ever since he was replaced by Shirabu for the place of starting setter, he told himself that after high school, he would quit volleyball. He was content being a pinch server, and never harboured any ill will towards Shirabu. He made sure to work hard and play hard, whenever he was able to play on the court. The feeling of scoring a service ace always made him proud of himself.
His mind will also wander to his teammates’ (he was the team’s mom after all). He would notice small details that would usually fly over his teammates’ heads. Semi knew that Goshiki was working too hard and was at the point of almost reaching a fever, and thus, took him out on a small dessert ‘date’ (Goshiki used that term, and how was Semi able to resist that?) at the nearby ice cream shop near campus. Semi knew that Yamagata was also working hard as a libero and that his arms were usually red as a result of receiving killer serves (courtesy of Ushijima, Reon, and himself as well), and Semi bought him his favourite sports drink and a cold wet towel. Semi also knew that Ushijima’s hands had not been well taken off, so Semi bought him his favourite lavender scented lotion.
However, thinking of his teammates’ health also made his mind wander to his longtime crush, Shirabu Kenjirou.
How the hell did he even like Shirabu? He was supposed to hate him for taking his spot as starting setter away. But something about those piercing caramel eyes made him go soft. Semi felt comforted by those eyes, even if they glared at him most of the time. The sense of comfort Semi felt by looking at Shirabu’s eyes was like a long walk by the shoreline, with the breeze blowing in his hair after an exciting day at the beach.
This summer was also known as ‘The Apocalypse’ to Semi. Ever since that specific party after their graduation, Semi could not stop thinking about it. He had snuck Shirabu out of school, knowing that both their scholarships would be at risk if they had been caught, and Semi even went as far as to kiss him and run away. All Semi could think of was ‘Why?’. Out of all the things Semi could have done, he went to ruin his chances with the boy he loved the most.
Today, it was one of those nights. Semi had been invited to yet another party by Tendou. There will be no explanation, just Tendou’s reputation. Semi went to Tendou’s dorm to find the whole volleyball club there, but he was looking for somebody specific.
“Semisemi! Looking for a familiar copper haired setter~?”
“Satori, don’t call me that. Who said I was looking for that brat who always disobeys me?”
“Your midnight texts did not–”
“Shut the fuck up right there.”
Tendou laughed as he wrapped his arms around Ushijima, who was sitting there silently reading his book about vegetables. Semi looked around Tendou’s dorm - this was not Tendou’s usual party. His usual party would consist of people getting blackout drunk, loud music, and most definitely, many of Tendou’s items broken. However, this was a much calmer party, even though there were a few cans of beer on the table. There was soft music playing in the background, most likely from Tendou’s speaker. And thankfully, nothing was broken.
Semi took a seat right next to Kawanishi, who was one of the more tolerable people in the room. He was surprised yet not surprised to see him away from his boyfriend. Unlike everyone else, he was quieter and less outgoing, usually on his phone. Kawanishi spared him a glance, before looking back at his phone and smirking. Semi saw him type something on his phone before laughing loudly, but not too loud to attract the attention of others in the room. Semi decided to pick up a can of beer to drink. He had a really peculiar habit of keeping the drink tabs. At a corner of his dorm, there’s a container full of drink tabs kept for whatever purpose.
He took a swig of the can of beer he was holding. He was not usually a lightweight. After all, going to Tendou’s dorm parties took a toll on his alcohol tolerance. However, he felt the effects of alcohol pretty fast tonight.
Ba-dump.
Ba-dump.
Ba-dump.
He heard his heartbeat thumping wildly and a faint ringing in his ears. However, nothing was more annoying than the pain in his head. In an attempt to ease his pain, he accidentally hit his head on the table. The sounds of everyone’s voices did not mix well with the pain in his head, until he heard Kawanishi say something he never wanted to hear. At all.
“Hey, Semi-senpai. Did you know that Kenjirou has a crush on someone?” Kawanishi simply taps his shoulder, delivering the statement that would shake Semi’s world to its core.
Oh.
He-
Oh.
That was what Semi thought of at that time. Soon, he felt tears stream down his cheeks and he heard himself sniffling. Was he … crying? Over what? Stupid alcohol, he knew he shouldn’t have gotten drunk tonight.
“Shirabu? Having a crush on someone? Kawanishi, please don’t fool around, please.”
“I’m not even fooling around, you can ask Hayato if you want.”
Semi felt his heart shatter into a million bits. Would all the sleepless nights, shared soda cans, and the hidden conversations be for naught?
Semi felt his head pounding. He could not endure the pain anymore, so he got his head up from the table with watery eyes. Everyone looked at him quizzically, awaiting his next move. Then, he stood up and ran out of Tendou’s dorm.
“Should we follow him?” Reon inquired.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m deeeefinitely following our Semisemi~!” Tendou chirped, before getting up and pulling Ushijima and Goshiki with him.
After a few moments of silence, only Kawanishi and Yamagata remained in the room.
“Was it even the right thing to do? I mean, everyone knows about Eita’s feelings for Shirabu. So why play with it?” Yamagata nervously asked, before turning to Kawanishi.
Kawanishi rolls his eyes. “Are you kidding? I am sick and tired of the looks they give each other during practice. Have you seen them? Kenjirou looks at Semi-san like he’s his boyfriend. Plus, Kenjirou literally texts me everyday about Semi-san. Ugh, Semi-san this, Semi-san that. How about he gets himself some bitches?” Kawanishi grumbles loudly, taking Yamagata’s hand and leading him out the door.
“I kind of want to see where this goes, so I’m going to follow them. And since you’re my boyfriend, you’re coming with me.”
“You’re lucky I love you.”
There was a rumour circulating around the school. If you ask the traffic lights at the nearby traffic junction just beside the convenience store a question, the answer would most definitely be ‘Yes’.
His questions for ‘Will it all work out?’, ‘Does Shirabu like me back?’, and ‘Will it be alright?’ went in the opposite direction.
In an attempt to clear Semi’s mind, he ran to that specific traffic junction with teary eyes. He glared at the traffic lights in anger.
“Why did I even believe such a stupid rumour? It was probably Satori who made it up and spread it around,” Semi muttered.
Through blurry eyes, he saw the traffic light turn green and he ran. He sprinted around aimlessly, turning left and right, letting his feet take him to wherever he would end up when he had a clearer head. Before he knew it, he stopped in front of Shirabu’s house. Semi’s eyes widened. How did he even get here? How did he even know where Shirabu lived?
Oh. That’s right. The team bonding event from months ago. Tendou said that since Shirabu’s house was the closest and that he wasn’t living in the dorms, they’d hold their monthly team bonding event. Shirabu was hesitant, but he relented.
‘Since I’m going to graduate soon, I may as well just confess and get it all done and over with. I’m going to ruin the relationship I carefully crafted with Shirabu over the past two years… The small convenience stall runs after practice, sneaking out of school, and most importantly, the walks on the beach,’ Semi thought to himself, feeling multiple pangs of guilt in his chest.
Semi stood there, glancing around the street. He felt a fire in his chest, a determination he had never felt before. He looked around before going to the side of the house. He knew that Shirabu had a gate to the garden, and that it was always locked to prevent intruders. Semi knew this, because he always snuck over to deliver Shirabu’s favourite drinks and food once in a blue moon. His fate would have been sealed should he had been discovered: he could get arrested and his future would be practically over; Or, if Shirabu (or his family) found out Semi was doing this because he liked Shirabu, Shirabu would definitely reject him.
However, it was open today.
He opened the gate as it made a soft creaking sound. He snuck in through the garden, and navigated his way to find Shirabu’s room. Thankfully, he found Shirabu’s room quickly. There was still light coming out of his room. It was normal for Shirabu to be up until four in the morning, since he was busy studying. Semi muttered a small ‘Yes!’ before realising he had another problem at hand.
Shirabu’s room was on the second floor.
He can’t climb his way up to Shirabu’s room. He had already committed a crime — trespassing into private property — but was he really going to risk his sports scholarship over a guy who would reject him? He would do anything for Shirabu, so obviously not.
Semi examined his surroundings. He was in Shirabu’s garden, he couldn’t possibly throw dirt or grass… Semi internally panicked even harder, glancing around frantically for something, anything— A pebble! He could use these to throw at Shirabu’s window to attract his attention! He started gathering a few of the small stones before standing up to get a better aim.
Tok.
Unsuccessful attempt. He aimed too high.
Tok.
Unsuccessful attempt. He aimed too low.
Tok.
Unsuccessful attempt. He aimed too far left.
Tok.
Unsuccessful attempt. He aimed too far right.
Semi wanted to shove the small stones he had in his hands down his throat. He cursed himself for rejecting Tendou’s requests for him to play Call of Duty too many times, since his aim was now as crappy as his own fashion sense. He looked at the last stone in his hands.
‘Please, this is my last hope. Please let me hit Shirabu’s window in the correct position so that he can hear me out. Don’t fail me, small stone.’
Tok.
Successful attempt? He aimed at what would’ve been right smack in the middle of Shirabu’s window — had Shirabu not opened it and stuck his face out, scowling in annoyance.
“Semi-san, it’s two in the morning. What the actual fuck are you doing in my garden throwing stones at me?” Shirabu hissed, rubbing at the spot where he was hit.
Semi’s eyes widened and his lips parted. He had never thought that Shirabu would look so mesmerising, even when he was studying. Semi’s throat felt like sandpaper, and he was unable to get anything out. Why did he come here? What was the reason? He swallowed his saliva in a bid to get something out to Shirabu.
“If you don’t have anything to say, leave.”
Leave? After all those nights spent tossing and turning (maybe even crying) thinking about Shirabu? Semi was not going to let that opportunity slip by so easily. He had thought of confessing to him whenever they were on their ‘after practice hangouts’, but it always slipped his mind, because he was too caught up in the conversation with Shirabu (and totally not his looks). Semi watched as Shirabu put his hand on the window, about to close, and Semi decided it was now or never.
“I love you!”
“...What?”
“For whatever it’s worth, I love you!”
The only sound that could be heard was the cool summer breeze whistling in the background, as the two looked at each other. Brown met the caramel, one full of desperation and the other wide with shock. They stayed like that for a few seconds, before Shirabu looked up at the sky, diverting his gaze from Semi. Shirabu put his hand over his mouth, trying to hide his uncontrollable grin and blush. He felt giddy. Giddy with love. Did the Semi Eita just confess his love for him?
”That’s probably the worst thing I’ve ever said to you. You can laugh, it’s fine. I’ll leave,” Semi uttered, before turning around and going through the garden gate. Just as he was about to turn around, Shirabu looked back down and yelled,
“Wait! Just… hold on, okay? I’m coming down!”
He climbed out of the window as Semi’s eyes widened. Shirabu ignored his protests of ‘Stop!’ and ‘Don’t jump!’ and jumped, landing straight in Semi’s arms. The two stayed there, hugging each other tightly.
“Semi-san? Or should I say ‘Eita’?”
“‘Eita’ is fine.”
“Okay, Eita. I think you should know that…” Shirabu looked away before whispering the last part.
“What was that?”
“I love you too, and I would like to be your boyfriend.”
Semi’s eyes sparkled as he laughed and hugged Shirabu harder, with tears in his eyes. Semi kept moving forward, until the both of them fell down onto the grass. Semi lifted himself up, with his face near Shirabu’s one.
“Well Shirabu, or should I say Kenjirou? I would also like to be your boyfriend. I’m in your care now, Kenjirou!”
“I’m in your care as well, Eita.”
The two of them looked at each other lovingly before going in for a kiss. Their first kiss together, and to them, it was flawless and fearless. Their second kiss was more fiery and loving. Once they were done, Semi pulled Shirabu up so that both of them were sitting on the grass together. Still in the dizziness of their first kiss, they looked at each other with a smile before Shirabu pulled Semi in for yet another kiss. After pulling apart from each other, they laughed.
“Kenjirou, I thought you were going to hate me forever when I pulled off that stunt at the party last week. But here you are, pulling me in for a kiss.”
“I mean… I really wanted to give you lots of affection that I’ve been holding back on since my first year in Shiratorizawa.”
Semi smiled at him before standing up and pulling Shirabu up with him.
“I have something to give you, but it's in the dorms. It’s related to affection, don’t worry. Anyway, a midnight convenience store run again, or a walk by the beach in the afternoon tomorrow?”
“How about… we have a midnight convenience store run, and we go to the beach afterward? I know what you’re thinking, Eita. We won’t get hurt. I know this because I have my boyfriend with me.”
Shirabu smirked as Semi blushed at his reply. He took Semi’s hand and intertwined their fingers, before dragging him out the garden gate to go to the convenience store to get some snacks, and then to their favourite place - the beach.
Somewhere near Shirabu’s house, the whole Shiratorizawa volleyball team was gathered.
“Tendou-san. Do we follow them?”
“Hm~ I suppose our new couple could have some privacy. First it was me and Wakatoshi-kun, then Kawanishi and our dear libero, Hayato! So, with all of their pining, I think they need to be alone together. I’ll head back to the dorm, Tsutomu~!” Tendou winked, “Also, if any of you took pictures or videos of this whole thing, send them to me! I can’t wait to tease Semisemi with these!”
Tendou hummed as he skipped back to the dorms with Ushijima and the others in tow. Most of them were too tired to talk, so they resorted to walking in silence. Except for a duo. Kawanishi was carrying Yamagata on his back as they conversed over what had happened just now.
“Hey, Taichi. Do you feel overjoyed right now? Now that your best friend finally turned his crush into his boyfriend.”
“I’m over the fucking moon, Hayato. No more Kenjirou telling me everything about Semi-san. Seriously, I still don’t know how he found his second Instagram account that was public. What’s worse is that Kenjirou followed it on his main account. Don’t even get me started on what Semi-san posted on that account. It was just his trashy outfits and his music. I can’t lie though, his music is great. It’s just that Kenjirou’s reaction to all of his pictures were… quite concerning to say the least.”
“Tell me all about it.”
The next day, Semi and Shirabu didn’t go to practice. They knew they would get teased by their teammates, with or without them knowing that they were together. They spent the whole day in Semi’s dorm, just cuddling and talking to each other.
“You remember that gift I told you about? Here it is! I hope you like it~!”
Semi gave Shirabu a container full of soda can tabs, with a smile on his face. Shirabu hesitantly accepts the gift, before realising what it means.
“Wait… wait! Eita, how many tabs are there? There’s a lot, and why would you give me this junk?”
Semi just simply smirked at him, before telling him to look it up.
Later, Shirabu counted all the tabs. He counted 45 can tabs with a semi circle, and 90 can tabs with a rainbow shape and a circle at the bottom.
What Semi will remember about his eighteenth summer in Miyagi are not the humid sleepless nights, volleyball training, and intense rave parties organised by Tendou Satori. What Semi will remember about his eighteenth summer in Miyagi are midnight walks by the beach, screaming love confessions for whatever they were worth, and the thrill of being in a relationship with Shirabu.
What Shirabu will remember about his seventeenth summer in Miyagi are not the fever dreams in the blistering heat, cramming for examinations, and volleyball training. What Shirabu will remember about his seventeenth summer in Miyagi are getting hit in the forehead by a tiny rock, the adrenaline of sneaking out to go on a date with Semi immediately after he confessed, and the thrill of being in a relationship with Semi.
Semi loved summer for all his experiences, but Shirabu made his summer better.
Shirabu hated summer for all his experiences, but Semi made him love summer.