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one
Tanaka had always prided himself on his ability to insert himself into his friends’ personal lives, becoming privy to gossip and making keen observations that would otherwise be left buried. It was his duty as a younger brother, a senpai, and a kouhai to continuously stir the pot, and this instance was no exception. The moment he spotted the faint purple mark peeking out from under Daichi’s collar in the clubroom, his curiosity exploded, and he was propelled into action.
“Oi, Captain!” Tanaka called out, waggling his eyebrows suggestively when Daichi turned to face him. “What’s that on your neck, hm?”
Baffled, Daichi frowned in confusion, fruitlessly looking down in an effort to find what Tanaka was on about. “Huh?”
Tanaka cackled loudly, catching the attention of the rest of the team. He flicked the spot just above Daichi’s collarbone. “That hickey, man. Don’t even try to deny it.”
Daichi’s face went from confused to alarmed in less than a second. “What? No, it’s—” He fumbled with his shirt, tugging the collar higher to hide the mark. The tips of his ears, all the way down to his neck, were flushed red. If Tanaka were interested in men, he might have called the look ‘endearing’.
“It’s not what you think.” Daichi managed to choke out, and Tanaka watched as Suga snorted loudly and hid behind the door of a locker.
He smirked to himself. Suga definitely knew something. He was on the right track.
“Oh-ho-ho, it’s exactly what I think!” Tanaka hooted, slapping Daichi on the back. “Who’s the lucky girl, huh?”
“Yeah, Daichi-san,” pestered Noya, “Don’t leave us in the dark, bro. We live vicariously through you.”
Daichi could only groan, looking away, his ears turning a worrying shade of red. “It’s nothing, really.”
Tanaka grinned. He was going to get to the bottom of this. “Sure, Captain. Sure.”
two
It wasn’t extremely uncommon to find Daichi on his phone outside of practice hours. With such a big family, it was important to keep them updated on his whereabouts, and oftentimes, he saved warm-up ideas on his notes app and studied using online flashcards. He was, at his core, a teenaged boy, and therefore used his phone as much as the rest of them.
It was uncommon, however, to find him looking down at his phone with a dopey smile on his face, completely zoned out to the world around him. Afternoon practice had just finished up for the day, and admittedly, it had probably been a taxing one for Daichi without Suga, who was off celebrating his younger brother’s birthday.
Once they had tidied the gym, Tanaka watched Daichi lag behind everyone as they made their way to the clubroom. After locking the doors behind him, the third-year had immediately snatched his phone out of his pocket, fingers moving rapidly over the screen. Tanaka’s suspicions were confirmed when the captain fumbled on the first step up, too enthralled by whoever he was currently texting.
Tanaka paused on the stairs and feigned tying his shoelace while he waited for Daichi to catch up. He sidled up to the captain as he passed, attempting and failing to read over his shoulder. Damn that late afternoon glare.
“Oi, Daichi-san! Who’re you texting?” He ribbed in a sing-song voice, nudging him with an elbow.
Daichi’s phone screen went black in an instant, the texts fading just as fast as his smile. “Oh, um, just Suga.”
“Ah, c’mon bro, you can’t hide it from me. I know that look. That’s the look of love, my man.”
Daichi’s cheeks reddened, and he looked away, but Tanaka didn’t miss the way his lips twitched at the edges. Maybe this romance was even more serious than Tanaka had initially guessed.
“So, who’s the lucky lady?”
Daichi rolled his eyes and slipped his phone back into his pocket. “Don’t you worry about it, Tanaka.”
Tanaka pouted. “It better not be my lovely Kiyoko-san.”
Daichi looked at him properly then, amusement dancing in his eyes. Like there was some joke he wasn’t in on. Tanaka felt his heart freeze. It couldn’t be Kiyoko, could it? No. Why would Daichi be texting her when practice had just finished?
“Don’t worry, Tanaka,” Daichi repeated, clapping him on the shoulder. “The pretty ladies are all yours.”
three
The rumour mill at Karasuno spread fast, and it didn’t take long before Tanaka became party to the latest gossip. He had heard it from Noya, who had been told by Asahi, who had witnessed it firsthand.
Apparently, a girl had confessed to Daichi during lunch. A pretty girl from the tea ceremony club with pale skin and a great sense of humour. Not as beautiful as Kiyoko, obviously, but the sort of girl any guy would be lucky to take home.
And Daichi had turned her down.
He already had his suspicions. After all, a hickey and Daichi’s obsessive texting had to mean something. But this only pushed Tanaka further towards the truth. At this rate, the only further evidence needed was Daichi’s confirmation. In Tanaka’s humble opinion, it was only right that the team meet the girlfriend of their dependable captain. She was probably the only thing keeping him from losing his cool every practice, and for that, she deserved their eternal gratitude.
Tanaka managed to catch the third-years on their way to the gym, slotting himself in between Asahi and Daichi with a mischievous glint in his eye. “Here’s our ladies’ man,” Tanaka slapped Daichi on the back. “Heard you rejected a confession today, Daichi-san.”
Daichi, the damn saint, had the nerve to look guilty. He rubbed his neck awkwardly. “Er, yeah. I did. God, news travels fast. Poor Kato-san.”
Suga snickered, slinging an arm around Daichi’s neck and pulling him over to ruffle his hair. “Look at this one, acting all humble. Don’t deny it now, Casanova. You loved it.”
Daichi’s neck turned pink, and he gently extracted himself from Suga’s hold. “I mean, sure it was flattering. But I still feel bad.”
Tanaka tsked. “Why’d you turn her down, Cap? I mean, dang. She’s pretty.”
“She’s…” Daichi blinked, “not really my type.”
“Not your type?” Tanaka’s eyebrows shot up. “Man, that’s something only a taken man would say. I knew you had a girlfriend, you dog!”
“I don’t, Tanaka. I promise.”
“Come on, Daichi-san!” Tanaka exclaimed, flailing his arms dramatically. “If you’ve got a girlfriend, just admit it! You’re killing me here!”
Daichi shifted uncomfortably, and Tanaka suddenly felt like he’d missed something important. Were they on the rocks or something? Maybe he’d been through a bad breakup recently and Tanaka was being an awful friend by rubbing it in his face.
“Enough questions,” Daichi breathed, straightening suddenly into his captain façade as the gym came into view. “We’ve got a tournament to prepare for. And if you’re lucky, Tanaka, a pretty girl might just be impressed by your new quick.”
Tanaka’s eyes lit up in flames at the thought of Kiyoko secretly admiring his form, propelling him towards the clubroom with a newfound eagerness.
He would get his answers eventually. But for now, his curiosity about Daichi’s love life could wait.
four
Valentine’s Day at Karasuno High School had always been chaotic, and this year was no exception. Tanaka watched on enviously as four particularly handsome guys in his year level hoarded all the chocolate, all the while waiting unsuccessfully for his one true love, Kiyoko, to stop by. At this rate, it was going to be a long day.
When lunchtime eventually rolled around, Tanaka decided to take it upon himself to seek out their manager, roaming around the corridors and courtyard in search for her. He had just arrived at the hallway outside the third-year classrooms when another sight stopped him in his tracks. It wasn’t the dark-haired angel he was hoping for, but it would have to do. Standing at his locker, looking down at a cutely wrapped box of chocolates, was none other than Daichi. And, Tanaka noted with a wolfish grin, the captain was failing spectacularly at suppressing a smile as he read the accompanying note.
Usually, Tanaka would be feeling bitter at the display before him. Dependable, mature types like Daichi always got presents. But this was different. There were no other chocolates in sight, and the expression on Daichi’s face could be mistaken for nothing other than a man in love. Carefully, making sure to keep his footsteps quiet, Tanaka stalked up behind the captain, peering over his shoulder with squinted eyes.
He could barely bring his eyes to focus before Daichi noticed a presence behind him, frantically shoving the note and chocolates into his locker with a bang. He whipped around, wide-eyed and flustered at the sudden intrusion. This only lasted a second before Daichi realised who had interrupted him and the expression turned to one of sternness. “Tanaka! What the hell are you—”
But Tanaka had already tuned him out, mind racing back to the one sentence he had managed to catch on the letter.
“As soon as we have a moment to ourselves, I’m going to kiss you so hard that you—"
Damn him and his poor literacy! He hadn’t even managed to get to the good part. Just who was this girl? And how long had she and the captain been getting it on?
“—even listening to me?”
Tanaka blinked, eyes refocusing on Daichi, who was currently regarding him with a mixture of concern and extreme disapproval. “Sorry, Cap,” he started, a sly grin quickly replacing his look of bafflement. “Guess I got distracted by that letter of yours.”
Daichi’s demeanour immediately returned to one of panic.
Gotcha.
The third-year chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck in a telltale sign of guilt. “It’s just friendly stuff. Nothing serious.”
“Uh-huh, sure.” Tanaka’s eyes narrowed as he leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Do you let all of your friends ‘kiss you so hard’, Daichi-san? Or just the girlfriends?”
“How many times do I need to tell you, Tanaka? There is no girlfriend.”
Tanaka threw his head back and guffawed loudly. “Whatever you say, Captain. Enjoy your chocolates, because if you keep up this denial act, you might not be getting any next year.”
Daichi only shook his head, laughing softly. “Okay, Tanaka. Now get lost. And don’t go hassling Shimizu.”
Tanaka gasped, affronted, but took off in a hurry, nonetheless. Lunchtime was coming to an end, after all, and he was still empty-handed.
+1
Tanaka sat on the floor of the clubroom next to Noya and Ennoshita, going over some last-minute study before their test later that day. Morning practice had finished five minutes prior, and they had some spare time before class that Tanaka was determined to take advantage of.
He heard muffled laughter from across the room and looked up to see Daichi and Suga talking amongst themselves. Even though there were no more tournaments for the year, the third-years had decided to keep training until graduation, valuing the time spent with everyone. Daichi’s box of Valentine’s chocolates sat between the pair, with Suga currently munching on one contentedly. “Mm, I’ve got good taste,” he commented, reaching over to grab another.
Daichi swatted him away. “In case you’ve forgotten, these chocolates belong to me. What happened to yours, anyway?”
“I already ate them all.” Suga confessed, biting his lip to stop himself from giggling too loudly.
Tanaka blanched. Suga had received Valentine’s chocolates, too? God, was he the only one destined to remain chocolate-less? Maybe things would pick up once he became a third-year.
“Hey, Noya-san,” Tanaka whispered, “Did you receive any chocolates this year?”
“Nah, bro.”
Tanaka nodded, already feeling better about himself. He let his eyes focus back on Ennoshita’s study notes, reading them over again in the hopes that something would stick. Eventually, the time for class to start inched closer, and Ennoshita and Noya left the clubroom to head towards the main building. Tanaka’s first class of the day was PE, meaning he had a few more minutes to spare before walking back to the gym.
With graduation prep underway, the third-years had the next period free, with Suga and Daichi also electing to remain in the clubroom until the morning bell rang. Tanaka looked up from his notes again and squinted at them, watching as the pair laughed over some inside joke.
“That packaging really was extreme,” Suga teased, poking Daichi lightly in the chest. “Who know the big, tough captain was such a romantic?”
“Shut up,” Daichi grinned, running a hand through his hair. “I’m telling you, the lady at the store forced me to buy them.”
Tanaka frowned. The captain had received chocolates and given them? This confirmed things. Daichi’s girlfriend was 100% real. All that was left was to meet her.
“Sure, sure.” Suga poked his tongue out. “Well, if it’s any consolation, they were very tasty.”
Tanaka blinked, all of his prior study focus now completely out the window. Had he missed something? Why had Suga eaten Daichi’s girlfriend’s chocolates? Sure, he could be mischievous, but that was just plain nasty.
But Daichi only beamed at the comment, cheeks flushing red. And as Suga reached over yet again to grab another chocolate, Daichi’s hand slipped onto Suga’s thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Wait.
Wait.
Tanaka froze, his brain short-circuiting as he struggled to process the image before him. The pieces came together so suddenly—so jarringly—that Tanaka had to force himself not to gasp aloud. Suga, hiding behind the locker to conceal his reaction to Daichi’s hickey. Daichi’s desperation to hide the letter from him. His sudden discomfort every time Tanaka mentioned girls. His vehement denial of having a girlfriend.
“There is no girlfriend.”
“She’s not really my type.”
“Who’re you texting?” “Just Suga.”
“The pretty ladies are all yours.”
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. He was an absolute IDIOT. Without even realising what he was saying, the words escaped Tanaka’s mouth.
“Your girlfriend is Suga?”
Two pairs of eyes whipped towards him, the room falling into a complete silence. The parties stared at one another with wide eyes for what seemed to be an eternity, before Suga doubled over in loud laughter. “Girlfriend?” He wheezed, clutching his sides. “Man, that’s a new one.”
Daichi groaned, burying his face in his hands. “Tanaka… please…”
But Tanaka was too stunned to process Daichi’s embarrassment. “So, you two—wait, all this time? You’ve been together? How did I miss this?”
Suga, still grinning, slung an arm around Daichi’s shoulders, his voice teasing. “Guess we’re just great at keeping secrets. Or maybe you’re just the most oblivious person in the world.”
Tanaka looked between them as the realisation settled in. “Daichi-san, I can’t believe you let me believe you had a girlfriend for so long.”
“Tanaka, I literally denied your accusations every time. You believed what you wanted to believe.” Daichi grinned bashfully, looking over at Suga with a deep fondness in his eyes.
He exhaled deeply at the sight. God, he really was oblivious. How could he see the way these two interacted and think Daichi was in love with anyone else?
“I’m sorry, Tanaka,” Daichi apologised lightly. “We weren’t trying to hide it from you, but, well… it’s not exactly easy to bring up casually.”
Tanaka observed a slight hesitance in his expression. Something akin to fear. It was a disturbing look on the typically assured captain. Tanaka cursed himself for being so naïve—for leading his friends to believe that such as hesitance was warranted.
“Man, you two really had me fooled,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “But hey,” Tanaka looked at Daichi intently, hoping that his eyes were communicating the immense support and appreciation he harboured for the pair. “If it’s Suga, I’ll allow it. I think you guys owe me, though, for all this deception.”
“Oh, yeah?” Suga grinned, sharing a knowing look with Daichi. “And what do you propose?”
Tanaka rubbed his hands together, smile turning wolfish. He knew just what to ask for.
“A box of those Valentine’s chocolates. The fancy ones the lady made Daichi-san buy.”
Maybe it wouldn’t be another chocolate-less year, after all.