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"Are you sure this is the right thing to do, Dashi-kun?" The older woman nervously wrung her hands.
"Kotone-san, Miya-san and Sakusa-san already said okay. Besides, who better to represent women authors than Agatha Christie?" The green-haired boy smiled openly.
"Well," a dark-haired boy at the corner quipped, "there are a lot of other contenders! The museum exhibition spans almost 130 years of women in media. "
"Shh…" A cute tangerine head came from another booth. "Bakayama, I told you not to be so mean!"
"I am not?" The dark-haired boy answered, offended.
"You are! We already spoke about this. Tadashi had the chance to pitch a new display, and marketing and administration agreed. So it is up to us to support him!"
" It"s alright, Hinata. I know that there were a lot of other outstanding female writers in that era, and I also know Christie wasn't the most influential one. But …"
"Boys!" the women from the back of the booth called out. "It is not the theme I'm worried about. The display looks so frail . I think it could crumble if too many people touch it!"
The group of young men fell silent.
A sudden giggle broke the silence. One after the other, they fell into laughter.
"You’re right, Kotone-san. It does look a little unstable."
Yamaguchi Tadashi, proud employee of the Fuse Kotone Bookshop in Shigaraki, once again began to rearrange the stand in question. His two colleagues of the same age, Hinata Shoyo and Kageyama Tobio, began to return to their tasks.
The bookshop´s owner and namesake, who had looked somewhat worried a moment before, hurried to Yamaguchi's aid. She didn't want to unsettle the young man.
"Fuse-san, it"s okay. I'm happy I can make this display match the new Miho Museum exhibition, even if I have to rearrange it five more times.
Laughing, Yamaguchi took the next pile of books from the small shelf.
"Go back to the office. I'm sure Sakusa-san is on the verge of collapse again because of the last balance sheets."
Kotone put her hand over her mouth before she let out a short, loud laugh. Nodding, she winked at Yamaguchi and went to the back office to reassure her hard-working accountant. A nice cup of genmaicha and Sakusa Kiyoomi would be more relaxed at work again.
It took quite a while before all the small shop employees were satisfied with the display of Agatha Christie's works. Yamaguchi was particularly keen to present all the necessary facts and works of the English author at a glance.
"I'm happy I could go through another concept with Hitoka last weekend. Her input was so enriching." Relaxed, the green-haired boy leaned back and breathed deeply of the calming scent of the oolong noir tea before him. "God, this tea is just heaven on earth!"
"Yes, isn't it?" the brown-haired young man in front of Tadashi grinned with satisfaction. My holiday in Jeju was worth it in many ways. The island isn't Korea's jewel for nothing."
"Oikawa-san is a real truffle nose when it comes to tea." Drinking a cup of cold h oijicha , Hinata leaned conspiratorially across the table.
"Have you made any progress with Iwaizumi-san then?"
Oikawa Tooru dramatically threw himself over his tray. "No, not really. What I planned as a love holiday turned out to be a work conference in the end. Iwachan was so eager and full of childish excitement about this tea trip. I had planned a big, romantic proposal in Taiwan, but when the time came, I couldn't bring myself to interrupt his tea tasting."
"At least the TieGuanYin oolong is particularly aromatic."
Exasperated, Hinata turned to Kageyama.
"Tobio-chan," Oikawa smirked, "gallant as a bulldozer. Although I agree with you, this o olong is excellent. Thank you for coming here after work to try the new varieties! I appreciate it a lot!"
The ringing of the doorbell demanded Oikawa's attention. Not only was the bookshop closed at this time, but the neighboring shops and the museum also turned the café into a madhouse at this hour.
"Enjoy your drinks. I'll make sure Mattsun brings you some more tarts!"
Excited chatter ran through the group of young men. Sweet pastries were welcomed by all, especially when they came from Matsukawa Issei!
Three employees of the Miho Museum were among the group of tired laborers. Akaashi Keiji, the museum´s curator, was accompanied by his PR head, Kuroo Tetsuro, and the new exhibition curator, Tsukishima Kei. Akaashi was pleased to have recruited such a capable young man for the museum. He felt his duty was to personally accompany the new staff member to make his move here easier. He would have preferred to accompany the blond young man from Sendai without Tetsuro's presence, but the fact of the matter was that Tetsuro had brought Kei to Shigaraki in the first place. So Akaashi put on a good face and let Tetsuro tag along.
"I recommend you to look at the various types of tea, Tsukishima-san. We may be in a coffee shop, but Oikawa-san and Iwaizumi-san have an outstanding repertoire of teas selected from all over Asia. I recommend the rize tea from Turkey. Since it was first offered here, I haven't drunk anything else!"
Akaashi could hardly wait to hold the pungent, aromatic black tea.
"That"s right, our curator-sama here is addicted to it. But if I were you, Kei, I'd stick to the mate de coca . Extraordinarily stimulating and very flavorful ."
Tsukishima Kei tried to remain as calm as possible on the outside. Inwardly, however, he wanted to stuff every single napkin from the stand before him into Kuroo's throat. Of course, he was aware that a job offer from his college senpais/ex-friends-with-benefits/somehow-friend-now meant that he had to see him regularly and talk to him, but the force of his nerves surprised the young curator. At least his boss, Akaashi, was a charming and reasonable person. Kei certainly wouldn't have considered moving from Sendai to Koka just to do Kuroo a favor. The Miho Museum was known for its extraordinary exhibits, and the architecture of the building resembled the famous pyramid of the Louvre, not just by chance. Everyone in the museum scene knew that the job Kuroo had offered him last year was a privilege. Kei would have been foolish if he had turned it down.
Nonetheless, working with Kuroo daily gave him a hard time, even though he had only been here for a few weeks. He had only moved to a small apartment here in Shigaraki a few days prior. Before then, he had to commute almost two hours daily between work and the hotel in Koka. This was a necessary nuisance, as the Hotel in Koka was the only one to accommodate him and his dog.
Kei was happy to be staying here now, so Akaashi's invitation to show him around the neighborhood after work came in handy. The fact that Kuroo was now there, too, was an unnecessary addition.
Despite the long queue in front of the counter, the baristas worked quickly and efficiently. With a smug grin, Kuroo handed Kei his mate de coca . What could he do? His stomach couldn't handle strong drinks.
On the way to an accessible seat, Kei only now noticed the lavish display of cakes. A particularly appetising-looking piece of strawberry cake caught his attention. With a brief apology to his two companions, he turned on his heel only to suddenly collide with something or, better, someone.
"Ouch, hot!" Startled, Kei looked down at his tea, a good slosh now dripping from the arm of the person he had bumped into.
Flustered and embarrassed, Kei picked up a few napkins off the counter as quickly as possible to dry this person off a little. As he turned around, however, the person pulled his sweater over their head, revealing a young man. He had shimmering greenish half-length hair, a ridiculous cowlick, freckles, and eyes so expressive that they made Keis's head spin.
"Thanks for the napkins?" The stranger looked at him questioningly, his hand outstretched.
Kei could only blink, dumbfounded.
"Oh, they're not for me, are they?" Yamaguchi looked at the tall blond with irritation and uncertainty.
Only one thought flashed through Tadashi's mind then: What a man—tall, blond, and beautiful.
"Eh, but ... of course, here you go." Keis's brain seemed to be online again. He quickly handed over the tissues.
"I'm sorry about this. Shall we go to the washrooms and cool off your arm? Of course, I'll cover any medical expenses if the burn requires medical attention."
Laughing, the burn victim shook his head, "Thanks, but that is unnecessary. The floor and my sweater took the brunt of it. It's a good thing I wore a clean T-shirt today."
The green-haired man grinned at Kei, his smile making him swallow involuntarily.
His gaze fell on the beige T-shirt with the colossal print only then.
-The more she drank, the more she shat, but the more she shat, the thirstier she grew-
was emblazoned on it in golden letters.
After reading, an embarrassing sound escaped Kei and made him slap his hand over his mouth in horror.
The grin on his counterpart's face widened.
"I know," he said, shrugging his shoulders, "a really mind-blowing quote, isn't it?"
Snorting, Kei replied, "Mind-blowing? Hardly, but it's proof that even high fantasy characters only have human needs."
"You know this quote?" Now, Tadashis heart warmed this time.
"A Dance with Dragons, right? The Book of Fire and Ice?" Kei answered.
From the first moment, Kei was blown away by how much he was attracted to this stranger. And as time went on, the stranger only proved him right: his sweet smile, which had grown into an outrageously radiant laugh … the sparkle in his big eyes after Kei recognized the quote … and the bright and friendly warmth that the young man radiated…
"Tsukishima Kei!"
Kei rummaged around in his pants pocket for his wallet with a jerky movement. Irritated, he looked at his right hand, holding the now only half-full cup of tea.
An electric crackle spread across the back of his hand as two warm hands grasped it.
He looked up in surprise.
Nodding frantically, he began to search for a business card in the depths of his wallet. He was sure he still had some from Sendai. It was good that he had decided against a new number after his move.
Triumphantly, he held out a rather battered card to the young man with outstretched hands.
"Yamaguchi Tadashi and I don't have a business card. But I work in the bookshop across the street. If you ever need a new book, we also offer not-so-high fantasy too ... "
Kei laughed, "Okay. I'll keep it in mind. And if you still have problems with your arm, the number on the card is right, just not the address. I only moved here recently and haven't had time ... "
A loud "DASHI!" brought Keis rambling to a halt. Caught off guard, Yamaguchi turned to the caller.
"Sorry, these are my colleagues. I have to go, but thanks for the card, and I'll be in touch if ... but as I said, my arm is okay ... " Hesitantly, Tadashi looked at Kei.
"You can also call just like that ... about ... books! Exactly, I need books!" Kei gushed.
"Oh ... which ones precisely?" Yamaguchi couldn't help but notice the slight blush on the blond's cheeks.
"Any of them! I mean ... new, interesting ones. The genre doesn't matter!" the slight blush turned into a full-blown one.
"TA-DA-SHI-KUN!"
"Oh, okay ... I really have to ... Ill ... I'll call you! I'll find something, and then I'll get back to you!"
With these words, the green-haired man turned on his heel and ran.
Kei leaned against the counter, panting.
What on earth had just happened here?
Fortunately for Tadashi, the small encounter with the stranger went unnoticed by Kageyama and Hinata, or so he thought. He completely missed the scrutinizing glance of his dark-haired colleague.
"What about your sweater?"
Irritated, Tobio pointed at Tadashi"s arm. Now Hinata also turned his attention to his green-haired colleague.
"Uh... I was just warm?"
Before Kageyama could say anything back, Hinata made fun of Tadashi's statement shirt.
"You really had it printed on you? Oh god, Tadashi-kun!"
"Wait a minute. You shouldn't be making fun of me, Mr. "He was a wild, wicked slip of a girl. He burned too bright for this world!"
"Ouch ... "
Kageyama surprisingly laughed at that.
"Exactly, Hinata-boke, instead of writing it down, you let the poor copy store employee with no knowledge of English figure out on his own what you wanted to change about that quote."
As intended, Hinata and Kageyama began their ruthless bickering. Tadashi breathed a sigh of relief. He gently stroked his fingers over the worn business card in his pocket. He wanted to keep the brief but intense encounter with the beautiful stranger to himself for a while.
The rest of the week passed quickly, and by Friday, Tadashi had yet to call the number on the card. He had to admit, it wasn"t necessarily because he didn"t want to, nor was it because he hadn"t picked out any books. In fact, he had what felt like a small library of books. Political, fiction, and an illustrated book about archaeological excavations of dinosaurs in Germany. The latter only because Yamaguchi believed that everyone should have at least one illustrated book. However, according to his business card, Tsukishima Kei was an art museum curator. Tadashi knew little about art, and most illustrated books were about art, so he chose dinosaurs. Everyone liked dinos, right?
Throughout the week, he kept going over the pile of books. He swapped, added, resorted, and pondered whether a novel about activism in 1960s Egypt was the right choice for a stranger. Perhaps he would prefer Ken Follet's epic about the building of Salisbury Cathedral or something by Sôseki Natsume? The book I Am a Cat was very entertaining until the last third.
"Tadashi-kun?" A hand gently placed itself on his shoulder. "I've seen you at this pile of books for days. Can I help you? Are you looking for something in particular?"
Tadashi looked over at Kotone with a grin. How often had he said that sentence himself in recent years? After all, it was his job to look people in the eye and thus into their hearts to pick the right book for them. Not least, thanks to Kotone Fuse's constant training and prudence, Tadashi had become a good and confident bookseller. As such, he also knew that accepting help was always a good choice for something important to you.
"Thank you Fuse-san. I could actually use some input."
Tadashi's limited information about Kei Tsukishima—a tall, blond, handsome museum curator who had just moved here and was about Tadashi's age—wasn't suitable for giving good book recommendations yet.
"What about Toshikawa Kawaguchi? You can't go wrong with Before the Coffee Gets Cold ."
"And there are four more books in the series!"
Startled, Kotone and Yamaguchi turned around.
"I mean, then you have four more chances to meet your stranger."
Nonchalantly, Kageyama sorted a few books onto the shelf next to him. With red ears and a queasy feeling in his stomach, Yamaguchi took Kawaguchi's first volume and returned to his pile of recommendations.
"Tadashiiiii!" Hinata thundered through the break room.
"You're coming to Kenmas later, aren't you? It's game night!"
His colleague, one head shorter than him, asked.
"I think so ... Are the Tanakas coming?"
"Kiyoko and Ryu-Senpai?" Hinata turned to Kageyma questioningly.
"What are you looking at me for? I don't know!" Grumbling, Tobio turned to his shoelaces.
"Grumpy-yama ... I’ve been wondering since yesterday what crawled up his butt this time."
Yamaguchi looked assessingly at Kageyama. This time, however, he decided against trying to interpret his colleague's behavior. As embarrassing as it might be, Yamaguchi was determined to dial the number on the business card tonight and make an appointment with Tsukishima Kei (even the name sounded wonderful) as soon as possible.
"Ryu-senpai says they're not coming tonight, but a few others from the museum are. He just answered me via Line."
Hinata continued typing on his phone.
"Okay, I'll see you at Kenmas later. Bye!"
With that, Yamaguchi turned towards the door and left the break room and the bookstore.
Armed with a special menu from Onigiri Miya, Yamaguchi unlocked the door to his apartment and was greeted by a joyful mewing sound.
"Well, Mr. Stringer, have you been waiting for me? I've brought you a small portion of tuna." Yamaguchi stroked him tenderly. The little tabby cat tucked its tail high and chattered happily as it followed its human into the small kitchen. Yamaguchi carefully prepared his onigiri and miso soup in small bowls. The portion of raw tuna was placed in another bowl. He put this in his cat's feeding place. He himself went towards his living area with his food on a tray. His small coffee table, which already had the typical kotatsu cover attached, offered enough space for him and his dinner.
He was halfway through his meal when a loud bark broke the silence. Irritated, Yamaguchi turned around. That sounded suspiciously close. Should someone have moved in with a dog? He looked questioningly at his cat. It only gave him a bored meow and demanded a few strokes.
"Nothing could interest you less than a dog in the neighborhood, could it, Mr. Stringer?"
After a brief moment of listening, Yamaguchi turned back to his food. A glance at the clock told him that he only had an hour before catching the train to Tashiro.
Since Kenma bought an old house right by the Tashiro River, game nights had become a regular thing. Tadashi was excited, as he had to claim revenge against Kuroo-san and Bokuto-san on the Rainbow Road. The disgrace of being shot with a red shell just before the finish line called for a rematch.
After an extra cuddle with Mr. Stringer and a quick look around his apartment, Yamaguchi left his home and headed for the train station.
"Come on, specs. It's always fun, and we still haven't had a proper introduction for you."
With a feline grin, Kuroo leaned forward.
"Besides, there's a good chance that Yamaguchi-kun will be there too. I still owe him a rematch, and he's pretty serious about that. You know, "thou shalt honor thy gambling debt" and all."
Tsukishima tried to adjust his glasses with skillful nonchalance. And although his heart skipped a beat, he sounded as cool and distant as ever.
"Why do you think I will change my mind just because you explicitly mention that name?"
Grinning, Kuroo shrugged his shoulders and stalked towards the exit.
"I sent you the address: 8:30! Be on time … By the way, Kenma especially likes the apple pie from the Seijoh Café, in case you don't know what to bring!"
With a disinterested "tsk," Kei also turned around and walked towards his office.
Kuroo was right about one thing, even if he would never admit it to him. The prospect of seeing the freckled boy named Yamaguchi Tadashi again made his otherwise unaffected heart beat faster.
Tsukishima made his way to his apartment as quickly as possible, knowing that his bento from the convenience store would be bland and unpleasant but lacking an alternative. If he earnestly intended to go to Kuroo's high school friend's house tonight, he would have to do an extra-long dog walk beforehand, sacrificing a satisfying dinner.
Tsikishima's dog was a relatively small Japanese terrier. Kei hadn't planned to bring the wiry and active four-legged friend home after college, but his longing for his childhood friend became so great during his first job outside of Sendai that he couldn't bear to be without the little fellow.
Naked and dripping wet, Tsukishima rushed out of the shower and into his living room. He skidded to a halt at the window and reached for his excitedly barking dog.
"Shit, Captain ... sorry I forgot to draw the curtain!"
The starlings in the large ginkgo tree in the courtyard were driving the normally calm terrier quite crazy. Even though keeping animals was generally allowed, and Kei assumed that other dogs were living in his apartment complex, he didn't want anyone to feel disturbed or, worse, complain about a barking four-legged friend.
Cursing at his carelessness, Tsukishima began to dry the wet floor and return to the bathroom. The dog, which had just been barking at birds, now walked beside him with its tail wagging.
"You're lucky I like you!" Kei shouted before closing the door to the bathroom.
Around 30 minutes later, he was sitting on the train towards Tashiro. In his hand was a small box of still-warm apple pie. After all, his parents had taught him how vital an omiyage was, even if you weren't actually traveling.
Despite Kuroo's precise description of the route from the train station to Konzume Kenma's house, Kei felt a little lost when he got off the train. The platform was small and could hardly be described as one. Moreover, the area around it was extremely rural.
Before he could take his phone out of his pocket to get his orientation with Navitime, it started to ring—an unknown number. Despite his mistrust of calls without a sender, this time, he answered.
"Hello Tsukishima-san, Yamaguchi here ... from the bookstore ... or the cafe? Sorry ... I wanted to call, but I should ... Am I disturbing you right now?"
Surprised, Kei nearly dropped the cake.
"Of course not, I … I am only trying to find my way to the house of a friend of one of my colleagues. .. I am not familiar with the city yet."
"Oh," Yamaguchi huffed, amused. "Where are you, and where do you want to go? Maybe I can guide you? I know the way around here quite well."
"If you have time now, I would be very grateful!"
A few moments later, Yamaguchi arrived at the small train station to collect Kei.
The two young men grinned broadly. Both were surprised to have the same destination and secretly very happy about it.
"You brought cake?" Yamaguchi asked.
"Yes, Tetsu said that Kozume-san likes this one best."
"Tetsu?"
"Oh, I mean Kuroo, Kuroo Tetsuro?"
Yamaguchi's smile faded a little. First name basis. So far he had only known a few people who called Kuroo-san by his first name. And if he had thought about it carefully now, there would have been only one ... Kenma.
"You've known each other for a long time then?" Yamaguchi bit his tongue. He could hardly hide his curiosity.
"Since college ... Tetsu, I mean Kuroo-san, was one of the tutors in my elective class." Kei had a bad feeling about talking to Yamaguchi about Kuroo. He wasn't sure where this feeling came from or what it meant. All he knew was that he didn't like it.
The walk from the train station was short, and Kei and Yamaguchi arrived at Kenma's house soon after.
Kei was visibly impressed. The unassuming IT employee, Konzume Kenma, didn't give the impression of having a traditional Japanese minka , but here he was.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Yamaguchi turned to Kei with a grin.
"That's exactly how I looked when Shoyo took me here for the first time. It's even cooler inside!"
Grabbing Kei by the sleeve, Yamaguchi pulled him along.
Kei stood open-mouthed before a wooden door decorated with intricate wooden carvings.
"This is the original odo from the Edo period. Kenma had it painstakingly restored. I guess that's the advantage of working in a museum."
Chattering happily, Yamaguchi pushed open the door.
But before he realized what was happening, three people materialized out of nowhere before the new arrivals. A short redhead, a rather pissed-off-looking black-haired young man, and Kuroo Tetsuro!
Kei was a little irritated that Yamaguchi, after a short round of introductions and a brief remark that the two of them had met by chance at the train station, said a quick "See you later!" when he and his two friends moved further inside the house.
"Fancy a little room tour? Maybe we can find Kenma somewhere." Kuroo looked at Kei questioningly.
He just nodded. Kei followed his friend, still trying to understand what this was all about.
The two work colleagues found the landlord sitting on the engawa at the back of the house.
He seemed to be talking to someone on the phone.
When Kenma saw the two tall men, he gestured with his finger for them to wait a moment.
A few seconds later, Kenma closed his phone and approached them.
"Sorry, the call was a surprise, but was pretty important."
Shaking his head, Kei held the cake in front of him. "No problem. Thanks for the invitation, Kozume-san. Kuroo said you like this apple pie best."
Kenma looked at Kuroo with the corner of his mouth slightly upturned. He just grinned smugly.
"That's true. But please call me Kenma. We're not at work, and I like traditional houses, but all this polite fuss when addressing people in non-formal surroundings is too much for me. "
Kenma took the cake and nodded toward the house. The three of them made their way back inside.
In the ridiculously large hiroma , all three were immediately seized by Bokuto, the burly Head of Press Office from Miho, and given a Joycon.
"Finally, Kenma! I thought your phone call wasn't going to end. Tsukishima, you're on a team with Kuroo and me. It's finally museum vs. bookstore again today!"
Kei wasn't actually someone who really liked video games. He played them because his friends and family enjoyed them, and he liked it when people who were important to him were happy. Why he suddenly began to develop a competitive streak, in a way rarely seen in him, alongside complete strangers and his work colleagues, remained a mystery to him at first. Still, when Yamaguchi completely lost his temper after losing a few rounds in the Electrodrome and loudly called for a team change, Kei got the moment he had been waiting for.
"We could be a team."
Holding his breath, Kei stared at the green-haired young man.
"Absolutely!" exclaimed Tadashi, "You really used the track to your advantage in the last race." Grinning broadly, Yamaguchi came over to Kei and cockily held out his hand for a low five. Pleasantly surprised, Kei hit it.
Understandably, this decision was not met with approval.
Shoyo, in particular, felt very betrayed by Yamaguchi's behavior and loudly voiced his displeasure. This, in turn, earned him a smack on the shoulder from Kageyama, and the two went back to playfully squabbling.
Even Kenma, already sitting between the two, made no attempt to mediate between them again.
"Tsk, those two are quite exhausting." Kei leaned down a little towards Yamaguchi.
"Do they even like each other?"
Astonished, Yamaguchi turned around. After a brief moment, he laughed. "Of course, you'd think so. You barely know them."
Grinning, Yamaguchi concentrated again on choosing his racer for the next Triforce Cup.
"Shoyo and Kageyama actually like each other a lot. They live together, after all." With a wink, Yamaguchi looked at Kei again.
"And they were roommates!"
Laughing out loud, Yamaguchi almost lost his joycon. Kei's dry manner and unaffected expression caused him to break out into uncontrollable giggles.
"Aw man ... yes, roommates!" Finger-quoting and still grinning, Yamaguchi motioned to Kei with his chin to finally make a choice, so they could start the last race of the evening.
During the four races, Yamaguchi repeatedly bumped his shoulder against Kei's and encouraged him, sometimes more and sometimes less harshly, to concentrate and do his best. The warmth that spread through Kei's whole body was unfamiliar but very welcome. Kei enjoyed the closeness. He tried not to be too distracted by the thought of skipping the game and disappearing into a quieter corner of the house with Tadashi. If he behaved skillfully, there would be enough time after the game.
"The last track is the Hyrule Circuit." Whispering conspiratorially, Yamaguchi stood on his tiptoes, trying to get closer to Tsukishima's ear. "Use mushrooms if you have them to take shortcuts through the field and the grass!"
Outraged shouts from Kuroo and Kageyama made it clear that Yamaguchi was not as sneaky as he thought. Grinning sheepishly, he said, "Equal opportunities for all, right? As if you wouldn't take the shortcuts yourselves!"
Despite coming second by a small margin, Yamaguchi seemed a little depressed.
With a fresh can of nodogoshi , Kei steered the young man towards the engawa in the back.
Once there, Yamaguchi appeared to relax a little. He toasted Kei with a smile.
"Thank you for being on my team."
Snorting, Kei took a big gulp of his beer.
"Of course ... but it's just a game, so why the long face?"
"Just a game? Oh dear, Tsukishima Kei, haven't you got an ounce of competitiveness in you?" Yamaguchi shook his head.
Grinning smugly, Kei replied, "Kenma is a professional, and Kuroo and Bokuto don't seem to do anything else in their spare time either, so why all this effort?"
Yamaguchi looked at Kei in dismay. "So you're saying that it's not worth the effort if you're already outclassed due to a lack of skills? Because the chances of winning seem so slim?" Yamaguchi looked skeptically at Kei's face. "I didn't think you'd think like that. It's also about your own pride. Giving your best so you can be proud of yourself even if you lose!"
A little taken aback, Kei realized that Yamaguchi was actually serious. "When you put it like that, Yamaguchi Tadashi, I sound like the worst loser ever."
Smiling indulgently, Tadashi offered, "I can teach you."
Kei nodded. "I´d love that."
The blond couldn't help but notice the slight flush on Yamaguchi's face, and he was sure it wasn't just the result of the beer.
He casually leaned against the house wall and asked, "So, Yamaguchi, tell me about yourself. Where are you from, what do you do, and how did you get so cool?"
Now, Tadashi's head was glowing red like a fire engine. After focusing a little more on his beer can, Tadashi began to talk about himself.
Kei greedily absorbed every single word. He also answered each of Yamaguchi's questions with care and effort. After a while, the two decided to sit on the edge of the engawa –– side by side, so close that their shoulders were touching. Every point at which Tadashi's body touched Kei's felt warm and pleasant. In some moments, when their eyes met, everything seemed to fall silent for a brief moment. But every time Kei was on the verge of losing his composure and simply wanting to stroke Yamaguchi's cheek, just to touch him, the latter turned away, a little embarrassed, and jumped to the next question or took a sip from his can, which was surely already empty.
A small eternity passed until they were brought out of their clandestine bubble. Kenma was suddenly standing next to them.
"Just a quick heads-up, the last train leaves in twenty minutes. If you want to crash here, no problem. There's plenty of room, but if not …" The young man remained standing next to Kei and Tadashi, waiting.
"Oh ... I definitely have to take the train," Tsukishima said, "I have to take my dog for another walk in any case."
Surprised, Tadashi's head snapped towards Kei. "You have a dog? I have a cat... I mean, I have to go home too... Mr. Stringer doesn't like to be alone at night."
"Mr. Stringer? Like Miss Maples, Mr. Stringer?" Completely taken by surprise, Kei stared at Tadashi in disbelief.
"My dog's name is Captain Hastings!"
"No way!" Excited, Yamaguchi pranced on the spot. "Really?" Kei nodded. "That's amazing!"
Lost in thought, they looked at each other's eyes.
"I really hate to interrupt you, but ... the train?" Kenma felt extremely uncomfortable in this situation. This strange, intimate atmosphere made him a little dizzy.
Caught off guard, Yamaguchi and Kei looked at him before heading back inside with a string of apologies to say goodbye to the others.
The short journey from Tashiro back to Shigaraki held even more surprises for Kei and Tadashi. Although the fact that they were taking the same train wasn't one of them, nor was it a surprise that they would both get off at the same station.
Tadashi, however, felt a small thrill when Kei mentioned that he would be walking home in the same direction. At the same time, he felt self-conscious, wondering if Kei might be taking the same route just to find out where he lived.
Their conversation flowed easily between them. Tadashi was delighted to discover that Kei shared his love for Agatha Christie, even if, unlike him, Kei seemed to prefer Hercule Poirot.
"So that's why you named your dog Captain Hastings?" Yamaguchi asked, intrigued.
"Yes...when my parents brought the dog home, I was going through a rough patch, feeling quite lonely … it must have been around middle school. I'd already read a few novels with Poirot by then, and I found Captain Hastings really fascinating and...funny," Kei laughed, flashing a broad smile at Tadashi. "And I really wanted a sidekick to go on adventures with me!"
Yamaguchi chuckled. "That's really nice..." Tadashi suddenly grew thoughtful. "If you don't mind me asking, were you bullied at school? I mean, if you felt alone, maybe it was...you know what, never mind. Let's talk about something else!" Yamaguchi shook his head, regretting he might dampen the mood. He'd simply felt that Kei might have had similar experiences in school. If so, it would mean a few too many similarities in their lives, almost too good to be true.
Kei suddenly stopped, gently gripping Tadashi's sleeve. "I wasn't bullied, exactly, but I was somewhat isolated because I wasn't very social. It took me a while to make friends. My older brother had just transferred to high school, and I struggled with that."
He looked at Yamaguchi's face as if encouraging him.
"Not social?" Tadashi looked skeptical. So far, Kei had been anything but unsociable.
Kei laughed. "Is that what caught your attention?"
When Kei was sure the brief sadness in Tadashi’s expression had softened into his natural curiosity, he began walking again, his hand lingering on Tadashi's arm a moment longer than necessary.
"Let's just say I didn’t blend well in groups as a kid. Most of my classmates were kind of annoying, and I wasn’t great at being everyone’s favorite. A lot of them didn’t appreciate my bluntness or honesty."
"Mhm, I think honesty is actually a very desirable trait," Yamaguchi mused.
"Try telling that to a bunch of 12-year-olds!"
Tadashi grinned.
They were approaching a left turn that led to his apartment block. Though he didn't suspect Kei of anything, he felt it might be better if they parted ways here. However, he wanted to see Kei again so that he could give him the recommended books. Perhaps a meeting at the Seijoh Café would be a good idea.
But before Tadashi could speak, Kei said, "My apartment's this way, on the left. Where are you headed?"
"This way on the left?" Tadashi looked down the street.
"Yes..." Kei frowned slightly.
"Belle Etoile Apartments?" Yamaguchi's voice went up an octave.
It began to dawn on Kei as well.
"Do you live there too?" Yamaguchi started nodding excitedly. "I can't believe it. What a crazy coincidence!"
If anyone had been watching Tsukishima Kei and Yamaguchi Tadashi at the Suemi Street junction that Friday evening, they might have come to the same conclusion as the two of them. It may indeed have been a coincidence, but it felt a little like fate, too.