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It was a cold autumn evening, and the sun was close to setting as usual, casting a golden filter over the horizon as well as the vast city of Tokyo. The view was quite pretty, and the sound scape only added to the satisfaction.
The rustling of leaves matched harmoniously with the gentle whistle of the wind, the humming of birds adding to the symphony, making the tired girl sigh in joy.
You had just finished buying everything on the errand your mom sent you on, be it eggs, milk, or toiler paper-- all essentials were in the big supermarket bags that hung from you shoulders.
Slowly making your way back home, you passed by an unusually occupied playground. You were used to seeing it empty by this time of day, aside from the occasional couples that picked the location as their date spot.
Today, though, you didn't see any couples or children. Instead, you had come across the Nekoma volleyball team, scattered across the playground, all doing their own thing.
You were familiar with their faces, often getting dragged by your friends just so they could fangirl over them. You'd even gotten into the habit of watching their games and practices, so much so you were even allowed inside when others weren't. So it was no wonder you'd quietly debate whether to go say hi or not.
"Oh, (L/N)-chan!"
But you didn't even have to, your still figure had eventually caught the attention of the group of boys who immediately recognized your silhouette. Kuroo was the first to call out your name, waving at you to join them.
"Ah, Kuroo-san, you don't have to call me by my last name.. unless you're more comfortable with doing so."
"I see, then you don't mind me calling you (Y/N), right?"
This earned a few playful 'ooh's from the rest of the team members, making their captain quirk an eyebrow and shake his head in disapproval.
"I don't mind at all." You said, smiling at their dynamic. "Though I have to ask, what are you all doing here?" By now, you had slowly placed the bags on the foot of a red slide to make sure the contents don't spill out.
This time, Yamamoto took the lead, stepping closer to answer. "We got bored and decided to sit down for a bit before waking again. It's a nice spot for pictures, too." He explained, waving his hand to point out the pretty lighting.
"Wanna join us?" Lev was the one to ask, and although you would've, you couldn't risk worrying your mom by coming home late. You didn't even have your phone to let her know, so your only solution was to bite the inside of your cheek in pure frustration. An opportunity to hang out with pretty boys missed, all because of some stupid errands!
"No, sorry... I wish I could but my mom is waiting for me." You pointed at the heavy bags, reluctantly picking them up. "I don't want her to worry. Maybe another time?"
The suggestion was made as sneakily as possible, leaving you begging the universe not to make a fool out of you, and praying that they'd agree and allow you to move on with your day without cringing at the memory of a rejection.
"That sounds good. Want to exchange numbers?" You sighed in relief.
Kuroo was known for his social skills, so this didn't come out as flirtatious in any way. Lucky you, if it were anyone in your class, the whole school might as well know. Rumours spread like wildfire in Nekoma after all.
It only took a few seconds for you to type your number into his phone, saving yourself as "Y/N" and handing him his phone back.
Unbeknownst to you, a little ways behind Kuroo, another boy had gone quiet, watching the exchange with a frown. You didn't catch on to it at first, but Kuroo certainly seemed to.
"Your bags seem heavy." He mentioned, watching the plastic dig into your skin. "How about one of us helps you out? Yakkun, help a pretty girl out, won't you?"
Your breath hitched slightly at the casual mention of your appearance, a blush crawling on your face, but your manners remained intact. You strongly rejected the offer, insisting on letting the poor boy enjoy his time with the others, but your protests seemed to fall on deaf ears, the three plastic bags already ripped off your arms.
"Any excuse to get away from these dummies is good enough for me." The short boy mumbled, shrugging his shoulders and sticking his tongue out. "I'll see you all tomorrow, then."
Upon turning around to bow goodbye, you were met by the sight of snickering cats, their captain looking at you straight in the eyes just to leave you with a wink. Now, you weren't dumb. And by how Yaku's ears were taking on a pinkish hue --- it didn't take long for you to connect the dots and form a few theories.
The first and most ambitious? The boy had a thing for you, which you considered completely ridiculous since you barely interacted with him outside of cheering for his plays during matches. But then again, looking back at it, you were the first he looked at whenever the audience present to spectate applauded..
Anyways, second theory. You're a girl, he's a boy. It's pretty common for duos consisting of opposite genders to get teased like that, especially when paired in school projects, or when forced to work together. Most of the time, it'd only be the two of them, which was considered an opportunity to get to know each other and get closer, almost like a date.
Now, there was no denying that Yaku was pretty. Hell, he had all the qualities you'd want in a boyfriend: he's respectful, nice, helpful, reliable, strong, smart.. the list goes on. Not only does he excel at being a libero, but his grades also reflect his hardworking nature. Usually, sporty guys aren't expected to get high grades, and yet here he was, focusing on all aspects of his academics. How attractive is that?!
His personality is also just so refreshing. He's usually very playful with his team members, jokingly kicking them whenever they'd try to get him mad, but as soon as he's helping a stranger out, his voice would turn soft, and his whole demeanor would change into a much warmer one, which was way more welcoming and would get anyone to trust him almost immediately.
Wait. Were you seriously gushing over him right now? Get your act together!
You were practically half way home, which you let him know of in hopes of breaking the awkward silence between you two.
"You really weren't joking when you said you lived close by, huh?" He chuckled.
"Yeah, I always pass by the playground on my way back from school. Do you guys hang out there often?"
"Not really, the.. golden hour? I think? It was just really pretty today. We were just walking around and taking a bunch of pictures until we decided to pause for a break. That's when we came across the playground."
"I see. Hopefully you'll be able to join them back." You quietly mumbled. Hoping not to seem too dry, you tried continuing the conversation. "Do you live nearby?"
This time, he turned to directly face you, his eyes glowing beautifully, the contrast between the brown of his irises and the golden shine of the sky mesmerized you beyond belief. You wished you could've captured the sight.
Your eyes widening caught his attention, pausing a brief moment before tightening his grip on the bags and looking away, shy at the sudden focus on him. "No, actually. I live opposite to you, a bit further down the road."
Shame. You would've loved to use this as an excuse to walk home with him.
"Mhm... Can I ask, how long have you been a libero?"
"You sure do like asking questions, don't you?" Yaku's tone now switched to a more playful one, but you weren't sure if it was because he was starting to warm up to you, or if it was to hide his embarrassment. You were about to apologize, only to get cut off. "A few years, back when I started playing volleyball. Not many options for my height."
This seemed to be a sensitive subject, a frown now painted over his features. How horrible of you, while his mind was probably filled with self conscious thoughts, you couldn't help yourself from admiring his beauty.
"You can't have everything in life."
"Huh?"
"You're smart, nice, strong, funny, so pretty.. and much more. If you were any taller, you'd reach perfection, and i'm sure i'd be more annoyed than impressed." You were now unconsciously ranting, unaware of the shock plastered on his face. "To me, this is as perfect as you can get. Trust me, you do not wanna be the target of jealous people. Kuroo's already having a hard time with all the male students picking on him for being popular-- imagine if they came across the physical form of the word 'perfect'! They'd lose i-"
The sight of your house's door standing in front of you brought you back to reality, the words you babbled forgotten to you yet locked inside the boy's mind---replaying like a broken record.
"Oh, we're here. Thank you so much for your help, my arms would've fallen out by now. Is there anyway I can repay you?"
Yes, you were expecting him to say no. And yes, your next sentence was about to be you insisting on paying for a meal. You knew how to smoothly ask someone out, so why waste such an opportunity?
"Let's hang out more often."
"No, I insi- wait. What?"
Now that, you weren't expecting.
"You're fun to be around, I like how comfortable I am when talking to you. Let's exchange numbers."
"Oh! Well, yeah. Okay, sure." The words rushed out of you as if desperate to regain composure, your fingers trembling as they typed out each and every digit of your phone number. "Uhm, text me? I'll reply as soon as I'm back inside."
And that was how you two separated, your mom giggling to herself, having watched the whole scene unfold from the balcony.
You pushed the bags into her arms, exhausted and confused by today's events. As soon as you slammed down onto your bed, you made sure to text him back, smiling to yourself like a dummy, but so happy to have had gone out to buy groceries today.
"I'm definitely thanking Kuroo next time I see him..."