Chapter Text
As of late, Mob had come to notice that Teru had developed a new habit.
It was once the two of them had managed to make their way into Blue Basil High when it first became apparent. He found it unusual in the beginning, but soon came to welcome it as it continued. It was never necessarily annoying, nor had it ever bothered him, so there wasn't any reason for him to think of it as something strange. In fact, there were even some mornings where Mob would prepare what he would say when Teru inevitably came by to visit his homeroom class, across the building from where Teru's was. It was just the same as he had done everyday, without fail, since the beginning of the year.
Most mornings, he came empty-handed, though on certain occasions, he'd bring snacks or cookies he received from girls. On Mondays he would bring him some milk from the vending machines since he knew that Mob always woke up too late from the weekend and didn't have enough time to drink any at home. It was a fairly considerate action, especially considering that Mob had brought it up a whopping total of one time a year ago. Still, that wasn't why Mob wondered.
Stopping by his class never seemed to cause either of them any trouble, nor was it out of character for Teru to do so. Mob knew that his friend was always quite eccentric in his displays of friendship. Whether visiting Mob every morning in his own class was simply a gesture to remind him of their friendship or not was another question.
It wasn't like they didn't have any other classes together. They shared some electives (which Teru had conveniently gotten into the same classes as him, even though Mob thought he would do better if he chose some other things), and they would frequently hang out after school. There would even be times when Teru walked him home.
Mob had done that with many people, though. He'd walk to and from school with Ritsu when they used to be in middle school, and there was nothing weird about spending a little bit more time with friends.
It was just the way Teru went about it that made Mob pause to wonder if there was something he was missing.
There would be times when Teru would sit in front of Mob when the desk was empty in the mornings. He'd turn the chair around and cross his arms over the backrest, propping his head on top of his hands. He didn't know if Teru ever caught on, but as Mob would peer out his neighboring window, watching the light slowly seep into the courtyard, he'd catch a glimpse of Teru looking right at him.
His eyes would shimmer with the sway of cherry blossom spring leaves, shades of blue mixing with the pink that the sun tore through. Early light would find its place along the side of his face, glowing along his cheekbones. His gaze on Mob was so tender and calm. His head rested into the pillow he'd made for himself, his eyes partially shut. Maybe it was just that he was tired that he looked at him so intently. But when Mob would shift ever so slightly, Teru would turn away like nothing happened.
It was as if the all-confident Teruki Hanazawa- top of his class, star of the soccer team- shied away from a mere glance from Mob, of all people. That was why it was strange.
If Teru really was uncomfortable with him, then it wouldn't make sense for him to say hello every morning. But that logic didn't change the fact of the matter. Each time Mob turned his way, Teru backed up, and then he always came back around just as quick.
It wasn't just at school, either. When they'd walk home together and do so much as brush knuckles or graze shoulders, he'd go quiet. Or when Teru would promise to help him study, but would stumble over his own words and explanations whenever Mob moved a little closer to hear him better. His eyes would search around his room for anything that wasn't the boy in front of him, frantic.
Mob had never noticed this kind of behavior with any of his other friends before. Sure, he and Teru were closer than most, but such a stark personality shift was something that would be noticeable in anybody Mob knew. And yet, not Tome, not Ritsu- not a single one of his friends had ever suddenly tensed up and scooted further from him. At this point, Mob wondered if there was something bothering him.
If that was the case, then it would explain the random cold-shoulders he threw to Mob. Perhaps it was all just because of something that had come up. Whatever it may have been escaped Mob, but if he really wanted to return the gesture Teru had shown him each morning, then it was only right for him to ask.
While light continued to pour into his near-empty classroom, Mob figured he could just ask him when he came by that morning. Until then, he'd only have to wait.
It was at the earliest times like these when the sun would seem to lose its golden hues. Clouds crowded the sky as Mob looked out his window. His head moved to press against the glass, the cool feeling trickling past his hair and to his scalp.
It didn't take long for the sound of students bustling and entering the room to fade in. Gradually, the emptiness of his mind was lost as it filled up with his own thoughts to filter out the noise around him. He wondered if it would be best to ask Teru up front, or if he should try to subtly ask if he needed anything. The last thing he wanted was to make him any more uncomfortable than he already might have been, but he didn't want to risk being misunderstood.
Despite how long he and Teru had been friends or how close they were, it was still a mystery what he was meant to do in situations like these. Navigating social aspects of his life hadn't come to him any easier since he began high school. He didn't understand what was expected of him as a best friend, and at times such as now, he wondered if he was doing anything right.
Teru was much smarter to him when it came to friendship, seeing as he had more experience than him. He had large friend groups and even a few girlfriends in the past. But when it came to close bonds like theirs, Teru once admitted he wasn't sure what to do himself. And if that statement seemed preposterous to Mob back then, then it probably would from Teru's perspective, too.
He figured that if he still came by every morning, that meant Mob was doing at least something right, whatever ‘right’ may be.
He picked his head from the window and turned around to look if his friend was standing in the doorway. However, he found that almost every chair in the class had a student seated in them. No- scratch that- all of them were full.
It was a surprise for Teru to be this late. He was usually proper about coming in everyday, but the fact that he still wasn't here was weird for sure. At this rate, he risked being late to his own class.
But even as Mob continued to wait, the next thing he heard was the ring of the bell. All that was left for him was the high frequency of silence ringing in his ears. He scanned the room for any sign of him, but he was only met with the familiar backs of the heads of his peers. He brought a hand to rub his eyes and make sure he was looking at the clock correctly, but it was 7:26- a minute after class started.
Teru didn't come by today.
The teacher walked through the door, but Mob paid no mind and directed all of his attention to the desk in front of him. He blinked once. Twice. But it remained the same.
He supposed… it wasn't that weird that Teru didn't visit him for one day. It was only a few months into the school year, and he was bound to miss a day sooner or later. His delinquent days often caught up to him and he'd skip classes or school back in Black Vinegar. And yet, Mob couldn't help but feel almost like Teru had skipped out on him.
It wasn't something they'd ever spoken about. It had just become a part of their respective schedules. Now, starting class without having said a single thing to anyone, it didn't feel right. He was missing something.
The uncanny nature of it all only persisted as the day carried on, completely oblivious to the minor change in Mob's schedule. Each class that had passed by became apparently emptier. Quieter. Mob had never realised how long he could go without making a single sound, nor how dull the cramped cubicle-like classrooms were. The walls around him were painted white from overhead lights.
It didn't help much that in his next class, he spotted a far too familiar head of bright blond hair. He sat where he had every other day, his focus remained on his hands. He didn't even bother to look up at Mob as he walked past him and to his own seat.
Teru was totally unphased by his own disappearance.
Even more questions flooded into Mob's head. He wanted to ask where he was this morning, or if he had been late to school. Did he not have enough time? Was he feeling alright? Although, before he could ask anything, he was interrupted by the bell ringing again.
He supposed it was for the better. There wasn't anything to warrant this level of concern. Plus, it would have been pretty weird to think that if Teru didn't see him for one day, then there must certainly be something wrong with him. No, if anything, it was just the delay of everything Mob planned to ask.
He prepared himself to ask why Teru would occasionally back away from him, and to tell him that if he was ever uncomfortable with anything Mob was doing, he could tell him. That's what a proper best friend would do in his mind. Yet, the moment he readied himself, he found that Teru had once again created an awkward distance between them.
It felt like Teru, as of late, had begun avoiding him more and more often. It was improbable, but logic didn't shake the quick pang in Mob's chest.
For about another hour, he had to sit in complete silence and wallow in a swarm of his own illogical conclusions and drafts of possible solutions. His imagination tossed made up problems at the back of Mob's head as he did whatever he could to pay attention to the board. It was a futile attempt, though, because ignoring those thoughts only let them sink further down and drape over him; less like a blanket, more like a coat of acid.
He couldn't help but ask himself if Teru was growing tired of him. Whenever they'd hang out, he'd put on a bright smile, but he'd always move away from Mob when he would inch closer. It didn't seem to be that way for anyone else Teru knew. In fact, he was usually the one to move closer to them. Tome often complained about him doing so.
He sighed. The lesson was completely lost on him now, and he dug his head into his hands’ grasp. He knew those thoughts were irrational, but the best he could do was wish them away until his confusion cleared up.
He was going to ask him today. He wasn't going to let this stretch out longer than it needed to.
With that resolve, his hands stopped clutching at his own hair and he moved them down to his desk. The teacher was still talking, but Mob had no idea what any of it meant. He lifted his head to try and see if he'd somehow missed anything important, but right in front of him, a few rows ahead, he spotted Teru's head turned to the side, looking at Mob. His chin was held in the palm of his hand, and despite being midday, the sun still managed to make his hair glow.
Mob didn't notice how long he'd been staring back, but Teru still hadn't turned away yet like he usually had. Rather, the corners of his lips ticked upwards and he tilted his head to the side. Instead of hiding, he smiled at him.
It was a first. Teru had always gotten shy whenever he realized he was caught, but this time, he stood his ground. After about a second, he turned away and back to the board to focus on what Mob couldn’t. The latter was left with more questions than answers. Not only had Teru broken the pattern of visiting him everyday, but he’d also stayed within the gaze of his friend. Although, for whatever reason, that wasn’t where his newfound curiosity lied.
Mob wondered why he kept looking at Teru even after he’d turned away.
The sight of his friend smiling was… unexpected. He was caught off guard, but then that begged the question of why he needed to have a guard anyway. It wasn’t like his lips were full of poison, and it wasn’t like something so innocent could hurt him, either. Even as it hit him so suddenly, it didn’t feel… bad. No, it was more like a particularly powerful breeze swooped by and picked him up- which didn’t make any sense, but there were weirder things he's seen. His chest felt empty, yet he could still feel his pulse quickening.
… Today was a weird day, he decided. And if Mob had any plans of still trying to get his work done, then those plans were now shattered because the bell rang once again. He gathered his things after a moment of understanding dawned upon him, but he hurried up as soon as he remembered that he still needed to talk to Teru. Once he managed to get everything, though, Teru was already gone.
˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗
He didn’t have the chance to speak with Teru at all. Even with their few classes together, they weren’t seated close enough for him to even pass a note. He could use telekinesis in theory, but there was no way that wouldn’t get confiscated. And besides- Mob still didn’t even know what he was supposed to say.
What made things worse was that Mob had completely forgotten about his club that day. That only delayed things even further. There was virtually no way that he’d be able to meet Teru at any time after that, so the next best course of action would just be to send him a text. He had his number, after all. Texting seemed like a normal enough thing to do. Although, coming up with something to write was a completely different topic.
As he ran with the highschool’s recently formed Body Improvement Club, all he could think about was how on Earth he was supposed to word such an unusual question. Having it too short would make it seem accusatory of Teru doing something wrong, but having it too long would be awkward. And what was he meant to say? ‘Do you feel uncomfortable around me?’ If he asked that, then Teru would just say no as to not hurt Mob’s feelings, even if it was a lie.
He slowly began to come back to reality once he realized his breath was getting short and that he was falling a bit behind the other members. He'd gotten better at running long distances in the past two years, but he wasn't usually this far from the rest of the group. His arms swung loosley from his shoulders. The soles of his feet began to burn as soon as he got out of his head, but he couldn’t escape it for too long.
Maybe it would have been best to just do it tomorrow… But if he did that, he knew he’d just spend the entire night overthinking things.
But then-
“Good hustle, Kageyama-kun! Let’s go back inside and get changed, yeah?” His train of thought was interrupted once he heard Musashi’s voice in front of him, still towering over Mob like he did back in Salt. He stood firmly in place.
“... Huh?” Mob tried to catch his breath, not even noticing when his legs stopped moving. “Already?”
Looking up with slouching shoulders, he noticed the back wall of Blue Basil High. As his senses returned to him, he remembered the path the club now travelled was shorter than the one in Salt Mid. They had gone around in a circle.
He supposed… he hadn't gotten so lost in the clouds since middle school. He didn't even recognize the difference in scenery. Shrouded by his own thoughts, time passed him by so quickly that he wondered if he hurried up, then maybe he could find Teru before he left-
Ah. Back to Teru, again. It seemed that, even under every other subject to cross his mind, it always circled back to him.
As he walked past the brick school gate, having gotten changed and prepared to set off home, he accepted that he would simply try again tomorrow. Even sending texts to Reigen was difficult, so there was no way he'd be able to send one to Teru. Especially not with that keyboard.
He simply hoped that the next morning would come soon.
“Kageyama-kun!”
Mob's head whipped around once he heard a familiar voice behind him. He clutched the bag in his hand as he recognized him as Teru. For whatever reason, he was still standing outside of the school with his bag slung over his arm and something in his hand that Mob couldn't see. His back was to the wall, he was on his phone, could it be that he was…
“I was waiting. For, uh- for you.” He said, smiling with streaks of gold brushing over his cheek and nose. He removed himself from the wall and began to make his way over to Mob.
He really was. But- “How come?” Mob found himself asking on instinct. Could it be that Teru had something important to talk to him about? Was he… upset with him?
Well, if he was, then he should know that he can talk to him about it. Still, he did seem nervous, and he still tried to hide whatever it was behind him. Teru's eyes glanced to the floor once he stood before Mob, his expression reading contemplative. Hesitant. Pink dusted over his cheeks.
“Is something the matter?”
“Ah, no, not really,” Teru looked like he was broken out of a trance. He suddenly returned to smiles and his cheerful tone, but he still seemed to be uneasy. “I was just, um, wondering if you wanted to go to the school festival with me.”
… “What festival?”
Teru's eyes trained on Mob's, blue irises on full display from surprise. “You don't know? They were talking about it in chemistry- isn't that why you were looking over at me?”
Oh. That was why he didn't shy away. Teru thought they were communicating some silent message.
“I was thinking we should meet up somewhere after we finish our duties with our own class’ themes. Speaking of which-” Teru suddenly looked excited. From behind him, he pulled out a small bouquet. It wasn't anything full, only containing some small blue and yellow flowers Mob didn't know the names of, but it wasn't what Mob had been expecting. “My homeroom's selling flowers.”
The way Teru held it out was as if he was offering it to Mob. “That sounds interesting.” He said as he lifted a hand over the paper part of the bouquet.
Teru responded by using his free hand to press Mob's against it, pushing it closer to Mob's chest, and then letting go of it himself. “You can have it. Think of it as an apology for me not being able to swing by this morning. I had to make a pit stop at Minegishi-san's for some supplies.” He explained at a rapid pace, chuckling softly to himself.
“Oh- Um, thank you.” Mob responded, unsure of how he was meant to reply when he was suddenly shoved a bunch of flowers in his face and being given information at the speed of light.
“Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow,” Teru chirped, patting his friend on the shoulder before brushing past him. He swayed with his steps and his hands digging into his pockets. Though, before he was set on his way home, he spun around once more to call out for Mob again. “And at the festival, yeah!?”
He watched as Teru cupped a hand around his mouth to shout back at him. As if almost dumbfounded, he instinctively returned the gesture, if with less enthusiasm. “Yeah..?” He replied, breathless.
Teru turned heel and began his trek back to his own apartment, leaving Mob to sort through his own confusing storm of questions, trying to figure out which had been answered just now.
Teru hadn't tried to avoid him that morning. He also wasn't upset about anything at all. Mob really was just overthinking things about his relationship with his first and only best friend. And yet, he couldn't help but wonder why there was still a hint of anxiety in Teru's voice when he asked him to the festival.
There was nothing embarrassing about it. Teru had assumed they were on the same page, anyway. Still, the way his eyes danced around him, the way he tripped over his own tongue- it was just like each time before when he'd pull away from him. Except now, he stuck the landing without shying away.
Mob found himself absent-mindedly fidgeting with the paper of the bouquet. Only then did he realize that he had, in fact, been given flowers.
While Teru nervously asked him to rendezvous at the school festival with him. Not with any of their other friends, but just the two of them. Alone.
…
Flowers, being asked to a special event, strange lack of confidence,
Was that an invitation to go on a date?