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"Ne, Tsukki!"
Even when they were younger, Tsukishima was already a head or so taller than Yamaguchi. Blessed with height, Yamaguchi was barely able to reach Tsukishima's shoulders, unless his ears perked up of course.
"Do you think any of us will get adopted today?" The tiny bunny asked. His eyes filled with excitement. Tsukishima shrugged, "Who knows. They probably won't want me anyways."
"Tsukki.."
Tsukishima sighed and flicked his shorter friend's forehead.
"Ow!"
"You'll be fine."
"Eh?"
"You're a bunny hybrid Yamaguchi, who wouldn't want you?"
The shorter boy flushed pink and stuttered, "W-Well, you're a crow Tsukki!"
"Crows normally aren't pets."
"Tsukki!!"
"Kids!" another voice called out, "We have a visitor!"
Tsukishima sighed, but Yamaguchi's excitement kept him going, so he trailed behind in the back. After all, he was 100% sure he wouldn't get picked anyways.
***
"It's okay Hitoka, these three are around your age." the older female spoke up as she tried to encourage Yachi to say hello. Her daughter was extremely timid and shy.
"Hitoka-chan..."
Yachi hid behind her mother, peeking out from behind, she caught the attention of a certain freckled bunny who, in surprise at seeing her blonde head stick out, smiled brightly at her. Her eyes widened and she slowly takes a step out from behind her mother, glancing up at her mom while her hand held onto her mom's tightly and she stared at Yamaguchi.
"Hello!" Yamaguchi greeted first. All of the other hybrids looked at him, some with awe and some in shock that he initiated it. Yachi steps out from behind her mother and softly responds, "H-hello!"
"I'm Tadashi. Yamaguchi Tadashi, nice to meet you!" He offered a hand. His smile was soft, yet filled with so much warmth and Yachi gasped before letting go of her mother's hand and holding onto Yamaguchi's one hand with both of hers.
"Hi-Hitoka! Yachi Hitoka! Nice to meet you too!" she responds with a slight squeak. She gives Yamaguchi a small smile and the bunny smiles back cheerfully. Tsukishima watched in amusement as the two of them instantly clicked and he quietly made his way out of the room. The remaining hybrids seemed to notice the immediate affinity between the two and also politely made their way out.
"Strange, normally they all fight for the attention of a newcomer," the caretaker mumbled in awe at what just occurred. Yachi's mother looked around, also surprised and she asked, "What happened?"
"Not too sure. But it's probably because your daughter seems very comfortable with Tadashi-kun."
"Tadashi," the caretaker called out. The bunny's ears perked up momentarily and he turned to the caretaker, "Yes, sensei?"
"How would you like to be with a family?"
"Eh?" Yamaguchi's mouth opened widely and a bright smile formed, "Me?!"
The caretaker and Yachi's mother chuckled, "Yes, you."
"Ah," Yamaguchi's gaze flickered between the two adults before landing on Yachi's. Upon eye contact, the petite female smiled shyly at him and he nodded enthusiastically, "I'd love to!"
***
"Ah! Tadashi-kun!" Yachi called out. Tadashi looked up from his homework, his eyes meeting hers and Yachi asked, "Uhm, I-"
She blushed a pretty pink, and internally panicked. Oh my god. Why did I call him out? We were studying perfectly fine, but for some reason I just wanted to look into his eyes?!?!?!? AM I BECOMING WEIRD?
Tadashi tilted his head and gave Yachi a small smile, "What's up Hitoka-chan?"
Yachi furiously shook her head, "No! It's nothing! I just-"
"Wanted to see your face?" Yamaguchi teased, upon seeing her turn red, he too blushed and chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, "Honestly I did too. Is that weird of me?"
"N-No!" Yachi denied it almost immediately, "I, uhm, I wanted to... too."
***
"Ne, Yamaguchi, could I ask you something?" Sugawara called out the younger hybrid. His ears perked up and nodded, causing them to flop back down, and Sugawara gave him a smile and said, "Let's go somewhere we can talk in peace then."
Sugawara lead them away from the gym and the prying eyes and ears of their members. Sugawara looked around, his tail languidly swishing back and forth and he laughed, "This is a bit weird since this normally a confession spot."
Yamaguchi gaped and a faint blush, "Suga-san!"
"Sorry, sorry," Sugawara laughs, his ears twitching in amusement as his tail relaxes. He smiled, "I just wanted to ask, do you believe in soulmates?"
"I've.. heard of them."
"Mm, I thought so. The concept of soulmates is very broad, but it appears that hybrids like us truly do believe it."
"But there's no proof right?" Yamaguchi asked, intrigued with the idea of having someone destined to be with them. Sugawara nodded, his eyes closed, a faint smile on his face.
"But don't you think it exists?" he asks again. The silver-haired fox slowly opens his eyes, a glimmer of seriousness reflected in the upperclassman's hazel brown eyes. "According to legend, and those that supposedly found their soulmate, it all starts with longing. Wanting to be with someone, wanting to make that person happy, wanting to see them. But most of all, there's a gravitational pull, a connection of some sort that compels soulmates to search for each other."
Yamaguchi almost froze, and he softly admitted, "That sounds like-"
"Like what you're going through?" Sugawara asked with a knowing look, a smile gracing his features. His fox ears twitched slightly before flattening against his head as the wind blew. He chuckled, and sheepishly smiled before scratching the back of his neck, "Sorry if I put you on the spot Yamaguchi. honestly, I'm just really curious about you and Yachi-chan. It's rare seeing a pair of soulmates finding each other in reality."
"But we're not-" Yamaguchi started, but he stopped, and he thought about all the implications that his senpai just told him and Yamaguchi asked, "Does Yachi-san know?"
"Maybe?" Sugawara laughed, he looked behind him, and said, "You can come out now."
"Why couldn't you just tell the two of them at the same time?" Daichi sighed.
"I needed to confirm that Yachi-chan would be able to find Yamaguchi-san on her own, without any hints or clues."
Yachi was a blushing mess after they explained everything, but to Yamaguchi, she was a precious little tomato.
***
Yachi sighed on the way home, her hand laced with Yamaguchi's and she softly whined, "I can't believe Sugawara-senpai would do that to us."
Yamaguchi laughed, "It was pretty surprising he said that." He smiled at her, and then continued, "I'm glad that the two of us just weren't acting weird or anything."
"It was a bit awkward whenever the two of us would..." Yachi paused, an awkward smile on her face as she reminisced the moments in which she'd awkwardly be able to just know what Yamaguchi wanted to do, or what he wanted to say, and when asked to explain how she wouldn't be able to. It was even worse when this happened around your mom cause both Yachi and Yamaguchi had no way to explain
"Ah," Yamaguchi recalls the incidents too, and he chuckles, "Yeah that was pretty awkward..."
They drifted into silence as they continued walking and then Yamaguchi softly admits, "I'm glad we realized it though."
Yachi nodded her head eagerly and she smiled, "Yup!"
Extended Ending
"Uhm, but how are we going to tell your mom?"
Yachi froze and she turned to Yamaguchi, her eyes almost soulless and her body rigid and she stuttered, "I D-D-DIDN'T THINK OF T-T-THAT!!!"
"Ah! Hitoka-chan calm down!"
"TADASHI-KUN, W-WHAT DO WE D-DO!?"
"I! Uhm! Breathe Hitoka-chan!"