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When the elections for the new captain and vice-captain ended, Kei didn’t think the group dynamic they had built during their second year would change much. Since all five were in the same year, they had ended up sharing much more than the court: assignments, lunches, weekends after matches. Arguments still happened, but they became less frequent, more like the kind of arguments you have with friends who know each other well.
If he wasn’t with Tadashi, he was with Hitoka, with Shoyo… or with Kageyama.
Especially with Kageyama.
It hadn’t been intentional, but the fact that they lived relatively close meant that, almost without realizing it, they had started walking home together after every practice. At first, it was just a logistical matter. Now it was a habit. If Kei thought about it, he couldn’t remember when it stopped feeling strange to be alone with him. They had grown used to their shared silence, to the kind of comments that didn’t need many words, to walking side by side without the pressure to fill the silence. It wasn’t the kind of friendship marked by grand gestures, but there was something comfortable about it. Something familiar.
That’s why it didn’t surprise him when, for the fifth day in a row that week, they ended up walking home together again. But that time, for some reason Kei couldn’t identify, the silence between them felt a little more… different. More present.
Most of the time they didn’t talk much, and that was fine. Kei wasn’t particularly talkative, and Kageyama didn’t seem to need him to be. But that week, with everyone busier than usual, they had also been alone during lunch. Hitoka had to guide the new manager, Tadashi and Shoyo were constantly in meetings organizing the practices and the rest of the team, who still hadn’t adjusted to the new dynamic.
At first, it didn’t bother him. In fact, he even welcomed the change of pace. He was already used to spending time with Tobio, and while he wasn’t someone who talked too much, his presence didn’t feel heavy. But after several days, something about those quiet lunches started to nag at him.
Maybe it was because, being completely alone, he began to notice other things. Like the way Tobio ate quickly but neatly, or how he stared off into space with a focused expression, as if he were solving something in his head. Kei figured he was probably going over a play or match in his mind. It amused him that he couldn’t switch off even during lunch. But it also felt… sweet.
He shook his head to banish that word.
It was just that, with the group temporarily split up, he was becoming more aware of the role Kageyama played in his daily life. And for some reason, that made him a little nervous.
Lately, he’d been thinking too much, and most of those thoughts involved the same setter who usually sat next to him during lunch. That’s why, when Monday came again, he chose to stay in the classroom during lunch. Not because he wanted to avoid Tobio, but because he needed to prove to himself that his opinions about his teammate weren’t turning into anything strange, and that the fact his name kept echoing in his head more than usual was only because the others hadn’t had time to hang out together.
The classroom was quiet, with a few classmates who, like him, preferred to eat in silence. He took out his lunch calmly and focused on getting ahead with some homework for his next class. He had only been at it for a few minutes when he heard a chair being dragged beside him, followed by an exaggerated sigh. He didn’t need to look up to know who it was.
"What are you doing here?"—he asked, not hiding his surprise, though his frown was more theatrical than real.
Tobio had an expression somewhere between offended and confused, as if he had just been betrayed.
"No one else showed up for lunch. And some girls tried to invite me to eat with them… I had to run away."
Kei blinked, holding back a smile.
"And why did you come here?"
"I didn’t have many options," Tobio replied with a shrug. "And I didn’t want to eat alone."
Kei felt something warm settle in his chest. He might not look it, but Tobio was much more transparent than he believed. He lowered his gaze to his notes to hide the blush threatening to rise to his face.
"And why didn’t you stay with your class?"—he said without thinking much, glancing sideways.
Tobio frowned, hurt.
"Sorry, I didn’t know I was bothering you…"
"Wait." Kei reached out and gently grabbed his wrist to stop him from packing his things. "I didn’t say you had to leave, I was just asking."
Tobio looked at him for a few seconds, as if deciding whether to believe him. Finally, he sank back into his chair. Kei let go of his wrist and returned to his work, though he couldn’t fully concentrate.
They didn’t talk much after that. But the silence that settled between them was a familiar one, almost comfortable. It didn’t feel like the one from the days before. And even if he didn’t want to admit it, part of him was glad to have Tobio beside him — but he was going to ignore that feeling as much as possible.
That same afternoon, after practice ended, Kei was about to leave without even changing. He needed to get home and sort out his thoughts with a cool head. But something held him back. Maybe it was habit, or simply the fact that Tobio rushed in to change while looking around for him so they could leave together. So he stayed. He waited at the gate as always, leaning against the fence with his headphones in, though he wasn’t listening to music.
When Tobio appeared, they exchanged a brief glance and started walking home together. The silence between them wasn’t awkward; it was the kind of silence built after many days of doing the same thing, together. Kei was starting to feel the same nerves he’d had when they first began walking home together, back at the start of their second year, although he knew it wasn’t necessary to think so hard about what he should or shouldn’t say. Tobio, as always, didn’t seem to need words all the time. At least that was comforting.
But just before reaching his house, instead of saying goodbye as they did every day, Tobio spoke first.
"Will you help me with Español today?"—he asked suddenly, in a quiet voice.
Kei glanced at him sideways. The question caught him off guard, though not because of the content — but the tone: almost shy.
"Wouldn’t you rather wait until everyone has free time and study together like always?" Kei didn’t want to reject him, but he didn’t feel like he was in the right headspace that day with Tobio so close.
"By the time everyone’s free, I’ll have already failed Español three times…" Tobio said, looking straight ahead.
Kei let out a soft sigh, not answering right away. It was true. But he really needed to be alone in his room with his thoughts — and at the same time, he didn’t want to say no.
"I’ll just ask Miwa for help, then. Never mind," Tobio said after a moment of silence, shrugging as he started to walk away. "It doesn’t matter anyway."
"So dramatic. We’ll do it tomorrow at lunch," Kei shouted, barely turning on his heels.
Tobio didn’t reply, he just kept walking without looking back. Such a stubborn idiot. Kei watched him leave and allowed himself a small smile.
He didn’t understand why he felt the need to let him know that yes, he would help him, or why it mattered so much that Tobio didn’t walk away without an answer. After all, Kei had a habit of acting indifferent and difficult before eventually giving in to the king.
When he was finally alone in his room, buried under countless blankets despite the lingering heat outside, Kei shut his eyes tightly, covered himself completely, and refused to keep thinking about King Kageyama Tobio.
No. He still wasn’t ready for that.
•••
On Tuesday, Tobio walked to school with slightly slouched shoulders. He was thinking about the previous year, when all of them had managed to build a comfortable dynamic — like a team both on and off the court. Now, with the changes in roles and schedules, the routine that used to bring him peace had unraveled.
Besides, Miwa had promised she’d come back every weekend she had free, but so far, she hadn’t followed through. And although the others weren’t avoiding him, with their new responsibilities on the team, it felt like they were going in different directions. Kei was the only one who remained there, walking beside him after every practice, filling that space that used to be shared by five.
Tobio wasn’t dumb. He knew Kei got more uncomfortable when they were alone, though he didn’t fully understand why. Despite how hard things had been between them during their first year, the two of them now spent a lot of time together — even before their third year began. They shared more moments than most people imagined, from walks to impromptu tutoring sessions. But in recent days, he felt something had changed in Kei. As if he were weighing every step they took together.
He didn’t know how to interpret it. He just hoped it was something temporary.
The classes went by without much of his attention. When the bell rang for lunch, he didn’t even move. He stayed in place, resting his chin on his folded arms on the desk. He wasn’t hungry, and he didn’t feel like going anywhere.
He was about to fall asleep when something slammed against the desk, making him jump.
"Why did you stand me up?"—Kei asked, dragging a chair to sit across from him, visibly indignant.
Tobio looked at him, surprised.
"What?"
"I was waiting for you over there," Kei replied, gesturing toward the hallway with his thumb. "You said you wanted to review Español. Did you forget?"
Tobio blinked several times, confused — but also relieved. It was strange to feel so happy that someone had come to scold him.
"No… I just thought maybe you were busy," Tobio mumbled, lowering his gaze.
"If I was, I would’ve told you," Kei replied, pulling out his notebook. "Come on, get your stuff out."
Tobio gave a small smile and straightened up. This was the version of Kei he knew best: bossy, impatient, but always present.
During lunch, they reviewed some exercises. Kei explained calmly, and Tobio nodded more than he spoke, though now and then he threw out a dumb question that earned him a half-smile from the other.
The atmosphere was relaxed. Comfortable. As always.
When the bell signaled the end of the break, Kei was already putting his things away.
"If you have more questions, we’ll go over them later," he said, standing up.
Tobio just nodded, silently regretting that they didn’t share any classes.
•••
That afternoon, when practice ended, the two of them found themselves at the exit again, alone, ready to head home.
Kei started walking toward the street, but after several steps, he noticed Tobio wasn’t following him.
He sighed, tired, and turned to hurry him up — but the reason Tobio wasn’t moving appeared to be that a girl from his class had stopped him to talk. Kei frowned. He knew his friend well, and his discomfort was obvious. Still, who was he to interrupt the conversation and pull him away? That’s what he thought… but his body moved faster: he was already standing next to the girl, not even looking at her, and speaking directly to Tobio.
"I’m not going to wait for you all afternoon."
His firm voice startled not only Tobio but also made the girl step back, surprised.
"I have to go, sorry," Tobio mumbled with a nervous smile before saying goodbye to his classmate.
Kei rolled his eyes and started walking toward his house. The setter quickly caught up and walked beside him.
"So?"—Tobio asked after walking a few meters.
"So what?"
"What are we going to do?"
"Nothing…" Kei looked at him, a bit confused.
"Then why did you rush me?"
Kei stayed silent for a moment. It wasn’t unusual for them to walk home together, of course, but for him to wait or hurry Tobio up when there weren’t plans with the others — that stood out.
"My mom said you could come over for dinner today," he lied.
He didn’t know what else to say. He didn’t even understand why it had bothered him so much that Tobio was talking to that girl. Situations like that had become common since the end of second year: many girls tried to get close to him, asked him out, invited him to study… any excuse worked. Until now, none of the group had intervened. Tobio usually got uncomfortable with those approaches, but he handled them fine on his own.
And yet, Kei had interrupted without thinking. And now he had no way to justify it.
Tobio, for his part, accepted the small lie naturally. It wasn’t unusual for the group to gather at Kei’s house every now and then, and his mom always welcomed them warmly. But this would be the first time it would just be the two of them.
All because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. But he didn’t regret it.
When they arrived, Tobio went straight to greet Kei’s mother, while Kei escaped to his room with the excuse of changing out of his uniform. He urgently needed to clear his head. He couldn’t keep acting like this around Tobio… It wasn’t wrong for him to get to know other people, even if just the thought of it bothered him deeply. He felt frustrated. Even though he had decided the day before not to think about it anymore, apparently, he wouldn’t be able to ignore it for long — or he’d go crazy. But maybe he could postpone it for a few hours, until he was alone again. If he thought about it carefully, having Tobio over, just the two of them, could be useful to sort out his feelings… or dangerous.
He hoped it would only confirm that everything was due to how much time they’d been spending alone lately — and that there was nothing more to it. However, when he came back downstairs looking for Tobio, the rest had already arrived and were now crowding his kitchen.
Kei watched from the doorway. His mom, near the stove, was chatting animatedly with Hitoka —who knows about what— while over the counter, Tobio and Shoyo appeared to be having a competition to see who could chop more vegetables for dinner. Tadashi, who was the only one who noticed Kei had arrived, came over to greet him.
"Tobio said you invited us for dinner, but we can leave if we’re interrupting something," he said with a teasing tone.
Kei frowned at him.
"What are you talking about?"
"I may be a bit busy these days, but I’m not stupid."
"Whatever you think is going on — it’s not."
"Yet," Tadashi added.
Kei rolled his eyes.
He hadn’t even been gone for fifteen minutes, but apparently, it was enough time for Tobio to simply call the others — and for them to show up immediately. So many days of being busy, only to now appear as if nothing had happened? That only made his crisis worse… or maybe it helped? He wasn’t sure, especially after his best friend’s comment.
Still, he couldn’t complain: he missed spending time with everyone, his mom seemed thrilled to have the house full, and Tobio was looking at him proudly, waiting for a comment about how well he’d chopped the vegetables. Kei felt his cheeks start to warm, so he avoided looking at him too much… not before teasing Shoyo for losing to the “king.”
Dinner passed without any trouble. Everyone talked over one another, trying to dominate the conversation about the changes brought by the new school year. And as if that weren’t enough, as if they were trying to make up for all the days they hadn’t been able to hang out, the three boys decided that, even though it was a Tuesday, it was the perfect time for an impromptu sleepover.
Hitoka was the only one who went home after dinner. The rest, as if they owned the place and without waiting for Kei’s approval, went upstairs to his room to set up the space — with the goal of fitting four boys instead of just one. It wasn’t the first time they’d done it, so they already had a pretty good idea of how to organize themselves.
In Kei’s bed —which wasn’t large— only Shoyo slept. Even asleep he was restless, and no one wanted to share a bed with him. The other three —though quite tall, they were thin— shared a huge mattress on the floor, taken from Akiteru’s room, who didn’t need it while away at college.
Kei and Tobio slept at the ends, while Tadashi stayed in the middle like a barrier between the two. Or at least that had been the arrangement in previous times, because that night, the green-haired boy, after giving Kei a mischievous smile, politely asked Tobio to switch places. The dark-haired boy agreed without hesitation.
Kei glared at Tadashi. He quickly muttered a “goodnight” and turned his back to both of them.
Kei sighed. Tobio was already lying down, ready to sleep. Luckily for him, the setter always fell asleep quickly. When Kei looked over, he was already tucked under the blanket up to his nose, breathing calmly, with a peaceful expression. His long bangs were messily falling over his forehead.
Kei couldn’t help but smile at how cute he looked. And he immediately regretted thinking that. He took off his glasses and left them on his desk before lying down with his back to Tobio, eyes shut tightly, trying to fall asleep once and for all.
•••
The air was thickening, and the heat between them kept rising. Their breaths slowed, grew heavier, as the intoxicating warmth of their lips blended in a kiss. The weight of the other’s body fit perfectly in his lap, arms wrapped around his neck, fingers tangled in his hair. Kei held the other’s face gently, brushing his cheek with delicate strokes.
He pulled back slightly to catch his breath, and when he opened his eyes, he met Tobio’s soft blue gaze. A small smile adorned his swollen lips.
“What…?”
And then he woke up with a start.
Darkness filled the room. His friends were still asleep, none had moved. There were still ten minutes before the alarm went off.
Almost instinctively, Kei brought his hands to his lips. Then he turned his head. Tobio was still asleep, in exactly the same position as the night before.
He had dreamed it.
A strange heat began to build in his chest. His breathing quickened again, and without thinking, he jumped up and ran to the bathroom.
He had dreamed about Tobio. And it wasn’t just any dream: he had been kissing him, had him on his lap, kissing him.
Kei stared at himself in the bathroom mirror. His disheveled face was turning bright red — he could tell even without his glasses. A hot pressure had settled in his stomach and was now climbing into his chest.
He couldn’t feel that way… and yet, he had liked it. Even if it had only happened in a dream.
How was he supposed to look him in the face now?
He still had to go back to the room. The three boys were probably already waking up, getting ready for school. His heart was pounding.
“Tsuki, are you gonna be long? Shoyo’s about to pee his pants.”
Tadashi’s voice came from the other side of the door.
“I’m coming,” Kei replied.
He splashed water on his face, trying to calm down. He couldn’t believe his mind had betrayed him like that. Couldn’t this dream have come some other day? When he was alone and could think things through calmly?
Why did he have to have a gay panic right now — when the cause of it was probably waiting outside the bathroom?
He was grateful he’d gotten up without his glasses. That way, he could pretend he didn’t see his three friends standing in the hallway when he opened the door and went back to his room to get ready for school as well.
In moments like this, he was thankful for Shoyo’s endless energy — enough to take over any conversation. But later, he’d have to face the inevitable: being alone with Tobio. Because, of course, it would happen.
He felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment again. He wanted to look at him, but felt like he’d fall apart if he did. He wanted to see him as close as he had been in the dream — see his lips… feel them on his.
He was losing his mind.
On the way to school, he walked ahead with the excuse that he needed to get to the library before classes started. He fled, really — just to avoid seeing his friend’s torturously beautiful face.
Yes. He was definitely losing his mind.
Kei spent the first hours of class thinking only about the owner of those huge, beautiful blue eyes. No matter how hard he tried to focus on what the teacher was saying, he couldn’t keep his mind off the subject for more than two minutes. He didn’t want to think about it. He was convinced it was simply due to how much time they had been spending together lately — and not a real crush.
Yes, he was cute — but everyone thought that. Maybe he only saw him that way because everyone else said it too. That had to be it, right?
It’s not like the “king of the court” had caught his attention even before they were on the same team. It didn’t mean anything, the way he had poured so much energy into annoying him during their first year. It didn’t matter that he knew all of his expressions by heart, that he could tell just by looking whether Tobio was annoyed, tired, frustrated… or even happy. None of that meant anything. There was no way it could mean anything — the comfort he felt being near him, how easy it was to talk to him… or simply share silence.
God. This wasn’t working.
He sighed, exhausted, folding his arms over his desk and hiding his face between them. Maybe, if he kept his distance for a few days, his head would go back to normal and he’d be able to spend time with Tobio without thinking about what it would feel like to taste his lips.
He had to try.
•••
Tobio got home not only tired, but also very confused — and a little irritated. He had thought his day had started off well, after the night they had spent together with the whole group, finally doing something outside the team after several busy days. He knew Tadashi and Shoyo would continue to be absent during lunch, although Tadashi had promised that in a few days they’d have more free time and could start hanging out again. Hitoka also wouldn’t be around much: between club duties and helping the new manager —who was still struggling with the responsibilities— she still had a lot to do before her schedule cleared up.
What Tobio couldn’t understand now was what was going on with Kei. When he went to find him at lunchtime, he couldn’t find him in his classroom. He checked every place where they usually ate together, but Kei was nowhere to be seen. He sent him a message asking where he was, but the reply only came when lunch was nearly over — and it simply said he was studying. It seemed odd, but Tobio didn’t push it. Maybe he had an exam and hadn’t been able to study because they’d all been over at his house the day before. It made sense. It was logical.
He got through the rest of his day without thinking too much more about it, but when he got to the gym for practice, Kei only waved at him from a distance. He did his warm-ups away from the group, and it seemed like he had left before practice was even over, because when Tobio looked around for him before heading to the club room, the blond was already gone.
He checked his phone — no new messages. Maybe he still had to keep studying; it was the only explanation that came to mind.
He couldn’t help but worry that something was wrong as he prepared dinner. Kei was quite private with his emotions, but he usually didn’t get stressed over exams. He always studied a lot, and he usually had time left over to help him and Shoyo. Tobio didn’t like not knowing if something was going on with him, but maybe he was just overthinking it — and nothing serious had happened. Or at least that’s what he wanted to believe. If it were something serious, Tadashi would know and would’ve told them.
He tried not to dwell on it, but the concern lingered when he went to sleep that night.
The next morning, Thursday, Tobio had already forgotten most of the previous day’s worries. Tadashi had sent a message saying they’d meet at lunch, and that was enough to put him in a good mood. He even paid attention in class — although he quickly got distracted again — but still, it was progress.
When the lunch bell rang, he stood up quickly and headed to the spot where they usually all met to eat. Shoyo and Tadashi were already there; he knew Hitoka wouldn’t come, so Kei was the only one missing. Ten minutes passed while the three of them chatted about the practice match they’d have the next day, but Tobio couldn’t shake a sense of unease.
“Where’s Tsukishima?”—the question slipped out without him really thinking about it.
“He didn’t say anything to me. He’s probably finishing up some assignment,” Tadashi said, checking his phone.
“Tsukishima always does this. We’re always the ones waiting on him,” added Shoyo, frowning.
Neither of them seemed too concerned about Kei’s absence, but Tobio found it strange — especially after so many days of it being just the two of them. Though maybe Tadashi was right; Kei often used lunch to catch up on work, after all.
Tobio decided to focus on the two friends who were there and soon they were back to their earlier conversation, coming up with plays and strategies for the team.
During that afternoon’s practice, things weren’t much different than the day before. No matter how hard he tried, Kei didn’t look at him even once, and as soon as practice was over, he left without saying goodbye. Tobio tried to get some info from Tadashi, who was near the exit, but the green-haired boy just shrugged, as if to say he didn’t know anything.
Tobio couldn’t just ignore Kei’s absence. Walking home together had become part of his daily routine. It felt strange walking the whole way alone, without his presence, without a sarcastic comment he probably wouldn’t understand, without a teasing smile, a raised brow silently judging him, or that intense look of disappointment Kei gave him every time his pointless arguments with Shoyo forced him to take sides.
He found it odd to miss his gestures, his presence… even his silences. Was it really possible to miss that?
It’s not like Kei wasn’t around — he was. But now, it felt like he was keeping a distance Tobio couldn’t make sense of. Had he done something wrong? Maybe he’d kicked him in his sleep the other night, or maybe Kei was just so busy he was avoiding him so he wouldn’t ask for help with homework.
He was walking home, lost in thought, when a couple passed by holding hands. The girl was laughing at something the boy had said, like nothing else existed around them. Tobio couldn’t help but stare, and then a new idea began to form in his mind.
What if Kei had started dating someone? What if that’s why he was now absent during lunch and left early after practice?
Tobio grimaced. He really didn’t like that idea.
And if that was the reason… why hadn’t he told him? Or Tadashi, who was his best friend?
And then, without fully understanding why, he started to feel angry.
He couldn’t help it.
The next day, Tobio needed to stay focused for the practice match they had that afternoon. Even so, he couldn’t completely push aside the theory about a certain middle blocker that had been haunting his mind the night before as he walked home.
At lunch, he planned to stay in his classroom to keep calm, but after a while, Shoyo came dragging his feet, sat down in front of him, and dramatically collapsed onto his desk.
"I just had the worst math test of my life."
"Shu, don’t bring your bad energy onto me," Tobio replied, making a gesture like he was brushing something invisible off himself.
"I doubt my energy is worse than yours. What’s with that face?" Shoyo sat up, watching him with curiosity.
"I’m just concentrating for today’s match."
"Sure you are." Shoyo rolled his eyes. "Have you seen Tsukishima? I really need help for the math retake."
"I barely see him these days," Tobio replied with a pout.
"Maybe he has exams too."
"Or maybe he’s dating someone and doesn’t want to tell us."
Tobio really wasn’t thinking when he said it, and only realized how stupid it sounded when Shoyo burst out laughing at him.
"Why else would he be avoiding us?" Tobio muttered, offended.
Shoyo looked at him with mischief in his eyes.
"You don’t have to get jealous about it."
"I’m not jealous!"
"Well, tell your face that," Shoyo said, standing up. "I’m going to find your boyfriend — want me to tell him you asked about him?"
Tobio felt his whole face go red; more than embarrassment, it was the fury that Hinata Shoyo provoked in him.
"You’re going to die."
"It was a joke!" Hinata shouted, then ran out before Tobio could catch him.
His friend was definitely wrong. He wasn’t jealous of anyone. He was just… concerned. Maybe a little annoyed by the idea, but that didn’t mean he was jealous. Why would he be? Of who?
He didn’t want a partner. He just didn’t want Kei to have one.
Uh oh.
Oh no.
Oh…
And then the bell rang.
He had never been more relieved for classes to start.
That day, practice started a little earlier since they had a short meeting before the other school arrived for the match. And this time, it didn’t bother Tobio at all that Kei wasn’t looking at him — because now it was him who needed to avoid looking.
And, of course, he also avoided looking at Shoyo.
Stupid Shoyo, planting stupid ideas in his head that he didn’t need.
At least until the match started — because once he stepped onto the court, only volleyball existed in his mind. On that front, he could rest easy: no dumb idea that Hinata had put in his head was going to mess with his game.
After the match ended and Ukai gave a few words on what needed improvement and what didn’t, everyone was planning to meet in front of the coach’s shop to hang out. Tobio started sweating just thinking about Shoyo’s inquisitive looks and the awkward presence of Kei.
But then his phone rang — and salvation came right on time: Miwa was arriving.
Everyone knew he barely saw his sister, so no one questioned it when he practically ran out, not even bothering to change out of his sweaty clothes.
In truth, Miwa had only texted that she was on her way home. She was still quite a while off, but for Tobio, it was enough of an excuse to leave. Plus, it gave him time to shower calmly and prepare dinner.
When Miwa finally arrived, dinner was already ready and Tobio was fighting to keep his eyes open. He was exhausted — physically and mentally — but his desire to see his sister outweighed the tiredness.
"You didn’t have to wait up for me if you were that tired," she said upon entering, dropping her bag on the floor before wrapping him in a hug and planting a loud kiss on his cheek.
Tobio tried to protest, but Miwa completely ignored him, gently pushed him toward his room, and as soon as his body hit the bed, he fell asleep.
The next morning, Tobio woke up around noon with Mitski playing loudly throughout the house. He smiled, still half-asleep. He loved having Miwa over because on those days, the house felt alive — full of noise, mess, movement. Completely different from the times he spent alone, when he only left his room to grab food and the silence wrapped around him like a blanket.
Miwa was waiting for him in the kitchen with breakfast ready, chatting nonstop while he ate. She told him about her new job, her friends, complained about the neighbors, mentioned a café she liked because the barista was cute, and many other things that Tobio could barely follow — but still listened to attentively.
"Are you done? While you clean this up, I’m going to grab my scissors. I need to fix that mess," she said, pointing disapprovingly at his hair.
"My hair is fine," he replied defensively — but obeyed anyway.
When he finished tidying up the kitchen, Miwa was already waiting for him in his room. The scissors and comb were laid out on the desk, right in front of the huge mirror she used to do her makeup when she lived there.
"I don’t understand how it doesn’t bother you in your eyes," Miwa muttered impatiently. "Do you even see anything when you play?"
Tobio sighed and, like a good little brother, resigned himself to her hands.
"Close your eyes," Miwa ordered.
"Why?" he asked, though he complied.
"You’re not using the creams I gave you, or sunscreen."
Tobio pursed his lips in a pout. He couldn’t lie to her, so he kept his eyes shut and stayed silent.
"And you’re not going to look until I’m done," she warned. He then felt something cold and creamy spread across his face. "But while I work, tell me — how are the kids?"
"Hmm… Hitoka isn’t around much, she’s busy with the new manager."
"Hitoka is so sweet. Maybe one day she’ll let me cut her hair."
"I doubt it," Tobio mumbled, and Miwa burst out laughing.
"Tadashi is the new captain. He cried a little when we chose him," he added with a smile. "It was cute."
"I’ll have to congratulate him when I see him. Remind me."
While she wiped his face with a damp towel and started combing his bangs, Tobio continued.
"Shoyo is the new vice-captain. Now he has to be a good example… he’s still working on that part," he added with a nervous laugh. "I guess that’s it."
"You sure?"
Tobio didn’t answer.
"And the pretty blond? Wasn’t Akiteru’s brother also your friend?"
"How do you know Akiteru?"
"Why are you blushing?"
Tobio tried to get up, but Miwa held him firmly. He could feel his face burning — from his ears down to his neck.
"Come on, Tobio! Tell me!" she insisted through laughter.
"There’s nothing to tell," he grumbled, taking the chance to look in the mirror: his whole face was red, and his bangs were half-cut.
"What are you doing to me?"
"I’m making you look nice for Kei."
"Stop it," he protested, pouting. Miwa laughed without mercy.
"Alright, but sit still." She gestured for him to sit down again. "I’ll finish cutting, and while I do, you tell me about the cute blond."
Tobio huffed, but sat back down. He supposed it was a good chance to finally talk about it.
"I don’t know where to start..."
"Do you like him?"
"No?"
"Then?"
He hesitated before answering. He wasn’t entirely sure what to say.
"He’s been distant these past few days… and I told Shoyo that maybe it was because he was seeing someone. The thought of him with someone else made me feel… sad. And angry."
"Aww, Tobio, you’re smitten," Miwa said, hugging him from behind.
"Stop it," he muttered, cheeks lighting up again.
"Have you talked to him?"
Tobio shook his head, pouting again.
"You have to. Maybe something happened. You have to be honest before you both really drift apart."
And he knew she was right. Miwa was always right. He had to talk to Kei. He didn’t want to lose his friendship, or lie to him, or keep things bottled up. If Kei didn’t feel the same, he’d do his best not to make him uncomfortable, to keep the group from falling apart. He enjoyed spending time with him too much to ruin it out of fear.
"Done," Miwa announced, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Tobio looked at himself in the mirror. The shorter bangs made his eyes stand out, and whatever his sister had put on his skin made it look brighter and healthier.
"Isn’t it too short?"
Miwa shook her head, satisfied.
"If he doesn’t like you like this, he’s a dumbass. And it doesn’t matter, because anyone who sees you is going to fall for you anyway."
Tobio rolled his eyes and muttered a quick “thanks,” which Miwa used as an excuse to steal another hug.
The rest of the day went by with skincare sessions, endless Mitski and Lana del Rey playlists, impromptu baking of cookies, cakes, and ridiculous TikTok recipes. There was a bit of volleyball, too. By the time Miwa left on Sunday night, Tobio felt exhausted… but really happy to have had her visit.
On Monday morning, Tobio woke up determined, and the first thing he did before getting ready for school was send a message to Kei saying that he wanted to talk during lunch.
During his first classes of the day, he kept checking his notifications to see if the blond had replied — but nothing came. When the lunch bell rang, frustrated, he got up with purpose, but not to look for Kei.
"I need to talk to Kei, but he’s avoiding me."
Tadashi and Shoyo exchanged a look without saying a word. Tobio, standing impatiently in front of his two friends, waited for help.
"Nice haircut," Shoyo commented. And after a few seconds that felt eternal, the green-haired boy pulled out his phone and placed it in Tobio’s hand.
"Text him from here. Tell him to meet me behind the gym because I’m having a crisis."
Tobio hesitated, but didn’t give the phone back.
"He’s going to get mad if we lie to him."
"Then he should stop hiding so we don’t have to lie," Shoyo said, shrugging.
"Well, wish me luck," Tobio sighed, then walked off in the direction of the gym.
Kei was sleeping less and less. His plan to put distance between himself and Tobio wasn’t working at all: he missed him more with each passing day. Ignoring him hurt, but the idea of confessing his feelings terrified him even more. And at the same time, he couldn’t stand the thought of someone else getting close to Tobio — touching him, making him laugh, drawing that sparkle to his eyes that Kei had seen even in his dreams. It was a silent torture, but the fear of losing the friendship they’d built, of ruining everything, was even worse. That kind of pain he wouldn’t know how to handle — and the last thing he wanted was to affect the group.
He was in class when his phone buzzed. As soon as he read Tadashi’s message, he ran out. It had been a while since his friend had had a crisis, and there were only a few people who knew how to help him.
However, when he got to the gym, Tadashi wasn’t there. The one waiting was Tobio.
Tobio, who looked more handsome than ever. Kei didn’t think it was possible to like him more — but there he was, with an expression both serious and nervous, holding a phone that Kei immediately recognized wasn’t his.
"Don’t get mad at him," Tobio said. "I asked for his help to get you to come see me."
Kei let out a sigh, part relieved, part confused. A part of him wanted to run, but after so many days avoiding those eyes, now he couldn’t stop looking at them.
He sat down on the ground, leaning his back against the gym wall. Tobio did the same, leaving a small space between them.
"Why have you been avoiding me?" Tobio asked in a whisper.
Kei kept his eyes fixed forward. If he looked at him, he didn’t trust himself not to throw his arms around him. There was no way out now — everything would come out today, for better or worse.
"I guess I realized I liked you too much," he confessed quietly. "I got scared. I thought if I kept my distance, it would go away."
"And what’s wrong with me being someone you like?" Tobio asked. His voice cracked at the end.
Kei turned his head to look at him. Tobio’s eyes were filled with sadness, and Kei felt something tighten painfully inside.
"Nothing," Kei said. "It has nothing to do with you. I just… didn’t want things to change, or get weird between us."
Tobio lowered his gaze.
"I thought you were dating someone. That’s why I thought you were avoiding us. And the idea… made me angry," he mumbled, pouting.
Kei felt his cheeks flush and a nervous laugh slipped out unintentionally.
"Why did that make you angry?"
"Because I don’t want you to be with anyone else," Tobio said, lifting his gaze. "I want you to be with me."
The confession caught Kei off guard. A nervous laugh bubbled out of him again.
"Don’t laugh at me," Tobio said, frowning.
Kei couldn’t hold back any longer. He took Tobio’s face in his hands and leaned in to kiss his lips — just a brief touch. He pulled back immediately, unsure, but Tobio followed, closing the distance again.
It was clumsy. Their noses bumped, Kei’s glasses slipped, the position on the ground was awkward, and both their hands were trembling. But none of it mattered. Tobio smiled without pulling away, and Kei felt the world around him dissolve.
"So…?" Tobio whispered, still close.
"I don’t want to be with anyone who isn’t you," Kei replied with a soft smile.
"Good, because you’re not going to date anyone but me," Tobio shot back, and kissed him again.
And just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.
Tobio pouted as he pulled away, and Kei’s heart pounded so hard it nearly hurt. But this time, it was a beautiful kind of pain — the kind that comes when something that once see med impossible finally becomes real.