𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐄,

Akaashi wouldn’t doubt Kozume’s judgment. In fact, Akaashi shared the same sentiment. As much as he wanted to address their leader as an idiot in front of his face sometimes, the respect and admiration far surpassed that petty desire. “His… unique leadership has certainly helped in the increase of our clan’s power. Especially compared to the other clans in this region. It’s refreshing to have a newer mindset in this era. I think that’s one of the things that’d lead us to the very top soon.”

“Of course. Might even conjure an ice blade if they don’t want to answer any questions.” Thinking about it, this might exactly be the reason for sending Akaashi out on this small mission. And as to why their leader let Kozume tag along was something Akaashi hoped to find out later. He then stopped walking as soon as Kozume morphed into his true form. “I don’t mind. It’s better if you feel comfortable.” He nodded. “Not too far. It’s the kind who stays in rivers often. Almost like a kappa. But if an onmyōji can’t handle it on his own, then it must be something different.”

                      a  hum in agreement spilled past his lips upon hearing the other yōkai’s words   ;   it was known across lands that rumbled & rolled of their leader’s outlandish proposals , as well as his ideals , yet they were met with an outstanding , overwhelming almost , amount of support                     the nekomata’s ears twitched while he stood back up again , head tipping to the side   :   it’s exactly that ... he just knows how to appeal to the new era. it something that theyōkai prided himself in , knowing how close he is to him. “ yes , despite being an idiot , he really knows how to reel everyone in                ” a pause , light yet humorless laughter on the brink of spilling over. “ everyone except the elders , that is. ” 

                     “ thanks , ”  he ended up replying after a moment of silence , nodding his head as well   ;   the shorteryōkai shook out all the kinks in his body , untying all the knots                     aah , yes ... he mused. this is better   ;   now , he felt as if he could do what he must , assist akaashi in the way that he should. the blond stretched out his fingers , claws extracting themselves from his fingers , razor - sharp at the edges                      & it was without looking that kenma could tell exactly what it was that he had been thinking   :   “ i’m with you because i can ambush from above. also , my true size gives me an advantage if it comes down to it. ”  theyōkai fumbled with his sleeves , glancing at the other with a quirk of his lips , although slight. “ ... ” his brows furrowed at the explanation , feet beginning to move forth to their destination. “ i still don’t ... understand why the onmyōji can’t handle this                        i guess we’ll find out ... ”  

❝ eh, you’ll get over it. ❞ kuroo waves a hand dismissively, his tails sweeping lazily behind him. for being partly in his nekomata form, kenma sure did scare easily. a regular scared-y cat, though kuroo would never say that to his face. large cat ears twitch on his head as he leans against a tree, looking down at his shorter friend. ❝ just went out to town today, you should try it once ‘n a while. ❞

                      “ get  over it                     seriously ... ”  glare that lacks bite stabs itself at the ground , body getting up from where he had been sitting , waiting for the other’s return. he watches quietly at the way kuroo’s forked tail swings from side to side & promptly decides to sit atop one of the stone lamps daintily , sharp topaz hues focusing on his friend’s face. “ that’s where you went ... i figured              you keep going there. did you get anything ?? ” despite his contempt for human beings past the forest & the throng of people that await him the moment he steps out , he always finds himself interested in whatever the taller nekomata comes back to the temple with     /     it isn’t that he’s simply scared ... he just doesn’t like going out there                                     there , where humans freely walked without care as if they did nothing wrong. he didn’t like that. balancing himself carefully , he lifts up an arm to rest his cheek against the curve of his knuckle , his face scrunching up in distaste. “ no thanks. why do you like it so much ?? ”

            “  hopefully good things …  ”  he replies  ,  tone light and cheery … albeit  ,  he can’t really dictate what hinata could say  ,  he wouldn’t blame the shorty if he had some hidden ill— will from their high school days  .  “  mm … a bit  ,  it gives both melancholy and nostalgia  ,  hearing it  .  especially coming from a former volley opponent  ,  it gives me chills  .  ”  yeah  ,  he remembers this guy … nekoma’s setter  .

                  “ only  good things ... you guys played beach volleyball & stuff together ... ?? like i said , he couldn’t stop talking about you. ”  despite aging & leaving volleyball behind , talking about the sport that they all actively fought for leaves him with a bitter taste of nostalgia , topaz hues casting their gaze elsewhere.  “ mm , i’d imagine so. still , i guess it was well - deserved                       from what i knew of , you were known for your sets , right ?? ”  a bitter aftertaste & he swallows it down. they lock gazes , a sense of remembrance shakes them up.  “ ... well , that reminds me. ”  a pause , eyes flicking back to the other male.  “ did you watch the match against the adlers ?? ”

      hand  gently  pats  the  felines  that  seemed  to  enjoy  going  around  and  around  his  legs.  ‘  hmm–  i  guess  not.  weird,  i’m  not  much  of  a  cat  person,  but  they  always  seems  to  like  me  for  some  reason.  ‘   scooping  one  up  and  cradling  it  in  his  arms  as  if  it  were  a  baby,  he’d  looked  at  the  other  as  he  scratched  the  cats  belly.  ‘  are  they  yours,  or  are  they  just  strays?  ‘

                     chin  tucks itself behind the collar of his zipped - up sports jacket , eyes flicking from his phone screen to the felines that seem to surround them both but more so the boy before him   ;   he’s never seen them be so affectionate towards someone that he’s never really seen around the area before. analytical topaz hues drift back to his screen , speaking in that apathetic , nonchalant manner of his.  “ oh ... really ?? ”  he does not say it aloud but he wonders if it’s because the other’s aura seems to act as a magnet for said kittens   ;   he seems nice , that could be it. when the question’s gearing itself towards himself , he blinks , eyes torn from his device then falling to the kitten in the male’s arms. “ they’re strays , ”  he replies simply     /     then a pause.  “ they linger around our school a lot ... maybe because we feed them often. ”  

Akaashi didn’t know if he could regard the reaction as unprecedented. Kozume started it anyway. Besides, Akaashi assumed the other had a backup plan. And upon discovering Kozume didn’t have any, Akaashi felt like he won this round. That only meant Kozume had to step his game up next time.

“Can’t do what? It was just a response and nothing more, is all.” But judging from the smile on Akaashi’s face, it showed implications that only they knew. “You know, it’d be much easier if you become more honest, you know?” Was it a playful taunt? Somehow, it was almost reminiscent of their mind games inside the court.

                      being   a normal teenager & having knowledge on being street smart is something that kenma admittedly lacks   ;   having been sheltered since he had been at a young age & playing games almost all night , all day , he knows nothing of what to do & what not to do when it comes to situations such as the one as he’s in currently. he’s embarrassed , truly , because he’s been one - upped by the fukurodani setter who looks so incredibly smug in his own way. 

                     fingertip   taps on his leg , taking note of the smile on his face which , once again , takes him by surprise. he knows he’s not the only one who thinks so but     /     he looks nice when he smiles ... a sudden blink , twitch of the head in the form of a shake , & kenma averts his gaze yet again. though , the black - haired boy doesn’t stop there , he keeps going with light , playful jabs   ;   the gamer - athlete’s mouth thins out into a straight line , a brow quirking slowly   :   “ what           ?? ”  what did that mean ?? honest ... about what ?? i’m being totally honest ?? ... wait , am i playing directly into akaashi’s palm right now ?? a crease forms in between his brows , thoughts a flurry within his head.  “ i’m pretty honest about everything , if you ask me. ”  he settles with that , locks that frame his cheeks falling forward enough to hide his eyes. 

“Uhh….I think we broke the window while playing. Whoops.”

That’s a very big whoops coming from him. As long as nobody brings Akaashi over, he’ll be fine.

                 ..................... he’s  definitely calling akaashi over. 

“A hundred years, you say? Don’t cats have nine lives, though? I think you can more than manage that first year. Besides, he’d be a fearsome opponent once he has the foundations down. And I’m looking forward to it.” 

Ever since Lev joined Nekoma, there was a shift in the other team’s dynamics. A spike of unpredictable potential. It would only be a matter of time until the first year synchronized with his team. And Akaashi was interested how things would turn out.

Akaashi blinked once, the corner of his turning upward into a smile. “Hm? That’s it? I thought you’d linger for a bit longer.” He wouldn’t stop Kozume if he had to take his leave. Nothing wrong with a little jest here and there.

                   pride   curls in the pit of his stomach , attempts to pull a smile onto his pale visage though he doesn’t let it win , not in the slightest   ( even with the way he turns his head to the side to hide the slight happiness that glows within topaz colors ). one glance over his shoulder towards the towering first - year & he ponders for a bit   :   he knows of lev’s potential , has seen it after the first few times coach nekomata had forced them to pair up. akaashi isn’t wrong   ;   lev’s only a lion cub who hasn’t fully grown yet , but when he does ... the thought brings a bit of a grin to his lips. “ i guess you’re right. ”  a belated murmur in response to the other’s words , embarrassed by the way he feels his heart sing in joy at how confident akaashi is sounding towards him. 

                   that  causes the shorter of the pair to blink as well , eyes widening the slightest in surprise at how forward the fellow setter actually is   :   despite them practicing together constantly , kenma realizes how little he actually knows of akaashi & it shows through how he gets easily surprised at the other’s bouts of playfulness. i thought he’s all seriousness but he gets like this too ... he shifts in place , teeth nibbling at his lower lip in thought. “ um ... do you want me to ... ?? ”  question comes in place of anything else , taking a step closer despite his better judgment. he’s unsure of why he lets the other get away with comments such as this one compared to if any of his teammates would attempt to , he’d swat them away & find a corner to sit in. small , spindly fingers curl around the hem of his jersey , avoiding eye contact with akaashi out of sheer embarrassment. 

‹ kozurin (=^・^=)› : I’m okay !! no blood yet ! ‹ kozurin (=^・^=)› : asmklsamklds;; ‹ kozurin (=^・^=)› : its not that I thought you were nao ‹ kozurin (=^・^=)› : I guess ummm ,,,, emrmmm ‹ kozurin (=^・^=)› : it just slipped out ????????? ‹ kozurin (=^・^=)› : waaaah I don’t know ?????

𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞 reflecting her own flustered face back to 𝚜𝚑𝚎 , unsure of what even what needed to be said & her mind completely fried. 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜 , exactly what landed mi kyong in a rather tough situation , out of everyone to accidentally say that to , 𝐢𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐦𝐚 !you toss your phone across the room , despite the notifications that would soon follow your messages , shades of 𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚜 now staining your cheeks and ears . pounding of the heart defeating all of your senses , only imagining kenma’s facial expression when seeing your last messages . 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 , 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 , 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 !!

[  sms        mi kyong  ]     oh, well [  sms        mi kyong  ]     okay then.[  sms        mi kyong  ]     do you just tell anyone that?

                on  the other side of the screen , the mostly apathetic boy sits on his bed , fingers combing through the snow - colored fur belonging to his pet until she hops off his bed , leaving the setter to be alone with his thoughts , his confused expression & such upon noticing how the girl had left him with three simple words earlier. it’s not that he finds it weird , not at all   ;   it’s her reaction that’s making him wonder what her thoughts behind those words really are                            it’s not much of a bother to him , though , knows he’ll still see her as usual the next day at school. 

[  sms        mi kyong  ]     it’s okay, really

                maybe   another try at reassurance will help the obvious fluster through digitized messages quell.

                   @dolziato​​ analyzed  :   "Is that the new game you were talking about? The graphics look sleek."   /    UNPROMPTED

            “ oh , yeah              it came out a week ago & i made sure to buy it on the release date , ” mumbles , though excitement is visible in the boy’s tone , thumbs flashing like blips in front of any normal person’s eyes. focus is intense     /     could even rival that of how he is on the court when a particular match piques his curiosity or fires him up , though , such a match is entirely impossible for the setter , unless one is from karasuno. he pauses the motions with his thumbs , setting the switch down on his thighs to look up at the student in front of him , taking in her interested expression. “ it’s pretty good , right ?? the franchise just keeps getting better & better at the graphics ... i’m roaming around in the world ... do you wanna ... try ... ?? ”  he supposes it doesn’t hurt to give others a chance  ;  besides , she does seem to take a slight interest in what he’s doing                                            or maybe , is it because ... it’s all he’s been talking about in front of her ?? topaz - tinted hues slink to the side of his line of sight , eyeing at the wall in thought.