ㄑ☆ ♪ the new manager ( ˶˘ ³˘)♡
ᩙ❤︎ ᩙ ꒱ # cw info𓈒⠀ Haikyuu! ✷ !fempov — ⋆ kei tsukishima ⋆ first person ⋆ tsuki ༝ !reader ⋆ non established relationship ⋆ plot ⋆ sfw ⋆ teenage love ⋆ feminine !reader ⋆ .ᐟ (＞。☆)
꒰𓏼´ `𓏼 ྀིᥩ ꒱ # disclaimer𓈒 english isn't my native language there are probably spelling mistakes or sentences that don't make sense weep.. .ᐟ ◛♡
Siblings:You have an older sister and a younger brother. Residence:You live with your siblings in a small house.
the Manager of:You’re the manager of the Karasuno team. Even though you’re still in your first year of high school, the previous manager moved away, so Daichi asked you to take over her position. He trusts you, and you already know quite a bit about volleyball.
⠀⟣ 8,522 Words all rights reserved to @nakedmei
You’re Manager ofthe Karasuno team. Even though you’re still in your first year of high school, the previous manager moved away, so Daichi asked you to take over her position. He trusts you, and you already know a lot about volleyball.
“fuck., I have to hurry!” you hiss, racing down the school stairs. Where was the gym again?
“Ah!” you sigh in frustration and ask a random student if he can tell you where the gym is.
He kindly explains the way, and your legs start moving again. Even more stairs…
When you finally reach the bottom, you quickly look left and right. Thoughtfully, you scratch the back of your head.
“Did he say go left or right?” you mutter to yourself.
You decide to go left and glance back one last time. Too late, you realize you’re about to crash straight into someone’s back. Your body slams into his, and you fall to the floor
“Ow…” you groan, rubbing your head.
“Watch where you’re going…” an irritated voice snaps at you.
You look up. A tall guy towers over you, his eyes a striking golden yellow. He glares down at you grimly, and your blood runs cold under his stare.
“How nice of you to help me up,” you say with heavy sarcasm, getting to your feet on your own.
“Aren’t you going to apologize first?” The boy, still angry, crosses his arms.
“Tsukki! Don’t be so rude.”
Suddenly, another boy speaks up—one you hadn’t even noticed until now.
“Yeah, I’m really sorry. I’m looking for the gym. I just… somehow forgot the way again.” You laugh awkwardly, rubbing the back of your neck.
The blond boy studies you for a moment, tilting his head slightly.
“Good luck finding it,” he replies flatly, already turning to walk away
but the other boy stops him.
“Tsukki, come on, don’t be like that… We’re heading to the gym too.”
“We’re about to start volleyball practice. You can come with us if you want. By the way, I’m Tadashi Yamaguchi.”
His gaze shifts toward you, and with a warm smile he gives a small bow.
“Oh yes, that would be great!” you say happily. “Nice to meet you. I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other soon I’m actually your new manager.”
You laugh cheerfully and link your arm with Yamaguchi’s.
While Yamaguchi blushes a little and looks quietly delighted, the other boy just lets out an annoyed sigh and walks ahead.
“Is he always this grumpy?” you ask the dark-haired boy, puzzled.
“Well… Tsukishima is very… very particular. But honestly, he’s actually a really nice guy deep down,” he answers with a soft laugh.
When you reach the gym, Daichi greets you right away.
“Hey! Glad you made it. Looks like you’ve already met Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. Come here—I’ll introduce you to the rest of the team.”
He grins and starts presenting everyone one by one.
A boy who introduces himself as Nishinoya, and another who says he’s Hinata, stare at you with wide eyes. They both seem completely starstruck.
“Guys, this is your new manager starting today. She knows quite a bit about the game and she can even toss for you if you want to practice your spikes.”
Daichi plants his hands firmly on his hips, full of energy.
“She’s so pretty! Like a doll!” Nishinoya gushes.
“And and—and she knows stuff about volleyball too!” Hinata adds excitedly.
You laugh shyly and lean forward a bit.
“Nice to meet all of you! Have fun at practice!” you call out.
They thank you enthusiastically in return.
You talk for almost an hour, and you’re diligently jotting everything down. Every now and then, though, you catch the blond boy glancing over at you two.
“Hey, Daichi…” you whisper, leaning in a little. “Is something wrong with this Tsukishima guy? He doesn’t really seem to be giving it his all today… or am I just imagining it?”
He looks at you, surprised, and thinks for a second before answering.
“No idea… Tsukishima could be a seriously strong player. But for some reason, he never seems to go all out. Maybe that’ll change in four weeks. We’ve got a match against Nekoma then. Everyone’s going to have to bring their A-game if we want to win. It’s that legendary ‘Battle at the Garbage Dump’ between the crows and the cats.”
He pauses, thoughtful.
“Although… during that training camp, he spent a lot of time playing with Kuroo and Bokuto. He’s seemed a bit different since then. He even shows up to extra practice more often now.”
Hmm… Does he just not enjoy volleyball? But if that were the case, he wouldn’t still be here. Maybe Yamaguchi knows what’s really going on with him. The two of them seem pretty close.
“So, guys! That’s enough for today. We’ll pick it up again tomorrow. Get some rest now!” Daichi calls out to the group.
Kageyama and Hinata come jogging over, practically begging to keep practicing. With a sigh, Daichi hands them the key and reminds them to lock up when they’re done.
The others say their goodbyes and head home. You’re about to do the same when you hear someone clear their throat behind you.
You turn around, puzzled, and see Tsukishima standing there holding a volleyball.
“Uh… could… could you toss for me?” His voice is barely audible.
You lean forward, cupping your hand around your ear.
“What? I didn’t catch that.”
He gives you a pouty glare.
“Can you toss for me!” he shouts now loud enough that Hinata’s jaw drops.
“Tsukishima wants to stay and practice longer? Whoa, that’s wild,” Hinata calls over to Kageyama, who just nods in stunned agreement.
“Sure, I’d be happy to,” you reply, taking the ball from his hands.
Yamaguchi decides to stick around too. While Hinata and Kageyama work on their attacks in one corner of the net, you three move to the other side. Yamaguchi offers to throw the balls to you so you can set properly.
“How do you like your sets, Tsukishima? How should I toss to you?” you ask with a smile, waiting for his answer.
“No idea… just toss it to me,” he mutters, sounding a little annoyed as he gets ready for an approach.
You wait a beat until he’s in the air, scanning for the perfect spot.
“Now,” you murmur under your breath, and release the ball right into his hand.
The spike is flawless. Tsukishima lands and stares down at his palm.
“Everything okay?” you ask. Hinata and Kageyama are gawking at you both with their mouths open.
“Your sets are just as disgustingly precise as Kageyama’s,” he hisses.
“Thanks for the sweet compliment, four-eyes,” you grin back.
And with that, you keep practicing.
By now another hour has passed, and it’s already dark outside when you finally leave the gym. At a crossroads, Kageyama and Hinata’s paths split off from yours, leaving just the three of you walking together. After a while Yamaguchi says goodbye too, and suddenly it’s only you and Tsukishima continuing on.
“Is it still far to your place?” he asks out of nowhere.
“About ten more minutes. Why?” you counter with a question of your own.
“Then I’ll walk you the rest of the way. A young thing like you shouldn’t be wandering around alone at this hour.” He stares straight ahead, voice perfectly indifferent.
“Thanks, but you really don’t have to,” you say with a small smile, then look forward again.
This would actually be the perfect moment to ask him why he doesn’t give volleyball his all, but something holds you back. Maybe it’s the comfortable silence between you. You’re not sure.
“You’re wondering why I’m not as thrilled about playing as Hinata, right?” His voice pulls you out of your thoughts.
“Mhm…” You nod quietly.
He starts talking about his brother, who used to be on the Karasuno team too. He always gave everything he had during games, yet in the end he still never became a regular. Tsukishima says it’s pointless to go all out when a single point can make you lose anyway.
On one hand you get where he’s coming from. On the other, you kind of want to flick him on the forehead.
“If you push yourself… that one point can also be the one that wins the game,” you say calmly. Not accusing, not annoyed just steady.
“Your brother probably didn’t want to disappoint you… Don’t hold it against him forever. Trust me, one day there’ll be an opponent you desperately want to beat, one you absolutely have to block. And once you manage it… maybe you’ll find the fun in the game again.”
You glance over at him, still speaking softly.
A mocking grin spreads across his face.
“Are you Bokuto? Did you dress up as a girl to tell me the same thing you said at training camp?”
Bokuto? You’ve heard that name before not just from Daichi. You remember seeing him once at a little party Kenma from Nekoma’s team threw. A ridiculously hyped-up, funny guy.
“Do I look like a big, muscular dude to you? You’re delusional. And I’m nowhere near as extra as that emotional super ace,” you laugh, pulling a face at him.
A short, surprised laugh escapes Tsukishima and he quickly turns his head away.
You walk in silence again after that, until you finally stop in front of your house.
You pull out your key and are about to say goodbye when you notice him looking at you questioningly.
“Something wrong, Tsukki?” you tease.
“Don’t call me that!” he pouts, cheeks tinting faintly pink.
“Do you… wanna give me your number? I mean… in case you get lost on the way to the gym again. You could call me and I’ll give you directions.”
The usually cool Tsukishima suddenly looks like a shy little kid.
Giggling, you pull out your phone and open your contacts. “Here, put your number in. Then I can text you the next time I get lost.”
You hand him the phone.
His expression makes it clear this isn’t exactly what he had in mind, but he still types in his number.
“See you tomorrow,” he mutters, turning to leave.
Inside the house, all the lights are already off. Your little brother’s asleep, and on the kitchen counter your sister left a note:“You’re still out? I burned dinner again so I ordered pizza. There’s some left in the fridge help yourself.”
Shaking your head, you toss the note and head to the bathroom to get ready for bed. That woman really is hopeless… can’t even cook. But well… you love her anyway.
Tired, you climb into bed and stare at the number Tsukishima saved in your phone.
Hey Tsukishima, hope you got home okay. Now you have my number too. See you tomorrow
You send it and set your phone on the nightstand.
A minute later it buzzes. You check.
Who’s this? Is it you? Listen… that earlier thing was just a joke. You can call me Tsukki if you want. But not in front of the others, okay? I got home fine btw. See you tomorrow.
You burst out laughing and type back.
Oh okay? So this is our little secret “Tsukki” now. too.
You’re about to put the phone down when it buzzes again.
birdie , huh? But that’s no fun to tease you with. If you’re calling me Tsukki, expect me to start calling you my little crow. So be careful who you spill our little secret to. Go to sleep now. See you tomorrow, my little crow.
You read the message about ten times, and each time your heart beats a little faster.
Unbelievable… has this blond guy with his golden yellow eyes really managed to turn your head this quickly?
I’ll be careful. Good night, Tsukki
You send it quickly and fall asleep not long after.
The next morning you get up early to prepare the food for your siblings’ and your own bento boxes. Over breakfast you tell them about your new team and especially about Tsukishima. Your sister immediately perks up and starts grilling you about him. She insists that the next time he walks you home, she absolutely has to meet him.
After classes, Daichi catches you in the hallway and walks with you to the gym.
Everyone’s already there, ready to start practice. You greet the boys cheerfully and settle into a corner with your notebook. They’ve decided to play six on six, and you and the coach are supposed to watch closely and take notes.
Tsukishima seems to be having one of his unmotivated days again. He’s not jumping as high as he could, and he’s not even trying to block every ball completely. His team has already lost the first set, and they’re falling pretty far behind in the second.
“Tsukki, come on, at least try a little! This isn’t an official tournament, but you should still put in some effort,” you call out to him.
Suddenly everyone’s eyes snap between you and Tsukishima in shock. Only then do you realize you said “Tsukki” instead of Tsukishima.
Mortified, you slap both hands over your mouth and sink back onto the bench, holding your notebook up like a shield to hide from his glare.
The boys are still staring back and forth between the two of you, completely speechless.
“Quiet back there,… my little crow,” he says now, smirking mockingly.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! What was that just now? Did you seriously just call her your little crow, Tsukishima?” Tanaka asks, eyes wide.
The others look even more stunned.
“Calm down. I’m just messing with her,” he sighs, annoyed, and turns back to the game.
Still a bit thrown off, the others slowly refocus on practice too.
“You and Tsukishima seem to get along pretty well, huh?” Coach Ukai whispers to you.
“Tsukishima and me? Yeah… I mean, I find him kind of really interesting.” The words slip out before you can stop them.
“Uh—I mean! His playing style! His playing style is really… interesting!” you try to backpedal, noticing the amused little smile on the coach’s face.
Why do you always have to blurt out exactly what you’re thinking…
After the match, the boys stretch and gradually leave the gym. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi are just about to head out when Yamaguchi calls back to you.
“Don’t you want to walk with us?” he asks with a warm smile.
For a second you glance at Tsukishima, who’s eyeing you with narrowed eyes.
“Uh… if it’s okay with Tsukki—Tsukishima?” you ask uncertainly.
“You’re going that way anyway. Just come on,” he mutters, sounding bored.
You nod, grab your things, and say goodbye to Hinata and Kageyama.
“Tsukki, did you hear they brought a new dinosaur to the museum this week? The exhibition opens this Saturday. Isn’t that totally your thing?” Yamaguchi asks curiously.
“Mhm. I heard about it too. Wanna go together on Saturday?” Tsukishima asks, turning the same questioning look on him. For a brief moment you wonder if either of them even remembers you’re there.
“Sorry… I have to help my mom around the house this Saturday. We’re getting new furniture and I’m helping her assemble it,” Yamaguchi apologizes.
“But… what about her? Maybe she’d like to go?” he suggests, glancing over at you.
Without changing his expression, Tsukishima looks at you too.
“Would you want to go to the museum with me? The exhibition starts at five in the afternoon.”
Do you already have plans on Saturday? No, not really… and spending time with Tsukishima would actually be nice. Maybe you’d get to know him even better.
“Five should work,” you answer with a smile.
“Good. And don’t be late, my little crow.”
His mouth curves into that mocking smirk again, and you feel heat creeping into your cheeks.
“By the way, Tsukki… what’s with all this ‘little crow’ stuff?” Yamaguchi asks curiously.
“I told her not to call me Tsukki in front of the others, but little crows tend to chirp a lot. So now she has to deal with me calling her that.”
He’s still giving you that teasing look. But instead of being annoyed, you find it kind of funny and start laughing.
Tsukishima stops dead in his tracks, staring at you with wide eyes.
“I see you two are getting along great,” Yamaguchi laughs, then waves goodbye as he has to turn at the intersection.
“I don’t get you… why aren’t you mad at me?” Tsukishima asks, starting to walk again.
“Why would I be mad? You’re actually pretty funny, Tsukki. And if you want to call me your little crow, go ahead. It doesn’t bother me,” you giggle.
For the next few minutes you walk in comfortable silence.
When you reach your door, you’re just saying goodbye when the door behind you opens.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the handsome guy our little Mouse was talking about yesterday,” your sister’s voice rings out.
Wait—what is she saying?!
“Hanabi! What the hell!” you yell at her.
But she ignores you, steps past, and looks Tsukishima up and down.
“Hmm… handsome. Tall… well built… nice hair,” she mutters.
“Uh… thanks…?” he replies, scratching the back of his head.
“You should totally snag him as a boyfriend, little one,” she calls back to you, patting Tsukishima on the back.
“Hanabi! That’s enough! Get inside!” you shout furiously, shoving her back through the door.
“I’m so sorry, Tsukki…” you apologize quickly, then shut the door behind you.
God, how embarrassing…
You hurry to your room before your sister can say anything else.
Beep-beep. Your phone vibrates.
You’ve got a really nice family there, Mouse.
You can practically see his mocking grin while reading it.
With a loud sigh you flop onto your bed and fall asleep within minutes.
The rest of the week passes surprisingly fast. Tsukishima keeps teasing you with the nickname your sister gave you, but you try to brush it off.
When you glance at the clock, you realize it’s almost five you should’ve left ages ago to meet Tsukishima.
“Ponytail now? Nah, no time,” you mutter, grab your bag, and rush out.
You make it to the museum just in time. Tsukishima is standing at the entrance with his arms crossed, glancing at the clock on the building.
“Hey, Tsukki!” you call, stepping up to him.
At the sound of your voice he looks away from the clock. His cheeks are faintly pink.
“Everything okay? Do you have a fever?” you ask, concerned.
“Uh, no. You… You look better with your hair down,” he mumbles.
“Oh wow… what a glowing compliment,” you reply sarcastically, crossing your arms.
“Let’s just go in,” he hisses, annoyed, and suddenly grabs your arm.
Like a little kid being dragged along, you follow him until the tour starts. To your surprise, he insists on paying for both tickets. Pretty nice of him.
You’re completely overwhelmed by all the fossils you don’t even know where to look first. They’re huge. While you beam with curiosity, Tsukishima follows quietly, focused.
“Oh hey, Tsukki!” you call when you stop in front of a skeleton.
“Tsukki, Tsukki, come here! I know this one. That’s a T-rex, right?”
You sparkle up at him like an excited child, waiting.
A barely-there smile flickers across his face. He looks from the skeleton back down to you.
“Yeah, exactly. Tyrannosaurus rex. It was the largest land carnivore back then. Like other tyrannosaurids, it was bipedal a two-legged walker,” he explains calmly.
“Wow, Tsukki! How do you know all that?” you ask, eyes wide.
He shrugs, looking back up at the T-rex.
“I’ve always found dinosaurs kind of interesting. Call it general knowledge.”
He nods that it’s time to move on. You hurry to catch up and walk beside him. Then you spot the skeleton of an enormous dinosaur huge and intimidating at first.
You step onto a small platform for a better view. Up close, it doesn’t seem scary anymore. Actually… it looks kind of peaceful.
“Tsukki? What kind is that one?” you ask without turning around.
“That’s a Brachiosaurus. One of the largest land animals in Earth’s history. It was a herbivore,” his calm voice answers from behind you.
For some reason the dinosaur reminds you of Tsukishima. Giggling, you tilt your head so you can look him in the eye.
“You know, Tsukki… that Brachiosaurus kind of reminds me of you. At first glance its size and appearance are really intimidating, but when you look closer, you see it’s peaceful and actually not bad at all.”
You say it cheerfully then realize what just came out of your mouth.
His eyes widen, cheeks tinting pink again. You feel heat rising in your own face too.
You spin around to stammer an apology, lose your balance and fall right into his arms.
“Sorry!” you blurt again, looking up at him.
His golden eyes pierce right through you. His expression looks angry, and your voice fades.
“So… you think I’m actually peaceful, huh?” he asks in a low voice.
“You’re trying to look mad right now, but you’re not, Tsukishima,” you answer with a warm smile, starting to pull away
but he tightens his hold.
Surprised, you look up.
“Tsukki? Everything okay?” you ask uncertainly.
“No,” he replies coolly, leaning down.
His face is suddenly dangerously close, and you don’t quite know what to do. But you don’t want to run either.
Right before your lips meet, you close your eyes.
‘Dear guests, we would like to remind you that the museum will close in the next thirty minutes. Please proceed to the exit.’
The announcement over the speakers makes you jump. Tsukishima flinches too and quickly lets go.
“Guess we’ve been here a while. Let’s go.”
He tries to act normal and starts walking. You follow quietly all the way home.
Just before you reach his house, the clouds gather and it suddenly pours.
“Ugh, seriously?!” you groan, trying to hold your bag over your head.
“Come on, I live right there. We’ll wait it out inside, then I’ll walk you home once it stops,” he says, a little annoyed, and takes your hand, leading you to his place.
You stand in his hallway and ask Tsukishima if you should leave your shoes outside the door, but he just shakes his head and says they’d only get wet out there.
“Did I just hear a girl’s voice?” comes a male voice from the room to the left of the hallway.
“That definitely wasn’t Yamaguchi,” a woman’s voice replies, and two heads poke out into the hallway.
“Whoa, Tsukki! Who’s that?” asks a tall young man who looks strikingly similar to him.
“Tsukishima, sweetheart, who is this beautiful young lady with you?” the woman smiles warmly at him.
Is that his mother?
“Mom!” Tsukishima hisses.
“She’s just a classmate,” he adds, sounding a little embarrassed.
“Ohhh, a classmate,” she says with a knowing tone. “You’re definitely staying for dinner. I’ll just make an extra portion for you. Come sit with us the food’s almost ready.”
She beams at you happily and disappears into the kitchen before you can even respond.
“Ah, where are my manners,” the young man laughs. “I’m Akiteru Tsukishima. I’m Kei’s older brother. Nice to meet you.”
He flashes a crooked grin. You introduce yourself too, and the three of you head into the dining room where his mother is already waiting.
They bombard you with questions while Tsukishima tries unsuccessfully to calm them down. He clearly finds the whole situation awkward, even if you’re actually enjoying it.
Several more hours pass with you chatting happily with his family. When the rain finally stops, Tsukishima suddenly grabs your arm and practically drags you out the door to get you home as fast as possible.
The whole way he pouts like a sulky child while you can’t stop smirking to yourself.
At your front door you turn to him and look up.
“That was actually really fun, Tsukki,” you say.
“Yeah… it wasn’t as bad as I expected,” he replies with a slightly arrogant little grin.
“Get home safe, Tsukki,” you reply, then stand on your tiptoes and press a quick kiss to his cheek.
You’re not even sure why you did it it just felt right.
He startles and steps back, eyes wide.
“What was that for?” he asks, completely confused.
“Figure it out,” you answer mischievously, sticking your tongue out at him before slipping inside.
Over the next few weeks you spend a lot of time together after school. You’re often at his place studying. Every time his brother and mother see you two heading up to his room, they exchange these conspiratorial looks.
You get along really well. You’ve come close to each other more than once. You’re pretty sure he has feelings for you too that you’re not the only one feeling this way. Even if you haven’t actually kissed yet.
But since last week he’s been really distant. He barely talks to you, keeps saying he has no time, and just wants to be left alone. He hardly replies to your messages anymore. And you’ve noticed that ever since your team’s successful run in the spring tournament, more and more girls have been talking to him or rather, openly flirting with him.
You’re not sure whether he genuinely doesn’t notice their obvious advances or if he’s encouraging them on purpose. Some of them are really trying hard to get as close to him as possible.
You don’t care if other girls think he’s great. What bothers you is that he doesn’t push them away. Sure, you’re not officially together, but until recently you were so close… so why is he doing this now?
Since he’s ignoring your messages again today, you decide to just go to his house. It’s almost ten at night, but you don’t care. You just want to ask what his problem is.
You grab your jacket and head out.
When you reach his door, you send him a short message.
I’m at your front door. Come down… I want to talk.
You don’t have to wait long. A light flicks on inside, you hear footsteps in the hallway, and then the door slowly opens.
Tsukishima stands there in his pajamas, looking surprised.
“What are you doing here?”
“I want to talk,” you say, voice cool and firm in the night air.
“Okay,” he sighs, leaning against the doorframe.
“Can you please tell me why you’re being so weird? You barely talk to me anymore. You don’t really answer my messages, you have no time, you even avoid me at school. Is it because you like one of those girls who keep flirting with you? Are you keeping your distance because I’m getting on your nerves?”
Your voice comes out louder than intended, shaky. A huge lump forms in your throat, and you pray it doesn’t break in front of him. You don’t want him to see you cry.
“What are you even talking about? I’m not avoiding you. I just don’t have time. And I have no idea what girls you mean. Even if there were girls interested in me… why would that matter to you? We’re not a couple, are we?”
He sounds annoyed, but also genuinely confused as he looks down at you.
“Tch… sure, you just ‘don’t have time.’ No, of course we’re not a couple… but you really don’t get it, do you?”
You look down at the ground, disappointed.
“What don’t I get?” he asks, almost bored now, straightening up.
“I like you, Tsukishima… I really, really like you… I don’t just like you, I…”
You want to tell him you have feelings for him, but your voice cracks and the lump in your throat finally gives way.
“Damn it…” you hiss.
“Forget it.”
Tears stinging your eyes, you turn and start walking away.
Tsukishima doesn’t follow. He just stands there, watching you go with a puzzled expression.
At home, you just want to slip straight to your room, but your little brother stops you on the way.
“Hey? Can you toss me a few more balls again?” he asks, his face lighting up with excitement.
You quickly try to wipe the tears from your cheeks, but he’s already seen them.
“Hey… are you okay? What happened?” he asks, worried now. He sets the volleyball down and the two of you head quietly to your room.
You tell him you had a fight with Tsukishima but you don’t go into details. He simply pulls you into a hug and tries his best to comfort you. Eventually you fall asleep in his arms.
“What is this weird feeling inside me?” Tsukishima whispers to himself.
Why were you crying? And what did you mean when you said you liked him more than just as a friend?
He stands frozen in place for several long minutes before finally going back inside and heading up to his room.
Just as he’s about to open his door, he hears his brother’s voice behind him.
“Tsukki? Why are you still up? And why do you look like that?” he asks, concerned.
“It’s nothing,” Tsukishima replies coolly and disappears into his room.
With a sigh he sits down on the bed.
“Who were you talking to just now?” The door opens again and his brother steps in slowly, sitting beside him.
“No one,” he answers, still cold.
“No one? It sounded like you were talking to that school friend of yours. its about her, right? What did she want so late?” he presses, completely ignoring Tsukishima’s standoffish attitude.
“How should I know! She wanted to know why I’ve been distant, why I let other girls at school flirt with me even though they don’t—and then she started to say something else. She said she likes me, but I couldn’t understand the rest because she ran off crying. How am I supposed to know what’s going on?” His voice is loud, but there’s desperation underneath.
Akiteru nods slowly, watching his brother.
“She hasn’t been coming over as much lately. Is there a reason? Are other girls really flirting with you? What exactly are they doing? And what do you think she was trying to tell you when she said crying that she likes you?”
His tone stays calm.
Tsukishima thinks for a moment, then clasps his hands together and rests his forehead on them. His brother keeps watching attentively.
“I don’t know… Every time she’s near me, this pain starts in my chest. I feel… different when she’s around. Weird. But even when she’s gone, she’s still in my head. No matter how hard I try to ignore it, I can’t. What even is this feeling? And the girls… they ask me for tutoring. Usually at their place, or they just want my number. But I always turned them down. I don’t want to help even more people study.”
He stares at the floor, lost in thought.
“And I really don’t know what Izumi was trying to say with the whole ‘liking me’ thing. I don’t get it, Akiteru.”
Akiteru’s eyes narrow slightly. He gives his brother a mildly exasperated look.
“Okay… I always thought you were the smart one… but apparently not.”
He lightly smacks the back of Tsukishima’s head.
“Ow! What the hell was that for?” Tsukishima snaps.
“First: those girls were one hundred percent flirting with you. Tutoring? Seriously? At their houses? They wanted anything but actual studying. And second, you really don’t know what Izumi was trying to tell you? Have you ever actually looked at her face when she looks at you? She’s always smiling, her eyes are sparkling. That’s not just ‘liking’ someone. She was definitely about to tell you she has feelings for you. But honestly, after the way you brushed her off tonight, I wouldn’t blame her if she’s done with you.”
Akiteru stands up, shaking his head.
“If I were you, I’d leave her alone for now. Give her some time.”
Tsukishima looks up at his brother again.
she has feelings for him? Why would she feel anything for someone like him?
Akiteru turns to leave. Just before closing the door, he pauses and looks back at his brother, who’s staring at him questioningly.
“Oh, and that weird feeling in your chest… Tsukki, that’s called love.”
His voice is quiet, his expression serious as he shuts the door.
“Love?” Tsukishima mutters to himself.
He flops back onto his bed and grabs his phone from the nightstand. He stares at his wallpaper for a long time.
The photo is from just under two weeks ago. The three of you—him, you, and Yamaguchi—were at the marketplace grabbing food. You’d found dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets and ordered them. Grinning like an idiot, you made the two dino-nuggets “fight” while Tsukishima looked annoyed into the camera. Yamaguchi thought the moment was hilarious and snapped the picture, then sent it to both of you.
With a sad little smile, he gently knocks the phone against his forehead.
“So that’s what they call love, huh?” he murmurs.
“How uncool of me…”
A few minutes later he sets the phone aside and tries with his thoughts still full of you to fall asleep.
The next week passes faster than you expected. Daichi had noticed something was weighing on you and tried his best to distract you whether it was extra tasks during practice or casual chats between sets. All the while, your thoughts kept circling back to Tsukishima. You had no sense that he was thinking about you the same way.
During training he acted completely normal. If anything, he seemed a little more withdrawn headphones on more often, walking home alone more frequently. But the two of you hadn’t really spoken. You didn’t want to bother him, and he… well, how were you supposed to know why he wasn’t reaching out?
Today you have a practice match against Nekoma, and the boys are fired up, determined to win. Even Tsukishima looks focused, ready to take the game seriously.
“Well, well, if it isn’t four eyes Tsukki himself. I’m really looking forward to seeing those blocks of yours today, Tsukki,” a tall, dark-haired guy grins, leaning in close.
“Kuroo! Stop calling me that. Annoying…” Tsukishima hisses as Kuroo approaches.
“Hey and who are you?” Kuroo turns to you next, eyes lighting up.
“Hi, I’m The new manager for Karasuno’s volleyball team,” you introduce yourself with a smile.
“Why do other schools always get the hot managers?” he mutters under his breath, then flashes a goofy grin. “I’ll take that as a compliment. Thanks,” you reply, raising an eyebrow and grinning back.
“You’re fun. Wanna hang out later if you’re free?” he whispers still loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
“Okay, that’s enough, Kuroo. Let’s start the match,” Tsukishima snaps, irritated, and yanks Kuroo away by the arm. The game begins.
It’s shaping up to be intense. The first set is tied at 23–23, and Nekoma has the serve.
The ball rockets back and forth at breakneck speed between the teams. It returns to Nekoma’s side again. Your team looks a little rattled, still positioned in their half.
“It’s a feint!” Daichi suddenly shouts.
Tsukishima, closest to the net, dives forward to try to touch the ball and keep the point from going to the opponents. His fingers graze it
but the sharp sound of the ball hitting his hand is immediately drowned out by a sickening thud.
Tsukishima’s head slams into the left net post. He collapses and lies motionless. His blond hair slowly stains red beneath him, blood pooling on the floor.
Without thinking, your body moves. You sprint toward him.
Just before you reach him, two strong arms wrap around you from behind, holding you back.
You look up, frantic, into Kuroo’s face as he gently but firmly pulls you away.
“Hey, kid, you shouldn’t go over there right now. That’s not something innocent eyes like yours need to see. Look your team captain’s already handling it. Just stay calm and go sit back on the bench, okay?”
His hand rubs soothing circles on your back as he speaks.
“O-Okay,” you stammer, legs shaky. With Kuroo’s help you make it back to the bench and sink down.
The coach has already called an ambulance. It arrives within minutes and takes Tsukishima away.
“could you go with Sugawara to the hospital and see if the doctors can tell you anything about his condition?” Coach Ukai asks, voice calm but laced with worry.
“Yeah…” you whisper, still dazed, eyes fixed on the exit.
The coach calls Sugawara over and explains. Sugawara nods understandingly, then holds out his hand so you can steady yourself against him. Still unsteady on your feet, you hold on tight as the two of you head toward the bus stop to get to the hospital.
An hour later you arrive. A doctor gives you the update Tsukishima is fine. He has a mild concussion and a cut on his head that needed stitches. He should be discharged in one or two days.
Relief crashes over you so hard that your knees buckle and you sink to the floor. Sugawara asks for the room number and whether you can visit. The doctor gives it to you, and you head that way.
“Do you want to go in alone,” Sugawara asks with a gentle smile.
You hesitate, then nod.
“Okay. I’ll wait out here for you.”
He sits on a chair in the hallway. You take one deep breath, steel yourself, and push open the door to Tsukishima’s room.
He’s still sleeping… but you can clearly see the steady rise and fall of his chest. Relief floods through you as you sink into the chair beside his bed. Your hands clench into fists, and suddenly the tears come hot and unstoppable. You’re so glad he’s more or less okay.
You’re so lost in crying that you don’t notice at first when two arms wrap around you from behind, gently pulling you down toward Tsukishima.
“Don’t look like that… Everything’s fine.”
At the sound of his voice you look up with wide, glassy eyes and meet his faint, narrow smile.
“Tsukki!” escapes you, and fresh tears spill down your cheeks.
Carefully he brushes them away with his thumbs, trying to calm you.
“How uncool of me… letting you cry like this,” he sighs sadly, never breaking eye contact.
“I… we were all worried. I came because Coach Ukai thought someone should check on you. The doctor said you’ll be discharged in a day or two. That’s good. I… I should go now. The guys are probably waiting for news.”
You say it, inwardly cursing yourself for the half-lie. You’d rather stay longer much longer but you can’t.
“… can we talk?”
He looks at you seriously.
“If you want. But let’s talk when you’re out of here. You need to rest now.”
You stand up.
“Okay,” he mumbles quietly.
You leave the room without looking back.
“Everything alright?” Sugawara asks, giving you a thoughtful look.
“Yeah. He’s doing okay overall. Let’s head back to the others.”
You force a smile, and the two of you leave the hospital.
When you reach the gym, the match is already over. Nekoma won by a very narrow margin. But no one looks happy everyone’s still worried about Tsukishima until you tell them he’s fine and should be out in a couple of days.
One by one the boys’ faces relax. You say goodbye to your opponents.
Still shaken from everything, you’re about to head home when Daichi says he’ll walk you.
“Everything okay with you?” he asks thoughtfully.
“Yeah… I think so. No, actually not really,” you correct yourself.
“It’s about Tsukishima, isn’t it?”
Of course it is, you think.
“Sure. He got hurt. That makes you worry, Daichi,” you reply, a touch sarcastic.
“It’s not just the injury, is it? Want to go for a walk tomorrow and talk about it?”
He pulls you close with his right arm, holding you steady.
“Okay…” you sigh, leaning against his chest.
At home you say goodbye to him, skip dinner, go straight to your room, collapse onto the bed and fall into a deep sleep within seconds.
Ring-ring. Your alarm jolts you awake.
Groaning, you shut it off and rub your eyes. Still half-asleep, you stumble to the bathroom and get ready for your walk with Daichi. You can already hear him chatting with your sister in the hallway, so you hurry.
No time for a nice ponytail again. You just leave your hair down.
“Hey, You look good,” he greets you warmly.
“Thanks,” you mutter, quickly pulling him outside and away from your sister. The two of you start walking toward the park.
You tell him everything how much you like Tsukishima, how close you’d gotten, and how badly the fight hurt.
“I don’t think Tsukishima even realized those other girls were flirting. He’s smart, sure, but when it comes to stuff like that, he’s probably clueless. Maybe you should just be straight with him. Tell him directly how you feel no beating around the bush. I can imagine he has feelings for you too. But Tsukishima’s too proud to admit something like that to himself, I think.”
Hands in his pockets, he looks up at the sky.
Maybe he’s right. Maybe you should just go for it and tell Tsukishima exactly what you feel.
“When he’s out of the hospital, I’ll go to his house and talk to him,” you say decisively, also gazing upward.
“Thanks, Daichi. Talking to you really hel—”
You’re cut off mid-sentence as Tsukishima suddenly storms past between you and Daichi, shoulder-checking him hard enough that Daichi stumbles sideways to keep his balance.
“Tsukishima?” you call after him, confused.
He doesn’t hear you headphones on, music blasting loud enough for you to catch the muffled beat.
Completely baffled, you look at Daichi, who just shrugs.
“Maybe he just got discharged?” he wonders aloud.
You want to run after him, but you decide to let him get home first and settle in. So the two of you take one more short loop through the park before you head to Tsukishima’s mother’s house.
When you arrive, neither her car nor Akiteru’s is in the driveway. Is Tsukishima even home?
“Whatever. Just ring the bell,” you tell yourself, and press it.
After a while you hear footsteps in the hallway. The door opens a crack.
“What do you want?” Tsukishima snaps.
“I… wanted to talk.”
Intimidated, you take a small step back.
“About what?”
His voice is cold and angry. You don’t understand where the anger is coming from.
“I have something important to say, and I want you to listen. Can I come in?”
You straighten up and meet his eyes determinedly.
“Can’t you just say it out here?”
Still cold, he opens the door another inch.
“No!” you reply, almost too forcefully.
He narrows his eyes, studies you for a second, then opens the door fully and gestures you inside.
He walks into the living room and drops onto the sofa. You follow silently.
“Well?” he demands, locking eyes with you.
“Well… I wanted to talk because you’re really important to me.”
You inwardly cringe.… that’s not exactly “being direct about your real feelings.”
“I’m important to you? And Sawamura? What about him? Is he important too?”
His voice rises, furious, as he stands up and steps right in front of you.
“You always wear your hair in a ponytail, but at the museum you had it down once. I told you it looked good and today I see you with Sawamura and look… hair down again. Were you trying to impress him? What’s going on between you and Sawamura anyway? You two seem to have spent a lot of time together last week.”
He hisses the words, reaching out to catch a strand of your hair. It slips through his fingers.
You stare at him, eyes wide with shock.
What in the world is he talking about?
“What? I just didn’t have time for a ponytail today because Daichi was already at our house and why I spent so much time with him? Because of you! You have no idea how much it hurt when you started ignoring me. He was just there for me, trying to cheer me up. Daichi’s just a good friend nothing more. Last time I was here I wanted to tell you I have feelings for you, but you kept looking at me like you wanted nothing to do with me. I didn’t want you to hate me!”
You shout it at him, feeling the heat rush to your eyes. You fight back the tears and keep staring straight into his.
Now he’s the one looking stunned, completely speechless.
“You… what?” His words come out quiet, his expression unreadable.
“I’m an idiot… my brother was right,” he sighs, sinking back onto the sofa.
You look down at him, puzzled, unsure what to say.
Hesitantly he opens his mouth and tells you everything he once told Akiteru.
“I can’t think about anything but you. When I saw you in the hospital, I just wanted to feel your soft skin against mine. I don’t know what you do to me, but I don’t want it to stop. When I was walking home and saw you with Sawamura… I wanted to rip you away from him and drag you with me. I was so angry at him. I’ve never felt like that before… I’ve never been so obsessed with anyone. How embarrassing…” He sighs again.
“But whatever this is when I see you. it stopped being just friendship a long time ago. I’ve finally admitted that to myself. Izumi… I’ve fallen in love with you.”
He mutters the last part quietly, looking away. His face is flushed, and you feel the same warmth blooming across your own cheeks. Your heart is pounding wildly you have no idea how to respond.
Words fail you, so you step closer and settle onto his lap. Hesitantly you cup his face in both hands and look into his eyes.
“Tsukki? I’ve fallen in love with you too. And it’s not embarrassing. I think it’s pretty amazing.”
A tender smile spreads across your face as you speak. He gazes deeply into your hazel eyes. Everything goes still; the only sound is your racing heartbeat echoing in your ears.
Is it making him uncomfortable that you’re sitting on his lap? You start to stand, but he grabs your waist and pulls you even closer. His face already red now practically glows.
Slowly he leans in and presses a brief, soft kiss to your lips before pulling back.
You want more. You lean in and kiss him back. His kisses grow gentler, more affectionate. The hands that were gripping your waist loosen and slide lower, resting on your hips. A low groan escapes him, and what started tender turns deeper, hungrier.
Your tongues meet everything inside you trembles. You slide one hand from his face into his soft, wavy hair.
“Tsukki…” you moan against his mouth, feeling his familiar arrogant little smirk curve against your lips.
Still holding you, he stands from the sofa and kisses down your neck.
“Let’s go upstairs, my little crow,” he whispers in your ear.
You disappear into his room together. He drops you onto the bed and barely gives you time to breathe before his lips are on yours again.
“Tsukki, I love you,” you breathe between kisses, looking into his eyes.
“Kei… I want you to call me Kei, my little crow.”
His voice is calm, but there’s a quiet, commanding edge beneath it.
You hold his gaze.
“Kei… I love you.”
You correct yourself, and that arrogant grin returns.
“Very good. I love you too.”
He answers, eyes dropping to your flushed lips before he kisses you again.
You spend the rest of the evening wrapped up in each other, trading soft touches and lazy kisses. In the middle of the night you curl up together and start Jurassic Park, arms around each other until you drift off in his embrace.
A week has passed since you and Tsukishima got together. You both agreed to keep it quiet for now no big announcements. Only your families know.
Today was another tough practice, and Coach Ukai treated everyone to dinner afterward as a reward. You all wrote down what you wanted to eat and drink; you took the list up front to give it to the kitchen.
On your way back to the table, Hinata approaches, looking shy and staring at the floor.
“Hey… do you have plans after this?”
He’s probably asking for extra spiking practice and needs someone to toss for him. You’re about to answer when he glances up nervously.
“Actually… never mind. It’s not important. I’ve got something anyway. I’m gonna head back now.”
He hurries off and hides behind Tanaka.
What’s gotten into him? you wonder, stifling a grin.
“Don’t spend too much time with Hinata. Especially not when I’m not around.”
Tsukishima’s voice suddenly appears right behind you.
“Kei!”
You jump and spin around. Now you get why Hinata looked so intimidated. Tsukishima towers over you like an annoyed giant on someone as small as Hinata, that glare must be terrifying.
“Let’s go back to the others,” he mutters, sounding mildly irritated.
You follow him.
It doesn’t take long for the food to arrive. Everything looks amazing and one side dish makes you especially smile. You’d asked the owner if they had dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, and somehow miraculously they did.
You take two and place them on Tsukishima’s plate.
“Look, Kei. I ordered these for you. You liked them so much last time at the market.”
You beam at him, completely focused on his reaction so focused you don’t notice the rest of the team staring with wide, shocked eyes.
“Thanks. That’s sweet of you.”
He gives you a soft, genuine smile.
Now the boys are truly lost.
“W… Did… Did Tsukishima just smile? Is he having a stroke or something?” Hinata blurts out, bewildered.
Still smiling, Tsukishima leans forward and presses a gentle, loving kiss to your lips.
Your cheeks heat up he’s doing this right in front of everyone but it also makes you happy.
“WHAAAAT! What just happened?! Did Tsukishima just kiss her?!”
Hinata is in full meltdown mode. Nishinoya and Tanaka immediately join in, shouting in disbelief.
Everyone except Daichi and Sugawara looks floored. The two of them just exchange knowing smiles they’d already figured it out.
While Hinata continues loudly trying to process reality, you simply look at Tsukishima. He rests his warm hand on your thigh and leans in close.
“I love you, How about we leave the guys a little early? I’ve got the house to myself again tonight.”
He grins at you.
You finish eating quickly, say goodbye to the team, and head off together to start your evening alone.
