#akayukie

She then she began to linger afterpractice. Taking her time cleaning up, idly exchanging politeconversation.

Nothing of true substance, really. Sheasked about his studies often, and his plans for university. Thingsthey may have shared before, during more casual chitchat.

Something about this didn’t feelparticularly casual to him, for some reason.

A lot of the time, Bokuto was withthem, ever eager to have anyone’s attention. He had a talent ofmoving along the conversation naturally, so at some point Akaashibegan to assume that, actually, Yukie just wanted to be around Bokutomore. This took some pressure off for a few days, and it seemed to betrue at first. Their banter was so easy, there was never any stumbleor hesitation. He’d rarely seen this side of her so it wasexceptionally obvious to him that Yukie could only be attracted toit.

But then the rare occasion occurredthat Bokuto was out sick for a couple of days, and Yukie continued tohang around him. Striking up conversation with him whenever theopportunity presented itself, and even going so far as poking fun athim – all as if Bokuto was still there. Or, more like, it nevermatter whether or not he had been to begin with.

Akaashi never expressed any sort ofdisinclination toward her, but more and more he found himselfconfused by it.

When Bokuto returned, Yukie playfullysaid, “Back so soon? We were having so much fun without you.”

“Knowing Akaashi,” he joked back,taking it exceptionally well as always, “I don’t doubt it.”

He wasn’t sure if he was being teased.At this point, he didn’t know much of anything anymore.

It wasn’t as if any of this wasunwelcome. He’d always liked Yukie on some level. She had a reallymellow personality that he’d always quite favored. A steady gaze, aslow and certain smile. The kind of presence that put one at ease. Heheld a similar kind of affection he could begrudgingly admit he heldfor Bokuto, for her.

But at one point or another, he had towonder at her intentions. If she simply wanted to be friends, shewould have expressed more interest in hanging out with them duringnon-extracurricular activities. He started to suggest it to Bokuto,who was more than happy to suggest it in turn to Yukie. But there wasalways an excuse as to why she couldn’t. And in the hallways when hespotted her, despite her always offering a smile and a nod, she nevercrossed over to talk. Not even to say hello.

He tried not to overthink it.

But then something weird happened, andAkaashi couldn’t properly internalize it.

In the middle of practice, his heartpounding so hard he felt it in his temples, wiping the sweat from hisupper lip – glancing, thoughtlessly, and catching her watchful gazefrom across the court. Her expression steady as ever.

It was an off day for him. Somewherebetween a stressful exam and a couple sleepless nights, he foundhimself struggling to concentrate during much of the school day orpractice. Mistake after mistake, and his punishment was to clean upafterwards. He was unhooking the net when he heard her, stepping outfrom the equipment room with a cart to collect the balls. They werethe only two left.

“Shirofuku-san?” he said, to whichshe smiled languidly. “What are you still doing here?”

“This is every night for me,” shesaid, coaxing the cart over to him. She took the other end of the netwith a hum. “You boys forget I’m your manager. I work, too.”

In all honesty, this was the firsttime in a long while he’d been asked to clean the gym afterward. Hadshe been assisting him back then, too? He took the bundled up netinto his arms. “No, of course not.”

“You seemed in a daze out there,”she commented, lifting her brows. “Are you doing okay?”

He found himself staring a littlelonger than usual, mulling over his response, and her smile onlywidened. Gently creasing the corners of her eyes.

“You seem tired, Akaashi.”

“I am,” he finally said, with asigh. “Very tired.”

He folded the net as she collected theballs, and together they put away the equipment and locked up for thenight. Their teacher waited, finishing up paperwork, and on his wayto the changing room she said, “Meet me at the front gate.”

He paused to look at her.

She shrugged at him as she walkedbackward, offering that same easy smile she always had beforespinning on her heel. “Walk me home.”

He changed in record time, mindful ofhers. By the entrance was a streetlight. She waited in its pool ofwarm yellow light, hugging her bag to her chest. She’d changed backinto her uniform, too, somehow more quickly than him. She fiddledwith the ends of her hair, pensive, but straightened when she foundhis gaze.

She beckoned him over. “Hungry? Iknow this place close by if you’re up for it.”

He hesitated, mostly out of surprise.

“Is that a no?” she asked, stillsmiling.

“No,” he said quickly. “I amhungry.”

The edges of her eyes creased, andthen she reached out to take his hand. Tugging him along behind her.“It’s on the corner. You’ll love it.”

Akaashi wasn’t sure how to respond,preoccupied by the way her fingers curled around his. She was swayingtheir joined hands, and when he matched her pace he noted a coupleacross the street – holding hands just as they were. He looked awayquickly. “I’m up for anything.”

She laughed a little, which feltoff-key to him. “I’ll pay,” she said flippantly, and then shothim a blithe look. “This time.”

“This time?”

“This time.”

The place on the corner was a simpleburger joint. One of those mom and pop shops. She found them a boothafter placing their orders, working through a shake as he took daintysips of his water.

He wasn’t sure what was more strangeto him, about this situation. He had never hung out with her outsideof school, except when it related to the club. He knew Bokuto had, afair number of times. But he could never consider his associationwith Yukie anywhere near the same level as hers with Bokuto. Theywere a mutable pair, so well-matched, he thought, it was hard todefine them sometimes.

Akaashi thought back to a previousconversations he’d observed, or had been involved in one way oranother, and felt a strange pang. He couldn’t pinpoint the emotion –whether envy or jealousy or something else – but all he could thinkabout was the way they looked at one another. Bokuto, as everinvolved as he always was, cracking into the biggest grin around her.And Yukie, with an affectionately exasperated look in her eyes,matching him beat for beat. Did it sometimes feel as if he wereintruding?

Did he sometimes think to himself thathe wished he had that sort of bond with someone?

When he found her eyes, she looked asif she somehow knew what he was thinking. “You’re over-analyzingeverything, Akaashi-kun,” she murmured softly. “I figured youneeded a pick-me-up. Just enjoy the moment.”

“Where do you live?” he askedsuddenly.

She jabbed a thumb over her shoulder.

The opposite direction from him.“Thank you for this,” he said instead. “You really didn’t haveto.”

“Hey, what’s better than free food,huh?”

As always, he was impressed by howquickly she got her own food down. She spent the rest of the mealpicking away at his fries, making small talk.

Some it was stuff they’ve spoken aboutbefore, some not. She, like Bokuto, had a talent for keepingconversation flowing. Never settling for a single topic for too long.Never running the risk of it going dry. When he struck her interest,her eyes would slide over his face smoothly, her head tiltingslightly.

He found himself enjoying having herundivided attention. It wasn’t very often that it happened in allhonesty.

As they began their walk to herneighborhood, she bumped her shoulder against him and asked, moregently, “What’s been bothering you today?”

It wasn’t anything simple enough forthis conversation, he thought. Exams were always the easiestexplanation – one which everyone accepted quickly enough – but hedidn’t think it would satisfy her. She watched him carefully, asalways. Her slow and certain gaze bearing into him in such a way, allhe could do was sigh and say, “I’m just…somewhat stressed outabout the future. I’m thinking of getting a part time job. I’mnot…completely sure where I’ll be going for college, so I just wantto have some experience for when I actually have to start beingindependent. You know, in case I have to move out somewhere.”

“I see,” she said evenly,prompting him further wordlessly.

“I… I’ve obviously thought aboutthis before, but it’s just weird having it play out before me likethis. It came faster than I thought.”

“You’re a year away fromgraduating,” she reminded him. “You have time to think about it.”

“I’m not sure,” he saiddoubtfully, staring ahead of them. “Watching you – andBokuto-san, of course – made me realize it’s closer than it seems.You know, he’s not really making any real plans, and he should be. Hereally should.”

“He’s Kou,” she waved off with asmile. “Don’t worry about him. He’ll figure something out.”

“I can’t helpworrying, Shirofuku-san,” Akaashi stressed to her, looking at heras they walked. “This is his last year. And then it’ll be mylast year – ”

“Jeez,”she said. She skipped forward a step, and then swung in front of himsuddenly, her hand taking a hold of his arm firmly.

Hecame to a quick, skittering halt. “Shiro – ”

Herother hand slowly came up to take his other arm, holding him still.

Hefroze entirely.

Yukiecrowded in on him, which felt ridiculous enough as it was. She was ahead or so shorter than him. He was forced to tuck his chin in tomaintain any sort of eye contact. He quickly turned his face away,avoiding this. All this, and she still said, “Look at me, Keiji.”

“I– ” he hesitated, surprised. She’d never used his given namebefore. He did as she said.

“You’reallowed to enjoy yourself,” she said slowly. “Stop stressingyourself out over things that haven’t happened yet.”

Heswallowed hard. “Oh… Okay.”

“Startstressing out next year,” she joked, stepping back. But not lettinggo entirely.

Hefelt himself laugh a little, and was surprised at himself when hesaid, “But you won’t be here next year. What if I have anotherbreakdown?”

Shelaughed with him. “I’ll always be here for you,” she said simply,and unfortunately left it at that. She released his arms andcontinued onward toward her neighborhood.

Hefollowed soon after, wrung with disbelief.

“Andabout Kou,” she said idly. “I know he doesn’t look like itsometimes, but he knows what he’s doing. He’s had a plan since I methim. Doesn’t look to me like he’s planning on changing course anytime soon. Don’t you worry about him. Not when it comes to this.”

Akaashistared ahead, hands stuffed into his pockets. Thinking. Alwaysthinking. He looked down again as he finally said, “Shirofuku-san…”

“Hm?”

Toolate now to not ask. “Do you…like Bokuto-san?”

“Well,sure,” she said, easily. With no thought behind it.

Hescratched behind his ear. “Oh.”

“Why?”she asked around a chuckle. “Are you planning on overthrowing himas captain and need my input?”

Whenhe didn’t answer, she stopped to look at him.

Andwhen he still didn’t say anything, she cocked her head. “Are youasking if I like, like Kou?”

Heavoided her look. “No?”

“Kouhas the emotional availability of a log,”she deadpanned, hands on her hips. “I think it would be a very,very long time beforeanyone can catch his eye.”

Akaashi’sbrow furrowed. “So –”

“No,”she said, exasperated. And then feigned rethinking it. “I mean. Ifhe was into the idea, I wouldn’t be against it.”

Akaashismoothed a hand over the back of his head, nodding. “Okay – ”

“I’mkidding,” she cut him off. “Why do you care?”

Thishe couldn’t explain. He reached for his tie, fixing it needlessly.“I… I noticed how you two act together and thought maybe therewas something there.”

“No,”she said smoothly, unfazed.

Hesighed. “It was just a question.”

Theycontinued on in mostly silence, arriving at her home much morequickly than he had expected. “This is me,” she said, turning tohim expectantly. “Thanks for walking me home.”

“Thanksfor…the food,” he said, unceremoniously.

Shesmiled. “It’s nothing.”

Thenthey just stood there, wordless. After a few moments, she bid himgoodnight and turned to enter through the front gate of her home,when he suddenly said, “I – I would like to hang out againsometime.”

Shelooked at him, smiling curiously. “Would you?”

Akaashibowed his head, embarrassed at her reaction. Was it so obvious toher? “I… I like our conversations. I would like to be friends. Ifthat’s okay.”

Hereyes flickered as she laughed. “I like our talks, too.”

Therewas a moment in which she was just smiling at him, almost softly.Almost fondly. It made his throat feel dry.

“I’dlike to hang out more often, too,” she finally said. “How aboutthis weekend?”

“Oh…Yeah, okay,” he said, astounded.

“Yourtreat this time,” she said quickly, pointing at him sharply.

“Oh,yeah. My treat.”

Shesmiled again. “It’s a date then.”

“Yea– Oh, what?”

“It’sa date,” she affirmed, and his mouth snapped shut. “Goodnight,Keiji.”

“G…Goodnight,” he mumbled as she slipped into her home. He stood a fewmoments longer, alone, absorbing what she’d said. And then he wasjogging home, struggling with how to feel about it. He considered theentirety of tonight, reevaluating himself and everything that hadbeen said.

Andfinally, finally, settled on the thought that maybe the reason thatYukie had been spending so much time around him, specifically, wasbecause she actually liked him.

Hefelt his chest twist with anxiety at the thought.

But,truth be told, he felt a little relieved, too.

Whenhe got home that night, it was to a text from Bokuto saying: Didyou really ask Yukie if she had a crush on me? Are you blind??