#kaede xreader

For about a year and a half now, it had become a tradition to play friendly matches together. The School Sports Association wanted to use this to encourage exchanges between schools. This year, Kainan had been drawn against Shohoku. Secretly, you were looking forward to it a little. It was going to be a very entertaining weekend.

___ _ _ _

The way he walked toward the water coolers despite there being one significantly closer to him. You pretended not to notice. For you, it was more fun that way.

“Manager,”His voice was low and flat as usual.

You looked up slowly,“Rukawa.”

Kiyota looked personally offended that you knew his name. Rukawa stood there silently for a moment,“…You analyzed our Sannoh game.”

Not a question.

“You noticed?” you asked. He stared at you. That was answer enough. Of course he noticed, it was Kaede...golden boy of the Shohoku basketball club. Rukawa noticed basketball the way predators noticed movement of their prey.

“I liked your rotation prediction,” he said. Kiyota made a choking noise somewhere in the background. You tilted your head slightly,grinning,“Only liked? I feel offended”

Rukawa blinked once, clearly not expecting teasing from you,“It was accurate.”

There it was. High praise, at least in the weird "Rukawa language". You hummed softly. “Then I’m honored.”

He stayed there. Not leaving, not speaking either. He was just standing there. Beside your table with all the conversational abilities of a brick wall.

You waited patiently, curious to see what would happen next. Even though your analysis of the situation had already suggested a possible next step of his. This had become a pattern recently. Rukawa would appear near you for increasingly ridiculous reasons.

Borrowing tape he clearly didn’t need. Or asking for game notes he already memorized. And another time he was standing suspiciously close during joint practices. Once, he even sat beside you for nearly twenty minutes in complete silence while you organized stat sheets.

You’d timed him. Today, apparently, his strategy was staring. It was new, refreshing and it was absolutely no use if you wanted to grow closer to someone you really liked.

“You’re trying very hard lately,” you said casually. His eyes narrowed slightly,“At what?”

It was cute, you thouhgt,“Getting my attention.”

Dead silence. Across the gym, Kiyota sensed drama and immediately stopped stretching. Rukawa looked at you for a long moment,“…Is it working?”

You nearly laughed. Not because it was smooth, because it was so painfully direct. So completely Rukawa. You just knew him so well. And sometimes even you were surprised by the extent of it. He was just so full of blunt honesty, that was delivered with the emotional expression of a housecat.

You rested your chin lightly against your hand,“I noticed weeks ago.”

Rukawa looked genuinely caught off guard,“…Oh.”

“And,” you continued calmly, “I wanted to see how long it would take before you realized I knew.”

Another pause. Then, unexpectedly, the faintest hint of annoyance crossed his face,“You’re mean.”

You smiled properly this time. Kiyota gasped in horror from across the court,“Y/n-SENPAI CAN SMILE?!”

Neither of you acknowledged him. Rukawa studied your expression carefully, like he was memorizing it,“You’re different when you smile.”

“Most people are,” you laughed.

“Hn,”There was that look again. The one he always got during games. Weirdly focused and so full of intent. Rather studying. Except now it was completely focused entirely at you. And to be honest, it should’ve been unsettling. As you didnt like attention that much. But instead, you found it strangely endearing. It was lovely to know that I was seen in that way.

“You like smart girls,” you observed.

"Yes,”No hesitation.

"And you think I’m smart," you teased him further.

“Yes.”

Again, immediate. You tapped your pen lightly against your clipboard,“You’re straightforward.”

“You hate dishonesty,” he defended himself. You paused. Interesting. Not many people noticed things about you. You looked at him more carefully then. Rukawa wasn’t very socially skilled. Everyone knew that. But him being observant? Terrifyingly so. Of course he’d notice.

He watched games down to foot placement and breathing patterns. Human behavior wasn’t that different. “You’ve been observing me too,” you said softly.

“Hn,”A tiny confession from the outside, but a huge deal coming from Rukawa. You looked away first this time, hiding your amusement. Oh he was such a dangerous boy. “You know,” you murmured, “most people try harder to impress girls they like.”

“I am.”

Your brows lifted. Rukawa nodded toward the clipboard in your hands,“I asked Akagi for your defensive notes from the Shoyo match.”

That was actually devastatingly effective, because he understood. Flowers wouldn’t impress you most likely, he figured as much. But valuing your mind? Using your strategies seriously? Listening when you spoke about basketball and what you had to say about it?

That mattered. It mattered to you, so it mattered to him. Also it helped that it was basketball, because honestly what did the boy care about other than his sport. And somehow this quiet, basketball-obsessed boy had figured it out. Had figured you out. You exhaled slowly through your nose,“…That was clever.”

A tiny shift in his expression. It was satisfaction. He was proud of himself. Like he’d just scored. Cute. Very cute.

___ _ _ _

Practice resumed around you both, noisy and chaotic again, but neither of you moved immediately. Then Rukawa spoke quietly,“You’re graduating soon.”

Not a question, but you nodded,“Mm.”

“I don’t like that.”

Your heart betrayed you with one stupid little flutter. There was something unfair about the way he spoke. Simple truths delivered with complete sincerity. You closed your clipboard,“Then you’ll have to make good use of the time left, won’t you?”