#kitabread

"Here's your change, come again!"

"Thanks, Osamu!"

The grey-haired boy smiled, setting the cash aside and sanitizing his hands quickly.

His most recent costumer ran over to her friends at a nearby bench. She hummed happily, biting into her taiyaki. "Who needs the stores off campus when we have Osamu's stall?"

Her friends nod. "And even if we're on the other side of campus, we can just go to Isabella's stall. There's great food options on either side, we're so lucky!"

That made Osamu's ears perk up. Another stall on the other side of campus? This was the first he'd ever heard of it. All his classes were on this side, a factor he considered when thinking of where to place his stall. Competition, huh?

"I must get to the bottom of this." He said, fishing his phone out of his pocket. Before he could do anything, however, the person he meant to call suddenly showed up.

Atsumu sauntered into the cramped space of the stall, helping himself to Osamu's product and placing a recently assembled yakitori skewer on the grill. Not before washing his hands, of course. Osamu would place him onto a skewer next otherwise.

"You have to pay for that."

"Put it on my tab." Atsumu flipped his food with a smirk, knowing his brother was scowling at the back of his head at the mention of imaginary 'tab' that seems to never get any payments made to it. "By the way, has Hima come by today?"

Osamu sighed. Why did Atsumu insist on asking about the girl he's in love with if he refused to confess his feelings? Everyday he had the same routine: Stare at her in class like some creep, then come to his stall and ask if she's ordered anything while he steals from the stall reserves. "Yes. She came and ordered some yakitori and onigiri."

Atsumu hummed. "We're eating the same thing, it's meant to be." He said dreamily.

"Not if you never grow a pair and tell her how you feel." Osamu watched as Atsumu sat at his stool to eat as if he owned the place. "Actually, now that you're sitting here and will be for a while, I need you to watch the stall for a bit."

Atsumu side-eyed him. "I knew there was a catch when you didn't protest as much as usual at me cooking my meal." He sighed. "Where are you off to, anyway?"

"Have you ever been to that stall on the other side of campus?"

"Oh, Isa's stall? Yeah, sometimes, why?"

Osamu pinched the bridge of his nose. "And why haven't you said anything?"

"Didn't think it was such a big deal." Atsumu shrugged. "It's far enough from here, it's completely different food. You guys bring different benefits to campus."

"What kind of food is it?"

"Latin cuisine of some kind, not sure. Isa's an exchange student, so probably her favorite dishes from back home. Wait, are you going over there to snoop around her stall? You're making me watch your stall because you're jealous?"

Osamu took his apron off, grabbing his black cap from the coat rack. "Put some more skewers on the grill. Class is almost over, so there should be a rush soon."

"This is ridiculous! You can't be serious!"

Osamu peeked back into the stall. "Do it, or I'm telling Hima about every entry about her in your diary."

Atsumu jumped to his feet. "You wouldn't."

"Try me."

"You know, on second thought, I should get started on a few pancakes while I'm at it."

"That's what I thought." And with that, Osamu was off.

"Grumpy brute, how did he even find that diary anyway?" Atsumu mumbled, stirring the batter retrieved from the fridge.

"Hi! Welcome back! Just the usual?"

"Yup! Thanks, Isa!"

"Sure, my pleasure!" The raven-haired girl flashed a dazzling smile as she spread various ingredients on a flour tortilla. Osamu watched as she worked through a growing line of hungry students with ease. The food smelled good, that he couldn't deny. He noticed some of her dishes came on small, round trays with mini cutlery. At least my stall has an advantage of being fully handheld foods, he thought to himself. In a mocking act of betrayal, his stomach growled fiercely. He sighed. Well, part of reconnaissance is testing, right? it's only fair he gets a taste before making any final judgments.

Pulling his cap tighter, he made his way to the now dwindling line.

"Hi! I don't think we've met. Is this your first time at my stall?" A cheerful voice asked.

Osamu looked up and nearly forgot his mission. His grey eyes stared straight into hers, a luminous brown pair.

Her long black hair, tied back tightly, threatened to break free from her clear claw clip. Her sparkly eyeshadow complimented those mahogany eyes. And then her lips, god, her lips were adorned by a glittery fuchsia gloss that Osamu struggled to pry his gaze from.

She tilted her head, confused by his prolonged silence. "I'm Isabella, an exchange student from Honduras. I know the food is foreign, so how about I explain the menu for you? My most popular item would be the baleadas, which is a flour tortilla with a mashed bean spread, eggs, cheese, and cream. You can also add additional protein if you'd like. Then we have pupusas, which is cornmeal stuffed with things like cheese and pork rinds. I switch up the fillings for these sometimes. Churrasco con tajadas is steak with fried green banana, this dish is good if you have time to sit and have a more filling meal. Then enchiladas consists of a fried corn tortilla with ground beef, boiled egg, cabbage, and cheese on top. Then, I have a beverage called horchata which is a refreshing drink made with rice, cinnamon and sugar. Does any of that sound like something you might want to try?" She asked, flashing that smile at him.

"Wow, you do a lot here. And you really take care to showcase your foods from back home." He said.

"Thank you so much! I'm grateful for the opportunity to live and go to school here, but it's important to never forget where I came from."

Osamu smiled. Maybe another stall on campus wasn't a bad thing like he once thought it was. "I think I'll have that steak dish you mentioned. And a drink, please."

She nodded. "Coming right up! Oh right, I didn't catch your name earlier. What are you going to school for?" She grabbed a fresh tray and opened a container where she kept the steaks she just made.

"Oh, it's Osamu. Osamu Miya. I'm a Business and Entrepreneurship major." He watched as she quickly heated up some oil and set down some pre-cut banana slices.

"Oh nice! I'm a Marketing major minoring in Japanese, which is why I'm here. I hope you don't mind a bit of a wait, the fried banana tastes best fresh."

"That's fine with me," Osamu shook his head. "but, do you ever get impatient people? I can't imagine every customer is okay with waiting."

"Hmmm, yeah, sometimes. But I've decided I don't want to compromise on quality, even if people insist they would order the dish more often if I prioritized speed. It's not all bad though, sometimes people will even text or call to let me know that they will be ordering so I can get started early. Even without that, lots of people don't mind waiting, and I have plenty of ready to serve options."

Osamu blinked, seemingly in a daze. Had he finally met his match? Another person that insisted on fresh, made to order food like him? He almost couldn't believe it.

"Here you are! Any condiments you might want are on the side here, let me know if you need anything else while I pour your drink."

Osamu tried not to come off as hungry as he felt, cutting into the steak. Well, he tried to cut into the steak, but it practically cut itself from how tender the meat was. It was perfectly medium well, a nice middle ground for both medium rare and well done lovers alike. And then, Osamu took a bite.

"Well, how is it?" Isa asked, although she received no response.

Osamu was at awe with the amount of flavor packed in just that one bite. The different flavors of saffron, garlic, oregano, and something else he couldn't quite put his finger on. They all melded together beautifully on a steak so tender it just melts in your mouth.

"Oh my god." Was all he said.

"Hopefully that's a good thing?" Isabella laughed.

"Isa, I have a confession."

"It's a food stall, Osamu, not your local church."

Osamu ignored the remark. "I actually run the other stall on campus, and I came to scope out my competition."

"Oh?" She quipped an eyebrow. "And now that you've scoped, what do you think?" She asked, eyes full of mischief.

"I think I want to close up shop and eat here for the rest of my academic career."

Osamu sat down at his stool after the lunch rush, wiping his forehead with his rag. With midterms slowly approaching, orders were getting bigger and more frequent as students are coming together for study groups and less students are leaving campus to optimize their time. He leaned against the fridge door, closing his eyes for a second.

"Is this a food stall or a sleeping pod?"

Osamu curiously opened one eye to see Isabella standing at the counter with that million-dollar smile of hers on full display.

He chuckled, sitting up straight and rubbing the back of his neck, "Cut me some slack, will you? Can't believe you have time to come crack jokes."

"Perks of having a stall in the opposite direction of the campus library. I haven't had any customers past the late morning all week." She giggled. "The customers are all yours until after midterms, my treat."

"Wow, I'm so honored." He said, leaning against the counter. "Can I get you anything?"

"Hmm, I think I'll have the yakitori and a taiyaki."

"Is there a specific filling you want on that taiyaki?"

"Surprise me."

He nodded. "Just don't cause a scene if you don't like it."

"What kind of culinary connoisseur do you think I am? I would never." She exclaimed, a playful smirk on her face.

Osamu got started on her order, careful to not let her see what filling he chose. If she wanted to be surprised, then he was gonna surprise her.

"What brings you to this side of campus? Library?"

"That, and I was curious about your stall."

"Oh? Your turn for reconnaissance work?"

"Is that what you call it?" She tilted her head.

He chuckled, choosing not to answer and instead hand her a skewer. "Your taiyaki is coming right up."

She took a bite. "Ouuu, that's good."

"Yeah?"

She nodded. "The balance between sweet and savory in the glaze, and the chicken is so juicy. I gotta come here more often."

He smiled. "Well, you're always welcome." Turning around, he bagged her taiyaki with some napkins. "Here's the rest of your order, enjoy."

Isa took a bite, gasping as she peeked into the crust. "Salmon? Oh, wait. MISO Salmon!"

Osamu laughed. "Surprised?"

She leaned back a bit. "That filling isn't even on the menu!"

"Nope, just something I whip up for me and my brother since we mostly eat here during the week. Had I not grabbed the salmon, my next choice would've been yakisoba."

Her eyes widened. "Noodles in a pastry? I DEFINITELY have to try that."

"I'll make it for you one day. It's pretty filling, so maybe not the best to eat after eating two other things."

"You said only you and your brother eat this filling? Have you eaten yet?"

"What, you mean with all my free time?" He smiled. "No, not yet."

"Osamu, it's nearly 3PM!"

"I know, I'll eat in a bit."

Tearing a piece off the fish-shaped pastry, she extended it towards the taller man, careful not to spill the filling. "Here."

"What? No, eat your food. You bought it."

"Hurry up before I drop it." She giggled.

Leaning down on the counter, Osamu reached out and nabbed the food out of her hand, careful not to graze her fingers with his teeth. "There, happy?"

She hummed. "For now." She perked up. "Actually, since you haven't had a meal yet and you shared your off menu items with me, come with me to the stall. I'll whip something up for you."

"Isabella, really, you don't have to do that-"

"I want to. Come on." She said, squeezing his hand.

He sighed. "Sadly, I can't just leave the stall-"

"Don't worry, I'm here. You go ahead. Hi Isa." Atsumu said from the doorway. The poor guy looked stricken ever since his anonymous proclamation of love was aired and heard by the majority of the campus. Despite that, he still had yet to directly admit his feelings to the one that mattered, and Osamu could tell it was eating him up inside. As much as he felt for his twin, he also knew this was just the repercussions of his actions.

"Give me a sec, I'll be right out." Osamu said, taking off his apron and hanging it up. As he slipped past his brother, the blond said "You know I saw that. And you call me the lover boy."

"I'm sorry, is Himari here feeding you taiyaki?" Osamu asked, laughing as he was pushed out the door.

Once the pair arrived at Isa's stall, she instructed Osamu to sit down, quickly washing her hands.

As the girl zipped around the small kitchen, Osamu began to smell an enticing aroma he couldn't quite put his finger on. It smelled savory, but somehow also sweet and even tropical.

"Tada!" She said, setting a plate down in front of the grey-haired man. "An off-the-menu Honduran delicacy!"

Osamu scanned the plate haphazardly before shoving a spoonful in his mouth. He chewed, paused, then chewed again. He looked back at the plate. It was clearly a beans and rice dish, but there was something else. "Is there coconut in here?"

She smiled. "Coconut milk. It's a cultural dish,usually eaten with fried fish, but out here I just eat it with whatever I have on hand. For you right now, that's sausage."

Osamu shook his head. "Getting to know so much about your background through your food is so cool. Just eating here feels like a learning experience."

"Wow, no one's ever said that before. That means a lot." She zeroed in on the plate, suddenly feeling too shy to look up. "It also helps to cook foods from home when I miss my family."

"Is all your family still in Honduras?"

"Mostly. My mom, dad, and brother. My brother might be coming soon, though. He got into the next wave of exchange students, so maybe you can meet him.I think you two would get along."

"Yeah, sure, let me know when he's in town and we can all hang out." He said, setting his fork down. "That was amazing, Isa. Thank you. I didn't realize how hungry I was."

"Of course. I couldn't just let you starve. I'll grab you something to drink." Isa turned around, a bit too suddenly, colliding with an empty glass pitcher at the edge of the sink. It came crashing to the floor, splintering everywhere.

"Shit! Why don't I ever look where I'm going?" She mumbled to herself, immediately crouching down to clean it up.

"No, no, no, be careful! Don't just grab all that!" Osamu sprung up from his seat, dashing into the stall to stop her.

It wasn't until he was in front of her, arms wrapped around her, fingers grazing her melanin-rich skin, that he realized this was the closest to her he's ever been.

"Oh. Sorry." Osamu said, even though he didn't move.

"No, it's fine. Don't worry about it." Isa said, not moving either.

"I just didn't want you to grab the glass-"

"Yeah, no I get it-"

"You could've cut yourself, you know-"

"That definitely would've happened-"

They fall into silence in each other's arms. Osamu noticed how her eyeliner gives her a feline look. He also noticed the highlighter on her nose and how it shines. And of course he noticed her lips. Her lips that are once again encased in that damned fuchsia lip gloss. The same lips that seemed to be getting closer and closer…wait, why were they getting closer?

He his nose graze hers, their lips infinitesimally close, zeroing in, and then…

The blare of Osamu's phone made them jump.

"Hello?" He answered, breathless and not even bothering to check the contact.

"Get back here before I close your stall for the day." Atsumu's voice came through the receiver. "I'm going home."

Osamu checked his watch. Half past 11.

"She's usually here by now. I wonder if she got caught up with something?"

Ever since the broken glass incident, Osamu and Isabella's hangouts had become routine, alternating between their two stalls and even occasionally off campus. This time, it was Isa's turn to host, but it was nearing noon and she was nowhere to be found.

"I'll just wait around for her. After all, Atsumu is at the stall, so I have time."

About half an hour later he heard a thunderous voice from not too far:

"Why are you trying to walk away from me? You seriously care more about some little food shack than our relationship?"

Osamu's eyebrow arched. Just who was causing so much ruckus. He stood up from the stool to investigate. He crept around a nearby corner before spotting Isa and some guy he'd never seen before. They were clearly in a heated argument.

"Former relationship, Taiga. And might I remind you, you ended things."

"That was only because you insisted on finding a job!"

"Yeah, because you kept talking to me like I was some gold digger! You made fun of my Japanese knowing I was still learning the basics, you complained that you didn't like my cooking, you laughed when I used the cheaper brands because that's all I could afford, and then, you buy me all this shit and claim I'm with you for your money, when I never asked for any of it! You think that's how I want to live my life, Taiga?"

"Baby, I said all those things because I was stressed. You know my dad is prepping me to take over the company, it's a lot of work. I didn't mean those things. You know good and well when you were with me you didn't need this little stall. All you had to be was the beautiful and happy woman you are. Why can't things be like that again?"

"What about her?"

Taiga sighed. "Here we go again."

"Yes. Here we go again. What about the woman you cheated on me with, Taiga? The daughter of the chairman of whatever company. Did you spin her the same beautiful and happy tale you're spinning now? Huh?"

"Baby, she was a mistake. She could never be you. Isabella, please."

"Save it, Taiga. I have work to do. Leave it to you to come crawling back when I'm doing good for myself."

Osamu crept back to the stool, not wanting to get caught eavesdropping on Isa's conversation. A boyfriend that cheated and berated her now comes crawling back? That's no easy thing to deal with. As she called out to him, waving and apologizing for being late, he made his decision not to bring up the matter, but rather do his best to cheer her up.

"Sorry I'm late, just got caught up in some stuff. You said you wanted some pupusas today, right?" She said, tying her hair up and prepping her workstation.

"Yup, you are the cook and I am your loyal jester, providing premium entertainment." He said, blasting music from his phone.

He spent the day playing music for Isa to dance to as she cooks and keeping her up to date on Atsumu's love woes. Minutes turned to hours, and the smile that never left her face the entire time was his proudest achievement of the day.

- “Leave me alone.” “She’s been running around campus trying to figure out who you are, and you still think you don’t even have the tiniest chance?” Osamu asked. He watched his brother pinch the bridge of his nose. This frightened act of Atsumu's was one Osamu was getting sick of. He just couldn’t understand how his extremely outgoing brother was suddenly taking a vow of silence regarding his feelings. Atsumu grabbed his keys off the hook. “I’m going out for a walk.” “I’ll come with you.” Osamu said. “I’d rather take my shoes and socks off and walk through your collection of legos.” He replied.

Osamu giggled as his brother slammed the door behind him. His focus shifted to his phone as he felt the familiar buzz.

*text from Isa*

Thanks for earlier. I know you sensed my distress and were doing what you can to cheer me up. I really appreciate it. Can't wait to see you tomorrow <3

The next afternoon, Osamu was back in his stall as usual, carefully placing two heart-shaped onigiri in a glass container. He set them at the counter along with a blue and white stuffed cow. It was the perfect gift since she showed it to him online a few days ago, gushing over how cute it is. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. They'd met just a couple weeks ago, and they didn't have many romantic interactions beyond that almost kiss. Still, it's not like being someone's valentine is a marriage proposal, right? Osamu was willing to go as slow or quick as needed, he just couldn't ignore his feelings anymore.

"We're here!!" A brash voice shook Osamu out of his thoughts as Atsumu burst through the stall door, a giggling Himari following close behind him.

"Oh, that's right. You have company today." Osamu mused, giving his reflection a once-over before stepping out of the stall.

"Hi Osamu! I hope it's okay that I'm here.." Hima said bashfully.

"No problem at all. Mi cocina es su cocina." Osamu ushered her in.

"Aw, did your girlfriend teach you that one?" Atsumu asked.

Osamu ignored him. "It's probably best that you're here, Hima. I've been receiving complaints that the food is too salty, so lover boy must've been crying all over my onigiri because you wouldn't notice him."

"Okay, that's it. Have fun on your date, we'll take it from here." Atsumu grumbled, pushing Osamu out the door as Himari snorted at the comment.

Osamu made his way across campus, gifts in tow. His mind was racing, and seemingly picked up speed the closer he got. Would she accept him? Or would she think he's weird? What if she just wanted to be friends, and he completely misread the room?

He didn't have much time to dwell on that, however, because as he approached the stall, he heard a familiar and boisterous voice.

"Could you stop playing hard to get? I haven't got all day, Isabella."

"I'm not playing. You aren't wanted around here, Taiga."

"What, you mean to tell me you actually enjoy playing house with that stall owner? How much do you think he can buy you with that onigiri money, huh?"

Osamu turned the corner, purposefully bumping the shorter guy's shoulder. "Isa, I'm here! Who's this?" He asked, looking the guy straight in the eye.

Taiga scoffed. "So this is who you've been spending all your time with? Is this what you want, Isa? Some snacks and a stuffed animal? What are we? 12?"

Osamu took at glance at all the bags littered on the ground. Sure enough, each one had a luxury brand's logo, no doubt full of designer items Osamu admittedly couldn't afford. Not yet, at least.

"Don't talk about him like that. What he can or can't afford is none of your business." Isabella, who seemed pretty passive until now, snapped.

Taiga quipped an eyebrow. "Really? Okay. I'm getting pretty tired of this, Isa. So, this is your last chance. Now, are you going to choose to keep playing diner dash with this guy and his homemade gifts, or are you gonna come back to a real man who can buy you want you really deserve?" He asked, gesturing at all the expensive gifts on the floor.

Isa laughed humorlessly. "You know, I've had it with you talking like you know what's best for me, Taiga. You weren't thinking about my well-being every time you've spoken down on me. You weren't thinking about my well-being when you were in that girl's bed. And you're not thinking of my well-being now. I like Osamu, not because of what he can buy me, but because he listens when I talk. He treats me like an equal, not a conquest. He's interested in my culture and he doesn't complain about my food or my cooking. He likes trying new things and he corrects me when I say the wrong thing in Japanese instead of making me feel stupid. So yeah, I choose him, because nothing you can buy me with daddy's money can fix the fact that you're an asshole. Take your shit and get out. I don't want to see you again."

Taiga shrugged, grabbing all the bags. "I hope you know you're making a mistake. Some of this stuff is limited stock, you know? No guarantee you'll find it again."

"She said take your shit and get out, in case you're hard of hearing." Osamu finally spoke.

The man scoffed. "Whatever. I know my worth, just hope she doesn't come crawling back when you can't step up. It'll be too late then."

The pair watched as he stormed off, before meeting each other's gaze and tangling themselves in a fit of laughter.

"What a piece of work. You outdid yourself with that one." Osamu sighed.

"I know. No idea what I ever saw in him." Isa shook her head.

"Well, I know you said you'd choose me, but as a gentleman, it's only right that I pose the question." He took a deep breath. "Isa, it's been so much fun getting to know you. You're really easy to talk to and I really hope you'd do me the honor of being more than friends. With that being said, Isabella Montoya, will you be my Valentine?" He asked, extending the gifts her way.

She smiled, her face getting hotter by the second. "Of course I will. There's no one else I'd rather spend today with, 'Samu." She closed the space between them, her face flush against his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her, before stepping back just a bit to press his forehead to hers, his thumb caressing her cheek gently. "You're so beautiful."

She groaned. "God, Osamu, just kiss me already. I've waited long enough."

Laughing, Osamu leaned in. "Yes, ma'am." His lips met hers, softly at first, then full force. His hand found its way around her neck, pulling her in as close as humanly possible, bringing her to her tippy toes.

After finally pulling away, Osamu sighed. "Wow. Okay, now that that's settled, I'll be right back." He spun around on his heels, walking in the opposite direction.

"Huh? Where are you going?" Isa asked.

"I'm still pissed, so I'm gonna go beat his ass." Osamu called out, already several feet away and walking with purpose.

"WHAT? Osamu, no wait!" Isa set the gifts down on the counter, scrambling to catch up to the star spiker.

"Hey, Taiga!"

Taiga, who was on the curb awaiting his ride, sighed. "What do you want now?"

"Forgot to give you something back there."

What could you possibly have to give m-"

CRACK!

arrow two: complete

"That's all for today. Have a great weekend, complete the assignment on Canvas, and study for the upcoming midterm."

Bokuto stretched , his arms reaching for the sky. Despite this class being an elective, it definitely proved to be harder than he expected. No matter how hard he studied, all the concepts and grammar rules got jumbled up in his head.

He shoved his books into his bag, slinging it over his shoulder when the professor called out:

"Kotaro Bokuto, if you could hang on for a second?"

The white-and-black-haired man sighed. Surely, the professor just wanted to rip him a new one and tell him his grade was doomed.

He made it to the desk at the front of the lecture hall. "You wanted to see me, Professor?"

"Ah, yes! Just a second, Kotaro." He said, flipping through his grade book. "Come around to this side. Take a look at your grades here. You're passing, but just barely. Based on your previous test scores, I calculated your average while factoring in sample test scores, and in order to pass, your score on the midterm has to be way higher than what you've scored in the past. Are you studying when you leave class?"

Bokuto nodded. "I am. More than some of my other classes, actually. I just can't grasp the content."

The professor hummed. "I see. I definitely don't want to see you fail, so I want to give you something." He went into his briefcase, fishing out a business card. "This is a former student of mine's contact information. She took my class before she graduated and she can help you."

Bokuto frowned. "Wouldn't it be disrespectful to suddenly call her as a stranger, sir?"

"Nonsense. We've kept in touch regularly and she's agreed to help out students that need it so long as she has time. She's already graduated, but is still in the area for work. She's Japanese-Peruvian, so not only is she fluent in Spanish and understands the concepts that will be on the midterm, but she's fluent in your native language and can probably explain things in ways better than I can. She's perfect to teach you. At least give her a call, I've already told her to expect it. Okay?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you." Bokuto gave the older man a small smile before walking out of the lecture hall.

On the way to his friend's stall, Bokuto wondered if his situation is so bad the professor had to outsource help. Yeah, he was scraping by, but was he really the only one? He didn't really want to resort to some stranger taking time out of their day to come back to a campus they already graduated from to help him, but he needed this class to pass.

Steps away from Osamu's stall, Bokuto fished the business card out of his pocket. Might as well call and get it over with before he got cold feet. He read the card fully while the phone rang:

Leiko Rojas, Marketing Coordinator

"Hello?"

"Uh, hi. Professor Valdes gave me this number and said you could tutor me? I'm Kotaro Bokuto."

"Oh hi! He told me to be expecting your call. This is great timing, I'm actually free this weekend if you wanna get started right away?"

"Oh, sure. Whatever day and time works for me."

"Great! I can be on campus tomorrow around 1? How about we meet at Isabella Montoya's food stall? I haven't seen her in a while."

"Yeah, that sounds great. I'll see you then. Thanks so much."

"Of course! See you tomorrow!"

Bokuto made his way down to Isa's stall at 10 minutes to 1PM, his dorm in unusually pristine condition in anticipation for his tutor's arrival. He didn't want to make a bad first impression to someone whose help he so desperately needed. As he approached the stall he saw a beautiful girl standing at the counter.

"I would love to try ceviche, but I'm allergic to shellfish, and all ceviches I've seen served before have shrimp in them."

"What? Tienes que probar el ceviche peruano. Peruvian ceviche is made with fish. I'll make you some one day."

"Let's get together and buy the ingredients and just make them here or at the dorm! It's been so long since we've just had a girls day, Leiko!" Isa hit the wooden counter excitedly.

"It has, right? Ugh, you were just a freshman when we met. Now you're nearing senior year, you have a successful business IN college, and most importantly, you've dropped that demon boy Taiga."

Isa laughed. "Ugh, be careful you say his name two more times, he just might appear."

Leiko tapped her chin. "Hmm, you're right. He might walk out that fridge. He's short and frigid, after all."

Both girls were laughing when the much taller man asked: "Hi, are you Leiko?"

Leiko turned around, smiling. "That's me! Bokuto, right?"

" Are you ready to get started?" She asked, turning to Isabella briefly when he nodded. "Nos vemos, Isa. I'll try to stop by again before I leave but if not, let's coordinate girls day!" Leaning in, both girls kissed each other's cheeks.

The pair started their walk back to the dorm, dodging the students who were out enjoying the Saturday with their friends and ocassionally stopping to say hi to Bokuto's friends and teammates, all of which Bokuto happily introduced to Leiko.

"You're quite the popular guy around here, Bokuto." Leiko mused.

"I meet a lot of students from being on the team, that's all. My actual friend circle is pretty tight-knit." He tried his best not to focus on her long curly hair, or the way her midriff peeked out from under her cropped button-down, or the way her heels clicked against the pavement, or the sway of her hips as she walked next to him. Key word: tried.

"Oh, so some of the people we spoke to are your teammates, then? Now I see why Valdes wants to help you so bad. Clearly if you're on the team, you must have great grades all around. Have you tried going to office hours? Or the academic center?"

"I go as often as I can, but Prof. Valdes' hours clash with games pretty often, and the academic center gets packed on days like today when I'm free. I've tried finding a friend or something that can help, but my friends either can't help or don't have time."

Leiko sighed. "That's pretty tricky. Well, let's see what I can do." She smiled.

Bokuto opened the door, letting her in first. "I really appreciate you coming out to help me. I'm sure you're busy. You know, with work and all."

"Ugh," She groaned playfully. "No work talk on Saturdays!"

He laughed. "Fair enough. Well, here we are. My room is on the left, do you want anything to drink? Water, soda, juice?"

"Water is fine, thanks." Leiko said, walking in the direction of the bedroom. "I'll get us set up in the meantime."

Bokuto nodded, letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He had no idea what he thought Leiko would look like, but it certainly wasn't a curly-haired, dark-skinned, woman with a pretty smile, dimples, and curves to match. Why didn't Prof. Valdes tell him? Actually, no. It would be even weirder if he DID mention what she looked like.

He poured two glasses of ice water, pushing the door open with his socked foot. He found Leiko setting up some flash cards and books on the room's wooden desk. She took pens, highlighters, and paper out of her bag.

"Wow, you came prepared." Bokuto whistled, setting the glasses down.

"Yep. I feel like it's always best to just start from the basics, no matter where the student might've gotten stuck. Even if you feel like you don't have issues with a certain topic, it's always good to have a refresher in a tutoring session. You'd be surprised what grammar rules you missed or forgot."

Bokuto nodded. That made sense. Whenever he does manage to get a slot at the school center, they just ask what homework he has to turn in soon and they go over the assignment itself. "Okay, I'm ready. Bless me with your knowledge, O' wise one."

Leiko giggled. "Okay, let's start with el verbo ser. The verb 'to be.'"

The pair sat at the desk while Leiko explained grammar rules, gave examples, and then had Bokuto complete worksheets she made herself. Bokuto was actually impressed with how thorough her lesson was. She could easily be a teacher herself if she wanted.

"Okay, you're doing pretty well so far! Weird, usually students seeking tutoring are in need of much more help than you, but you're grasping these concepts with close to no errors." Leiko said, furrowing her brows. "Okay, I think I'll switch gears a bit. Let's go over the gender of nouns. Some teachers usually start with this, but I usually leave it for later since gendered nouns can be kind of tricky to grasp. Even I get tripped up sometimes, but I think we can get started-"

Leiko couldn't even finish her thought when the door slammed shut rather unceremoniously, with several voices now filling the space beyond the door. There was a clink of glass bottles against the fridge shelves heard amongst the shouts and laughs.

Her eyes widened, turning to Bokuto. "What…is that?"

He sighed, putting the completed worksheets in a neat pile to make space for the next lesson. "Roommate. He brings his friends over nearly everyday, it's a miracle he's still enrolled. I swear he doesn't do a single assignment."

"Everyday?! So you have to study with all this noise going on?"

"Usually, yeah."

"Can't you tell them to keep it down? At least during the week?"

He shook his head. "I've tried, but we're not really friends so I don't think my words hold much weight. He'll keep it down for maybe an hour or so, but eventually they get to drinking and caution is out the window. And even later he just goes back to the volume you hear now. It's why I've tried studying elsewhere, but most places on campus are packed and the cafes off campus require you to buy food and drinks for the entire duration of your stay, which gets pretty expensive. So I end up staying here anyway."

No wonder nothing you're taught sticks. I'm sure you're getting by in other classes since you're already familiar with the material, but these are no conditions to learn a completely new language and rules!" She huffed, pulling out a fresh set of worksheets and review packets. "This makes a lot of sense. Let's make this the last lesson for today. Would you feel comfortable meeting at my place for lessons? It'll definitely be more quiet than this and I think it'll really help you focus and retain the information."

"Oh- I, uh.." Bokuto stammered. Being in proximity to Leiko in his room was difficult enough, but to switch to her house? Would they be on her bed? Would she be in her pajamas? The thought of her dressed so comfortably led his mind to less than suitable thoughts-

"You don't have to answer right now, let's just finish up this session and you can't let me know anytime before our next! Cool?" Leiko said, bringing the focus back to the review packet. "Okay, so like I said before, gendered nouns are tricky. This is because, unless it's a living creature like a cat or a dog, you can't really predict which nouns will have which gender. You kind of have to just learn and memorize them as you go. Let's start with the nouns in this table here."

-

"Thanks again, Leiko. I definitely feel more confident going into class this week. Prof. Valdes saying 'el' or 'la' before almost every word makes so much sense now."

She laughed softly. "Of course. I'm happy to help, and you're clearly dedicated to learning so let's get you that pasing grade!" She beamed. "Think about what I said, by the way. You definitely deserve a better studying environment." She added, referencing the rowdiness that was still going on in the living room.

"I might take you up on that offer." he sighed, reaching for the doorknob. "Come on, I'll walk you out."

They stepped into the living room, a far cry from the calm, organized space they saw just hours before. There were at least five guys in the living room, sprawled out on the couch and the floor. One guy with long, black hair looked up at the pair, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh? Now I see why you haven't come out of there. Who's the pretty lady, Bokuto?"

"This is my tutor, Leiko." He deadpanned, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "She was just leaving."

"Leaving? Why doesn't she stay to party with us?" He stood up, approaching the pair. "What do you say, Leiko? It'd be much more fun than tutoring this guy-"

He stopped talking when Bokuto's arm shot out in front of the curly-haired woman, blocking his path. "She was just leaving, Kento."

Kento put his hands up defensively. "My bad, carry on." He laughed.

"Come on, Leiko. Let's go." Bokuto opened the door, letting her out first. As he closed the door behind him, they heard Kento mumble 'Loser' and his friends roaring in laughter.

"Sorry about that. He usually ignores anything I do, but I guess you caught his eye or something." He ran his hand through his hair, visibly frustrated.

"You don't have to apologize for him. It's not your fault, and it's definitely not the last time that'll happen to me." She chuckled. "Did you mean to walk out of the house? I appreciate the company, but I just assumed you were walking me to the door."

"I was, but I think I'm gonna go for a walk before making my way back in. I could use a break from the noise anyway."

They walked until the campus entrance, where Leiko stopped and looked up at Bokuto. " I can make it from here. My car is in the nearby lot."

Bokuto nodded. "Sounds good, I'll see you next week?"

"Yeah! Does Saturday still work for you? If so, we can just meet around the same time."

"Works for me! Well, I'll let you go. I know the traffic will probably get pretty bad soon." He said, waving before turning away.

Leiko made her way down to the parking lot in record time, her heart racing. It wasn't from her impromptu sprint. She clutched her folder as she thought back to Bokuto's chiseled arm just inches from her body, the subtle glare as he spoke to Kento in sharp contrast to the warm smile he gave her just moments after.

She flinched as her phone chime brought her back to the present. Fishing it out of her bag, she smiled as her heart raced just a tad bit faster:

Bokuto: yes to study at your place, by the way :)

"Thanks again for agreeing to drop this off for me, Bokuto. I didn't realize you and Leiko changed study locations." Isabella said, packing the food into containers.

"No problem at all, it gives me an excuse to get myself some food." Bokuto rubbed his stomach in anticipation, making the girl laugh.

"Okay, here you go. I'm jealous, I wish I had a work-related reason to see Leiko every week."

"You guys must be pretty good friends."

"She was my first friend when I moved here. Sure, I've always been familiar with the language due to media and even more so when I started taking official classes, but I was nowhere as conversational as I am now. Leiko was a great help not just by being my friend, but by knowing Spanish and being able to help me. It really helped me to not feel as lonely, too. I appreciate her a lot." Isabella placed all the containers into a bag, pushing it across the counter. "Okay, better get going while it's hot. I'll see you later!"

Bokuto thanked Isabella, grabbing the bag and turning to leave when he noticed a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye. There, a few feet away from the stall, he saw Osamu staring intently. Bokuto checked his watch and made a mental note to ask another time since he needed to get to the station.

—

Bokuto rang the doorbell, with the door opening to a pajama-clad Leiko. "Hey! Come on in. I've been cleaning all day so I didn't get a chance to change, I hope that's okay? I can change now if that's better."

"Oh no need. This is your home, come as you are. I don't mind." He said, taking his shoes off before venturing into the living room. "Isa sent over some food, so I thought we could eat first?"

"Oh my gosh, fine by me. I'm starving. How did she know?"

"She actually thought we were still studying on campus so she made you something, but called me when you didn't show up around the time you did last week."

"Ay, pobrecita. I meant to tell her but work's been so busy lately, I've literally just been coming home and going to sleep." She opened the container Bokuto handed her, sighing happily and she took a bite.

"What's going on at work? Important project?"

"Something like that. Our department head left recently, and I've finally been at the company long enough to be eligible for a promotion. I really want to get it, so I've been picking up lead on more projects. I enjoy it, but it's a lot of work." Leiko leaned back on the couch and rubbed her neck, briefly remembering her neverending to-do list.

"Well, I hope you get it." Bokuto replied, suddenly feeling shy. "If the way you tutor is testament to the way you perform at work, you definitely deserve it.

Leiko blinked, taken aback. "Thank you, Bokuto. It means a lot to hear that." She smiled and shifted in her seat, causing her satin pink shorts to rise up her thighs. Or so Bokuto thought. He wasn't looking, after all.

They chatted lightheartedly as they finished lunch, and Bokuto helped clean up before their tutoring session started. They were halfway through a lesson about verb conjugation when Leiko's phone rang, which she promptly turned off. She sighed when it vibrated again almost immediately.

"Sorry, It's my best friend. I'll just answer really quickly."

"Sure, no problem. I don't mind." Bokuto reached for one of the worksheets. "I'll get started on these in the meantime."

Leiko smiled before answering the call. "Hello?"

"Hey girl! You won't believe what happened at work today." The voice boomed beyond the device.

"Hey, I'll call you back in like an hour."

"Oh shit, are you busy? What day is today?"

"It's Saturday, I'm tutoring right now."

"Oh, yeah! The cute guy, right? With the two-toned hair?"

"I will call you back, Sora."

"Mhm, it's him. I knew it. You should ask him out while he's th-"

Leiko ended the call, frustrated. She glanced at Bokuto, searching for any indication that he heard anything. He scribbled something down on the worksheet, seemingly unfazed.

Internally, though? Bokuto's mind was the equivalent of the episode of that one sitcom where the character walks into a room where everything is on fire and people are screaming.

'The cute guy?' Did he hear that right? Surely, she must've been talking about him? How many other guys with two-toned hair could she be tutoring?

'Cute…she thinks I'm cute' Bokuto tried to contain his excitement. He didn't want to alert Leiko that he overheard. Not yet, at least.

"Okay, I'm done with this page but I got stuck on the back, at the very end here." He said, handing it over.

"Oh! Let's see," She leaned in and skimmed it before noticing the problem. "Okay, so the ones you did complete are pretty good, you just got two wrong. This bottom part are actually irregular verbs, and we were just about to get into those, so let's do that right now."

Bokuto watched as Leiko worked through her unspoken jitters, bouncing her leg as she explained the concepts and hesitating to lean in too close, scooting away when she brushed up against him.

"Did something happen when you answered the phone?"

Leiko's head shot up. "Huh?"

"Well, since you hung up you seem…different? So I thought maybe something happened and it's been on your mind. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah! Totally. All good." She nodded.

"Really? Because you seem pretty restless and you're sitting really far away."

"I'm not that far away…"

"So you admit you're further than before the call?"

"Well, yeah—I mean no, I'm not." She sighed.

"Hm, cute."

"What?"

Bokuto raised an eyebrow.

"That you just said. What was that?"

"I called you cute." He shrugged.

"…You heard."

"Heard what?" He asked, failing to hide his smirk.

"Bokuto, you're full of shit." She flung a pillow his way, which he caught effortlessly. "You heard Sora's loud ass on that call! Here I was trying my best to just act natural and you've been laughing at me this whole time!" She lunged at him with yet another pillow.

Bokuto burst out laughing, shielding himself from her attacks. "You should've seen your face when you realized what she said! You didn't even let her finish her thought when you hung up!"

"Shut up," She whined, resting her head on his shoulder in defeat. "Ugh, this is so embarassing."

"Embarassing? I don't think so." Bokuto snaked his arm around her middle and used his newfound boldness to pull her swiftly onto his lap. "Because I think you're cute, too."

Leiko's breath caught in her throat at the sudden proximity, so close she felt his breath fan across her face. "I can feel your heart racing." She whispered.

"What a coincidence, I can feel YOUR heart racing."

Leiko rolled her eyes. "That's just you feeling my boobs."

"Two things can be true." He shrugged, causing them both to laugh.

"Well, we're both cute, both of our hearts are racing, now what?"

Bokuto inched forward, their noses touching just slightly. "If you want a kiss that bad, just ask."

Leiko scoffed, but made no moves to back away, still sat firmly on his lap.

"Or better yet, come get it yourself."

That was the push Leiko needed to press her lips against his, balancing herself with her hands on his chest. Bokuto gripped her hips firmly, pulling her closer until her hand went from his chest to his hair, tangling her fingers in the silver strands.

"Are you happy now?" Leiko quipped.

He took her face in his hands, rubbing his thumbs across her cheeks before shaking his head gently. "Not yet." And he kissed her again. Stronger this time, deeper. His hands found their way to the roundness of her ass, giving it a firm squeeze and seizing the opportunity to intertwine their tongues when the act made her gasp. He reveled in the pillowy feeling of her lips on his, teeth clashing from the sheer eagerness of it all. His fingers slipped under her top, running his hands up her sides and causing her to squirm. Her ministrations caused him to groan from her clothed cunt rubbing against his growing bulge.

"Fuck, I've been dreaming of this." Bokuto mumbled. "Ever since you showed up to campus in those damn heels."

"Oh? Which one do you prefer? Dream or reality?" Leiko asked.

"As if you don't know." He smirked, suddenly flipping her onto the couch, worksheets and practice books cascading to the floor. He wrapped her legs around her waist, slotting himself between them comfortably. Leiko noticed how fluid his movements were, as if they'd found themselves in this position hundreds of times before.

"Is this why you blocked me from Kento?" She joked. "You wanted me all to yourself?"

He laughed. "I would block Kento from a cardboard cutout, but having you all to myself doesn't sound half bad." His voice trailed off, his kisses made their way down her neck as his hands bunched up her shirt before coalescing at her chest. All his focus shifted to the pretty mounds, taking notice of her nipples hardening under his touch.

Leiko sighed, her head falling back on the cushions, further knocking things to the ground. Her hands, still tangled in his hair, deepened their grip and tugged slightly.

Bokuto groaned. "Harder." He pleaded, lips wrapped around her nipple.

She arched into his touch, gasping as the friction from the tent in his pants sent jolts of electricity through her body. Her excitement grew as she felt his hand travel lower…lower…lower…

knock knock

Leiko screamed out of pure shock, embarrassingly loud.

Bokuto looked up at her and she did her best to ignore the flushed cheeks and swollen lips. "Are you expecting anyone?"

"No! Just you!"

"Miss Rojas, it's the landlord! Are you home?"

"Shit!" She shuffled out from under Bokuto, scrambling to her feet and buttoning her top. "Just a second!"

The older man smiled brightly as she swung the door open. "I just fixed that issue with your mailbox! I couldn't fix the original lock, so I just installed a new one. Here are the keys."

"Wow, thank you so much, Mr. Masahiro! I really appreciate it."

"You're very welcome! At least you can route your mail back to the building. Thanks for being so patient." He said, turning around to leave. "Enjoy the weekend!"

Leiko slammed the door shut, letting out a deep breath. When she turned around, Bokuto was picking up the abandoned study materials, placing them into neat piles on the coffee table.

She sighed. "Maybe we should resume the lesson?"

He nodded. "Uh, yeah! Sounds good. I think we were doing the, uh-"

"Irregular verbs!"

"Right. Irregular verbs. Verbs that aren't regular, yup."

Leiko sat back down on the couch, reaching for the workbook. When she leaned back, she hit something warm and sturdy. She turned around to see Bokuto's arm dangling effortlessly around her shoulder and glanced up at him, laughing when he winked in response.

"Grow up." She rolled her eyes, turning her attention to the lesson and pushing down the flutters in her tummy.

Rubbing her temples, Leiko leaned back in her office chair, fighting the youthful urge to spin around. As much as she loved her job, the part that required her to make proposals and plead her case drained her more than she'd like to admit. Creating the marketing plans and executing them was a piece of cake, but proving to her boss why they should move forward? She wished everyday she could hand that task off.

Her phone buzzed, bringing her back to the present. The telltale signs of a smile ghosted across her face as Bokuto's flashed across the screen. The star athlete had sent her a TikTok link to a video of some business employees joking about how much they didn't want to be there along with a text:

B: this you huh?

Before her fingers could even attempted a reply, her phone took flight, finding purchase in Sora's hands.

"Ouuu, a text from the boyfriend! I told y'all that's why she was smiling."

"Give that shit back, Sora." Leiko reached out, her retrieval mission proving unsuccessful as Sora leaped back.

"Aww, why? Can't wait to text him back? Gonna ask him back over to yours?"

"That's none of your business." She mumbled as a group of their work friends gathered around them.

"Leiko, what's this I hear of you having a boyfriend finally?" Mrs. Suzuki asked. "You know I've already told you I want you to find someone before I retire."

"Guys, Sora is just full of it. Bokuto and I are just friends. He attends my alma mater, and I tutor him sometimes. That's it." Leiko sighed.

"Friends don't sit in each other's laps and make out." Sora smirked, causing a collective gasp from the group.

"That was one time."

"Didn't you also increase the amount of times a week you guys meet? Have you kissed again since that 'one time'?" Sora asked, nodding when Leiko didn't respond. "Yup, thought so."

"The fact that it happened at all is proof this isn't just some guy, Leiko." Mrs. Suzuki pointed out. "Remember the holiday party? That poor boy from Accounting?"

Sora cackled. "Yeah, he took months to muster up the courage to talk to her and when he finally asked her out, she said-"

"'Go where? Back to work?'" She and Mrs. Suzuki exclaimed together, devolving into a fit of giggles.

Leiko grabbed her phone back from Sora, finally getting a chance to respond. "You guys are impossible."

"So," Sora turned back to her desktop, ignoring her friend's complaint, "When's the next time you see your little boyfriend?"

"Two days from now."

"No protest on the boyfriend thing?"

"It's not like you'll listen to me."

"Eh, you're right."

Leiko stared at her phone screen as an emoji reply from Bokuto came in. Could she really be falling for someone younger?

"Okay, it looks like you've grasped this concept pretty well, so we can move into negation."

"How's work?"

Leiko looked up from the table. "Huh?"

"How's work? You metioned that promotion you're working towards, how's that going?"

"Work's good." She nodded. "So, negation is pretty straightforward in Spanish, when you want to make a negative sentence, you add the word 'no' before the verb-"

"Did I do something wrong?"

Leiko sighed. "What?"

"You insisted on studying at a cafe, something we never do. You're brushing off my jokes and barely hugged me back today, and now you're avoiding my questions." He laughed humorlessly. "I just want to know if I did something."

Leiko closed the book. "No, you did nothing wrong, Bokuto. I just think we should really focus on the lessons, especially with exams getting closer. I really want you to pass."

"Yeah, as my tutor. Not as my friend, and definitely not as the only person I've been kissing for the past two weeks."

"Shh!" She looked around the room, panicking silently.

"Ah, is that it? You're embarrassed of me?"

"What? No, of course not. Bokuto, you're great, but you're still in school. Wouldn't you prefer to date someone in your class rather than some alumnus?"

"I'm not gearing up for prom night, Lei. I'm an adult too. You're talking about yourself like you're the neighborhood MILF. We're just a few years apart."

"I'm not trying to argue about this." She rubbed her temples. "I don't want to argue with you."

"I don't either, but you can't blame me for feeling like you're pushing me away. Did someone…say something? Prof. Valdes or someone?"

"No, it's not like that. I just…want to be taken seriously."

"And that can't happen if you're with me?"

"I just think we should both be with people our own ages, that's all."

Bokuto opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Suddenly, his lips pulled into a tight smile. "Okay."

"Okay?"

He nodded, but didn't add anything else.

"Right, so…" Leiko opened the book again, searching for the page in an attempt to hide her fluster. "When answering a negative question…"

"Could you please stop screaming my ear off?" Leiko sighed, walking back to her desk from the printer.

"NO. The whole office deserves to hear how ridiculous your behavior is." Sora said, hot on her heels with a glare etched on her face.

"What was I supposed to do? Huh? Let you continue to tease me day in and day out?"

"First of all, do not act like I had a hand in the way you treated that poor boy, I always tease you. We are best friends. That doesn't mean go breaking hearts!"

"Girls, girls. You're lucky I still work here, the Chief was on his way to see what all the screaming was about. I told him I'd come instead. What is going on back here?" Mrs. Suzuki shuffled over.

"She broke up with her boyfriend, Mrs. Suzuki!" Sora shouted, pointing at Leiko.

Leiko rolled her eyes. "We were never together. I just told him he should date someone younger." She jumped in surprise as Mrs. Suzuki hit her over the head with a small stack of papers.

"You silly girl! Why would you do that? After the way you were walking around this office smiling and giggling at your phone with a gleam in your eye, you throw him to the curb?"

"But Mrs. Suzuki!"

"Shush, no talking from you. You've done enough." She said, watching Leiko's shoulders slump in defeat.

"And that's not all!" Sora continued. "She also went on a date WITH ANOTHER MAN."

Mrs. Suzuki gasped. "Leiko!"

"I just wanted to move on from…whatever we had!"

"Well?" Sora raised an eyebrow. "Did it work?"

"No." Leiko sighed, slumping into her chair. "I agreed since he was older and sounded impressive on the app. But then I got there and all he did was talk about himself and try to get me to give him marketing advice. Whole time I was there I just couldn't stop thinking about Bokuto and how much I miss him. He actually cared to ask me what I'm working on and how I'm feeling."

"How's the tutoring going?" Sora sat at her desk, angling her chair to face Leiko.

"We're back to once a week, with last session being over the phone."

"Damn, he don't even want to see you. That's crazy." Sora shrugged when Leiko glared at her.

"Leiko," Mrs. Suzuki chimed in. "It's okay to admit when you've made a mistake. There's nothing wrong with dating someone younger, he can't help he was born later. And, if you ask me, the one acting like a baby right now is you."

"Me?!"

"You hurt that boy's feelings and made a decision on your relationship with him all on your own. Did you even talk to him about how you felt? Listened to what HE thought?"

Leiko sighed. Maybe she was the immature one, she hadn't even thought of expressing her feelings to Bokuto.

"I really thought I was doing what was best for both of us."

"Nope, you're actually just running away because of fear." Sora mumbled.

"If you really like that boy, talk to him. Tell him how you're feeling." Mrs. Suzuki patted her shoulder gently. "AND, stop thinking you're right all the time."

Leiko took a sip of her afternoon coffee, staring at the window. The day of Bokuto's exam came and went, but the curly-haired girl hadn't heard back. Even when she reached out to talk about her thoughts, Bokuto responded that he was focused on exams but promised they'd have time to talk afterwards.

"I hope he passed." She mumbled to herself.

The office was emptier than usual, with many employees either taking half or the full day off for Valentine's day. Mrs. Suzuki took the day off to spend with her husband, and Sora was heading out of the office to meet up with her girlfriend who had booked them a reservation at her favorite restaurant.

"See you later, girl!" Sora called out, wrapping a scarf around her neck.

"Hm? Oh yeah, see you later." Leiko answered, walking away from the window and back towards her desk.

Sora sighed, predicting what her friend was deep in thought about. "Have you spoken to him?"

"Don't worry about that. Go enjoy Valentine's Day. Say hi to Manami for me." Leiko smiled.

Sora opened her mouth to say something, but got interrupted by Leiko's phone ringing.

"Hello?"

"Leiko! You're at work, right?"

"Huh? Bokuto? Yeah, I'm at work, why?"

"I wanted to show you my grade, do you have a minute?"

Leiko smiled, happy that Bokuto would go out of his way to come show her his grade in person.

"Yeah, of course. Give me a second."

—

Leiko grabbed her coat and headed down with Sora to meet with Bokuto. What she didn't expect, however, was to see Bokuto with a peacoat, black slim fit turtleneck and khaki trousers, a sharp contrast from his usual hoodie and jeans. His hair was also gelled down, another far cry from his usual spiky style. In his hand was a massive bouquet of light pink roses and baby's breath. The most notable, however, was the massive sign behind him that read "Will You Be My Valentine?"

"Bokuto, what's this, your hair, I-" Leiko stammered.

"I know you said we should see people our own age. You asked me if I would't prefer to date someone in my class than you. Said you wanted to be taken seriously. Of course, my initial reaction would've been to argue back, but where would that get me? I thought to myself, would she just use my reaction to validate her words? Would I come off as immature if I plead my case? So I didn't. I pushed it all down and tried to move on. But Leiko, " He scoffed, shaking his head slightly, "I don't want to move on. I want to be more than just some guy you helped ace his test. I want to go on dates. Be the one you can call when you need a listening ear. Be the one you go to when you want to laugh. I want you to see some stupid thing on the store shelf and think of me. I want to introduce you to all my friends. I want you cheering me on at my games. And I definitely want to be there when you get that promotion." He winked, making Leiko laugh. "So, I'm here, in front of your job, on Valentine's Day, to ask that you at least give me a chance to prove that I can be all those things for you. And don't try to send me away, I'm wearing layers and prepared to stand here for hours if I have to."

Leiko burst out laughing.

"Seriously? I pour my heart out to you and you laugh?" Bokuto's shoulders slumped.

"I only laughed because you're so cute, you big dummy." Leiko grabbed his face with both hands, pressing her lips on his. "I'm sorry I spoke to you that way. As one of the youngest in the office, I'm constantly being reminded of my age and considered too young for this or that. I was worried that us being together would play a role in that, and in turn, I selfishly decided on our fate alone. In the end, all I did was project my own immaturity onto you. I miss you." She admitted.

Bokuto smiled. "It's okay. Being scared is normal, all I wanted was for you to talk to me. You don't have to resolve things on your own." He reach up, his calloused thumb rubbing against her cold cheek. "You still haven't answered my question, though."

Leiko furrowed her brows. "Question? What question?"

Bokuto turned around swiftly, running towards the sign behind him. With a flip of a switch, the previously dim letters lit up, illuminating the sidewalk. "You gonna be my Valentine or what?" He spread his arms wide with a goofy grin.

Leiko shook her head. "You're silly, you know that?" She said, walking towards him.

"Aw, come on. You know you like me just as I am."

"Yeah, I do." She closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his middle. "And yeah, I'm gonna be your Valentine."

"Thank God, I was really hoping I wouldn't have to ride the train back with this sign after you shooing me away. That would've been awkward."

The pair laughed, with Leiko reaching up to press another chaste kiss to Bokuto's lips. "How did you know I was here?"

"I remembered your friend's name and reached out to ask her if you'd be at work today and to help me coax you out of the building. It was actually her idea to say that I wanted to show you my test in-person. She figured you'd at least be curious enough to come see it."

She rolled her eyes. "Why do I even bother asking? Of course Sora is at the scene of the crime." She sighed. "Still, I'm glad you came." She kissed him again.

"Be careful, you keep kissing me, people are gonna get the impression you have feelings for me." He teased, smirking.

"Let them think what they want." She mumbled against his lips, jumping when she felt Bokuto's phone ring in his pocket.

"Shit, sorry." He grumbled, checking to see who dared to ruin such a moment. He furrowed his eyebrows. "Huh? It's Isabella."

"What? Answer it. She never calls anyone unless it's urgent."

"Hello?" Leiko watched as Bokuto's face shifted from confusion to shock. "He did what? Damn…did he win? Okay, okay I'm sorry! I know that's not the point. Is Atsumu there? Okay, just hold on. I'll be there as soon as I can. Okay, I'm coming!" He shouted into the receiver, scrambling to pick up his sign.

"What is it? Is she okay?" Leiko asked, concerned.

"She's fine, but my friend beat up her ex and the campus police are getting involved. She wants me to come difuse the situation."

"Damn! Taiga deserves it though. Your friend won, right?"

"I asked her the same thing and she yelled at me!" He huffed. "Sorry, baby. I planned a dinner and everything." He looked at her sadly.

" We can take my car, work's pretty much over anyway. Come on!" Leiko grabbed his hand, leading him to the parking lot.

“Come on, Hima. Surely you must be into somebody on the team!”

“Negative. Nobody wants to deal with guys that can’t take anything but volleyball seriously, anyway. Why would I want to deal with that?”

Those words rang through Atsumu’s head like a siren as he watched the owner of the voice pass by, her laugh disrupting the flow of the busy hallway in the best way possible. He watched as her primly pressed hair cascaded down her back in layers, brushing up against the backpack that hung off her shoulder.

In all honesty, Atsumu didn’t quite notice Himari at first. She kept to herself in class, and they didn’t have any mutual friends so run-ins were scarce. He just didn’t have the opportunity to truly see her, until…

The sun was high in the sky, and the four walls of the gym did very little to keep the heat at bay. The match had already started by the time the girls got there, with the second set in full swing as they managed to find just enough seats for their group of four.

‘Coming through, sorry!” The girls recited like a mantra until they made it to their destination.

“This all could’ve been avoided if Himari would’ve just accepted to come in the first place.” Satomi chimed in, avoiding the glare the other girl shot her way.

“You guys could’ve come without me.” She pouted, slumping down in her seat.

“No, we agreed this would be a GROUP outing. No one left behind.”

“Why did we even have to come at all? None of y’all are into sports.”

“I may not be into sports, but I’m into him.” Satomi nodded towards the curly-headed #15.

“Kiyoomi? I should’ve known. He never talks, and that’s exactly your type.” Himari said, laughing when all she received was a smirk in response.

“What about you, Himari? Who's your type on the team?” Sakura asked.

“Don’t have one.” Himari shot her down immediately.

“I can see you with Shugo, Hima!” Satomi enthused.

“You girls are impossible. I shouldn’t have come.” Himari sighed, standing up to leave. This was a waste of her time after all.

“Hey dumbass, duck before you get hit!” Someone shouted. Himari turned to see a ball flying her way. Her fight or flight failed her, and their less popular sister ‘freeze’ presented herself at what had to be the worst time possible. She closed her eyes, awaiting the object’s brash introduction to her face.

Yet, it never came.

Instead, she heard cheers all around her. When Himari opened her eyes, she came face to face with a man much taller than her holding a ball and donning a dazzling smile.

“You okay?” He asked, his bleach blonde hair drenched in sweat.

Himari nodded frantically, unable to do anything but sit back down.

The game quickly resumed, but the swift movements on the court did very little to slow the thumping of Himari’s heart.

They stayed until the ball rolled off the court and into the team manager’s hands. The girls kept in close proximity to each other as the whole gym attempted to shuffle through the double doors.

“Sooo…Hima…” 

Himari sighed. Nothing good ever came when Satomi used that tone of voice. “Yes, Satomi.” She replied flatly.

“I saw that smile Atsumu gave you. What do you think?”

Atsumu. So that was his name.

“I’m appreciative of him catching the ball before I lost my face.That’s it.”

Satomi groaned. “Seriously? Not even a little interested? He was totally checking you out! You guys would be so cute together! Star volleyball player and academic prodigy!” She said dreamily. “Even if it isn’t Atsumu, maybe somebody else? “Come on, Hima. Surely you must be into somebody on the team!”

Knowing she couldn’t get herself out of this conversation any other way, Himari said:

“Negative. Nobody wants to deal with guys that can’t take anything but volleyball seriously, anyway. Why would I want to deal with that?”

Ever since that day, Atsumu kept his distance despite his feelings. After all, pining after a girl that saw athletes as a waste of time surely wouldn’t end well for him, right? Yet, the young setter just couldn’t shake how he felt. He observed her on her way to class, greeting professors in the hallways. He noticed how she took the time after class to help others with the material. He even ran into her occasionally feeding the stray dogs in town. Surely someone like that couldn’t possibly dislike sports players for such a futile reason…?

But that’s what she said.

His stupid brain reminded him every time his eyes lingered. Every time he found himself laughing at the jokes she’d tell her friends right before class began. Every time she wore that one skirt to class that flowed just a little too fluidly when she twirled around-

“Athlete. Not her type. Right.” Atsumu mumbled to himself, snapping out of his thoughts.

He walked the halls, nearly walking past a group of students putting up a large sign near the entrance.

Don’t Kiss, Just Tell! Do you have someone you’ve always wanted to confess to, but just couldn’t bring yourself to? Let it all out in a radio message! Tell them everything you like about them, and leave nothing out. Calls are accepted both identified or anonymous. Will you be brave enough to proudly profess your love? Who knows, you might just land yourself a Valentine… Courtesy of the A/V Club

Atsumu read the number and date at the bottom of the poster. The event was two days from now.

“Thinking of finally manning up and confessing to your genius girlfriend?” A familiar voice said behind him.

Atsumu rolled his eyes and turned around to face his gray-haired brother. “Fuck off. I was just reading it.”

“It might work if you ask me. You’re so obvious she’ll realize it’s you even if you stay anonymous, she’ll marry you out of pity and your future kids will have a fighting chance at being smarter than you.” Osamu listed off his reasons only to barely dodge the punch Atsumu sent his way.

“Sheesh, tough crowd.”

Atsumu laid in bed that Friday night, twirling his phone idly. It was radio show night, and “Don’t Kiss, Just Tell!” was in full swing. There were multiple, rather public displays of affection, including some loser from the soccer team practically objectifying some poor girl, insisting he wanted to “see them tiddies.” That one nearly made Atsumu cut the broadcast off altogether. He wouldn’t blame Himari for hating someone like that.

The small device in his hand buzzed, his brother’s name appearing on the screen.

Samu: haven’t heard you profess your love yet, Romeo

Atsumu rolled his eyes, of course Osamu was tuned in while working at his on-campus stall and anticipating his contribution.

Atsumu: don’t you have customers to attend to?

O: it’s this pretty little thing called multitasking. Call the show! Unless you want someone else to call about her.

The boy sighed, sitting up. He definitely didn’t want that. But what was he going to say? What if he sounded stupid? Atsumu wondered if Himari was even listening.

No. It didn’t matter if she was listening. There was the option to be anonymous, so he could just call in, get these feelings off his chest, and move on from the one-sidedness of whatever this was.

Atsumu’s fingers tapped his phone screen in quick succession before his brain could catch up and potentially stop them.

“Wooo! Everyone settle down and listen up because we have another caller!” Fuck.

“Caller, either state your name or speak your mind! Either way, no judgment here. Just say what feels right!”

Atsumu didn’t give his brain time to second guess itself OR time to think of what to say.

“Well, I’m not sure what to say, but I guess I can start at the beginning. The first time I ever noticed this person was in the middle of a match. I was frustrated as the odds weren’t in the team’s favor at the moment. I was close to losing it until I saw you. It was the first time I’d smiled since the game started,” He rambled, trying his best to keep any specific details out. “Ever since that day, I can’t get you out of my mind. You walk through the halls, laughing with your friends and you’re the only person I see. Your laugh is quickly becoming my favorite song. Professors announce the highest marks on recent tests and your name is called every time. Of course it is, you’re so smart. With that level of intelligence, I wouldn’t even blame you for being stuck up or presumptuous, but you’re not. You take time out of your day to help people that are confused and you’re so patient. I even see you tending to the stray dogs in the area, and it warms my heart how sweet you are.” Atsumu sighed. He was sure people were sick of him, but it felt impossible to stop once he opened the floodgates. “I’ve longed to get to know you for months, but I doubt you’d ever like me back. So, I just wanted to speak on my feelings so I can move on.”

“Excuse me, but if I can just interject.” The host spoke up. “Are you sure you don’t want to identify yourself? This is the most genuine confession we’ve heard all night!”

“Uhh, yeah. I’m good, man. I’d love to treat her the way she deserves, but I don’t think she’d go for a guy like me.”

“Do you at least want to say your crush’s name? They should at least know they’ve made someone feel this way.”

Atsumu hesitated. He hadn’t thought about revealing who Himari was. Should he? It’s not like she’d figure out who it was regardless.

No. Himari is a pretty reserved person. She wouldn’t like her name attached to such a public announcement. She barely enjoyed the praise in class. Also, wouldn’t naming her make it seem like Atsumu wants to seduce her? His intention was purely to get it off his chest.

“Are you still there?” the host asked, yanking the blond-haired man out of his internal dilemma.

Without responding, Atsumu lowered the phone from his face, hitting the red button.

“That’s the end of that.” He mumbled.

 Buzz.

Buzz.

Himari tossed and turned in bed, sighing deeply. Her phone had been going off for the past hour, and she’d been waiting patiently for it to die down so she could go back to sleep because who could possibly be bothering her at 9 AM on a Saturday?

The buzzing subsided for a while, and Himari thought she was in the clear. Until she heard her ringtone, that is.

She slammed her pillow on her head, screaming into the muffled void.

She checked the screen. “Satomi, what do you want?”

“Come open the door.”

Himari shot up from the bed. “There’s no way you’re at my house right now.”

The banging on the front door was confirmation enough. Trudging out of bed, she swung it open to reveal her two best friends on the other side.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“You weren’t answering the phone.” Satomi brushed past her, making a beeline for the living room.

“That’s because if you’re having an emergency, you need to call the police.” Himari fell back on the sofa, closing her eyes.

“It’s not that kind of emergency, Hima. Did you listen to the A/V club’s episode last night?” Sakura asked.

“You know I don’t listen to that mess.”

“That means you missed your love confession, then.” Satomi mused.

“My what?”

“Allegedly, Satomi.” Sakura side eyed the younger girl. “Hima, listen to the recording. We really think this could be about you.”

Himari watched as her friends pressed play.

“The first time I ever noticed this person was in the middle of a match.”

“Professors announce the highest marks on recent tests and your name is called every time.”

“You take time out of your day to help people that are confused and you’re so patient.”

“How do you know it’s about me? He never said a name. He didn’t even say his own!”

“But,” Satomi raised her finger in the air, “He did say the first time he saw her was during a match where he was losing. Our team has either been losing or lost at all the matches you’ve been to.” She pauses. “Hmm, on second thought, maybe you’re the problem.”

Himari ignored Satomi’s sly remark. “Lots of girls are there…”

“But most girls that are there, Sakura and I included, have been there before. It sounds like this guy’s first encounter with the girl was recent, so of all of us, who could that be? The girl that just recently started going to matches or girls he sees on the regular?” Satomi raised an eyebrow and nodded toward her friend. 

“So,” She started, choosing her words carefully, “If the confession’s about me…now what?”

She sighed as she saw smiles spread across her friends’ faces. “Oh my gosh…” Sakura leaned forward, her chin resting in her hand.

“I knew it!” Satomi shot up from her seat. “I knew you liked someone on the team! You couldn’t peel your eyes away from the court that day! I even tried to get you to admit it but you spewed some nonsense about not wanting to deal with any athletes. But then you kept going to matches with us! Why would you come if there’s no benefit? Who is it? Tell us!”

Sakura yanked Satomi back down on the couch, giving her a look when she complained. “Do you like someone on the team, Hima?” She asked.

Himari fidgeted in her seat, thinking back to the first time she saw Atsumu. The way he swooped in and caught the ball so effortlessly, tossed it to his spiky-haired teammate, and then turned to her with the brightest smile before asking if she was okay. Himari was even sure he was glowing. How the heck do you even glow midway into a volleyball match?

But that was just it. The Atsumu she knew was a star player. He was outgoing, brash, and a jokester. Surely, he’d never sound like the dejected caller from last night that sounded so unsure of themselves, right?

“I do, but I don’t think this is him.”

“Huh? Are you sure?” Satomi asked, pouting when Hima nodded, “I was hoping for a perfect love story. Two people crushing on each other coming together for a whirlwind romance!” She exclaimed.

“Well, why don’t we try tracking down who it is? Even if it isn’t the guy you like, maybe you’ll gain a friend? Something more?” Sakura asked.

Already feeling like her friends aren’t going to let this go, she shrugged and looked up at them:

“How do we do that?”

“Thanks, Atsumu!”

The blond smiled, waving the customer off before sitting on the small stool for a break. Osamu had run off to see some girl, leaving his twin in charge of his on-campus food stall.

Must be nice, Atsumu thought.

The past week had been…interesting, to say the least. Atsumu had to endure his teammates’ pestering as well as his brother’s teasing from his confession. The whole team wanted to know who had stolen the star setter’s heart. Atsumu didn’t entertain the conversation (He did, however, make Bokuto promise to not say anything when he guessed correctly as to who it was.)

All Atsumu wanted to do was head home and wallow study, but here he was selling onigiris while his brother was off falling in love somewhere. He sighed, resting his head on his arm atop of the counter.

“Just go ask, Hima.”

Atsumu’s ears perked up. That sounded like Himari’s best friend, which means…

He peeked out the corner of his eye, and there she was. Dressed in a hot pink crop top that revealed her melanin-kissed midriff, light blue jeans and white sneakers, her high ponytail swayed back and forth as she approached Kaito, a guy Atsumu recognized from his Psychology class.

“Hi! Kaito, right? This might seem really awkward but it’s about the radio episode from last week…”

Atsumu watched as Himari mentioned his confession to another guy, asking if it was from him. So she had heard it. Atsumu was conflicted on if he should feel happy that she heard it, or sad that she hadn’t figured out it was him. Did she really think Kaito was the type of guy to pour his heart out like that? Did she like Kaito? Had she spoken to any of the other guys? Why hadn’t she come to ask him yet?

He pulled the hat further down onto his head, covering his eyes. As much as he wanted to go over there and admit it was him, he already made up his mind that he would let it go. How could he be so sure her reaction would be positive? For all he knew, she was probably prepared to tell Kaito off. Maybe it was for the best that she hadn’t suspected him. He watched her walk back to her friends and leave the area before calling Osamu:

“Get back here before I close your stall for the day, I’m going home.”

Himari rubbed her temples as she shut off the radio show. She spent the past two weeks talking to more classmates than she ever had since orientation. She was met with many confused expressions from students either wondering why she thought it was them or why she was sure this person was talking about her. In the end, she resorted to listening to the radio special in hopes that the confessor would change his mind and call back to either reveal who he was, who he admired, or in an ideal situation: both.

Of course, this was to no avail. All she heard was call after call of people using cheesy pick-up lines and practically begging to not spend tomorrow alone. Himari walked over to her front door, slipping her sneakers on for a quick walk to the convenience store. Maybe some fresh air would calm her thoughts.

She zipped up her coat as she turned the corner, watching how the snow settled on the treetops and glittered on the roofs of the cars.

I wonder how the dogs are holding up, she wondered. She made a mental note to stop by on her way back. The bell rang as she stepped through the threshold, signaling her arrival. She waved at the cashier as she headed to the fridge, grabbing a few drinks and some ice cream to eat at home. Noticing the dog food on sale, she grabbed a few to take with her.

“Nice to see you again, Hima!” The cashier smiled, scanning her items. “Heading to see the dogs today?”

“Yep! Just for a bit. I wanna see how they’re doing in the snow.”

“Oh! Take this with you. They can use this.” She turned to a small cubby area, procuring a fluffy, gray blanket. “I don’t use it much so don’t worry about it. It’ll keep them warm.” She handed the blanket over along with Himari’s purchases and receipt.

“This is amazing, they’re going to love this. Thank you so much!”

“Don’t mention it, see you next time!”

The snow had let up a bit, but Himari still made haste to the small alleyway where she usually found the dogs. She walked in, but instead of hearing the usual barks and pitter patter of paws heading towards her from them, she saw open, half-eaten tins of food. She saw the wagging tails of the dogs who were facing away from here.

And she saw very distinct bleach blond hair peeking out of a black hoodie.

“Leave me alone.”

“She’s been running around campus trying to figure out who you are, and you still think you don’t even have the tiniest chance?” Osamu asked.

Atsumu pinched the bridge of his nose. Osamu had been following him around the house, pestering him about his inactivity in the matter. He just couldn’t understand how his extremely outgoing brother was suddenly taking a vow of silence regarding his feelings.

Atsumu grabbed his keys off the hook. “I’m going out for a walk.”

“I’ll come with you.” Osamu said.

“I’d rather take my shoes and socks off and walk through your collection of Legos.” He replied, slamming the door on his way out and ignoring his brother’s giggles.

He walked aimlessly for quite some time, pulling his hood over his head at the first sign of snowfall.

Is Osamu right? Isn’t just leaving her be the right thing to do? He thought to himself. It’s true that he’s never been the type to back down, but is that really the best course of action with someone he likes this much? Or maybe, his focus should be on proving to her that her thoughts about athletes are wrong. He can care about more things than just volleyball. That’s it! He’d prove her wrong and when she’s finally seen the truth, he’ll-

Atsumu was dragged out of his thoughts by a strong thump against his leg. He looked down to see a brown-fur dog wagging its tail at him.

“Now what are you doing out here in the snow like this, huh?” He smiled, leading the dog back into the alleyway. He noticed the other dogs sitting next to a trash can, also getting wet from the snow.

Finding a discarded wooden door, Atsumu laid it atop of the trash cans, giving the dogs a roof.

“There you go, that should be good enough at least for tonight. You’re probably hungry, huh? Should I get you something to eat?” Atsumu laughed at the increased wagging at the mention of food. He ran to the store around the corner, coming back with a few cans of dog food.

“Hmm, come to think of it, doesn’t Hima usually feed you guys? I guess it makes sense that she didn’t come out in the rain.” He crouched down, watching the dogs dig in. “How crazy would that be, running into her here?” He laughed to himself.

One of the dogs suddenly ran out of the makeshift doghouse, darting down the alley.

“Hey, where’re you going? You’ll get wet!” He called out until he noticed the dog stop just shy of a pair of white sneakers. The same brand he saw Hima wearing earlier that week.

His eyes fluttered upwards to meet a round, brown pair. “Oh, shit.”

“It’s you.” She said.

“Sorry?” He asked, finding his way back to his feet.

How did Himari ever think it was anyone else? “‘The first time I ever noticed this person was in the middle of a match.’ The first time I ever went to a volleyball match, you saved me from a ball to the face. ‘ Professors announce the highest marks on recent tests and your name is called every time.’ You congratulated me last time that happened. You even mentioned me feeding the stray dogs, and here you are! Oh my gosh, it’s you.” She blurted out, taking a step closer.

Atsumu scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, I heard you’ve been looking for me everywhere. I’m sorry.”

Himari furrowed her eyebrows. “Wait, why are you apologizing? Wait, wait, if you knew I was looking for you, why didn’t you just say something? I ended up in the awkwardest conversations looking for you.” Himari’s face contorted into one of disbelief.

Atsumu laughed softly, finding her adorable in the moment. “I thought it was better this way. I knew you wouldn’t like me.”

“You said that in the call, too! Why wouldn’t I like you?”

It was Atsumu’s turn to look confused. “ …You said so. You said nobody wants to deal with guys that take volleyball seriously. That same day you were talking about.” He said, pointing at the much shorter girl.

Hima stared at him blankly before it clicked. She scoffed, looking off to the side. All this time, the guy she liked thought she didn’t like him for some off-topic comment she made to Satomi.

“I didn’t mean it that way. I just wanted Satomi to leave me alone. I had just developed my crush on you, and I knew if I had admitted it right then and there, I’d never hear the end of it. I never meant for you to hear that. It’s not true. I’m sorry.” She looked down, focusing on the gravel below.

Atsumu disregarded her apology completely, a dazed look on his face. “You…what?”

“Huh?”

“Say it again.”

“Say what?”

Atsumu groaned. Now was not the time for miscommunications. “What you just said. I need to hear it again.”

Oh. He meant that. “I…developed a crush on you that day. I’ve liked you ever since.” She felt heat rising across her cheeks as she spoke.

“Huh,” Atsumu said incredulously. “I can’t believe I owe that idiot an apology.” He mumbled.

“What idiot?” Hima asked.

“Can I walk you home?” Atsumu said abruptly. “Please?”

“Oh.” She said, surprised. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

They left the blanket for the dogs, deciding that Himari should take the rest of the food home to give to them another day. They made the short walk back to her building, squeezing themselves into the small hallway leading to the lobby.

“I can’t believe you liked me back this entire time. I should’ve just said something.” He shook his head.

Himari smiled. “That makes two of us. Well, this is me.” She motioned to the lobby.

“Right! Well, good night! I’ll see you tomorrow.” He smiled, turning to the door.

She giggled. “Really? You’re just going to leave?”

Atsumu turned back to face her.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” She laughed harder when she saw the mental gymnastics visibly etched on his face. “Think about what day tomorrow is. There’s a very specific question to be asked.”

A lightbulb went on in Atsumu’s head. “Ah! Um…” He tugged at the sleeves of his coat. “Right, um..Hima?”

“Yes?” She asked, loving how her nickname rolled off his tongue.

“Can I be your Valentine?”

She smiled. “I’d love to.”

A rosy hue dusted Atsumu’s cheeks, reaching the back of his neck. “Wow. Okay. Well, as your Valentine, can I make a small request?”

“What’s that?”

“Maybe, tomorrow when we inevitably go on a date, you could probably wear that skirt you wear sometimes? The really flowy one with the slit?”

Himari quirked an eyebrow. She knew exactly what skirt he was talking about. “Hmmm, for you, I think that can be arranged.”

“Yeah?” He stepped closer.

“Yeah.” She closed the gap between them.

“I’m quite the lucky guy, then.” He whispered.

“You have no idea. Even though you had no hope of this working out, you still got your radio romance.” Her eyes fell to his lips.

Atsumu took this opportunity to press them against her own, sighing in relief like he’d been holding in the urge this entire time. Maybe he was. He gave her pout a few chaste pecks before resting his forehead against hers. They both let out a soft laugh before their lips found each other again. 

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