LOOK AT ME

Chapter 4: The Prelude to a Beginning

Friday morning, Aya was yelling at my ears asking me what the plans were for the date. I couldn't find an answer to the question. The night before, Tsukishima just confessed that his brother was the one who was able to tell the difference between my baked goods from my mother's. We walked home silently after that. Astounded as I was, my heart wouldn't stop beating from knowing about the truth.

Aki-san noticed.

That kept me awake for almost the whole night. I couldn't stop thinking about it. That took me to the next step – daydreaming. Or day dreaming even though it was already night time. I thought of the possibilities. If I saw him, what would I tell him? Should I try to impress him? Wear something nice? And then what would he say? Should I tell him I like him? Does he like me? What if he likes me too? Will we go out on a date?

The questions were endless.

But the night was not. And next thing I knew, the time was already 3 O'clock, and if I had not watched Exorcism of Emily Rose, I wouldn't have been scared. So, I left my lamp light on and forced myself to sleep and tried not imagining weird scary images of women with dark black hair and white dresses hovering over my bed.

"So, you guys didn't talk about the date at all?" Aya asked.

"Nope. It never came up. I think we both forgot about it."

She pushed my shoulder, "I don't believe you. Who would forget about a date? I've never been on a date ever, and here you are with your perfect high school debut and a date already!"

"Well, forget about my not so perfect high school debut. How was Kageyama-kun last night?" I raised my eyebrows.

Aya looked like she was shining. "It was perfect! Although, he didn't talk at all. Whenever I asked him a question, he would nod and so that actually meant, he was listening right?"

I tilted my head, "You talked to him? Well, that's something. Good job!"

She started blushing and covered her face while shaking her head almost too rapidly, "Oh no no! I just told him how I baked and who we give it to. I was about to ask him how he started playing volleyball but Chizu asked first. Ugh!"

"So he did talk!"

She sighed, "No. Hinata interrupted and asked if he could practice his spikes and then they both left right away."

She sat on the table beside mine and saw that Hinata had finally arrived. Hinata was my seatmate since the beginning of time. She quickly got off and I whispered, "There's the culprit. Now ask him what's his relationship with Kageyama and why are they so close?"

She pushed my shoulder softly. "Kageyama and Hinata are both pure. They're just partners in crime or something."

I raised an eyebrow. "Emphasis on partners."

"You're so mean." Then we both laughed hysterically.

When Hinata approached his chair we both greeted him cheerfully trying not to break into laughter again.

Hinata's sullen gaze looked up to both of us. From his tired disposition, he quickly changed to his quirky one. It seems that volleyball has taken a toll on his body.

" Morning!" he yelled, "Thanks for the sweets last night. It gave Kageyama and I energy to practice some more."

I looked to Aya who looked to me. And we both mouthed the words while covering our mouth, "Energy to practice?" And then laughed again.

"What's wrong?"

We both said, "Nothing."

"So, Yamaguchi said that you and Tsukishima are going on out on a date?" Hinata asked.

Aya and I both stopped laughing.

"Yamaguchi spilled?" Aya asked.

"I don't really think it was a secret, Aya." I said.

"It's true? Whoa! I can't believe it!" Hinata yelled. Everyone in class turned around to look at us. He quickly noticed and closed his mouth. The silence was quickly replaced by noise.

"Well, yeah. But I don't really know what we're doing tomorrow."

"So, ask him." Hinata said.

"Hmm, that's possible but I think he forgot. We didn't talk about it last night."

"That's because you didn't ask him." Aya retorted.

"I didn't want to seem like I was excited."

"He didn't forget. He told Yamaguchi about it this morning. So, he can't have forgotten." Hinata said.

"What did he tell him?" Aya asked.

Hinata shrugged. "I don't know. Yamaguchi just told us that." He stopped to think and then he placed his fist on his palm as if a mighty light bulb moment appeared, "Ah, he said something like Tsukishima didn't know what to do and Yamaguchi didn't have an answer because he's never gone out before."

Aya and I sighed. That would totally make sense.

"I guess, that means you'll have to talk to him later, Kana."

"He doesn't do any lunch practice so he's free then." Hinata said

But I really didn't want to go to his room and talk to him in front of his classmates. There are already rumors about him and me and it might just worsen. I hate rumors. They're the worst.

Hinata could sense my apprehension and said, "We can go together with you, right?" he looked at Aya and added, "he's a little stubborn during lunch time but if it's you, he'll probably talk."

Aya smiled, "Great idea, Hinata! I never knew you were so smart." She started patting his head.

Aya and Hinata are practically the same height, so she has no problem reaching for his head. Hinata happily allowed her to rustle his hair.

The school bells rang not long after and classes began. Hinata dozed off a few moments after, and our teacher seemed quiet insistent in standing right beside Hinata until he woke up. Which he did, after his head hit the table, the teacher didn't look too happy but the class was certainly sniffling a laughter.

Lunch time came quickly and before I could even touch my bento, Aya and Hinata were already pulling me to class 1-4. I didn't even have time to breath when I heard someone say, "You're looking for Tsukishima?"

I looked up and saw Yamaguchi grinning. He pointed to the blond with glasses who was sitting on his chair, "He's just reading so you can go ahead."

The three of us walked behind Yamaguchi who tapped Tsukishima's shoulder. He looked up at Yamaguchi and pulled his headphones back. He didn't even get to say anything before he saw the three of our heads peek behind Yamaguchi's tall stature.

"What do they want, Yamaguchi?" he asked.

"Kana has something to say." Hinata answered then the three of them pushed me in front and I was face to face with Tsukishima within milliseconds.

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow. And all I could say was, "Uh.. err... hmm..."

"If you have nothing to say, then don't waste my time." He quickly wore his headphones and looked down at his book.

I sighed.

Aya then tapped his back, "Tsukiyama-kun."

Is she purposely forgetting his name? I wondered

"It's Tsukishima." He answered, without even removing his headphones. So, he could hear us.

"Right. Kana here just wanted to ask what you're going to do about tomorrow."

I looked around us and tried to see if anybody was watching this conversation go on. Some students were busy talking to each other, others were eating but I could see a number trying to glimpse at our side of the room.

"Tomorrow?"

"The date." Aya said clearly.

And that did it. Almost everyone in the room was looking.

"Aya" I whispered. She was still staring down Tsukishima, who removed the headphones completely off his head. "Aya" I said again.

She looked back at me. "Kana. We're having this conversation right now, or it's never going to happen."

I whispered my answer, "Well, can we not do it in front of the whole class?"

"Huh?" She looked around the classroom and noticed that all the eyes were looking at her. And I think the class misunderstood that it was Aya asking Tsukishima out on a date and not me. I felt a little relieved but in the end, a little pity for Aya's heart who loved Kageyama to no end.

"Oh my." She said and then started waving her hands around. "Oh no. Not me. I'm not going out on a date with this guy." She started yelling in front of everyone who was surely all looking at her now.

Yamaguchi, sensing the problems that could arise from this, pulled Aya's arm and said, "Maybe we should talk to you guys outside."

I aimlessly walked behind the four of them who walked down the stairs and out of the building before going by the gym. Is this their only chill spot? I though rooftops were cool, but these guys have a serious love for volleyball. Aya and the rest of the guys left us behind in front of the gym. While they went to the nearby vending machine to grab some drinks, obviously trying to listen in to our conversation.

"So, tomorrow, huh?" Tsukishima said. "We can just do whatever."

I suddenly remembered what I told him when we spoke a few days ago, "M- m- movie." I stuttered.

He raised his head and looked at me. He placed his hand on his neck and said, "A movie?"

"There was this movie that I wanted to watch recently. But nobody wants to watch it with me because its not my friends' style."

"What is it?"

"Jurassic World"

He looked a little taken aback. "Didn't know that was your style."

You'd never know because you never tried to know anything about me. I thought.

"We can do that. Let's meet outside your house tomorrow before lunch? Eleven in the morning?"

I nodded.

"I'm going ahead."

I heard footsteps leave me behind and his was joined by another pair with the words, "Oi, Tsukki!"

I looked up and saw Aya and Hinata run towards me and I said, "Well, that turned out better than I expected."

"Good job, Kana-san!" Hinata said, and after which he blushed immediately saying, "No, I meant, Nakamura-san."

Aya and I smiled at each other. We had both noticed how Hinata had slowly became one of our closest friend. Even though he was clearly busy with becoming a better volleyball player, he seemed to be working hard to be a good friend, too. He deserved our friendship.

"No, Shoyou. It's thanks to you that I was able to talk to him for lunch. You can call me Kana with no problem at all."

"And you can call me Aya!" Aya chirped.

Shoyou's smile grew immensely and the three of us laughed. The school bell rang. We had forgotten to eat lunch. Our stomachs were grumbling as we ran to our classroom. But I was happy. I was happy that returning to Miyagi turned out to be something amazing. I looked at my two friends who raced ahead of me while laughing like madmen. This year was going to turn out perfect.


A/n: hello hello, you'll probably never read this because chapter 5 is out. HAHA. Yes yes, i've released them at the same time because this chapter is short. I just really wanted to add Hinata in this chapter and I want to call him Shoyou so bad that it's become an addiction.

Thanks again and again for favoriting, following and reviewing. I'd love to hear more from all of you, guys.

Lynx