Sorry if the fic went by so fast. I'm having trouble keeping up with time and I might not even be able to continue it once classes start so I thought of many possible plots that could end it in a way that it won't look rushed. I tried huhuhuhuhu ;...;

Sem break is almost over. I can feel the pressure already.

She had never before felt so nervous in entering her own classroom. It was just the second day of school, yet she felt like an eternity just passed by. She knew that she forgot to thank him again, for defending her yesterday from girls she didn't know she offended, thanks to her rare talent of always ruining the atmosphere.

Waking up this morning proved to be a struggle to her. She pressed the snooze button for about four times, bolted upright for the fifth time after she realized she only had fifteen minutes left, took a quick shower, didn't bother to comb her hair and left the house without eating anything. Karasuno was definitely farther from Aoba Johsai.

And now she stood there in front of her classroom door with a dry throat and a wildly beating heart. "Okay… okay… Maro… Just say 'good morning'. That's it." Her mind wandered to a boy she had just met because of her own air-headedness. Her hand shook as it rested on the doorknob, feeling the piercing cold steel in her palm. She turned the doorknob, mustering up her courage, and went inside. "Good… um…" Okay. She failed. Her eyes darted to the blonde boy, headphones on his ears, writing on his notebook. He was studying, as usual. She knew that the boy has the ability to focus deep into where he is. If he is in the classroom, he studies and gets excellent grades. If he is in the gym, he is a formidable middle blocker of the volleyball club.

And she doesn't know it but he likes her. Very much.

And it was because of him that she tried removing her anxiety, but it was harder than she thought. What his presence ended up doing was make her anxiety worse. "Good morning, Kaji!" Yamaguchi exclaimed happily as she went to her seat. She nodded in return and gave the freckled pinch server a small smile. Tsukishima finally noticed her when she sat down, seeing as there was only one row between them and they sat on the same column of chairs. She blew her bangs up, knowing that it is Friday today and since she was temporarily banned from joining a club because of what she previously did in her last school, she had no excuse to go to school on a Saturday. She felt so downhearted at the failure. "Tch. Not even a 'thank you' or 'good morning'…" She said to herself, copying the tone of his voice.

Tsukishima's eyes were either catching glimpses of her back or concentrating on a Math problem he has been trying to solve since last night. He knew the great difference between the answer to number 9 and the answer to number 11. He also knew the great difference between Kageyama with Hirari and himself with Mashumaro. The former was an awkward, failed shoujo manga, and childish type of 'like'. They were like a parody of a romantic movie, all because Kageyama doesn't know what to do and when to do it. But he knew that Kageyama has great potential and that Hirari loves the subtle things no matter how awkward it is.

As for the latter, it was more like a quiet, everyday life sort of 'thing'. Tsukishima doesn't express much, and he knew it himself. He was okay with serenity. He was okay when they barely talk. He was okay with a few moments of eye contact, watching her from afar, and the way her eyes formed wrinkles on their sides when she laughed. He was okay with watching her tiptoe to reach the higher shelves before he comes up behind her and easily gets whatever she was trying to reach, raising it up high so she'd get annoyed and pout. He had also made it a habit to listen to love songs with his headphones while staring at her from his seat. "Annoying." He whispered.

Someone entered the room. For some reason, Hinata and Kageyama were back. They marched towards Tsukishima, dragging Yamaguchi along with them as they passed by his seat. "He couldn't confess yesterday." Hinata sighed, disappointment written all over his face. "Unless you want her friend to find out first, I suggest you calm down and keep your voice quiet." Tsukishima answered, spinning his pencil between his fingers until the tip was pointing towards where Mashumaro was sitting. The four boys looked at the girl. Thank goodness, she seemed to be thinking about something serious, as she didn't even notice Hinata and Kageyama entering the classroom. "Why didn't you, Kageyama?" Yamaguchi asked, out of concern. Remembering what happened yesterday made Kageyama's heart ache badly.

Kageyama never really thought about anything besides volleyball. It was when he went to Karasuno that he started feeling all sorts of emotions spinning inside him, but he only knew how to express three things – happiness from winning, anger from losing, and frustration for lacking. The other emotions were holed inside him, waiting to burst out like fireworks. Yes, that's what he sees when he's with Hirari. It is not just a spark. They were fireworks. He had never seen such a sight. Volleyball was his world, but Hirari was his home. And although it's a cliché phrase, there is no place like home. When did it start? He can't remember. Probably when he went out to find her after she run away. Probably when he accidentally filled her plate with food or the time when he went to take care of her while she was sick. No, he already liked her at that time.

It was probably when he was eager to tame a cat, so he'd know how to tame a girl's heart.

But it can also be from that time when he bandaged her hand because she didn't know how.

Kageyama looked down, biting his lip to prevent himself from screaming. "I wanted to tell her."

Since the boys didn't know what to do to help Kageyama, a crazy idea from Hinata urged them to ask Mashumaro for help. But then again, the girl was oblivious to her surroundings; she might end up accidentally blurting it out to Hirari without remembering that it should be Kageyama doing it. Hinata and Kageyama went back to their classrooms, trying to focus on thinking about after-school activities instead, which was volleyball. On the way to his classroom, Kageyama stopped before he could go in when he noticed a girl running in the hallway. "Oh, Kageyama! Good morning! I'm late! See you later!" Hirari greeted him, pretending that nothing happened yesterday. It dug a deeper hole in both of their hearts and they didn't even know it. But they surely felt it.

Tsukishima was a smart and observant guy. Just by observing Mashumaro, he knew what her habits were. She had a habit of singing when she was being absent-minded. She was also clumsy, occasionally tripping even though there was nothing on the ground to trip on and she was even wearing flat shoes. She usually spaces out during class, getting bored easily from long lectures. He actually wondered how she got in this class, even though she hardly looks at her book or takes notes during classes. She would stutter and be on the verge of fainting one time and be confident and act like a normal person the next. He also never forgets to notice her random remarks and the way she always ruins the mood although she doesn't mean to. It seems the only person she liked teasing was Hirari.

When did he start liking her? Probably at the time she was still studying in Aoba Johsai and wandered through the corridors of Karasuno, bumping into them while Hinata was tugging at his shirt, begging him to teach them before and after club activities. Back at that time, she wasn't the center of attention so she wasn't really nervous since Hirari was also with her. Tsukishima was silently watching her. Her clothes and hair were dripping wet from the rain, her bangs falling at the sides of her eyes as she teased Kageyama and Hirari. He liked that. She was pretty. But at that time, he thought he wouldn't see her again so he shrugged off the growing emotions. The second time was when he picked up her phone, not knowing it was hers.

He felt a bit grateful that it was hers. And he remembered the feeling of his heart stopping when he saw the wallpaper. He remembered going home with her phone in his hands, browsing through the gallery and laughing at her stolen shots and nice pictures. His mother even went into his room, telling him that his laugh could be heard from the living room. He didn't touch her messages, though. He wasn't that kind of guy. He did transfer the wallpaper to his own cellphone, though. He also saved his number on hers and did the same with her number to his phone. Of course, he didn't mention it anyone. "It's not like she'd notice my feelings or anything." He whispered to himself, stealing another glance from her.

Kageyama was, again, in front of his favorite vending machine, the scowl on his face becoming more obvious when he saw that the staff didn't restock the milk. He pushed the button corresponding to the yogurt drink, slightly thankful that there was no milk. He liked milk, but right now, the taste of milk will probably be like the taste of pain he felt.

"It's just as she described." He looked down at his hands. It was the kind of pain where blood rises to the fingertips, making it throb. It was the kind of pain where the heart beats slower rather than bursting inside his chest. He couldn't explain it, but he did feel it before. He was being selfish, he knew it, and although he does not want to admit it, Tsukishima was right. Liking someone is like indirectly telling that person 'Don't go. Please be mine.'

He punched a hole into the drink with the straw and went back inside, contemplating. He knew that there was nothing else he ever wanted than volleyball. So how did this kind of thing, which isn't related to volleyball, happen to him? He wanted to blame Hinata for pushing him deep until he can no longer climb up. He wanted to blame Nishinoya for daring him to take over Ennoshita's part-time job for a day. He wanted to blame Tsukishima for explaining what 'like' is in the most self-centered way possible.

Selfish. He's back to being the selfish King.

And he was afraid that she'd leave his side like what his former teammates did back in middle school.

"Oi, Kageyama." He heard Hinata's voice. He looked at the shorter boy, surprised that he was there waiting in front of the classroom. "Don't be selfish and make her wait. She's been waiting for, like, a long time now, and all you're doing is drinking milk and cowering in fear!"

The yogurt drink was crushed in Kageyama's hand. His eyes narrowed, dangerously threatening Hinata. "Stop talking like you know everything!" He yelled, grabbing Hinata by the collar. Hinata glared back, angry at the stupid actions his volleyball partner was executing. "But, I'm right, aren't I?"

Kageyama's hand trembled in anger. There it is again. The pain that makes your fingertips throb.

It is the pain of longing.

He let go of Hinata, and shoved his hands into his pocket. "It's not going to hurt that much if you just tell her." Hinata's words were making him angry, but he couldn't do anything. The ginger was right.

Kageyama didn't want to get left behind again. He had experienced rejection once, and the first thing he did was go home and weep while there was no one around.

When Hirari ran off and left him there in front of the vending machine yesterday, he remembered when he tossed the ball back in junior high…

And there was no one there.

No, this was even more painful. Yesterday, he did as he used to do. He went home and wept alone.

In another classroom, Tsukishima was staring at his food, unable to eat. "Tsuki?" Yamaguchi called his name for who-knows-how-many-times already. The blonde didn't answer. He has never been so unfocused in his entire life. He always relied on information and calculations, he never expected love to be so… frightening. For the first time in his life, he didn't know the answer to the formula. He felt so inferior to Kageyama, knowing that the Karasuno setter was actually trying. And what was Tsukishima doing? Sitting on his desk, watching her from afar, pretending he doesn't care, and falling into something he really did not want to fall to. She was the typical annoying type of girl he dislikes, why her? He set his chopsticks down on the table, massaging his temples to cure his headache. "Um… Tsuki… maybe you should… go tell her." Yamaguchi gestured towards Mashumaro's empty seat. The girl went to eat lunch with Hirari someplace else, casting a shadow of discontent in Tsukishima.

"If I did, then what?" Tsukishima retorted back. He didn't see any point in directly telling someone how he feels. He was never good at it, anyway. "…Then you'll probably be the reason why she would be smiling in the future. Wouldn't you like that?"

Hirari was running in the hallways again, late as always. "Why does the alarm never go off!?" She was complaining in the midst of her breaths, as she almost fell while running upstairs. She didn't want to get another nosebleed. As she neared her destination, she saw someone standing on the door to her room.

There it is again. The pain that makes your fingertips throb.

The pain of longing.

"Good morning, Kageyama!" She greeted him, pretending she was not hurt at all. Kageyama nodded to her calmly, also pretending that there was no pain. Innocence really is the most dangerous thing in the world. "I'm going inside now, okay?" She bowed to him, wondering why he was in front of her door. Kageyama clenched his fists. He didn't want to see her disappear from sight again before he says anything and cowers in fear.

"Wait. I don't want to be alone."

"Hirari, wait." She stopped, hearing her first name escape from his lips. She looked up at him with lively eyes. "You'll be home at around 6 o'clock, right?" He asked her, his hands trembling with pain.

Meanwhile, Mashumaro was blindly standing by the door again. She was still as nervous as ever. "Just a 'good morning'. Just that." She told herself for so many times she can't remember already as her hand rested on the cold steel doorknob. She remembered the conversation she had with Hirari before, about using 'doorknob' as a curse word. It was on that same day Kageyama arrived at her house in a delivery boy's uniform.

It was that day where it all started.

Turning the doorknob, her grip on her bag tightened and she went inside. She exhaled a great amount of air, not realizing she had been holding her breath. She then clumsily went towards Tsukishima's seat, knowing that he won't be able to notice her again if he had his headphones covering his ears.

"G-Good mor—"

"Good morning, short stuff."

She gasped at his sudden greeting. Taking off his earphones, Tsukishima put his arms on his desk and leaned over, looking up at her as she stood there gracelessly. He had the usual smirk on his face. "Why don't you go check Hirari's cellphone later?" He told her, confidence beaming all over him.

"Hey, um, I'll be back in a jiffy, okay? Stay here!"

When Hirari ran outside class 4 to go back inside her own classroom because of an emergency, Mashumaro felt déjà vu all over her body. As soon as Hirari left the room, it was then that Mashumaro felt a strong vibration on her desk. Hirari left her phone again. Mashumaro picked it up, remembering what Tsukishima told her before.

*1 new message from Tsukishima Kei

Just a hunch, but I think your friend has lost her heart. If I'm wrong, don't waste your time replying. If I'm right, tell her about the place under the lamp post and to go there later at night.

Mashumaro looked over a seat behind her to see the famous Tsukishima Kei, writing on his notebook, headphones covering his ears.