After exchanging messages with Seijoh's Ace, Mina sat at the empty cafeteria with her cheek resting against her arms. It was her last night in Tokyo, and yet she could not bring herself to do anything at all. Over the last week she had developed new friendships that she was going to miss sincerely, and on top of that returning home meant she had to face reality.

Tracing circles on the cold surface, the brunette sighed softly. When she had discovered Victor's true intentions, neither party had explicitly broken up with the other. It was mutually assumed after she transferred schools and refused to return his calls. Truthfully it took her an entire year before the weight of the break up had lifted. But with Victor, the pain arose from his betrayal. Now she was about to lose Oikawa because of what? Oh right, she did not even know the true reason! That was what angered her the most.

"Stupid pretty setter." She mumbled out loud, shifting so that her forehead was now aimed towards the table.

"I hope you're not talking about Kenma."

Mina did not have to raise her head to know who was settling down beside her. He always had a way of finding her when she needed comfort. She was beginning to consider him a therapist rather than her friend.

"I would never." After mustering the energy to reach his gaze, she pushed her weight off of the table before stretching out her arms. "He's just pretty and a setter."

The black haired captain chuckled at her observation.

"What about me? What does the great Saito think of little ol' me?" There was a glint of mischievousness in his irises.

Puckering out her lips in a thoughtful expression, the brunette tapped against her cheek with the tips of her fingers.

"You? You're a noisy, caring, bedhead kitten that somehow manages to save me whenever I need it."

Now, let it be noted that Kuroo was not expecting a genuine answer. After wiping the startled expression on his features, he began laughing obnoxiously to mask the happiness swallowing his heart. "Wow, you make me sound so cool. I mean, I knew I was cool. I just didn't know if you knew that."

His retort was responded to with a glare from the younger girl, followed by a sigh of exasperation.

"Shut up."

As his laughter slowly receded, the male's humour slowly drained, with silence falling onto the cafeteria.

Mina, who was puzzled by the rapid change in atmosphere, tilted her head, trying to catch his wandering gaze.

"What's wrong? I thought I was the one sulking, not you."

The Nekoma Captain had his back and elbows resting against the side of the table, Mina had to change her position on the seat to face the same direction as him after receiving no response. Lightly she poked his side with her eyebrows raised. It was rare to see him so serious.

"Even though you think so highly of me, you still love him." Kuroo finally allowed their eyes to meet, the astonishment present in Mina's features was to be expected. She was sometimes oblivious to those around her. "The stupid pretty setter you were talking to yourself about, that's your boyfriend, right?"

All she could think was – Akaashi was right. She was so consumed by her own emotions that she had not recognized how much he unnaturally doted on her. From the second they met, Kuroo had always strived to bring a smile to her face. Whether she was upset about something trivial or something she was terrified about addressing, he had always managed to lift her mood. How could she be so /stupid/.

"You don't need to make that face." The black haired male gently laughed, reaching out to ruffle her hair. "I guess I should confess something else too. When you were sick, I answered your phone and spoke to him. I told him you were sick and I may have been a little childish in the way I conveyed the message. I'm sorry."

Each of the missing pieces were beginning to fit together, she now understood what Oikawa was referencing when they spoke.

"I don't think you need to be sorry. It just happened to be you who answered. I'm sure if any of my other friends were there, they would have done the same thing!" Her tone was a bit too forceful, prompting Kuroo to raise an eyebrow. "I'm sorry that I didn't notice your feelings earlier. I must have caused you a lot of pain."

"Nah. It's fine. We had fun, there was no pain." He offered her a half sided grin to help reassure her.

"I know Oikawa is stupid and right now, I don't know what's going on in his head. But I still love him. I'm sorry." She was no longer able to maintain eye contact, she never thought she would have to reject someone who meant so much to her.

"I guess it would have been different if I met you first." Kuroo had known that he would be rejected, and yet it hurt. He wondered if he was the stupid one, secretly hoping that she would choose him. "Listen, if he ever hurts you, I want you to come to me. Do you understand?" With his fingers, he guided her chin upwards, forcing her hazel irises to meet his.

A small squeak sounded within her throat as she gave a little nod.

"Alright then. Let's go. Akaashi is probably going crazy handling the others." The Nekoma captain raised from the seat then shoved his hands into his pockets casually. He appeared completely indifferent to what transpired seconds prior, while Mina was reeling.

"Okay." She whispered, sluggishly following behind him. As if reading her mind and the anxieties spiralling inside, he shot a glance over his shoulder.

"You won't lose me, Saito. You're still my little bunny."

While the final matches were being held, Mina was roped into helping set up the stations for the farewell barbeque hosted by the coaches. It was a blessing in disguise, as she wanted to avoid being around anyone who may inquire why she was extremely spaced out. It was entirely her fault – Kuroo had been behaving normally ever since he confessed. The only person drawing attention to themselves was her. From the moment she woke up, her thoughts continuously shifted between Oikawa and Kuroo. They were both completely different, other than for their love for volleyball – and well… their interest in her.

When the teams gathered outside for the final remarks from their coaches, Mina was stood with the team managers, cheering in the background. It was adorable watching the boys attempt to control themselves before they were allowed to begin eating. She wasn't feeling particularly hungry, so the brunette began hovering in the background, making idle conversation with whoever noticed her.

"Why aren't you eating?" Bokuto had just stolen a piece of meat that Kuroo was waiting for and was looking for cover when his curiosity got the better of him.

"I'm not that hungry." The brunette waved her hands in the air with a soft smile on her lips.

"Is this about last night?" His question was not completely comprehensible as he was chewing while speaking, but she got the gist of it. "You can't keep avoiding him, he's your friend." This time he swallowed the bite before speaking.

A crimson hue coloured Mina's cheeks as the realization hit – Bokuto somehow heard their conversation!

"You should really try some of this meat!" The Fukurodani Ace was too consumed by the delicious flavour in his mouth to appreciate her reaction. "Rejecting someone sucks, but ignoring them after is worse."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Mina exhaled loudly. Bokuto was an airhead sometimes, but he was also making a very good point.

"Okay, okay. I'll talk to him. And Bo, please stop talking while you eat!"

A/N: Sorry for not updating yesterday, I hurt my shoulder and have been dealing with a lot of pain. But anYWAY. Mina is one lucky girl to have two best boi's crazy about her, AM I RIGHT.