"In Which Jo Catches Feelings."
From Jo's Playlist: Love Story by Taylor Swift
The weeks slid by, one after another. Spring slowly warmed and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. In May, Jo quickly discovered the many festivals surrounding the cotton candy pink trees, and simultaneously learned to avoid parks on weekends in late afternoons lest she be lost in a sea of people, tourists and natives alike.
She fell into an easy routine after an unsteady month of awkward encounters. Growing up with an older brother made her oblivious to stares by teenage boys due to his friends, but she didn't know how obvious some of them could be.
It took her a few weeks of practicing to remember all of their names, but she slowly memorized them. She and Titus would sit on a bench on the far side of the court with a notebook and whiteboard in hand, taking notes and sketching play ideas. They took the idea of conditioning them and ran with it, much to the team's dismay.
"What if we had them practice their middle block by using a hoolahoop and moving it back and fourth? Make it predictable and then switch it randomly," Titus said, drawing a line on the small whiteboard for the net and then several circles for the hoolahoop.
Jo nodded. "I also saw a video of a team practicing sets by doing sit ups to pass to one another," she propped her chin on her palm.
Titus nodded, jotting it down on the notebook. "We could start with them on their backs?"
A light sparked behind Jo's dark eyes. "We could also make it a train. Have them pass it behind them to add more of a challenge,"
Titus raised his brow. "Someone's in a good mood," he said, putting her idea down.
Jo shrugged her shoulders. Today felt different. Maybe it was the spring air seeping through her skin and to her guts, cleansing them of the lead that had been weighing them down for so long. The past few weeks have felt as though a cloud was hanging over her shoulders. And while her skin prickled in warning of a storm not too far off, she wanted to enjoy today.
Because she and Kuroo were going to the park to enjoy the weather and pretty trees.
Spring in Rome was different. A yearning tugged at her heart every time the wind swept through the cobblestone streets, sweet with blooming flowers and fresh pastries from the many cafes. It was never silent, even at night. There was life bustling from every crack and corner.
Spring in Rome was adventure. It was lazing on the hills at dusk under the shadows of a forgotten, crumbling castle. The last remnants of a life from long ago. It was late nights sipping on carbonated water and eating biscuits and talking way into the night.
It was hiking in mountains that cut through the sky. It was nights lit up by silver stars. It was everything.
Spring in Tokyo wasn't the same. It rivaled Rome's business, yes, but it wasn't as harsh. While Rome was dark blues and sharp bricks, Tokyo was soft and curved edges. It was neon glowing through the hazy spring rain. It was quiet neighborhoods and silent train rides.
It wasn't adventurous like Rome. Jo didn't know what to think of it as. It tugged on her brain consistently throughout the day as she helped clean up after practice. A gnat buzzing in her ear.
And before she knew it, it was the end of the day. Her heart picked up pace and her fingers fiddled with her watchband. Titus nudged her shoulder with his. "Have a fun time on your date," he said, sliding past.
"It's not a date," she shot back, slipping her arms through her black backpack straps. Titus spun on his heel, walking backwards with his hands in his pockets. A cheeky grin paired with dimples told her different.
Jo shook her head, fiddling with her jacket buttons. It wasn't a date. Or at least, she didn't think so. She didn't know what to call it. Kuroo had asked her several nights ago during one of their study sessions and it felt natural to say yes. And better yet, no guilt followed.
It became a habit for him to come over a few evenings a week to do homework when he didn't have other plans. He'd even come to dinner several times in the past few weeks, much to her father's disgruntlement.
Kuroo was a social creature, Jo had come to realize. She found him talking to the other seniors across the court, his hands on his hips and his face relaxed in an easy smile. He had many friends and they all seemed to cherish him equally in return. If her memory served her right, he got along well with other teammates from rivaling schools. He once mentioned a boy named Bokuto, explaining their dysfunctional friendship with a wild glint in his eyes.
Jo curled her fingers around her backpack straps. The books weighed against her spine heavily. Who did she have? She had effectively walked away from Italy, despite insisting she wanted to keep the friendships she had built there alive and thriving.
Summer's name filtered by, as flippant as the season.
Maybe.
As if feeling her gaze, Kuroo glanced over his shoulder. He spoke a few words to the group before turning. Lev must have said something distasteful because Yaku gave him a firm slap on the shoulder and the others rumbled in varying levels of laughter.
"What was that about?" Jo asked when he got close.
Kuroo rolled his eyes, the easy smile not once leaving his face. "Just Lev being an idiot," He said the last word in carefully practiced English. "Ready to go?"
Jo gave the boys one more glance. They had turned their attention to Kuroo and Jo, mischievous smiles on each of their faces. Only Kenma seemed impartial, sparing them a glance from his phone. "Sure," she said, returning to his face. Let's go."
It was finally comfortably warm without a jacket. Jo's blazer hung from the crook of her elbow as they walked the cracked sidewalk but she kept her white sleeves down to her wrists, mindful of her tattoo.
They spoke about nothing and yet everything at once. Conversation drifted from last night's physics homework to the prospect of going to the volleyball nationals.
Jo had yet to see them lose a game, though she knew they were going to soon. There had been many close calls as of late. They were good but not flawless. Their teamwork was solid but they lacked skills in areas that were not their expertise. In fact, tomorrow they were going to be facing a team that apparently gave them the run for their money (Jo forgot the name despite being told repeatedly).
"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" Jo asked when they got off the train. A swarm of people pushed by them, urging Jo to walk closer to Kuroo.
Their arms brushed as they walked and her stomach twisted. But in a good way. Jo didn't pull away and neither did he. "Why would I be nervous?" he asked.
Jo fell slightly behind him, pressing herself closely to his shoulder. The crowd was dense and though she was used to them, it made her spin. "You said something about them being good. Does the great captain never get nervous?" she teased, tugging on the sleeve of his black athletic shirt.
She saw his lopsided grin and smiled herself. He glanced at her, mischief sparkling in the afternoon light of his eyes. "I'm never nervous. Because we have Kenma always thinking of better ways to beat them,"
Jo latched onto the side of his shirt, curling her fingers into the slick material. It was awfully busy in this district. She wasn't even sure where they were exactly, it was such a large city with many offshoots, like the roots of a great oak tree. Rome was busy but this was otherworldly.
"What do you guys call Kenma? The brain?" she asked absently, trying to calm the racing of her heart. They were walking down a wide sidewalk with bright neon signs flashing on the buildings. The smell of all different types of foods invaded her nose and the constant honking of taxi horns and motorcycles pounded on her eardrums.
It was awfully overwhelming. Her family had yet to travel much else outside Nerima besides the main part of Tokyo, but it hadn't bothered her until now.
It made her miss Italy so much more.
"The brain of our body," Kuroo said. His hand caught hers, holding her fingers firmly in his palm.
"So what are you? The heart?" She didn't pull her fingers away. Instead, she wiggled them around until they were more firmly wrapped in his.
They stopped in the crowd, waiting for the light to signal they could cross the busy street. He adjusted his grip on her hand, lacing his fingers between the gaps of her own. His thumb right above hers. Jo glanced up at him but he stared firmly ahead, studying the backs of the peoples' heads. "Why the heart?"
Jo thought about it. The buzz of the city surrounded her, sinking through her pores and to the inner layers of her body. The signal turned and the crowd wasted no time pushing them on. A sea of white dress shirts and black slacks. They stuck out like a sore thumb. Kuroo in his red school sweats and Jo in her uniform. She stood out even more by the obviousness of her foreignness.
When they crossed the death trap of a crosswalk, she said, "Because without you, the whole system fails,"
He rose a brow, looking at her incredulously. "The brain is the most important organ,"
Heat flushed the base of her neck. "I know that," she said. She fell silent again for another moment, taking in the new change of scenery. They had turned down a different street that led to what appeared to be a park. It was slightly quieter here. Smelled sweeter. Trees that hung low surrounded the walkway, their flowers falling like dewdrops on the stems.
Some were as white as snow while others were a pastel pink; like cotton candy or the light just before the dawn. It was absolutely breathtaking.
Jo's heart calmed and her feet stopped. Awe filled her chest. It pushed her shoulders down and her head up. Sunlight trickled through in a way that was heavenly, warming her cool cheeks.
She inhaled the sweet scent of the blooms, letting her eyes flutter closed.
When she opened them again, Kuroo was giving her a look that said I knew you would like it. It was soft. Not shy and uncertain like when he was at her house with her family. Not bright, like when they were at school.
No. He was soft.
"Without the heart, the brain is useless," she said.
He blinked. The gentle curve of his mouth turned down. "What?"
Realizing they were in the way of people trying to get in the park, she pulled them to the side. She studied the stream of people as she spoke. "Both are obviously vital organs. One cannot survive without the other. But it's the most powerful source of electromagnetic energy,"
"Alright," he said, tilting his head. "So what does that mean?"
Jo wracked her brain, trying to remember what she had read on the plane to Japan. It wasn't often that she knew more than Kuroo, he was as sharp as a tack. "It can influence those around us. I can't remember the science exactly but the signals are powerful and can influence others. What I'm trying to say is that your role is important and just as needed as the brain, if not more so. You influence the actions of your teammates. What?"
Jo had been scanning the crowd and blossoms and by the end of her speech, she looked back at Kuroo. He was studying her in a way she didn't understand. His eyelids were relaxed and his eyes moved across her body, pupils large and round. His mouth, which always was quirked up, was perfectly relaxed.
"What?" she asked again.
"You're such a nerd," he said, shaking his head with a ghost of a smile.
"Is that a bad thing?" she asked, rising up to his tease.
"No." He settled her with the same look again. A look that made her stomach twist and her heart jump and her brain fritz out. "I like it." And then it was gone, replaced with his teasing smile, comments soon to follow.
Though, Jo didn't mind.
AN: Let me know what you guys think! I wanted to focus more on what happens in their relationship than the pining aspect. Realistically people rush into relationships without a whole lot of through (at least from my own observations).
Bananablaah: Here you go! I'm glad you're liking it, I await your thoughts :)
WritingUndercover: You, my darling, are amazing. Truly. I think I've read your comment over twenty times now. I'm glad you're catching on to who might be dealing with someone ;) In all honesty, we all deal with some form of depression/anxiety, and loving someone through it is hard. I loved your words and I hope you continue to tell me your thoughts.
Thank you all.