"Wow, Tsukki, you got a new mentor?" Yamaguchi excitedly repeated.
"I just said that, Yamaguchi, keep up," Tsukishima scolded.
"Sorry, Tsukki."
"Wait, why do you have a new mentor?" Hinata questioned. He put on a mean spirited grin. "Was Oikawa too tough for you?"
Tsukishima clicked his tongue. "No, shrimp. It's actually because I apparently needed different instruction." He smirked over at Kageyama. "As long as I don't have to train with his majesty, I'm all for changing mentors."
Kageyama only hummed, lost in his own thoughts.
"Hey, how about we stop by Coach's store on the way back home, Kageyama?" Hinata asked the tall boy while poking his arm.
Kageyama hummed again. "Yeah, good idea," he mumbled.
"While you're at it," Tsukishima butted in, "you two can make out behind the store before you're shooed away."
"Tsukishima-" Hinata spluttered.
"Sounds good," Kageyama said, distracted.
"Kageyama!" the redhead choked out, face redder than a cherry.
Kageyama finally shook himself out of his thoughts. "Wait, what did you say?"
Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were laughing too hard to answer, while Yachi was too shocked. Hinata let out a quick "forget about it" before grabbing Kageyama by the hand to lead him away from the group. Yachi shrugged and ran after the two, waving a brief goodbye to the last couple.
Yamaguchi glanced at Tsukishima before quickly looking away. This was the most time that they'd spent together since the USJ incident. He bit his lip, trying to come up with something to say. But what would he say? He didn't know how to convey these feelings because he never thought he ever had these feelings in the first place. He opened his mouth, before-
"You know," Tsukishima said, stopping dead in his tracks, "you've been acting weird."
Yamaguchi stopped as well, avoiding eye contact with his childhood friend. "What do you mean, Tsukki? I'm just the same as I've always been."
"That's what I'm talking about." Tsukishima narrowed his eyes. "You've been avoiding me."
Yamaguchi's face paled. "A-avoiding? Me?" He felt his face grow hot. "I mean, I've been busy with school lately, and since I'm class rep, I have more-"
He was cut off by Tsukishima's sudden closeness. Before he knew it, Yamaguchi was face to chest with the taller boy. He dared to look up at the blond, regretting it immediately. Tsukishima's golden brown eyes were boring into his soul.
"Even before you became the class representative," Tsukishima relayed slowly, "you have been avoiding me. Was it because I almost died again? Are you mad at me for that?"
Yamaguchi gulped and shook his head.
"Good." Tsukishima backed up, letting the streetlamp's light back into Yamaguchi's eyes. "As long as you're not angry at me, I don't care. Just stop avoiding me."
Yamaguchi nodded. "Okay, Tsukki!"
Tsukishima scoffed, walking off. "Hurry up. I want to get to the Sakanoshita store before the loudmouths."