"Hinaaaa!"

Rushing through the threshold of Ki-chan's house, Ren threw herself at her school friend, feeling extremely happy to see her. Over the years, Hina and Akira remained to be good friends with her, despite choosing distinctly different career paths.

Akira was about to finish his studies in dentistry, currently planning to establish himself in Kyoto. Hina was a rising star on the runway of Tokyo Fashion Week every season, slowly becoming a favourite among avant-garde designers and brands.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Osamu walk behind Hina up to them, and wrapped her in one of his warm embraces for a while before shuffling back to Hina and settling in a side hug with her.

Yes...

Yes, they were an item. And have been since their third year in Inarizaki, in fact. While Hina mostly stayed in Tokyo, Osamu was trying to open a branch of Miya Onigiri in Tokyo so they would be closer. But till now, the couple mostly worked things out in their long distance relationship.

Why couldn't that happen for us...

At that very moment, someone hugged her from behind, and looking at the camera phone screen that suddenly entered her vision, she could see it was Suna. She flashed warm smile and chuckled at her raven-haired best friend, as he continued to shoot them LIVE for his followers on YouTube.

"She isn't my girl-friend guys, but she sure is special to me," he said, before flipping the shooting mode, and capturing Osamu and Hina and introducing them to his LIVE viewers.

Always the influencer.

Apart from being a crazy good volleyball player, he was also an influential YouTuber now. He created hilarious videos on the platform, be it pranks or even real-life "you won't believe this just happened" moments, and now, he had become quite the sensation in the digital influencer world. The number of sponsorships he would get on a weekly basis from various tech/fashion brands and companies, was insane.

Atsumu and Aran led the way for the gang, and they all walked into Ki-chan's house, only to find him calming stirring a pot in the kitchen, the smell of grandma's classic curry wafting in the air.

Ren padded over to him, and wrapped her hands around his arm, smushing her face into his biceps, causing him to stop stirring the pot.

"Welcome back Renny. I hope you're not overworking yourself," he said, his tone quiet, but the accusation sounded knowing and seemed loud enough for her.

She buried her face further, "I may have, but only during events."

"If you had paced yourself before-hand you wouldn't need to, finish work in the last minute."

"Yes, but it was a team co-ordination issue. Sometimes, some one in the chain of work delivery may get delayed, and that delays everybody else who follow after."

"Fair point. And how are things with everything else?"

Now's my chance...

"Actually, I have to tell you about something..."

And that's when she relayed all of her anxieties, fears and apprehension about her feelings for Atsumu. She skipped over some of the details that might be too embarrassing for either of them, but skimmed through the essentials.

Maintaining that calm that he always seemed to posses, Ki-chan hung on to every word that she said.

"So... I don't know what to do now.. I like him, but I don't want a repeat of the past."

He hummed quietly, while covering the boiling pot, and turned slightly to her.

"Seems to me like you have an issue with the fact that Atsumu was unable to understand why you fought all those years ago."

She nodded her head in agreement.

He continued to stare at her, boring his eyes deep into hers, as if he saw everything that she herself couldn't.

"Renny. From what I have understood so far, I believe you're at fault."

... what.

"You're expecting him to be someone who he isn't," he continued. "If you know why you had quarrels in the past, it's better to let him know. From his response to you after your reconciliation, I can see that he has tried his absolute best. Now it's your turn. You're not trying hard enough."

... Uhm... what...

"You should find some time in near future to talk things out with him, and smooth things with him."

Ren slowly nods her head, and walks back, looking dazed.

Wow... I've never had him tell me I was wrong... ever...

"Also, Renny," he called out to her. She swivelled around to look back at him. "Know that I'm rooting for the both you," he added, with a soft smile dancing on his lips, and warm affection filling his gaze.

She felt herself blush at his words, but she smiled at him and walked out of the kitchen.

"Ooo, Renny looks like she got scolded by Kita," said Aran as she walked into the living room to join the rest of the gang.

"Ooo, she just got dished Kita-san's Special Cold Call Back To Reality eh?" Asked Suna, guessing from her obvious expressions.

"Wow, was this your first time?" Asked Osamu.

"Yea," she said quietly, "But I guess I know now why you respect him so much. To me he was always protective. However, it was nice to know this side of him too," she added.

"Well, it is indeed just another way that he protects you," said Suna, smiling at her.

"I agree!" Chimes in Atsumu as he walks up from his seat, "Let me go and get my dosage of scolding from him too. It's like a bitter medicine that's good for you but tastes gross," he said and walked into the kitchen.

But on his way, his fingers brushed all the around her waist, leaving a trail of butterfly sensations, but right before his fingers lost contact with her, he squeezed her waist gently, as if reassuring her...

As if it was the most natural thing to do.

As if letting her know that he would always be by her side.

As if marking his territory?...

As if...

She turned back, breaking free from her musings, to see the two of them happily chatting away. Unintentionally eavesdropping in on their conversation she heard Atsumu express his shock to see the branch he gifted him as a joke during his graduation, now being used as a hanger for all the pictures of them since high school. She looked up at the branch to see more pictures hanging, even the ones they took after his graduation when they used to regularly meet up, and some of Ki-chan's cute baby pictures.

Ren was surprised at it too. It was surprisingly sentimental of Ki-chan to keep the branch, but somewhere that gesture also showed how much he respected Atsumu's individuality and the diversity that he unconsciously brought with him. If today's conversation was to be taken into consideration, that was definitely the case.

He seems to really trust Atsumu...

And Ren knew that Ki-chan's trust was not easily placed, and meant a lot.

I have a lot to think about...

Soon, Akira joined them as well, and the little Japanese style house that Ren was so familiar with, felt really full and warm after a long time.

Just like when we were young high school kids...

A little side chat with Hina and Akira, was somewhere along the same lines as what Ki-chan told her too, but she was surprised that Hina was taking Atsumu's side.

She remembered their embarrassing moment when Hina confessed to Atsumu in their year, only to end up with Osamu after a year. It was something Osamu still teased her about, but everyone including Atsumu found it quite funny.

"You make him better Ren. And he makes you livelier. You both make each other better," she said.

"Yea, you just have to work out some mediocre issues. That's not unusual, Renny. It's pretty normal, in fact," Akira added.

That is true...

And we do make each other better...

She glanced back towards back of the tall blonde talking with Ki-chan, and as if sensing her gaze on him, he turned back to catch her looking at him, and reeling her in with a little warm smile of his own.