Chapter Two
Kuroo woke up the next day, feeling elated from last night's events. He glanced at the reply he wrote on a light blue piece of paper for Yuzuki to see. She had written her note in their first year, and either no one cared about the letter, or it was just fate that decided to let him read it first. Kuroo scoffed, "Fate, huh?" He left the note on his desk last night. Kuroo stapled the letter Yuzuki had written behind his, so if she questions his message, there was clear evidence of why it exists. Eyeing the note again, he smiled to himself, excited to find ways to give it to her. "God," he lightly rubbed his face with his hands. "What is up with me…"
It was only 5:37 am, and school will start in three hours. Kuroo thought momentarily on what to do first in the morning but ultimately chose on going for a morning run since it was too early to eat or prepare for school anyway. Kuroo opened the closet, carefully selected a hoodie to wear, and then closed it, humming as he did so. Kuroo wore his hoodie and then checked his appearance in the mirror. "Bedhead, as usual," he said, disappointed. He tried to fix his hair, but it was too stubborn that he eventually gave up. Kuroo went down the stairs quietly, not wanting to wake his dad and grandparents. Upon arriving downstairs, he realized he forgot to bring his phone with him, so he went back to his room. "Phone, keys… what else? What else?" he mumbled, looking around the room to check if he still needed to bring anything. When Kuroo couldn't figure out what else to get for his run, he just grabbed whatever he thought he needed and went back downstairs.
The morning air was chilly even though summer was just around the corner. Kuroo rubbed his hands together, stretched his arms and legs, and started jogging before transitioning to a run. Kuroo savoured the fresh, crisp breeze touching his face as he kept running. He decided that he can do a lap or two around the neighbourhood. Kuroo wanted to do a third lap since he enjoys running, but he decided that he might be too pressed for time if he did. It took Kuroo almost an hour and twenty minutes to do two laps, and when he finished, he felt really energized and ready for the day. Kuroo opened the door of his home and was greeted by his dad, who was currently in the living room, watching the morning news. "Welcome back!" his dad greeted cheerfully.
"I'm home," replied Kuroo, removing his shoes.
"How was your run? I'll be making breakfast soon, but it will mostly be leftovers. Would that be okay?"
"Yeah, thanks. I'll just freshen up and then help you out." Kuroo went straight to his room after talking to his dad. With his dad mentioning breakfast, Kuroo felt instantly hungry. He didn't mind eating leftovers since the dinner last night was delicious anyway. But, sometimes, he wished he still had his mom around to-
"Around to what…?," he asked himself out loud before dismissing any other thoughts about his absent mom.
When Kuroo went back downstairs, he was already set for the day. He was already wearing his uniform with his school bag across his body. Breakfast was ready for him when he arrived downstairs, and even though they were leftovers, his dad was able to make it look fresh and appetizing. Kuroo put down his bag on the couch before heading to the dining room. "I'm sorry I took too long to shower." He wanted to help his dad prepare, but as usual, Ieyasu Kuroo was on top of everyone when it comes to eating their meals.
"That's alright. Go eat up, son." Ieyasu requested cheerfully without looking back at Kuroo. He was busy washing the containers that were used to store in the leftovers from last night. But since they were all prepared on the table already, Ieyasu decided that it's best to clean them. "I'll join you in a bit after I finish cleaning these."
"I can do it, Dad," Kuroo said, genuinely wanting to help his dad. He went over to the kitchen sink and turned off the faucet. "Let me do it. You already prepared breakfast, and I said I would help you out anyway. So please, let me do these."
Ieyasu blinked at Kuroo, wondering when he started being much more dependable than him. "Alright," he said quietly, conceding to his son's insistence. He went over to the dining room and sat at the head of the table. "So, how was practice yesterday?"
Kuroo started washing the dishes carefully, not wanting to get any splashes of water on his uniform. There weren't many containers to clean, but he wanted to help his dad whatever way he can. "It's the usual. Kenma actually went to practice earlier than the senpais, which was really surprising."
"Oh, that is surprising," Ieyasu responded with a hum, surprised to hear that Kenma beat Kuroo to practice. "Wait, did Kenma go to practice early or were you just late, Tetsurou?"
Kuroo laughed, ignoring the question. He wanted to tell Ieyasu that there was a little distraction after classes ended yesterday, but in the end, he didn't. Kuroo decided to keep his curiosity regarding Yuzuki a secret for now. He decided that he wanted to know Yuzuki more and that the note she left in Seguchi's book was the catalyst, which he was incredibly thankful for. Kuroo thought that his behaviour is unusual because he has never really shown interest in a girl before. He has always been the one being pursued and not the other way around. "How do you even approach a girl you want to know better?" Kuroo mumbled under his breath.
Kuroo arrived at school earlier than usual, and he felt a bit weird because of it. It was only 8:03 am, and classes won't start until 8:30. Kuroo always goes to school with Kenma, but since he didn't have to drag Kenma out of bed today, he had a lot of time to spare. When he knocked on the door of Kenma's house earlier, Kenma's mother, Himari Kozume, greeted Kuroo with a sweet smile on her face despite relaying the unfortunate news of Kenma being down with a cold. "Good morning, Tetsurou-kun," she had said. "Kenma won't be going to school today. He caught a cold last night, and now he has a fever."
"Oh, is it okay if I check on him?" Kuroo asked worriedly.
"He might be sleeping, but, sure, come on in."
Kuroo knocked on Kenma's room carefully. "Kenma? I'm coming in," he said before opening the door. Kuroo saw Kenma bundled up in blankets with a fever cooling gel on his forehead. Kenma's eyes were closed, his breathing was steady, indicating that he was sleeping soundly. Kuroo felt uneasy seeing Kenma sick when he was perfectly fine yesterday. Quietly opening the door behind him, Kuroo left Kenma's room and went down to the living room to thank Himari for letting him in. "I'll visit again this afternoon. I can also ask his classmates for homework he might miss today."
Nekoma High was still a bit quiet, with no signs of students anywhere. He knows that the school was open, though, for he just saw a teacher go inside the building. Kuroo wondered if the library was available this early. He didn't want to head straight to the classroom and sit at his desk like a loser. Kuroo decided that the library was the best choice to spend his free time at; otherwise, it would be the classroom for him.
Nekoma High's library is modern, stylish, yet inviting, making it one of the school places students enjoy. A couple of reasons why the students of Nekoma High like the library is because of the free Wi-Fi connection and its colourful design. The library is also carpeted with love seats, wing chairs, and armchairs aesthetically placed in the general reading area, which is in the middle of the room, just a couple of footsteps away from the circulation desk. There are tables and stools and electric outlets for the students to use in each library section if their devices require charging. The library was still spacious, despite having a lot of furniture, and it was not only because of the floor space but also because of the windows. The library's tall walls consisted mostly of windows overlooking the front of the school, and they were covered with solar shades to give the students privacy and protection from the sun in the afternoon. The library at Nekoma High is something that the students take pride in; it is designed to make students visit and understand that the library can be a fun and encouraging place to learn.
Kuroo invited himself to the library since the doors were non-existent anyway. Passing by the circulation desk, Kuroo glanced at the librarian who was nonchalantly drinking coffee from a tumbler. Kuroo bowed, and with a quiet voice, he greeted, "Good morning, Kawamoto-sensei."
"Good morning, Kuroo-kun. It's rare seeing you in the morning." Kawamoto-sensei said drowsily and then retook a sip of coffee. "Well, library hours are from 8:15 to 3:30, but since you're here already, you can hang out. Just make sure you go to class when the bell rings, got it?"
"Thanks, sensei," Kuroo replied with a genuine smile before walking away and heading straight to the science fiction area. The science fiction area didn't have a lot of books to choose from, so going through them was reasonably easy for Kuroo, who not only reads fast but has sharp eyes as well. There was, however, an abundance of Naoyuki Seguchi books. And by 'abundance,' it was Seguchi having 5 books than the other authors only having one in the whole section. Kuroo carefully picked out Naoyuki Seguchi's 'Island of the Night Sky' from the shelf despite having read it before. He then remembered the note left by Yuzuki, where she mentioned that she began enjoying Seguchi's books because 'romance meets science fiction.' Kuroo chuckled. "How is it romance meeting science fiction when his books are in science fiction?" Trying to wrap his head around Yuzuki's thought process, he heaved a sigh as he placed his right hand on his hip. When Kuroo first read Seguchi's work, he was in awe at how Seguchi wrote a story filled with philosophical insights and the promotion of ethical thinking. He could not recall any romance in it, and he had read almost all of Seguchi's books!
Still feeling bewildered, Kuroo marched to the circulation desk and slammed both his hands on the counter. Kawamoto, the librarian, slightly jumped from his chair. "Geh," he muttered, putting down the newspaper he was reading before Kuroo decided to slam the desk out of god knows what. "What is it, Kuroo-kun?" He tried to smile at the student, but on the inside, he was filled with displeasure. "This better be good. I was just about to read the comics too…" he said menacingly in his head.
"Uh, well." Kuroo hadn't really thought things through when he marched to the desk. He glanced away, mentally practicing what he wanted to ask Kawamoto. "Uh," he started, feeling awkward now. "Kawamoto-sensei, would you say that Seguchi-sensei's books fall into romance meets science fiction or is it purely science fiction for you?"
Kawamoto grunted, leaning back on his chair to relax so he could think of a response. "For me, it's more science fiction meets adventure. Like that one book, what's the title again?" He crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and hummed. "I think it was 'Oceans of Solaris.' Have you read that one?"
"Yeah, I mean, I get that Oceans of Solaris is sci-fi and adventure because they go on hunts and stuff, and they use technology to search for Solaris despite the world being barren and on the verge of dystopia. But, how are the other books by Seguchi-sensei romance meets science fiction? I mean, in Oceans, there isn't any romance, right?" Kuroo panted after his rant, and when he came to, he saw Kawamoto sensei with both of his palms out as if saying 'we don't do that here.' "Sorry, I got carried away."
The librarian sighed. "I can't really say that much, to be honest, since I've only read one book of his."
"Aren't you a librarian?"
"I sure am!" Kawamoto replied with a smug look on his face while shrugging.
"Well, if the librarian can't provide me answers, then I don't know who else to ask." Kuroo groaned, feeling dejected.
Kawamoto, who was 26 years of age, wasn't offended at how Kuroo retorted. Instead, he understands teenage humour and sarcasm because of a similarly aged family member. "There are only two of you who read Seguchi in the whole school if I can recall correctly. Just search for that other person, and you will get your answers."
The room went silent. Kuroo already knew who the other person was, so there was no point in asking their point of view when their very point of view was the one messing with his head. But then again, he cursed at himself because his earlier actions were so uncool. He had ranted to a librarian just because of this one girl who doesn't even know him and vice versa. Taking a deep breath, Kuroo backed off from the circulation desk, walked over to the general reading area, and flopped himself on the bean bag. "You can't lose your cool like that ever again, Kuroo," he told himself. "That was embarrassing."
Kawamoto studied Kuroo, whose eyes were closed and whose body was being hugged by the blue bean bag in the middle of the room. He didn't really care about Kuroo's outburst earlier, but he was glad that the student was trying to calm himself down. "Kuroo-kun, you better be mindful of the time. I don't want you to be missing class because of that bean bag."
"What time is it, sensei?" Kuroo asked, with eyes still closed, feeling thoroughly relaxed by the piece of furniture he was resting on.
"8:13!" Kawamoto responded loudly, which startled himself and the student who just entered the library. "Oh, sorry! Hi, good morning."
"Good morning, Kawamoto-sensei. You're awfully loud for a librarian." the student joked.
Kawamoto smiled nervously. "Sorry, I was just keeping tabs on that..." he then pointed his thumb towards Kuroo. "...little student who is nestled by the bean bag." he finished with a shake of his head.
Kuroo instantly stood up and exclaimed, "I am 187 centimetres, sensei; I am not little! I am the tallest out of everyone in the volleyball team, okay and maybe the most handsome too, hah!" Then as if someone slapped him in the face, his cheeks pinkened, for standing a few metres away from him was the very person messing with his thoughts and also the person he didn't want to see the hot-headed, shouting, uncool side of him.
Yuzuki.
She was staring at Kuroo, and Kuroo felt both elated and embarrassed, seeing her first thing in the morning. Kuroo straightened up and mustered up the courage to wave at Yuzuki. However, Yuzuki returned Kuroo's wave by haughtily tilting her chin upwards at him before looking away. Kuroo couldn't believe she actually had the gall to do that to him, and so with heavy steps, he walked towards where Yuzuki was standing.
Yuzuki could hear Kuroo's footsteps grow louder by the second, indicating that he was making his way over to where she was. She cursed at herself for even trying to look haughty first so that he wouldn't find the time to smirk at her. But, apparently, that backfired. "Oh God," she mumbled, catching the attention of Kawamoto, who was now very interested in the two of them.
Kuroo studied Yuzuki, the medium-length black-haired girl who was currently taking up 30% of his thoughts for two reasons: 1. The haunting note she left in the book he has in his possession; and 2. Her close friendship with Kai made him feel a bit friendly with a particular green-eyed monster. Kuroo didn't like how irrational it was to be interested in Yuzuki without knowing a single thing about her, well, except for how she's best friends with Chie and how she's Yuzu to Kai. Kuroo closed his eyes momentarily to calm himself down. "Hi," he managed to say, half-expecting a response and half not.
No response.
"Hi," he repeated.
Still nothing.
Yuzuki was not budging, and she wasn't even trying to respond. She was just blocking out every single noise as she planned on how to excuse herself from this predicament she has gotten into. Yuzuki was just standing in front of Kuroo with her pretty little head tilted downwards. Kuroo didn't show signs of annoyance regarding Yuzuki ignoring him. Instead, he was just waiting, with his hand on his hip and his eyes studying her intently. He didn't smile or frown; his face was just relaxed yet filled with anticipation.
However, Kawamoto was growing terribly impatient at the lack of development between the two teenagers in front of him, so he decided to butt in. "Sakamori-chan, Kuroo-kun said 'Hi' and it's kind of rude if you just ignore him like that."
Kuroo saw Yuzuki look at Kawamoto and her cheeks were pink and her eyes wide from embarrassment. "I… uh, but…" she stammered, still averting her gaze from Kuroo.
"Sakamori-chan," Kawamoto clapped at every syllable of her last name. "You're not this shy, aren't you? You talk a lot inside the library even though you shouldn't. Right now, it's just the two of you here, so why not say hi?"
Yuzuki gaped at Kawamoto. "Holy ssh-eezball," she cursed inside her mind. "But why?! I just want to borrow a book, sensei; why do you have to put me on the spot like this?" Yuzuki complained using a hushed voice so that Kuroo won't hear, but since he was standing not even two feet away from her, it was all for naught.
Kawamoto cleared his throat, quickly glanced at Kuroo, whose expression didn't change except for his eyes were now silently admiring how stubborn Yuzuki was. Kuroo blinked at Yuzuki, his lips slightly parting. "One more push," Kawamoto smilingly said to himself and then teasingly, "Sakamori-chan? Your manners?"
She turned her body to face Kuroo, her hair bouncing as she did. Kuroo thought she looked so lovely. "Hello," Yuzuki said quietly.
"Speak up, Sakamori-chan! We can't hear you." Kawamoto carefully goaded with a sly smile on his face.
"Hello!" Yuzuki said out loud. "Hello. Hello. Hello!"
The look on her face was something Kuroo could never forget. No, it was not only unforgettable. It was breathtaking. Yuzuki's teeth were clenched, her eyebrows furrowed, her cheeks still pink, and her eyes… Kuroo gazed deeply into her eyes. Her eyes were filled with so much emotion, mostly of indignation. She was a mess of emotions, but Kuroo can't help but think how lovely she was again because of this. "Hi," he greeted one more time, this time with a hint of ardour, for his heart was beating faster.
Yuzuki averted her gaze for a while, took a deep breath, and then gazed deeply into Kuroo's eyes. "Hello, Kuroo-kun. Good morning."
Kuroo and Yuzuki walked in silence as the two headed to their respective classrooms. After the awkward situation back at the library, Yuzuki remained silent, only responding to Kawamoto's questions and utterances. Kuroo, on the other hand, was merely happy having Yuzuki greet him. He still could not pinpoint the exact reason he was so attracted to her, but instead of thinking of the Why, he just enjoyed the Now. And now, it is Tetsurou Kuroo graduating from being invisible to Yuzuki Sakamori. Their classrooms were not far from the library, but Kuroo still wanted to keep her for himself because he doesn't know when he will talk with her again. Sure, he has made himself known to her, and she has made a lasting impression on him. But, they were in different classes, different friend groups, and different schedules. He thought that he couldn't just mess that up. It would be weird and uncomfortable if he just started bothering her when they weren't even at the level of friends yet.
Kuroo sighed, walking slower so that the time he gets to spend with Yuzuki will lengthen. He stopped walking eventually to take out his phone from his pocket to check the time. Less than ten minutes before classes start. Kuroo then saw Yuzuki stop walking, and then she looked back, wondering where he went. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked him simply, clutching the canvas tote bag she was holding in both of her hands.
"Like what?" Kuroo asked without a hint of malice.
"Like you want to tell me something."
He cast a glance at the tote bag she was aggressively clutching now. Kuroo surmised that whatever is in the bag must have been heavy for Yuzuki since she was carrying it with two hands. "May I carry that for you?"
Yuzuki's left hand let go of the tote bag's straps, and with her right hand, lifted it close to her chest. "It's not heavy, see? I can manage." Yuzuki then noticed the slight change in Kuroo's facial expressions as if her response disheartened him. She still didn't know how to act around Kuroo. He did not smirk at her today, which she was thankful for, but at the same time, she was still indignant at how they were practically forced to interact by Kawamoto.
Voices inside Yuzuki's head prodded her to give Kuroo and herself a chance to know each other. They were saying many things, such as: Don't be too prejudiced, Yuzuki. Maybe it won't be a terrible idea getting to know him, right? Just because he smirked at you doesn't mean he's a downright awful person. You know that. He might be a nice guy with just a scary face, and we should never judge a book by its cover. Give him a chance. Follow the path to kindness and friendship, Yuzuki. "It's just food that I'm planning on sharing with some friends." Yuzuki finally replied after giving herself time to think and weigh on the advice of her conscience.
Kuroo beamed at her as he started to walk towards her. He wanted to catch up to her, not that she moved an inch, though. When he finally caught up, she started walking again, with Yuzuki following closely beside him, much to his delight. "Yeah? What did you make, and who are you giving it to?"
"I made kimchi spaghetti last night for dinner," Yuzuki responded gaily. She didn't feel awkward telling Kuroo what she made because it was about food anyway. And she loves food very much. "I'm sharing it with Chie and Nobu. Well, it was only for Chie at first, but then I thought of Nobu, so even if it's just a small portion, I might as well share."
Jealousy coursed through Kuroo's veins at the image of Kai smilingly receiving Yuzuki's handmade dish. Kai would no doubt proudly eat it during lunchtime, no matter how small the portion was. Kuroo was irritated now, but he didn't want to show it. Not now. Not right now. He's finally having a conversation with her. He can't ruin it by being bitter. "That's really generous of you, Sakamori-ch…" Kuroo stopped himself from saying the suffix -chan for he didn't want to get ahead of himself and drive her away.
"Oh god, don't call me Sakamori-chan. Please," she laughed. "Unless you're Kawamoto-sensei, don't call me that. Sakamori is fine or whatever else you can think of."
He covered his face with his forearm, trying to hide the smile that was starting to creep on his face. "Then, can I call you Yucchan?" Kuroo could feel his heartbeat ring in his ears. "I mean, if you don't like Yucchan, I can just call you Sakamori-san, or just Sakamori..." he trailed off, rubbing the nape of his neck.
The two didn't notice that they finally reached the hallway where their classrooms were located. It took many guffaws and conversations from the students to pull them back down to reality because Kuroo and Yuzuki were already starting to get comfortable in their own little world. The two walked silently along the hallway, trying to maintain maximum distance from each other as much as possible so it wouldn't look like they were together. Yuzuki just didn't want to be a target of bullying by Kuroo's fans, not that she cared anyway about what they think, but at the same time, she doesn't really want to deal with drama. And so, she stepped away from him, much to Kuroo's dismay.
"Well, this is me," Yuzuki said when they reached her classroom.
"Wait," he implored her when she was about to enter the room. "You didn't answer my question."
She smiled at him, genuinely, sweetly, and innocently. "Sakamori is fine. You can't call me Yucchan, yet."
The word yet was like music to his ears. "Yet? What do you mean by 'yet' ?" He took a step closer, and so did she. Yuzuki looked behind her, not wanting any classmates to eavesdrop on her conversation with Kuroo. "Sorry, I-"
"It means we will talk again," Yuzuki finally replied, starting to feel anxious when students passed by in front of them. She was relieved that none of her classmates were going through the door because she was hugging the entryway by standing there. Yuzuki doesn't want to be teased as a Kuroo fanboy by her classmates. Snacking Queen as her title was enough. Nothing more. "I have to go, okay?" Yuzuki said nervously.
"When?" He didn't want to let her go just yet, but there wasn't any time he knew that for a fact. From a distance, he could hear the voices of students who were making their way to their respective classrooms. As the voices drew nearer, Yuzuki showed a worried expression. He didn't know why she looked so nervous right now, but he assumed that maybe she just didn't want to be cornered for the second time today. "I want to be friends with you. How can that happen?"
Yuzuki stepped closer to Kuroo, carefully looking around and when the number of students who were passing by declined, she stood in front of Kuroo. Only a foot separating them. "Text me." She was serious when she said this, but afterwards, she smiled. "Ask my number from Chie, and we'll go from there. Does that sound good?" Kuroo started to part his lips to speak, but Yuzuki interrupted, smiling at him, her eyes shining. "But if you smirk at me ever again, consider your number blocked." Yuzuki bit her lower lip, trying not to laugh. She felt giddy suddenly when she talked to Kuroo about texting her, or maybe because he told her that he wanted to be friends with her. Whichever reason it was, she felt soft. "Bye," she mouthed before disappearing into the classroom.
Kuroo walked away from Class 2-4's room and started walking towards his own. He couldn't believe the turnout of the events from this morning. There was too much interaction with Yuzuki already, and the day was just starting. He doesn't have the right to complain, though, for he was particularly favoured by the universe today. Kuroo remembered the note that he had fervently written last night as a response to Yuzuki's. "Who needs that note anyway when a Hi and Hello was all it took to get us started," Kuroo remarked contentedly to himself as he entered the classroom to begin his day.