The restaurant was getting more and more crowded as the night grew older, and Kuroo couldn't be more pleased about the situation. This night was especially special, that he bothered himself to come to his own restaurant, looking at the thing he's most proud of now. He couldn't believe that some people actually had taken a liking to the atmosphere of this dining place. For someone to personally called him to make this place as a memorial place, as a romantic place.
In the middle of the restaurant, where there was a table for only two people, Kuroo could see the person who met him last week asking for a favour. In front of the said person was a really beautiful woman, a cute petite blonde woman who Kuroo had seen several times. From afar, the older man saw by his own eyes how Tsukishima was fidgeting since the woman who sat across the glasses came. But those eyes didn't lie, after all, kept stealing a glance or two every minute.
How happy. Lifting his left wrist to see his watch, Kuroo saw the long needle of the clock had pointed on the number 6. With a gentle push, the dark haired man told the waitress who had stood beside him for a while to go to the pointed place, to where Tsukishima and his partner sat. The waitress answered quietly and pushed the stroll with the ordered food down to the said direction. Tsukishima jumped at the waitress when he arrived.
Kuroo could see the determination in Tsukishima's face, the bravery he didn't really get a chance to see. He stared at the face, but his hand brought his phone near to his lips as he whispered.
"Play the song."
The speaker on the restaurant started to play a song that brought nostalgia to Kuroo, he smiled that he finally could hear it while seeing Tsukishima slowly opened the box that was brought along with the food, exposing a simple ring with a little clear diamond on it. A simple yet pretty one, the older man really praised the choice of the glasses when he first took a peek on the ring box. The woman who was with Tsukishima covered her mouth with her both hands, and let the tears fell from her eyes as she nodded happily. The glasses looked so surprised, but then he formed a wide, happy smile on his face. A smile that, of course, Kuroo had never seen. Everyone who happened to see it clapped their hands at the new to be groom and bride.
As Tsukishima pulled out the ring to move it to the girl's left ring finger, Kuroo took a slow step approaching the newly engaged couple. Though he could feel a big hand was crushing his heart now, it was tight, he couldn't breathe properly, and his tear glands seemed to ready to let some tears out. Glad that Kuroo's determination to smile was winning the situation.
"Congratulation," Kuroo said as he arrived at the table, placing both his hands on the two people's shoulders. He hoped he could transfer his feeling of relief and happiness through the touch.
"Kuroo-san," Tsukishima seemed to be surprised by the sudden touch, "thank you for helping me."
Kuroo forced a smile, felt like a natural one. "I'm really glad to be of help," he said as he usually talked. There was no place for shaking voice or irritated voice tone here.
"Kuroo-san, so you own this restaurant? It's a great place," Yachi smiled at Kuroo genuinely, that made the dark haired man caught off guard at how pretty the girl was. Someone that needed to be protected, Kuroo thought at himself as he smiled back.
"Thank you very much. Glad that you like the restaurant," Kuroo joyfully received the compliments. "Ah, do you want to know a secret, Yachi-san?"
Yachi tilted her head a bit. "Secret?"
Kuroo got his face closer to the left side of Yachi's face, he whispered. "Tsukishima almost peed on his pants earlier."
"Is that so?" Yachi didn't really look happy, more like troubled by the unnecessary fact Kuroo just said.
"He's really nervous, you know? Proposing is something that takes a lot of courage and bravery, after all," Kuroo explained, gently smiled. At a glance, he could see the glasses was blushing hard. Tsukishima pouted.
"Don't say unnecessary thing, Kuroo-san," Tsukishima stepped his shoes on Kuroo's, the restaurant owner whined because the strength that Tsukishima used was too much.
"But you're so cool, aren't you? Asking someone's daughter to cook for you everyday and live with you until you're old."
Even I could do it.
"Well then, if you excuse me. Please enjoy the meal, Mrs. Tsukishima," Kuroo turned to Yachi, again with the gentlest smile he could manage at that time. "And once again, congratulations."
Not like when he approached the couple, Kuroo walked faster towards the restaurant's toilet. Good God that the toilet was empty for the time, that he could groaned as loud as he could. At the mirror Kuroo stared at was a reflection of someone who had this restless feeling since a week ago. He grinned, mocking at the reflection, and then sighed.
"Courage and... bravery, huh?"
Probably, just probably, Kuroo never had those things since a long ago. In his mind, Kuroo felt that he could go on with the status of Tsukishima's closest upperclassman, he didn't need to confess or anything. At the very end, Kuroo knew that the younger man would always go back to him, venting out everything to his heart content, asking everything he didn't understand, or even just asking for ring preference. It would be fine, Kuroo thought, he wouldn't need any different status to be close to Tsukishima.
And this happen. Confession happened, a relationship started, and even a proposal was being held at his restaurant. The black haired man knew that he himself who wished to be the witness of all these happy moments, but it was only because he didn't know that his heart would feel more tightened than he thought. The thought of the younger man being in another's care was a strange idea in his mind.
"Hey, Tsukishima, what would happen if I confess, I wonder?"
Kuroo saw his reflection on the mirror once again, with a forced smile he attempted to do before. It didn't look good at all.
"It probably would go better."
His heart felt tightened once again. Kuroo turned to look at the floor, and let one of his tear fell. He would cried it all out, cries is a medicine for a broken heart.
"I like you, Kei."
Hello! I decided to make this story because I really favoured Kuroo in every ff that I made. I want him to suffer a bit, but it was a little bit rushed in the end. I did my best, though. I actually wanted to make a songfiction using Pretender by Official Hige Dandism, but then I just went out writing everything's on my mind. I'll write the songfiction once I got the inspiration XDHope you've been enjoying the story. And have a nice day~