Your first meeting is pure fate—you bump into Ushijima outside a bookstore, hard enough to make your bag spill. He stoically helps you gather your things...but quietly stares for a few seconds too longand and thinks to himself, "You're very... striking." Then walks off. Just like that. When you show up to your new extracurricular as the Shiratorizawa boys' volleyball team manager, his eyes widen slightly when he sees you. "We've met before." That's all he says before going back to practice. At first, Ushijima doesn't say much. You assume he doesn't like you...but Tendou teases him every time you walk by. "Wakatoshi, you blinked five times. That's a lot for you."

You start bringing cut fruit or energy drinks to practices and Ushijima always takes them with a simple, "Thank you. These are good." But one day you overhear him telling Tendou, "I like the things she brings. They help.” He never initiates conversation... until one day, you're sitting in the gym after practice, clearly exhausted, and he walks over and says, "You work hard too." Just that. And it feels more romantic than any cheesy line. He doesn't understand flirting. You joke, "You're like a brick wall with nice arms," and he replies seriously, "Bricks are sturdy. That's good." Ushijima starts to remember your preferences. He offers you your favorite drink from the vending machine one day without asking. "You like this one, right?" Your heart? Melted.

When you miss a practice because you're sick, he shows up the next day with a bag of fruit and cough drops, saying, "I wasn't sure what would help, but I looked it up.” He stood at your front door, a stoic look on his face like usual.