The storage room smelled faintly of rubber and chalk, with shelves stacked high with spare volleyballs, nets, and cones.

It was cramped and dim, but to you and Kenma, it was perfect.

The muffled sounds of volleyball practice filtered through the wall, but here, it was just the two of you hunched over your phones, Mario Kart glowing on your screens.

Kenma sat cross-legged on the floor, back resting against a stack of folded mats. His face, as usual, was impassive, but his thumbs moved with practiced precision.

His little frown deepened whenever you got ahead of him in the race, and his soft sighs whenever you threw a red shell at him were the only real signs of his frustration.

It was peaceful—until the door suddenly creaked open.

“HEEEY, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING IN HERE?!” Lev’s voice boomed through the tiny space like a clap of thunder.

You both jumped, phones nearly slipping from your hands. Kenma’s head snapped up, eyes narrowing into a sharp glare as if sheer willpower could silence the lanky giant at the doorway.

You froze, busted.

Lev’s wide grin only grew. He leaned halfway into the room, blocking the light with his ridiculous height.

“Kuroo!!” he bellowed without hesitation, his voice carrying effortlessly across the gym. “Kenma’s hiding in the storage room again! And he’s not alone!”

You swore you could hear Kenma’s soul leave his body.

Moments later, heavy footsteps approached. The shadow of Nekoma’s captain filled the doorway, and Tetsurō Kuroo’s amber eyes narrowed at the scene: you and Kenma on the floor, phones still in hand, looking guilty under the dim light.

“Well, well,” Kuroo drawled, his voice laced with amusement. “What do we have here? Ditching practice for… phone games?” He tapped his chin dramatically, then fixed his gaze on Kenma. “Kozume.”

Kenma groaned softly and muttered something under his breath, too quiet to catch.

“Up. Both of you.” Kuroo’s grin was sharp now, and though he looked amused, there was no escaping the authority in his tone.

Kenma didn’t budge, hoping maybe if he ignored the command, Kuroo would give up.

But Kuroo knew him too well. With an exasperated sigh, he stepped fully inside, reached down, and grabbed Kenma by the collar of his shirt.

“Hey—!” Kenma finally protested, flailing a little as Kuroo dragged him to his feet with ease. He shot you a betrayed look, as if silently blaming you for getting caught.

“You too,” Kuroo said over his shoulder, motioning for you to follow as he hauled Kenma out into the gym.

Lev was already doubled over laughing, clapping his hands together like this was the funniest thing he’d ever seen.

The rest of the team turned to watch the parade emerge from the storage room. Yamamoto gawked. “Seriously?! You two were just… hiding in there?”

Kai sighed but was smiling, as though he’d expected nothing less. Yaku pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, “Unbelievable.”

Still smirking, Kuroo dragged both you and Kenma to the center of the court, his hand still hooked lazily on Kenma’s collar while his other arm herded you along like a wayward cat.