Tsukishima liked obedient girls—ones that didn't get to test his faux confidence, ones that let him walk all over them. That's why he doesn't understand why he's stuck with you. Somebody that didn't at all seem to be his miss right.

You were never patient when it came to him, never at a loss for words when his snarky remarks made everyone else shut up. You never froze at his coldness—never got too bothered at how fiery the arguments could get once you refused to give up.

The amount of times he'd roll his eyes at the thought of you, you'd expect them to be stuck at the back of his head by now—but no. They're focused instead—steady because they're looking at you.

This cloudy mid-afternoon as first-years wasn't supposed to be spent at the local park.

Stalls of food lined up as fairy lights flickered to brighten gloomy 4 PM. It wasn't an early dismissal though, it was supposedly English by now.

When he asked you to help him with something in the storage room, he told you to climb on his shoulders and crawl through a small opening. That was when you realized he wanted you to skip class. Skip class with him.

But you surmised he was pulling another prank on you again, shouting in stentorian volume his name as he jumped down from the fence.

“Calm down!” he said, laughing as he swung a hand around your shoulder, casual. Like it meant nothing, like it didn't physically alter your expression from all the unsaid words. He walked with you, the claw clip on his ID lace tugging at your delusions.

Did he like you?

Did he really just do all this just to spend time with you?

Alone?

Love in his gaze, frown on his face—you don't get why Tsukishima had to feel as if he had to hide from you. Hide pertaining to hiding his feelings, hiding his thoughts.

He was cool, headphones around his neck, slacks that fit his long legs loosely it felt like it was tailored especially for him. He was plucked straight out of a magazine you read at the salon.

He had glasses, too. Stylish ones, a pair that on anyone else it would look like a nerd cosplaying a nerd.

Tsukishima Kei was pretty. Prettier than you. All girls agree that any boy that could pull off a buzz cut could only be truly considered a handsome one.

Tsukishima Kei was the basis for that basis.

“Don't expect I'll always treat you. Just a one-time thing.” He murmurs, sliding the box of takoyaki to your direction. His apathetic gaze follows the way you picked up the chopsticks with visible eclecticism, a glimpse of fondness sparkling when you clap happily.

“Thank you!” You lock eyes with him for a split second there. And gosh, the way his heart thumped so loud... It felt like it was going to jump out of his chest. Tsukishima looked as if he came from a coming of age melodrama, breathtaking in all ways possible.

“It's only 5000¥, please.” He brushes it off as pink swells on his cheeks. From all the time you've known each other, the silence between you isn't awkward; it's a breather to give you both time and space for ideas to flourish. With this in mind, he takes a small peek at you, seeing you try to split the wooden chopsticks but ultimately failing.

Delicately, he stretches out his hand, doing it for you as butterflies fluttered in your tummy. His lips are pursed when he does this, feeling like he'd just cross an invisible line he wasn't supposed to.

“Oh,” You sheepishly murmured, A smile stretching on your face when you finally realize what he meant. You hand it over, speaking up, “Honestly, you spending money on me makes me happy.”

He stops in his tracks, whipping his head to you.

“It does?”

“Yeah!”

He shrugs, picking up a piece of your takoyaki, before handing back your utensils. He was acting like it meant nothing to him, like he didn't have to confirm what you just said to save it in his memory. “Well I like spending, ” He says it casually like a fact as he rests his chin in the palm of his hand.

Tsukishima bores his eyes into yours, liking how they sparkled. Liking how it only focused on him.

“Spending time with you.”