Ushijima Wakatoshi, a famous V. League Division 1 player for the volleyball team Orzel Warszawa, was your neighbor. Every day, he went out for his morning jogs. It wasn’t a big deal—well, it wouldn’t be, if you didn’t think he was an absolute hunk of a man! Ever since you moved to Poland for business, you couldn’t help but watch from your apartment window as Ushijima left for his jog. It was an even sweeter sight when he returned, out of breath and sweaty, his muscles rippling with each step.

You’d talked to him a few times—each conversation short and a little tense. The first time was when you moved in and he introduced himself, and the second was when you both happened to leave your apartments at the same time. Though these interactions were brief, your heart couldn’t help but race each time. The only way you could really see him every day was because of his jogs. It may have seemed a bit stalkerish, but it wasn’t like you were obsessing over him 24/7.

Ushijima was a serious guy, especially when it came to volleyball. You’d seen footage of him from his high school days to the present. He was incredibly dedicated to the sport and had earned his place as one of the top 3 aces in his home country, Japan. There also seemed to be almost no record of him being involved in any romantic relationships. That was a little off-putting, honestly—it seemed like he was more focused on his career than forming any personal connections at the moment. You respected that, of course, but… it wouldn’t hurt to test the waters, right? Just a small move to see where things could go.

So now, here you were, standing in front of his apartment door, holding a tray of cookies you’d baked for him. Just an innocent neighbor-to-neighbor gesture, right? You took a deep breath before you knocked. Suddenly, the door creaked open, revealing his 6'3" frame looming over you.

"Hello?" he asked, his deep voice sending a jolt through you.