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The list of things that Bokuto can pay attention to at any given moment is finite, and the list of things Bokuto will give his attention to infinite. Which doesn’t really explain why Bokuto is doing his best to ignore the most interesting of things in the room right now. If there is something that demands the attention of his sunny disposition, of his volatile mood, then it shall have it. He would rather shirk important homework that will lead him to fail if it means that something way, way more interesting is occurring and needs attention. Take bubble tea, for example! His sisters took him to try some the other day and his life changed for the better forever! And a team like his that lets him shine as ace has its moments every day that need attention! Yukie’s new pencil box, for example, which she threw at his head because he ate her lunchbox when she wasn’t looking. Konoha’s above average homework that he lets Bokuto copy sometimes. Washio teaching him what “guess block” means—apparently Shiratorizawa’s Tendou uses that method. On a scale of what’s interesting to what’s boring, Bokuto thinks Tendou falls completely somewhere off the scale. Konoha taught him a word the other day – transcend – which Bokuto thinks fits Shiratorizawa’s Tendou completely. He transcends any notion of interesting or boring.
The most interesting thing in the room right now worth paying attention to is transcendent as well. In all senses of the term, as Bokuto learnt it means both “to go beyond” and “serene”. Bokuto just didn’t know serenity could be so scary.
“Bokuto-san, it’s time to greet the teams and their captains.”
Bokuto lets out a whimper so pathetic even he knows it. He can’t help it. Inarizaki and Nekoma are waiting to be greeted, and there is an entity which he’d rather not confront. The Inarizaki captain.
🐈🦉🦊
After their Interhigh defeat, Bokuto notices Atsumu – “What a dedicated setter,” Akaashi notes. “I could never be like him.” – and notices the way his body doesn't slacken for a single second as they lose the finals. As they line up to face their school and bow, as they make their way to exit. Not for a single moment does he take his mind off court, not even when he is gesticulating and mouthing strange words at Itachiyama. Bokuto turns his head to ask Yukie what she thinks he is saying, and she says maybe he is mouthing onigiri fillings at Itachiyama’s ace and libero duo. They are a duo, aren’t they, Bokuto wonders, seeing how the libero had dug the ball in a deliberate way that always made it easier for Sakusa to access it – before seeing a second Atsumu sprout in his field of vision.
“Onigiri fillings?” He says, and this holds Bokuto’s interest like nothing else, for thereafter he becomes engrossed in how Yukie and this – “Osamu Miya, Bokuto-san.” “Thanks, Akaashi!” – second Atsumu start lipreading the actual Atsumu on court. Technically he knows there aren't two Atsumus, he knows how twins operate, but seeing it in action is like nothing else. Siblings fascinate Bokuto, and these are volatile twins, if Konoha’s intel is to be believed. Apparently, most siblings have a relationship bordering on the mercurial. His sisters consistently love him though. He is loved by all. He is an ace! He has to pave the way for others to follow! Even if he does follow his sisters’ path sometimes, he nevertheless holds his own. The only mercurial thing in his life is, well, perhaps himself if hearsay is to be believed.
How interesting the both of them are. The casual fun of this one, the intense ferocity of the other. The Atsumu on court not talking to anyone else, head still in the game, as the Inari Ace – “Aran-kun is a good spiker. Shame he’s not Waka-kun.” “Bokuto-san, I don’t think most people can be Waka-kun.” Akaashi paused, pondering. “Or anyone.” – hits him over the head and says something that causes him to squawk indignantly. Bokuto grins. They could totally get along. He can see which one he would play with in the Leagues. He tells as much to Akaashi.
Yukie and Osamu nearby startle, overhearing, whereas Akaashi merely hums and agrees. He likes that about Akaashi. He extends a hand to Osamu and says in his most professional captain voice that he wishes to play with them. Play against them! Pretty please? They had time now that Interhigh was over and they’d lost, plus they needed all the practice they could get, right?
Atsumu Miya appears in front of him in a flash of yellow. “What’d you say? We lost, huh, what about you? You’re as much a loser! You lost before us in the Quarterfinals! We at least made it to the finals.”
Bokuto likes him instantly. Before he can retort, however, second Atsumu kicks him in the shin. “He’s older to you, you scrub. Show some respect.” “I don’t take orders from another scrub!” “Says the scrub.” Bokuto likes them both instantly. Second At—no. Osamu Miya is very funny. He is also very careful to never hit Atsumu where it matters, the shin-kick notwithstanding. He privately amends his earlier assessment; Osamu Miya is just as ferocious as Atsumu. He asks them both out once again. They don’t even bother to turn toward him.
“Bokuto-san, we already have a match scheduled with the Inarizaki team before they return to Hyogo.”
“Huh? How come no one tells me anything around here!”
“I thought you knew, since it was discussed in the evening meeting following our defeat at the Quarterfinals.”
“Oh.”
Bokuto wonders what to do next, Yukie is having a fun time watching the brawl, but they need to get a move on, his attention already branches out a dozen different ways. There is Sakusa to greet and threaten with Fukurodani’s imminent victory at Spring, there is the WAY OF THE ACE t-shirt stand to sort through a fifth time for shirts his sisters might wear, there is Konoha to bother about the Miyas, surely he has more intel on them? He is about to tell Yukie they should get a move on, he wants hers as well as Akaashi’s opinion on which tees they think his sisters might like, when a short man comes into view.
The first thing he should have noticed – he thinks later – should have been the hair. It should have been. Except what he does notice is the way his arms are folded around his chest, not inside the sleeves of his jacket as arms normally are, but the way Waka-kun folds his hands. Waka-kun is not here, of course, but Bokuto had had a mind to tell him that Bokuto himself is the originator of the hands-folded-jacket-over-shoulders, thank you. He would have also told Waka-kun that he thought they should have a competition to see who does it better, but had had no opportunity so far, only seeing him at a distance in competitions and the occasional practice matches when Itachiyama would have those with Shiratorizawa and Fukurodani either participated or observed. Why shouldn’t the Tokyo schools take advantage of each others’ contacts?
This tiny man is walking towards Bokuto, and he realizes he is wearing the Inarizaki team uniform, with the #1 that usually marks out captains. But he hadn’t played during the match at all – is he really the captain?
In any case, Bokuto is excited, because now he notices his hair, and the man’s hair is really nice and he had the mind to tell him so. Not everyone had such great taste in hair colour! As the man stops near him and stares at the squabbling Miyas, however, he feels something is… Different. He is doing nothing but staring at the twins, standing almost casually with his arms folded. But as soon as the twins notice this man standing nearby, they stop squabbling. In fact they look as if they are now sweating profusely.
The man turns towards him.
“Were you encouraging them?”
It takes Bokuto what feels like eons to understand that he is being addressed. But when he does he utters, confused, “Encouraging…?”
“Were you inciting ‘Tsumu and ‘Samu to fight?”
“Oh.” Was he? “No, not at all! But I was the cause, I guess?”
“Ah.”
That’s all he says, but Bokuto feels a shudder run through him. For reasons he doesn't understand, due to things that are beyond his grasp, he is feeling something he hasn't felt in a long time. He doesn't know what it is, exactly, but suddenly he has a lot of empathy for the Miyas.
The man still isn't speaking. Just staring. The twins look just about ready to embrace death. Instead they embrace apologies.
"We're so sorry Kita-san!"
"We won't do this again Kita-san!"
"This scrub started it Kita-san."
"What!? No, what the hell -- THIS scrub started it Kita-san!"
"Enough." That's the sixth word he says, and it is scarier than the rest. Just a single word, but Bokuto is reminded of the teacher he had in elementary school who'd teach him math. She was very scary -- she wouldn't speak at all. She would only say what was necessary in class and leave. Others weren't scared of her, they thought she was just an ordinary teacher, just a little stricter than the others. But she scared Bokuto in a way that he couldn't explain. She just seemed so mysterious but appeared so lifeless. He wanted to talk to her so very much, but was so very scared all the time.
That's the name to this emotion, Bokuto realizes. He is scared.
When he comes out of his head, the Inarizaki boys have already left. Akaashi informs him that the person known as Kita-san is Inarizaki's captain, with whom they have a practice match the next day. It won't be intensive because Interhigh just ended, but it will nevertheless be "a good chance" to see a team from Hyogo that consistently ranks among the top in the country. Nekoma is also coming, because Nekoma can. Bokuto hears all this but registers nothing. He is going to have to meet and talk to Kita tomorrow. He doesn't know what to feel.
🐈🦉🦊
The Inarizaki team circa 2012 is gathered in the Fukurodani court that they utilize especially for when other teams are visiting. Bokuto is not paying them any attention. Or rather, all his attention is centred toward them, but he can’t turn around, he can’t face them directly. And so while Konoha keeps ribbing him for relegating all social duties to Akaashi, he can’t help it—he doesn’t care!
Somehow, the introductions are taken care of via the combination of Fukurodani's two female managers that Taketora keeps staring at, and Akaashi, vice-captain. People start gravitating towards other people that they know, or want to know, and begin warming up.
Bokuto remains crouched in his corner under a table.
Kuroo's voice materializes out of thin air. “Bokuto, why are you hiding?”
Bokuto tells him.
“Ah, the Inari captain?” He doesn’t laugh, which is a big enough mercy, but he looks contemplatively off into the distance which is bad enough. “He’s a good one.”
“Still scares me.”
“He’s a third-year just like you are. And the captain of the team.”
“Why do you sound like you know him?”
Kuroo grins. “We are friends! And just knowing his year and position on team wouldn’t mean I know him, to be clear on that front.”
“Huh!? Since when?”
“Bokuto, Bokuto, Bokuto,” he’s smirking, he’s wearing that self-satisfied smile that Bokuto knows is a mistake. He knows whatever Kuroo will say is either innocuous or a trap, and Bokuto’s weakness (#2342) has always been not being able to distinguish between the two. “I always know everyone. Don’t underestimate my contacts.”
“You said friends! That’s way different from ‘contacts.’”
This gives the boy pause. He sits down next to where Bokuto is crouching and hiding, sighing. "What happened Bokkun? Not that this is a big deal, it's a pretty stupid deal, see? But you're avoiding everyone during practice! Even me!"
Bokuto tells him about the teacher.
"So..." Kuroo speaks slow, as if he can't comprehend. Bokuto wants to hit him. "You are saying that the Inarizaki captain reminds you of the teacher you were scared of. Who you also wanted to talk to."
He nods.
"So you want to be friends with Kita-san?"
Bokuto wails. "I don't know!"
"It's fine! As long as you don't do something monumentally stupid, he won't judge you! And as it is his juniors are monumentally stupid! All you have to do is talk to him a little as the captain, and practice. You're wasting practice time you know, and that's not the Bokkun I know."
“Besides,” Kuroo grins wider, and Bokuto knows this one is genuine, and that calms him. Somewhat. “There’s nothing remotely scary about him. You’ll know if you give him a shot. I thought you were a better judge of character!”
Bokuto has nothing to say to this. It’s true, he does usually give people a chance – after all, how can they appreciate him if they don’t have enough space to do so? And Kuroo is right about the Inarizaki juniors being silly. He had seen from the corner of his eye Fukunaga and the Inarizaki libero beatboxing, and instead of joining in a second year Inarizaki member had immediately whipped out his phone to record them! How stupid. Joining in would have been so much better.
"Okay," he says to himself, and then to Kuroo. "Okay. Let's go be a proper third year."
"I knew you could do it!"
Bokuto comes out of hiding, dusting himself off. "What do you and him talk about anyway?"
"Oh, math homework. Sometimes he sends math puns. He's fun!"
Bokuto feels faint.
🐈🦉🦊
"And here we have Konoha Akinori, Mr. Jack-Of-All-Trades, conversing convivially with the captain of Nekoma. The very same man he has "tch-ed" and "ugh-ed" at during official and practice matches, has insulted to his face but especially behind his back, has conceived of countless stratagems with Akaashi to take down!"
"Can you never shut up Komi!?"
"Anyway," Kuroo says, amused by Komi Haruki but more interested in his conversation with Konoha, "why do you think Bokuto is being so weird about the Inarizaki captain?"
"Students alter with the wind -- the current fads and current concerns of their friends and teammates affect the individual adversely. One such creature -- the Fukurodani Captain -- encountered the insult 'You are not like an adult at all!' in the wild, one day, whereupon he has been concerned more and more with appearing like a third year."
"As Komi said," Konoha wears a long-suffering expression, "Bokuto thinks he's not third-year enough."
"But I am a third year."
Both the wanna-be actor and the all-rounder give him a blank stare.
"I don't know what is being implied but I don't like whatever it is," Kuroo is petulant, "and just so we're clear here: isn't Bokkun scared of the captain? Is a 'scary' person the ideal third-year in his mind?"
"I don't think he's scary. He loves his juniors so much, it's kind of cute."
"Konoha Akinori says he is not scared of the Inari captain, while talking behind the back of the same, and--"
"I'm not speaking behind anyone's back, shut up Komi! And stop speaking to me in third person!"
"He has mistakenly assumed that this humble narrator gives a sh--"
"Also, don't you have your facts wrong? Does Kita-san actually like his juniors?" Akaashi appears and asks, done with warming up.
"Let's review the facts. He is not good enough of a player to be on court, but always talks to each individual player when he thinks they can do better, or have done something wrong. He pays attention. He whips them into shape constantly because they're a bunch of rowdy foxes who wouldn't listen if you told them gently and nicely anyway. He doesn't smile often, but smiling often doesn't mean anything."
"You're always smiling at anything or anyone."
"We are not discussing my facial muscles. Kita-san always makes people stop practicing when he thinks they are overdoing it, in fact he is the one who insisted today's practice be laid-back. More of a "seeing how other teams practice and play" session. He is quiet and considerate. Of course he is fond of his juniors."
"I think you just described a very nice human being instead of a doting senior."
"Do you want a senior to dote on you!?"
The other three say 'no' in union.
"Well, of course." Kuroo shrugs. "You're not Kenma."
"I don't think even Kenma wants the kind of attention you're always giving him."
"We are not discussing my childhood friend Kenma." Kuroo grins suddenly, making Akaashi wary. "Of course you wouldn't want a over-zealous senior, seeing as how you are so comfortable being a over-zealous junior."
Akaashi throws his towel in Kuroo's face. Kuroo responds in kind.
"Hey is that Yaku-san?" Komi's voice shifts, coming alive. "Okay I have to go now. Libero business."
Konoha starts to move away too. "Better go talk to Miya Osamu. He and Suna are easy to get intel out of."
"Intel," Kuroo scoffs. "Konoha is the zealous one here."
"And not Komi-san or Bokuto-san?"
“Ugh, none of the choric commentary for me, thanks. Bokuto is too busy today being the furthest thing from an ace or from Bokuto, so I don't think we can count him.”
“You wouldn’t need it anyway." Then, "Why are you actively trying to make them friends?”
Kuroo knows Akaashi is now looking at him, expectant. Waiting for an answer that would make sense. So he swerves off-track, of course, knowing Akaashi will follow.
“Have you seen their hair!?”
Akaashi blinks. Kuroo can swear he sees his mouth twitch, but Akaashi regains composure lightning quick. “And so what if Bokuto-san’s hair is the inverse of Kita-san’s?”
Kuroo bursts out laughing. It turns into something uncontrollable and breathless, and Akaashi has to wait until he calms down – which takes a while.
“Was it something I said?” He asks with the annoyed platitude he is only capable of donning in front of people who can take care of themselves without his intervention.
“It was…” Kuroo is still laughing, gasping for air. Akaashi has half a mind to just leave him here and walk away, talk to a much more sensible Middle Blocker, like Oomimi Ren for example. He’s standing not too far away with Washio and Kita, in fact. Maybe he should review the person on his own. He did not play on court at all, so Kuroo is not wrong. He is a weaker player than the others in his team. Nevertheless, Akaashi can feel that there is something about him that makes the team what it is. Balances out the extremities.
"Good morning Kita-san, Oomimi-san," he greets them and introduces himself. Washio stops talking to smile at him, and the Inarizaki members turn to him too. Oomimi Ren smiles at him. Kita regards him, nodding once, and replying in kind. "I know who you are."
This surprises Akaashi, but he doesn't get to dwell on the surprise as Washio-san is talking to him. "Get this, Akaashi," Washio's voice is pitched, a little different for him because he rarely gets happily excited like this. "They were telling me this ocha that grows near Hyogo gives you the kind of pleasant scent that children love, and will smile at you no matter what!"
Akaashi doesn't know what to say. He didn't realize he stumbled into an old people's gathering.
"Akaashi-san," Kita is now saying to him, directly, "You are a wonderful setter."
"Oh," he suddenly feels deeply appreciated. He has heard the same words from others before, but has never been able to accept them straightaway like he does with Kita. It's strange. "Thank you very much."
"Would you like to try this tea we were just speaking of?"
Akaashi blinks. He doesn't want to. "Yes, why not," he says instead, wondering why they are hosting a tea gathering instead of practicing. Maybe it's because he can see the ghost of a smile on Kita-san's face as he accepts.
🐈🦉🦊
“Kuroo-san is an interesting guy,” Kita says, a few hours in, making Bokuto realize his crisis extends far beyond the ears of his Nekoma friend. Kuroo had been picking a fight with Suna Rintarou of the Inarizaki team for coming 'too close' to Kenma, and had in turn scolded Kenma for 'fraternizing with the enemy', who had in turn given Kuroo the most withering glare Bokuto had ever seen grace someone's face. If Kenma were the Inarizaki team's captain--no. Bokuto does not complete that thought. He simply waits for everyone to disperse after Kuroo has made a mess of everything and Yaku has come to drag him off. Then he seeks out someone to talk to.
Kenma is immediately accosted. Fukunaga and Aran are standing around him talking animatedly, with exaggerated hand movements, which makes Bokuto curious enough to forget his purpose in why he was there.
He finds out soon enough. “The futon fell off.”
“Go home!” Aran yells in genuine outrage and horror, Bokuto almost thinks he will fall to his knees. He turns to ask a grimacing Kenma. “Was that actually funny?”
He realizes Kenma is in no mood to talk—he is too busy laughing. Bokuto can’t understand why, so he turns to Akaashi who has also accompanied him and is a fairly accurate translator of most situations.
“Akaa-shiiii—”
“Yes Bokuto-san," Akaashi is prompt and poker-faced. "That is what you would call a joke so horrifying that you have no way but to react the way Aran-san did. Although in this case, of course, it is his reaction that is the humourous thing.”
Bokuto brightens up like a lightbulb at the same time Aran whips his head so quick while sporting a grimace that a loud crick resounds.
“That makes sense!”
“That makes no sense at all!” He continues over a silenced and gaping Bokuto. “Nothing is funny in this situation! Not me, or his joke!"
Fukunaga says something else which Bokuto doesn't catch, but makes Aran actually collapse to the ground. This is really fun. Fukunaga seems to be enjoying himself immensely as well. Kenma is still doing his best to not laugh outright but the end result occurs on his face as a constipated grimace instead.
He still takes his shot. "Kenma?"
The boy takes a minute to respond, and when he does he is breathless. "What do you want?"
"Do you, uh." Bokuto suddenly realizes Aran is standing right there. He doesn't know what to say anymore. Earlier today, he had seen Aran and Kita guffaw loudly at a joke Sarukui had cracked that he didn't get. It didn't matter though. Aran started shaking with laughter and Kita somehow managed to laugh the most dignified laugh ever. The sheer difference of manner between the two convinced Bokuto they were close friends. Don't ask him why such a strange thing convinced him. It just did, okay? And also the fact that Aran kept yelling "Kita!" in a very annoyed voice at regular intervals. One time it had transpired that Kita took Aran's jersey, but refused to give it back, even though he wasn't putting his arms through the sleeves. Bokuto thought he even saw Kita giggle, but that surely must have been a mirage.
Right?
Anyway. Kenma is getting increasingly impatient, and Bokuto is having a crisis. Akaashi steps up, ever the mediator. “What do you think of Kita-san?”
“The Inarizaki captain?” Kenma mumbles. Aran is listening in too, in fact he has come up to stand right beside Kenma. “He’s alright, I guess. A strange one.” Aran just nods sagely, like he agrees and couldn't agree more.
Bokuto’s heart swells. “RIGHT!?” The loudness with which he suddenly bursts makes the entire gym turn to look at him. He doesn’t care enough to realize this, however. He has gained a sympathizer. A companion. A co-conspirator. The last one is a word Kuroo taught him recently.
Akaashi and Kuroo have both abandoned him at the line of fire. Kuroo talks about math homework and math puns with this man. Bokuto saw Akaashi having a tea party with him earlier. He was slightly aghast, but also jealous? Don’t ask him to explain that last emotion, please.
“Yeah, I mean.” Kenma slouches even further into himself. He looks pouty. “He came and told me a better posture would be good for my body.”
“Ah, I kind of agree with that.”
“Aran-san, I will reveal the joke you tried to crack with Fukunaga to everyone.”
Aran looks horrified. “Anything but that!” His face quickly shifts, now pondering. “But wasn’t it a good one…?”
Bokuto is glad we are all getting along here, but he wants to talk about Kita more. Thankfully Kenma acquiesces on his own. “Oh, I need to ask him how he manages his coop.”
Bokuto blinks. “What?”
“Chicken coop,” Kenma is already moving away, his face looks animated now. Bokuto has learned to read Kenma’s faces not only because they are so expressive, but because Kuroo’s favourite pastime (#5) is pointing them out to Bokuto and explaining what each one means.
“Does Kita-san manage chickens at home?” Akaashi’s voice is happy for some reason. Bokuto can’t understand what is happening and why it is happening to him, but he is so jealous by it all.
Kenma pauses and turns to look at them. “Are you stupid?” He turns to Aran. “Tell them they are stupid.”
“You are stupid. Kita will have a chicken coop in the future, though, I guess.”
“Real-life simulation,” Kenma mumbles. “Anyway, he plays Harvest Moon. Or had played. I don’t know. He mentioned it to me, and we… Yeah. I enjoy farming strategy games like that, and Harvest Moon is a classic, but it’s so strange he still likes playing that when so many better farming ones have come out.”
“He is a nostalgic person,” Akaashi explains, to Bokuto’s amazement.
“And an imp. He won’t play Animal Crossing with me but he keeps playing Harvest Moon!”
“I'll get him to." Kenma says with a resolve in his voice that is not out of place when it comes to video games. "I'll tell him lines that Apollo says."
Bokuto stands in dumb shock for a while. Then, he totters and walks away, asking to be left alone when even Akaashi tries to follow. He needs to process this.
Everyone knows Kita Shinsuke. In fact, everyone seems to be friends with him easily. Kenma even wants to introduce him to someone called Apollo.
What is going to become of him?
🐈🦉🦊
"Dainty boy, ain'tcha? Can't toss 'em as dainty though."
Akaashi is tying his shoelaces.
“You don’t flub your receives and passes, but don’t have one decent serve on you. Maybe you should work on them.”
Akaashi finishes tying his shoelaces. He turns in the general direction of a bleached-haired someone, for his jacket is lying behind this individual.
“Your serves, I mean,” the voice is explaining, as if something isn’t being understood. Akaashi picks up his jacket without making eye contact, and starts making his way across to where Kenma is sitting on the court. He looks dead, because he is hunched over on the floor, and hasn't moved in twenty minutes.
Atsumu, of course, follows.
Kenma is alive, and gets up and greets Akaashi when he comes closer. Atsumu starts whistling and moves a little away, but not far enough.
“Shouldn’t you be practicing a better posture?”
Kenma sulks, but sits up straighter. Akaashi privately thinks if Kuroo knew the effect Kita had on Kenma maybe he’d start using it more. Or grow jealous.
He sighs. Taking care of his seniors and their moods is tiring. Kenma is easier to get along with. Kuroo does all the maintenance necessary for a Kenma to function and Akaashi can just quietly get along with him.
The Inarizaki boy standing nearby is hardly easy to get along with, though. Akaashi is deliberately ignoring him at this point even though he keeps whistling and walking ahead of him and Kenma, crossing their line of vision, apparently nonchalant. It would be funny if it wasn’t pathetic.
“If you’re trying to be friends with other setters your age, this is the wrong. And time.”
Atsumu squawks indignantly. Kenma continues, smiling, "Or do you have no friends in your own team?"
Akaashi glares at Kenma, who is now smiling the same obnoxious smile Kuroo flashes at his opponents. Or at Bokuto, before ribbing him. Kenma doesn’t care, of course. In fact it seems he is deliberately making this effort when he’d rather do nothing so as to make a point.
“What the hell are you saying you lazy punk?" Atsumu is livid, and Kenma, satisfied with the reaction he has inspired, has fallen back on the floor. "Say that to my face!"
"I did say it to your face, are you dumb? And that was payback for badmouthing my party members."
Atsumu stops, uncomprehending. He looks at Akaashi for explanation. Akaashi sighs, being translator is hard work. He doesn’t want to constantly be doing this.
"He means you shouldn't have called Taketora-kun a scrub." Kenma is referring to the incident earlier where Atsumu just started badmouthing people on court randomly, until everyone moved away and Kita-san asked him to do a hundred push-ups as punishment for his rudeness. “Frustrated from our loss at Interhigh or not, that was unacceptable,” Kita had said, in a tone so icy Bokuto had shivered.
"Whatever," the Atsumu of now mumbles, clearly embarrassed but not willing to admit it, and starts walking away.
“Oh, just one thing Miya-san,” Atsumu pauses and turns around sporting a look that might look murderous to the uninitiated, but from months of practice with strong-willed individuals Akaashi and Kenma both recognize this as petulance, manifest in a scowl-pout. “What do you think of your captain?”
The faces that Atsumu puts on for this question are varied and amusing. Akaashi thought of addressing him because well... His opinion of Kita Shinsuke is still nebulous. He can't place the man, and is now fascinated by him, just like Bokuto is. In his own way, of course. But Atsumu seems to be hazarding no answers.
Finally, after a minute of making constipated faces, he says, "I don't know!" and stalks off. Kenma half turns and gives Akaashi a half shrug and Akaashi finds himself agreeing with the last insult Atsumu flung towards Kenma. He watches the retreating figure of the Inarizaki setter and wonders whether he should go after him, try to converse normally with him.
He gives up. The effort is too much. He’d rather have tea with Kita again.
🐈🦉🦊
"I, uh," Bokuto is flabbergasted. He was practicing spikes with Aran-kun in a corner as Akaashi and Atsumu sent balls their way (they seemed to be getting along! Bokuto is confused with the way Atsumu flinched every time Kenma came close, though). Kita had suddenly materialized in the place of Atsumu and asked to speak to Bokuto.
"Um." Of course Bokuto can't speak. Cat got his tongue. All the cats got his tongue, even though it is the fox-team's captain in front of him right now that's made him this way.
"Bokuto-san," Kita speaks gently, slowly. Bokuto can sense someone behind this. "Would you like to talk?"
"Uh." Curse Kuroo. Akaashi wouldn't do this to him of course. It can't be Konoha, or Yukie. The coaches are all talking in a corner, Kurosu-san from the Inarizaki team keeps talking about his wife and daughter. They surely wouldn't interfere, they haven't done anything this day so far. Clearly this day is not for 'practice'. "Well."
Kita's face now morphs into the gentlest of smiles. Bokuto almost feels dazed. "I promise I don't bite."
Oh well. Bokuto bites the bullet. "Sure, Kita-kun! I-I mean," he fumbles, but before he can say anything Kita gives him a "It's fine" and oh, it's not that hard to address him. They step away from court.
"Am I that hard to approach?" Kita asks immediately as they step away from court and Bokuto can hear the hurt on Kita's poker face and he rushes to explain himself. But before he can do so he catches a glint in Kita's eyes, and remembers that this is the man Aran-kun is always yelling at (and Aran-kun always yells at what he finds funny) and Kuroo exchanges intellectual jokes with (Math! This man finds math funny).
"You are so composed." It's all Bokuto says, but suddenly the rest comes rushing out. "You took your team to the finals. You make your juniors listen to you with one word. You get along with everyone."
"Bokuto-san, I must pause you there. You are the most joyous and amicable person I have seen. Surely you too get along with everyone?"
Oh. Oh this pleases Bokuto so much. "Yeah! I love everyone! I hope everyone loves me too! But not you--" he cuts himself off, suddenly embarrassed.
Truth be told, his fear is unfounded, and he has nothing but curiosity for Kita. Maybe he does just want to be friends. Maybe he always wanted to be friends with math, with scary teachers, with anyone and everyone that crosses his way, no matter how it initially makes him feel.
Kita is smiling at him serenely now, and it's such a good look on his face. "We can be friends too Bokuto-san. And as for taking my team to the finals, it wasn't I alone who did it. My team," and the way he says 'my' makes Bokuto's toes curl. He loves his team so much. "They were the ones who did it. Me included, of course. We did it."
"Oh. Right."
"And I don't play on the team as a regular, as you might have already seen. I am an all-rounder and I help them whenever necessary, make them toe the line when they go too far and become reckless in a bad way."
Bokuto is reminded of the crows down in Miyagi.
"It’s not as if the road only ever runs forward,” Kita-kun is saying, but Bokuto can’t discern whether it’s directed to him or to Kita himself. Also, he’s confused.
“Doesn’t it?” He asks, genuinely. Wondering whether he’s said something wrong again, whether he has struck it wrong with this owlish captain of the fox-team and his hair so much like his except drooping downward, for Kita is staring at Bokuto with wide eyes. Then the tension snaps and he laughs.
“Monsters.” He shakes his head. Bokuto can’t understand what he is saying but Kita says ‘monsters’ with the fondness one reserves for their pets. Maybe Kita has a crocodile for a pet?
“No, Bokuto-kun, I don’t think the road only ever runs forward.” Then his smile warms further and Bokuto wonders how that’s possible. “But I think you can still scale it forward.”
Bokuto doesn’t need Aran’s help translating that. He swells with something – not exactly pride, but maybe this is what it means to have Kita tell you you can make it. He knows what he can do already, he never bothers with what he can’t. His math isn’t the strongest. He isn’t good at digging like Kuroo is. Why focus on what you can’t do when there is so much left already to do?
The practice day with visiting team Inarizaki and long-time collaborators Nekoma ends amicably enough. Aran and Fukunaga come to some sort of impasse, with Akagi and Fukunaga exchanging numbers. Akagi also exchanges numbers with Komi and Yaku, the three of them already working on some sort of group chat only for liberos, with guest appearance by “Karasuno’s Noya,” as Yaku fondly explains to an uncomprehending Akagi. Washio and Oomimi are standing and talking to Kuroo. Middle-blocker things.
Yukie is helping wrap up nearby, and as she talks to Kaori her voice is distinct and audible. “Do you want to get bubble tea after this?”
This snaps Bokuto’s attention. “Bubble tea…” he mumbles, wondering if Konoha and Akaashi will go with him to the boba shop near their school, after such a long practice. Maybe they wouldn’t. He shrugs, satisfied with his mental conversation and about to move on until Kita speaks up and Bokuto realizes he’d been totally ignoring an entire human being next to him.
“What is bubble tea?”
A silence grips the court. Of Bokuto’s heart. His heart is a court – his sister with literary aspirations taught him that metaphor, and when he told Akaashi he seemed to like it a lot – and silence reigns in the court of his heart. The actual court is bustling and kind of loud, actually, somewhere the Miyas are fighting again. How strange that it has taken him a few hours to get used to it. No one seems to be paying attention to this moment of extraordinary importance that is transpiring between him and Kita Shinsuke.
“Kita-kun, are you saying you have never had boba?”
“No, I have not,” Kita says, slow. Then he offers tentatively, as if his knowledge is lacking, “Should I have?”
“Yes.” It’s the most solemn Bokuto has ever been. He thinks he is as solemn as Kita right now. “Let’s go right now before you leave.”
They go for bubble tea, and because Kuroo was listening in to their conversation like the sly cat he is, everyone else comes along too. They tease Bokuto and tell him he should pay for all of them, and he whines about already being short on pocket money that month. A huge juggernaut of volleyball boys thus find themselves spilling from the tiny booth near Fukuroudani that sells 'the best boba' around, as Yukie says. Spilling is a kind word for it. After they get their drinks they walk to Fukuroudani's open field and sit with their drinks, watching the football club play. Aran gets a mango flavoured one that is immediately stolen not just by Miya Osamu but also by Fukunaga, which restarts their war. Akaashi sits with Kenma and Atsumu, who seems to be eyeing the drink warily until Kenma scoffs at him for never having had boba before, which makes the boy chug half the drink down in a go, despite Akaashi's warning. Kuroo is sitting with the liberos and constantly fiddling with the Inarizaki libero's hair, "It's just like mine!" he keeps exclaiming. Yaku kicks him for being rude. Kai and Oomimi watch on, smiling, not wishing to interfere at all. Bokuto sits next to Kita, or rather, Kita never leaves Bokuto's side. This pleases Bokuto.
“Shin—sorry, I mean Kita-kun, try mine.”
Kita does. “You can be less formal with me if you want. I know you like calling people nicknames.”
Bokuto’s heart swells. “Shin-kun! Thank you! You can call me Bokkun, Kuroo does so. Can I try yours?”
Kita doesn’t respond. Bokuto begins to ask again, but suddenly Kita is sucking at his straw rapidly, the few pearls in his drink disappearing. It is fascinating to watch how he demolishes the remaining half of the drink in less than a minute.
“Sorry Bokkun,” he sighs heavily after he has finished, absolutely deadpan. “Guess the drink is over.”
When the time comes to part, Bokuto and Kita exchange numbers as well. Kita even smiles at him. Bokuto saves his number with a “bobaemoji foxemoji” and he grins at his phone so much that his sisters start hounding him for what he’s doing.
“I am overcoming my fears!”
“What does that even mean?”
“I made a transcendent friend today,” he says, suddenly fake-solemn, and announces his intention to go to bed early that day. ‘So I can wake up early tomorrow and clean my room.’ When the next day comes, he wakes up half an hour earlier, and cleans at least his desk. He texts these to Kita. He responds immediately.
“Good job. Going on a run now.”
Then another text follows,
"See you at Spring."
Bokuto grins, putting on his running shoes and heading out of the house. He has so much to look forward to.
