Chapter 111: You're My Best Friend

                                    

                                          

Yamaguchi Tadashi sighed softly as his teacher began the afternoon lessons.  
It still felt a little strange to him, even though he'd now been a student in Class 2-4 for over a week.  A week and a half, practically.  And yet, he still felt really lonely sometimes.
For the first time in quite a few years, he wasn't in the same class as Tsukki.
He'd been devastated when he'd found out.  Standing there with all of the other newly-minted second years on the team after the opening ceremonies of the new school year, eyes scanning the boards, looking for his name.  He'd found it quickly enough - after all, he started by looking in Class 2-4, figuring he'd probably remain in the same grouping.  Once he'd confirmed that was where he would be, he scanned the list of his classmates, looking for Tsukki and Nakano.
And found neither of them.
"Tsukki," he'd gasped, eyes wide, "I can't find..."
"I'm there," his blonde friend had interrupted him, pointing to the column next to the one with Yamaguchi's name, "with Nakano and Yachi.  We're all in Class 2-5."
Yachi had smiled and clapped her hands, looking at Nakano and squealing...and then suddenly realized what had happened.  "Oh!  Tadashi..."
"C-congratulations, Tsukki, Nakano," he'd stuttered out, "guess being top of the class in first year really paid off for you, huh?"  Keep it together, Tadashi, he'd admonished himself, even as he felt his eyes begin to sting with unshed tears, you absolutely cannot lose it and cry right here in front of the entire school...
And then he heard Tsukki scoff, which made him flinch and brought him closer to wailing like a baby.  He's got to think I'm such an idiot, getting this emotional over something so stupid, Tadashi thought, turning away from the board...and then suddenly realizing he was now facing a sea of his classmates instead.  In the next moment, he was moving, Tsukki steering him by the shoulder, and Yachi tugging on his hand.
"Shut up, Tadashi," Tsukishima had said, and the tiny note of fondness in his voice had not gone unnoticed by Yamaguchi, "you know as well as I do that Class 4 and 5 are both college prep classes, and follow the same curriculum.  They just like changing up the room assignments every year.  It's annoying, but there's nothing we can do about it."
Nakano had patted him gently on the back.  "We'll do lunch every day!"
"Except Wednesdays," Tsukki muttered, "that's just for us."
"And we can form a study group!  Work on homework together and stuff!" Yachi had cheerfully added.  "After all, we're second years now!  Gotta work hard to keep our rankings in class and prepare for those college entrance exams!"
"And besides, I bet you'll meet some great new classmates," Nakano had added.
Yamaguchi couldn't help but smile at the memory.  Nakano wasn't wrong, he'd indeed already connected with a couple of nice guys in his class, including Tachibana, who'd been amazed he'd been able to score a spot in Class 4...and immediately upon seeing Yamaguchi walk into their classroom had come over and begged the brunette to help him study because he was certain the school had made a mistake.  Yamaguchi had laughed and agreed to help the basketball player any way he could.  So, it really wasn't all that bad.  He just...missed being able to look around him and see Tsukki and Nakano.  
It had stung a little too, when he'd found out that Kageyama and Hinata had both been placed in Class 2-2.  Of all the volleyball second years, he was the only one who didn't have a teammate in class with him.