𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫. // 𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

02

𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝔀𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓷𝔂 𝓯𝓾𝓷 𝔂𝓮𝓽? // 𝓵𝓪𝓻𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓼

[ tw // death of family member ]

Your heart pounded in your chest as the letter slipped through your fingers into the mailbox, knowing in only a few days time, he would be reading it.

"You done?" Kenma leaned against the wall of the adjacent convenience store. He seemed to be engrossed in his video game, but he was aware of you staring at him without having to look up.

You nodded with a hum, and Kenma let out a heavy sigh and broke contact with the screen.

"You know, I could've just introduced you," Kenma said with a sullen look. You knew deep down he didn't want to introduce you to Akaashi. 

"I know," a nervous laugh escaped you. You thought about it ever since Kenma mentioned his name. At first, you were unsure if it was the same Akaashi you had been writing to ever since an assignment in grade school. In time, you mustered up the courage to ask Kenma about him - realizing it was the same person. Knowing that you probably saw him at Nekoma during a training made your stomach turn.

In silence, you walked down the pathway with Kenma. There was an uneasiness between you. What Kenma said to you earlier was eating away at you. You weren't expecting him to be so forward considering he kept to himself most of the time.

"Kenma, maybe we should talk about ..."

"Don't worry about it, Y/n." Kenma stopped abruptly, shoving his handheld in his pocket, "Seriously, just forget I said anything. I'm going this way to stop by Kuroo's, I'll see you tomorrow."

You knew he was trying to avoid the situation, and get away from you as quickly as possible. You knew it was a stretch to have Kenma to say another word on the subject.

You rejected him, and he didn't want to have to talk about it anymore than you already had.

You were only a block away from your home, but you weren't ready to head there just yet. 

There was a small playground just before you turned the corner, and you headed over the swings. You started to pump you legs and leaning as far back as you could, staring up at the night sky. The cool breeze flew through your hair and nipped at your cheeks. 

Cherry blossom petals flew above you, reminding you that it was around this time of year you received the assignment to write to a student in the same grade in one of the neighboring cities as a way to practice your kanji. 

Your first letter to him were just basic things about yourself. Favorite color, favorite animal, favorite food. You both seemed to have a lot in common, and were soon writing about everyday things. Akaashi was there for you during stupid middle school breakups, and through the divorce of your parents. 

But when Akaashi asked to visit, you couldn't bring yourself to go through with it. 

At the time, seeing Akaashi probably would've helped you cope with the loss of your father the summer before high school. Feeling a sort of comfort you felt when it came to him. But also getting to have someone physically there for you during that time, like you were for your mom.

You never wanted to break in front of her, and only ever did it alone in your room.

You must have written a thousand letters, trying to find the right words, never sending a single one. All of them ended up in the trash. You weren't emotionally ready to see him, and you didn't want to use him to make yourself feel better.

Soon, you started high school and busied yourself with every distraction possible. Akaashi never followed up from his last letter, and you were too embarrassed to write after a year had gone by. You figured by then, he forgot about you, despite him never really leaving your mind.

Your heels skid into the dirt, halting you. You could hear your heartbeat pulse faster, knowing Akaashi was only days away from receiving your letter. 

And that hopefully the day was coming where you would finally meet him.