run ༄ tsukishima kei - Haikyuu

part 1

"Momichii, Momichi..! Come here girl!" I say in a soft voice, the small cat walking over and rubbing its head into the back of my hand.

I'm sitting here crouched down in a well lit alley between two shops in my neighbourhood, my back to the street. The adorable fluffy little ginger thing circles me, already sensing I've brought food. I pour out some of the dry cat food from a small baggie I've brought with me. A soft smile spreads across my face, "Eat up girl."

Suddenly a shadow looms over me and I fall to my butt. Oh no, I think, I've left myself defenceless. It's sundown, and I'm a girl alone. No, I'm too young, and too smart to die a dumb girl horror movie death. I turn my upper body and look up, a face I haven't seen in over two weeks stares down at me.

"It's you." He says, calmly, almost friendly, when the only interactions I can recall between the two of us have been anything but. "Sorry if I gave you a scare. I just didn't know how else to tell you that the name you gave him doesn't suit him, considering it's male."

Never mind, that wasn't camaraderie, he just thinks I'm stupid.

I blink a few times, trying to process what's happening, I was expecting to have to run for my life a few seconds ago... maybe I still should, I don't know this guy. I look back down at the cat, I had never thought to look at what its gender was. "Pardon..?"

He sighs. With a few steps past me and deeper into the ally, he crouches down on the other side of the cat who's still nibbling its food. "I come here every once in a while to feed the little guy too. " He stares at it, he doesn't move to pet it, and the expression on his face is unreadable.

"He reminds me of someone I know. I guess I understand why you assumed it was a girl, all bright and bubbly for an ally cat."

"So, what do you call it?" I ask, defensively. I personally like Momichi, it still suits him.

"The cat?" He asks plainly, his eyes still on it. Why won't he meet my eyes?

"No, the thing in your pants. Yes the cat."

Without moving his head, his eyes shoot up as one of his eyebrows raise. His mouth curves into an amused smile, and his mouth lets out a few staggered breaths, wanting to laugh but in shock.

"Lewd much. You're not what I expected you to be like." He pushes off his knees and stands up. He reaches into his pants pocket and pulls out a few cat treats and throws them onto the ground for the cat. "Let's go, he doesn't need someone to watch over him while he eats." he says as he begins walking out of the ally, not looking back at me.

I'm still squatted here in front of the cat, my neck turns as my head follows him. Go? We? Okay, guess we're leaving, bye princess, or, I guess it's prince now.

"Not what I expected? What does that mean? Was there some expectation I was supposed to meet that I wasn't made aware of?" I asked as I rush to catch up with him. We're now walking down the dimly lit sidewalk, school bags on our shoulders.

He shrugs, his focus stays forward. Hmph. His pace is slower than expected, especially for someone of his height. I'm not short, he's just abornomally tall.

"So what has you out here so late anyways? Often enough to know that ally cat enough to be feeding it."

"Practice. The running, I mean, not the soccer. I wasn't the one who kicked the soccer ball to you guys that one time, or through the window that other time, or into that one guys head the other other time. It just happens that their practice times align with when I like running the track, so I've sort of become their ball boy. The point is, I'm not the perpetrator."

He looks down at me, "I never said you were?"

"How come you've given me that look every time then?"

"I don't know what look you're talking about, but whatever it is, it's probably the result of being around the guys I'm forced to be around. They're..." he trails off, looking up at the sky. "intolerable sometimes... and there's the new first years now too." He sighs.

"So I assume you're straight from practice too?"

"Close. We're always at the coach's convenience store afterwards. Old habit of the team."

"That guy is your coach?"

"Damn good one" his mouth slightly turns up into a smile.

I just hum in response, nothing more to say. We walk in silence for the next minute. Once we get to a crossroad, I turn left, on the same route I take home everyday. He follows, still walking on the side closest to the street.

"I appreciate you walking me home, but I've managed on my own up until now."

"It's interesting that you assume I would go out of my way to walk you home. I just happen to live in the same direction as you."

I turn my head away, now slightly embarrassed at the assumption. He lets out a light laugh.

Another minute passes with us walking in silence.

"Shoyo."

"Say what now"

"Shoyo. I call the cat Shoyo."

"What a weird name for a cat"

"What's your name." He turns his head to me and asks, the difference tones of his blonde dancing as we walk under the occasional streetlight. His voice isn't soft or curious, just plain. He's trying to fill the silence, maybe move the attention away from my wrongful assumption.

"Y/n"

"That's not a Japanese surname? Are you not from here?"

"No, no that's just my first name"

"I didn't know we were close like that, you warm up quick- " He begins to tease.

"You're funny." I cut him off. "Well, actually, I'm from America... There we go by our first names, so, I told you it out of habit. Everyone calls me Y/n, it would be weird if one person started calling me something else now. I don't think I'd even respond if people were addressing me by my surname."

"Don't think I'm okay with you calling me by my first name, Y/n." He says my name playfully, testing it out. I like the way he says it. I hope I'll get to hear it often.

"Tsukishima is fine by me." I reply coolly.

"Now where did we learn that from, I don't recall introducing myself."

"Your convenience store coach said it that one time."

"Ah, I remember that, so long ago it was. We've been running into each other quite often since the school year started. Are you a new first year?"

"Nope, second year. You?"

"Same. Did you just transfer here?"

"I've been here since midterms last year,"

"But I've never seen you around,"

"Is that the requirement needed to be a Karasuno student?"

"No, I just thought- "

I stop walking, we've reached my house. "This is me." I turn to walk up the stone steps, but then pause. Staring at my laces, I say, "Thanks for walking me, even if it was on your way... It was nice to have company." I turn back to look at him, his body facing me with his hands in his pocket. "See you around."

He tilts his head slightly and raises his arm in goodbye.

As Y/n walks up to her door, he remains there. She doesn't turn her head back, just unlocks the door, heads in, and closes it behind her. The lights stay off the entire time. After about 5 seconds, Tsukishima turns, and begins walking back in the direction they came from.

No, I just thought I would have noticed somebody like you much earlier, especially since it's felt unavoidable this year.