He's Nowhere | Kuroo Tetsurou | S/H

Writing on the Walls

・・・　・・・　・・・

     The days passed slowly, it seemed.  (Y/N)'s symptoms slowly decreased, though her hallucination of the man following her around town persisted, and it was making her worried.  She wasn't nearly as afraid of the stairs anymore, either.
     She had finally been allowed to stay for English class, which she was overjoyed about.  As she and Inuoka spoke on their walk home, her again being left behind by Hana, she talked all about it.  Unlike Hana, he was glad to listen and proved that he actually was by asking follow up questions.  They also talked a bit about his family history with Alzheimer's, and how he was a little worried, but he couldn't imagine getting something so early on in his life.  (Y/N) finally felt comfortable telling of her diagnosis and he took it just fine.  He even promised to not tell anyone else if she didn't want him to.
     (Y/N) got to know various members of the Nekoma Volleyball Club, as plenty of them would walk her home whenever Inuoka couldn't.  There were two she had yet to meet: Kozume Kenma and Kuroo Tetsurou.  According to Inuoka, Kozume and Kuroo usually walked home together, since they lived near each other.  He said Kozume never really paid attention, so he didn't want to ask either of them to walk without the other.  She found it nice of him.
     Akane was being a dear as she usually was.  She was the type of person who enjoyed knowing all about stuff about her friends, so she was genuinely excited to research as much as she could about paranoid schizophrenia and schizophrenia in general.  She reported all of this to (Y/N).
     The girls wrote letters back and forth whenever they couldn't meet in person, and (Y/N)'s mother would deliver them or pick them up.  While it was slow, (Y/N)'s penmanship was improving just a tich faster thanks to all the extra practice.  Her mentors also noticed and they praised both (Y/N) and Akane, though they didn't know who she was, for working even when it wasn't required.

     Then, the day came.  Inuoka had again left a friend to walk (Y/N) across the river.  He had expressed that he really didn't like the fact that (Y/N) traveled over there all by herself, especially with her condition.  (Y/N) always walked with Hana until they reached the split off to Hana's neighborhood.  She was alone afterward.
     Today was someone new.  Hana seemed to have steam blowing out of her ears, yet the second Kuroo greeted the both of them with a small wave and grin, she melted a bit.
     "Kuroo!  Wow!  You look great tonight, you know," she says happily.  Kuroo didn't say anything, just gave a polite but pointed smile.  He didn't seem comfortable being around her as he went to stand by (Y/N)'s side instead.  "I know you were probably a little embarrassed last time we met, but I just wanted to tell you that I still think we should get together.  I promise you won't regret it."
     Kuroo seemed to be regretting the whole conversation.  "As I said, Yoshioka, no thank you."
     "Oh, you can call me Hana, it's fine!   Can I call you Tetsurou? It's such a cute name, isn't it, (Y/N)?"  Hana jabbed (Y/N) in the ribs.  She could only shrug a bit.  It's not like (Y/N) had ever really thought about Kuroo's name in particular as cute.  Kuroo himself was nice looking, but she had a soulmate to worry about.
     "I think you should stick with Kuroo, and I'll stick with Yoshioka.  We're not friends."  Hana pouted while (Y/N) smiled a little at it, not wanting to actually laugh.  She was glad somebody was finally telling her friend that she wasn't right all the time.  And that she moved way too fast.

     The three walked down the main street.  (Y/N) liked main streets, there were windows everywhere so she didn't need to directly look over her shoulder to see things behind her.  Kuroo seemed to have noticed her eyes darting around at all the shop windows, his own trailing their path in curiosity.
     They turned down a side street, Hana desperately telling Kuroo everything she knew about her neighbors.  Eventually, she was basically gossiping about each of them.  "Oh, this is my street down here.  Will you walk me, Tetsurou?  I'm scared."  He didn't even flinch.
     "Firstly, I told you to call me Kuroo only.  Let's remember that," he says calmly and politely.  He really was nice, even to his enemies.  (Y/N) found it a bit amazing.  "Secondly, no.  I'm here to walk (Y/N) home, not you.  I'll wait for you to get halfway down the street, but I'm not following."
     Hana again glared at her friend before huffing and walking away.  She was sure (Y/N) had planned this somehow, to egg her on.  Maybe she was trying to make Hana and Kuroo closer, but she was stupid if that's how she planned it.  What an idiot!  That girl.
     Kuroo and (Y/N) began down the main street again, climbing onto the bus to cross the river.  As they stepped off, (Y/N) froze.  The boy from the crosswalk was standing not far in front of them, staring directly at her.  Kuroo stopped, too.
     "Is he really there?" she asks softly.  He glances around the streets in front of them.
     "It's just us," he says in a slightly uncertain tone.  (Y/N) let out a relieved sigh and Kuroo watched her shoulders fall back to being relaxed.  Suddenly, it hit him like a volleyball as he briefly caught a glimpse of her wrist.
     As thoughts of them being soulmates swirled through his mind, he didn't say a thing out of fear.  Maybe he should say something.  He was worried (Y/N) hadn't noticed.  Could it all be a coincidence?  Yes, most soulmates have a sort of attraction to the other before they even speak, and their tattoos did match the conversation, but (Y/N) didn't say a thing.
     "Hey, are you okay?  You're shaking," Kuroo says.
     "Can you check behind us?" she whispers.  Kuroo does so, eyes widening.  Somebody was back there now, steadily following them.  He seemed to be a bit older, though it was hard to tell.  "Is somebody there?" she asks quietly.
     "Uh... no.  But it's getting cold so let's pick up the pace."  He wasn't sure if she believed him, he was never a good liar and that certainly wasn't his peak.  Still, she listened, and they both began to march even quicker towards her apartment block.