Walking down the hallways in school, Haiba bumps into something. Confused, he looks around, not seeing anything.
"What in the world did I bump into?" he mutters, then chills run down his spine. "Is there... a ghost in the school?!?!"
"Look down, you idiot!" yells a feminine voice.
Looking down, he sees a girl. You're short and tiny. It's so... cute!! No wonder he didn't see you! You're just so tiny that there was so way for him to notice!
"Oh! I didn't see you! You're just so tiny that you weren't in my line of vision. Sorry!"
Seemingly angry, you yell, "I AM NOT TINY!!"
"Sure you are! It's adorable!!"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT! OR I WILL MAKE YOU REGRET IT!!!"
"Aww." Teasingly, he asks, "What'll you do? Kick me in the ankle~?"
--
Limping, Haiba comes into the gym for volleyball practice. In confusion, everyone looks at him.
"Why are you limping?" asks Yaku slowly.
In despair, all Haiba has to say is, "I got kicked in the ankle."
Trying to hold in a laugh, Kuroo continues to ask, "Why'd you get kicked in the ankle?"
"A very adorable and tiny girl didn't like me calling her 'adorable' and 'tiny'."
Now unable to control it, Kuroo starts laughing. "Wow! That's priceless, Lev! You've now reached a new height for stupidity!"
"Wow... knew i was tall.. but I didn't think it was a record-"
In pure disappointment, Kozume shakes his head. "Lev..he's saying that you've set the record for stupidity."
"Ohhhh!! Wait... how does calling her 'adorable' and 'tiny' make me stupid?"
Shaking his head, Kuroo puts a hand on Haiba's shoulder and replies, "Smaller the girl is, the less anger she can hold in before exploding. It's like a container of rage. That's why short girls have terrible tempers- OW!!" Kuroo falls on the floor with a sneaker in his face.
On the other side of the gym, Haiba finds you standing there, breathing heavily. "YOU SON OF A FREAKING TALL JOLLY GREEN GIANT! AM NOT SHORT, I AM NOT TINY, AND I DO NOT HAVE A TEMPER!! I CAME HERE TO SEE IF THE TALL IDIOT'S FOOT IS OKAY, BUT NOW I'M HALF TEMPTED TO BREAK IT!!"
"Wait!" yells Yaku. "Don't! He won't be able to play volleyball! Then the rest of the team has to suffer-"
"LIKE I GIVE A CRAP ABOUT YOUR LITTLE CLUB!!"
"Please! And Kuroo doesn't know what he's saying! He's clinically insane! As far as Lev goes, he's just born with a severe brain defect! It doesn't work like the rest of ours do! Forgive him!"
"But-"
"I didn't mean it!" shouts Haiba. "I didn't know you'd take it offensively. I meant it positively. I'm actually very intrigued. I didn't think a fifteen-year-old could possible be so short-" the next thing he knows, he takes a sneaker to the fact just like Kuroo, and blacks out on the floor.
--
"Kuroo Senpai," Lev whines after volleyball practice.
"What now?" replies the captain.
"I think I'm in love."
Smirking, he sits beside the boy. "Oh? With who?"
"Well, do you remember the girl I called 'tiny'? And that kicked my ankle, which turned out to be a fracture? And then threw sneakers at us and we had to get stitches?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm in love with her!"
"What the heck is wrong with your brain? Did the sneaker damage it?"
"No! She is just so cute and tiny! I love it! And she's smart, too! She gets some of the highest grades in the school! Ooh, and then she uses these big words that I don't understand! Like, imbecile! That's what she always calls me! isn't she the sweetest?"
For several moments, Kuroo sits there, looking perplexed. Finally, he answers, "I really think that sneaker did number on you. You should get your parents to schedule a meeting with a neurologist."
"Ooh! What's that? Can he help me win her heart?"
"Sure. He'll teach you all about it."
"Yay!"
"I fear that your son is just stupid," concludes a neurologist.
"Oh, no." replies Kuroo. "He's not my son. I just couldn't convince his parents to bring him in. And I know that he's stupid but I think it's gotten worse since a crazy person threw her shoe at him. He thinks that he's in love."
"Because I am!" Haiba yells.
"Here's a lollipop. Now be quiet while the grown-ups talk." The doctor hands Haiba a lollipop.
"Ooh! Strawberry!"
"Anyway," the doctor looks back to Kuroo. "There's no brain damage. He's a teenage boy who has a little crush. It's just a phase. He'll grow out of it. As his father, I advise you to just teach him that there's a difference between being a masochist and love."
"I'm not his dad! I'm seventeen! Two years older than him! Do I look like an old man to you?!"
"Yes. Anyway, you two may go now."
"Gladly!"
Kuroo and Haiba walk out of the hospital, and Haiba asks, "Can you teach me how to ask that cute girl her name? She refuses to tell me."
"Ask somebody who knows her."
"They won't tell me, either. Can you do it?"
"Ugh, fine."
"What's her name?!" Haiba practically jumps onto Kuroo's back.
"GET OFF OF ME!!"
"Not until you tell me her name!!"
"Y/n L/n! Sheesh!"
Getting down Haiba giggles a bit, "Y/n... that's a cute name. Just like her."
"Whatever floats your boat, kid.
When he sees you, Haiba runs up to you. "Hi, Y/n-Chan!"
"How did you find out my name?"
"Kuroo Senpai told me!"
"Stupid tall jerk."
"Do you wanna sit at my lunch table today? I know you've been saying no for the past month, but maybe today?"
"No, you ignoramus."
"Please? I'll give you some of my lunch!"
"NO."
"Money?"
"¥3,124."
Haiba pull's out his wallet and hands you the money. "Here! I'll throw in an extra ¥1,562 if you watch my practice today."
"Very well,"
As promised, you sit with Haiba at lunch, so he's happy. Looking at Kuroo, he beams.
"Look, Kuroo Senpai! We're sitting together!"
"Just watch so that she doesn't stab you with the knife that's awful close to your hand."
Scared, he moves his hand away, holding it. "Y/n-Chan! Why are you trying to hurt me?"
"Because watching people suffer is my favorite pastime." You roll your eyes.
"That's okay! I still love you!"
"That's literally disgusting."
"Huh?! Why?!"
"Are you dumb?*
Kuroo pipes in, "Yes, he is, actually. A neurologist prescribed him with that and being a masochist."
"Lev," you say. "Seek help."
"For what? Winning your heart? Cause no one wants to help me They keep saying that it's hopeless-"
"It is hopeless. I meant seek mental health."
"It is not hopeless! You will love me!"
You flick his forehead. "In your dreams, Baka."
He rubs his forehead, whining, "You're so mean, Y/n-Chan!"
"Thank you, I know."
He pouts, so you continue to eat.
After school, you keep your other promise and watch his practice. He tries to show off, but ultimately fails. Most of the time, he trips and falls on his face, or trips over his own shoelaces. A couple of times, he ran after the ball and then smacked his face into the wall. Once, however, he catches you giggling, which gives him a burst of confidence.
After practice, you try to leave, but he stops you before you can. "I'II give you ¥1,56 2 if you let me walk you home."
"Very well. Come on."
Smiling, he walks with you to your small house, and before you go inside, he gives you a warm smile, waving until the door is shut. Happily, he skips home, in a good mood now.
Every day is the same. Haiba bribes you to spend time with him. Every day, you seem a bit happier than the last, so he slowly gets the courage to ask you to be his girlfriend. You two have hung out plenty of times and he really just wants to do it already.
But your reply was devastating.
"No," you say, looking into his eyes. What's worse is how you look sad, though he doesn't know why.
"What? Why? Could I pay you-"
"Lev, just stop." You open your wallet and hand him a large wad of cash. "Doesn't this bother you?"
"What do you mean?"
"At first, this was fun. Really. But..it hasn't been very fair to you. Dating you- dating you would he wrong. I've been using you as a quick way to make cash, and you deserve better than that. You should find someone who's better than me. A girl who doesn't abuse you, a girl who has never used you for money, a girl who speaks to you kindly--a girl that's not me. Think of this as me looking out for you."
"But I don't care about all that stuff! You're super, super cute, and even though you can be a bit of a bully, you're a really sweet person. And lately, you haven't really been abusive. You may hit me a bit, but it doesn't really hurt. And you're always taking care of me. When get hurt, you help me patch myself up. When I got sick, you came over every day to help take care of me. And when I'm sad, you always make me happy again. I can't imagine being with anyone else."
"That doesn't make me good enough for you."
"Do you not want to? If so, just say it."
"No, it's not that. I do wanna date you. I wanna be your actual girlfriend. I wanna go out and do things. I wanna be affectionate. But-"
He hugs onto you. "If that's what you want, then let's do it. Stop worrying about being good enough, because in my eyes, you're beyond perfect. I love you. You may not think so, but you're the best girl I could ever hope for. Please?"
With a weak and slightly hysterical laugh, you rest your forehead on his chest. "When did you get so deep?"
"Yaku has been teaching me. Kuroo has taught me some fun stuff, but Yaku said not to. That I'm too young."
You pull away from him, face bright red. "WHAT THE HECK HAS HE BEEN TEACHING YOU?!?!?"
Snickering, Kuroo walks by and says, "It'll be a surprise for when you're alone." With a wink, he tries to walk off, but gets stopped when you throw a sneaker at his head.
"YOU IDIOT!!" You're about to charge at him, but Haiba holds you back.
"No, Y/n-Chan! You can't hit him! The sneaker was enough!"
"I'M GONNA KILL HIM FOR CORRUPTING YOUR INNOCENT MIND!!"
"I WAS JOKING!" Kuroo yells. "I JUST TEACHING HIM LITTLE THINGS LIKE KISSING!!! CALM DOWN!! YAKU JUST SEES HIM AS A TODDLER!"
"THAT'D BETTER BE WHAT IT IS!"
Haiba picks you up bridal-style, smiling. "Let's walk home."
"Not like this."
He pouts. "Please? Kuroo taught me this one."
"Fine. But bring me back my sneaker."
"Okay!"
