COMFORT CROWD ᵏ·ᵏᵒᶻᵘᵐᵉ

04 | nervous

07:31 / MONDAY.
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When Youko was hanging out with the boys, Kuroo made sure to show her the way to school. Although his mumbled explanation and kindergarten drawing of a map was somewhat helpful, google maps ended up doing a better job.

Youko managed to find a small road filled with street foods that were only a five-minute walk from the school. It was incredible and made it a goal to ditch class someday to get some takoyaki.

As Youko neared the school gates, her school bag heavy on her shoulder, she felt the anxiety building up in her chest. From where she was, she couldn't find anyone resembling Kozume. All she can hear is Kuroo's laugh, his cackle ringing around her ears when he found out she never got Kozume's number.

And because of it, Youko had to resort to poking her head around like a lunatic. "Thanks for the self-sabotage past me," she groaned, shoving her phone back into her pocket.

Not wanting to look like a complete loser, Youko decided to sit next to the gate. In her eyes, she pictured herself looking out of place,  Nekoma's uniform feeling foreign on her skin. It was a bit more formal than her old uniform, a navy blazer hugging her curves and a grey skirt hitting the middle of her thigh. Youko just hoped nobody went up to her and talked to her, the teen trying to hide how lost she was.

In the end, Youko takes out her phone again to pass the time. She opens up Instagram and her feed is full of memes and funny videos, a smile appears on her lips when she sees a cute puppy. Occasionally, she'll see a post of someone she used to know, tapping the heart and then moving on. Youko had a decent amount of followers, despite her profile having five pics of herself and her friends.

"What are you laughing about?" a quiet voice said, the sudden sound causing Youko to jump.

She starts scanning around the area however finds nobody, Youko anxiously holding her phone to her chest. She sighs, her heart calming down and blaming it on the wind.

"Kimura—"

"Holy Shi—" She jumps up from her spot and nearly falls on her face, Youko turning back and catching Kenma's face through the gate's bars. "Kozume? What are you doing there?!" the girl asked, clutching the end of her tie with widened eyes.

He blinks back at Youko with his lips in a thin line, not expecting her to get so easily scared. "I'm waiting for you," he answers back, retracting his hand back to his side.

"But you could've said something sooner..." she wondered, letting her grasp loosen.

Without a word, Youko composes herself and walks to the other side of the gate, Kenma standing by wearing his uniform.

It was as if the universe was playing a joke on her, getting Kenma's payback from yesterday's disaster meeting. Yet, to make matters even more out of hand, neither of them had Kuroo as a buffer. So she stood next to Kenma in silence, not a sound passing between them as they swayed awkwardly in front of their school.

Youko hoped Kenma didn't think she hated him just because she was quiet. She wouldn't know how to properly explain herself if that were the case.

"Have you been waiting long?" she manages to ask. "I got here maybe five minutes ago.

She notices Kenma put away his PSP. "No. I got here a little bit before you."