Curls, Freckles & Volleyball

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It was already getting dark by the time we reached the neighbourhood and frankly, I didn't even realise that since during the entire journey my mind was somewhere else.

The only alerting presence that kept me somewhat attached to planet Earth was Kuroo's.

My mind was everywhere all thanks to the silence that loomed over us since we left that lady.

"Strange... I came here twice and was always lucky to meet Otani-san. Isn't he here?" Kuroo questioned staring up at the door of the college student's flat.

So the second time Rooster came with Pudding, Otani started his usual freak show?

Predictable.

"Otani and Hana finished exams early this semester so they instantly packed up, bid me goodbye and went off into the sunrise of a brand new voyage."

"Is that so?" He breathed out with a smirk. "Well... I guess, I'll see you tomorrow."

Without really thinking deeply into this, I instantly asked, "but, can't you stay?"

Wait, what?

Just for a brief moment in time, Kuroo mirrored my stunned expression before morphing into a brick statue of nonchalance.

And that's when flushed Kyoko knew, that she messed up.

Thus, naturally, she couldn't be quiet and seem indifferent about it, she waved her hands around explaining herself like the most panicked chicken to ever exist. "I-I DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING WEIRD BY THAT! It's just that you stuck around while obviously looking tired as heck and you walked me home and now you'll go home. I JUST FEEL GUILTY AND NEED TO DO SOMETHING like... DINNER! Yes, dinner?"

Okay, I've done it.

This is what happens when I overthink. It's like clicking something in a frozen screen until a box pops up and says to either wait or kill the page.

I just straight up killed it.

"Ahem, alright, that... can happen." Kuroo replied reluctantly. "Only dinner."

"Of course, it's only dinner!"

"You never know," he mumbled which I didn't dare question as I paced up the stairs to my apartment.

(人◕?◕)
Invites him in calmly, but instantly panics when she remembers the line of underwear in her bathroom and hurries to hide it
(◯Δ◯∥)

"You invited me for dinner and you don't even know how to cook?" Kuroo sighed as his eyebrow twitched and his hands were stirring some vegetables in a pan.

I stared at a close-eyed, pissed Kuroo carefully choosing my reply, "ummm... I told you I can make some quality ramen."

"Ramen?!" Rooster snapped. By now, if he truly was a demon, horns would be on display. I just thank Buddha that he isn't. "Is this really what you serve a volleyball player!?"

"Umm..." I find myself shrinking under his gaze. "I don't..." I gulped before continuing, "think that it's an appropriate meal. Especially for a dinner..."

Is Kuroo really angry about the dinner? I mean, he wasn't exactly in a good mood before, but I can't guarantee that since I was avoiding looking at him.

Oh, whatever. All I could care for right now is being alive.

"... glad we're on the same page." Rooster calmed down a bit and looked down to my hands. "What's that? Are you soaking your hands in that? Some beauty trick?"

Well, glad he's calmed down, as in, his voice lowered and gaze softened, but nothing regarding his attitude.

Not that I'm truly scared since his anger was something akin to a parental one. The type with glares and yells but nothing malicious.

A scolding, perhaps.

But, I'll say, if I hadn't known Kuroo for a fraction of my life, I would have been in tears now.

I'll act all tough and mighty every day and any day except the moment someone comes at me yelling, that's when tears of helplessness will be shed.

I'm too fragile.

"OI!"

"Huh? What?"

"Stop messing around!"

"What? I'm washing the rice!"

"You call that washing?"

It's nice holding and squeezing the grains while they're soaked in water. Can't be blamed. Besides, I'm just stalling since cooking isn't my thing.

I can't even make rice.

If anyone wants to get food poisoning, they can eat my charcoal.

"How the heck do you live alone and not know how to make something as simple as rice? Even if you can't cook, a rice cooker does the trick. Doesn't need a master chef," Kuroo started babbling as he added seasoning to the vegetables all the while I had my hands in the nice water of the rice bowl and staring at him from the side. He suddenly stopped and looked at the small, seasoning jar in his hands. "Why do you even have this?"

"... Otani always shops for his house and mine hoping that one day, I'd surprise him with a meal," I replied meekly looking down at the bowl. I could never raise my voice higher than an ant's whisper after getting my woman-pride shamed.

"Oi."

Whoa, that was dark and intimidating. I felt like crawling out of my skin.

"Wh-what now?" I looked at him almost robotically.

"Is the rice getting massaged or what now?"

"But the water is still white!"

"That's not dirt, smartass. Just starch. Pour all the water in the sink and put the rice in the pot."

Obeying Kuroo's words, I went on to carefully pour all the water out, but some rice grains decided to head to the path of freedom. "Kuroo-san! Help! They wanna leave!"

"They all left!" Rooster replied mockingly holding the bowl while being careful not to touch my hands. Sighing in defeat, he filtered the remaining water professionally and placed the rice in the pot.

Damn, he's really good. Does his mother slave him into helping her or what now?

"He must really care about you." Kuroo suddenly said while pouring hot water into the rice pot. "Isn't that enough for you?"

For a moment, I was lost as to whom he was referring to and, probably sensing that, Kuroo glanced at the seasoning jar for a hint. "Ah, what do you mean, though?"

Rooster covered the pot with a lid before turning his attention to me, "What I mean is, he doesn't care how you want to look like, he just likes you the way you are."

My eyes searched his serious expression looking for what he's trying to point out and I didn't like it. I made that pretty clear when I avoided his eyes, "that's only Otani."

A heavy sigh was all I heard followed by the blunt words that came crashing down on me, "that's only because you haven't even tried telling Katsuhira-san what you want and you don't want to because you're simply incapable of making decisions for yourself."

"What?"