Haikyuu Imagines

Pick Me Up (Sugawara)

You stared at the top of your test paper, grimacing at the red numbers at the top.  You'd been aiming for at least a 95, but instead you'd scored just the opposite.

"A 59?  Did you even study?" the classmate next to you teased.  

That's what frustrated you the most.  You did study.  For hours until you couldn't see straight and your eyes stung.  You'd even started dreaming about those dreaded math equations dancing across your notes.  But why had you done so awfully?

After class, you decided to pass on hanging out with your friends and instead review the problems you'd missed.  If you could learn where you went wrong, maybe you'd do better the next time.  You knew how much your grades mattered since you were aiming to graduate and go to medical school.  You couldn't keep messing up like this.

"Y/N!" 

Someone grabbed you by the hood of your jacket, saving you from crashing head-on into a telephone pole.  That would have been almost as painful as your bad test grade.

"You're really out of it today.  Was it the exam?" a familiar voice behind you asked.  Without turning around, you handed him the paper in your hands in all its red pen glory.  He took it wordlessly and sighed.  

"Let's go get some coffee," he spun you around so that you were now walking side-by-side.  You glanced at your best friend–the only person who seemed to get you.  

The gray-haired boy sat you down at a booth in a unique cafe.  The two of you took a minute to defrost under the heaters and warm your frozen fingertips.  Winter was always unrelenting, but somehow, Suga always managed to drive that chilly feeling away.

"Here you are.  A coconut milk mocha with hazelnut syrup–just how you like it," he pushed a mug of steaming hot coffee into your hands.  

Instead of sliding into the seat opposite yours, he plopped down beside you and pulled out his notebook.  Silently, he began transferring his notes onto your test paper, explaining the questions you'd missed.  

"Wow, this was a hard test.  It looks like it revolved more around strategy rather than memorization," Suga tapped his chin in thought.  "Wanna come over later and bake cookies?  And maybe play some board games?  It'll be a good cleanse from all this icky math stuff."

You couldn't agree more.  It was crazy how the boy knew exactly what you needed in every situation.  Which is exactly why he was your best friend.

Soon enough, you were in his kitchen, helping him find the ingredients to bake chocolate chip cookies.  Everything was going smoothly until Suga gasped and faced you.

"It seems I'm out of butter," the gray-haired boy groaned.  "I was supposed to do the groceries this weekend but had a last minute volleyball practice."

As someone who made cookies at least twice a week, you knew exactly how to handle the situation.  Calmly, you gestured for him to step aside while you searched his pantry and emerged with a container of applesauce.  

"Applesauce is actually a really common substitute for butter in cookies," you said while adding the ingredient into the mixing bowl.  "It keeps the cookies' consistency right and doesn't alter the taste much."

Suga nodded, impressed.  He watched as you scooped the dough onto a baking sheet and tossed the treats into the oven.  But now came your favorite part.  The board games!

You started with chess–a seemingly boring game, but one that both of you enjoyed.  Suga won the first time around, but you were the one to checkmate him during the second.  Just then, your timer went off, and the two of you drooled at the thought of cookies.

"Okay, let's see if this applesauce cookie is any good."  You laughed as Suga eyed the treat in his hand suspiciously.

But after he took a bite, his facial expression changed completely until he was grinning from ear-to-ear.  He went in for seconds, thirds and even fourths.

"Wow, Y/N!  This is delicious!"  Suga's eyes lit up proudly, as if he knew something you didn't.  But at that moment, you were enjoying your cookie way too much to notice.

On your way out, Suga leaned against the doorframe with a smirk on his face.  The passing breeze tousled his gray hair, revealing the birthmark under his left eye.  His lips twisted upwards into a smile, and the tiny mole creased into a line at the action.

"Remember, Y/N, you already have all the tools you need to do well.  Whether it be cookies, chess, or a math test.  See you tomorrow!" he waved.

You waved back, letting that last sentence linger in your mind.  A week later, you still weren't sure what tools he was talking about.  How were cookies and chess supposed to help you do well in university?

But you didn't have much time to think about it.  Your math professor passed out yet another exam that you were sure you'd fail.  Staring at the front page, you were certain the only thing you could confidently answer was the line at the top that asked for your name and the date.  

You groaned, grabbing fistfuls of hair because your math grade could not take anymore hits if you wanted to keep your GPA afloat.   About to bang your head on your desk in frustration, you heard the classroom door slide open.

"Sorry to interrupt.  I think I left my water bottle in here," a familiar voice jarred you from your thoughts.

Looking up, you saw your best friend standing at the front of the room.  Suga flashed you a small smile while waving the water bottle he had left behind (whether on purpose or accidentally, you'll never know).  

"I found it," the gray-haired boy grinned.  

As soon as he left, you went back to staring at your dreaded math test only to realize the problems looked a little different now.  Maybe if I used this formula...  You tried different combinations and equations until you could finally solve the problems on the page.  It reminded you of the time you experimented with butter substitutes until you realized you could use apple sauce and still arrive at the same conclusion.  

On another problem, you realized you could work around not knowing which equation was the right one to use and instead solve things your own way.  Kind of like how you couldn't predict which chess piece Suga would move forward, but you were still able to anticipate and prepare.

"Time's up!" your professor announced from the front of the class.  "Turn in your exams."

As soon as you placed your answer sheet on your teacher's desk, you fumbled for your phone to text your bestie.  But it turned out texting wasn't necessary because he was there to greet you as soon as you burst out of the classroom.

"Suga!  You're the best!" you squeezed him into a hug.  

He shrugged.  "To be honest, that was all you.  You love to bake and play board games–two things that require more strategy than you'd realize.  You're the queen of chess, in my opinion."

You laughed.  "Says the king of chess.  Wanna grab coffee, bestie?"

"Absolutely," he slung an arm over your shoulder.  "I'm pretty thirsty after leaving my water bottle in the math room for half the day."

"Shut up, idiot," you smiled.  You let him lead the way as you raced down the hallways.  His gray hair bounced with each stride, and he grabbed your hand to urge you to run faster.

Thanks, Suga.  You always know how to pick me up.

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A/N: Good luck to everyone on final exams, papers, projects, and other assignments! Remember to smile every now and then if you're stressed.  You can do this!! :) 

Question of the imagine: What's something you like to do either before, after, or during studying?  I usually always have to listen to music while studying and after, I really like writing or doodling something small!