smile more. (tsukkiyama)

chap 15.

yamaguchi's pov

Tsukishima and I haven't talked all week. We haven't even looked at each other. I don't think either of us could bring ourselves to do it.

It was fine though. I just had to find a way to move on. It should be easy enough.

I lied. It was so agonizing not being able to talk to him. All hiroshita talks about is soccer and himself, and I don't have class with any of the other guys on the volleyball team. I talked to Shimada about what happened and he talked me through it. He felt bad for making me feel the need to confess.

It wasn't his fault though, I did it on a whim. I don't know what brought me to do it. I guess it was because of the heat in the moment. I sighed.

"Yamaguchi!" Yachi called out to me. "Oh, yes?" I responded. "Can you help with these papers? I was supposed to bring them to the office the other day but i forgot to.." She said avoiding eye contact. I chuckled. "Yeah, it's not a problem."

She sighed in relief. "Thank god, you're a lifesaver" She said and handed the papers to me.

I started walking to the office when I saw two guys hovering over another guy. My mouth went dry. This was a familiar sight. I mustered up enough courage and walked up to them. "What're you doing?" I said trying to sound bold. Key word trying.

The two guys fixated their attention towards me and the kid that was being hovered  slumped down against the wall. The two of them laughed at me. My face went hot. "Dude, you look like you're gonna piss your pants." One of them said. I looked at the kid on the floor and told him to leave. He got up and ran down the hall.

"What the hell?" One of them said looking at me in disbelief. "Who do you think you are? We were just about to get money." The other said. I looked at them in disgust. The fear I had felt earlier had suddenly vanished.

"Wow. You guys are really really humiliating." I said.

I never understood why people would pick on other people, especially since it had always been me being the one picked on. But now that I look at them from an outsiders view, they're more lame than anyone they push around.

"What did you just say?" One of them said, as they slapped the papers that was holding out of my hand, and the other grabbed me by my collar. I didn't react. I just stared at them. These guys were seriously low.

When they saw I wasn't shaken up by them, they let go of me. "Please do not bother that kid anymore." I said with a bow and then held up my phone that had been recording, and one of their student ID's that fell out of their bsf shane they came up to grab my collar.

Their eyes widened. That kid snatched his ID out of my hand and walked away without saying anything. The other one followed. I sighed and bent to pick up the papers that had fell. Where was this version of myself in elementary?

I looked up and saw Tsukishima standing at the end of the hall. I guess he was wondering the same thing. When he saw me look up at him he turned around and walked away.

His birthday was soon. He was gonna turn 17.

I sighed and started walking towards the office. Ah fuck it. I'm gonna go buy him the present I had been planning on getting him for a while tomorrow. I don't care about the fact that we're in a fight. I'm going to buy it, and give it to him.

When I got to the office, that kid that was being bullied earlier was there.

"Oh! It's you. Are you okay?" I asked walking in his direction. The kid looked down and nodded. I knew how he felt.

"T-thank you." He said in a small voice.

I had a flashback to when I had thanked Tsukki for the same exact thing back in like first grade.
"It's not a problem" I said with a big smile.
I handed the papers in and walked out the office.

I sighed.

I missed him.

I'll make up with him on his birthday, when I give him his present. We don't have to be anything else. I'm okay with just being friends. I don't care what label it had to be.
I just want to be able to talk to him again.

—

I stepped into the living room where my dad sat watching the TV. "There hasn't been any news about that suspicious guy lately..they must've caught him." My dad said while taking a sip of his tea. I hummed.

I sure hope so. It's been way too long. It cannot possibly be that hard to catch a criminal.