one step further // haikyuu x OC

torrential rain // 38

"Could the guy use anymore emoticons?!"

"Yeah, I don't think he used enough!" Nishinoya and Tanaka bounced off of each other's sarcasm as they made fun of whoever sent those emails. I simply sat and watched in amusement while Hinata joined their banter.

"How did we even get to this point? I thought I was giving you all study notes. And Tanaka will you put your damn shirt on?!" I laughed.

"Yeah seriously, what are you trying to do to her innocence?" Ennoshita joined in, he was the other tutor of the day. Tanaka groaned but did what I asked while mumbling nonsense about never trying to poison my "innocence".  I felt a twist in my gut.

They act like I'm a child or something. "Innocence"... what's that supposed to mean??

It was chaotic trying to keep all my notes in order and helping them copy stuff down. I kept shifting from Hinata to Kageyama looking at their papers and answering their questions, like I was trying to split myself in two. Ennoshita towered over the other two 2nd years menacingly. The buzz of activities stopped abruptly when the club room swung open and Daichi's face melded into mild frustration.

"I thought I was hearing things... Toshiko what are you doing in the boys' club room?" He scolded. Slowly I gestured to the scattered notes all over our area.

"... Tutoring before practice. We still have a while before it starts, plus I'm already changed. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that you're in the change room." He chuckled and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Aren't there better places to study?"

"Well it was the best place at the time. And I haven't watched anyone change, duh." He observed as the rest of the team filed in and stood around the room awkwardly watching the interaction. He put on a stern face.

"Get out, Toshiko. Wait for us in the gym." I groaned while slowly getting to my feet. "C'mon don't be like that. It's weird for you to be in here."

"It's only weird if you make it weird." I grumbled. "But alright, see you guys in there."

.

.

.

The sunlight surrounded me as I stretched on the gym floor. My gaze fixated to one particular spot while my mind wandered elsewhere. A towering shadow blocking the sun was the first thing that snapped me out of it.

"Oh, hi Daichi." I said after turning to see who was there.

"Toshiko, can I talk to you real quick?" He asked while squatting down to be more at my eye level, sending a draft of deodorant to my senses. I just nodded and kept stretching. "Look about earlier... I don't think it's a good idea to study alone in the club room."

"Alone? But I was with-"

"Yes. I know. That's... that's what I mean."

Another twist in my gut. "Daichi, what is this about??"

"Toshiko, look. I don't mean to overstep my boundaries as a friend but... I don't know how to put this without it sounding bad."

My face went cold and tingly as I tried to keep my emotions under control. I stopped my stretching and sat cross-legged to face him. "Well," I spoke. "Try."

He gulped and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, turning behind him to make sure no one else had arrived yet. When he looked back at me he just sighed.

"We're all friends with you. But we're still teenage boys. And I don't want you or them getting the wrong idea. And after what you went through with that dumb ass kid I just-"