𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 | 𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞 ! 𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐨 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 |

1: encounter

- story playlist on spotify: linked in the comments here so you can open it! ---> 

It was the time of day that every student awaited — the bubbly socialites throwing their pastel-colored stationary into their expensive, impractical satchels; the loners slinking out of the classroom unnoticed. Hoards of teenagers cluttered the hall, their footsteps mingling with the shrill ringing of the final bell, each individual dying to get out as fast as possible. It was Friday afternoon, and the weekend stretched ahead promisingly.

It was in this mad rush that you bumped into him. You had your bag over one shoulder, half unzipped as you rummaged for your earbuds while walking through the crowded school hallway. Hell, your bag was like the Bermuda triangle — it seemed bottomless, and the elusive earbuds were nowhere to be found.

Obviously not looking where you were going, you collided smack into the chest of someone taller than you. Apologies spilled from your lips instantly as you looked up to see the face of your victim.

A lanky upperclassman with a shock of jet-black hair poking out at all angles met your eyes. It didn't take long for you to make the connection between this guys all-important aura and the crimson volleyball team sweater embezzled with the number 1 — this was Nekoma's volley ball team captain, Kuroo Tetsuro. As expected, he was flanked by Kozume Kenma, who's eyes were glued to a Nintendo Switch.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry," you said, your face heating up. The bump had caused your unzipped bag to spill half of its contents onto the linoleum floor: pencils, gum, lipgloss, paperclips, hand cream — and those stupid earbuds!

You dropped down to a crouch as you hastily gathered up the paraphernalia, shoving it into your bag messily. How embarrassing! And in front of a cute guy!

Kuroo made no move to help you, but he didn't walk away, either. He waited until you straightened back up.

"Sorry," you repeated. Oh my god, y/n, shut up, stop apologising, you snapped at yourself mentally.

The volleyball team captain looked you up and down, making no attempt at being subtle. When his eyes returned to yours, he smirked almost imperceptibly. "Tell me, what's your name?" he asked in a strong, deep voice.

"L/n F/n."

His gaze lingered on you for a millisecond longer than what would have been considered acceptable. "Alright, y/n. See you around." With a decisive nod of his head, you'd been dismissed, and you walked away.

The encounter made you a tad nervous, but it was mostly just embarrassing. He's really hot, you thought. But a boy like Kuroo would be considered way out of your league. Guys of his social status always ended up dating the sexy, popular girls with their immaculate high ponytails and glossy acrylic nails. No one of your calibre, an introvert with a few close friends, could ever even dream of dating him. And soon enough, the encounter slipped your mind completely.

Unbeknownst to you, though, Kuroo had lingered in that spot in the hallway for a moment longer, his intelligent mind already working at a hundred miles a minute. He glanced back at to the floor and noticed you'd left something behind. He bent down to grab the item — a small tube of hand cream.

"Hey, you—" he spun around to call ofter you, but your figure had already vanished. Oh well. Surely she wont miss it that much. Before Kuroo even registered what he was doing, he'd slid the tiny bottle into his jacket pocket.

Kenma's sharp feline eyes were on his friend instantly. "You're gonna return that to her, right?"

"Yeah... on Monday," Kuroo muttered, but he already knew that wasn't true. Something inside him had stirred from that encounter — he wasn't sure what, but he knew you were special. There was something about you... and the idea of having one of your personal possessions that you'd held and used kind of excited him. "She was cute, right?" he prompted Kenma.

The shorter boy had returned to his video game as the two of them walked out of Nekoma. "I dunno, wasn't really focused," he mumbled.

"Hmm."