Haikyuu Creature Collection

Crush (Shigeru Yahaba)

"U-um... Shira-chan?" The question that let my lips was soft and shaky. "Is... is it true that vampire bites... that they hurt?"

The girl beside me stops mid-stretch to look at me. "It's kind of weird to ask a vampire that, you know?"

Shira-chan had transferred here after getting kicked out of her last school. Apparently, the cheer captain and her didn't get along in the slightest and kept fighting... She didn't seem the violent type to me, but after hearing the story, I understood.

"I can't say much... but..." Shira-chan grinned at me. "I know whenever I bite Taichi, it drives him wild."

Taichi Kawanishi, Shira-chan's boyfriend. It's not hard to tell that she's head over heels for him... her eyes always like up whenever she so much as thinks of him... I... I'm quite jealous.

Since she'd come from Shiratorizawa, we'd originally all called her by it as a nickname. Soon it shortened to Shiratori, and eventually Shira-chan.

And coming from a school like that, you just know that she'd be a top-caliber cheerleader.

All the guys go nuts for her too... while I, being my shy self, can't even get one to do so much as look at me.

"I'm assuming that you're asking because you've got your eye a guy... specifically a vampire guy?" At her prying, I can't help the blush that springs to my face. She giggled at me. "I knew it! So, spill. Who's the lucky guy?"

She's probably expecting me to say someone like Oikawa... but the actual answer is a bit more embarrassing. Not that I'm embarrassed to like him... it's just... "Y-Yahaba..."

The way her face suddenly turned serious made my stomach flip. "Seriously? You realize how shallow that guy is, right?" Shira-chan isn't judging me... but I still kind of felt like she was... "If you like him, great, but what do you even see in that guy?"

My gaze casts down to the floor. This. This right here. This is why I never bothered to tell anyone about my crush on the second year. "I... I just like him..." It's not like I could pin it down to one little thing... and it's not like I don't already know that he's not the greatest person...

Shira-chan thought for a moment before grinning. "Ok! I'll help ya out."

About a week later, I finally found out how she intended to help me. She didn't tell me though. Oh no, that would have been far too easy and I would have had the chance to just run away.

After practice was over, both for us cheerleaders and for the volleyball boys, Shira-chan dragged me off to their gym. It was just in time to catch him before everyone had left.

"Yahaba!" It never failed to amaze me how good she'd was at getting a guy's attention... He turned our direction right away, a smile on his face. It's not for me though.

She's most definitely flirting with him, but I can't tell that there's nothing behind it. She's always this flirty with everyone. It doesn't fail to draw him in though. In merely a few words, she can have any guy wrapped around her finger...

It's no doubt that this is what had caused problems for her before. She seems pretty oblivious to it... or maybe it's all on purpose... but I know one thing for sure, she's completely devoted to her boyfriend. This here? It's just empty words... enticing him and trying to get him to look where she wanted him to... and I could only assume that meant me.

The whole time though, he'd barely even given me a glance.

"Oh shoot!" Shira-chan made an alarmed face. Only someone close to her would know it was faked. "I totally forgot that I'm supposed to meet up with Taichi." She made a clear gesture of looking at me. "I'm sorry we can't hang out today." Lie. We didn't have any plans like that. "Yahaba, will you be a sweetie and walk her home? I'd hate if something happened to her!"

And there it is. Her scheme.

Yahaba looked over at me, staring a moment. I didn't dare look him in the eye. His gaze flicked back to Shira-chan, who was making those puppy eyes that she was so good at. "Yeah, sure."

My heart felt like it stopped. Inside, I was panicking. She was seriously going to leave me all alone with him? As much as I love that idea, I felt like I was going to explode from pure nervousness.

The walk ended up being quiet... very awkwardly so... Now and then, he'd try to make small talk, but I'd stutter or get too nervous when I tried to say anything back.

I... I wish that I were like Shira-chan... She's never afraid to say what she's thinking or feeling... If I were like Shira-chan, then maybe... maybe Yahaba might actually like me...

We come to a stop in front of my house. Not a single light is on... as usual... and that doesn't go unnoticed by the setter.

"Do you live alone?" It's only out of curiosity, but it's innocent enough that I forget my nerves for just a moment.

I shook my head. "My mom works night shifts... so she doesn't get home until early morning..."

It was at that moment that he actually looked at me. I didn't know what kind of face he made... or have any clue as to what he might have been thinking... but I knew what thought was on my mind...

Would it be too forward if I were to invite him inside?