Stars Align in the Moonlight

The crisp autumn air bites at the tips of high schoolers' noses. It's a cooler day than that of a typical September, but as the air gets brisker, it reminds them of summer days long gone. The tangy smell of chlorine was swiftly replaced with the scent of dusty textbooks and sharpened wood pencils. A smell like that wouldn't satisfy a typical teenager, but for Tsukishima Kei, it reminds him of the things he's good at.

Grades have been his specialty since the beginning of elementary school. He's been known to have it all, an outstanding GPA, a good track-record, and a wisdom like no other. He's quick-wit is terrifying to approach when it comes to him defending his best friend, Yamaguchi Tadashi.

Yamaguchi's dark hair was softly grazing against his ears as the passenger seat's window rolled down. Unlike Tsukishima's favorite smells, Tadashi enjoyed the crispness in the air. It's sweet and reminds him of red apples, ready to be picked in the upcoming month of October. Yamaguchi's freckles, as Tsukishima observed, had been laying evidently on his face, despite the concealer he had put on. There was no use in that, Tsukishima thought.

He pulled his new Corolla into the parking lot of Karasuno High School. It was still early, so the lot wasn't half-filled. There wasn't a volleyball practice this morning, so it was one thing both enjoyed greatly. The time spent in the morning is crucial to their studies. It won't rush Yamaguchi to figure out what he needs each morning—one of his many concerns on the daily—and it allows Tsukishima to walk in without anyone bothering him, mainly Hinata and Kageyama. The one thing he can't stand in the morning, is people in his way.

"We're here. Don't forget to roll up the window. I don't want bugs in my car," Tsukishima said, gathering his school bag.

"Sorry Tsukki," Tadashi said, "the weather this morning is just perfect. The smell... the taste. It's almost October. We're still on for apple picking at the orchard next weekend, correct?"

"Mhm," Tsukishima hummed. It was odd of him to think that Tadashi wanted to go apple-picking next weekend when it would still be September. He didn't want to persist with the matter as Yamaguchi continued to talk about the plans for next weekend.

"I was also thinking," Yamaguchi pondered, opening his locker door. Tsukishima opened his locker door too but didn't advance for his Honors Chemistry textbook. "For next weekend, if it's okay with you, we could go to the lake?"

"Why would you want to go there?" Tsukishima asked. Tadashi's request did puzzle him. To Tadashi, though, it made perfect sense: Why not go there?

"Well, you see..." Yamaguchi started. How was he going to tell Tsukishima that he wanted to confess to him? Yes, Tadashi was, in fact, in love with his best friend. "There's something there that I wanted to show you. Also, I think that it would be a good place to talk to you about something."

"What's the difference between telling me there than telling me at the orchard? Or better yet, since you need help studying your upcoming test for English..." he teased. Yamaguchi hid himself away in his locker, wanting to disappear, as the heat from his freckled-covered cheeks started to rise. "Why don't you tell me tonight? Since I'll be over at your place, of course."

I want to make sure everything's perfect, Yamaguchi thought. Before he could speak, the ring of the warning bell was heard. Students around started to pick up their paces, almost like the minute before the late bell was a life-or-death situation. Yamaguchi sighed, getting out his Trigonometry textbook, and softly closing his locker door. Tsukishima closed his locker door before walking away. Not even a "see you later," Yamaguchi thought, sauntering his way through the halls to his classroom.

{~~~💮~~~}

The morning classes seem to move slowly, but at the same time, Yamaguchi couldn't pick up on the lesson in Trigonometry. Focusing on class today seemed a lot harder than usual, but he couldn't pin-point exactly why he didn't have the energy to. Was he upset with me wanting to go to the lake after apple-picking? I only wanted to spend some time with him under the moonlight.