SOCIALLY AWKWARD

03. Positive Vibes Only

Kenma didn't say much when he and his teammates were on the road back home after school that day.

But then again, he never did.

They made their usual stop at the convenience store near the train station and, after getting their snacks, settled outside.

Kuroo drew closer to Kenma who was perched on the far end of the bench, immersed in his video game still. After a few moments of silently following the characters' fight, he lightly elbowed him.

The gesture wasn't enough to tear Kenma's eyes off the screen, but Kuroo knew that he'd caught his attention.

"Rough day, huh?" he said but received no answer. "Your classmate—"

"Ameri."

"Yeah, Ameri. She's a bit..."

Kenma momentarily paused the game and glanced at him.

"Too much?"

"Everyone is too much to me," Kenma mumbled.

"Right," Kuroo chuckled as he gave himself a moment to weigh his next words.

He'd always taken it upon himself to look after Kenma. And while he rarely ever held back and was straightforward with him, this time in particular, he felt the need to tackle the subject cautiously.

That Kenma was outwardly unfazed by Ameri's behavior was very much clear and expected. But Kuroo had been there himself, and not even someone as aloof and reserved as Kenma could remain unaffected by the excitement that a girl's sudden interest evoked. He was certain that his friend had felt it too. And since he had more than enough reason to believe that Ameri had an ulterior motive, he wanted to ensure Kenma wouldn't let it get to him.

"You know that she has—"

"A crush on Yaku," Kenma cut off. "I remember."

"Okay, just don't let her get to your head, all right?"

Kenma nodded, and nothing more was said on the matter.

Kenma hadn't for a moment believed that Ameri's unexpected interest had come from a want to impress him. It was provoked by and directed at someone else. And while he hadn't mustered the courage to put a stop to it as it had taken him by surprise, he could at least ensure that he wouldn't let himself get swayed by it, all the while hoping that it was a single occurrence.

Hopefully, Ameri would quickly understand that he wouldn't be of any help to her in her quest and leave him in peace.

His shock when she paid him a visit with a bright smile the next morning wasn't greater than his disappointment that he would be the center of the class's whispers once more. They both occupied his mind equally, but the envious eyes on him soon became too overpowering.

However, Ameri's contagious energy made it impossible for him to dwell on his anxiety-fueling surroundings for too long. Her presence pulled him in gradually. And the more he watched and listened, the clearer it became that something had slightly changed in her behavior—there was a genuineness and modesty to it that he hadn't sensed the day prior.

She was still warm and lively, conversing and blabbering just as much, if not more than the previous day, but she was less overbearing and brash and most importantly, kept her hands to herself.

She praised his technique and his cold and calculating attitude during practice, calling it, "impressive."

Despite not being particularly enthusiastic about the sport himself, Kenma was amazed at her above-average knowledge of volleyball. But his wonder soon turned into panic when he caught himself somewhat disappointed that it was undoubtedly credited to her infatuation with Yaku.

Her new habit of perching on his desk in the morning, spending every recess by his side, and accompanying him to the club after classes continued for the rest of that week. Her not-so-subtle attempts to catch Yaku's attention slowly tapered as well, so much so that Kenma began to question whether she had forgotten about her initial motive.

Still, he couldn't help but find himself analyzing her character while in her company: she was rather pleasant, talkative, spontaneous, and while trying to pass as attractive, very goofy.

Her presence was somewhat soothing. As days bled into weeks, he came to realize that it made him forget about the outer world, about the prying glances and the intrusive inhibitions of what others could be thinking of him. Being around someone so carefree was liberating. Kenma liked to convince himself that that was the only reason he'd been putting up with her and hadn't gone out of his way to end this relationship which neither of them seemed eager to put a label on, yet.

The growing bond didn't slip unnoticed by his teammates either, who began drawing similar conclusions after perceiving in Ameri's persistent behavior towards their setter something other than what they had originally assumed.

No one pointed it out, however, as they saw in Kenma's eyes whenever Ameri was around or brought up an anticipation similar to the one only Hinata roused in him.