𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐄 | k. sugawara

i.

IT STARTED BACK IN THE EARLY SPRING.

One morning as you were getting ready for an outing with the boys' volleyball team, you saw a single pink carnation lying on the side of your bed. You didn't think anything of it at first; It must have been from the day before when you went to the flower shop to get flowers for your sick grandmother... but you didn't get carnations. You had purchased daisies, which were her favorite.

Either way, it looked pretty and you did like carnations, so you just took it and placed it neatly on the desk besides your bed as you made your way to the park.

You weren't part of the volleyball team per se. You just happened to help them out many times. You were somewhat of an unofficial manager.

For the last two years, including this school year, you were in Daichi and Sugawara's class. Last year, the two of them approached you to ask if you'd be interested in helping the team out in the absence of Kiyoko. The ravenette beauty had to leave for a month due to family stuff. You weren't sure if you'd be able to since you were busy with your own job outside of school. You worked as a daycare babysitter during after school hours for the kids at the school next to Karasuno. Eventually, you did accept to help them out, but not to become another manager of the team. Since then, you'd come and help the team out during the school day and on some days during their practices after school when you didn't have work.

You also became pretty close to the third years of the team as well. Before, you never really talked to Daichi or Sugawara. You did greet them with the usual "Good morning," or "Hello," but you never really talked more than that to them. It wasn't like you didn't like them or anything. You thought they were pretty cool and by that you were a little shy/intimidated to start a conversation with them.

Especially Sugawara. From afar, you had a tiny little crush on the guy. Just tiny. There was something about him that always captured your attention.

Either way, you were excited to meet with the team. Especially with the new additions this year whom you thought were interesting in their crash of personalities.

Everyone was meeting up at the park just to relax and hang out. Daichi thought it would be a good idea to gather the team and attend hanami together as team bonding. He invited you as well and luckily you were free. It didn't take long for you to arrive since it was only a five minute walked from where you lived.

There was a good amount of people around, so it was a good thing that you arrived fairly early. "(L/N)-san!" You heard your name being called a familiar orange haired guy and looked around. Once you found him (he was jumping up and down while waving his hand frantically) you made your way to him. You were surprised to see that the whole team was already there in fact.

"Ah, hello. I'm not late aren't I?" You asked once you arrived to the group and sat down in between Hinata and Nishinoya.

Asahi shook his head and smiled, "No, you're just fine. We all decided to just come early."

"Hello, (L/N)-san!" Nishinoya energetically greeted you as he held up a box. "I brought dango! Here have one, I made them just for you!"

You grinned as you took one, "Thank you, Nishinoya! How did you know they were my favorite?"

"Suga-san told me," He answered as he gave a thumbs up to the grey-haired male. You looked over as he was in front of you and smiled.

You were surprised that he knew and was about to ask how he knew but paused. A part of you suddenly felt a sort of discomfort in your chest at the gesture and right after you coughed a couple times out of no where.

The cough didn't sound very good, not that coughs do anyways. "(L/N)? Are you alright?" Daichi asked as everyone looked at you with concern, save for Tsukishima who was listening to his music with his headphones on.

"Yes. Don't worry about me, it's probably just the seasonal allergies." You answered as you cleared your throat. Everyone seemed to accept the answer and continued chatting on and admiring the cherry blossoms.

It was a fun time and everyone ended up staying there for a while. Sugawara then proposed, "Hey, let's take a picture guys."

"I'll take it!" You said as he shook his head no.

"No, no, we'll ask someone to do it. You're practically a part of our team so you have to be in it, (L/N)!" He spoke with that charming smile of his. You blushed slightly at his words but nodded.

"Fine, but i'll find someone to ask." You said as you got up from sitting and walked to the next group over. A girl from that group agreed and you handed your phone over to her.

Everyone moved so that they were sitting together in a line for the photo instead of a circle. You joined at the side besides Nishinoya again as the girl took the photo. You thanked her and retrieved your phone again as you looked at the photo and smiled. You passed your phone off so that everyone could take a look as Hinata tapped your shoulder to get your attention.

"Oh, Hinata! What's up?" You asked him.

He took out something from his pocket, delicately, and held it out for you. It was another pink carnation. "You dropped this. I hope I didn't crush it a bit in my pocket while you were gone!"

You took the flower and held it in your own hand as you inspected it. It was just like the one you found this morning. "Thanks, but this isn't mine?"

"Huh? But it fell from you once you stood up?" He told you with a confused look on his face. "And it can't be from the festival anyways since it's just cherry blossoms here."

Confused, you accepted the flower anyways and held it with you, "Um, right. Thanks."

You looked at the lone flower again in your hands as Hinata walked back to talk to Tanaka and Nishinoya. It was strange. Both in the morning and at the festival, two pink carnations appeared out of nowhere. You didn't buy any nor did anyone give you any. It couldn't be from the festival either because like Hinata said, there was only sakura around. Pink carnations... Were they even in season during this time?

"(L/N)? You've been standing there for a while. Are you okay?" You felt a hand on your shoulder as you were snapped back into reality from your thoughts. Turning slightly, you saw that it was Suga asking.

Suddenly, all that discomfort from earlier in your chest came rushing back again. This time, even more uncomfortable than before.