𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙮𝙥𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 ༉‧₊ 𝙠𝙪𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣

11

kenma's pov;

kuroo wasn't the type to be sad. at least, that's what i presumed. but i was wrong. because of course, he was human too. just because he joked around, confessed a little too much, and always laughed it off when i rejected him didn't mean it had no effect on him.

he made it seem like it didn't, though.

for the longest time, i thought kuroo was messing with me. that it was a dare, or probably just a joke that he kept dragging too much. maybe all that flirting was platonic, and maybe he didn't even care as much. maybe that's how he was with his other friends. but then he took care of me when i fell sick, and took me to meet his friends where he clearly treated me differently, and then lastly, what he did last night... he was bothered. probably by takeru. definitely by takeru, because i wasn't dumb, and i'd seen enough situations to know what he was thinking. that's why, even though i'd been so careful with whatever i do so that i do not in any way lead him on, i still ended up telling him what my birthday was without him asking.

i don't know how he'll perceive it, but i hope he leaves enough room of friendship between us that i can do something as mere as that.

never in a million years would i have been worried about kuroo, not until he didn't answer any of my calls the next day. not until he didn't show up at the cafe unannounced. i wouldn't think about it too much if he didn't keep throwing himself into my life at every chance he could possibly get. i wouldn't think about it too much if he didn't work here. i wouldn't think about it too much, if only he wasn't a part of my daily routine.

i never really realised how used to i got to seeing kuroo show up in front of me everyday and bother me. i got so used to it, almost to the point where i felt empty when he didn't bother me. i was never the type of person to worry about something like that. but then again, with him, i probably wasn't the same person i was two months ago.

he annoyed me. he pissed me off. and he made me feel things i wasn't used to. and he was always here. maybe that's why i never bothered thinking about how he might get distant someday. or how he might get down. or how he might find someone else. someone more deserving of him.

never in a million years would i have worried about something like that. not until i met kei san at the cafe that night.

"yo," he'd said with a smile as he leaned against the counter. "how's college?"

"i'd prefer if you wouldn't ask me that," i sighed, making him chuckle.

"it's fine, it's a phase. we all go through it," he smiled softly and i just nodded a little. takeru came after that, and they both started talking. i wasn't really paying attention to the conversation. i was too busy wondering where kuroo was, too busy checking my phone to find no texts.

"you okay?" i was pulled out of my trance by kei san slowly nudging my finger with his plastic cup. i looked up at him and nodded a little.

"now that you mention it, where's kuroo?" takeru asked. i raised an eyebrow at him.

"why would i know?"

"sure you wouldn't," he rolled his eyes at that.

"he's been coming over everyday for like the past week, but he didn't today," kei san pointed out, making me raise an eyebrow.

"at your place?" i asked, and he nodded.

"he knows my younger brother, he's your age almost. they used to meet a lot back when i was home too, before i moved out," he said, making my eyes widen a little, only to go back to normal in an instance.

"oh..." was all i said.

"yeah, he'd been coming over to play games with him for like a week. before and after his shifts at the cafe. but i didn't see either of them today," he shrugged. and at that, something hit me a little.