Silently Pining

The Quiet Setter

Akaashi looked at the quiet boy. "Kenma, tell us about why you stood up for Y/n at the hangout."

Kenma flinched, slowly looking at everyone from the Nekoma and Fukurodani volleyball teams. "Why?"

Akaashi smiled. "Cuz I connected dots in my head and want confirmation."

Kuroo agreed. "You spoke out about something that didn't concern you and got punched for it. That's completely unexpected for you."

Yaku nodded. "You even said you saw Y/n once."

Akaashi leaned closer to the quiet setter. "Can you please explain that, Kenma?"

Kenma took a deep breath. "About four years ago, I went to xxx park to avoid people and saw Y/n. Two mean were harassing her so I called the police as a way to help. I didn't think I'd see her again, least of all at a volleyball hang out while she's dating someone like Terushima."

"You like her, don't you?" Kuroo wiggled his brows suggestively.

Kenma shrugged. "It's probably just a crush that'll go away. She's happy with someone else, I don't want to get in the way of that."

Akaashi shook his head. "Terushima isn't right for her. Trust me, Hana told me some of the stuff he gets into. I've even talked to members of his team and found out he still flirts with other girls. And Y/n told me herself she was making him take a break from sex with her. He's bound to cheat on her."

Kenma's eyes widened. "He's an asshole if he does that to her."

Akaashi nodded. "Exactly. So, I say you should just go for her."

Kenma shook his head. "Even if I wanted to, I'm not able to let a girl know I like her."

Kuroo sighed. "Kenma's already bad enough with emotions and people. To mix them and talk to someone about his feelings... well, that's just not going to happen. Knowing Kenma, he'd be content to just silently pine for your cousin, Akaashi."

"I thought that would be the case. I already made plans to play the part of your wingman, Kenma."

The quiet setter's eyes grew twice their size. "You don't have to do that, Akaashi. I'm fine with just admiring her from afar, whether she's in a relationship or not. I have no intentions to get into a relationship myself. That would just be weird."

Bokuto cut into the conversation. "Can I date your cousin, Akaashi?"

Kenma narrowed his eyes at the loud ace. "Don't even think about it."

Kuroo howled with laughter. "And he's already jealous!"

Yaku hit the middle blocker. "That's enough. This is Kenma's first crush, let him behave how he will. Leave him to do whatever he wants."

Akaashi sighed. "Look, Kenma, you and Y/n have a few traits in common. You're both intelligent, kind of shy, and you both deal with social situations based on your comfort zone. Hell, you both confronted Terushima on the same day."

Kenma looked away. "I was only worried because Y/n is a pretty girl, and she seems to be a good person. She deserves someone that won't hurt her."

"And that person is you, Kenma. You already understand her better than most people, and you show that you care even though you two have barely even spoken to each other."

Kenma sighed. "You're being persistent."

Akaashi nodded. "You're the type of person her parents would make an exception for. If you date her, they wouldn't even think of finding someone well suited for her to marry. And, unlike Terushima, you're not a problem at all. I think you'd be accepted into the family pretty easily."

Yamamoto's eyes sparkled. "So Kenma has an actual chance to have a girlfriend? That's awesome, you should take this opportunity, Kenma!"

"I'm not doing it. We all know that would be completely out of character for me."

Kuroo frowned. "It's already out of character for you to like someone. And you already confronted someone while looking out for her. You might as well take your chances of asking the girl out when she's single. Or, better yet, steal her from Terushima. I want to see the look on his face when his ex is happier with someone like you." The Nekoma captain grinned, clearly amused by the thought.

Kenma looked at the ground. "Someone like me doesn't have a chance in a relationship compared to someone like Terushima."

Kai sighed, looking at his setter with pity in his eyes. "Look, Kenma, we all believe in you. You're the only one downing on yourself. Have a bit more confidence that things could go well."

Yaku nodded, agreeing with his fellow third year. "We all saw Y/n stand up for you against her own boyfriend. If she does that for you when you're a stranger, I think there's even just a sliver of hope that one day you two could end up in a happy relationship."

"Ok, but what about the fact that she lives in Miyagi and I live here in Tokyo? How well do you think a long distance relationship will go?" Kenma still had negative thoughts about the whole thing.

Akaashi grinned. "I've already thought about that and talked to Y/n. I think you need to have faith that long distance means nothing to her. If she truly cares about someone and they truly care about her, she'll do whatever it takes to make it work."

Kenma looked up at the other setter. "Do you know something the rest of us don't?"

Akaashi shrugged. "I know that she might fall in love with you and do whatever you'd like if you told her that you were the one that saved her from those men that day."

Kenma widened his eyes. "What?"

"She feels like she owes her life to the one that saved her from them. She told me everything herself. She'd be willing to change her life to make the one that saved her life happy to have saved her. I say you have a chance."

Kenma's lips started forming a small smile. "When you put it like that, even I have a little hope that I could make her happier than Terushima."

The blue eyed setter beamed. "That's it! Come on Kenma, I'll start playing matchmaker for you and Y/n. Things are going to start getting better for the both of you."