You're short. You're chubby. You're average-looking at best. You're not particularly good at anything: So why do you make his heart race?
He's known you since elementary school. After making friends with Tadashi Yamaguchi, he'd find himself at the boy's house, which is when he first met you, the twin of Tadashi Yamaguchi. At the time, you were all in elementary school, and you were a quiet child.
He walked into the house with Yamaguchi, who called out to say he was home. Little you came running to greet your brother, but hid behind a corner upon seeing him. Tsukishima was confused by your shyness, not understanding your anxiety to meet new people. Lame. he thought.
It took a full three years to warm up to him. After that, you became very comfortable with him. You wear whatever is comfortable, do whatever you feel like doing, and overall, don't care anymore.
Today, he's walking into your house with your older brother, kicking off his shoes. Your brother calls out to you, "I'm home, Y/n! I brought Tsukki with me!"
"Cool," you say back, hardly loud enough to hear.
Both boys enter into the living room, finding you on the couch in a giant hoodie and shorts with your hair in a marshy bun on the top of your head. You're on your phone, doing whatever it is that you do. At the sight of your mostly exposed legs, he find his heart beating faster and a warmth on his face.
"Yamaguchi," he says to counter the sudden flustered feeling. "I didn't know you started housing the homeless."
In response, you say without looking up, "Oh, no. You're not staying." You wouldn't have dares say something like that a few years ago.
"And thank God. It smells in here."
"Wow. Being ablle to smell your own body odor, you must not have showered in weeks."
"Guys," says Yamaguchi. "Let's get along."
Standing up, you stick out your tongue and run upstairs. As he rolls his eyes, Tsukishima sits in your former spot, smelling your perfume It's a nice smell. Clean and simple. Again, he feels his heart pick up its pace. He's tired of these things happening whenever he experiences anything pertaining to you. He hates it.
"You've gotta stop fighting with Y/n," goes Yamaguchi as he sits beside Tsukishima.
"She starts it."
"You started it."
"She's weird."
"How so?"
"She makes me act weird. So she starts it." He scrunched her nose. "I can still smell her perfume. It's light, but there. It's that one bottle she has. The fancy one."
"Dude, you're unhealthy obsessed with her if you recognize her perfume.
"Obsessed? No. She drives me crazy"
"Tsukki... do you like her or something?"
"No. Why would I?"
Furrowing his brows, he asks, "Why wouldn't you?"
"She's chubby, she's average-looking at best, she's short, and she's not particularly good at anything. What's there to like? Besides, just because she makes my heart beat faster doesn't mean I like her. She's probably a witch and it's her spell or whatever." Saying it aloud, he hears how silly that sounds. Even so, he doesn't take it back.
"Tsukki, if you like her, just admit it."
"I don't."
"Okay... if you say so."
Later, Tsukishima has to go to the bathroom, but as he approaches it, he hears something. Perplexed, he leans his ear on the door, listening in. Sobs. That's the noise. Why are you crying? What's wrong?
"I hate myself." He hears you choke out. "You're so fat and ugly, Y/n."
Strangely, he's angered by this. How could you say that? It's one thing for him to call you chubby or hardly average, but an insult from someone else disgusts him. He doesn't like it.
"You're gonna die alone, aren't you?" you continue. "Nobody is gonna wanna even go on a date with you. You don't even have a nice face. Or a good personality.
A date? You want a date? Would that help your conception of yourself? He'l give it a try. He doesn't know why, but he just doesn't like that awful language toward yourself. That being said, he'll do what he can to change that. Besides, the idea of a date doesn't sound awful to him.
Going back to Yamaguchi, he says, I'm taking your sister on a date. Help me out."
The green-haired boy starts choking on his drink. "W- w- WHAT?!?!?!"
"I'm gonna take her on a date."
"Why? I thought you said you don't like her!"
"I don't. I heard her in the bathroom crying. She was saying that she's too ugly to even go on a date." He shrugs. "I don't like her saying that, so I'll just change her mind"
"Did you even ask her?"
"No. Next Saturday, you can trick her into meeting me someplace. Asking her would be to troublesome."
"You're not even taking her feelings into consideration!"
"Yes, I am. Her feelings toward herself. Do you like her hating herself?"
"Well...no."
"Then help me out."
"Fine."
On rare occasion, you watch your brother's volleyball practice. Today is one of those days. Tsukishima notices you look a bit different. When did you start wearing makeup? And are you wearing some type of shareware? You look a bit slimmer than usual. He doesn't like this new look. He prefers your natural look.
All the boys start changing into their gym clothes so he takes his shirt off, a a bit too excited to show off to you. From the corner of his eye, he sees you and makes eye contact, but can't tell if you're blushing because of the makeup. It's just irritating. She better not wear any on our date this Saturday.
While practicing, he puts in just a bit more effort, feeling a strange urge to impress you. Being so tall, he has good advantage in some aspects. Occasionally, he'll look over at you, hoping to see a reaction that he doesn't find. It's annoying.
He's good. Why aren't you impressed?
On the Saturday of the date, Tsukishima waits in the park, getting slightly impatient. Finally, he sees you and your brother approaching. After they get close to him, Yamaguchi bows to you and yells, "'m so sorry!" then runs off.
You ask, "What's going on?"
"We're going on a date. C'mon. If we don't hurry, we'll be late for the lunch reservation-"
"A date? Why?"
Rolling his eyes, he tells you,"I heard you in the bathroom. You're not too ugly to go on a date. Now let's go-"
"I refuse."
"What? I thought you wanted-"
"Not if it's out of pity. That's just low."
"It's not pity. It's concern. You shouldn't think-"
"Just leave me alone."
You walk off, angering him. What is wrong with you? Why can't you just make up your mind? You're so irritating. Even so, he feels an odd pain at you just leaving him on your supposed-to-be date. It was just wrong. Cruel, even.
At school, he walks past your classroom, but stops upon seeing something. It's you. With a boy. And you're laughing with him. You touch his arm gently, only furthering Tsukishima's anger. Are you seeing him? Since when? Is that why you wouldn't go out with him?
At lunch, he asks Yamaguchi, "Who's that guy your sister's talking to?"
"Oh! You mean Nakamura. They're really close these days. He's come over to study a couple times-"
"To your house?"
"Yeah-*
"In her room?"
"Yeah, but the door was open. I think. But they wouldn't-"
"That little-"
"Tsukki, they're just frienfs."
"Yeah, they looked like friends." He rolls his eyes. "No wonder she ran off when I tried taking her out."
Now angry, Yamaguchi stands up. "That wasn't it! I swear! Tsukki, she came home in tears. She slammed her door shut and didn't come out until school on Monday. Three days. For three days she didn't even eat. I don't know what the heck you did to make her cry, either.'
"She was.. crying?" He tilts his head in confusion. That's the opposite effect he hoped for.
"Yes! And she didn't want me to tell you, but it's about time you wake up! You hurt my sister! Stay out of her business! I don't know what the heck is wrong with you and your tsundere self, but I'm not okay with you hurting her."
"I didn't know she cried. All I wanted was to make her feel better. She was the one getting angry and snapping."
don't care. Just leave her alone.
"I cant do that."
"Why not?"
"Because, for once, I'm determined."
"On what?"
"On making her mine."
"I can't approve of that, Taukki."
Tsukishima stands and grabs his bag. Before leaving, he simply says, "Well, it's good I wasn't asking you to."
Tsukishima and Yamaguchi haven't been talking lately, and whenever he sees you, you're with that "Nakamura" guy. It makes him angry. Yamaguchi doesn't have the right to be ignoring him! It's just wrong! And besides, its not like he's asking for your hand in marriage. He just wants to see how dating you would go. Ever since Yamaguchi accused him of liking you, it's been on his mind.
Finally, he marches up to the freckled boy. "Stop ignoring me. It's not that serious."
Taking a deep breath, he replies, "No. My loyalties are to my sister."
"What if I apologized? To her, I mean. I don't know what I did wrong, but I'll apologize, I guess. Will that finally make you happy?"
"If she forgives you, I will, too.
"Fine, then."
And the apology ends up a nightmare.
He knocks on your door, and is answered with a bang. Carefully, he opens the door, only to be met with something porcelain to be thrown at him. He just barely dodges it. You're lying in a ball on your bed, glaring daggers at him.
"Get out,"
"Let me talk."
"I said-"
He bows. "Gomen'nasai. I'm not quite sure what I did to upset you so much, but I'm sorry. I really had your best interests at heart. I hated you thinking such negative things about yourself, so I thought that it might make you feel better, not upset you. I'd like you to forgive me. And, if you'd like, to go on an actual date with me. No other reason despite wanting to. P."romise
"Do you like me? If not, I refuse."
He mumbles, "Yes."
"I can't hear you."
A bit louder, he says again, "Yes."
"Pardon?"
"Yes!" he snaps. "I like you! Sheesh!"
You giggle a bit. "Okay. Sorry. I wanted to be a bit petty. Also, 'Il both forgive you and go out with you. Actually... like you, too"
"Who doesn't?"
"The majority of the world."
"Anyway," he points to your makeup "Throw all that trash away. It looks stupid. You look just fine without it."
"Do you mean it?"
"Yes. I'II see you Saturday at 3:00. Be ready."
And like that, he leaves, smiling a bit. You're finally going on a date. He didn't realize how much he wanted it.
