my punk | tsukiyama

chapter 2

- lingering thoughts

the next day, tsukishima finds it hard to concentrate. his thoughts keep drifting back to the night before, to yamaguchi's smile and the way his fingers moved over the strings. he's never been one to believe in love at first sight, but he can't deny the effect yamaguchi had on him.

during lunch, tsukishima sits with kuroo, bokuto, and kageyama, barely touching his food.

"you okay, tsukki? you look a little out of it," bokuto comments between bites.

"i'm fine," tsukishima mutters, poking at his salad.

"you sure? you were pretty into that band last night," kuroo teases with a grin.

"yeah, well... they were good," tsukishima replies, trying to sound nonchalant.

"you gonna go see them again?" kageyama asks, looking up from his food.

"i don't know," tsukishima admits. the truth is, he's been thinking about it all morning. but the idea of going back to the bar, of maybe seeing yamaguchi again, makes him nervous.

"you should," bokuto says, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "they're playing again next friday. we could all go."

tsukishima hesitates. part of him wants to see yamaguchi again, but another part is afraid of what might happen if he does. he's not used to these kinds of feelings, and the uncertainty is unsettling.

"i'll think about it," he finally says, and the conversation moves on to other topics.

the rest of the week passes in a blur. tsukishima goes through the motions at work, but his mind is always somewhere else. he finds himself replaying the band's performance in his head, his thoughts lingering on yamaguchi's smile and the way he looked at him.

by the time friday rolls around, tsukishima still hasn't made up his mind. but when kuroo and bokuto show up at his apartment, grinning and ready to go, he finds himself agreeing to join them.

the bar is just as crowded as before, the atmosphere buzzing with energy. tsukishima feels a mix of excitement and nervousness as they find a table near the stage. the lights dim, and once again, the band takes the stage.

as soon as he sees yamaguchi, tsukishima feels his heart skip a beat. he watches, captivated, as they start playing. the music fills the room, and for a moment, tsukishima forgets his worries. he's lost in the sound, in the sight of yamaguchi's fingers dancing over the strings.

when the set ends, tsukishima finds himself standing up before he realizes what he's doing. he makes his way to the stage, his heart pounding. yamaguchi looks up, and their eyes meet.

"hey," yamaguchi says, his smile warm and inviting. "you came back."

"yeah," tsukishima replies, feeling his face heat up. "your band is really good."

"thanks," yamaguchi says, his smile widening. "wanna grab a drink?"

tsukishima nods, and they make their way to the bar. they talk about the band, about their favorite music, and before tsukishima knows it, hours have passed. he feels a connection with yamaguchi that he can't explain, and for the first time in a long time, he feels genuinely happy.

as they leave the bar, yamaguchi slips a piece of paper into tsukishima's hand. "here's my number. in case you want to hang out sometime."

tsukishima takes the paper, his heart pounding. "thanks. i'd like that."

as he walks home, tsukishima can't stop smiling. he looks down at the paper with yamaguchi's number and feels a flicker of anticipation. maybe this could turn into something interesting after all.