my punk | tsukiyama

chapter 3

- first date

the following week passes by with an unusual sense of anticipation for tsukishima. he keeps yamaguchi's number folded in his wallet, occasionally glancing at it during breaks at work. he's not sure what to say or how to start the conversation, but the desire to reach out grows stronger each day.

finally, on thursday evening, tsukishima decides to send a text. he drafts several messages, deleting each one before finally settling on something simple.

"hey, it's tsukishima from the bar. you free this weekend?"

he hits send before he can overthink it and waits, his heart pounding. it doesn't take long for a reply to come through.

"hey, tsukishima! yeah, i'm free. how about saturday afternoon?"

tsukishima feels a surge of relief and excitement. "sounds good. any place in mind?"

"there's a nice café downtown. they have great coffee and a quiet atmosphere. how about 2 pm?"

"perfect. see you then."

saturday arrives, and tsukishima finds himself feeling more nervous than he expected. he arrives at the café a little early, choosing a table by the window. the place is cozy, with soft music playing in the background and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filling the air.

at exactly 2 pm, yamaguchi walks in. he's dressed in a black leather jacket over a plain t-shirt and ripped jeans. several piercings glint in the light—hoops in his ears and a small stud in his nose. his hair is loose, framing his face in soft waves, giving him an effortlessly cool, punk look.

"hey," yamaguchi greets him, sliding into the seat across from him. "been here long?"

"not really," tsukishima replies, feeling his nerves ease up a bit. "how's it going?"

"pretty good," yamaguchi says. "we had band practice this morning, so i'm a bit tired, but it's all good."

they order their drinks and start talking. tsukishima learns more about yamaguchi's passion for music and how the band came together. yamaguchi's enthusiasm is contagious, and tsukishima finds himself enjoying the conversation more than he expected.

"so, what about you?" yamaguchi asks, taking a sip of his coffee. "what do you do?"

"i work at a tech company," tsukishima replies. "it's mostly boring stuff, but it pays the bills."

"hey, nothing wrong with that," yamaguchi says with a grin. "as long as you're happy."

they continue talking, the conversation flowing easily. tsukishima is surprised at how comfortable he feels around yamaguchi, considering they just met. there's something about him that puts tsukishima at ease, and he finds himself opening up in a way he rarely does.

after a while, they decide to take a walk around the downtown area. the afternoon sun is warm, and the streets are bustling with people. they wander aimlessly, chatting about everything and nothing, the time passing quickly.

as the sun starts to set, they find themselves back at the café, saying their goodbyes.

"i had a great time today," yamaguchi says, his smile genuine. "we should do this again sometime."

"yeah, i'd like that," tsukishima replies, feeling a warmth spread through him.

as they part ways, tsukishima can't help but feel a sense of anticipation for what might come next. the day's events play over in his mind, and he knows one thing for sure: he wants to see yamaguchi again.