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by n30city

by n30city

The sun had begun to set, casting a golden glow over Karasuno's campus. After practice, Saerin decided to approach Kageyama, clutching a small wrapped package. She found him near the lockers, still in his gym clothes, lost in thought.

"Hey, Kageyama," Saerin said, her voice steady but with a hint of nervousness. "I've got something for you."

Kageyama looked up, his expression guarded but curious. "What is it?"

Saerin held out the small package with a shy smile. "It's the painting I did. I wanted to give it to you."

He took the package from her, carefully unwrapping it to reveal a beautiful watercolor painting of that rainy day—the same one from the where they had shared an umbrella and that quiet moment. The colors were somehow vibrant and the scene serene, capturing the essence of the place perfectly.

Kageyama's eyes widened slightly as he examined the painting. "This is... impressive," he said, his tone a bit softer than usual. He looked up at her, trying to gauge her intentions. "Why are you giving this to me?"

Saerin shrugged, trying to play it cool. "I just thought you might like it. It's a good memory, after all."

Kageyama glanced at the painting again, a flicker of something in his eyes—appreciation, maybe. He tried to keep his tone casual. "Thanks."

Saerin's smile faltered just a bit, but she nodded. "I'm glad you like it."

As she turned to leave, Kageyama felt a pang of regret. He wasn't sure why, but the gesture seemed to mean more than he initially let on. Still, he brushed it off. "See you around," he said, his voice returning to its usual aloofness.

Kageyama later joined his teammates in the common room. As he walked in, Nishinoya, Tanaka, and Sugawara were lounging around, chatting and laughing. Tanaka noticed the painting rolled up under Kageyama's arm.

"Hey, what's that you've got there?" Tanaka asked, peering curiously.

Kageyama hesitated, his hand clutching the painting. "It's a gift from Saerin."

Nishinoya's eyes lit up. "Whoa, that's cool! What's it of?"

"It's a of a rainy day." Kageyama said, trying to sound indifferent. "It's... well done."

Sugawara, who had seen Saerin with her art supplies, raised an eyebrow. "Saerin's pretty talented, huh? I didn't know she was into painting."

Kageyama shrugged, keeping his emotions in check. "Yeah, I guess."

His teammates exchanged glances, sensing that Kageyama wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the topic. They didn't press further, but Kageyama could feel their curiosity and the subtle teasing glances they shot his way.

Back in his dorm later that evening, Kageyama placed the painting on his desk. He glanced at it, the rainy scene evoking a sense of nostalgia mixed with the awkwardness of his recent interactions with Saerin. Despite his best efforts to dismiss it as just another friendly gesture, the painting held a special significance for him.

He wondered why he felt a sense of connection to it and to her. As he tried to focus on his homework, his thoughts kept drifting back to the painting and the quiet, genuine smile Saerin had given him.

Kageyama sighed and shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "It's just a painting," he muttered to himself. "Nothing more."

But as he looked at the painting again, a small, reluctant smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Maybe there was something more to this gesture than he was willing to admit. And maybe, just maybe, he was beginning to come to terms with why Saerin's presence was affecting him more than he cared to admit.