Through the Boundaries ~ Kageyama Tobio

13

The coldness between them was suffocating. For the next couple of days, Saerin barely acknowledged Kageyama's presence. She kept her distance—her smile absent whenever he was around, replaced with quiet indifference. It was driving him mad.

He thought he could handle it, let the silence between them stretch out until he figured out what to say, but every time he saw her, it felt like a knife twisting deeper into his chest. His frustration built with each passing day, every shared glance that meant nothing, every conversation with someone else that wasn't him.

What really broke him was seeing her outside, laughing and talking with another guy from class. He didn't recognize the guy, but that didn't matter. What mattered was the way Saerin's bright, contagious smile lit up her face—the same smile that used to be his, that used to soften something inside him.

Kageyama's fists clenched at his sides, his whole body tense as he watched her from afar.

Before he could think, he stormed across the courtyard, his eyes locked on Saerin. His frustration boiled over, the sight of her so effortlessly laughing with someone else pushing him past the breaking point. Without warning, Kageyama grabbed her wrist and forcibly pulled her away from the guy she was talking to, not caring about the stunned look on her face.

"Wha—Kageyama?" Saerin exclaimed, stumbling a bit as he dragged her to a quieter, more private corner near the back of the school building.

Once they were alone, Kageyama released her wrist, his breathing heavy, his face flushed with frustration and jealousy. "What the hell was that?" he snapped, the words spilling out before he could stop them.

Saerin rubbed her wrist, glaring at him. "What's your problem? You can't just—"

"You say I'm closed off," Kageyama interrupted, his voice low and tense. "That I don't let you in. But you—you're no better." His eyes darkened, the weight of his emotions crashing down on him all at once. "There are things you don't tell me either."

Saerin's heart skipped a beat, her frustration melting away as she saw the raw intensity in his expression.

"You think I can't tell?" Kageyama's voice dropped even lower, more strained, as if each word was being pulled out of him. "You think I don't notice the way you've been avoiding me? The way you just shut down?"

Saerin blinked, caught off guard by his sudden outburst. She had never seen him like this before—so vulnerable, so raw. "Kageyama, I—"

"It's hard enough for me as it is," he continued, his tone bitter and frustrated. "So just tell me what you want. What do you want from me?"

Saerin froze, her breath catching in her throat. She could feel her emotions swirling inside her—confusion, hurt, frustration, and something else she didn't want to acknowledge. She looked away, unable to meet his piercing gaze. "What do I want?" she whispered, her voice shaky. "I don't even know anymore."

Kageyama's eyes softened for a moment, his anger faltering as he saw the pain in her expression. "You don't know?"

Saerin shook her head, her throat tight as she fought back the tears threatening to spill. "It's not supposed to be this hard," she said quietly. "I didn't expect this."

Kageyama felt a knot form in his chest. He knew he had made it difficult for her—he knew his own walls were too high, too rigid. But hearing her say it out loud felt like a punch to the gut.

"Then what do you want me to do?" he asked, his voice strained. "Do you want me to back off? Is that it?"

Saerin's eyes widened, a wave of panic washing over her. "No, that's not what I—"

"Then what?" Kageyama demanded, his frustration bubbling back to the surface. "What do you want, Saerin?"

She couldn't hold it in anymore. The weight of everything—the unspoken tension between them, the constant second-guessing, the fear of rejection—it all crashed down on her. "I want you to show me that you care." she burst out, her voice breaking. "I can't keep guessing how you feel. I need to know if you want me in your life, or if I'm just wasting my time."

Kageyama was silent, his heart pounding in his chest. He hadn't expected her to say that, hadn't realized how much he had been holding back. But hearing her say it—he knew she was right. He had been keeping her at arm's length, too scared to let her in, too scared to admit how much he cared.

Saerin, on the other hand, felt her resolve crumbling. The emotions she had been holding in for so long were threatening to overwhelm her. She turned away, blinking back the tears. "I can't do this anymore," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I don't want to cry in front of you."

She made a move to walk away, her back to him. But in that instant, something inside Kageyama snapped. He couldn't let her go—not again, not this time. Without thinking, he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around her from behind in a tight, desperate embrace.

Saerin froze at the contact, her breath hitching as she felt the warmth of his chest pressed against her back, his strong arms holding her in place.

"I'm sorry," Kageyama whispered, his voice low and raw. "I'm bad at this."

Saerin's body trembled, her mind racing as she processed what was happening. The weight of his arms around her, the vulnerability in his voice—it was all so unlike him, and yet it felt so real, so honest.

For a moment, neither of them moved. The tension in the air was palpable, thick with unspoken emotions and everything that had been left unsaid.

"I don't know how to show you," Kageyama admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I don't want you to leave."

Saerin's heart pounded in her chest, her emotions swirling in a chaotic storm. Part of her wanted to push him away, to tell him that it was too late, that she couldn't keep doing this. But another part of her—the part that had always been drawn to him, that had always believed there was something more—wanted to stay, to give him another chance.

Kageyama tightened his grip on her, as if afraid she might slip away. "I'm trying," he said.

Saerin's resolve crumbled in that moment, the tears she had been holding back finally spilling over. She leaned into his embrace, her body relaxing against his. "Then show me," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Show me that you care, Kageyama."

He nodded, his face buried in her shoulder as he held her close. "I will," he promised. "I'll figure it out. Just don't go."

For the first time in what felt like days, Saerin allowed herself to breathe. She wasn't sure what would happen next—whether they could truly make things work, or if this was just another fleeting moment of vulnerability. But for now, in his arms, she allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, they could find a way.