Through the Boundaries ~ Kageyama Tobio

14

It had become a pattern—after practice, Saerin would linger by the gym, watching the team run their drills while half-heartedly pretending to be lost in her sketchbook. Kageyama had noticed, of course. He always noticed. It was getting harder to not look her way, especially when she'd flash him that bright smile every time their eyes met.

After practice one afternoon, the team was packing up, and as usual, Saerin waited near the entrance. Kageyama, wiping the sweat from his brow, made his way over. "You want to head out?" he asked, his voice casual but laced with something a little more eager.

Saerin glanced up from her sketchbook, snapping it closed with a playful grin. "Sure, where are we going today?"

He shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Doesn't matter."

They ended up at the park nearby, the same one where they'd spent time before. This time, though, the atmosphere felt lighter—less awkward, more comfortable. The sound of kids playing and the wind rustling through the trees filled the gaps in their conversation as they walked along the path.

They sat down on a bench together, the same bench as last time. Saerin pulled out her sketchbook, flipping to a blank page, and started drawing the scene in front of her. Kageyama watched her silently, trying not to stare but failing miserably.

"What're you drawing?" he finally asked, leaning a bit closer.

"Just the park," she replied, her pencil moving quickly across the page. She didn't look up, but she was aware of how close he was, how his shoulder brushed hers ever so slightly. "Want to try?"

Kageyama frowned, confused. "Try what?"

"Drawing." Saerin handed him the pencil with a teasing smile. "You're good at everything else; maybe you'll be a prodigy at this, too."

He took the pencil reluctantly, eyeing the blank space next to her sketch. "I'm not an artist."

She laughed softly. "Just try it. You never know."

With a sigh, he leaned forward and started sketching clumsily, trying to copy the trees and the path in front of them. It looked terrible—he knew that—but Saerin didn't seem to care. In fact, she giggled softly beside him, and when he looked up, she was smiling at him, that same bright, contagious smile.

Kageyama couldn't help but smile back, just a small one at first. But when she burst into laughter at his terrible drawing, he found himself chuckling too.

"Okay, maybe drawing isn't your thing," Saerin teased, leaning in to inspect his sketch.

Kageyama felt a rush of warmth at how close she was, her shoulder pressing lightly against his arm. "Yeah, well... you're good enough for the both of us," he muttered, but there was a softness to his voice that hadn't been there before.

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking and laughing, the awkwardness between them dissolving into something much easier. Kageyama didn't have to force words or try to impress her—he just enjoyed being with her. And Saerin, for her part, was happy to just exist in his space, knowing that was enough for now.

Saerin finished the last strokes on her sketch, her fingers lightly brushing the edges of the paper before she sighed contently. She closed her sketchbook and glanced up at Kageyama, who had been sitting quietly next to her, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. His usual tense expression had softened, and for once, there was no urgency in the air.

Without thinking much of it, Saerin leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder, feeling the warmth radiating from him. She exhaled softly and smiled, "I like hanging out with you, Kageyama."

He stiffened for a brief second, then relaxed, his gaze shifting down to her. The simplicity of her words, paired with the quiet moment they shared, left a warmth in his chest that he couldn't shake. He didn't respond verbally, but his body language said enough—his hand brushed against hers briefly, a silent connection forming between them.

There were no labels, no need to define what was happening between them, but the weight of their unspoken feelings hung in the air. It felt right, natural, and for the first time, Kageyama wasn't fighting the closeness. This was different, unlike anything either of them had felt before—a moment that would linger in both their hearts long after it ended.