Through the Boundaries ~ Kageyama Tobio

17

Kageyama didn't even know why he had stopped to listen to Sakura in the hallway after practice. She had come out of nowhere, waving her phone around with that smug look that always made him uneasy. He didn't like her—never had, really—but something in her tone had gotten his attention this time.

"Thought you should see this," Sakura said, her voice syrupy sweet, almost mocking.

She shoved her phone in his face, and Kageyama barely registered the image before his stomach twisted. It was a picture of Saerin in one of her classes, but that wasn't what threw him off—it was the guy leaning over her, too close, his head bent down as if he was whispering something in her ear. The angle made it look worse than it probably was, but the sight of it set him off anyway.

"Looks like she's pretty cozy with him, huh? Heard they've been spending a lot of time together," Sakura added, her voice full of venom as she smiled at him.

Kageyama's grip tightened on his bag, jaw clenched. He didn't say anything, just pushed past her, but that image wouldn't leave his mind. The guy standing behind Saerin, too close for comfort. Who the hell was he?

The thought gnawed at him all the way to outside the gym doors, where Saerin was already waiting. She smiled when she saw him, but he didn't return it. He couldn't shake the image from his head.

"Kageyama?" Saerin's smile faltered as she saw the tension in his face. "What's wrong?"

He didn't answer immediately, just pulled out his phone and opened the picture Sakura had sent him. He thrust it toward her, his voice sharp. "What's this?"

Saerin's eyes widened when she saw the image. She recognized it immediately—that was from earlier today, when Kenji had gotten too close again. She had told him to stop after class, but he'd brushed her off like it was nothing. She had planned to give him one more chance before doing something about it. She was visibly exhausted, not just from the day but from everything—this included. "I don't want to talk about this right now." Her voice was flat, drained of her usual lightness.

"Saerin, I'm serious. You're just brushing this off like it doesn't matter."

"Just trust me." Her response came quickly, but it was distant. "I'm not going to argue with you."

Kageyama's jaw clenched. "Why won't you just talk to me about it? I'm not going to let this go."

She turned her head slightly, her expression unreadable. "I don't want you to get angry. Just let me deal with it." The monotony in her voice was unmistakable now, the weight of the argument wearing her down.

"Where did you even get this picture?" Saerin finally asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

Kageyama hesitated for a split second before answering, "Sakura showed it to me."

Saerin let out a bitter laugh, completely devoid of humor. "Seems like she'd be a better behaved girlfriend for you then." Her voice was calm, almost eerily so, as she dropped the words in the quiet air between them.

"You know I only want you," Kageyama snapped back, his frustration flaring again at her remark.

Saerin's eyes softened slightly, but her resolve didn't waver. She let out a long breath. "I'm going home," she said, her voice softer, but still holding that same weariness.

"Don't walk away," Kageyama demanded, reaching out to stop her, but she was already gone. She didn't look back as she stormed off, leaving him standing there, his mind racing.

As she disappeared, the frustration between them was palpable. Both of them were angry, but it was only because they cared too much.

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