Through the Boundaries ~ Kageyama Tobio

19

Saerin had barely slept the night after her fight with Kageyama. The frustration in his voice echoed in her mind, but what weighed on her more was the realization that she couldn't keep brushing things off or running away. The conflict had taken a toll on her—Kenji's persistent harassment, the tension with Kageyama—it all seemed like too much.
She needed space. Not just from him, but from everything.

The silence was a relief at first, but then the loneliness set in. It wasn't that she didn't care for Kageyama—she did, deeply—but she realized she needed to regain her sense of control. She couldn't let others dictate how she felt or what she did anymore. So, she made a decision: when she returned to school, she would face everything head-on, especially Kenji.

The next time Saerin saw Kenji, it was in the hallway after class. He approached her with that same unnerving confidence, leaning in as though nothing had changed. But Saerin was done with it.

She stopped in her tracks, her expression calm, but her voice was firm. "Kenji, I've told you before that I'm not comfortable with this. I don't want you around me anymore."

Kenji chuckled, clearly not taking her seriously. "Come on, Saerin. Don't act like you don't like the attention."

Saerin's eyes didn't waver. "I don't. And this is your last warning. If you try this again, I'll report you."

Her tone was steady, her posture unwavering. Other students nearby began to notice the confrontation, and Kenji shifted uncomfortably under their watchful gazes. "You're making a big deal out of nothing."

"No, you've made this into something it shouldn't be," she replied. "And I'm done with it."

Kenji scoffed, turning away with a dismissive wave. But Saerin knew she'd made her point. He wasn't going to bother her again.

Unbeknownst to her, Kageyama had witnessed the entire exchange from a distance. His first instinct had been to storm in and confront Kenji himself, but something stopped him. Watching Saerin stand her ground, unafraid, made him realize that she didn't need him to fight her battles. She was strong on her own, and that realization both humbled and impressed him.

Later that day, Kageyama found her sitting on a bench outside, sketchbook open on her lap. He approached slowly, unsure of how to start the conversation. Saerin glanced up, meeting his eyes.

"Hey," she greeted him softly, her voice calm but no longer cold like before.

Kageyama sat beside her, unsure of how to begin. "I saw you earlier. With Kenji."

Saerin's lips twitched into a faint smile. "I handled it."

"You did," he admitted, the tension easing from his shoulders. "I was going to step in, but... you didn't need me to."

"I know," she replied. "But it's not about needing someone. It's about knowing when to let people in."

Kageyama sat in silence for a moment, letting her words sink in. "I'm sorry for how I reacted before. I didn't trust you like I should've."

Saerin turned to him, her expression softening. "It's not just you. I didn't tell you everything, and that wasn't fair either. But I needed to figure things out on my own."

"I get it," he said quietly, his hand resting on the bench between them. He glanced down at it, hesitating before speaking again. "Do you still feel like you need space?"

Saerin looked at him, and for the first time in days, she felt at ease. "No. I'm ready to move forward... with you, if you are."

Kageyama didn't need to say anything. His hand found hers, their fingers intertwining naturally. They sat there, a comfortable silence falling between them, the tension from the last few days finally melting away.

Neither of them felt the need to say more. They knew, without words, that this moment—this quiet trust between them—meant more than any argument or apology. It was a new beginning.