A game of hearts {Kuroo}

16.

Kuroo's recovery from his injury meant that he was still unable to return to volleyball, but his leg was healing steadily. He found himself with more time on his hands than he was used to. With volleyball temporarily out of the picture, he refocused his energy on his studies, something that Y/N had been encouraging from the start.

One quiet afternoon, Kuroo sat at a corner table in the university library, flipping through the pages of a dense biology textbook. He had been slacking a bit on his coursework during volleyball season, but now that he had the time, he knew he needed to catch up. Across from him, Y/N sat with her own stack of textbooks, completely absorbed in her reading.

As the afternoon sunlight filtered through the large windows, casting a golden glow on the wooden tables, Kuroo found himself stealing glances at her. Y/N had a focused look on her face, her brows slightly furrowed as she scribbled notes in the margins of her textbook. She was always so meticulous, so dedicated. It was something Kuroo admired about her, but today, there was something else too.

He couldn't help but think about how different things had become since the start of the semester. They had grown closer, not just as friends but as something more. Although neither of them had explicitly said it yet, there was an undeniable shift in their relationship. The easy banter, the shared moments of vulnerability, the way they seemed to understand each other without words—it all pointed to something deeper.

---

"Hey, Y/N," Kuroo finally spoke, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

She looked up from her notes, slightly startled by his voice. "Hmm?"

"Thanks again, by the way. For all the help lately. I don't think I'd have survived this semester without you."

Y/N smiled softly, her expression warm. "You're giving me too much credit. You've done the work yourself. I've just been here to make sure you actually open the textbooks."

Kuroo chuckled. "Still, I owe you one."

He leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms behind his head, his eyes never leaving her. There was something unspoken between them, something they had been dancing around for weeks now. Y/N seemed to sense it too because she quickly looked back down at her notes, her cheeks tinged with the faintest hint of pink.

"So," Kuroo continued, leaning forward again and propping his elbows on the table. "What do you say we take a break? I'm feeling like I'm about to pass out from information overload."

Y/N laughed quietly, shaking her head. "You always want a break."

"Hey, it's good to rest the brain once in a while. I'll buy you coffee. It's the least I can do after all the tutoring."

Y/N hesitated for a moment, as if considering whether or not to give in to his request. But eventually, she smiled and closed her notebook. "Alright, but only if you promise to study for at least another hour afterward."

Kuroo grinned. "Deal."

---

The coffee shop near campus had become a regular spot for them over the past few weeks. It was a cozy little place, tucked away in a side street, where the scent of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the low hum of conversations. Kuroo and Y/N found a table by the window, their drinks in hand.

As they settled into their seats, Kuroo noticed how much more comfortable their silence had become. There was no need to fill every moment with words, and yet, there was always something simmering beneath the surface. Today, he felt that tension more acutely than ever.

"So," Y/N began, wrapping her hands around her cup to warm them. "How's your leg feeling?"

"Better," Kuroo replied, tapping his foot lightly on the floor. "The physical therapist says I should be back on the court in a couple of weeks, which is a relief. I've been going stir-crazy without volleyball."