Why Won't You look At Me?

Middle School Years

(Name) grew distant. And quiet. A drastic change from her old and loud personality.

She lost herself in books now, never failing to have her nose in one.

Even walking with her fellow 1st year middle schooler neighbour, Kuroo and her 6th year elementary schooler neighbour, Kenma. She always was reading. She never talked, just tuned out the small talk Kuroo and Kenma had.

In her second year at middle school, she befriended a girl named Yui.
Yui was pretty average but she was loud sometimes. She was a good match for (name), balancing out their personalities.
They became good enough friends for Yui to know about Kuroo and (name)'s current relationship.

Kuroo couldn't help but feel like this was his fault. She seemed to be having a good enough time with Yui, but she never once smiled like how she did in elementary school.

And one day, walking with Kenma, he overheard their conversation.

"So what's the deal with you and Kuroo huh? Rumor's have been goin' around eh?" Yui shot (name) a teasing smile in the classroom.

(Name) sighed. "There's nothing going on. We live beside eachother and walk to school together. Nothing more. I already told you about our elementary years together. Did you really think I could possible befriend him after that embarrassment?" (Name) reasoned, her body growing tense.
Yui noticed this and decided to get serious.

"(Name)... The girls are jealous. Be careful okay?"

"Okay. "

But outside the classroom, Kuroo was listening. Kenma was tugging on his shirt, silently pleading him to hurry up.

But Kuroo couldn't push down his thoughts. Were his fangirls giving you a hard time? Did you hate him now?

Kuroo wouldn't admit it, but he missed it when you liked to be around him.

~

Much to Kuroo's dismay, in his third year with (name) in middle school, they only became more distant.

And Kenma and (name) became good friends.

They talked to eachother about anime and games, and (name) became immersed in the world of gaming. She still read all the time, but she was a secret gamer.

Kuroo couldn't help but feel jealous of Kenma for getting close to her so quickly.

Every time Kuroo talked to her, she would either answer with quick responses or just completely ignore him and say she's busy. It was frustrating to say the least.

Alas, he finally worked up the courage to ask her to eat lunch with him. Walking in the halls, he turned the corner to find her surrounded by other girls.

"You're a pain to look at you know?"

"Why does Kuroo-sama walk with you of all people? I'm way prettier."

They bombarded you with harsh words like that and it quickly escalated until you were on the floor getting kicked, punched and hair pulled at.

But Kuroo couldn't stop them. And he didn't. This was his fault. You were being bullied because of him.

Guilt ate away at him that day. He couldn't sleep at night because of it. He couldn't find the heart to eat because of it.

He felt guilty, guilty guilty guilty.

His middle school years ended with the guilt slowly but surely eating away at him.