Stars In Your Eyes

1 | Issues

Cold, indifferent, cynical, he have been called so many names it's a surprise they're not running out. It's not that he pretended not to know but he acted like he didn't care, well, he actually doesn't.

It's a perk to be alone, Kei Tsukkishima thought.

"He has issues" a girl in class 3 says air quoting the last word while describing Kei. She could have been more subtle about it but she seemed kind since others were more relentless.

Comfort and keeping distance came hand in hand for him and being solitary is a scheme he's planning to keep as long as he could.

"Tsukki!" called his best friend breaking his reverie. Tadashi Yamaguchi was always with him that he seemed stuck with Kei since the day they met each other. He wasn't even friendly, Yamaguchi thought, he just started standing by the cold one's side because he didn't complain about him being too close.

He assumed that it's alright with him or he's just pretending to be nice. Either way, Yamaguchi is content to have walks with him side by side.

He was his safety net. A cold, non-caring, sometimes annoying safety net.

Tsukki have always been quiet, calculating his environment and Yamaguchi found a job for himself which is to break his concentration every time he overthinks about something.

"Yamaguchi-kun!" a high pitched voice called. Mira, a girl from Class-6, average, nothing special about her. She stood there by the door of his classroom looking so shy she's fidgeting.

Yamaguchi ran to the door, curious. "What is it?" he asks nicely. Without a word, she grabbed him by the sleeve and dragged him out to the end of the hallway.

"Yamaguchi-kun...I need your help" Mira stared down her feet as redness crept onto her face making her look like a tomato. "Please help me with Kei!" she begged.

This again, he almost said out loud. That's all there is anyway, him being Kei's gatekeeper. He bowed respectfully to her declining her request for favor.

"I'm sorry, I can't help you with that." he tried to drag that out as harmless as possible. Hands grabbed him by the collar forcing him to meet her crazed eyes, desperate as if this is her last chance, and maybe it is but nothing can make Yamaguchi agree.

Tears escaped her eyes. "Please, I can't get through him. He keeps on denying anything from me" she sobbed shamelessly. He almost wanted to help her but his ego had been to hurt to play the nice guy. Yamaguchi wanted people to see him as himself, not Tsukkishima's receptionist, not a favor bank, not a love letter delivery guy. Not anything else but plain Yamaguchi Tadashi.

His strong arms, honed by playing sports, slowly pushed her hands off him like the nuisance they are as a new expression settles in his face. "He doesn't like you because you're acting stupid." Never in a million years he thought he would say those words to someone, more so to a girl but Yamaguchi's at his limit.

Mira stands in place taken aback by his outburst and that pissed him off more. She shouldn't look at him as if he's at fault for saying the truth, for being angry at her because she tried to use him as a pawn in her plans.

Her tears flowed quietly as she stared at him wide eyed feeling Yamaguchi slap her with the reality.

"Never come near me again." he whispers yet it sounded so loud in the air between them.

Never come near us again.