what if | tsukishima kei [REWRITING]

i hadn't helped you

5: what if i hadn't helped you?

You're supposed to be with Yamaguchi and I today, watching our practice or waiting for us to walk home with you. We're supposed to be stopping by the foreign cafe nearby, but you haven't showed up. Throughout our training regimen, I glanced at the entrance to see if you're going to walk through those doors. You didn't.

What are you doing, [Surname]?

Once practice had ended, I changed as fast as I could and bolted out the door with Yamaguchi following closely. I grow worried, admittedly. Rarely did things ever leave your mind, and when you forget, you always remember it at the last minute.

I run to the first place I know you might be in: the library. It's almost empty, since practices usually only end this late, and the librarian let you be in charge of locking up. You aren't in your usual spot, the table located on the side of the room.

“Are you okay, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi asks me as he notices my expression. I spare him a glance and immediately avert my eyes.

“Of course,” I scoff as I walk back to the front of the room, “If that idiot gets hurt, I'll be the one to take care of her.”

“Right,” He responds dryly, unconvinced. I roll my eyes, and before we can leave the library, I hear a feminine yelp, followed by a loud thud. I waste no time in speeding towards the direction of the sound.

I find you on the wooden floor, one of your hands on the ground and the other holding the shelf. Your right leg is bent with your ankle twisted into an awkward position. I kneel down beside you to examine your ankle, and you look at me with a surprised expression.

“Tsukishima?” You mutter, attempting to move away, only to hiss out in pain. “What are you doing here?”

“You didn't attend our practice,” I respond, meeting your eyes. “You're so stupid.”

“Tsukki—” Yamaguchi pauses as he arrives at the scene, his eyes widening at your ankle. “[Surname]!”

“I'm fine,” You dismiss his concern with a wave of your hand. “The nurse already left, so I just need to get home.”

“Do you think you can carry her, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi questions, looking at me with a smile. “I'm not that strong, so—”

“Are you implying that I'm heavy, Yamaguchi?” You inquire with a raised eyebrow, and an amused smile forms on your lips when his face heats up. While he hastily denies your accusation, I stare at you unconsciously.

I notice features that I haven't before. Your [Hair Color] hair pool around your shoulders and some strands frame your face. Your [Eye Color] eyes squint when you smile. I haven't noticed how pretty you are until now. Maybe I don't need to worry about your appearance too much.

“I'll carry you.”

That's how you ended up on my back with your arms around my neck. You had stolen my headphones and placed them on, listening to whatever songs I have. You rest your chin on my shoulder as I carry you home, and it's hard to avoid Yamaguchi's grin from beside me.

“Thank you, Tsukishima.”

If only an idiot falls in love this fast, then I won't deny that I'm one.