𝓯𝓪𝓲𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓪𝓵𝓮 | 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘬𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪

ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔢𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱

When (Y/n) had texted him to ask if he was allergic to raspberries, Koushi hadn't been expecting for her to shove a container full of chocolate and raspberry tarts in his face.

"I baked," she explained cheerfully, grinning at the bewildered expression on his face. "It's my mom's newest secret recipe, so count yourself lucky for getting to try those before they even got added to Hinansho's menu."

Koushi paused in opening the lid of the container to stare at the girl with raised eyebrows. "Your mom works at Hinansho?"

In response, she shot him an amused look. "My mom owns Hinansho," (Y/n) corrected.

Suddenly, Koushi was looking at the box of tarts like they were blessings from the gods, making her roll her eyes as she sat down beside him at a cafeteria table.

"Are you waiting for Sawamura-kun?" she asked, folding her arms on the tabletop and leaning her weight on them slightly.

Koushi nodded, trying not to feel too aware of how close she was seated. He could faintly smell the scent of lemon and freshly washed linen on her, and Koushi struggled not to think about why he even noticed that.

Instead, he cleared his throat and nodded to answer her question. "Yeah," he replied, "I'm waiting for Daichi to get Asahi."

"Asahi?" (Y/n) repeated, eyebrows furrowing in thought. "Oh, Azumane Asahi-kun of class 3? He's on your team, too, right? I think they called him the ace during your match against Shiratorizawa."

The setter brightened, sitting up straight. "Yeah, Asahi's our ace," he confirmed, grinning. "He's a bit of a scaredy-cat despite his appearance. However, regardless of his glass heart, Asahi is an amazing player."

"His spikes were insanely powerful," (Y/n) recalled vaguely. She'd always been a little intimidated by Azumane, and more than a little envious of his height (not because she was all that short, but because she liked the idea of being taller). And the rumors that floated around about the boy weren't really helped by seeing him in action and spiking the volleyball so hard, she could still remember how hard it hit the gym floor.

To hear that he was essentially a gentle giant was a little surprising, but knew better than to assume she knew everything about a person she hadn't even spoken to.

"Are you badmouthing us?"

The pair turned to find Daichi and Asahi standing behind them, the latter of which looked highly unwilling to be there.

Asahi tried for a smile directed at (Y/n), hoping to come off as less intimidating. To his surprise (and relief), the girl smiled back, greeting him with a friendly "Hello, Azumane-kun."

"I wasn't badmouthing you," Koushi denied, huffing slightly.

"He really wasn't," (Y/n) agreed, coming to his rescue as she grinned at Daichi, who nodded back in greeting.

The two boys sat down across from her and Koushi. "Are you going to be joining us for lunch, (L/n)?" Daichi brought up, gaze lingering on the box in front of the setter, interest evident on his face.

"Ah, no." (Y/n) shook her head. "I only stopped by to give Suga a batch of my tarts, as promised. Besides, I wouldn't want to intrude."

"You wouldn't be intruding," Koushi jumped in quickly, pointedly ignoring Daichi's smirk and Asahi's piqued interest.

(Y/n) paused, smiling at him briefly as she stood up. "Maybe some other time," she offered a little awkwardly. "I have to get to the auditorium for now." Turning to Asahi and Daichi, she added, "Please feel free to try the tarts. I went a little overboard with how many I made."

"You're not going to have any?" Asahi piped up tentatively, trying not to look as nervous as he felt.

She shook her head, "You won't believe how many I end up eating as I'm making them. It's concerning, really."

With a last grin and wave in goodbye, she turned away from three boys, winding her way back to the auditorium as she busily wiped off her sweaty palms on her skirt.

The whole tart fiasco had been more nerve-wracking for her than she cared to admit, but (Y/n) was a performer after all, and pushing through despite the nerves was second nature. Suga was a nice boy, and she had faith in her cooking skills, but (Y/n) wasn't particularly experienced in the 'Giving boys (that weren't Shouyou) homemade deserts' department.

She felt a little silly, in all honesty, and very much like she was faced with a schoolgirl crush, which in itself was an absolutely absurd thought.

(L/n) (Y/n) did not do schoolgirl crushes. She was always more in-control of herself, but something about Suga struck a chord of faint panic within her.

It was a strange feeling, and she wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or a bad one.

"Hey, (Y/n)-chan," Ayumi's voice accompanied a tap on (Y/n)'s shoulder. "You look very preoccupied today. Something on your mind?"

(Y/n) considered her response before nodding eventually. "Stage fright."