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then came that july monday morning, where kenma had been woken up earlier than usual, by the sound of the ringing of a bicycle bell. it was a week or two after the new neighbors moved in and it was besides, the day they were supposed to have dinner at kenma's house. as usual, his mother had welcomed them and offered them to pass by, to know everyone better. when kenma walked to his window to open the curtains he caught a glimpse of red-shirt downstairs, ready to live his house on his bicycle. he had given him the sweet name of red-shirt simply because he didn't know his name and because the few times he had seen him, he had always worn a bright red shirt.
once again, the boy outside turned his head around, and before cycling away, he raised his head to wave at kenma he knew for sure was somewhere at his window again. it had become a habit, every time he would see kenma either was it early in the morning or during the evening, he would greet him from afar and every other day, and when they would see each other, kenma was always at his window and red-shirt usually on his bike or board.
as always, kenma's mother had suggested to him to knock at his neighbor's door to spend some time with red-shirt because he didn't know anyone in town and also because of what she said, kenma had guessed right about his age. he was only a year older than him. the youngest had refused by explaining how he wouldn't know what to talk about with the guy and mumbled something about being too hot outside. to what she responded something about the dinner.
that morning was nothing more than another heated day. kenma still couldn't remember how but on that morning, his mother convinced him to go at the pool with kyouka. she was probably the one who insisted since she wasn't old enough to go there alone so, his parents used it as an excuse to get kenma out of his room.
the pool was also something he hated, apart from summer. he had never really been at ease with water and since at the public pool, no one was ever careful of their surroundings, it made of the place a source of anxiety. kenma decided to go anyway because he felt he wouldn't have the chance to retort anything that would make them change their mind. he could just stay at the edge of the pool, not too far so he could still keep an eye on kyouka. after all, he didn't have to swim if he didn't want to.
since the place was not that close, they would have to go by bike. kenma opened the garage as he was asked so he could get the two bicycles out and check whether he needed to blow the tires up or not because the bikes had been laying somewhere in the back of the garage for at least months. he first checked kyouka's bike since she was waiting in front of the garage door and adjusted the seat. she hadn't used it in a while and she had grown up a bit since the last time. once he handed the bike to his sister, kenma checked his own and was taken aback when he noticed how one of the tires was completely deflated. he took the bicycle and place it outside so he would see it better with the sunlight. after a minute he constated how the tire was burst.
"what it is?" kenma had called his father out so he could constate how the bike was completely out of use as well.
"do we have another one?" kenma asked.
"i don't think so. you know, you haven't used these in a while" he answered as he pointed at the bikes. "they're old, at some point it's normal the tire burst"
"i guess i can't go then" he had said jokingly, perfectly knowing it wouldn't work as an excuse.
"dad!" kyouka complained short after.
"you can always ask the neighbors if they can help you. maybe they can lend you a bike, i saw their son riding one"
"can't you do it?"
"come on kenma how old are you?"
the boy sighed and as much as he didn't want to, his feet still walked towards the house next doors. he didn't know what he was supposed to do once he reached the threshold because the door of their garage was also open. he didn't know whether he should knock at the door or pass by the garage to see if anyone was there. he didn't have any time to think that the wooden door in front of him was open and revealed a woman with short hair of the same raven-black as red-shirt's hair. she had gaunt features and was smaller than kenma. she welcomed him with a warm smile.
"oh hi! you must be the boy next doors!" kenma nodded as he was too shy to say anything else. "do you need something?"
"oh uhm i need my bike but one of the tires burst so, could you lend me one?" for some reason he felt embarrassed asking. he wouldn't even lift his head up.
"sure! tetsurou can lend you his" tetsurou. he quickly figured it was red-shirt's name. didn't think he would quit calling him that so rapidly. maybe he would still do it anyway. "tetsurou!" shortly afterward kenma heard someone hurtling downstairs. from where he was and by the half-opened door, he could catch a glimpse of the guy arriving. he wore a red shirt again. a second after, he was standing right next to his mother and it made kenma feel really small. he wasn't that tall for a guy so he felt totally hovered by the boy. he was at least a feet taller.
"kenma" he said his own name when he figured red-shirt's mom was about to explain his request, in order to avoid the awkward situation it would have engendered if she didn't know his name.
"kenma asked if he could borrow your bike for today"
"sure" he nodded too. then, his hazel narrowed-eyes gazed right into kenma's own. "i'll get it out for you" now that he was closer, the blonde-haired boy could easily notice how his pupils resembled the ones of a cat. he didn't have to wait long until red-shirt went out of the garage, holding the very same bike he used earlier in the morning when he went on his usual ride, first thing kenma saw when he woke up.
"thanks..." kenma was about to call him by his name but it didn't feel right as he hadn't said it himself. the youngest felt he didn't have the right to call him anything other than the little name he had given him until red-shirt presented himself.
"kuroo. just, call me kuroo"
kenma had instantly raised his head at the words, almost slapping himself as he wondered whether he had spoken out loud or not. or if kuroo had been smart enough to figure it out for himself. he took the bike he had been handed and noticed how the tallest had already lowered the seat, as he perfectly knew the boy was smaller than him. he had adjusted it just right. whether it was just by pure luck or more or less guessed, it was just right.
using the same bike kuroo had used every day was as if taking a little bit of himself. it was a small step in his world. world kenma had become a part of when he had waved at him the very first time.
"see you tonight" he had said and it was followed by the eternal hand-wave kenma earned every day. the gesture felt intimate, even if it was a simple hand sign. the latter was at first dumbfounded since he had completely forgotten about the dinner at his house that evening, even if it was the first thing he thought about before going to bed the night prior. that 'see you tonight' could have been intimate too if red-shirt wasn't talking about the dinner.
