Kenma woke up early in the morning as he did every day for the duration of the Golden Week practice matches. He snuck into the bathroom, applying makeup to his scars, then returned back to the dorms, hiding the makeup quietly in his bag so as to not wake anyone. He got back into his bed, closing his eyes to pretend he was asleep. Soon after, Yaku's alarm went off, waking half of the team up before he then hassled the remaining sleepers to get out of bed.
Time seemed to fly as the team made their way to Karasuno High School, but for some reason, Kuroo noticed Kenma being more twitchy than usual. He seemed to be deeply engrossed in a game he was playing sat in the dorms as the team got ready, yet his leg bobbed up and down anxiously. When asked if he was okay, Kenma simply nodded. Once they arrived outside the Karasuno gymnasium, they lined up in front of the opposing team, bringing Kenma face to face with Hinata. He looked around nervously, avoiding eye contact with him. Hinata seemed greatly shocked that Kenma was a part of Nekoma, and after a fight between Yamamoto and Karasuno's wing spiker was intercepted by Yaku and another member of Karasuno's team, the teams made their way indoors.
The two teams then started their first practice match, in which Kenma seemed particularly sharp and attentive. Ultimately, Nekoma won all six matches they played thanks to their strength as a team, though not without facing a few unexpected obstacles. Different team members interacted, forming bonds with their new rivals. After talking to Hinata about facing off again in an official match, Kenma was left a strange feeling in his chest. Kuroo looked over at him and was shocked to find a small smile on his face, his eyes keenly set on Hinata like a predator watching it's prey. The teams left the school waving goodbye to their new rivals, then they started chatting amongst themselves - they all seemed hyper as they went back home. They were then told to go to the dorms to gather their things ready to go home.
"I can see why you've taken an interest in that Chibi-chan," Kuroo said, smiling at Kenma as the two of them collected their belongings. "He's quite the unpredictable opponent." Kenma quietly nodded in agreement as he threw his bag over his shoulder.
"I wasn't expecting that freak quick. Their team may have lost today, but if he continues to get better, I have a feeling that our next match will be very difficult." Kenma said bluntly. Kuroo smirked, then threw his arm around Kenma's shoulder.
"Look at your getting all excited for a match," he said, ruffling Kenma's hair with his free hand. "I thought you said volleyball wasn't fun?" Kenma wriggled his way out from Kuroo's grasp, sarcastically dusting off his shoulder.
"I wouldn't say volleyball is fun, but if Shoyo lives up to his promises..." Kenma looked up at Kuroo with a sharp look in his eyes and a sinister smile on his face. "Who knows what might happen?" Kuroo stared at Kenma in disbelief, then chuckled a little. The two of them then said their farewells to the rest of the team before going home together. Since it was already quite late, the two of them didn't have get time to hang out at either one's house, so they went their separate ways.
Kenma threw himself onto his bed, feeling exhausted from the long day of matches. He began thinking to himself, going over the matches in his head. He then looked at his arm. The sweat on his skin had begun to reveal the marks on his arm, causing Kenma to panic a little. Kuroo hadn't seemed to notice this time, but he realised that he needed to find a new way to hide his marks. He started researching online and came across makeup that was more durable against sweat, but it was more expensive than the products he had been using. He nervously bit down on his nail, trying to form strategies in his head. He then recalled something Kuroo had said in passing during a conversation.
"You know, with the amount of time you spend playing games, I'm surprised you're not out there earning a bunch of money from playing in professional tournaments!"
YOU ARE READING
Singleplayer RPG
Fanfiction[Haikyuu AU] Kozume Kenma is a highly reserved individual who doesn't have many friends, making him an easy target for bullies. As he suffers at their hands, his mental health begins to worsen. Even though there are people around, he feels alone fig...
