𝐌𝐘 𝐈𝐍-𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 [Kozume Kenma]

19. IN GAME

~KENMA~

I glanced towards the crowd once more. Where is she? Subconsciously, I pulled out my phone again, almost as if I was expecting to see a text from Shiro. She doesn't have your number, you idiot. Well, technically...

"Kenma! Put that damn phone away before I take it from you!"

I tilted my head to greet the shrieking rooster. "Calm down, Kuro. It's just a practice match."

"Practice match or not, we have to destroy Fukurodani." The black-haired captain declared aggressively, as though we were not just two teams playing volleyball, but two countries waging war. "Today I will wipe that stupid smile off the face of that stupid owl."

I raised an eyebrow at Kuroo. "Weren't you just saying how much you loved Bokuto a while ago?"

"I... no, not that I can recall..." The rooster stuttered, before raising his head even higher, probably as a desperate defence mechanism. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He claimed stubbornly. "Besides, I will not let our team lose a home game, especially when half the school has come to watch."

"It's not like we're not used to losing to them." I pointed out blankly. "What difference does it make?"

Kuroo sighed deeply, shaking his head like a disappointed parent. "Kenma, Kenma, Kenma... with that attitude of yours, you'll never make any progress with Shiro."

At the mention of her name, I felt my face unwillingly heat up. "I... what... What are you even saying? What progress? There's no progress..."

The rooster cocked his head to the side, eyeing me with confusion. "Aren't you asking her to be our manager?"

"Oh, that..." I mumbled, relief washing over me. So that was what he meant by progress. "Yeah, it's going fine... I think."

"Wait a minute..." Kuroo turned slowly towards me with the same creepy smirk that, for some odd reason, many girls found attractive. "What progress did you think I was referring to?"

I sighed. I should have seen this coming miles away. "What do you think?" There was no avoiding this. Once Kuroo formed an opinion on something, nothing could possibly change it.

"Wow, Kenma... I didn't know you were capable of thinking like this." He snickered, continuing to stare at me with his half-lidded amber eyes that glowed a little too wickedly for my liking.

"Don't act like you didn't plan this."

"Planned or not, it certainly worked in getting a reaction out of the emotionally-detached setter." Kuroo proceeded to clap me on the back as he walked off. "Loosen up, buddy. I'm sure she'll turn up soon."