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1.
"Hey, is Yaku-san here?!"
The ball hits Lev on the head as he watches Yaku excuse himself from practicing with Shibayama.
"HAHAHAHA" Yamamoto clutches his stomach laughing. "You can't even spike the ball correctly and you call yourself the ace?? HAHAHA!"
"Ah- I will be better! You'll see, Yamamoto-senpai!"
Shibayama waits curiously. Lev was always distracted by little things but he never misses a chance to claim being the ace.
"Toss me another one!"
'Huh...guess he wants to spike again right away...' He shrugs it off, turning his gaze to his senpai instead.
"Akise-kun, what are you doing here?"
"Pfft- Good morning to you too, Yaku-san!" The visitor chuckles. Lev doesn't know him but he wears a Nekoma uniform. 'A classmate, maybe?'
"I got here early and thought why not drop off the lunch my sister made for you! She made curry. Between me and you, it's just as sweet as you are~"
"I-"
Thwack.
Everyone's eyes turn back to Lev looking very fierce by the net. Suddenly, he turns, grinning like a puppy.
"Yaku-san! Did you see that?!? I blocked it and scored!!"
"Oi! this isn't even a practice match! We're only doing drills!"
Yamamoto yells at Lev but the latter wasn't paying attention to him. He was watching Yaku laugh with the stranger.
Shibayama sees Lev pouting at the two boys at the door.
"Haiba-kun? Is everything alright?"
"Oh, yeah, I'm good." Lev laughs nervously.
It was obvious that the tall player was jealous. The smaller player wanted to help his friend but he also doesn't want to out his senpai. He sighs.
"You know, I pity that guy talking to Yaku-san. I heard from Kuroo-san that he likes his curry spicy, not sweet."
Lev instantly perks up with determination.
"Really??"
The younger libero smiles and nods. And if he saw Lev the next day, heading to the third year floor and holding an extra bento of what he assumed was curry, he doesn't mention it.
2.
"Come on, Yaku! You can skip just one!"
Lev walks by just in time to hear a group of third years talking with his favorite senpai.
"Sorry, Keiko-chan. Practice comes first."
Lev gulps and tries to peek at the conversation.
"Awww but we're going to the beach! It's gonna be fun!"
"Yeah, man! Imagine the girls in bikinis!"
The eavesdropper zones out as he imagines the light brunette in nothing but swimming trunks.
"Lev? What are you doing?"
He jumps in surprise as Kai makes his presence known.
"Kai-san! I was just- uhm- walking by!" The first year fidgets nervously. "Yeah! I was walking by!"
Kai smiles at his kouhai to calm him down before peeking at what he was trying to spy on. He notices Yaku and his classmates.
"C'mon Yaku~ I promise I'll be by your side the whole time!" A black-haired girl leans in on the libero. "You'll see my new swimsuit~"
Lev's mood drops as the third years laugh, some 'ooh-ing' and others teasing Yaku.
Kai pats his shoulder sympathetically.
"Again, I'm sorry, but I have training camp next weekend. Haha."
The wing spiker smiles.
"Don't worry, Lev. Yaku won't miss the training camp. Especially since he prefers mountain climbing over going to the beach."
"Yaku-san likes hiking up mountains? That's so cool!"
The vice captain only shakes his head in amusement. At least he was prepared when Yaku yelled at Lev during their trip to the training camp for asking him non-stop to go mountain climbing with him.
3.
"See you tomorrow Yaku-san~"
Lev flinches and turns around. He doesn't know who that voice belonged to but it was cute. A cute girl's voice.
"Yeah! Again, I'm really sorry for cancelling on you today, Sarada-chan!"
Lev turns just in time to see the older boy bowing at a blushing girl.
'She's cute-' He frowns. 'Is she Yaku-san's girlfriend?? Did he cancel a date???'
"Oi! Lev! Hurry up and get to the gym!"
"Ah- yes, Captain-san!"
"Good." Kuroo smirks at Yaku. "Why, Yakkun, you're late~"
"Oh shut up, you damn rooster."
"I hope you used protection~"
"What the he-"
"Who was that, Yaku-san?" Lev asks stoically. "Was she your girlfriend?"
"Wha?" Yaku looks up at the first year, blushing as he sees how intense his eyes are. "I- it's none of your business! I'm going to change!"
Kuroo snickers, heading for the gym.
"You coming, Lev?"
He follows his teammate, looking very deflated.
The raven head rolls his eyes before smirking.
"Sarada-chan is really pretty, right?"
Lev hums sadly in agreement. She was beautiful; flowy brown locks and bright eyes. 'She's even shorter than Yaku-san.'
"Too bad she doesn't have the meat that Yakkun likes so much."
The kouhai stares after his senpai. Confusion written all over his face.
"...and she has too much melons."
The captain mentally facepalms as the gray-haired idiot tries to process the information.
"WAIT-" Lev leans into Kuroo's personal space and whispers loudly. "Is Yaku-san gay??"
"I'm bi."
They both jump as Yaku catches up to them, glaring at Lev.
"You got a problem with that, Haiba?"
"Ah- no Yaku-san! Thank you for telling me!"
And with that, Lev bolts to the gym.
Kuroo pretends to ignore Yaku's nagging for the rest of the week. He'd rather focus on the giddy first year sending hopeful glances at their demon-senpai.
4.
"Yaku-san said I reminded him of an overexcited puppy haha!"
Lev pouts at Inuoka. He knows it's silly but Yaku has been spending a lot of time with the other first years lately.
"Your name has Inu in it." Shibayama giggles. "I don't know why he said I remind him of a puppy."
'Even Yuuki?' Lev groans and stretches on their lunch table.
"What's wrong, Haiba?" Teshiro asks.
The middle blocker eyes him hopefully.
"Teshiro! Has Yaku-san ever called you a puppy?"
"Hmm..." The other three looked at the setter curiously. "Well, he did say my eyebrows make me look like a dog once. Does that count?"
The tallest of the four whines.
"Waaahhh! How come I'm the only first year Yaku-san hasn't compared to a dog??"
They smile sympathetically at him.
"...That's because Yaku-san thinks your eyes make you more of an overenthusiastic cat."
The first years jump in surprise at the appearance of their second year senpais.
"What are you kiddos talking about, huh?"
"Tora, don't scare the first years."
Yamamoto and Fukunaga settle down to eat with them.
"So." The ace asks. "What's with all the dog talk anyway?"
Lev droops in his seat and pokes at his food.
"Lev is upset because Yaku-san has mentioned that us first years remind him of canines on different occasions." Inuoka explains. "Well, except for Lev."
"Is that so?" Yamamoto grins, ready to tease his kouhai.
The silver-head huffs sadly.
The second years exchange a glance. They didn't think it would affect the middle blocker this much. Fukunaga nudges Yamamoto.
"Hey-" Fukunaga gives him a look. "Ugh, fine."
The others watch curiously as they face Lev again.
"You know, Lev, Shouhei's right. Yaku-san thinks you're more of a cat than a dog."
"But still...it's not fair! Why can't I be a dog too?"
"Beats me." Yamamoto glances at Fukunaga who shrugs. "I'd say take it as a compliment. Yaku likes cats more than dogs anyways."
They all watch as Lev's brain slowly catches up to what Mohawk implied. All of them chose to ignore the goofy smile on his face for the rest of the week.
5.
"Yaku-san! That was an awesome receive earlier! You truly are amazing~"
Lev chokes on his water as his sister barges in after their practice match.
"Oi. Are you ok?" Kuroo asks Lev as he makes his way to Kenma, who was sitting nearby.
"YES!" The younger shouts a little too loud. So loud that everyone was staring at him.
"Lyovochka~" Alisa bounces over to her brother "I invited Yaku to go shopping with me later! Wanna come?"
.
The half-russian boy looks at a blushing Yaku then his sister. He pouts.
"No thanks. I don't wanna get in between the two of you!"
"Really? But I thought-"
"Wah- It's not like that-"
"Why, Yakkun~ I didn't know you had a life outside of practice!"
Kuroo's voice fades as he walks the baffled pair to the door of the gym.
Lev drops down the bench next to Kenma. The smaller teen still playing his game.
"I'm screwed, Kenma-san! I can't compete with my sister!" The middle blocker whines. "Yaku-san already thinks she's pretty! And now they're hanging out more!."
The fake blonde groans in frustration before restarting his game.
"What do I do, Kenma-san??" Lev looks at his cringing senpai. "Should I just...give up?"
A wave of silence passed over them save for the second year's game.
"...you look like your sister, you know."
Green eyes widen at the soft voice.
"And Yaku prefers short hair..."
"...Kenma-san?" The setter sighs and pauses his game to face the smiling rookie. "Do you think Yaku-san likes me??"
Kenma doesn't answer after that. He also doesn't answer when Kuroo asks if he had something to do with the fact that Lev changed his mind and joined his sister too.
+1
"Yaku-saaaannn! Can we take a break please?"
Lev catches his breath after a series of receives that his current companion set for him. But before Yaku could reply, there was a knock on the door of the gym.
"Fine." The older boy mutters, heading for the door. "Five minutes. That's it."
Grateful for the break, the first year plops on the floor and closes his eyes.
More than five minutes had passed. He was starting to worry about his senpai so he got up to search for him.
"...you, Morisuke. Please consider that."
Lev pauses.
'Is that- Is someone confessing? To Yaku-san?'
"Akise-kun..."
He blinks at the voice he's so familiar with.
'It is Yaku-san.'
"I'm sorry...but I already told you, I- I like someone else."
Lev feels his heart drop. He knows he's not supposed to be listening, but what if Yaku-san admits who he likes. Who does Yaku-san like?
'I just...want to know...'
"It's that first year, isn't it?"
'What?'
"The tall one with silver hair?" The other boy scoffs bitterly. "Didn't peg you for the type to fall for idiots, Yaku."
Lev's world stops. His thoughts drown out every other sense.
'Could it be? Does he like me too?? This can't be! Yaku-san is too smart to like an idiot like me. But what if he does? Like me?? I-'
"Lev?"
He snaps back into reality just in time to see his blushing senpai glaring at him.
"What are you doing here?? You're supposed to be practicing! Come on!"
The taller boy struggles to move as his teacher starts walking off. He still can't stop thinking.
"Does Yaku-san like me?"
The shorter male freezes. Lev could see the blush tinging his senpai's ears.
"I- what?"
"I asked if-" He gulps. "If Yaku-san....liked me too?"
The libero turns around to face him, wide-eyed and red as a tomato.
"...too?"
The middle blocker cautiously closes the space between them.
"...yes?"
Yaku looks away, shyly, as if contemplating his next move. He kicks at the ground for a bit before he meets green eyes.
"Yes."