That morning, I woke up to puffy eyes. I had, shockingly, cried myself to sleep. None of this made any sense.
My mom poked her head into my room.
"Lyn? What's wrong?"
"Mom.. can I not go to school today? I don't feel good."
"Oh, honey, you don't look so good. If that's the case, of course. Stay home."
I nod and crawl back under my blankets. Sleeping more seemed like the best idea.
*Volleyball Practice*
"Where's Lyn?" Kei Takashima asked Hinata.
"I have no idea. She was really messed up yesterday. Do you know anything about that?" He asked, generalizing his question to the whole team.
Everyone shook their head. Kei stared at his feet and also shook his head. He knew it was his fault.
"Does anyone know where she lives? I feel like something is wrong." He asks quietly.
Everyone shakes their heads once again. He sighs and walks out of the gym.
"Where are you going?!?" Kageyama yells after him.
He just keeps walking out of the gym. The doors close behind him. Then Takashima crashes into a wall, sobs escaping. He had been too hard on her. All he had meant to do was mess with her. But… some of it seemed real.
No.
He hated her. Nothing else. He wasn't crying. Standing up straight, Takashima wipes the tears from his eyes. His glasses have fallen to the ground. He picks them up and places them back on. Then he proceeds to go to the main office.
"Excuse me?" He asks the lady in charge.
"How can I help you?"
"Do you have Lyn Rose's address?"
"Yes."
"Can I have it, please? I need to give her umm.. Some of the school work from today." He makes up the last part so that it seems like he's not a stalker.
"Here you go." The lady hands him a slip of paper with my address on it.
"Thank you!"
Takashima walks out of the school before breaking into a run towards my house.
*Back in my bedroom*
A knock on my bedroom door wakes me up. All day, I had been in and out of sleep.
"Are you awake?" My mom's voice asks.
"I am now." I say groggily.
I get up and change out of my PJs. Slipping on a Karasuno volleyball hoodie and leggings, I open the door and walk into the living room. As soon as I sit down and open my book, a knock on the door.
Sighing, I stand up and walk over to the door. Another knock echoes through the house.
"I'm coming!" I yell.
I open the door and nearly yell in surprise.
Standing there in front of me is none other than Kei Takashima.
"What are you doing here?!?" I hiss.
"I wanted to apologize.." He says, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Oh, really?"
"I acted completely out of character. I have no idea why. It just freaked me out to see you at my volleyball practice. And then I couldn't think after being so…" He trails off.
"So what?"
"So close to you."
I stand there. This would not be happening. I could hear my heart pounding in my rib cage as I stared up into his eyes.
"Do you want to come in?" I find myself asking.
His eyes go wide.
"Umm, yes."
I back up, and he walks in behind me. He scares me by grabbing my hand and leading me to sit down on the couch. I sit down next to him, our hands still intertwined.
"Takashima.."
"Please, call me Kei. I would prefer it."
"Kei, what is happening?"
"I thought you could tell me."
"Lyn?" My mom's voice asks.
I turn to see my mom standing in the doorway of the living room. Her gaze is glued to our connected hands.
"Hi, Mom. Do you need something?"
"Just wondering what you were doing." She mutters before turning her heel and walking into the kitchen.
I laugh and glance at Kei.
"Let's go to my room so we don't get interrupted by her."
He raises his eyebrows.
"Interrupted? What do you think we will be doing?"
I sigh.
"Not like that, idiot. Just so she doesn't think anything is happening."
Kei smiles and follows me to my room. I can see his eyes flit around my room to all of my American Rock band posters.
"So.. I need to clarify something with you." He says, his eyes suddenly bright.
"Oh?"
"Just let me talk, and please don't say anything."
I nod.
"I didn't realize till recently what was happening. The first time I talked to you, I was rude. And now I understand why. I was craving to talk to you. But I was too scared, so I was rude. It made no sense to me. Then you seemed to hate me, and I knew that I had messed it up. Of course, last night made me think otherwise. And now? I have no idea what is happening."
I stare at him in shock.
"Are you saying that..."
"That I like you? Yeah, that's what I'm saying." He says while looking at his feet.
"Kei.." I mutter before pulling him down to sit next to me on my bed. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"Because I could tell you hated me."
"But if you had explained..."
"Then you would have laughed I my face."
I sigh and put my head I my hands. He was right. I would have made fun of him.
"You still haven't said if you like me back."
I tilt my head up and look into his eyes. A piece of my hair falls in front of my face. Kei reaches forward and brushes his hand against my face, smoothing the hair behind my ear. His hand rests on the side of my cheek.
"Kei?"
I lean in ever so slightly closer. Then he leans down.
"Lyn!" My mom yells.
I jerk away from Kei.
"What?"
"Is that boy in your room?"
My eyes go wide, and I glance at him.
"Get out. Hurry. Go through the window." I whisper to him.
He nods and hurries out the window.
As soon as he's out, I slowly close the window.
"No, Mom, he left!" I yell back before flopping on my bed.
"He almost kissed me." I mutter to myself.