Y/N was getting ready for school, her usual morning routine dragging a little longer today. As she sat in front of the mirror, carefully doing her hair, her phone buzzed. Picking it up, she saw a message from Yuki:
Yuki🌻
Yuki🌻
bad news.
im not coming to school today.
fever's got me.
you're on your own, soldier.
fight bravely😘
Y/N stared at the message in disbelief. "On my own?!" She mumbled aloud. Sure, she'd made some acquaintances at school, but Yuki was her lifeline. Now she'd have to endure the entire day by herself, no Yuki to rely on for comfort. She let out a long sigh, already dreading the day ahead.
After forcing herself to finish getting ready, Y/N left the house and started her walk to school, mentally preparing herself for what would probably be the longest, quietest day ever.
"Y/N!" a loud voice called from behind her.
She froze mid-step. She knew that voice. Slowly turning around, she saw none other than Bokuto-san, waving wildly at her. And, standing next to him, looking calm and composed as ever, was Akaashi.
Y/N's face immediately turned scarlet at the sight of Akaashi. Why does he always have to look so effortlessly cool?
"Good morning, Y/N!" Bokuto beamed, bounding up to her like an excited puppy. Akaashi followed behind, his expression polite but amused.
"G-Good morning, Bokuto-san. Akaashi-san," Y/N managed to say, trying to keep her voice steady. She was already flustered, and the day had barely begun.
"Heading to school alone?" Akaashi asked casually.
Y/N nodded shyly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yuki's sick... so yeah."
"Well, lucky for you, you've got us!" Bokuto announced proudly, throwing his arm around Akaashi's shoulders. "We're heading the same way!"
Y/N didn't trust herself to respond, so she just nodded, feeling her face heat up more by the second. They started walking together, and of course, Bokuto filled the silence with animated chatter about volleyball, random funny stories, and some dramatic reenactment of a match. Akaashi remained composed, occasionally responding to Bokuto's antics, while Y/N just listened, too shy to say much.
She kept sneaking glances at Akaashi, internally freaking out every time he noticed and glanced back. Oh no, he saw me looking! Look away, look away!
By the time they reached school, Y/N was so flustered she could barely focus on saying goodbye properly. "T-Thanks for walking with me," she mumbled, bowing slightly.
"See you around, L/N-san," Akaashi said with a small smile before they parted ways.
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The school day dragged on, with Y/N spending most of it in her own little bubble of anxiety. Without Yuki, she didn't have the courage to strike up conversations, so she kept to herself, only speaking when absolutely necessary. Why did Yuki have to get sick today of all days?
After school, Y/N made her way to the art room. There weren't any official club activities today, but she wanted to work on her latest painting—a painting of Akaashi. Of course.
As she set up her canvas, she stared at the blank space, her heart racing a little. She couldn't help but think about the way his eyes seemed to sparkle with intelligence, that calm, steady gaze he always had. Blushing at the thought, she dipped her brush into the paint and started working.
She painted his eyes first, carefully trying to capture the exact shade of gunmetal blue. Even though it was just a painting, she felt her face heat up again. Why am I like this? It's just a painting!
Hours flew by, and before she knew it, she was mostly done with the eyes. Glancing at the clock, Y/N realized it was time to pack up and head home. Just as she was putting her supplies away, a sudden knock on the door startled her.
Before she could even respond, the door swung open, revealing none other than Akaashi.
Y/N jumped, nearly dropping her brushes. "A-Akaashi-san!" she squeaked. "What are you doing here?"
Akaashi stepped inside, looking slightly apologetic. "Sorry for the sudden visit. I figured you might be here. You didn't reply to my messages."
Messages? Y/N blinked and quickly fumbled for her phone, realizing it was on silent. Sure enough, there were a couple of texts from Akaashi, asking if she was still at school. She blushed furiously. "Oh... I must've been too into my painting. I'm sorry!"
Akaashi chuckled softly. "No worries. Yuki-san asked me to walk you home since she's not feeling well. She got my number from the volleyball team, I guess."
Y/N's eyes widened. Yuki... what are you up to?
"O-Oh, that's really nice of you," Y/N stammered, still processing the fact that Akaashi had come to check on her. She quickly packed the rest of her things, feeling a mix of flustered and grateful.
The two of them left the art room and made their way toward the school gate. As they walked, they spotted Bokuto and some of the other volleyball players hanging out nearby.
"Y/N! Akaashi!" Bokuto yelled, waving them over. "We're heading out, wanna walk with us?"
Y/N barely had time to respond before they were swept into the group. Bokuto, as usual, led the conversation, talking animatedly about practice, while the others laughed and chimed in. Y/N just tried to keep up, glancing at Akaashi every now and then.
One by one, the group began to peel off as they reached their respective homes, until it was just Y/N and Akaashi walking together. The silence between them felt heavy at first, but then Akaashi spoke up.
"You like painting, don't you?" he asked.
Y/N, caught off guard by the question, nodded. "Y-Yeah. It's kind of... calming, I guess. I can just focus on that and forget about everything else."
Akaashi smiled softly. "That's nice. Your sketches are really good."
Y/N's heart skipped a beat. He remembered my drawing?! "Thank you," she mumbled, her face flushing again.
The conversation flowed naturally after that, despite her nerves. Akaashi had a calm way of speaking that made it easier for Y/N to relax, and before she knew it, they were standing in front of her house.
"Well, this is me," she said, feeling a little reluctant to end their walk. "Thanks again for walking with me."
Akaashi nodded. "Anytime, L/N-san."
Just before she turned to go inside, Y/N paused. Okay, you can do this. It's just a small thing, no big deal.
"Um, you can just call me Y/N," she blurted out, her face heating up immediately.
Akaashi looked slightly surprised, but then he smiled. "Alright. Y/N it is. See you tomorrow."
She waved awkwardly before rushing inside, her heart pounding. As soon as the door closed, Y/N bolted upstairs to her room, flinging herself onto her bed and burying her face in her pillow.
AHHHHHHHHH! She screamed internally, her face still burning. What had just happened?! Why did she feel like she was going to explode from embarrassment and excitement all at once?
From downstairs, her mom called out, "Y/N, are you okay?"
"I'm fine!" Y/N yelled back, muffling her voice with her pillow.
After a few moments of recovering from her flustered state, Y/N grabbed her phone and immediately called Yuki.
"You'll never believe what happened!" she exclaimed as soon as Yuki picked up.
Through the phone, Yuki's voice sounded groggy but excited. "Oh, I know what happened! How was your walk with Akaashi-san?"
Y/N blinked. "Wait, you planned this, didn't you?!"
"Of course! I couldn't just leave my shy bestie walking home alone!" Yuki giggled. "Besides, it's obvious you're totally crushing on him."
Y/N groaned, flopping back onto her bed. "I am not!"
"Uh-huh, sure. And I bet you weren't blushing the entire time either, right?" Yuki teased, coughing slightly from her fever.
Y/N covered her face, completely flustered. "Okay, fine... maybe I am. A little."
"Aha! I knew it!" Yuki cheered weakly through the phone. "You're welcome. Now, go get some rest so you can daydream about him tomorrow."
Y/N rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Thanks, Yuki. Feel better, okay?"
"I will! And remember—don't let that opportunity slip away!" Yuki added before hanging up.
Y/N sighed, tossing her phone aside. Crushing on Akaashi? She buried her face in her pillow again, feeling her heart race at the thought. Maybe... just a little.