You Are In The Red Summer.

LOVE EQUATION. 𓍯 CHILDE SMAU

PREFACE. embarrassed by your three year (and counting) long crush on zhongli, you suddenly claim you have a boyfriend. there enters childe, your crush’s best friend and the one who’ll either help with your lie or report you to the police for harassment. or in which caught up in a lie, you had no choice but to kiss the closest person next to you.

FEATURING. childe x she/her!reader, a little bit of zhongli x reader, other genshin impact characters! (they are too many to list)

GENRE. fluff, slight angst, highschool au, fake-dating trope

TAGLIST. please send an ask / message if you wish to be tagged.

AUTHOR’S NOTES. (🧸) means there is a written portion within the chapter. based on ali hazelwood’s the love hypothesis 🫶 one of my fave books and key motivators as a woman in stem!

✹ profiles .𓂃 wonder pets | ass shakers

ch. 01 — three years worth of pining

ch. 02 — eat the rich

ch. 03 — the list

ch. 04 — overpriced coffee and chemical equation 🧸

ch. 05 — overpriced coffee and chemical equation pt. 2 🧸

ch. 06 — hey fake girlfriend *obnoxiously winks*

ch. 07 — terms and conditions

ch. 08 — insufferable pda 🧸

ch. 09 — is this what you call soft launching

ch. 10 — first date

ch. 11 — after school activities 🧸

ch. 12 — childe’s homemade lunch 🧸

ch. 13 — annual sports fest

ch. 14 — volunteer work

ch. 15 — a volleyball player’s WAG 🧸

ch. 16 — after party

ch. 17 — cat whisperers ( literally ) 🧸

ch. 18 — insufferable pda minus the p 🧸

ch. 19 — monthsary

ch. 20 — yoimiya carry fr

everyone who reblogs this will get a seijoh fun fact in their inbox

haikyuu posted its final chapter and i am crying so hard at how overwhelming it is. thank you for the eight years of nonstop plays, matches, laughter, tears, and connections. thank you for the three years of being in the fandom, of me hiding the fact back in tenth grade that as an unfit person, would eventually love and cherish something related to sports. it was all so amazing and i have never expressed this much interest in a sport before.

so thank you, haikyuu and furudate, for making me root for these characters and cheer for them achieve their dreams.

there are no goodbyes here bcos hq ends the very day i will stop making fics and fanart. all of the relationships and philosophies in this series are practically engraved on my soul.

🧡🧡🧡

twisted wonderland: an eye study [2/7]

i can feel savanaclaw taking heartslabyul's spot as my favorite dorm hsdjdjdjs

scenarios for that grump x sunshine dynamic

a prompt list by @novelbear ᵔᴥᵔ

letting their chatty partner ramble about their day, listening with a small smile

sunshine toppling over them with the biggest hug they could muster and grump just giving them tiny little pats to reciprocate

grumpy going out of their comfort zone to cheer up their sunshine who's having a bad day

^ "look, i made pancakes! i even made a smiley face out of the whipped cream, see?" "oh, that's what it's supposed to be? you're so cute.."

grumpy calling sunshine names (dummy, idiot, chatterbox) knowing they take no offense to them, but the moment someone else does, they snap

"are you always this happy?" "i try to be, but especially when i'm with you."

sunshine knowing when it's okay to push but never crosses a line when it comes to grumpy's boundaries

sunshine comforting the grump when they're a little more quiet and snappy than usual, leaving grump a flustered mess because they're used to people actually listening when they tell them to leave them alone

"i'm not leaving you like this, i care about you."

sunshine taking grumpy on more active dates than they're used to (like ice skating for example)

[while cloudgazing] "i see a duckling!" "literally how."

sunshine making lunch for grumpy in the cutest way possible (little notes, heart-shaped sandwiches, always adding their fave snack)

getting into arguments about how nice sunshine can be and where it gets out of hand

^ "i was just trying to be nice!" "they were clearly taking advantage of that!" "since when do you care so much?" "i'm trying to look out for you!"

grumpy letting sunshine play with/do their hair

when laundry piles up and grumpy has no choice but to borrow one of sunshine's colorful little sweaters

^ and of course, sunshine coos and smothers them all day over it

"i love you." "i know." "say it back!"

OH MY GOD, CHAPTER 400 GOT ME SILENTLY SCREAMING IN MY ROOM. LEGIT GOOSEBUMPS AT EVERY SINGLE POINT BOTH TEAMS GAIN. PLUS, THE FACT THAT FURUDATE ADDED THE BANNERS BEHIND EVERY PERSON IN THE MONSTER GENERATION IS JUST THE CHERRY ON TOP OF A SUNDAE.

in short, FURUDATE IS A GENIUS.

yo levi ackerman + an airport reconciliation 😔 running to him just so he could pick you up and kiss you djeyeheshsghs my heart hurts

euphoria — levi ackerman

— levi ackerman x female reader (modern au)

— warnings: none, just fluff <3

— summary: long distance relationships might sound scary but you and levi made it work. when you told him you're visiting him during spring break, it feels like he was given this chance to enjoy you in his arms again.

— word count: 2.7k

— notes: i just can't help but make this into a small fic, it's simply adorable and it's making me feel things :<< here's levi and those airport reunions we always see in movies <33

reblogs are greatly appreciated!!

When you told Levi that you got accepted to your dream university that was miles away from his chosen college, disbelief washed over him like a bucket of cold water. He tried so hard to be happy for you, to make you feel precious before going away to the other side of the continent, but it didn’t ease the nervousness he felt every time he thought about you going away. Levi was so used to you being around him, dating him while you’re in sophomore year of high school, and being his childhood friend — growing up with him since you two were in kindergarten. His memory always came up with your face every time he reminisced his carefree days, alongside you, Isabel, and Farlan. It was the same case as the other two but their college plans didn’t impact him as much as yours. You always gushed about getting accepted to Eldia University since you started your junior year. As much as it pained him to listen to the probability of you separating, he still made eye contact with you every time you talk to him about it.

The airport was such a bitter place to say your goodbyes.

“We’ll still be together,” you reassured him, looking sympathetically at his watery small smile. “I’ll Facetime you every day, Levi. Even update you on my schedule so that you know when’s my free time.”

He nodded, cupping your face with tender hands, forehead pressed affectionately against yours. His lips fluttered on your jutted bottom lip as he whispered in a low voice meant for you, “We’ll make this work. I know we’ll get through this.” Levi lets the butterflies engulf him for the last time in a short while, closing his eyes at the feeling of your lips briefly touching his. He tilted his head to capture you in a kiss, both of you desperate for the final contact of affection. He didn’t go as far as tasting you since he knew it would be too hard for him to let you go if he did that, so, he pulled away to regain his bearings. Damn, he’s going to miss your kisses so much. Levi’s eyes are still closed when his words stroke your lips, “I love you, beautiful.”

“I love you, too, Lev,” you muttered with stars dripping on your eyelashes. “I’ll definitely visit you.”

The overhead speakers repeated the pre-boarding announcements. His somber eyes followed you as you hug your parent tightly. With a final wave, you finally made your way to the boarding area of the airport and Levi watched you go.

Now, Levi couldn’t comprehend how time flows so fast. That was more than two years ago but it felt like yesterday. However, he was in a different city this time. A week after you found out you passed for Eldia University; he received a letter saying he got accepted to the University of Trost. Kuchel told him to take the opportunity and that he shouldn’t worry about her living alone, which he reluctantly nodded at upon concluding that Kenny might be a frequent visitor of their house the moment he’s away. By picking this college, the distance between the two of you will increase yet you brush his worries off by saying that you two will make this work. And he did just that.

The first year at the University of Trost, Levi didn’t expect to make friends that quick. Enter Erwin, his roommate, and Hange, the loud person he got paired up with in a general education class during freshman year. The three of them became close-knit, reminding Levi of his own set of friends back in his hometown. It didn’t occur to him to inform them that he was already dating someone until Hange set him up with a girl from the Sciences department. At first, the brown-haired person masked the blind date as a random hang-out between the two of them but Erwin’s guilty eyes gave everything away. Levi didn’t think much about it. But when he saw a strawberry blonde waiting for him in the university restaurant Hange instructed him to go instead of his idiotic friends, Levi felt like an asshole for getting out of the establishment that fast.

Hange got an earful from Levi that night.

Truth be told, Hange and Erwin didn’t believe you exist when Levi relayed the fact that he’s in a happy and perfect relationship with the most precious person in his life — his exact words. (Hange couldn’t believe their ears when Levi used those words.)

At one point, though, Erwin would hear voices coming out of Levi’s room. It was one gloomy night, the clouds promising another period of rain. Erwin was planning on doing an all-nighter, yawning in the kitchen to fix himself some coffee and midnight snacks to keep him awake until morning. There was a sliver of light coming from the bottom of Levi’s door so the taller blond didn’t find anything out of the ordinary from it since Levi also pulled all-nighters when some schoolwork needed it. However, as he passed by his best friend’s door, he heard Levi laughing.

Levi laughing genuinely. What the fuck?

Erwin stopped in his tracks and softly walked back to Levi’s door. He pressed his ear on the wood to hear it clearly. Maybe drowsiness was starting to wash over Erwin. When the next few minutes of him looking like a dumbass eavesdropping on his roommate, the same laughter in Levi’s deep voice rang out again. Erwin was confused. Levi never laughed like this when he’s with them, except for the times he found something adorable like a pair of puppies playing with each other or remembering something while gazing at a large hoodie in a rack. But those laughs were only low chuckles. This was a full-blown laugh. Erwin heard a conversation and he held his breath to hear it more. God, Hange will be having a field day when they hear this. The blond’s eyes widened when he heard, “I miss you, beautiful. I want to hug you so bad. When can I see you again? Hmm? Fuck, you’re so pretty. Agh, why are you so adorable? Makes me want to jump through the screen and kiss your face.”

Then, Erwin heard a name.

“[Name], love you.”

Cue the stalking. Hange thought Erwin was lying but the look on the blond’s face made Hange open an Instagram tab on their laptop.

“Did you catch any last name?” Hange peered over their computer.

Erwin shook his head.

“Bummer,” the brown-haired person murmured. The only way they could access something from Levi is through his dry-ass Instagram account. Hange searched through Levi’s list of following, which are just five people. Them, Erwin, someone called Isabel, a guy named Farlan, and a username that didn’t show any relation to the name Erwin overheard. They clicked that profile and Hange felt so proud of themselves. The profile picture was just an aesthetic shot of a butterfly but the feed, Hange was at a loss for words. Levi’s dating somebody this ethereal? “Are you sure this is the right person, Erwin? This is too good to be true. Look at her.”

Erwin transferred his seat to the one beside Hange’s. “Damn,” he breathed in awe at the series of pictures present in Levi’s supposed girlfriend’s feed. “She’s—”

“Fucking beautiful. Glad to know you think so, Eyebrows. You, too, I guess, Four-eyes.” Levi nonchalantly sat in Erwin’s previous seat, taking out his MacBook and reference book, ready to study for a couple of hours before getting dinner. He didn’t meet his friends’ eyes as he lined everything up in his spot on their group study room’s table. He knew that they had comical faces on but he couldn’t prevent the snort of laughter coming out of him when he finally faced his friends. “You don’t have to go and stalk her, you know? But it’s not my fault you guys don’t believe me when I said I have a girlfriend.” He shrugged impassively. “You fucking idiots even dare to stalk her Instagram account.”

“Damn, Shorty, never knew you had it in you to date someone this pretty.”

“Me, too.” His eyes softened for a moment, pausing in flipping the textbook to his assigned readings. “She has so many admirers that I’m surprised she fell in love with me.”

“We have to meet her! Where is she right now?”

“Oh, you will meet her, eventually. She’s in EU right now, though.”

“That’s pretty far,” Erwin stated but he quickly replaced his thoughtful face with a smile. “Nonetheless, we’re excited to meet your girlfriend, Levi.”

“Yeah, she’ll love you two.”

Spring break in their junior year was nearing and with it came a message that had Levi standing up from his bed. He was just taking a fifteen-minute break, feeling the slight throb of incoming back pains. Plopping on his bed for the remainder of his break, his timer ticking away, Levi fixed his half-lidded stare on the ceiling. Thoughts about passing his exams made him groan. He didn’t notice the vibrating device for one second before groaning again since he assumed the vibration came from the timer of his break. He patted his duvet for his phone, eager to turn off his timer and to assign another fifteen-minute break. He needed it. Your contact name, however, was the source of the vibration. Levi sat up with narrowed eyes. You rarely text every time Levi informed you that he will be studying for his exams.

Love 💕

i’m so sorry for disturbing you, levi :<

just wanted to tell you that i’ll be visiting you for spring break!

there’s no conflicting schedule this time

see you, lev 🥰

Levi’s dark gray eyes kept reading that message all over again while he was hunched on his seat in the airport. His chest was pounding with a tumultuous beat, anticipating your arrival. A consistent tapping on the floor was a sign that he was getting nervous. He turned on his phone to check the time, his lockscreen of you making him smile. It was only about fifteen minutes since he sat down. Five minutes left until you’ll be in his arms again. When you texted the time of your flight, Levi instantly got himself ready and took off on his convertible thirty minutes before your estimated arrival. He kept fiddling with the ring you sent him on your anniversary, the jewelry reminding him to keep calm. When that wasn’t effective enough, he scrolled through his Twitter, snorting at some idiotic posts Hange made or Mike’s selfies that looked like a father took it. He remembered you teaching him how to take a decent selfie, all your instructions flying off his head because you look cute telling him things.

“Levi!”

Levi looked up in a hurry.

Fuck, you’re so pretty for a person who endured a four-hour flight.

You were running towards him and he was just gawking. He probably looked like an idiot right now but he doesn’t care — you’re finally here and you’re carrying the brightest smile in the airport. You’re shining in his eyes. Or was it because the tears were starting to mist his vision?

God, is that his hoodie you’re wearing?

As you’re becoming nearer, Levi could faintly detect the hoodie he bought in his senior year of high school, the piece of clothing that he couldn’t find in his closet because you’re wearing them for the day after staying over at his house. His heart became warm. When you reached him (your suitcase left by the chairs he was sitting on) he didn’t hesitate to wrap you in the tightest hugs he ever gave a person. He didn’t care if people stare at you two but he couldn’t resist lifting you until he felt your legs wrap around his waist. There was a buzz of excitement running through him. Your laughs were the most beautiful thing he ever heard all day, blessing his ears since they weren’t from a computer or phone as he buried his face on your neck. He unwrapped one arm around your back and lifted it to cup your face, tears sparkling against the glass windows of the airport. He stared at your ethereal visage for a second before pulling you in a kiss.

It was as if he feels so alive again — the butterflies flooding his senses and urging for spring to blossom in his body, tingling his every nerve.

Levi poured everything in the kiss. The two years he had to endure without you by his side; of not waking up next to you, of never experiencing you cook for him under the early morning glow, of not feeling your eyelashes on his bare skin when you trail soft kisses over his heart. He buried his hand in your hair, tilting your head to deepen the kiss. He was craving to taste home on your lips for so long. Your bottom lip was caught between his teeth, eliciting a gasp that made Levi’s face and chest warm. He tasted you, tenderly brushing his tongue against yours, with his groan meant for your ears only. Eventually, you would have to pull away for air but when you two did, he immediately pulled you in for another kiss filled with pining. His grip on your back tightened even more and you noticed how his muscles bulged against his shirt and leather jacket. (You remembered how he updated you every time he went to the gym and you couldn’t resist deeply kissing him for the second time.)

Levi had no plans of letting you go.

However, with a final soft kiss from you, you two slightly pulled away. The gray eyes you fell in love with crinkled at the corners, the lips you just kissed were glossy with your lip balm. Levi held himself back by biting his bottom lip at the sight of your kiss-swollen lips, his half-lidded yet hazy eyes focusing on them before trailing to your loving stare. He watched you press your foreheads together, noses brushing against one another in the affectionate way Levi missed so much. He blissfully sighed at the small action that impacted him more than he expected.

“Welcome home, love.”

You chuckled, patting his shoulder to let him know that it’s okay for him to let you stand. With a hand rubbing circles on your waist over his hoodie, you stared at your boyfriend with a giddy smile. “I’m home, Levi.”

Levi’s smile widened. He nuzzled his face on your hair, inhaling the scent of your shampoo that was still the same as high school. “Fuck, I miss you so much, beautiful.”

“I miss you and your hugs, Levi,” you replied softly. Your eyes then caught something glinting on Levi’s ears. You gasped at the small hoop earrings adorning your boyfriend’s ears. “You got your ears pierced. When did you do this?”

Levi breathed a laugh, giving you a peck on the lips before taking your suitcase from the side. He directed you towards the exit of the airport with an arm wrapped around your waist. “Two days ago. I want to surprise you so I impulsively did it. It was either a tattoo or this. I’m not mentally ready for a tattoo yet but piercings sound cool so I picked them instead. Do you like them?” He glanced at you with a cheeky smirk.

“I love them. You look good with piercings.”

Levi felt so happy that he couldn’t breathe. You beckoned him to catch up to you since he paused in his steps to blatantly admire you. But he couldn’t take the step because you’re just so fucking beautiful being happy like that. He was convinced that this was a dream. However, when you pulled on his hand, he was thrown back into reality. And as you walk ahead of him towards his car, your laugh captured in his memories when you turned around with a lovely smile, Levi thought you’re the Sun in his eyes — happiness so raw and carefree blanketing him that reminded him of his childhood.

You’re his euphoria.

general taglist:

@angelofthorr

Fanfiction Club: The Rules

This idea came to me when I woke up first thing this morning.

whiskers — kuroo tetsurou (au).

it’s been a while and i managed to push through with posting a short scenario for this blog. i know i haven’t been active in this blog at all and it will stay that way if there are no requests flying here. i am currently accepting requests for haikyuu and attack on titan (bc i indulged in it for quite a while now). with that aside, happy reading !!

summary : kuroo finds himself in a strange predicament and inevitably bumps into his crush. inspired by ‘a whisker away’.

Kuroo Tetsurou had enough of his life.

Everything was just in shambles the moment his mother screamed at his father, demanding a divorce. And with divorce comes the argument of which parent will take the responsibility of caring for the child. In the end, Kuroo's mother won, making him pack his bags and leave his father behind to live in his mother's house in Tokyo, along with the man that his mother chose to remarry. Living under his mother's care was perfectly fine; she wasn't in the house often because of her work and his mother's new husband tends to be fussing over him any chance he gets, but Kuroo chose to brush all of them with a practiced smile.

In the summer of Kuroo's second year in high school, the dark-haired boy received a message from his father. He was lounging in his makeshift study area in the bottom part of his bunk bed, reading a book that Kenma really enjoyed (it was filled with games though, probably the reason why the first-year liked it so much), when his phone vibrated on top of the coffee table he pushed at the front of his study area. Not having any enthusiasm at the prospect of talking to people, Kuroo sluggishly sat up and opened his phone, displaying his lock screen of the sky and the message from his father. With bored eyes from behind his long fringe, Kuroo tried reading the message without any attachment since it was only once upon a time that he was close with his father.

Father:

Hey, Tetsurou, I'm here right now in Tokyo. The summer festival is still ongoing so why don't we attend the highlights, I have something to talk to you about.

Narrowing his eyes at the glare of his gadget, Kuroo stared pensively at the screen of his phone. Festivals meant reliving those joyous moments he had with his father when he was young; catching goldfishes, buying masks and scaring his mother with the designs of their face accessories, and watching the highlights of the festival, which is the fireworks display. It also meant reliving that time when his father left him intentionally during a crowded summer festival. That event in his life spurred the divorce because as his mother told him, his father is one deadbeat and selfish kind of man. But his father wasn't like that. Kuroo remembered pleading to his mother to forgive the older man but it was all in vain. She still screamed in their dining room to nullify their marriage.

Tetsurou:

OK.

That was it. No residue of the playful nature he always had with his father, as it should be all those years.

Having a few minutes of silence and staring at the bottom of his bunk bed, Kuroo took a deep breath as he ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up even more. Slowly sitting up, the dark-haired boy crawled out of his cozy hideout and stretched his limbs, because lying down and rolling on the carpeted floor definitely made him stiff. Walking towards his closet while taking off his shirt, Kuroo reached out for the red sleeveless hoodie hanging from behind his volleyball club tracksuit, quickly fitting it on him and choosing to leave his basketball shorts on. With his phone and wallet in hand, the tall lad walked down the stairs and opened the door to the living room and dining area.

Peeking his head inside a small crack of the door, Kuroo lazily scanned the area. "Ah, Hikaru-san," he called out, catching the attention of a tall man with soft brown hair and glasses from behind the counter of their kitchen. He was apparently preparing for dinner, which looked like fried chicken. "I'm going out for a bit. Tell Mom that I could be going home late tonight."

The man named Hikaru gently smiled at Kuroo as he washed his hands. "I heard tonight's the summer festival's highlights," he noted, wiping his hand on one of the clean towels by the refrigerator. "Are you going with your friend, Kenma, is it? Or your classmates, Yaku and Kai."

Kuroo shook his head. "Dad invited me."

He swore he could hear a pin drop from the awkward silence ensuing inside the room. This silence is one that he greatly distastes, and this is coming from a child who succumbed to a bout of silence once he moved to Tokyo. There was no question of how Hikaru wanted to be acknowledged as Kuroo's new father and the competition on who deserves to be a better father to Kuroo is brewing between the two males that became a part of his mother's life. Kuroo could see that Hikaru was doing his best but the messy-haired boy never really viewed him as a family even after years of being married to his mom, his dismissive behavior when it comes to Hikaru is masked with cheery remarks and loud rounds of laughter. And that's what he chose to do right now.

The tall lad laughed once again, trying to ease any tension in the air. "I'm thinking of bringing home a box of takoyaki. Do you want anything, Hikaru-san?"

Hikaru composed himself and sheepishly looked down to continue with his current task. "You don't have to buy me anything, Tetsurou." The brown-haired man glanced at Kuroo with a fatherly air. "Are you joining us for dinner later?"

Kuroo paused for a few moments, pretending to think upon the offer before shaking his head an easygoing smile. "Nope," he lightheartedly answered Hikaru. "I'll be off now!"

When Kuroo's footsteps echoed through the empty household, followed by the sound of the front door closing, Hikaru deeply sighed as he planted both hands on the counter. His dejected frame was noticed by his pet cat, Hanako, who mewled in concern as she approached her owner. Realizing his eyes pooling with unshed tears, Hikaru quickly took his glasses from the bridge of his nose and wiped his eyes with his wrist, his forced laughter coming out huskily.

"I'm trying my best, Hanako, but why isn't it enough?"

                                                             *

Summer festivals in Tokyo always bring forth a chorus of laughter and the comfortable mellow lantern lights. There was a subtle beat of the taiko drums in the background, drowned out by the endless chatters of the people choosing to roam around during the highlights of the festivals. The streets of the enormous plaza in their area were arranged to have a line of stalls awaiting for customers, and one of them held a special place in Kuroo's childlike heart ー goldfish scooping. Here he was, crouched down in front of the small tub designated for the goldfishes, his hand poised right above him while his eyes never strayed from that fish who appeared to be brighter than anyone else in the shallow water. Right when he was about to catch the fish, his little net tilted and doubled over the water, scaring away the fishes from any human contact.

"Better luck next time, boy," the stall owner told him reassuringly but the messy-haired boy wasn't reassured at all.

Kuroo stood up brashly from his seated position, surprising the people around the little stall, and walked away with his hands inside the pockets of his sleeveless jacket. There was a hasty apology coming from behind him, along with hurried footsteps of the very person he doesn't want to interact with at the moment. Kuroo continued walking, mumbling apologies to the people he bumped on the way, until a firm grip wrapped around his arm, making him roll his eyes in annoyance.

"What?" he asked the person desperately trying to catch his attention, the expression on the younger boy was hiding the fact that he was hurting because of this meeting.

"Tetsurou," Kuroo Tatsunari, his father stood in front of him, face so distraught that he nearly broke his practiced façade. "You can live with me instead of your mother, that way everyone will be happy. Please, Tetsurou, I already asked my landlord to have my apartment renovated to have your room."

Kuroo was baffled for a moment and he couldn't help but scoff in disbelief at what his father said. After shaking his head, his golden eyes trailed from the face he was starting to see in the mirror (except for the unruly hair he seemed to claim since he was young) to the hand still gripping tightly on his arm, as if asking for him to never leave the owner's side. He had enough of all of this and all he wanted was to cry his heart out and scream all his hidden thoughts to a barren meadow, but all he could do was place his hand on his father's, gently taking away the grip that kept him rooted on the ground for so many years.

With unrelenting eyes, he muttered darkly, "Have you ever wondered what would make me happy?" before turning away and running to who knows where this late at night.

"Tetsurou!"

He did what he always did best ー running away from his problems.

The young boy did this when he was in the middle of his parents' fights when he was just a little boy and he brought it with him until he was in primary school, where his mother took him under her wing all the way to Tokyo. He nearly ran away when Kenma came into his life, the prospect of having friends and interacting with other children his age so dreadful to the boy that he didn't speak until Kenma asked him what games to play, thus, spurring the two to start volleyball. He nearly ran away when middle school and high school came, the latter made his anxiety rise much higher than the previous point in his life. But this was all erased when many of his high school classmates approached him out of nowhere, clinging onto him and confessing left and right, something that he was not proud of.

The messy-haired boy slowed down his pace to a walk, tears bleeding through his vision and blending in with the drops of rain pattering down on him. "I hate this," he muttered, making measured footsteps on the cobblestones, not noticing that his surroundings seem to transition into a shrine. "I hate the world. I hate myself. I wish I would just end this miserable life right away." Just then, a strong odor of tobacco wafted through his senses, making him perk up in wariness.

In front of him was a huge man dressed in an elaborate yukata, casually smoking on a fancy pipe that Kuroo thought was a relic based on its golden sheen that illuminated under the shrine's overhead lanterns. Feeling skeptical at his current situation, Kuroo slightly took a step back with his eyes still set on the man sitting with a mask stall beside him. His heartbeat picked up its pace because of the nerves starting to churn in his stomach but the dark-haired boy still glanced at the number of masks plastered on the stall and oddly enough, all he could see were cats instead of the variety of animals that were displayed in some of the festival stalls down the hill.

"Welcome," the unnamed man said in a raspy and deep voice, his big, slitted yellow eyes glancing over at Kuroo. "Do you want to try one on? It is said to erase all your worries the moment your face touches the mask."

Erase all your worries?

Kuroo gulped before opening his mouth to speak, "How much is one?"

That offer tempted him and based on the man's appearance, he wasn't a scammer that would run away with his money. There was something from the man's voice that compelled him to try just one mask to see if what he said is true because he definitely needed an escape from reality right about now.

The man chuckled ominously. "No need to pay, young man."

The messy-haired boy furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Is this because your offer is a hoax?"

At this, the unnamed man's chuckles became a full-on laugh. Laughter of scrutiny thrown at him, making Kuroo squirm in his perch. "There wasn't anything about a hoax in what I said, kid. Here," the man reached out from behind him and picked out a black cat mask, throwing it at Kuroo, who leaned forward to catch the object, "try it on."

Kuroo flipped the mask. The front was so detailed that it almost looked real, the paint on the mask's nose seemed to glint with the wetness of a real cat's and even the whiskers protruded on either side of it. The ears also captured his attention ー there were fur inside each one and it even depicted the real colors on what you can see on a cat. The back wasn't much with its embellished white appearance but when Kuroo slowly lifted the mask to try it on, it snuggly fit the shape of his face, sending chills down his spine. It was like the mask was made for him. But his admiring came to a halt when an invisible wall slammed on him, making him lose his balance.

The next moment was so bizarre to Kuroo. At first, everything was normal to him and the next, all objects loomed over his figure like skyscrapers. But when he blinked at the green color invading his optics, his vision seems to sharpen, even more, zeroing on where the man was previously seated and only finding no sign of the unnamed person. His chest tightened with anxiety, jumping at the slightest of sound picked up by his hearing. With shaky legs, Kuroo walked on the pathway with the sole purpose of going home and just wrapping himself in his duvet, praying that the next day will be much kinder to him. Upon passing by a vending machine right at the base of the shrine, his golden eyes widened when his reflection showed a black cat instead of his tall physique.

What is happening?

"What in the world?" Kuroo voiced out but instead of his usual timber, a series of meows ricocheted through the empty shrine. He jumped two feet in the air in surprise, spooked that even the black cat in the vending machine's reflection showed rod-like fur. After a few moments, he slowly walked towards the reflection, both curious and unnerved at what he just witnessed. "How?"

Placing a paw on the glassy surface, Kuroo roamed his eyes over his new body. He wasn't even surprised that the cat he donned has black fur and a small tuff of hair covering a portion of his right eye. Gradually, the boy's parted lips turned into a large smile as he whooped in the air while jumping around. It was cute in a human's perspective ー a little black cat hopping from cobblestone to cobblestone, his little meows twinkling in the night breeze. In all honesty, Kuroo felt so alive to leave his human life behind and the only thought lingering in his head is how much he wanted to be a cat his whole life ー lazing around and looking for different homes all day, no room for homework and the constant argument of familial connections. For an entire hour, Kuroo marveled at the world from a different perspective as he never stopped swaying happily down the path.

Until a familiar scent hit him ー watermelon.

And true enough, there on one of the benches was [Last Name][Name], who was looking blankly at the park in front of her with a half-finished bottle of banana milk loosely held in her hands. It looked like she came from one of her college prep classes based on what she was wearing — a beige turtleneck sweater and a tawny pencil skirt covered by a trench coat. Her hair was the same hairstyle Kuroo always liked on her, a loose braid running down on one of her shoulders, with her fringe carefully framing her ethereal face. It was no surprise to everyone how much he likes the girl and it shows how he gawked at her with round, golden eyes.

She looked at the side and when her gaze found him, Kuroo visibly jumped in shock again. The girl rose her eyebrows in surprise at the sight of the adorable black cat pausing a few feet from her. Kuroo watched [Name] open her backpack and mumbling things under her breath as she searched for something in her bag. Brightening when she finally found what she was looking for, the black cat curiously watched as [Name] waved a pack of biscuits in the air and beckoned him towards her.

"I have some snacks, kitty," she told him, which strangely compelled him to come closer. Who doesn't? The girl he absolutely adores called him 'kitty' with that beautiful smile, of course, he would follow her. When he stopped by her shoes, she then lowered her voice, "Is it alright if I pick you up?"

Kuroo meowed in approval, which [Name] happily took as a good response since she carefully picked him up and placed him on her lap. She then softly ran her fingers on his head, making him purr in contentment. Before nibbling on a biscuit, Kuroo enjoyed the warmth [Name] emitted, looking up at her with his pupils blown wide, which is a sign of his fascination with the girl.

"The night is beautiful ー it's like everything disappeared," she pensively voiced out, her eyes softly staring at the black cat on her lap. "I need more moments like these. People want me to do things that they want, not knowing how much I wanted to be free when I step out in the real world. I mean, I'm going to be eighteen soon and it's a sign that my dad should stop placing shackles that makes me want to cry. I don't even want to be a doctor." She pursed her lips as she paused for a bit as she muttered, "It's so suffocating." The girl then felt paws on her shoulder, making her look up at the adorable black cat, which was a few inches from her face. Then, she felt the tiniest kiss on her cheek, something that elicited a giggle from her. "That tickles."

Raising her hand from her lap, [Name] wrapped them around the cat's body, lifting him a little higher and placing him on her shoulder.

"You smell like lavender," she whispered. "I love it."

Through the night, the boy trapped inside the black cat's body heard his heart pound in his chest, his adoration for the girl blossoming like the fireworks lighting the park.

— 5, 1, 3.