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avis-writeshq · 4 years

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Akaashi Keiji x Reader - 青いバラ (Blue Rose)

Pairing: Akaashi Keiji x Fem!Reader

Summary: Blue rose - a flower of the genus Rosa that presents blue-to-violet pigmentation instead of the common red, white, or yellow. Blue roses are often used to symbolise secret or unattainable love.

Warnings: VAST MENTIONS OF DEATH, mentions of blood, slow burn, ANGST, fluff if you look carefully, and 9k words of me procrastinating and trying very hard to keep the fic alive. ALSO HANAHAKI DISEASE AU BC I’M ADDICTED :D

Other: Yo, sorry for dying on you giuys for like, a while. School started up again this week but it was online and I was procrastinating on legit eVerYtHiNg oop so, anyway, hugs and kisses, hope you enjoy this fic because I am so freaking in love with Akaashi it isn’t funny anymore.

Ngl, this fic took like 2+ weeks to complete, and my editor can attest to that :’) Hope you guys enjoy and don’t let this flop. Your requests are coming out soon so thank you for your support! Also I need a nice anon fam to keep nmme happy and occupied during quarantine :)

Word count: 9.1k

Editor: @creative-hours-open

Things you probably wanna know, for all you ‘x reader’ illiterates:

(Y/N): Your Name

(H/C): Hair Colour / Color

(E/C): Eye Colour / Color

(N/N): Nickname

***

You don’t remember when these feelings came to be. You don’t remember when you first felt your heart skip a beat whenever he walked past you. You don’t remember the first time you started replaying all your conversations with him in your head when it was 3 am and your brain wouldn’t shut up. You don’t remember the first time you blushed when he sent you a soft smile after you stared for a second too long. No, you don’t remember those things; but you do remember the first time a small blue rose petal appeared in your hand after you coughed too hard.

Hanahaki Disease: Hanahaki Disease (花吐き病 ) is a disease where the victim coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided love. It can be cured through surgical removal, but when the infection is removed, the victim's romantic feelings for their love also disappear.

For months you lived with this disease not even your parents knew. How could they? After all, they were each other’s first love – their love wasn’t one-sided and besides, you didn’t want to worry them; you can get through this yourself.

Right?

You leaned over the bucket, velvet-soft petals tickling your throat before pouring into the overflowing bucket. Tears prickled the sides of your eyes, threatening to spill just like the petals that scattered to the ground.

God, does this ever stop? You coughed again, gasping for air as you sat on your knees on the cold tile floor. Shit, what time was it? You have school today! Coughing one last petal out, you emptied the bucket into a plastic bag and threw it to the side, grabbing your school bag and rushing out the house.

You couldn’t be late… the bus leaves and waits for nobody. You ran as fast as you could to the bus stop, stopping only to get oxygen back into your system. You still had the wind knocked out of you from spewing rose petals all over the bathroom, but you made it just in time.

The bus was basically full with the only seat that was empty being…

Shit.

You genuinely thought of flinging yourself out of the bus or just standing, but that wasn’t an option.

“Hey, sit down, will ya? I can’t move if you don’t,” the bus driver grunted as you flinched.

“S-sorry, sir…” you mumbled, holding your breath when you sat in the only seat available.

Clutching the bag in your lap tightly, you tried your best to ignore the awkward presence next to you. You went to the same school as him! You shouldn’t be feeling this uneasy…

“Ah, (L/N) (Y/N), right?”

Fuck.

You raise your eyes to meet his eyes. “Yes…? You’re Akaashi Keiji.”

He nodded, giving you a once over before finally saying, “Did you go to the flower shop beforehand?”

“No…?”

“You have a flower on your shirt,” he explained. “Well, a petal.”

Your eyes widened and you looked down at the collar of your shirt. Lo and behold, a bright blue petal was tucked away, but you can see most of it poking out. You felt your cheeks flush in embarrassment.

“Oh… ha ha… thank you?”

He nodded. “It’s fine…” He was quiet for a moment before murmuring, “blue looks good on you.”

***

Why did he have to be in the same class as you? Every single time he was near you, the flower in your lungs thought that it would be a wonderful time to bloom. Right after the bus stop, for example, you coughed your lungs out into a janitor’s basket before forcing your way to class.

Biology, the first class of the day and he was a foot away from you. Did the gods have something against you? Twenty minutes into the class, you felt yourself on the verge of another coughing fit.

You raised your hand meekly, and the teacher looked at you, an eyebrow raised in mockery. Your other hand was covering your mouth as you forced the bright blue rose petals down but you couldn’t. You let out a cough, a few petals falling into your hand. Begrudgingly, the teacher lets you go to the bathroom, and you run out the door frantically.

‘How pathetic,’ you thought to yourself as you coughed out more petals. The roots were getting deeper, you can tell. You cough harshly once more, and a small rose bud falls onto the tiled bathroom floors. ‘Get over yourself. He won’t look at you twice.’

But you knew that. You knew that more than the next person. So why… Why couldn’t you get over him? Each cough hurt more than the last, and the toilet was full of small blue petals. Some had small splotches of blood on them, and you could smell the metallic scent of the blood overtaking the soft scent of roses and tears. You wiped your tears with the cuffs of your school blazer. No more, you willed yourself, stepping out of the cubicle.

Splashing cold water on your face, you let out a breath as you stared at yourself in the mirror. When did you stoop so low? Your eyes were blotched with tears and your cheeks were hollow from not eating. This was just too much. You clenched your eyes closed, tears rolling onto your cheeks as you did. You shook your head; time to get back to class.

***

“Hey, are you okay?” Aneko asked gently as you nibbled on your lunch.

You mustered a smile to please her. “I’m okay.”

“You had a coughing fit this morning; I don’t think you’re okay.” She gave you a disapproving look and you couldn’t help but flinch under her scrutinising gaze.

“It’s just a cough. It’ll pass.”

You can tell she doesn’t believe you, but your silence finishes off the conversation. Well, it should, anyway.

“(L/N)-san, are you feeling alright?” A voice asks from above you, and you felt your heart drop.

“Akaashi-san. Yes, I’m okay, thank you.” You don’t look at him, eyes drawn to the bento in front of you as you fought the soft blush on your cheeks.

“If you keep coughing, the nurse should be able to give you some medicine,” he says gently, his eyes looking at you from above.

Your eyes flickered to his for a second. “I don’t think there’s a medicine that can help me.”

He opened his mouth to respond but is pulled away by a loud and boisterous third year. “AKAASHIII!!!”

“They need you,” you said, closing your bento. “I have to go. Let’s go, Aneko. Thank you for your concern, but I really should get going.”

“But-”

“AKAASHIII!”

He sent you one last look before running after his friend. You just stayed silent, clenching your fists in your lap as Aneko shot you a confused look.

“I didn’t know you were friends with Akaashi,” she remarked, frowning at you. “What happened?”

“Aneko,” you murmured, tears prickling your eyes, “do you know of the Hanahaki disease?”

Her eyes widened. “Don’t tell me…”

You just sent her a wry smile before running to the bathroom.

***

Another disastrous day. The bus was relatively empty on the way home, probably because some of the boys had afterschool volleyball training. Pulling your phone out of your blazer pocket, you opened up Google.

‘Is there a way to get rid of the Hanahaki Disease?’

Multiple sites came up; some were even websites of hospitals that claimed to get rid of the disease.

You pressed on a tab that seemed to answer your question.

‘Surgery can help, but I had a friend who was unable to feel affection after the surgery.’

‘You should confess first!’

‘The medical bills are really expensive, but it’s worth it.’

‘Would you rather suffocate from flower petals or lose the ability to love? My sister did it and she regrets it all.’

‘There’s a guy who does it in India for cheap.’

‘The cheapest is 150,000 yen. Good luck.’

You groaned, closing the tab and leaned back in your chair. Could this day get any worse? How were you supposed to get 150,000 yen, anyway? Even if you could afford the surgery, there was no way your parents would even allow you to take it. Hugging your bag closer to your chest, you let out a sigh. The only way to get rid of these emotions was to either have the person love you back, get over him, or surgery. There was, of course, the prospect of drowning yourself in bleach, but you didn’t think that your friends and family would agree to such ‘extreme’ methods.

‘Dammit, Akaashi, you’re giving me problems when I need it the least,’ you thought to yourself, as you stepped out of the bus. How long does it take for this disease to kill you, anyway?

The answer was six months. According to your research, you have had the Hanahaki Disease for a minimum of four months, so you were basically on the verge of death. In other words, you had 2 months to either take the surgery, get him to fall in love with you, or die. The options didn’t seem too promising.

Your parents weren’t home today, as usual. A note was waiting for you on the kitchen bench and you suppressed a sigh.

‘Dinner is in the microwave. Don’t skip your dinner.

~ Love, Dad’

You skipped dinner anyway.

***

School counsellors were really… different. They’re not teachers, but they teach you valuable ‘life lessons’ when you really need it. They’re not nurses but they take care of you when you’re hurt. Well, they take care of you when you’re hurt mentally.

According to a lot of other students, the counsellor at Fukurodani could either be your best friend or sworn enemy. But at this point, you were desperate. You really needed advice and you couldn’t just ask your friends. No, that wouldn’t work out. After all, they were as insane as you.

“Tell me whatever you need to tell me,” she said with a gentle smile as you looked around the room that enclosed you.

The room was really… childish? Ladybug wall stickers decorated the walls topped with a huge cat poster plastered by the door. And still you questioned yourself, God, what were you supposed to say?

You had it rehearsed in your mind, ‘I have the Hanahaki Disease,’ but when it was your turn to talk, your tongue was glued to the roof of your mouth.

The woman across from you, bless her, just sat there with a patient nod. She handed you a pen and paper.

“Can you write it for me?” She asks as she puts her glasses on.

You did as you were told.

You watched as she read over your scrawl and her jaw dropped. It just… dropped. You’re not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but her jaw dropped as she gaped at you, glasses askew.

“The Hanahaki Disease… are you sure?”

You raised an eyebrow as if to ask, ‘I have rose petals coming out of my mouth and you think I’m not sure?’

She sighed, leaning back in her chair. “You know, that is very dangerous. Have you consulted a doctor? Have you told your parents?”

“I don’t want to worry anyone,” you mumbled, “my parents aren’t home a lot so they wouldn’t have time to take me to the doctors, and the surgery is pretty-”

“You’re considering the surgery?” She cut you off, mouth open and surprised but there was more to that; she was… concerned.

You grimaced. “What else can I do?”

She raised an unamused eyebrow but a ghost of a smile spread on her face. “You can try telling him?”

The thought alone made you feel sick. “I don’t think I can. He obviously doesn’t like me that way.”

“Have you tried talking to him?” She prompted, taking out a notepad to write in before nodding at you to continue.

“We only had one decent conversation and that was about English homework. We’ve only talked once outside of school and…” you fell silent, averting your gaze. “Why would he like me, anyway? He has volleyball to put up with, and his grades are perfect. He doesn’t need a love interest entering his life.”

The counsellor sighed, looking you dead in the eye. “The most important thing for a relationship to bloom is communication. If you can’t hold a conversation now, how is that supposed to help you in the future?”

You hated it when important people had a point. “It gets worse when I’m near him.”

“Just imagine you’re talking to a friend,” she said kindly, before proceeding to ask more questions.

***

You stepped into the class halfway through your fourth period. All heads turn to you as you lowered your head in embarrassment. Meekly passing the teacher a late slip, you took your seat behind Akaashi Keiji.

You couldn’t bring yourself to say anything when class ended and everyone packed up to get ready for their next class. However, the first move had already been made.

“Akaashi was asking about you,” Aneko said as you grabbed more books out of your locker.

Your eyes widened, flickering to hers for a split second. “What did he say?”

“He wanted to know if you were alright. I was getting worried too, y’know; you were in the counsellor’s office for a lot longer than I expected.”

“She wouldn’t stop talking,” you said in a half-hearted explanation. You didn’t want to go into the details.

“(L/N)-san, you went to the counsellor’s office?”

You wanted to shrivel up and die. You didn’t prepare for this! What were you supposed to say now?

Letting out a small breath, you turned around to face him. “Yeah, but I’m okay.”

“Is your cough getting any better?” He asked gently, peering down at you with concern.

“Yeah, I’m getting better,” you lied, praying for the little flower growing in your lungs to disappear in this short moment.

He nodded, “I’m glad. Ah, and I photocopied my notes from the previous classes. They should cover the lessons.”

You swallowed thickly, fighting the heat that clouded your cheeks.

You stuttered out a timid response. “Thank you…”

He sent you a small smile before taking his seat. You felt sick all over again and coughed out some more petals. Aneko’s eyes watched you with concern as you faked a smile.

“I’m okay. I don’t need to go to the bathroom for this,” you said, hoping to calm her nerves.

“I’m taking you to the doctor’s after this, got it? Screw your parents, you need some medical advice,” she deadpanned, her tangerine eyes staring into yours and you can’t help the sigh that escaped your lips.

“We’ll talk more after class,” you promised before sitting down and going over the notes Akaashi made for you. Your heart hammered in your chest as you read his kanji. Unsurprisingly, it was neat. But then again, what were you expecting from Akaashi Keiji? He seemed to be the type to take everything quite seriously.

Ten minutes pass. Then twenty… thirty minutes later and you wonder to yourself, I didn’t cough once?

***

“How long did you say you had this disease for?” The doctor asked.

“According to Google, around four months,” you answer, fiddling with your fingers.

“Any particular reason you didn’t come with your parents?”

“They had work.”

Aneko hummed to confirm your statement. “She’s alone for most of the time. That’s why I am here to help!”

“Right…” the doctor eyed her before turning back to you. “Have you talked to him?”

“Why do people keep asking me that?” You mutter to yourself, digging your nails into the palms of your hands.

The doctor let out an exasperated sigh. “Unless you can earn yourself an ungodly amount of money, the only thing you can do is hope to earn his affections. That or the flowers in your lungs will kill you.”

You knew that. The words seemed to fall on deaf ears because, hell, you knew that better than anyone in the room. Were you the only one with this disease? Everyone you talked to, everyone you confided in… they never seemed to have this disease. Your parents were in love with each other as soon as they met. The school counsellor has never been in love with anyone before. Aneko and her boyfriend have known each other since they were kids and fell in love relatively quickly while this doctor makes the Hanahaki Disease sound so simple. As if it was nothing more than just a small phase or bump in one’s life.

Bull shit.

You didn’t want this disease any more than the next person. Why? Because the disease hurt; it hurt a lot. The worst thing about it was the fact that there was no actual cure. The disease itself was kill or be killed; kill your feelings, or kill yourself. There was not an actual cure. Scientists didn’t know how the flower itself blossomed in one’s lungs. They didn’t know how to cure it.

The worst part? The Hanahaki Disease claimed the lives of more people than traffic accidents and suicide combined. People weren’t necessarily scared of the disease. They were just… uneasy and you understood why.

One thing was for certain though; the Hanahaki Disease was based on genetics. So somewhere along the line, one of your family members was affected by this particular disease. Of course, your parents probably never even thought about the possibility, so they probably didn’t test if you had the gene.

Man, you really hated your parents sometimes.

You left the doctor’s office silently, eyes downcast. Your knees trembled from below you and you felt as if you could collapse any minute now.

“Aneko,” you murmured, stilling yourself and looking at her. “I didn’t cough when he was there.”

She frowns, “What do you mean?”

“When Akaashi was next to me, I didn’t cough a single petal. Not even once did I cough. I only did when class ended.” You showed her a weak smile before continuing. “It probably doesn’t mean anything though, does it?”

“This is why you need to talk to him,” she said before stepping in front of you with her hands on her hips. “You’re dying, (Y/N). That isn’t something you should be taking lightly.”

“I know,” you whispered, avoiding her eyes. “It’s not that easy you know. He has things to do and… he doesn’t need this right now.”

She nodded, continuing to walk down the street. “I’m a pretty shitty friend, huh?”

Your eyes widened, and you gape at her.

Quickening your pace to catch up to her, you glared. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know how you’re feeling right now. I’ve never been in your situation and I… what am I supposed to say to you?” Her voice is rising and you noticed that she had stopped walking altogether. “You’re always the one taking the shots and helping me. You’re the one who introduced me to Eito. You’re the one who stays up late to help me with the assignments I put off. You’re the one helping everyone with their problems. You’re always giving, (Y/N), you’re always the one who puts others in front of yourself!”

Tears leaked out the sides of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. You opened your mouth to say something but she cuts you off.

“This is the one time you’re meant to be selfish. This is the one time you’re supposed to put yourself first. All you do is give! People –” she choked on her tears before saying – “people envy you, you know? I envy you! You’re usually so happy… you’re so willing to help others, even if they’ve done you so much wrong!”

She wiped her tears with her arms, but they kept coming. “This – this is the one time you need help with something and I can’t even do anything!”

She’s crying harder and all you can do is watch on. Fat tears dropped to the cemented ground as she wails louder. “Be selfish for once, (Y/N)! Please… I can’t lose you!”

You’re crying now, too, but you don’t realise it until you taste the salty tears from the corner of your mouth. They spilled silently as you watch Aneko, your best friend, sob into the sleeves of her jumper .

If anyone was around, they would think that you were weirdos. Two random teenage girls crying their eyes out in the middle of the street wasn’t a natural occurrence.

You wipe your tears away with the back of your hand and offer her the most realistic smile you could muster. “Let’s head home, okay? We can binge that sports anime you’ve been meaning to watch.”

She sniffs, the last of her tears splashing to the floor. “Okay.”

***

You’re both late to school the next morning but you don’t really care. Aneko leaves at 5am to sneak into her house that was two blocks away from yours. You’re racing to gather your things so that you can do your homework in the bus.

After puking out another bucketful of rose petals in the bathroom, you’re bolting out the door to catch the bus. There were more places to sit now, and if this was any other circumstance, you would have sat as far away from Akaashi as you could.

‘TALK TO HIM!’ You order yourself and you do before you could change your mind.

You pulled out your geography homework. From the corner of your eye, you note how Akaashi’s eyes do an onceover of your work. Trying to block him out, you began to answer the questions.

What metropolitan area is the largest in the world not bordering a body of water?

What the heck? You blanched at the question. You don’t remember this being in the textbook! You screamed internally, and you have half a mind to pull out your phone to do some research.

“The answer is Johannesburg, South America,” a voice from beside you says helpfully.

You look up, your eyes are met with gentle navy eyes. Your cheeks burn as you look away. How is it possible to have such pretty eyes?

“Oh… thanks,” you mumble, and you let out a breath. “Hey, Akaashi?”

His eyes widen and he clears his throat. “Yes? Is everything okay?”

“Uh… thank you again for photocopying your notes! It was really nice of you! I would’ve gotten them from Aneko, but her handwriting is… questionable,” you laughed lightly, easing yourself into the conversation. “Thanks for caring, is all I’m trying to say.”

The smallest of smiles makes its way onto his face and he looks at you with sincerity. “I’ll always care, you know?”

“Wait, really?” You blink twice at him, confusion swirling in your chest.

He nodded at you, looking out the window. “I care more than you think.”

***

The conversation replayed in your head over and over again, and you can’t help but stare dreamily out the window. When lunch began, Aneko snapped her fingers in your face, bringing you out of your daze. You flush, looking up at her as she grinned down at you.

“So… what happened with Lover Boy over there?”

“Nothing,” you wave her off, trying to ignore the blood that rushed to your cheeks. “We just… talked.”

She wiggled her eyebrows at you teasingly. “So are you guys, like, together yet?”

“It’s not that easy,” you mutter, raising an eyebrow at her. “Love doesn’t just appear, it builds over several conversations and it takes time.”

“Not all the time; Eito and I had love at first sight,” she swooned lightly, and you rolled your eyes at her antics. “Anyway!” She exclaimed, slapping the table. “You have to talk to him more! You like him, right?”

“Obviously,” you deadpanned, giving her a look of amusement.

“Then go talk to him!”

With that, she pulled you out of your chair and pushed you out of the room.

You rolled your eyes, “That wasn’t very Plus Ultra of you.”

“(L/N)-san?”

You spun around to face the person, a small smile on your face. “Hi, Akaashi-san! Yeah, Aneko threw me out of the classroom.”

“Oh, I see,” he nodded in understanding.

“AKAASHIII!”

You jolted out of surprise, eyes widening when you see a third year look down at you.

Akaashi let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Bokuto-san. What are you doing here?”

“What’s wrong with seeing you? You’re annoyed of me, right?” A pout rested on his face, and you couldn’t help but question his strange hairstyle as you looked up at him.

“Um… hello? You’re Bokuto Koutarou, right? The captain of the volleyball team?” You forced a friendly smile.

“You must be (L/N) (Y/N)! Akaashi talks a lot about you!” He grinned at you with an owlish expression.

You felt your cheeks tinge red. “Really?”

“That’s enough, Bokuto-san. You’re scaring her,” Akaashi sighed before turning to you. “Ignore him. Do you want to watch our volleyball practice after school? You seem to be interested.”

You flush pink. “I don’t want to be a bother…”

“I invited you. It’ll be fine.” A small smile made its way onto his face. “I’ll take you after school.”

You grinned, “Okay!”

***

Aneko beamed at you, pinching your cheeks while she was at it. “Aw, (Y/N), I’m so proud!”

You rolled your eyes, pushing her hands away from your face. “He invited me to watch his volleyball practice; it’s not that big of a deal.”

“It is when you like him!” She cheered, the smile on her face widening. “You’re gonna cure that dumb disease and you’re gonna get a hot boyfriend. I rate that ten out of ten.”

You don’t respond, instead finding your phone much more interesting.

“Huh? What are you doing? (Y/N)…” You could practically hear the pout in Aneko’s voice.

You moved your hand away, blocking the screen so that she couldn’t see who you were texting. “I’m not doing anything.”

“Then show me!” She whined, before a sly smirk rested on her lips. “Oh, I see. You’re texting Akaashi, right?”

“What makes you think that?” You flushed, looking away from her.

Aneko grinned, patting your head in jest. “Have fun with him, (Y/N)! Don’t forget me, alright?”

You couldn’t help but laugh, knocking her hand once more. “Alright, alright. Now go away, Eito is waiting for you.”

She nodded, brushing her mousey brown hair out of her face. “Text me tonight, yeah?”

You hummed in agreement before turning back to your phone.

“(Y/N)-san,” a voice called out, and you felt your cheeks redden.

You let out a breath before smiling up at the setter. “You don’t have to add honorifics, Akaashi-san. We’re friends, right?”

“Then call me Keiji,” he offered, looking down at you.

“Keiji,” you said slowly before nodding. “Then call me (Y/N).”

“I’ve always liked your name,” he remarked nonchalantly. “Come on, we have to get to the gym, okay?”

With a slight skip in your step, you followed him to the Gym 03. He slid the door open, revealing multiple yellow and blue balls flying over volleyball nets. They flew from all directions, and stray balls seemed to be more dangerous than the actual people. The people in the volleyball team were tall, big, and intimidating. You couldn’t help the little shiver that crept up your spine.

You felt a hand rest on your shoulder and you looked up at Akaashi. He sent a reassuring smile your way.

“They’re not as scary as they look,” he promised, taking you up to the high rises. “They’re a bunch of babies when you get to know them.”

You couldn’t help the laugh that escaped your mouth. “I’ll take your word for it, then.”

Watching from above, you noticed the way everyone on the team worked together; how they cheered each other on and the way they dealt with Bokuto… everyone was a lot friendlier than you thought they were.

But all the peace and happiness you held was cut short as your stomach lurched and you felt your heart thunder in your chest. Your lungs suddenly started wheezing for air and you stumbled down the stairs. Trying your best to open the gym door as inconspicuously as possible, you bolted to the nearest bathroom to empty your lungs.

You gasped for air, coughing wildly as petals spilled out of your mouth and onto the walkway. Droplets of blood fell into the palms of your hands before inking the ground. Thorns tumbled out of your mouth, scratching and wounding your throat as you staggered to the bathroom, the metallic taste of blood filling your mouth and taking over your senses. Your left hand leaned against the side of the gym, and you tried your best to stabilize yourself, but trying seemed to be futile.

Sobbing from the pain, you fell to your knees as petals and rose buds fell out of your mouth. God, this could not be happening right now.

Breathing heavily, you furiously wiped the tears and sweat off your face. You looked around you at the mess of blood, flowers, and thorns. You stared at the dark green thorns that scattered around you, and you couldn’t help but feel another wave of dread wash over you. Why…? Why was the disease getting worse? You thought that everything was getting better; Akaashi was talking to you more and you were making so much progress with him as well! So why was it getting worse?

You sucked in a breath, trying to regulate your breathing as you wiped your tears away. Your lungs burned in your chest as you got up from the ground, trying your best to clean the mess you made. Somehow managing to make it look like someone didn’t commit murder with a bouquet of flowers, you made your way back to the gym.

Forcing a smile, you slid the gym door open. All eyes turned to you and you felt a blush rise to your cheeks.

“Um… I had to go to the bathroom,” you said shakily, avoiding any and all eye contact.

“You were gone for a while,” Akaashi noted, “are you feeling alright?”

“Yeah, I just needed to get some air, y’know?” You faked a laugh before waving him off. “I’m fine, really. Go back to practice, Keiji.”

He nodded silently, glancing back at you for a split second.

“AKAASHIII! It’s your serve!” Bokuto exclaimed. “NICE SERVE!”

Picking up the ball, Akaashi let his eyes wander to you as you sat at the high rises. He felt his heart tug in his chest as he threw up the ball to serve.

Don’t lie to me.

***

Practice ended a while later, and you had done your best to not gawk at your long-time crush. Sure, you have seen his games before, but that was live on a screen. This was different. Here you could feel the thud of the balls as they hit the floor violently, and you could feel the heat and exhaustion leaking off the players; you don’t feel that kind of thing through a screen.

“Thank you for letting me watch your practice,” you said, bowing respectfully at the coach and the two managers.

They smiled, and the coach replied, “You’re welcome back any time.”

“(Y/N), I can walk you to the bus stop if you would like?”

You felt yourself panic internally as you stood in front of the open door. You didn’t need to turn around to know who it was but you do anyway.

Opening your mouth to say ‘no’, you found that the only word that escaped your voice box was, “Sure.”

“I’ll change first, and then we can go.”

You answered with a slight nod, and the pain you felt just moments ago filled your thoughts. Shaking the feeling off, you waited by the gym doors.

“So, you and Akaashi?”

You felt your heart leap to your throat as you spun around to face the person. It was Suzumeda Kaori, one of the team managers on the volleyball team. She smirked at you, sending you a knowing look.

“We’re just friends,” you said bashfully, but on the inside you wished that what she said was true.

She didn’t believe you for a second, “Really?” She asked drily, the smirk on her face widening by a second. “So… you don’t like him?”

“I… never said that,” you said under your breath, and you felt your cheeks burn in embarrassment. “We’re just friends though. I doubt he even knew I existed until a few weeks ago.”

“Huh,” she remarked, before picking up a stray volleyball. “Whatever you say, (L/N)-chan.”

“(Y/N), are you ready?” Another voice cut in, and you nodded your answer to the question.

The walk to the bus stop was calm as the cherry blossoms fell and drifted over the two of you. It was nice, to say the least. Every so often, you found yourself glancing at the setter through the corner of your eye before forcing your gaze to turn back to the path. You groaned internally. You were falling harder, and the fact that you practically had a ticking time bomb planted in your lungs wasn’t helping.

“I’ve noticed you and Bokuto are really close. When did you meet?” You cringed slightly at the poor excuse of a conversation starter, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“I met him last year when I first went to the club. He said that my tosses were good,” he smiled slightly at the memory, and you felt your heart skip a beat.

“That’s pretty cool. He’s really loud, so I was surprised when I found out you were both friends.” You let out a small laugh.

He nodded in understanding, “I get that a lot. He’s not that bad when you get to know him. When I introduced you, you looked pretty intimidated.”

“I was… surprised. He’s really loud and he’s quite the character.”

“He’s a good guy; and he’s reliable.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

Silence is the only thing that followed as you waited at the bus stop. Akaashi had taken sudden interest in his shoes, and you were trying to wrack your brain for a conversation starter.

“I forgot to ask,” he said, cutting the silence. “Are you feeling any better?”

You blinked at him, clueless for a moment before it dawned on you. “Oh, yeah, I told you I was fine, didn’t I?” You shot him a reassuring smile. “I was just feeling light headed in the gym. It was really warm.”

“Ah, right, that makes sense. I’m glad you’re feeling okay, (Y/N).”

Why was he able to make something as simple as your name sound nice? Blood rushed to your cheeks as the bus pulled to a stop, and the both of you took a seat. Cheeks still flushed red, you focused your vision on the window. There were a few scratch marks here and there, and you watched as the cars drove past. Red car, blue car, black car, black car, white ca-

“Are you hungry?” A calm voice questioned from beside you.

You opened your mouth to answer, but you didn’t need to.

Your stomach growled at the mention of food.

Keiji chuckled softly before handing you a curry bun. “Here.”

You eyed it warily, “Do you have one? I don’t want to eat your lunch or anything… and you’re the one who was doing the physical activity.”

“I have one right here,” he said, pulling out an identical bun. “Have it.”

You hesitated, but took it gratefully, taking small nibbles. “Thanks.”

The rest of the bus ride was relatively quiet, the both of you having small snippets of conversation throughout the ride. The bus lurched to a stop, and you glanced outside the window to check what stop you were at.

“Ah, this is my stop, Keiji. Thank you for accompanying me; it was really nice of you.” You grinned, showing a clumsy bow before picking up your bag. “Thanks for the food as well!”

“You don’t have to thank me, (Y/N). I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” He smiled gently.

With a final wave, you stepped off the bus before making your way to your house, cheeks warm and a goofy smile on your face.

Meanwhile, Akaashi sat in the bus, staring wistfully out the window. With a final sigh, he picked up his phone and clicked ‘call’ on a particular contact.

“Bokuto-san. I need your help.”

***

You returned to school the next day, expecting for the day to be the same as every other one but when you stepped into the classroom, you found a strange biological piece of matter on your table.

A single blue rose with all the thorns cut off on your desk. It was just… sitting there. You suddenly felt sick. Who the hell confesses to someone with a blue rose? Albeit, it was a very pretty flower, but it wasn’t something one would confess with. That is, if this one was a confession. What happened to the red and white roses at the flower shop? It was nowhere near Valentine’s Day or White Day, so there shouldn’t be a shortage of supply.

The only conclusion you could make was the fact that someone knew about your disease. Someone must have seen you. Your stomach churned with anxiety as you picked up the rose. There wasn’t a note to go with it, so there was no way for you to find out who delivered it to you. Then again, the rose might not have been for you.

“Ooh, Whatcha got there?”

You yelped at the sound of your best friend’s voice, nearly dropping the flower in your hands.

“Don’t creep up on me,” you grumbled, shooting a glare at her.

Aneko grinned, plucking the rose from your hands. “What’s this? From a secret admirer, maybe?”

“I think someone knows,” you said abruptly, crossing your arms over your chest. “Did you tell anyone?”

“What? You know I don’t talk to anyone but you and Eito and I didn’t mention anything to him.” She frowned, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “Maybe Akaashi knows?”

“Why would he know?”

“He invited you yesterday to watch practice. You did say that you had a coughing fit right?” A sly smirk made its way onto her face. “Maybe he got worried when you left the gym and followed you.”

You let out a sigh as you took a seat at your desk. Resting your chin on the palm of your hand, you looked at her expectantly. “He wouldn’t like me; he probably just thinks of me as a friend.”

Bending down to reach eye level with you, she flicked your forehead, and you yelped in pain. “Stop being a baby and tell him.”

“It’s not that easy!” You countered, rubbing the area she flicked. “I can’t just magically make the disease go away by confessing. He has to like me too!”

“You’re not making it any easier,” Aneko pointed out.

You shot her a fiery look, hitting the top of her head with a maths textbook. “Shut up, Aneko.”

She pouted at you before taking her seat. Akaashi entered the classroom moments later, taking his usual seat in front of you. You felt your heart hammer within your chest as you stared at his usual unruly mop of black hair.

You did your best to focus on the task at hand. However, trying to focus on a class you had zero interest in was becoming a problem. Staring at your very blank page of paper, you were very close to screaming. What was the lesson on again? Was this maths or geography?

“Ah, (Y/N), Eito wanted to talk to me about something. I’ll see you later!” Aneko exclaimed, and you brought yourself out of your reverie.

“Wait what?” You glanced around, but the classroom was pretty much empty.

“Wait, Aneko-”

But she was already out the door. You groaned, hitting your forehead against your table in frustration.

“I really should have paid attention,” you muttered to yourself, squeezing your eyes shut.

A small shuffling sound next to you snapped you out of your daydream and you looked up at the person.

“Keiji?” You couldn’t bring yourself to say another thing, your mouth opening and closing as you thought of what to say.

“You seemed to have trouble with the lesson,” he said gently, holding a book out to you.

You blinked at it warily before gingerly taking it. “You don’t have to do all this for me. And… how did you know that I couldn’t concentrate?”

“Aneko,” he responded, looking at you intently. “You can borrow my notes.”

You watched as his eyes wandered to the rose that was on your lap and you felt your cheeks burn. “Ah, this is nothing! It was on my desk and I guess someone put it there. I don’t know who, but-”

“Do you like it?” He asked, his eyes ghosting over your face.

“Yeah… it’s a shame it probably isn’t meant for me, though.” You offer a shy smile.

He nodded briskly before patting your shoulder. “Do you want to watch practice again today?”

“Really?”

“Why not? It gave everyone else motivation and you enjoyed it, right?”

“Yeah, I did! It was really cool watching everyone work together like that; your tosses were amazing! It seemed to get the whole team to bond. You’re really focused on the court. I guess you have to be when you’re the control centre of the team.” You shut your mouth abruptly, and your cheeks reddened even further. “Sorry, I’m rambling aren’t I?”

“I don’t mind,” he said tenderly, a strange fondness on his features. “We’ll go to the gym together at the end of the day.”

You beamed. “I look forward to it!”

***

The rest of the day goes smoothly. Well, as smooth as it could be. Halfway in your third period, you choked on a thorn and had to be excused for a full half-hour before returning to the class. For most people in the class, you were either faking to skip class or you were genuinely sick. Strangely enough, your teachers seemed to understand your situation and didn’t question when you left the class randomly.

Wonderful, you thought to yourself for the umpteenth time as all heads turned to you when you had returned to class, I’m absolutely pathetic.

You could still taste blood when you walked with Keiji to the gym, but holy shit, you wished that this could end.

And you realised that maybe it would end; very, very soon.

“Akaashi-kun!” A high pitched voice rang in your ears and you flinched slightly.

You and Keiji were just about to leave the school when a girl with bouncy yellow curls pushed her way between the two of you. You blinked, confused and rather insulted as you stumbled backwards, watching the girl cling onto Akaashi’s arm. You watched as his jaw clenched in agitation.

“Can I talk to you?” The girl asked with a sickeningly sweet smile as she side-glanced you before hissing, “Alone.”

He nodded wordlessly as he followed the girl.

You were no stalker; you were no eavesdropper either. Looking up at their retreating figures, you tried to find a reason as to why you should stay put. Your lovesick brain didn’t have a good enough reason.

“Akaashi-san, I like you!”

You choked as you clapped a hand over your mouth when you heard her high-pitched voice screech a confession.

“Thank you, but I like someone else,” Keiji’s monotone voice said, and you let out a breath of relief.

That was good, right? Maybe it was you! Or maybe it won’t be. You groan inwardly, steeling yourself as you listened to their conversation.

“I’m sure I can be better than her!” The girl exclaimed and you rolled your eyes.

“I’m sorry, but I like her very much.”

Oh. You slowly made your way back to where Akaashi had left you, thoughts running through your mind. How were you supposed to compete against her?

Moments later, Akaashi returned to your side, hands stuffed in his volleyball jacket.

“Did you wait long?”

“No, not really. The bus is coming, we should go.”

He nodded, wordlessly walking beside you. The silence that followed was, to say the least, awkward. You had a feeling he knew you were listening in to his conversation, and he knew you were uneasy about the entire situation. Tugging nervously at your bag strap, you couldn’t help the glances you sent from the corners of your eyes.

“Hey, Keiji,” you interrupted the silence and he turned to you, eyebrows raised as a signal to continue. “Uh… do you want my number? You can tell me when you have practice so I can bring extra food.”

“I don’t mind bringing you food, (Y/N),” he said, but a small smile was etched on his face. “I’ll give you my number, too then.”

And so, numbers were exchanged and the apples of your cheeks were flushed in happiness. That was progress, right?

The bus pulled to a stop, and you hopped up from your seat. “Thanks for walking me to the bus again. See you tomorrow!”

Dropping your bag to the floor, you slumped onto your bed, a small yawn slipping from your mouth.

From: Akaashi Keiji

Did you make it inside safely?

You grinned at your phone, quickly typing in a response.

To: Akaashi Keiji

Yep!

To: Akaashi Keiji

Thanks again for letting me come to practice!

From: Akaashi Keiji

Do you want to come to practice tomorrow?

You couldn’t hold back your squeal.

***

Three weeks passed in a blink of an eye and your friendships with the volleyball team grew. Aneko was still going out with Eito, and that would mark their second year of dating. Unsurprisingly, they dragged you into their two year anniversary, so you were forced to third wheel with them. That was when Aneko found out that you and Akaashi were texting a lot. She gave you hell for it.

“Four weeks,” Aneko remarked suddenly, crossing her legs as she rested against your bed.

You glanced up from your homework, “What do you mean?”

“You have exactly four months to live.” Hugging the pillow in her arms tighter, she looked up at you. “What are you gonna do about it?”

“What am I supposed to do about it?” You mutter, spinning your chair around to face her. “I’ve done everything I could.”

“But you haven’t even told him yet!” She countered, clenching her fists.

“I don’t have to tell him anymore! He…” You trailed off, recalling the words he spoke a few weeks prior.

“I like her very much.”

His words carwled back into your mind and you managed a wry smile. “He said he liked someone. That’s all I heard.”

“How do you know she isn’t you?” Jumping up from the floor, she shot you a pointed look. “Tell him you like him. There’s no point in both of you liking each other and not acknowledging it by confessing.”

“But what if it isn’t me? I’ll ruin a perfectly good friendship,” you argued, folding your arms over your chest as you reciprocated the look.

She groaned, grabbing hold of your shoulders. “Then he doesn’t deserve you. You have to tell him! The whole story!”

“No promises,” you laughed, shaking her hands off of you. “Get off!”

She rolled her eyes, the smile seemingly stuck on her face. “I’m really happy for you, (Y/N).”

“Thanks, Aneko,” you grinned up at her, “You’ve always supported me with everything.”

“Then support me with a meal!”

“Fine.”

***

Fortunately for you and Aneko, Akaashi had invited you to his usual Wednesday practice with the volleyball team. The whole team treated you like an extra manager, asking you to bring refills if they really needed it. Despite knowing that there were already two managers, you were perfectly happy with helping them out while you could. However, while the team was fine with you joining practice upon invitation, people seemed to take their enthusiasm for you being there an invitation in itself.

One of those people just happened to be Etsudo Emiko, the blonde girl who confessed to Keiji a few weeks ago. After he plainly rejected her the first time, she decided to take it upon herself to barge into the after school volleyball training. Unfortunately, when the other managers complained about her being a distraction to the team, Etsudo brought up the fact that you were allowed to watch the practices freely. As much as the coach wanted to take their side, he knew that the only way to get rid of Etsudo was to stop allowing you to attend the practices. The problem was, while Etsudo did virtually nothing to help the team, you motivated the team in multiple ways.

Nevertheless, Etsudo was allowed to attend the volleyball practices if she didn’t bring anyone else to which she swiftly agreed. Hence, the three weeks of patience testing began.

“Keiji! You did so good!” Etsudo’s high pitched voice reverberated through the gym.

The rest of the team let out quiet groans as the girl ran down the stairs to latch onto the setter’s arm. He let out a frustrated sigh, tugging his arm away from her. Not relinquishing, she trailed after him, completely unabashed.

“Am I the only one who hates her?” Kaori asked, her nose scrunching in disgust as she pumped a volleyball with more air. “You’re the one who likes Akaashi. I’m surprised you can even stand to be in the same room as her.”

“She’s totally annoying,” Shirofuku Yukie, the other manager, remarked. “The whole team knows that there’s something going on between you and Akaashi.”

You managed a small smile, “There’s nothing going on between Keiji and me. He probably doesn’t even like me that way.”

The both gave you a piercing look. “Are you stupid?” They asked together.

You don’t respond, eyes trailing back to Keiji. Etsudo was still clinging onto him, pouting up at him with her big green eyes.

A small cough erupted from your throat, and a lone petal found its way into the palm of your hand.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” you said awkwardly, dropping the ball you were holding to the floor.

“Are you-”

“I’m fine,” you responded by default, “I’ll be back in ten.”

With that, you ran out of the gym, a hand over your mouth as more petals dared to fall.

Why was the bathroom so far away?

You gasped for air as petals and thorns spilled to the ground, your tears following after them. Blue rose buds stained with blood escaped your throat as the metallic taste filled your mouth as dark red thorns scraped the delicate skin. The pads of your fingers dig into the red brick wall, the skin scratching as you dropped to your knees.

Despite the obvious pain and the salty tears that streaked down your cheeks, you couldn’t help the sarcastic laugh that you let out.

“Déjà vu really is the worst.”

A violent cough erupted once more, and you inhaled a shaky breath as more petals drifted to the concrete floor. As they did, the gentle patting of footsteps distracted you for a moment before the footsteps stopped directly beside you. Panic rose inside your chest. You needed an explanation!

While you wracked your brain for an excuse, a hand rested in the middle of your back.

“Breathe, (Y/N),” a gentle voice whispered.

If you died now, would Aneko kill you?

… Probably.

Your coughing died down after several minutes, and you wiped your mouth with the back of your hand.

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled, eyes trained to the mess in front of you.

“What are you sorry for?” Akaashi questioned, crouching down to be level with you.

“I’m disturbing practice, aren’t I? What’s Bokuto gonna do without you?” You shot a teasing smile at him, but it didn’t quite meet your eyes.

Keiji sighed at your answer. “Don’t answer with another question, (Y/N).”

“Sorry,” you said automatically, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. “I didn’t want you to see me like this.”

“Who is it?”

“What?” You stuttered out a response, looking up at him for a second.

“Who is it?” He repeated, his gunmetal eyes boring into yours.

“Why do you want to know?” You asked, getting up from the ground to gather your mess. “It’s not important, anyway.”

He was silent as he rose to his full 6 feet form looming over you. “Not important?” He repeated, mostly to himself than to you. “How can you say that about yourself?”

“Well I’m obviously not lying,” you countered, pointing to the floral monstrosity at your feet.

The muscles in his jaw tightened, and you noticed the way played with his fingers. He was worried – nervous, maybe. “You can die from this. I’m not as oblivious as you think I am.”

A sarcastic laugh erupts from your throat, but it comes out more as a strangled chuckle. “Sure, Akaashi. Whatever you want to believe.”

The look on his face darkens, and you avert your eyes from his. When was the last time you used his last name? His watchful eyes glanced over your face, trying to read your emotions. If he could read Bokuto, he would be able to read you, right?

Absolutely.

“I know you’re scared, (Y/N). You need help to get better.”

“Do I, though?” The eye roll you pulled off had you feeling a little guilty, but at this point you were done with everything. “I don’t need to get better.”

“Why do you keep saying that?” He demanded, the tension in the air growing thicker by the second.

“Maybe because it’s true!”

“I’m saying it’s not!”

He let out a frustrated grunt, eyes shutting for a moment as he thought of what to say. “You mean a lot to everyone.”

You scoff, “really?”

“Have you thought about Aneko-san, your parents, the team? What about-” He stops short, shutting his jaw closed as he averted his gaze.

“What about what?” You ask tentatively, your eyes still fixated on the mess in front of you.

“… Me.”

Your eyes flickered to him, the slight hunch of his shoulders as he stood.

“Have you…” A forced smile made its way onto your face. “Have you considered the possibility that he might be you?”

The silence that followed seemed to taunt you and you berated yourself internally. Did you hear wrong? Did he say something else? Maybe you were mistaken.

In split seconds, you felt a pair of gentle arms surround you, wrapping you in warm embrace. You had the slight temptation to laugh – were you in some shoujo manga or something? But instead, you return the hug, burying your face into the crook of his neck.

“I really like you, Keiji.”

“… I really like you too.”

***

~The End~

All characters except for the reader and my OC’s (listed below) are the work of Haruichi Furudate (古館春一). This is not part of the canon work by any means. I do not claim ownership over the characters or the Haikyuu storyline and plot. Without Furudate Sensei’s work, myself as well as many other writers are unable to create these stories.

My OC’s:

Fukuhara Aneko(福原あねこ)

Hasegawa Sakura (長谷川さくら)

Emiko Etsudo (えつどうえみこ)

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