Chapter Text
He’s always tagging besides a taller, cooler, smarter, more handsome man, so it kinda slips everyone’s mind that he’s actually a tall, attractive man himself.
Okay, maybe not so attractive (he insists so), but he’s so nice and smart and supportive that you can practically tell him everything you had in mind because it’s just so right. Not to forget that despite his lack of confidence, because of his freckles and all, he’s actually very relaxing to be around.
(No wonder he can befriend someone like Tsukishima.)
But, still. Even if he’s not really trailing behind Tsukishima, he’s always be besides him and acts like he’s in the background or something. Everyone will shift their attention to Tsukishima rather than him, because he’s taller, and because honestly, he’s so aggravating he always gets on people’s nerves. Yamaguchi will always follow along, snickering in addition to Tsukishima’s quirk, and people get used to that image.
That’s why, when they’re going to separated classes in their second year, everyone needs to get adjusted to the sight of Tsukishima being alone, and Yamaguchi being alone.
Not that it’s often, because they spent non-class time together like always anyways; like lunch, volleyball, going home—well but now people [notice] (like, really notice) that Yamaguchi is a whole lone individual. Not just, you know, an [addition] from Tsukishima.
He’s bright, unlike vibrant bright like Hinata, but maybe glowing softly, makes you feels warm and safe, kinda like Sugawara. He’s nice, he cares for people, and he knows how to motivate you when you’re down.He’s smart, proven by getting in college-prep class. His smile calms people, really, and even though he’s not very confidence of his look because he got some freckles and pimples, he’s not unattractive.
(In fact, it’s kinda the opposite of it, yeah.)
So it’s not supposed to be really surprising when halfway in their second year, a girl stopped him in his way to the gym.
(Tsukishima is besides him as always, but he’s not saying anything when Yamaguchi told him to go on ahead.)
When the girl (small, brown-haired, cute) hands out a pink letter sealed with a small heart-shaped sticker, he’s so genuinely surprised he can’t say anything for a whole minute.
The girl asks if that’s okay for him to accept it, kinda teary eyed, blushing, but he can just see that she’s determined to do this. He accepts the letter, thanks her with a lot of gratitude because he just can’t believe that someone is actually able to like someone like him (Yamaguchi even almost asks her if she’s not giving it to the wrong person but it’s just rude, so he refrains from doing so), and then she bows before running off to the school building.
The letter in his hand feels warm. So does his face.
He slips the letter into his bag before entering the gym, but well, everyone is actually eavesdropping, falling, flailing and cluttering away when he opens the door, so.
(Tsukishima’s not flailing, not cluttering away, just standing in front of the door with his gaze, not impassive this time, keeps fixated on his bag. The place where he put that pink letter.
Yamaguchi wants to ask him why, but Tanaka and Nishinoya burst in front of him, wailing that it’s rude to get a girlfriend before your senpai does, so he can’t.)
Yachi scolds the whole team, though. Yamaguchi included. She says it’s not right to hold the practice, and it’s not right to eavesdrops. But she admits she also did that, and she’s kinda sheepish about it while apologizing to Yamaguchi that he’s laughing when he says it’s okay to her.
(Tsukishima still stares at his bag.)