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"Focus, Tsutomu!" Goshiki muttered to himself, aggressively wiping sweat from his forehead. He adjusted his bangs, ensuring his signature bowl cut was perfectly straight. Meanwhile, From across the net, a pair of bright, golden-retriever-like eyes were locked onto him. Koganegawa Kanji had been sent to the water station to refill Date Tech’s bottles, but he frozen in place for three minutes.
He’s so small, Kogane thought, which was objectively false, because Goshiki was nearly 182cm, but compared to the iron wall of Date Tech, everyone looked a bit bite-sized. "Hey! Shiratorizawa-kun!" Kogane shouted and waved at Goshiki. The Omega jumped shocked that the alpha actually talked and even waved to him. "It’s Goshiki! And who are you calling 'Shiratorizawa-kun' so casually?"
Kogane didn't listen.
"Your hair!" Kogane beamed, leaning down until they were nearly nose-to-nose. "It’s so straight. It looks like a helmet! A cool helmet!" Goshiki’s face turned a shade of red at the remark. "It's…it represents my discipline as an ace!" Then, Kogane was looking at Goshiki’s cheeks. Because Goshiki was flustered, his face had puffed out slightly, making him look like a squirrel. They look like milk bread, Kogane thought desperately. Freshly steamed, fluffy, warm milk bread from that bakery near the train station.
"Can I touch them?" Kogane asked with genuine wonder.
"Touch what?! My bangs? No!"
"No, your face! Just a little pinch!"
Before Goshiki could protest, Kogane’s large hands reached out. He didn't wait for a 'yes' and captured Goshiki’s cheeks between his thumbs and forefingers. "Woah..." Kogane breathed, squishing the skin together until Goshiki’s lips puckered. "It’s even softer than it looks. You're like a marshmallow, Goshiki-kun!" Goshiki stood frozen, Goshiki just stood there letting his face be kneaded like dough.
"Unhand me!" Goshiki finally squeaked, though he didn't pull away. "Just one more sec," Kogane grinned. "You’re definitely the cutest ace at this camp. I’m gonna set a ball to you later, okay?" Kogane bounded away toward the water coolers, laughing loudly. Goshiki stood in the middle of the court, his face burnign
---
Every time Kogane tried to strike up a conversation, he was met with a level of sass he wasn't prepared for. Kogane caught up to him during the break, offering a sports drink with a blindingly bright smile. "Goshiki-kun! You were amazing on that last spike! Your bowl cut didn't even move!" Goshiki didn't even look up from his phone. He was busy texting his mother. Then, Goshiki huffed, tucking his phone away. He just ignored Koganegawa and flicked his bangs and went to the serve line.
The dinner hall was where the real drama unfolded. Kogane managed to snag the seat across from Goshiki. "This ginger pork is too salty. My mom uses a honey-glaze base that actually respects the palate. I should have brought a bento." Goshiki mumbled, his eyebrows furrowed but yet his cheek slightly puffed. "You're really picky, aren't you?" Kogane said, mouth full of rice, staring at Goshiki with genuine awe. "But it's kind of cool! You're like... a prince! A very, very bossy prince!"
Kogane watched him rant, noticing how Goshiki’s hands moved while he talked about his mother’s superior cooking. But All Kogane could think was that he's even cuter when he’s being a brat.
"Goshiki-kun," Kogane interrupted mid-sentence.
"What?!"
Squish.
Kogane reached across the table and pinched both of Goshiki’s cheeks again, stretching them wide. "Mphff!! Koganegawa!!"
"You talk so much for someone with such squishy cheeks!" Kogane laughed. "Your mom must be really proud of how much attitude you have!" Goshiki swiped his hands away, his face now a permanent shade of crimson. “Stop touching my face!”
---
At Shiratorizawa, everything was like a pressure cooker. Washijo-sensei roared, Shirabu looked at him with his sharp eyes, and even Tendo’s "advice" felt more like being teased by a chaotic older brother. He was surrounded by "nagging moms" who focused on his mistakes to make him perfect.
Kogane, with his simple brain and giant heart, was the first person to look at Goshiki and see something other than Shitarorizawa's future Ace.
It was late evening, and Goshiki was practicing serves alone. He missed three in a row, and the internal voice of Shirabu was already commenting on his serve echoing in his head. Goshiki’s shoulders slumped. He reached for another ball, his lower lip trembling. He really missed his mom’s cooking, but more than that, he missed someone saying "Good job."
"WOAH! THAT WAS SO LOUD!"
Goshiki jumped, nearly tripping over a ball. Kogane was standing by the equipment shed, his eyes wide with genuine sparkle. "Koganegawa! Stop sneaking up on me!" Goshiki barked, trying to regain his 'tough' persona. "I missed the line. It was a failure."
Kogane walked over, tilting his head. "A failure? Goshiki-kun! It sounded like a cannon! BAM!" Kogane mimicked the sound with his whole body. "I’ve never seen someone with such a cool haircut hit a ball that hard!" Goshiki blinked. "You... you liked it?"
"Liked it? I loved it! You’re amazing!" Kogane stepped into Goshiki's personal bubble. "The guys at Date Tech are all 'Iron Wall' this and 'Serious' that. But you? You’re like a firework!" Goshiki’s chest puffed out. He's gone speechless. "W-Well... I am the chosen one. It’s only natural."
"Do another one!" Kogane urged, clapping his huge hands. "I want to see the Ace in action!" Goshiki tossed the ball. High and Perfect then snapped his wrist, and the ball screamed across the court, painting the corner of the line. "YESS!! SO COOL!!" Kogane began jumping up and down, literally vibrating with excitement.
"GOSHIKI-KUN, YOU'RE A GENIUS! YOU'RE THE BEST OMEGA I'VE EVER SEEN!"
Goshiki stood there, frozen, soaking it in. It was like a parched plant finally getting water. He turned toward Kogane, his face glowing with pride. "You really think so?" Goshiki asked. "Yeah!" Kogane marched over. He didn't even ask this time. He reached out and cupped Goshiki’s face, his thumbs stroking those cheeks. "See? When you smile, your cheeks get even squishier! You worked so hard, Goshiki-kun. You're doing a great job."
Goshiki actually leaned into the touch, his scent turning sweet. "Everyone else just yells at me," Goshiki muttered, his face squished between Kogane's palms. "Then they’re dummies," Kogane declared, leaning down to press his forehead against Goshiki’s. "I'll praise you enough for the whole camp. Just keep hitting those cool shots, okay?"
---
During a three-on-three scrimmage, Goshiki actually did some amazing moves. "Did you see that, Koganegawa?" Goshiki asked, his eyes shimmering with the need for validation. "That was the 'Future Ace' in action."
Kogane’s knees turned into jelly. Oh no, Kogane thought, clutching his chest. "Kogane? You're turning red, are you sick?" Futakuchi noted from the sidelines, looking at his teammate with concern. "He... he looked at me..." Kogane wheezed, leaning heavily against the equipment cart. "The smirk...it poked my heart!"
I’ll tell him tomorrow, Kogane promised himself yet his heart nearly exploded. Or maybe the day after. But for now... this is enough.
---
The final morning of camp was a mess of duffel bags and Date Tech bus leaving at noon. Kogane pulled out his phone and began a lap around the gymnasium. "Hey! Hyakuzawa-kun! Give me your number so we can compare heights later!" he bellowed, practically shoving his phone into the giant’s face. Next, he sprinted over to a group of Johzenji players. "You guys are fun! Numbers! Now!"
He even approached Shirabu, which was a suicide mission. "Shirabu-senpai! In case I need to... uh... ask about setting tips!" Even with a grumpy face Shirabu types his phone number there.
Goshiki was standing near the Shiratorizawa bus, clutching a bag of snacks his mom had sent him, looking a bit lonely. Kogane approached, his heart beating so fast. He held his phone out, showing a list of new contacts as "proof" of his innocence.
"Everyone is trading numbers!" Kogane said. "It’s like... a tradition! I got like ten already. It would be weird if I didn't get yours, right? Since we’re... you know... camp rivals?" Goshiki looked at the phone, then up at Kogane. He crossed his arms. "You've been running around like a headless chicken for twenty minutes, Koganegawa. Are you sure you're not just trying to steal Shiratorizawa’s secrets?"
"No! Just...want your contact, that's all!" Kogane squeaked. Goshiki sighed, but he couldn't hide the way his cheeks puffed out. The truth was, Goshiki had been watching Kogane ask everyone except him, and he was getting more and more annoyed, thinking the Alpha had forgotten him. "Fine," Goshiki huffed, snatching the phone. "But if you text me at 3:00 AM asking how to do a jump-set, I’m blocking you immediately."
As Goshiki typed in his number, his thumb brushed against Kogane’s hand. Kogane nearly fainted on the spot. "There," Goshiki said, handing it back with a smirk. "Don't lose it. It's a very exclusive number."
Kogane looked at the screen. Goshiki just put his name and saved himself as "Future Ace Goshiki 🌟".
"I won't lose it! I'll back it up on three different clouds!" Kogane vowed. As the Shiratorizawa bus began to roar to life, Kogane felt a sudden burst of "now or never" Alpha courage. Before Goshiki could step onto the bus, Kogane reached out and gave his cheek one last pinch. "You did a great job this week, Goshiki-kun! You really are the best!" Goshiki froze on the steps, his face exploding into a bright red flush. He just looked back over his shoulder, gave a tiny shy wave, and hurried into the bus.
"Maybe next time we will meet again... Jiji" The doors of the Shiratorizawa bus hissed shut, but not before those words drifted through Goshiki’s mouth. Kogane stood frozen on the asphalt. His brain took exactly three seconds to process what had just happened.
“Jiji.”
It was a nickname. A short, cute, ridiculously intimate nickname. And Goshiki—the sassy, "Mama’s Boy," future-ace-of-Shiratorizawa—had been the one to say it.
As the bus began to pull away, Kogane finally reacted. He started running alongside the bus. "GOSHIKI-KUUUN!" he bellowed, loud enough to startle the Date Tech players three rows over.
"DID YOU JUST CALL ME JIJI?! WAS THAT A NICKNAME?! I’LL TEXT YOU! I’LL TEXT YOU EVERY FIVE MINUTES!"
Inside the bus, Goshiki was slumped in his seat, his face pressed against the cool glass of the window. He was blushing so hard and could hear Kogane’s muffled shouting from outside and prayed to every volleyball god that Shirabu and Tendo hadn't heard that nickname slipped out.
I shouldn't have said it, he’s going to be so annoying now. He’s going to think I actually like him. (Which, of course, he did.)
---
"Koganeee! The bus is leaving!! Move your giant ass or you’re walking back to Date Tech!" Futakuchi’s voice boomed from the window. Moniwa was visible in the background, looking stressed and regularly checking his watch.
"AH! WAIT! DON'T LEAVE ME!" Kogane screeched, his legs finally snapping out of his fantasy. He sprinted toward the Date Tech bus, his duffel bag flapping wildly against his hip. He dove through the closing folding doors just as the engine roared. "Nice of you to join us, Romeo," Futakuchi drawled, leaning back with his arms crossed. "I thought we were going to have to mail your luggage back to your house while you chased that Shiratorizawa bus into the next prefecture."
"He called me Jiji, Futakuchi-san!" Kogane wheezed, collapsing into the seat directly behind him. In the glowing rectangle of his screen, the cursor blinked steadily at the end of a sentence that felt heavier than a volleyball.
To: Future Ace Goshiki 🌟
I love you
Kogane’s thumb hovered and trembled over the send button. Just press it, his heart urged. He called you Jiji! but…would it ruin everything? What if Goshiki’s mom saw it and thought it was too fast?
Kogane’s thumb twitched, coming within a millimeter of the 'Send' button. "Kogane, if you keep making that face, I’m calling a doctor," Futakuchi’s voice drifted over the seat. "I’m fine!" Kogane squeaked, his thumb slipping. In a panic, he swiped his thumb to the side, hitting the backspace key instead.
Delete. Delete. Delete.
The three most terrifying words he ever typed vanished into the white void of the text box. Kogane let out a breath he felt like he had been holding since the start of camp. He leaned his forehead against the cool glass of the bus window. Kogane whispered to the glass, his voice barely audible.
“Maybe next time.”
The end