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Goshiki has recently started to notice that his relationship with his favorite senpai has undergone a drastic change.At first he thought it was simply adoration or fascination...Maybe even rivalry- Specifically with Ushijima at least.But lately it started to be more than that.Tendou’s sudden hugs and affectionate head pets every time they see each other usually makes him really happy, but recently it left Goshiki a stuttering, red mess. At one point he truly believed Tendou got him sick or something by how hot his face had become.And at practice, usually he would watch Ushijima to try and learn his moves and techniques so he can be a better ace in the future! But lately he’s noticed no improvement, no new move sets or information that he can work with. Mainly because whenever he gets to watch Ushijima play, he isn’t simply ‘observing’…he’s staring . Blank stare, no thoughts, head empty.Not only that, but he started focusing on details he hadn’t previously paid much attention to. Like how Tendou’s hair looks so freaking beautiful when it’s down, wet from the shower after practice or while he’s chilling in his dorm before going to bed.Or how strong Ushijima’s muscles are, how the sweat after practice makes them practically glow under the fluorescent lights in the gym, how safe he would feel while being wrapped by his captain’s arms…Oh god, he’s down bad.But Goshiki isn’t the type to get embarrassed or nervous about this new revelation. In fact, he takes it as a challenge! He’s going to prove himself to his senpai and hopefully get them to reciprocate his feelings.The problem is…He’s never been in a relationship before or had any strong romantic feelings towards anyone- Not that he noticed at least. So he doesn’t know how to show his senpai his newly growing affection towards them in a way that won’t be weird or awkward…Therefore, to counter his lack of experience in the love department, he’s been up all night doing research on relationships and love languages. Making a step by step plan of ideas to try in the span of a week, and if all else fails he’s going to master all his courage and confess to them on the weekend!And if it doesn’t go as planned…Well, that’s a problem for future Tsutomu. But he made sure to think of every little detail he could, making the plan as foolproof as possible, so he has high hopes that everything will go well.Now all there is to do is get a good night's sleep- With the few hours he still has left of the night, because tomorrow it’s time to put the plan into action.Tomorrow, Goshiki’s mission of getting himself two new boyfriends is a go!
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Out of the five love languages Goshiki researched about, ‘Words of Affirmation’ was pretty self explanatory and easy to accomplish without prior preparations or anything. So he decided to start with that.All he has to do is compliment them, make them feel good about themselves.“Easy enough.” He said to himself as he shoved the plan he had written down back into his bag. “I like so many things about them that I can rant for hours!”He laughed to himself from the excitement as he entered his classroom and sat down. “But maybe I should be careful not to say something weird.” He made a mental note, ignoring the questioning looks he received for talking to himself out loud.He didn’t really care if people stared at him, attention was never something that necessarily bothered him. And his mind was so focused on choosing what compliments he should tell the third years when he gets to see them, that nothing else mattered anyway.The only problem that troubled the first year at the moment was the different schedules. Ushijima and Tendou are third years, they have different lessons and classes, so Goshiki doesn’t always get to see them on breaks.The best chances to initiate step one of the plan is either at lunch period or during afternoon practice.And that’s exactly what he plans to do.He doesn’t pay much attention in his classes, shifting most of his focus to the clock on the wall, waiting impatiently for the bell to ring and set him free to go to the cafeteria for lunch.The moment the bell rang Goshiki was already running out of the doorway, beelining straight to the cafeteria to eat with the team. If he gets there fast enough, there will be less commotion around the table, and he'll be able to get his senpai’s attention more easily.He got there fast- too fast in fact, looking around at the practically empty cafeteria as he pants and catches his breath from the run. He got himself a tray with food and made his way to the usual table the team sits in, noticing that some of his teammates had yet to arrive. Only Shirabu, Kawanishi, Semi and Tendou were present at the table.Which was good! But bad at the same time.There are less people around, like he hoped, but one of the two upperclassmen he was hoping would be present- has not arrived yet. A bit of a bump in the road, but nothing that he needs to panic about. Tendou was there so the plan was still ongoing, and he can speak to Ushijima during afternoon practice instead. Thus, with his mind settled, he sat down right in front of Tendou- who was laughing at the two setters arguing next to him. But stopped to greet Goshiki properly the moment he noticed him from the corner of his eye.“Tsu-chan! Hello~” he said with a big smile. “How’s my favorite underclassman doing today?”“I’m great, Tendou-san!” Goshiki answered with a big smile of his own.The redhead pointed his chopsticks at the first year. “You seem excited, something good happened to you today~?”Goshiki blushed, a little embarrassed. He should’ve known that Tendou would catch onto his abnormal behavior. “Not exactly, but maybe soon something will.” He gave the middle blocker an innocent smile before shoving food into his mouth so he won’t be able to reveal any more details.Tendou wanted to push the subject forward but Semi and Shirabu’s banter caught his attention once more.“Just kiss already you angry lovebirds~”“EW- NO!” Shirabu physically recoiled, albeit there was a little blush on his cheeks.“WHAT THE FUCK, TENDOU?!” Semi shouted with a similar reaction.Kawanishi tried to stifle his laugh but Tendou didn’t care, he laughed out loud at his friends' reactions and continued excuses of why they’re ‘not going to date’ because they ‘absolutely don’t like each other’ and other nonsense that none of them believe for a moment.But Goshiki barely listened to the commotion next to him. His attention was solely focused on Tendou. Specifically his smile and laugh.He always loved Tendou’s smile. It was a smile that promised everything will be okay. It was reassuring, comforting, full of optimism and joy.And his laugh…It’s captivating. Goshiki can’t help but laugh as well whenever he hears that sound of pure happiness. It was so…“Pretty…” He murmured under his breath.“Pretty? What’s pretty, Tomu?” Tendou’s voice brought him back to reality.“Uh-” Goshiki snapped out of his haze, noticing he had been staring. “O-oh, um- Tendou?”“Me?” Tendou blinked before looking at him with a surprised smile. “I’m pretty?”“I- Yes?” He phrased his answer like a question, not really sure how to answer.“Awww! Thank you, Tsu-chan!” Tendou’s cheeks were slightly tainted red with blush. “That’s so nice of you to say!”Goshiki cleared his throat, trying to keep himself cool and under control. “W-well. I’m simply telling the truth.”“Aw stop it, you’re gonna make me blush!” He said, already blushing.Well, even though the conversation went nothing like his planning, Goshiki deems this as a success- If Tendou’s smile was anything to go by.That smile was a little different than the previous one, Goshiki can tell. It’s more genuine, joyfull…Almost giddy. Out of the many expressions Tendou shows in his day to day life…This one is new. Who knew that such a simple word would have such an effect on him? Now he can’t wait to see what reaction he might get from his usually stoic captain. Though for that he has to wait for practice…Bummer. In any case- One down, one more to go.He waited for the school hours to pass- A bit too slowly for his liking, but it’s not like he could do much about it. And eventually practice rolled around the corner. Goshiki thought getting Ushijima’s attention or a moment alone with him would be rather difficult- However to his surprise, the stars aligned for him and coach Washijo assigned them to train on their outside hits together.Perfect! Now all he needs to do is keep his cool and say something nice, easy peasy! As long as he doesn’t start to stare again.Except for some reason…No compliment that he gave the captain seemed to have an effect. He had a full list in his head of things to say! ‘Your spikes are incredible!’ Or ‘you’re so strong!’ and ‘you’re so talented!’ and what not! Nothing seems to work the way Goshiki intends.Eventually the coach called for a break and Goshiki just sulked down on the bench, trying to collect his thoughts. What is he doing wrong? It seemed to work so effortlessly with Tendou, why is he struggling now?“Here Tsutomu, you should hydrate.”“Huh?” Goshiki looked to his side, seeing Ushijima handing him his water bottle.“It’s important to drink water during breaks.” The ace pushed the water bottle towards the first year again, waiting until he took it. “Your body is working and sweating, if you don’t take care of yourself properly and drink water it could harm your health.”“Oh, right-“ He took the bottle in his hand and drank a few sips of water, per his senpai’s request.“It’s important to take care of yourself if you wish to be the ace in the future.”Ushijima’s words caught Goshiki off guard. It’s always surprising to hear the third year’s reassuring words and the trust he puts in Goshiki’s capabilities of becoming an ace.Most of the team always takes his claim as the future ace with a bit of sarcasm, some of them (Shirabu) with slight annoyance as well.But never Ushijima. He truly believes in Goshiki. He always makes Goshiki feel like he can do anything he puts his mind into, no matter how hard it may be. Ushijima is the one person that makes any doubt Goshiki has about himself disappear. With little words, but great intentions…Ushijima always knows what to say to make Goshiki feel fulfilled and happy.And despite Goshiki seeing him as a rival, Ushijima always saw him as his underclassman, his protege. He saw him as a friend.“Thank you, it’s very kind of you.” He blurted out, looking down at the water bottle in his hands with a small smile.“It’s no problem,” The older answered in his usual monotone voice. “It’s important as the captain to make sure my team is in good shape.”“It’s not just that though…” he turned to look at his senpai. “You’re always so…Thoughtful, and caring. You believe in me when I start to doubt myself, if I need help I know I can count on you for support…It’s not just being a captain.” A smile appeared on Goshiki’s face as he talked.“You’re a great person, Ushijima-san.”Ushijima's eyes widened a bit from surprise at the compliment. He quickly tried to compose himself and give a proper answer. “Thank you, Tsutomu. I…Appreciate your compliments, they mean a lot.” His cheeks tainted with light blush that could easily be mistaken by their teammates as excess heat from practice.Goshiki was also a tad bit surprised at his honesty, and even more at Ushijima’s reaction. He can't believe he got the Ushijima Wakatoshi to show such an expression with a few words. But sometimes even the strongest and bravest people need affirmation, he supposes.And with that his mission for the day had been completed with great success.
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After Yesterday’s events, Goshiki decided to take a step backwards and do something from the sidelines.Step one was completed well! He got the results he wanted. But not in the way he planned to…It might have been the unfamiliar territory he stepped into by trying to understand romance, or the way he put himself on the spot by interacting with his crushes so early into the plan- But nothing went like Goshiki intended it to go.It was an ‘accidental success’. And though he’s glad everything turned out well for him in the end- The first year still wants the plan to go a little smoother going forwards.So he went back to the drawing board, reorganized the plan and chose something a little less nerve wracking for him to handle. Just to build up his confidence…And he ended up choosing ‘acts of service’ as his mission for the day!Sounds relatively easy, he just needs to be helpful! Or do things for them out of kindness. Piece of cake! He’s already trying to help all the time, it shouldn’t be difficult.But…How does he make it seem romantic?He goes to them and asks if they need his assistance almost every day. Especially at practice, when the coach assigns them tasks. But those are the usual, mundane club responsibilities…Maybe he should try and help them with something more personal?Yes, that’s a good idea! Now all that’s left is choosing what to do.He heard the third years complaining the previous day during lunch about a math test they have the next morning. Which matches perfectly with day two of Goshiki’s plan!So Goshiki decided to wake up extra early that morning and prepare his senpai something special for the test!He doubts Tendou will remember to eat something before he leaves for class, and while Ushijima is responsible enough to remember, Goshiki thinks he’ll probably just wait until after the test is over to eat during the break, since he usually eats heavy meals and it’s not healthy to eat so much right after waking up. But Goshiki can’t just let them go fill out an important test with nothing to fill their bodies with energy!After all, can’t concentrate on an empty stomach!And so, he decided to make them a little surprise snack. The dorm doesn’t have a really big kitchen, but it’s not like Goshiki is a master chef. The small kitchen in his room would be enough. Besides, he’s not making a full meal, just something small to get their minds running and help them through the morning exam.Now all there is to do is pick a dish to make. There isn’t much to choose from since there’s no stovetop or oven in the dorm- So he can’t cook, and he does have limited ingredients since he didn’t prepare anything in advance.All he knows is that the snack needs to be sweet because Tendou has a sweet tooth, but it also needs to be healthy because it’s important for Ushijima to keep his body in good shape.And there’s only one thing that comes to Goshiki’s mind when he thinks of something sweet and healthy. Fruits! And he has a bunch of them in his room because they’re a good healthy snack after practice.He can make them a fruit salad!That should get their minds active for the test, give them their needed vitamins and be sweet and tasty!Perfect! Now that Goshiki has an idea, it’s time to set it in motion.He reached for a bowl on his countertop, filled with different types of fruits that his parents buy for him whenever he visits. Apples, pears, clementines, bananas…He even had a package of strawberries in his mini fridge that his grandmother bought him not too long ago! All of them would make for a colorful and tasty salad!He picked a few that looked good and started cutting them into little pieces. He was even able- With his few artistic skills, to make the strawberries look like hearts! At first he was super proud of himself, he thought it was cute, but then he remembered the reason for him making this fruit salad and thought it might be a little too forward…So he changed them into flowers instead!With the fruits now cut, Goshiki took out two small plastic boxes from his cabinet, placed the cut fruit inside with the strawberry flowers laying on top for decoration and placed the lids on top, sealing the salad inside the boxes.“Perfect! Mission accomplished!” He proudly exclaimed to himself, admiring his creation. “It’s so colorful, they’re gonna love it! Now I just need to get to practice and-“He took a quick glance at his clock and noticed that practice was starting very soon, and he barely had time to get ready. “SHIT- I'M GOING TO BE LATE!”He switched out of his pajamas as quickly as he possibly could, picked up his bag which he thankfully prepared the night before, and almost ran out of the door without taking the snack he made for his senpai.He went back to his kitchen counter and picked up the two boxes, putting them inside his practice bag, but then a thought stopped him.How would they know it was from him?He can’t give it to them face to face because it’s meant to be a surprise, but they won’t know it was from him just by looking at the box.He quickly ran back inside the room to his desk, taking a sticky note pack and simply writing- ‘Good luck on your test today!’ Signing with his name so they’ll be sure it was from him.And with that out of the way, he really needs to run to practice or coach Washijo will tear his ears off. A shudder ran down his spine just thinking about it.He ran out of his dorm, down the hall and towards the gym as fast as he could, grateful for being an athlete and having good stamina. And thankfully, he wasn’t the last one to arrive. Apparently Yamagata and Semi were also running a little late so coach Washijo wasn’t as ruthless as Goshiki thought he might be. He just told him to put his bag down and join the others with warm up.So he sat down on the bench to switch to his volleyball shoes, and while making sure no one was looking, sneakily took out the two boxes of fresh cut fruits from his bag, shoving one into each of his senpai’s bags and quickly made his way across the court to join the team in their warm up, sighing a sigh of relief at his success.Now all there is to do is wait and hope they’ll like it!Later on that day he snuck around to the third year’s classrooms to find the class that the test was held in. It didn’t take long to find, thanks to Tendou’s excited voice.“It was so cute! When did he even put them in our bags? Sneaky Tomu~” Tendou rambled excitedly. “It was so sweet of him though! Wasn’t it Toshi-kun?”“It was.” The latter agreed. “Fruits as a morning snack is a great choice, and the salad was very tasty.”“It was berry tasty~!” The middle blocker laughed at his own joke.Ushijima hummed at the other’s pun. “It was very considerate of him to think of us. We should thank him when we see him later at afternoon practice.”Goshiki celebrated with himself at the compliments he received from Tendou and Ushijima, but decided to head back to class before they saw him and made a commotion in the hallway. He can wait for his praise to be received at practice, he’s just glad they enjoyed his surprise.It was fun to make them the snack…And it was even more fulfilling to hear how happy it made them feel. Honestly, Goshiki feels like he doesn’t even need- Or even want the praise. hearing and seeing how happy his little gesture made them feel, gave goshiki a sense of joy and pride on its own.He feels accomplished and a sense of contentment. Seeing his senpai’s smiling faces was more than enough compensation for him.Weird...Usually he would never pass up an opportunity to be complimented. Is he getting sick? Or maybe that’s how you’re supposed to feel after helping someone you love? Is that how Tendou and Ushijima feel whenever they help him too?If that’s so, it would make sense why they would always be the first two who offer him assistance in his day to day struggles…If it feels this good, he might start helping them around more often as well. That way, they’ll all be happy!But regardless, he marked day two as yet another successful mission.
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Now it was time to turn up the level.Until now, Goshiki completed the steps that didn’t take much effort or were prepared behind the scenes…But now he had to step up and get his head in the game!He had a lot of physical contact with Tendou and Ushijima throughout their day to day life, but it’s always in a friendly manner, it was never with the intent of showing love and affection like now.So he struggled with this part of the plan for a while. He stayed up late last night to think of a gesture that would be subtle enough to not blow his cover but also one that wouldn't seem too friendly. And he eventually gave up and went to bed in hopes that his brain would refresh after resting.But here he is now, walking down the hallways of the school building to his next class, no idea whatsoever.He groaned, scratching his head in hopes to get his mind working. “Why am I struggling on this part so much!” He murmured to himself in frustration. It was already noon and he was stumped! And if he doesn’t think of something soon the day might go to waste!Because coach Washijo scheduled a practice match with a nearby university and it’s happening later in the afternoon. And Goshiki knows that once school is over with, his mind will focus solely on volleyball so they can win the game!And if that happens, step three will be a total failure! The whole plan could collapse! It will be a disaster…Okay, maybe he’s a little dramatic. But it’s important for Goshiki that the plan would work as intended!Maybe it would’ve been easier to let his instincts and confidence do the work for him. Planning ahead didn’t work the last two times he tried, every decision and action was spontaneous.But that brings another problem- He can’t! He hadn’t seen Tendou or Ushijima all day!“This is the worst…” he sulked, feeling almost drained and a little empty. It got him wondering to himself if it’s normal to be deprived of people he isn’t in a relationship with yet.As he continued his way through the school corridors, a sudden familiar voice caught his attention from just around the corner. Looking towards the source he saw none other than his redheaded senpai parting ways with one of his classmates as he made his way to his next class.It’s like the universe heard his thoughts of desperation and summoned Tendou right to Goshiki’s way, making sure his plan succeeds.The moment he saw Tendou in his field of vision, Goshiki’s body acted on its own. Sprinting towards him as fast as he could, shouting- “HI TENDOU-SAN!” Before lounging himself at the middle blocker and hugging him tightly.Tendou took a moment to steady himself from the impact, but the moment he did, his arms went straight to embrace the first year, pulling him even closer against his chest. “Tsu-chan! What is it, opposite day? Usually I'm the one who jumps at you for a hug!”“Well, today I beat you to it!” He exclaimed proudly, all the energy that drained from his body suddenly came back in full force.“Ah- You may have bested me today, but mark my words- I will win next time!” The older one answered dramatically.“We’ll see about that!” Goshiki stuck out his tongue to jokingly mock the middle blocker, who in return stuck out his tongue as well. They both laughed at each other’s antics- Tendou wiped the tears of laughter in his eyes as Goshiki rested his head on the older’s shoulder, trying to stifle his laughter.“Seriously though, it’s unlike you to jump at me out of the blue like that. You okay, Tomu?” Tendou asked with slight concern but a caring smile.“Yeah, I’m fine. I just haven’t seen you at all today!” The inspiring ace explained. “It was weird…”“Awww! Tsu-chan missed me~!” Tendou teased, yet looked extremly happy at the first years desire to see him. “I’m sorry it took us so long to see each other, the school day has been hectic ! I had to complete a bunch of stuff before we need to leave for the practice game.”“It’s alright!” Goshiki took a step backwards to look Tendou in the eyes, breaking the hug in the process but his hands reached to hold Tendou’s on instinct instead. “I saw you now, so everything is fine.”“If you say so~” He shrugged nonchalantly. “But next time if you want to see me, don’t wait until it happens by chance- You can look for me anytime!”Goshiki beamed with happiness at his senpai’s words. “Great! Then I’ll come by to bother you more often.” he said sarcastically.Tendou chuckled and ruffled his hair affectionately. “You never bother me! I love seeing you around!-”Suddenly the school bell interrupted their heartfelt conversation, forcing a groan from both boys at the realization they have to part ways for now.“Alright c’mon, let’s get you to class before we get in trouble.” Tendou took Goshiki by the hand, walking with him down the hallway to get the first year to his next class. “We’ll see each other again in a bit anyways, so don’t miss me too much, okay?” He winked at him.Goshiki laughed, his face reddening and mixing with the blush he had from holding hands with his crush. “I-I’ll try my best.”After that encounter and for the rest of the day, Goshiki couldn’t focus on a single thing that happened in his classes. Nor did he care. All that was on his mind was the memory of holding hands with Tendou…Tendou’s touch was warm…comforting…It was so nice …Goshiki wanted to savor this feeling forever. And their hug was amazing as well…It made him feel complete, fueled him with energy and got rid of all the worries that swarmed his head…Goshiki is pretty sure that Tendou is a wizard, because that hug was nothing short of magical!And he can't help but smile at the fact that he was going to see Tendou again later today, when the team will meet up at the school’s parking lot and take the bus to the practice game.Oh, he can’t wait!Once that fateful moment arrived and he made his way to the meeting spot where the bus was parked- immediately noticing Tendou flailing his hands to get his attention, and Goshiki sprinted towards him for another hug. Just that simple gesture gave him a giant boost of energy for their upcoming game!And it worked, because they won! Goshiki felt himself perform extremely well, hitting spike after spike with ease thanks to Tendou’s support and affection giving him a rush of adrenaline that lasted the entire game.He almost forgot it wasn’t just the two of them alone on the court with how much they stuck to each other like glue. Even Ushijima found their closeness endearing, his teammates were shocked to see the captain smile at the sight.Speaking of Ushijima, Goshiki almost forgot he only finished half of his mission for today.But by the time the match was over and they made their way back to the bus, he was so tired that he couldn’t think of anything apart from wanting to fall into bed and sleep for three days straight. And it didn’t help that he was already lacking sleep from the past two days thanks to his secret operation.Safe to say, Goshiki was tired. Too tired to function properly and definitely too tired to follow through with the plan…He sighed as he flopped onto one of the bus seats, exhausted from the practice match. He wanted to sit down so badly, his feet were killing him…He didn’t notice where he sat though. And so he got caught off guard by a dramatic gasp next to him.“Tsu-chan, how dare you! Seat thief!”“What..?” He turned his head to see Tendou with a teasing smile.“You took my place near Wakatoshi-kun, the betrayal…” The middle blocker held his fist over his chest, mimicking a painful expression. “I didn’t expect this from you of all people!”Goshiki looked to his side and fair enough- He sat down right next to Ushijima.Which was usually Tendou’s place to sit.Goshiki immediately panics, fumbling to get up and pick another seat. “Uh- I’m Sorry, Tendou-san! I didn’t notice-““Relax, relax, I was joking!” The redhead chuckled, placing his hands on Goshiki’s shoulders and pushing him back down to the seat. “You can have Toshi for today, I don’t mind sharing him. As long as he’s okay with it of course.”Ushijima shrugged. “I don’t mind.”“See? All good!” He patted Goshiki’s head. “I’ll sit on the seat right behind you two, so don’t worry.”“Are you sure..?” The first year asked with slight worry. Feeling bad for being somewhere he isn’t supposed to be…Even though there are no assigned seats or any rules that he’s breaking.“Absolutely positive!” Tendou offered him a kind smile. “I was already planning on bothering Hayato with a show I watched recently, so it all works out!”Goshiki giggled as he heard Yamagata groan behind them on his seat next to Tendou and mentally apologized for him, but thanked Tendou nonetheless because he really didn’t have the energy to get up on his feet again.He then turned his head towards Ushijima once again, giving a tired smile in some sort of greeting. Ushijima returned the gesture with a simple nod, keeping the comfortable silence they had between them, which Goshiki was thankful for.The day had been long and pretty chaotic, with him and Tendou being super energetic the entire time. And while his redheaded senpai had the chaotic energy of a hyperactive puppy that could keep him going for hours on end, Goshiki needed a few moments of peaceful silence to end the day, and being around Ushijima was always a perfect opportunity for that exact moment.The captain was always relatively quiet, but never in an intimidating way. It was rather calming and soothing, at least for Goshiki.While with Tendou he was always jumping around, being loud and having fun, with Ushijima he was always relaxed and at ease. He didn’t have to initiate a conversation or do something for their time together to be enjoyable. Just being around his captain was a wonderful way for Goshiki to spend his time when he didn’t want to be as social or active as he usually is. With barely a few words exchanged between them, they still found the other's company soothing and not awkward at all.It was always like that.Tendou was chaotic and fun.Ushijima was quiet and relaxing.Goshiki was the middle ground.A perfect match.Goshiki lightly chuckled to himself at the thought, not even realizing until now just how well the three of them fit together…“What’s amusing you?”“Huh?” He turned to face his side again, noticing Ushijima looking at him with interest. “Oh- It’s nothing Ushijima-san, I just thought of something funny, that’s all. It’s not worth mentioning.”Ushijima hummed in understanding and turned his attention back to the window as the bus started moving.Goshiki took another look at Ushijima’s face, half admiring him and half reminding himself that he has yet to initiate any sort of romantic touch with his stoic senpai. He only completed half of his mission for the day…But at the same time, he was too exhausted to think of something to do. Sure he could just randomly hold his hand, but that’s too forward and too sudden for him to do just out of the blue. He’s still trying to be a little subtle in his plan.But thinking is hard right now, he’s tired. Worst case scenario, he can merge today’s incomplete step with tomorrow’s one. It will be a bit harder, but not impossible…Goshiki is relatively spontaneous, he will figure something out.With that decision out of the way, he let the light sound of the conversations around him drown out his thoughts, relaxing into the seat. As his eyes started to drop and his vision became blurry, it was hard to keep his body sitting straight. After a bit of a struggle Goshiki gave up and let his consciousness drift away.In his half asleep state he could feel his head dropping on something as the bus made a turn. It was stiff but had a slight cushion, radiating warmth…It felt like it would be comfortable to sleep on, like a big heated pillow. And so he held onto it instinctively, nuzzling his face against the comfortable surface as he let his exhaustion take over him. Sleeping through the rest of the ride back to school…After a while he woke up to something caressing his hair and a voice calling his name.“Tsutomu, the bus arrived at school, we need to get off. You can continue sleeping in your dorm.”Goshiki groaned, not wanting to get up yet, he was too comfortable to move.“My arm is going numb, Tsutomu…”Goshiki’s eyes fluttered open as he raised his head from what he assumed until now to be a pillow of sorts. But he soon realized that nothing was what his sleep deprived brain thought it was.The team was still on the bus, there would be no beds or pillows to sleep on. The ‘comfortable heated pillow’ he leaned on up until now was in fact Ushijima - Goshiki’s head was resting on the latter’s shoulder while he clutched the fabric of his senpai’s jacket in his hand as he slept.Goshiki froze, blinking a few times to make sure he’s actually awake and that he’s not still asleep. When he realized it’s not a dream- His face burst with red blush, releasing his grip on the older’s jacket and moving his whole body away in a panic. “UH- IM SO SORRY USHIJIMA-SAN, I-I-““Tsutomu, It’s alright. I don’t mind.” He brought his hand back to Goshiki’s hair, caressing it with softness that the aspiring ace didn’t know his captain was capable of. “You were tired, I understand. It’s good that you rested a bit on the way here.”Ushijima gave him a rare gentle smile that made Goshiki’s heart skip a beat. “It’s comforting to know you have enough trust in me to let your guard down while I'm around…And I’m glad I was comfortable enough for you to fall asleep on.”He picked up his practice bag and rose from his seat, offering a hand to his kohai. “Now let’s get off the bus so you can continue sleeping in your dorm. Seems like you’re still a little tired.”Goshiki, still in a small state of shock with his heart beating fast in his chest at the situation he found himself in, took Ushijima’s hand and let himself be guided out of the bus by his upperclassman.“Do you need me to escort you to your dorm?” Ushijima asked once they were off the bus. “Or are you awake enough to walk there by yourself?”Goshiki shook his head for a moment to get himself back to his senses. “Uh- um, I think I can make it on my own, Ushijima-san. I don’t want to trouble you with that.” He finally answered reassuringly, albeit there was a bit of stutter in his voice.Ushijima looked him up and down, assessing the younger’s physical state to make sure he really is well enough to continue the walk on his own. When he found nothing alarming, Ushijima simply hummed in content, squeezing Goshiki’s shoulder as a small comforting goodbye gesture.“Get back to your dorm safely and head to bed early today. I can see you’re still tired and your body needs to rest…I hope you will feel better tomorrow.” He said calmly and turned to walk away to his own dorm. “Goodnight, Tsutomu.”“Goodnight…” He whispered under his breath. Lifting one of his hands to his chest, he could feel his heart beating fast- It was practically doing flips. If this was under any other circumstances, Goshiki would’ve thought he was having a heart attack.He had never seen this caring and gentle side of Ushijima before…But now he wants to see it again and again. Was it because Goshiki felt comfortable enough to fall asleep on him? Did that given trust change Ushijima’s way of treating the younger?Whatever it was, Goshiki hopes he can see this side of his captain more often.So…Does he count today as a success? Is falling asleep on someone’s shoulder considered romantic? Ushijima said that it takes a lot of trust so Goshiki guesses it counts...Day three is done then!
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Now it’s the final stretch. With just two more steps left to complete and half a week already behind him, Goshiki needs to start getting his head in the game, gather his courage and go for the more complicated parts of the plan.Both of the steps he has left are a little bit of a struggle, since they’re either time consuming or in need of advance preparation.But for today, Goshiki chose ‘Quality Time’.Why? Because this step might be progressive, but for Goshiki it’s also an easy one. He hangs out with his senpai all the time! They’ve met for study sessions, movie nights and sometimes just to hang out when they are bored. Having some quality time with each other would be a piece of cake~!…Is what Goshiki was hoping for.He had mentally prepared himself all morning to ask Tendou and Ushijima if they could hang out together today. But instead of going smoothly like all the previous times he asked his senpai the same question- No coherent words can leave his mouth since he stepped foot in the gym!He’s blabbering and stuttering and doing everything but ask his senpai a simple question. He was so confident when he woke up too! Now after he saw them he’s just a mess…Though, Goshiki supposes he is at fault for this problem.Just this morning when he was hyping himself up and boosting his confidence he kept reminding himself that he needs to make this hangout with his upperclassmen a special one, a memorable one, a romantic one! He needs to show them through it how much he loves them. It’s not a simple meeting between them as friends, it’s more!And then he realized. What even is a ‘romantic hangout’?It’s a date.His mission for today is to ask Tendou and Ushijima out on a date.It’s not meant to be a date, his prior research never said that quality time was the same as going on a date. The thought just happened to cross his mind, and now he can’t see it in a different way.Sure, he can just drop the romantic aspects and stick to the basics...But how is that going to differ from any other time they spent together?Great…Now he found another step to mess up even after all his planning and preparation.“Goshiki.” A voice called him, joined by a hand on his shoulder.He yelped, jumping at the contact but immediately regaining his composure as he saw his captain standing beside him. “U-Ushijima-san, hi!”“Hello, Tsutomu. Are you feeling alright?” Ushijima asked with a hint of concern in his usual monotone voice.Goshiki blinked in confusion. “Yes? Why do you ask..?”The latter stared at the aspiring ace for a moment longer, observing his expression and every little detail of his behavior that seemed out of place. “You seem…A bit dazed. And your face is a little redder than usual.”“O-Oh-“ Goshiki’s cheeks turned even redder, only proving Ushijima’s claim. “Is it now..?”“You did seem rather tired these past few days as well…” He added. “Are you sure you’re feeling well?”Goshiki chuckled nervously, trying to avoid his captain’s gaze. “N-never felt better! I don’t know what you’re talking about!-”“Is our dear Tomu getting sick?!” Tendou suddenly appeared out of nowhere and joined the conversation, wrapping his arms around Goshiki’s neck and hugging him from behind. “How could this happen? What would our team do without a future ace?! It’s a disaster!” He said dramatically.“He’s not dying, Satori…” Ushijima said after a moment of silence between them all.“How are you so sure?” Tendou raised a questioning eyebrow at his captain. “Did you check?”“Well…no.” The latter answered nervously. His gaze returning to Goshiki, asking him silently for some form of confirmation that he is, in fact, not dying at this very moment.“I’m very much not dying.” Goshiki claimed with a deadpan expression.“See Satori?” Ushijima turned to the middle blocker, his shoulders dropping with relief. “You’re blowing the situation out of proportion.”“Well Wakatoshi, it’s still irresponsible and immoral to let our dear first year continue onwards with practice if he’s not feeling his best.” Tendou crossed his arms over his chest. “He may not be dying but he’s still ill! Look at him!”He grabbed Goshiki’s cheeks and turned his face towards the captain. Goshiki’s face turned so red from the contact- It could’ve rivalled the color of Tendou’s hair. Which did not help the ‘being sick’ accusations being thrown at him.“He’s getting worse by the minute! We must help him and nurse him back to health!” The redhead hugged the younger close once again, almost choking him with how tight Tendou’s arms were wrapped around his neck.Goshiki mastered every last bit of self control- And air, that he still had left and shouted- “I’M NOT SICK!”“…Are you stressed then?” Ushijima’s voice caught him off guard. “Stress can sometimes affect our immune system and cause our health to decline.”“Well…” Technically yes. He was and still is pretty stressed about this whole week because of his plan. Has it really affected him this much?“Oh! If that’s the case then we just need to have a day of relaxation!” Tendou took Goshiki by the hand and grabbed his practice bag in the other, before dragging him to the gymnasium’s exit doors. “C’mon Tomu, let’s chase your worries away!”Goshiki stumbled on his feet for a moment, trying to grasp the situation. “W-Wait- Where are we going?!”“To our dorm!” Tendou declared.“But- What about practice?!” He gestured to the court where the rest of their teammates continued to play as usual.“Don’t worry, I’ll inform coach that you’re not feeling your best and we’re leaving to look after you.” Ushijima added from behind them as he picked up his and Tendou’s own bags. “You can go ahead without me, I’ll join you soon.”“Roger that, captain!” Tendou jokingly saluted before making his way out the gym doors with the first year in tow. Giving Goshiki the understanding that he no longer has any say in this matter.Oh well, at least this is a friendly kidnapping? It’s against his will, but at least it’s with good intentions.The moment they stepped inside the third years’ dorm room, Tendou’s ‘mother hen’ side finally made its appearance. And Goshiki was no longer allowed to do anything but sit down and relax.He was used to this side of Tendou already, having known each other for months by now. This same routine has happened time and time beforehand near exams or after bad practices, and now was no different.They took off their shoes, placed Goshiki’s bag down on the floor and Tendou immediately led him to the bottom bunk bed- Where he would sit down and watch as the redhead ran around the room to set everything in place.First he would throw a blanket at Goshiki so he could wrap himself up with it for extra comfort. Then, he would ask what snack he’s in the mood for, though Goshiki is usually not very picky and they just settle for anything they have around the dorm.Today Tendou suggested microwaved popcorn, and with no protest from the first year he immediately went to make some.While the bag of popcorn was in the microwave, Tendou ran around the room, organizing everything else to be more fit for the ‘relaxed atmosphere’ they were going for.Getting extra pillows from the top bunk, closing the curtains and turning on the little fairy lights the redhead hung around the room, getting a few more snacks ready on the side because- “You can never have too many!” According to Tendou. And who is Goshiki to fight with this logic?When he was getting the popcorn out of the microwave and into a bowl, Ushijima had finally arrived. Placing all he was carrying on the floor near the rest of the stuff and making his way to the bed, sitting next to the younger. And once everything was set and everyone was present, Tendou joined them as well- Sitting on Goshiki’s unoccupied side, cuddling into him and bringing the laptop over to put something on for them to watch.“What are we feeling today? Sci-fi Movie? Anime marathon? A professional volleyball match?” He asked as he turned the laptop on.“I was thinking comedy, perhaps?” Ushijima asked.Both Tendou and Goshiki looked at him with surprise. “Really, Wakatoshi? You? Comedy? Didn’t think you of all people were a fan of that genre.”“I don’t mind it.” He said as he took a small portion of popcorn out of the bowl in Goshiki’s lap. “I just heard that laughter is the best medicine. So it would be good for Goshiki, for both his mental and physical health.”Tendou’s surprised expression switched into a bright grin and he immediately started typing something on the laptop. “You are absolutely right, Toshi! We’ll make sure that Tsu-chan laughs the stress away!”Goshiki already wanted to laugh at this whole situation. Here he is cuddling with his two main causes of stress this past few days, hoping to somehow get rid of said stress by watching silly videos on the internet with them by his side.It sounds so stupid…But it actually works.Being around Tendou and Ushijima has never once failed to lift Goshiki’s spirits. It doesn’t matter if he was sick, crying, stressed or burnt out- They were always there to support him, help him feel better, and at the end help him laugh off the stupid reasons that got him into a bad state in the first place.In fact, Goshiki learned very fast into the school year that Tendou and Ushijima were his comfort place.Starting high school and living alone in a dorm was a little overwhelming at first…And though he met a few good friends and his team was quick to welcome and accept him- Tendou and Ushijima made him feel like he belonged.They gave him a home away from home.And he loved it. He loved their time together…The way Tendou changes positions all the time because he can’t sit still- But will always somehow find himself leaning against his kohai. Or How Ushijima will always find something to converse with him about, either about the videos they were watching or how his day was going. He wouldn’t speak much but would always be taking interest in Goshiki’s thoughts and feelings.Their time together is the best part of his day…How stupid of him to try and change it.The whole process of confessing to his upperclassman made him think he needed to do something grand, something romantic and special. And perhaps it made him nervous because he thought he had to be different…But in the end, all he needed to do was be himself.Tendou and Ushijima like him the way he is. Why does he suddenly need to change to show them he loved them?Here they are, being themselves, showing endless love and affection by simply being together. That’s how close they are. They don’t need anything special.Maybe that’s the beauty of quality time…It doesn’t need to be fancy or over the top, as long as you have the people you love by your side, nothing else matters.Well…Goshiki hopes they’ll be by his side soon. Just one more step of the plan and perhaps in a day or two, they’ll be able to go on that date Goshiki was so nervous about earlier today.But for now, Goshiki is content with how they are right now.Step four is technically done, but he’s gonna enjoy it for a little bit longer…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Last step…This time Goshiki is not playing any games.Not play pretend, not anything fancy…Nothing out of character for him that will be more harmful than good.Today he’s being himself. He’s completing the plan’s final step his own way.For “Gift giving”, Goshiki was Initially planning to go out and buy his senpai something nice as a gift, like flowers or sweets or just something small that reminds him of them- Something that he thought was considered romantic enough.But now that he has a different perspective of how the plan should go, he scrapped the previous idea and decided that a personal handmade gift would be more meaningful. more fitting for him.So after a few hours of conjuring ideas of gifts to make, and gathering a couple suggestions from his classmates, he took an offer from one of his friends- Who’s an art student, to make them matching bracelets!Technically speaking, yes- They are friendship bracelets…But his friend said that for this specific occasion they can act similar to promise rings! Which is the perfect lead to his confession tomorrow.His friend taught him the basics of how to make them, as well as help him pick out the colors- Green, red and purple, which for Goshiki represents the three of them. And for about half an hour, the first year sat down and worked on making three separate bracelets from scratch before practice was scheduled to start. With a little guidance of course, but still- He did them on his own to make the gift extra special!Once he was done, he put his creations in a little baggie his friend gave him. And after a lot of gratitude- They said their goodbyes and Goshiki quickly made his way to practice, with a grin he couldn’t wipe off his face.It went smoothly, all things considered. Perhaps Goshiki’s excitement and happiness helped him play better today! But by the end of practice, he was unfortunately assigned for cleaning duty…Because of course he was. He can’t have one day where his plan will go smoothly, can he? No matter, it’s fine! It’s just a minor inconvenience, not the end of the word. He’ll just give them the gift quickly before they leave, and get back to cleaning right after!It’s the final step before he reaches his goal, he won’t let something so small ruin his whole progress! Nothing will stand in his way! Not when he’s so close to the finish line!He quickly rummaged through his practice bag for the little baggie with the bracelets and ran outside the gym after the two third years.“Ushijima-san, Tendou-san, wait a moment!” He called for their attention as he ran out the gym door after them.The two turned around at the call of their names and waited for the first year to catch up to them. “Tsu-chan! What’s the rush? Forgot something?” Tendou smiled as the younger approached them.Goshiki reached them both and started catching his breath. “Yeah- I have- I have something to give you both!”“Ohh~ a present? What is it? What’s it for?” The redhead asked excitedly.“I don’t believe we celebrate something today…Do we?” Ushijima asked, thinking out loud. “It’s not any of our birth dates, and I don’t believe there’s a holiday happening anytime soon…”“Don’t be silly, Wakatoshi! You can give gifts all the time! It’s a form of appreciation.” Tendou patted Ushijima’s shoulder to stop his overthinking rant. “Plus, not everything needs a reason!”Ushijima hummed in understanding. “Alright.”“Now then!” Tendou moved his attention back to Goshiki. “What did you get us?”“Made you.” Goshiki corrected, looking quite proud of himself. “I got a little help but I made us something to match!”He exclaimed with excitement before a few worries broke his confident facade. “B-but it’s nothing big, it’s just a little thing I thought was a nice idea, and-““Epepep!” Tendou presses one finger against the younger’s mouth to stop his blabbering. “Tsu-chan, you used your time and effort to make us something, on your own accord. That means it’s worthy enough, even if it’s something small. Okay?”Goshiki nodded his head at his senpai’s reassurance, feeling less tense and more confident in his small gift.“Good!” The middle blocker said happily, moving his hand from Goshiki’s mouth so he could talk again. “Now less yapping and more gift showing, please!”“Alright, alright-“ Goshiki chuckled at his senpai’s words, opening the little gift bag and taking out the bracelets. He handed them over for his upperclassmen to see and immediately heard Tendou gasp in his usual dramatic, excited way.“Ohhhh, Look at that- Those are so colorful and cute!” He picked one of the bracelets in his hand and looked it over more closely. “Interesting color combo, it’s really vibrant- But fits really well.”“Yep…” Goshiki mumbled softly, looking down at his own bracelet with a little blush. “I think they fit really well too…”Ushijima carefully picked his own given bracelet in his hands, holding it carefully as if it was fragile as glass. Gazing at the colorful strings with contemplation.“Im…Not much of a jewelry person, Tsutomu…” He said after a moment of thought.Goshiki felt a cold shiver go down his spine, worry slowly creeping up in his chest. Did he not think this through enough? How did he not take into account both of his senpais’ likes and dislikes? Aww…Maybe he should’ve stuck to the original, prepared plan after all…“O-Oh…” He finally spoke up, voice slightly trembling from the sudden rush of nerves that hit him. Putting on a fake, reassuring smile- He reached his hand back to take the bracelet away from Ushijima’s hold. “You don’t have to wear it-““No, I’ll keep it.” He pulled his hand away- closer to his chest, before Goshiki could take the gift back. “You made it for me, and I will cherish it as I should.”Goshiki blinked in slight surprise, feeling his cheeks heat up at his captain’s appreciation towards his small gift. Even though it isn’t of much use to Ushijima, he didn’t belittle his efforts or dismissed the item…Instead of focusing on the bracelet itself, he cared about it’s meaning and the effort Goshiki put into making it.And Goshiki can’t deny it made his heart flutter.“Would you mind if I wrap it on the strap of my practice bag instead?” Ushijima’s voice called for his attention once again. “I'm afraid if I wear it, there’s a chance it could get torn during practice…”Goshiki choked a chuckle once he could respond again, waving his hand dismissively. “Oh- Of course! It’s your gift, so- You can do whatever you want with it!”Ushijima nodded in understanding and tied it over the strand of his practice bag as he said before, letting it dangle nicely against the plain white fabric.“Well, I'm gonna wear mine!” Tendou exclaimed happily, already tying the bracelet around his wrist. “I don’t use as much muscle as Ushi does, so no risk here!”He moved his hand to grab Goshiki’s own with excitement, showing off their matching bracelets. “Plus, now we match~!”Goshiki practically exploded at the touch.“Thank you for the gift, Tsutomu. It was very thoughtful of you.” Ushijima thanked him, snapping him out of his frozen shock.“I-It’s nothing! I'm glad you like it-““We love it!” Tendou chimed in, correcting him and hugging him tightly as gratitude. “It’s such a cute idea- Thanks for thinking about us while making them!” He exclaimed with excitement.“Y-yeah, absolutely! I always think of you- I MEAN-” Goshiki cut himself off with a nervous cough. “I always think about how close we are, and now we can show it..?”He chuckled nervously, phrasing his answer like a question as if he needed to explain himself. He could feel his confident resolve slowly melting into a puddle of mush.“Aww, Tomu~!” Tendou tightened his embrace on the first year, practically squishing him in his arms. “You’re so sweet!”“Satori, I think you’re crushing him-” Ushijima said with slight worry, noticing Goshiki starting to lose air due to the redhead’s tight embrace“It’s out of love , Wakatoshi!” He exclaimed dramatically, faking offense. “Love can hurt sometimes.”Goshiki can feel himself getting dizzy. Whether from Tendou’s claim of love or the lack of oxygen going to his brain, he’s not sure…Love might hurt, but dying by the arms of his crush is not such a bad way to go, in Goshiki’s standards.Welp, regardless of the decision his lovesick brain settled on, Tendou reluctantly let him go- letting him live another day.Goshiki stabilized himself on his feet the moment he could feel his limbs again, reassuring his senpai that he was okay.With a few more thanks and a couple of goodbyes as they go their separate ways for tonight, Tendou and Ushijima left him to finish his duty. a faint blush on his cheeks and a big smile on his face.Goshiki felt overjoyed, he felt ecstatic! He wanted to jump from the sheer amount of happiness that was contained in his body at this very moment!Yes! He did it! Step five is complete! And finally the plan is done with, and he can officially-“Goshiki , can I speak with you for a moment?”He turned back around to see Shirabu standing at the front doors of the gym, the setting sun shining over his face- Showing an uncharacteristically look of mixed emotions that Goshiki couldn’t decipher. Could it be confusion? Pity? Worry? But why..? Goshiki didn’t do anything that had set the second year off this time, did he?“W-What’s the matter, Shirabu-san?” He answered cautiously. “If it’s because of cleaning duty, I’ll come back to join you right now!” He tried to reassure his upperclassman, hoping to avoid any unwanted conflicts.The setter didn’t answer him right away. Instead, he walked down the few steps by the gym’s entrance as he headed towards the aspiring ace, looking uneasy. Goshiki can’t tell why.“It’s…About Tendou-san and Ushijima-san.” He finally said after reaching the first year. his voice rather…Soft. Compared to how he usually speaks.Shirabu was trying to soothe him…For some reason. And it only made Goshiki worry more.“Oh-“ Goshiki tensed, fidgeting with the bracelet on his wrist. “What about them?”“I don’t want to burst your bubble, or ruin…Whatever you’re planning.” He rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of what to say. “But there’s something you should probably know….”