HOME | DD

Description
I was a few feet away from him.

From where I stood, I could sense the scent of flowers wafting in the air and delighting the others with the oncoming of spring. Yet, I was holding my breath and wishing that I wouldn’t have to breathe in for a few minutes longer. It wasn’t because I disliked the smell. On the contrary, I liked it. However, I wasn’t yet willing to let my mind stray from what, and who, I was thinking of.

Only a few minutes later did I realise that I had unconsciously blocked my mind from any sound or sight pertaining to the outside world. And, so, I only heard the school bell as it just finished ringing. It was a sonorous sound; deep, full and able to call out to everyone that was in their own little worlds. I didn’t realise then that I was comparing the sound to him; Akaashi Keiji, a classmate of mine who I had known from the very first day of starting high school, and who I had started admiring little by little, and very slowly.

Just an hour more and I could leave school. It was just wistful thinking of mine that I could leave behind all thoughts related to school as well. It was also only wistful thinking that led me to believe that I could finish my homework before the teacher walked into class during the last period. Which I fortunately was able to succeed in.

However, it was not the homework that was destined to turn my considerably good day into one which I didn’t know what to think of. It was something else; a situation that I had not expected nor had I ever envisioned.

After the final period of school ended, I walked begrudgingly to the nearest bench just outside the school building, my mind exhausted after a day of school and not open to any plans of thinking what to do next. I wanted only to go home and lie down. Yet, I thought it best to wait a few minutes until the crowd decreases, which was what led me to the bench.

I looked up, a smile immediately forming as I saw the little buds of a huge tree that were doing its best to be noticed. It seemed as if they were quietly yet persistently trying to get the attention of passer by’s. My mind once again wandered to him. Then I frowned, ‘no, he wasn’t one to look for attention.’ But then, my eyes narrowed yet again while I tried to comprehend the comparison I had made.

Slightly, just slightly, my heart quickened.

Maybe it was because I had unconsciously noticed him trying hard to get someone’s attention? I decided to leave that thought as it was.

With my eyes fixated on the tall tree in front of me, I didn’t notice the person who was walking towards where I sat. It was only as the messy black hair entered my field of vision did my heart make a leap.

The crowd had now more or less reduced and it was mostly just the wind and us. As he walked closer, I was once again reminded of what I had been occupying my mind and thinking over; him. Was it normal to wonder what he was doing right now? Would he ever be wondering the same?

Akaashi looked at me, and without having to say it, he conveyed to me the question he had wanted to ask me, 'What are you doing here?'

Without waiting till he asked me himself, I carried on to answer the unasked question in his mind. “I’m figuring out how to . . . cheer myself up,” I admitted forlornly and disappointed in myself, knowing very well the voice of the asker and knowing very well that the speaker was the reason my mind was having trouble staying on one track. My now lowered face, with just a touch of a glow, was evidence to anyone watching that I had noticed the slight pant in the voice that carried through the windless and soundless air.

However, he had a slight frown on his face. He only paused for a few seconds after my words, and began in a tone that was commanding yet quiet, “More than trying to think of a way to cheer yourself up when you’re sad. . .” he trailed off, his eyes showing nothing of what he was thinking. I had always only been able to figure him out based on his words, his eyes forcefully hiding the emotions that I wanted, and hoped, to find. I looked up.

He was a few feet away from me.

There was always some distance between us, wasn’t there? Yet, I decided not to acknowledge the fact that he was still the same distance away from me, to appease myself.

“Yes?” I asked, hoping he'd continue what he was saying.

“Isn’t it easier to find ways to stay happy?” he said abruptly, still not explaining why he was here. However, he finally looked right at me. Surprised that Akaashi would say something of this sort, I did my best to hide the unmistakable smile on my face. True, we had known each other for a while, yet I immediately felt a surge of happiness when I realised that he was trying to make me feel better, in the little ways he found he could.

“Akaashi-kun, thank you,” I said, grateful, “but, why are you here?” I asked as I noticed his eyes dart back from my eyes to the bench and back. He had apparently noticed it before I had. He had noticed that I was seated on one end of the bench, almost as if my mind had chosen to leave a space for him. Uncertain, he remained standing, and I remained staring.

Dodging my question with no trouble at all, he started asking his own questions. “(Y/n), you should now be at home, or on your way home, right?” I grinned at him, explaining that I had lost track of time while admiring the flowers. I was in no way planning to tell him that I was thinking of him. He then moved closer towards the bench and sat down, his eyes wandering to the same tree I was looking at. “That was the tree you were looking at, right?” His question took me by surprise but I soon smiled, realising that he had been watching me a while before he had approached me.

I was a few feet closer to him now.

And that was when I understood. This was love, right? Almost everything I saw and heard would somehow trace to him. He would always be the reason I loved thinking; the fact that I could choose to think of him. Almost everything led me to believe it was love.

“Yeah, that’s the tree. It's nice to just look at t-” I was stopped in the middle of trying to cover up the fact that more than admiring the flowers, I was really just thinking about him.

But, knowing him, he was sooner or later bound to find out. As he soon proved to me. “It's nice to know that you have someone you'd spent your time thinking about,” he said, hitting the bull's eye. I felt my cheeks heat up and my heart beat speed up but I did my best to hide it. He muttered something inaudible, and moved on to admire the flowers that were almost in bloom.

“What was that?” I asked, curious to know what he said, and my voice slightly shaking from my unsteady heart beat.

“. . .Good, that’s good,” he repeated, unaware that my face had started looking unusually flushed. “I too, have someone special. . .someone I would skip practice for. . .” he said, as he gave me a small smile, stood up, and walked in the way of the volleyball gymnasium.

Description
I was a few feet away from him.

From where I stood, I could sense the scent of flowers wafting in the air and delighting the others with the oncoming of spring. Yet, I was holding my breath and wishing that I wouldn’t have to breathe in for a few minutes longer. It wasn’t because I disliked the smell. On the contrary, I liked it. However, I wasn’t yet willing to let my mind stray from what, and who, I was thinking of.

Only a few minutes later did I realise that I had unconsciously blocked my mind from any sound or sight pertaining to the outside world. And, so, I only heard the school bell as it just finished ringing. It was a sonorous sound; deep, full and able to call out to everyone that was in their own little worlds. I didn’t realise then that I was comparing the sound to him; Akaashi Keiji, a classmate of mine who I had known from the very first day of starting high school, and who I had started admiring little by little, and very slowly.

Just an hour more and I could leave school. It was just wistful thinking of mine that I could leave behind all thoughts related to school as well. It was also only wistful thinking that led me to believe that I could finish my homework before the teacher walked into class during the last period. Which I fortunately was able to succeed in.

However, it was not the homework that was destined to turn my considerably good day into one which I didn’t know what to think of. It was something else; a situation that I had not expected nor had I ever envisioned.

After the final period of school ended, I walked begrudgingly to the nearest bench just outside the school building, my mind exhausted after a day of school and not open to any plans of thinking what to do next. I wanted only to go home and lie down. Yet, I thought it best to wait a few minutes until the crowd decreases, which was what led me to the bench.

I looked up, a smile immediately forming as I saw the little buds of a huge tree that were doing its best to be noticed. It seemed as if they were quietly yet persistently trying to get the attention of passer by’s. My mind once again wandered to him. Then I frowned, ‘no, he wasn’t one to look for attention.’ But then, my eyes narrowed yet again while I tried to comprehend the comparison I had made.

Slightly, just slightly, my heart quickened.

Maybe it was because I had unconsciously noticed him trying hard to get someone’s attention? I decided to leave that thought as it was.

With my eyes fixated on the tall tree in front of me, I didn’t notice the person who was walking towards where I sat. It was only as the messy black hair entered my field of vision did my heart make a leap.

The crowd had now more or less reduced and it was mostly just the wind and us. As he walked closer, I was once again reminded of what I had been occupying my mind and thinking over; him. Was it normal to wonder what he was doing right now? Would he ever be wondering the same?

Akaashi looked at me, and without having to say it, he conveyed to me the question he had wanted to ask me, 'What are you doing here?'

Without waiting till he asked me himself, I carried on to answer the unasked question in his mind. “I’m figuring out how to . . . cheer myself up,” I admitted forlornly and disappointed in myself, knowing very well the voice of the asker and knowing very well that the speaker was the reason my mind was having trouble staying on one track. My now lowered face, with just a touch of a glow, was evidence to anyone watching that I had noticed the slight pant in the voice that carried through the windless and soundless air.

However, he had a slight frown on his face. He only paused for a few seconds after my words, and began in a tone that was commanding yet quiet, “More than trying to think of a way to cheer yourself up when you’re sad. . .” he trailed off, his eyes showing nothing of what he was thinking. I had always only been able to figure him out based on his words, his eyes forcefully hiding the emotions that I wanted, and hoped, to find. I looked up.

He was a few feet away from me.

There was always some distance between us, wasn’t there? Yet, I decided not to acknowledge the fact that he was still the same distance away from me, to appease myself.

“Yes?” I asked, hoping he'd continue what he was saying.

“Isn’t it easier to find ways to stay happy?” he said abruptly, still not explaining why he was here. However, he finally looked right at me. Surprised that Akaashi would say something of this sort, I did my best to hide the unmistakable smile on my face. True, we had known each other for a while, yet I immediately felt a surge of happiness when I realised that he was trying to make me feel better, in the little ways he found he could.

“Akaashi-kun, thank you,” I said, grateful, “but, why are you here?” I asked as I noticed his eyes dart back from my eyes to the bench and back. He had apparently noticed it before I had. He had noticed that I was seated on one end of the bench, almost as if my mind had chosen to leave a space for him. Uncertain, he remained standing, and I remained staring.

Dodging my question with no trouble at all, he started asking his own questions. “(Y/n), you should now be at home, or on your way home, right?” I grinned at him, explaining that I had lost track of time while admiring the flowers. I was in no way planning to tell him that I was thinking of him. He then moved closer towards the bench and sat down, his eyes wandering to the same tree I was looking at. “That was the tree you were looking at, right?” His question took me by surprise but I soon smiled, realising that he had been watching me a while before he had approached me.

I was a few feet closer to him now.

And that was when I understood. This was love, right? Almost everything I saw and heard would somehow trace to him. He would always be the reason I loved thinking; the fact that I could choose to think of him. Almost everything led me to believe it was love.

“Yeah, that’s the tree. It's nice to just look at t-” I was stopped in the middle of trying to cover up the fact that more than admiring the flowers, I was really just thinking about him.

But, knowing him, he was sooner or later bound to find out. As he soon proved to me. “It's nice to know that you have someone you'd spent your time thinking about,” he said, hitting the bull's eye. I felt my cheeks heat up and my heart beat speed up but I did my best to hide it. He muttered something inaudible, and moved on to admire the flowers that were almost in bloom.

“What was that?” I asked, curious to know what he said, and my voice slightly shaking from my unsteady heart beat.

“. . .Good, that’s good,” he repeated, unaware that my face had started looking unusually flushed. “I too, have someone special. . .someone I would skip practice for. . .” he said, as he gave me a small smile, stood up, and walked in the way of the volleyball gymnasium.