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“Ryuu?”

Tanaka turned to see you standing behind him, fiddling with the hem of your shirt. His face lit up with a grin at the sight of you. “’Sup, ___?” he asked. Noya peered at you over Tanaka’s shoulder with catlike eyes, watching you curiously.

You smiled weakly. “Can I talk to you outside?” You glanced at Noya, then back to Tanaka. “Alone?”

Tanaka nodded. He turned back to Noya, patting him on the shoulder. “Don’t hold up, bro,” he said.

Noya shook his head. “No, I’ll wait for you, bro,” said the tiny libero. “I’ll always wait for you.”

Tanaka’s eyes widened. “Bro,” he whispered in disbelief.

You rolled your eyes. They could be so ridiculous sometimes, but at the same time, the moment was strangely heartwarming. “Ryuu?” you muttered, tugging on the back of his jacket.

“Right, right, I’m coming,” he said. You headed outside, with Ryuu following. When you reached the doors, Ryuu hopped in front of you.

“Nuh-uh-uh.” He wagged his finger at you, holding the door open. “After you, m’lady.”

You grinned, walking past him. He followed you outside, into the courtyard, where cherry blossoms floated quietly to the ground, shaken from their boughs by the cool April breeze. You stood under a tree, and Tanaka froze a few feet away from you. With the pink petals falling around you, lodging in your hair, your clothes, the grass at your feet… You looked beautiful.

“Ryuu,” you began, looking at the ground nervously.

“Yeah?” He focused on your face, not the blossoms around you.

“I… I…” You swallowed; this was so much harder than Noya said it would be. You clenched your fists, digging your nails into your palms, and raised your eyes to his. No more hiding. “I like you, Ryuunosuke. I like you a lot.”

Tanaka’s mouth fell open, his eyes rounder than ever before. “You… R-Really? You really do?” He stepped closer to you, a little too close.

Your cheeks warmed at his proximity. You nodded, holding his gaze.

Tanaka beamed more broadly than ever before. He grasped your hands in his, lifting them to his lips. He kissed your knuckles softly and leaned forward to whisper in your ear, “I like you too.”

You stared at him in shock. “Ryuu…”

He released your hands and instead cupped your face, gently. He leaned forward, and the two of you kissed, wrapped in the comfortable quiet of the courtyard and the cherry blossoms.