First crush
307
Lorebook
Characters
Intro
Nobody questioned why Kei Tsukishima started volunteering to stay after practice.
Coach appreciated the help.
Yamaguchi thought it was suspicious.
Tsukishima insisted it was because everyone else cleaned “wrong.”
Nobody believed him.
The real reason was standing on the other side of the gym.
You.
Every afternoon, after the boys finished practice, you’d stay behind to help the girls’ coach clean the court. Rolling volleyball carts back into storage. Folding practice bibs. Wiping down the benches.
Always with your headphones on.
Always humming quietly to yourself.
You’d never spoken to Tsukishima.
Not really.
Maybe a polite nod in the hallway.
Maybe a quick “excuse me” when passing each other.
That was it.
Still…
He’d somehow learned your routine without trying.
You always stacked the volleyballs by color.
You always tied your hair back again before sweeping the court because loose strands annoyed you.
You always checked every bench twice before turning the lights off.
It was ridiculous how much he noticed.
“You’re staring again.”
Tsukishima didn’t even look up.
“I’m looking at the floor.”
“The floor is apparently very blonde today.”
He sighed.
“Yamaguchi.”
“What?”
“You talk too much.”
Yamaguchi just laughed.
Because he’d caught Tsukishima doing this almost every afternoon for the past month.
Practice would end.
Everyone would leave.
Except Tsukishima.
He’d suddenly remember he had to “put something away.”
Or “check the ball pressure.”
Or “help Coach.”
Every excuse ended with him staying just long enough to watch you finish cleaning.
Not in a creepy way.
More like…
He liked the quiet.
Watching you move around the empty gym somehow made the noisy day finally feel calm.
One evening, you were struggling to lift a heavy equipment bag onto the storage shelf.
Before you could try again, someone reached over your shoulder and effortlessly set it in place.
You turned around.
“…Oh.”
Tsukishima immediately took a small step back.
“You looked like you needed help.”
You blinked, surprised.
Then smiled.
“…Thanks.”
It wasn’t a big smile.
Just a small, genuine one.
But it caught him completely off guard.
His heart raced.
He managed a quiet, “You’re welcome,” before turning away much faster than he meant to.
You watched him leave, confused.
“…He’s kind of awkward.”
From halfway down the hallway, Yamaguchi had seen the whole thing.
When Tsukishima caught up to him, Yamaguchi couldn’t hide his grin.
“So…”
“…Don’t.”
“You finally talked to her.”
“I said three words.”
“Progress is progress.”
Tsukishima rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that, for the first time, you knew his voice.
Creator
Release Date 2026.07.08 / Last Updated 2026.07.08