"Don't worry, it takes a while to get used to it."

Akaashi helped me to my feet after I had made a fool out of myself by toppling backwards off of the seat when Bokuto spiked the ball. Again.
"It's just...so loud. Like a bomb..." I complained, completely aware that I was being a little over the top. 

"You know what else is loud? Your dramatism." Suzumeda snickered as she approached, carrying a load of towels.
"You...I...shut up..!" I whined, batting at her with little to no effort behind it.

Before we could continue our friendly spat, Bokuto bounded over, sneakers squeaking against the polished floor.
"You slip off the seat again, (Y/N)?" He asked, accepting a towl from Suzumeda while looking at me. Shrinking down, I nodded once.

"Yeah...When the ball hit I kinda jumped and...splat..." I confessed, my entire body turning rigid when I felt his arm sling over my shoulders, squishing me a little too close - a lot too close - to his chest.
"Awww, I guess my spikes are totally loud and awesome, huh?!"

This...is incredibly uncomfortable..!

"Oi, Captain! No breaks yet!" Komi scolded him from the court, which thankfully caused the captain to remove his arm, releasing me from his sweaty body.
"Yeah, yeah! Im'a comin'!" He shouted back, shooting me a wink as he began to jog backwards. "Won't be too long, and then we can head out!"

I deflated like an overblown balloon once his attention had shifted from me, and Suzumeda ushered me to sit back down on the bench.
"Okay, what's the problem now? I thought we were improving?" As expected, she caught on to my concerns immediately.

"I am..! On the talking front, anyway..." I started, twiddling my thumbs in my bouncing lap. "It's just...the physical stuff, you know? The touching and the lack of personal space is too much...I've gone through three cans of deodorant in the past week because of him, Kaori! Three!"

Suzumeda chuckled as she lowered my hand that held up the three digits, looking out towards the team, who were lined up to practice their recieves.
"That's just his way of showing affection. Everyone's different. If it really upsets you, talk to him about it. I know he can get huffy over things, but if it's something serious he won't ignore what you have to say."

But it feels so rude...

I pondered over what Suzumeda had said for the remainder of practice, and continued to do so as I began my walk home with the Fukurodani Volleyball captain, chewing the inside of my cheek the entire time.

"Hey, we finished earlier than usual, so we're gonna meet up with the others for a tiny bit to go over the plan!" Bokuto announced, again slinging his heavy arm over my shoulders. Suzumeda and Shirofuku were too far ahead to signal for assistance, so I had to follow her advice.

Holding my breath, I ducked out from under his arm, which caused him to stop and give me a confused look. Swallowing my nerves, I kept my hands busy by clutching my bag straps.
"Uh, B..Bokuto, if it isn't too much to ask...could you please maybe not do that..?"

Oh God, please don't be upset..!

Blinking a few times, Bokuto tilted his head and raised his arm, pointing to it with his other hand.
"You mean put my arm over you? Sure, no problem. Sorry if it bothers you." He replied so casually, I had to take a second to register it.

"You're...not upset about me asking you not to do it..?" I queried, scurrying after him as he began to walk on.
"What? Why would I be? I mean, I might slip up here or there, but I don't wanna make you uncomfortable. Boundaries are iffy for me, so ya need to point them out so I don't cross them."

It had been easier than I had thought, and I sighed with relief as we fell back into step.
"At...least for now, okay? I'm still getting used to just talking to you. One step at a time, I suppose..." He hummed in agreement, but then I recalled what he had said beforehand. "Wait, others? Plan?"

Nodding cheerfully, Bokuto followed the girls' lead, turning a corner towards the local park, off of our regular route home.
"Yep! Remember? We're on a mission to give you an awesome teenager..hood? I dunno what word fits, but you know what I mean!"

Oh no...Why do I get the feeling this is going to induce a lot of stress?

Further into the park we travelled, away from the road and footpath, and I eventually spotted Kuroo, Yaku and Kenma sitting beneath a tree, all in their Nekoma uniforms.
"Sup, nerds?" Kuroo greeted us, giving a little wave as Bokuto bounded ahead.
"You're the nerdiest nerd out of all of us!"

I went to look around, just in case anybody I knew was around, but came face to face with Akaashi, who I hadn't even known had been walking with us. He seemed to notice my surprise and smiled slightly.
"I'm glad you set some boundaries with him." He stated before motioning for me to walk on.

"Uh...thanks?" I murmured, heading over to the group to sit down, awkwardly tucking my legs so my skirt wouldn't lift. Once we were all gathered, Bokuto pulled a notebook from his bag and slammed it in the middle of our little circle, beaming proudly.

"Alright! So, last night, me and this cocky rooster came up with some awesome ideas to phase our lovely (Y/N) here into normal teenagery fun times!" He announced, and I stared at the slightly dented notebook, confused.

"You look a little lost, so allow me to explain it a bit more clearly." Kuroo laughed, reaching over to flip the first few pages. "So, we took you to the market the other day, right? That was phase one. Simple, run of the mill day out, nothing fancy. Phase two, we were thinking going to see a movie, a little less bland."

I stared at the page for a few moments before looking back up at everyone, and they looked back, save for Kenma, who was engrossed with his handheld game.
"Why are you all so dedicated to this..? I mean, I only just met most of you..." I asked, ever so slightly overwhelmed that they'd go to so much effort for my sake.

"True, but Bokuto is set on it, and I think it's a good idea." Yaku piped up, shrugging his shoulders. "You can't just spend your prime studying and commuting to and from school."

"Yep, that's what I've been saying all these years, but no! Ignore me, but along comes Mr. Beef for Brains and suddenly he takes all the credit!" Suzumeda scoffed, jokingly folding her arms. I was truly taken aback by how they were all rallying to help me out, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Guys...I don't know what to say. Thank you, really. I just...hope we can pull this off without any trouble..." No matter how badly I wanted to try this phase business, the thought of my parents weighed heavily on my mind. If they found out, I was done for. Such blatant disrespect for their rules would land me in the hottest of water.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bokuto go to lay his arm across my shoulders, but quickly stopped himself, opting for a slight nudge with his elbow instead.
"Hey, remember, I'm literally right next door, so even if your dad does find out, it'll all be fine. What's the word again? Sanctuary? Yeah, that!"

Why did it feel kinda wrong when he didn't put his arm over me..? Weird...

Kenma, who surprisingly seemed to have been paying attention the entire time, glanced up from his game.
"So, what movie did you want to see?" Off guard, I stared back at him with a clueless expression.
"Um, I don't know? I've never gone to see a movie before."

The collective shouts of shock made me recoil, holding my arms up over my face.
"Are you kidding me right now?!" Kuroo gasped, pointing to me as he turned to Bokuto. "Dude, is she kidding me?" Bokuto looked just as disbelieving, jaw dropped and eyes wide.
"Are you kidding?"

Timidly, I shook my head slowly, completely confused when everyone began chattering amongst themselves.
"Alright, I'm booking the tickets for this weekend. Immediately." Yaku announced, pulling out his phone.
"I'll swipe my dad's van, so we can carpool." Kuroo added.

They're really doing all this for my sake?

I noticed Kenma was still looking at me, paying more attention that I had seen him pay so far.
"Y'know, I never thought I'd say this, but I think Bokuto is going to be good for you." He murmured, just loud enough for me to hear him over the others.

"Oi! What do you mean you never thought you'd say that?! I'm awesome!" Bokuto barked, his cheeks puffing out in a way that made him look almost cute. Almost.
"Wrong A word. Annoying fits the bill more. Maybe agitating. " Kenma sighed, finally returning to whatever game he was playing.
"Kuroo, control your Kenma!"

All I could do was sit there and watch them all interacting with each other. I'd never taken the time to really focus on how other people my age acted, but now that I was,

I really wanted to be a part of it...

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***I never thought I'd find inspiration or drive to write anything Haikyuu related again but I guess I was wrong.

I'm sorry for such a long wait. Been having a horrendous time in the real world and when I have had the time to write I've been drowning in my One Piece fic.

Next Time: Phase Two - Exotic Butters***