Ever since Lev had picked up his pen to write for his English assignment, Yaku never left his brain.

Not for a second.

Whether he was getting ready for school, having breakfast, reading a book...

All he thought of was Yaku, his dearest senpai.

Lev came to realise that he had always thought about Yaku at the most random of times, but he had never been aware of it until now.

He couldn't think of anyone better to have his lunch with other than Yaku, as he sat, munching on his sandwich.

"Haiba, who are you looking at?" A friend pokes him, glancing to where Lev was looking at. Yaku was seated with Kuroo, Kenma, and a few girls from his class. He wasn't sure if the girls were seated there because of Kuroo, he made that guess; and yet, he feels uneasy when he sees Yaku laugh as he chatted with one of the girls.

"But they're seniors." Lev's friend, Yamato, has to say. The half-Russian boy turns to face his classmate, eyes squinted as he takes another bite.

"So? What's your point?"

"Don't date someone who's a senior," Yamato advises, "Because they're just gonna graduate after a few months and leave you all alone for the next two years. And after two years again, they're gonna graduate from college and leave you alone again. Trust me, it's the worst."

It felt like someone grabbed hold of Lev's heart and flung it so carelessly across the room; he couldn't move an inch, as he tried to contemplate what his friend said. True, he knew that Yaku and the rest of the seniors would graduate before him... Heck, he'd been thinking a lot about Yaku's graduation, and yet...

He had never considered the fact that he and Yaku would have no excuse to hang around again.

They were just clubmates; merely teammates. They were different as day and night. Not just by appearance, and height, but they were poles apart from personality too.

Why would Yaku want to waste his time with Lev?

"And it hurt like hell, man. I dated a girl a year older than me and she graduated and left to Nagasaki. But I'm fine now cuz I got Tami-chan."

By now, what Yamato had to say was like background music to Lev. It came as a shock, even to himself, when his eyes tear up a little as he glances at the table a fair distance away from his. He didn't even notice his friend panicking when he saw what Lev was doing.

"H-Hey man, if you love her that much, you should do something about it, then. I didn't think you were so serious about it..."

"I'm done with my lunch. I'm going to the volleyball court to practice a little before class." Lev stands up, his rare height earning him a few looks from people around the cafeteria, while he returns the empty tray back to the workers at the counter. With long steps, he walks outside, his breathing noticeably increasing as he breaks into a jog, making his way to the gym.

A cart filled to the brim with volleyballs sits at one corner, and Lev walks to the edge, taking one and serving the ball with all his might, to the wall. It bounces towards him, and he raises his hands to receive it...

And fails.

"Dammit."

Another ball finds it's was to the wall, the gray-haired boy raising his arms to control the ball once again and failing instantly. Picking the next ball, Lev lets out a deep inhale. Before he can serve it again, he hears his name getting called out in a familiar voice.

A little too familiar voice.

"Lev?"

There, at the door, stands Yaku, leaning against the doorpost with a tired expression on his face. Lev lowers the ball and watches the libero make his way up to him. Even while the taller boy feels frustrated, he can't help but snicker a little when Yaku cranes his neck a little to meet eyes with him.

"Yaku-san, you really are extra small."

"Shut up, you tower. You're the small one, for running out of the cafeteria like a little girl." Yaku shoots back. "What's your problem?"

Yaku notices Lev's flushing a little, in turn making his own face light a little in colour. It somewhat pissed him, because he couldn't understand what was going on.

"Hey, Yaku-san," Lev starts, tossing the ball towards his senior, "Do you want to read my assignment after my teacher returns it back to me?"

"Oh..." The libero dribbles the ball a little, hitting it with his fist and watching it sail to the other side of the net. "Yeah fine."

"Are we going to talk even if you go to college?" Lev asks, sitting down and leaning against the wall. Yaku blinks a little in shock, taken aback by the sudden question. 

"Well, yeah, why?"

"My friend said it's a bad idea. Because seniors will graduate and leave and everything will be a mess."

"Well," Yaku has to say, throwing a ball towards the taller boy. Lev catches it, a little surprised when Yaku crosses his legs and sits beside him. "You need to realise that not everyone is like that."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't forget about people that mean a lot to me." Yaku says, his glance set on the opened doors of the gym. From outside, they could hear the footsteps of various students, out to buy lunch or just roam around.

"Will you talk to me? Even when you're in college? Like, even outside the group chat?" Lev queries further, turning to face the brunette properly. Yaku raises an eyebrow at his statement, seeing the green eyes of the wing spiker shine in anticipation makes him feel a little uneasy.

"Yeah."

A big grin spreads across Lev's face, and he stands up, wiping the back of his shorts a little. He feels his heart calm down a little, and he tosses a ball towards the wall again. The ball bounces towards him, and he manages to get his arm in contact with the ball - which flies to Yaku, who receives it cleanly, much to both of their disappointments.

"We'll be practising more after today's session."

"Nawwwww!" Lev's protests are died down by the ringing of the bell. Yaku stands up with a little grin on his face. Keeping the balls back in the cart, the two of them step outside of the gym, sighing.

They walked to two different directions, opposites sides of the school, that was for sure.

They were different.

But they had one thing in common, even as they went back to their different classes.

At that moment, they had the same smile on their faces; for the same reason.

Each other.

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a/n; holy asahi, yakulev is too cute i'll die i stg