Now the boy didn't expect anything fancy from the girl. His imagination was not wild enough to even guess. Whenever he saw her at school, she would either be drawing or reading. Mitsuru was never seen with anyone, and she never seemed bothered about it. Maybe that's why she kept distant? Putting his mind away, Tetsurou simply followed Mitsuru from behind with the bouquet she gave in his hands--which was the biggest surprise of his day. He couldn't properly tell his friends goodbye, but he was sure that they saw him walk away with Mitsuru. Rather than being nervous, Tetsurou fought to keep the evil laughter from breaking out of his mouth. This was a score for him, finally!

Mitsuru may have had the audacity to ask him out after rejecting him two days before. Despite that, she didn't seem to like the idea of walking beside the boy. The girl did what she could to not let people see them together. Her strides would speed up every time Tetsurou tried to get to her side. What was strange was the part where Mitsuru went into to the quieter districts.

These districts were often secret treasures for students, or so the rumors say. Grown ups would tell you otherwise. Keep to the busy ones, you're safer. Little did they know the existence of such wonderment. Cafes decorated the streets. There were restaurants and vintage shops, too. As of the moment, most of the people in the district were young people who discovered a wonderful secret just as he did. The place was unfamiliar to him, and for the first time, Tetsurou fully took his eyes off Mitsuru. 

Gentle glowing lights plunged him into a pool of unknown whimsical serenity. The overwhelming feeling the boy felt was the peace he had in high school where he'd play intensely with his favorite friends. Damn, it rendered Tetsurou speechless as he stopped in his tracks to gaze at the environment around him.

The fascinating part was the mix of emotions all over the place. Certain shops had bright neon lights, some stayed elegant, while there were mysterious ones. The light gray pavement even had writings on them, amazing Tetsurou even more. Jazz music played out from one of the shops, making him want to skip on his feet. Why didn't he know about this place before?

Tetsurou would have loved to stare more, but a tug on his shirt cut him off from his daze. Before him, a quiet Mitsuru peered at him with a confused look on her face. Her white eyebrow was raised at him, as if finding Tetsurou so unnatural.

"I know it's your first time here. . . but you're stalling Kuroo," Mitsuru told him irritably. "But there's a certain cafe I want to. . bring you to."

Tetsurou beams at her.

"You want what now?" He teased as he shoved his hands into his pockets, the bouquet squeezed in one arm. Earlier on, when he saw Mitsuru with the bouquet, Tetsurou thought she had just rejected someone. But that would be a huge mystery, wouldn't it? Who would fall for this aloof and quiet chic? However, that wasn't the case at all. The flowers were for him. 

What a strange girl.

Mitsuru glared at him for teasing her like that. This whole thing was to make up for her rudeness. But who would want to date a boisterous boy like him? Overly confident even. The girl was starting to regret her decision for giving him a chance to date her.

She glanced at him, checking him from head to toe. He had his usual bed hair--although Mitsuru realized it looked like a good drawing reference. The boy had a fitting turtleneck shirt that defined his build as an athlete. Mitsuru didn't know what sport he played, but she did hear that he was an athlete. On top of that was a leather jacket; brown and new. He had blue tight jeans and sneakers for his lower portions. Mitsuru could picture Tetsurou in her manga. He could be the heroine's potential love interest. Sure, there was the other dude, but if there was a clash. .

Huh, not a bad idea.

Quickly, Mitsuru took out her notebook from her bag and made some notes. She made sure that the boy couldn't see what she wrote, though Tetsurou did watch her suspiciously. He could have grabbed the small leather notebook, but Mitsuru was all done before his hand could react.

"What was that about?" He asked curiously, peeking over.

Mitsuru raised an eyebrow."I-It's. . . it's none of your business, Kuroo. . Just notes." The girl shoved the notebook into her bag and quickly walks off, leaving a confused Tetsurou again. 

After ages of walking, Mitsuru finally stopped in front of a cafe and walked straight in without as much as a blink. He was the newcomer though, so Tetsurou stopped in front for a moment to get a feel of the place. The name was displayed at the top in serif font: Cafe Mythos. Interesting for a name, okay. He felt like he had been living under a rock for not knowing at all, and how the hell did Mitsuru get the time to even find out about this place? Mitsuru was getting more interesting by the meeting. It seemed like his efforts might come into fruition.

The cafe they stood in front of seemed like the types one would see in mystery anime. Tetsurou was definitely an otaku at this point for that kind of analysis. In another definition, the cafe appeared to be the English type that actually smells like authentic coffee. The door had the color of chestnut and had stained glass panels. Red bricks made the walls with elegant ornaments along the windows and entrance. It was simple and elegant, however, this type of cafes doesn't last long in Tokyo so why is it here? Especially in such a secluded area?

Without Tetsurou immediately realizing it, opening the door led him into a world belonging to the early 1990s. It had a strange yet gentle ambiance, and it won him over almost immediately. The music playing was ancient as well. Relics were displayed neatly on the walls, from fading black and white pictures to old toys. And best of all, it had the smell of authentic coffee. It was the perfect hideaway. Was Mitsuru secretly escaping to places like these to skip school?

"Aren't you. . going to sit?" Mitsuru's voice startled him. 

The nuance of her changed demeanor was almost adorable, thought Tetsurou, trying to hold back his laughter. He quickly sat down though, then took another look at his surroundings. His seat had the door behind him while Mitsuru sat across him. It seemed like she was used to this kind of place; the girl was gesturing the server for a menu. A thought caught his attention. "This place honestly looks familiar. How did you find a place like this?"

"I was looking for reference," Mitsuru replied without thinking.

"Reference?"

Oh shit.

"U-Um—"

Reference for what? Why did Mitsuru say reference? She forgot that she and Tetsurou weren't even friends in the first place! And more so that he didn't know her mangaka life! She had to say something and fast! "I-I got reference for good coffee. . The ambiance here. . is unlike other cafes I've been to. ." Mitsuru's words trail off as she explained. Her eyes sparkled right after. "Kurosaki-sensei seemed to have come here! I-I recognized this place. . in one of her. . panels. . in Wolves of the Underground. ."

Mitsuru felt her heart pound wildly in her chest as she finished her explanation. Ashe remembered seeing Tetsurou at the comic shop a couple of weeks before. He was annoying there for calling out to her so casually, and he was with other people at that time! The annoying spiky-haired bastard didn't know anything about personal space, but if he was a manga fan of her work, he might get distracted by that. He recognized her drawing style as well during one of the psychology lectures. Mitsuru bet her life on this!

Tetsurou thought deeply for a moment trying to recall the scene Mitsuru had mentioned. His memory flipped through the pages of the best manga ever. He went through volume one, two, and finally volume three. He had it! The MC talked to her love here!

Gulping nervously, Mitsuru hoped he completely fell for it. Forget her comment, just get distracted by the manga she had made in secret! 

"Right!" Tetsurou finally replied enthusiastically, snapping his fingers. "It was when Akari-chan met with Shin-kun about their feelings for each other. ." the boy grinned widely at the girl in front of him. "I didn't know you were a big fan of Kurosaki-sensei!"

His beaming smile caught Mitsuru off-guard. She didn't know he could shine like that with that kind of smile. Sure he was annoying as hell, he wasn't like the others who knew to just stay away. But this guy. . he's smiling at her like that. It almost made the girl blush a little. 

Stop.

Who'd wanna be friends with you?

Tetsurou hoped she'd smile back at him. Ever since he knew about her, she's never smiled not even once. Whether she was drawing or reading, not once had he saw a glimpse of a curl on her lips. She had finally come to a date with him, would it hurt to smile even once at least? But Mitsuru only stared at him with her usual serious expression. When did life become such a jerk for her?

Nevermind, she was too much of an enigma for him anyway. Once he wins the bet, Tetsurou doesn't need to make the extra effort anymore. But for now. .

"Let me do the paying," said the boy.

Mitsuru raised an eyebrow at him. "No, I invited you. . and you might turn it into some favor. . !"

Tetsurou could only chuckle sheepishly at that comment. "Let's order then!"

"I already asked. . for the menu."

* * * * * * * *

The bell chimed every time the door opened. It rang only a few times as the hour passed. From a single individual to a group of friends visited the cafe. From their lack of reaction, they might be occasional or regular customers like her. Mitsuru listened for a while; a force of habit. Listening to conversations is a good inspiration for dialogue in a story. Maybe their personal problems can be used for a scene, for example. Or maybe the ridiculousness of such problems can be especially be designed for the story to carry the plot. Occasionally, some people can serve as a design reference for the characters as well. Like, Tetsurou, Mitsuru never thought he could be a reference. Maybe it was because of his outfit that day? She didn't know.

She has been to Cafe Mythos a few times to get away from the sense of city life. Some people can be obsessed with visiting Shibuya, the most neon-lit district in Tokyo, where a lot of businesses boomed. But this secret part of Tokyo is for introverts like her. It was quiet and mysterious, practically a different world. If Mitsuru didn't bring Tetsurou along she would have brought out her sketchpad to draw. The deadline was coming up, but other things barge in like her conscience. Yes, she was absent because of her manga, but the white-haired girl couldn't get Tetsurou's disappointed and sad look off her mind. In moments like these, Mitsuru knew too well she would regret being mean.

As of the moment, Tetsurou enjoyed his fancy icecream. Mitsuru recommended other sweets, but apparently he had to stay fit for volleyball. Now that's a new fact Mitsuru had found out about the annoying Tetsurou Kuroo. He wasn't the ace, the boy admitted. Nor was he the captain. The girl only nodded thoughtfully as he explained his passion for his sport. Unfortunately, it's far from what Mitsuru cared about.

"Why have you been absent by the way? I hope it's not because of the ice cream." Tetsurou's voice interrupted Mitsuru's thoughts.

"Uh. . I had to take care of. . certain things--my cat got sick," Mitsuru lied as she removed her eyes from another customer. She hoped that he'd not bother to comment. But the look in his eyes when she glanced was filled with immediate curiosity.

Instant regret swelled up in the girl.

"What's his name??" The boy asked excitedly. His eyes sparkled like that of a little boy's. 

Mitsuru hesitated for a moment but spoke after a moment of thought. "Kuroh actually," she replied slowly, placing her finger on her lower lip. She wanted to nip it so badly. "Similar name as yours. . . apparently."

"Ehhhh? Why didn't you give it a cuter name?" Tetsurou asked with a wide smirk on his face. "I expected something more creative at least. Didn't know you were bad at naming, Shirai-chan."

Shirai sighed loudly. "It was black, ergo its name."

Now Tetsurou couldn't help but let out a loud guffaw of laughter. For someone who's so quiet with her face stuck in her book, Mitsuru showed off the colors of a tsundere. This was progress alright, the boy was slowly approaching to win that bet. He could even still stay friends with her afterward, Mitsuru didn't seem so bad.

"Please! Don't leave me!" A troubled whisper broke through the atmosphere. Even with the music playing, those words were obvious to the ear. Both Mitsuru and Tetsurou turned to check the ruckus. Turned out to be a high school couple, although neither of the two recognized what school they were from. Not like it mattered.

"I-I'm sorry," said the boy. "I can't stay any longer. ."

"You can't do this to me! We made a promise!"

Tetsurou chuckled. "Ahh, youth. They shouldn't take relationships so seriously yet. They might meet someone better in the future."

Surprisingly, Mitsuru snorted under her mask. "What lame-ass drama. ." She took a spoonful of her ice cream: plain salted caramel in a bowl. It was unlike Tetsurou's that had so much candy and wafer sticks. She removed her mask to eat like a normal person, surprising Tetsurou. Mitsuru didn't look like she cared with him there, then she continued, "You're right. They. . shouldn't take it seriously. . not just yet at least."

"You're eating without your mask!" Cried Tetsurou in shock. "Are you that used to me already?"

The girl wanted to wipe off the smug grin on his face. But there was no lie there, she can't deny it. She was slowly getting used to him already. Is that a good thing?

"It's not a good thing," Mitsuru spoke out loud and took more spoonfuls of her cold sweet. 

Tetsurou just chuckled. "You're such a tsundere, Shirai-chan! You asked me out on a date yet getting used to me isn't a good thing!"

She scoffs. The girl picked up her spoon and waved it at the boy's face threateningly. "Oi, you and I are here because I was mean the other day. Nothing more. ." 

Oh, hoh. The petite girl had a conscience. Now Tetsurou felt bad a tad bit, but it was adorable. Realizing Mitsuru asked him out on that basis wasn't something he had expected. But that would've been the only reason.

The bell rings again when the young boy from earlier rushed out. And at the table the girl stayed with tears streaming down her face. Her hands held tightly to her skirt as she let out her emotions. Just the surface part, she might cry again once she gets home. Tetsurou felt bad for her. A young girl like her getting her heart broken like that. He wondered what made it end. At this point both Tetsurou and Shinju finished their cold sweets, and to be honest, Tetsurou enjoyed the dessert. 

A really nice treat. 

Shortly after the bell rang again and boisterous laughter followed. A contrast from earlier. But Tetsurou didn't bother to look back. Not like it mattered anyway. Mitsuru though kept her eyes to the entrance like a hungry dog, which surprised him the next second.

"I should go," Mitsuru suddenly said, putting down money on the table. She placed on her earphones and mask and stood up.

That he didn't expect.

Before  Tetsurou could protest, a familiar voice called out to him, and he turned to see Shigeru standing with some of their volleyball teammates. The pink-haired guy waved at him as he approached the table, but stopped at his tracks when his eyes fell on Mitsuru who was just leaving.

In the briefest of moments, Tetsurou saw Shigeru stare at the girl from where he was. He looked almost happy. He was about to raise his hand to probably greet her; only a cold shoulder waited for him. Mitsuru ignored him and walked right past, and the bell jingle followed right after. The former Nekoma captain was confused. He quickly put down the payment for the ice cream and stood up to greet his friend. He didn't care if Mitsuru had paid for his earlier, but that didn't matter at the moment.

"Didn't expect to see you here, cap," Tetsurou chuckled as he stood up. "Hey, guys!" And the other dudes greeted him.

"It's the first time I'm here. Some friends recommended," Shigeru explained. "You better catch your date," he chuckled nervously, "She looked upset."

Tetsurou nodded in confusion. "Yeah. . I'll see you later, senpai." He didn't know what else he can say as he rushed out after Mitsuru. That whole scenario was weird. The timing was weird, too. The white-haired chic stood up right when the bell chimed. Did she see Shigeru?

Looking left and right, the boy quickly saw the girl walking away. Mitsuru was pretty far already, which was quick for a minute or so. Without a second thought, Tetsurou dashed for her while he called her name; she didn't respond. Tetsurou cursed under his breath right before he grabbed her arm. It startled her.

"Why'd you up and go like that??" He asked, glancing back at the cafe. 

"I considered the date over," Mitsuru replied quickly, but there was a hint of anger in her tone. "Sorry, but I gotta head home."

"It just felt weird you just getting up and leaving like that," said Tetsurou.

The girl didn't look like she was in a mood to explain. Her expression was hard even if she tried to hide it. But being a volleyball player known to provoke, Tetsurou knew when someone hinted the slightest bit of anger. But this time, the boy decided to let it slide. He shouldn't make her upset any more than she looks to be.

"Wanna take a walk before you go home?" The boy asked. "I could smell the sea already."

Mitsuru sighed. "I. . don't mind." Her voice was hesitant, but she let Tetsurou do what he wanted.

Within minutes the two found themselves at the port where the seagulls waited. The white birds flew over their head crying; their wings spread along their sides. Then off they disappeared into the light across the horizon. The light sparkled like fallen stars on the water's surface, and beyond that, the orange ball of fire was already halfway gone. And like a painting, splashes of pink, purple, and orange was spread across the sky. The light left an ethereal glow across everything the eyes can see.

Lights lit one by one as dusk approached. With just the colors evolving by the minute, the emotions of the atmosphere changed. In its own little way, time created such magic. Just like he did, Mitsuru seemed to bask in the serenity it gave her.

Suddenly she twirls around, letting the wind blow against her hair from behind. The orange glow from the sun's rays gave her white snow hair highlights like it was on fire. The tints on her eyes changed with shimmers in them. The mysterious girl seemed serious.

"I. . hope you liked the flowers."

Now Tetsurou felt like a dumbass. He had left them at the cafe. It would be embarrassing though to get back for it.

"I did. Sorry, I left them."

"It's fine. . doesn't matter anyway."

"We should do this again, Shirai-chan."

Mitsuru shook her head. "You. . . better not get any ideas. . this is just thanks. . and an apology," said the girl, tucking her lock of hair. "Things should be back to normal. . . tomorrow."

~~~

Number of words: 3313

Dedicated to TDOROKI! It's been a while since I posted a chapter, mostly because of my busy life in school and the second being unsure of how to lead this chapter xD But I hope you guys enjoyed every part of it x3

I changed Shigeru appearance. Originally he was dark-skinned with white hair. I decided to make him fair-skinned with pink hair instead :))

BTW!! I've posted another Haikyuu! fanfic called To Our Eternity, check it out! It's a Kei Tsukishima x OC fanfic OuO

- Rai