▃▃▃▃▃ etsuko wasn't entirely broke; close, but not all the way.

     "this is your plan?!", bokuto questioned, to which etsuko just hummed as she happily nodded her head.

"anyways, class starts in two days right? I've got time", the girl positively said as she carried a bag full of cheap fabric that she had managed to haggle even though they were already fifty percent off.

"by the way kozume-kun, can you draw me the school uniform and label it with colors please?", etsuko nicely asked, to which the boy thought for a moment before nodding.

     "oho? kenma usually never does anything for me just because I ask", kuroo teased, to which the pudding-head boy majorly scowled as he glared at kuroo, making him back up.

     "anyways, do you want to join us for dinner, haru? kuroo's paying", bokuto grinned as the bed-head gasped, putting his hand on his chest dramatically.

"huh? oh...um...I don't know if that counts as exploitation or not..."

"don't be so uptight haru-chan! count this as the day our friendship begins", kuroo smoothly said.

"b-but...I need to start on my uniform...", etsuko meekly replied. "plus...I don't want to owe you anymore, kuroo-san".

"you're our friend thou—"

"kuroo, just let him be", kozume interrupted. "we'll bring you back some leftovers if you don't mind".

"oh, you guys don't have to inconvenience yoursel—"

"then it's set then!! I'll bring you back some roasted duck after dinner", bokuto exclaimed as he then asked what room etsuko resided in.

     giving up, the girl had no choice but to answer, since the boy's mind was already set.

     "I'm in room six with kita-san. how about you guys?", etsuko asked.

     "eh? kita shinsuke huh?"

     "yeah....i-is something wrong?", the girl nervously questioned.

     "mm...nothing much honestly. he's known for getting first in everything though", akaashi replied.

     "tch. what's so good about being first in everything? you've got to enjoy the things in life", kuroo smiled, to which etsuko lightly chuckled.

"I didn't take you to be the jealous one, kuroo-san", etsuko mocked, grinning as the bed-head just scowled.

     "I—"

     "oh, we're here. see you later then, haru...", kozume softly mumbled as the girl just nodded.

"later guys! and thank you so much for accompanying me to the market", etsuko said as she entered her room, letting the doors stay slightly open as it was still daytime.

     "welcome back", kita greeted as etsuko repeated the same.

     "oh, are they your friends, kita-san?", the girl asked as there was another three men in their room, much to her displeasure.

     "ah, isn't this the one that called daishō a snake at the exams?", one of the twins laughed, to which etsuko tensed up at that comment.

     "I-I....are you all friends with him?"

     "not particularly", the other twin replied, to which etsuko sighed a breath of relief.

     "that's good! that's good", etsuko smiled as she unpacked her copious amounts of fabric and unfolded the sheet of drawing from kenma.

     "it's rude to not introduce yourselves", kita chimed in, to which etsuko had looked up once again.

     "I'm miya atsumu; the better twin", the boy, with an undercut and dyed golden yellow hair swooped to the right, smirked.

     "I'm miya osamu; the best twin", the other boy, with the same undercut except with dyed gray hair swooped to the left, followed up.

     "and I'm suna rintarō", the last boy, with dark brown and slightly-combed down, parted at the middle hair, quietly said.

     etsuko paused for a second, staring into the boy's grayish-yellow eyes, as he seemed quite similar to kenma, at least personality wise.

     "ah, and I'm haru etsuko!", the girl hastily spurted out as she just let the four men continue having their tea.

     as they turned back around, the girl continued taking out her lumps of fabric, along with a sewing kit that her mother had lent her.

     sighing, etsuko was glad that the uniform wasn't too complicated, as all she needed to make was a dark blue hakama, a pure white nagagi, and a light blue haori, similar to the color of the sky.

     taking out a string, since she didn't have a measuring tape handy, the girl measured her waist, bust, and etc. as she marked it down on the fabric.

     the four boys occasionally glanced over in amusement as etsuko started mumbling to herself, while figuring out the correct amount of fabric to use.

     "aren't ya close with that rooster-head? I thought he'd be nice enough to pay for yer school uniform", atsumu commented.

     'rooster-head? ...kuroo-san? pft! I'm using that', etsuko mentally chuckled.

     "oh, well I'm not going to exploit my newly made friends. plus, I got these fabric for a good deal anyways", the girl smiled as she started cutting about an inch away from the shaky lines that she drew.

     "do ya even have enough to pay for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?", atsumu scoffed, to which kita had cleared his throat, making atsumu turn back around.

     "why, worried? if so, you could always buy me some", etsuko grinned as atsumu swiftly turned to look at the girl.

     "I thought ya said ya didn't exploit yer friends!"

     "well answer me, atsumu-san, are we friends?", the girl mocked, meanwhile osamu let out a low chuckle.

     "ya—"

     "atsumu".

     the blonde boy gulped as he just awkwardly smiled at kita, who had swiftly took a sip of tea.

     osamu discreetly gave the girl a thumbs up, meanwhile suna took out his notebook, writing down the interaction.

     as etsuko continued cutting and sewing, the four had finally stood up after conversing for hours amongst hours.

     "haru-san, will you not be going out for dinner?", kita questioned, meanwhile the other three also stared at the girl, who was still on the floor, surrounded by threads and needles.

     "oh, no need! you four go ahead. I'm not even near done with this and school's in one and a half days", etsuko answered, to which kita just nodded as him and his posse left.

     once the door was shut, etsuko continued with her work, not stopping at all as suddenly a knock was heard.

     getting up to see who the knocker was, etsuko was greeted by kuroo and kozume.

     "you guys are back early", etsuko commented as kuroo just shrugged.

     "kenma over here was worried that little haru-chan was starving to death, so he made me bring him back early.

     plus, bokuto ended up paying since I was leaving early anyways", the rooster-head evilly chuckled.

     kozume then held out a bag with a box of food, shoved with rice, chicken legs, and spinach.

     "wow....it smells so nice!! thank you guys so much!!", etsuko smiled, to which kozume just nodded as kuroo's grin widened.

     "say, how far along are you with the project?"

     etsuko groaned, cracking her neck in the process. inviting the two in, she placed the bento box onto the table as she showed kuroo and kozume the finished haori.

     "the hakama's about done, but the nagagi is the hardest part", etsuko explained.

     "do all men who aren't rich know how to sew?", kuroo questioned.

     etsuko froze.

     "u-umm...well, since it's just my mother and I, I decided to help her around the house and you know...learn some basic skills", the girl awkwardly chuckled.

     "I see..."

     "we'll stop bothering your now, haru. oh, and you can just call me kozume too. I forgot to tell you earlier", the quiet boy spoke out, making kuroo surprised, as that was the first time kozume had talked so much.

     "o-oh okay then, kozume!"

     "hey, me too! just call me kuroo", the bed-head chimed in as etsuko just nodded.

     "alright alright! I'll see you two out, and once again, thank you both so much for the food. I'm glad that I have you two along with bokuto-san and akaashi-san as friends", etsuko bowed as kuroo just patted the girl's head.

     "no problem", kozume softly mumbled as he hastily left.

     kuroo waved goodbye as he trudged back to him and daishō's shared room, sighing.

     "what shitty luck I have to room with that snake bastard", the male muttered, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
セレンディピティ
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃