"Ya know Lev, sometimes it seems like everyone here hates me."

The statement was casual, but it still caught the tall boy's attention as if it had been a slap to the face. "W-why do you say that, Yaku-senpai?" Lev tried to pull it off, but he probably failed.

"Well, there's Kuroo, who literally disagrees with me breathing,"

I don't hate you!

"There's Kenma, but he's not as big a deal because he hates everyone."

I don't hate you!

"I kinda get ignored during practice and people pick on me for my height,"

I don't hate you!

"And this entire team sometimes acts like just the thought of having to deal with and be around me makes their lives a living hell, so..."

I don't hate you!

"Yeah, I guess that's kinda it."

"Well..."

"Hm?"

"I still think you're pretty cool."

Yaku shouldered his pack. "Thanks Lev." He mumbled with a small smile.

The next day Yaku showed up to practice with bags under his eyes.

"No sleep?" Lev asked him while pulling his gym shirt over his head.

"Mmh." The small boy mumbled half-asleep while putting on his volleyball shoes.

"So, ah, I've been having trouble with receiving again...would you mind helping me a little bit after practice?"

"Nope."

"Oh, okay, great! Thank you so much!"

"It's nothin..."

The tired boy walked out of the changing rooms and into the gym, leaving a worried Lev in his wake.

That night, after Yaku helped Lev with his receiving again, they decided to wait for each other outside the locker room. It had been a bit since Lev had walked out but Yaku still wasn't there, and he had begun to get a bit worried, so he decided to check on the short boy. As he walked into the the locker room, he heard a sob.

He ran to the source of the sound and found his upperclassman curled up in a ball in a corner of the locker room, shaking and sobbing loudly.

The sight broke his heart.

Of course Yaku reeled away at the sight of his Kouhai trying to comfort him, but that didn't stop Lev from wrapping him in a protective and comforting embrace. "G-go away," he sobbed, "I don't deserve this." "Why are you crying Yaku-san?" Lev asked.

Of course, he already knew why.

Yaku hated himself.

And Lev hated himself for letting Yaku feel that way.

"I-it's nothing, go away," the third year blubbered. "Well, it's very clearly not nothing, as you're crying like I've never seen you cry before, so I will not go away until you are honest and tell me what's wrong right now."

Lev didn't mean for the last part to come out so harshly, but as long as Yaku could trust him with his feelings, all's well that ends well.

"It's nothing," Yaku mumbled again, "Just everyone being an ass."

"Mind telling me how?"
"Just- Just ignoring me and- and..." he began to cry even harder. "It's okay, you don't have to say any more." "T-thank you...." Yaku sniffed and tried to pull away from his friend.

"Come here," Lev mumbled, and gave him a hug. "As long as I'm here, I want you to cry, okay?"

Yaku sniffed. "Okay."

And they sat. Eventually Yaku stopped crying and picked up his bag to leave.

"Ya know Lev?"

"What?"

"Maybe there's someone here who doesn't hate me after all."

"Who is it?"

"It's you."

He swung his bag over his shoulder and left. Lev smiled.

And so did Yaku.