"Tsukkin!!!" a girl's screech irritated Tsukishima's ears as he heard rapid footsteps ran towards him. He didn't even bother to turn around to see who it was. He already knew where that annoying high-pitched voice came from. "Shinobu, get off me" he sternly ordered the girl who was latching on his back like a monkey. She shook her head stubbornly and tightened her hold on him, leaning her head on his shoulder. He sent her a glare.

"Mouuuu, why're you always grumpy?" Kajiwara complained, backing away from him with a pout. He continued walking while she followed him. "By the way, Tadashin told me about your two back to back practice matches. He said you guys won against that school Aoba Johsai and then that game against some adults of a neighborhood volleyball team"

"Yeah, what about it?" Tsukishima asked her coldly.

"Eh... u-um, nothing. It's just that you never tell me stuff anymore and I have to hear it from Tadashin all the time" she pointed out.

"You have Yamaguchi so it's fine. I don't need to report my daily life to you all the time" he retort, leaving the girl startled with the way he talks to her.

Shinobu stared worriedly at her childhood friend whom she felt was growing more and more distant from her. 'Tsukkin...'

That lunch time, Kajiwara visited their classroom, 1-4, looking for her two best friends who were eating inside their room. She asked the president if she could enter and was given permission to do so. She joined Yamaguchi and Tsukishima, grabbing herself a chair and shared her bento to the two of them. "Ta-da! Pork cutlets wrapped up with eggrolls with bacon!" she presented while Yamaguchi gawked at her lunch box.

"That looks delicious, Shinobu! Mind if I grab one?"

"Sure! I made this for you guys actually. Tsukkin, want some?" she offered to the blonde who was busy listening to music while chewing on the bread he bought.

"No thanks" he declined.

"Eh? But you need some protein for your muscles! You're in the volleyball team now right?" she insisted, shoving her lunch box at his face.

"Dammit, I told you I don't wanna" Tsukishima snapped unintentionally, quieting the girl in her seat.

"Tsukki!" Yamaguchi called him out, sending a scolding look at him. He just clicked his tongue and stood up, going to the restrooms. "Sorry about that, Shinobu. Tsukki didn't meant to-"

"It's okay Tadashin" Kajiwara cut him off, forcing a smile to show to him. "I know Tsukkin. He would never want to hurt my feelings"

'Shinobu-chan...'

...

"Tsukkin! Tadashin!" there she is again. The persistent Kajiwara Shinobu is at it again. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were on their way to practice when she shouted their name through the hallways and ran towards them, waving at them like there's no tomorrow. "Let's walk home together!!" she suggested cheerfully, locking her arms on each of the male's arms.

"Sorry, Shinobu-chan, we have club practice remember? Inter High's coming so our usual training schedule became more late" Yamaguchi informed her, apologetically. "Sorry"

"Is that so? Well it can't be helped..." she let loose of the two's arms, a bit down. "I'll see you then!" with that sad smile, she went ahead in going home, feeling lonely as ever. Ever since high school started, she felt like her two best friends are growing apart from her; especially Kei.

Their usual hang-outs during middle school weren't the same anymore. It was ironic; they were much closer when they attended different schools, but now they're in the same campus, it feels like they aren't in the same place at all. The two were always busy with practice that they have no time to hang-out with her.

Kajiwara headed straight home, just thinking about her mother whose working alone at their flower shop.

...

"I'm home" Tsukishima announced as he entered their front porch at home. He looked at the shoes placed there and didn't see his father's so he assumed he isn't home yet. What got him wondering is a pair of slippers sitting there. He heard footsteps which he thought was his mother, going to welcome him home, but instead,

"Welcome home, Tsukkin!" Kajiwara greeted him with a warm smile. Astounded, Kei stared at her figure, noticing she tied her hair up in a bun, and she was wearing her favorite apron that belonged to his mother. 'What is she doing here...?' "Ah, you must be hungry from all the training, come on, I prepared dinner for you!" she dragged him into the dining room where the table was already prepared by Shinobu herself.

She served him a bowl of rice and busied herself in preparing tea for the two of them. Tsukishima was about to ask her where his mother was but he was beaten to it - "Oba-san went out to buy something and hasn't come back yet so I thought of cooking dinner for you guys" she informed him, serving him his bowl and tea. She sat right across him at the table and smiled. "Dig in" she offered.

And so he did. Tsukishima didn't say a word to her and started to eat dinner. Shinobu was watching him intently, wanting to know his reaction after he tasted her cookery. "Do you like it?" she questioned. 'Is she that eager?' Kei swallowed his food before thinking. "It's average" was his brief comment about it.

"Eh? Average?" The girl was a bit disappointment since she was hoping for something than "average". Kei noticed her a bit down because of that, he sighed. "Average I mean it passes my standards. I like it" with that, it lifted the girl's spirits.

"R-Really?" She shrieked excitedly, enough to get her off her seat. "I'm glad!" she relaxed, returning to the chair. Satisfied, Shinobu soon joined Tsukishima in eating dinner.

Shinobu didn't want to leave him alone in the house so she volunteered to stay until his mother returns. They spent the rest of the evening watching television, playing board games and the girl talking about her high school experiences while waiting for Kei's mother to come back. "How about you, Tsukkin? Are there memorable moments you want to share?"

"Mmm... nothing really..." replied the middle blocker with no interest. The two of them were lying on the carpet that was covered with literary books that they snooped around with as they entertained themselves out of boredom. Tsukishima was so focused on the book he was reading, he didn't even notice Kajiwara staring at him. Shinobu gave up on him for today. 'He's not even interested in talking about his life...' she sulked, burying her head in the pillow. She lifted her head, glancing at her childhood friend again, later finding herself smiling. 'Even so, he's still Tsukkin...' and slowly, the girl drifted off to a deep slumber, with soft snores escaping her mouth.

Kei gazed at her, planting a small smile on his face. 'Idiot...' he stood up to go to his room and grab Shinobu a blanket. He threw it all over her tall figure, tucking her in the sheets, and adjusting her head on the pillow so she could properly lie on the sofa. He rested his back on the sofa, with the girl's face close to his back. He leaned on the couch and glanced to his right where he saw her sleeping face that always pulled his heart strings. 'You actually ran out of energy...'

They stayed like that for about an hour and 20 minutes before the landline of the Tsukishima's rang. As Kei answered, he found himself talking to Shinobu's mother, who asked if the girl was still at their home. "Yeah, she's still here" he says, looking back at the sleeping figure of the blonde.

"I see. May I talk to her, Kei-kun? I'm sorry for the bother"

"It's okay... um; Shinobu's currently asleep so I guess I'll just wake her up-"

"Ah! That's okay! I'm really sorry but please let her rest for a bit! She's been working herself out at the shop these days. I don't think she hasn't had a proper sleep yet"

"Huh? I see; I won't wake her up. If you want, she can sleepover since it's getting late and I don't think I can wake her up because, you know Shinobu..."

Shinobu's mother chuckled over the phone. "You're right. She's not really the best type of people to wake up when she's having a nice nap" she agrees. "Well, if it's not much of hindrance... please take care of her for tonight!"

"Hai. I'll just carry her to Nii-san's room. Got it, goodbye" Tsukishima put the hands set down and sighed. 'It's weird how she can work hard' he thought and went closer to the couch to carry the girl bridal style. As he scooped her in her arms, her head leaned on his shoulder making their faces close to each other. Kei adjusted her to carry her properly, and was about to head towards the stairs when he saw his mother just peeking by the corner who didn't even said a word that she's back. "Oka-san?!"

"Kei-kun~ I think you should place Shinobu-chan on the bed already, she's really asleep and looks tired"

"That's what I'm going to do actually...."

"Is that so? What else were you going to do?" Tsukishima's mother inquired playfully, not admitting that she was standing there all a while, watching her son give an intimate longing stare towards the girl whom he liked ever since middle school.

"Uh... nothing?"

"Oh, sure~" she hummed, skipping her way in the kitchen.

Kei just raised his eyebrows at his mother and doesn't have the slightest clue about his mother's observations of him and Shinobu.

A/N: I KNOW THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE POSTED YESTERDAY BUT FVCKING INTERNET'S A BITCH XD SO YES---Your TsukiKaji ship has their own chapter <3 This is honestly my second best ship~~~ :3 Lol, hope you enjoyed this :D Oh and By the way, might as well announce it: 

I HAVE A NEW STORY ENTITLED "YES, PRINCESS AKIKO!" :D It's a Nijimura Shuzo fan fic, hopefully you guys will like this :----) The OC's a brat and you might hate her but meh---WE HAVE SHUZO. :D Lol