Akaashi's P.O.V.

Like usual after school, you set out to get your homework completed. As you work, you get a phone call from Y/N.

"Hello?"

"Hey can I meet you at the park?" you hear her voice nervously ask.

"Sure. I'll be there in ten."

You close your notebook and prepare to head out.

Once you arrive at the park, you walk around waiting for Y/N to show up. You find yourself standing a ways back from the bench Y/N sat on the first time you took her skating. You think back to how you brought her your favorite pair of skates because they were 'a bit small', as your mother would say.

You walk over to the bench and sit down. Your mind wanders as you stare into the lake before you.

How am I going to tell her?

"Hey," you hear Y/N's sweet voice call as she sits beside you.

"Looks like I was right," you smile, "I had a feeling you would come over to the pond."

As you mention the pond you see Y/N's attitude slowly become sadder.

"Are you alright?" you ask her, unsure of why she wanted to meet.

"Is it true?" she asks.

You watch the sadness in her eyes as you wait for her to continue.

"Tsumu and Maya?"

You nod as you look away from Y/N.

"That's why I talked to Osamu yesterday," you sigh, "but I didn't want to say anything until Maya confirmed it."

Suddenly you feel Y/N's arms wrap around your neck. You feel her warm breath against you as she apologizes to you. You find yourself staring down at the girl holding onto you as if her life depended on it. As she backs away you find her looking deeply into your eyes. Before she gets too far you place your hand on her cheek and gently press your lips against her own soft ones. A moment later she pushes back and looks at you extremely confused.

"W-What did you do that for?" she says a bit discomposed.

You stand up, realizing that you made the wrong move.

I'm such an idiot for thinking Bokuto was right.

"I'm sorry Y/N," you say as you stand up.

As you are about to walk away you feel her hand lock into yours.

"You don't need to be sorry," she tells you, "I just don't want to be a rebound."

Your eyes widen as the realization hits you. You kneel down in front of her and take both of her hands in yours.

"Y/N you would never be a rebound to me."

Immediately Y/N throws her arms around your neck with as much strength as Bokuto's bear hugs. You stand up and lift her a bit off the ground.

"Akaashi I've always had feelings for you," she whispers in your ear.

The words send chills down your spine. The words you never thought you would hear back from your friend was finally a weight being lifted off of your shoulders.

"So have I," you tell her as you place her to stand properly on the ground.

I'm so close to telling her that I love her but I- I don't want to ruin what we've just started.

--

"See I told you, Akaashi!" Bokuto beams after you finish explaining to him what happened in the park, "It's about damn time since you two were obsessing over each other for years!"

"No, I-"

"Don't deny it," Bokuto growls to interrupt your rebuttal, "you can't talk back since you're the one who had a girlfriend."

You groan at your friend, knowing he's right. Bokuto walks over and sits next to you. You know he's about to get serious since you can feel him looming over you, ready to chew you out for something.

"Why the hell did you even get a girlfriend?" he asks impatiently.

"I told you, Bokuto," you sigh, "I thought it would stop my feelings for Y/N."

"What! You never told me that!"

"Look I just thought that the feelings wouldn't get returned."

You think back to the Nekoma game last year. You were ready to kiss Y/N as you spun her around but withdrew because you didn't think she felt the same.

"That's your own fault," Bokuto laughs wildly as he makes fun of you, "you did that to yourself."

"I know," you state plainly.

"So what is the story behind Maya?"

FLASHBACK

Walking along the boardwalk, you decide to stop at a little beverage stand. You approach and give your order to the worker with short brown hair. After paying, you stand to the side and wait for your drink.

"Akaashi-chan?" you hear her voice sweetly echo through your ears.

As you approach the girl, you see her bright smile beam straight through you. Her fingers linger a moment before letting go of your drink.

You walk away, holding onto the plastic container. Sitting down at a nearby bench you realize something's written on the side of your cup.

I just moved here. Text me?

She wrote her phone number?

After some consideration of what to do, you realize that your love life has been non-existent and you're incapable of making a move on the only girl you have ever had feelings for, so you decide to give this new girl a shot.

END OF FLASHBACK

"So I figured I would take her up on the offer and she asked me out after that."

"Man that's a horrible excuse," Bokuto laughs.

"At least I had a girlfriend, dumbass," you yell back.

"I did too," he smiles, "Y/N!"

"Shut up," you grumble.

"Yeah sorry," he says while patting your back, "At least the sex was good though, right?"

"Fuck you," you yell.

"Alright my bad I was just curious."

You shrug and think about how to answer Bokuto's question. The truth was that she was the only one you have been with so you didn't know exactly how to answer.

"It wasn't the greatest," you finally admit.

Bokuto wraps his arm around you, trying to be comforting.

"It'll be better with Y/N."

You immediately shove him off of you and stand up.

"Dude you're gross don't think about Y/N like that!" you shout.

"But you think about her like that," he shrugs.

"If you're done listening to what I have to say then I'll just leave!"

Bokuto rolls his eyes and apologizes yet again.

"You do know that your face is bright red though, right Kaashi?"

END OF CHAPTER 23