𝐂𝐇. 𝟒𝟓

⋅. ˚₊ ‧  𐙚  ‧ ₊ ˚  ⋅

It was one of those soft-weather days.

Clouds drifting lazily, warm breeze curling through my hair, the golden hour lighting everything in that dreamy kind of glow. The school rooftop had never looked this pretty. Maybe it was the sky. Or maybe it was the boy waiting up there.

Oikawa texted me after practice.

Meet me on the roof. No, this isn't a kidnapping. Or a prank. Or a weird team meeting. I just... need you to show up, okay?– Oikawa (the one you secretly like, admit it)

I rolled my eyes.

But I came.

Because, let's be honest—I would always come if it was him.

⸻

He was standing near the edge, the city glowing behind him. Wind gently tugged at his hair, and his jacket was unzipped, school tie loose like he hadn't fully recovered from the day.

He looked nervous.

That alone made me nervous.

"What's with the dramatic rooftop invitation?" I asked, walking toward him.

Oikawa turned slowly, and the way his eyes landed on me—soft, vulnerable, and a little terrified—made my heart jump.

He smiled, the small kind. The rare kind.

"I didn't want to do this in the gym," he said. "Or with the guys around. Or while being tackled by Iwaizumi."

"...Do what?"

⸻

He didn't answer right away.

Instead, he reached into his bag and pulled out something small.

A flower. A blue hydrangea.

"You kept saying I was annoying. So I figured I'd try something unannoying."

I blinked, taking the flower gently from his hand.

"You... brought me a flower?"

He shrugged, eyes darting away. "Don't make it weird."

"You literally brought me a flower like it's a confession in a shoujo manga."

"Shut up, I panicked!"

⸻

I laughed, holding it close to my chest despite the teasing. "It's cute."

He looked relieved.

Then his expression shifted. Serious now.

"Y/N."

His voice dropped an octave. My heart responded immediately.

"I've liked you for a while now. Not the joking kind of like. Not the flirty 'manager-chan~' kind of like. The real kind."

I opened my mouth, but he held up a hand.

"Let me finish or I might combust."

I smiled and let him go on.

"You make me nervous. And calm. You make me want to work harder and also slack off just to be around you longer. I used to think volleyball was the most important thing in my life, but then you showed up and messed that whole order up."

He stepped closer.

"I like you. So much it's ridiculous. So much it's terrifying. But also... kind of perfect."

My throat tightened.

I stared at him, flower still in my hand, and for once, Oikawa Tooru wasn't smirking. He wasn't posing. He wasn't trying to charm me.

He was just him.

Raw. Real. Honest.

⸻

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

"You idiot," I whispered.

He blinked. "That's... not the reaction I rehearsed for."

"I like you too."

His mouth dropped open slightly.

"But unlike you, I'm not good at flowery confessions and poetic speeches. So I'll just say it plain and simple."

I stepped closer, lifting my chin to meet his gaze.

"You made managing a team full of loud, sweaty boys tolerable. You made every water break fun. You made my stomach flip for months, and it pissed me off."

He laughed quietly.

"But you also made me feel seen. Wanted. Safe."

Now it was his turn to hold his breath.

"You're still annoying," I said, smiling.

"But you're mine."

He grinned so hard it nearly cracked his face.

"Say that again?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Don't push your luck."

"Still worth it."

⸻

He reached for my hand, intertwining our fingers carefully, like he wasn't sure I'd let him.

But I did.

I always would.

And then, under the warm evening light, he leaned down and pressed the softest kiss to my forehead.

No jokes. No teasing.

Just him.

Me.

Us.

He lingered for a second, forehead resting against mine. When he pulled back just enough to see my face, he was smiling, but there was a flicker of nerves in his eyes again.

"Y/N," he said quietly, voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah?"

"Will you..." he hesitated, actually hesitated—Oikawa Tooru, the king of confidence, suddenly unsure.

"...Will you be my girlfriend?"

My breath caught.

There was no teasing in his voice. No dramatic flair. Just honesty. Hope.

I stared at him, blinking.

"...You're really asking?"

"Dead serious," he said, giving a soft smile. "I want this. I want you. For real."

I squeezed his hand, heart swelling so full it hurt.

"Yeah," I said, my voice shaking just a little. "Yeah, I will."

His grin exploded across his face. "Wait—actually?"

"Don't make me change my mind," I teased, even as I smiled so hard it hurt.

Oikawa laughed, the happiest sound I'd ever heard him make. He picked me up off the ground in a dramatic spin that made me yell, "PUT ME DOWN BEFORE I KICK YOU!"

"You agreed to be my girlfriend, there are no rules anymore!"

I was laughing, breathless, and he was holding me close like I was something he'd been waiting forever to find.