- three -

〚 third person 〛

☾☾☾

The bell rang, signaling the end of class for the students. Everyone began to get up, exiting the room in an orderly fashion since there was no rush to get anywhere. Momo was forced to stay behind seeing as she was stuck on cleaning duty today with a few of her classmates.

"I want this room spotless." Their teacher said as she shut the door, walking away from the classroom to head home ahead of all the kids. She was supposed to be monitoring them, but chose to leave them alone.

Momo's classmates whispered to one another before laughing and turning to her. Unfortunately for her, she was stuck on duty with a group of girls that absolutely despised her.

"Momo-chan, you'll clean the classroom for us, right?" One female said with a mirthless smile on her lips. She poked Momo's shoulder with a little more force than necessary as her smile only got thinner. "Right?"

Momo stammered for a moment. "But-"

"You heard her earlier. She wants it spotless. Sensei will be angry if it's not spotless." The girl seethed, digging her nails into Momo's shoulder to somehow persuade her into agreeing.

Defeatedly, Momo bowed her head and agreed to clean the classroom while the others left. Once they exited the room, Momo felt her knees slowly give in, and she fell to the floor. What's wrong with me? What did I do wrong?

As she doubted herself after that small interaction, her classroom door slid open to reveal two upperclassmen. Their eyes scanned the empty room before landing on Momo who was sitting on the floor.

"Momo-chan?" The familiar voice of Yamaguchi made her quickly suck in any emotion she was feeling and stand up. At first, she forced a smile onto her face, but a genuine smile slipped onto her face as she approached the two who stood at the door for her. "What were you doing on the floor? And where are the others?"

"I dropped something! They went off to get some supplies from the closet, but they'll be back soon!" She smiled up at Yamaguchi then glanced at Tsukishima who leaned on the doorframe with a raised eyebrow. "Hi, Tsukki-senpai! You look really nice today!"

"Hmm." Tsukishima simply rose his eyebrows at her before glancing away from her. He knew she didn't take it badly because of the small giggle that escaped her lips.

"We came to ask if you wanna walk home with us later." Yamaguchi asked, making Momo's eyes widen with pure bafflement.

Her chocolate brown eyes glimmered brightly as she clasped her hands together. "Can I?! Can I really?!"

Yamaguchi nodded, chuckling softly at her reaction. "Yeah. I noticed you've been going home pretty late recently, so it'd be better if we walked home together."

"Thanks!" She exclaimed, beaming at both males who had different reactions. "I'll work hard and clean up nicely!"

"Okay, see you later!" Yamaguchi called, turning away from her classroom to head off to practice. Tsukishima lingered for a bit, smirking at Momo who felt nervous under his stare.

"Don't hurt yourself, shorty. You might break your tiny legs if you try too hard." Tsukishima teased as he began to walk away, snickering when he heard a gasp escape her lips.

"My legs aren't tiny, senpai! Yours are just long!" She complained, feeling a small smile grace her lips as a genuine warmth filled her chest. Every time, you always manage to make me feel better.

"Let's do this!" She exclaimed, beginning the cleaning process quickly.

☾☾☾

"I wanna cry." Momo mumbled as she laid dead on the floor of her classroom. She had finished half an hour ago, but her weak little body was struggling to continue on. The time was five minutes before the volleyball club finished practice, and she barely had the energy to get up from her spot on the floor.

FOR TSUKKI-SENPAI! She shouted internally, forcing herself off the ground hurriedly. Using the momentum of standing-up, she grabbed her bag and quickly exited the classroom. After regaining her energy while walking, she made her way to the gym and peeked inside through the window. Her eyes settled on her upperclassmen who were busy cleaning.

"Tsukishima-senpai is such a prick. He blocked every single one of my spikes and told me I sucked. It's not my fault he's some freak blocker with more experience." A first year from another class muttered as he stood beside the window with another first year. They were busy rolling up the net to notice Momo outside the window.

"He's not a prick!" She shouted, quickly ducking when the two boys glanced her way in shock. They quickly dismissed it since they weren't sure if they even heard it.

She waited patiently outside the gym until everyone began to file out. She jumped up, prancing over to the door happily when she saw Tsukishima and Yamaguchi exit the gym.

"Tadacchi! Tsukki-senpai!" Momo exclaimed, catching the attention of everyone on the team. It made everyone's—besides Tsukishima and Yamaguchi's— jaw drop in astonishment.

The infamous first year "Momo-chan" was here at the Karasuno boys volleyball gym, calling out to two of her senpais. No one had ever seen these three together.

"I'm surprised to see your legs still in tact. I thought you would've broken them trying to carry a broom." Tsukishima goaded smugly, making Momo puff up her cheeks at him.

"Senpai! I'm gonna break my leg on your head when I kick you!" Momo whined, inching closer to Tsukishima who didn't falter. He smirked, poking her forehead tauntingly.

"Are you sure you can reach my head? Should I grab you a stool or maybe a ladder?" Tsukishima murmured smugly, earning a small snicker from Yamaguchi who Momo whacked in the stomach.

"Don't laugh, Tadacchi!" Momo scolded, earning a hurt look from Yamaguchi.

He coughed slightly, holding his stomach to soothe the pain. "Hit Tsukki too then?!"

Momo bit her lip, shaking her head at Tsukishima who she couldn't bear hitting. "I don't wanna hurt him."

"Oh my god."

As everyone changed in the club room, Momo waited outside by the stairs with her bag on her back like a backpack. A few first years came down the stairs first, noticing Momo who waited in the dark. Naturally being curious about the fellow first year, they approached her.

"You're Momo-chan, right?" One male said, standing a few feet in front of her. The other two first years were the ones who were talking bad about Tsukishima earlier. She already disliked them for that sole reason. "How do you know Tsukishima-senpai and Yamaguchi-senpai?"

"It's kind of a long story." Momo laughed sheepishly, kind of unsure if she wanted to say much about how she met them.

The boy stepped forward, smiling at Momo. "You can tell us. We got time." Before his hand could latch around Momo's wrist, Tsukishima walked past him, accidentally hitting the boy in the boy with his bag.

"Arara, gomen~" Tsukishima apologized insincerely, smirking at first year who rubbed his head after being nailed by Tsukishima's book bag. "Didn't see you down there, Shrimpy."

"Ready to go home, Momo-chan?" Yamaguchi said as he appeared beside her and Tsukishima. She nodded happily, turning away from the first years to follow the two upperclassmen.

"You'll start glowing soon if you keep shaking like that." Tsukishima snickered, taking notice of Momo's excited shaking. She beamed at the blonde, unaffected by his teasing.

"It's my first time walking home with senpai! After six months, my hard work is beginning to pay off!" Momo exclaimed, shaking her fist happily.

"I'm here too." Yamaguchi muttered under his breath, watching Momo completely ignore his presence. Not like he minded anyway.

"You're pretty weird." Tsukishima mumbled, poking her cheek enough to push her face away. She stumbled a bit, recovering from her small trip to narrow her eyes at Tsukishima.

"I'm not weird! I'm happy!" Momo corrected, smiling cheerily at the blonde whose eyes thinned at her.

"Well, don't get used to it." Tsukishima warmed, smirking when her smile fell.

A pout graced her lips as she tugged on Tsukishima's sleeve, watching him put on his headphones. "Eh?? Why? What do you mean?"

She knew she wouldn't get an answer when she heard his music begin to play in his headphones. His eyes were set ahead as he listened to the music that played to ignore Momo.

"You should go home earlier, Momo-chan. It's not safe for you to be out this late." Yamaguchi scolded worriedly, genuinely concerned for the small girl who walked in between him and Tsukishima. "What do your parents say about you being out so late?"

The word 'parents' made Momo's smile slightly falter for a moment before she grinned brightly. "They don't mind it all too much since they know I can handle myself."

The rest of the wall home was Momo making conversation with Yamaguchi as Tsukishima walked beside them quietly. They spoke freely, assuming that Tsukishima was unable to hear the entire thing.

"Bye, Tadacchi! Tsukki-senpai," She called out to the male who didn't glance at her way because he hadn't heard her. "I love you! Goodnight!"

Yamaguchi chuckled, ruffling Momo's hair at her lack of directness. She was always confessing under these kinds of circumstances, never being completely upfront with him.

As the two males began to walk away, Tsukishima slowly pulled off his headphones and sighed when he noticed Yamaguchi's stare. "What?"

The smirk on Yamaguchi's lips was beginning to annoy Tsukishima.

"I know you were listening." Yamaguchi pointed out, making the fact that Tsukishima was listening the entire time known. "Are you interested in Momo-chan yet?"

"Yet?" Tsukishima scoffed, throwing his friend a side-glance. "You talk as if I'm going to actually fall for that preschooler."

Yamaguchi shook his head with a soft sigh, knowing his friend was in denial. "There's no way you aren't interested in her."

Tsukishima walked ahead of Yamaguchi, shoving his hands into his pockets. "She's not my type. Never will be. She's just fun to make fun of."