- twenty-three -

〚 third person 〛

☾☾☾

"Momiji, who does house belong to?" Her father said as he exhaled deeply, blowing out a puff of smoke. The expression on his face made her cower and look down.

"It's my tutor's house." She answered half-honestly, slightly fearing what his response would be.

His eyes scanned her outfit with distaste. "You go to your tutor's house dressed like that?"

Momo flinched slightly, recalling that she was wearing Tsukishima's shirt instead of her own.

"Don't tell me you're still chasing after that upperclassmen of yours?" He sneered, blowing out a puff of smoke in her direction. Upon getting no response, he already knew his answer. "Didn't I already tell you to stop bothering that damn kid? You must be a nuisance to him."

Momo flinched, hating those words. N-No...I'm not...

"He's gonna end up throwing you away like that last kid did." Upon hearing that, Momo's entire body went stiff as she clenched her jaw.

I hope he doesn't.

☾☾☾

"Kei, hurry up." A female voice called out as Tsukishima exited the club room. Momo peered around the wall, spotting a female in front of the club room with her bag hung on her shoulder. "Jeez, you're so damn slow."

"Shut up." Tsukishima muttered, brushing past the female who remained unaffected by his words and caught up to him.

"I tried learning the stuff you told me about, but you're so vague that I don't understand it at all." The female huffed as she bumped shoulders with Tsukishima.

Momo watched from a distance, clutching her bag strap anxiously. Who is that? Why is she calling him Kei?

"It's because you don't listen." Tsukishima muttered, flicking her forehead harder than necessary.

Yamaguchi appeared beside Tsukishima, bowing to the female who stood on the opposite side of Tsukishima. "Oh, hey, Konno-san."

"Hey, Yamaguchi." The female replied, shooting him a lazy grin that he awkwardly returned. Turning her attention back to Tsukishima, she grabbed his hand. "C'mon, Kei, tutor me properly. I can't pass without you."

Momo felt her heart clench when Tsukishima didn't pull his hand away from her, allowing her to hold onto him. He simply shrugged, sighing softly.

"Whatever. You better actually learn." Tsukishima muttered, knowing she'd pester him for the next few weeks until he agreed.

"Yay!" Konno said as she let go out his hand, flashing him a triumphant grin. "Let's start today?"

As Konno and Tsukishima worked out the details, Yamaguchi glanced over his shoulder and noticed Momo standing alone. Before he could turn on his heels to walk over to her, she turned away and disappeared in the other direction. Momo-chan?

"Little girl's will get snatched up if they walk home alone, you know?" Akiyama's familiar voice called out as Momo walked past him. She glanced up, smiling faintly at Akiyama who noticed her off-smile. "What's wrong?"

After a bit of persuasion, he finally got Momo to open up about what she had seen. He nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he walked beside her.

"That's Konno Yuka. She's in his class. I heard from a few upper class girls that she likes him. Not that I'm hanging out with any upper class girls, that is." Akiyama muttered, eliciting a weak laugh out of Momo. She looked down, fiddling with her hands.

"I'm...scared." Momo admitted quietly, noticing how Akiyama turned to her completely. "I don't wanna voluntarily leave Tsukki-senpai's side, but I also don't want to be thrown away."

Momo bit her lips, frowning deeply. "I just want to stay."

"Then stay. You're so insecure sometimes." Akiyama muttered as he ruffled her hair, making her close her eyes and yelp. "Don't let such a small thing upset you. You'll be fine. Besides, you have a ton of people on your side in the end."

"Thanks, Akkey."

☾☾☾

As the weeks went on, Momo found her chances to be around Tsukishima decreasing as Konno began to show up everywhere. Before practice, after practice, during class, after class, during break, she was always there.

"Chibi-chan~" The voice that had become familiar, called out as Momo exited the gym. The small brunette glanced to the side, feeling dread well up inside of her when she saw Konno standing there.

Konno flashed Momo a thin smile as she walked over to the female, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "You're Masaki-san, right? I think I saw you when I was in junior high."

Momo stiffened, suddenly remembering why Konno looked so familiar. She avoided Konno's eyes, forcing a laugh.

"I remember it better now. You're the girl who had problems with everyone in her grade and ended up quitting school, right?" Konno asked, smiling mirthlessly at Momo who remained quiet. "What made you come back to school? I heard things were pretty bad."

Calm down. She's doing it on purpose. It's okay. Momo felt her body began to tremble as Konno went on about junior high and Momo's temporary disappearance.

"Does Kei know about that? Since you hang around him all the time." Konno shrugged, nudging Momo to show her Tsukishima who was approaching with Yamaguchi at his side. "I guess you didn't. I don't think he'd be too fond of you if he knew."

"Maybe I ought to tell him about it?"

"You're still here, Momo-chan?" Yamaguchi asked, soon noticing the pale expression she wore. "Are you okay?"

"Ah, she's fine! She said her stomach kinda hurts, so I was tell her to go home." Konno said as she unhooked her arm from around Momo's shoulders. "We should get going before it gets dark, Kei."

Tsukishima nodded, watching as Konno excused herself for a moment to retrieve her bag from her club room.

Momo grabbed Tsukishima's wrist, peering up at him with a fearful expression on his face. "Tsukki-senpai! Please, don't go with her!"

Tsukishima's eyes thinned slightly as he stared down at her, wondering what was her problem. "I have to. I'm still tutoring her."

"Please, senpai! Please, don't go with her! I don't want you-" To find out about me. She thought as she cut herself off, unable to finish her sentence.

"Let me go." Tsukishima muttered as he tried to shake her off. She held onto his sleeve, unwilling to let him go until he agreed not to go with Konno. "Shorty-"

"Please, Tsukki! Please!" Momo begged, lowering her head slightly to bow. Tsukishima stared down at her with thin eyes as an irritated huff escaped his lips.

"Tch. Thought you were more mature than to get jealous over such a stupid thing. You're being annoying. Leave me alone." As soon as those words left his mouth, Momo's grip on his arm loosened, and she stepped away.

Tsukishima didn't spare her a glance as he walked away, meeting up with Konno who smirked when she saw the expression on Momo's face.

"Momo-chan," Yamaguchi started slowly, jumping slightly when Momo turned to him. He saddened when he saw her glassy eyes that threatened to spill with tears. "I think that was a little harsh of him, but I don't think he meant it."

"No...he's right." Momo sniffled as she forced a smile, tears falling down her cheeks. "I'm just a nuisance."

Yamaguchi opened his mouth to say something but stopped when he realized that nothing would help. She turned on her heels, walking home as tears continued to slide down her cheeks.

As Momo entered her home, she found her father sitting on the living room couch with a cigarette in hand. His eyes narrowed when he saw the tears that flowed from her eyes.

"You were right." Momo asked as she walked past him, wiping her eyes that kept producing tears. "Happy now?"

The sound of Momo's door shutting made him sigh, exhaling smoke deeply. He furrowed his brows, pinching the bridge of his nose slightly.

That was never my intention, Momiji.