𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝐶𝑂𝑁𝐶𝐸𝑃𝑇 𝑂𝐹 𝐵𝐸𝐺𝑈𝐼𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐺 ┊ 𝐻𝐴𝐽𝐼𝑀𝐸 𝐼𝑊𝐴𝐼𝑍𝑈𝑀𝐼

𝟰 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗹

┅ ┅ ┅

Naomi closed the gate of her front yard and headed down the sidewalk, the heat blaring down on her back.
She had been warmed by the nickname given to her and waited to hear it from his voice again.

Feet stepped loudly and fast behind her, and she heard the panting of someone out of breath.
"Good, I caught you!" Iwaizumi smiled with a chuckle. Naomi felt her hands shake and she dug them into her pockets.
"Why were you running?"
"I didn't want you to get too far ahead of me. I wanted to walk with you."
"Oh okay."
Naomi and Iwaizumi walked down the street together. Iwaizumi looked down at her arms and trailed down to find her hands hidden away.

"I wasn't too sure when you walk in the morning, but you're always to class on time."
"Yeah, I was always late and then they threatened to give me detention. I started getting up earlier."
"I usually get up early. I hit the gym on Monday mornings since we don't have practice."
"That's nice."

Naomi tilted her head down and watched their feet along the pavement.
"Are you nervous about something?"
Naomi lifted up to see his once again concerned face. He makes it too often.
"I'm still a little bummed."
"About what?"
Naomi looked ahead as she realized he had assumed she liked him back. The crush that supposedly rejected her was Iwaizumi.

"Riko and I are a little on edge," she decided to settle with, "we should be okay."
"I can talk to her if you want."
"N-no! No, it's okay!"
Naomi held up her hands in assurance. "I can talk to her."
"How do you feel about public relationships?"
"Public?"

Iwaizumi shifted his hand up and nervously palmed the back of his warm neck.
"Do you want to keep us on the down-low, or do you want to tell people?"
Naomi couldn't let this spread too far. This was meant to just be between her, Oikawa, and Iwaizumi. The more that knew, the more awkward it would be if she did start dating Oikawa.

"Let's keep it low," Naomi mumbled, "I don't like a lot of attention."
"I understand. No problem. Oikawa might not keep his mouth shut though. That guy can't keep secrets."
"Really?"
"It's why I never tell him anything. He didn't even know I liked-I liked you until our first year of Highschool."
"Wait, Iwaizumi-San?"
They stopped by the crosswalk that leads over to the school entrance.
"Yeah?"

Naomi turned completely towards him, eyes shifting back and forth between his.
"How long have you liked me?"
"Oh-well..."
Iwaizumi has pink on his ears as he rubbed his arm. His voice softened from the confrontation.
"I've liked you since seventh grade."
"You've liked me for four years?"
"Yeah, just about. Why? Have you not liked me that long?"
Naomi bit her lips. The sign above them changed to the neon white man in his walking pose.

"I started liking you last year, after seeing how amazing you were against Shiratorizawa."
Iwaizumi retained eye contact and meekly grinned.
"Well, Oikawa was really the star that day. Glad to know you noticed me."
Naomi hadn't noticed him. She could remember how many points Oikawa served in the semi-finals of last year's spring tournament. She remembered his three setter dumps that shocked the crowds.
She knew no detail of what Iwaizumi had offered to that game.