He Is Here Again

The following morning, Ryota strolled into school alongside Yuji, curiosity sparkling in his eyes. "Wait, you're not dating? But Yuji-san is so ridiculously handsome! Surely, some girl must be after you," he exclaimed. Yuji chuckled lightly, "Nope, no one's pursuing me. Sorry to let you down." Ryota, lost in thought, mused, 'That's a win, not a letdown,' before realizing the implications of his own thoughts. But the moment was fleeting, as Akiru and Kite burst onto the scene, acting like his loyal little minions once more. Even Suga lingered around, refusing to leave his side. The day unfolded like any other, until that evening when they surprisingly arrived early at the gymnasium. They dashed into the changing rooms, emerged, and began their warm-up routine. While Suga was stretching, he glanced up and spotted Yuji. "Yuji-san, what brings you here?" he called out. "I'll be joining you guys every day from now on as your coach," Yuji replied. Kite nearly toppled over Akiru, mid-spike, at the news. Ryota froze momentarily before asking, "Is it true? Has Yuji-san finally decided to shed that hidden big belly?" Yuji took off after him, retorting, "Big belly? Excuse me? I'm not fat, you idiot!"

The captain, Ryosuke, bellowed at Kite, who was perched atop Akiru, "Enough of this nonsense! Get back to practice, both of you!" Meanwhile, Yuji, having finally caught Ryota, was playfully pretending to strangle him. "You idiot! Let's see who's got the bigger belly, you or me!" he exclaimed, releasing Ryota's neck only to grab at his shirt, attempting to hoist it up. "Come on, show me that belly! Are you scared? You think yours is bigger than mine?" Quick on his feet, Ryota yanked Yuji's shirt up first, challenging, "Let me see yours first!" His heart raced as he caught a glimpse of Yuji's smooth, porcelain-like skin, causing him to instantly release his grip and avert his gaze, his ears burning with embarrassment. "See? No belly here! Now it's your turn," Yuji teased, as Ryota desperately tried to pull his shirt down, only for Yuji to yank it completely off. "Aw, what a letdown! Looks like you don't have a belly after all," Yuji feigned disappointment, but then his keen eyes caught sight of Ryota's subtly defined abs. "Ryo, do you actually work out?" Ryota, still avoiding eye contact, gave a shy nod. "No wonder," Yuji remarked, gently tracing Ryota's abs. A wave of heat washed over Ryota, and he attempted to shift away, but with Yuji on top, escape was not an option. Ryota mumbled, "Could you please get off?" Yuji, with a hint of mischief, replied, "What? I didn't catch that!" Ryota repeated, "Please get off," his voice slightly louder yet still low. Yuji, ever the gentleman, said, "My bad," and promptly stood up, helping Ryota back into his shirt. They resumed their game, Ryota delivering flawless tosses while Yuji executed perfect spikes. "Nice toss!" Yuji exclaimed, flashing a thumbs up. Ryota couldn't help but think, "That smile of his is absolutely adorable. And when he touched my belly earlier, my cheeks felt like they were on fire. Plus, his skin was so delightfully soft." 

As Ryota strolled home along with the others, a thought crossed his mind: "Every time I catch Yuji-san doing something that any ordinary person would do, I find it utterly adorable. Hmm, let's put this to the test." He then turned to Akiru, who was walking beside him, and requested, "Flash me a big smile and give me a thumbs up." Akiru raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's the deal, Ryo-san?" Ryota insisted, "Just do it." When Akiru complied, Ryota was hit with a wave of cringe. "Alright, that's enough," he said, scrunching his face in distaste. It dawned on him, "So it's only charming when Yuji-san does it. Wait a minute... does that mean I... like him? So, I like him." Ryota nodded to himself, embracing this newfound realization. A smirk danced on his lips as he glanced downward, laughter bubbling up from within. Suga shot him a puzzled look and inquired, "What's got you laughing like that?" Ryota merely shook his head, laughter still escaping him in delightful waves.