Haikyuu!!: Can a reclusive genius fall in love?

The classroom was always noisy during breaks, with students chatting in small groups. Yukimura Tsukihiro sat alone by the window, intently gazing outside, her white eyelashes almost transparent in the sunlight.

"yuki-chan~"

When that affectionate nickname first rang out in the classroom, the air seemed to freeze for a moment. Oikawa Tetsu appeared at the desk, followed by Iwaizumi Hajime with a helpless expression. The new nickname flowed naturally from his smiling lips, as light and cheerful as a bird's song.

Yukimura's shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly. He slowly turned his head, a rare look of bewilderment flashing in his emerald eyes. His fingers unconsciously tightened, gripping the fabric of his sleeve.

"Look what good stuff I brought you!" Oikawa Tetsu seemed completely oblivious to the impact of his address, smiling as he placed a delicate little cardboard box on the corner of the table. Inside the box was a matcha cake sprinkled with finely chopped nuts, which looked quite expensive.

Iwaizumi stood to the side with his arms crossed, his brows furrowed slightly: "Trash Kawa, don't bother others with such disgusting nicknames."

"How is that disgusting!" Oikawa Tetsu retorted righteously, "Yuki-chan is Yuki-chan! Right, Yuki-chan?"

He called out again on purpose, observing Yukimura Tsukishiro's reaction with a sly smile.

Xuecun Yuebai's eyelashes trembled slightly. He lowered his gaze, neither admitting nor denying, but simply staring quietly at the cake box, while the tips of his ears quietly blushed.

Iwaizumi glanced at Yukimura Tsukishiro, seemingly noticing something, but ultimately just sighed and said, "Whatever."

He tugged at Oikawa Toru's sleeve, "Let's go, we have to go to class."

As Oikawa Tetsu left, he turned back and winked: "See you next time, Yuki-chan~"

Only when the school bell rang and the classroom fell silent did Yukimura Tsukihiro slowly reach out and gently touch the cardboard box with his fingertips. His movements were very light, as if he were touching something fragile. In the end, he didn't push the box away, but instead moved it a few centimeters closer to himself.

By the time the volleyball team's training session ended after school, it was nearly dusk. As usual, Yukimura Tsukishiro stayed behind to tidy up the equipment. By the time he came out of the gymnasium, there were hardly any people left on campus.

"Yo, Yuki-chan~"

Oikawa Toru stood at the school gate, pushing his bicycle, while Iwaizumi Ichi was tying his shoelaces next to him.

"What a coincidence, we're both getting home so late!" Oikawa Tetsu's smile was bright and undisguised. "Want to walk together for a bit?"

Iwaizumi stood up and glanced at Oikawa Tetsu: "It was you who insisted on waiting until now."

"Iwa-chan, really, don't expose me~"

When that nickname sounded again, Yukimura Tsukishiro's steps faltered almost imperceptibly. He shook his head slightly, but did not quicken his pace, letting the two follow.

"The training must have been tough, right? Especially that devilish vice-minister, who never knows how to spell 'show mercy'," Oikawa Tetsu said, making a face at Iwaizumi Ichika.

Iwaizumi nudged him with his elbow without any politeness: "Shut up, trash Kawa."

Oikawa Tetsu exaggeratedly rubbed the spot where he had been bumped, while pulling a beautifully packaged milk candy from his pocket: "Here, have some energy, Yuki-chan."

The third time he heard that name, Yukimura's white eyelashes trembled slightly. He glanced at the candy, neither taking it nor looking away.

"Don't you like milk flavor?" Undeterred, Oikawa Tetsu pulled out another one as if by magic. "This one's strawberry flavored. Iwa-chan said only girls like this flavor, but I think Yuki-chan would like it, okay?"

Iwaizumi sighed: "Don't make it sound like I know girls so well."

But his gaze fell on Yukimura Tsukihiro, as if observing his reaction.

They walked together to the fork in the road, and Oikawa Tetsu had already shown four or five different flavors of candy. Yukimura Tsukishiro remained silent, but when Oikawa Tetsu once again naturally called out "Yuki-chan," he very gently reached out and took the strawberry candy from Oikawa Tetsu's palm.

Oikawa Tetsu's eyes lit up instantly, as if he had won some important match. Iwaizumi Hajime watched this, shook his head slightly, but said nothing more.

The next day, a small lemon tart appeared on the desk. Oikawa Tetsu and Iwaizumi Hajime passed by the classroom door. Oikawa Tetsu secretly peeked inside and deliberately raised his voice, "I wonder if Yuki-chan likes lemon flavor~"

Yukimura Tsukihiro's fingers paused slightly as he read, and a tiny crease appeared on the edge of the page.

On the third day, it was a box of handmade cookies. Iwaizumi watched as Oikawa Tetsu carefully placed the box on Yukimura Tsukishiro's table and couldn't help but complain, "You've never been this attentive to yourself."

"Because Yuki-chan is special~"

Yukimura Tsukishiro remained silent, but the sweets were no longer pushed to the corner of the table; they stayed where they were until after school. Moreover, whenever someone called out that nickname, his reaction time became shorter and shorter, and the bewilderment in his eyes was gradually replaced by a faint, almost imperceptible acceptance.

The turning point came one afternoon a week later. Training that day was exceptionally arduous; Iwaizumi had intensified the physical training, leaving everyone breathless and exhausted. Even Yukimura Tsukishiro, despite her outstanding stamina, had a rare flush on her pale face.

Oikawa Tetsu handed him a sports drink and a chocolate wafer. Iwaizumi Ichi stood behind him, his expression as serious as ever: "Have some sugar, or you'll get low blood sugar, Yukimura."

Yukimura Tsukishiro hesitated for a moment, his emerald eyes flickering uncertainly. Finally, he said "thank you" very softly, took the wafer, and began to eat it in small bites. When Oikawa Tetsu called him by that nickname again, he didn't look up, but nodded slightly.

Oikawa Tetsu's eyes lit up, as if he had discovered some major secret: "See? See? Yuki-chan really does love sweets!"

Iwaizumi glanced at him and said, "Don't make a fuss." But there seemed to be a hint of a smile in his eyes.

From that day on, feeding became a regular occurrence. Oikawa Tetsu seemed to tirelessly search for all sorts of exquisite desserts and then "casually" place them on Yukimura Tsukishiro's desk. Iwaizumi Hajime, though always complaining, would occasionally remind Oikawa Tetsu, "That guy seems to prefer chocolate flavor" or "Don't buy anything too sweet today."

Yukimura Tsukishiro's resistance gradually crumbled. He began to accept the sweets, and even when no one was watching, a hint of anticipation would flash in his eyes. Occasionally, when Oikawa Tetsu brought out his favorite flavor, his emerald eyes would light up slightly, though only for a fleeting moment, enough for the observant Oikawa Tetsu to catch.

"Yuki-chan looks great today~"

"Yuki-chan, would you like to try this new flavor of pudding?"

"Yuki-chan..."

This affectionate nickname, uttered by Toru Oikawa with a smile, gradually became familiar to everyone in the volleyball club. At first, some people would look at it curiously a few more times, but later they got used to it.

What's most surprising is that Yukimura Tsukishiro seems to have completely accepted the nickname. When Oikawa Tetsu calls him "Yuki-chan," he gives a clear response—sometimes a look, sometimes a barely perceptible nod, and occasionally a very soft "hmm" in response.

After a day of training, Oikawa Tetsu and Iwaizumi Hajime "bumped into" Yukimura Tsukishiro, who was walking home alone, as usual. This time, Oikawa Tetsu brought out two taiyaki, one with red bean paste and the other with cream.

"Guess which flavor Yuki-chan likes?" Oikawa Tetsu smiled like a smug cat.

Iwaizumi sighed from the side, "Don't play such a boring game."

Yukimura Tsukishiro's gaze shifted between the two taiyaki, and finally she extended her slender finger and gently touched the one with the cream filling.

"Bingo!" Oikawa Tetsu happily handed it to him. "I knew Yuki-chan would like the cream!"

Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised by the result.

They walked side by side in the sunset, Oikawa Tetsu talking incessantly about the fun things that happened in the volleyball club, Iwaizumi Ichi occasionally interjecting to correct his exaggerated descriptions, and Yukimura Tsukishiro listening quietly, taking small bites of taiyaki. When he reached the part with the most filling, his eyes narrowed with satisfaction, like a cat being stroked.

Oikawa Tetsu noticed this subtle expression and winked smugly at Iwaizumi Hajime, who ignored it.

"There's a new dessert shop opening tomorrow," Oikawa Tetsu said casually. "I heard their tiramisu is amazing, Yuki-chan, wanna...?"

He paused, then changed his mind, saying, "Shall I bring you a piece to try tomorrow?"

Yukimura Tsukishiro remained silent for a while, and just when Oikawa Tetsu thought he would not get a response, he gave a very soft "hmm".

Oikawa Tetsu's eyes lit up instantly, as if he had received the best gift in the world. Iwaizumi Ichi watched this scene, gently shaking his head, but there seemed to be a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.

On a street at dusk, three teenagers walked side by side. One pushed a bicycle, smiling brightly, while another, though serious, walked in unison. The white-haired boy in the middle remained quiet, but the cold aloofness around him seemed to have melted a little.

When Oikawa Tetsu once again naturally called out "Yuki-chan," Yukimura Tsukishiro's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile, like the first crack as the ice and snow melted in early spring.

A strange, one-sided relationship of feeding and acceptance became the daily norm among the three. And no one knew where this path paved with sweets would ultimately lead.