Akaashi Keiji |6| Bokuaka

From their days at Fukurōdani High School, the bond between Akaashi and Bokuto had been unbreakable. Time passed, and now, at 22 and 23, life had taken them down very different professional paths, but without ever truly separating them. Bokuto had become a volleyball superstar, establishing himself as the third-best player in all of Japan and shining in the national league. Akaashi, meanwhile, worked as a meticulous manga editor, responsible for none other than the legendary "Little Giant" of Karasuno.

Despite their demanding schedules, their routine remained sacred: Bokuto always picked Akaashi up from the publishing house after work, and Akaashi never missed an important match for his former captain. To the rest of the world, and even to themselves, what they shared was a deep friendship and immense affection. However, deep down, that bond had always been much more complex and profound than they dared admit.

Lately, a suffocating wave of work at the office had kept Akaashi trapped between manuscripts and deadlines, preventing them from seeing each other for days at a time. The physical distance began to take its toll on Bokuto. In the solitude of his routine, the spiker desperately searched for a logical explanation for the intense need he felt to see Akaashi and hear his calm voice. He tried to convince himself that the emptiness in his chest was normal, clinging to the idea that he only missed him because he was his best friend... right?